Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a developer carrying member carrying thereon a developer having a magnetic substance. The developer carried on the developer carrying member contacts an image holding member in a developing portion. A regulating member abuts against the developer carried on the developer carrying member and regulates the layer thickness of the developer carried on the developer carrying member. A DC electric field forming unit forms a DC electric field between the developer carrying member and the regulating member. The intensity of the electric field formed between the developer carrying member and the regulating member being 10×106 to 28.3×106 (V/m).

Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a developer containing portion containing a developer having a weight average particle diameter of not more than 7 &mgr;m, a developer bearing member for bearing a developer, and an agitating member that agitates the developer contained in the developer containing portion. The agitating member is intermittently driven with respect to rotation of a developing sleeve. The agitating member is driven to rotate for one page every time the image forming apparatus performs a predetermined number of printing operations. A rod member having a crank-like shape may be used as the agitating member and both of the end portions serve as the center of rotation. By controlling the drive of the agitating member, it is possible to effectively adjust the supply of toner to the developing sleeve and prevent the density lowering phenomena caused due to inflow of a large amount of the new toner presented at the rear of the developing container.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging device for charging the photosensitive member, an exposing device for exposing a light including image information to the photosensitive member, and a developing device for supplying a toner to an electrostatic latent image formed on said photosensitive member. The developing means is held by a cartridge removably mountable on a main body of the image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a memory for memorizing an amount of use of the cartridge, wherein a charging amount of the toner caused by friction in the cartridge when the amount of use of the cartridge is in an initial state is smaller than that when the amount of use of said cartridge is not in an initial state. A judging device compares the amount of use of the cartridge with a predetermined value showing a condition that the amount of use of the cartridge is in the initial state.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a developing apparatus in which, assuming that a tangent which is in contact with said detecting member on an opening portion side of a developing container in a vertical direction is a first tangent, and a tangent which is in contact with a rotating locus of a first agitating member on an opposite side of the opening portion in a vertical direction is a second tangent, the first tangent is positioned nearer to the opening portion than the second tangent, and a lower end of said partition member is provided between the first tangent and the second tangent.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having at least: an image carrying member for carrying an electrostatic latent image, the image carrying member having a photosensitive layer on a conductive substrate; a developer for developing the electrostatic latent image carrying member on the image carrying member; a developer carrying member for carrying the developer and conveying it to a development area; a control member making contact with the developer carrying member for controlling the coating amount of the developer; and a cleaning member for cleaning the surface of the photosensitive layer of the image carrying member by making contact with the surface of the image carrying member with a contact pressure of 0.15N (15 gf) to 0.89N (90 gf). The photosensitive layer contains at least one kind of polycarbonate resin (I) having a viscosity average molecular weight of 1.5×104 or less and at least one kind of polycarbonate resin (II) having a viscosity average molecular weight of more than 1.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes, an image bearing member, a charger which may be a main charger and auxiliary charger for charging the image bearing member, a developing unit for forming a toner image by developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member using a toner having the same polarity as that of the charger, a transfer electrode, having a width different from that of the charger and contacting a transfer material, for applying a bias voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the charger to the transfer material, the cleaning blade contacting the image bearing member in a counter direction relative to a moving direction of the image bearing member in order to scrape and remove toner particles remaining on the image bearing member after the image transfer due to the potential of the image bearing member, and a member for reducing a charging potential difference between the charger and the transfer electrode generated on the image bearing member.

Abstract: The present invention provides an envelope comprising an envelope body including a pair of sheet-shaped constructural pieces which provide a front surface and a back surface, respectively, and are connected to each other to form an opening at at least one side, and a fixing portion for preventing relative movement between the pair of sheet-shaped constructural pieces in a facial direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which converts character or pattern information into bit map information (pixel information) and forms an image based thereon. The image forming apparatus includes a light-beam generator for generating a modulated light beam, a light-beam deflector for scanning an image carrier, a device for feeding a sheet to registration rollers and a driver for driving the image carrier. A time period is provided to operate the light-beam deflector and the feeding device before the driver starts to drive the image carrier to form an image.

Abstract: A cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus including an image carrier has a cleaning blade with an edge slidably contracting with an image carrier to remove foreign matter remaining on a surface of the image carrier. A lubricant including indefinite-form lubricant particles is applied to zones on the edges of the cleaning blade near both longitudinal ends of the cleaning blade and a lubricant including spherical lubricant particles is applied to a zone on the edge of the cleaning blade between the zones to which the lubricant including indefinite-form lubricant particles has been applied. A process cartridge includes the cleaning device, and an image forming apparatus incorporates the process cartridge.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, having an image bearing member; an image forming device for forming an image on the image bearing member; a transfer device for transferring the image formed on the image bearing member by the image forming device onto a recording medium; a heat fixing unit for fixing the image transferred to the recording medium by the transfer device onto the recording medium; a power source; and a controller for detecting a temperature increased condition of the heat fixing unit when the power source is turned ON and for determining a temperature adjust temperature of the heat fixing unit at a fixing operation in accordance with the detected result.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a feeder means and a recorder. The feeder feeds a sheet of recording paper to a predetermined position in response to a spare paper feed signal instructing the feeding of the sheet of recording paper to the predetermined position preliminarily, and then feeds the sheet of recording paper being stopped at the predetermined position again in response to a record request signal. The recorder records an image on the sheet of recording paper fed by the feeder means through an electrophotographic process. The recorder means starts preparation to execute the electrophotographic process upon receiving the spare paper feed signal. As a result throughput is increased without causing other problems.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a data receiver for receiving encoded character or graphic information in the unit of a page from the outside; a pixel converter for converting the encoded character or graphic information into pixel information; an image forming device for forming an image on a recording medium based on the pixel information; and a feeder for feeding the recording medium to said image forming device. In the apparatus, the feeder is adapted to feed the recording medium to a predetermined position prior to the completion of pixel conversion of a page by the pixel converter.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises includes a feeder means and recorder. The feeder feeds a sheet of recording paper to a predetermined position in response to a spare paper feed signal instructing the feeding of the sheet of recording paper to the predetermined position preliminarily, and then feeds the sheet of recording paper being stopped at the predetermined position again in response to a record request signal. The recorder records an image on the sheet of recording paper fed by the feeder means through an electrophotographic process. The recorder means starts preparation to execute the electrophotographic process upon receiving the spare paper feed signal. As a result, throughput is increased without causing other problems.

Abstract: A feed interval of continuous feeding is changed according to the set temperature of a heating member or the size of a recording material, or a feed interval is long for a predetermined time after a state for forming an image is established and is then decreased after the predetermined time has passed, thereby causing a slight increase in the temperature of the non-passage portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image supporting member for supporting a toner image, a transfer rotating member forming a nip with the image supporting member and electrostatically transferring the toner image formed on the image supporting member to a recording material, a fixing device for fixing the toner image to the recording material holding the toner image, and a guide member for guiding the recording material so that the angle between the direction of separation of the recording material from the transfer rotating member and the tangent to the image supporting member at the center of the nip is at least 2.degree. in a direction toward the image supporting member.

Abstract: An image forming system includes an image former for forming a non-fixed image on a recording sheet, a heat fixer for thermally fixing the non-fixed image on the recording sheet, and an operation permitting signal output device for outputting a signal representative of an operation permitting condition of the image forming system after a power source of the system is turned on. The operation permitting signal output device outputs the signal representative of the operation permitting condition before the temperature of the heating body reaches a waiting temperature.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a feeder means and a recorder. The feeder feeds a sheet of recording paper to a predetermined position in response to a spare paper feed signal instructing the feeding as the sheet of recording paper to the predetermined position preliminarily, and then feeds the sheet of recording paper being stopped at the predetermined position again in response to a record request signal. The recorder records an image on the sheet of recording paper fed by the feeder means through an electrophotographic process. The recorder means starts preparation to execute the electrophotographic process upon receiving the spare paper feed signal. As a results, throughput is increased without causing other problems.

Abstract: The image forming device of the present invention relates to an image forming device having a moving member which moves while pressing a recording material against an image carrying member as the means of transferring the image on the image carrying member to the recording material. Further, the image forming device has a pair of moving members for fixing the image by conveying the recording material sandwiched therebetween, of which the moving member on the side not in contact with the unfixed image is a moving member having an elastic material layer and a resin surface layer. Further, the present invention has the surface of the moving member of the fixing member on the side not in contact with the unfixed image which is better mold releasability with that of the moving member of the image forming device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image forming unit which is detachably mounted in the stationary main part of the apparatus. The unit includes an image carrier with a photosensitive layer, a charging device capable of electrostatically charging the image carrier in contact therewith, and a housing supporting the image carrier and the charging device and provided with an exposure opening. An air flow is positively formed such that, with the image forming unit mounted in a predetermined mounting portion in the apparatus, air flows from regions near both ends of the image carrier towards the exposure opening past a region where the charging device contacts the image carrier. With this arrangement, ozone generated in the image forming unit due to operation of the contact type charging device is efficiently carried away from the image forming unit, thus eliminating generation of image defects attributable to presence of ozone and other discharge products.