Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.

Konica Minolta, Inc.

Minolta Company, Ltd.

Kuniya Matsuura

Masayuki Satou

Shoichi Yoshikawa

Hiroshi Mizuno

Takayuki Ito

Shigeru Tashiro

Noboru Oomoto

Kentaro Katori

Masahiro Yamaguchi

Takashi Fujiwara

Toru Hayase

Hiroaki Umemoto

Noritoshi Hagimoto

Naotoshi Kawai

Yuusuke Okuno

Akira Hirota

Kazuhiro Sakamoto

Masaki Tanaka

Mineyuki Sako

Yasuaki Tomoda

Yusuke Nishisaka

Hiroshi Fukao

Toshifumi Watanabe

Midori Shimomura

Ryo Oshima

Junji Kanda

Hiroshi Murasaki

Hiromasa Ueno

Shingo Hirota

Yukimasa Azuma

Taiya Munenaka

Hiroshi Sakakibara

Tomofumi Ikeda

Shigeki Yamamoto

An image forming method, includes: forming a precoat layer by applying a precoat agent onto a front surface of an intermediate transfer body; forming an ink layer by applying an ink onto a front surface of the formed precoat layer, according to an ink jet method; and transferring the formed precoat layer and ink layer to a recording medium, wherein a contact angle of the precoat agent with respect to the front surface of the intermediate transfer body is less than a contact angle of the ink with respect to the front surface of the intermediate transfer body, and a viscosity of the precoat agent is lower than a viscosity of the ink.

Image forming method and image forming apparatus

An exhaust air cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning duct for cleaning air to be exhausted from an exhaust port of an image forming apparatus. In the cleaning duct, a fan and a filter are provide between an inflow part connected with the exhaust port of the image forming apparatus and a discharge port for discharging air from the inside of the cleaning duct. The exhaust air cleaning apparatus further includes a pressure adjusting part for adjusting the pressure in the cleaning duct. The pressure adjusting part performs pressure adjustment so that the pressure at a pressure adjusting position located between the inflow part and the fan in the cleaning duct falls within an appropriate pressure range determined in advance to be equal to or less than atmospheric pressure.

Exhaust air cleaning apparatus and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus has: an exhaust air duct capable of forming a first air flow path for an exhaust air cleaning function and a second air flow path for a room air cleaning function, the exhaust air duct having a common use space used in common for the exhaust air cleaning function and the room air cleaning function; a switching member configured to switch a flow path in the exhaust air duct, depending on which of the cleaning functions is activated; a fan configured to discharge air from the common use space in an active state of the exhaust air cleaning function and in an active state of the room air cleaning function; and a control unit configured to control the switching member and to adjust a rotation speed of the fan, depending on which of the cleaning functions is activated.

Image forming apparatus

An exhaust purification apparatus includes: a purification duct configured to purify air to be discharged from a ventilation port in an image forming apparatus, the purification duct including: at least one inlet communicating with an interior of the purification duct for connection with the ventilation port in the image forming apparatus; an outlet configured to discharge air inside the purification duct to the outside; a fan configured to direct air from the inlet toward the outlet; a filter configured to recover particles in the air, the fan and the filter each being disposed in the purification duct at a position between the inlet and the outlet; an airflow detector configured to detect an airflow at the inlet; and a controller configured to execute a normal mode and an attachment determination mode.

Exhaust purification apparatus

A fixing device for fixing a toner image onto a recording paper includes a heating member for heating the recording paper, a pressing member for pressing the heating member by pressure-applying contact, a casing accommodating the heating member and the pressing member, and being provided with an exit port for discharging the recording paper, and a closing unit added to the exit port for keeping a temperature of the casing. The closing unit has a rotation member, and an opposed member forming a nip region together with the rotation member.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus capable of effectively suppressing thermal energy released externally from device due to thermal convection and hot air flow

An image forming apparatus having; a fusing unit that heats and presses a recording medium with an image transferred thereto, thereby fixing the image thereon; a first duct section in which air that contains emissions generated by the fusing unit flows; an ion generation unit provided away from the first duct section to generate ions; a second duct section in which air that contains the ions generated by the ion generation unit flows; a third duct section connected to the first and second duct sections, such that air flows in from the first and second duct sections, whereby the emissions are charged by the ions; a filter unit provided in the third duct section to trap the charged emissions; and a blowing unit that generates air flows from the connections with the first and second duct sections in the third duct section toward the filter unit.

Image forming apparatus having exhaust treatment system

A fixing device for fixing a toner image onto a recording paper sheet includes a heating member for heating the recording paper sheet, a pressing member for applying a pressure by forming contact with the heating member, a casing accommodating the heating member and the pressing member, and provided with an exit port for discharging the recording paper sheet, and a closing portion arranged at the exit port for keeping a temperature of the casing. The closing portion has a rotation member, and an opposed member forming a nip region together with the rotation member. A separating unit for changing at least a part of the closing portion from a closed state to an open state.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus

A fixing device fixes a toner image on a recording medium. In the fixing device, a heating unit heats a recording medium. A pressing unit presses a recording medium in pressure contact with the heating unit. The heating unit and the pressing unit are accommodated in a casing. A heat reflecting unit is provided between the heating unit and the casing. An intermediate member is provided between the heating unit and the heat reflecting unit.

Fixing device for fixing toner image on recording medium and image forming apparatus including the same

A fusing apparatus allows a recording member to pass through between a heat member and a pressure member, to transport and heat the recording member, and thereby fuses a toner image on the recording member. The fusing apparatus includes a temperature detector for detecting a surface temperature of the heat member in a non-contact manner. A surface of the heat member is configured such that a region of the surface all around a cylindrical configuration that faces a temperature detection area of the temperature detector has a higher emissivity than other regions.

Fusing apparatus used to fuse toner image and image forming apparatus

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus has an electrostatic latent image bearing members, developing devices each including developer and capable of developing corresponding electrostatic latent images on the electrostatic latent image bearing members into visualized developer images, a transfer device capable of transferring the developer images to a sheet, first collecting devices each capable of collecting untransferred developer from the electrostatic latent image bearing members, developer supply devices each capable of supplying the developer to the corresponding developing devices, accommodating sections each combined with the corresponding developer supply devices and capable of accommodating the untransferred developer, a collecting and distributing device capable of collecting the untransferred developer collected by the first collecting devices and distributing the collected untransferred developer to the accommodating sections, and a housing capable of retaining the developer supply devices so that each of the developer supply devices is releasable together with the corresponding accommodating section from the housing.

Image forming apparatus collecting and distributing untransferred developer

The present invention provides a developing device which is capable of suppressing the generation of a fogging phenomenon and deposition of carrier particles to an electrostatic latent image carrier and developing the electrostatic latent image efficiently, the device includes a development sleeve and a magnet body onto which the sleeve is fitted, and using a two-component developer. An angular position which indicates the peak value of the magnetic flux density in the normal direction produced by a development pole of the magnet body is shifted downstream from the center position of the development pole in the direction of movement of the surface of a photosensitive member in a development region. The present invention also provides an image forming apparatus which can form high-quality images with reduced noise such as fogging by mounting the developing device.

Developing device and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus of the present invention is arranged to hold an intermediate transfer belt and a photoconductive drum out of contact with each other. In a non image formation process in a first mode, the intermediate transfer belt and the photoconductive drum are separated from each other upon completion of the image formation, thereby preventing contamination of the photoconductive drum due to back transfer. In a non image formation process in a second mode, the intermediate transfer belt and the photoconductive drum are separated from each other upon completion of the image formation, and then the intermediate transfer belt and the photoconductive drum are contacted with each other again upon completion of secondary transfer of an image. They are driven for a predetermined time with a speed difference therebetween, thereby abrading the surface of the photoconductive drum to refresh it.

Image forming apparatus and method of abrading photoconductor of the apparatus

A potential difference between the photoreceptor and the development roller is set at a value at which the normally charged toner on the development roller can be flown toward the photoreceptor in the development phase at the time of compulsorily consuming the toner, and this potential difference is set at a value at which the flown normally charged toner can be returned to the development roller in the recovery phase.

Image forming apparatus with toner discharge method

A color printer including, a conductive brush roller to contact a photosensitive drum at a position downstream of a transferring apparatus and upstream of a charging apparatus, wherein at least part of residual toner is collected after temporarily transferring on the photosensitive drum, and the collected toner is expelled onto the photosensitive drum, a charge electrode facing the brush roller at a position other than the contact position of the photosensitive drum and the brush roller, and a power source to apply voltage to the charge electrode, wherein the polarity of the voltage applied from the power source to the charge electrode with respect to the average voltage of the surface of the photosensitive drum after transferring is the same as a charging polarity of the toner at developing.

Image forming apparatus, charge controlling apparatus, and image forming method

It is intended to provide an image forming apparatus capable of conducting charge adjustment of post-transfer residual toner appropriately by securing a contact area of a temporarily-collecting member and an electrode, without applying excessive deformation load to the temporarily-collecting member. There are arranged a brush roller for temporarily collecting post-transfer residual toner, and an electrode of which inwardly-curved face being in contact with the brush roller in a toner charge apparatus. Thereby, charged-in-opposite-polarity toner, out of post-transfer residual toner, is collected by the brush roller, polarity of the toner is reversed to original polarity, and then, returned to a photosensitive drum. The inner face of the electrode, i.e., a contact face of the electrode and the brush roller is formed in an inwardly-curved face. Thereby, a large contact area and light pushing force of the electrode to the brush roller can go together.

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Toyohashi, Japan

Kuniya Matsuura