A fixing device includes a laser light source that irradiates an irradiation region with a laser light, the irradiation region extending along a direction crossing a transporting direction of a recording medium with respect to a heating-fixable image which is on the recording medium. The fixing device further includes; a reflective member that is provided to enclose the irradiation region and includes a reflective surface reflecting a reflected light so that the irradiation region is ...
]]> 8467712 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467711/description.html

An image forming apparatus, a fixing unit and a belt assembly thereof are disclosed. The image forming apparatus, the fixing unit and the belt assembly includes a frame, a belt rotatably disposed at an outer periphery of the frame, and a lateral slip prevention member which presses at least a portion of the belt to cause the belt to move in a direction of mitigating undesirable lateral movement of the ...
]]> 8467711 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467710/description.html

Disclosed in an image forming apparatus including a conveyance section to convey a paper, a first fixing device to fix a toner on the paper by heat fixing, a first cooling device to cool the paper in which the toner is fixed, a second fixing device to fix the toner on the paper by heat fixing, a second cooling device to cool the paper in which the toner is fixed, a conveyance path switching section to switch a conveyance path of the paper between a first conveyance path and a second ...
]]> 8467710 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467709/description.html

The image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member bearing a toner image; a driving roller and a tension roller movable in such a direction that the interval between the rollers changes; a transfer belt stretched by the rollers to feed a receiving material so that the toner image on the image bearing member is transferred onto the receiving material or to directly receive the toner image from the image bearing member; a detector opposed to the tension roller with the belt ...
]]> 8467709 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467708/description.html

A developer unit for an image forming apparatus is provided. The developer unit includes a developer device with a developer agent carrier, a developer agent container arranged in an upper position with respect to the developer device. The developer agent container is formed to have a fitting wall, which is curved inward at a position to be adjacent to the developer device. The developer agent container includes an agitator, which is rotated to sweep an inner surface of the fitting wall and ...
]]> 8467708 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467707/description.html

An image forming agent storage unit includes a body portion and a pair of a protrusion portion. The body portion extends in an insertion direction in which the image forming agent storage unit is inserted into an image forming apparatus. The pair of a protrusion portion is disposed on an outer face of the body portion and extends along the insertion direction. An approximate geometrical center of gravity of a cross-sectional shape of the body portion is disposed between the pair of the ...
]]> 8467707 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467706/description.html

A printer apparatus includes the use of at least two HSD stations to develop an electrostatic image generated by a single exposure on a photoreceptor in order to enable high speed, high quality monochrome development. A third standby HSD station can be included for increased reliability or be cycled in and out of development allowing on-the-fly cleaning of HSD ...
]]> 8467706 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467705/description.html

An image forming apparatus has an intermediate transfer belt stretched lightly across rollers to move endlessly in a sub-scanning direction upon image formation and has an outer surface to which a toner image formed by a development unit is transferred. A secondary transfer opposing roller is one of the rollers across which the intermediate transfer belt is stretched. A secondary transfer roller contacts the outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt and transfers the toner image on ...
]]> 8467705 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467704/description.html

An image forming apparatus including: an image carrier, provided to a main body of the image forming apparatus, that carries a toner image; an opening and closing member provided to be openable and closable against the main body; a transfer unit movably provided against the opening and closing member, the transfer unit including: a transfer body transferring the toner image onto a transfer receiving medium; and a holding member holding the transfer body and having a contact portion that is ...
]]> 8467704 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467703/description.html

An image forming device includes a developing device unit including a plurality of developing devices, and a plurality of sloping members disposed in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of developing devices. Each developing device includes a developing roller defining an axis line and a developer accommodating chamber. Each developing device is movable in a first direction perpendicular to the axis line. Each sloping member has a sloped surface and a biasing member biasing the ...
]]> 8467703 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467702/description.html

A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, and a developing roller for developing a latent image. A development coupling portion is provided that includes a driven portion. The development coupling portion also includes an intermediary portion configured and positioned to engage with the driven portion, and to be movable relative to the driven portion while maintaining ...
]]> 8467702 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467701/description.html

A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit including a transfer member for transferring a developed image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive drum onto the recording material, and mounting portions for demountably mounting cartridges arranged substantially in a vertical direction, the unit being movable, in a state that the cartridge is demountably mounted to the mounting portions, between a transfer position for transferring the developed ...
]]> 8467701 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467700/description.html

A cartridge is detachably mountable in a receiving area of an image forming apparatus in a first direction. The receiving area is partitioned by partition surfaces opposing each other in a direction orthogonal to the first direction. The cartridge includes first and second side surfaces in the opposing direction. In a part of the case, both ends of which are contactable with the partition surfaces, respectively, when mounted in the receiving area, outlines of the first and second side ...
]]> 8467700 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467699/description.html

A remanufactured laser printer toner cartridge with an added primary charge roller cleaner, and methods of remanufacture, are disclosed. The added primary charge roller cleaner may be fastened to the mounting bracket of the toner cartridge's wiper blade, and functions to remove contaminants from the primary charge roller through contact with the primary charge ...
]]> 8467699 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467698/description.html

An image forming apparatus may include a sheet conveying belt that conveys a sheet to a position opposed to an image carrier, and a cleaning unit that cleans the sheet conveying belt. The sheet conveying belt may be driven by a first driving unit such as a first motor while the cleaning unit may be driven a second driving unit such as a second motor. In one or more arrangements, the second driving unit is independent from the first driving unit. Additionally or alternatively, the first ...
]]> 8467698 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467697/description.html

The present invention provides a cleaning member for an image forming apparatus, including: a shaft body; and an elastic material that is wound on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body in a spiral shape, the elastic material satisfying the following expressions. (A1): 1 ]]> 8467697 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467696/description.html

The present invention provides a heating roller including a resistive heating layer and a fusing device including the heating roller. By separately disposing a plurality of electrodes in an axis direction of the heating roller, and by independently controlling each electrode, the heating roller may correspond to various papers having different sizes. Accordingly, the temperature of the heating roller may be stably ...
]]> 8467696 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467695/description.html

An image forming apparatus capable of rapidly cooling a fixing device is provided. A fixing unit of an image forming apparatus (MFP) includes a fixing device for fixing a developer image transferred onto a sheet based on image data, a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the fixing device, a heater for raising the temperature thereof, and a cooling device for cooling thereof. A control unit of the MFP acquires sheet information in which information for adjusting the ...
]]> 8467695 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467694/description.html

In a method of generating a fuser signal for a printer, a gating signal is generated using delta-sigma modulation such that an absolute value of a deficit does not exceed a threshold. The deficit corresponds to a difference between (i) a number of positive half-cycles of an alternating current (AC) signal at which the gating signal is high and (ii) a number of negative half-cycles of the AC signal at which the gating signal is high. The gating signal is used to gate the AC signal to a ...
]]> 8467694 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467693/description.html

An image forming apparatus which forms an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum, serving as an image carrier, develops the image using toners of a plurality of colors, and transfers a toner image onto a printing medium in accordance with an electrophotographic process. A toner consumption amount detection unit detects the toner consumption amount of each of the toners of the plurality of colors, a decision unit decides upon a color to form a patch, based on input image data ...
]]> 8467693 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467692/description.html

An image forming apparatus includes a developing section that includes a feed member having a groove, a developer carrier developing with liquid developer fed from the feed member, and a charging member charging the liquid developer carried in the developer carrier. An image carrier carries an image developed by the developing section. An optical sensor includes a light emitting section emitting light to the image developed in the image carrier. A first light receiving section receives ...
]]> 8467692 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8467691/description.html

An image forming apparatus includes a belt; a plurality of rollers for stretching the belt; a mechanism for generating a force, at an end portion of the belt, in a direction in which lateral deviation of the belt is corrected; a forming device for forming a toner image on the belt; a first sensor capable of detecting a density of the toner image formed on the belt on one end side of the belt; a second sensor capable of detecting the density of the toner image formed on the belt on the other ...
]]> 8467691 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463173/description.html

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit; a first sheet discharging path having a first dischargeable minimum sheet length; a second sheet discharging path having a second dischargeable minimum sheet length that is shorter than the first dischargeable minimum sheet length; a measuring unit that measures a length of the sheet; and a control unit. When the length of the sheet is shorter than the first dischargeable minimum sheet length in a state in which the first sheet ...
]]> 8463173 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463172/description.html

A cleaning device, including, a first blade to slidably contact with a surface of an image carrier to which a toner including an external additive adheres, a second blade to slidably contact with the surface of the image carrier and to be provided downstream of the first blade in a rotation direction of the image carrier, and a lubricant applying mechanism section to apply a lubricant to the surface of the image carrier, wherein hardness of the first blade is equal to or more than hardness ...
]]> 8463172 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463171/description.html

To provide a fixing solution for fixing fine resin particles to a recording medium, the fixing solution including: a diluent which contains water; a foaming agent which allows the fixing solution to be in the form of foam; and a solid plasticizer which is solid at normal temperature and soluble in the diluent, and which softens or swells at least part of the fine resin particles while dissolved in the ...
]]> 8463171 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463170/description.html

A fixing device of an image forming apparatus includes a magnetic core forming a magnetic path composed of a first path for induction-heating a specified area of a heating member and a second path for induction-heating only a smaller area as a reduction of the specified area and the magnetic field being composed of a common magnetic field region where both the first and the second paths pass and an uncommon magnetic field region where only the first path passes; and a magnetism adjusting ...
]]> 8463170 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463169/description.html

A fixing device includes a fixing roller and a pressure roller. The fixing roller and the pressure roller each have an elastic layer formed between a core bar and a release layer, which release layer serves as a surface of the fixing roller and the pressure roller. The pressure roller has a lower Asker-C hardness than that of the fixing roller, and has a greater micro rubber hardness than that of the fixing roller. This prevents the surface of the pressure roller from deteriorating in a ...
]]> 8463169 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463168/description.html

A fixing device to fix a toner image on a sheet includes a first rotary member that rotates in a predetermined direction and a second rotary member that contacts an outer circumferential surface of the first rotary member. A stationary member is fixed inside the first rotary member to press the first and second rotary members together to form a nip portion between the rotary members. A reinforcement member is fixedly provided inside the first rotary member and pressed against the stationary ...
]]> 8463168 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463167/description.html

According to embodiments, a heating member or a sliding member arranged in contact with the surface of a fusing roller is moved in an intersecting direction with the rotational direction of the fusing roller in a contact state with the heating member or the sliding member so as to prevent a scratch from being generated on the surface of the fusing roller or to repair the ...
]]> 8463167 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463166/description.html

A fixing device includes an image surface side separating member that separates a recording medium from a fixing member; an image surface side conveyance guiding member arranged downstream of the image surface side separating member; a non-image surface side separating member that separates the recording medium from a pressing member; and a non-image surface side conveyance guiding member arranged downstream of the non-image surface side separating member. When the image surface side ...
]]> 8463166 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463165/description.html

An intermediate transfer belt for use in electrophotography including plural linear convexities is provided. The plural linear convexities have a height of from 0.01 to 1 μm and a width of from 0.5 to 5 ...
]]> 8463165 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463164/description.html

A developer supply container is mountable to a developer receiving apparatus including a driving gear, and includes a developer discharging opening; a feeding blade for feeding the developer toward the opening when the container is positioned at a developer discharging position; a drive receiving gear engageable with the driving gear for rotating the feeding blade; a regulating projection for regulating a mounting attitude of the container to prevent engagement between the drive receiving ...
]]> 8463164 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463163/description.html

A developing device includes: a developer carrier configured to form a developer image on an image carrier by developing an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier; a developer supplier being in contact with the developer carrier and configured to supply a developer to an outer circumferential surface of the developer carrier; and an agitating member configured to agitate the developer around the developer carrier or the developer supplier, wherein a tip of the agitating member, ...
]]> 8463163 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463162/description.html

The present invention is capable of changing the system speed quickly and highly accurately while using a CVT device with an advantage in its quietness to transmit a driving force to rotative parts.

Specifically, in the case of using a sheet of thick paper as a recording sheet, the controller changes, for each of the pulleys, the distance between the pulley segments (S204) while starting up the DC motor as the driving source (S202). After that, the controller performs ...
]]> 8463162 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463161/description.html

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a belt unit which is rotatable in contact with the image bearing member and which is capable of being drawn out of a main assembly of the image forming apparatus; a cam member for switching a position of the belt member relative to the image bearing member; a motor for rotating the cam member; a controller for controlling the motor to contact and space the belt member relative to the image bearing member; a lever movable between a ...
]]> 8463161 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463160/description.html

An image forming apparatus includes a housing, developing units disposed in parallel with each other in the housing and including an image carrier, and a toner carrier to supply toner to the image carrier. Toner cartridges that correspond to a respective developing unit when each of the toner cartridges is attached to the housing are configured to be attached to the housing. Each toner cartridge includes a first containing unit configured to contain toner. The apparatus also includes a belt ...
]]> 8463160 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463159/description.html

An image forming unit is provided with a regulating member placed in such a way as to surround a charging roller to regulate movement thereof. The regulating member has a pressing section inclined with respect to a straight line connecting the center of the charging roller to the axis of the photoconductor, as seen from the axial direction of the photoconductor. The pressing section is inclined farther away from the photoconductor toward upstream of rotation of the photoconductor. The ...
]]> 8463159 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463158/description.html

An image-forming device includes a main body and a tandem photosensitive-member unit. The tandem photosensitive-member unit includes a unit frame, a plurality of photosensitive members, a front-side grip part, and a rear-side grip. The unit frame is configured to be slidably installed to and removed from the main body in a predetermined direction. The unit frame has a leading side and a trailing side with respect to the predetermined direction. The plurality of photosensitive members is ...
]]> 8463158 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463157/description.html

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a process cartridge which is mounted on a pull-out type cartridge tray to enable front access. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an urging unit for urging and moving the cartridge tray toward a front of a main assembly of the apparatus and a clocking member for locking the cartridge tray in a proper position so that the cartridge tray is returned back to an outside position of the apparatus when the cartridge ...
]]> 8463157 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463156/description.html

An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material includes a cartridge accommodating a developer for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive member, a supporter detachably mounting the cartridge, and a preventor. The supporter moves between an inside position where the cartridge forms an image inside a main assembly of the apparatus and an outside position where the cartridge is mounted and demounted outside the main assembly. The preventor ...
]]> 8463156 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463155/description.html

Methods and devices for remanufacturing printer cartridges are provided where the printer cartridges comprise a photoconductive drum, the photoconductive drum comprises a drum gear end, and the drum gear end of the photoconductive drum is configured to be attached to a laser printer via a rotational force transmitting assembly. In an embodiment, the method comprises removing the rotational force transmitting assembly from the photoconductive drum, providing a replacement photoconductive ...
]]> 8463155 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463154/description.html

The image forming apparatus is capable of collecting discharged toner satisfactorily even when a power source for discharging toner from a voltage application member to a moving member and a power source for collecting the discharged toner from the moving member onto an image bearing member are provided in ...
]]> 8463154 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463153/description.html

A process cartridge, which includes a developing cartridge and a photosensitive cartridge for use with an image forming apparatus including a driving force output part and a feeding part, is provided. The developing cartridge includes a developer carrier, a first electrode provided at one side thereof, and a driving force receiving part provided at another side thereof and aligned with the first electrode such that the driving force receiving part overlaps the first electrode in a side ...
]]> 8463153 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463152/description.html

When executing an image forming process for same sheets divisionally a plurality of number of times, a subsequent image forming process needs to be prevented from becoming impossible depending on the process result of a preceding image forming process. To accomplish this, when executing a second image forming process for a sheet having an image formed by a first image forming process is designated, an image forming apparatus of this invention restricts execution of post-processing for the ...
]]> 8463152 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463151/description.html

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section which performs image formation according to execution of a job, a storage section which can store two or more jobs, a display section to perform display, and a control section by which the operations of the image forming section and the display section are controlled, and the job is stored and managed in the storage section, and which performs these two or more jobs in a prescribed order. According to the setting conditions and ...
]]> 8463151 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463150/description.html

A fixing device includes a fuser member, a pressure member, a first motor, a second motor, a pressure adjuster, and a controller. The fuser member defines a first heatable surface. The pressure member defines a second heatable surface. The first motor is connected to the fuser member to rotate at a first rotation rate to drive the first surface at a first conveyance speed. The second motor is connected to the pressure member to rotate at a second rotation rate to drive the second surface at ...
]]> 8463150 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463149/description.html

At a time for resetting a transfer voltage after a predetermined time period from the performance of ATVC in both a color mode and a monochrome mode, ATVC is performed only in a currently running mode. A transfer voltage in another mode that the ATVC has not been performed at that time is set based on results of the ATVC performed in both the color and monochrome modes and a result of the ATVC performed in the other mode at that ...
]]> 8463149 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463148/description.html

A developing apparatus including a developing container for containing developer, the developing container having an opening portion, a developer carrying member for carrying the developer at the opening portion, a detecting member for detecting a developer amount, the detecting member detecting a capacitance between the developer carrying member and the detecting member, and a force receiving portion for receiving a force and moving the developing container between a first position in ...
]]> 8463148 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463147/description.html

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member bearing an image; a transfer member having the image transferred thereto from the image bearing member; a correction-image-formation control unit that causes, on the transfer member, a bias correction image to be formed based on an uncorrected bias and a first parameter-correction image to be formed immediately behind the bias correction image based on the uncorrected bias and an uncorrected image-formation parameter; a bias ...
]]> 8463147 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/8463146/description.html

Developer density in an electrophotographic system is measured. The developer includes toner particles and magnetic carrier particles. First and second mutually-insulated electrodes define a working volume between them through which developer passes without contacting the first electrode. An AC voltage or current source is connected to the electrodes. An inductor is connected in series with a voltage source, or an inductor is provided in parallel with a current source. The voltage or ...
]]> 8463146