Abstract: A developing device has a developing container, a developer carrier, and a restricting member. The restricting member restricts the layer thickness of developer on the surface of the developer carrier. The restricting member includes a restricting base formed of resin with higher strength than the developing container and a metal foil arranged at a tip part of the restricting base. The metal foil has a downstream face portion fixed to a downstream-side face of the restricting base and a restricting face portion formed by bending the tip of the downstream face portion to an upstream side and arranged to face the developer carrier.

Abstract: A developing device includes a storing portion, a stirring member, a developing roller, a shield plate, and a guide portion. The storing portion stores developer. The stirring member is rotatably provided in the storing portion and stirs the developer in the storing portion by being rotationally driven in a predetermined first rotation direction. The developing roller is rotatably provided above the stirring member, has a magnet that attracts the developer in the storing portion by a magnetic force, and is rotationally driven in a predetermined second rotation direction. The shield plate is made of a nonmagnetic material and provided at a facing position where the developing roller and the stirring member face each other. The guide portion is provided more on an upstream side in the first rotation direction than the facing position, and guides the developer from the storing portion to the developing roller side.

Abstract: A developing device has a developing container, a developer carrier, and a restricting member. The restricting member restricts the layer thickness of developer on the surface of the developer carrier. The restricting member includes a restricting base formed of resin with higher strength than the developing container and a metal foil arranged at a tip part of the restricting base. The metal foil has a downstream face portion fixed to a downstream-side face of the restricting base and a restricting face portion formed by bending the tip of the downstream face portion to an upstream side and arranged to face the developer carrier.

Abstract: The cleaning unit cleans the surface of the image carrying body after transfer of the toner image onto an image transfer object. The post-transfer neutralization unit is disposed between the transfer unit and the cleaning unit, and neutralizes electrical charge of the surface of the image carrying body after transfer. The first control unit controls neutralization light intensity of the pre-transfer neutralization unit such that a dark potential (V0 potential) of a non-image region on the image carrying body after pre-transfer neutralization is higher by 50 to 150 V than a bright potential (VL potential) of a solid image region. The first setting operating unit allows for an increase and decrease in the neutralization light intensity of the pre-transfer neutralization unit based on a status of an output image.

Abstract: A developing device for use in an image forming apparatus includes a developing agent supply unit which supplies a developing agent to a photoreceptor, a first mixing unit provided near the developing agent supply unit to convey the developing agent in a first conveyance direction while mixing the developing agent, a second mixing unit provided underneath the first mixing unit to receive the developing agent at a downstream end along the first conveyance direction so as to supply the developing agent to the developing agent supply unit while mixing and conveying the developing agent in a second conveyance direction, and a developing agent scoop-up unit provided substantially in the middle in a height direction between the first mixing unit and the second mixing unit along the second conveyance direction to receive the developing agent from the second mixing unit and draw up the received developing agent to the first mixing unit.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device conveys sheets by using a suction conveyor belt having small holes. The lowermost sheet stacked on a sheet table is conveyed while being adsorbed on the conveyer belt. A suction fan sucks the lowermost sheet by way of an air suction port formed in a suction duct and the small holes. Sucked air is introduced into an air nozzle through a guide duct. Air blown off from the air nozzle raises the second sheet from the lowermost sheet and the subsequent sheets, to separate the sheets from the lowermost sheet. The suction duct is provided with an auxiliary suction port for ensuring the amount of air blown off from the air nozzle.

Abstract: A duplex copying machine that includes an automatic document feeder and a sheet feeder for conveying sheets, which each have an original image copied on one surface, toward a photoreceptor. The sheet feeder blows air on the leading end of the lowermost sheet out of a plurality of sheets set on a sheet tray by way of an air blowing fan to separate the lowermost sheet from the sheets above the lowermost sheet. The amount of air blown by the air blowing fan in situations where the automatic document feeder is not used and the sheets (each having an original image copied on one surface) are being successively stacked on the sheet tray is made smaller than the larger amount of air used in the situation where the sheets are being conveyed.

Abstract: The provision of the overlapped transfer-preventing mechanism having a pivot 5a integrated with the lower separating roll 5 which is variably separated from the upper separating roll 4 rotably driven, the lower separating rolls is rotable in a direction opposite to said paper supplying direction when the lift plate 37 is lifted up in a paper-supplying position.

Abstract: An overlapped transfer-preventing mechanism that is inexpensive, simple in construction, requires no actuator and has a high degree of freedom of layout. The mechanism includes an upper, rotatably driven, separating roll and a pivot integrated with a lower separating roll. The pivot is provided with a one-way clutch which prevents rotation of the pivot in a paper-supplying direction but which permits rotation of the pivot in the direction opposite the paper-supplying direction. The one-way clutch has mounted on it a lever member, which is engaged with a paper-carrying plate by an upward or downward moving operation of the paper-carrying plate so as to rotate the one-way clutch in the direction opposite the paper-supplying direction.

Abstract: A combined system of an image processing machine (e.g., a copying machine) and a sheet handling machine. They are placed with an image reading part (e.g., a glass plate of the copying machine) therebetween. In the combined system, one-sided or two-sided original sheets and processed sheets are orderly stacked on respective final tray after they are finished processing if the original sheets are stacked orderly in the initial tray, i.e., the original sheets are laid on the final tray with the order of the page numbers maintained from the order at the initial tray, and the processed sheets are also stacked on the finish tray with the same order. In a simple mode: the original sheet is placed on the image reading part, processed (copied), reversed and ejected to a first final tray, while the process sheet (copy sheet) is processed and ejected onto the finish tray without reversing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a receiving unit for receiving a sheet on which a first image is formed. The receiving unit includes an inlet for receiving the sheet, a tray member for supporting the received sheet, an outlet through which the received sheet is re-fed, and an aligning device. The aligning device includes a pair of standing members positioned on the tray member in spaced relationship with each other a predetermined distance. The standing members extend upward to a level which is higher than the inlet. And at least one of the pair of standing members has a widened portion for guiding the sheet passing through the sheet inlet. The sheet is guided by the widened portion and aligned on the tray member by the pair of standing members and the sheet is re-fed out of the tray member to form a second image.

Abstract: A paper feeding device for sending out paper sheets P from an intermediate tray after a first image has been formed on the paper sheets in an image forming apparatus. The device includes a preliminary feed roller, a pressure plate opposed to the preliminary feed roller, a feed roller, a pressure roller opposed to the feed roller, a roller supporting shaft for relatively rotatably supporting the pressure roller, a supporting member pivotably attached to the roller supporting shaft for supporting the pressure plate for pivotably around the roller supporting shaft, and a motor for rotating the roller supporting shaft. As a result the pressure plate and the pressure roller can pivot to maintain the paper sheets against the preliminary feed roller and the feed roller regardless of how many paper sheets are on the intermediate tray.

Abstract: An apparatus for the formation of images having a body of the apparatus provided with a corona charger, in which a corona wire is strung along a charging opening of the corona charger. An image-forming device is installed in the body of the apparatus. The device is removable from the body of the apparatus along the corona wire. The apparatus further includes a cleaning device that is attached to the end portion of the image-forming device opposite to the direction in which the image-forming device is pulled out of the body of the apparatus. The cleaning device touching the corona wire through the charging opening when the image-forming device moves along the corona wire and separating from the corona wire when the image-forming device is installed into the body of the apparatus.