Nec Corporation

Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.

Toshiya Kusayanagi

Tomoyuki Yoshii

Hiroshi Nishikawa

Chiseki Yamaguchi

Takuya Iwamura

Kazunori Shindo

Takaaki Watanabe

An intermediate belt made of an endless belt is provided by 45 degrees inclined horizontally and looped over two rollers at both its ends, and four photosensitive drums are provided in contact with the top surface of this intermediate belt. A reflection mirror is provided over each photosensitive drum, and a single polygon mirror is provided on almost the same level as these reflection mirrors. The polygon mirror is provided on the side of the reflection mirror of which optical path to the corresponding photosensitive drum is the longest so that the optical path lengths from the polygon mirror to the respective photosensitive drums are equal to each other.

Color image forming device with simplified optical unit incorporating a laser source

A transfer roller cleaning mechanism is brought into contact with a transfer roller so as to remove a harmful substance contained in a developer remaining on the transfer roller after a transfer step. Upon completion of printing of a predetermined number of pages, a fixation roller is moved apart from the transfer roller and a developed image for cleaning is formed over the entire printing area on a photosensitive body . This developed image is made into a film shape, which is transferred onto the transfer roller . The film-shaped developed image for cleaning is cleaned by the transfer roller cleaning mechanism

Liquid-developing electro-photographic printer photosensitive body cleaning method

A wet image-forming apparatus including a developing roller for developing latent images on a photoreceptor with a liquid developer, a developing blade for removing toner particles adhering to the surface of the developing roller, a brush roller for removing the toner particles from the developing blade, and a reservoir which stores the liquid developer, wherein substantially the same voltages as a developing voltage applied to the developing roller are applied to the brush roller and the reservoir. Since substantially the same voltages are applied at least to the brush roller, the reservoir and the developing roller, the apparatus of the present invention does not generate the accumulation of the toner particles.

Toner recovery system with electrical potential separation for a wet image-forming apparatus

A wet-type image forming device includes a development roller, a squeeze roller, a cleaning roller, a brush roller, and a reservoir, with voltages being applied to these components. A portion of one side of the reservoir is bent in a V-shape to form a protrusion so as to scrape toner particles from the brush roller. Toner particles adhering to the cleaning roller are mostly removed therefrom to sequentially adhere to the brush roller by a potential difference between the cleaning roller and the brush roller, and by opposing rotation of the cleaning roller and the brush roller in contact therewith. Toner particles remaining on the cleaning roller are scraped off by a cleaning blade to also adhere to the brush roller. Toner particles adhering to the brush roller are scraped off by the protrusion of the reservoir and are then dispersed in the liquid developer within the reservoir.

Wet-type image forming device and cleaning apparatus

A wet image forming unit for developing an electrostatic latent image formed onto a surface of a photosensitive body by a liquid developing solution containing toner particles is characterized in that a squeeze roller for squeezing of a surplus developing solution on the photosensitive body and cleaning the photosensitive body is provided and, just before stop of an image forming operation, a voltage whose polarity is opposite to a charging polarity of the toner particles is applied to the squeeze roller. The squeeze roller rotates in the direction similar to the photosensitive body upon the image forming operation. However, just before the stop of the image forming operation, the squeeze roller rotates in the direction opposite to the photosensitive body. During printing, the liquid developing solution which remains and gathers at the interval between the photosensitive belt and squeeze roller is removed by the reverse rotation of the squeeze roller not only mechanically, but also electrically.

Wet image forming unit and image forming apparatus

An image formation apparatus for performing development by supplying to a photosensitive body a developing solution containing toner includes a developing roller; a developing solution supply port; a squeeze roller for wiping off an unnecessary portion of the developing solution from the photosensitive body; a moving frame reciprocally moving toward/from the photosensitive body; a squeeze support body for holding the squeeze roller; and two elastic bodies having different natural lengths that are provided between the moving frame and the squeeze support body and can be expanded and contracted for urging depression of the squeeze roller toward the photosensitive body.

Image formation apparatus

The invention provides a belt type photosensitive member cleaning apparatus for a wet type image forming apparatus which can effectively remove liquid developer pressed out by a pair of pressing out rollers for removing remaining liquid developer from a belt like photosensitive member after developed to prevent such liquid developer from flowing out and soiling to a window for a sensor or the photosensitive member. Each of the pressing out rollers provided in a stage next to a first pressing out roller has grooves formed at the opposite end portions thereof such that liquid developer which tends to be pressed out from the opposite ends of each of the second pressing out rollers is collected in the grooves. A pair of wiper blades having a length greater than the longitudinal ranges of the pair of pressing out rollers are disposed for being pressed against the outer peripheries of the pair of pressing out rollers including inner faces of the annular grooves at the opposite ends on the outer peripheries of the pair of pressing out rollers.

Growing community of inventors

Niigata, Japan

Toshiya Kusayanagi