Ikegami Tsushinki Co., Ltd.

Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Canon Kasei Kabushiki Kaisha

Ikegami Tsushiniki Co. Ltd.

Akihiro Suzuki

Hiroshi Tobita

Hiroshi Yamamoto

Kenji Kosaka

Hiroshi Abe

Kenji Hayashi

Hiroshi Kimura

Hirobumi Takahashi

Hidetoshi Ichige

A method for manufacturing a low-cost electrophotographic elastic roller having a good dimensional precision is provided. In that method, in which both end parts of a shaft core body are gripped and fixed in a vertical direction, an inclination of a central axis is corrected, a circular coating head including a circular slit is used so that the shaft core body is moved in the direction, and a elastic layer material is ejected from the slit to be coated on the shaft core body, the method includes: a maximum deflection coordinate in a longitudinal direction of the shaft core body is detected with a central axis of the shaft core body as a base point coordinate before coating; a central position of the head is moved at constant from the base point to the maximum during coating, and the position is moved to the base point after the head has reached the maximum.

Method for manufacturing electrophotographic elastic roller

In a charging roller having a support member and a conductive cover layer, the conductive cover layer is formed of a seamless tube. The seamless tube contains at least (A) a thermoplastic styrene elastomer, (B) a polystyrene resin and (C) a carbon black, and the proportion of the component (A) to the component (B) is (A)/(B)&equals;60/40 to 20/80 in weight ratio. A process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus have such a charging roller.

Charging roller including a conductive cover layer being formed of a seamless tube, process cartridge and electrophotographic image forming apparatus including such a charging roller

A conductive member which is to be disposed in contact with an electrophotographic photosensitive member and to which a voltage is to be applied; and which includes a support member and a conductive covering layer provided on the support member. The conductive covering layer includes both a first carbon black having a DBP oil absorption of from 300 cm /100 g to 500 cm /100 g and a second carbon black having a DBP oil absorption of 250 cm /100 g or smaller and showing a pH of 5 or below. Also disclosed are a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus which make use of the conductive member as a primary charging roller.

Conductive member, process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus

The sheet finisher includes a predetermined folding mode for receiving a sheet from a copy machine and which features a plurality of transfer guides through which the sheets received from the copy machine are selectively transferred; switching flappers for switching the flow of the sheet between guides, a temporary holding guide in which the leading end portion of sheets can be temporarily inserted; a sheet folding arrangement including press roller pairs for folding the sheets; a sheet discharge angle control device which varies the angle at which the sheets are discharged onto an upper tray in accordance with the folding mode that is being used; a tray shift mechanism for moving the tray left and right so as to stack the sheets which are discharged thereonto in a classifying manner; a friction roller for moving a predetermined corner of each of the sheets into a preselected corner of the tray; a fastening device for fastening the sheets which have been maneuvered into the preselected corner by the friction roller; a tray rise mechanism for changing the distance between the upper surface of the tray and the level at which the sheets are discharged; an escape mechanism which drops processed stacks of sheets from the upper tray into a lower one; and a tray angle varying mechanism for changing the angle of the lower tray when the stacks are dropped theretowards.

Sheet finisher

A first moving member is arranged on a base for reciprocal movement in an article transporting direction. A second moving member is arranged on the first moving member for reciprocal movement in the article transporting direction. The second moving member is adapted to contact each receptacle which is being transported to an operation position to which receptacles carrying articles to be treated are sequentially transported. A first biasing mechanism biases the first moving member in a direction opposite to the receptacle transporting direction. A second biasing mechanism biases the second moving member in a direction opposite to the receptacle transporting direction by a biasing force smaller than a biasing force of the first biasing mechanism. Pressing arm is mounted on the first moving member for movement toward and away from the articles to be treated on each receptacle at the operation position. A link mechanism links between the pressing arm and the second moving member for moving the pressing arm to press articles on the receptacle when the first and second moving members are relatively moved.

Article pressing device and sorter with the same

A sorter with a plurality of receptacles arranged vertically movably and being capable of receiving articles to be treated. A drawing mechanism sequentially draws out one of the receptacles to a predetermined treatment position by shifting the receptacles. A treatment is applied by a treatment mechanism to the articles on respective receptacles drawn out to the treatment position. One of the articles is discharged by a discharging mechanism to a lower adjacent receptacle positioned just below the receptacle drawn out. A front portion of each receptacle is guided diagonally upwardly by a guiding mechanism when the receptacle is drawn out, the front portion of the receptacle being remote from the treatment position.

Sorter

A transporting device for articles to be transported and a sorter with the same. The transporting device includes transporting rollers arranged in a transportation passage so as to contact the articles to be transported for transportation in a forward direction. The transporting rollers are supported for rotation about an axis which is swingable in a substantially horizontal plane. The axis of each transporting roller is selectively changed by a direction changing mechanism between one direction to transport the articles to be transported in the forward direction and another direction to obliquely transport the articles to be transported toward a side wall. The side wall is provided along the forward direction at an article reception position in the transportation passage.

Transporting device and sorter with the same

A sorter includes a shifting mechanism for sequentially shifting the receptacles and for holding each receptacle shifted in an open position in which the articles to be treated may be placed on the receptacle. The shifting mechanism is provided with a pair of Geneva wheels each having at least one groove formed therein on a predetermined phase condition. The shifting mechanism further includes a first guide slot to vertically movably align and guide the pins of each receptacle, and a second guide slot continuous to the first guide slot, the second guide slot being adapted to laterally guide a pin of one of the receptacles for drawing out the one receptacle. The pin of the one receptacle is biased by a biasing mechanism against the outer circumferential surfaces of the Geneva wheels. The receptacles are received in a receptacle carrier, and the receptacle carrier is vertically movably arranged. A restraining mechanism is provided to the receptacle carrier for restraining the pins in the first guide slot in contact with adjacent pins.

The sheet finisher includes a predetermined folding mode for receiving a sheet from a copy machine and which features a plurality of transfer guides through which the sheets received from the copy machine are selectively transferred; switching flappers for switching the flow of the sheet between guides, a temporary holding guide in which the leading end portion of the sheets can be temporarily inserted; a sheet folding arrangement including press roller pairs for folding the sheets; a sheet discharge angle control device which varies the angle at which the sheets are discharged onto an upper tray in accordance with the folding mode that is being used; a tray shift mechanism for moving the tray left and right so as to stack the sheets which are discharged thereonto in a classifying manner; a friction roller for moving a predetermined corner of each of the sheets into a preselected corner of the tray; a fastening device for fastening the sheets which have been maneuvered into the preselected corner by the friction roller; a tray rise mechanism for changing the distance between the upper surface of the tray and the level at which the sheets are discharged; an escape mechanism which drops processed stacks of sheets from the upper tray into a lower one; and a tray angle varying mechanism for changing the angle of the lower tray when the stacks are dropped theretowards.

A recorded sheet is turned from a face-up condition to a face-down condition by horizontal transport belts, a first guide member, vertical transport belts, and a second guide member. The recorded sheet is guided to a discharge device, and discharged to a tray by the discharge device. During a sorting action, the discharge device is transferred by a transfer device to the tray to which a sheet is to be discharged. In response to this transfer, a hold member is extended or shortened in a vertical direction and holds a sheet being transported between the hold member and the vertical transport belts in such a manner as to avoid interference with its transport, so that the sheet can be prevented from falling by gravity.

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Ibaraki, Japan

Akihiro Suzuki