Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Panasonic Corporation

Gunze Limited

Katsumi Adachi

Takashi Hayakawa

Masamitsu Sakuma

Kiyoshi Toizumi

Taisuke Kamimura

Toshiaki Kagawa

Tadashi Iwamatsu

Yukihito Nishio

Shiro Narikawa

Toshimitsu Gotoh

Shirou Wakahara

Yuhi Yui

Iwakazu Honda

Kenji Mishima

Hiroshi Doshohda

Shoutaro Okamoto

Mikihiko Nishitani

Kazuhiro Matsuyama

Masashi Hirai

Masashi Goto

Hiroyuki Hirakawa

Eiichi Kido

Akitsugu Hatano

Atsushi Inoue

Takayuki Yamanaka

Shuichi Akedo

Takasumi Wada

Nobuyuki Azuma

Masanori Yamada

Hiroshi Tatsumi

Daisaku Imaizumi

Shogo Yokota

Satoshi Ikeda

Kenji Tani

Toyokazu Mori

Toshihiko Takaya

Koichi Moriyama

Atsushi Okada

Takashi Hirota

Hirofumi Yanagizawa

Keiji Yasuda

Toshimitsu Goto

Takumi Sakamoto

Yoshinori Yamada

A charging device includes: a charging roller to charge a surface of the image carrier by rotating in contact with an image carrier; a cleaning roller to clean a surface of the charging roller by rotating in contact with the charging roller; a bearing to hold the charging roller and the cleaning roller so that a distance between an axis of the charging roller and an axis of the cleaning roller is constant; and a biaser to apply a biasing force to the bearing in a direction to bring the charging roller into press contact with the image carrier, wherein the bearing has a first bearing to support the axis of the cleaning roller and a second bearing to support the axis of the charging roller, and the first bearing is disposed inward from the second bearing in a roller axial direction of the cleaning roller and the charging roller.

Charging device and image-forming apparatus capable of preventing an inward inclining of bearing members

An electron emission element () includes a first electrode () and a second electrode () which are arranged facing each other, an intermediate layer () that is provided between the first electrode () and the second electrode (), and an insulating layer () that is formed with a thickness don a substrate (). A level difference between the insulating layer () and the first electrode () is smaller than the thickness dof the insulating layer ().

Electron emission element, electrification apparatus, and image forming apparatus

A charging device capable of improvement in charging uniformity on an object to be charged, an image forming apparatus having the charging device, and a discharge electrode forming method are provided. The charging device has a discharge electrode which is disposed in an interior space of a shield case, has a plurality of projections aligned in one direction from which a stream of ions is generated, the projections each being so constituted that a widthwise direction thereof makes a predetermined angle with respect to a first imaginary plane including an arrangement direction C of the projections on a second imaginary plane which includes the arrangement direction C and is perpendicular to the first imaginary plane in order that streams of ions generated from the projections that are arranged adjacent to each other in a lengthwise direction of the shield case can overlap each other when viewed in a widthwise direction of the shield case.

Charging device having discharge electrode and, image forming apparatus comprising charging device, and method for forming discharge electrode

An ion generating device is arranged such that a heater electrode is wired so as to heat (i) a creeping discharge area and (ii) areas where respective terminal sections of an induction electrode, a discharge electrode, and the heater electrode are provided. This allows prevention of dew condensation and nitric acid generation in the vicinities of the respective terminal sections.

Ion generating device, charging device, and image forming apparatus

In an ion generating element, (i) an induction electrode and a heater electrode are provided away from each other on one surface of an insulating base material such that the induction electrode and the heater electrode are insulated from each other, (ii) a dielectric layer is provided on the surface of the insulating base material, and (iii) the dielectric layer has a length covering the insulating base material and the dielectric layer has openings above a ground terminal of the induction electrode and above a ground terminal and a power supply connection terminal of the heater electrode so that the terminals are exposed. As a result, it is possible to provide an ion generating element for generating ions along with creeping discharge, a charging device, and an image forming apparatus, each of which can be produced at low costs and prevent damages when unexpected troubles occur, and each of which is excellent in terms of safety.

Ion generating element, charging device, and image forming apparatus

An ion generating element of the present invention includes a discharge electrode and an inductive electrode, both of which are provided so as to face each other with a dielectric body sandwiched therebetween, and a heater electrode which warms the ion generating element by Joule heat produced because of a passage of an electrical current. A distance between the discharge electrode and the heater electrode is larger than that between the discharge electrode and the inductive electrode, and further a shield electrode having a connection for ground is provided between the heater electrode and the inductive electrode on a surface of the dielectric body at a side on which the inductive electrode is provided. Hence, it is possible to prevent a leak to the heater electrode at low cost, while giving consideration towards safety.

Ion generating element, charging device and image forming apparatus

A color laser printer is provided with a first exhaust duct for exhausting ozone generated by a charging unit etc. inside a housing to the outside of the housing. The first exhaust duct is therein provided with a catalytic honeycomb filter for ozone gas treatment and an ion emitting unit for emitting negative ions into an atmosphere. Most of an ozone gas component is decomposed and/or absorbed by the catalytic honeycomb filter for ozone gas treatment. Furthermore, the residual ozone gas component is decomposed by the negative ions generated by the ion emitting unit. This arrangement makes it possible to provide a new ozone removal device which is different from an ozone decomposing filter or a heat source.

Ozone removal device, image forming apparatus having the same, and method for removing ozone

A surface of a discharge electrode of an ion generating device of the present invention, other than a surface in contact with a dielectric body, is coated with a protective layer made of a metal that is gold or a combination of gold and nickel. This allows the ion generating device to generate ions evenly and stably, and to have a longer life.

Ion generating device with a discharge electrode on a dielectric body coated by a protective layer made of metal

A charging apparatus which is excellent in charging uniformity and thus allows a to-be-charged body to be charged uniformly and in which the generation of discharge products can be reduced, is provided. In the charging apparatus, ions are generated under the difference in electrical potential between the discharge electrode and the induction electrode produced in the ion generating section. The generated ions are caused to flow toward the counter electrode, whereupon the to-be-charged body arranged between the ion generating section and the counter electrode is charged.

Charging apparatus with a discharge electrode having a plurality of sharp-pointed portions

In a charging device of the present invention, with reference to a state (movement speed of a charging receiving material, operating period of charging device) in which the charging device is used which state is obtained by an image formation controlling section, a voltage controlling section sets or changes an applied voltage to be applied between a discharge electrode and an inductive electrode. Accordingly, even in a case where discharge is hard to occur, a necessary amount of ions can be supplied stably.

Charging device for charging charge receiving material, image forming apparatus including the same, control method of the charging device and computer-readable storage medium recording control program for the charging device

In an ion generating element according to the present invention, a discharge electrode and an inductive electrode are provided to face each other with a dielectric body therebetween, and a heater electrode for producing heat with Joule heat generated by electrification and the inductive electrode are provided independently on the same surface of the dielectric body. Further, the heater electrode and the inductive electrode are connected and positioned such that a heater current does not flow into the inductive electrode. Thereby, it is possible to appropriately set a size or a shape of the inductive electrode according to a condition at low costs, allowing stable and effective discharge.

Ion generating element, with independent heating electrode, and charging device and image forming apparatus using ion generating element

A lighting rate is calculated from a video signal input in a plasma display device, and an output current of DC-DC converter, which is the same as a discharge current in a sustain period corresponding to the lighting rate, is synchronized with a generation timing of discharge current. With such a configuration, even if discharge current in the sustain period of each subfield is rapidly changed, a sustain pulse voltage can be kept constant.

Plasma display device

A developing device using a trickle system is realized which includes developer discharging means for (i) suppressing changes in discharge of developer due to inclinations of the developing device and (ii) maintaining the stability in amount of the developer in a developer tank. In the developing device, the developer tank includes agitating chambers parted by a partition, and each of the agitating chambers has an agitating screw. Further, discharging openings for discharging an excess of the developer in the developer tank are provided downstream in transport directions of the agitating screws, respectively.

Image forming apparatus with developing device having discharge openings

A development apparatus according to an embodiment includes a development tank which accommodates developer containing toner and carrier, an agitating screw which agitates and transports the developer in the development tank, and a development roller which is provided close to or in contact with a photosensitive body and visualizes an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive body. The toner and the carrier are externally replenished to the development tank, and excess developer in the development tank is discharged through a developer discharge outlet to outside of the development container. In the development container, the development apparatus further includes a flow regulating member for regulating a flow of the developer. The flow regulating member is provided facing the developer discharge outlet and extending vertically upward with respect to a bottom plane of the development tank.

Development apparatus and image forming apparatus comprising the same

A developing device is provided with a developer conveying member in which a plurality of electrodes arranged on a substrate at a predetermined interval are coated with a surface protection layer, the developer conveying member being provided in a developing area that faces an image carrying body whose surface carries an electrostatic latent image, wherein developer is conveyed on the developer conveying member using a traveling-wave electric field that is formed by applying a polyphase voltage to the respective electrodes. The developing device is further provided with a supplying member for supplying the developer onto the developer conveying member, wherein (i) an effective electrode width Le of the respective electrodes in their width direction orthogonal to their arranging direction and (ii) a width Lt of a developer existing area on the supplying member, the width Lt being orthogonal to a direction of supplying the developer, are set so as to satisfy a relation of Lt&#x3c;Le. This prevents the developer from entering wiring pattern areas outside of the electrodes on the developer conveying member, thereby surely preventing the scattering and the sticking of the developer in the areas.

Developing device conveying toner using a traveling-wave electric field and image forming apparatus using same

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Nara, Japan

Katsumi Adachi