Oki Data Corporation

Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.

Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Ryoden Semiconductor System Engineering Corporation

Shigeki Nakajima

Yoshiharu Momiyama

Atsushi Kobayashi

Hisao Ono

Yukio Ota

Hiroshi Kikuchi

Junichi Ito

Sinichi Otani

Masahiro Fukuda

Mikio Yamamoto

Takashi Wakana

Masato Sakai

Shinichi Murakami

Yoshitatsu Okiyama

Atsushi Kurabayashi

Noboru Otaki

Makoto Yabuki

Masato Nagata

Fumiaki Yoshida

Norio Ebata

Yoshitomo Koga

Koji Morimoto

Makoto Otake

Minoru Isobe

Hiroshi Ohnishi

Junichi Tsuchimoto

Takao Uchida

Kiyoshi Matsuda

Ichiro Ono

Takehiko Okubo

Naoki Sunaga

Yoshihiko Okamoto

Kazuki Obara

Tadashi Yoshida

Kenichi Hanaoka

Masato Takano

An electrophotographic printer has a tonerrecyclingtransportingmechanism with a belt conveyor that transports toner from a toner collection chamber, in which toner removed from the photosensitive drum of the printer is collected, to a toner delivery chamber, from which toner is returned to the developing unit of the printer. The belt conveyor is disposed in a channel that loops around the ends of roller shafts in the printer, and does not increase the width of the printer. The tonerrecyclingtransportingmechanism is easily assembled, and can be driven without motion irregularities.

Toner transporting method and mechanism employing a belt conveyor

An image drum cartridge includes supporting walls, on which a photoconductive drum rotates, a position selector, a developing roller that rotates relative to the position selector, a developing blade that forms a thin layer of toner on the developing roller, and a slideable member that urges the developing blade against the developing roller. The position selector is mounted on the supporting walls and movable between first and second positions. The position selector causes the developing roller to move to an operative position where a nip is formed between the photoconductive drum and the developing roller. The position selector causes the developing roller to move to an inoperative position where no nip is formed between the photoconductive drum and the developing roller. The developing roller has a first rotational axis and the position selector has a second rotational axis away from the first rotational axis.

Image drum cartridge and developing unit having a movable developing roller

A toner cartridge extending in a longitudinal direction thereof has a fresh toner chamber and a water toner chamber. The fresh toner chamber and waste toner chamber extend parallel to each other so that the fresh toner chamber and the waste toner chamber are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The waste toner chamber incorporates a toner-conveying member such as a screw conveyor. The screw conveyor extends between the opposed longitudinal ends, and causes the waste toner to move further into the waste toner chamber. The waste toner chamber has an entrance formed therein through which waste toner is received from a print process cartridge. The entrance opens yieldably when a waste toner exit enters the waste toner chamber through the entrance and closes when the waste toner exit moves out of the enters the waste toner chamber.

Toner cartridge with locking toner discharge opening

Image drum cartridge

Compact toner cartridge with fresh and waste toner chambers

Toner cartridge

A toner cartridge includes an outer pipe, inner pipe inserted into the outer pipe, and cap fitted over the inner pipe. The outer pipe and inner pipe are of a long, hollow cylinder shape and are formed with a plurality of first and second openings, respectively, therein aligned longitudinally thereof. The inner pipe has at one end thereof a toner-filling opening and an annular flange eccentric with respect to the hollow cylinder, and at the other end thereof a knob that closes the longitudinal end of the hollow cylinder and abuts the outer pipe. The first openings are not aligned with the second openings when the inner pipe is at a first rotational position and are aligned when the inner pipe is at a second rotational position. A sealing member is mounted to the inner pipe encircling the second openings and has third openings aligned with the second openings. The sealing member not only seals the gap between the inner pipe and the outer pipe but also holds the inner pipe eccentric with respect to the outer pipe. The outer pipe has at least one flange which radially outwardly extends from the outer pipe and longitudinally extends along the outer pipe. The flange has a plurality of ribs on one side thereof. The toner filling-opening has the same diameter as that of the hollow cylinder.

Toner cartridge and drum cartridge for receiving the toner cartridge

A color image forming apparatus includes a carrier belt which runs along a transport path of a recording medium to transport the recording medium. A number of image-forming sections are aligned in the transport path. Each of the plurality of image-forming sections forms a toner image of a corresponding color included in an image signal. A plurality of transfer units are provided, with each being disposed to oppose a corresponding one of the number of image-forming sections. Each of the number of transfer units transferring the toner image of the corresponding color to the recording medium. A fixing unit is provided that fixes the toner image to the recording medium. A controller is provided that detects a number of colors in the image signal. The controller sets one set of speeds from a plurality of different sets of speeds in accordance with the number of colors. Each set of speeds includes a speed of the carrier belt, a speed at which each of the image-forming sections forms a respective toner image of a corresponding color, and a speed of the fixing unit. The speed of the carrier belt, the speed at which each of the image-forming sections forms a respective toner image of a corresponding color, and the speed of the fixing unit of any one respective set of speeds are substantially equal to each other.

Color image forming apparatus having a controller for setting printing

An electrophotographic recording apparatus has a plurality of image-forming sections and records a full color image. The apparatus includes a chassis and two plate-like supporting members oppositely disposed on the chassis. The two supporting members extend parallel with each other. The supporting members has means which support components of the plurality of image-forming sections between the two supporting members so that the components are placed in position relative to each other.

Electrophotographic printer

A toner cartridge includes a hollow outer body, hollow inner body, and partition. The inner body is inserted into an outer body and slidably rotatable relative to the outer body. A partition is supported in the outer body and is slidable relative to the outer body in a longitudinal direction of the cartridge. The partition is at a first position substantially adjacent a longitudinal end when the inner body is at a closing position. The partition is moved to a second position after the inner body has been rotated to the opening position, thereby defining a residual toner accommodating space between the partition and the longitudinal end of the outer body. An agitating member may be provided in which a residual toner accommodating space is formed therein. The residual toner removed from a photoconductive drum is collected in a first toner receiving section. The residual toner is then carried by a screw conveyor to one side of the print process cartridge. A second toner receiving section is coupled to the toner cartridge, remote from the first toner receiving section. A belt carries the residual toner from the first toner receiving section at one side of the print process cartridge to the second toner receiving section.

Toner cartridge and toner collecting mechanism

A color image forming apparatus provides the prolonged life of the photosensitive drums, carrier belt, and toner of the respective colors and improves the quality of the printed color image. A carrier belt transports a recording medium placed thereon so that the recording medium passes through a plurality of printing mechanisms which print images of different colors on the recording medium in superposition. Each printing mechanism prints an image of a corresponding color. The printing mechanism is adapted to be moved into its operative position where the photosensitive drum of the printing mechanism is in contact with the carrier belt to print the image on the recording medium, and into its non-operative position where the photosensitive drum of the printing mechanism is not in contact with the carrier belt. A controller receives print data from a host device such as a personal computer and checks each page of the print data to determine whether any one of a predetermined plurality of colors is missing in the page. If a particular color is missing in the print data, then the controller outputs an UP signal to a positioning mechanism for a corresponding printing mechanism. If the color is not missing, then the controller outputs a DOWN signal. The printing mechanism moves a corresponding printing mechanism into the operative position if the UP signal is received from the controller and into its operative position if the DOWN signal is received.

Color image forming apparatus having a printing mechanism selectively

A paper feeding mechanism holds a stack of print paper in pressure contact with a paper pick-up roller. The paper pick-up roller feeds the print paper out of the tray one page at a time when the paper pick-up roller is rotated. The paper feeding mechanism has first and second supporting surfaces. The first supporting surface holds the stack of print paper from behind a back surface of the print paper. The first supporting surface is at a second angle .theta. 2 with the horizontal direction such that the print paper slides along the first supporting surface to the second supporting surface with the aid of the gravity of the print paper. The second supporting surface supports the stack of print paper thereon. The second supporting surface is inclined at a first angle .theta. 1 with a horizontal direction such that a leading edge of each page of the print paper abuts the second supporting surface and slides toward the rotating paper pick-up roller with the aid of a gravity of the print paper.

Paper feeding mechanism

An amorphous silicon conductive film on a semiconductor wafer is treated with hydrofluoric acid to remove a natural oxide film therefrom, and then a very thin oxide film is formed on the semiconductor wafer. Thereafter, a silane gas is used to form a nucleating film, followed by annealing to cause the surface of the conductive film be roughened. The very thin oxide film is formed in a thickness of 0.5 angstroms to 20 angstroms. The very thin oxide film is alternatively formed either by treatment with an aqueous hydrofluoric acid solution or by flushing treatment. Thus, a roughened surface having a satisfactory roughness is uniformly formed on the surface of a conductive film on a semiconductor wafer.

Method for forming a surface-roughened conductive film on a

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Tokyo, Japan

Shigeki Nakajima