Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Fumihito Masubuchi

Akira Suzuki

Takashi Hashimoto

Yoshihiko Hotta

Kunichika Morohoshi

Makoto Kawaguchi

Yukio Konagaya

Tetsuya Amano

Toru Nogiwa

Atsushi Kutami

Takao Igawa

Katsuaki Miyawaki

Tohru Nogiwa

Tetsuo Watanabe

Makoto Obu

Yusuke Takeda

Toshio Kawakubo

Akihide Itoh

Nobuo Yamada

Shinji Aoki

Koichi Kudo

Natsumi Matsue

Tsutomu Kagawa

Ippei Fujimoto

Shinji Kato

Takashi Seto

Kazumi Suzuki

Takeshi Ogawa

Makoto Komatsu

Susumu Matsusaka

Yoshinobu Takeyama

Hirotoshi Eguchi

Takeshi Tada

Motohiro Usami

Takakuni Minewaki

Akihide Ito

Katsuyoshi Kodama

Haruhiro Horiuchi

A fixing device includes a fixing rotator rotatable in a given direction of rotation and a pressure rotator pressed against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip therebetween, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A first heater is disposed opposite the fixing rotator with a first interval therebetween to heat the fixing rotator. A reflector reflects light emitted by the first heater to the fixing rotator. The reflector is disposed opposite the first heater with a second interval therebetween that is greater than the first interval.

Fixing device having a heater and reflector arrangement and image forming apparatus having same

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form an adhesive toner pattern in a predetermined bonding range of a sheet, outside a printable range in which an image according to image data is formed, a stacking unit to stack multiple sheets one on top of another, and a sheet binding device that includes a fusing device to fuse and fix the adhesive toner pattern formed on the multiple sheets to bind the multiple sheets together, and a bonding strength setting unit to determine, in accordance with a desired bonding strength, at least one of a number of color toners used for forming the adhesive toner pattern, a bonding manner, a number of pixels of the adhesive toner pattern, a toner area ratio of the adhesive toner pattern, and a layer thickness of the adhesive toner pattern.

Sheet binding device and image forming apparatus incorporating same

A bookbinding system includes an image forming unit to form a toner image on a sheet; a fixing device to fix the toner image onto the sheet; a sheet stacker to load sheets passing through the fixing device, to create a sheet bundle, in which the sheet bundle stacked on the sheet stacker is adhered to produce a complete book; an adhesive toner image forming unit to form an adhesive toner image on an area corresponding to a spine of the complete book; and a heater to heat the unfixed adhesive toner image formed on each sheet of the sheet bundle stacked on the sheet stacker, wherein the adhesive toner image on the sheet stacked on the sheet stacker is the unfixed toner image.

Bookbinding system using unfixed toner image as adhesive

An image forming apparatus is provided with a controller that determines whether a first toner image to be firstly transferred to a transfer body has a portion that is not superimposed by a second toner image to be subsequently transferred to the transfer body so as to be superimposed on the first toner image to generate a determination result, and controls a transfer bias supplied to a transfer device that causes the second toner image to be transferred to the transfer body and an amount of toner to be adhered to form the second toner image, respectively, based on the determination result.

Apparatus and method of controlling an image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an intermediate transfer member, a primary transfer member, and a power supply unit to form a primary-transfer electric-field between the image carrier and the primary transfer member by performing constant-current control. The primary transfer member also detects a change in a primary transfer voltage in a sub-scanning direction that is applied to the primary transfer member from the power supply unit in the sub-scanning direction. There is a conductive member, a secondary transfer member, and a secondary-transfer electric-field forming member to apply a secondary transfer current to the secondary transfer member or the conductive member. A control device controls the secondary transfer current applied to the secondary transfer member or the conductive member in accordance with the change in the primary transfer voltage in the sub-scanning direction detected by the power supply unit.

Image forming apparatus and control method therefor which controls a primary and secondary transfer electric field

A development device configured to develop a latent image with developer including toner and carrier includes a development roller configured to carry the developer. The development roller includes a stationary magnet-fixing member, a plurality of magnets fixed to an interior of the stationary magnet-fixing member to form a plurality of magnetic poles, and a cylindrical rotatable sleeve roller configured to revolve coaxially around the exterior of the magnet-fixing member. Magnetic force distribution of a portion of the plurality of magnetic poles is varied in an axial direction of the development roller at positions corresponding to an image forming area in the axial direction of the development roller, enabling the development device to transport and agitate the developer.

Magnetic roller, development device, and image forming method

A speed change detection apparatus includes an image carrier for carrying a latent image, and a latent image pattern forming device for forming a latent pattern image on the image carrier. The pattern image includes periodically formed line or dot images. An alternating current conversion type surface potential sensor is provided to detect a potential of the surface of the photoconductive member. The alternating current conversion type surface potential sensor further detects a change in speed of the image carrier by detecting a moir&#xe9; appearing on the latent image pattern.

Method and apparatus for speed change detection based on a latent image pattern

Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including a first member having a surface endlessly moving in a specific direction a second member having a surface endlessly moving in the specific direction at a region facing the surface of the first member, and a supporting member holding the second member and to move together with the second member. The supporting member includes a release mechanism to release an engagement of the supporting member from the second member. A pressing member is included to press the second member via the supporting member to cause the second member to contact the first member under pressure to form a nip between the first and second members. The release mechanism releases the engagement of the supporting member from the second member when the second member is pushed away by a leading edge of a recording medium having a thickness greater than a reference thickness value.

Image forming apparatus capable of smooth transmission of recording medium

In an image forming apparatus, a recording medium with a toner image is heated in a heat fusion region to fix the toner image on the recording medium. The image forming apparatus includes a heat pump. The heat pump includes a heat absorbing unit that absorbs heat from the recording medium and/or the toner image in a region that is different from the heat fusion region; and a heat radiating unit that release the heat, which is absorbed by the heat absorbing unit, to heat a recording medium with a toner image in the heat fusion region. Thus, the heat can be reused.

Heat recycling image forming apparatus

In an image forming apparatus that transfers images formed on plural photosensitive drums onto a belt in a superimposing manner to produce a multi-color image, a positional deviation in a main scanning direction, which is generated while transferring the images formed, is detected. An eccentricity phase of each of the photosensitive drums is calculated based on the positional deviation detected, and a rotational phase of the photosensitive drums is controlled based on the eccentricity phase calculated.

Image forming apparatus and image forming method with detecting a positional deviation in a main scanning direction

An inkjet recording apparatus has an inkjet head for ejecting a droplet of ink from a nozzle. The inkjet head includes an electrostatic actuator and a diaphragm which are arranged such that the diaphragm is prevented from being destroyed due to an excessive stress or fatigue. A constant amount of displacement of the diaphragm can be achieved even when a voltage fluctuation occurs. The diaphragm is elastically deformable by an electrostatic force. An electrode faces the diaphragm with a predetermined air gap therebetween so as to generate the electrostatic force. The electrode has a width smaller than a width of the diaphragm at all points along a longitudinal direction of the electrode. The electrode is situated under the diaphragm and arranged such that when the electrode is vertically projected onto the diaphragm, the projected electrode is situated within the diaphragm in a direction of the width of the electrode.

Electrostatic actuator for an ink jet head of an inkjet recording apparatus

A reversible thermosensitive recording material containing a support which is composed of a first film, an adhesive layer formed on the first film and a second film formed on the adhesive layer, with the adhesive strength between the first film and the second film being 0.5 kgf/25 mm or more in terms of the average tensile load at an angle of 180.degree. measured in accordance with JIS K 6854, and a reversible thermosensitive recording layer formed on the support, capable of reversibly assuming a transparent state and a white opaque state depending on the temperature thereof, which recording layer contains a matrix resin and an organic low-molecular-weight mateiral dispersed in the form of finely-divided particles in the matrix resin.

Reversible thermosensitive recording material

A reversible thermosensitive recording medium having a support, a reversible thermosensitive recording layer formed thereon which contains a matrix resin and an organic low-molecular-weight material dispersed in the matrix resin, capable of reversibly assuming a transparent state and a white opaque state depending on the temperature thereof, and a magnetic recording layer formed on the reversible thermosensitive recording layer, and optionally, an anchor layer, which is provided on the reversible thermosensitive recording layer. The magnetic recording layer is integrally provided in a part of the reversible thermosensitive recording layer or the anchor layer by a step of fusion-bonding, applying, or transferring.

Reversible thermosensitive recording medium and method of producing the

A recording and erasure of a visible image on a reversible heat-sensitive recording medium can be repeatedly performed in a stable condition without failure. The visible image is recorded by a thermal recording head on a display area of the recording medium. The recording medium has a non-display area other than the display area. The visible image is erased by providing heat from a thermal erasing head. The thermal erasing head contacts the non-display area before the thermal erasing head contacts the display area so that dirt adhering on the thermal erasing head is removed by friction between the thermal erasing head and the non-contact area of the recording medium.

Recording method and apparatus for positively erasing an image recorded

A recording and erasure of a visible image on a reversible heat-sensitive recording medium can be repeatedly performed in a stable condition without failure. The visible image is recorded by a thermal recording head on the reversible heat-sensitive recording medium. The recording medium is provided with an unheated area which is not exposed to heat. The visible image is erased by providing heat by a thermal erasing head. The reversible heat-sensitive recording medium is provided with an unheated area which is unheated by the thermal erasing head. The unheated area substantially extends along at least one of sides of the reversible heat-sensitive recording medium. The unheated area prevents the reversible heat-sensitive recording medium from being warped when a erasing operation is repeated many times.

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Mishima, Japan

Fumihito Masubuchi