Abstract: An image forming method includes steps of electrophotographic image formation and liquid material application. The electrophotographic image forming step electrophotographically forms an image on a recording medium having at least one transparent portion. The transparent portion has a surface to receive the image thereon. The applying step applies a coating of an opaque liquid material onto the surface of the transparent portion of the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that includes an image bearing member to bear a latent electrostatic image, a charging device to charge a surface of the image bearing member, an irradiating device to irradiate the surface of the image bearing member to form the latent electrostatic image thereon, a developing device to develop the latent electrostatic image, an optional cleaning unit to clean the surface of the image bearing member, a transfer device to transfer the developed image to an opaque medium, an optional cleaning device to clean a surface of the transfer device, a fixing device to fix the transferred image on the opaque medium, and an attachment device to attach the fixed image to a transparent medium after the opaque medium is overlaid with the transparent medium, and recording media for use in the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium conveyed from a sheet feeding unit to obtain an image with photographic quality, at least a part of the recording medium has a transparent portion. When an image obtained by reversing an original image is transferred onto the transparent part, sheet-delivery rollers are operable in a direction in which a pressure onto the recording medium is reduced immediately after fixing of the image.

Abstract: A pair of registration rollers align a leading edge of a recording medium having a transparent section and a non-transparent section. A boundary sensor detects a boundary between the transparent section and the non-transparent section. The boundary sensor is provided on a downstream side of a direction of conveying the recording medium by the registration rollers.

Abstract: Process units, a transfer unit, a belt cleaning unit, a secondary transfer unit and a fixing unit each include a storage unit that stores therein information on the operation amount thereof measured by a controller as operation record with respect to each unit. The controller updates the information stored in the storage unit after each time the controller measures the operation amount. The controller calculates remaining lifetime of the units based on the operation amount and a predetermined lifetime index.

Abstract: An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus that includes process units for different colors and a lifetime management device that manages lifetime information on each unit of the image forming apparatus. The lifetime management device counts the number of prints produced by the image forming apparatus with respect to each of photoconductor units and developing units in the process units, and measures an operation amount unique to the respective units. Based on the number of prints, service life of each unit and operation amount, the lifetime management device calculates the remaining lifetime of each unit.

Abstract: In an image forming system, a lifetime management device calculates remaining lifetime of process units, a transfer unit, a secondary transfer unit, a belt cleaning unit and a fixing unit mounted on an image forming apparatus based on an operation amount thereof and a predetermined lifetime index. Based on the remaining lifetime and a predetermined replacement index, the lifetime management device determines whether any unit needs to be replaced, and, if any, transmits a replacement request signal to an external information processor together with a signal indicating remaining lifetime of other units via a communication line.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a cleaning device for removing toner, paper dust and other impurities left on an image carrier after image transfer with a cleaning member is disclosed. The cleaning member contacts the surface of the image carrier with variable pressure and remains, about the time when the image carrier stops moving after image formation, in contact with the surface with pressure lower than pressure capable of scrapping off the impurities. Before movement for image formation, the image carrier is driven in a reverse direction opposite to a forward direction assigned to image formation, stopped, and again moved in the forward direction and then in the reverse direction at least one time.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a photosensitive body, an electrostatic charging device which electrostatically charges the photosensitive body, a light exposure device which image-light-exposes a moving surface of the photosensitive body so that an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive body, and a developing device which makes visible the electrostatic latent image as a toner image. The light exposure device forms a beam spot on the moving surface of the photosensitive body by selectively irradiating a light beam corresponding to image data in a state where parts of two beam spots neighboring each other in a sub scanning direction overlap each other in the sub scanning direction. A summation of light energies when the two beam spots are formed on the surface of the photosensitive body with a time interval is set to be smaller than a summation of light energies when two beam spots are simultaneously formed on the surface of the photosensitive body.

Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning an image carrier by removing toner and other residues left thereon of the present invention includes a brush having tips, which contact the surface of the image carrier, provided with a loop configuration and a contact pressure of 50 g/cm2. A toner collecting space is located at a position adjacent to the brush and at which the tips of the brush contacted the surface of the image carrier arrive in accordance with the movement of the brush.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a cleaning device for removing toner, paper dust and other impurities left on an image carrier after image transfer with a cleaning member is disclosed. The cleaning member contacts the surface of the image carrier with variable pressure and remains, about the time when the image carrier stops moving after image formation, in contact with the surface with pressure lower than pressure capable of scrapping off the impurities. Before movement for image formation, the image carrier is driven in a reverse direction opposite to a forward direction assigned to image formation, stopped, and again moved in the forward direction and then in the reverse direction at least one time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a cleaning device for removing toner, paper dust and other impurities left on an image carrier after image transfer with a cleaning member is disclosed. The cleaning member contacts the surface of the image carrier with variable pressure and remains, about the time when the image carrier stops moving after image formation, in contact with the surface with pressure lower than pressure capable of scrapping off the impurities. Before movement for image formation, the image carrier is driven in a reverse direction opposite to a forward direction assigned to image formation, stopped, and again moved in the forward direction and then in the reverse direction at least one time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a latent image writing device that emits a plurality of laser beams, two adjacent laser beams of the plurality of laser beams partially overlapping in a sub-scanning direction, respectively, and forming a reference latent image on a surface of the image bearing member by performing repeated scanning of each laser beam on the surface of the image bearing member, a developing device that develops the reference latent image with toner into a reference toner image, and a detecting device that detects the density of the reference toner image. The quantity of light of each laser beam forming a subsequent latent image is adjusted according to the density of the reference toner image detected by the detecting device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a cleaning device for removing toner, paper dust and other impurities left on an image carrier after image transfer with a cleaning member is disclosed. The cleaning member contacts the surface of the image carrier with variable pressure and remains, about the time when the image carrier stops moving after image formation, in contact with the surface with pressure lower than pressure capable of scrapping off the impurities. Before movement for image formation, the image carrier is driven in a reverse direction opposite to a forward direction assigned to image formation, stopped, and again moved in the forward direction and then in the reverse direction at least one time.

Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning an image carrier by removing toner and other residues left thereon of the present invention includes a brush having tips, which contact the surface of the image carrier, provided with a loop configuration and a contact pressure of 50 g/cm2. A toner collecting space is located at a position adjacent to the brush and at which the tips of the brush contacted the surface of the image carrier arrive in accordance with the movement of the brush.

Abstract: A toner recycling device of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus conveys collected used toner to a developing device of the image forming apparatus. The toner recycling device includes a powder conveying pump that is driven to convey the collected used toner to the developing device of the image forming apparatus when an integrated value of predetermined numerical values, each based on a number of picture elements of an image to be formed, is equal to or greater than a constant value, and an adding device that adds a predetermined constant value to the integrated value when driving of an image bearing member of the image forming apparatus is detected.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a latent image writing device that emits a plurality of laser beams, two adjacent laser beams of the plurality of laser beams partially overlapping in a sub-scanning direction, respectively, and forming a reference latent image on a surface of the image bearing member by performing repeated scanning of each laser beam on the surface of the image bearing member, a developing device that develops the reference latent image with toner into a reference toner image, and a detecting device that detects the density of the reference toner image. The quantity of light of each laser beam forming a subsequent latent image is adjusted according to the density of the reference toner image detected by the detecting device.

Abstract: An image transferring device for transferring a toner image from an image carrier to a recording medium includes a belt passed over a plurality of rotary bodies for supporting and conveying the recording medium and a cleaning member for cleaning the surface of the belt in contact therewith. A dielectric layer forms the surface of the cleaning member. An image forming apparatus including the above image transferring device is also disclosed.

Abstract: A transfer device for transferring a toner image formed on an image carrier onto a transfer material conveyed on a transfer belt. The transfer device includes a cleaning member having a dielectric surface layer for cleaning a surface of the transfer belt, and a bias application unit for applying to the cleaning member a cleaning bias having an opposite polarity to an electric charge polarity of a toner forming the toner image. Further, specific characteristic values of the dielectric surface layer are set to achieve a higher than predetermined cleaning level, such as setting a volume resistivity of the dielectric surface layer is set to 1E4 ohms/square or more.

Abstract: A toner recycling device of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus conveys collected used toner to a developing device of the image forming apparatus. The toner recycling device includes a powder conveying pump that is driven to convey the collected used toner to the developing device of the image forming apparatus when an integrated value of predetermined numerical values, each based on a number of picture elements of an image to be formed, is equal to or greater than a constant value, and an adding device that adds a predetermined constant value to the integrated value when driving of an image bearing member of the image forming apparatus is detected.