Abstract: As a scanning light beam which is scanning and traveling away from an effective image region moves passed the location of a sensor, a horizontal synchronizing signal Hsync is obtained as a first detection signal. A deflection mirror surface turns around, thereby reversing the direction in which the scanning light beam scans. This scanning light beam therefore scans an effective image region IR, and a latent image forming operation using this scanning light beam is controlled based on the horizontal synchronizing signal Hsync. Hence, there is a relatively long period of time (T4+T5) since the horizontal synchronizing signal Hsync is obtained until formation of a latent image starts in accordance with the signal Hsync. This secures sufficient time for control of the latent image forming operation based on the horizontal synchronizing signal Hsync, and hence, realizes the latent image forming operation as desired during the time T6.

Abstract: A liquid developer having superior fixing characteristic of toner particles to a recording medium and which is harmless to the environment, and an image forming apparatus using the liquid developer are provided. The liquid developer is comprised of an insulation liquid and toner particles dispersed in the insulation liquid, wherein the insulation liquid contains a first vegetable oil and a reaction product produced by an ester exchange reaction of a second vegetable oil and a monovalent alcohol.

Abstract: 1. A liquid developer is disclosed. The liquid developer includes an insulating liquid; and toner particles composed mainly of a resin material that are dispersed in the insulating liquid, wherein the insulating liquid contains a fatty acid monoester, and the resin material has a glass transition temperature Tg of 15 to 70° C. and a softening temperature Tf of 80 to 140° C.

Abstract: A light scanning apparatus makes a light beam scan along a main scanning direction on an effective scanning region which has a predetermined width. The apparatus comprises: a light source which emits the light beam; a deflector which includes an oscillation mirror which oscillates about an oscillatory axis which is orthogonal or approximately orthogonal to the main scanning direction, deflects the light beam emitted from the light source using the oscillation mirror, and makes the light beam scan a second scanning range which contains but extends beyond a first scanning range which corresponds to the effective scanning region; a detector which detects the scanning light beam which moves through a position which is outside the first scanning range but is within the second scanning range, and outputs a signal; and a controller which controls a mirror drive signal fed to the oscillation mirror based on the output signal from the detector and accordingly adjusts the amplitude of the oscillation mirror.

Abstract: A liquid developer includes an insulation liquid, and toner particles that are dispersed in the insulation liquid. Fatty acid monoester is unevenly distributed in the vicinity of surfaces of the toner particles, and the insulation liquid contains unsaturated fatty acid triglyceride.

Abstract: The apparatus is brought into a printable state by selecting one print preparatory process from first and second print preparatory processes and conducting the selected print preparatory process prior to the execution of the printing operation. That is, the printing operation by means of the cartridge is enabled by conducting a print preparatory process desired by a user. Specifically, the print preparatory process is selected and conducted according to the user's desire (to produce a large volume of prints, to reduce the length of time required to become printable, or such). Therefore, the monochromatic printing in the above specific color can be efficiently performed in a manner conforming to the user's desire.

Abstract: A liquid developer includes toner particles formed of a resin material and a coloring agent, and an insulation liquid in which the toner particles are dispersed, the insulation liquid containing ester-exchange oil obtained by an ester-exchange reaction of soybean oil and at least one of semidrying oil and nondrying oil. It is preferred that the insulation liquid further contains fatty acid monoester. Further, it is preferred that the amount of the fatty acid monoester contained in the insulation liquid is in the range of 5 to 50 wt %.

Abstract: An electrostatic latent image is formed on an image carrier. In the image carrier, a photosensitive layer is provided so as to cover a conductive substrate. Conductive particles are dispersed in the photosensitive layer, such that some of the particles are exposed at a surface of the photosensitive layer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image processing unit that has line heads that include a plurality of light sources disposed in a line shape in a main scanning direction, causes each light source to emit light onto image data to form pixels on an exposed surface, and performs image exposure, and creates two-dimensional image data to be printed on the basis of an image signal from the outside and an operation instruction. The image processing unit corrects the two-dimensional image data such that a density irregularity is corrected on the basis of light amount data and/or optical characteristic data for each of the pixels for the line heads, according to a correction value created on the basis of the light amount data and/or optical characteristic data for each of the pixels of the line heads.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a liquid developer includes associating fine particles mainly containing a resin material so as to obtain associated particles, and disintegrating the associated particles in an insulation liquid so as to obtain toner particles.

Abstract: A liquid developer includes toner particles formed of a resin material and a coloring agent, and an insulation liquid in which the toner particles are dispersed, the insulation liquid containing ester-exchange oil obtained by an ester-exchange reaction of linseed oil and at least one of semidrying oil and nondrying oil. It is preferred that the insulation liquid further contains fatty acid monoester. Further, it is preferred that the amount of the fatty acid monoester contained in the insulation liquid is in the range of 5 to 50 wt %.

Abstract: A method for controlling an optical scanning apparatus, includes generating an exposing signal from a pattern data for an optical scanning apparatus, which includes a light source that emits a light beam, a deflector that deflects the light beam emitted from the light source by means of a deflection mirror surface oscillating sinusoidally, and a scanning optical system that has an arcsine characteristics and that images the light beam deflected by the deflector on a surface-to-be-scanned in a spot, and which makes the imaged spot scan the surface-to-be-scanned in the main scanning direction while modulating the light beam emitted from the light source based upon the pattern data indicating a position on the surface-to-be-scanned the light beam exposes so that the light beam exposes a predetermined position on the surface-to-be-scanned, the exposing signal being a train of pulses arranged on a time axis in accordance with an arrangement in the main scanning direction of values, which the pattern data have, ind

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, an image carrier is configured to rotate in a first direction. An image writer is adapted to irradiate the image carrier to form an electrostatic latent image thereon. A storage stores information regarding a factor disturbing the formation of the latent image in advance. A controller controls the irradiation of the image writer so as to eliminate the disturbing factor, based on the information stored in the storage.

Abstract: An image forming method includes: by using a plurality of liquid developers having different colors, forming a plurality of single color images corresponding to the colors; transferring a non-fixed color image onto a recording medium; and fixing the non-fixed color image onto the recording medium. In the image forming method, each of the liquid developers includes an insulting liquid containing unsaturated fatty acid components and toner particles dispersed in the insulating liquid, and an oxidation polymerization accelerator that accelerates an oxidation polymerization reaction of the unsaturated fatty acid components during fixation is contained in the liquid developer forming the single color image that is positioned closest to the recording medium among the plurality of single color images forming the non-fixed color image.

Abstract: An image forming method using liquid developers is provided. The method includes a developing step for forming a plurality of monochromatic color images using a plurality of liquid developers of different colors; a transfer step for transferring a plurality of monochromatic color images which correspond to the respective different colors onto a recording medium to form an unfixed color image onto the recording medium; and a fixing step for fixing the unfixed color image onto the recording medium, wherein each of the liquid developers is comprised of an insulation liquid containing an unsaturated fatty acid component and toner particles dispersed in the insulation liquid, and wherein the liquid developers include a magenta liquid developer, and the magenta liquid developer contains an oxidation polymerization accelerator which accelerates an oxidation polymerization reaction of the unsaturated fatty acid component in the fixing step.

Abstract: A method for producing resin particles mainly made of a resin material using a dispersion liquid in which a dispersoid containing the resin material is finely dispersed in a dispersion medium, the method comprising a dispersion medium removing step which comprises ejecting the dispersion liquid from a head portion in the form of droplets into a solidifying portion, conveying the droplets in the solidifying portion to remove the dispersion medium, and obtaining agglomerates each of which is composed of two ore more fine particles derived from the dispersoid, and a bonding step for welding and bonding the fine particles which constitute each of the agglomerates, thereby obtaining resin particles. The resin particles can be used for manufacturing a toner.

Abstract: A line head includes light-emitting element lines formed by arranging a plurality of light sources in a line shape in a main scanning direction. Each of the light sources is turned on/off corresponding to image data. Light beams emitted from the light sources pass through a lens array to form imaged spots on an exposed surface. The imaged spots generated by making the light beams emitted from the plurality of light sources imaged on the exposed surface are shifted by inches in the main scanning direction or a sub-scanning direction so as to overlap each other, thereby forming images. A gray-scale image of the images has a screen structure displayed on the basis of an area of dots or lines having a predetermined pitch. A diameter of each of the imaged spots formed on the exposed surface is set to be larger than a pitch between pixels and smaller than a pitch between lines or dots forming the screen. Gradation of an image is displayed by a combination of binary states of ON/OFF of each of the light sources.

Abstract: A development apparatus includes a development roller for developing a latent image formed on an image bearing member by means of a liquid developer, an anilox roller for supplying the liquid developer to the development roller and a supply roller arranged in a developer container for containing the liquid developer and held in contact with the anilox roller to supply the liquid developer to the anilox roller and an AC voltage being applied to the supply roller.

Abstract: An optical head that forms latent images on a photosensitive material by a multiple-exposure method is driven at higher speed. This optical head comprises a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a specific direction, a storage unit for receiving and storing data corresponding to one pixel, a shift register having a plurality of registers respectively corresponding to the plurality of light emitting elements, the shift register receiving the data stored in the storage unit and successively shifting the data of each register, and an element drive circuit for lighting the corresponding light emitting elements on the basis of the data in each register of the shift register, wherein the plurality of light emitting elements arranged in the specific direction are successively lighted, and one pixel is subjected to multiple exposure.

Abstract: The invention provides a developing device which can determine and set the suitable amount of toner on a development roller, the suitable voltage to be applied to a compaction roller, and the number of rotations of the compaction roller according to the type of paper, thereby providing a high quality image. The developing device of the invention comprises a development roller to which a liquid toner containing toner particles dispersed in carrier liquid is applied by a toner supplying roller. A developed image is formed on a photoreceptor by the development roller. The device comprises a compaction roller for compacting the toner particles in the liquid toner on the development roller at a position before the development on the photoreceptor. The device comprises a means of controlling the number of rotations of the toner supplying roller according to the type of paper and a means of controlling the voltage to be applied to the compaction roller according to the type of paper.