Abstract:
An image forming apparatus includes a conveying path that continues to a paper feeding unit and a paper discharge unit, a conveying mechanism that conveys a sheet along the conveying path, plural liquid ejecting heads that eject liquid onto the sheet conveyed on the conveying path, a sensor that is provided in a position between the plural liquid ejecting heads and the paper discharge unit and measures the glossiness of the sheet on which the liquid is ejected, and a control mechanism that compares the glossiness of the sheet immediately after the liquid is ejected and the glossiness measured by the sensor to calculate drying time of the liquid and controls conveying speed of the conveying mechanism to equalize conveying time for the sheet from the plural liquid ejecting heads to the paper discharge unit with the drying time.
Abstract:
An ink jet head having ink chambers, energy-generating elements provided in the ink chambers, respectively, and ink outlet ports communicating with the ink chambers, respectively. The ink jet head may be left unused for a time longer than a predetermined time, with a meniscus formed in each ink outlet port. In this case, a drive pulse is applied to each energy-generating element several times, thereby forcing the ink outwards from the ink outlet port and increasing a surface area of the ink from a surface area of the meniscus. Then, a negative pressure is applied in each ink chamber, thereby drawing the ink back toward the ink chamber, thus forming a meniscus again in the ink outlet port. In this condition, a drive pulse is applied to the energy-generating element, thus ejecting an ink droplet from the ink outlet port to record data.
Abstract:
Image data of 256 gradations is converted into that of 4 gradations which can be recorded by a recording head, at a pseudo-halftone processing unit and the converted image data is supplied to a head driving unit. A control signal selector selects a control signal A from a control signal A setting unit when the image data is a natural image, and a control signal B from a control signal B setting unit when the image data is a character or a line drawing. The head driving unit generates an electric signal used to drive the recording head on the basis of gradation information from the pseudo-halftone processing unit and the control signal A or B. With this operation, when the image data is a natural image, recording is carried out with a pixel dot for image formation excellent in gradation property, and when the image data is a character or a line drawing, recording is carried out with a pixel dot for image formation which causes no jaggy or blur to be generated at hatched portions and the like.
Abstract:
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a guiding member, a charging device for charging the photosensitive member, a developing device for developing a latent image formed on the photosensitive member, a cartridge frame, a grounding contact for electrically grounding the photosensitive member to the main assembly when the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly, a charging bias contact for receiving charging bias voltage from the main assembly to be applied to the charging device when the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly, a developing bias contact for receiving a developing bias voltage to be applied to the developing device when the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly, a detection contact for permitting detection of mounting of the process cartridge to the main assembly to provide notification to the main assembly that the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly. The grounding contact, the charging bias contact, the developing bias contact and the detection contact are provided on a side surface of the cartridge frame.
Abstract:
A toner supply container for supplying toner into a toner accommodating container for accommodating the toner usable for developing a latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member, wherein the toner accommodating container is detachably mountable relative to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, including a guide portion for guiding the toner supply container into the toner accommodating container with engagement with the toner accommodating container; a first portion and a second portion which are opposed to each other; a third portion connecting one longitudinal ends of the first portion and second portion, wherein the third portion are foldable; a fourth portion connecting the other longitudinal ends of the first portion and second portion, wherein the fourth portion are foldable; a toner supply opening, provided along a longitudinal direction between the first portion and the second portion, for supplying into the toner accommodating container the toner accommodated in the toner accommodation portion U structured by the first portion, second portion, third portion and fourth portion; a sealing member for openably sealing the toner supply opening; wherein a volume of the toner accommodation portion is reduced in a direction crossing with a longitudinal direction of the first portion and the second portion by the folding of the third portion and the fourth portion.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus comprising: a first sheet accommodating means shiftable in a predetermined position from a sheet supply position for supplying a sheet, a first sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from the first sheet accommodating means positioned in the sheet supply position, a feeding means for feeding the sheet fed out by the first sheet supply means, a second sheet accommodating means for accommodating sheets, a second sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from the second sheet accommodating means, a guide means movable between a first position intersecting a moving path of the first sheet accommodating means and where guiding the sheet fed out by the second sheet supply means to the feeding means and a second position where not guiding the sheet, a detecting means for detecting the passage of the sheet through the guide means and for emitting a detection signal, and an inhibiting means for inhibiting the movement of the first sheet accommodating means in response to the detection signal from the detecting means.
Abstract:
An image forming apparatus includes sheet accommodating cassette for accommodating sheets, a device for forming images on the sheets, a first sheet conveying passage for conveying the sheet to the image forming device from the sheet accommodating cassette, a conveyor for accommodating a bundle of sheets having been subjected to an image forming operation by the image forming means at first sides thereof in a form in which leading edges of the sheets are gradually deviated in a sheet advancement direction, and for conveying the bundle as a whole, a feeder, disposed downstream of the conveyor with respect to the sheet advancement direction, for feeding one by one the sheets of the bundle from the sheet closest to the feeder, a second sheet conveying passage merging into the first passage for refeeding to the image forming device the sheets fed by the feeder, and a confining device for confining the sheets of the bundle other than the sheet being fed by the feeder.
Abstract:
A document feeding apparatus comprising a first original supporting device on which an original is placed, an original inlet port for receiving the original placed on the first original supporting device, a conveying device for guiding the original fed from the inlet port to a predetermined position and exhausting the original from the predetermined position, and a second original supporting device mounted on a housing of the document feeding apparatus and having an image area designation device for designating an image area of the original. In an image area designation mode of the apparatus, the original is placed on the image area designation device, a desired image area is designated, and the original is placed on the first original supporting device and is guided to the predetermined position through the inlet port.
Abstract:
A sheet stacking device and an image forming apparatus provided with the sheet stacking device. The sheet stacking device has a sheet sorting function, and in addition, sheet re-feeding function so as to make it possible to produce a duplex copy or superimposed copy. It is further possible to use the sorter portion as a sheet feeding facility.
Abstract:
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of the developing devices for developing the latent image formed on an image bearing member. The plural developing devices are each movable between its developing position for developing the latent image on the image bearing member and its retracted position away from the image bearing member. The image forming apparatus includes a shutter for selectively opening and closing the developing aperture of the developing device of one of the developing devices. The shutter opens and closes the developing aperture of said one of the developing devices in association with movement of the other developing device between the developing position and the retracted position.