Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20080213009 | Belt moving device and image forming apparatus using same - In a belt moving device that is capable of reducing belt speed fluctuation and positional deviation from a target belt position in a sub-scanning direction and performing highly precise position control in a main scanning direction, and an image forming apparatus that uses this belt moving device to prevent color shift in both the main scanning direction and sub-scanning direction of a formed image such that a high-quality image can be formed, belt shift control means reduce shift position variation within a single round trip of an endless belt by feeding back a target value for canceling out the shift position variation within a single round trip of the endless belt and feeding forward a value obtained by multiplying an inverse transfer characteristic of moving means by a transfer characteristic of a target value of the moving means in relation to the control content of the moving means. | 09-04-2008 |
20080213010 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An exit blade is arranged on a downstream side of a transfer nip formed between a photosensitive element and a primary transfer roller, with an intermediate transfer belt being put therebetween, and brought into contact with an internal surface of the intermediate transfer belt. A neutralizing bias of the same polarity as that of the toner is applied to the exit blade, rather than a primary transfer bias voltage. | 09-04-2008 |
20080213011 | Endless belt and image forming apparatus that uses the endless belt - A belt is entrained on a plurality of rollers and runs when the rollers are driven to rotate. A bead is attached to the belt and prevents the belt-like member from running crooked. The bead includes a first layer formed of a first material having a first hardness and a second layer formed of a second material having a second hardness. The second layer is laminated on the first layer. The bead is attached to the belt with the first layer being closer to the belt than the second layer. The first material and the second material expand simultaneously with temperature and humidity, and the first material and the second material contract simultaneously with temperature and humidity. The first hardness is higher than the second hardness. | 09-04-2008 |
20080232867 | Transfer nip roller, transfer device, and image forming apparatus - In a transfer nip roller operative to transfer an image from an image carrier to a recording medium, a ratio (We | 09-25-2008 |
20080240802 | Belt device, belt deviation detecting device, and image forming apparatus - A belt device includes a belt member, a detecting unit, and a preventing member. The belt member is stretched over a plurality of rollers and moves in a predetermined moving direction. The detecting unit detects deviation of the belt member in a belt width direction of the belt member. The preventing member is arranged near the detecting unit and prevents deviation of the belt member in a direction other than the moving direction and the belt width direction. | 10-02-2008 |
20080304880 | TRANSFER APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A transfer apparatus for an image forming apparatus includes a transfer tube to face an image carrier, and a transfer roller disposed inside the transfer tube to cause the transfer tube to rotate. | 12-11-2008 |
20080304881 | ENDLESS BELT, BELT CONVEYOR AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An endless belt is provided with an endless belt body and a meandering prevention member in the form of a flat bar. The belt body includes a folded trace extending in the width direction thereof. The meandering prevention member is attached on one widthwise end of a circumferential surface of the belt body such that one widthwise end of the folded trace is covered thereby and the opposite longitudinal ends of the meandering prevention member abut each other in a rotating direction of the belt body. An abutting portion at the opposite ends of the meandering prevention member is arranged at a position displaced from the folded trace by a specified distance in the rotating direction of the belt body. | 12-11-2008 |
20090003895 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, AND TRANSFER DEVICE - An image forming apparatus is provided in which an electrostatic latent image formed on a surface of a photoreceptor is developed into a toner image with a developing device, and in which a printing paper transported on a transport belt is brought into contact with the surface of the photoreceptor and an electric field is applied to the printing paper from a rear surface of the transport belt by a transfer roller so as to transfer the toner image onto the printing paper, the transfer roller capable of applying different levels of electric field to the printing paper, so that a predetermined transfer electric field is applied to a region other than a leading edge of the printing paper being transported, and that a weak electric field weaker than the predetermined transfer electric field is applied to the leading edge of the printing paper being transported. In this way, even in the presence of a projection generated when the printing paper is cut, the printing paper naturally strips off from the surface of the photoreceptor, thereby preventing toner contamination caused by a striping claw in contact with the leading edge of the printing paper. | 01-01-2009 |
20090016787 | TRANSFER BELT FOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS EQUIPPED THEREWITH - A transfer belt for electrophotography comprises
| 01-15-2009 |
20090028615 | BELT CONVEYOR AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is provided with an image bearing member for bearing a toner image in conformity with specified image information, a transfer belt mounted on a plurality of rollers for transferring the toner image on the image bearing member to the outer surface thereof or a recording sheet placed on the outer surface thereof, a bending roller whose outer circumferential surface presses the outer surface of the transfer belt to bend the belt inwardly, a torque limiter having a specified cutoff torque and mounted on a rotary shaft of the bending roller, a drive motor for giving a driving force to the bending roller via the torque limiter, and a drive controller for driving the drive motor such that the circumferential speed of the bending roller is faster than the rotating speed of the transfer belt. | 01-29-2009 |
20090052954 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC ENDLESS BELT, ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS, AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC ENDLESS BELT MANUFACTURING METHOD - The object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic endless belt exhibiting high uniformity in transfer and high stability in running, and an electrophotographic apparatus having the electrophotographic endless belt. The present invention provides: an electrophotographic endless belt formed of a thermoplastic resin composition, characterized in that, assuming that the maximum heating shrinkage factor when a slice of the electrophotographic endless belt is hot-pressed in a temperature range higher than a melting point of the thermoplastic resin composition by 10° C. to 120° C. is L (%), 15≦L≦80 is established, and assuming that the maximum tensile rupture distortion attained by performing a heating tensile test using a slice hot-pressed at a temperature giving the maximum heating shrinkage factor in a temperature range of 80° C. to 200° C. is S, 0.10≦(S+1)/L≦0.17 is established; an electrophotographic apparatus having the electrophotographic endless belt; and a method of manufacturing the electrophotographic endless belt. | 02-26-2009 |
20090067896 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus has a endless conveying belt ( | 03-12-2009 |
20090067897 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, AND SECONDARY TRANSFER UNIT - An image forming apparatus includes an image transfer section configured to transfer a reversed image based on a read original image onto an image carrier as a toner image, a secondary transfer roller configured to come into contact with the image carrier and transfer the toner image onto a recording medium, a secondary transfer roller housing section configured to house the secondary transfer roller, a lubricant coating brush configured to come into contact with the secondary transfer roller and coat lubricant on the secondary transfer roller, a lubricant coating brush housing section configured to house the lubricant coating brush and be movable along a groove formed on the secondary transfer roller housing section, a solid lubricant configured to be housed in the lubricant coating brush housing section and supply lubricant to the lubricant coating brush, and a lubricant holding member configured to elastically hold the solid lubricant. | 03-12-2009 |
20090074482 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An intermediate transfer belt and a photosensitive member form a transfer nip. An electrode is arranged close to an inner surface of the intermediate transfer belt in a portion on an upstream side of a direction of endless movement of the intermediate transfer belt with respect to a downstream-side exit of the transfer nip and on a downstream side of the direction of endless movement with respect to a position at which a transfer roller charges the intermediate transfer belt. A voltage of same polarity as the polarity of a toner is applied to the electrode, so that there is no movement of an electric charge between the electrode and the intermediate transfer belt. | 03-19-2009 |
20090074483 | IMAGE TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image transfer device according to the present invention applies a transfer bias voltage to a toner image developed on a surface of an image carrying member, the transfer bias voltage having an opposite polarity from the polarity of an electric charge of the toner image, by a transfer roller from a power supply device, and electrostatically transfers the toner image to a transfer medium. A resistance element is connected between the power supply device and the transfer roller in series. The resistance element has a value of resistance which varies little with environmental variation, and a ratio between the value of resistance and a synthetic value of resistance of a transfer device including the conductive roller is set to a value which restrains variations in transfer efficiency of the electrostatic transfer with respect to variations in the synthetic value of resistance with the environmental variations. | 03-19-2009 |
20090080950 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units forming a visible image by attaching charged developer to an electrostatic latent image, a transfer belt member being transferred the visible image formed by each of the plurality of image forming units, a plurality of tension members tightly stretching the transfer belt member, a primary transfer member transferring the visible image formed by the plurality of image forming units to the transfer belt unit, a secondary transfer member transferring the visible image transferred to the transfer belt member on a recording medium, and a fixing unit fixing the visible image transferred to the recording medium. The plurality of image forming units are disposed in at least two transfer regions formed by segmenting the transfer belt member by the plurality of the tension members. | 03-26-2009 |
20090087232 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND BELT TRANSPORTING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus is provided with: an image carrier that holds an image; an endless transfer belt that is rotated while sandwiching a recording medium therebetween, and transfers the image on the image carrier to the recording medium; a first roll member that holds the transfer belt and brings that into contact with the image carrier; a second and third roll members that hold the transfer belt together with the first roll member; and a moving member that makes the second roll member movable so as to make a center distance between the first and second roll members on one end side of the transfer belt larger than one on the other end side, and makes the third roll member movable so as to make a center distance between the first and third roll members on the one end side smaller than one on the other end side. | 04-02-2009 |
20090087233 | Belt unit and image forming apparatus using the same - According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a belt unit including: a belt that is formed in an endless shape; a first roller that supports the belt from an inner side of the belt; a second roller that supports the belt from the inner side of the belt; regulation walls that are disposed on both sides of the second roller and that each includes a boss protruding outwardly, the boss having a tapered portion; and plate frames that are disposed on both sides of the belt and that each includes: a first groove portion that supports the first roller; and a second groove portion that supports the second roller, the second groove portion having a rounded edge formed to be run on by the boss through the tapered portion. | 04-02-2009 |
20090136272 | Toner Transfer Apparatus - The present application is directed to methods and devices for controlling charge buildup on a toner image as the toner image passes through one or more transfer nips. Charge buildup may be reduced by laterally offsetting a transfer roller from a photoconductor drum. The transfer roller may be constructed of an essentially non-compressible conductive material. AC current may be used to generate an electrical field between the photoconductor drum and the transfer roller. | 05-28-2009 |
20090154965 | CONTINUOUS INTERMEDIATE IMAGE CARRIER FOR AN ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTER OR COPIER - A continuous intermediate image carrier for an electrophotographic printer or copier has an electrical conductivity in a thickness direction between two opposite measurement points which is smaller than between two laterally-offset measurement points on opposite sides of the intermediate image carrier. | 06-18-2009 |
20090185839 | Transfer Device and Image Forming Apparatus Including the Same - A transfer device includes: a first transfer belt; a first and second roller on which the first transfer belt is wound; a second transfer belt which makes contact with the first transfer belt; a third roller on which the second transfer belt is wound, and which makes contact with the first roller via the first transfer belt and the second transfer belt; a fourth roller on which the second transfer belt is wound, and which makes contact with the second roller via the first transfer belt and the second transfer belt; a first drive force transmission mechanism which transmits a drive force to the first roller; and a second drive force transmission mechanism which transmits a drive force to the third roller. | 07-23-2009 |
20090202281 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a belt for conveying the toner image; and a transfer device for rubbing the belt, and a surface of the transfer device, which is brought into contact with the belt includes linear concave portions or linear convex portions. The image forming apparatus of the present invention prevents a friction force between the belt and the transfer device rubbing the belt from increasing and brings a transfer member into a stable contact with the belt for conveying the toner image, thereby suppressing increase in drive torque of the belt which rubs the transfer device and suppressing occurrence of image failure. | 08-13-2009 |
20090208259 | TRANSFER APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - A transfer apparatus includes a transfer belt that conveys a toner image which has been transferred to an outer periphery face thereof; a transfer member that, at a contact portion, causes the toner image to be transferred from the outer periphery face of the transfer belt to a recording medium; an opposing roller that is disposed to oppose the transfer member at an inner periphery side of the transfer belt; an opposing belt that is wound round the opposing roller; and a tension member that is disposed at an upstream side of a conveyance direction of the transfer belt relative to the opposing roller, the opposing belt being wound round the tension member, and the tension member causing the opposing belt to touch against the inner side of the transfer belt at the upstream side relative to the contact portion. | 08-20-2009 |
20090214274 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A belt unit having a belt stretched by a plurality of rollers is removably mounted in an image forming apparatus. A pressure removing member moves a tension roller for applying tension to the belt from a first position to apply the tension to the belt to a second position to remove the tension from the belt. After the belt unit is positioned and mounted in the apparatus body by engaging the rollers with positioning portions in an apparatus body frame in a state in which the tension roller is moved to the second position by the pressure removing member, the tension is applied to the belt by moving the tension roller to the first position by the pressure removing member. | 08-27-2009 |
20100046991 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes an image transfer belt, a first pressure member, a second pressure member, and an adjustable tension member. The image transfer belt is trained around multiple rollers for rotation along an endless belt travel path to convey an image for transfer to a recording sheet. The first pressure member is disposed on an outer surface of the image transfer belt. The second pressure member is disposed on an inner surface of the image transfer belt opposite the first pressure member. The first and second pressure members define an image transfer gap therebetween. The adjustable tension member is disposed on the image transfer belt adjacent the image transfer gap to adjust tension on the image transfer belt when the recording sheet enters and exits the image transfer gap. | 02-25-2010 |
20100054826 | WEB TRANSFER METHOD AND APPARATUS - An aspect of the present invention provides a web transfer method comprising: a step of transferring a belt-like web; and a step of nipping both ends of the web by both end portions of a tiered roller and a pair of nip rollers, wherein the tiered roller is formed to have a larger diameter at the both end portions than at a central portion, and the pair of the nip rollers are arranged to incline outward in a transfer direction of the web to have an expansion angle. | 03-04-2010 |
20100074660 | TRANSFER UNIT IN AN ELECTROPHORETIC PRINTING OR COPYING APPARATUS - In a transfer unit, a rotating transfer element is arranged adjacent a charge image carrier that takes toner images from the charge image carrier and supplies the images to a transfer printing station. A scoop element applies carrier fluid to the transfer element. A friction element is provided after the scoop element adjacent to the transfer element at such a distance from the transfer element that a gap between the transfer element and the friction element is substantially completely filled with the carrier fluid, the friction element and the transfer element rotating with different speeds. Residual toner remaining on the transfer element after the transfer printing is loosened by friction forces. | 03-25-2010 |
20100092217 | TRANSFERRING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - Disclosed are a transfer unit and an image forming apparatus having the same. The apparatus can include multiple members configured to carry developer associated with color images. The transfer unit can include multiple rollers each disposed to opposingly face a respective corresponding one of the members, a belt interposed between the rollers and the members, and a device configured to support the rollers. The rollers can include a first roller at one end of the transfer unit, a second roller at an opposite end and one or more middle rollers arranged between the first and second rollers. The device can be configured such that a rotation center of the first roller and a rotation center of the second roller define a first plane and a rotation center of the one or more middle rollers defines a second plane parallel to but not co-planar with the first plane. | 04-15-2010 |
20100135703 | Transfer Apparatus and Image Forming Apparatus - A transfer apparatus includes a transfer belt that has a volume resistivity of 10 | 06-03-2010 |
20100135704 | BELT UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A belt unit includes: a pair of roller members spaced from and opposing each other in a first direction, each of the roller members having an axis extending in a second direction; an endless belt extending around the roller members; a plurality of transfer members arranged along the first direction between the roller members and spaced from one another so as to be enclosed by the endless belt; and a frame that rotatably supports the roller members and the transfer members. The frame includes: a pair of resin side frames spaced from each other in the second direction, each of the resin side frames extending in the first direction; and a resin bridging beam extending between the side frames. | 06-03-2010 |
20100158584 | ELECTROCONDUCTIVE ENDLESS BELT AND IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - An electroconductive endless belt can withstand repeated continuous operation, in particular has anti-setting properties, and has consistent gloss and electrical conductivity. An image-forming apparatus including the electroconductive endless belt is also provided. | 06-24-2010 |
20100158585 | BELT MEMBER FEEDING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH THE SAME - A belt feeding apparatus includes a rotatable belt member; first and second stretching members for stretching the belt member; and steering means for steering the belt member, the steering means supports the belt member at a position adjacent to the first stretching member and to the second stretching member with respect to a rotational direction of the belt member, wherein the steering means includes rotatable portion rotatable with rotation of the belt member, a frictional portion, provided at each of opposite axial end of the rotation portion, for slidable contact with the belt member, supporting means for supporting the rotatable portion and the frictional portion, and a rotation shaft rotatably supporting the supporting means, wherein the steering means moves the belt member in the rotational axis direction by the supporting means rotating by a force produced by sliding between the belt member and the frictional portion; wherein the frictional portion is disposed substantially at a position where a plane parallel with a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis and a circumference of an ellipse formed when a sum of a distance between the first stretching member and the frictional portion and a distance between the second stretching member and the frictional portion, and wherein a steering force applied to the frictional portion is larger than a resisting force produced upon production of a steering amount per unit length, at a side toward which belt member is deviated when the belt member deviates in the rotational axis direction by the unit length. | 06-24-2010 |
20100158586 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a movable belt; a transfer member opposed to the image bearing member with the belt therebetween; wherein the transfer member has a contact surface substantially parallel with a surface of the belt and contacted to the belt, and wherein when the belt is moving, the belt rubs the contact surface, and a toner image is transferred from such a part of image bearing member as is opposed to the contact surface; and a supporting member for supporting the transfer member, the supporting member being swingable. | 06-24-2010 |
20100189476 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming device including a first image carrier; a first development unit that develops the first image carrier with a first liquid developer; a second image carrier; a second development unit that develops the second image carrier with a second liquid developer; a transfer belt to which the images developed on the first image carrier and the second image carrier are transferred; and a transfer roller which has a transfer material gripping member for gripping a transfer material, is brought into pressure contact with the transfer belt and is applied with a transfer bias so as to transfer the images which has been transferred to the transfer belt to the transfer material, wherein the transfer material gripping member is positioned inside of the outer periphery surface of the transfer roller so as to grip the transfer material. | 07-29-2010 |
20100226698 | TUBE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A tube having enhanced durability and a method for manufacturing the same are provided, in which the tube has fine irregularities formed on the outer peripheral face or inner peripheral face at a substantially constant interval by way of a simple process. | 09-09-2010 |
20100232845 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus including an image carrier that carries an image, a transfer roller that abuts on the image carrier and has a grooved portion in an axial direction, an abutting member that is arranged in an axial end side of the transfer roller and includes a first circumference portion having a first distance from a rotation center of the transfer roller and a second circumference portion having a second distance which is shorter than the first distance, and a support member that abuts the abutting member. | 09-16-2010 |
20100239334 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; a movable endless belt member forming a nip between the image carrier; and a transfer roller made of metal contacting the belt member at a region corresponding to the nip. At the nip, a toner image on the image carrier is transferred onto the belt member. The transfer roller slidably rotates in bearings supporting its shaft. Members having a higher friction coefficient than that of the transfer roller are provided at end portions of the transfer roller. F | 09-23-2010 |
20100247175 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer belt to which an image is transferred; a belt tension roller having a shaft, around which the transfer belt is looped; a transfer roller that includes a shaft and a recessed portion in an axial direction and faces the belt tension roller by pinching the transfer belt; a first abutting member arranged in the shaft of the transfer roller; and a second abutting member that is arranged on the shaft of the belt tension roller and abuts on the first abutting member. | 09-30-2010 |
20100247176 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer belt to which an image is transferred; a belt tension roller around which the transfer belt is looped; a transfer roller that includes a shaft and a recessed portion which is formed in an axial direction of the transfer roller and has a first edge formed in an opening edge in one side of a rotation direction of the transfer roller and a second edge formed in an opening edge in the other side opposite to the one side; and a support member that is arranged in the shaft of the transfer roller. | 09-30-2010 |
20100260522 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier which carries an image and a transfer roller including a roller base material which faces the image carrier and rotates. A concave portion is positioned on a peripheral surface of the roller base material. A grip unit on the concave portion grips a recording medium. An elastic layer is disposed on a peripheral surface of the roller base material. The transfer roller passes the recording medium through a nip between the image carrier and the elastic layer which comes into contact with the image carrier via the image carrier and the recording medium to transfer the image carried on the image carrier onto the recording medium. A roller driving unit rotates the roller base material. A control unit controls the roller driving unit and causes the concave portion to face the image carrier to stop the transfer roller. | 10-14-2010 |
20100278568 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit having an endless transfer belt stretched over a plurality of rollers, a pair of integrated support side plates for supporting the plurality of rollers rotatably, a pair of press side plates supported, to be able to rotate in the direction of moving toward or away from the image carrier, by means of a supporting member provided in the frame of the transfer unit, a swing portion provided on the press side plates and supporting the support side plates swingably with respect to the image carriers when the transfer belt and the image carriers are pressed, and a member for urging the press side plates in the direction that the transfer belt presses the image carrier. | 11-04-2010 |
20100284712 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, TRANSFER UNIT THEREOF, AND METHOD OF SHIFTING TRANSFER ROLLERS THEREOF - An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a first photoconductive member used during monochrome printing; a plurality of second photoconductive members used together with the first photoconductive member during full-color printing and arranged in parallel to the first photoconductive member; a transfer belt that forms a loop-like moving path; a first transfer roller and a plurality of second transfer rollers provided on an inner peripheral side of the transfer belt; and a link member that shifts, during the full-color printing, the second transfer rollers to positions where the second transfer rollers are brought into press contact with the respective second photoconductive members via the transfer belt and shifts, during the monochrome printing, the second transfer rollers to positions where respective separations between an inner peripheral surface of the transfer belt and the respective second transfer rollers are substantially identical. | 11-11-2010 |
20100290821 | TONER TRANSFER ROLLER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - The invention provides a toner transfer roller that secures sufficient density especially at an initial stage of printing, and an image forming apparatus using the same. | 11-18-2010 |
20100303517 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH TRANSFER ROLLER - An image forming apparatus has an image bearing member on which a toner image is to be formed. A transfer roller contacts a surface of the image bearing member for transferring a toner image on the image bearing member to one side of a transfer medium by applying a voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the toner image on the image bearing member from the other side of the transfer medium. A biasing member biases the transfer roller toward the image bearing member. The transfer roller is shaped such that the outer diameter of a first part corresponding to the width of a specified sheet size is constant and the outer diameters of second parts located closer to opposite ends of the transfer roller than the first part are gradually increased toward the outer sides in an axial direction. | 12-02-2010 |
20100329751 | SEMIELECTROCONDUCTIVE POLYIMIDE RESIN BELT AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SEMIELECTROCONDUCTIVE POLYIMIDE RESIN BELT - An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductive polyimide resin belt that exhibits electrical properties, including the ability to achieve accurate image transfer in a color image-forming unit, and the ability to prevent variations in resistance due to the transfer voltage, enabling high-quality transfer images to be stably produced over an extended period of time; and physical properties, including resistance to deterioration in flatness due to plastic deformation caused by loads applied in the width direction of the belt, excellent durability, and stable operation even after extended use; and more particularly, to provide an intermediate transfer belt made of the semiconductive polyimide resin belt. The semiconductive polyimide resin belt comprises carbon black and a polyimide resin. The polyimide resin is obtained by imidization of terphenyl-3,3′,4,4′-tetracarboxylic dianhydride and an aromatic diamine component, the aromatic diamine component containing 50 mol % or more of an aromatic diamine having 3 and/or 4 aromatic rings based on a total amount of the aromatic diamine component. | 12-30-2010 |
20110026984 | BELT MEMBER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The endless belt member which is rotationally moved as being tensioned by a plurality of tension members and which bears a toner image includes at least a base layer, a surface layer arranged on the outer circumference of the base layer, and a rib restricting movement of the belt member in the width direction intersecting to a rotational direction of the belt member, and the surface layer is harder than that of the base layer and an edge of the surface layer in the width direction of the belt is arranged at the inner side in the width direction from the rib. | 02-03-2011 |
20110033213 | TRANSFER APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A transfer apparatus includes a transfer belt being configured to carry an image, a transfer roller having an elastic layer and being configured to transfer the image from the transfer belt onto a transfer material, and a backup roller being configured to have pressure against the transfer roller with the transfer belt therebetween in order to form a transfer nip portion. The transfer nip portion includes a pressure-contact nip and a contact nip. A length of the contact nip is smaller than half a length of the pressure-contact nip in the rotational direction of the transfer roller. | 02-10-2011 |
20110044733 | Backup Roll with Capacitive Coating and an Imaging Device Transfer Station Employing the Backup Roll - A toner transfer station of an electrophotographic imaging device employs a backup roll having an inner electrically grounded cylindrical metal base core and an outer surface layer disposed about the inner base core. The outer surface layer may be formed of a polyurethane elastomer material to provide a capacitive coating with a thickness greater than 15 microns, a dielectric constant less than 12 and a resistivity of less than 3.00E+13 Ohm-cm. | 02-24-2011 |
20110070000 | Method for Enlarging Toner Transfer Window in EP Imaging Device and Transfer Station Employing the Method - A transfer station for toner transfer in an electrophotographic imaging device includes an endless transfer belt transported about an endless path through the imaging device, a transfer roll adjacent one surface of the transfer belt, and a backup roll adjacent an opposite surface of the transfer belt opposite from the transfer roll such that the transfer roll and backup roll form a transfer nip effecting transfer of toner. For the purpose of improved overtransfer performance, an outer layer of a thin polymer coating is applied to at least one of the transfer belt and the rolls so as to be located within the transfer nip with transfer of toner. The polymer layer has a thickness from about 5 μm to about 200 μm, surface resistivity from about 1E08 to about 1E12 Ohm/cm and breakdown strength greater than 500 V. | 03-24-2011 |
20110070001 | Steering Mechanism for Belt Unit - A belt unit includes a belt that is rotated, a belt comprising a rib formed on an inner periphery thereof, a plurality of supporting rollers configured to support the belt rotatably, a steering roller configured to contact with the inner periphery of the belt, a sensing roller configured to rotate in contact with the rib and a transmission configured to transmit a rotation of the sensing roller to the steering roller and configured to change an angle of the steering roller with respect to an axis of rotation of the belt. | 03-24-2011 |
20110076065 | BELT TRANSFER DEVICE FOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In a belt transfer device according to an embodiment, rotation of a rear side detection roller or a front side detection roller, which contacts with a rib of a transfer belt and is rotated, is converted into linear driving by using a worm gear. The movement of a linear movement shaft is transmitted to a steering roller through a slider. The steering roller is tilted and meandering of the transfer belt is regulated. | 03-31-2011 |
20110085829 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, TRANSFER UNIT THEREOF, AND METHOD OF SHIFTING TRANSFER ROLLERS THEREOF - An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a first photoconductive member used during monochrome printing; a plurality of second photoconductive members used together with the first photoconductive member during full-color printing and arranged in parallel to the first photoconductive member; a transfer belt that forms a loop-like moving path; a first transfer roller and a plurality of second transfer rollers provided on an inner peripheral side of the transfer belt; and a link member that shifts, during the full-color printing, the second transfer rollers to positions where the second transfer rollers are brought into press contact with the respective second photoconductive members via the transfer belt and shifts, during the monochrome printing, the second transfer rollers to positions where respective separations between an inner peripheral surface of the transfer belt and the respective second transfer rollers are substantially identical. | 04-14-2011 |
20110116847 | BELT DRIVE APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A belt drive apparatus includes: a rotatable first roller; a rotatable second roller; a belt member stretched by the first and the second rollers so as to be capable of being conveyed by the first roller and the second roller; and a restraint member provided on at least one of the two ends of the second roller and including a belt receiving surface to be brought into contact with an edge portion of the belt member. The belt receiving surface and an axis of the second roller make an angle that is not smaller than 93° but not larger than 115°. | 05-19-2011 |
20110123237 | Belt meandering preventing device and image forming apparatus including the same - A belt meandering preventing device includes a belt displacement detection unit detecting the amount of displacement in a belt width direction of an endless belt rotatably stretched over support parts; and a belt meandering correction unit correcting the displacement in the belt width direction of the endless belt based on the amount of displacement detected by the belt displacement detection unit. The belt displacement detection unit includes a moving part moving in association with the displacement of the endless belt or an edge of the endless belt in the belt width direction and optical sensors outputting signals with output levels corresponding to the proportions of the moving part in optical paths of the optical sensors. The optical sensors are arranged such that the output levels of the optical sensors change as the endless belt is displaced in the belt width direction in a predetermined high-resolution detection range. | 05-26-2011 |
20110142503 | CONDUCTIVE ROLLER AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS EMPLOYING THE SAME - The conductive roller according to the present invention includes a roller body made of a thermoplastic elastomer composition supplied with conductivity having an outer cylinder constituting an outer peripheral surface of the roller body, an inner cylinder, having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the outer cylinder, concentrically arranged in the outer cylinder, and a plurality of platelike coupling portions reaching the inner periphery of the outer cylinder from the outer periphery of the inner cylinder, wherein a plurality hollow portions separated from one another by the coupling portions are provided between the outer periphery of the inner cylinder and the inner periphery of the outer cylinder, and each coupling portion is arranged to intersect with a plane passing through the central axes of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder so that adjacent hollow portions separated from each other by the coupling portion overlap with each other on the plane inwardly and outwardly in the radial direction in a section of the roller body in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction. | 06-16-2011 |
20110150541 | BELT DRIVING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an intermediate transfer belt unit, elastic bodies are provided on respective inner circumferences of side edge portions of an intermediate transfer belt along with the circumferential direction. Rotating members are attached to respective opposite ends of a follower roller rotatably and concentrically with the follower roller, so as to face respective elastic bodies of the intermediate transfer belt. Each of the rotating members is composed of a tapered section, a bottom receiving section to keep bending of the intermediate transfer belt within a certain amount, a small diameter section forming an escape groove for receiving the elastic body of the intermediate transfer belt, and a large diameter section. | 06-23-2011 |
20110150542 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TRANSFER DEVICE THEREOF - An image forming apparatus having an improvement to increase the reliability of a sensing operation that is carried out to improve image quality, and a transfer device thereof. The image forming apparatus includes at least one photosensitive member, a plurality of developing units to supply developer to the at least one photosensitive member so as to form a visible image, and a transfer belt to transfer the visible image formed on the at least one photosensitive member to a printing medium, an inner surface of the transfer belt being rotatably supported by at least two rollers. The image forming apparatus further includes at least one sensor to sense a mark formed on the transfer belt, and a supporting unit to support the transfer belt at a position corresponding to the at least one sensor so as to apply a tensile force to the transfer belt. The supporting unit includes a first supporting portion and a second supporting portion arranged to support the transfer belt at different two positions in a rotating direction of the transfer belt. | 06-23-2011 |
20110194880 | TRANSFER ROLLER - A transfer roller is provide that less cause faulty image which is used in electrophotographic process such as copiers and laser-beam printers, in particular, used on the inner side of an intermediate transfer belt of a full-color image forming apparatus. It is a transfer roller which has a shaft and provided on the periphery thereof at least two conductive foamed rubber layers; the layers having an outermost layer which has a foamed rubber mean cell size of from 10 μm or more to less than 100 μm and an inner layer which has a foamed rubber mean cell size of from 100 μm or more to 500 μm or less; and, as measured in an environment of 23° C./55% RH, the roller having a resistance Rx of from 5.6 or more to 7.0 or less in Log Rx and the inner layer having a resistance Ry of from 5.0 or more to 7.0 or less in Log Ry. | 08-11-2011 |
20110211872 | ROLL SUPPORTING MECHANISM, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND ASSEMBLY BODY - A roll supporting mechanism rotatably supports an electrically-conducted roll. The roll supporting mechanism includes an electrically-conducting portion that contacts with a circumferential portion of an outer periphery of the electrically-conducted roll to conduct electricity to the electrically-conducted roll, and an insulating portion that contacts with the other circumferential portion of the outer periphery of the electrically-conducted roll at a contact portion smaller than a contact portion of the electrically-conducting portion and that is formed by an insulating material. | 09-01-2011 |
20110255910 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a belt member bearing a toner image, a contact member disposed inside loop formed by the belt member, a rotary pressing member to contact the contact member through the belt member and form a nip between the contact member and the rotary pressing member via the belt member through which a recording medium is conveyed, and a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto the recording medium. An amount of winding of the belt member around the rotary pressing member is changeable between a first state in which the belt member is wound around the rotary pressing member upstream from the nip in the direction of move to the nip and a second state in which the amount of winding of the belt member around the rotary pressing member is reduced from the first state while contacting the belt member. | 10-20-2011 |
20110262191 | TRANSFER DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - A transfer device includes a transfer roller, a first resilient member configured to urge the transfer roller in the direction toward a recording medium carrying path, a pair of sliding members configured to support both ends of the transfer roller independently from each other, a pair of transfer roller holding members configured to support the respective sliding members so as to be capable of sliding and rotate about a center of rotation independently from each other, and a carrying guide configured to rotate about the center of rotation, be urged in the direction toward the transfer roller holding members by a second resilient member, and be restricted from rotating by the sliding members. | 10-27-2011 |
20110318070 | Transfer NIP for an Electrophotographic Device, and Methods of Making and Using Same - An imaging apparatus having a toner transfer station, including a donating member for donating toner forming an image; and a transfer roll which serves to form a transfer nip in which toner is transferred from the donating member to a media sheet disposed in the transfer nip between the donating member and the transfer roll, wherein a product of a resistivity of the transfer nip and a dielectric constant thereof is greater than or equal to a product of a resistivity of the media sheet and a dielectric constant thereof. | 12-29-2011 |
20120003018 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is an image forming apparatus enabling suppression of uneven by suppressing an undulation phenomenon of a sheet member. The image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive drum; an intermediate transfer belt; a conductive sheet member which has an inclined portion being spaced from the intermediate transfer belt on an upstream side in a rotational movement direction of the intermediate transfer belt, and a flat portion being in contact with the intermediate transfer belt on a downstream side in the rotational movement direction; a support member being in contact with the inclined portion; and a compression spring that pressing the support member toward the intermediate transfer belt. The support member is arranged relative to the sheet member in such a manner that a region between a first position and a second position of the sheet member is in contact with neither the intermediate transfer belt nor the support member. | 01-05-2012 |
20120057908 | Belt unit, transfer unit including the belt unit, and image forming apparatus including the transfer unit - A belt unit includes a belt wound around a plurality of rollers to rotate endlessly, a contact member disposed along a surface of the belt, an opposing member disposed facing the contact member via the belt, a moving member including an action receiving portion, to swing and movably support the opposing member to contact and separate from the belt, and a moving assembly. The moving assembly includes an actuator to bias the action receiving portion in a first direction in which the opposing member contacts the belt and in a second direction opposite the first direction in which the opposing member separates from the belt, a drive mechanism to move the actuator in the first and the second directions, and an elastic member to transmit a moving force of the actuator to the action receiving portion when the actuator moves. | 03-08-2012 |
20120070202 | ROLLER COMPONENT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A roller component includes a layer composed of a foamed rubber material including plural cells formed by gas, the layer being formed into a substantially cylindrical body, wherein the volume of the cells decreases from the inner side of the substantially cylindrical body toward the outside. | 03-22-2012 |
20120087700 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a belt for conveying the toner image; and a transfer device for rubbing the belt, and a surface of the transfer device, which is brought into contact with the belt includes linear concave portions or linear convex portions. The image forming apparatus of the present invention prevents a friction force between the belt and the transfer device rubbing the belt from increasing and brings a transfer member into a stable contact with the belt for conveying the toner image, thereby suppressing increase in drive torque of the belt which rubs the transfer device and suppressing occurrence of image failure. | 04-12-2012 |
20120163881 | POLYIMIDE INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER BELT - Exemplary embodiments provide an intermediate transfer belt, materials and processes for producing an intermediate transfer belt, and an image transfer apparatus used in electrophotographic printing devices, wherein the intermediate transfer belt can comprise a thermosetting polyimide comprising the reaction product of a polyamic acid and a hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene. | 06-28-2012 |
20120219333 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer member that has a core and a high-resistance layer; a facing member that is arranged to face the transfer member so as to sandwich an object to be transferred in cooperation with the transfer member; a contact member that is arranged so as to be capable of contacting the transfer member; and a voltage application unit that applies a voltage between the contact member and the facing member, to pass a transfer current between the transfer member and the facing member, such that the core is electrically floated. | 08-30-2012 |
20120219334 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes: a developer-image carrier; a conveyance belt that contacts the developer-image carrier and conveys a developer image; and a transfer member contacting the conveyance belt from an opposite side of the developer-image carrier to transfer the developer image onto the conveyance belt. The transfer member includes a main roller body and a movable member including a first end portion fixed to a circumferential surface of the main roller body and a second end portion extending outward in a radial direction of the main oiler body and movable with respect to the first end portion. A rotation axis line of the main roller body is provided downstream of the rotation axis line of the developer-image carrier in a movement direction of the conveyance belt such that the main roller body contacts the developer-image carrier while interposing the conveyance belt therebetween. | 08-30-2012 |
20120251198 | TRANSFER BELT UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A secondary transfer unit stretches a transfer belt in an endless form over a driving roller, a driven roller, a transfer roller, an auxiliary roller, and a support roller therebetween. The transfer belt moves, by rotation of the driving roller, along a circulation path which passes through a transfer position. The transfer roller and the auxiliary roller press the transfer belt from the inner peripheral surface of the transfer belt toward an intermediate transfer belt in the transfer position. The transfer belt has an outer peripheral surface thereof which is pressed against the intermediate transfer belt and is roughened so that the surface roughness of the outer peripheral surface becomes 6 μm to 10 μm. | 10-04-2012 |
20120275828 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt, a pressure receiving roller, a suspension roller, a secondary transfer roller, and an endless support belt. The support belt is stretched over at least one of the pressure receiving roller and the suspension roller. When pressing the transfer belt between the pressure receiving roller and the secondary transfer roller, and nipping paper between the transfer belt and the secondary transfer roller, an angle defined by the portion, upstream from the secondary transfer roller, of the transfer belt and an imaginary line connecting the pressure-receiving-roller axis with the secondary-transfer-roller axis is less than 90 degrees. A part of the support belt is held between the transfer belt and at least one of the two rollers over which the support belt is stretched. | 11-01-2012 |
20120275829 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt, a pressure receiving roller, a secondary transfer roller, and a belt movement restricting section. The belt movement restricting section is disposed close to the back of the belt. When pressing the belt between the pressure receiving roller and the secondary transfer roller, and nipping paper between the belt and the secondary transfer roller, an angle defined by the portion, upstream from the secondary transfer roller, of the belt and an imaginary line connecting the pressure-receiving-roller axis with the secondary-transfer-roller axis is less than 90 degrees. During non-secondary-transfer mode, the belt movement restricting section is separated from the belt. During secondary transfer, the belt movement restricting section holds the belt not to let the belt pushed by the paper move toward the pressure receiving roller. | 11-01-2012 |
20120301192 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR FORMING IMAGES WITH LIQUID DEVELOPER - An image forming apparatus includes a conveyor configured to convey a sheet in a first direction; and an image forming portion which uses liquid developer to form an image on the sheet, wherein the image forming portion includes a first transfer unit, which transfers a first image to the sheet, and a second transfer unit, which transfers a second image after the first transfer unit, the first transfer unit includes a first rubbing unit configured to rub the first image on the sheet, and the second transfer unit includes a second rubbing unit configured to rub the second image on the sheet. | 11-29-2012 |
20120308273 | Image Forming Device Having Guide Mechanism for Guiding Transferring Unit - An image-forming device may include a main body, a developing unit, a transferring unit, and a tray. In some examples, the developing unit may include a developer-accommodating section that accommodates developer and a photosensitive member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed. The developing unit may further include a developer-carrying member to develop the electrostatic latent image. The tray may enable the developing unit to move between a contact position and a separate position. | 12-06-2012 |
20120321358 | Cartridge Configuration - A cartridge may include a transfer roller, a photoconductor drum and a transfer electrode. In one or more examples, the transfer electrode may be disposed on a first side of the transfer roller while the photoconductor drum is disposed on a second side of the transfer roller, where the second side is opposite to the first side. The transfer electrode may further include ribs configured to aid in placement or positioning of the transfer electrode in one or more directions. | 12-20-2012 |
20130022380 | TRANSFER DEVICE - A Transfer device ( | 01-24-2013 |
20130028642 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member on which a toner image is to be formed; a transfer device for transferring the toner image carried on the image bearing member; and a rotationally movable endless transfer belt onto which the toner image is to be transferred or on which a transfer material onto which the toner image is to be transferred is to be conveyed. The transfer device includes a sheet member contacted to an inner peripheral surface of the transfer belt while being supported by a supporting member at an end thereof and includes an urging member for urging the sheet member against the transfer belt in contact to the sheet member. The urging member includes a projected portion projected toward the transfer belt at its downstream end portion more than at its upstream end portion with respect to a movement direction of the transfer belt. | 01-31-2013 |
20130034373 | TRANSFER ROLL AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A transfer roll includes a cylindrical conductive substrate; an inner elastic layer having an Asker-C hardness of from 5° to 20°; and an outer elastic layer having an Asker-C hardness of from 30° to 45° in this order, wherein the transfer roll satisfies the following Expression (1): | 02-07-2013 |
20130039681 | IMAGE TRANSFER SYSTEM HAVING PRE NIP WRAP - An image transfer system includes an endless image bearing belt for carrying an image to be transferred to a web material; a first roll around which the image bearing belt travels; a second roll around which the image bearing belt travels; a biased transfer roll for supporting the web material such that the web material contacts the image bearing belt at a nip located at a nip location between the biased transfer roll and the first roll, and such that the image is transferred from the image bearing belt to the web material; and a pre nip roll for supporting the web material upstream of the nip. The image bearing belt wraps concavely around the first roll, and the first roll and the biased transfer roll are positioned relative to each other such that the web material wraps around a portion of the image bearing belt and the first roll prior to the web material entering the nip and prior to the image being subjected to an electric field. | 02-14-2013 |
20130039682 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a movable belt; a transfer member opposed to the image bearing member with the belt therebetween; wherein the transfer member has a contact surface substantially parallel with a surface of the belt and contacted to the belt, and wherein when the belt is moving, the belt rubs the contact surface, and a toner image is transferred from such a part of image bearing member as is opposed to the contact surface; and a supporting member for supporting the transfer member, the supporting member being swingable. | 02-14-2013 |
20130051873 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTER WITH COMPRESSIBLE-BACKUP TRANSFER STATION - An electrophotographic (EP) printer for transferring a toner image to a receiver sheet has a tensioned rotatable transport web with a Young's modulus of at least 1 GPa. The transport web is wrapped around a compliant image-bearing member. A compressible, rotatable nip-forming member that is relatively less stiff than the image-bearing member is adjacent to the transport web on the opposite side thereof from the image-bearing member. A mount holds the nip-forming member against the image-bearing member, and permits the axis of rotation of the nip-forming member to move closer to or farther from the transport web. When the leading edge of the receiver on the web engages with the image-bearing member, the nip-forming member compresses. The axis of rotation of the nip-forming member translates by an amount less than the thickness of the receiver sheet minus the compression of the compliant coating of the image-bearing member. | 02-28-2013 |
20130051874 | PRINTER WITH COMPRESSIBLE AND INCOMPRESSIBLE TRANSFER BACKUPS - An electrophotographic (EP) printer prints on a receiver sheet moving on a tensioned rotatable transport web with a Young's modulus of at least 1 GPa. The transport web is wrapped around a compliant image-bearing member. Two transfer stations are arranged along the belt, each with a rotatable image-bearing member. The first station has a first rotatable nip-forming member disposed adjacent to the transport web on the opposite side thereof from the first image-bearing member. The first rotatable nip-forming member is relatively stiffer than the first image-bearing member. The second station has a nip-forming member on a compliant mount. The second rotatable nip-forming member is relatively less stiff than the second image-bearing member. | 02-28-2013 |
20130058688 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - There is provided a transfer device that is used for transferring a developer image hold on a surface of an image supporting body to a first face of a transfer member transported and includes a transfer member that includes a conductive surface layer that is rotatable around a first rotation axis and be elastically transformed, forms a second contact area, which differs from the first contact area in a transporting direction of the transfer member, by contacting with a second face of the transfer member, and is supplied with a transfer voltage used for transferring the developer image onto the first face of the transfer member, a transformation unit that elastically transforms the transfer member, and an adjustment unit that adjusts a shape of the second contact area by adjusting the degree of elastic transformation of the transfer member. | 03-07-2013 |
20130142550 | Transfer Device, Process Unit, Image Forming Apparatus, and Bearing - A transfer device is provided, which includes a transfer roller that is provided with a conductive rotational shaft, opposed to an external image-carrying body, and configured to transfer onto an image-transferred member a developer image carried by the image-carrying body, and a bearing rotatably supporting the rotational shaft of the transfer roller, the bearing including a conductive section that is disposed in a position around the rotational shaft of the transfer roller and configured to bear the rotational shaft from an opposite side of the image-carrying body with respect to the rotational shaft and to be supplied with electricity from an external power supply, and an insulated section that is disposed in a position around the rotational shaft and configured to cover the image-carrying body from a side of the image-carrying body. | 06-06-2013 |
20130164051 | CONDUCTIVE ROLLER, IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS, AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE - A conductive roller includes a conductive core and a foamed elastic layer covering the conductive core. The foamed elastic layer contains at least three conductive rubbers having different volume resistivities within the range of less than about 1×10 | 06-27-2013 |
20130164052 | ROLLER DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING ROLLER - A roller device includes a roller main body, a shaft member, flanges, a position restricting member, a plate-shaped member, a biasing member, and a securing member. The shaft member is inserted into the roller main body and the flanges in contact with both ends of the roller main body. The position restricting member is secured to the shaft member at an end portion side of the shaft member with respect to the flange. The position restricting member restricts an axial position of the flange. Movement of the plate-shaped member toward the end portion side in an axial direction is restricted by the position restricting member. The biasing member biases the flange toward a center side in the axial direction. The securing member is disposed at the end portion side of the shaft member with respect to the plate-shaped member. The securing member engages the position restricting member. | 06-27-2013 |
20130189003 | BELT MOVING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A belt moving unit includes an endless belt member and plural support rolls supporting the belt member movably and rotating, wherein the support rolls include one or more follower rolls rotating to follow the movement of the belt member and at least one of the follower rolls is used as an inertial roll to which inertia is applied, wherein the inertial roll includes a rotation shaft, a rotational inertial member rotating with the rotation shaft and applying inertia, and a roll body disposed along a peripheral surface of the rotation shaft and including plural roll-divided members, and wherein the plural roll-divided members include a fixed divided member fixed to the rotation shaft and rotating along with the rotation shaft to follow the movement of the belt member and a rotating divided member rotating independently of the rotation of the rotation shaft. | 07-25-2013 |
20130216280 | TRANSFER ROLLER, IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS, AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE - A transfer roller includes a conductive support, a first conductive elastic layer disposed on the conductive support, and a second conductive elastic layer disposed on the first conductive elastic layer. A common logarithm of surface resistivity of the second conductive elastic layer is higher than a common logarithm of volume resistivity of the second conductive elastic layer by about 1 or more. | 08-22-2013 |
20130223902 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image holding member on which an image is held, and a transfer unit transferring the held image to a recording material, wherein the transfer unit includes, a transfer roll disposed to be opposite to the image holding member, forming a transfer electric field, and transferring the image to the recording material, a drive unit applying driving force to the transfer roll, a torque limiting mechanics limiting an upper limit of torque which acts on the transfer roll, and an inertia member provided to increase an amount of inertia with respect to the transfer roll and moving the transfer roll with inertia in a direction in which a speed difference between the image holding member and the transfer roll is decreased when the upper limit of torque acts on the transfer roll. | 08-29-2013 |
20130330109 | PROCESS FOR PRODUCING CONDUCTIVE RUBBER ROLLER, AND ROLLER FOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS - This invention provides a process for producing a conductive rubber roller having small aspect ratios of inner and outer diameters, having a stable measure of its inner diameter, having uniform cell distribution and being free from non-uniformity of hardness and electrical resistance in the peripheral direction. The process has a step of continuously extruding a tube composed of a specific unvulcanized rubber composition from a rubber extruder in a microwave vulcanizing unit, and a step of foaming and vulcanizing the tube by using a microwave irradiator having a microwave irradiation zone 4 m or less in length while being transported at given speed. The foamed rubber tube has an inner diameter 20 to 35% smaller than the outer diameter of the conductive core material over the whole region in the lengthwise direction, and the conductive core material is press-fitted into the foamed rubber tube without using any adhesive. | 12-12-2013 |
20140037344 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, a transport belt, a driving roller, a transferring member, a nip portion, and an applying portion. The transferring member makes contact with the inner circumferential surface of the transport belt to press the transport belt against the image carrying member. The nip portion is formed between the transport belt and the image carrying member by the pressure of the transferring member. The applying portion applies a bias to the transferring member. Application of the bias to the transferring member causes, at the nip portion, the toner image carried on the image carrying member to be transferred to the recording medium carried on the transport belt. Near the nip portion, a pair of support members are arranged which keeps both width-direction end parts of the transport belt in contact with the image carrying member. | 02-06-2014 |
20140050510 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a movable belt; a transfer member opposed to the image bearing member with the belt therebetween; wherein the transfer member has a contact surface substantially parallel with a surface of the belt and contacted to the belt, and wherein when the belt is moving, the belt rubs the contact surface, and a toner image is transferred from such a part of image bearing member as is opposed to the contact surface; and a supporting member for supporting the transfer member, the supporting member being swingable. | 02-20-2014 |
20140112690 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A transfer device includes a first support member that supports a wound member, an endless transferred body being wound around the wound member; a second support member that supports a transfer member, the transfer member and the wound member pinching the transferred body and a recording medium, the transfer member causing a developer image on the transferred body to be transferred onto the recording medium; a coupling portion that couples the second support member to the first support member so that an angle of the second support member is changeable relative to the first support member; and an urging portion that is provided at the first support member and urges the second support member in a direction in which the transfer member presses the wound member. | 04-24-2014 |
20140161496 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member adapted to bear a toner image, a transfer belt configured to be movable, a transfer device placed across the transfer belt from the image bearing member and adapted to transfer the toner image from the image bearing member to the transfer belt, the transfer device including a brush member equipped with a plurality of conductive filaments to be put into contact with the belt, wherein the plurality of conductive filaments located at an upstream end in a moving direction of the transfer belt is cut along an orthogonal direction intersecting the moving direction of the transfer belt at right angles or the conductive filaments located at an upstream end of the brush member along the moving direction of the transfer belt are bonded together. | 06-12-2014 |
20140219691 | METHOD OF TRANSFERRING IMAGE AND IMAGE TRANSFERRING SYSTEM AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH SAME - A method of transferring an image includes the steps of; bringing an image bearer bearing an image thereon as a transfer origin in contact with a transferring objective (onto which the image is transferred) as a transfer destination; moving at least one of the image bearer and the transferring objective in a prescribed direction; and sequentially transferring the image borne on the image bearer onto the transferring objective in a contacting section in which the image bearer and the transferring objective contact each other in a direction in which the image does not pass through the contacting section. | 08-07-2014 |
20140219692 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a belt for conveying the toner image; and a transfer device for rubbing the belt, and a surface of the transfer device, which is brought into contact with the belt includes linear concave portions or linear convex portions. The image forming apparatus of the present invention prevents a friction force between the belt and the transfer device rubbing the belt from increasing and brings a transfer member into a stable contact with the belt for conveying the toner image, thereby suppressing increase in drive torque of the belt which rubs the transfer device and suppressing occurrence of image failure. | 08-07-2014 |
20140270863 | TRANSFER UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS EMPLOYING THE TRANSFER UNIT - An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carriers that carries toner images, a belt that is supported by a plurality of rollers including a support roller and an opposing roller, a transfer roller disposed opposed to the opposing roller via the belt, and a bending roller that bends the belt from outside toward inside and is disposed downstream from the opposing roller and upstream from support roller. The belt is stretched between the support roller and the bending roller in a first area. The plurality of image carriers contacts the belt in a second area other than the first area. A surface of the belt in the first area is parallel to that of the belt in the second area. | 09-18-2014 |
20140328608 | TRANSFER DEVICE - A Transfer device ( | 11-06-2014 |
20140341620 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A transfer device includes a transfer member provided so as to be able to revolve, and a voltage application unit. The transfer member has an upper layer and a lower layer arranged in a thickness direction, the upper layer has a larger volume resistivity than the lower layer. The transfer member receives a developer image transferred from an image bearing member to the upper layer at a first transfer portion and transfers the developer image to a recording medium at a second transfer portion. The voltage application unit applies an alternating-current voltage having a polarity that alternates in a moving direction of the transfer member to the transfer member, between the second transfer portion and the first transfer portion. | 11-20-2014 |
20150030357 | BELT UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A belt unit is provided with an endless belt, a driving roller, and a pair of guide ribs. The driving roller is disposed on an inner peripheral surface side of the endless belt and drives the endless belt. The pair of guide ribs is placed on each opposite widthwise end of the inner peripheral surface of the endless belt and contacts both end faces of the driving roller, thus preventing meandering of the endless belt. Additionally, the driving roller is equipped with a low friction region at both opposite lengthwise ends in a predetermined width and the low friction region is configured to have a friction coefficient that is lower than a friction coefficient of a region adjacent to the low friction region. | 01-29-2015 |
20150117915 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A position of a contact region formed between a transfer belt and a transfer member in the form of a brush is displaced toward a downstream side in a movement direction of the transfer belt with respect to the position in an initial state, whereby it is difficult to acquire excellent transferability. An image forming apparatus, in which a plurality of conductive fibers contacts an inner circumferential surface of the transfer belt, includes a support device configured to support the transfer member in such a manner that the plurality of conductive fibers is pressed between the support device and the transfer belt. A tilt amount of the conductive fiber, which is generated due to a movement of the transfer belt, is smaller than a length of a region where an image bearing member and the transfer belt contact each other in the movement direction of the transfer belt. | 04-30-2015 |
20150117916 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A transfer device and an image forming apparatus having the same are provided. Shapes of cam profiles of first cam members and second cam members controlling movement of first slider members moving a first transfer roller corresponding to a black developer, and second slider members moving a second transfer roller corresponding to a color developer. Times are different as when movement of the first slider members is completed and when movement of the second slider members is completed in mode conversion among a ready mode, a mono mode and a color mode, and thus a driving load generated when the first and second cam members are rotated is reduced, non-uniformity of the rotating speeds of the first and second cam members is reduced, and problems generated due to non-uniform rotating speeds of the cam members are reduced. | 04-30-2015 |
20150309445 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In one embodiment, an image forming apparatus has an image carrier, a transfer unit, and a spacer. The spacer is detachably attached between the image carrier and the transfer unit. When having been attached to the transfer unit, the spacer makes the image carrier and the transfer unit to be separated. | 10-29-2015 |
20150309448 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An outer roller is provided at a position offset upstream, in a rotation direction of an image carrying belt, of an inner roller. The inner and outer rollers are provided across the image carrying belt and form a transfer nip portion nipping and conveying a recording medium. A press member presses the image carrying belt from an inner circumferential side at upstream of the inner roller. The press member is provided such that a length along a belt surface of the image carrying belt between a downstream end of a part thereof in contact with the image carrying belt and an upstream end of the transfer nip portion is shorter than a length of an end margin formed on an upstream end area of the recording medium. | 10-29-2015 |
20150331366 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fiber member and a transfer belt are movable into contact with or away from each other. In an initial contact state in which an image carrying member and the transfer belt are separated and the transfer belt and the fiber member start touching, an upstream side of the fiber member in the movement direction of the transfer belt touches the transfer belt before a downstream side of the fiber member touches the belt. In a contact state in which the image carrying member and the transfer belt are in contact and the transfer belt and the transfer device are in contact, a holding surface is inclined with respect to an opposing portion of an inner peripheral surface of the transfer belt in such a manner that a distance between the holding surface and the opposing portion increases from the downstream side to the upstream side in the movement direction. | 11-19-2015 |
20150338782 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an image carrying member capable of carrying an image, a paper conveying unit, a toner layer forming unit, and a transfer unit. The paper conveying unit conveys a paper to the image carrying member. The toner layer forming unit forms a toner layer having a predetermined width at an outer side of the paper from a position corresponding to an end portion of the paper on a surface of the image carrying member. The transfer unit conveys the paper in press-contact with the image carrying member with the formed image and toner layer and transfers the image to the paper. | 11-26-2015 |
20160054685 | BELT CIRCLING DEVICE, TRANSFER DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is a belt circling device including a belt supported to be capable of circling by plural rotating members provided rotatably on side plates, a displacement member that is displaced while being in contact with the belt, a correction unit that includes a contact member that is in contact with the belt on an upstream side or on a downstream side from the displacement member in a circling direction of the belt and a movement section that causes the contact member to be movable in an intersecting direction intersecting with the circling direction and that corrects a deviation of the moving belt, and a connection member that is provided on the side plate, is displaced with respect to the side plate with following the displacement member, and connects the displacement member and the movement section to each other. | 02-25-2016 |
20160062279 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming device to form a toner image on a rotatable toner image bearer, a looped belt to carry a recording medium, a support roller to rotate the belt, a pressing member to press the belt against the toner image bearer, a transfer electric field generator to form an electric field to transfer the toner image onto the recording medium, and a contact member to contact an end surface of the belt as the belt moves to one side in a belt width direction. The belt includes a first portion pressed against the toner image bearer by the pressing member and a second portion adjoining the first portion. A relative position of the support roller relative to the toner image bearer and the pressing member is determined such that the second portion of the belt contacts the toner image bearer. | 03-03-2016 |
20160070210 | ENDLESS BELT, TRANSFER UNIT, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An endless belt includes an endless belt base material, and a belt meandering suppression member that has a belt shape and is disposed in a circumferential direction of at least one end portion of the belt base material in a width direction, wherein a value obtained by subtracting a linear thermal expansion coefficient of the belt meandering suppression member from a linear thermal expansion coefficient of the belt base material is from −1×10 | 03-10-2016 |
20160103404 | TRANSFER UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A transfer unit detachably mountable relative to an image forming apparatus includes a plurality of rotational supports, an endless-looped belt disposed opposite to an image bearer and movably supported by the plurality of rotational support to contact the image bearer to form a transfer portion at which the toner image is transferred, a contact-and-separation device to move the belt to contact and separate from the image bearer, a base to support the plurality of rotational supports, a belt pressing member disposed facing the belt and detachably mountable relative to the base to contact an end portion of the belt, and a first stopper to prevent the belt pressing member from separating from the base while the belt is in contact with the image bearer by the contact-and-separation device and to allow the belt pressing member to separate from the base while the belt is separated from the image bearer. | 04-14-2016 |
20160139544 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In one embodiment, an image forming apparatus has an image carrier, a transfer unit, and a spacer. The image carrier has a toner image carrying surface. The transfer unit transfers a toner image from the toner image carrying surface to a recording medium. The transfer unit includes a transfer roller which forms a nip with the image carrying surface and a contact roller provided coaxially with the transfer roller. The spacer is detachably provided on the transfer unit to separate the image carrier and the transfer unit. The transfer roller forms the nip with the toner image carrying surface when the spacer is detached from the transfer unit. | 05-19-2016 |
20170235255 | ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE ROLLER, TRANSFER DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 08-17-2017 |