Abstract: An image forming apparatus is capable of being attached with a toner supply container. The toner supply container stores a toner that is to be supplied to a developing portion. An attachment location of the toner supply container isbelow a light scanning portion in a vertical direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is capable of being attached with a toner supply container. The toner supply container stores a toner that is to be supplied to a developing portion. An attachment location of the toner supply container is below a light scanning portion in a vertical direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is capable of being attached with a toner supply container. The toner supply container stores a toner that is to be supplied to a developing portion. An attachment location of the toner supply container isbelow a light scanning portion in a vertical direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is capable of being attached with a toner supply container. The toner supply container stores a toner that is to be supplied to a developing portion. An attachment location of the toner supply container is below a light scanning portion in a vertical direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is capable of being attached with a toner supply container. The toner supply container stores a toner that is to be supplied to a developing portion. An attachment location of the toner supply container is below a light scanning portion in a vertical direction.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a rotatable member including an electroconductive layer; a helical coil having a helical axis direction along a generatrix direction of the rotatable member; a magnetic member not forming a loop outside the electroconductive layer; a frequency setting portion for setting a frequency of an AC current caused to flow through the coil; and a temperature detecting portion for detecting a temperature of the rotatable member, including a first temperature detecting member and a second temperature detecting member. The electroconductive layer generates heat through electromagnetic induction heating by magnetic flux resulting from the AC current, and an image is fixed on a recording material by heat of the rotatable member. The frequency setting portion sets the frequency depending on a value of a difference between a detection temperature of the first temperature detecting member and a detection temperature of the second temperature detecting member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a rotatable member including an electroconductive layer; a helical coil having a helical axis direction along a generatrix direction of said rotatable member; a magnetic member not forming a loop outside the electroconductive layer; a frequency setting portion for setting a frequency of an AC current caused to flow through said coil; and a temperature detecting portion for detecting a temperature of said rotatable member, including a first temperature detecting member and a second temperature detecting member. The electroconductive layer generates heat through electromagnetic induction heating by magnetic flux resulting from the AC current, and an image is fixed on a recording material by heat of said rotatable member. The frequency setting portion sets the frequency depending on a value of a difference between a detection temperature of said first temperature detecting member and a detection temperature of said second temperature detecting member.

Abstract: In a fixing apparatus using a fixing belt having an elastic layer as a fixing member and an image forming apparatus mounting such a fixing apparatus thereto, before a temperature detecting unit detects temperature change caused upon recording material conveying into a nip region, an electric power required to be applied to a heating element to heat the heating element is corrected to a predetermined electric power, and, when the fixing apparatus is started-up upon starting of print, at a predetermined timing, the electric power required to be applied to the heating element to heat the heating element is corrected to the predetermined electric power and a value of the predetermined electric power is substantially the same as an electric power value required for reaching the fixing apparatus to the predetermined power. The value of the predetermined power is determined in accordance with heat capacity of the recording material or a heat accumulating degree of the fixing apparatus on demand.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus has an image bearing member bearing an image thereon, and a transfer member contacting with the image bearing member in a contact portion, the image on the image bearing member is transferred to a transfer medium in the contact portion by the transfer member, the Young's modulus of the image bearing member is equal to or greater than 2×108 [N/m2] and equal to or less than 9×109 [N/m2] and contact pressure P between the image bearing member and the transfer member is equal to or greater than 4.0×104 [N/m2] and equal to or less than 7.3×104 [N/m2]. Thereby, there is provided an image forming apparatus which prevents the deterioration of an image even if use is made of an image bearing member of high hardness.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing belt; a supporting roller for supporting the image bearing belt; a transfer roller for forming a nip with the image bearing belt, wherein an image is transferred from the image bearing belt onto a transfer material at the nip by applying a voltage to set transfer roller; wherein the nip has a first nip portion where the transfer roller is contacted to the image bearing belt without being backed up by the supporting roller, and a second nip portion where the transfer roller is contacted to set image bearing belt by being backed up by the supporting roller, the first nip portion being upstream of the second nip portion; and a regulating member for regulating a discharging the direction of the transfer material to be discharged from the nip.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a self-diagnosis system suitable for grasping conditions relating to electrophotographic parameters of an engine in an image forming apparatus on the market, and for reducing customer complaints. The self-diagnosis system enables the electrophotographic parameters to be displayed and/or output, has a function of displaying the electrophotographic parameters by converting the electrophotographic parameters into indices other than physical quantities, the function of printing the electrophotographic parameters on an output sheet, and the function of enabling the electrophotographic parameters to be transferred to an external information apparatus by a communication device, and includes a device for transferring the electrophotographic parameters to a formatter through a video interface or from the formatter to a host computer, a computer in a service center, or the like via a communication line or the internet.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus has an image bearing member bearing an image thereon, and a transfer member contacting with the image bearing member in a contact portion, the image on the image bearing member is transferred to a transfer medium in the contact portion by the transfer member, the Young's modulus of the image bearing member is equal to or greater than 2×108 [N/m2] and equal to or less than 9×109 [N/m2] and contact pressure P between the image bearing member and the transfer member is equal to or greater than 4.0×104 [N/m2] and equal to or less than 7.3×104 [N/m2]. Thereby, there is provided an image forming apparatus which prevents the deterioration of an image even if use is made of an image bearing member of high hardness.

Abstract: In a fixing apparatus using a fixing belt having an elastic layer as a fixing member and an image forming apparatus mounting such a fixing apparatus thereto, before a temperature detecting unit detects temperature change caused upon recording material rushing, an electric power required to be applied to a heating element to heat the heating element is corrected to a predetermined electric power, and, when the fixing apparatus is started-up upon starting of print, at a predetermined timing, the electric power required to be applied to the heating element to heat the heating element is corrected to the predetermined electric power and a value of the predetermined electric power is substantially the same as an electric power value required for reaching the fixing apparatus to the predetermined power. The value of the predetermined power is determined in accordance with heat capacity of the recording material or a heat accumulating degree of the fixing apparatus on demand.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing belt; a supporting roller for supporting the image bearing belt; a transfer roller for forming a nip with the image bearing belt, wherein an image is transferred from the image bearing belt onto a transfer material at the nip by applying a voltage to set transfer roller; wherein the nip has a first nip portion where the transfer roller is contacted to the image bearing belt without being backed up by the supporting roller, and a second nip portion where the transfer roller is contacted to set image bearing belt by being backed up by the supporting roller, the first nip portion being upstream of the second nip portion; and a regulating member for regulating a discharging the direction of the transfer material to be discharged from the nip.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a self-diagnosis system suitable for grasping conditions relating to electrophotographic parameters of an engine in an image forming apparatus on the market, and for reducing customer complaints. The self-diagnosis system enables the electrophotographic parameters to be displayed and/or output, has a function of displaying the electrophotographic parameters by converting the electrophotographic parameters into indices other than physical quantities, the function of printing the electrophotographic parameters on an output sheet, and the function of enabling the electrophotographic parameters to be transferred to an external information apparatus by a communication device, and includes a device for transferring the electrophotographic parameters to a formatter through a video interface or from the formatter to a host computer, a computer in a service center, or the like via a communication line or the internet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus such as a printer or copier includes a photoreceptor for holding a latent image; a charger for charging the photoreceptor; an exposure unit such as an LED array for exposing the photoreceptor with light so as to form a latent image on the photoreceptor; and a developer placed in the vicinity of the photoreceptor, for developing the latent image with a developing agent so as to form a developing agent image on the photoreceptor. The developer includes a developing sleeve for holding the developing agent on its surface and a transferor for transferring the developing agent image on the photoreceptor to a recording medium. A cleaner is provided for cleaning a residual developing agent on the photoreceptor after the developing agent image is transferred to the recording medium and a purge control unit is provided for purging foreign matter from the developing agent on the developing sleeve.

Abstract: An image forming machine such as a copier and a printer for forming a toner image on a recording sheet.

Abstract: An image forming method in which toner images are registered onto an image retainer by conducting sequentially a cycle of charging, imagewise exposing and developing by the method of reversal development not less than twice. The imagewise exposing, based on all image data which have formed latent images is performed again only on the toner image portion after all the developing steps have been completed, then the toner images are transferred onto a transfer sheet at one time.

Abstract: An electrostatic recording apparatus having a transfer separation unit of a belt-roller transfer system wherein an endless-form transfer material conveyance belt is attached to a toner image retainer by an electrode roller and detached from the toner image retainer on the downstream side of the attached plane. A transfer material is passed through a gap between the transfer material conveyance belt and the electrode roller so that the toner image on the toner image retainer be transferred onto the transfer material.

Abstract: A transfer device of the type having a belt which is stretched around a driving roller and an electric potential-applied driven roller, whereby the transfer device transfers a toner image from an image carrier onto a recording paper, and conveys the recording paper. The cleaning device is positioned so that its blade contacts the belt at a point a little downstream of the point where the belt separates from the driving roller.