Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an overheat prevention device to control a heater based on a fusing temperature detected by a temperature sensor within a predetermined range when a controller generates an abnormal heater control signal.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a rotating belt which rotates around a roller; a drive section which rotates the belt; a detection section which detects a position of the belt in a width direction; a moving section which moves the belt in the width direction; a control section which corrects a deviation of the belt by controlling the moving section. The control section conducts a preparatory operation in which the control section changes an amount of control to be given to the moving section under the condition where the belt is rotated to obtain a correction data showing a relation between the amount of control and a change of a position of the belt in the width direction detected by the detection section, stores the correction data in a memory section, and then corrects the deviation based on the correction data stored in the memory section.

Abstract: A developing device is disclosed. The developing device includes a developing roller disposed to face an image carrier and a toner carrier capturing roller disposed to face the developing roller for capturing toner carriers adhered onto the image carrier. The developing roller generates a magnetic pole at a side facing the toner carrier capturing roller. A first virtual line, which connects a rotational center of the developing roller to a rotational center of the toner carrier capturing roller, passes through a region between a position where a magnetic flux density of the magnetic pole in the normal line direction is minimum on the developing roller at the upstream side in the rotational direction of the developing roller and a position where the magnetic flux density of the magnetic pole in the normal line direction is maximum on the developing roller.

Abstract: An image forming system, in which a method of detecting a misregistration of a color image is performed, includes multiple image carriers, an optical writing unit, a transfer member extended by a drive roller and at least one driven roller, a rotation detector, a roller driving unit, a belt controller, an image detector configured to detect the images formed on the surface of the transfer member and obtain detection data, and a controller configured to calculate an amount of misregistration and correct relative misregistration of a scanning line between the image carriers based on a result of the calculation. In the image forming system, a distance from a transfer position to a detection position is an integer multiple of a travel distance of the transfer member during one revolution of the at least one driven roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member; a charging device; an exposure device device; a developing device; a transfer charger; a pre-exposure device; a current detector; a calculating device; and a correcting device. The calculating device determines a property formula on the basis of currents, detected by the current detector, flowing between said transfer member, or the charging device, and an area of the photosensitive member charged by the light discharger. The calculating device calculates a correction amount of the correcting device on the basis of the property formula and a current flowing between said transfer member and an area of the photosensitive member charged by the charging device which is supplied with a predetermined DC voltage with discharging by the pre-exposure device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is configured to reduce follow-up delay in impedance fluctuation and to reduce an accuracy fall in power supply control. The image forming apparatus includes a transfer element, a supply element, a detection element, a modification element, and a switch element. The supply element supplies electricity that depends on a set value to the transfer element. The detection element detects the control object value supplied to the transfer element. Depending on a difference between the control object value detected by the detection element and a target value, the modification element operates modification of the set value. The switch element switches between a short interval mode and a long interval mode. In a short interval mode, an execution time interval for modification of the set value is shorter, while, in a long interval mode, the execution time interval for modification of the set value is longer.

Abstract: A developing apparatus, including: a developing container which has an opening portion and contains a developer; a developer carrying member which carries the developer at the opening portion; and a rotatable developer supplying member which is in contact with the developer carrying member and has a surface of a foam layer, for supplying the developer to the developer carrying member, the developer supplying member detecting a capacitance between the developer carrying member and the developer supplying member, wherein a surface aeration amount L (liter/min.) of the developer supplying member satisfies 1.8?L.

Abstract: A developer apparatus, includes: a container which houses toner; a toner carrier roller which is provided, on a surface thereof, with a plurality of convex sections which are regularly arranged and a concave section which surrounds the convex sections, is shaped approximately like a cylinder, and rotates while carrying a toner layer of charged toner supplied from the container on the surface thereof; and a restriction member which abuts on the toner layer on the surface of the toner carrier roller to restrict a thickness of the toner layer, and restricts the toner layer carried by the convex sections within the surface of the toner carrier roller to one layer or less.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is described. The image forming apparatus may include an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a developing agent carrier that transforms the electrostatic latent image into a visible image by supplying a developing agent to the image carrier; and a developing agent cartridge that accommodates a developing agent to be supplied to the developing agent carrier, arranged so as to be opposed to the developing agent carrier in a longitudinal direction of the developing agent carrier, and formed with an opening for horizontally passing the developing agent in a position horizontally opposed to the developing agent carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device in which a width of a slide member is larger than a width of a pressurizing belt while both ends of the slide member are positioned outside of both ends of the pressurizing belt. The above-structured slide member makes it possible to prevent lubricant on the slide member from leaking out of the ends of the slide member and coming around the inner surface of the slide member, and thereby to prevent a pressing member beneath the slide member from swelling, resulting in avoidance of wrinkle generation on recording materials.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Blades, printing apparatuses, replaceable cartridges and methods of treating substances on surfaces are disclosed. An embodiment of a blade for treating a substance on a surface of a component includes a body having a free end portion with a surface, and which is comprised of an elastomeric material. A bi-material spring is adapted to apply a load to the body such that the surface of the body treats the substance on the surface of the component.

Abstract: A developing device that supplies developer to an image carrier. In a developing device having a developer carrier that is driven in rotation by drive force applied to a gear provided on the shaft section thereof, the developer carrier being pressed in the direction of the image carrier, the effect of the gear drive force on the pressing force of the developer carrier onto the image carrier can be eliminated. The bearing that supports the shaft section is made slidable and the sliding direction of the bearing with respect to the direction of the drive force is set at about 90°.

Abstract: A developing apparatus including a developing container for containing developer, the developing container having an opening portion, a developer carrying member for carrying the developer at the opening portion, a detecting member for detecting a developer amount, the detecting member detecting a capacitance between the developer carrying member and the detecting member, and a force receiving portion for receiving a force and moving the developing container between a first position in which a developing operation is performed by the developer carrying member and a second position in which the developing operation is not performed, wherein the capacitance can be detected in the second position, and the detecting member is a rotatable developer supplying member for supplying the developer to the developer carrying member, the developer supplying member including a foam layer in which the developer can enter.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of cleaning contact members by using developer leakage preventing components includes a photosensitive member, a developer feeding member which feeds a developer to supply the developer to the photosensitive member, contact members which keep a development gap or a development nip constant between the photosensitive member and the developer feeding member, and a sealing member which contacts the developer feeding member to prevent the developer from leaking. The sealing member may include cleaning portions which contact the contact members to clean a surface of the contact members. The sealing member may further include a sealing portion for preventing leakage of the developer, and cut portions which section the sealing portion from the cleaning portions. The cleaning portions may extend in a direction different from the sealing portion and contact the contact members.

Abstract: An image forming unit includes an image bearing body, a rotating body disposed in contact with or disposed facing the image bearing body, a supporting member that supports a rotation shaft of the rotating body, an insertion hole provided on the supporting member, a bearing inserted into the insertion hole and supporting the rotation shaft of the rotating body, and three or more contact portions provided on the bearing or the insertion hole. The contact portions contact the insertion hole or the bearing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus include an image bearing member, a developing container receiving a developer, a developer carrying member for carrying and conveying the developer, a developer feed member for supplying the developer to the developer carrying member, a detection device for detecting an amount of developer in the developing container by detecting an electrostatic capacitance between the developer carrying member and the developer feed member, and a control device for changing a rotational speed of the developer feed member into a plurality of speeds corresponding to the plurality of image forming speeds. The control unit controls the rotational speed of the developer feed member prior to the execution of a detection operation of the detection device so as to be faster than the slowest speed of said plurality of speeds.

Abstract: A cartridge includes an engagement gear which includes a first engaging portion and is configured to selectively rotate. The cartridge also includes a rotational body which includes a second engaging portion, and a center axis of the rotational body is aligned with a center axis of the engagement gear. Moreover, the cartridge includes an extension portion which is positioned offset from a center of rotation of the rotational body. The engagement gear and the rotational body are configured to selectively be positioned in one of a first state in which the second engaging portion and the first engaging portion are separated from each other, and a second state in which the second engaging portion engages the first engaging portion. The rotational body is configured to rotate with the engagement gear when the engagement gear rotates and the engagement gear and the rotational body are in the second state.

Abstract: In a fixing device in which fixing defects can be suppressed and which can be reduced in size, and an image forming apparatus comprising the fixing device, setting is performed such that the surface temperature of an outer peripheral belt surface serving as a non-heated belt surface of a fixing belt is substantially equal at a heating region inlet at the upstream end of a heating region and a heating region outlet at the downstream end of the heating region such that the temperature difference between the surface temperature of the outer peripheral belt surface at the heating region inlet and the surface temperature of the outer peripheral belt surface at the heating region outlet is no more than 5 [° C.].

Abstract: A developing device includes a rotator that rotates around a shaft, and a bearing element that supports the shaft to a housing. A sliding element formed of a composite material that contains self-lubricating thermoplastic olefin resin as a base material is used as the bearing element. The sliding element formed of the composite material has at least a ratio of numerical values of “Rockwell hardness”/“bending elastic modulus” in a range from 25 to 45, and provides a sliding surface of which a frictional coefficient is lower than that of the sliding element formed of the base material.