Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a cleaner, which can be a cleaning blade, for removing residual toner from the surface of a rotatable image-bearing member, and a charger for imparting a charge to the residual toner before the residual toner is removed by the cleaner. The amount of charge imparted to the residual toner is less than 10 .mu.c/g.

Abstract: In an image forming method in which an image is formed through the charging, exposing, developing, transferring, and charge eliminating steps using an amorphous silicon photoreceptor having an amorphous silicon photosensitive layer, an image forming method according to the present invention is so adapted that letting t1 be a time period from the charging step to the developing step and t2 be a time period from the charge eliminating step to the charging step, the value of t2/t1 is not less than one.

Abstract: A method of cleaning a media preheater that is positioned in the media path of a printer is disclosed. The media preheater has a fixed heater and a movable plate array biased toward the heater such that printer media passing between the plate array and the heater is compressed therebetween and heated. The preheater may be positioned upstream of a print head and downstream of a media advancing mechanism in the media path. More than one plate may be provided in the plate array to accommodate non-planarity of the heater or the printing media. The method elevates the temperature of the contact surface of the preheater to a cleaning temperature that is greater than the operating temperature and then passes a chase sheet over the surface to remove contamination from the preheater surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with a web type cleaning device for cleaning a fixing roller of a fixing device. The cleaning device has a web roller having a web wound therearound and a web winding roller to wind the web unwound from the web roller. A part of the web unwound from the web roller is pushed by a pushing device, including a spring member, against the fixing roller with a relatively small pushing force. When the fixing roller rotates, the heating roller is cleaned by the web contacting the heating roller. After a predetermined number of copies are completed and when the heating roller is not rotating, the web is wound by the web winding roller to change the portion contacting the fixing roller.

Abstract: A cleaning device is disclosed having a web pressed against a fixing roller for cleaning, a wind-up roller taking up the web by its rotation, a motor rotating the wind-up roller, a counter accumulating the number of treatments by the fixing roller, and a control unit actuating the motor to rotate the wind-up roller by a prescribed angle whenever the number of the treatments reaches a prescribed value, and changing the value in accordance with the number of treatments accumulated by the counter. This device actuates the motor to rotate the wind-up roller taking up the web so that the prescribed value as the web feeding timing corresponding to one actuation of the motor may be increased in accordance with the cumulative number of treatments by the fixing roller. Owing to this control, the web can be fed out in a fixed amount by a simple construction even when the outside diameter of the wind-up roller with the web continues to increase.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus equipped with a monochrome mode and color mode, in which the transfer drum is made to rotate without any paper wrapped around it to clean the transfer drum each time a series of copy operations is completed. By controlling the cleaning period through increasing or decreasing the number of non-paper rotations in response to the last copy operation mode, the transfer drum may be adequately cleaned at all times, and the amount of wear on the transfer drum and cleaning device caused by the cleaning operation is reduced.

Abstract: Developer material remaining on an image bearing member after transfer are collected by a developer. A cleaning member is arranged between a charger and an exposure in contact with the image bearing member, for collecting the residual developer material. A bias controller controls biases to be applied to a cleaner, a charger, and a developer. During an image forming process, the biases are so determined that the residual toner on the image bearing member is collected by the cleaner. While the image forming process is not performed, the biases are so determined that the collected toner is removed from the cleaner to the image bearing member and then collected by the developer.

Abstract: A full-color image forming apparatus having a photo-conductive belt on which mono-color toner images are respectively formed, an intermediate transfer belt onto which the mono-color toner images are respectively transferred to form a full-color toner image, and a transfer member for transferring the full-color toner image onto a copy sheet. The intermediate transfer belt includes timing marks printed thereon which are detected by a sensor to generate an image forming start signal for each of the first mono-color toner image forming processes. The start signal is generated by a controller only when cleaning of the intermediate transfer belt has completed and the cleaning blade has left therefrom. A timer may be used to delay the starting of the first mono-color image forming process until the transfer belt returns to a normal operating speed after the cleaning blade is removed from the transfer belt.

Abstract: Registration controlling methods are provided for a color electrophotographic apparatus capable of forming an image without color registration errors and uneven color. This is accomplished by preventing a photosensitive medium from being undesirably moved in the direction perpendicular to the transportation direction caused by an electrostatic attractive force between the photosensitive medium and an intermediate transfer device, even if there is a twist between the fixed axis of the member supporting the photosensitive medium and the axis of the member supporting the intermediate transfer device. With these methods, a fur brush cleaner made of a conductive brush is detached from the intermediate transfer device during the time period after the start of driving the photosensitive medium and until the front edge of the photosensitive medium reaches the intermediate transfer device.

Abstract: A toner image processing apparatus performs a printing operation and a cleaning operation. A toner-attracting electrode includes first and second electrodes disposed closer to the charged surface of a photosensitive drum and outside of a path through which the light from the exposing device illuminates the charged surface. During the toner attracting operation, a toner-recovering device causes the toner-attracting electrode to attract the toner particles floating in the air surrounding the exposing device, and reversely charged toner particles and residual toner particles left on the photosensitive drum after the toner image is transferred to the print medium. During the toner-releasing operation, the toner-recovering device causes the toner-attracting electrode to release the attracted toner particles to the photosensitive drum. The toner-attracting operation is performed during the printing operation and the toner-releasing operation is performed during the cleaning operation.

Abstract: A preconditioning process and dual electrostatic brush cleaning apparatus for reducing adhesion of toner particles on the photoreceptor surface such that cleaning of the photoreceptor is enhanced. Preconditioning of the brush and/or the photoreceptor in the cleaning apparatus allows for cleaning of dual polarity toners, CAD toners and DAD toners. The preconditioning of the brush does not need replenishing once the print operation begins due to the electrostatics that maintain a constant predetermined level of toner in the brush.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a cleaning member for collecting toner left on an image carrier after image transfer, and then redepositing it on the carrier, so that a developing unit can collect the redeposited toner to reuse it. Even when the frictional charging ability of the cleaning member falls due to aging or varying environment, the charge of the toner left on the image carrier is regulated to preselected polarity before the toner reaches the cleaning member, thereby enhancing a toner collecting efficiency and a toner redepositing efficiency. The charge of the toner redeposited on the image carrier and moved away from the cleaning member is regulated to preselected polarity while being increased, thereby reducing a load to act on the developing unit. The toner is redeposited on the image carrier efficiently without regard to the polarity of the toner collected by the cleaning member.

Abstract: An electrophotographic recording apparatus that removes reverse-charged toner that is charged with a polarity opposite to a polarity of a normal-charged toner. The apparatus includes a carrier belt; a transfer roller for carrying the toner adhering to the surface of the photosensitive body toward the carrier belt; a transfer power supply for applying to the transfer roller a first voltage that causes the normal-charged toner adhering to the surface of the photosensitive body to be transferred to the recording medium on the carrier belt, and a second voltage, of opposite polarity to the first voltage, that causes the reverse-charged toner adhering to the surface of the photosensitive body to be transferred to the carrier belt; and a carrier belt cleaning blade.

Abstract: An electrostatographic recording apparatus and method includes recording of electrostatic images and a patch area on an endless imaging member. The recording is operative in accordance with adjustable parameters to adjust density of the patch area. A development station is operative in accordance with another parameter for adjusting density of the images and the patch area. A sensor senses density of a toned patch area and generates a first signal representing density of the toned patch area. A transfer station transfers images on the image member to a transfer medium. A cleaning station located downstream of the sensor and the transfer station cleans remnant toner and the patch area on the imaging member. The cleaning station is adjustable to alter cleaning performance.

Abstract: A transfer sheet detect sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a transfer sheet is disposed between a point of contact where a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier to form a toner image is contacted with a transfer roller in a transfer portion and a point of tucking provided just upstream of the contact point where the transfer sheet is tucked into the image carrier just upstream of the contact point, the transfer roller is disposed such that it can be contacted with and retreated (separated) from the image carrier, and a cleaning roller is provided such that it can be contacted with the transfer roller while the transfer roller is retreated to its separated position, whereby a given cleaning voltage is applied to the transfer roller when the transfer roller is cleaned by the cleaning roller.

Abstract: The scavenging of a first toner into a second toning station in a DAD-CAD or CAD-DAD process can be reduced by allowing scavenged toner to deposit in the background of single color images. The polarity of the first toner of the scavenged toner is not changed prior to transfer and remains on the image member through transfer from which it is later cleaned. Alternatively, scavenged toner is deposited from a second toning station on the image member while no images are being made and allowed to pass through transfer to be cleaned off.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a developing unit which is removably installed in a body of the image forming apparatus, a shutter covering a developing region of the photosensitive member when the developing unit is removed from the body of the image forming apparatus and a cleaning member capable of cleaning the surface of the photosensitive member in accordance with rotation of the photosensitive member by making contact with the photosensitive member in conjunction with the shutter covering operation, but which does not contact the photosensitive member when the shutter is open. During a control operation, foreign matter such as used developer adhered to the photosensitive member is removed when the photosensitive member is rotated with the shutter closed.

Abstract: An endless belt is passed between a visible image forming unit and a thermal transfer unit. A cleaning device for removing residual toner on the endless belt is provided on the downstream side of the thermal transfer unit. The cleaning device comprises a cleaning roller having a rigid surface member of a metal coated with an elastic member, a contacting/separating mechanism for contacting/separating the cleaning roller with/from the endless belt, and a refresh blade for removing the toner staying on the cleaning roller. Separated from the endless belt, the cleaning roller is contacted with the refresh blade.

Abstract: In a page printer (3), a controller (7) calculates the length of paper from a paper size specified by a host computer (1) and notifies a printing portion (11) of the calculated paper length, and the printing portion (11) executes the feeding of paper (13) which is set based on the assumption that the paper (13) has the paper length notified by the controller (7). The printing portion (11) measures the actual length of the paper (13) during the paper feeding and notifies the controller (7) of the measured actual paper length, while the controller (7) judges in accordance with the actual paper length notified by the printing portion (11) whether there is present a paper size error. If it is found that the paper size error is present, then the controller (7) assumes the actual width of the paper (13) from the actual paper length of the paper (13), and then compares the actual length and width of the paper (13) with the greatest length and width of a printed image.

Abstract: An apparatus in which a six bar linkage cleaner brush retraction/engagement mechanism enables brush retraction (and engagement with the photoreceptor) while providing good control over the brush interference and the capability of changing all of the timing parameters through clutch actuation times in software and clutch shaft speed. The mechanism allows the brushes to retract and engage the photoreceptor independently of one another with relatively soft contacts to the photoreceptor to minimize impacts to photoreceptor motion quality. A four position clutch is used to provide magnetic pole sensor outputs to the system controller to decide when the clutch, which drives the six bar linkage, is engaged and disengaged. The index wheel of the clutch has four equally spaced magnets that are located relative to the retraction crank shaft so that there is a significant amount of time between detecting a pole and the corresponding desired state. An encoder is used to monitor the mechanical drift of each cleaner state.

Abstract: A copying machine comprises a cleaning device for cleaning toner remaining on the surface of a photoconductive drum, and a sensor for detecting image density of an image to be formed on the drum. The cleaning device includes a cleaning blade arranged to contact with drum, and an auxiliary cleaning mechanism arranged upstream the cleaning blade with respect to the rotating direction of the drum. The auxiliary cleaning mechanism has variable cleaning capacity. The cleaning capacity of the auxiliary cleaning mechanism is varied by a control unit in accordance with the image density detected by the sensor.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a toner image, formed by developing an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor, is primarily transferred to an intermediate transfer member and is secondarily transferred to a recording sheet. The image forming apparatus is provided with a retractable transfer member, which secondarily transfers the toner image on the recording sheet, and a retractable cleaning member, which removes a residual toner on the intermediate transfer member after the secondary transfer. In the above apparatus, when the primary transfer and the secondary transfer are not being performed, the transfer member and the cleaning member are allowed to contact with or retract from the intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for increasing brush life and reducing emissions by removing accumulated toner using detoning cycles. A further embodiment of the disclosure is a method for periodic brush-reversing detoning cycle occurring during a standby condition.

Abstract: A bias cleaning system has an electrically conductive brush roller for collecting toner which has to adhered a transfer belt by scrubbing the toner off the transfer belt under a condition in which a direct current voltage of the opposite polarity to the charge of the toner is applied to the brush roller. A corona charger is also provided for decreasing the amount of charge on the toner on the transfer belt in a region of the belt up-stream of the electrically conductive brush roller in the moving direction of the transfer belt.

Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for removing an image forming substance such as toner from an image holding member such as a sheet of transfer paper, an unstabilizing agent is provided to the image holding member. An attaching state between the image forming substance and the image holding member stably attaching the image forming substance on a surface thereof is changed to an unstable state by the unstabilizing agent. The image forming substance is separated and removed from the image holding member by making a separating member come in close contact with the image forming substance on the image holding member having the provided unstabilizing agent. A processing situation mark showing a processing situation of removal of the image forming substance is formed in the image holding member. The processing situation mark can be removed from the image holding member by the image forming substance removing processing.