Development And Cleaning Patents (Class 399/149)
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Patent number: 6323931Abstract: An interterminal anti-short-circuiting pattern is formed in an upper metal wire included in a connection terminal 3, for connecting to external driving LSI and the like, located on the projected portion of a bottom glass substrate 2. This pattern includes recess 4 and island 5 on which a contact hole 12a is formed through a protective insulating film. The protective insulating film has high residence to water penetration. Spread of the corrosion can be shut off by the recess surrounding the island. Short circuit occurrence due to interterminal current leak can be inhibited under high moisture conditions in the semiconductor device used for active matrix display, e.g. LCD panel.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2000Date of Patent: November 27, 2001Assignee: NEC CorporationInventors: Akira Fujita, Choei Sugitani
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Patent number: 6321059Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member, a charger for contacting with and charging the image bearing member to form a latent image on the image bearing member, a developing device for developing the latent image formed on the image bearing member with a toner, the developing device collecting the toner on the image bearing member, an intermediate transfer member, and a transfer charger for transferring a toner image on the image bearing member to the intermediate transfer member, wherein the toner image transferred to the intermediate transfer member by the transfer charger is transferred to a recording material, and when the image forming operation is interrupted, the toner image on the image bearing member which is not yet transferred to the intermediate transfer member is transferred to the intermediate transfer member by the transfer charger.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2000Date of Patent: November 20, 2001Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Satoshi Tamura
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Patent number: 6321051Abstract: A process and an apparatus for cleaning an organic photosensitive drum in an image forming apparatus including a developer housing formed with an exposure window at a desired portion thereof and contained therein with an organic photosensitive drum, a developing roller, and a charging roller, the developing roller being configured to recover toner particles left on an outer surface of the organic photosensitive drum, for reuse thereof. The drum cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning film arranged between the charging roller and the exposure window while being in contact with the outer surface of the organic photosensitive drum, the cleaning film serving to remove foreign matters affixed to the outer surface of the organic photosensitive drum.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2000Date of Patent: November 20, 2001Assignee: SamSung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventor: Hyun-Cheol Lee
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Publication number: 20010041082Abstract: To provide an image forming apparatus including: 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, in which the image bearing member electrified by the electrifying device is exposed to have the latent image formed, 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2001Publication date: November 15, 2001Inventors: Kenichi Shibuya, Atsushi Takeda, Fumiteru Gomi, Kouichi Hashimoto, Yoshiyuki Komiya, Shuichi Kadota
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Patent number: 6304738Abstract: An image forming apparatus uses a toner wherein when a weight average diameter of the initial toner in a developing device is set to D1, and a weight average diameter of a toner forming an initial toner image on an image bearing member is D2, such that D1≧D2 is satisfied.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2000Date of Patent: October 16, 2001Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshiaki Kobayashi, Masaru Hibino, Masanori Shida, Ichiro Ozawa
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Publication number: 20010028814Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable image bearing member; charging means including a charge member for electrically charging the image bearing member with electroconductive particles between the charge member and the image bearing member; developing means for developing a latent image with toner mixed with electroconductive particles; wherein the latent image is formed on the image bearing member having been charged by the charging means, and a toner image provided by development of the latent image by the developing means is transferred onto a recording material; wherein the electroconductive particles mixed in the toner is carried by the image bearing member and is fed to between the charge member and the image bearing member; and a width A, measured in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the image bearing member, in which the electroconductive particle are present between the charge member and the image bearing member, a width B in which the developing means is capable of effectingType: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2001Publication date: October 11, 2001Inventors: Hiroyuki Oba, Junichi Kato, Yasushi Shimizu, Hiroshi Satoh, Masahiro Yoshida
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Publication number: 20010026694Abstract: 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 dischaType: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2000Publication date: October 4, 2001Inventors: Katsuhiro Sakaizawa, Manami Sekiguchi
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Publication number: 20010022904Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises an image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic image; a developing means for developing the electrostatic image on said image bearing member by toners charged with a predetermined polarity; a transfer means for transferring a toner image on said image bearing member to a transferring material; an electrifying means for inject-charging the image bearing member having transfer residual toners; an electrical conductive member provided and spaced apart from said image bearing member in a moving direction of the image bearing member downstream further than said transfer means and upstream further than said electrifying means; and an electrical field forming means for forming an alternative electrical field between said electrical conductive member and said image bearing member.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2000Publication date: September 20, 2001Inventors: Jun Hirabayashi, Harumi Ishiyama, Yasunori Chigono
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Publication number: 20010019673Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a developing apparatus which can prevent reduction in image density due to paper powder. A further object of the present invention is to provide 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 disposed below the toner carrying member and which is not substantially replenished with the toner.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2001Publication date: September 6, 2001Inventors: Yasunori Chigono, Harumi Ishiyama, Jun Hirabayashi
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Patent number: 6285848Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and (i) a charger, (ii) an imagewise exposure device, (iii) a developing device and (iv) a transfer device, disposed in this order opposite to the photosensitive member. The charger includes a charging member including magnetic particles disposed in contact with the photosensitive member so as to charge the photosensitive member based on a voltage received thereby. The magnetic particles are surface-coated with a coupling agent having a linear alkyl group having a least 6 carbon atoms. The developing device also functions to recover residual toner remaining on the photosensitive member processing by the transfer device and the charger. Because of the coating with such a specific coupling agent, the charging magnetic particles can exhibit good triboelectric changeability for the transfer residual toner for a long period.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 1998Date of Patent: September 4, 2001Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shuichi Aita, Kenji Okado, Toshiyuki Ugai, Ryoichi Fujita, Fumihiro Arahira, Kiyoshi Mizoe, Yoshifumi Hano
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Publication number: 20010016127Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic image; developing means for developing the electrostatic image on the image bearing member with toner electrically charged to a predetermined polarity; transfer means for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member to a transfer material; toner charging means 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 means for contacting to the image bearing member carrying the toner charged by the toner charging means to electrically charge the image bearing member to the same polarity as the predetermined polarity, the image bearing member charging means being effective to reduce a charge amount of the toner.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2000Publication date: August 23, 2001Inventors: Yasunari Watanabe, Motoki Adachi, Masao Uyama
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Patent number: 6256462Abstract: An image formation apparatus which includes an image formation unit for performing image formation by developing a latent image formed on an image support body in a printing job with use of a development unit and by transferring the developed image onto a fed recording medium, a collection unit for collecting a residual development agent on the image support body into the development unit, a detection unit for detecting a density of the image formed on the image support body, and a control unit for causing the collection unit to perform the residual development agent collection operation, according to the number of image formation of which image density detected by the detection unit exceeds a predetermined image density is provided.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 1999Date of Patent: July 3, 2001Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yasushi Maeda, Naohisa Nagata
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Patent number: 6246847Abstract: Disclosed is an electronic photograph forming apparatus including a supplying roller, a developing roller, a charging roller, a laser scanning unit (LSU), a transferring roller, an organic photoconductive (OPC) drum, a pre-transfer lamp (PTL), a controller, and a power supply. The organic photoconductive drum is charged by the charging roller. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the organic photoconductive drum by the laser scanning unit, and the electrostatic latent image is changed into a visible image by toner supplied from the developing roller. The pre-transfer lamp reduces the attached force of toner attached to the organic photoconductive drum to a predetermined level. The controller varies the voltage of the transferring roller according to a predetermined standard so that toner remaining on the transferring roller is transferred to the organic photoconductive drum while the organic photoconductive drum and the transferring roller are raced.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2000Date of Patent: June 12, 2001Assignee: SamSung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Su-Jong Jeong, Tai-Eun Kwon, Sung-Gi Kim
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Patent number: 6226480Abstract: An image forming apparatus for injection charging which uses charging accelerating particles in a charging nip portion to rotate an image bearing body and a charging roller at different velocities and applies a bias in image forming which is different from a bias applied in non-image forming to feed substantially only the charging accelerating particles in non-image forming, thereby it is possible to enhance a charging property and to provide a favorable image.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 1999Date of Patent: May 1, 2001Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Jun Hirabayashi, Harumi Ishiyama, Yasunori Chigono
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Patent number: 6215971Abstract: An electrophotographic image-forming method has a contact charging step of charging the surface of an electrophotographic photosensitive member; an electrostatic latent image forming step of forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member charged; a developing step of developing the electrostatic latent image formed into a toner image; and a transfer step of transferring the toner image formed by the development from the electrophotographic photosensitive member to a transfer material, the developing step serving also as a cleaning step for collecting a toner remaining on the electrophotographic photosensitive member after transfer.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2000Date of Patent: April 10, 2001Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Harumi Sakoh, Haruyuki Tsuji, Shinji Takagi
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Patent number: 6215967Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image and a transfer device for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member onto a transfer material. A charging member contacts a surface of the image bearing member from which residual toner is not removed to electrically charge the image bearing member. The charging member is capable of temporarily collecting the residual toner. A cleaning device applies, to the charging member, a cleaning voltage for returning the toner to the image bearing member. An image forming device forms an electrostatic image on the image bearing member having been charged by the charging device. A developing device develops the electrostatic image on the image bearing member and collects the toner from the image bearing member. A controller controls the cleaning device to vary a cleaning condition of the charging member.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 1998Date of Patent: April 10, 2001Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Atsushi Takeda, Fumiteru Gomi, Kouichi Hashimoto, Yoshiyuki Komiya
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Patent number: 6185387Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a charging member for charging a surface of the image bearing member while contacting thereto with a predetermined voltage applied to the charging member; exposure member for exposing the surface of the image bearing member to form an electrostatic latent image; a toner carrying member contacted to the image bearing member with a predetermined voltage applied to the toner carrying member to visualize the electrostatic latent image into a toner image with toner carried thereon; an image transfer member for urging a transfer material to contact the transfer material to the image bearing member with a predetermined voltage applied to the image transfer member to transfer the toner image onto the transfer material; a device for applying the predetermined voltages to the charging member, the toner carrying member and the transfer member; and a controller for controlling the device that applies the predetermined voltage, the controller being operable in aType: GrantFiled: May 11, 1998Date of Patent: February 6, 2001Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukihiro Ohzeki, Katsuhiro Sakaizawa
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Patent number: 6173144Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging unit for charging the image bearing member, an image forming unit for forming an electrostatic image on the image bearing member charged by the charging unit, a developing device for developing the electrostatic image on the image bearing member and for supplying to the image bearing member charging performance enhancing particles which have a polarity opposite from that of the toner, wherein the developing device has a developer carrying member, opposed to the image bearing member, for carrying the toner and charging performance enhancing particles and also which forms an alternating electric field between the developer carrying member and the image bearing member to supply the toner and the charging performance enhancing particles to the image bearing member.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 1999Date of Patent: January 9, 2001Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Jun Hirabayashi, Harumi Ishiyama, Yasunori Chigono, Seiichi Shinohara
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Patent number: 6160600Abstract: There is disclosed a lightweight and small liquid crystal display which achieves low power consumption and in which the optical anisotropy of the liquid crystal material is compensated for in order to enhance the viewing angle characteristics and the response speed of the liquid crystal material. Display electrodes and a common electrode are formed on one of the substrates. The orientation of the liquid crystal material is of the HAN (hybrid alignment nematic) type. This compensates for the optical anisotropy of the liquid crystal material and improves the response speed.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 1996Date of Patent: December 12, 2000Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Takeshi Nishi
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Patent number: 6147739Abstract: A liquid crystal device is formed by mounting a drive IC on a liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel comprises a plurality of signal electrodes formed on a first transparent substrate, a plurality of scan electrodes formed on a second transparent substrate, and an IC installation area formed on the second transparent substrate. The signal electrodes and the scan electrodes extend up to the IC installation area. The drive IC comprises scan electrode bumps that conductively connect to the scan electrodes, and signal electrode bumps that conductively connect to the signal electrodes. Also, a wide gap is formed between scan electrode bumps adjacent signal electrode bumps.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 1997Date of Patent: November 14, 2000Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Takayuki Shibatani
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Patent number: 6144824Abstract: The present invention relates to an image forming method in which charges are injected into an image bearing member having a charge injecting layer on a surface thereof to thereby charge it to a predetermined polarity and charges of an opposite polarity to the predetermined polarity are imparted to the image bearing member before image formation.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 1999Date of Patent: November 7, 2000Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kouichi Hashimoto, Atsushi Takeda, Fumiteru Gomi, Yoshiyuki Komiya
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Patent number: 6134395Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of preventing unnecessary adhesion of a developer to an uncharged region of a latent image carrier. The image forming apparatus includes an endless latent image carrier, a charging unit for charging the latent image carrier, a latent image forming unit for forming a latent image on the latent image carrier charged, a developing unit for developing the latent image formed on the latent image carrier with a developer by supplying the developer to the latent image carrier under application of a developing bias voltage, and a transfer unit for transferring the image developed on the latent image carrier to a sheet.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 1993Date of Patent: October 17, 2000Assignee: Fujitsu LimitedInventors: Sachio Sasaki, Hiroshi Nou, Masahiro Wanou, Masatoshi Kimura
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Patent number: 6064837Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing an image. A charging device is supplied with a voltage. The charging device includes a magnetic brush contactable to the image bearing member to electrically charge the image bearing member. A developing device develops, at a developing position, an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member using a charging operation of the charging device, with toner having the same polarity as a charging polarity of the charging device, into a toner image. The developing device is capable of removing residual toner from the image bearing member. The developing device stops its developing operation if an area of the image bearing member, which has been charged by the charging device when the charging device is being supplied with an oscillating voltage in the form of superimposed AC and DC voltages, is still at the developing position.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 1998Date of Patent: May 16, 2000Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kouichi Hashimoto, Atsushi Takeda, Fumiteru Gomi, Yoshiyuki Komiya
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Patent number: 6052545Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a charging unit having magnetic particles that are contactable with the image bearing member. An electrostatic image forming unit forms an electrostatic image on the charged image bearing member. A developing device develops an electrostatic image on the image bearing member with toner that includes toner and magnetic carrier. A detecting unit detects the toner content of the developer and a toner supply unit supplies the toner into the developing unit when the detected toner content is lower than a predetermined level. A calculating unit calculates the changing rate of the toner content from an output of the detecting unit and a warning unit warns that a changing rate of the toner content is larger than a predetermined level.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 1998Date of Patent: April 18, 2000Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshiyuki Komiya, Atsushi Takeda, Fumiteru Gomi, Kouichi Hashimoto
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Patent number: 6029033Abstract: A color image forming apparatus, with image forming units configured as cleanerless, whereby the printing speed and the size reduction can be enhanced while maintaining a high image quality, and characteristics with respect to the environment are improved. The color image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units serially arranged in a straight line. Each image forming unit includes an image carrier, an electrostatic latent image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier, and a developing device for forming a toner image by applying toner to the electrostatic latent image. The color image forming apparatus further includes an intermediate transfer member to which the toner images from the plurality of image forming units are sequentially transferred in a superimposed fashion, and a transferring device for transferring the superimposed toner images from the intermediate transfer member to a recording medium.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 1999Date of Patent: February 22, 2000Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventor: Akihiro Kawasaki
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Patent number: 6029034Abstract: The invention seeks to provide an electrophotographic apparatus, which can have a simplified and safe construction in an image forming apparatus using an a-Si photo-sensitive drum and form clear images free from the flow of image or "fog". The image forming apparatus that is sought uses image development a non-magnetic uni-component toner prepared by a polymerization process as a preamble, and is characterized in that a developing roller is rotated in contact with an a-Si photo-sensitive drum via a layer of non-magnetic uni-component toner. The volume resistivity of the developing roller is set to 3.times.10.sup.7..OMEGA. cm or below. The photo-sensitive drum has a surface layer with an element ratio composition represented as (a-Si.sub.1-x C.sub.x :H), x being 0.95.ltoreq.x<1, the dynamic push hardness of the outer surface of the surface layer being 300 kgf/mm.sup.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 1997Date of Patent: February 22, 2000Assignee: Kyocera CorporationInventors: Keiji Itsukushima, Yoshio Ozawa, Yojiro Sato, Hisashi Mukataka
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Patent number: 6021293Abstract: The present invention relates to a negatively chargeable developing agent for mono-component development comprising;toner particles containing a binder resin and a colorant; andinorganic fine particles which are treated with a hydrophobicizing agent and a surface treating agent having a cationic group, the inorganic fine particles externally added to the toner particles and having a blow-off charge quantity (Q) -800<Q<0 .mu.C/g relative to iron oxide particles, the negatively chargeable developing agent being suitable for use in a mono-component developing device and image-forming apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 1998Date of Patent: February 1, 2000Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masahiro Anno, Hiroyuki Fukuda
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Patent number: 6006055Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable image bearing member, a charging member, a developer, and an auxiliary member. The charging member contacts the image bearing member to electrically charge the image bearing member. The developer develops, with toner, an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member using a charging operation of the charging member. The developer is capable or removing residual toner from the image bearing member simultaneously with its developing operation for the electrostatic image. The auxiliary member is disposed upstream of the charging position and downstream of a transfer position where the toner image is transferred from the image bearing member onto a transfer material with respect to a movement direction of the image bearing member.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 1998Date of Patent: December 21, 1999Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KashiaInventor: Tadashi Furuya
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Patent number: 6002900Abstract: Improvement has been made in an image forming method comprising charging electrically an image holding member, forming a latent electrostatic image on the image holding member, developing the latent image with a toner, transferring the toner image onto a toner image receiving medium, and recovering untransferred toner. In this method, a magnetic brush formed from magnetic particles electrifies the image holding member by contact with the image holding member surface, recovers temporarily at least a part of the toner remaining on the image holding member after the image transfer, and transfers the recovered toner further again onto the image holding member, wherein the toner has a weight-average particle diameter of not larger than 1/3 of average particle diameter of the magnetic particles and the magnetic particles contain particles of diameter of not larger than 1/3 of the average particle diameter of the magnetic particles at a content ranging from 0 to 50% by volume.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 1998Date of Patent: December 14, 1999Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Harumi Ishiyama
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Patent number: 5987277Abstract: A space between side seals at both sides of a supplying roller becomes gradually wide by inclining the leading edges of the side seals for making a width W1 at a position immediately before the side seals are in contact with a developing roller larger than a printable width W2 (the minimum width between the side seals). Further, a width W3 of a cleaning roller is set to be larger than the width W2 and smaller than the width W1.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 1997Date of Patent: November 16, 1999Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yasushi Okabe
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Patent number: 5970279Abstract: An image forming apparatus wherein a developer remaining on a photosensitive member after an image transfer process is removed by developing means, the apparatus includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member; a contact charging means including an electrode contacted to the photosensitive member to electrically charge the photosensitive member, the contact charging means being supplied with a bias voltage form a charging bias voltage source; exposure means for exposing the photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image thereon after the photosensitive member is electrically charged by the charging means; developing means for supplying the developer from a developer carrying member to a latent image portion of the photosensitive member to develop the photosensitive member and simultaneously removing the developer remaining on the photosensitive member after the transfer process and conveyed to a downstream of the contact charging means on the photosensitive member, to the developer carryingType: GrantFiled: June 2, 1998Date of Patent: October 19, 1999Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Katsuhiro Sakaizawa, Yukihiro Ohzeki
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Patent number: 5970285Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable image bearing member; an electrostatic image forming device for forming an electrostatic image on the image bearing member, the electrostatic image forming device including a charging member, contactable to the image bearing member, for charging the image bearing member; developing device for developing the electrostatic image with toner to form a toner image on the image bearing member; a transfer device for transferring the toner image onto the transfer material from the image bearing member, wherein the developing device is capable of cleaning the image bearing member to remove residual toner from the image bearing member, without provision of cleaning device for removing the residual toner from the image bearing member at a position upstream of the charging member and downstream of the transfer device with respect to a moving direction of the image bearing member; and a charge application device, provided upstream of the charging member and downstream of the tType: GrantFiled: April 4, 1997Date of Patent: October 19, 1999Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Nobuyuki Ito, Hiroyuki Suzuki
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Patent number: 5953094Abstract: A liquid crystal display device has a liquid crystal layer formed between first and second insulating substrates. A wiring layer, an insulation film and a first orientation layer are formed on the first substrate between it and the liquid crystal layer. A electrode layer and a second orientation film are formed on the second substrate between it and the liquid crystal layer. The wiring layer includes grooves along its peripheral portion which allow the insulation film to contact the first substrate, which promotes bonding and inhibits peeling of the insulation film from the wiring layer.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 1998Date of Patent: September 14, 1999Assignees: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Sony CorporationInventors: Hideki Matsuoka, Takao Suzuki, Norio Oku, Minoru Nakano, Susumu Oima, Kazuto Noritake
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Patent number: 5915150Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming method according to (I) a so-called simultaneous development and cleaning scheme or cleaner-less scheme is effectively operated by using a specific non-magnetic toner. (II) The non-magnetic toner comprises non-magnetic toner particles having a shape factor SF-1 of 120-160, a shape factor SF-2 of 115-140 and a weight-average particle size of 4-9 .mu.m. (III) The non-magnetic toner further includes inorganic fine particles (a) having a number-average primary particle size of at most 50 nm and spherical fine particles (b) having a number-average primary particle size of 50-1000 nm and a surface area-based sphericity .psi. of 0.91-1.00, respectively externally added to the non-magnetic toner particles.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 1997Date of Patent: June 22, 1999Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tsutomu Kukimoto, Motoo Urawa, Shuichi Aita, Satoshi Yoshida
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Patent number: 5878312Abstract: An image forming device includes: a photosensitive drum that rotates in a rotational direction; a scanner unit that forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive body; a developing unit that has an operating condition for developing the electrostatic latent image using toner; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image from the photosensitive body to the recording body; a cleaning roller disposed downstream from the transfer unit with respect to the rotational direction at a predetermined leveling position adjacent to the photosensitive body and having an adsorption mode, wherein the cleaning roller uses the potential difference between itself and the photosensitive drum to adsorb residual toner from the photosensitive drum, and a release mode, wherein the cleaning roller uses the potential difference between itself and the photosensitive drum to release residual toner back onto the photosensitive drum; and a controller for switching the cleaning roller into its adsorption mode when a lead edgeType: GrantFiled: May 13, 1997Date of Patent: March 2, 1999Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hidenori Hisada
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Patent number: 5870656Abstract: An image forming apparatus having an image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic image to be developed by toner, a transfer device for transferring a toner image formed on the image bearing member onto a transfer material, and developing and cleaning device for developing the electrostatic image with developer including toner and carrier and for cleaning residual toner remaining on the image bearing member after transferring, the developing and cleaning device having a developer bearing member for bearing the developer and serving to effect development and cleaning by causing a magnet brush formed by the carrier to contact with the image bearing member, and wherein the following relation is satisfied:.vertline.V.sub.s1 V.sub.dr .vertline./.vertline.V.sub.dr .vertline..times.L.times.m.times..alpha..gtoreq.7(where, V.sub.s1 is a moving speed (mm/sec.) of a surface of the developer bearing member, V.sub.dr is a moving speed (mm/sec.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 1997Date of Patent: February 9, 1999Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaru Hibino, Yoshiaki Kobayashi, Koichi Hashimoto, Ichiro Ozawa
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Patent number: 5867755Abstract: An electrophotographic type image forming device having a developing roller and a photosensitive drum. A nip portion is provided therebetween for supplying developing agents from the developing roller to the photosensitive drum. The developing roller and the photosensitive drum are rotated in the same rotational direction, i.e, a peripheral moving direction of the developing roller is opposite to peripheral moving direction of the photosensitive drum at the nip portion, so that toners provide vivid mobility at or adjacent the nip portion so as to cancel Van der Waals attraction force, and so that the toners can be attracted to the photosensitive drum only by applied electrical field. Developing is performed immediately upstream of the nip portion in rotational direction of the developing roller, and residual toners are collected by the developing roller immediately downstream of the nip portion for collecting and reusing the residual toners.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 1996Date of Patent: February 2, 1999Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Shougo Sato
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Patent number: 5864736Abstract: Cleaning effectiveness is improved, and inadequate charging of the photosensitive member due to soiling of the charging brush as well as image noise such as background fog are suppressed by a developing device capable of recovering residual toner regardless of the toner charge polarity. In an image forming apparatus provided with a developing device including a developing sleeve for developing an electrostatic latent image on photosensitive member via toner and recovering residual toner from the surface of photosensitive member, a power unit is provided for forming a direct current electric field between photosensitive member and developing sleeve during developing, and forming alternating current electric fields between photosensitive member and developing sleeve 16 during cleaning of residual toners.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 1997Date of Patent: January 26, 1999Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hirokatsu Shimada, Tamotsu Sakuraba, Akihiro Kawasaki
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Patent number: 5841362Abstract: An optional apparatus which can be connected to a printer or other optional apparatus includes a communication section for communicating with other apparatus and a control section which executes a command in response to the command received via the communication section; wherein the communication section has a first communication path for receiving a data string from an apparatus on the upstream side in communication and for transmitting the received data string to an apparatus on the downstream side of the communication and a second communication path for receiving a data string received from the apparatus on the downstream side of communication and for transmitting the received data string to the apparatus on the upstream side of the communication; and the control section executes a command in the command string received via the first communication path or the second communication path and loads the data indicating the execution result of the command in the command string.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 1996Date of Patent: November 24, 1998Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Akihiro Nakamura, Junichi Kimizuka, Hiroshi Hashimoto, Soya Endo, Hitoshi Machino
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Patent number: 5832336Abstract: Developer material remaining on an image bearing member after transfer are collected by a developer. A cleaning member is arranged between a charger and an exposure in contact with the image bearing member, for collecting the residual developer material. A bias controller controls biases to be applied to a cleaner, a charger, and a developer. During an image forming process, the biases are so determined that the residual toner on the image bearing member is collected by the cleaner. While the image forming process is not performed, the biases are so determined that the collected toner is removed from the cleaner to the image bearing member and then collected by the developer.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 1997Date of Patent: November 3, 1998Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akihiro Kawasaki, Koji Uno, Tamotsu Sakuraba, Hiroyuki Maeda
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Patent number: 5826138Abstract: A nonmagnetic single component developing device comprises a developing roller having an outer surface on which a layer of a nonmagnetic single component developer composed of nonmagnetic toner is formed, a toner supply roller arranged in rear of the developing roller and made into contact therewith, for agitating and supplying the toner, a toner regulating blade arranged above the developing roller and made into press-contact therewith, for regulating a volume of the toner. The toner supply roller is electroconductive, and is applied thereto with an a.c. voltage so as to prevent lowering of the density in the leading and trailing end parts of an image so as to obtain a uniform image characteristic.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 1997Date of Patent: October 20, 1998Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akihiro Tsuru, Hiromitsu Shimazaki, Hironori Taguchi, Kazuhiko Noda
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Patent number: 5822657Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided that includes a photosensitive drum; a laser scanner unit; a developing roller; a transfer roller; and a cleaning device. The cleaning device absorbs residual toner left on the surface of the photosensitive drum after a transfer process from the surface of the photosensitive drum by using a potential difference from the photosensitive drum in an absorption mode and for blowing off and dispersing the absorbed toner to the surface of the photosensitive drum by using another potential difference from the photosensitive drum in a blowing-off mode.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 1997Date of Patent: October 13, 1998Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hidenori Hisada, Ikunobu Yoshiyama
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Patent number: 5819138Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus including an electrically conductive brush roller for recovering and discharging a residual toner and removing paper dust which is located in contact with a photoreceptor drum. A positive voltage is applied to a transfer roller, whereupon the toner is charged positively. As a recording region on the photoreceptor drum with an electrostatic latent image formed thereon passes the brush roller, a voltage of a potential lower than the potential of the recording region is applied to the brush roller, and the brush roller recovers the residual toner. As a non-recording region on the photoreceptor drum without the latent image thereon passes the brush roller, on the other hand, a voltage of a potential higher than the potential of the non-recording region is applied to the brush roller, and the recovered toner is discharged onto the non-recording region. The discharged toner is returned to a developing roller after a charging process.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 1996Date of Patent: October 6, 1998Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha TECInventor: Hiroshi Hashizume
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Patent number: 5805960Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an electrostatic image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic image; a developer carrying member for carrying developer containing toner; a voltage source for applying to said developer carrying member, an oscillating voltage of a predetermined frequency: a toner image forming device for forming a toner image on said electrostatic image bearing member using said voltage source; a transferring device for transferring the toner image onto transfer material; and a removing device for removing, using said voltage source, the toner remaining on said electrostatic image bearing member after the use of said transferring device: the voltage satisfies: ##EQU1## V.sub.pp ?V!: peak-to-peak voltage of oscillating voltage V.sub.f ?Hz!: frequency of oscillating voltageV.sub.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 1995Date of Patent: September 8, 1998Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroyuki Suzuki, Masahiro Itoh, Kenichiro Waki, Ryo Inoue
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Patent number: 5797070Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes at least a first image-forming unit provided with a first latent image-holding member, a first latent image-forming device, a first developing device for developing a first latent image with a first toner to form a first toner image, and a first image-transfer device for transferring the first toner image to an image-receiving member, and a second image-forming unit provided with a second latent image-holding member, a second latent image-forming device, a second developing device for developing a second latent image with a second toner to form a second toner image, and a second image-transfer device for transferring the second toner image to the image-receiving member holding the first toner image. The second developing device also serves as a cleaning device for recovering the toner remaining on the second latent image-holding member after the transfer to perform cleaning.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 1997Date of Patent: August 18, 1998Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kenichiro Waki, Masahiro Itoh, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Ryo Inoue
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Patent number: 5784673Abstract: According to the present invention, in the image forming apparatus in which so-called "cleaningless" is realized, no problems such as traces of paper powder, gray or foggy stripes and the like occur in a formed image. The image forming apparatus is provided with a brush for scratching toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum and recovering paper powder adhering on the surface thereof. When the length of the brush extending from the root thereof to the photosensitive drum is taken as a?mm!, the length of the toughening member, toughening the brush materials, projecting from the root of the brush materials is taken as c?mm!, and the length of the portion of the brush, cutting into the photosensitive drum, is taken as b?mm!, the relationship among a?mm!, b?mm! and c?mm! satisfies the conditions that 0.3.ltoreq.(c/(a+b)).ltoreq.0.95, 0.1 ?mm!.ltoreq.b.ltoreq.1.5 ?mm!, and (a+b)<2 ?mm!.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 1996Date of Patent: July 21, 1998Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takashi Terada, Masaru Watanabe, Hiroyuki Hazama
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Patent number: 5781832Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image bearing member, charging means for uniformly charging the image bearing member, electrostatic image forming means for forming an electrostatic image on the image bearing member charged by the charging means, developing means for developing the electrostatic image on the image bearing member with a toner and also recovering any residual toner on the image bearing member, and transferring means for transferring the toner image to a transfer member conveyed. Upon re-operation after jam, at least one full rotation of the image bearing member effects the recovery of the toner on the image bearing member by the developing means with the charging by the charging means being rendered OFF.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 1997Date of Patent: July 14, 1998Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Ryo Inoue, Kenichiro Waki, Hiroyuki Suzuki
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Patent number: 5765076Abstract: A method of forming an electrostatic latent image includes printing operation and toner recovering operation. the printing operation includes charging, forming an electrostatic latent image, developing, and transferring operations. The toner recovering operation includes the step of charging the photosensitive drum in timed relation to the rotation of the photosensitive drum after printing operation so that reversely charged toner deposited on the charging roller migrates from the charging roller to the photosensitive drum. The toner migrated from the charging roller to the photosensitive drum is recovered into a developer. An apparatus for forming an image includes a charging roller, photosensitive drum, developing roller, and transfer roller.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 1996Date of Patent: June 9, 1998Assignee: Oki Data CorporationInventors: Syuichiro Ogata, Yoshitatsu Okiyama, Kazuyoshi Yoshida, Toru Ishihara, Kuniharu Hayashi, Hiroyuki Yajima, Mikio Yamamoto, Takashi Itaya, Masanori Maekawa, Kazuhiko Nagaoka
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Patent number: 5740494Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a cleaning member for collecting toner left on an image carrier after image transfer, and then redepositing it on the carrier, so that a developing unit can collect the redeposited toner to reuse it. Even when the frictional charging ability of the cleaning member falls due to aging or varying environment, the charge of the toner left on the image carrier is regulated to preselected polarity before the toner reaches the cleaning member, thereby enhancing a toner collecting efficiency and a toner redepositing efficiency. The charge of the toner redeposited on the image carrier and moved away from the cleaning member is regulated to preselected polarity while being increased, thereby reducing a load to act on the developing unit. The toner is redeposited on the image carrier efficiently without regard to the polarity of the toner collected by the cleaning member.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 1996Date of Patent: April 14, 1998Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hisashi Shoji, Osamu Endo, Kei Yasutomi, Masako Yoshii, Hidetoshi Yano, Yasushi Nakazato, Takayuki Kimura
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Patent number: 5737670Abstract: An image formation is conducted in such a manner that an image exposure is applied to a photosensitive member having a surface charged by the charger to form an electrostatic latent image, which is developed by a developing device into a visible image, and the visible image is transferred to a recording material. In this image formation, the above developing device is constructed to include a developer carrying member to which a developing bias voltage is applied. The developer carrying member has a surface, which carries one-component developer and is adapted to move while contacting the photosensitive member, and is operable to remove residual developer on the photosensitive member after the transferring.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 1995Date of Patent: April 7, 1998Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventor: Akihito Ikegawa