Seiko Epson Corporation

Tahei Ishiwatari

Nobumasa Abe

Tomoe Aruga

Yoichi Yamada

Hiroshi Ito

Hidenori Kin

Kazuhiro Ichikawa

Yoshihiro Nakashima

Akira Kubota

Yukio Takayama

Tatsuro Osawa

Takehiko Okamura

Toshiya Takahata

Toshihiko Yamazaki

Hiroshi Tanaka

Kaneo Yoda

Kazutoshi Fujisawa

Naoyuki Okumura

Kenjiro Yoshioka

Masanao Kunugi

Takuya Kadota

Hidehiro Takano

Takayuki Shiraki

Rie Miyazaki

Shuhei Mohri

Yujiro Nomura

Toru Fujita

Yoshinori Miyazawa

Hidetsugu Shimura

Kuniaki Tanaka

Tsuneo Handa

Teruyuki Mizumoto

Masanobu Motoki

Atsushi Uchino

Koichi Higashimura

A recording medium carrier system of an image forming apparatus is constituted by independent units as a paper supply cassette, a paper feed unit, a transfer unit, a fixing unit, and a paper ejecting unit. An intermediate transfer unit in the transfer unit is provided with an intermediate transfer belt to which a toner image formed on a photoconductive drum is primarily transferred at a primary transfer position and which secondarily transfers the toner image on a recording medium at a secondary transfer position, and a driving roller for circulating the intermediate transfer belt. The primary transfer position is arranged close to the driving roller.

Image transfer unit having an intermediate transfer belt to which a toner image is applied

The invention provides a liquid developer that is used in an apparatus for forming an image by developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a latent image carrying member, transferring the developed image to a recording medium, and then fixing the image, in which the liquid developer contains a carrier liquid and particles formed with a composition containing a binder resin, a colorant, and a charge controlling agent comprising a charge controlling substance containing an ionic or neutral substance, wherein the charge controlling substance containing an ionic or neutral substance is supported by an inorganic porous material.

Liquid developer

The invention provides a toner comprising a binder resin, a colorant, and a charge control agent comprising a charge control substance supported by an inorganic porous material, and having been subjected to thermal fairing treatment. Also disclosed are a toner obtained by a process comprising the steps of: kneading a composition containing a binder resin, a colorant and a charge control agent comprising an ionic or neutral substance supported by an inorganic porous material; pulverizing the kneaded product; adding the pulverized product to a solvent immiscible with water; dispersing the mixture in an aqueous medium; and removing the solvent by at least one of heating and pressure reduction, and a toner comprising associated particles formed from: primary particles obtained from an emulsion of a binder resin; a colorant; and a charge control agent comprising a water soluble charge control substance incorporated in inorganic fine particles.

Toner and production process thereof

Intermediate transfer unit having a primary transfer member and a secondary transfer roller

Intermediate transfer unit having a primary and a secondary transfer member

A recording medium having a toner image formed thereon is moved to pass through a press contact portion between an endless belt being heated and an pressure roller pressed against the endless belt. When passing through the press contact portion, the toner image is fused and permanently affixed onto the recording medium. An oil application width O of an oil application roller is shorter than belt width B of the endless belt, and a maximum passing width P of a recording medium that may be supplied for the image formation, but is longer than a maximum image-forming width I within which an image may be formed on the recording medium.

Fixing device for an image forming apparatus

Intermediate transfer unit

Fixing device which prevents damage to a fixing belt

A developing unit of the present invention includes a case which accommodates toner containing pigment, a developing roller, a supply roller formed of an elastic member arranged to be pressed against a surface of the developing roller in such a manner as to supply toner to the surface of the developing roller. The toner is mixed by conveying fins which have phases that are different in such a manner that the loads are uniform in rotation

Developing unit

An image is formed in a receiving sheet by embedding toner in an image receiving layer on a base. The distribution of molecular weight of resin in the image receiving layer measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) of soluble matters of tetrahydrofuran (THF) has at least two peaks or shoulders. And the critical surface tension of the image receiving layer is made to be smaller than the critical surface tension of external additive. Further, the image receiving layer has a thermal characteristic such that a storage modulus (G&prime;) of 1&times;10,Pa to 1&times;10,Pa and a loss modulus (G&Prime;) of 1&times;10,Pa to 1&times;10,Pa at temperatures at which the toner is fixed. Furthermore, the image receiving layer contains an aromatic ester compound, more preferably the aromatic polyester compound being dialkyl phthalate. Still further, the image receiving layer has a Rockwell hardness (R scale) HRa of 121 or lower.

Image receiving sheet and image receiving apparatus using the same

A developing unit of the present invention includes a case which accommodates toner containing pigment, a developing roller, a supply roller formed of an elastic member arranged to be pressed against a surface of the developing roller in such a manner as to supply toner to the surface of the developing roller. A conveying fin is supported by the case so as to convey toner to the surface of the supply roller wherein the developing roller, the supply roller, and the conveying fin are sequentially disposed in a horizontal direction. The number of revolutions of the conveying fin per unit time is between {fraction (1/50)} and {fraction (1/20)} of the supply roller.

Developing unit having a conveying fin for loading a supply roller with toner

An image forming apparatus for forming an image in a receiving sheet by embedding toner in an image receiving layer formed on a base of the receiving sheet. The image forming apparatus uses a toner having an external additive, and the critical surface tension of the image receiving layer is made to be smaller than the critical surface tension of external additive. Further, the image receiving layer has a viscoelastic characteristic such that its storage modulus (G&prime;) is between 1&times;10,Pa to 1&times;10,Pa and its loss modulus (G&Prime;) is between 1&times;10,Pa to 1&times;10,Pa at temperatures at which the toner is fixed. Furthermore, the image receiving layer contains an aromatic ester compound, more preferably the aromatic polyester compound being dialkyl phtalate. Still further, the image receiving layer has a Rockwell hardness (R scale) HRa of 121 or lower.

Image receiving sheet having particular critical surface tension, viscoelastic, and rockwell hardness characteristics and image receiving apparatus using the same

A developing unit of the present invention includes a case which accommodates toner containing pigment, a developing roller, a supply roller formed of an elastic member arranged to be pressed against a surface of the developing roller in such a manner as to supply toner to the surface of the developing roller. The toner contains a first and second additive having a specific covering ratio to the surface matrices in the toner.

Developing unit using specific developer composition

Recording medium carrier system intermediate transfer unit

Growing community of inventors

Nagano, Japan

Tahei Ishiwatari