Abstract: An intermediate transfer member, such as a belt, where the surface of the belt contains as a coating a mixture of a glycoluril resin and a polyol resin.

Abstract: In order to provide a highly durable intermediate transfer member utilized for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, with which generation of rubbing scratches and cracks is suppressed, and no filming is generated, and a method of manufacturing the intermediate transfer member, disclosed is an intermediate transfer member for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, possessing a support and provided thereon, an elastic layer and a surface layer in this order, wherein the elastic layer has an elastic modulus of 10-200 MPa, and the thickness thereof is 50 ?m to 500 ?m.

Abstract: A dual layered intermediate transfer member, such as a belt, that includes a substrate that is coated with a layer of a mixture of a glycoluril resin, and a self crosslinking acrylic resin.

Abstract: In the transfer belt unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, rotation of a rear-side detection roller or a front-side detection roller rotated in contact with ribs of a transfer belt is transmitted to a steering roller via a lead screw to tilt the steering roller and control meandering of the transfer belt.

Abstract: A transferring unit of an image forming apparatus that includes: a contacted member; a rotating body that contacts and is spaced away from the contacted member; a rotating body transporting member where a supporting part to rotatably support the rotating body, a contacting external force receiving part to receive a contacting external force that contacts the rotating body with the contacted member, and a spacing external force receiving part to receive a spacing external force that spaces the rotating body away from the contacted member are formed in a single body; and a driver that drives the rotating body transporting member.

Abstract: The transfer portion for use in an image forming apparatus includes: an intermediate transfer belt having a toner image temporarily transferred from a photoreceptor drum; roller members that support and stretch the intermediate transfer belt; and strip-like guide elements that guide conveyance of the intermediate transfer belt. The guide elements are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt with the first and second ends opposed to and arranged a predetermined gap apart from each other. Each of the first and second ends is formed with a first (second) perpendicular surface that is perpendicular to the advancing direction of the belt and a first (second) inclined surface that is inclined relative to the belt advancing direction. The first and second perpendicular surfaces are formed in such a position that the first and second ends become tapered by the first and second inclined surfaces, respectively.

Abstract: An electroconductive endless belt for use as an intermediate transfer member that is disposed between an image-forming unit and a recording medium, is circularly driven by a drive unit, and temporarily holds a toner image transferred from the image-forming unit and subsequently transfers the toner image onto the recording medium, wherein the electroconductive endless belt has a multilayer structure including at least a surface layer disposed on a base layer, and the base layer is mainly composed of a polyester resin and/or a polyester elastomer and contains a conductive agent, a brominated epoxy resin, and an antimony compound, the polyester elastomer having a melting point of at least 210° C.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearing members, a developing unit, an intermediate transfer belt, a secondary transfer body, and a registration roller. A linear speed difference between the intermediate transfer belt and the secondary transfer body is variably set based on a basis weight of a recording medium.

Abstract: Disclosed is a production apparatus of a wired member, including: a mask forming unit that forms a mask on a transfer substrate by using a toner in accordance with an electrophotographic method so as to be transferable to a member to be wired, the mask corresponding to a wiring pattern to be formed on the member to be wired; a mask transferring unit that transfers the mask formed on the transfer substrate by the toner to the member to be wired; a conductive film forming unit that supplies a conductive material onto the mask-transferred side of the member to be wired to form a film of the conductive material thereon; and a mask removing unit that removes the mask from the member to be wired on which the film of the conductive material has been formed.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus having a space-saving configuration in a height direction wherein an optimal contact region between the intermediate transfer belt and the sheet member can always be secured despite repeated reductions and increases in pressure force. The image forming apparatus includes: a transfer device transferring a toner image to an endless rotatable transfer belt, the transfer device having a sheet member, one end of which is fixed and the other end of which contacts with an inner peripheral surface of the transfer belt; and a pressing member for pressing the sheet member to the transfer belt; and a moving unit moving the pressing member to a first pressing position where the pressing member presses the sheet member and a second pressing position which is located farther away from a part of the sheet member pressed by the pressing member than the first pressing position.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer member, such as a belt, where the seam or seams thereof on the member contain a coating mixture of a glycoluril resin and a self crosslinking acrylic resin.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer member, such as a belt, where the seam or seams thereof on the member contain a coating mixture of a glycoluril resin and a polyol resin.

Abstract: A cleaning station for removing particulate material from a moving web in an electrographic printer/copier includes a customer-replaceable web-cleaner device with a support bracket/backup shoe assembly. The web-cleaner has two wiper blades, including one or more blades, each having a distinguishment such that the distinguishment distinguishes one wiper blade from the other wiper blade when the blades are locked into the cleaner sump by springs, to facilitate material removed from the web. The wiper cleaning blades are held using a shoe that comprises a “T-shaped” extrusion wherein the extrusion has a rigidity to reduce shoe deformations.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer media, such as a belt, that includes a polyaniline dialkylsulfate complex.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image forming part configured to form a latent image on an image carrier; a developing part configured to form a toner image by developing the latent image on the image carrier; a first transferring part configured to transfer the toner image on the image carrier to a surface of a transferring medium or a first intermediate transferring part; a second transferring part configured to transfer the toner image on the first intermediate transferring part onto a second intermediate transferring part; a third transferring part configured to transfer the toner image on the second intermediate transferring part onto a third intermediate transferring part; and a fourth transferring part configured to transfer the toner image on the third intermediate transferring part onto a rear surface of the transferring medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller which sets fixing conditions in a fixing unit in accordance with the type of printing medium sensed by a sensor. An intermediate transfer member and sensor are configured as an intermediate transfer member unit. The intermediate transfer member unit is removably installed in the main body of the image forming apparatus. The intermediate transfer member unit has a storage unit which stores information used to determine the type printing medium by the sensor.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt has an elastic layer and a modified layer formed by a surface-modifying treatment of a surface of the elastic layer, wherein the surface of the elastic layer with the modified layer has a surface hardness of 0.01 GPa or more and exhibits 50 nm or more of displacement at the time of pushing the surface at a load of 20 ?N by means of a cube corner tip having a tip sharp angle of 90 degree.

Abstract: An ion generating device is arranged such that a heater electrode is wired so as to heat (i) a creeping discharge area and (ii) areas where respective terminal sections of an induction electrode, a discharge electrode, and the heater electrode are provided. This allows prevention of dew condensation and nitric acid generation in the vicinities of the respective terminal sections.

Abstract: In an ion generating element, (i) an induction electrode and a heater electrode are provided away from each other on one surface of an insulating base material such that the induction electrode and the heater electrode are insulated from each other, (ii) a dielectric layer is provided on the surface of the insulating base material, and (iii) the dielectric layer has a length covering the insulating base material and the dielectric layer has openings above a ground terminal of the induction electrode and above a ground terminal and a power supply connection terminal of the heater electrode so that the terminals are exposed. As a result, it is possible to provide an ion generating element for generating ions along with creeping discharge, a charging device, and an image forming apparatus, each of which can be produced at low costs and prevent damages when unexpected troubles occur, and each of which is excellent in terms of safety.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer member that is fully coated with a self crosslinked acrylic resin.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer media, such as a belt, that includes a cyclo olefin polymer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include an intermediate transfer belt for transferring, onto a sheet, a developer image that has been transferred from an image carrier to the intermediate transfer belt. The image forming apparatus may also include a cleaning unit that cleans the sheet conveying belt. The image forming apparatus that may also include a first driving unit that drives the intermediate transfer belt; a second driving unit that drives the cleaning unit, wherein the second driving unit is independent from the first driving unit; and a sheet conveying mechanism that conveys the sheet, wherein the second driving unit drives at least a part of the sheet conveying mechanism.

Abstract: An intermediate toner transfer belt includes an endless member made of a layer of a material having an endless functional surface adapted to transfer a toner image. The layer of material is textured so as to define a multiplicity of protruding portions of the material spaced apart from each other and integral with and extending outwardly from a remaining base portion of the material. The protruding portions have outer tips spaced apart from one another with outer surfaces thereon also spaced apart from one another such that the endless surface of the endless member is formed by the spaced apart outer surfaces of the outer tips of the protruding portions of the material. Further, the protruding portions are irregular in pattern and shape relative to one another and generally undulate toward and away from the remaining base portion of the material.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is configured to select one of electrically discharging of an intermediate transfer member carried out by applying a voltage to a primary transfer member and electrically discharging of the intermediate transfer member carried out by applying a voltage to a secondary transfer member according to a charged state of the intermediate transfer member after secondary transfer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a paper cassette feeding a recording material, an image forming unit forming an image on a photosensitive member, a primary transfer roller transferring the image onto an intermediate transfer belt, a secondary transfer roller transferring the image onto the recording material, and a sensor detecting the size of the recording material. The timing of starting feeding the recording material is later than the timing of starting forming the image. When image formation on the recording material is started, until the sensor detects the size of the recording material, a plurality of images are formed on the intermediate transfer belt at a first interval according to a predetermined recording material size, and after the sensor detects the size of the recording material, a plurality of images are formed on the intermediate transfer belt at a second interval according to the detected recording material size.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an endless and movable transfer material bearing belt, a transfer member, an opposing member and a belt guide member, wherein a conveyance direction of the transfer material in a first area is substantially the same as a conveyance direction of the transfer material in a second area, the first area corresponding to a nip area formed by the opposing member and the transfer member and the second area corresponding to an area in which the belt guide member bringing the transfer material bearing belt and the image bearing belt come into contact with each other. By the virtue of the present invention, a transfer material is restrained from scraping off the leading end of a toner image before the leading end of the toner image enters a transfer nip portion, while suppressing spattering of the toner image on the upstream of the transfer nip portion.

Abstract: A polyimide film having a polyimide as the primary constituent and containing at least a polymeric electroconductive material, wherein in a weight-decrease vs. temperature-increase curve when the polyimide film is heated gradually from 30° C., a weight-decrease rate at a first inflection point, where an amount of difference in weight-decrease rates decreases first from 30° C., is in the range of ?1.9% or more and ?1.4% or less.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image bearer that bears a latent image to be developed as a toner image, and a second image bearer that includes an intermediate transfer member. A first transfer device transfers the toner image from the first to the second image bearers. A second transfer device transfers the toner image from the second image bearer to a printing medium. One of the below described inequalities is satisfied when the toner has been subjected to a centrifugal force of 2.6×104 (N/m2) per particle, wherein Ftp represents a non-electrostatic adherence between toner particles, Fpp represents a non-electrostatic adherence between the toner and the first image bearer, and Fbp represents a non-electrostatic adherence between the toner and the second image bearer; Fbp>Ftp, and Fbp>Fpp.

Abstract: An apparatus and method transfer imaging material using a release layer having a bulk swelling capacity between 120% and 145% in Isopar L.

Abstract: A conductive composition including a matrix resin comprising a thermoplastic resin, a conductive agent comprising a carbon black having an amine value of 1 to 100 mgKOH/g, and a stiffening agent comprising an acid anhydride, a carboxylic acid, or a compound having an epoxy group.

Abstract: Concerned with a cylindrical conductive belt for electrophotography which has made permanent curl less occur. The conductive belt has a continuous phase containing a thermoplastic polyester resin and discontinuous phases each containing any one or both selected from a polyether-ester amide and a polyether amide, and the discontinuous phases are present in such way as to extend in the peripheral direction of the belt; the belt having a crystallinity that is lower on the outer-peripheral surface side than on the inner-peripheral surface side.

Abstract: A control method and an image forming apparatus. The apparatus includes a latent image carrier; a development apparatus for developing a liquid developer containing a toner, a carrier liquid and a dispersant soluble in the carrier liquid therein on the latent image carrier; an intermediate transfer medium to which a developer image developed on the latent image carrier is transferred; a transfer apparatus for transferring the developer image on the intermediate transfer medium to a transfer material; and a dispersant collecting liquid application unit for applying a dispersant collecting liquid on the intermediate transfer medium. The method includes performing the control such that after finishing of transfer of the developer image onto intermediate transfer medium, application of the dispersant collecting liquid on the intermediate transfer medium is started by the dispersant collecting liquid application unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an endless belt; a steering roller for supporting the endless belt and correcting a deviating motion of the endless belt; and a conveying section for conveying a recording material, wherein the conveying section has a position control mechanism of a recording material, and said mechanism conveys the recording material along a conveyance reference, established at a predetermined position in a width direction of the recording material, said width direction is perpendicular to a conveying direction of the recording material, wherein the steering roller is configured to be supported on a supporting point at a side on which the conveyance reference is established, and to be tilted at a side which is opposite to the side on which the conveyance reference is established, with respect to the width direction of the recording material.

Abstract: This invention provides a circular body, which is used for an image forming apparatus employing an electrophotographic system, the circular body containing: at least an inner layer containing resin and an outer layer that is laminated on an outer circumferential surface side of the inner layer and contains resin; and, as a conductive agent, polyaniline in the outer layer and carbon black in the inner layer; and satisfying the following relational expressions (1) and (2): 13.0?C1?15.0??(1) 21.5?C2?25.0??(2), wherein C1 represents the content (parts by weight) of the polyaniline with respect to 100 parts by weight of the resin forming the outer layer, and C2 represents the content (parts by weight) of the carbon black with respect to 100 parts by weight of the resin forming the inner layer, as well as a circular body unit using the circular body and an image forming apparatus using the circular body.

Abstract: A resin composition comprises a polyphenylene sulfide resin and a nylon resin having a ?-parameter of 1.3 or more at 25° C., and has one glass transition temperature, and an image-forming apparatus comprises: a latent-image supporting member, and an intermediate transfer member that supports a toner image transferred thereon from the latent-image supporting member and transfers the supported toner image onto an image-receiving material, wherein the intermediate transfer member comprises a polyphenylene sulfide resin and a nylon resin having a ?-parameter of 1.3 or more at 25° C., and has one glass transition temperature.

Abstract: In a belt device, a first detecting unit detects a widthwise displacement of a belt, and a correcting unit corrects displacement of the belt in the width direction during a period starting from turning power on and ending with completion of drive preparation of the belt based on the widthwise displacement. Moreover, a second detecting unit detects whether the belt has displaced in the width direction by an amount that is greater than a threshold, and a belt stopping unit stops running of the belt when the second detecting unit detects that the belt has displaced by an amount that is greater than the threshold.

Abstract: The present invention teaches and claims an image forming apparatus comprising an image forming portion using a liquid developer having a carrier liquid and toner; an intermediate transfer section which has an endless belt and a plurality of rotating bodies; a second transfer roller which is disposed so that it faces one of the plurality of rotating bodies and abuts the endless belt; a first bias applying section which is connected to the second transfer roller and applies a transfer bias to the second-transfer roller when the second transfer is done and applies a reverse transfer bias having an opposite electric polarity as the transfer bias to the second transfer roller when the second transfer is not performed; and a second bias applying section which is connected to the rotating body facing the second transfer roller and applies a bias to the rotating body facing the second transfer roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for carrying a toner image; a transfer member for cooperating with the image bearing member to form a nip to transfer a toner image onto a transfer medium; transfer voltage applying means for applying a transfer voltage to the transfer member to transfer the toner image; detecting means for detecting a current when a monitor voltage is applied to the transfer member; transfer voltage determining means for determining the transfer voltage on the basis of a detection result of the detecting means so that current through the transfer member in a transfer operation is the target current; and target current adjusting means for adjusting the target current so that target current when a resistance of the transfer member is relatively small is larger than the target current when the resistance value of the transfer member is relatively large.

Abstract: A belt member for intermediate transfer, including a crosslinked product of a thermoplastic resin; and an electroconductive particulate material, wherein the belt member satisfies the following formulae (I) and (ii): 6?log(?v200)?10??(i) 0?log(?v10)?log(?v1,000)?2??(ii) wherein ?v200, ?v10 and ?v1,000 represent volume resistivities when the belt member is applied with biases of 200 V, 10 V and 1,000 V, respectively.

Abstract: A multi-layer endless belt member with a high-resistance surface layer for use in an image forming apparatus. A volume resistivity thereof ranges from approximately 8.0 to approximately 11.0 in log [?·cm]. An amount of resistivity change of a first surface thereof is greater than an amount of resistivity change of a second surface thereof by 0.05 or greater in log [?/square], where the amount of resistivity change of the first surface indicates a difference between surface resistivity values measured after a given voltage is applied for 1 second and for 100 seconds on the first surface thereof and the amount of resistivity change of the second surface indicates a difference between surface resistivity values measured after a given voltage is applied for 1 second and for 100 seconds on the second surface thereof.

Abstract: A resin composition comprises a polyphenylene sulfide resin and a nylon resin having a ?-parameter of less than 1.3 at 25° C., and has one glass transition temperature, and an image-forming apparatus comprises a latent-image supporting member, and an intermediate transfer member that supports a toner image transferred thereon from the latent-image supporting member, transfers the supported toner image onto an image receiving material, the intermediate transfer member comprising a polyphenylene sulfide resin and a nylon resin having a ?-parameter of less than 1.3 at 25° C., and has one glass transition temperature.

Abstract: A belt transfer device according to the present invention includes an intermediate transfer belt, a transfer member, a shifter, a detector, and a controller. The transfer member primarily transfers a toner image from an image carrier to the intermediate transfer belt. The shifter reciprocates in specified opposite directions so as to shift the transfer member between a transfer position where the transfer member is in compressive contact with the inner surface of the intermediate transfer belt and a home position where the transfer member is away from the belt surface. The detector outputs a signal representing the position of the shifter. Based on the state of the signal output from the detector while the shifter is reciprocating each time in the opposite directions, the controller determines whether the tensile force of the intermediate transfer belt is proper.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image carrier; a first image forming unit that forms an image; an intermediate transfer belt; a primary transfer unit that primarily transfers the image onto the intermediate transfer belt; a secondary transfer unit that secondarily transfers the image transferred further onto a recording medium; a second image carrier that transfers the image onto the recording medium; a second image forming unit that forms an image on the second image carrier; a direct transfer unit that directly transfers the image onto the recording medium; a recording medium carriage belt, and a driving roller that drives the recording medium carriage belt; a speed fluctuation detecting unit; and a drive control unit that controls driving of the driving roller so as to reduce the cyclic speed fluctuation of the carriage belt based on a detection result of the speed fluctuation detecting unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is an intermediate transfer member that, for example, even when a large number, for example, 160,000 sheets of prints are prepared, does not cause cracking and toner filming, can allow good transfer properties and cleaning properties to be maintained, and can realize stable preparation of toner images having a high quality free from image defects such as lack of text image. In the intermediate transfer member, an elastic layer is provided on the outer circumference of a resin substrate, and a surface layer is provided on the elastic layer. The surface layer has a thickness of 0.5 nm or more but 1000 nm or less and comprises an intermediate layer and a hard layer composed mainly of a metal oxide. The layer density of the hard layer is 2.07 g/cm3 or more but 2.19 g/cm3 or less and is larger than the layer density of the intermediate layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a developing unit forms a visible image on the image carrying member by supplying a developer to the image carrying member. A first transferring unit transfers the visible image on the image carrying member to the primary transferring member. A secondary transferring member is in contact with the primary transferring member. A second transferring unit transfers the visible image transferred to the primary transferring member to the secondary transferring member by applying a pressure from 10 to 100 gf/cm2 and an electric field to a contact portion between the primary transferring member and the secondary transferring member. A transferring and fixing unit transfers and fixes the visible image transferred to the secondary transferring member to a recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image transfer unit that transfers a reversed image onto an image bearing member as a toner image, a secondary transfer roller that transfers the toner image onto a recording medium, a contact and separation unit that brings the secondary transfer roller into contact with and separates the secondary transfer roller from the image bearing member, a secondary-transfer-roller housing unit that houses the secondary transfer roller, a lubricant applying brush that applies a lubricant thereto, a lubricant-applying-brush housing unit that houses the lubricant applying brush and is configured to be movable along a groove, and an lifting and lowering member that lifts and lowers the lubricant-applying-brush housing unit, wherein the secondary transfer roller and the lubricant applying brush come into contact with and separate from each other in response to a contact and separation operation of the secondary transfer roller and the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes photosensitive members which are aligned along a conveying direction of a transfer medium and on each of which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed; developing units which supply a plurality of colors of developing agent to the photosensitive members, respectively; and cleaning rollers which slidably contact the photosensitive members to collect at least one of paper powder and developing agent adhering to surfaces of the photosensitive members, respectively. A most upstream cleaning roller which slidably contacts a most upstream photosensitive member in the conveying direction is provided with a paper powder absorption shaft which attracts and absorbs paper powder from the cleaning roller. A most downstream cleaning roller which slidably contacts a most downstream photosensitive member in the conveying direction is not provided with the paper powder absorption shaft.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; an endless rotatable intermediary transfer belt onto which the toner image is to be transferred from the image bearing member; a transfer device disposed at a position in which the transfer device opposes the image bearing member through the intermediary transfer belt, the transfer device including a sheet member surface-contacted to an inner surface of the intermediary transfer belt and including an urging member for urging the sheet member toward the intermediary transfer belt; and a primary transfer voltage source for applying a voltage to the sheet member.

Abstract: The present teachings provide an intermediate transfer member which includes a substrate layer and a surface layer disposed on the substrate layer. The surface layer includes a polyimide polymer having the formula: wherein n is from about 50 to about 2,000.

Abstract: An outer diameter of a transfer counter roller is made larger than that of a transfer roller to reduce an electrical discharge phenomenon and influence on a toner image.