Abstract: An image forming apparatus, employs a constitution in which, in a case that a relative position between an inner roller and an outer member with respect to a circumferential direction of the inner roller is changed in a period after a preceding recording material passed through a transfer portion and until a recording material subsequent to the preceding recording material reaches the transfer portion during execution of a job for forming and outputting images on a plurality of recording materials, a controller controls a position changing mechanism so that the relative position between the inner roller and the outer member is changed in a state in which the outer member contacts an intermediary transfer belt.

Abstract: A transfer unit includes a first and a second roller differing in one of the axial length, volume resistivity, and hardness of their elastic layer, a first and a second bearing members rotatably supporting the metal shafts of the first and second rollers, a roller holder, and a switching mechanism. The roller holder has a first and a second bearing holding portion that hold the first and second bearing members slidably. The switching mechanism drives the roller holder to rotate such that one of the first and second rollers is arranged at a reference position at which the first or second roller is kept in pressed contact with an image carrying member to form a transfer nip. The first and second bearing members have grounding member that ground the first and second rollers respectively.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an intermediate transfer belt, and a contact member. The intermediate transfer belt includes a base layer, a surface layer formed on an outside of the base layer, and an inner surface layer formed on an inner side of the base layer. A position at which the contact member and the intermediate transfer belt contact is arranged on a downstream side of the intermediate transfer belt in a rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt. Rv>Rs1 and Rs2>Rs1, and Rs2/Rv?40 are satisfied where Rv (?) is a volume resistance value of the intermediate transfer belt in a thickness direction, Rs1 (?) is a first surface resistance value of the inner surface layer side in a surface direction, and Rs2 (?) is a second surface resistance value on the surface layer side in a surface direction.

Abstract: A fixation device according to an embodiment may include: an annular belt including an elastic layer with a thickness of more than 300 ?m; and a counter member opposed to an outer peripheral surface of the annular belt to form a nip region with the annular belt. A ratio (A/B) of a first hardness value (A) to a second hardness value (B) of the outer peripheral surface of the annular belt is 0.566 or more, where the first hardness value is measured, in hardness measurement using a hardness meter, at a time when a passage time, which is a time it takes for a certain point of the outer peripheral surface to pass through the nip region, has just passed from the start of the hardness measurement, and the second hardness value is measured at a time when the measured value of the hardness meter has just been saturated.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an image forming portion, an endless belt, a plurality of stretching rollers including an inner roller, an outer roller, a position changing mechanism capable of changing a position of the inner roller to a first position and a second position positioned downstream of the first position with respect to a rotational direction of the endless belt, a feeding member, a feeding member driving portion, and a controller. A feeding start timing of a recording material by the feeding member depends on the position of the inner roller during transfer of a toner image onto the recording material.

Abstract: An electrophotographic member capable of further reducing adhesion of a toner to an outer surface. The electrophotographic member comprises a base layer and a surface layer laminated in this order in a thickness direction of the electrophotographic member, the surface layer containing a binder resin, perfluoropolyether, and an ionic liquid, a content of the perfluoropolyether with respect to the binder resin being 20% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, and a contact angle of a surface on a side of the surface layer that is opposite to a side facing the base layer with respect to hexadecane being 65° or more.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a plurality of photoconductors, a belt, a plurality of primary transfer rollers and control circuitry. The plurality of primary transfer rollers is disposed for the plurality of photoconductors, respectively. The plurality of primary transfer rollers brings the belt into contact with or separate the belt from the plurality of photoconductors. The control circuitry causes at least one of the plurality of primary transfer rollers to press against a corresponding at least one of the plurality of photoconductors to shift a printing mode.

Abstract: A belt transfer type multi-function device includes a control device performing controlling such that an image to be printed on paper already caught between a transfer roller and the belt roller is printed, and if printing should not be performed on a next paper, movement of the next paper is stopped on a transfer path before the next paper is positioned between the transfer roller and the belt roller, the image already transferred on the transfer belt is deleted in a state in which the next paper is stopped on the transfer path, and the next paper in a stopped state is ejected as a blank paper through a ejection port along the transfer path, so that the image already transferred to the transfer belt, which is to be printed on the next paper along the movement direction of paper, is not printed on the next paper.

Abstract: A method for attaching a sheet member to a cylinder body includes: preliminarily fixing a first end portion of the sheet member to a first fixation portion of a cylinder body provided in an apparatus body and having a substantially circular cross section; wrapping the sheet member around the cylinder body by rotating the cylinder body; fixing the first end portion and a second end portion of the sheet member to the first fixation portion and a second fixation portion, respectively; and installing an installation member between the apparatus body and an inner surface of the sheet member before the wrapping of the sheet member around the cylinder body.

Abstract: A liquid lens can have a chamber configured to improve the performance of the liquid lens, such as by improving the tilt response time and/or by reducing optical aberrations. The chamber can have sidewalls that conform to a shape of a truncated cone. The cone angle, and wide end diameter, and narrow end diameter can be selected by balancing competing factors. The liquid lens can include two fluids, and the fluid fill ratio can be selected to improve the performance of the liquid lens. In some embodiments, the sidewalls can conform to a portion of a sphere.

Abstract: A cam driver includes a support, a cam, a motor, and a retracting torque applicator. The support supports an object. The cam moves the support. The motor rotates the cam and maintains a position of the cam. The retracting torque applicator applies torque to the cam in a direction to move the object away from a counter object that faces the object.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a formation target that is wound around rotating bodies including a driving roller and transported by the rotating bodies including the driving roller while forming a shape having linear portions each of which forms a different angle, which is an acute angle or an angle of zero degrees, with a horizontal direction when viewed in an axial direction of the driving roller, first image forming bodies that are arranged along one of the linear portions in such a manner as to be spaced apart from each other by a first distance and that form images onto the formation target, and second image forming bodies that are arranged along another one of the linear portions, the other linear portion forming the angle larger than the angle formed by the one linear portion, in such a manner as to be spaced apart from each other by a second distance shorter than the first distance and that form images onto the formation target.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer member, an acquiring portion, an applying portion, and a controller. When a transfer voltage is subjected to constant-voltage control so that the transfer voltage applied to the transfer member by the applying portion is substantially constant, in a case that the transfer voltage, when a toner amount used for a toner image is a first toner amount, is a first voltage, the controller controls the applying portion so that the transfer voltage is a second voltage lower in absolute value than the first voltage in a case that the toner amount is a second toner amount greater than the first toner amount. The acquiring portion acquires toner amount information on the toner amount for each toner image transferred onto a single recording material.

Abstract: A unit includes: a developing device configured to develop an electrostatic charge image that is formed on a surface of an image carrier, as a toner image with a developer including a flat toner containing a flat pigment, the developer being accommodated in the developing device; and a transfer device including an intermediate transfer belt onto which the toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier is primarily transferred, a primary transfer device configured to primarily transfer the toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier to a surface of the intermediate transfer belt, and a secondary transfer device configured to secondarily transfer the toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt to a surface of a recording medium, wherein the intermediate transfer belt contains a resin and conductive carbon particles, and after the flat toner adheres to an outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt in a loading amount of 3 g/cm2, in a case where air is blow

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a chassis having an opening, a cover, photosensitive members, an intermediate transfer belt, a primary-transfer member, a secondary-transfer roller, a cleaner device, an external-sheet inlet, a waste toner container, a connector, and a conveying roller, which is arranged within the feeding path to feed the recording sheet inserted through the external-sheet inlet in the feeding path. The conveying roller is mounted on the waste toner container and removable from the chassis along with the waste toner container.

Abstract: An electrophotographic belt including at least a base layer and a surface layer on or above the base layer, the surface layer including a binder resin and perfluoropolyether (PFPE), having a thickness of 2 ?m or more. PFPE is removed to obtain a PFPE-removed surface layer, the PFPE-removed surface layer has pores having openings at an outer surface thereof. When assuming that the PFPE-removed surface layer is a solid-surface layer, a ratio of a total volume of the pores contained in the PFPE-removed surface layer to a volume of the solid-surface layer is 8 to 25%. A ratio of a sum of areas of the openings to a unit area (1 ?m2) of the outer surface of the PFPE-removed surface layer is 10 to 35%, and the number of the openings per unit area (1 ?m2) of the outer surface of the PFPE-removed surface layer is 10 to 500.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless belt including a base layer and an electroconductive layer positioned on an inner peripheral surface side of base layer and forming an inner peripheral surface of the belt, and a roller provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the belt and including a roller portion around which the belt is wound and which is formed of a metal material. The electroconductive layer contains a binder resin, an electroconductive agent, and a copper compound, and has surface resistivity of 5.0×106?/? or less. The roller portion includes a base material of a first metal material comprising a first metal, and a coating layer which forms a surface contacting the electroconductive layer formed of a second metal material comprising a second metal. A difference in standard potential between the second metal and copper is smaller than that between the first metal and copper.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an annular endless belt; a drive roller, around which the endless belt is wound and which moves the endless belt; a first tension roller, around which the endless belt moved by the drive roller is wound; a biasing mechanism connected to the first tension roller and including an elastic member that applies a tension to the endless belt via the first tension roller; a second tension roller, around which the endless belt moved by the drive roller is wound at a different position from the first tension roller; and a moving mechanism connected to the second tension roller to move the second tension roller in directions closer to and away from the endless belt. A range of adjustment of a circumferential length of the endless belt by the moving mechanism is larger than a range of adjustment of the circumferential length of the endless belt by the biasing mechanism.

Abstract: A transfer member includes: an inner layer; an outer layer provided on an outer periphery of the inner layer; and a surface layer provided on an outer periphery of the outer layer, both end portions of the surface layer in circumferential directions extending in the circumferential directions from both end portions of the outer layer in the circumferential directions.

Abstract: A belt driving device includes an adjustment roller to stretch and rotate an endless belt; an inclination adjuster including a cam to adjust inclination of the roller to control deviation of the belt; a belt position detector to detect a belt position in a direction orthogonal to a movement direction of the belt; a stepping motor to rotate the cam; and a control output adjuster to adjust a control output to be supplied to the motor based on the belt position. When obtaining a rotation angle less than one step of the motor, the control output adjuster supplies the control output to the motor for a time corresponding to the rotation angle less than the one step out of a supply time of the control output for obtaining a rotation angle of the one step, and stops supplying the control output for a remaining time out of the supply time.

Abstract: An embodiment relates to a machine including a prime mover, a drive pulley, a chassis, a subframe, a drive device, a drive belt, and a pulley arrangement. The drive pulley is coupled to the prime mover. The chassis is configured to support at least an operator and the prime mover. The subframe is pivotally coupled to the chassis about a pivot axis. The subframe is further coupled to the chassis via a suspension device. The drive device is configured to drive wheels of the machine. The drive device is configured to be driven by the prime mover. The pulley arrangement is configured to direct the drive belt from the drive pulley to a driven pulley on the drive device. The pulley arrangement comprises at least one idler pulley having a diameter and a rotational axis.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt, tension rollers, an outer member, a pressing member, a moving mechanism, and an attachable unit. The belt bears a toner image and the tension rollers stretch the belt around rollers. The toner image is transferred at the outer member from the belt onto a recording material. The moving mechanism moves the pressing member to press an inner surface of the belt toward an outer surface side. The attachable unit includes the pressing member or the belt and attaches to and detaches from the image forming apparatus. A mode is executed in which the pressing member presses the belt to transfer the toner image onto the recording material. Information is stored based on an individual difference of the attachable unit related to a setting of a moving mechanism position in executing the mode, where the setting is based on the stored information.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer unit includes an intermediate transfer belt, a driving roller, a tension roller, and a roller supporting frame. The roller supporting frame includes first and second supporting frames, and has a coupling portion formed on it. The coupling portion includes a rotary shaft and a shaft hole. The roller supporting frame shifts from a first state to a second state by rotating the first supporting frame in the forward direction to have the intermediate transfer belt wound around it. The rotary shaft includes a projection. A shaft hole has a restricting wall portion. As the first supporting frame in the second state rotates in the forward direction, the projection makes contact with the restricting wall portion to restrict rotation of the first supporting frame in the forward direction.

Abstract: An electrophotographic belt having an endless shape, has grooves in an outer surface of the electrophotographic belt, and the grooves each are extending in a circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt, wherein the outer surface has at least a first region in which the number of the grooves in a direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt is n, and a second region in which the number of the grooves in the direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt is more than n, and the grooves in the second region include a first groove that has a width gradually decreasing in a first circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt, and a second groove that is adjacent to the first groove and has a width gradually decreasing in a second circumferential direction opposite to the first circumferential direction.

Abstract: A control portion controls a change mechanism so as to pass through a third stretched form in switching a stretched form of a belt member from a second stretched form to a first stretched form. The first stretched form is a stretched form enabling a toner image to be transferred from a photosensitive drum to the belt member by positioning a transfer member at a first position and a separation roller at a second position. The second stretched form is a stretched form of separating each of the transfer member and the separation roller from a transfer surface toward an opposite side of the photosensitive drum. The third stretched form is a stretched form in which the transfer member is positioned at the first position, and the separation roller is positioned at a third position away from the transfer surface toward the opposite side of the photosensitive drum.

Abstract: A transfer unit includes, as transfer rollers, first and second rollers of which the second has an elastic layer larger in an axial direction than the first, first and second bearing members, a roller holder, first and second urging members, a switching cam, a driving mechanism, and a first pre-transfer guide. By rotating the roller holder, the first or second roller is arranged opposite an image carrier and, by rotating the switching cam, the first or second roller arranged opposite the image carrier is arranged selectively either at a reference position where the first or second roller is in pressed contact with the image carrier or at a released position where the first or second roller lies away from the image carrier. With the first or second roller arranged at the reference position, the first pre-transfer guide is arranged at a first guide position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form a toner image on an image bearing member, a first unit including an intermediate transfer belt on which the toner image is transferred from the image bearing member and a first roller disposed in contact with an inner surface of the intermediate transfer belt to stretch the intermediate transfer belt, the first unit being drawable from a main body of the image forming apparatus, a second unit including a second roller configured to form, with the first roller, a transfer nip portion in which the toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt to a recording material, the second unit being drawable from the main body, and a high-voltage circuit board disposed in the second unit and configured to apply a voltage to the first roller.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including: an annular transfer belt having an outer surface on which an image is transferred; a transferring unit including a transfer cylinder having a transfer area that sandwiches a recording medium with the outer surface of the transfer belt to transfer the image from the outer surface of the transfer belt to the recording medium, and a pair of first rotating bodies disposed on both axial end sides of the transfer cylinder; a pair of circulating members each being wound around the first rotating body and being circulated by rotation of the first rotating bodies; and a holding unit attached to the circulating members, the holding unit configured to hold the recording medium, transport the recording medium with circulation of the circulating members, and pass the recording medium through the transfer area.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless belt including a base layer and an electroconductive layer positioned on an inner peripheral surface side of the belt than the base layer and forming an inner peripheral surface of the belt, and a roller provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the belt and including a roller portion around which the belt is wound and which is formed of an aluminum material. The electroconductive layer contains a binder resin, an electroconductive agent, and a copper compound, and has surface resistivity of 5.0×106?Q/? or less. The roller includes an alumite layer forming a surface contacting the electroconductive layer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a driving unit having a first drum gear, a first coupling member, a second drum gear, and a second coupling member. The first coupling member is provided at a first position of the first drum gear. The second coupling member is provided at a second position of the second drum gear and is configured to rotate together with the second drum gear. A first angle from a first meshing position to a first transfer position in a first direction and a second angle from a second meshing position to a second transfer position in a second direction are different from each other. The second position of the second drum gear is shifted from a position corresponding to the first position of the first drum gear by a difference between the first angle and the second angle in a direction opposite of the second direction.

Abstract: An electrophotographic member has a base layer, an elastic layer, and a surface layer on the elastic layer, in this order in a thickness direction, wherein the surface layer includes a urethane resin, a perfluoropolyether compound including a specific repeating structure, and a polyol compound having a specific structure.

Abstract: A detection unit executes correction control of an image formation condition on a basis of a detection result of reflected light when infrared light is radiated to a test patch, which is transferred from a photosensitive drum to an intermediate transfer belt, and the intermediate transfer belt, wherein the intermediate transfer belt has a base layer which is thickest among a plurality of layers forming the intermediate transfer belt in a thickness direction of the intermediate transfer belt and to which an ion conductive agent is added, and an inner surface layer which has a light transmittance lower than that of the base layer.

Abstract: An imaging system includes a belt roller, an endless belt, a steering member, a tilting mechanism, and a link mechanism. The endless belt rotates about the belt roller which extends in a longitudinal direction. The steering member is located inside the endless belt. The tilting mechanism is operably coupled to a center portion of the steering member. The link mechanism is operably coupled to the tilting mechanism and operates the tilting mechanism so that the steering member is tilted in response to a displacement of the endless belt in the longitudinal direction of the belt roller.

Abstract: A laminate comprising a substrate; an adhesive layer formed on at least one surface of both surfaces of the substrate so as to be in direct contact with the substrate; and a plating layer formed on a surface of the adhesive layer opposite to the substrate, wherein the adhesive layer comprises a plating catalyst containing a precious metal, and a silane coupling agent.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt has a first region and a second region in an outer circumferential surface thereof that is in contact with a blade. The first region has a first dynamic friction coefficient in a belt conveyance direction, and the second region has a second dynamic friction coefficient. The distance of the second region in the belt conveyance direction is less than the distance of the first region and is greater than the distance of a contact portion in which the blade is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt has a first region and a second region in an outer circumferential surface thereof that is in contact with a blade. The first region has a first dynamic friction coefficient in a belt conveyance direction, and the second region has a second dynamic friction coefficient. The distance of the second region in the belt conveyance direction is less than the distance of the first region and is greater than the distance of a contact portion in which the blade is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: A belt driving device to drive an endless belt, includes a drive roller and a suspension roller which extend in a first direction and face each other in a second direction. The belt driving device includes a steering roller located between the drive roller and the suspension roller in a tiltable manner. A pulley (or wheel) is located at an end portion of the steering roller. The belt driving device includes a link mechanism which presses the end portion of the steering roller to tilt the steering roller with the movement of the pulley (or wheel).

Abstract: A belt unit according to an embodiment may include: an endless belt including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; and a drive roller in contact with the second surface and configured to drive the endless belt. A surface potential of the first surface of the belt is a voltage of not more than 20 volts, 0.1 seconds after an application of a voltage of 6000 volts.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer medium onto which a toner image is transferred is provided. The intermediate transfer medium comprises a base layer and an elastic layer overlying the base layer. The elastic layer contains spherical fine particles to form an irregular surface, and the spherical fine particles have a volume resistivity of 1×10?4 ?·cm or more and less than 1×100 ?·cm.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt, an outer roller, stretching rollers including an inner roller and an upstream roller, a voltage source, a supporting member, a moving mechanism, a sensor, and a controller. On the basis of a first detection result of the sensor acquired under application of a test bias in a state in which the supporting member is disposed at a first position, the controller determines a first transfer bias to be applied to the outer roller or the inner roller during an operation in a first mode. On the basis of a second detection result of the sensor acquired under application of the test bias in the state in which the supporting member is disposed at a second position, the controller determines a second transfer bias to be applied to the outer roller or the inner roller during an operation in a second mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a movable intermediate transfer member onto which a toner image borne by an image bearing member is to be transferred; a detection unit configured to irradiate the toner image on the intermediate transfer member with light to detect reflected light; and a control unit configured to adjust a condition for forming the toner image based on a detection result of the detection unit, wherein a plurality of grooves extending along a movement direction of the intermediate transfer member are formed in a surface of the intermediate transfer member in a width direction intersecting the movement direction, and wherein grooves, formed within a range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit, among the plurality of grooves are formed so that intervals each between adjacent grooves with respect to the width direction are regularly changed within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A transfer apparatus includes a head unit (210C, 210K) to process an object (W) transferred in a transfer direction, a first support member disposed upstream in the transfer direction with respect to a process position to support the object, a second support member disposed downstream in the transfer direction of the process position to support the object, a surface detector between the first and second support members to detect first surface information of the object, an upstream surface detector disposed upstream in the transfer direction with respect to the surface detector to detect second surface information of the object, an edge detector disposed closer to the upstream surface detector than the surface detector in the transfer direction to detect an edge of the object, and a controller to move the head unit based on detection results of the surface detector and the upstream surface detector and a detection result of the edge detector.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carriers, an intermediate transfer belt, a cleaning blade, a counter-roller, and a supporting member. The intermediate transfer belt is endless and, to it, toner images formed on the outer circumferential faces of the plurality of image carriers are transferred by being sequentially superposed on each other. The cleaning blade is arranged with its tip end portion in contact with the outer circumferential face of the intermediate transfer belt and removes deposits left on the outer circumferential face of the intermediate transfer belt. The counter-roller is arranged at a position opposite the cleaning blade across the intermediate transfer belt and is in contact with the inner circumferential face of the intermediate transfer belt. The supporting member supports the cleaning blade. The supporting member supports the cleaning blade rotatably about the rotation axis of the counter-roller.

Abstract: A transfer unit includes an intermediate transfer belt including a resin and in which in a spatial distribution of conductive carbon particles that are present in an evaluation region of 6.3 ?m×4.2 ?m on an outer peripheral surface, an integrated value of a statistic L(r) in an interparticle distance r of 0.05 ?m or more and 0.30 ?m or less is 0 or more and 0.1 or less; and a cleaning component including a cleaning blade which contacts the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt and in which a value of M100/Re is 0.25 or more and a value of Re is 25 or more where M100 represents a 100% modulus (MPa) of a contact portion of the cleaning blade contacts the intermediate transfer belt, and Re represents a rebound resilience coefficient (%) of the contact portion: L(r):=?{square root over (K(r)/?)}?r??(1) K ? ( r ) := ? i ? j N ? 1 ? ( ? X i - X j ? ? r ) / s ? ( ? X i - X j ? ) ? 2 .

Abstract: A belt driving device includes an annular belt member, rotary members, a protrusion, and a contact member. The belt member includes first and second edges. The belt member is wound around the rotary members. The protrusion protrudes from an inner peripheral surface of the belt member. The protrusion and each rotary member are arranged in an extending direction of the rotary member. The protrusion is provided at the second edge. The contact member is closer to the first edge. When the belt member deviates, the contact member comes into contact with the belt member. A difference between a position of the belt member when the protrusion comes into contact with an end surface of one of the rotary members and a position of the belt member when the belt member comes into contact with the contact member is equal to or less than a width of the protrusion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a transfer member configured to form a transfer portion where the toner image is transferred from the image bearing member by being supplied with a transfer bias; a carrier liquid supplying portion configured to supply the carrier liquid to the transfer portion; a transfer bias voltage source capable of applying the transfer bias to the transfer portion; a detecting portion configured to detect at least one of a voltage and a current at the transfer portion; and a setting portion configured to set the transfer bias during non-image-formation on the basis of a detection result of the detecting portion when a setting bias is applied from the transfer member in a state in which the carrier liquid is in the transfer portion.

Abstract: An electrophotographic belt that, despite long-term usage, is not susceptible to unevenness in cleaning by a cleaning blade in a width direction. The electrophotographic belt has an endless shape and has grooves on an outer circumferential surface thereof, the grooves each extending in a circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt, when equally dividing a groove-formed area of the outer circumferential surface into three areas in a direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt, and calculating average values of depths of the grooves contained in the three areas respectively to obtain Dm, De1 and De2, where Dm is an average value of depths of the grooves in a central area, De1 and De2 are average values of depths of the grooves contained in both ends areas, Dm, De1 and De2 satisfy equations (1) and (2): Dm<De1??(1) Dm<De2??(2).

Abstract: A developing roller is capable of preventing the generation of a difference in image density between a central portion and an end portion of an electrographic image. The developing roller has an electro-conductive mandrel and an electro-conductive layer on the mandrel, the electro-conductive layer has a crown shape in which an outer diameter of a central portion in a direction along the mandrel is larger than outer diameters of both end portions in the direction along the mandrel, an outer surface of the developing roller includes a first region having an electrically insulating property and a second region having a higher conductive property than the first region, and the first region and the second region are disposed adjacent to each other.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes: an image carrier having a surface on which a toner image is formed; a transfer roller cooperating with a surface of the image carrier to form a nip at a first position in a direction in which the image carrier rotates; a discharging member provided at a second position downstream of the nip in a direction in which the transfer roller rotates; a first power supply that applies a first voltage opposite in polarity to toner to the transfer roller to transfer the toner image to a recording medium when the recording medium is inserted in the nip; and a second power supply that applies a second voltage identical in polarity to the toner to the discharging member to cause an electric discharge to electrically charge the toner on the surface of the transfer roller to electrically attract the toner to the transfer roller.

Abstract: An encoding system may include a video source that captures video image, a video coder, and a controller to manage operation of the system. The video coder may encode the video image into encoded video data using a plurality of subgroup parameters corresponding to a plurality of subgroups of pixels within a group. The controller may set the subgroup parameters for at least one of the subgroups of pixels in the video coder, based upon at least one parameters corresponding to the group. A decoding system may decode the video data based upon the motion prediction parameters.