Abstract:
A charging apparatus and method used in an image forming apparatus uses a charging apparatus to apply a charging potential to a photosensitive body, a voltage measuring device that measures the charging potential and outputs a measured charging potential signal, an environmental condition sensor which senses at least one environmental condition and outputs an environmental condition signal, and adjustable voltage application which applies an applied voltage to said charging member, and a controller, where the controller controls an amount of the applied voltage applied to the charging member in accordance with the charging potential signal and the environmental signal, where the applied voltage is adjusted to compensate for the sensed environmental condition.
Abstract:
A cleaner is provided. The cleaner includes a cleaning blade having an edge to be contacted with a surface of a member to be cleaned while moving relative to the member to clean the surface of the member. The cleaning blade includes the edge, and first and second side surfaces, wherein the edge is disposed between the first and second side surfaces. When the cleaning blade is not contacted with the surface of the member to be cleaned, the first side surface is opposed to the surface of the member, and when the cleaning blade is contacted with the surface of the member, the edge, and the first and second side surfaces of the cleaning blade are contacted with the surface of the member.
Abstract:
An image forming apparatus includes a nip forming member and a transfer bias output device that outputs a transfer bias to form a transfer electric field in a transfer nip between the nip forming member and an intermediate transfer member. Upon transfer of a composite toner image including a particular toner image onto a recording medium in the transfer nip, the transfer bias output device outputs the transfer bias including a first superimposed bias in which a direct current (DC) component is superimposed on an alternating current (AC) component. Upon transfer of the composite toner image without the particular toner image onto the recording medium in the transfer nip, the transfer bias output device outputs one of the transfer bias including a second superimposed bias having a peak-to-peak value of the AC component smaller than that of the first superimposed bias and the transfer bias including only the DC component.
Abstract:
An image forming apparatus including an image forming device, a transfer device, a fixing device, an inverting device, and a processor. The transfer device includes an intermediate transfer member, a nip forming member, and an electric potential difference generator to generate an electric potential difference between the intermediate transfer member and the nip forming member. The processor causes the electric potential difference generator to generate a first electric potential difference containing only a DC component when a toner image is transferred onto a first side of a recording sheet, and to generate a second electric potential difference containing a DC component and a superimposed AC component when the toner image is transferred onto a second side of the recording sheet. The second electric potential difference has an averaged absolute value per unit of time smaller than an absolute value of the first electric potential difference.
Abstract:
A cleaning device includes a cleaning member, a collection member, an electrical field generator, and a separation member. The cleaning member has a surface capable of moving while contacting a surface of a cleaning target to remove toner on the surface of the cleaning target. The collection member has a surface capable of moving while contacting the surface of the cleaning member to collect the toner on the surface of the cleaning member. The electrical field generator generates an electrical field to move the toner from the cleaning member to the collection member. The separation member contacts the surface of the collection member to separate the toner on the surface of the collection member. The collection member has a centerline average surface roughness of not more than 0.1 μm and shows a surface hardness rank of B or higher in a steel-wool scratch test.
Abstract:
A cleaning device including a polarity control unit to control a charge polarity of residual toner particles, a cleaning member, a surface of which is movable, to electrostatically remove the residual toner particles, provided on a downstream side from the polarity control unit relative to a surface moving direction of an image bearing member, a toner collecting unit to collect the residual toner particles on the cleaning member, and a neutralizing member to neutralize the image bearing member, provided on a downstream side from the polarity control unit and an upstream side from the cleaning member relative to the surface moving direction of the image bearing member.
Abstract:
A cleaning unit, providable to an image carrier unit or an image forming apparatus, includes a cleaning member disposed in contact with a target member to electrically remove residual toner from the target member, an elastic blade disposed in contact with the target member upstream from the cleaning member, a blade supporting member, a blade power source, and a conductive member that is more conductive than the elastic blade, and electrically connects the blade supporting member and the elastic blade. The conductive member is disposed so that an edge part of the conductive member is closer to where the elastic blade contacts the target member than an edge part of the blade supporting member.
Abstract:
An electron emission element according to the present invention is compact, thin and low cost, and has a structure and constitution in which deterioration of the electron emission material itself is low. In the electron emission element, boron nitride material is used as the electron emission material, and a metal material or a semiconductor material is used as a substrate for forming the boron nitride material. In this way it is possible to obtain good quality boron nitride material on the substrate. Also, a voltage can be applied to the material to emit electrons, also electrons can be supplied. Moreover, by using Sp3-bonded boron nitride as the boron nitride material, and using Sp3-bonded 5H—BN material or Sp3-bonded 6H—BN material as the Sp3-bonded boron nitride, a field electron emission element can be achieved for which high efficiency electron emission characteristics unprecedented in conventional art can be obtained.
Abstract:
An electronic news translating and delivery apparatus translates the electronic news received via a network successively, and delivers the translated news to subscribers via another network. Specifically, the apparatus comprises a user manager including a register means to register news groups reserved by user, a translator which translates the articles in the news group registered in the register means of the user manager into a suitable form for the user, a translation manager to manage the translating of the news by the translator, and a delivery manager to deliver the news translated by the translator to registered users.
Abstract:
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier to carry a toner image, a transfer member to form a transfer nip by contacting the image carrier surface, and a power supply to output a voltage to the recording material captured in the transfer nip so as to transfer the toner image formed on the image carrier surface. The voltage is switching alternately between a voltage in the transfer direction and a voltage opposite to the voltage in the transfer direction, and a time average value (Vave) of the voltage is set to have a polarity of the transfer direction, and is set to a value in the transfer voltage side, and a change mode to change a cycle of the voltage output from the power supply can be changed based on the toner deterioration information which determines the deterioration status of the toner.