Abstract: There is described an image forming apparatus, which prevent toner from contaminating inside of the apparatus and the recording medium. The apparatus includes: an image bearing member; and a transferring member that press-contacts the image bearing member for transferring the toner image onto the recording medium. When the transferring member transfers the toner image onto the recording medium in such a state that the toner image is extended from an edge of the recording medium, the following relationship is fulfilled, 0<A<B where A: a length of an extended portion that the toner image residing on the image bearing member is extended from the edge of the recording medium; and B: a length of a distance from the edge of the recording medium to a position at which the transferring member and the image bearing member start to contact each other.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image heating apparatus. The image heating apparatus includes a rotatable heating member for heating an image on a recording material in a nip portion, and a heating unit for heating the heating member from the outside thereof. With this structure, a warm-up time period or a first print-out time period can be reduced, and low power consumption can be accomplished. Further, satisfactory image quality can be realized with no heating (fixing) irregularity. The heating member has a low thermal conductive elastic layer, and a heat storage layer outside the low thermal conductive elastic layer to have a volume heat capacity larger than the low thermal conductive elastic layer. A heat capacity of the heat storage layer per unit surface area of a fixing member is in a range of 100 J/m2K to 600 J/m2K.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable member; a heater contactable to a surface of the rotatable member to heat the rotatable member; and a back-up member cooperative with the rotatable member to form a nip for nipping and feeding a recording material carrying an image, wherein a position of a peak in a pressure distribution with respect to a rotational direction of the rotatable member is in an upstream, with respect to the rotational direction, of a central portion of a contact region between the rotatable member and the heater with respect to the rotational direction.

Abstract: The heating apparatus has a heating member and a pressure member which are mutually pressure-welded to hold and convey and heat a heated member to be heated by a nip portion formed between the heating member and the pressure member, includes a temperature detector, power control means, and a curl reduction mode for setting a paper conveyance interval temperature which is the target temperature of the heating member set in a paper conveyance interval which is a period from end of heating the M-th member to be heated up to start of heating the M+1-th member to be heated in continuous heating of N members to be heated or in a certain period in the paper conveyance interval to a temperature higher than the heating temperature of a member to be heated which is the target temperature of the heating member when heating the M+1-th member to be heated.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include a first transfer section for transferring a toner image, formed on an image carrier by utilizing a charging section, an exposing section and a developing section, onto a belt shaped intermediate transfer member; and a second transfer section for transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer member onto a recording material by applying an electric field between a second transfer roller being provided outside the intermediate transfer member and a backup roller being provided inside the intermediate transfer member, the second transfer roller and the backup roller sandwiching the intermediate recording member and the recording material. The second transfer roller may be grounded and a bias voltage may be applied to the backup roller, and a second charging section for charging a surface of the second transfer roller with a predetermined polarity may be included.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having: an image forming section to form a toner image on an image carrier; a transfer section to transfer onto a transfer medium the toner image formed on the image carrier; and a pair of opposing transfer guide members to guide the transfer medium into the transfer section, wherein a front edge of one transfer guide member, arranged on a side of the image carrier out of the pair of the transfer guide members, is disposed separately from the other transfer guide member, and one side portion of the front edge of the transfer guide member is more protruded than the other side portion into a conveying direction of the transfer medium.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus for heating a toner image formed on a recording material is constituted by a roller contactable with a toner image carrying surface of the recording material; a heating member for heating the roller, the heating member contacting a surface of the roller, wherein the toner image formed on the recording material is heated in contact with the roller; and a driving mechanism for moving the heating member to a first position contacting the roller and a second position, contacting the roller different from the first position with respect to a tangential direction of the roller.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a mixed powder for powder metallurgy containing an iron-base powder and a carbon supply component, in which the carbon supply component contains a graphite powder and a carbon black, and in which a mixing ratio of the graphite powder to the carbon black is in the range of 25 to 85 parts by weight to 75 to 15 parts by weight; and a mixed powder for powder metallurgy containing an iron-base powder and a carbon supply component, in which the carbon supply component contains, as a main component, a carbon black having a dibutyl phthalate absorption of 60 mL/100 g or less and a nitrogen absorption specific surface area of 50 m2/g or less. The mixed powder for powder metallurgy of the invention is less in the dust generation and segregation of the carbon supply component. Additionally, when the mixed powder for powder metallurgy of the invention is used, a green compact and a sintered body excellent in the mechanical property can be produced.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes: a photoreceptor on which a toner image is formed by a charging device, an image exposure device and a developing device; and a transfer section for transferring the toner image on the photoreceptor. DC bias and AC bias voltage is applied to a development roller of the developing device, and the DC bias and AC bias voltage is set to regular value for an image area on the photoreceptor, and only the AC bias voltage is changed for a non-image area on the photoreceptor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: an image carrier; an image forming section to form a toner image on the image carrier; a transfer section to transfer the toner image formed on the image carrier to an intermediate transfer body or a recording sheet; a cleaning section to remove not transferred toner particles remaining on the image carrier, an image covering density calculating section to calculate an average image covering density of the toner image formed on plural areas divided in a lateral direction of the image carrier, during a predetermined time period; an obtaining section to obtain a difference of the average image covering density in each divided area, based on the image covering density calculated by the image covering density calculating section; and an adjusting section to adjust an amount of abrasive particles to be supplied to each divided area, based on the differences obtained by the obtaining section.

Abstract: An iron-based soft magnetic powder for dust core includes an iron-based soft magnetic matrix powder, and arranged thereon in the following order, a phosphate coating and a silicone resin coating. The phosphate coating contains P, Co, Na, and S in combination with at least one of Al and Cs. This iron powder for dust core has superior mechanical strength, in which effective insulation is achieved between iron powdery particles even when the amount of an insulating material is reduced for realizing high-density molding. The iron powder for dust core is also superior in thermal stability, so that electrical insulation is maintained even after a heat treatment at high temperatures.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a transfer section for transferring a toner image on an image bearing member onto a transfer material; a conveyor for conveying the transfer material to a transfer position; a first guide for forming a guiding surface in the image bearing member side on a conveyance path between the transfer position and the conveyor; and a second guide for forming a guiding surface opposed to the first guide, wherein the first guide includes a support member and a guiding member, which is supported by the support member and projected from the support member in a down stream side of a conveyance direction, the guiding member having a moving portion capable of elastically being deformed, and wherein the guiding member is formed so that a thickness of the guiding member becomes thin from an upper stream of the conveyance direction to a downstream of the conveyance direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus sets the optimum transfer bias based on density of some sets of toner patches formed on an image bearing member or an intermediate transfer member. The toner patches are categorized into at least two groups according to their length in the main scanning direction.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a contact-sliding member parallel to a generatrix of a heating roller and brought into contact with the heating roller configured to heat a toner image on a recording material. An inlet space and an outlet space are formed at the upstream and downstream ends, respectively, of a contact area. A cleaning member, provided on the downstream side of the contact area, cleans the surface of the heating roller to remove toner and paper dust from the surface of the heating roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a charging unit which charges a surface of the image carrier; a brush which removes toner remaining on the image carrier by rubbing the surface of the image carrier; a cleaning blade provided downstream of the brush in a rotational direction of the image carrier, which removes the toner remaining on the image carrier; a surface potential measuring sensor which measures a surface potential of the image carrier between the brush and the cleaning blade; and a controller which causes the surface potential measuring sensor to conduct a measuring operation and adjusts the surface potential of the image carrier between the brush and the cleaning blade on the basis of a measurement result.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus, comprising: an image carrier; a brush to remove toner remaining on the image carrier by scrubbing a surface of the image carrier; a flicker to remove the toner adhering to the brush by contacting to the brush; a brush driving section to rotate the brush; and a control section to obtain a quantity of the toner adhering to the brush and to control the brush driving section so as to change a rotation speed of the brush based on the obtained quantity of the toner.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable member contactable to a recording material for carrying an image; a heating member contacted to an outer surface of the rotatable member to heat the rotatable member; a holding member for holding the heating member; and an urging member for urging the holding member to contact the heating member to the rotatable member, wherein the holding member is rotatable relative to the apparatus about an axis parallel with a generating line of the rotatable member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which forms a toner image, includes: an image carrier which carries the toner image thereon; a transfer section which interposes a transfer member at a transfer nip between the image carrier and the transfer section thereby to transfer the toner image on the image carrier onto the transfer member; a voltage applying member provided downstream of the transfer nip in a moving direction of the transfer member; a power source section which applies a voltage to the voltage applying member; and a control section which controls the voltage applied by the power source section. The control section controls the power source section to apply a prescribed voltage to the voltage applying member so that the prescribed voltage has the same polarity as that of a toner used in the apparatus and the voltage applying member does not carry out a self-discharge to the transfer member.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a mixed powder for powder metallurgy containing an iron-base powder and a carbon supply component, in which the carbon supply component contains a graphite powder and a carbon black, and in which a mixing ratio of the graphite powder to the carbon black is in the range of 25 to 85 parts by weight to 75 to 15 parts by weight; and a mixed powder for powder metallurgy containing an iron-base powder and a carbon supply component, in which the carbon supply component contains, as a main component, a carbon black having a dibutyl phthalate absorption of 60 mL/100 g or less and a nitrogen absorption specific surface area of 50 m2/g or less. The mixed powder for powder metallurgy of the invention is less in the dust generation and segregation of the carbon supply component. Additionally, when the mixed powder for powder metallurgy of the invention is used, a green compact and a sintered body excellent in the mechanical property can be produced.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a photoconductor; a charging section to apply an electrical potential onto a surface of the photoconductor; a cleaning device to remove toner particles remaining on the surface of the photoconductor; a coating section to coat the surface of the photoconductor with a lubricant; an electrical potential detecting section to detect the electrical potential of the surface of the photoconductor; and a control section which controls a coating condition of the lubricant based on a value of the electrical potential of the surface of the photoconductor, detected by the electrical potential detecting section.