Abstract: A lubricant applying unit includes a lubricant composed of metal salt of fatty acid; an applying member that applies the lubricant on a subject under lubricant application; and a spreading member that forms a thin layer of the lubricant applied on the subject. The spreading member spreads the lubricant in such a manner that a thickness of the thin layer is in a range of 8 nanometers to 12 nanometers.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a movable body to be charged and a charger including a charging member that contacts or adjoins the body to be charged and applies a voltage, including an AC component, to the charging member for thereby charging the body. A protection substance for protecting the surface of the body from deterioration ascribable to charging is caused to exist on the body. The number of particular elements, contained in the protection substance and detected by an X-ray photon spectral analyzer (XPS) in a zone where the charging member charges the body, is held in a particular ratio to the total number of all elements constituting the outermost surface of the body and also detected by the XPS.

Abstract: A charging device is provided. The charging device comprises a charging member having two spacers made of tape, and the charging member is pressed to contact with the non-image forming region of an image supporter. The surface of the charging member between the spacers is opposite to the surface of the image supporter by a tiny gap. A charging voltage is then applied to the charging member to charge the image supporter. As the image supporter rotates, a large variation of the tiny gap can be avoided. The pressing force of the spacers against the image supporter is set at 4 N to 25 N (Newton), and in a moving direction of the surface of the supporter, a contact width of a contact portion where the spacer is pressed to contact with the image supporter is set below 0.5 mm.

Abstract: A charging device of the present invention includes a charging member and a body to be charged forming a nip therebetween. Charge-promoting conductive grains, frictionally charged to polarity opposite to the polarity of a voltage applied to the charging member, are held at the above nip. The charging device is operable in a cleaning mode for cleaning the body to be charged.

Abstract: A charging device is provided. The charging device comprises a charging member having two spacers made of tape, and the charging member is pressed to contact with the non-image forming region of an image supporter. The surface of the charging member between the spacers is opposite to the surface of the image supporter by a tiny gap. A charging voltage is then applied to the charging member to charge the image supporter. As the image supporter rotates, a large variation of the tiny gap can be avoided. The pressing force of the spacers against the image supporter is set at 4N to 25 N (Newton), and in a moving direction of the surface of the supporter, a contact width of a contact portion where the spacer is pressed to contact with the image supporter is set below 0.5 mm.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive element including a conductive support rotatably supported and a charge injection layer and a surface protection layer sequentially laminated on the conductive support. A charger includes a conductive body for injecting, when a preselected voltage is applied thereto, a charge in the charge injection layer in contact with the surface protection layer. A writing unit exposes the charged surface of the photoconductive element imagewise to thereby locally vary the potential deposited on the photoconductive element and electrostatically form a latent image. A developing unit develops the latent image to thereby produce a corresponding toner image. The toner image is transferred from the photoconductive element to a recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a charging device that charges a surface of the image bearer, a latent image forming device that forms a latent image on the image bearer, a developing device that develops the latent image on the image bearer with a spherical toner into a toner image, a transfer device that transfers the toner image to a transfer material, and a cleaning device that removes the spherical toner remaining on the image bearer after the toner image is transferred to the transfer material. The cleaning device including a cleaning member that removes the spherical toner on the image bearer while rotating and contacting the image bearer. An electric field is formed between the cleaning member and the image bearer by applying a voltage to the cleaning member so that the spherical toner adhered onto the image bearer is electrostatically attracted to the cleaning member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive element including a conductive support rotatably supported and a charge injection layer and a surface protection layer sequentially laminated on the conductive support. A charger includes a conductive body for injecting, when a preselected voltage is applied thereto, a charge in the charge injection layer in contact with the surface protection layer. A writing unit exposes the charged surface of the photoconductive element imagewise to thereby locally vary the potential deposited on the photoconductive element and electrostatically form a latent image. A developing unit develops the latent image to thereby produce a corresponding toner image. The toner image is transferred from the photoconductive element to a recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive element including a conductive support rotatably supported and a charge injection layer and a surface protection layer sequentially laminated on the conductive support. A charger includes a conductive body for injecting, when a preselected voltage is applied thereto, a charge in the charge injection layer in contact with the surface protection layer. A writing unit exposes the charged surface of the photoconductive element imagewise to thereby locally vary the potential deposited on the photoconductive element and electrostatically form a latent image. A developing unit develops the latent image to thereby produce a corresponding toner image. The toner image is transferred from the photoconductive element to a recording medium.

Abstract: An air flow is generated in a space adjacent to the toner control member 3, when an image is not being formed, and also a cleaning electric field for moving the toner away from the toner control member 3 is generated in the same space. For instance, a slit 2a is formed in an outer peripheral section of a cylindrical and rotatable counter electrode member 2, and an air flow generating source 10 such as a fan is connected to the counter electrode member 2. A convex cleaning electrode 11 is formed around the slit 2a of the counter electrode member 2, and a voltage for forming a cleaning electric field is applied from the power supply source for cleaning 8 to this cleaning electrode 11.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive element including a conductive support rotatably supported and a charge injection layer and a surface protection layer sequentially laminated on the conductive support. A charger includes a conductive body for injecting, when a preselected voltage is applied thereto, a charge in the charge injection layer in contact with the surface protection layer. A writing unit exposes the charged surface of the photoconductive element imagewise to thereby locally vary the potential deposited on the photoconductive element and electrostatically form a latent image. A developing unit develops the latent image to thereby produce a corresponding toner image. The toner image is transferred from the photoconductive element to a recording medium.

Abstract: A method of forming a powder image on a recording medium and an apparatus therefor are disclosed. The apparatus includes a toner carrier for carrying powdery toner in a layer or layers thereon, a counter electrode, and a flight control member having independent or continuous extremely small holes and a plurality of control electrodes for controlling the passage of toner through the holes. A voltage is applied to the control electrodes in accordance with an image signal in order to cause the toner to fly from the toner carrier toward the counter electrode via the holes. The toner deposits on the recording medium intervening between the flight control member and the counter electrode, forming an image on the recording medium.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive recording method of performing a thermal printing at variable printing time intervals by a thermal head in a facsimile apparatus.

Abstract: A communication apparatus comprises a casing, a driving mechanism provided within the casing and generating a driving sound when enabled, and a speaker-phone including a speaker and a microphone for making a hand-free call when enabled. The driving mechanism is arranged at a position within the casing isolated from the microphone, and the speaker is arranged at a position on the casing isolated from the microphone. The communication apparatus has a mode in which both the driving mechanism and the speaker-phone are enabled simultaneously.

Abstract: A transfer type thermal printer includes a heat sensitive ink ribbon which is fed along an ink ribbon feeding path, a part of which is defined as a recording section, a thermal printhead and a platen roller, both located at the recording section in pressure contact with the ink ribbon sandwiched therebetween. A paper transporting path is defined in the printer for transporting a sheet of recording paper through the recording section where the recording paper is passed between the printhead and the platen roller in surface contact with the ink ribbon. A main feature of the present printer includes a housing which is generally divided into two: upper housing half and lower housing half, and the upper housing half is pivotted to the lower housing half at one end so that the upper housing half may be pivotted open or closed with respect to the lower housing half with the printhead being mounted in the upper housing half and the platen roller being disposed in the lower housing half.