Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a developer carrier, a transfer part, a fuser, a temperature detecting part and a control part that rotates the developer carrier in the predetermined direction when a latent image is developed and in an opposite direction when an apparatus inner temperature detected by the temperature detecting part is equal to or higher than a glass transition starting temperature. The glass transition starting temperature is determined in consideration of a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curve of the toner.

Abstract: An imaging device having a door closing sequencing device to ensure a proper closing sequence of two mating doors. The sequencing device includes a door stop, a link, and a hinge. The hinge and door stop are pivotally connected to a side panel of a frame. The hinge, link, and door stop are pivotally connected together. The hinge is affixed to a first of the mating doors, and, when the first of the mating doors is in an open position, the hinge and link rotate the door stop into an extended position preventing a second of the mating doors from closing until the first of the mating doors is returned to its closed position moving the door stop into a retracted position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveying device; a fixing device; and a controller. The controller is configured to perform: in response to determining that a first condition is met, starting sheet conveyance by the sheet conveying device upon expiration of a first predetermined period of time starting from receipt of a print instruction; and in response to determining that a second condition different from the first condition is met, starting sheet conveyance by the sheet conveying device at selective one of a first timing and a second timing. The second timing is selected upon determination that an accumulated amount of usage of the fixing device is not greater than a predetermined amount. The first timing is a timing at which a sensed temperature has reached a first threshold value. The second timing is a timing at which a second predetermine period of time has expired after the first timing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a process unit, a controller, and a fixing unit including a heater. The process unit is configured to form a developer image on a sheet. The heater is configured to be applied with an AC voltage, and to heat the sheet to thereby fix the developer image to the sheet. The controller is configured to perform: executing a continuous supply control in which the heater is continuously energized; acquiring an initial voltage dropping level of the AC voltage and a recovery time during the executing the continuous supply control; and setting a power supply control to control energization of the heater for starting up the heater on the basis of the acquired initial voltage dropping level and the acquired recovery time.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a toner cartridge having an outlet port positioned on the front of a housing for transferring toner from a reservoir to a developer unit. The toner cartridge includes an engagement member having a first engagement surface and a second engagement surface. The first engagement surface is positioned proximate the rear of the housing to receive an actuation force from an actuation feature of an image forming device. The second engagement surface is positioned proximate the front of the housing below the outlet port to engage a shutter on an inlet port of the developer unit. The engagement member is movable from a first position to a second position upon receiving the actuation force. As the engagement member moves from the first position to the second position, the second engagement surface protrudes from the front of the housing to engage the shutter of the developer unit.

Abstract: An optical print head comprises a first light emitting element row, a second light emitting element row, a lens array, a first drive circuit and a second drive circuit. The first light emitting element row includes the arrangement of first light emitting elements. The second light emitting element row includes second light emitting elements arranged in parallel with the first light emitting element row. The lens array concentrates light emitted by the first light emitting elements and the second light emitting elements. The first drive circuit drives each first light emitting element with an identical first current value. The second drive circuit drives each second light emitting element with an identical second current value different from the first current value.

Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an image on a recording material. A heater radiates radiant light to heat a nip plate. A roller cooperative with the nip plate forms a nip between a cylindrical belt and an outer peripheral surface of the roller. A recording material carrying the image is fed through and heated in the nip to fix the image on the recording material. The nip plate has a projection in a region downstream of the nip with respect to a feeding direction of the recording material. At least a part of one of the two end portions of a supporting member overlaps the projection of the nip plate with respect to the feeding direction of the recording material and the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical belt to support the projection. A spacer is provided between the projection and at least part of one of the two end portions.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an option device, the option device is coupled with a lower surface of an apparatus main body. A second connector is configured to be displaced between a first position and a second position. A push portion is configured to be pressed toward an inside of the option device when the option device is coupled with the lower surface. A link portion is pivotably supported, coupled with both the push portion and the second connector, and configured to, interlocking with the push portion being pressed, cause the second connector to be displaced from second position to first position. A first coupling portion couples the push portion with the link portion. A second coupling portion is configured to couple the second connector with the link portion. The first coupling portion and/or the second coupling portion is configured to release the coupling with the link portion.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a magnetic flux generation unit, an auxiliary heating body formed of material that generates heat from the magnetic flux generated by the magnetic flux generation unit, a rotatable fixing belt having opposing first and second ends in a direction of its rotational axis and a material that generates heat from the magnetic flux, a magnetic flux shield in contact with the auxiliary heating body and having first and second openings that expose the auxiliary body, the first and second openings being symmetrical with respect to a center point along the rotational axis between the first and second ends, a temperature sensor in contact with the auxiliary heating body through one of the first and second openings of the magnetic flux shield shielding member, and a driver that controls power supplied to the magnetic flux generation unit in accordance with signals from the temperature sensor.

Abstract: An incidence angle of laser light with respect to a photosensitive member in a main-scanning direction is different depending on an exposure position. Hence, the spot shape of the laser light on the photosensitive member is different in the main-scanning direction. A filter coefficient is changed in the main-scanning direction, and image data is corrected with the filter coefficient.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charger, a developing device, a transfer device, a scraper, and a controller. The controller performs an image formation process to form the developer image on the photosensitive member by using the developing device. The controller acquires, as a first value, at least one of a value of the charging current flowing in the charger and a value of the transferring current flowing in the transfer device. The controller calculates an accumulation current value by using result of an integral of a second value over time. The second value is an absolute value of the first value. The controller performs a scraping process in which the scraper scrapes the photosensitive member when the accumulation current value reaches a threshold value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit including a roller, a heating rotary member heating the roller, and a backup member forming a nip portion, a temperature detection unit detecting a temperature of the heating rotary member, and a control unit for controlling power so that the detected temperature is maintained at a target temperature, wherein a print job includes a first step in which the unfixed toner image is formed on the recording material, a second step in which fixing processing is executed, and a third step in which the fixing unit is cleaned, and wherein the third step is executed following the second step, and in the third step, while the target temperature is set higher than the target temperature in the second step, the roller and the heating rotary member are rotated in a state where no recording material is present at the nip portion.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cartridge attachable/detachable to/from an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus. A bearing member for pivotally supports a rotation member has an engaged portion that is arranged at a part on one end side of the cartridge in a direction of a rotational axis of the rotation member and engaged with an engaging portion provided in the apparatus body. An engagement state between the engaged portion and the engaging portion is maintained until at least a coupling of the rotation member is coupled to a driving shaft provided in the apparatus body in a process of attaching the cartridge to the apparatus body. A movement of the bearing member to at least the other end side in the direction of the rotational axis with respect to the apparatus body is restricted when the engaged portion and the engaging portion are put into the engagement state.

Abstract: A method of controlling a print engine, the method comprising: printing a first test image including a number of scans of printing components at a first setting of the array of printing components; printing at least a second test image by a number of scans of the printing components at a modified setting of the array of printing components, the modified setting being different from the first setting, wherein the modified setting provides a modified setting for each one of the printing components which is varied according to the position of the respective printing component in the array; optically scanning the printed test images and determining the distinctiveness of a scan band within the printed test images for each one of the test images; and deriving an optimum setting of the array of printing components from a comparison of the determined distinctiveness.

Abstract: In one example, a liquid electro photographic printing apparatus includes: multiple base color ink containers each to contain a different base color ink; multiple base color ink dispersion units each connected to a corresponding base color ink container to contain a diluted base color ink and to a corresponding base color binary ink developer unit; and a custom color ink container connected to each of the base color ink containers or to each of the base color ink dispersion units, to contain and mix a custom color ink, and connected to a custom color ink binary developer unit. The printing apparatus is configured to print any of the custom and base color inks using the custom color ink binary developer unit and the base color binary ink developer units.

Abstract: A charging member includes a support, a conductive elastic layer disposed on the support, and a surface layer disposed on the conductive elastic layer. Domains with current values of 2.5 pA or more have an average size of about 300 nm or less in a binary image created using a current value of 2.5 pA as a threshold from current measured by contacting a conical probe having a tip diameter of 20 nm with an outer surface of the surface layer and applying a voltage of 3 V between the conical probe and the support while moving the conical probe.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a first support portion that supports an endless belt, and relatively moves with respect to a rotating body to press the endless belt against the rotating body, a second support portion that supports the first support portion to be relatively movable, a first member that is supported in the endless belt by the second support portion, a second member that is supported in the endless belt to be capable of approaching and being separated from the first support portion, a first biasing member that is provided in the first support portion, and biases the second member to a rotating body side, a second biasing member that is provided in the second support portion, and biases the first support portion to the rotating body side, and a switching portion that switches between a first state and a second state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heating unit that heats a recording material, a contact member that is positioned upstream or downstream from the heating unit in a transport direction of the recording material and is in contact with the recording material, the contact member being configured in such a manner that a portion of the contact member that is in contact with the recording material moves with the recording material, a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature of the contact member, and a control unit that controls, based on a detection result obtained by the temperature detection unit, an output of the heating unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive drum including a photosensitive layer; a drum charging member contacted or disposed closely to the drum, to be supplied with a DC voltage; a developing device; a transfer member for transferring a toner image onto a toner image receiving member; a device for applying to the transfer member a transfer bias voltage; a light projecting portion for projecting light to the drum before the charging and after the image transfer; a controller for controlling a quantity of the projected light, on the basis of the transfer bias and a film thickness of the photosensitive layer, wherein under a condition that the transfer bias is the same, the light amount controlled by the controller is smaller when the film thickness is a fourth value than when it is a third value, the fourth value being smaller than the third value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developing device configured to develop an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member into a toner image, and an exchangeable developer container configured to supply the developer into the developing device. A content sensor detects information relating to a toner content in the developing device, and an exchange detecting portion detects an exchanging operation of the developer container. A controller controls a supplying operation for supplying the developer from the developer container to the developing device on the basis of a detection result of the content sensor and executes a developer supplying mode for supplying developer prohibiting an image forming operation. The controller controls the supplying operation so as to permit the image forming operation without executing the developer supplying mode until an amount of formed images reaches a predetermined level.