Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Hidekazu Shono

Naoki Nakatake

Tetsumaru Fujita

Tomofumi Inoue

Shuuichi Nakagawa

Yuusuke Furuichi

Yoshihiro Mikuriya

Osamu Saito

Tomofumi Yoshida

Masayuki Hagi

Tsuyoshi Nozaki

Takuya Kadota

Yoshimichi Ishikawa

Ryuji Inoue

Kazuoki Fuwa

Yasuhide Ohkubo

Tomohiro Fukao

Shintaro Yamada

Manabu Hamada

Takeshi Yamashita

Yoshihiro Fukuhata

Takafumi Miyazaki

Tomoharu Miki

Tetsushi Sakuma

Rie Mitani

Kei Hasegawa

Ryouhei Ohi

A toner container includes a substantially tetrahedral toner-containing portion having an openable edge to discharge toner contained in the toner-containing portion, and a reference fold along which the toner container is foldable after the openable edge is opened. The reference fold extends from the openable edge and is provided on medians of two triangular faces of the toner-containing portion adjoining each other along the openable edge.

Toner container, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a first pair of rotary members pressing against each other, forming a first nip therebetween, a cover sheet supply unit to transport to the first nip a cover sheet to be superimposed on an imaging surface of a recording medium, a separation unit that separates the cover sheet from the recording medium after the recording medium passes through the first nip and includes a second pair of rotary members pressing against each other, forming a second nip therebetween, and a drive unit to rotate the first and second pairs of rotary members in both a normal direction for transporting the cover sheet in a supply direction and a reverse direction. The first and second pairs of rotary members and the drive unit together form a cover sheet return mechanism for returning the cover sheet separated from the recording medium to the supply position.

Image forming apparatus and cover sheet conveyance system incorporated therein

In a fixing device, an opposing member contacts a heating member to form a fixing nip between the heating member and the opposing member. A driver rotatively drives at least one of the heating member and the opposing member. A sheet supplier supplies and conveys a sheet to the fixing nip. A recording medium bearing an unfixed toner image is conveyed through a gap between the sheet and the opposing member at the fixing nip with a side of the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image facing the sheet. At least one of the rotating heating member and the rotating opposing member applies a driving force to the sheet supplied to the fixing nip while the sheet contacts the sheet supplier to apply tension to the sheet at a position upstream from the fixing nip in a sheet conveyance direction.

Fixing device, image forming apparatus, and image forming method

When a gloss application sheet is conveyed through a nip formed between a first nip formation member and a second nip formation member pressing against each other, the gloss application sheet is sandwiched between the first nip formation member and a recording medium simultaneously conveyed through the nip. The gloss application sheet includes a first contact surface contacting the first nip formation member and a second contact surface disposed opposite the first contact surface for contacting the recording medium. The first contact surface has a reduced adhesive force compared to the second contact surface.

Gloss application sheet for applying a uniformed gloss to a toner image on a recording medium

A cleaning device capable of reducing the apparatus and prolonging the service life of the cleaning blade is disclosed. The cleaning device includes a cleaning blade including an elastic blade, a pressing member disposed near the downstream side of the image carrier with respect to the elastic blade, and a driving mechanism for driving the pressing member so as to be in contact with and press the elastic blade. The driving mechanism operates so as to press the elastic blade in the upstream direction to separate the elastic blade from the surface of the image carrier for a while. Then, the driving mechanism operates to move the pressing member to be separated from the elastic blade so that the elastic blade is in contact with the surface of the image carrier.

Cleaning device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus having a pressing member which contacts an elastic blade

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, an image writing unit, a development unit, a transfer device, a charging device, and a toner charge control device. The image writing unit forms a latent image on the image carrying member, which is developed as a toner image by the development unit, and the toner image is transferred to a transfer member by the transfer device. The charging device charges the image carrying member and toner on the image carrying member. The toner charge control device, controls a polarity of charge and charging voltage level of toner remaining on the image carrying member. The toner charge control device includes an endless belt having a surface made of a conductive material, a support member extending the endless belt pressed against the image carrying member, and a bias voltage applicator for supplying a voltage to the surface of the endless belt.

Process cartridge and image forming apparatus including a toner charge control device with an endless belt

An image forming device including toner image forming means that forms toner images on the surface of an image carrier, transfer means that transfers the toner images on the surface of the image carrier onto a transfer member, and a plate shaped cleaning blade. The cleaning blade is configured to contact the surface of the image carrier at a pressure of greater than 40 N/m and to scrape off residual toner remaining on the surface of the image carrier after the transfer process by the transfer means has been completed. The surface of the image carrier has a static coefficient of friction with a sheet as measured by the Euler belt type coefficient of friction measurement method of 0.5 or greater, and the cleaning blade has a static coefficient of friction with a polytetrafluoroethylene tape in the range 1.0 to 2.0.

Image forming device, processing unit, and image forming method

To improve the user maintainability and cost performance with respect to replacing replaceable components in an image forming apparatus using a tandem type intermediate transfer member. In an image forming apparatus provided with: primary transfer rollers that successively transfer toner images formed on a plurality of photosensitive members to an intermediate transfer belt on a surface of which the images are moved; and a secondary transfer roller that transfers in one operation the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt to a recording medium, and the plurality of photosensitive members are formed as a plurality of image carrier units that are removable with respect to the main body of the image forming apparatus, a belt cleaning member that cleans secondary transfer residual toner from the intermediate transfer belt is disposed upstream, relative to the direction of movement of the surface of the intermediate transfer belt, of the image carrier unit that is disposed uppermost in the upstream direction, and the belt cleaning member is capable of being integrally removed.

Image forming apparatus and image carrier unit

Growing community of inventors

Hyogo, Japan

Hidekazu Shono