Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Kazuhiro Seguchi

Yuzo Kawano

Seiji Urano

Toshihiko Matsuda

Kazunori Kanekura

Yuji Nagai

Toshimi Hattori

Takashi Tosa

Toshiaki Kikui

Shiro Yamashita

Tamio Kayahara

Noboru Miyahara

Kenji Fukuda

Pump

A color image forming apparatus comprises photoconductor drums on which toner images of each color are developed and formed; an endless intermediate transfer belt arranged in a contactable state with the photoconductor drums to run; first bias transfer rollers which perform first bias transfer in which the toner images of each color are transferred from the photoconductor drums onto the intermediate transfer belt; a second bias transfer roller which performs second transfer in which the toner images on the intermediate transfer belt are transferred onto paper; and a separation unit which, when a maximum print length of an image is below a length from a transfer point A to a transfer point B, separates the photoconductor drums and the intermediate transfer belt from each other after all first bias transfer of the toner images to be transferred on the last paper in a first print job has been completed, before second bias transfer onto the last paper is started and after second bias transfer onto paper immediately before the last paper has been completed.

Image transfer section of color image forming apparatus

Image forming apparatus

A toner cartridge includes a housing having a space for toner, and a cover forming a toner storing space within the housing. The cover is secured to the housing with an expandable hot-melt elastic adhesive to prevent toner leakage. This arrangement improves assembly of the cartridge, and allows the discarded cartridges to be recycled.

Toner cartridge sealed by expandable hot-melt elastic adhesive

Growing community of inventors

Kurume, Japan

Kazuhiro Seguchi