Abstract: A belt drive device includes a drive unit, a detection unit, a blade, and a control unit. The drive unit rotates an endless belt. The detection unit detects a position of a connection portion in which both ends of a reinforcing tape, which is provided on an outer surface of an edge of the belt in a width direction orthogonal to a rotation direction of the belt, in a longitudinal direction along the edge of the belt are overlapped and connected. The blade comes into contact with an outer surface of the belt and an outer surface of the reinforcing tape and is provided to extend in the width direction.

Abstract: A printing system includes: a first printing unit that performs printing on a medium on the basis of first printing data; a first inventing unit that is located downstream from the first printing unit in a transportation direction specific to the medium and performs an inverting operation that is an operation of inverting front and back sides of the medium; a second printing unit that is located downstream from the first inverting unit in the transportation direction and performs printing on the medium on the basis of second printing data; and a control unit that determines whether the first inverting unit needs to perform the inverting operation, on the basis of whether the second printing data indicates a printing page for the front or back side of the medium.

Abstract: An imaging system includes: a steering roller located between a first belt roller and a second belt roller, that is inclinable around a fulcrum; and a sensor to detect an amount of displacement of the steering roller due to an inclination of the steering roller. A controller may output a command signal when the amount of displacement of the steering roller exceeds a reference value.

Abstract: A flexible belt is disclosed for use in a printing system. The belt comprises an endless strip which, in use, travels along a continuous path. Formations are provided along the sides of the strip which are capable of engaging with lateral tracks to place the belt under lateral tension, the lateral tracks further serving to constrain the belt to follow the continuous path.

Abstract: A belt driving device includes: an endless belt; a stretch roller to engage the endless belt, the stretch roller including a rotary shaft; a steering roller spaced apart from the stretch roller within the endless belt; an adjustment member located along the rotary shaft of the stretch roller, the adjustment member movable along the rotary shaft; and linking mechanism to couple the adjustment member to the steering roller, the linking mechanism to engage a contact surface of the adjustment member. The contact surface includes contact points positioned at different distances from the rotary shaft to raise the linking mechanism during movement of the adjustment member, to cause the steering roller to tilt at an angle, and to maintain an alignment of the endless belt.

Abstract: A belt device includes a belt configured to rotate, a plurality of stretch rollers configured to stretch the belt wound around the plurality of stretch rollers, and a belt alignment mechanism configured to align the belt. At least one of the plurality of stretch rollers has a diameter at a center greater than diameters at both ends in an axial direction of the at least one of the plurality of stretch rollers. The diameter at the center and the diameters at both ends are different from a diameter of the other of the plurality of stretch rollers.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable toner carrying member; a rotatable transfer member contactable to the image carrying member to transfer a toner image from the image carrying member onto a sheet; an urging member for urging the transfer member toward the image carrying member; a supporting member supporting the transfer member so as to be movable toward and away from the carrying member; a driving source for rotating the transfer member; and a coupling member provided opposed to the transfer member in an axial direction of the transfer member to engage with the transfer member to transfer a driving force from the driving source to the transfer member.

Abstract: A photoreceptor for electrophotography, a method for manufacturing the photoreceptor, and an electrophotographic device including the photoreceptor are disclosed. The photoreceptor for electrophotography includes a conductive substrate; and a photosensitive layer that is provided on the conductive substrate and that has an outermost surface layer containing at least a resin binder and an electron transport material. The resin binder is composed of a polyarylate resin having a structural unit represented by a Chemical Structural Formula 1, and the electron transport material is composed of a compound having a structure represented by a Structural Formula (ET2-3). The photoreceptor has high sensitivity, low residual electric potential, no light fatigue and sufficient stain resistance.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of an embodiment comprises a printer unit to print a sheet with a plurality of single colors and generate a correction sheet including a plurality of single color regions at different positions between a first reference region and a second reference region. The first and second reference regions are a reference color. An image reading unit is configured to read the correction sheet. A processor is configured to calculate a shift amount in a main scanning direction of the printer unit for each single color region based on RGB luminance values obtained from the correction sheet by the image reading unit and to correct a printer scan position along the main scanning direction for each single color in the plurality of single colors corresponding to the single color regions using calculated shift amounts.

Abstract: A natural frequency measuring device includes a receiving unit and a measuring unit. The receiving unit receives information of an image formed on a recording medium with vibrations of different frequencies provided to a member used to form the image. The measuring unit measures a natural frequency of the member from a frequency response characteristic using a misregistration amount of the image represented by the information of the image received by the receiving unit.

Abstract: There is an apparatus for transferring a thin-film element, the apparatus comprising: a belt-type stamp; at least one support roller configured to allow a movement of the stamp; a first-stage roller system including at least one first-stage roller, wherein the first-stage roller is configured to allow thin-film elements attached to a first substrate to be picked up from the first substrate and to be attached to the stamp, wherein; and a second-stage roller configured to allow the thin-film elements attached to the stamp to be picked up from the stamp and to be printed onto a second substrate, wherein a curvature radius of the first-stage roller and a curvature radius of the second-stage roller are different from each other.

Abstract: In some examples, a printing liquid developer includes a developer roller that has a hollow tubular base body formed of a material including conductive carbon fiber, a conductive, compliant layer around an outer surface of the hollow tubular base body, and an electrically conductive support separate from the hollow tubular base body and electrically contacted to a surface of the hollow tubular base body.

Abstract: A drive transmitter includes a group of gears to which grease is applied, at least one gear of the group of gears being an internally toothed gear, multiple pulleys, and a drive belt wound around the multiple pulleys to drive the group of gears. An image forming apparatus includes the drive transmitter.

Abstract: A belt unit includes: a belt member; a roller rotatably placed on an inner peripheral surface of the belt member; and a meander restraint member facing an edge portion of the belt member and configured to restrain the belt member from meandering while the belt member is running. The edge portion of the belt member includes a modification layer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a belt member configured to be rotationally operated at least during performance of a job; an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the position of the belt member; a detection unit configured to detect the position of the belt member; and a control unit configured to control the adjustment mechanism during performance of a job, and perform steering control for correcting deviation of the belt member, the control unit comparing the position of the belt member at the end of a job, and a determination threshold for determining deviation of the belt member from a belt reference position, and selecting a control mode relating to the steering control, according to a result of the comparison.

Abstract: A positioning member has a positioning surface that abuts an inner peripheral surface of an intermediate transfer belt to perform the positioning of the intermediate transfer belt with respect to a density detection sensor and a cleaning surface coated with a cleaning member having hardness lower than that of the positioning surface and abutting the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt via the cleaning member. When a correction process is performed by a density correction section, the positioning surface of the positioning member 36 abuts the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt, and when the correction process is not performed by the density correction section, the cleaning surface of the positioning member abuts the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus calculates a speed correction amount obtained by correcting a gain and a phase of a speed fluctuation component by a gain phase correction unit and a correction speed calculation unit so as to cancel this speed fluctuation component and controls a rotation speed of a rotator by using the calculated speed correction amount.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an endless belt; a driving roller to move the endless belt in circulation; a driven roller to rotate along with circulation of the endless belt; a first bearing arranged on a first-side end of the driven roller along an axial direction to movable and to support the driven roller rotatably; a resilient member to apply a resilient force to the driven roller; and a frame having a first guide to the first bearing to move in an inclined direction, which inclines with respect to a virtual line extending through a rotation axis of the driving roller and the rotation axis of the driven roller, is provided. The first guide is formed to incline with respect to the virtual line to be closer to a virtual plane containing the strained plane of the endless belt as the first guide extends farther from the driving roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an endless belt; a driving roller to move the endless belt in circulation; a driven roller to rotate along with circulation of the endless belt; a first bearing arranged on a first-side end of the driven roller along an axial direction to movable and to support the driven roller rotatably; a resilient member to apply a resilient force to the driven roller; and a frame having a first guide to the first bearing to move in an inclined direction, which inclines with respect to a virtual line extending through a rotation axis of the driving roller and the rotation axis of the driven roller, is provided. The first guide is formed to incline with respect to the virtual line to be closer to a virtual plane containing the strained plane of the endless belt as the first guide extends farther from the driving roller.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a first roller rotatable about a first axis of rotation, a second roller rotatable about a second axis of rotation, a fixing belt rotatably wound between the first roller and the second roller, and auxiliary rings. At least one of the rollers of the first roller and the second roller includes a rotation maintaining part configured to hold the fixing belt rotatably and a restricting flange protruding from an outer peripheral surface of each of opposite end parts in a direction of an axis of rotation of the rotation maintaining part. The auxiliary rings are located outside the opposite end parts in the direction of the axis of rotation of the rotation maintaining part, have an outer diameter larger than the restricting flange, and are rotatable independently of the restricting flange.

Abstract: A holder is movable in a horizontal direction between an internal position within the main casing and an external position outside of a main casing. The holder has a first opening extending in the horizontal direction. A drum unit is configured to be held by the holder and is movable in a vertical direction with respect to the holder. The drum unit includes a photosensitive drum having an axis extending in an axial direction, a first end portion and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion in the axial direction. A particular pressure member is positioned in confrontation with the drum unit and urges the first end portion upward through the first opening to permit the photosensitive drum to be in contact with an endless belt when the holder is in the internal position.

Abstract: Disclosed is an intermediate transfer member including, a resin layer as an outermost layer, in which plural recessed portions having a curved inner wall are scattered on the surface thereof.

Abstract: The presently disclosed embodiments are directed to flexible imaging members used in electrophotographic imaging apparatuses. More particularly, the embodiments pertain to electrophotographic imaging members which have imaging layer(s) formulated to comprise of a novel polymer blended binder comprising a bisphenol type polycarbonate and an organic acid-containing copolyester doped into the polycarbonate which provides improved properties and performance to the resulting imaging member. The formulated imaging layer(s) may further include a plasticizer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main casing, a plurality of photosensitive drums, a retaining unit, and an endless belt. The retaining unit retains the plurality of photosensitive drums, and is movable between an internal position within the main casing and an external position outside of the main casing. The endless belt is configured to contact the plurality of the photosensitive drums, when the retaining unit is in the internal position and retains the plurality of the photosensitive drums therein. The retaining unit includes a plurality of pressing portions configured to exert pressure on the plurality of photosensitive drums toward the endless belt, when the retaining unit is in the internal position and retains the plurality of the photosensitive drums therein.

Abstract: A cast-in reflective timing patch for a belt such as an intermediate transfer belt of a printing device. The timing patch is formed during manufacturing of the belt. As such, the presence, quality, location, and alignment of the timing patch is fixed and inspection and monitoring of the timing patch is no longer required.

Abstract: A rotating body for use in an image forming apparatus has an outer surface in which one or more grooves are formed. The one or more grooves are oriented at an angle greater than 0° and less than 90° with respect to a longitudinal direction of the rotating body.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composite color image forming method. The method includes electrically charging a latent image-holding member; exposing the charged latent image-holding member to light to form an electrostatic latent image; developing the electrostatic latent image with a two-component developer containing toner particles of one color and a carrier to form a toner image on the latent image-holding member; primarily transferring the toner image from the latent image-holding member to an intermediate transfer member; repeating the electrically charging, the exposing, the developing, and the primarily transferring, while the toner particles are replaced with toner particles of different color, to form a composite color image on the intermediate transfer member; and secondarily transferring the composite color image from the intermediate transfer member to a recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; an endless belt; a first driver for driving the belt in contact to an inner surface of the belt; a second driver for driving the belt in contact to an outer surface of the belt; and a tension detector for detecting a state of tension of the belt. The tension detector includes: a movable device, contacted to the belt in a region downstream of the second driver and upstream of the first driver and in a region upstream of the second driver and downstream of the first driver with respect to a rotational direction of the belt, capable of moving its position depending on the tension of the belt in the two regions; a member-to-be-detected capable of changing its position in interrelation with the movement of the movable device; and a detecting device for detecting the member-to-be-detected.

Abstract: An electrophotographic belt includes a thermoplastic resin composition obtained by melt-kneading a thermoplastic polyester resin, at least one selected from polyether ester amide and polyether amide, and particles having a certain core-shell structure.

Abstract: It is to provide a sheet-shaped electrophotographic photoreceptor which has an uncoated area, is good in mechanical adhesiveness between the photosensitive layer and the sheet-shaped conductive substrate but excellent ease of peeling with a solvent, and is further good in electrical properties. The electrophotographic photoreceptor comprises a sheet-shaped conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer provided thereon, wherein the electrophotographic photoreceptor contains a photosensitive layer-uncoated area within the sheet surface, and the photosensitive layer contains a copolycarbonate resin having an extremely restricted specific structure.

Abstract: An image-forming device includes: a main body; a plurality of process units; a belt; a holder; and a plurality of urging members. Each process unit has a photosensitive drum. The belt is configured to contact the photosensitive drums of the process units. The holder is configured to move between a position inside the main body and a position outside the main body and to hold the process units such that the process units are arranged in a row along a first direction. The plurality of urging members are configured to urge the process units to cause the photosensitive drums to contact the belt when the holder is at the position inside the main body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and an image forming method therefor. The image forming apparatus includes: an image forming part, which forms printed and alternate printed images including different developing agents to a recording medium; and a controller which controls the image forming part to form a the printed and alternate printed images according to a comparison of number of pages of a print job and a reference number of pages, and a whether the images of the print job are of a single color.

Abstract: An image forming device having a cleaning device that removes an adhered object on an endless belt body by contacting the endless belt body, which rotates while under tension. The endless belt body is formed with the following includes: an indentation Young's modulus is equal to or more than 5.5 GPa and is equal to or less than 10.0 GPa, and a specularity of a contacting surface that contacts the cleaning device is equal to or more than 50 and is equal to or less than 100.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; an intermediate transfer unit including an intermediate transfer body onto which an image on the image carrier is transferred, and plural rotation members around which the intermediate transfer body is wound, each rotation member rotating around a rotation axis, the intermediate transfer unit detachably attached, in the rotation axis direction, to an apparatus main body; a secondary transfer unit that makes contact with and separates from the intermediate transfer body, the secondary transfer unit provided at an opposite side of the rotation members across the intermediate transfer body; a positioning unit that, when the intermediate transfer unit is attached to the apparatus main body, positions the intermediate transfer unit in the secondary transfer unit side at least at two points differently located in the rotation axis direction; and a securing unit that secures the intermediate transfer unit to the apparatus main body.

Abstract: A system that avoids any stopping or reversing of the web direction in a continuous feed printer, instead maintaining consistent process speed, only requiring a slowing and speeding up of the web to cycle through the PR belt seam. This is done by forming a web loop and then immediately flattening the loop after passage of the seam through the transfer zone that includes two transfer BTR rolls with alternating transfer operations, but simultaneous transfer for short periods. Two vacuum assist rolls, one located between the two bias transfer rolls controls the formation of the web loop. A pair of nip forming rolls upstream of the first transfer station and a second vacuum assist roll downstream of the second transfer station control the size of the loop.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of improving the reliability of intermediate transfer belt shift control and attaining a high quality image. The image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer belt onto which a toner image is transferred and formed, a shift position detecting sensor that detects a shift position of the belt, a shift control roller that changes the shift position of the belt, and an angle adjustment cam and an angle adjustment arm that correct an inclination angle of the roller. An amount of correction for the inclination angle is calculated by an ASIC based on the belt shift position detected by the sensor. In a Kf multiplier and a Kr multiplier, coefficient values used for the calculation of the amount of correction for the inclination angle can variably be changed independently for respective directions of control for the roller inclination angle.

Abstract: A semiconductive polyimide resin belt that exhibits excellent electrical properties, including the ability to achieve accurate image transfer in a color image-forming unit, and the ability to prevent variations in resistance due to the transfer voltage, enabling high-quality transfer images to be stably produced over an extended period of time; and excellent physical properties, including resistance to deterioration in flatness due to plastic deformation caused by loads applied in the width direction of the belt, excellent durability, and stable operation even after extended use; and an intermediate transfer belt made of the semiconductive polyimide resin belt. The semiconductive polyimide resin belt comprises carbon black and a polyimide resin.

Abstract: When at least one of first image data and second image data is captured, according to a moving speed of an object while an image sensor is capturing an image, exposure time for capturing the image is controlled to decrease a difference between object blur widths in a direction in which the object moves.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt-shaped image carrier that carries an image, an image transfer unit that transfers the image onto a recording medium, and a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium to the image transfer unit. The image carrier has a sloping surface that slopes down from an upstream of the image transfer unit in a conveying direction. The conveying unit includes a linear conveying path that is arranged an upstream of the image transfer unit in the conveying direction, below the sloping surface and above a horizontal line passing through the image transfer unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an operating portion that moves between a first operating position in which each of positioning members is moved to each of positioning positions and a second operating position in which each of the positioning members is moved to each of releasing positions through each of transmitting members and each of transmitted members when a first transmitting member and a first transmitted member are coupled to each other, and that carries out the movement to a first operating position to move a second positioning member to a second positioning position through a second transmitting member and a second transmitted member and carries out the movement to a second operating position to move the second positioning member to a second releasing position when the first transmitting member and the first transmitted member are decoupled from each other.

Abstract: A method of synchronizing the timing of a plurality of physically coupled print engines wherein the receiving sheet is inverted between a first and a second print engine including determining any change in the speed of the master print engine relative to the speed at original set up and adjusting the timing parameters within the slave print engines based on the speed of the master engine.

Abstract: In a lighting device, a light source emits light. A second sandwiching member includes a second opposed surface opposing a first opposed surface of a first sandwiching member. The first sandwiching member and the second sandwiching member sandwich the light source in such a manner that the light source is detachably attached to the first sandwiching member and the second sandwiching member. A reflection member is provided on the first opposed surface of the first sandwiching member and the second opposed surface of the second sandwiching member to reflect the light emitted by the light source toward an irradiation region on an original document sheet. A positioning member is provided in the first opposed surface of the first sandwiching member and the second opposed surface of the second sandwiching member to position the light source with respect to the reflection member.

Abstract: A guiding roller unit has a holder to be mounted on a mount, and a guiding roller rotatably supported by the holder. The holder includes a base, two bearings and widening preventing plates attached respectively to the bearing. The base, the bearings and the widening preventing parts are integral to each other. The base is mounted on the mount. The bearings stand from opposite ends of the base and rotatably support the roller. The widening preventing plates extend in directions opposite to facing directions of the bearings. The holder enables the roller to be attached and detached with leading ends of the bearings elastically widened with respect to base ends thereof connected with the base while being detached from the mount, whereas it prohibits widening of the leading ends of the bearings by contacting the mount in response to forces acting in widening directions while being mounted on the mount.

Abstract: The decrease of the transfer efficiency of transferring a toner image from a photosensitive drum onto an intermediate transfer belt is suppressed by the structure of an image forming apparatus including: a photosensitive drum holding member that pivotally supports the photosensitive drum at both ends thereof; a transfer roller holding member that pivotally supports a primary transfer roller at both ends thereof; and a transfer roller holding unit that determines a relative position between the photosensitive drum holding member and the transfer roller holding member by guiding the transfer roller holding member in a direction substantially perpendicular to a running surface of the belt and abutting an opposing part of the photosensitive drum holding member and an opposing part of the transfer roller holding member with each other, the opposing parts opposing each other.

Abstract: In a color misalignment detection method, an alignment pattern is obtained by designating a plurality of lines having line width and line intervals formed by superposing a line image of a black color as a reference color and a line image of a color other than the reference color, for example, a cyan line image, as one patch, and continuously forming these patches by shifting the relative position between the line images of the two colors by an optional quantity. An alignment pattern detection sensor has a light emitting diode and a photodiode. These elements are arranged along the scanning direction of the alignment pattern such that the photodiode can only receive diffused reflected light of reflected light from the alignment pattern. A spot shape of the light emitting diode and a spot shape of the photodiode are both formed in a square shape.

Abstract: A warpage leveling unit includes a surface roughening member that is provided to oppose to a side end portion of an image carrier which has an endless-belt-shape, is entrained around a plurality of rollers, and carries an image on a surface of the image carrier, wherein the surface roughening member comes into contact with a surface of the side end portion which is warped.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a belt unit that includes a belt-shaped image carrier stretched around and driven to rotate by a plurality of rollers; a belt tensioning unit that includes a tensioning member that is brought into contact with an image carrying surface of the belt-shaped image carrier and applies tension to the belt-shaped image carrier; and a cleaning unit that includes a cleaning member that is brought into contact with the image carrying surface of the belt-shaped image carrier and cleans the image carrying surface. The cleaning unit is supported by the belt tensioning unit in an attachable and detachable manner.

Abstract: A digital printing system employing tandem marking engines for duplex printing utilizing a variable dwell time in the output sheet inverter of the first marking engine to provide correct positioning of the leading edge of the inverted sheet for arrival at the entrance of the second marking to avoid the seam in the photoreceptor.

Abstract: A belt configured to travel a continuous track may be incorporated for use in an image forming apparatus. The belt may include a guide member formed on a surface of the belt to prevent a belt from meandering off of the track, where the guide member may include a rubber sheet and a carbon black material having a primer particle diameter ranging from about 15 nm to about 35 nm. An image forming apparatus incorporating the belt with one or more guide members has an increased resistance to abrasion and mitigates belt meandering and image contamination.

Abstract: The invention provides an annular body having a resin layer. The resin layer has a resin and particles. The particles are at least one of conductive or magnetic. A surface of the resin layer has a first region and a second region. The first region is different from the second region in at least one of the surface resistivity or the magnetic flux density. The second region has a resin region and a high density region. The resin region is provided at an outer side with respect to the high density region in the thickness direction of the resin layer and is substantially free of the particle. The high density region has a higher content of the particles comparing to the resin region and the first region. The invention further provides a cartridge having the annular body. The invention further provides an image forming apparatus having the annular body.