Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a photosensitive drum having a circumferential surface, on which a developer image is formed; a transfer member configured to transfer the developer image from the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum to a recording medium conveyed along the conveying path in a conveying direction; a collecting member; and a motor capable of performing a forward rotation and a reverse rotation; wherein, based on a timing when a portion of the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum faces an upstream side edge of the developer image on the recording medium in the conveying direction, a time elapsed until the motor is stopped to change from performing the forward rotation to the reverse rotation is longer than a time elapsed until the portion of the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum that faced the upstream side edge of the developer image faces the collecting member.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a multi-color is disclosed which includes a controller that performs an anti reverse-transfer control such that a surface potential of a previously-formed separated-developer-image subset of a plurality of single-color separated-developer-images which has been previously transferred onto an image transferred medium is reduced, prior to a subsequent transfer in which a remainder of the plurality of separated-developer-images is transferred onto the image transferred medium after a previous transfer of the previously-formed separated developer-image subset onto the image transferred medium, to thereby prevent a reverse transfer of a part of a developer material on the image transferred medium from the image transferred medium onto a photoconductor at the subsequent transfer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes photosensitive members which are aligned along a conveying direction of a transfer medium and on each of which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed; developing units which supply a plurality of colors of developing agent to the photosensitive members, respectively; and cleaning rollers which slidably contact the photosensitive members to collect at least one of paper powder and developing agent adhering to surfaces of the photosensitive members, respectively. A most upstream cleaning roller which slidably contacts a most upstream photosensitive member in the conveying direction is provided with a paper powder absorption shaft which attracts and absorbs paper powder from the cleaning roller. A most downstream cleaning roller which slidably contacts a most downstream photosensitive member in the conveying direction is not provided with the paper powder absorption shaft.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is configured to execute the steps including: a step of controlling a photosensitive drum and a developing roller such that the developing roller rotates in a predetermined direction and the photosensitive drum rotates in a reverse direction; and a step of controlling the photosensitive drum and the developing roller such that the developing roller stops and the photosensitive drum rotates in the reverse direction, so as to reduce toner filming.

Abstract: A cleanerless image forming apparatus removes and collects transfer residual toner for reuse by performing cleaning simultaneously with developing. The image forming apparatus includes first and second toner charging members configured to apply an electrical charge having the same polarity as a toner normal charging polarity to the transfer residual toner, and a discharging member that is configured to discharge a drum and is disposed between the first and second toner charging members.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging unit including a charge member that is disposed facing the image carrier across a gap therebetween and charges the image carrier by using electrical discharge caused by applying thereto a voltage including an alternating current component superimposed on a direct current component, a latent image forming unit, a developing unit to supply toner for developing the latent image formed on the image carrier into a toner image and to collect residual toner remaining on the image carrier, a transfer unit, and a toner spreading member to spread toner on the image carrier and disposed upstream from the charging unit in a direction of movement of the image carrier and downstream from the transfer unit in the direction of movement of the image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that is more capable of preventing the occurrence of image quality deterioration caused by defective charging of a photoreceptor than the conventional one. As a charging device, there is used a member which has: a conductive sheet that causes the surface thereof applied with a predetermined bias to abut against the surface of the photoreceptor after passing through a primary transfer nip obtained by abutment between the photoreceptor and an intermediate transfer belt and before entering a development step performed by a developing device; a conductive brush member that applies a predetermined bias to the surface of the photoreceptor obtained after passing through the position of abutment with the sheet and before entering the development step; and a charging roller that uniformly charges the surface of the photoreceptor after passing through the position of abutment with the brush and before entering the development step.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member; a developing device for developing an electrostatic image formed on said photosensitive member into a toner image; a transfer charger for transferring a toner image from said photosensitive member onto an image receiving member; a non-rotational brush and a rotatable brush for electrically charging toner, which remains on said photosensitive member after image transfer by said transfer charger, to collect the remaining toner into said developing device; a driving mechanism provided with a driving source for rotating said rotatable brush; and a moving mechanism for reciprocating said non-rotational brush by a driving force through said rotatable brush in a direction along an axis of said photosensitive member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is constituted by a rotatable image bearing member; a charging member for electrically charging the image bearing member in contact with the image bearing member; developing member, containing polishing particles, for collecting toner from the image bearing member and effecting development on the basis of an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member; a transfer member for transferring a toner image formed on the image bearing member onto a transfer material; an auxiliary charging member, located downstream from a transfer portion and upstream from the charging member with respect to a movement direction of the image bearing member, for electrically charging toner remaining on the image bearing member after the transfer by contact with the image bearing member; and control means for performing a discharging mode, for discharging polishing particles from the auxiliary charging member onto the image bearing member on the basis of an image ratio of an image to be for

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus, including: a image bearing member; a charging member; a developing device; a transfer member that forms a transfer portion, thereby transferring a toner image on the image bearing member, to a transfer material; a first toner charging member disposed on the lower stream side of the transfer portion and on the upper stream side of the charging member in a rotating direction of the image bearing member, thereby charging the toner on the image bearing member by applying voltage; wherein the developing device develops the electrostatic latent image and recovers the toner charged by the first toner charging member, the image forming apparatus further including: a first current detecting portion that detects a current value flowing through the first toner charging member; and a changing portion that changes a transfer condition according to the detected current value.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The apparatus includes first and second photosensitive bodies, first and second exposing units to form electrostatic latent images on the first and second photosensitive bodies respectively charged to a uniform electric potential, a first developing unit to develop an electrostatic latent image of the first photosensitive body by supplying a transparent toner to the electrostatic latent image of the first photosensitive body, and a second developing unit to develop an electrostatic latent image of the second photosensitive body by supplying a color toner to the electrostatic latent image of the second photosensitive body, wherein the first developing unit is a mono-component cleanerless developing unit.

Abstract: There is provided a technique in which in a four-rotation intermediate transfer system image forming apparatus, even in a state where a large amount of transfer residual toner is generated, the occurrence of color mixture of toners can be effectively suppressed.

Abstract: A transfer residual toner that has not been electrostatically transferred onto a transfer paper P at a transfer nip and remains on a surface of a photosensitive element is temporarily retained by an elastic blade of a toner retaining unit in a mechanical manner before reaching a latent image forming area. When passing through the latent image forming area, the transfer residual toner is returned onto the surface of the photosensitive member at such a timing that writing is not performed by an exposing unit on the surface of the photosensitive element.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is constituted by a rotatable image bearing member; a charging member for electrically charging the image bearing member in contact with the image bearing member; developing member, containing polishing particles, for collecting toner from the image bearing member and effecting development on the basis of an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member; a transfer member for transferring a toner image formed on the image bearing member onto a transfer material; an auxiliary charging member, located downstream from a transfer portion and upstream from the charging member with respect to a movement direction of the image bearing member, for electrically charging toner remaining on the image bearing member after the transfer by contact with the image bearing member; and control means for performing a discharging mode, for discharging polishing particles from the auxiliary charging member onto the image bearing member on the basis of an image ratio of an image to be for

Abstract: An image forming apparatus performs a control sequence in which an AC voltage having a peak-to-peak voltage is applied to a charging member so that a relationship between an absolute value of a surface potential of an image bearing member at a portion under a transfer residual toner remaining on the image bearing member which has been electrically charged by the charging member during non-image formation and an absolute value of a surface potential of a developer carrying member is reversed with respect to a relationship between these absolute values during image formation.

Abstract: A brush member includes plural raisings and contacts a surface of an image bearer downstream of a transfer station and temporary captures toner remaining on the surface of the image bearer into the brush member in a toner capturing process. The brush member returns the toner to the surface of the image bearer at a prescribed time in a toner returning process. A bending direction of the plural raisings is opposite in the returning process to that in the toner capturing process.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes first and second image forming units each including a charging device and a development device using a developer including a mixture of toner and carrier, a transfer device for serially transferring toner images onto a transfer medium, a replenishment device for replenishing a replenishing developer including a mixture of toner and carrier to each development device, and a discharge device for discharging the developer. The second image forming unit is disposed on a downstream side of the first image forming unit in a transfer medium travel direction. Each development device of the first and second image forming units is configured to recover a residual transfer toner remaining on each image bearing member. A weight percent of carrier in the replenishing developer to be replenished to the development device of the second image forming unit is larger than that of the first image forming unit.

Abstract: A cleanerless image forming apparatus configured to reduce the density unevenness of halftone images. The apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging roller device for uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive member, an optical writing unit for forming latent images on the surface of the photosensitive member after uniform charging, a developing device for developing the latent toner image on the photosensitive member, a transfer unit for transferring the toner image to an intermediate transfer belt, and a brush member for trapping post-transfer residual toner adhering to the surface of the photosensitive member after passing through the transfer process by the transfer unit and before entering the developing process by the developing device, wherein the post-transfer residual toner is recovered within the developing device after re-transfer of the post-transfer residual toner within the brush member to the surface of the photosensitive member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable brush in contact with an image bearing member at a position downstream of transfer means and upstream of charging means in a rotational direction of the image bearing member. The rotational brush is configured to supply electrical charge to residual toner that remains on the image bearing member. The image forming apparatus executes a mode for removing toner particles attached to the brush by setting a peripheral speed of the brush to be lower than that of the image bearing member during an image forming time period and setting the peripheral speed of the brush to be higher than that of the image bearing member during at least part of a non-image forming time period.

Abstract: An electrifying apparatus, a processing unit including the electrifying apparatus, and an image formation apparatus including the electrifying apparatus. The electrifying apparatus includes a conductive sheet for electrifying at least one of a surface of a photoconductor and toner adhered to the surface. The conductive sheet is specified to have a pure-water contact angle equal to or greater than 108 degrees, and to have a shore D hardness equal to or less than 65.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for cleaning a plurality of drums in an image forming apparatus includes applying a first bias to each of a plurality of disturbing members, each disturbing member associated with a corresponding drum of a plurality of drums. While performing an image forming operation wherein at least one of the plurality of drums is not use, the bias is changed of a disturbing member corresponding to at least one of the plurality of drums not used in performing the image forming operation from the first bias to a second bias different from the first bias.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image formation apparatus for forming an image by transferring, onto a recording sheet, a toner image that has been transferred from an image carrier onto an intermediate transfer belt 11, the image formation apparatus comprising: a cleaning member 91 that has electrical conductivity, that is provided on an outside of a rotation path of the belt 11, and that is operable to remove residual toner on the belt 11 by coming into contact with a circumferential surface of the belt 11; a driven roller 13 that is provided on an inside of the rotation path and that faces an inner circumferential surface of the belt 11 in a position opposite from the cleaning member 91; a power supply 96 operable to apply voltage to the cleaning member 91 and the driven roller 13 such that the residual toner is electrically attracted to the cleaning member 91, wherein the driven roller 13 includes an elastic member 13b whose surface is in contact with the belt 11.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus performs a control sequence in which an AC voltage having a peak-to-peak voltage is applied to a charging member so that a relationship between an absolute value of a surface potential of an image bearing member at a portion under a transfer residual toner remaining on the image bearing member which has been electrically charged by the charging member during non-image formation and an absolute value of a surface potential of a developer carrying member is reversed with respect to a relationship between these absolute values during image formation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging unit including a charge member that is disposed facing the image carrier across a gap therebetween and charges the image carrier by using electrical discharge caused by applying thereto a voltage including an alternating current component superimposed on a direct current component, a latent image forming unit, a developing unit to supply toner for developing the latent image formed on the image carrier into a toner image and to collect residual toner remaining on the image carrier, a transfer unit, and a toner spreading member to spread toner on the image carrier and disposed upstream from the charging unit in a direction of movement of the image carrier and downstream from the transfer unit in the direction of movement of the image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a charging member for contacting a peripheral surface of the image bearing member to electrically charge the peripheral surface; a first developing device for forming a first developed image on the peripheral surface of the image bearing member charged by the charging member; a second developing device for forming a second developed image on the peripheral surface, wherein a combined developed image is formed by superimposing the first developed image and the second developed image on a common transfer material, wherein when the combined image is being formed, the charging member is cleaned by transferring, by an electric field, material deposited on the charging member to a region between the first developed image and the second developed image on the peripheral surface of the image bearing member, and wherein the first developed image and the second developed image are not formed in the region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming station including an image bearing member, developing means for developing an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member with toner, wherein the toner remaining on the image bearing member after a developed image is transferred, is collected by the developing means; a transfer rotatable member; a first cleaning member for removing toner from the transfer rotatable member; a second image forming station including an image bearing member, developing means for developing an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member with toner, a second cleaning member for removing the toner remaining on the image bearing member after a developed image is transferred, wherein the second image forming station is disposed downstream of the first image forming station and upstream of the second cleaning member with respect to a peripheral moving direction of rotation of the transfer rotatable member; and collection control means for a control operatio

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an exposure device for exposing an electrically charged surface of an image bearing member to light to form an electrostatic image; a developing device capable of collecting a transfer residual developer remaining on the image bearing member; a transferring device for transferring a developer image from the image bearing member onto a transfer medium at a transfer position; and a controller for executing, during non-image formation, a developer collecting mode in which a developer of an opposite polarity is collected into the developing device by driving the image bearing member and by causing the developer carrying member to stop its rotation or rotate at a speed slower than a rotational speed thereof during image formation while generating a potential difference capable of transferring the developer of the opposite polarity from the image bearing member onto the developer carrying member.

Abstract: A photoconductive member a layer including a substantially crosslinked product of a film-forming composition having at least a curing agent and a charge transport compound, wherein the charge transport compound has at least one group imparting charge transporting functionality, at least one crosslinking group and at least one fluorene moiety.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photosensitive members which are aligned along a conveying direction of a transfer medium and on each of which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed; a plurality of developing units which supply a plurality of colors of developing agent to the photosensitive members, respectively; and a plurality of cleaning rollers which slidably contact the photosensitive members to collect at least one of paper powder and developing agent adhering to surfaces of the photosensitive members, respectively. A most upstream cleaning roller which slidably contacts a most upstream photosensitive member in the conveying direction is provided with a paper powder absorption shaft which attracts and absorbs paper powder from the cleaning roller. A most downstream cleaning roller which slidably contacts a most downstream photosensitive member in the conveying direction is not provided with the paper powder absorption shaft.

Abstract: A transfer residual toner that has not been electrostatically transferred onto a transfer paper P at a transfer nip and remains on a surface of a photosensitive element is temporarily retained by an elastic blade of a toner retaining unit in a mechanical manner before reaching a latent image forming area. When passing through the latent image forming area, the transfer residual toner is returned onto the surface of the photosensitive member at such a timing that writing is not performed by an exposing unit on the surface of the photosensitive element.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for cleaning a plurality of drums in an image forming apparatus includes applying a first bias to each of a plurality of disturbing members, each disturbing member associated with a corresponding drum of a plurality of drums. While performing an image forming operation wherein at least one of the plurality of drums is not use, the bias is changed of a disturbing member corresponding to at least one of the plurality of drums not used in performing the image forming operation from the first bias to a second bias different from the first bias.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus and process cartridge exhibiting high durability, in which such disadvantages as irregular recovery of untransferred toner and the advance of carrier degradation are not produced even when jointly using a trickle development system and a cleanerless system, comprising an image support member on which a latent image is formed; a developing unit that houses developer having carrier and toner, develops the latent image formed on the image support member, and recovers untransferred toner remaining on the image support member; a carrier supply unit that supplies carrier to the developing unit; carrier discharge means that discharges carrier housed in the developing unit to outside of the developing unit; and lubricant supply means that supplies lubricant onto the image support member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member; a charging member for electrically charging the image bearing member; developing device means for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on said image bearing member into a toner image and for collecting toner from the image bearing member; transfer device means for transferring the toner image onto a transfer material; a brush member rotatable in a direction identical or opposite to a rotational direction of the image bearing member and disposed downstream from the transfer device means and upstream from the charging member in the rotational direction of the image bearing member, the brush member contacting transfer residual toner while being supplied with a DC voltage of an opposite polarity to a normal charge polarity of the toner; and a moving member for moving the toner in a rotational axis direction of the brush member while contacting the brush member.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus using simultaneous developing and cleaning type developing units, this invention installs brush members to disturb toners remaining on photosensitive drums movably in the direction to contact with photosensitive drums corresponding to the displacement of the surfaces of the photosensitive drums by empty weights and keep the ends of the brush members always in contact with the photosensitive drums.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus comprising a developing device containing a toner having an average particle diameter of 2 to 5 ?m and a spherical degree of 1 to 1.2, and a transfer member which is pressed against the image carrier by a pressing force having a total load of 150 g to 1500 g and a surface load of 10 to 150 g/cm2 at the time of transfer.

Abstract: A method of arranging a plurality of image forming sections, each of which includes a developing device and a cleaning device. The method includes arranging the plurality of image forming sections side by side along an inclined image carrier; and positioning the cleaning device above the developing device of other image forming sections in one of nearby ones of the plurality of image forming sections.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a plurality of image forming stations each provided with an image bearing member, a developing device for collecting any untransferred toner on the image bearing member and at the same time, developing an electrostatic image with a toner, and a transfer device for transferring the toner image on the image bearing member to a transfer material, wherein when in a first station and a second station downstream thereof with respect to the movement direction of the transfer material, of the plurality of image forming stations, a toner discharging operation of discharging the toner from each developing device is performed during a non-image forming operation, the toner discharging amount in the second station is controlled so as to be greater than the toner discharging amount in the first station.

Abstract: There is provided a technique in which in a four-rotation intermediate transfer system image forming apparatus, even in a state where a large amount of transfer residual toner is generated, the occurrence of color mixture of toners can be effectively suppressed.

Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a developer carrying member for carrying a developer thereon and developing an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member with a developer, a developer layer thickness regulating member provided in contact with the developer carrying member for regulating the thickness of the layer of the developer carried on the developer carrying member, and an electrically conductive particle provided in the portion of contact between the developer carrying member and the developer layer thickness regulating member, in a state in which the developer does not exist between the developer carrying member and the developer layer thickness regulating member.

Abstract: In the case where image formation is performed by using a part of a plurality of image forming units, an associated image bearing member of a remaining part of the plurality of image forming units is rotated together with an intermediary transfer member or a recording material carrying member while a voltage of a polarity opposite to that of polishing particles is applied to an electric charge imparting member.

Abstract: To provide an image forming apparatus that performs image formation in accordance with a cleanerless system but less easily causes filming.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for cleaning a plurality of drums in an image forming apparatus includes applying a first bias to each of a plurality of disturbing members, each disturbing member associated with a corresponding drum of a plurality of drums. While performing an image forming operation wherein at least one of the plurality of drums is not use, the bias is changed of a disturbing member corresponding to at least one of the plurality of drums not used in performing the image forming operation from the first bias to a second bias different from the first bias.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an exposure device for exposing an electrically charged surface of an image bearing member to light to form an electrostatic image; a developing device capable of collecting a transfer residual developer remaining on the image bearing member; a transferring device for transferring a developer image from the image bearing member onto a transfer medium at a transfer position; and a controller for executing, during non-image formation, a developer collecting mode in which a developer of an opposite polarity is collected into the developing device by driving the image bearing member and by causing the developer carrying member to stop its rotation or rotate at a speed slower than a rotational speed thereof during image formation while generating a potential difference capable of transferring the developer of the opposite polarity from the image bearing member onto the developer carrying member.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus in which a developing portion is provided with a mechanism capable of forming a developing agent image and recovering residual developing agent left remained on an image carrier, and an electrification portion of an image-forming unit disposed at a second stage further provided with a developing agent-removing member which is in contact with an electrifying member, thereby enabling a developing agent which is reversely transferred from a transferred image of a preceding stage and recovered by the electrification portion to be removed from the electrification portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of includes a developing device bifunctioning as a cleaning device for collecting toner grains left on a photoconductive drum after the transfer of a toner image from the drum to a paper sheet or similar image transfer medium. In the event of toner collection, a DC voltage is applied that causes the residual toner to move from the drum toward a developing sleeve. A main-pole magnet generates, at a position where the developing sleeve faces the drum, a magnetic field of between 100 mT and 200 mT in a direction normal to the surface of the sleeve.

Abstract: In the invention, oxidation-treated carbon black having good dispersibility is used to obtain a conductive brush having a uniform resistance even when it is finely processed. An image forming process is carried out by using the conductive brush, whereby abnormal discharge to a photoreceptor is suppressed, and an image defect due to charging unevenness is prevented from occurring without damaging the photoreceptor, so as to improve image quality. The photoreceptor is scraped uniformly and smoothly to prevent filming from occurring, whereby the maintenance property is improved.

Abstract: A process cartridge includes an image bearing member, a brush, and a supporting portion. The brush includes a base member having an elongated plate shape that extends in the longitudinal direction, a brush member including bristles provided on the front surface of the base member, and mounting portions formed at both latitudinal ends of the base member. The supporting portion includes holding portions that hold the mounting portions formed at the both latitudinal ends of the base member, thereby supporting the brush with respect to the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises: an image carrier driven into rotation; a charger for electrically charging a surface of the image carrier; a latent image forming unit for forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged image carrier surface; a developing unit for forming a toner image by supplying a toner to an area of the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier surface; a transferring unit for transferring the toner image formed on the image carrier surface to a transfer medium; and a non-rotary type polishing member employing a foamed elastic material, the polishing member contacted against the surface of the image carrier at place downstream from the transferring unit in a moving direction of the image carrier and between the transferring unit and the charger, and reciprocally moved in a direction intersecting with the moving direction of the image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image by developing a latent image formed on an image carrier, using a developer including a toner and a carrier. The image forming apparatus comprises: a developer conveying member that conveys the developer; a first collecting unit that collects, by generating a first electric field, the toner from the developer at a first position that is set halfway through a route of conveyance of the developer by the developer conveying member; and a second collecting unit that collects, by generating a second electric field, residual toner from the developer at a second position that is downstream of the first position in the route of conveyance of the developer.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a cleaning patch and method thereof for cleaning a residual toner in a developing unit. The cleaning patch is composed of a plurality of cleaning regions. Each cleaning region includes a plurality of cleaning toner point alternately arranged in a row, which may reduce the absorbed toner in each cleaning region to improve the image quality.