Abstract: A waste-toner collecting device includes a waste toner collector that collects and stores therein non-transferred toner as waste toner conveyed from a cleaning unit via the conveying path; and a leveling member that levels waste toner accumulated inside the waste toner collector, and drive of which is controlled so that driving conditions thereof are varied based on information of an image formed on the image carrier. The switching of the driving conditions of the leveling member is controlled so as to be performed after a delay time during which the non-transferred toner collected in the cleaning unit reaches the waste-toner collector via the conveying path.

Abstract: A lubricant applicator includes: a lubricant application unit that is arranged so as to be in contact with a surface of an image carrier, scrapes a solid lubricant, and applies the solid lubricant onto the surface of the image carrier while moving a surface of the lubricant application unit; a lubricant holding member that holds the solid lubricant; and a lubricant biasing unit that biases the solid lubricant against the lubricant application unit. The lubricant biasing unit is housed in a housing under a state that one end of the lubricant biasing unit is held by the lubricant holding member so that a position of the one end of the lubricant biasing unit is restricted, and another end of the lubricant biasing unit is held by a biasing-unit holding member that is provided to restrict a position of the another end of the lubricant biasing unit.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning blade configured to clean a surface of a rotating subject, a solid lubricant configured to reduce the friction coefficient of the surface of the subject, and a lubricant coating device that includes a coating roller to shave the solid lubricant during normal rotation and a reverse rotation to coat the surface of the subject with the lubricant. The amount of lubricant supplied to the subject during normal rotation of the coating roller is different from a supply amount of the lubricant during reverse rotation of the coating roller, with more lubricant supplied during reverse rotation than during normal rotation.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes, a cylindrical photoreceptor pipe; at least one flange which is attached to an opening of one end of the photoreceptor pipe, and which is provided with a shaft part projecting outward from the one end at a shaft center position of the photoreceptor pipe; and an earth member which is arranged to penetrate through the shaft part of the at least one flange, and which is provided on its inward side with at least one first contact part which contacts an inner circumference of the photoreceptor pipe, and on its outward side with a second contact part.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, an area applied with a lubricant, i.e., an area of a lubricant layer having a uniform thickness, is obtained by spreading the lubricant by a lubricant smoothing blade. The area applied with a lubricant covers an area cleaned by a cleaning blade, i.e., a contact portion of the cleaning blade with a photoconductor.

Abstract: A substrate transfer apparatus that reduces the quantity of sensors used to detect the position of a substrate so as to simplify the structure and lower costs. The substrate transfer apparatus transfers a substrate (S) between a core chamber (11) and a peripheral chamber (12 or 13). A transfer robot (15) is arranged in the core chamber. The transfer robot includes a hand (17) for carrying the substrate and is capable of extending/drawing and pivoting the hand. A sensor (19) detects an edge surface of the substrate. The sensor is arranged at a position that the edge surface of the substrate passes by when the hand is extended/drawn between the core chamber and the peripheral chamber and that the edge surface of the substrate passes by when the hand is pivoted in the core chamber.

Abstract: A transport robot including a release-side high radiation ratio portion and a receive-side high radiation ratio portion that face each other. Heat in a substrate conducted to a base portion due to thermal conduction is released as radiant heat from the release-side high radiation ratio portion, and the radiant heat is absorbed by the receive-side high radiation ratio portion. The receive-side high radiation ratio portion is formed on a heat-receiving plate that is thermally connected to a vacuum chamber so that radiant heat absorbed by the receive-side high radiation ratio portion is transferred to the vacuum chamber. As a result, even in the case where the high-temperature substrate is transported in a vacuum atmosphere, heat from the substrate is not accumulated in a transport system, and the transport system hardly reaches a high temperature.

Abstract: A collection container for collecting and containing waste toner includes a leveling member, a detector, and at least one inlet. The leveling member levels the waste toner contained in the collection container. The detector detects an amount of the waste toner contained in the collection container. The leveling member levels the waste toner delivered to the collection container through the at least one inlet by conveying the waste toner simultaneously in a first direction toward the detector and a second direction opposite to the first direction, starting from an origination position corresponding to the at least one inlet.

Abstract: A cleaning device that can be incorporated in an image forming apparatus which includes an image carrier configured to form a toner image, and a cleaning device configured to clean residual toner on the surface of the image carrier. The cleaning device includes a cleaning blade having a blade member provided to contact the surface of the image carrier and a holder to hold the blade member. The cleaning device further includes a frame to hold the cleaning blade and a vibration suppression member provided across the cleaning blade and the frame to couple the cleaning blade and the frame together and suppress vibration.

Abstract: A charging device, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus are provided. The charging device includes a charging roller configured to charge an image carrier and a cleaning roller configured to clean the charging roller while making contact with a surface of the charging roller. The charging device further includes a bearing member including a first portion configured to rotatably support a rotational shaft of the charging roller and a second portion configured to rotatably support a rotational shaft of the cleaning roller. The charging device also includes an elastic member provided outside of the second portion of the bearing member with respect to an axial direction of the rotational shaft of the cleaning roller such that the charging roller makes contact with the image carrier when the first portion of the bearing member is pressed by the elastic member.

Abstract: A lubricant supplying device including a molded lubricant having a Martens hardness of about 40 N/mm2 to about 70 N/mm2 measured with a test force of 50 mN and a load-applying period of 30 seconds, a rotative member including a fibrous brush of a thickness of about 5 deniers to about 15 deniers in a circumference of a rotative supporting axis of the rotative member with a density of about 20,000 fibers to about 100,000 fibers per square inch, and configured to apply lubricant shavings of the molded lubricant to an image bearing member held in contact with a cleaning member and to remove the lubricant shavings remaining on the surface of the image bearing member, and a pressing member configured to press the molded lubricant against the rotative member at a pressure force ranging from about 2 N/m to about 12 N/m.

Abstract: A compact transport apparatus that does not cause pollution to its environment is provided. In a transport apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention, an installation area of the apparatus is small because first and second rotary shafts are arranged concentrically, and a dead center escaping mechanism has a simple structure with a small thickness. Since a connecting portion of a hand portion can be made thin, an opening of a gate valve through which the hand portion is inserted can be reduced. As a result, it becomes difficult for dust inside a transport chamber to enter a processing chamber. A second aspect of the present invention is directed to a spaced dual shaft-type transport apparatus.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably attached to an image forming apparatus includes a first subunit, a second subunit, a first positioning member, and a second positioning member. The first subunit accommodates a photoconductor therein. The second subunit accommodates a developer applicator therein. The photoconductor and the developer applicator are arranged substantially parallel to each other to define a development gap therebetween. The first positioning member is fastened to both the first and second subunits to position ends of the photoconductor and the developer applicator on a first side of the respective subunits. The second positioning member is fastened to only one of the first and second subunits to position ends of the photoconductor and the developer applicator on a second side of the respective subunits opposite to the first side. An image forming apparatus employing such a process cartridge is also disclosed.

Abstract: A lubricant applicator includes a solid mold lubricant, a lubricant application roller, and a flicker member. The lubricant application roller scrapes and applies the lubricant to an image bearing member. The flicker member removes a powder substance adhered to the surface of the lubricant application roller and is disposed upstream of the solid mold lubricant in a direction of rotation of the lubricant application roller. The lubricant application roller, the flicker member, and the solid mold lubricant define a sealed space therebetween. A lubricant applicator includes the solid mold lubricant, the lubricant application roller, the flicker member, and an adherence prevention member that prevents the substance removed by the flicker member from adhering again to the lubricant application roller. A lubricant applicator includes the solid mold lubricant, the lubricant application roller, and a lubricant receiver that receives the scraped lubricant from the lubricant application roller.

Abstract: A transport apparatus which can properly transmit a rotary driving force of a rotating motor to a transport arm and can correctly detect an angle of rotation of a rotary driving shaft, thereby transporting an object to be transported in a transport unit to a correct position. The transport apparatus includes: a housing having an airtight structure; first to third driving shafts that are provided in the housing to be independently rotatable around a predetermined coaxial rotary shaft; permanent magnets arranged at predetermined positions of the first to third driving shafts, respectively; and electromagnetic coils provided in the housing to correspond to the respective permanent magnets. Driving currents are supplied to the electromagnetic coils based on predetermined information, so as to move the first to third driving shafts. The object to be transported is transported by first and second linkages fixed to the first to third driving shafts.

Abstract: A lubricant applying unit has a residual-toner collection rate X of 50% when the lubricant applying unit has not been used. The collection rate X is obtained by X=(Ta?Tb)/Ta×100, where Ta is weight per unit area of the residual toner on an area of the image carrier that has not come into contact with the lubricant applying unit, and Tb is weight per unit area of the residual toner on an area of the image carrier that has come into contact with the lubricant applying unit.

Abstract: A transport apparatus includes first and second linkages. The first linkage includes first and third arms that can be rotated around a coaxial rotary shaft of first through third driving shafts coaxially arranged, and transports a first carrier. The second linkage includes a second arm and the third arm that can be rotated around the coaxial rotary shaft of the first through third driving shafts, and transports a second carrier. The first and second linkages are arranged to allow the first and second carriers to move beyond the coaxial rotary shaft of the first through third driving shafts without interfering with each other.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes, a cylindrical photoreceptor pipe; at least one flange which is attached to an opening of one end of the photoreceptor pipe, and which is provided with a shaft part projecting outward from the one end at a shaft center position of the photoreceptor pipe; and an earth member which is arranged to penetrate through the shaft part of the at least one flange, and which is provided on its inward side with at least one first contact part which contacts an inner circumference of the photoreceptor pipe, and on its outward side with a second contact part.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having an image support body configured to support a latent image, a charging member configured to provide a substantially uniform charge to a surface of the image support body and a spacer coupled to the charging member and configured to contact the image support body to maintain a gap between the image support body and the charging member. A cleaning part is configured to clean the surface of the image support body after developer is applied to the image support body and transferred to a recording medium. The cleaning part is configured to satisfy the relationship A+B?C, where A is a width of the effective charging area of the charging member that charges a surface of the image support body, B is a total width of the spacer that contacts the image support body, and C is a width of cleaning part that contacts the image support body.

Abstract: A waste toner storage unit detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus includes a waste toner container and an inner cover integrally attached to the waste toner container. The waste toner container stores waste toner recovered after an image forming process. The inner cover is located at a region of the waste toner storage unit that does not store waste toner.