Abstract: A constant current output is applied to a backup roller or a secondary transfer member, and a cleaning bias is controlled according to a measurement obtained by monitoring a voltage generated at that time. Cleaning biases of a plus polarity and a minus polarity are alternately applied to the backup roller to recover the toner adhered on the secondary transfer member to an intermediate transfer belt. The cleaning bias is controlled according to the combined resistance of a secondary transfer section which is varied with not only the environment of an image forming apparatus, but also the condition of use and various factors to recover the toner adhered to the secondary transfer member to the intermediate transfer belt without fail, thereby preventing smudges on the back of a sheet of paper or smudges on images.

Abstract: In a xerographic copying apparatus of the invention, a control unit to control a stepping motor to cause rotation of an image supporting body to synchronize with running of a transfer medium performs acceleration and deceleration of a rotation speed of the image supporting body while the image supporting body is rotating in a reverse rotation direction, and accordingly, paper powder or foreign matter accumulated in a cleaning mechanism to clean a developer on the image supporting body can be collected, the occurrence of abnormal noise is prevented, and a definite amount of reverse rotation of the image supporting body can be realized while avoiding damage of the image supporting body due to a speed difference between the image supporting body and the transfer medium.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus of this invention, a cleaning bias of opposite polarity to toner is applied to a conductive cleaning blade, thus enhancing the cleaning performance of the cleaning blade. Thus, even for substantially spherical toner, good cleaning is provided without increasing the pressing force of the cleaning blade to a photoconductive drum. The durability of the photoconductive member and the cleaning blade is improved and maintenance is reduced.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt to carry a toner image, a transfer roller to make contact with the transfer belt to transfer the toner image onto a sheet from the transfer belt, an opposite roller facing the transfer roller across the transfer belt, a current application unit to apply a predetermined current to the transfer roller or opposite roller when there is no sheet at a transfer position, a voltage detection unit to detect a voltage generated at a transfer position by applying the predetermined current to the transfer roller or opposite roller by the current application unit, a sheet sensor to detect a kind of the sheet, and a humidity sensor to detect intra-apparatus humidity.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention includes an image carrier and a cleaning device for cleaning a developer left on a surface of the image carrier. Further, the cleaning device includes: a casing having a rotational shaft; pressurizing means for applying a force about the rotational shaft to the casing; a cleaning member fixed to the casing for cleaning the developer left on the surface of the image carrier by being partly pressed against the surface of the image carrier by the force about the rotational shaft; transporting means accommodated in the casing for transporting the cleaned developer collecting within the casing to a predetermined position outside of the casing; and drive providing means for providing a driving force to the transporting means, and a direction of the driving force is a direction from an application point of the driving force substantially toward a rotational support of the rotational shaft or a direction opposite thereto.

Abstract: According to the invention, a constant current output is applied to a backup roller or a secondary transfer member, and the cleaning bias is controlled according to the measurement obtained by monitoring the voltage generated at that time. Cleaning biases of a plus polarity and a minus polarity are alternately applied to the backup roller to recover the toner adhered on the secondary transfer roller to the intermediate transfer belt. The cleaning bias is controlled according to the combined resistance of the secondary transfer section which is varied with not only the environment of the image forming apparatus, but also the condition of use and various factors to recover the toner adhered to the secondary transfer roller to the intermediate transfer belt without fail, thereby preventing smudges on the back of sheet paper or smudges on images.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing contrast voltage controller to control a developing contrast voltage so as to obtain a desired image density, a transfer condition controller to control transfer conditions for transferring a toner image, an environment sensor to detect an environment, and a correcting coefficient setting unit to refer to a database for pre-registering correcting coefficients to correct the transfer conditions corresponding to the developing contrast voltage and environment and set the correcting coefficients on the basis of the developing contrast voltage controlled by the developing contrast voltage controller and the environment detected by the environment sensor.

Abstract: Using an operation detection switch installed in the neighborhood of a conveying path between a photosensitive drum and fixing rollers for recognizing movement of sheets of paper P from a shift of reflected light from the sheets of paper, thereby independently detecting the conveying condition of the sheets of paper, when an occurrence of jamming of the sheets of paper is detected immediately, conveying of the sheets of paper is stopped and extension of jamming is prevented.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided which is capable of preventing a cleaning blade from being curled up or turned over as the operating time of the image forming apparatus elapses, or due to the shape of an image forming pattern. In the image forming apparatus, an image is formed by using a photoreceptor having a photosensitive layer formed on an outer surface thereof, and a residual toner on the surface of the photoreceptor is scraped off by a cleaning blade which is made into abutment with the photoreceptor. In this case, processing for continuously reducing a friction against the photoreceptor with which the cleaning blade abuts is carried out on the photoreceptor in the outside of an image forming area in a central portion of the photoreceptor on which the image is formed.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus includes recording medium arranged along a conveying path to form electrostatic latent images. The apparatus also includes developing units installed in a neighborhood of the recording medium to feed developers having different lightness to the respective electrostatic latent images formed on the recording medium and form developed images. The apparatus further includes transfer units to multiple-transfer developed images formed on the recording medium sequentially on a material to be transferred which is conveyed along the conveying path. The apparatus also includes collectors to collect residual developers on the recording medium after passing the respective transfer units. The developing unit having the developer with lowest lightness compared with the developing unit having the developer with highest lightness according to the CIE color specification system is installed in a neighborhood of the recording medium arranged on a downstream side of the conveying path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided which is capable of preventing a cleaning blade from being curled up or turned over as the operating time of the image forming apparatus elapses, or due to the shape of an image forming pattern. In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, an image is formed by using a photoreceptor 10 having a photosensitive layer formed on an outer surface thereof, and a residual toner on the surface of the photoreceptor is scraped off by means of a cleaning blade 21 which is made into abutment with the photoreceptor. In this case, processing for continuously reducing a friction against the photoreceptor with which the cleaning blade abuts is carried out on the photoreceptor in the outside of an image forming area in a central portion of the photoreceptor on which the image is formed.

Abstract: The color image forming apparatus of the present invention has a plurality of recording medium arranged along a conveying path for forming electrostatic latent images, a plurality of developing units installed respectively in the neighborhood of the plurality of recording medium for feeding developers having different lightness to the respective electrostatic latent images formed on the plurality of recording medium and forming developed images, a plurality of transfer units for multiple-transferring the developed images formed respectively on the plurality of recording medium sequentially on a material to be transferred which is conveyed along the conveying path, and a plurality of collectors for collecting the respective residual developers on the plurality of recording medium after passing the transfer units in the plurality of developing units respectively, and among the plurality of developing units, the developing unit having the developer with lowest lightness compared with the developing unit having t

Abstract: A conductive blade includes a blade member formed of an electrically conductive rubber, and an electrically conductive holder. The blade member has one widthwise end portion serving as a free end portion and the other widthwise end portion serving as a bonding end portion. One end of the free end portion is brought into contact with a subject member. The holder is bonded to the bonding end portion of the blade member over the length of the blade member. A conductive layer formed of a conducting filler and an elastomer is provided for connecting the end face of the bonding end portion of the blade member and a portion of the holder which is adjacent to the end face of the bonding end portion.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus and method includes a plurality of recording medium arranged along a conveying path for forming electrostatic latent images, a plurality of developing units installed respectively in the neighborhood of the plurality of recording medium for feeding developers having different lightness to the respective electrostatic latent images formed on the plurality of recording medium and forming developed images a plurality of transfer units for multiple-transferring the developed images formed respectively on the plurality of recording medium sequentially on a material to be transferred which is conveyed along the conveying path, and a plurality of collectors for collecting the respective residual developers on the plurality of recording medium after passing the transfer units in the plurality of developing units respectively.

Abstract: The color image forming apparatus of the present invention has a plurality of recording medium arranged along a conveying path for forming electrostatic latent images, a plurality of developing units installed respectively in the neighborhood of the plurality of recording medium for feeding developers having different lightness to the respective electrostatic latent images formed on the plurality of recording medium and forming developed images, a plurality of transfer units for multiple-transferring the developed images formed respectively on the plurality of recording medium sequentially on a material to be transferred which is conveyed along the conveying path, and a plurality of collectors for collecting the respective residual developers on the plurality of recording medium after passing the transfer units in the plurality of developing units respectively, and among the plurality of developing units, the developing unit having the developer with lowest lightness compared with the developing unit having t

Abstract: A blade has a rubber blade member and a holder. One widthwise end portion of the blade member is brought into sliding contact with a subject member. The holder is bonded to the other widthwise end portion of the blade member via an adhesive layer. The holder extends in the longitudinal direction of the blade. Conductive paste is applied to at least a portion of an externally exposed end surface of the adhesive layer between the blade member and the holder.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises a photosensitive drum, a developing roller, a transfer charger, a separation charger, a fixing device, a cleaning blade, and a fan. The developing roller contacting the outer peripheral surface of the drum is rotated to supply toner onto a latent image formed on the same surface of the drum, thereby developing the latent image. The toner image is transferred onto a transfer material that is being fed in a vertical direction. At this time, air is sucked by a fan arranged at the back side of the two chargers to form airflow advancing from the drum to the two chargers. Thus, the transfer material is adsorbed on the two chargers to stabilize feed pose of the transfer material. At this time, the airflow formed in the apparatus is partially regulated, particularly near both ends of the developing roller, to decrease the amount of the toner scattered inside the apparatus and reduce the amount of the toner discharged out of the apparatus.

Abstract: A conductive member is used in a state in which the conductive member maintains contact with a subject member. The conductive member has a single-body structure and is formed of a polymeric base material that contains a conducting filler. A portion of the conductive member in which the density of the conducting filler is lower than that in the remaining portion or substantially zero extends 2-20 &mgr;m inward from a contacting end of the conductive member at which the conductive member abuts the subject member.

Abstract: A conductive blade includes a blade member formed of an electrically conductive rubber, and an electrically conductive holder. The blade member has one widthwise end portion serving as a free end portion and the other widthwise end portion serving as a bonding end portion. One end of the free end portion is brought into contact with a subject member. The holder is bonded to the bonding end portion of the blade member over the length of the blade member. A conductive layer formed of a conducting filler and an elastomer is provided for connecting the end face of the bonding end portion of the blade member and a portion of the holder which is adjacent to the end face of the bonding end portion.

Abstract: A conductive member is used in a state in which the conductive member maintains contact with a subject member. The conductive member has a single-body structure and is formed of a polymeric base material that contains a conducting filler. A portion of the conductive member in which the density of the conducting filler is lower than that in the remaining portion or substantially zero ranges 20-120 &mgr;m inwardly from an end of the conductive member at which the conductive member abuts the subject member.