Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image carrier that carries an image, a transfer roller that abuts on the image carrier and has a grooved portion in an axial direction, an abutting member that is arranged in an axial end side of the transfer roller and includes a first circumference portion having a first distance from a rotation center of the transfer roller and a second circumference portion having a second distance which is shorter than the first distance, and a support member that abuts the abutting member.

Abstract: A transfer device includes: an electrically-conductive elastic member which carries a transfer material; a transfer material separating member which peels off the transfer material from the elastic member; a supporting member which has an elastic member supporting portion that supports the elastic member, and a separating member supporting portion that supports the transfer material separating member, and also, has electrically-conductive properties; and a transfer bias applying section which is electrically connected to the supporting member, thereby applying a transfer bias.

Abstract: A transfer device including a transfer roller including a roller base member which opposes an image carrier carrying an image, the transfer device rotates about an axis of rotation, and has a concaved portion on an outer circumference thereof and is configured to transfer the image carried by the image carrier to a recording medium when the concaved portion is not opposed to the image carrier, the device also including a pressing portion configured to press the transfer roller to the image carrier, and a contact portion provided at either end of the transfer roller, wherein the contact portion includes an outer circumference which comes into contact with a supporting portion disposed on a drive transmitting portion configured to transmit a drive to the image carrier while the concaved portion opposes the image carrier, and an elastic member is provided on the outer circumference of the contact portion.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning roller which contacts an intermediate transfer belt for carrying an image developed using a liquid developer, a cleaning roller which contacts the other cleaning roller and has a greater axial length than the other cleaning roller, and a rubber blade which contacts the cleaning roller and has a greater axial length than the cleaning roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer belt to which an image is transferred; a belt tension roller around which the transfer belt is looped; a transfer roller that includes a shaft and a recessed portion which is formed in an axial direction of the transfer roller and has a first edge formed in an opening edge in one side of a rotation direction of the transfer roller and a second edge formed in an opening edge in the other side opposite to the one side; and a support member that is arranged in the shaft of the transfer roller.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes a transfer roller having a recessed portion in a circumferential surface; a driving portion for rotatably driving the transfer roller; an image carrier belt for carrying an image; a tension roller around which the image carrier belt is wound for making contact with the transfer roller interposed by the image carrier belt; a biasing portion for biasing the tension roller towards the transfer roller; and a position-regulating portion that, when the transfer roller rotates and the transfer roller and the image carrier belt make contact, causes a position to be maintained at which the image carrier belt wound around the tension roller intersects a virtual circumferential surface that is an extension of the circumferential surface of the transfer roller into the recessed portion.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes: a cleaning blade which removes liquid developer including toner particles and carrier liquid by bringing a contact corner portion constituted by a first surface and a second surface into contact with a cleaned body which is rotated or circulated while holding the liquid developer; a blade supporting body which supports the cleaning blade at the first surface of the cleaning blade or a surface on the side opposite to the first surface; a pressing member which presses the contact corner portion of the cleaning blade against the cleaned body; and seal members disposed at side ends in the first direction of the cleaning blade and having projecting portions which project further than the second surface on the side opposite to a third surface which is on the side opposite to the second surface.

Abstract: An image-forming device comprising: an image-carrier belt that carries an image; a belt-driving roller that causes the image-carrier belt to move, the image-carrier belt being engaged around the belt-driving roller; a tension roller that applies a tension to the image-carrier belt, the image-carrier belt being engaged around the tension roller; a transfer roller having a concaved portion and a gripper, the transfer roller coming into contact with the tension roller interposed by the image-carrier belt, and transferring the image that is carried by the image-carrier belt onto the transfer material; a contacting/diverging part that causes the tension roller to move and that causes the transfer roller and the image-carrier belt to come into contact with or diverge from one another; a delivery part that delivers the transfer material that is gripped by the gripper; and a support member that pivotally supports the transfer roller and supports the delivery part.

Abstract: A control method and an image forming apparatus. The apparatus includes a latent image carrier; a development apparatus for developing a liquid developer containing a toner, a carrier liquid and a dispersant soluble in the carrier liquid therein on the latent image carrier; an intermediate transfer medium to which a developer image developed on the latent image carrier is transferred; a transfer apparatus for transferring the developer image on the intermediate transfer medium to a transfer material; and a dispersant collecting liquid application unit for applying a dispersant collecting liquid on the intermediate transfer medium. The method includes performing the control such that after finishing of transfer of the developer image onto intermediate transfer medium, application of the dispersant collecting liquid on the intermediate transfer medium is started by the dispersant collecting liquid application unit.

Abstract: A liquid developer collection apparatus and an image forming apparatus can prevent image disturbances and also disturbances of the toner particles on the image section that can be produced by squeezing. The liquid developer collection apparatus includes a first squeezing section 113aY that squeeze a liquid developer on an image carrier carrying an image developed by the liquid developer containing carrier liquid and toner particles, and a second squeezing section 113bY arranged vertically above the first squeezing section 113aY to squeeze the image carrier squeezed by the first squeezing section 113aY, and the liquid developer collected by the second squeezing section 113bY is made to fall free onto the first squeezing section 113aY and collected.

Abstract: A degree of freedom in designing a circuit board to which a speaker is attached is enhanced. The speaker including: a frame with a yoke of a magnetic circuit portion embedded inside a central through hole; a diaphragm having a voice coil inserted in a magnetic circuit of the magnetic circuit portion; a cap having a sound dispersing hole that covers over the diaphragm and the frame; and a terminal electrically connected to the voice coil on a side opposite to the cap of the frame, wherein an insulating body is attached to an exposing portion of the yoke on the side opposite to the cap, a back pressure adjusting hole is provided in the exposing portion with respect to the diaphragm, and the terminals are provided to be retractable in the back pressure adjusting hole.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier belt for carrying an image, a transfer roller rotating on a rotating shaft and forming a transfer nip with the image carrier belt downward in a vertical direction from a virtual horizontal plane perpendicular to the vertical direction including the centerline of the rotating shaft, an airflow-generating unit for generating a first airflow directed between the image carrier belt and a transfer surface, and a second airflow directed towards the transfer surface from below in the vertical direction, where the image has been transferred by the transfer nip onto a transfer material, and where the image on the transfer material has been transferred onto the transfer surface.

Abstract: An image forming method includes transferring images carried by an image carrier to a transfer material by a transfer roller coming in contact with the image carrier via the transfer material, the transfer roller having a concaved portion in its circumferential surface and contacting with or being separated from the image carrier due to its rotation, separating the transfer roller from the image carrier by the rotation of the transfer roller after transferring the images to the transfer material, stopping the transfer roller in a state where the transfer roller is separated from the image carrier, and moving the image carrier and cleaning the image carrier using a cleaning member while the transfer roller is stopped.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes a roller member that contacts a developer retaining member at a position and is distanced from the developer retaining member at another position. A contact edge of a cleaning blade supported by a supporting member is in contact with the roller member. A first plane of the cleaning blade that is supported by the supporting member, or is opposite to a surface that is supported by the supporting member, and a second plane of the cleaning blade form the contact edge. An angle ?1 formed by a virtual vertical plane and the second plane thereunder when the roller member is distanced from the developer retaining member is greater than zero degrees but not greater than ninety degrees.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt onto which an image is transferred, a roller around which the transfer belt is wound, a transfer roller that sandwiches the transfer belt with the belt driving roller, a transfer medium transporting unit, a guide portion, and a fixing unit. The transfer roller is arranged to form a transfer nip with the roller, and transfers the image from the transfer belt to a transfer medium. The transfer medium transporting unit vertically upwardly sucks the transfer medium, and transports the transfer medium with the image facing vertically down. The guide portion vertically upwardly sucks the transfer medium transported by the transfer medium transporting unit. The fixing unit has a heating roller and a pressing roller to form a fixing nip, and fixes the image guided by the guide at the fixing nip.

Abstract: A speaker device includes a magnetic circuit, a vibration system, a frame and a terminal. The frame is formed into a frame shape, and an inner wall thereof holds the magnetic circuit. Particularly, the frame has an opening for ventilation, which makes a rear surface positioned on a side opposite to a sound output direction and a side surface curved to a direction of the sound output direction from a peripheral end of the rear surface communicate with each other, and the terminal covers the opening on the rear surface of the frame. Therefore, the opening is provided on the side surface of the frame, and ventilation performance of the speaker device is ensured. In addition, by such amount that no opening is provided on the rear surface of the frame, a setting space of the terminal can be enlarged on the rear surface of the frame.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image bearing unit, an exposure unit, a developing unit, a transfer medium, a transfer roller and a detecting unit. A latent image formed on the latent image bearing unit by an exposure unit is developed by the developing unit with a liquid developer, and a developed image on the latent image bearing unit is transferred to a transfer. The transfer roller includes a cylindrical portion with a concaved portion formed in an axis direction of a circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion, and a transfer material supporting member fixed in the concaved portion and wound around a circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion to support a transfer material. The detecting unit is configured and arranged to detect a rotation position of the transfer roller when the transfer medium and the transfer roller come into contact with each other with the transfer material being interposed therebetween.

Abstract: A transfer device including a transfer roller including a roller base member which opposes an image carrier carrying an image, the transfer device rotates about an axis of rotation, and has a concaved portion on an outer circumference thereof and is configured to transfer the image carried by the image carrier to a recording medium when the concaved portion is not opposed to the image carrier, the device also including a pressing portion configured to press the transfer roller to the image carrier, and a contact portion provided at either end of the transfer roller, wherein the contact portion includes an outer circumference which comes into contact with a supporting portion disposed on a drive transmitting portion configured to transmit a drive to the image carrier while the concaved portion opposes the image carrier, and an elastic member is provided on the outer circumference of the contact portion.

Abstract: A cache memory arranged between a processor and a low-speed memory and performing a pipeline processing of a memory access made by the processor. In a first stage, the cache memory reads out a tag address from a tag memory. In a second stage, the cache memory performs a hit decision by a hit decision unit. When the hit decision result is a miss hit, the cache memory performs an update control of the tag memory and a behavior control of a bypass circuit for supplying a data held in a latch circuit to the hit decision unit by bypassing the tag memory in a third stage. The latch circuit is configured to hold a tag address included in a input address supplied from the processor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a latent image bearing drum on which a latent image is formed, an exposure unit that exposes the latent image bearing drum, a developer unit that develops the latent image formed on the latent image bearing drum, a transfer medium onto which the image developed by the developer unit is transferred, and a transfer roller that transfers the image from the transfer medium to the transfer material, the transfer roller having a concaved portion extending in the axial direction and a support portion disposed on the outer circumference of the roller that supports the transfer material, where the outer circumference of the transfer roller being an integral multiple or an approximate integral multiple of the circumference of the latent image bearing drum.