Abstract: A driving motor for a color black is shared between a photosensitive body for the color black and a driving roller that drives an intermediate transfer belt not shown. Furthermore, a driving motor for colors yellow, magenta, and cyan is shared between photosensitive bodies for the colors yellow, magenta, and cyan. Driving of the driving motor for the colors yellow, magenta, and cyan is controlled based on a first waveform as a speed fluctuation waveform of the photosensitive body for the color black obtained when the driving motor for the color black is driven at a predetermined speed and second waveforms as speed fluctuation waveforms of the photosensitive bodies for the colors yellow, magenta, and cyan obtained when the driving motor for the colors yellow, magenta, and cyan is driven at a predetermined speed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductive seamless belt, which is obtained from a polyamide acid solution containing a tertiary amine having a boiling point of 200° C. or higher and an acid dissociation constant pKa of 4 to 9.

Abstract: A transfer device, which transfers an image onto a recording medium directly or indirectly and is included in an image forming apparatus, includes an endless belt member extended between a drive roller rotated and a driven roller and configured to receive the image from the image carrier part onto either a surface thereof or the recording medium carried on the surface thereof while moving according to rotations of the drive roller, and a rotation speed detector configured to detect a rotation speed of the driven roller. An image detector is provided either to the transfer device or to the image forming apparatus to detect the image formed on the endless belt member directly or the recording medium carried on the endless belt member, and disposed facing the driven roller in a circumferential direction of the endless belt member.

Abstract: A shift regulating member projecting from an inner circumferential side of a belt that engages an engaging member on a roller, and a pressing member that presses the belt are described. The pressing member may press the belt between the roller with the engaging member and another roller. In some aspects, the pressing member may be intermittently pressed against the belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided in which image forming sections are provided along an intermediate transfer member and in which a test voltage is applied to a transfer member to control a transfer voltage. In the image forming apparatus, the test voltage is applied to a region of the intermediate transfer member in an upstream image forming section. The test voltage is controlled so as to be applied at a time except when that region of the intermediate transfer member passes through a downstream image forming section. Accordingly, when the intermediate transfer member is charged by applying the test voltage to the transfer member in the upstream image forming section, the transfer voltage can be appropriately controlled in the downstream image forming section.

Abstract: An image forming device includes: a main body; a plurality of image forming units; a holding unit; and an engagement mechanism. Each of the plurality of image forming units has a developing portion. The holding unit holds the plurality of image forming units. The plurality of image forming units are aligned in the holding unit in a predetermined drawing direction. The holding unit is configured so as to be drawn out in the predetermined drawing direction from a storage position where the holding unit is stored in the main body. The holding unit sequentially reaches a plurality of different drawing positions while moving in the predetermined drawing direction. The plurality of image forming units are sequentially exposed to the outside while the holding unit sequentially reaches the plurality of drawing positions. The engagement mechanism is configured to engage the holding unit with the main body when the holding unit reaches each of the plurality of drawing positions.

Abstract: A control unit calculates a difference between a displacement of a belt detected by an encoder and a predetermined target value, calculates a pulse frequency of a driving pulse signal based on a feedback control based on the difference and a feed-forward control based on a reference driving pulse frequency, sets a control range of the feedback control to be equal to or smaller than a frequency of one rotation of a driven roller, and controls driving of a pulse motor such that the belt moves at a constant speed.

Abstract: In an image forming device including a first rotary member arranged to drive an intermediate transfer belt, a first motor arranged to rotate the first rotary member, and a second rotary member arranged to transfer a toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt to a recording sheet, a torque command value detecting unit detects a torque command value to the first motor. A setting unit sets up a lower limit of the torque command value. A judgment unit determines whether a detected torque command value exceeds the lower limit. A control unit controls driving of the second rotary member when the detected torque command value exceeds the lower limits so that a difference between a surface speed of the intermediate transfer belt and a peripheral speed of the second rotary member falls within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A belt member is rotatably extended around a plurality of rotatable members of an image forming apparatus for forming a toner image on a recording material by using a developer containing a magnetic carrier. The belt member includes a layer, formed of a crystalline resin material, having an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface. The layer has a hardness of 0.25 GPa or more and 0.40 GPa or less at the outer peripheral surface and a hardness of 0.10 GPa or more and 0.20 GPa or less at the inner peripheral surface.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a drum printer in which the loading and unloading of printing medium onto and off a drum of the printer is performed without interrupting or decelerating the drum rotation and the printing process.

Abstract: In a belt transfer device according to an embodiment, rotation of a rear side detection roller or a front side detection roller, which contacts with a rib of a transfer belt and is rotated, is converted into linear driving by using a worm gear. The movement of a linear movement shaft is transmitted to a steering roller through a slider. The steering roller is tilted and meandering of the transfer belt is regulated.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transport part which includes a transport belt to transport a printing medium, an image forming part which transfers a toner to form a color image, and a controller which controls the image forming part to form a test image for color registration of the image forming part on the transport belt while an image is formed for a plurality of printing media. Thus, both a test image and a plurality of printed media are formed during a single printing process.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a rotatable intermediary transfer member; and a transfer unit, configured and positioned to form a transfer nip between the intermediary transfer member and the image bearing member, for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member onto a surface of the intermediary transfer member. The transfer unit includes a sheet member on which the intermediary transfer member is slidable, and includes an elastic member for urging the sheet member toward the intermediary transfer member at a position of the transfer nip. The sheet member is provided with a reinforcing portion, having a linear expansion coefficient different from that of the sheet member, in an area in which the elastic member urges the sheet member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a endless conveying belt (50) which conveys a sheet (P) on which an image is to be formed, and is twisted 720 degrees, and a plurality of suspending members which suspend the conveying belt (50). The conveying belt (50) is suspended on the suspending member like a figure of eight, and conveys a sheet (P) by rotation driving of the conveying belt (50).

Abstract: A transfer device of the invention includes an endless belt forming a loop-shaped path of movement passing over between a drive roller and an idle roller, a plurality of image bearing members disposed at positions along a direction of movement of the endless belt, and a plurality of transfer members disposed at positions on respective downstream sides of the plurality of image bearing members so as to oppose a plurality of respective image bearing members across the endless belt. The image bearing member disposed on the most upstream side in the direction of movement of the endless belt has a zone of contact in common with the opposed transfer member in the direction of movement of the endless belt. Whereas the other image bearing members do not have any zone of contact in common with the opposing respective transfer members in the direction of movement of the endless belt.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus comprising: a first development device which develops an electrostatic image on a first image bearing member with toner of color other than black; a first transfer member which forms a nip portion for nipping an image receiving member with the first image bearing member; a second development device which develops an electrostatic image on a second bearing member with black toner so as to form a toner image and collects the toner on the second image bearing member; and a second transfer member which forms a nip portion for nipping the image receiving member with respect to the second image bearing member and transfers the toner image on the second image bearing member electrostatically to the image receiving member, wherein the position of the second transfer member to the second image bearing member in the moving direction of the image receiving member is in the downstream side relative to the position of the first image bearing member of the first transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first roller; a second roller; a belt tensely provided between the first roller and the second roller; and a guiding member for guiding an edge of the belt. Further, the belt has an edge surface having a step portion of equal to or smaller than 0.05 mm and a ten-point mean roughness (Rz) of equal to or smaller than 5.0 ?m.

Abstract: Correction patterns are formed on a conveyor belt that conveys a transfer paper. The correction patterns are include positional-deviation correction patterns arranged at both sides of the conveyer belt and density correction patterns (patches) formed in the central region of the conveyer belt in the main scanning direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; an image forming portion for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; an intermediary transfer belt for carrying the toner image transferred from the image bearing member; a transfer belt for carrying and conveying a recording material; an attraction portion for electrostatically attracting the recording material to the transfer belt; a transfer portion for transferring the toner image from the intermediary transfer belt onto the recording material attracted to the transfer belt; and an electrode member, disposed downstream of the attraction portion and upstream of the transfer portion with respect to a movement direction of the transfer belt, being contacted to an inner surface of the transfer belt.

Abstract: A transfer device includes: an image carrier belt; a first roller around which the image carrier belt is wound; a second roller around which the image carrier belt wound around the first roller and shifted; a first transfer roller contacting the first roller via the image carrier belt; a second transfer roller contacting the second roller via the image carrier belt; and a transfer belt wound around the first transfer roller and the second transfer roller. A width L3 of the image carrier belt and a width L4 of the transfer belt have the relationship of L3>L4.

Abstract: If a velocity calculated by a velocity calculating unit deviates from a normal range, a target velocity is used as a feedback amount, an actuation amount corresponding to a deviation Ve=0 between the feedback amount Vf=Vt and the target velocity Vt is calculated, and a driving power corresponding to this actuation amount is supplied to a motor. A conveyor belt can be driven stably without causing irregularity in a speed of the conveyor belt.

Abstract: A belt unit includes a belt, a contact member, a movable member, an eccentric cam, a contact-separation mechanism, and a braking unit. The contact member is configured to come into contact with the belt. The contact-separation mechanism allows the movable member to move according to the rotation of the eccentric cam to control contact and separation between the contact member and the belt. The braking unit controls the rotation of the eccentric cam by a predetermined angle.

Abstract: In a belt driving device, the width of a belt member is larger than the width of a driven roller portion in the rotation axis direction of the driven roller portion. The belt driving device includes a movement unit configured to, when a load is generated in friction members at both ends of the driven roller portion, rotate and move the friction members in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the belt member.

Abstract: In the image-forming device, the second driving force is transmitted from each input coupling to the corresponding output coupling to rotate the corresponding photosensitive drum when each input coupling is positioned at a predetermined position for the corresponding output coupling. The first detecting unit and the second detecting units detect a position of each input coupling and a position of each output coupling respectively before the first driving unit begins to provide the first driving force and the second driving unit begins to provide the first driving force. The calculating unit calculates, based on the position of each input coupling and the position of each output coupling, a first start timing when a first photosensitive drum starts to rotate and a second start timing when a second photosensitive drum starts to rotate. The controlling unit controls the first driving unit to begin to provide the first driving force after the first start timing and before the second start timing.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus, including: a first image bearing member; a first transfer member that comes into contact with the intermediate transfer member; a colored toner image forming portion; a second image bearing member; a second transfer member; and a transparent toner image forming portion for forming the transparent toner image wherein the transparent toner image forming portion is provided on an upstream side with respect to the colored toner image forming portion in a movement direction of the intermediate transfer member, and a distance between a most upstream end of the second contact area and the second transfer member in a rotation direction is larger than a distance between a most upstream end of the first contact area and the first transfer member in a rotation direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carriers and a transfer assembly. The transfer assembly includes a plurality of transferees, a supporter, and a plurality of transferee holders. The plurality of transferers is each configured to electrostatically transfer a toner image carried on one of the image carriers onto an intermediate transfer member or a recording medium. The supporter is configured to support the transferers. The transferer holders are each configured to hold one of the transferers. Each of the transferee holders and the transferer held thereby form an integrated individual unit independently attachable to and detachable from the supporter.

Abstract: An oblique movement preventing device for an endless belt, the inner surface of the belt supported by rollers, and at least one roller circulating the belt on the rollers, includes a contact angle changing unit. The changing unit selectively presses either side part of the outer surface of the belt at a position near to the one roller on an upstream side of the one roller in the predetermined belt circulating direction, thereby changing a contact angle of the belt on the one roller along the width direction of the belt. A measuring unit measures a direction and distance of displacement of the belt caused by the oblique movement thereof, and a control unit controls the operation of the changing unit to cease the oblique movement of the belt, based on the measured direction and distance of displacement of the belt.

Abstract: In a belt transfer device according to an embodiment, rotation of a rear side detection roller or a front side detection roller, which contacts with a rib of a transfer belt and is rotated, is converted into linear driving by using a worm gear. The movement of a linear movement shaft is transmitted to a steering roller through a slider. The steering roller is tilted and meandering of the transfer belt is regulated.

Abstract: A semiconductive belt includes: at least one different resistance portion that is configured to partly differ in surface resistance from surroundings, wherein the at least one different resistance portion is at an angle with respect to a direction perpendicular to a belt end portion.

Abstract: In a belt moving device that is capable of reducing belt speed fluctuation and positional deviation from a target belt position in a sub-scanning direction and performing highly precise position control in a main scanning direction, and an image forming apparatus that uses this belt moving device to prevent color shift in both the main scanning direction and sub-scanning direction of a formed image such that a high-quality image can be formed, belt shift control means reduce shift position variation within a single round trip of an endless belt by feeding back a target value for canceling out the shift position variation within a single round trip of the endless belt and feeding forward a value obtained by multiplying an inverse transfer characteristic of moving means by a transfer characteristic of a target value of the moving means in relation to the control content of the moving means.

Abstract: A technology capable of suppressing the generation of transfer scattering of a toner image on an intermediate transfer body and contributing to an improvement in image quality in an image forming apparatus employing an intermediate transfer system is provided. An image forming apparatus is configured to include an intermediate transfer body to which a toner imager is transferred from an image carrier, the intermediate transfer body having an elastic surface layer having a center point average roughness of 0.1 times or more of a volume average particle size of a used toner and a ten-point average roughness of not more than the volume average particle size of the used toner; and a development section which develops an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier by using a toner having a shape factor SF-1 in the range of from 100 to 130 and a shape factor SF-2 in the range of from 100 to 140.

Abstract: A belt driving apparatus for rotationally driving a belt member, the belt member driving apparatus includes a stretching member for stretching the belt member; steering means including a steering member having a rotatable portion which is rotatable with rotation of the belt member, a frictional portion slidable relative to the belt member and provided at each of longitudinally outsides of the rotatable portion, and further including supporting means supporting the steering member, and a rotation shaft rotatably supporting the supporting means, the steering means being effective to steer the belt member by inclining the steering member by a force produced by sliding between the frictional portion and the belt member; and resisting force applying means for applying a resisting force against inclination of the steering member, the resisting force increases with increase of rate of change of an inclination angle of the steering member with respect to time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt including an abutting surface and a cleaning member disposed to abut against the abutting surface for removing a foreign substance on the abutting surface. The abutting surface has a mirror surface smoothness of 40 to 200, and a pensile hardness of 2H to 7H.

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejection apparatus comprising a liquid droplet ejection head that ejects liquid droplets, a conveyor belt that retains and conveys a recording medium while causing the recording medium to face the liquid droplet ejection head, and a charge roll that causes the recording medium to be electrostatically attracted to the conveyor belt. The charge roll and the conveyor belt are configured not to contact each other, and a gap between the charge roll and the conveyor belt is less than the thickness of the recording medium.

Abstract: Provided is an intermediate transfer member, a method of producing the same, and an image forming method and an image forming apparatus thereof having excellent effects such that neither crack nor rupture is generated upon repetitive use, no transferring ratio drops during secondary transfer, and neither white patch of an text image nor white patch of a solid image is generated. Also disclosed is an intermediate transfer member used for an image forming apparatus, wherein a surface of the intermediate transfer member has a hardness of 1.5-3.0 GPa, measured by a nano indentation method, and a hardness of 0.15-0.45 GPa, specified by a universal hardness method.

Abstract: A belt driving apparatus is constructed so that the edge portion of a belt will not run over a stopper or be damaged. A belt is entrained about a plurality of rollers. A drive source is coupled to at least one of the plurality of rollers. The drive source drives the at least one of the plurality of rollers in rotation. A restriction member is provided in the vicinity of at least one longitudinal end portion of at least one of the plurality of rollers. The restriction member prevents the belt from moving outwardly in a longitudinal direction of the at least one of the plurality of rollers and preventing the belt from moving outwardly in a radial direction of the at least one of the plurality of rollers.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an endless moving member configured to receive the image thereon from the image bearing member, and a brush member that includes a fiber portion including a plurality of fibers arranged in a standing condition with respective fiber tips held in contact with an inner surface of the endless moving member. A supporting member is configured to support the fiber portion on a brush surface thereof. The brush member is configured to have a whole brush current value per unit area of the whole brush surface equal to or smaller than 2.5 ?A/cm2, and one of a maximum sectional current value per unit area of a portion of the whole brush surface equal to or smaller than 22.0 ?A/cm2 and a ripple of brush sectional current values less than 34%.

Abstract: A felt that cleans the surface of a drive roller or secondary transfer supporting roller that stretches an intermediate transfer belt is supported by a Mylar at its one free end, the other end thereof being fixed to a bracket. The felt is swingably brought into contact with the drive roller or secondary transfer supporting roller by an elastic force of the Mylar.

Abstract: An displacement correcting device is provided and includes: a rotation supporting member having a rotation shaft and rotating to support the endless belt-shaped member; a shaft supporting frame supporting a one-end supporting portion of the rotation shaft movably relative to an opposite-end supporting portion and supporting one end of the rotation shaft to be tilted about the other end; and a shaft displacing member having a rotation center disposed closer to one end portion in the axial direction than a rotation shaft supporting body and intersected by the axial direction and a rotation shaft contact portion contacting with the one end of the rotation shaft. The shaft displacing member allows the rotation shaft contact portion to rotate about the rotation center to tilt the rotation shaft when a movement sensing member detects the movement of the endless belt-shaped member to the one end of the rotation shaft.

Abstract: A tubular body includes: a substrate including concave portions on a surface thereof; a surface layer formed on the surface of the concave portion-including side of the substrate; and a particle positioned at an interface between the substrate and the surface layer in each of the concave portions.

Abstract: A belt conveying device includes an endless belt stretched by a plurality of rollers; a drive unit that is connected to one of the plurality of rollers and drives the roller; a plurality of belt velocity detectors that are arranged at a plurality of locations along a belt width direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the endless belt and detect conveyance velocities of the endless belt; and a belt-inclination calculating unit that calculates an inclination of the endless belt in the moving direction from a difference between conveyance velocities of the endless belt detected by the plurality of belt velocity detectors.

Abstract: A system and method to replace a transfer belt of a color laser printer transfer belt assembly without replacing the entire assembly, including one or more novel holding fixtures and a method for releasing the tension on the transfer belt prior to removal of the transfer belt from the assembly, then reapplying tension to a replacement transfer belt and, optionally, replacing the motor assembly and/or the microchip that controls operation of the transfer belt assembly.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus, includes a conveyor belt for bearing a recording material, capable of suppressing an image blur caused by a separating discharge at the separation of the recording material from the conveyor belt. To fix record materials on a transportation belt, the recording material is charged by a adhering member to electrically adhere the recording material to the conveyor belt. When the recording material is separated from the conveyor belt, a separating discharge occurs between the recording material and the conveyor belt, as the recording material is charged. In order to reduce the faulty of the toner image on the recording material caused by the separating discharge, the voltage applied to the adhering member is controlled for example according to a current which the recording material receives at the transfer position to mutually cancel the charge received at the transfer position by the adhering member.

Abstract: A misregistration correcting unit correcting image misregistration on an endless belt in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is disclosed that includes an image creation part that creates on the endless belt misregistration correction pattern sets each including a pattern of mark groups each being one of a horizontal line mark group formed of horizontal line segment marks and an oblique line mark group formed of oblique line segment marks; a position detecting part that detects the mark positions; a position detection counting part that counts the number of the detected positions of each mark group and detects an abnormal mark group whose number of the detected positions is other than a prescribed number; a detection result storing part that stores information on the detected mark positions; and a misregistration calculating part that calculates the amount of misregistration based on the stored position information excluding that of the abnormal mark group.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a movable belt member; rotatable first and second image bearings; first and second transfer members for electrostatically transferring the toner image from the first and second image bearing members, respectively, onto the belt member in contact with the belt member. The first and the second transfer members are disposed so that a position of a first end portion of a first contact portion between the first transfer member and the belt member on at least one side of the first contact portion with respect to a rotational axis direction of the first image bearing member and a position of a second end portion of a second contact portion between the second transfer member and the belt member on the same side as the at least one side of the first contact portion are substantially different from each other with respect to the rotational axis direction.

Abstract: A belt is entrained on a plurality of rollers and runs when the rollers are driven to rotate. A bead is attached to the belt and prevents the belt-like member from running crooked. The bead includes a first layer formed of a first material having a first hardness and a second layer formed of a second material having a second hardness. The second layer is laminated on the first layer. The bead is attached to the belt with the first layer being closer to the belt than the second layer. The first material and the second material expand simultaneously with temperature and humidity, and the first material and the second material contract simultaneously with temperature and humidity. The first hardness is higher than the second hardness.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that includes: a sheet conveying belt that conveys a sheet to a position opposed to an image carrier; a cleaning unit that cleans the sheet conveying belt; a first driving unit that drives the sheet conveying belt; a second driving unit that drives the cleaning unit, the second driving unit being independent from the first driving unit; and a sheet conveying mechanism that conveys the sheet separately from the sheet conveying belt, wherein the second driving unit drives at least a part of the sheet conveying mechanism.

Abstract: The invention provides a belt including a belt base having elasticity and a projection member having elasticity which is provided along at least one edge of the belt base so as to project from the belt base, and an adhesive layer which bonds the belt base and the projection member, wherein the ten-point average roughness Rz in the region of the belt base to be bonded with the projection member is about 4 ?m or more and the ten-point average roughness Rz in the region of the projection member to be bonded with the belt base is about 6 ?m or more.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus is described. The color image forming apparatus may includes: a belt that travels in a prescribed direction; a plurality of image carriers arranged in parallel in the prescribed direction, and opposed to the belt and carrying developing agent images of different colors respectively; a backup roller arranged in opposed relation to the belt; a cleaning roller arranged in opposed relation to the backup roller with the belt sandwiched therebetween, and adsorbing an adherent to the belt by a potential difference produced between the backup roller and the cleaning roller; and a discharge member opposed to the belt between a position more downstream in the prescribed direction than a position where the cleaning roller is opposed to the belt and a position more upstream in the prescribed direction than a position where the image carrier arranged on the most upstream side in the prescribed direction is opposed to the belt, for discharging the belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a plurality of rollers including a drive roller and a follow roller; an endless belt made of an insulation material and looped around the plurality of rollers so that a bridging portion is formed between adjacent rollers and both ends of the bridging portion are supported on the adjacent rollers; a photosensitive drum positioned outside of and facing the outer peripheral surface of the bridging portion; and a transfer roller positioned opposite of the photosensitive drum with the bridging portion interposed therebetween. The inner peripheral surface of the belt is made of a material which has greater tendency to be charged in a polarity that is the same as developer in triboelectric series than the outer peripheral surface of the follow roller as an upstream-side roller.