Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Yasuo Hirano

Jun Aoto

Kazuo Nojima

Mitsuru Seto

Masahide Yamashita

Shigeru Fukuda

Koji Suzuki

Takeshi Shintani

Naoya Morohoshi

Naoki Iwata

Takashi Bisaiji

Shigekazu Enoki

Yuichi Ueno

Hideaki Ema

Motoi Orihara

Fuchio Takeda

Hiroshi Takashima

Kazuhiro Nishido

Makoto Ohsaki

Takeo Wada

Apparatus for developing a latent electrostatic image to a developed image with a developer, having a developer bearing member capable of carrying developer on a surface thereof, and a layer thickness regulating member for regulating developer carried on the developer bearing member to a uniform thickness, wherein at least the surface of the layer thickness regulating member is made of a material which includes at least one of a cross-linked alkylalkoxyl-group-containing nylon resin and a cyclic polyolefin.

Latent electrostatic image developing apparatus and image forming apparatus including such developing apparatus

A member for developing electrostatic latent images to visible images is disclosed, which comprises a support, a first coating layer comprising an elastic material formed on the support, and a second coating layer comprising a flexible resin formed on the first coating layer.

Member for developing electrostatic latent images

An image forming apparatus comprises an intermediate transfer unit associated with a photoconductive medium. A first unit transfers a developed image on the photoconductive medium to the intermediate transfer unit such that an intermediate image on the intermediate transfer unit is formed. A second unit transfers the intermediate image from the intermediate transfer unit to a copy sheet such that a reproduced image on the copy sheet is formed. The intermediate transfer device of one aspect of the present invention comprises a surface layer of a mixture containing a friction reducing substance which reduces a coefficient of friction on the surface layer. The intermediate transfer device of another aspect of the present invention comprises a surface layer of a mixture containing a fluorocarbon polymer component and a secondary resin component which are compatible with each other, a visible developed color image being formed on the surface layer.

Image forming apparatus having an intermediate transfer unit with a

An image forming method wherein a toner image on an image carrier is transferred in a first transfer step to an intermediate image transfer element, the transferred toner image on said intermediate image transfer element being subsequently transferred in a second transfer step to a transfer medium. The intermediate image transfer element has a surface whose angle of contact with water is at least 70 degrees and whose position in the triboelectric series is on a positive side with respect to the position of said toner when the toner on the image carrier is negatively charged and on a negative side with respect to the position of the toner when the toner on the image carrier is positively charged.

Electrophotograhic image forming method using an intermediate image

In an image forming apparatus of the type transferring a plurality of toner images of different colors sequentially formed on an image carrier sequentially to an endless intermediate transfer body one above the other by primary transfer, and then transferring the resulting composite color image to a transfer medium by secondary transfer, the intermediate transfer body is provided with surface energy, surface tension or adhering force which is greater than or equal to the corresponding value of the image carrier, but smaller than or equal to the corresponding value of the transfer medium.

Image forming apparatus

A method of developing latent electrostatic images and a developer-bearing member for use in the method are disclosed, which method includes the steps of (a) forming numerous micro closed electric fields near the surface of a rotatable developer-bearing member which comprises an electroconductive support and a surface layer formed thereon comprising an electroconductive organic polymeric matrix and numerous minute charge-retainable insulating segments distributed at least one the surface of the surface layer, by electrically charging the surface of the charge-retainable insulating segments; (b) supplying a one-component type developer comprising toner particles to the rotatable developer-bearing member to hold the developer on the rotatable developer-bearing member to hold the developer on the rotatable developer-bearing member by the numerous micro closed electric fields; and (c) bringing the rotatable developer-bearing member near or into contact with a latent-electrostatic-image-bearing member which bears a latent electrostatic image to develop the latent electrostatic image with the one-component developer to a visible toner image.

Method of developing latent electrostatic images and developer-bearing

An intermediate transfer type image forming apparatus for sequentially performing primary and secondary image transfer with the intermediary of an intermediate transfer medium implemented as, e.g., a belt, and the intermediate transfer member are disclosed. The image transfer medium has a lower surface resistivity on its rear than on its front or image carrying surface.

Intermediate transfer type image forming apparatus and an intermediate

An image forming apparatus capable of reducing the irregularity in the inside resistance of an intermediate image transfer belt thereof to insure uniform images, and reducing the change in the resistance of the belt due to aging to enhance image quality. The belt has a laminate structure including an upper or high resistance layer and a lower or support layer. The specific resistance of the belt is higher in the upper layer than in the lower layer. Optimally, the specific resistance of the upper layer ranges from 1.times.10.sup.10 .OMEGA.cm to 1.times.10.sup.16 .OMEGA.cm.

Intermediate image transfer element and image forming apparatus using

A development apparatus including a developer-bearing-member for developing latent electrostatic images formed on a latent-electrostatic-image-bearing member to visible toner images by the application thereto of a non-magnetic one-component developer including matrix toner particles and a fluidity-imparting agent; and a developer-thin-layer-regulating member for forming a thin layer of the non-magnetic one-component developer on the surface of the developer-bearing member, the developer-bearing member having a surface portion which is intermediate between the matrix toner particles and the fluidity-imparting agent in the triboelectric series thereof.

Development apparatus for developing latent electrostatic images

A developer-bearing member with the surface thereof being composed of minute dielectric portions and minute electroconductive portions which are mixedly distributed, the dielectric portions containing an amino coupling agent, is used in an image formation method including the steps of forming numerous micro closed electric fields near the surface of the developer-bearing member by causing the developer-bearing member to selectively hold electric charges on the surface thereof, supplying a non-magnetic one-component type developer containing a toner to the surface of the developer-bearing member to hold the toner on the surface of the developer-bearing member by the micro closed electric fields, and developing a latent electrostatic image formed on a latent-electrostatic-image bearing member to a visible toner image by the toner.

Developer-bearing member and image formation method using the same

A development unit including (i) a latent-electrostatic-image-bearable member, (ii) a development member for supporting a toner thereon and developing latent electrostatic images formed on the latent-electrostatic-image-bearable member into visible toner images with the toner, and (iii) a toner layer regulating member for regulating the thickness of a toner layer formed on the development member, wherein at least the development member or toner layer regulating member has an overcoat layer including a resin and a surface active agent.

Unit for developing electrostatic latent images including member having

A development unit comprising a development roller for developing a latent electrostatic image formed on an electrophotographic photoconductor to a visible toner image by applying a non-magnetic one-component type toner thereto, and a toner layer thickness regulation member for forming a toner layer on the above development roller, which toner layer thickness regulation member comprises at least (a) a rubber-like fluorosilicone polymer including repeat units of formula (I), (b) a silicone polymer comprising a copolymer of dimethyl silicone and methyl vinyl silicone with a crosslinking density of 4.times.10.sup.-4 to 8.times.10.sup.-4 mol/cc, and (c) an alkylene-oxide-addition type fluorine-containing surface active agent: ##STR1## wherein n is 1,000 to 600,000.

Development unit having a toner layer thickness regulation member

A developing device for use in an image forming apparatus and having a developing roller, developing sleeve or similar developer carrier for supplying a one-component developer, or toner, to a latent image which is electrostatically formed on an image carrier such as a photoconductive element. A dielectric layer forming part of the developer carrier and closely related to the fluctuation of developing characteristic has a frequency characteristic which is confined in a predetermined range. Hence, the device is operable in a desirable manner by confining the fluctuation of developing characteristic ascribable to that of developing linear speed in a predetermined range without resorting to the actual measurement of a response characteristic of a developer carrier.

Developer carrier with a dielectric layer having a frequency

A development apparatus including a development roller for developing a latent electrostatic image formed on an electrophotographic photoconductor to a visible toner image by applying a non-magnetic one-component toner thereto, in which a surface layer of the development roller includes a fluorosilcone polymer including repeating units of formula (I): ##STR1##

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Numazu, Japan

Yasuo Hirano