Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.

Hitachi Metals, Ltd.

Takashi Fuchiwaki

Yasutomo Ishii

Fumio Furusawa

Nobukazu Takahashi

Yasuyuki Kobayashi

Ryuji Hattori

Yasutaka Naito

Shigehiko Haseba

Satoshi Matsuzaka

Akihisa Maruyama

Hitoshi Funato

Yoshikazu Okamoto

Katsuya Takenouchi

Kazunori Numao

Junichiro Sameshima

Kazuhiko Miyazato

Keitaro Sonoguchi

Minoru Ueki

Yoko Shimomura

Yoshio Inoue

Nobuo Hyakutake

Yoshikazu Takahashi

Yoshinori Nakano

Mikio Kobayashi

Noriaki Kojima

Osamu Handa

Yasunori Unagida

Hiroyuki Koide

Makoto Sakanobe

Tetsuya Furuyama

Tomoyoshi Chihara

Kouji Hamabe

Ryuji Gotoh

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that supports an image, a contact transfer member that sandwiches a transfer medium in a transfer area between the contact transfer member and the image carrier and electrostatically transfers the image on the image carrier onto the transfer medium, and a transfer medium guiding device to guide the transfer medium to the transfer area between the image carrier and the contact transfer member.

Image forming apparatus and transfer medium guiding apparatus used therein

A cleaning blade of an image forming apparatus is formed of urethane rubber, a modulus of repulsion elasticity (JIS K6255) is not less than 20% at 10&deg; C. to not more than 70% at 40&deg; C., a 300% modulus (JIS K6251) is not less than 200 kgf/cm , and a tear strength (JIS K6252 crescent type) is not less than 35 kgf/cm. A tension set (JIS K6262) of the cleaning blade ( ) is preferably not more than 2.5%, and is more preferably not more than 1.0%, and is still more preferably not more than 0.5%.

Cleaning blade, cleaner for image carrying body, and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus capable of minimizing local degradation of the image carrier and effectively preventing image defects due to resistance reduction and adhesion of release agent, without lowering productivity. The image forming apparatus includes an image making unit, having an image carrier, with plural image carrying regions, the image making unit adapted to cause the image carrying regions on the image carrier to carry images and then to transfer the images onto the sheet in a series of image making cycles, and an image making controller for controlling the image making unit according to job commands for making images. The image making controller includes a reference signal changing circuit for changing reference signal for each job, and the reference signal determines which of the image carrying regions on the image carrier should be an image writing position.

Image forming apparatus with reference signal changing circuit

An image formation apparatus for document production of reproduction which includes a plurality of paper feed trays T,-T,placed in overlapped relation at multiple stages from top to bottom wherein the length of the top-stage paper feed tray T,in the paper feed direction is formed shorter than the length of each of the paper feed trays T,-T,at lower stages in the paper feed direction, an image support,an intermediate transfer body B, and a secondary transfer device,placed in a tray upward paper feed side space Sa above the paper feed tray T,a fuser T placed in a top-stage tray side space Sb,on the side of the top-stage paper feed tray T,and an upward side space Sb,above the space Sb,and a developing unit D placed in the upward side space Sb

Compact image formation system having a plurality of paper trays

Premising a duplex imaging apparatus having an image carrier provided with a plurality of image carrying regions, the image deterioration phenomenon (i.e., the so-called &ldquo;oil ghost phenomenon&rdquo;), as might otherwise accompany the local transfer of a releasing agent from a fixing unit to the image carrier, is effectively avoided. In a mode where the image carrier,is provided with the plural image carrying regions, duplex mode control unit,includes an imaging sequence determining portion,for determining such a fundamental imaging sequence that when duplex images are to be formed on sheets,more than an image carriable number of the image carrier,, the fundamental sequence determining portion,causes the image carrier,: to carry first screen images A less than the image carriable number in a first imaging cycle of an imaging unit,; to carry images corresponding to the image carriable number in and after a second imaging cycle so that at least second screen images B may be positioned at the front of the first screen images A; and to carry the second screen images B less than the image carriable number in the last imaging cycle.

Duplex imaging apparatus

Image deterioration (so-called oil ghost) due to local transfer of a release agent from a fuser to an intermediate transfer body is effectively prevented. The fuser has a pair of fixing members, a release supply mechanism, an interlocking mechanism, and an interlocking control mechanism. The fixing members are in contact with each other and roll over each other, thus nipping a sheet. The fixing members fix unfixed images on the sheet. The release agent supply mechanism is mounted to at least the fixing member located on the surface of the sheet carrying an unfixed image. The release agent supply mechanism supplies a release agent to this fixing member at a constant rate. The interlocking mechanism interlocks the fixing members and release agent supply mechanism with each other such that the fixing members are kept in contact with each other and roll over each other and that a release agent is supplied to the fixing members. When duplex mode is selected, the interlocking control mechanism controls the interlocking time of the interlocking mechanism according to the length of the path of the sheet going to the nip between the fixing members.

Fuser for two-sided imager

An image formation apparatus for document production or reproduction which includes a plurality of paper feed trays T1-T4 placed in overlapped relation at multiple stages from top to bottom wherein the length of the top-stage paper feed tray T1 in the paper feed direction is formed shorter than the length of each of the paper feed trays T2-T4 at lower stages in the paper feed direction, an image support 16, an intermediate transfer body B, and a secondary transfer device 31 placed in a tray upward paper feed side space Sa above the paper feed tray T1, a fuser T placed in a top-stage tray side space Sb1 on the side of the top-stage paper feed tray T1 and an upward side space Sb2 above the space Sb1, and a developing unit D placed in the upward side space Sb2.

Image formation apparatus for document production or reproduction

An image forming method using an image forming apparatus, the apparatus including: a rotary image carrier, and a rotary intermediate transfer medium arranged in pressure-contact with the image carrier, wherein at least one of the image carrier or the intermediate transfer medium is a belt-shape rotary body which is looped over a group of rolls and can circulate with at least one of the rolls as a drive transmission roll, and the peripheral length of the belt-shape rotary body is m (m: integer)-times as long as the peripheral length of the drive transmission roll, the method including the steps of: a toner image forming step of rotating the image carrier at a constant peripheral speed to form the toner image successively for each color component on the image carrier; a toner image intermediate transfer step of rotating the intermediate transfer medium at a constant peripheral speed different from the constant peripheral speed of the image carrier, on condition that one revolution time of the intermediate transfer medium is n (n: integer or 1/integer)-times as long as one revolution time of the image carrier, to transfer the toner image for each color component carried on the image carrier; and a toner image final transfer step of collectively transferring the toner image for each color transferred on the intermediate transfer medium onto a recording medium.

Image forming method and apparatus therefor

A transfer apparatus is provided which is capable of effectively preventing a defect in transference caused from a gap between a transfer member and an intermediate transfer belt to form an excellent image free from an image defect such as whitening. The transfer apparatus for an image forming apparatus for primarily transferring a toner image formed on an image holding member to an intermediate transfer belt and then secondarily transferring the image, which has been primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt, to a transfer member, includes a transfer unit for secondarily transferring the image having a transfer roll separably disposed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt, which holds the toner image, and an opposite roll disposed to be in contact with the inner surface of the intermediate transfer belt at a position at which the opposite roll is opposite to the transfer roll. When the transfer roll has been brought into contact with the intermediate transfer belt, the central position of the transfer roll is disposed upstream with respect to the central position of the opposite roll in a direction in which the intermediate transfer belt is moved, and an angle made between a line connecting the center of the transfer roll and the center of the opposite roll to each other and the intermediate transfer belt is set to be smaller than 90.degree., and the intermediate transfer belt is deformed to have a shape along the transfer roll and the opposite roll.

Transfer apparatus for an image forming apparatus

A developing-equipment switching apparatus is provided with a rotary retainer 23 for holding a plurality of developing implements 23, a driving motor 24, control means 28 for controlling the rotation of the driving motor 24, a primary drive transmission member 25 which is anchored to the rotary shaft 24a of the driving motor, and a secondary drive transmission member 23b which is anchored to the rotary retainer 23, so that the developing implements 21 are switched from one to another by transmitting the torque of the driving motor 24 to the rotary retainer 23 via the primary drive transmission member 25 and the secondary drive transmission member 23b to rotate the rotary retainer, wherein the control means 28 causes the driving motor 24 to rotate every integral number of times and sets the rotational ratio between the primary drive transmission member 25 and the secondary drive transmission member 23b in such a way that the rotary retainer 23 rotates by a set angle between the adjoining developing implements 21 when the driving motor 24 is rotated the integral number of times.

Rotary developing equipment switching apparatus

A developing roll includes a tubular sleeve driven for turn, and a magnet roll fixedly supported. An intensively magnetized block, shaped like U in cross section, is buried in the magnet roll at a location thereof where the magnet roll faces the latent electrostatic image bearing member. In this case, one side of the intensively magnetized block having a groove formed therein is directed toward the axis of the magnet roll, while the other side thereof is flush with the outer surface of the magnet roll. A material of the intensively magnetized block is more intensively magnetized, by its nature, than a material of the magnet roll. The intensively magnetized block is magnetized to form a single magnetic pole or a developing magnetic pole.

Developing unit

A developing apparatus for developing a latent image on a surface of a photosensitive body by forming a toner cloud in a developing region through electrode wire, in which movably supporting units for supporting electrode supporting unit movably between operative positions and inoperative positions are provided so that the electrode wire supported by the electrode supporting units can be kept in an operative position near to a surface of a developing roll when the electrode supporting units are in their operative positions and, on the other hand, the electrode wire can be kept in an inoperative position far from the surface of the developing roll when the electrode supporting units are in their inoperative positions. Thereby, foreign matters trapped in the electrode wire or accumulated on the electrode wire can be removed easily.

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Ebina, Japan

Takashi Fuchiwaki