Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Hiromi Tamura

Takashi Seto

Kazumi Suzuki

Katsuaki Miyawaki

Atsushi Nakafuji

Shin Kayahara

Hiromitsu Takagaki

Takashi Fujita

Tsuyoshi Sugimoto

Takeshi Takemoto

A process includes developing toner images on a photoconductor, transferring to an intermediate transfer belt and a transferring-and-fixing roller. The toner images are transferred to and fixed to a paper simultaneously while the paper moves between the transferring-and-fixing roller and a pressure roller which is pressed against the transferring-and-fixing roller. After transfer process to the paper, residual toner particles remaining on the transferring-and-fixing roller are removed by a cleaning roller. In order to achieve a cleanability from the transferring-and-fixing roller and prevent the intermediate belt from becoming too high temperature, the elastic modulus of the toner particles measured when the toner particles are heated is greater than the elastic modulus of the toner particles when cooled in a temperature range where the glass transition temperature and 10&#xb0; C. lower than the melting temperature of the toner particles.

Process, toner, process cartridge and apparatus for developing a toner image

A transfer unit for use in an image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt, and a counter member. The transfer belt, having a given circumferential length, receives an un-fixed image, formed of an image developer, from an image carrier at a first nip, which is defined between the transfer belt and the image carrier. The counter member faces the transfer belt to form a second nip with the transfer belt. The un-fixed image is transferred from the transfer belt to a recording medium passing through the second nip. A slack portion is generated in the transfer belt, when a front edge of the recording medium passes through the second nip. The slack portion of the transfer belt being generated in a first portion of the transfer belt returning from the second nip to the first nip.

Transfer-fixing unit and image forming apparatus for enhanced image quality

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Kanagawa, Japan

Hiromi Tamura