Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; an exposure device; a developing device that develops the latent image on the image carrier by using a toner charged to a predetermined polarity and having an external additive; a transfer device that transfers a toner image developed on the image carrier to a transfer medium; a first charging member that charges the external additive and the transfer residual toner remaining on the image carrier and the image carrier after transfer to the same polarity as a polarity of the toner; a cleaning member that electrostatically attracts the external additive and the transfer residual toner charged by the first charging member; and a second charging member that charges the image carrier to an electric potential smaller in absolute value than an electric potential of the image carrier generated after the image carrier passes the cleaning member.

Abstract: A charger includes: a charging brush which is rotatably provided and is brought into contact with an image carrier to charge the surface of the image carrier; a charging roller which is brought into contact with the image carrier at a portion on the downstream side relative to the charging brush in the rotational direction of the image carrier to charge the surface of the image carrier; and a controller which controls voltages applied to the charging brush and charging roller, wherein the controller controls voltages applied to the charging brush and charging roller such that one-fifth of the absolute value of a charging brush current flowing between the image carrier and charging brush is lower than the absolute value of a charging roller current flowing between the image carrier and charging roller.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing agent carrying body that carries toner, a toner supply member that supplies toner to the developing agent carrying body, a regulating member that regulates an amount of toner present on the developing agent carrying body, a developing chamber having the developing agent carrying body, the toner supply member and the regulating member, and a replaceable toner cartridge that supplies toner to the developing chamber and collects the toner from the developing chamber. When the toner cartridge is replaced with a toner cartridge storing new toner, the new toner is supplied to the developing chamber from the toner cartridge. The new toner and the toner remaining in the developing chamber are agitated to form agitated toner, and the agitated toner is collected in the toner cartridge from the developing chamber.

Abstract: A development cartridge includes: a developer carrier which carries toner; a toner supply member which supplies the toner to the developer carrier; a regulation member which regulates an amount of toner on the developer carrier; a development chamber which has the developer carrier and the toner supply member; a transport section which is connected to an upper portion and a lower portion of the development chamber to transport the toner from the lower portion of the development chamber to the upper portion of the development chamber; a transport member which is disposed inside the transport section and transports the toner while agitating the toner; an input member which inputs a print image; and a control member which controls a toner transport speed of the transport member in accordance with the print image.

Abstract: A developing device includes: a replaceable toner cartridge; a development chamber; a first transport path which connects the toner cartridge to the development chamber; a first transport unit which transports toner from the toner cartridge to the development chamber through the first transport path; a second transport path which connects the development chamber to the toner cartridge; and a second transport unit which discharges the toner within the development chamber to the toner cartridge through the second transport path at the time of replacement of the toner cartridge.

Abstract: A development cartridge includes a developer carrier which carries toner, a toner supply member supplying the toner to the developer carrier and a regulation member regulating an amount of toner on the developer carrier. A development chamber encloses the developer carrier and the toner supply member. A transport section is connected to upper and lower portions of the development chamber to transport the toner from the lower portion of the development chamber to the upper portion of the development chamber. A transport member is disposed inside the transport section and transports the toner while agitating the toner. An amount of toner passing per unit time from the development chamber to the transport section is larger than an amount of toner passing per unit time from the transport section to the development chamber. A toner transport speed of the transport member is controlled in accordance with a process speed.

Abstract: A developing device includes: a developer carrier that carries toner thereon; a toner supply member that supplies toner to the developer carrier; a development chamber having the developer carrier and the toner supply member; a replaceable toner cartridge that supplies toner to the development chamber and collects toner from the development chamber; and a contact member that is in contact with the toner supply member to form a nip portion. At the time of replacement to the toner cartridge that contains new toner therein, the new toner is supplied from the toner cartridge into the development chamber and is made to pass through a nip portion between the toner supply member and the contact member within the development chamber, and then nip-passed toner is collected from the development chamber into the toner cartridge.

Abstract: A developing device includes a housing that forms a development chamber therein and a developer containing portion that forms a developer containing chamber therein and contains a one-component developer. A first transport path supplies a developer from the developer containing chamber to an upper side of the development chamber. A second transport path collects a developer from a lower side of the development chamber to the developer containing chamber. A developer carrier is disposed in the development chamber and carries a developer thereon. A developer supply member is disposed in the development chamber and supplies a developer to the developer carrier. A regulating member is in contact with the developer carrier and regulates a developer on a surface of the developer carrier. Stirring of the developer in the development chamber is performed by driving the first transport path and the second transport path to transport the developer.

Abstract: A developing cartridge includes: a developer carrier which carries toner; a toner supply member which supplies the toner to the developer carrier; a regulation member which regulates an amount of toner on the developer carrier; a developing chamber which has the developer carrier and the toner supply member; a transport section which is connected to an upper portion and a lower portion of the developing chamber and transports the toner from the lower portion of the developing chamber to the upper portion of the developing chamber; and a transport member which is disposed inside the transport section and transports the toner while agitating the toner. A capacity of the transport section is larger than a capacity of the developing chamber.

Abstract: A signal transmission system has a plurality of signal lines, a plurality of transmitting circuits, a plurality of receiving circuits, and a timing adjusting circuit. The transmitting circuits are provided for the signal lines. Each of the receiving circuits receives a signal from a corresponding one of the transmitting circuits via the signal lines. The timing adjusting circuit, which is provided at the same side as the transmitting circuits, adjusts signal latch timing for the receiving circuits to optimum timing in accordance with signal skew caused between the signal lines. Therefore, a large-capacity and error free transmission can be performed at high speed using a plurality of signal lines without being affected by skew on each of the signal lines.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and program for designing a semiconductor device having a storage unit configured to a differential signal library for use in generation of a design data of a differential signal cell that receives or outputs differential signals. The apparatus includes a logic synthesis unit performing logic synthesis based on the differential signal library configured to the storage unit. The apparatus generates a netlist design data of the differential signal cell that receives or outputs the differential signals.

Abstract: A charger includes: a primary charging member which is rotatably provided and is brought into contact with an image carrier to charge the surface of the image carrier; a secondary charging member which is brought into contact with the image carrier at a portion on the downstream side relative to the first charging member in the rotational direction of the image carrier to charge the surface of the image carrier; and a controller which controls voltages applied to the first and second charging members, wherein at the time of image formation, the controller applies, to the first charging member, a voltage whose absolute value is higher than the absolute value of the discharge start voltage of the first charging member and applies, to the second charging member, a voltage whose absolute value is lower than the absolute value of the discharge start voltage of the second charging member and whose absolute value is lower than the voltage applied to the first charging member, and at the time when an image is not for

Abstract: A charger includes: a charging brush which is rotatably provided and is brought into contact with an image carrier to charge the surface of the image carrier; a charging roller which is brought into contact with the image carrier at a portion on the downstream side relative to the charging brush in the rotational direction of the image carrier to charge the surface of the image carrier; and a controller which controls voltages applied to the charging brush and charging roller, wherein the controller controls voltages applied to the charging brush and charging roller such that one-fifth of the absolute value of a charging brush current flowing between the image carrier and charging brush is lower than the absolute value of a charging roller current flowing between the image carrier and charging roller.

Abstract: A signal transmission system has a plurality of signal lines, a plurality of transmitting circuits, a plurality of receiving circuits, and a timing adjusting circuit. The transmitting circuits are provided for the signal lines. Each of the receiving circuits receives a signal from a corresponding one of the transmitting circuits via the signal lines. The timing adjusting circuit, which is provided at the same side as the transmitting circuits, adjusts signal latch timing for the receiving circuits to optimum timing in accordance with signal skew caused between the signal lines. Therefore, a large-capacity and error free transmission can be performed at high speed using a plurality of signal lines without being affected by skew on each of the signal lines.

Abstract: A signal transmission system has a plurality of signal lines, a plurality of transmitting circuits, a plurality of receiving circuits, and a timing adjusting circuit. The transmitting circuits are provided for the signal lines. Each of the receiving circuits receives a signal from a corresponding one of the transmitting circuits via the signal lines. The timing adjusting circuit, which is provided at the same side as the transmitting circuits, adjusts signal latch timing for the receiving circuits to optimum timing in accordance with signal skew caused between the signal lines. Therefore, a large-capacity and error free transmission can be performed at high speed using a plurality of signal lines without being affected by skew on each of the signal lines.

Abstract: Paper-feed control of an image-forming apparatus, in which the control unit has a paper-feed-motor-drive-controller for controlling a paper-feed-motor. The paper-feed-motor rotating a resist roller and a paper ejection-roller for feeding printing paper. The paper-feed-motor is controlled to perform a plurality of paper-feeds of predetermined width on a sheet of printing paper. An image is formed on the sheet of printing paper after respective paper-feed. The paper-feed-motor is controlled by the paper-feed-motor-controller to perform the paper-feed such that the end of the printing paper remains in contact with the resist roller from which the end of the paper leaves after the final paper-feed.

Abstract: A support member has a plurality of through-holes for supporting printing paper to which a fusible toner is adhered. Hot air is blown toward the printing paper. By releasing a considerable amount of hot air blown toward the support member downward through the through-holes, the amount of hot air bouncing on the surface of the support member is decreased. Thus, floating or fluttering of the leading end of the printing paper is prevented when the leading end of the printing paper rushes into the fixing apparatus.

Abstract: An uninterruptive power supply supplies electric power to a computer by use of a battery when the supply of electric power by a main power supply is interrupted. The system termination processing section detects the outage of the main power supply when the period of interruption of the supply of electric power from the main power supply to the uninterruptive power supply has exceeded a preset period, monitors the remaining capacity of the battery in the uninterruptive power supply at least when the outage is detected, gradually effects the system terminating process to the shutdown of the power supply of the system according to the degree of importance based on the remaining capacity of the battery, and controls the stage of the system terminating process according to a variation in the remaining capacity of the battery when the remaining capacity of the battery is changed during the system terminating process.

Abstract: A supporting and driving mechanism including a rotatable body and a supporting unit for assuring stable support and rotation of the rotatable body for a long time. The mechanism includes an axis member at either end of the rotatable body, a driven gear at one end of the rotatable body, two rollers and a driving gear of the supporting unit. The two rollers are placed parallel to each other and the distance between the closed surfaces of the rollers is smaller than the diameter of the axis member of the rotatable body. The driving gear engages the driven gear and transmits a driving force to the driven gear of the rotatable body. The driving force applied from the driving gear to the driven gear directs between the centers of the two rollers when the driving force is translated so that the origin of the force is brought to the center of the axis member of the rotatable body.