Konica Corporation

Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd.

Kazuo Yasuda

Kazuhiko Uneme

Akihiko Tamura

Masakazu Fukuchi

Meizo Shirose

Masashi Saito

Hiroshi Fuma

Yozo Fujii

Hiroshi Yamazaki

Tatsuya Nagase

Shizuo Morita

Takashi Tamura

Hiroshi Morimoto

Hiroshi Tokunaga

Masahiko Itaya

Masahiko Matsunawa

Yukio Okamoto

Hiroyuki Tokimatsu

Tadashi Miwa

Toshiro Fujimori

Hiroyuki Takagiwa

Masashi Sugano

Yoshihide Fujimaki

Yoshio Yamazaki

Yoshiki Nishimori

Kunihisa Yoshino

Yoshiyuki Ichihara

Takashi Murahashi

Tadao Kishimoto

Mitsuo Motohashi

Kouichi Sawada

Yoshikazu Ikunami

Tatsumi Horiuchi

Hiroyuki Moriguchi

Tsugio Sugizaki

Masayuki Kamegamori

Akihiko Kakita

Kumiko Izawa

Yoshiaki Kobayahi

Yoshimitsu Nakamura

A fixing device includes a pair of fixing rollers to heat toner images and to fix the toner images on a recording medium in which at least one roller coming into contact with toner is provided thereon with fluorine containing resins and a device for coating fluorine containing silicone oil on the surface of the fluorine containing resins at a coating amount of not more than 1.4.times.10.sup.-6 cc/cm.sup.2.

Fixing device and method of fixing

A fixing method comprises the step of passing a recording material with a toner image between a heat member and a pressure applying member contacting the heat member to fix the toner onto the recording material, a silicone oil being coated on the surface of the heat member, wherein the toner contains a polyester comprising a unit derived from an aromatic polycarboxylic acid or its anhydride or a unit derived from an aromatic polyhydric alcohol, and the silicone oil is a fluorine-containing silicone oil having a structure unit represented by the following Formula (I): Formula (I) ##STR1##

Heat fixing method

A fixing device includes a fixing member, the surface of which composed of a fluororesin layer, a pressure member which is brought into contact with the surface of the fixing member; a heating member for fusing a toner image on a recording medium, which passes between the fixing member and pressure member, through the fixing member. The device further includes a hollow oil roller for coating toner repellent oil, which is accommodated inside a hollow of the roller, onto the surface of the fixing member. The outer layer of the oil roller is made of a porous layer into which a fluorine-containing surface active agent is impregnated.

Toner image fixing device

Disclosed is a toner image forming method, comprising steps of: (1) forming a latent image on an image carrying member, (2) developing said latent image with toner particles including a resin and a colorant so as to form a toner image, said toner particles having a volume average particle size of 5 to 10 .mu.m, and containing toner particles having particle sizes of not more than 5.04 .mu.m in 5 number.multidot.% to 60 number.multidot.%, (3) transferring said toner image onto an image receiving material, and (4) fixing said transferred toner image on said image receiving material, said fixing steps comprising (a) passing said image receiving material between a movable fixing member and a rotatable pressure applying member each having a surface facing each other, (b) heating said toner image by a heater incorporated in said fixing member, and (c) coating the surface of said fixing member facing said pressure applying member with a fluorine-containing silicone oil by a coating roller, said fluorine-containing silicone oil having a structure unit represented by Formula I: Formula I ##STR1## wherein X represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an aryl group, Rf represents a fluoroalkyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms and n represents an integer of 1 to 4.

Toner image fixing method using fluorine containing silicone oil

A developing unit in use with an image forming apparatus such as a printer and a copier. The developing unit includes: a photoreceptor for holding a toner image; two-component developer consisting of toner and magnetic carrier; a developing sleeve, located in a vicinity of the photoreceptor and slightly separated from the photoreceptor, for supplying the toner of the two-component developer to the surface of the photoreceptor; a developer layer thickness regulator for regulating a layer thickness of the two-component developer provided on a rotatable surface member of the developing sleeve; and a developing bias generator for applying a developing bias voltage, including an AC component, onto the developing sleeve. The developing sleeve further including: the rotatable surface member for conveying the two-component developer; plural magnetic poles each of which is fixed at a respective predetermined location in the rotatable surface member. In the developing unit, layer thickness H.sub.D (mm) of the two-component developer and gap D.sub.SD (mm), between the surface of the photoreceptor and the rotatable surface member, both at the location where the rotatable surface member is closest to the surface of the photoreceptor, satisfies the equation of 0.02.ltoreq.D.sub.SD -H.sub.D .ltoreq.0.3; and the toner of the two-component developer is conveyed to the surface of the photoreceptor between 5 and 40 mg/cm.sup.2 at the location, where the rotatable surface member is closest to the surface of the photoreceptor.

Developing apparatus with improved toner conveyance

A cleaning device for use in an image forming apparatus which includes an image carrier, an image forming device to form a toner image on the image carrier, and a transferor to transfer the toner image from the image carrier onto a recording sheet, in which the cleaning device cleans a residual toner on the image carrier after transferring. The cleaning device includes a cleaning blade to scrape off the residual toner on a circumferential surface of the image carrier, a contacting member to bring a tip end of the cleaning blade into contact with the circumferential surface of the image carrier in a direction upstream of a moving direction of the image carrier when a cleaning operation of the blade is conducted, and a releasing member to release the tip end of the cleaning blade from the circumferential surface. The blade is made of an elastic member having a coefficient of dynamic friction between the blade and the image carrier of 0.15 to 0.4.

Cleaning device for removing residual toner on an image carrier

In a color image forming apparatus, an image retainer, a charger, a plurality of developing devices and a cleaner are made in one unit. The unit is dismountably supported in a housing so that the unit can be moved out from a first position at which the unit is set in the housing to a second position at which jam disposition is conducted. When the unit means is placed at the second position, a part of the apparatus is used to cover the image retaining surface at the transfer section.

Color image forming apparatus with photoreceptor protector

In a color toner image forming apparatus equipped with a scanning device to scan a photoreceptor with a light beam which is modulated on the basis of image density represented by image signals so that a latent image is formed on the photoreceptor; there is provided a control device to control the color toner image forming apparatus so that plural color toner images are superimposed on the photorecetor. The control device includes a start position control circuit to control a scanning start position of the scanning device so that the scanning start position is shifted for each of the plural color component images.

Image forming apparatus to provide multicolor images

An developer for developing a latent image with a developing agent such as toner. The developer includes a developing sleeve for holding the developing agent on its surface, in which magnetic poles are provided in the developing sleeve; a equalizer bar for equalizing the amount of the developing agent on the surface of the developing sleeve; a pressing member to press the equalizer bar onto the developing sleeve. In the developer, a radius of curvature of the equalizer bar is between 0.5 mm and 15 mm, and the developing sleeve is processed to have a jagged surface which is defined by a glossiness between 2% Gs and 1400% Gs (20.degree.).

Developing apparatus with an improved sleeve

The invention provides an apparatus for transferring a toner image from a photoreceptor to a recording sheet. The apparatus includes a plurality of rollers and a belt stretched around the plurality of rollers. The belt is adapted to come in contact with the photoreceptor at a transfer area so that a recording sheet is conveyed on the belt and brought in contact with the image surface at the transfer area and that the toner image is transferred onto the recording sheet. The apparatus further includes a conductive member, disposed so as to come in contact with the belt on one of the plurality of rollers which is positioned upstream in conveying direction than the transfer area, for charging the recording sheet conveyed on the belt.

Image forming apparatus

A developing apparatus for supplying a developer to a photoreceptor so that an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor is developed with the developer. The developing apparatus comprises a developer conveyer, having a rigid surface, for conveying the developer to a developing zone; a developer layer-thickness regulator, shaped like a bar and having a rigid surface portion of the curvature radius between 0.5 mm and 15 mm, for regulating the thickness of the developer to be conveyed to the developing zone; and a supporter for supporting the developer layer-thickness regulator.

An image forming apparatus wherein in multi-color mode a multi-color image is formed by repeating a series of uniform charging, image exposing and developing steps to form a plurality of color toner image on a surface of an image retainer, and transferring the color toner image to a transfer material, and wherein in mono-color mode a mono-color image is formed by uniform charging, image exposing and developing in a single step to form a mono-color toner image on the surface of the image retainer, and transferring the mono-color toner image to a transfer material one of the modes being selected. The image retainer is exposed uniformly before the uniform charging step.

Image forming apparatus with preconditioning exposure selectively

Actuation of a prefatiguing lamp is selectively controlled in accordance with the measured time interval between successive copying operations. In substantially continuous copying where the measured interval is less than a first predetermined time period, no prefatiguing illumination is provided. Where the measured interval exceeds a second, longer predetermined time period, full illumination is provided. When the measured interval is between the first and second predetermined periods, partial illumination is provided by appropriate reduction in the operating voltage impressed upon the prefatiguing lamp.

Method for controlling prefatiguing illumination of a photosensitive

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Hachioji, Japan

Kazuo Yasuda