Abstract: An image forming apparatus, comprises an image carrier for carrying a toner image, a charging device for charging the carrier, wherein the charging device includes a discharge member and a grid which is arranged between this discharge member and the image carrier and has at least a surface made of gold; and a discharge product removing device for removing discharge products generated by the charging device from a portion of the image carrier to where the charging device is located to face.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having: an image forming body for forming a latent image and a toner image; a developing device for developing with a toner the latent image formed on the image forming body to form the toner image; a primary transfer device for transferring the toner image on the image forming body onto an intermediate transfer body; and a secondary transfer device for transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer body onto an image support. The primary transfer device has conductive body or semi-conductive body, and is provided with a power supply unit for applying a bias voltage. It is characterized in that the variation coefficient of the shape factor of the toner is 16% or less, and the number variation coefficient of the number particle size distribution of the toner is 27% or less.

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: An image printing apparatus for performing duplex image printing to a transferring sheet, comprising: an image printing section for printing an image on the transferring sheet by making use of a toner including wax; a fixing section for fixing the image printed on the transferring sheet; and a transporting member for changing a moving direction of the transferring sheet, wherein the transporting member has at least a curvature and smooth surface which contacts uniformly the transferring sheet with the fixed image. The transporting member is formed with a plurality of convexity parts arranged in oblique, X-, or V-shapes.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having: a transfer section which transfers a toner image onto an intermediate transfer body or a transfer material to form an image thereon; a selection section for selecting one mode among a plurality of modes including a first mode for forming the image by using a plurality of colors including a first color and a second mode for forming the image by using less number of colors including the first color than that of the colors in the first mode; and a control section for controlling the transfer section in order that a transfer rate of a toner image of the first color in the second mode is larger than that of a toner image of the first color in the first mode when toner images are transferred onto the intermediate transfer body or the transfer material by the transfer section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having plural image carriers, respective chargers, exposure units, color toner developing units, a black toner developing unit, a transfer unit that transfers in the transfer section the color toner images and black toner image onto an intermediate transfer member by the application of a transfer bias from the power supply unit, and a controller that controls the transfer output, an an optical density sensor that detects the optical density of color toner patch images formed on the intermediate transfer member, and a controller transfers the color toner patch images onto the intermediate transfer member while changing the transfer output, detects the optical densities of color toner patch images transferred onto the intermediate transfer member using the optical density sensor, and controls the transfer output to transfer the black toner image based on the detected optical densities of the color toner patch images.

Abstract: There is disclosed an image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a charging device to charge the image bearing member; an exposing device to form a latent image on the image bearing member; a developing device to form a toner image on the image bearing member; a transferring device to transfer the toner image onto an intermediate transfer member by applying a transfer bias voltage; an image stabilization controlling section for keeping a density of the toner image transferred onto the intermediate transfer member within a predetermined range; a transfer output controlling section for controlling a transfer output based on a density of a toner patch image; and an overall controlling section to control both the image stabilization controlling section and the transfer output controlling section, in such a manner that the image stabilization controlling operation is conducted preceding to the transfer output controlling operation.

Abstract: There is described an image forming apparatus which forms a toner image on a transfer material by transferring a toner image from a photoreceptor element to an intermediate transfer member and then transferring the toner image from the intermediate transfer member to the transfer sheet. The apparatus includes: a developing section to develop the electrostatic latent image with toner so as to form the toner image; a first transferring section to transfer the toner image formed on the photoreceptor element onto the intermediate transfer element; a second transferring section to further transfer the toner image onto a transfer material; a lubricant supplying section to supply a lubricant, which includes at least a fatty acid calcium salt, onto the photoreceptor element in such a manner that the lubricant is added to the toner; and a polishing section to polish a surface of the intermediate transfer element.

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 width in the main scanning direction.

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, comprises an image carrier for carrying a toner image, a charging device for charging the carrier, wherein the charging device includes a discharge member and a grid which is arranged between this discharge member and the image carrier and has at least a surface made of gold; and a discharge product removing device for removing discharge products generated by the charging device from a portion of the image carrier to where the charging device is located to face.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, comprising an image carrier to carry toner image formed based on image data, a cleaning blade to remove residual toner on the image carrier by being in contact with the image carrier and a toner storage portion structured to store the residual toner removed by the cleaning blade and so that the image carrier can rub on the residual toner, wherein the toner storage portion is located on an upstream side of a contacting point between the cleaning blade and the image carrier in a moving direction of the image carrier and in a position where the, toner storage portion is not in contact with the cleaning blade.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having therein an image carrier, an intermediate transfer belt is trained about plural rollers and is located at a position where it comes in contact with the image carrier, a primary transfer roller that is arranged to face the image carrier through the intermediate belt for the purpose of transferring toner on the image carrier onto the intermediate transfer belt, wherein the following expression holds when Ft (kgf) represents tension of the intermediate transfer belt, Fr (kgf) represents pressing force of primary transfer roller and d (mm) represents a shift amount for the image carrier and the primary transfer roller, Fr?(0.05×Ft+0.11)×d?0.3.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, is provided with an image forming section, an image carrying member, a transferring section to transfer the toner image from the image carrying member to a recording sheet, and a cleaning section including a cleaning blade being in contact with the image carrying member and a toner supplying section located at an upper stream side of the contact point of the cleaning blade in the rotating direction of the image carrying member and to supply toner to the image carrying member; the toner supplying section including a toner storing section to store toner removed by the cleaning blade and a roller member being in contact with the image carrying member.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus is provided which primarily transfers a toner image onto an intermediate transfer member, and then secondarily transfers the toner image from the intermediate transfer member onto a transfer material, wherein a controller controls the process so that when the image forming apparatus stops, a toner image pattern ? formed on a non-image area of a photoconductive member is prevented from causing image problems.

Abstract: There is described an image forming apparatus which forms a toner image on a transfer material by transferring a toner image from a photoreceptor element to an intermediate transfer member and then transferring the toner image from the intermediate transfer member to the transfer sheet. The apparatus includes: a developing section to develop the electrostatic latent image with toner so as to form the toner image; a first transferring section to transfer the toner image formed on the photoreceptor element onto the intermediate transfer element; a second transferring section to further transfer the toner image onto a transfer material; a lubricant supplying section to supply a lubricant, which includes at least a fatty acid calcium salt, onto the photoreceptor element in such a manner that the lubricant is added to the toner; and a polishing section to polish a surface of the intermediate transfer element.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having: a transfer section which transfers a toner image onto an intermediate transfer body or a transfer material to form an image thereon; a selection section for selecting one mode among a plurality of modes including a first mode for forming the image by using a plurality of colors including a first color and a second mode for forming the image by using less number of colors including the first color than that of the colors in the first mode; and a control section for controlling the transfer section in order that a transfer rate of a toner image of the first color in the second mode is larger than that of a toner image of the first color in the first mode when toner images are transferred onto the intermediate transfer body or the transfer material by the transfer section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having therein an image carrier, an intermediate transfer belt is trained about plural rollers and is located at a position where it comes in contact with the image carrier, a primary transfer roller that is arranged to face the image carrier through the intermediate belt for the purpose of transferring toner on the image carrier onto the intermediate transfer belt, wherein the following expression holds when Ft (kgf) represents tension of the intermediate transfer belt, Fr (kgf) represents pressing force of primary transfer roller and d (mm) represents a shift amount for the image carrier and the primary transfer roller,

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, which includes a photoreceptor having a substrate whose surface having been subjected to a surface processing with a cutting tool, and a photosensitive layer formed on the substrate; an exposure device for exposing an image on the photoreceptor to form a latent image, having a light source for emitting a light beam, and carrying out exposure in a manner of dot arrangement through a main scanning by the deflection of the light beam and a sub-scanning by a movement of the photoreceptor; a developing device; and a transfer device. The apparatus is characterized in that the exposure device carries out scanning exposure with a spatial frequency of dot arrangement pitch of not less than 4 dots/mm in the main scanning direction, and surface roughness Rz of the substrate in the main scanning direction is not greater than 1.5 &mgr;m.

Abstract: This invention relates to an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a primary transfer means for bringing one surface of an intermediate transfer body and/or transfer medium into contact with a photosensitive body surface and pressing the surface against the photosensitive body surface to transfer a toner image formed on the photosensitive body surface onto one surface of the intermediate transfer body and/or transfer medium.