Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.

Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd.

Toru Hanashima

Chikara Hiraoka

Toshio Ogiso

Shigeru Obata

Shunichi Oohara

Kazuo Kikuchi

Tetsuji Takegoshi

Kaoru Tada

Osamu Saito

Kazuyoshi Kondo

Kazuhiro Wakamatsu

Tomoyoshi Yamazaki

Masahiro Yagi

Masafumi Takahira

Kimihiro Tanaka

Shogo Matsumoto

Shoji Ukei

Akira Shimizu

Hiroyuki Seki

Kenji Nakamura

Yuusuke Furuichi

Tamotsu Ikeda

Masahiko Saito

Ippei Kimura

Yuuji Meguro

Tadashi Okano

Ikuo Fujii

Yasuo Matsuyama

Tatsuo Fukushima

Masaru Nakano

Kenji Asuwa

Yuuki Shiga

Takamitsu Ikematsu

Kazushige Oonishi

Hiromitsu Fukuda

Katsuyoshi Onose

Ryouhei Ohi

Tuyoshi Koyama

Toru Ohashi

Tsuyoshi Koyama

Goro Sato

Shigeru c/o Hitachi Ltd IntellPropGroup Obata

Masaru c/o Hitachi Ltd IntellPropGroup Nakano

Toshioc/o Hitachi Ltd IntellPropGroup Ogiso

Shogo c/o Hitachi Ltd IntelPropGroup Matsumoto

Kazushige c/o Hitachi Ltd IntelPropGroup Oonishi

Hiromitsu c/o Hitachi Ltd IntellPropGroup Fukuda

A sheet supplying device that is incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes a recording media container, a sheet feeding unit to feed a recording medium from the recording media container, and a frame to support the recording media container and the sheet feeding unit. The recording media container is detachably attachable to the frame in a first operation in which the recording media container is moved in a sheet conveyance direction in which the recording medium is conveyed upstream or downstream by the sheet feeding unit, and the recording media container is separated from the frame and the sheet feeding unit with the sheet feeding unit remaining in the frame, and a second operation in which the recording media container is moved in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction, and the recording media container is separated from the frame together with the sheet feeding unit.

Sheet supplying device and image forming apparatus incorporating same

A process cartridge includes an image carrier unit which is equipped with an image carrier, on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, and a developer supply unit which supplies developer to the image carrier unit. The image carrier unit and the developer supply unit are configured to be attached and detached with respect to an apparatus main body in which the units are accommodated. Electrical contacts are provided to form electrical connection between the image carrier unitand the developer supply unitin a mounted state in the apparatus main body.

Process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus having electrical connection

A reciprocating-motion converting mechanism includes a cam that rotates around a rotation center; a reciprocating member that is reciprocated due to rotation of the cam; and a pressing unit that presses the reciprocating member to the cam. A first load torque is generated by a load applied at a point of contact of the cam and the reciprocating motion member. A load applying unit applies a load to the cam to generate a second load torque having a phase substantially opposite to a phase of the first load torque.

Image forming apparatus with a phase of a first load torque substantially opposite to a phase of a second load torque

A ratio of a radius of curvature of a pressure applying member with an elastic layer, which pushes an endless belt wound around an endless heating member with pressure, in a transferring direction to a radius of curvature of an outer diameter of the heating roller is set to 1.1 or more.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus using the same

To accomplish high-speed fixing which requires high-precision temperature control, or fixing of high-quality color images on various kinds of paper without increasing the size and production cost of the temperature detecting means and contaminating the back sides of paper by toner that comes off from the temperature detecting element, an image forming device is equipped with a fixing device comprising a heating roller, a pressing belt which forcibly contacts the heating roller, and a temperature detecting means which touches the surface of the heating roller to sense the surface temperature of the heating roller, wherein a cleaning means to clean the belt surface is provided on a place which is corresponding to a place at which the contact-type thermistor touches the heating roller.

Fixing device having cleaner and temperature detector

In a fixing apparatus including heating member having an elastic layer and a heat source and pressing member having an endless shape member and a pressing member for transporting a record medium in a cut sheet shape while being adhered with an unfixed toner image to pass a nip portion formed by the endless shape member and the heating member and fixing the unfixed toner image on the record medium, the fixing apparatus is constructed by a constitution in which a space between the toner image on the record medium and a surface of the heating member is widened immediately after the record medium is projected from an outlet of the nip portion.

Fixing apparatus and image forming apparatus including heating member

A fixing device includes a first fixing part having a heater disposed therein, a second fixing part, disposed to oppose to the first fixing part, for pinching a recording medium to form a first nip portion, a pair of transfer rollers, disposed at a downstream side of the recording medium, for forming a second nip portion, a guide for biasing the recording medium discharged from the transfer rollers towards the first fixing part side from one of the transfers rollers, and means part for biasing the guide towards the recording medium side.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus with guide having adjustable biasing angle

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device having a pressure roller. The surface of the pressure roller is coated with a PFA resin and has an average surface roughness Ra of 0.05 to 0.13 &#x3bc;m. A thermister is provided to detect the surface temperature of the pressure roller. The thermister includes a metal plate, a resister element attached to the metal plate, and a pair of fluorocarbon-resin films sandwiching the metal plate and the resister element. The fluorocarbon-resin film has a thickness of 15 &#x3bc;m to 80 &#x3bc;m.

Image forming apparatus having a fixing device with improved temperature detection features

An electro-photographic apparatus for conducting printing includes a fixing member fixing an unfixed toner image on a surface of a recording medium onto the recording medium. The fixing member includes a heating roller and a pressurizing member, and a mounting member on which the pressurizing member is mounted. The pressurizing member is supported by the mounting member in a substantially center part in a longitudinal direction of the pressurizing member.

Electro-photographic apparatus with a heating roller and pressurizing member

A fixing device includes a roller; an endless belt which is in contact with the roller and rotates with a circulation of the roller in a follower manner; a heating source in at lease one of an inside of the roller and an inside of the endless belt; and a pressure-applying member which is inside the endless belt and presses the endless belt against the roller. A sliding layer is provided on a side on which the pressure-applying member is in contact with the endless belt, and the sliding layer comprises at least two layers and holds a lubricant.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus

An image forming and recording apparatus, having a fixing apparatus for fixing unfixed toner image on a recording medium, wherein the fixing apparatus includes a fixing roller integrating a heater therein, an endless belt wound around the fixing roller, and three pressure members for pressing the endless belt onto the fixing roller. A pressure member located nearest to a side of entry of paper among the three pressure members is made up with a non-rotary type pressure member, and other two pressure members are made up with either one of a rotary type pressure member and the non-rotary type pressure member.

Image forming and recording apparatus with three pressure members

Two pairs of legs are fitted under two side plates of an electrophotography apparatus, respectively. The two legs in one pair fitted under one of the side plates are disposed on either side of and are spaced from a point which is a cross point of a line joining these two legs, and a line perpendicular to this line, which perpendicular line passes through a projected point obtained by projecting the center of gravity of the electrophotography apparatus onto a horizontal plane on which the apparatus is set up. The two legs in the pair fitted under the other one of the side plates are disposed on either side of and are spaced from a point which is a cross point of a line passing these two legs and a line perpendicular to this line, which perpendicular line passes through the projected point of the center of gravity. The ratio of a shorter distance to a longer distance, of two distances: one between the two legs in a pair and the other between the two legs in the other pair is set to a value of 1/5 to 1/3. With such a arrangement, a defect in an image caused by a distortion in said side plates, due to a position change in the center of gravity of the electrophotography apparatus can be prevented.

Electrophotography apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Ibaraki, Japan

Toru Hanashima