Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Tsumori Satoh

Hajime Oyama

Mitsuru Takahashi

Katsuhiro Aoki

Yuuji Sawai

Yasushi Koichi

Sadayuki Iwai

Misao Tanzawa

Tohru Nakano

Noriyuki Usui

Monocolor image forming unit includes a developing device and an image carrier cleaning device arranged around an image carrier. A plurality of such the monocolor image forming unit is arrayed laterally along the rotary transport direction of an intermediate transfer member of the belt type to configure a tandem image forming device. In the tandem image forming device, a synthesized toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer member and transferred to a recording medium to form a multicolor image thereon. Among the plurality of monocolor image forming unit contained in the tandem image forming device, at least two monocolor image forming unit each include a toner recycling device for conveying toner collected at the image carrier cleaning device to the developing device.

Image forming apparatus, monocolor image forming apparatus, toner recycling apparatus and intermediate transfer member

An image generating apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine includes, around a belt-like or drum-like photosensitive body, a magnetic brush developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive body into a visible image, and a magnetic brush cleaning device for removing remaining toner from the photosensitive body after the visible image has been transferred onto a transfer sheet, thus readying the photosensitive body for a next cycle of forming an electrostatic latent image thereon. Ech of the magnetic brush cleaning and developing devices has a brush carrier for carrying an agent containing a carrier and a toner as a magnetic brush and for bringing the magnetic brush into contact with the photosensitive body. The brush carrier is associated with a limiting member for squeezing the layer of the agent to keep the layer thickness uniform on the brush carrier. When the agent is squeezed, it is heated, and if it were overheated, the carrier and the toner would be thermally fused to each other, lowering the cleaning or developing capability. To prevent this problem, the limiting member is of a hollow satructure for allowing air to flow therein. For more efficient cleaning or developing operation, the brush carrier may also be of a hollow structure for cooling the same with air.

Magnetic brush forming device for image generating apparatus

A cleaning method applicable to a photoconductive element installed in an electrophotographic copier or similar image recorder of the type performing repetitive steps of charging, exposing, developing, transferring, discharging, cleaning and so forth. The method includes the steps of measuring the surface potential of the photoconductive element remaining after discharging which occurs prior to cleaning, comparing the measured potential with a reference potential, and controlling the output voltage of a discharging device to maintain the surface potential constant.

Method of cleaning a photoconductive element of an image recorder

A cleaning device for an image forming apparatus which develops an electrostatic latent image provided on an image carrier with toner, transfers the resulting toner image to a transfer material, and cleans the image carrier to remove toner remaining thereon and, more particularly, a cleaning device of the type using a carrier retaining member which retains carrier thereon by a magnetic force. Carrier particles which form a magnet brush have volume resistivity of lower than 10.sup.10 .OMEGA..cm while toner particles have a dielectric constant of smaller than 3.7.

Cleaning device for an image forming apparatus

A system for correcting deflection of a belt from its normal path of movement, the belt being trained over a plurality of rollers for movement in a predetermined direction, including optical sensors for sensing a deflection of the belt in one direction, and a center axis displacing mechanism including a cam for obtaining a displacement of at least one of the rollers.

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Yokosuka, Japan

Tsumori Satoh