Abstract: A device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive member includes a composite sleeve which is comprised of a cylindrical support, a dielectric layer formed on the support and a plurality of fine magnets serving as floating electrodes embedded in the dielectric layer and which is driven to rotate to carry magnetic toner as magnetically attracted to its outer peripheral surface.

Abstract: A method of detecting the toner concentration of a two-component developer comprising a mixture of carrier particles and toner particles for use in an electrostatic copying apparatus or the like wherein a relationship between flow rate and the toner concentration of a two-component developer which passes through a container is obtained in advance, then the flow rate of the two-component developer whose toner concentration is unknown is measured by use of the container and developer flow rate detecting member. Thus, the toner concentration of the developer is determined from the measured flow rate and the relationship between the flow rate and the toner concentration which has been obtained in advance.

Abstract: A developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an image bearing member such as a photosensitive member for use in an electrophotographic copying machine and the like using magnetic toner particles includes a rotatable sleeve, a magnet roll disposed inside of the sleeve and a doctor blade pressed against the sleeve for charging and forming a thin film of toner particles to be used in developing the latent image. In one form, the blade is provided movably in parallel with the rotating axis of the sleeve. In another form, an electrically conductive brush is provided to remove residual charges from the sleeve after each developing operation. In a further form, the tip end of the blade is disposed between the two adjacent magnetic poles of the magnet roll. In a still further form, the blade is constructed to have a two-part structure.

Abstract: A device is provided for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an image bearing member with a developer comprised of magnetically attractable, electrically insulating toner particles for developing the latent image by applying the toner particles in the form of a thin film uniform in charge and thickness. The developing device generally comprises a developing sleeve, which is driven to rotate to carry thereon toner particles, and a pressure plate is held in pressure contact with the sleeve to thereby form a thin film of charged toner particles on the sleeve upstream of the developing station. In one aspect of the present invention, the pressure plate has a low hardness or relatively easily wearable region which is in pressure contact with the sleeve so as to prevent toner particles from permanently sticking to the pressure plate. In another aspect, the pressure plate is structured to have a locally defined relatively easily deflectable region which is in pressure contact with the sleeve.

Abstract: A toner charging member to which a toner is conveyed and supplied is located in the vicinity of a photoconductive element which is to carry an electrostatic latent image thereon. The toner charging member charges the toner conveyed thereto to a selected polarity by friction, so that a thin uniformly charged toner layer is formed on the toner charging member. The charged toner particles are released from the toner layer on the charging member onto the latent image on the photoconductive element.The toner charging member has an insulating member on its surface. A first discharging means is provided to dissipate accumulated charge on the insulator substantially simultaneously with its operation for removing toner particles from the charging member those which were not been supplied to the latent image.

Abstract: A device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive member includes a developing sleeve which is driven to rotate in a predetermined direction and a pressure blade which is kept pressed against the sleeve to form a thin film of uniformly charged toner so as to apply for the latent image for development. In accordance with the present invention, the forward end portion of the pressure blade is specifically shaped such that a projection having the width which substantially corresponds to the width of an image forming area of the photosensitive member is provided to extend beyond a contact line between the sleeve and the blade thereby allowing to form the thin film of toner whose width substantially corresponds to the image forming area of the photosensitive member, thereby preventing the waste of toner from occurring.

Abstract: A toner charging member to which a toner is conveyed and supplied is located in the vicinity of a photoconductive element which is to carry an electrostatic latent image thereon. The toner charging member charges the toner conveyed thereto to a selected polarity by friction, so that a thin uniformly charged toner layer is formed on the toner charging member. The charged toner particles are released from the toner layer on the charging member onto the latent image on the photoconductive element.The toner charging member has an insulating member on its surface. A first discharging means is provided to dissipate accumulated charge on the insulator substantially simultaneously with its operation for removing toner particles from the charging member those which were not been supplied to the latent image.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing sleeve driven to rotate to transport a film of developer riding on its outer peripheral surface, the developing sleeve including an electrically conductive cylinder, a dielectric layer formed on the cylinder and a plurality of fine electrodes provided electrically isolated from each other at least at the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric layer. In one form, each of the fine electrodes is previously coated with an insulating material having the volume resistivity of 10.sup.12 ohms-cm or more to a thickness of 0.5 microns to 0.5 mm. An intermediate dielectric layer may be provided between the cylinder and the first dielectric layer. Further, an electrically conductive layer may be provided as sandwiched between the two dielectric layers. Moreover, the outermost surface of the sleeve may be appropriately roughened in view of the average diameter of toner particles used.

Abstract: A device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an imaging surface by applying a thin film of uniformly charged magnetic toner includes a sleeve which is driven to rotate at constant speed in an intended direction, a hopper for supplying toner to said sleeve, a pressure blade pressed against the sleeve to form the thin film of charged toner on the sleeve and a discharging scraper provided with a plurality of holes and disposed in contact with the sleeve at a location downstream of the developing region, whereby remaining toner on the sleeve is scraped off the sleeve and returned to the sleeve after passing through the holes, to thereby have the charge remaining on the sleeve removed by the discharging scraper.

Abstract: A developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image includes a tank for containing therein a quantity of developer, a developing sleeve driven to rotate in a predetermined direction and having an outer peripheral surface which defines a path for transporting the developer, a magnet roll disposed inside of the developing sleeve for keeping the developer attracted to the peripheral surface of the sleeve, and a pressure plate pressed against the sleeve to form a thin film of developer on the peripheral surface of the sleeve before being applied to the latent image.

Abstract: A device for forming a toner film for use in developing an electrostatic latent image on an image bearing member, such as photosensitive member, is provided. A developing sleeve is rotatably provided and a magnet roll is also rotatably provided inside of the sleeve for magnetically attracting a blade of magnetic material to the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve thereby causing the toner carried on the sleeve to be formed into a film of desired thickness and charge. The magnet roll is formed with a plurality of magnetic poles elongated axially and arranged along the periphery of the roll in alternating polarities. Thus, the magnetic attractive force applied by the magnet roll to the blade changes periodically. In the present invention, the frequency of alternating magnetic field applied to the blade is set to be larger than the first order resonant frequency of the blade, thereby allowing to maintain the applied magnetic force as constant as possible.

Abstract: A toner charging member to which a toner is conveyed and supplied is located in the vicinity of a photoconductive element which is to carry an electrostatic latent image thereon. The toner charging member charges the toner conveyed thereto to a selected polarity by friction, so that a thin uniformly charged toner layer is formed on the toner charging member. The charged toner particles are released from the toner layer on the charging member onto the latent image on the photoconductive element.The toner charging member has an insulating member on its surface. A first discharging means is provided to dissipate accumulated charge on the insulator substantially simultaneously with its operation for removing toner particles from the charging member those which were not been supplied to the latent image.

Abstract: In a dual-conductor type current-access magnetic bubble memory, a major loop is provided with a zigzag propagation path through which the major loop is connected with a plurality of minor loops, and transfer gates between the major and respective minor loops are formed by juxtaposing in parallel and partially superposing a pair of apertures of the same pattern upon each other and are surrounded by a gate control conductor, whereby bubbles can successively be transferred between the major and minor loops with a current sequence for normal propagation in the major and minor loops when a gate current is applied to the gate control conductor.

Abstract: Apparatus for collecting charged toner particles suspended in an air flow is provided. The present apparatus is particularly useful when used in combination with a fur brush cleaning device of a transfer type electrophotographic copying machine. The present collection apparatus comprises a roller electrode and a counter electrode disposed opposite to the peripheral surface of the roller electrode. A blade is provided in contact with the roller electrode. The roller electrode includes an insulating section which always keeps in contact with a portion of the blade thereby roller and counter electrodes are prevented from being bridged by deposited toner particles. A disposable filter unit may be advantageously mounted on the collection apparatus.

Abstract: In a copy paper separating device for use in a transfer type electrophotographic copying machine which includes a conductive carrier member, preferably in the form a conductive endless belt extended between a pair of pulleys. The conductive carrier member is disposed in the periphery of the photosensitive member to which a copy paper is brought into contact for the transfer of a toner image formed on the photosensitive member. The potential of the conductive carrier member is maintained nearly at zero level during the first step of the separating operation; whereas, the potential of the carrier member is increased to a predetermined value of the polarity opposite to that of the toner image during the second step.

Abstract: A development apparatus for developing a latent electrostatic image formed on a latent electrostatic image bearing member to a visible image, having a development sleeve for transporting a developer to the latent electrostatic image for developing the same to a visible image, and a developer layer thickness regulating device for regulating the thickness of a developer layer on the development sleeve, in which development apparatus, the developer layer thickness regulation device comprises a pressure application member for applying pressure to the developer layer on the development sleeve by the magnetic force exerted on the pressure application member towards said developer transportation means, the pressure application member being supported so as to be movable in the direction substantially normal to the surface of the development sleeve.

Abstract: A dual-conductor type current-access magnetic bubble device comprises apertured conductors on which apertured magnetic sheets having the same configuration as the corresponding conductors are disposed, whereby magnetic poles are induced on each aperture of the magnetic sheets by the in-plane magnetic field generated by the current applied to the corresponding conductors to reduce the driving current required for bubble propagation, while stable regions are formed in the substrate by the magnetic poles induced by the bubbles at the boundaries of the apertures of the magnetic sheets at the time of service interruption. The device is further provided with a magnetic rail having side walls on which magnetic poles are induced by the stray flux of the bubbles in the substrate, thereby to have stable bubble-rest regions formed in the substrate at the time of service interruption by the magnetic poles induced on the walls.

Abstract: A toner image of an original document is formed on a photoconductive drum (1) and transferred onto a copy sheet (4) which is moved into contact with the drum (1) by a corona charging unit (5) which applies an electrostatic charge to the copy sheet (4) causing the toner image to be transferred thereto. The copy sheet (4) is separated from the drum (1) by a conductive belt (6). The belt (6) is initially grounded so that the leading edge of the copy sheet (4) is attracted thereto by induced electrostatic charge. A voltage of the same polarity as the transfer charge is then applied to the belt (6) to prevent transfer of the toner image back to the drum (1).

Abstract: A cylindrical electrode (26) is disposed in a tubular housing (22) and applied with an electric potential opposite in polarity to a charge on usable toner particles removed from a photoconductive drum (13). A fur brush (21) bifunctions to remove the toner and foreign matter from the drum (13) and create an air flow which carries the toner and foreign matter through a passageway (41) defined between the housing (22) and cylinder (26). The foreign matter is carried into a foreign matter chamber (29) by centrifugal force while the toner adheres to the cylinder (26) which is rotated in the same direction as the air flow. The toner is carried past a blade (34) which extends closely adjacent to the cylinder (26) into a toner recovery chamber (31) from which it is scrapingly removed from the cylinder (26) and recycled.

Abstract: A method of maintaining the correct conditions of an electrophotographically duplicated image, which uses a reference plate having at least a dark-tone area and a light-tone area and in which signals associated with the reference plate are detected and synthesized to control the duplicating process conditions such as developing bias potential, charge, exposure and of the optical system so that an optimum image may be produced.