Abstract: A belt transporting device for circulatingly transporting an endless belt, which is in use with an image forming apparatus, such as copying machine or a printer. The belt transporting device includes a plurality of tension rolls, an endless belt laid on the tension rolls, the endless belt having a belt-end edge part protruding from an end of one of the tension roll and a guide member provided in the vicinity of the endless belt. The guide member comes in contact with the belt-end edge part so as to bend the belt-end edge part in a tapering-off direction. The guide member regulates the shape of the belt-end edge part so that a rotary peripheral length of the belt-end edge part becomes smaller than that of an area where a rear side of the endless belt is in contact with the tension roll.

Abstract: A transport belt of the invention is characterized by including a belt substrate including an elastic material, and a coating layer for coating the surface of the belt substrate, and is capable of directly or indirectly carrying an image formed by an image-forming particle. The coating layer has a thickness “h,” which is equal to or smaller than an average particle size “d” of the image-forming particle. A hardness-retaining filler which is capable of suppressing a drop in surface microhardness is dispersed in the coating layer.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus provided with an image transporting belt that holds an image directly or indirectly and is laid on a plurality of tension rolls thereby to move circularly, and a sub-unit having a rotary roll that comes into contact with this image transporting belt and is rotationally driven by a drive section, the drive section includes a drive source, and an elastic drive power transmitting member that transmits drive power from the drive source and absorbs difference in peripheral speed produced between the image transporting belt and the rotary roll. The drive section includes a slip transmission member that engages with the elastic drive power transmitting member and slips under a condition over a peripheral speed difference absorbable range of the elastic drive power transmitting member.

Abstract: A transport belt has a belt base which is made of an elastic material, and a covering layer that covers a surface of the belt base. The covering layer contains an adherence repression filler to repress adherence to a contact member being in contact with a surface of the transport belt, which is dispersed at not less than 5 weight %.

Abstract: A toner for electrophotography contains a binder resin, a charge control agent, and a colorant. The colorant is a black iron oxide compound containing 10 to 45% by weight of titanium component calculated in terms of Ti atom in relation to Fe atom when measured by wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Peaks at Bragg angle 2&thgr; of the toner to Cu&kgr;&agr; X-ray are peak A at 32.9 degrees±0.3 degrees and peak B at 35.5 degrees±0.3 degrees, and X ray intensity ratio between peaks A and B (A/B) is in the range of 0.3 to 2.0 at a scan speed of 0.5 to 4 degrees/min.

Abstract: A toner including a binder resin including a crystalline polyester and a non-crystalline resin; a release agent; and a black metal-containing material having a saturation magnetization not greater than 50 emu/g. A toner container containing the toner. A fixing method including passing a support with the toner image thereon through a nip between two cylindrical rollers while applying a pressure not greater than 1×105 Pa to the two cylindrical rollers, wherein one of the cylindrical rollers which contacts the toner image has a thickness not greater than 1.0 mm. An image forming method including developing an electrostatic image with the toner to form a toner image; transferring the toner image onto a receiving material; and fixing the toner image by the fixing method mentioned above. A process cartridge including an image bearing member and a developing device using the toner.

Abstract: An image formation method for forming an image is proposed, which uses an image formation apparatus capable of performing (1) multi-color image formation and printing by superimposing toner images with different colors by use of a plurality of color toners with different colors, including at least a black toner, and (2) monochrome image formation and printing, using only a black toner, with a maximum transferable amount of each color toner onto the image being in a range of 4×10−3 kg/m2 to 8×10−3 kg/m2, wherein an image glossiness (GKC) obtained by the black toner in the maximum transferable amount thereof at the multi-color image printing, an image glossiness (GCC) obtained by each of the color toners other than the black toner in the maximum transferable amount thereof at the multi-color image printing, and an image glossiness (GKM) obtained by the black toner in the maximum transferable amount thereof at the monochrome image printing satisfy a particular relationship as described in

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus provided with an image transporting belt that holds an image directly or indirectly and is laid on a plurality of tension rolls thereby to move circularly, and a sub-unit having a rotary roll that comes into contact with this image transporting belt and is rotationally driven by a drive section, the drive section includes a drive source, and an elastic drive power transmitting member that transmits drive power from the drive source and absorbs difference in peripheral speed produced between the image transporting belt and the rotary roll. The drive section includes a slip transmission member that engages with the elastic drive power transmitting member and slips under a condition over a peripheral speed difference absorbable range of the elastic drive power transmitting member.

Abstract: A color toner selected from the group consisting of a yellow toner, a magenta toner, and a cyan toner, and mixtures thereof, which includes a binder resin and a color pigment, wherein a C* value of a fixed red image formed by a combination of a layer of the yellow toner having a weight of 8 g/m2 and a layer of the magenta toner having a weight of 8 g/m2 is not less than 80, and wherein a hexagon formed by six points in a *-b* chromaticity coordinates of a fixed yellow image formed by a layer of the yellow toner having a weight of 8 g/m2, the fixed red image, a fixed magenta image formed by a layer of the magenta toner having a weight of 8 g/m2, a fixed blue image formed by a combination of a layer of the magenta toner having a weight of 8 g/m2 and a layer of the cyan toner having a weight of 8 g/m2, a fixed cyan image formed by a layer of the cyan toner having a weight of 8 g/m2, and a fixed green image formed by a combination of a layer of the cyan toner of 8 g/m2 and a layer of the yellow toner having a wei

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus for transferring an image formed on a photoreceptor 1 onto a recording medium 3 through an intermediate transfer member 2, one of the photoreceptor 1 and the intermediate transfer member 2 is formed like a drum, the other of the photoreceptor 1 and the intermediate transfer member 2 is formed like a belt, which is wound on a plurality of tension rolls 4, and the following relationship is satisfied: ∑ n = 3 N ⁢ a n < x where an is the contact lengths between the other and the nth tension rolls, respectively and x is contact length between the photoreceptor 1 and the intermediate transfer member 2.

Abstract: A belt transporting device for circulatingly transporting an endless belt, which is in use with an image forming apparatus, such as copying machine or a printer. The belt transporting device includes a plurality of tension rolls, an endless belt laid on the tension rolls, the endless belt having a belt-end edge part protruding from an end of one of the tension roll and a guide member provided in the vicinity of the endless belt. The guide member comes in contact with the belt-end edge part so as to bend the belt-end edge part in a tapering-off direction. The guide member regulates the shape of the belt-end edge part so that a rotary peripheral length of the belt-end edge part becomes smaller than that of an area where a rear side of the endless belt is in contact with the tension roll.

Abstract: An image formation method for forming an image is proposed, which uses an image formation apparatus capable of performing (1) multi-color image formation and printing by superimposing toner images with different colors by use of a plurality of color toners with different colors, including at least a black toner, and (2) monochrome image formation and printing, using only a black toner, with a maximum transferable amount of each color toner onto the image being in a range of 4×10−3 kg/m2 to 8×10−3 kg/m2, wherein an image glossiness (GKC) obtained by the black toner in the maximum transferable amount thereof at the multi-color image printing, an image glossiness (GCC) obtained by each of the color toners other than the black toner in the maximum transferable amount thereof at the multi-color image printing, and an image glossiness (GKM) obtained by the black toner in the maximum transferable amount thereof at the monochrome image printing satisfy a particular relationship as described in

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus for transferring an image formed on a photoreceptor 1 onto a recording medium 3 through an intermediate transfer member 2, one of the photoreceptor 1 and the intermediate transfer member 2 is formed like a drum, the other of the photoreceptor 1 and the intermediate transfer member 2 is formed like a belt, which is wound on a plurality of tension rolls 4, and the following relationship is satisfied:

Abstract: A color toner selected from the group consisting of a yellow toner, a magenta toner, and a cyan toner, and mixtures thereof, which includes a binder resin and a color pigment, wherein a C* value of a fixed red image formed by a combination of a layer of the yellow toner having a weight of 8 g/m2 and a layer of the magenta toner having a weight of 8 g/m2 is not less than 80, and wherein a hexagon formed by six points in a*-b* chromaticity coordinates of a fixed yellow image formed by a layer of the yellow toner having a weight of 8 g/m2, the fixed red image, a fixed magenta image formed by a layer of the magenta toner having a weight of 8 g/m2, a fixed blue image formed by a combination of a layer of the magenta toner having a weight of 8 g/m2 and a layer of the cyan toner having a weight of 8 g/m2, a fixed cyan image formed by a layer of the cyan toner having a weight of 8 g/m2, and a fixed green image formed by a combination of a layer of the cyan toner of 8 g/m2 and a layer of the yellow toner having a weig

Abstract: An image formation method for forming an image is proposed, which uses an image formation apparatus capable of performing (1) multi-color image formation and printing by superimposing toner images with different colors by use of a plurality of color toners with different colors, including at least a black toner, and (2) monochrome image formation and printing, using only a black toner, with a maximum transferable amount of each color toner onto the image being in a range of 4×10−3 kg/m2 to 8×10−3 kg/m2, wherein an image glossiness (GKC) obtained by the black toner in the maximum transferable amount thereof at the multi-color image printing, an image glossiness (GCC) obtained by each of the color toners other than the black toner in the maximum transferable amount thereof at the multi-color image printing, and an image glossiness (GKM) obtained by the black toner in the maximum transferable amount thereof at the monochrome image printing satisfy a particular relationship as described in

Abstract: An image formation process which forms a toner image by the nonmagnetic one-component developing system by bringing an electrically conducting brush impressed with a voltage into contact with a photosensitive material to effect the uniform charging, and forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive material by the exposure to the image-bearing light, wherein the toner that is used as a circularity of from 0.92 to 0.98. The nonmagnetic one-component developing system minimizes irregular electric charging that stems from the use of the electrically conducting brush. This action is obtained even in full-color developing system which effects development many times.

Abstract: A toner including a resin and a colorant which is dispersed in the toner and which has an average major particle diameter not greater than about 0.5 &mgr;m, wherein the following relationships are satisfied: Ta≦100 (° C.), and (Tb−Ta)≧7.0 (° C.), wherein Ta represents a temperature at which the toner has a melt viscosity of 50,000 Pa·sec and Tb represents a temperature at which the toner has a melt viscosity of 5,000 Pa·sec.

Abstract: The recording solution in a recording solution chamber is always pressurized. The shutter is closed when recording is not conducted to prevent the recording solution from flowing out and drying up. The shutter is opened by the shutter driving section in accordance with the image information during recording to open the extrusion opening. The recording solution is extruded from the extrusion opening by the pressurizing force. After the top end of the extruded recording solution is deposited to the opposed image support, the shutter driving section closes the shutter. This discontinues the recording solution flown so far continuously from the extrusion of opening to form a not-stringing recording droplet on the image support. Recording solutions having viscosity in a wide range can be used. The recording dots can be formed accurately with low energy, and high quality images with reduced blot of recording dots can be obtained at high speed.

Abstract: A method for forming a full color image including: forming at least yellow, magenta and cyan color toner images on a receiving material to form a full color image thereon; and fixing the full color image upon application of heat thereto while not contacting the full color image, wherein each of the yellow, magenta and cyan color toner images includes a binder resin and a pigment, wherein the yellow color toner includes a benzimidazolone pigment, the magenta color toner includes at least one of Naphthol Carmine F6B and a combination of Naphthol Carmine F6B and Naphthol Carmine FBB, and the cyan color toner includes &bgr; copper phthalocyanine, and wherein the yellow color toner image has a position closer to the receiving material than any other color toner image when two or more of the color toner images including the yellow color toner image are overlaid.

Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for removing an image forming substance such as toner from an image holding member such as a sheet of transfer paper, an unstabilizing agent is provided to the image holding member. An attaching state between the image forming substance and the image holding member stably attaching the image forming substance on a surface thereof is changed to an unstable state by the unstabilizing agent. The image forming substance is separated and removed from the image holding member by making a separating member come in close contact with the image forming substance on the image holding member having the provided unstabilizing agent. A processing situation mark showing a processing situation of removal of the image forming substance is formed in the image holding member. The processing situation mark can be removed from the image holding member by the image forming substance removing processing.