Oki Data Corporation

Kenji Koido

Toru Ishihara

Tsutomu Kosasa

An image forming apparatus includes a developing section, a transfer section, and a fixing section. The developing section attaches a metal-containing toner to a latent image, and attaches a non-metal-containing toner to the latent image. The transfer section transfers, onto an intermediate transfer medium, the metal-containing toner and transfers, onto a print medium, the metal-containing toner. The transfer section transfers, onto the intermediate transfer medium, the non-metal-containing toner and transfers, onto the print medium, the non-metal-containing toner. The fixing section fixes, to the print medium, the metal-containing toner, and fixes, to the print medium, the non-metal-containing toner. The fixing section causes a temperature at which the metal-containing toner is fixed to the print medium to be lower than a temperature at which the non-metal-containing toner is fixed to the print medium.

Image forming apparatus

An image formation apparatus includes an image carrier, a charge device configured to charge the surface of the image carrier, a development device configured to pass a developer to an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier formed by exposure, a transfer device configured to transfer a developer image formed on the image carrier onto a medium, a remover device configured to remove the developer on the image carrier, and a controller configured to control a cleaning mode for removing extraneous matter adhered to the surface of the charge device at a time other than the time for the process of exposing the image carrier, and to change the execution frequency of the cleaning mode in accordance with an environmental condition.

Image formation apparatus having cleaning mode to clean charging device configured to charge image carrier

An image forming unit includes a developer bearing body that bears a developer, and a supplying member provided so as to face the developer bearing body. The supplying member rotates to thereby collect the developer from the developer bearing body and supply the developer to the developer bearing body. The image forming unit further includes a developer storage portion that stores the developer to be supplied to the supplying member, and a charge providing member that charges the developer held on the supplying member. In a rotating direction of the supplying member, the charge providing member is disposed on a downstream side of an opposing portion between the developer bearing body and the supplying member and on an upstream side of a region where the developer storage portion supplies the developer to the supplying member.

Image forming unit and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit configured to form a white developer image on a recording medium using a white developer, at least one second image forming unit configured to form at least one single-color developer image on the recording medium using at least one single-color developer other than the white developer, and a fixing unit configured to fix the white developer image and the at least one single-color developer image to the recording medium so as to form a white image and at least one single-color image. The white image may have a haze value that is higher than that of the at least one single-color image. The white developer may have a softening temperature that is higher than that of the at least one single-color developer.

Image forming apparatus including an image forming unit with white developer

An image forming device includes a plurality of image forming units each including a developer carrier that carries developer; an image carrier that forms a developer image on a surface layer with the developer supplied from the developer carrier; and a developer collector that is positioned to contact the surface layer of the image carrier and that removes residual developer after transferring the developer image formed on the surface layer onto a recording sheet. Wherein the developer collector in a first image forming unit has a higher linear contact pressure against the surface layer of the image carrier than that of other image forming units, and a thickness of the surface layer of the image carrier of the first image forming unit is greater than a thickness of the image carrier of the other image forming units.

Image forming unit with developer collector contacting image carrier at predetermined contact pressure, and image forming device

A cleaning device includes a developer removal member, a support member and a fixation member. The developer removal member is in contact with an adherend to which developer adheres and removes the developer from the adherend. The support member has a first end where a bent portion is formed and a second end opposite to the first end. The support member also supports the developer removal member in the vicinity of the bent portion. The fixation member holds the second end of the support member.

Cleaning device and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of developing devices. Each developing devices performs an electrophotographic process to form an image. The image forming apparatus comprises a first developing device and a second developing device. The first developing device holds a black developer containing a first black coloring agent. The second developing device holds a gray developer. The gray developer contains a second black coloring agent and a coloring agent of a chromatic color. The chromatic color is a complementary color to the second black coloring agent.

Image forming apparatus that includes a first developing device that holds a black developer and a second developing device that holds a gray developer

Developer includes toner formed of base particles containing at least a binder resin. The base particles have surfaces coated with an additive agent, and the toner has a volume average particle size between 3.9 &#x3bc;m and 6.1 &#x3bc;m. The developer further includes agglomerates in an amount between 0.01 wt % and 0.10 wt %. The agglomerates have a volume average particle size between 75 &#x3bc;m and 100 &#x3bc;m.

Developer, developer storage unit, developing device, and image forming apparatus

A developer material includes base particles that contain at least a binder resin and a colorant, and an external additive that covers the surface of the base particles. The developer material has a mean volume particle diameter in the range of 3.9-6.1 &#x3bc;m, and includes pulverized base particles of an external additive. The external additive has a mean particle diameter in the range of 30-110 nm, the external additive being in an amount in the range of 1.0-3.0 weight parts based on 100 weight parts of the base particles. The external additive covers a surface of the base particles, a surface area of the base particles being covered with said external additive, the surface area being in the range of 30.6-58.6% of a total surface area of the base particles.

Developer material, developer material cartridge, image forming device, and image forming apparatus

A toner for developing a latent image includes, at least, a binder resin, a releasing agent, a coloring agent and a fluidizing agent. A melting point Tw of the releasing agent is higher than or equals to a softening temperature Ts of the developer measured by a capillary rheometer of a constant shear stress type. The melting point Tw of the releasing agent is lower than or equals to a melting temperature Tm of the developer measured by &#xbd; method. Using the above described toner, it becomes possible to print a full color image at a high speed without causing an offset phenomena or sheet jam.

Developer, image forming method and image forming apparatus

A method of producing a developer includes the steps of: kneading at least a resin and a colorant; reducing the kneaded resin and colorant to coarse powders; adding an additive agent to the coarse powders; reducing the coarse powders with the additive agent to fine powders; and classifying the fine powders to provide the developer.

Developer, developer cartridge, and image forming apparatus

In order to control the filming, a developer comprises developer primary particles, each comprising at least a resin and a colorant and an additive agent added to the developer primary particles and having a particle diameter smaller than that of the developer primary particles, wherein an extrication amount of the additive agent in the developer primary particles is smaller than 5.2&#xd7;10part by weight with respect to the developer primary particles.

An image-forming apparatus includes a toner-supplying roller and a developing roller assembled into a developing unit. The toner-supplying roller supplies toner to the developing roller. The developing roller applies the toner to an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor to form a toner image. The toner image is transferred onto a print medium at a transfer unit, and finally fused into a permanent image at a fixing unit. The toner includes a wax that remains solid at room temperature and melts at a fixing temperature. At least one of the toner-supplying roller and the developing roller is a silicone roller on which oligomer in the form of siloxane is deposited. The silicone roller contains non-cured siloxane in the range of 10 to 8000 PPM.

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Tokyo, Japan

Kenji Koido