Image forming apparatus, monocolor image forming apparatus, toner recycling apparatus and intermediate transfer member

The image forming apparatus, comprising monocolor image forming unit including a developing device and an image carrier cleaning device arranged around an image carrier, for transferring a toner image formed on the image carrier in the monocolor image forming unit once to an intermediate transfer member then transferring the toner image from the intermediate transfer member to a recording medium to form an image thereon, wherein a plurality of the monocolor image forming unit is arrayed along the rotary transport direction of the intermediate transfer member to configure a tandem image forming device for forming a multicolor image on the intermediate transfer member, and wherein among the plurality of monocolor image forming unit contained in the tandem image forming device at least two monocolor image forming unit each include a toner recycling device for conveying toner collected at the image carrier cleaning device to the developing device, the toner recycling device comprising a screw adapted to receive toner from the image carrier cleaning device, an axis of rotation of the screw extending about perpendicular to a direction of travel of the toner from the image carrier cleaning device to the developing device, and a conveying belt adapted to receive toner from the screw and to deliver toner to the developing device, and

• wherein the following relation is satisfied:
• L0/VL>ρV·ε·ε0
• where L0 denotes a distance in the rotary transport direction of the intermediate transfer member between a location of a charge given to a surface of the intermediate transfer member and a location of toner moved from the image carrier to the surface of the intermediate transfer member;
• VL, ρV and ε respectively denote a surface moving velocity, volume resistivity and relative permittivity of the intermediate transfer member;
• and ε0 denotes the vacuum permittivity.

The image forming apparatus comprising monocolor image forming unit including a developing device and an image carrier cleaning device arranged around an image carrier, for transferring a toner image formed on the image carrier in the monocolor image forming unit once to an intermediate transfer member then transferring the toner image from the intermediate transfer member to a recording medium to form an image thereon, wherein a plurality of the monocolor image forming unit is arrayed along the rotary transport direction of the intermediate transfer member to configure a tandem image forming device for forming a multicolor image on the intermediate transfer member, and wherein among the plurality of monocolor image forming unit contained in the tandem image forming device at least two monocolor image forming unit each include a toner recycling device for conveying toner collected at the image carrier cleaning device to the developing device, the toner recycling device comprising a screw adapted to receive toner from the image carrier cleaning device, an axis of rotation of the screw extending about perpendicular to a direction of travel of the toner from the image carrier cleaning device to the developing device, and a conveying belt adapted to receive toner from the screw and to deliver toner to the developing device, and

• wherein the following relation is satisfied:
• L1/VL>ρV·ε·ε0
• where L1 denotes the shortest distance in the rotary transport direction of the intermediate transfer member among distances between adjacent primary transfer locations, the primary transfer location being defined as a location on the intermediate transfer member to which the toner image on the image carrier to be transferred;
• VL, ρV and ε respectively denote a surface moving velocity, volume resistivity and relative permittivity of the intermediate transfer member;
• and ε0 denotes the vacuum permittivity.

An image forming apparatus comprising monocolor image forming unit including a developing device and an image carrier cleaning device arranged around an image carrier, for transferring a toner image formed on the image carrier in the monocolor image forming unit once to an intermediate transfer member then transferring the toner image from the intermediate transfer member to a recording medium to form an image thereon,

• wherein one monocolor image forming unit for forming a monochromic image on the intermediate transfer member is provided around the intermediate transfer member, and wherein the one monocolor image forming unit is provided with a toner recycling device for conveying toner collected at the image carrier cleaning device to the developing device, and
• wherein the following relation is satisfied:
• L0/VL>ρV·ε·ε0
• where L0 denotes a distance in the rotary transport direction of the intermediate transfer member between a location of a charge given to a surface of the intermediate transfer member and a location of toner moved from the image carrier to the surface of the intermediate transfer member;
• VL, ρV and ε respectively denote a surface moving velocity, volume resistivity and relative permittivity of the intermediate transfer member;
• and ε0 denotes the vacuum permittivity.

An image forming apparatus comprising monocolor image forming unit including a developing device and an image carrier cleaning device arranged around an image carrier for transferring a toner image formed on the image carrier in the monocolor image forming unit once to an intermediate transfer member then transferring the toner image from the intermediate transfer member to a recording medium to form an image thereon,

• wherein a plurality of the monocolor image forming unit is arrayed along the rotary transport direction of the intermediate transfer member to configure a tandem image forming device for forming a multicolor image on the intermediate transfer member, and wherein among the plurality of arrayed monocolor image forming unit at least two monocolor image forming unit each include the toner recycling apparatus for conveying toner collected at the image carrier cleaning device to the developing device, and
• wherein the following relation is satisfied:
• L1/VL>ρV·ε·ε0
• where L1 denotes the shortest distance in the rotary transport direction of the intermediate transfer member among distances between adjacent primary transfer locations, the primary transfer location being defined as a location on the intermediate transfer member to which the toner image on the image carrier to be transferred;
• VL, ρV and ε respectively denote a surface moving velocity, volume resistivity and relative permittivity of the intermediate transfer member;
• and ε0 denotes the vacuum permittivity.

An image forming apparatus comprising the intermediate transfer member for use in a xerography apparatus for transferring a toner image formed on an image carrier once to a surface of the intermediate transfer member then secondarily transferring the toner image from the intermediate transfer member to a sheet, wherein a toner adhesion reduction layer for reducing an adhesion of toner is uniformly formed over the surface, and

• wherein the following relation is satisfied:
• L0/VL>ρV·ε·ε0
• where L0 denotes a distance in the rotary transport direction of the intermediate transfer member between a location of a charge given to a surface of the intermediate transfer member and a location of toner moved from the image carrier to the surface of the intermediate transfer member;
• VL, ρV and ε respectively denote a surface moving velocity, volume resistivity and relative permittivity of the intermediate transfer member;
• and ε0 denotes the vacuum permittivity.