Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes: a first fixing unit; and a second fixing unit, the first fixing unit including: a first heating member; a first fixing belt, a first pressure member; a first separation member; and a first cooling member, the second fixing unit provided in a downstream of a sheet path with respect to the first fixing unit, the second fixing unit including: a second heating member; a second fixing belt, a second pressure member, provided in opposing relation to the second heating member, that is pressed to the second fixing belt, the second fixing belt being sandwiched by the second pressure member and the second heating member, a vertical position of a rotation axis of the second pressure member being lower than a vertical position of a rotation axis of the second heating member; a second separation member; and a second cooling member.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes: a first fixing unit; and a second fixing unit, the first fixing unit including: a first heating member; a first fixing belt, a first pressure member; a first separation member; and a first cooling member, the second fixing unit provided in a downstream of a sheet path with respect to the first fixing unit, the second fixing unit including: a second heating member; a second fixing belt, a second pressure member, provided in opposing relation to the second heating member, that is pressed to the second fixing belt, the second fixing belt being sandwiched by the second pressure member and the second heating member, a vertical position of a rotation axis of the second pressure member being lower than a vertical position of a rotation axis of the second heating member; a second separation member; and a second cooling member.

Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an unfixed toner image by heating and pressurizing a recording material by which the unfixed toner image is carried includes a heating member having a heat source, a pressurizing member that faces the heating member and that forms a fixing nip region between the heating member and the pressuring member, a belt member that circulates while being tensioned around the heating member and is able to transport the recording material while in contact with a surface of the unfixed toner image of the recording material, and a belt driving device that temporarily stops or decelerates the belt member after a rear edge of the recording material passes through the fixing nip region, and that restores the belt member before a leading edge of a subsequent recording material reaches the fixing nip region.

Abstract: There is provided a process for cleaning wherein a cleaning sheet fed through an image forming apparatus is heated and pressured by at least one of a fixing belt and a fixing roller, and the cleaning sheet removes stains, wherein the cleaning sheet has a support and a layer containing a thermoplastic resin over the support, and satisfies at least one of the following formulae: L1 (cm)>L2 (cm) and L1 (cm)>L3 (cm) wherein L1 is a length of the cleaning sheet in a direction of feeding the cleaning sheet, L2 a perimeter of the fixing roller, and L3 a perimeter of the fixing belt, and the process satisfies at least one of the following formulae: L2 (cm)>L4 (cm) and L3 (cm)>L4 (cm) wherein L4 represents a length of a smallest electrophotographic image-receiving sheet in a direction of feeding the electrophotographic image-receiving sheet.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus, in which liable to produce remaining curl, highly effective curl correction is performed. The image forming apparatus includes: a roll receiving portion for receiving a continuous recording sheet wound into a roll shape; a sheet transporting portion for transporting the continuous recording sheet from the roll receiving portion; a cutting portion for cutting the continuous recording sheet sent out into a desired size; an image forming portion for forming a toner image on the recording sheet (which has been cut); a fixing portion for fixing the toner image to the recording sheet by heating the recording sheet on which the toner image is formed; a cooling portion for cooling the recording sheet to which the toner image has been fixed; and a curl correcting portion for correcting a curl of the recording sheet when the recording sheet is cooled.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image-receiving sheet which includes a support, a toner-receiving layer which contains thermoplastic resin. The fixing belt electrophotographic sheet has an optimized separation force at a surface of the electrophotographic image-receiving sheet from the toner-receiving layer. Having a highly improved long-run properties, the fixing belt electrophotographic sheet realizes a stable paper feed without offset, and provides a good quality image with rich photographic features.

Abstract: An object is to provide an image forming process, an image forming apparatus, and a color electrophotographic print that can provide a color electrophotograph that has a sufficient density in its dark area, has gloss, has a high glossiness over the entire densities covering bright areas (a white area and a highlight area), areas at intermediate densities, and dark areas (a black area and a shadow area) and can achieve high image quality equivalent to silver halide photographs. An image forming process produces an electrophotographic print which has a black density of 2.0 or more, a black color satisfying the following condition in the CIE 1976 (L*a*b*) color space: (a*)2+(b*)2?9, and a 20-degree minimum glossiness of 60 or more.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus, in which liable to produce remaining curl, highly effective curl correction is performed. The image forming apparatus includes: a roll receiving portion for receiving a continuous recording sheet wound into a roll shape; a sheet transporting portion for transporting the continuous recording sheet from the roll receiving portion; a cutting portion for cutting the continuous recording sheet sent out into a desired size; an image forming portion for forming a toner image on the recording sheet (which has been cut); a fixing portion for fixing the toner image to the recording sheet by heating the recording sheet on which the toner image is formed; a cooling portion for cooling the recording sheet to which the toner image has been fixed; and a curl correcting portion for correcting a curl of the recording sheet when the recording sheet is cooled.

Abstract: A system includes an image formation apparatus, an image retrieval server, and image storage servers, and a network for connecting them. The image formation apparatus forms an image based on image data, records the image data in a predetermined storing location on the image storage servers, converts the image data under a predetermined rule to generate an image identification information as a key in order to read the image data from the storing location, and outputs the image identification information. Upon reception of an image data retrieval request together with an image identification information, the image retrieval server determines that the image data whose result of conversion under the predetermined rule is equal to the image identification information, among at least one image data stored in a predetermined storing location on the image storage servers, is the image data to be retrieved, and outputs its information.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus, in which liable to produce remaining curl, highly effective curl correction is performed. The image forming apparatus includes: a roll receiving portion for receiving a continuous recording sheet wound into a roll shape; a sheet transporting portion for transporting the continuous recording sheet from the roll receiving portion; a cutting portion for cutting the continuous recording sheet sent out into a desired size; an image forming portion for forming a toner image on the recording sheet (which has been cut); a fixing portion for fixing the toner image to the recording sheet by heating the recording sheet on which the toner image is formed; a cooling portion for cooling the recording sheet to which the toner image has been fixed; and a curl correcting portion for correcting a curl of the recording sheet when the recording sheet is cooled.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus having dimensions comparable to or smaller than those of conventional color image forming apparatus and adapted to produce a hard copy of photographic image quality. The image forming apparatus of the present invention has a first fixing device that fixes a toner image transferred to a recording medium, a second fixing device that re-fixes the toner image fixed on the recording medium by the first fixing device, and a switch section that selects the first route or the second route for the recording medium to be discharged. The first route passes through the first fixing device and allows the recording medium to be discharged immediately thereafter without passing through the second fixing device. The second route passes through the first fixing device and subsequently the second fixing device, and then allows the recording medium to be discharged.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus is provided which includes: an image forming part that forms an unfixed toner image on a recording sheet; a first fixing part that performs primary fixation to the recording sheet that bears the unfixed toner image; and a second fixing part that performs secondary fixation to the recording sheet fixed by the first fixing part. In the image-forming apparatus, the second fixing part exists above the image forming part.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit for forming an unfixed toner image on a recording sheet, a first fixing unit for fixing the unfixed toner image on the recording sheet, a second fixing unit for further fixing the toner image on the recording sheet fixed by the first fixing unit, and a control unit for selecting a first fixing mode in which only the first fixing unit is used for fixing the toner image on the recording sheet or a second fixing mode in which the first and second fixing unit are used for the fixing. The width of the recording sheet, which the second fixing unit can fix is narrower than of the recording sheet 16, which the first fixing unit can fix.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus, in which liable to produce remaining curl, highly effective curl correction is performed.

Abstract: An object is to provide an image forming process, an image forming apparatus, and a color electrophotographic print that can provide a color electrophotograph that has a sufficient density in its dark area, has gloss, has a high glossiness over the entire densities covering bright areas (a white area and a highlight area), areas at intermediate densities, and dark areas (a black area and a shadow area) and can achieve high image quality equivalent to silver halide photographs. An image forming process produces an electrophotographic print which has a black density of 2.0 or more, a black color satisfying the following condition in the CIE 1976 (L*a*b*) color space: (a*)2+(b*)2≦9, and a 20-degree minimum glossiness of 60 or more.

Abstract: Provided are processes for cleaning which ensure easy cleaning of at least one of a fixing roller and a fixing belt in an electrophotographic apparatus, and image forming apparatuses which employ such processes. To achieve this, an electrophotographic image-receiving sheet which has a support and a toner image-receiving layer containing a thermoplastic resin on the support, and the length of which in the direction of feeding (L1) is longer than at least one of the perimeter of the fixing roller (L2) and the perimeter of the fixing belt (L3), both of which are the heating and pressuring means of the image forming apparatus, is used as a cleaning sheet.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus having dimensions comparable to or smaller than those of conventional color image forming apparatus and adapted to produce a hard copy of photographic image quality. The image forming apparatus of the present invention has a first fixing device that fixes a toner image transferred to a recording medium, a second fixing device that re-fixes the toner image fixed on the recording medium by the first fixing device, and a switch section that selects the first route or the second route for the recording medium to be discharged. The first route passes through the first fixing device and allows the recording medium to be discharged immediately thereafter without passing through the second fixing device. The second route passes through the first fixing device and subsequently the second fixing device, and then allows the recording medium to be discharged.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image-receiving sheet which includes a support, a toner-receiving layer which contains thermoplastic resin. The fixing belt electrophotographic sheet has an optimized separation force at a surface of the electrophotographic image-receiving sheet from the toner-receiving layer. Having a highly improved long-run properties, the fixing belt electrophotographic sheet realizes a stable paper feed without offset, and provides a good quality image with rich photographic features.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit for forming an unfixed toner image on a recording sheet, a first fixing unit for fixing the unfixed toner image on the recording sheet, a second fixing unit for further fixing the toner image on the recording sheet fixed by the first fixing unit, and a control unit for selecting a first fixing mode in which only the first fixing unit is used for fixing the toner image on the recording sheet or a second fixing mode in which the first and second fixing unit are used for the fixing. The width of the recording sheet, which the second fixing unit can fix is narrower than of the recording sheet 16, which the first fixing unit can fix.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus is provided which includes: an image forming part that forms an unfixed toner image on a recording sheet; a first fixing part that performs primary fixation to the recording sheet that bears the unfixed toner image; and a second fixing part that performs secondary fixation to the recording sheet fixed by the first fixing part. In the image-forming apparatus, the second fixing part exists above the image forming part.