Toray Industries, Inc.

Hidetoshi Hara

Jun Inagaki

Yoshihiro Tamura

Shigehiro Hano

Yuji Tanaka

Yoshihiro Chujo

Hiroyoshi Asada

Yuichi Nakao

Eizo Kanaya

Kazuo Ishiwari

Junichi Matsumura

Masahiro Okita

Mitio Yamasaki

An image forming method and image forming apparatus in which a toner image formed on an image carrier ( ) through steps of discharging, main charging, exposure and development is transferred to a recording medium (S) and then fixed as an image using flash light. The image forming apparatus ( ) has a secondary charger ( ) for secondarily charging the image carrier to have the same polarity as a polarity given by a main charger ( ) and a surface potential larger in absolute value than a surface potential given by the main charger.

Electrophotographic image-forming method and apparatus

Electrophotographic device, electrophotography, and process for preparing sheet bearing toner images

An electrographic printing apparatus and method obtain high-quality images without the occurrence of transfer nonuniformity when toner images are transferred from a latent image carrier to an intermediate transfer medium. The apparatus and method record a toner image present on the latent image carrier by transferring and fixing the toner image to a recording medium via the intermediate transfer medium having an elastic layer on a surface thereof. The printing apparatus has a tensile spring for pressing the intermediate transfer medium against the latent image carrier, and the pressing force of the tensile spring is set so that the straightness in the width direction on the surface of the elastic layer is not larger than the height of the toner image.

Recording apparatus and method including intermediate transfer medium

An electrophotographic printer includes: a photosensitive drum; a latent image forming portion for forming electrostatic latent images on the photosensitive drum based on print information; a developing portion for developing the electrostatic latent images using toner; an intermediate transfer drum for receiving the toner images from the photosensitive drum; a transportation portion for delivering a recording medium; and a transfer roll for transferring the toner image from the intermediate transfer roll to the recording medium. A pressure force P.sub.1 between the photosensitive drum and the intermediate transfer drum is less than a pressure force P.sub.2 between the transfer roll and the intermediate transfer drum. P.sub.1 and P.sub.2 may also have the relationship P.sub.1 .gtoreq.P.sub.2 sin.theta., where .theta. is an angle formed between a line through the centers of rotation of the intermediate transfer drum and the transfer roll, and a line perpendicular to a line through the centers of rotation of the photosensitive drum and the intermediate transfer drum. The transfer roll may be separated from the intermediate transfer drum when the image is transferred from the photosensitive drum to the intermediate transfer drum.

Electrophotographic printer and printing method using specific

A method for printing on a metal item includes the step of successively forming a plurality of electrostatic latent images based on print information color-separated into yellow, magenta, cyan and black, on a photosensitive drum. The electrostatic latent images are successively developed by toners of different colors corresponding to the color-separated print information. A multicolor toner image is formed on an intermediate transfer medium having a cushion layer thereon by successively repeating a process in which the toner images are transferred to the intermediate transfer medium in layers. The multicolor toner image is transferred onto a surface of a metal item. Thereafter, the multicolor toner image is fixed on the surface of the metal item.

Electrophotographic printing method for printing on metal

An electrophotographic printer includes a photosensitive drum, an exposure device for successively forming a plurality of electrostatic latent images based on the color-separated print information on the photosensitive drum and a developing device for successively developing the electrostatic latent images into toner images by toners of different colors corresponding to the print information. An intermediate transfer medium is pressed against the photosensitive drum so that the toner images on the photosensitive drum are successively transferred to the intermediate transfer medium to form a multicolor toner image on the intermediate transfer medium. A transporting medium is used for feeding and delivering a recording medium, which the multicolor toner image formed on the intermediate transfer medium is to be transferred to and fixed on, to and from the intermediate transfer medium. A and heating-fixing device is pressed against the intermediate transfer medium via the recording medium, in which a plurality of electrostatic latent images based on the print information color-separated into yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are successively formed on the photosensitive drum. The electrostatic latent images are successively developed into toner images by toners of different colors corresponding to the color-separated print information. The process in which the toner images are transferred to the intermediate transfer medium is repeated successively to form a multicolor toner image thereon, and the multicolor toner image is transferred to and fixed on the recording medium.

Electrophotographic color printing apparatus using successively

An electrophotographic printer is provided with: a photosensitive drum; a feeding device which feeds a continuous recording sheet; a transfer device which transfers a toner image formed on the photosensitive surface of the drum onto the sheet; a cleaning device which removes residual developer from the photosensitive surface; and a photographic fixing device which fixes the toner image to the sheet. The feeding device includes an endless belt which is located on the downstream side of the drum with reference to the sheet-feeding direction and which travels in one direction. The feeding device also includes a charger which electrically charges the endless belt, so as to allow the sheet to be electrostatically attracted on the endless belt.

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Otsu, Japan

Hidetoshi Hara