Abstract: There is provided a fixing device of an image forming apparatus in which a high quality image can be obtained through a small amount of release agent and toner offset can be prevented for a long period of time without fail. The fixing device includes a pair of fixing rotating bodies being brought into press contact with each other and being rotated, and a release agent application unit for applying a release agent onto a surface of the fixing rotating body, and makes a toner image formed on a recording material by an electrophotographic process pass through a press contact portion of the pair of fixing rotating bodies so that the toner image is fixed. The fixing device further includes a wax agent application unit for applying a wax agent onto the surface of the fixing rotating body.

Abstract: A liquid spreading device for spreading liquid over a target surface to be moved relatively to the liquid spreading device in a predetermined direction, including: a regulating member which is brought into contact with the target surface through the liquid; and a voltage applying unit for applying an electrical bias voltage across the regulating member and the target surface.A fixing device for fixing a toner image onto an image bearing surface of a recording sheet, including: a rotating member having an outer surface to be in contact with the image bearing surface; a regulating member which is brought into contact with the outer surface of the rotating member through the liquid; and a voltage applying unit for applying an electrical bias voltage across the regulating member and the outer surface of the rotating member.

Abstract: A printer or copier using transfer printing has a fixing drum for fixing toner on a medium, such as paper. Parting liquid, or release agent, is applied to the fixing drum using an application element, the application element being moved over the surface of the fixing drum as it is unwound from a supply roll and wound onto a take-up roll. The speed of the supply roll is sensed and the motor of the take-up roll is controlled so that the speed of the application element is constant regardless of changes in the diameter of the application element on the supply roll. The speed of the supply roll may be sensed with a magnet and Hall sensor arrangement.

Abstract: An oil application roller unit including a holder having at least a shaft or bearings, an oil application roller rotatably supported by the holder, and an oil leakage prevention film closely wound around the oil application roller to pack the roller and capable of being pulled out. By pulling the oil leakage prevention film while the oil application roller remains installed in the holder, the oil application roller is rotated, and the oil leakage prevention film can be removed. Since the user is not required to make contact with the oil application roller at the time of unpacking, the hands of the user are not stained. Unpacking can thus be attained safely.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus for controlling an oil transfer apparatus to maintain a releasing agent holding layer such that it is not always saturated with the releasing agent. This makes it a compact, cost-effective unit with a long service life and provides a uniform, stable oil coating that eliminates image noise problems. In order to use a constant and minimum necessary amount of releasing agent, a releasing agent supply nozzle is incorporated with multiple protrusive or retrusive droplet growth assisting members at or near multiple releasing agent discharge ports. The supply nozzle used for supplying the oil has multiple discharge holes having approximately equal opening cross-sectional areas and an equalizing member which equalizes the amount of oil discharged from each discharge hole. The outer diameter D1 of the oil supply roller, the outer diameter D2 of the metal core and the distance P of adjacent through-holes formed on the periphery of the metal core satisfy a relation, 0.6<D1.multidot.(D1-D2)/(D2.

Abstract: A release agent supplying member (21) is formed by release agent discharge portions (21a) for discharging release agent, and liquid level uniforming portions (21b) for uniforming a liquid level of the release agent discharged from the release agent discharge portions before supplying the release agent discharged from the release agent discharge portions to a subject to be coated.

Abstract: A heat and pressure fuser and Release Agent Management (RAM) systems therefor. Dual RAM systems are provided. A first RAM system supplies functional release agent material having a relatively high concentration of functional chains (.about.O.05 to 0.3 mol %) to an elastomeric fuser member prior to a second RAM system which supplies release agent material having low functionally or no functionality. The elastomeric fuser member may contain metal oxide particles. The low functionality release agent is relatively non-reactive. Depending on whether the elastomeric member contains the metal oxide particles, the functional chains of the high concentration release agent material which are periodically supplied to the fuser roll surface either attach to the metal particles exposed at the surface of the fuser roll by chemical bonds or to the elastomeric material itself. The non-reactive chains adhere to the functional chains by much weaker physical (such as van der Waals) chains.

Abstract: A heat and pressure fuser and RAM system therefor. The RAM system includes a metering roll, thin film and a metering blade supported for effecting intimate contact between the metering roll and the thin film. The thin film is supported for movement from a supply reel to a take-up reel for periodic movement of a new portion of the film into contact with the metering roll. In this manner, contamination in the area of contact between the metering roll and the thin film is minimized. Moreover, the thin film which has a high surface tension, minimizes blade wear.

Abstract: A roller fuser assembly for reproduction systems, including at least two fuser rollers for pressing against their pressure surfaces a printing sheet fed therealong in order to fix toner images present on at least one side of said printing sheet, by the action of pressure and heat. A device applies a release liquid to the pressure surfaces of the fuser rollers. A release liquid container is provided for each fuser roller wherein the two release liquid containers are oblique with respect to one another and are connected to one another by an inclined release liquid collecting and discharge plate. This plate is connected, for liquid discharge, to at least one of the release liquid containers.

Abstract: The disclosed method relate to a cleaning nozzle which, in multiple embodiments, is rotated in a circle or in an ellipse, being one nozzle in one embodiment and multiple nozzles in alternate embodiments so that the surface of a pipeline can be clean with high pressure water or other fluids. Furthermore, the rotating nozzle is supported in a carriage in one embodiment which encircles and travels along a pipeline. The carriage is supported by drive wheels which cooperate with separate drive motors and a control circuit to assure that the carriage remains upright. Multiple rotating nozzles are supported in the carriage to clean adjacent portions of the pipeline. Alternate embodiments are shown for cleaning a horizontal surface with a hand pushed or motorized version, and another version is disclosed supported on a moveable boom, thereby enabling cleaning of an upstanding vertical surface such as the hull of a ship.

Abstract: A deflection loaded metering blade for contacting a metering roll in a RAM system. A thin metal (steel) leaf spring and holder the width of the fuser roll is used to support an elastomeric blade tip in contact with the metering roll surface. The relative mounting positions of the spring and metering roll result in an interference with each other thereby causing the spring to deflect and produce the required load. Thus, the loading and metering functions are separated, the former being accomplished by the spring and the latter being performed by the elastomer blade.

Abstract: A stainproofing oil for a heat fixing roller, which consists essentially of a fluorosilicone compound having a silicon atom to which a monovalent fluorine-containing group selected from the formulae (1) to (3) is bonded:R.sub.f.sup.1 --X.sup.1 -- (1)R.sub.f.sup.2 --X.sup.2 --O--X.sup.3 -- (2)R.sub.f.sup.3 --X.sup.4 --O--X.sup.5 -- (3)wherein R.sub.f.sup.1 is a monovalent polyfluorohydrocarbon group, R.sub.f.sup.2 is a monovalent polyfluoroalkyl group containing an ether oxygen atom, R.sub.f.sup.3 is a monovalent polyfluorohydrocarbon group, and each of X.sup.1 to X.sup.5 independently is a bivalent hydrocarbon group.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus is disclosed, capable of forming an image on both surfaces of a recording medium. The image formation apparatus is provided with the latent image forming unit for forming an unfixed image on the photosensitive drum, the transfer drum for transferring the unfixed image onto the recording medium, and an oil application device for applying a release agent onto the fixing roller. The release agent applied upon fixing the first surface is different in quantity from that applied upon fixing the second surface and the releasing agent applied to the fixing rotor during single side fixing is different in quantity than when both surfaces are to be fixed. The releasing agent quantity also differs depending on whether the apparatus is in cassette feed mode or manual feed mode and is not applied when the recording medium is in contact with the fixing roller.

Abstract: Release agent material which is solid at room temperature is provided in a sump for application to a heated fuser roll structure. A pressure roll structure contacts the solid release agent material and a source of heat energy serves to elevate the solid release agent material to its operating temperature which is well below the operating temperature of the heated fuser roll.A metering blade contacting the pressure roll structure causes the liquefied release agent material to be metered to the desired thickness.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of producing silicon-on-porous-silicon material comprising the steps of (i) manufacturing a porous silicon layer on a suitable silicon wafer, such that the silicon wafer has a porous silicon surface and a non-porous silicon surface, (ii) applying an implanted ion dose to at least a portion of the porous silicon surface such that the dose is sufficient to cause amorphization of porous silicon. The material produced by the method of the invention can then be used for production of silicon-on-insulator material by oxidation of remaining porous silicon and recrystallization of amorphised silicon. Typically such material can be used for manufacture of e.g. SOI C-MOS devices and bipolar transistors. Alternatively, the method of the invention can be used for the manufacture of e.g. pyroelectric devices.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus having an image forming device for forming a non-fixed image on a recording sheet, a fixing rotary member for fixing the non-fixed image to the recording sheet, a containing portion for containing the recording sheet to which the image was fixed by the fixing rotary member, a re-feeding device for re-feeding the recording sheet contained in the containing portion to the image forming device, and a coating device for coating a parting liquid to the fixing rotary member.

Abstract: A release agent management (RAM) system including a metering roll supported for contact with release agent material contained in a sump. A donor roll is provided for applying oil deposited thereon by the metering roll.A metering blade structure for metering silicone oil onto the metering roll has two modes of operation. In one mode, a wiping action of a metering blade meters a relatively large quantity of silicone oil to the roll surface for accommodating the fusing of color toner images. In another mode of operation, a doctoring action is effected for metering a relatively small amount of silicone oil to the roll surface for accommodating the fusing of black toner images.

Abstract: A heated roller type of fixing device to prevent offsetting of toner onto a fixing or pressure roller and an imaging system including such a fixing device wherein a sheet with toner deposits thereon is passed between a fixing roller and a pressure roller to fix the toner in place, a releasant applicator applies a releasant on the surface of at least one of said fixing or pressure rollers, and a releasant remover removes from the sheet the releasant deposited thereon by the fixing or pressure roller, thereby the releasant remaining on the toner image is removed by the releasant remover. Thus, it is possible to eliminate image density variations which may otherwise be caused by an uneven distribution of the releasant, as is the case with the prior art, and to obtain an image density which does not change with time and so is stable.

Abstract: A device for drying printed products in a printing machine having a transport device for conveying printed products along a given path includes a radiation device located outside the printing machine for generating radiant energy, and a device for transmitting the radiant energy generated by the radiation device to a surface of the printed product, the transmitting device being disposed at least partly in the printing machine so as to direct the radiant energy simultaneously over a defined width of the surface of the printed product.

Abstract: A delivery apparatus for a sheet-fed printing press includes a detector, a control unit and a solenoid. The detector detects a moving amount of suction wheels moved by adjustment and generates a signal corresponding to the moving amount. The control unit is connected to the detector and a timing unit of the printing press and generates a signal representing a predetermined length corresponding to the sheet size. The solenoid is located between a powder container and an air source and opens an air path for only a time interval corresponding to the signal supplied from the control unit.

Abstract: A device for drying printed products in a printing machine having a transport device for conveying printed products along a given path includes a radiation device located outside the printing machine for generating radiant energy, and a device for transmitting the radiant energy generated by the radiation device to a surface of the printed product, the transmitting device being disposed at least partly in the printing machine so as to direct the radiant energy simultaneously over a defined width of the surface of the printed product.

Abstract: This invention provides a recording apparatus having parting agent removing means. Fixing means for fixing a formed toner image on a recording medium has a fixing rotatable member for contacting the toner image side of the recording medium and means for applying offset preventing parting liquid to the rotatable member. Means for acting on a special recording medium inferior in parting liquid absorbing capability to paper and removing the parting liquid from the special recording medium is positioned downstream of the fixing rotatable member with respect to the direction of conveyance of the recording medium. Control means is provided for causing the removing means to act on the special recording medium. The parting liquid on the recording medium such as film can be greatly decreased by the removing means.

Abstract: A fixing device for an electrophotographic copying machine which includes a pair of rollers forming a nip therebetween through which the copy paper passes and an applicator which is capable of feeding a sufficient quantity of offset-preventing liquid only to the portion of the rollers where the leading end of the copy paper, will contact with the supply of offset-printing liquid to the remaining portion of the rollers being minimized to a quantity necessary for the preventing of offset. The consumption of offset-preventing liquid is reduced and the swelling of the silicone rubber coatings on the rollers, when used, is inhibited.

Abstract: An oil supply apparatus for use with copying machines comprises a tank for holding an offset preventing oil therein, a pump for sucking the oil from the tank, a container for holding the sucked oil therein, an oil application device for applying the oil taken from the container to an image fixing roller and an oil recovery means device for recovering an excessive amount of the oil which was taken from the container and returning it to the tank. The oil is always circulated in the oil supply apparatus and the container can be detached from the tank. When the container is detached from the tank, a stopper is engaged in a drain hole formed in the container concurrently with the detachment action so as to prevent the oil from being spilled.

Abstract: A system for feeding powder in spray form to a device associated with a machine which transports products to be sprayed. The device associated with the machine is arranged to spray powder on the work surface in a controlled zone with the system being operated to receive surplus powder from the work zone and return it to storage for re-use.

Abstract: A contact fuser assembly for use in an electrostatic reproducing apparatus including an internally heated fuser roll structure comprising a rigid or non-deformable, thermally conductive core to which is supplied a low molecular weight polyethylene release material which forms a toner impenetrable layer thereon. Additionally, in order to facilitate stripping of copy sheets from the fuser roll structure, a second release material, for example, talcum powder which is chemically inert and a solid at the operating temperature of the fuser roll structure is applied either to the toner images contained on the copy paper or to the fuser roll structure to thereby provide a layer of the second release material between the fuser roll structure and the toner.