Abstract: In a fixing apparatus for fixing toner images on a transfer material upon which toner images have been placed by applying heat to the transfer material, the fixing apparatus includes: a roll-shaped rotary member for applying heat to the transfer material upon which toner images have been placed, the roll-shaped rotary member including a cylindrical ray-transmitting base member, and a ray absorbing layer for generating heat onto the transfer material upon which toner images have been placed so as to fix the toner on the transfer material, the ray absorbing layer, provided on an outer side of the ray-transmitting base member; a ray irradiating device for irradiating ray to the ray absorbing layer, the ray irradiating device provided inside the cylindrical ray-transmitting base member; bearing member for rotatably supporting the roll-shaped rotary member; flange members provided on both ends of the ray-transmitting base member; and an elastic covering member provided between the flange member and the roll-shaped

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image by conducting development of a latent image formed on an image forming body through charging and image-wise exposure by using dark colored toner and development of the latent image by using light colored toner, wherein a difference of an average amount of electrostatic charges between the dark colored toner and the light colored toner is within 25%.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus for fixing a toner image on a transfer material by applying heat and pressure onto the transfer material comprising a ray radiating device for radiating heat rays inside, and being provided with a cylindrical ray-transmitting base member having transmittance for the heat rays, a cylindrical ray-transmitting elastic layer or ray-transmitting heat insulating layer having transmittance for the heat rays, and a heat ray absorbing layer for absorbing the heat rays outside the ray-transmitting elastic layer or the ray-transmitting heat insulating layer to form a roll-shaped rotary member for applying heat, wherein, in the case where the fluctuation of the thickness of the ray-transmitting base member and the fluctuation of the thickness of the ray-transmitting elastic layer or the ray-transmitting base member as a single layer and the heat ray absorbing ratio (%) per unit thickness (mm) in the ray-transmitting elastic layer or the ray-transmitting heat insulating layer as a single layer is made e

Abstract: A fixing apparatus that fixes, on a transfer material, toner images on the transfer material through heating and pressing, wherein, a ray-radiating member that radiates rays is provided, and a roll-shaped rotary member for applying heat is formed by providing a cylindrical ray-transmitting base member which can transmit the rays and a cylindrical ray-transmitting elastic layer or a ray-transmitting heat insulating layer which can transmit the rays, and by providing, on the outer side of the ray-transmitting elastic layer or the ray-transmitting heat insulating layer, a ray absorbing layer that absorbs the rays stated above. The inequality of T1<T2<T3 holds when T1 (°) represents an average temperature in the layer of the ray-transmitting base member, T2 (°) represents an average temperature in the layer of the ray-transmitting elastic layer or the ray-transmitting heat insulating layer, and T3 (°) represents an average temperature in the layer of the ray absorbing layer during a warm-up.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a document image is read by an image scanner and image data are applied with image processing and stored in a memory. An image correction device corrects the image data with a different correcting condition depending on whether the image data are used for a toner image on the obverse side of the sheet or for a toner image on the reverse side of the sheet. A fixing device fixes the toner images on the obverse side and the reverse side of the sheet simultaneously.

Abstract: A two-sided image forming apparatus includes: an image carrying member; a toner image forming device for forming a toner image on the image carrying member; a belt-shaped intermediate transfer body for conveying a transfer material, having a volume resistivity R (&OHgr;·cm) wherein the following expression is satisfied, 109≦R<1012; a primary transferring device for transferring the toner image on the image carrying member onto the intermediate transfer body or a front face of the transfer material; and a secondary transferring device for transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer body onto a rear face of the transfer material. The following expressions are satisfied, 0.2≦I(1B)/V≦0.7 and 0.6×I(1B)≦I(2)≦1.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus for fixing toner images on a transfer material by applying heat on the transfer material, the fixing apparatus includes: a roll-shaped rotary member for applying heat, including a cylindrical ray-transmitting base member, and a ray absorbing layer for generating heat, provided on an outer side of the ray-transmitting base member; a ray irradiating device for irradiating ray, provided inside the cylindrical ray-transmitting base member; and flange members provided on both ends of the ray-transmitting base member, and each of the flange members being joined with the ray-transmitting base member through a joining elastic layer.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor drum having an outer diameter of 50 mm to 100 mm and a rotational axis, four charging devices for charging the photoreceptor drum, and four exposure devices, provided inside the photoreceptor drum, for imagewise exposing an inner surface of the photoreceptor drum to form respective four latent images. Four developing devices are provided outside the photoreceptor drum at an upper section thereof for developing respective ones of the four latent images using respective different one-component type color developers to form four different color toner images in a superimposed manner on an outer surface of the photoreceptor drum during one rotation thereof the photoreceptor drum.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a reversing unit for reversing a two-sided document and placing the document on a platen, a reading unit for reading image data of either a front or back side of the document placed on the platen by the reversing unit, and at least one of: (i) a first detecting/setting unit for providing first information representing a position on which a binding margin of the document is located and a direction in which a top or bottom portion of the document is directed, and (ii) a second detecting/setting unit for providing second information representing a position on which a binding margin of an image to be printed is located and a direction in which a top or bottom portion of the image to be printed is directed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image carrier for carrying a toner image formed by an toner image forming device; a second image carrier for carrying thereon the toner image transferred from the first image carrier, and for transferring a transfer sheet thereon; a first transfer device for transferring the toner image carried on the first image carrier onto the second image carrier or a front side of the transfer sheet; a second transfer device for transferring the toner image carried on the second image carrier onto a back side of the transfer sheet; a fixing device for fixing the toner image transferred on the transfer sheet, wherein the second image carrier has a curvature portion at an edge thereof facing the fixing device; and a conveyance section provided between the curvature portion and the fixing device, having a claw member provided adjacent to the curvature portion for lifting a leading edge of the transfer sheet conveyed along the curvature portion.

Abstract: In a color image forming apparatus provided with a toner image forming device for forming a color toner image on a transfer sheet; and a pair of cylindrical fixing rollers for nipping the transfer sheet bearing the color toner image formed by the toner image forming device therebetween and for fixing the color toner image on the transfer sheet; at least one of the pair of cylindrical fixing rollers including a heat ray irradiating device, a cylindrical light transmitting base member at an inside of which the heat ray irradiating device is provided, an elastic layer provided on the cylindrical light transmitting base member, and a heat ray absorbing layer provided on the cylindrical light transmitting base member and for absorbing and substantially shutting the heat ray passing the cylindrical light transmitting base member.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus includes: a rotary image forming body; a plurality of charging units provided along the image forming body for charging the image forming body; a plurality of exposure units each provided inside the image forming body for imagewise exposing the image forming body to form a latent image; a plurality of developing units each storing therein colored developer different from each other, provided along the image forming body, for developing the latent image formed on the image forming body to form a colored toner image different from each other. After a plurality of different colored toner images are superimposed on the image forming body through successively repeating of charging by the charging unit, imagewise exposing by the exposure unit and developing by the developing unit to form a colored toner image during one rotation of the image forming body, the superimposed toner images are collectively transferred onto a transfer member.

Abstract: A two-sided color image forming apparatus includes: a first and second color image forming units each having an image carrier, a plurality of imagewise exposure devices and a plurality of color developing units containing respective colored toners different from each other, provided on a periphery of the image carrier; a belt-shaped intermediate transfer body passing through the first and second color image forming units for receiving a toner image formed by the second color image forming unit, wherein the first and second color image forming units are disposed downstream and upstream of a moving direction of the belt-shaped intermediate transfer body, respectively, and; a sheet pass for conveying a recording sheet onto the belt-shaped intermediate transfer body passing through between the first and second image forming units.

Abstract: A color image forming method, including the steps of: charging a front surface of a photoreceptor; conducting image wise exposure onto the charged front surface from a rear surface of the photoreceptor so that a latent image is formed on the front surface; developing the latent image with a color toner so that a color toner image is formed on the front surface; and repeating the steps of charging, conducting image wise exposure and developing so that a multicolor toner image is formed on the front surface; in which a secondary color of the multicolor toner image, which consists of two color toner images, is formed in a manner that the two color toner images are formed by conducting the image wise exposure at a same exposure amount; and the first one of the two color toner images is formed by conducting the image wise exposure at an exposure amount which creates a potential smaller than that of already formed primary color of the multicolor toner image, which consists of single color toner image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image carrier for carrying a toner image formed thereon; a second image carrier for carrying the toner image transferred from the first image carrier and for conveying a recording sheet; a first transfer device for transferring the toner image carried on the first image carrier onto the second image carrier or an obverse side of the recording sheet; a second transfer device for transferring the toner image carried on the second image carrier onto a reverse side of the recording sheet and a fixing device for fixing the toner image transferred on the recording sheet. The second image carrier is provided with a curved portion at an end on a side of the fixing device, at which the recording sheet conveyed by the second image carrier is bent toward the reverse side of the recording sheet so as to separate the recording sheet from the second image carrier.

Abstract: In a color image forming apparatus provided with a photoreceptor having a rotatable peripheral surface; plural sets of a charging device, an imagewise exposure device, and a developing device, each set of the plural sets is provided separately from other sets around the peripheral surface of the photoreceptor so that plural color component images are formed one after another by the plural sets and are superimposed so as to form a color image on the peripheral surface during a single rotation of the peripheral surface. The developing device has a casing and the imagewise exposure device and the developing device of each set are arranged such that a portion on the peripheral surface locating at an imagewise exposing position moves into the casing of the developing device before the electric potential V1 of the portion is lowered to the half of V1 (V1/2).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming body; an intermediate transfer body for carrying a toner image transferred from the image forming body and conveying a transfer material thereon; a first transfer device for transferring the toner image on the image forming body onto the intermediate transfer body or a front side of the transfer material; a second transfer device for transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer body onto a back side of the transfer material; and a fixing device for fixing the toner image transferred on the transfer material. The second transfer device includes a corona discharger having a discharging electrode and a shielding member for shielding an electric field when the discharging electrode discharges, and the shielding member has a circulation hole through which air flows along an outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer body in a conveyance direction from upstream to downstream of the transfer material.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, an image is formed pixel by pixel for each image data on a photoreceptor, wherein each pixel has a maximum recording width. A plurality of light emitting elements are aligned in an array form and each light emitting element is mounted with a setting width, wherein each light emitting element has a mount-shaped light amount distribution curve in which light amount data spread to both sides of a peak corresponding to the maximum light amount. Each pixel is divided into plural small pixels. Each small pixel is provided with a light emitting element so that an image is formed in the maximum recording width of each pixel by plural neighboring light emitting elements in accordance with image data of each pixel, wherein the image forming width at the light amount of 50% of the maximum light amount of each light emitting element is wider than the setting width of the light emitting element and is narrower than the maximum recording width of each pixel.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus provided with a first image carrying member; a belt-shaped second image carrying member onto which a toner image is transferred from the first image carrying member; a pair of rotatable fixing members forming a nip region for fixing the toner images transferred on the both sides of the sheet; a conveying device for guiding the sheet separated from an end of the belt-shaped second image carrying member to the pair of rotatable fixing members, when the sheet is nipped and conveyed through the nip region of the pair of rotatable fixing members, the belt-shaped second image carrying member and the pair of rotatable fixing members are arranged such that the sheet is conveyed so as to form a loop protruding from a line connecting the entrance of the nip region and the end of the belt-shaped second image carrying member.

Abstract: A method of reproducing multiplex images wherein an electrostatic image is formed on an image retainer by using a common electrostatic image forming device, the electrostatic image formed on the image retainer is developed, the steps of the above are repeated to superpose a plurality of toner images on the image retainer, and the toner images is transferred on a recording paper by one step. The developings other than the first time developing are carried out in such a manner that the surface of a developer layer on a developer feeding carrier does not contact with the surface of the toner image on the image retainer.