Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.

Minolta Camera Co., Ltd. Senri Center

Fumio Masuda

Junji Machida

Eiichi Sano

Junji Ohtani

Masahiro Anno

Masanori Murakami

Toshiya Natsuhara

Koji Yamamoto

Hiroshi Murasaki

Yuji Enoguchi

Masashi Yamamoto

Noboru Ito

Masashi Kawai

Hideyuki Kurahashi

Tatsuyuki Sasaki

Yoshiki Omichi

Takashi Gonda

Yasuyuki Nomura

Junya Hirayama

Hirokazu Yoshida

A fixing device forms a fixing nip by pressing a first roller, which is inside a rotation path of a rotating belt, with a second roller via the belt, and thermally fixes an unfixed image formed on a sheet S by passing the sheet S through the fixing nip while heating the belt by electromagnetic induction. The fixing device includes an excitation coil positioned outside said path, and a fixed plate that (i) is inside the path, substantially facing the excitation coil via the belt, (ii) contacts an inner surface of the belt, and (iii) keeps the belt on the path. A base member of the belt is a conductive heat generation layer containing no magnetic shunt alloy. The fixed plate includes a conductive layer and a magnetic shunt alloy layer that is closer to the belt than the conductive layer.

Fixing device and image formation apparatus

First beltsuspended on first upstream rollerand first downstream roller, and second beltsuspended on second upstream rollerand second downstream rollereach have a stiffness such that when assumed to be separated from each other, the first beltand the second beltrotate while maintaining an elliptic shape thereof. One of two portions of the first beltfacing each other between the first upstream rollerand the first downstream rollerand one of two portions of the second beltfacing each other between the second upstream rollerand the second downstream rollerare flat as a result of being brought into pressing contact with each other, and a fixing nip is formed therebetween. A toner image is fixed by being heated by heater lampwhen recording sheet S passes through the fixing nip.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus provided with the fixing device

An image forming apparatus includes a developing device that uses a developer carrier to advance to an image carrier a developer including a toner and a carrier and supplies the toner to the image carrier by applying a developing bias between the developer carrier and the image carrier. In the image forming apparatus, the following operation is performed before the developer in the developing device is taken out. The toner is supplied to the image carrier by applying the developing bias between the developer carrier and the image carrier, the developing bias increased in a direction to supply the toner to the image carrier. The toner supplied onto the image carrier is not transferred to a transfer receiving material but is advanced into a toner recovery device for recovery. The recovered toner is prevented from being returned to the developing device.

Image forming apparatus and method

A fixing device forms a fixing nip by pressing a first roller, which is inside a rotation path of a rotating belt, with a second roller via the belt, and thermally fixes an unfixed image formed on a sheet S by passing the sheet S through the fixing nip while heating the belt by electromagnetic induction. The fixing device comprises an excitation coil positioned outside said path, and a fixed plate that (i) is inside said path, substantially facing the excitation coil via the belt, (ii) contacts an inner surface of the belt, and (iii) keeps the belt on said path. A base member of the belt is a conductive heat generation layer containing no magnetic shunt alloy. The fixed plate includes a conductive layer and a magnetic shunt alloy layer that is closer to the belt than the conductive layer.

An image forming apparatus has a toner recycling mechanism for effecting toner recycling. The image forming apparatus includes a developing unit accommodating developer for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of a photosensitive member, a cleaning unit for recovering developer remaining on the surface of the photosensitive member after development, and a toner recycling assembly. The toner recycling assembly includes a developer conveyor pipe through which the developer recovered by the cleaning unit is conveyed to the developing unit for recycling of toner contained in the developer, and also includes a developer supply or transport pipe for supplying the developer accommodated in the developing unit to either the developer conveyor pipe or the cleaning unit.

Image forming apparatus having a toner recycling mechanism

The present invention relates to an electrophotographic sensitive member having a photosensitive layer superimposed on an aluminum substrate having an aluminum oxide layer improving the color reproducibility of specific colors' wherein the aluminum oxide layer is colored to have specific maximum absorption wavelength.

Photosensitive member having a colored aluminum oxide layer

According to the present invention, the incorporation of polymeric-magnetic coordination complex powder in a toner effects improvements of chargeability, dusting resistance and fixing properties, and the formation of clear color images.

Toner containing polymeric-magnetic coordination complex

In an apparatus for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrostatic latent image carrier using a monocomponent developer, a developing member, which makes contact with the electrostatic latent image carrier when the developing member has a coating of monocomponent developer maintained on the surface thereof, incorporates a dielectric material in which conductive particles are dispersed and has a volume resistivity that increases from the direction of the core to the surface.

Developing member composed of conductive particles in a dielectric

According to the present invention, the incorporation of polymeric-magnetic coordination complex powder in a photoconductive toner effects the production of toners excellent in dispersibility, heat stability, toner film formability and color reproducibility.

Photoconductive toner containing polymeric-magnetic coordination complex

This invention relates to carriers for electrophotography comprising a binder component including a binder resin, a polymeric-magnetic coordination complex, and an inorganic magnetic material dispersed in the binder component at the ratio of 100-900 parts by weight to 100 parts by weight of the binder component, which effect the electrical resistance as well as magnetic properties. Carriers of the invention are suitable, in particular, for a copier furnished with a high rotation developing sleeve.

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Sakai, Japan

Fumio Masuda