Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a Mylar sheet affixed at one edge portion and including a flat surface in the other edge portion. The flat surface is formed with a plurality of grooves each extending over the image forming range of a photoconductive drum perpendicularly to the direction in which the surface of the drum moves. The Mylar sheet is deformed such that the flat portion contacts the surface of the drum. In this condition, the downstream edges of the grooves in the above direction shave off the surface of the drum a plurality of times during one rotation of the drum, thereby obviating filming on the drum.

Abstract: A cleaner-less image forming apparatus serves to prevent excessive expellation of toner from a photosensitive drum at the time of application of a bias voltage. A developer charging member for charging residual toner on the photosensitive drum is disposed in contact with the photosensitive drum at a location downstream of a transfer device and upstream of a charging device in a direction in which the photosensitive drum is rotating. A DC voltage of a polarity opposite to a normal charging polarity of the developer is applied to the developer charging member and has a slope whose absolute value at the start of voltage application is selectable from a first value and a second value which is greater than the first value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having an image carrier, a charging unit for charging the image carrier and residual toner on the image carrier, a charging bias applying unit, an electrostatic image forming unit, a developing unit for collecting the residual toner on the image carrier and visualizing the electrostatic image, and a developing bias regulating unit. The apparatus further comprises an image ratio calculating unit for calculating an image ratio on the basis of the electrostatic image, and a regulating unit for regulating a contrast potential between the developing unit collecting the residual toner and the image carrier on the basis of a calculated image ratio. In the apparatus, an occurrence of the problem of adhesion of toner to a non-image area is prevented by fully collecting transfer residual toner also in forming an image having a high image ratio.

Abstract: To provide an method for forming image in which the image bearing member and the toner carrying member are arranged with a gap of 100 &mgr;m to 250 &mgr;m; equation (1) and equation (2) are satisfied: (1) 22≦(the frequency of the alternating current component of the alternating electric field/the peripheral speed of the toner carrying member)×the maximum electric field intensity at the time of developing≦120; (2) 8≦(the frequency of the alternating current component of the alternating electric field/the peripheral speed of toner carrying member)×(the fluidity index of Carr/the floodability index of Carr)≦50. According to method for forming image of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a high quality image without generating fog and light shielding while attaining a uniform halftone with a high image density even in a long-term use.

Abstract: In order to solve the problem, there is provided a charging device having: a roll-like charging member disposed in contact with a surface of a member to be charged and for charging the surface of the member to be charged; wherein: the charging member includes a conductive substrate, and at least an elastic layer and a surface layer applied sequentially onto a surface of the conductive substrate; and opposite end portions of the surface layer axially project beyond opposite end portions of the elastic layer respectively, while the opposite end portions of the surface layer are made to cover the elastic layer and made open.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including a unit for controlling each voltage value of peak-to-peak voltages of DC and AC voltages applied to a charging unit for charging an image bearing member, in which a residual charge eliminating unit conducts charge elimination on a surface of the image bearing member while at least the charging unit undergoes an application of the AC voltage including the peak-to-peak voltage that is, in the case of setting at Vth a discharge start voltage to the image bearing member when applying the DC voltage to the charging unit, twice or smaller than this discharge start voltage Vth.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a charging member for electrically charging the image bearing member; developing means for developing with a developer an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member, the developing means having a developer carrying member for carrying the developer, wherein a gap is formed between the developer carrying member and the image bearing member; bias voltage applying means for applying a bias voltage to the developer carrying member, wherein the bias applying means applies an AC bias when the electrostatic latent image is developed, wherein the developing means is capable of collecting the developer fro the image bearing member, and an amplitude of an AC bias voltage applied to the developer carrying member by the bias applying means when the the developer is collected, is larger than that when the the electrostatic latent image is developed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing residual toner from a photosensitive drum wherein a first cleaning bias (600 V) is applied to a cleaning roller, a bias applied to a transfer roller is switched between a second transfer bias and a first transfer bias. The surface potential of a photosensitive drum changes depending on the bias applied to the transfer roller. When the photosensitive drum contacts the transfer roller while the second transfer bias is applied to the transfer roller, the surface potential of the photosensitive drum becomes the second surface potential (approximately 900-1000 V). When the photosensitive drum having the second surface potential contacts the cleaning roller, the cleaning roller collects toner remaining on the photosensitive drum. When the photosensitive drum contacts the transfer roller while the first transfer bias is applied to the transfer roller, the surface potential of the photosensitive drum becomes the first surface potential (approximately 200-400 V).

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes an image carrying part, a developing part and an image transferring part. The image carrying part has a surface on which an electrostatic latent image is formed. The developing part develops the electrostatic image into a toner image by selectively applying toner to the surface of the image carrying part. The image transferring part transfers the toner image onto a recording sheet or an intermediate image transferring part. Fine particles are uniformly formed on the surface of the image carrying part, and a portion of the fine particles is transferred from the image carrying part with the toner image. The fine particles are smaller in diameter than the toner particles.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that has an image bearing body, a flexible charging member constituting a nip portion together with the image bearing body, the nip portion being provided with conductive particles, and a developing member for developing an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing body, with use of a developing agent, wherein the developing agent has substantially spherical toner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging member, disposed so as to be contactable with the image bearing member, for charging the image bearing member with a peripheral velocity difference between the charging member and the image bearing member, and a controller for variably controlling the peripheral velocity difference at the time when an area which becomes an image forming area of the image bearing member is charged by the charge member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a charging roller cooperable with the image bearing member to form a nip therebetween, for charging the charging roller is rotatable for counterdirectional peripheral movement relative to the image bearing member at the nip; developing means for developing with a developer an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member; wherein tA (sec) after arrival, at an upstream end of the nip, of a potential changing portion at which a potential of the image bearing member changes with respect to a peripheral moving direction of the image bearing member reaches an upstream end of the nip, the developing means is supplied with a voltage for collecting particles from the image bearing member to the developing means, where tA (see) is a sum of a time duration required for a surface of the charging roller to move from the upstream end of the nip to a downstream end of the nip and a time duration required for a surface of the image bearing member to move

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a flexible charging member, which forms a nip portion between itself and an image bearing member. The charging member charges the image bearing member and is applied with a voltage when the charging member at least charges the image bearing member for an image formation. The nip portion is provided with an electrically conductive particles developing device for developing an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member with a developer. The developing device executes a developing operation and, at the same time, executes a collecting operation for collecting a residual developer on the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; charging means for electrically charging the image bearing member; developing means for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member with a developer into a developed image; transferring means for transferring the developed image from the image bearing member onto an image receiving member; a first developer charging member for electrically charging a residual developer on the image bearing member, the first developer charging member being disposed downstream of the transferring means and upstream of the charging means, with respect to a movement direction of the image bearing member, and the first developer charging member being supplied with a voltage of a polarity opposite a regular polarity of the developer; a second developer charging for electrically charging the residual developer on the image bearing member to the regular polarity of the developer, the second developer charging member being disposed downstream

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes transferring means for transferring, after a first color developer image is transferred onto an image receiving material in a first image forming station, a second color developer image onto the image receiving material in a second image forming station; wherein the first image forming station includes a first image bearing member, first charging means for electrically charging the first image bearing member, and a first developer carrying member for carrying the the first color developer to develop an electrostatic image formed on the first image bearing member with the first color developer; wherein the second image forming station includes a second image bearing member, second charging means for electrically charging the second image bearing member, and a second developer carrying member for carrying the the second color developer to develop an electrostatic image formed on the second image bearing member with the second color developer; the second developer carrying mem

Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus and a process cartridge have a charge unit for charging the surface of a photosensitive member by direct injection of electrical charge from a contact charging member to the photosensitive member. The charging unit also functions as a unit for supporting residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive member after transfer, for normalizing the electrical charge of the residual toner, and for returning the normalized residual toner to the surface of the photosensitive member. A developing unit also functions as a unit for recovering the normalized residual toner returned to the surface of the photosensitive member. The absolute value of the difference in charged potential between a first rotation and a second rotation of the photosensitive member is higher than 5 V and lower than 70 V.

Abstract: An electroconductive roller is capable of exhibiting stable conductivity regardless of environmental change and is accompanied by small bleed-out of additives. The conductive roller includes an electroconductive support, an electroconductive elastic layer coating the support and a resistance layer coating the elastic layer; wherein the elastic layer comprises at least one species of rubber selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber and chloroprene rubber, an ether oxygen containing alkyl phthalate derivative, a quaternary ammonium perchlorate compound and a fatty oil, and the ether oxygen-containing alkyl phthalate derivative, quaternary ammonium perchlorate compound and fatty oil are contained in a total amount of 0.1-20 wt. parts per 100 wt. parts of the rubber. The conductive roller is suitably used as a contact charging member in an electrophotographic apparatus.

Abstract: The invention provides an image forming apparatus provided with an image bearing body, and developer charge providing device for providing a charge thereby charging residual developer, remaining on the image bearing body after image transfer, to a normal polarity. The developer charge providing device charges an area of the image bearing body, and such area is further charged by the charging device. When the voltage applied to the developer charge providing device for charging such area is, varied, the voltage applied to the charging means for charging such area is also varied. Thus the image forming apparatus can execute uniform charging in stable manner over a prolonged period.

Abstract: A charging device includes a charging rotary member provided in contact with an image bearing member capable of bearing a toner for charging the image bearing member, in which a peripheral speed of the charging rotary member is different from a peripheral speed of the image bearing member, and the charging rotary member includes a surface layer frictionally charging the toner to a normal charging polarity.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of cleaner-less system using toner particles comprising resin mother particles coated with external additives, having an adhesive force between a primary transfer member and the toner particle that is larger than the adhesive force between an image carrier and the toner particle, and an adhesive force between the primary transfer member and the resin mother particle that is larger than the adhesive force between the image carrier and the resin mother particle. As a result, a stable transfer property is provided which prevents the generation of residual toner particles. Furthermore, when images with toner particles of different colors are superposed at the transfer portion, color-to-color separation of the toner particles can be prevented by setting the adhesive force between the resin mother particles of the different colors to be larger than the adhesive force between the image carrier and the resin mother particle.

Abstract: Electronic display devices and methods are described. In one embodiment, a display device comprises a housing with a display area to display content for a user. Memory within the housing holds data that is to be rendered into user-viewable content. A loop of material is provided within the housing and is configured to display user-viewable content for the user. An exposure station is provided internally of the loop of material and is configured to expose selected portions of the loop of material so that the loop of material can receive and retain toner thereon to provide the user-viewable content from the data that is held in the memory. In another embodiment, a display device comprises a toner shuttling system within the housing that is configured to shuttle toner between different locations within the housing from which the toner can be used and reused.

Abstract: In order not to expel toner excessively when bias is applied, a cleaner-less image forming apparatus comprises a first developer charge amount controlling device 7, provided on a downstream side of a transfer device 5 in a moving direction of an image bearing member 1, for applying DC bias for making uniform the charge amount of residual developer remaining on the image bearing member 1, and/or a second developer charge amount controlling device 8, provided on a downstream side of said first developer charge amount controlling device 7 in the rotating direction of the photosensitive drum 1, for applying DC bias for charging the residual developer in a normal polarity. The absolute value of the slope of the DC voltage applied to the first developer charge amount controlling device 7 and/or the absolute value of the slope of the DC voltage applied to the second developer charge amount controlling device 8 are equal to 2000 V/sec or smaller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image bearing member; an electrifying unit for electrifying the image bearing member at a contact portion in order to form an electrostatic image on the image bearing member, a voltage, in which a direct-current voltage and an alternating-current voltage are superimposed on each other, being applied to the electrifying unit; and a developing unit for developing the electrostatic image on the image bearing member using toner; where after a toner image on the image bearing member is transferred onto a transferring medium, residual toner residing on the image bearing member is carried to the contact portion in accordance with rotation of the image bearing member, and a peak to peak voltage of the alternating-current voltage applied to the electrifying unit in order to discharge the residual toner adhering to the electrifying unit to the image bearing member during a certain period of non-image forming is set so as to be higher than a peak to peak voltage applied during im

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a charging device for charging the image bearing member. An electrostatic image forming device selectively removes charges on the image bearing member charged by the charging device to form an electrostatic image. A developing device develops the electrostatic image with toner as a toner image. The toner image on the image bearing member is transferred by a transfer device onto a transfer material. The charging device temporarily collects residual toner after transferring the toner image. A return bias applying device applies a return bias for returning the toner collected in the charging device to the image bearing member in a nonimage forming period. The length of a return bias applying time period of the return bias applying device is variably controlled by a controller.

Abstract: In a developing apparatus having the configuration of charging toner on the developing roller with the toner charging roller, toner charging roller contacts to the developing roller. Since toner adheres onto the toner charging roller by applying the voltage higher than a starting voltage in the developing apparatus, electrifying property of the toner charging roller drops. This causes low image quality since stable charges cannot be given to the toner on the developing roller. Therefore, they are provided, a developing apparatus and an image forming apparatus that can always offer good image quality by preventing adhesion of a developing material to a developer-charging member and always giving stable charges to a developer bearing body and developer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member which is movable; an electrifying device which makes contact with the image bearing member and electrifies the image bearing member; a developing device for developing a latent image on the image bearing member by toner; and an abutting member which is provided on a downstream side in a moving direction of the image bearing member with respect to the electrifying device and the contacting portion of the image bearing member and abuts against the image bearing member. The image bearing member, electrified by the electrifying device, is exposed to have the latent image formed thereon, a toner image formed on the image bearing member by the developing device is transferred to a recording material, and the developing device recovers residual toner on the image bearing member after transfer.

Abstract: When image forming is repeated with cleanerless image forming apparatus “positive ghost” which means that the preceding image is slightly left occurs because residual toner is not recovered by developing means.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a charging member, contactable to the image bearing member, for electrically charging the image bearing member at a charging position; developing means for developing an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member with a developer; wherein when a first area on the image bearing member which is going to be an image formation area is at the charging position, the charging member moves with a peripheral speed difference relative to the image bearing member, and when a second area on the image bearing member which is a part of an area which is going to be a non-image formation area is at the charging position, the charging member moves substantially without a peripheral speed difference relative to the image bearing member, and wherein a collecting electric field is formed for collecting the developer from the second area to the developing means.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member; a charging rotatable member, contactable to the image bearing member at a contact position, for electrically charging the image bearing member, the charging rotatable member being rotatable for counterdirectional peripheral movement relative to rotation of the image bearing member at the contact position; developing means for developing an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member with a developer, the developing means being capable of collecting a residual developer from the image bearing member; and wherein start of rotation of the charging rotatable member is simultaneous with or prior to start of rotation of the image bearing member.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which when a first area to be an image forming area of the image bearing member exists in said nip portion, a superimposed voltage resulting from a direct current voltage and an alternating voltage having a peak to peak voltage smaller than an alternating voltage applied when a charging potential of the image bearing member is converged is applied to the charging member, and wherein when a part of a second area to be a non-image area of the image bearing member exists in said nip portion, a direct current voltage without an alternating voltage is applied to the charging member.

Abstract: A developing apparatus prevents a reduction in image density due to paper powder by providing a developing apparatus that has a developing container, a toner carrying member, and a toner container, wherein the toner container has a space portion, which is disposed below the toner carrying member and which is not substantially replenished with the toner.

Abstract: When image forming is repeated with cleanerless image forming apparatus, “positive ghost”, which means that a preceding image is slightly left, occurs because a residual toner is not recovered by a developer. Even if an image forming apparatus with an electrically conductive brush or auxiliary device repeats image forming or continuously forms an image with a high image ratio, resistance of the brush increases because the residual toner is deposited on the electrically conductive brush. As a result, advantages of the electrically conductive brush which erases traces of the preceding image are lost. Therefore, in accordance with this invention there are provided an image forming apparatus which does not let image traces leave, and an image forming apparatus which prevents (or reduces) the resistance of auxiliary devices and cleans auxiliary devices.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that has an image bearing body, a flexible charging member constituting a nip portion together with the image bearing body, the nip portion being provided with conductive particles, and a developing member for developing an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing body, with use of a developing agent, wherein the developing agent has substantially spherical toner.

Abstract: A cleaner-less image former that can prevent cleaning efficiency from reducing and maintain high print quality. After a printing process is started, one lookup table LUT is selected from a group of LUTs based on a temperature detected by a temperature sensor and the number of sheets of paper which have been printed. A pre-transfer bias is determined by applying a current value memorized in a feedback current value memorizing part to the selected LUT, the determined pre-transfer bias is applied to a transfer roller, and then a transfer bias is determined based on the above current value and the temperature. The determined transfer bias is applied to the transfer roller. The residual toner remaining on the transfer roller, a charge brush and a memory removal brush is removed by applying the pre-transfer bias.

Abstract: Toner processing systems and electronic display devices and methods are described. In one embodiment, a toner processing system comprises an enclosure and an electrostatic toner recovery assembly supported within the enclosure for electrostatically recovering unfused toner from a print media surface. A toner development assembly is supported within the enclosure proximate the electrostatic toner recovery assembly and is configured to receive recovered toner from the electrostatic toner recovery assembly for reuse on the print media surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier which carries an electrostatic image, a developing device for developing the electrostatic image using toner, a rotating transfer member which transfers a toner image on the image bearer, a charging device for charging an image bearer on which residual toner is deposited due to transfer by the rotating transfer member, the charging device allowing residual toner on the image bearer to be collected, and a returning device for returning toner in the charging device to the image bearer, the rotating transfer member transferring onto the rotating transfer member at least a portion of toner returned to the image bearer by the returning device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic image. A developing device develops the electrostatic image on the image bearing member by toners charged with a predetermined polarity. A transfer device transfers a toner image on the image bearing member to a transferring material. An electrifying device inject-charges the image bearing member having transfer residual toners. An electrical conductive member provided and spaced apart from the image bearing member in a moving direction of the image bearing member downstream farther than the transfer means and upstream farther than the electrifying device. An electrical field forming device for forming an alternative electrical field between the electrical conductive member and the image bearing member.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus, which has an image bearing body for bearing a toner image, transferring device for transferring a toner image on the image bearing body to a transferring material, a charging member for charging the image bearing body, having a residual toner after the transfer on a surface thereof by being brought into contact therewith, electrostatic image forming device for forming an electrostatic image on the image bearing body charged by the charging member, developing device for collecting the residual toner on the image bearing body while developing the electrostatic image on the image bearing body by using a toner charged in the same polarity as a charging polarity generated by the charging member, control device for controlling a voltage to be applied to the charging member, and a cleaning sequence for performing a cleaning of the charging member by applying a voltage not higher than a discharge threshold and equal to the polarity of the toner after a discha

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearing members, a plurality of developing devices for developing latent images formed on the plurality of image bearing members with toners of plural colors, an intermediate transfer member to which toner images of plural colors are successively transferred from the plurality of image bearing members, the toner images of plural colors on the intermediate transfer member being transferred to a recording material, and a plurality of chargers for charging residual toners residual on the image bearing members after the toner images have been transferred from the image bearing members to the intermediate transfer member, the residual toners on the image bearing members charged by the chargers being electrostatically collected into the developing devices.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic image; a developing unit for developing the electrostatic image on the image bearing member with toner electrically charged to a predetermined polarity; a transfer unit for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member to a transfer material; a toner charging unit for electrically charging residual toner remaining on the image bearing member to the same polarity as the predetermined polarity; and an image bearing member charging unit for contacting to the image bearing member carrying the toner charged by the toner charging unit to electrically charge the image bearing member to the same polarity as the predetermined polarity, the image bearing member charging unit being effective to reduce a charge amount of the toner.

Abstract: A cleaning device for removing toner remaining on an image carrier carrying a toner image after toner on the image carrier has been transferred to another material, the cleaning device including: a conductive brush roller to which a bias voltage of a polarity that is the same as the proper polarity of toner for use in development is applied in order to remove that portion of the toner remaining on the image carrier after the image transfer process whose polarity has become opposite to the proper polarity of toner for use in development; a roller electrode which comes into contact with the bush roller and to which a bias that is of a polarity opposite to that of the brush roller is applied to electrostatically attract the toner adhering to the conductive brush; and scraping device for scraping off the toner adhering to this roller electrode, wherein that portion of the toner remaining on the image carrier after the image transfer process whose polarity has become opposite to the proper polarity of toner is rem

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that has an image bearing body, charging device for charging the image bearing body, developing device for forming a developer image by developing, with developer, an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing body, transferring device for transferring the developer image to an image-receiving member, first charge-applying device, provided on a downstream side of the transferring device and on an upstream side of the charging device in a moving direction of the image bearing body, for charging a residual developer remaining on the image bearing body after a transfer effected by the transferring device to a polarity opposite to a normal charging polarity of the developer, and second charge-applying device, provided on a downstream side of the first charge-applying device and on the upstream side of the charging device in the moving direction of the image bearing body, for charging the residual developer charged by the first charge

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic latent image, and a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image with a developer and collecting the developer remaining on the image bearing member including a developer carrying member for carrying the developer. The developer carried by the developer carrying member comes into contact with the image bearing member as the developer carrying member moves and a regulating member for regulating a layer thickness of the developer carried by the developer carrying member. The regulating member regulates the layer thickness of the developer carried by the developer carrying member so that there will be three to eight layers, wherein V2/V1>1.54 holds where V1 is a peripheral velocity of said image bearing member and V2 is a peripheral velocity of said developer carrying member.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that has an image bearing member a flexible charging member for forming a nip portion between itself and the image bearing member and charging the image bearing member, the charging member being applied with a voltage when the charging member at least charges the image bearing member for an image formation, the charging member being provided with a foamed layer on a surface thereof and the nip portion being provided with electrically conductive particles developing device for developing an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member with a developer, the developing device executing a developing operation and, at the same time, executing a collecting operation for collecting a residual developer on the image bearing member wherein the voltage is a superposed voltage with a direct current voltage and an alternating current voltage having a peak to peak voltage which is less than the alternating current voltage applied when th

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a charge member, contactable to the image bearing member, for electrically charging the image bearing member, the charge member being capable of being supplied with a voltage; developing means for developing an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member with a developer; wherein the charge member is rotatable so as to provide a first peripheral speed difference between a surface of charge member and a surface of the image bearing member when the image bearing member is charged for image formation; wherein there is provided a cleaning period for transferring the developer from the charge member to the image bearing member with a second peripheral speed difference, which is smaller than the first peripheral speed difference, between the surface charge member of and surface of the image bearing member, when a charging operation for the image formation is not effected to the image bearing member.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus which has an image bearing member for bearing a latent image, charging device for charging the image bearing member by bringing ears of electrically conductive particles into contact with the image bearing member, developing device for visualizing the latent image formed on the image bearing member as a toner image by using a developer containing toner and carrier after the image bearing member has been charged by the charging device, a permeability of the carriers being different from a permeability of the electrically conductive particles, density control device for controlling density of the developer within the developing device, the density control device detecting a permeability of the developer, comparing a detected signal value based on the detected result with a reference value, and controlling the density of the developer on the basis of the comparison result, and reference value correcting device for correcting the reference value, the ref

Abstract: A developing device for an image forming apparatus capable of collecting a developer left on an image carrier with a so-called cleanerless process is disclosed. A ratio of a distance between the image carrier and a developer carrier at the boundary of a nip to a development gap at the center of the nip is selected to be 1.5 or less. This obviates the omission of the trailing edge of an image and granularity and enhances faithful reproduction of horizontal lines and dots despite the use of the cleanerless process.

Abstract: A cleanerless image forming apparatus and a cleanerless image forming method facilitate the collection of residual toners after image transfer. The image forming apparatus includes a rotary endless latent carrier, a rotary charging brush for charging the rotary endless latent carrier, and a unit for forming an electrostatic latent image on the rotary endless latent carrier. The electrostatic latent image is developed on the rotary endless latent carrier by supplying polymerization toners simultaneously with the cleaning of residual polymerization toners therefrom. The polymerization toners on the rotary endless latent carrier are then transferred to a sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming stations forming images of different colors on a transfer material and is provided along a direction of conveyance of the transfer material by a conveying system, in which a toner replenishing system is operated on the basis of a result of a detected magnetic permeability a detecting device and the developer, which is not transferred to the transfer material but and, which remains on an image bearing member is collected by a developing system.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image bearing members, a plurality of image forming portions for forming images on the plurality of image bearing members, a plurality of primary transfer portions for transferring the images on the plurality of image bearing members onto an intermediate transfer member, secondary transfer portions for transferring the image on the intermediate transfer member onto a transfer material, and a controller for controlling the primary transfer portion to operate until an image area on the image bearing member on which an image is being formed at the point when an image formation stop instruction is issued passes a transfer region in the primary transfer portion opposing to the image bearing member.