Abstract: A collection vessel 124 has a shutter 138 for opening and closing collection ports 136. A rotation shaft 140 of the shutter 138 is provided with an opening/closing piece 144. The opening/closing piece 144 abuts a protrusion on an image formation apparatus main unit and opens the shutter 138 largely so that a discharge section inserted into the collection port 136 does not abut. The collection port 136 is made a long hole so as to allow the discharge section to move. Further, the shutter 138 is formed integrally with a plurality of door parts 142 so as to open or close the collection ports 136 by one operation.

Abstract: A collection vessel 124 has a shutter 138 for opening and closing collection ports 136. A rotation shaft 140 of the shutter 138 is provided with an opening/closing piece 144. The opening/closing piece 144 abuts a protrusion on an image formation apparatus main unit and opens the shutter 138 largely so that a discharge section inserted into the collection port 136 does not abut. The collection port 136 is made a long hole so as to allow the discharge section to move. Further, the shutter 138 is formed integrally with a plurality of door parts 142 so as to open or close the collection ports 136 by one operation.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, such as an electrophotography-basis copying machine or laser printer, ribs are provided on and along both side ends of the inner surface of an intermediate transfer belt. Rib guides are provided on both ends of a drive roll. The ribs are brought into contact with the rib guides, whereby the intermediate transfer belt is guided. The diameter of each rib guide is slightly larger than the diameter of the drive roll, to thereby form a gap between the drive roll and the intermediate transfer belt. In a region including the gap and its vicinity, a friction created between the drive roll and the intermediate transfer belt is reduced. Therefore, thrust of each rib against each rib guide, caused by the walk, is reduced.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus according to the present invention forms a high quality color image with multiple colors of toner in accordance with an input signal. An electrostatic latent image is formed on an image carrier in accordance with the image signal. A developing bias is applied to the image carrier to form a toner image of the latent image for multiple toner colors. To transfer the toner image to an intermediate transfer belt, a rotatable transfer roller is positioned opposite the image carrier and across the transfer belt for attracting the transfer belt toward the image carrier at a transferring position. To reduce the frictional force between the image carrier and the transfer belt, which causes color deviation when multiple toner images are transferred to the intermediate transfer belt, a toner is placed on the image carrier in front of a leading end of a first toner image formed on the image carrier.

Abstract: A transfer apparatus is provided which is capable of effectively preventing a defect in transference caused from a gap between a transfer member and an intermediate transfer belt to form an excellent image free from an image defect such as whitening. The transfer apparatus for an image forming apparatus for primarily transferring a toner image formed on an image holding member to an intermediate transfer belt and then secondarily transferring the image, which has been primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt, to a transfer member, includes a transfer unit for secondarily transferring the image having a transfer roll separably disposed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt, which holds the toner image, and an opposite roll disposed to be in contact with the inner surface of the intermediate transfer belt at a position at which the opposite roll is opposite to the transfer roll.

Abstract: In a recording sheet conveying device comprising: a dielectric sheet which moves at a predetermined speed while electrostatically retaining a recording sheet on the outer surface thereof; a charger positioned on the side of the inner surface of the dielectric sheet, to induce electrostatic attraction forces between the dielectric sheet and the recording sheet; and a deflector roll having an electrically conductive layer as an outer surface thereof, the deflector roll being confronted with the charger and adapted to push the recording sheet against the dielectric sheet, the number of electric charges provided by the charger is so adjusted that electrostatic attraction forces acting on the rear end portion of the recording sheet are weaker than those acting on the front end portion of the recording sheet, whereby the recording sheet is prevented from being wrinkled when electrostatically retained on the dielectric sheet.