Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a means for forming colorant holding regions on the image carrier, the colorant holding regions having better ink or developing agent holding properties than the image carrier, a means for supplying a colorant to the colorant holding regions, and a means for transferring the colorant, held in the colorant holding regions, onto a printing medium.

Abstract: A solid ion recording head using an ion generation device, capable of realizing a uniform and stable recording and a compact physical configuration. The head includes a head support member in substantially rectangular cross sectional shape for supporting the ion generation device on a lower side of the rectangular cross sectional shape facing against the recording medium and the driving circuits on side faces of the rectangular cross sectional shape. The ion generation device includes control electrodes having ion passing holes which are arranged such that picture dot to be recorded on the recording medium from each one of the ion passing holes is recorded on a spot around which picture dots already recorded by other ion passing holes are distributed symmetrically on both sides. The control electrodes may have a structure in which a plurality of the ion passing holes are provided with respect to each picture dot to be recorded.

Abstract: A voltage is selectively applied between two electrodes (emitter and gate) disposed at a short distance to create an intense electric field between the electrodes. Electrons emitted by the field emission are accelerated by the intense electric field and collide against a fluorescent layer so that light can be emitted from portions of the fluorescent layer. With a recording head of the above construction, an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photosensitive drum.

Abstract: A scanning optical apparatus is used as a recording apparatus having an optical system and a mechanical system and effecting desired recording on a photoconductor by irradiation of a beam. The apparatus comprises marks confirming the beam scanning position on the photoconductor, an error detecting unit for detecting the error of the scanning position from the optimal scanning position, which error is due to an optical factor or a mechanical factor, and a control unit for suitably correcting the scanning position of the beam in real time on the basis of a signal representing the detected error.

Abstract: A heating apparatus includes a heating apparatus including a heating member having a structure in which a combination of a pressure-sensitive conductive switching layer a region of which can be conducted upon being pressed and a heat-generating resistor layer are sandwiched between first and second conductors. Alternatively, a recording apparatus includes a power supply member having a first electrode and a second electrode aligned with the first electrode, and a conductive member which is in slidable contact with the power supply member, wherein a voltage is applied across the first and second electrodes, so that a current flows in the heat-generating resistor layer or the conductive toner image to generate Joule heat, thereby fixing the toner image by using the Joule heat.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes an image carrier member, a member for forming a developing agent image by supplying a developing agent on the image carrier member, and a heating member capable of generating heat in a transfer region of the recording apparatus, wherein transfer and fixing are performed substantially simultaneously by the heating member. According to this invention, it is possible to realize a recording apparatus which consumes little power and requires only a short warm-up time. It is also possible to satisfactorily fix conductive developing agent on plain paper.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus, for fixing a toner on a recording material by using Joule heat which is generated by applying a voltage across the conductors or across the electrodes to supply a current mostly to a fixing portion, (I) comprises a heating device having a first conductive layer, a pressure-sensitive conductive resin layer which is formed on the first conductive layer, and a second conductive layer formed on the pressure-sensitive conductive resin layer, (II) comprises a heating device having a first conductor and a fixing sheet substantially made of a pressure-sensitive conductive resin layer and a second conductive layer, or (III) comprises a heating device having a fixing sheet made of a heat-generating resistor and first and second electrodes insulated from each other.

Abstract: A solid ion recording head using an ion generation device, capable of realizing a uniform and stable recording and a compact physical configuration. The head includes a head support member in substantially rectangular cross sectional shape for supporting the ion generation device on a lower side of the rectangular cross sectional shape facing against the recording medium and the driving circuits on side faces of the rectangular cross sectional shape. The ion generation device includes control electrodes having ion passing holes which are arranged such that picture dot to be recorded on the recording medium from each one of the ion passing holes is recorded on a spot around which picture dots already recorded by other ion passing holes are distributed symmetrically on both sides. The control electrodes may have a structure in which a plurality of the ion passing holes are provided with respect to each picture dot to be recorded.

Abstract: An electrostatographic apparatus has a driving roller, a tension roller, a belt-like recording medium that moves over the roller in an endless track manner, an ion head that forms an electrostatic image on the surface of the recording medium, a development apparatus that develops the electrostatic image to form a toner image, and a heat transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto the recording sheet by Ion-Deposition imaging techniques (or by electrophotographic techniques). The toner remaining on the recording medium is removed by applying a direct-current to the development apparatus.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises an image-area discriminating circuit for discriminating the attribute of an image, such as whether it is a character/line image or a dot image or whether or not it is an isolated point noise, and outputting a discrimination result, an enlargement/reduction processing circuit for performing enlargement/reduction processing on an image, and a filtering circuit for controlling the spatial frequency response of an image in accordance of a discrimination signal.

Abstract: A color multi-function type copying machine is disclosed which includes an image input unit for optically sensing an input image and generating an image signal. A function memory stores an ink color used in a color frame to be written in the input image in order to designate its partial image region and a specific image edit function assigned to the ink color and desired to be executed by an operator so that the ink color and the specific image edit function can be rewritten. When a closed loop-like color frame of a selected color is written in the input image, a color frame region detecting unit detects a shape and a color of the color frame. In response to the detection result, the memory is accessed to determine an image edit function corresponding to a first selected ink color of the detected color frame. A color edit unit executes one or a plurality of image signal processing corresponding to the determined image edit function for the input image signal.