Abstract: A developing agent container includes: a container, a shutter that sets a supply hole to a closed state and an open state, a seal sponge that seals a gap between the first surface and the shutter when the supply hole is in the closed state, wherein the shutter has a first ridge line part that makes contact with the seal sponge due to the movement of the shutter, in a first edge part on a front end side in the first direction, the seal sponge has a second ridge line part that makes contact with the shutter due to the movement of the shutter in the first direction, in a second edge part on the opposite direction's side facing the supply hole, and the first ridge line part and the second ridge line part have a relationship in which one is inclined with respect to the other.

Abstract: A cleaning device for a surface of a cylinder of a printer and/or a copier includes a cylindrical cleaning element which can be rotated by at least one drive and which includes a cleaning fitting on its outer periphery, and a suction or suctioner conducting at least one suction medium with at least one suction channel aligned towards the outer periphery of the cleaning element and extending along the longitudinal alignment of the cleaning element. In order to achieve a simple technical structure and a low maintenance effort apart from a good cleaning result and reliable dirt removal, a suction slit extending longitudinally of the suction channel is aligned towards the cleaning element opens into the suction channel tangentially to the suction channel cross section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heat roller comprising a heater and configured to generate heat to fix a toner image on a print medium, a system controller configured to transmit, when printing is performed on a print medium, a control signal that indicates when power is to be supplied to the heater, and a heater control circuit configured to control amount of power supplied to the heater according to the control signal, a target temperature of the heater, and a current temperature of the heater. When printing is to be continuously performed on a plurality of print media, the system controller transmits the control signal to the heater control circuit a first predetermined time before start of printing.

Abstract: A controller is configured to control a drive unit and a heating element to execute a first mode and a second mode. The first mode is a mode in which the sheet is conveyed through a predetermined conveyance section in a duplex image formation by taking a first time length. The second mode is a mode in which the sheet is conveyed through the conveyance section in the duplex image formation by taking a second time length longer than the first time length. In the second mode, the controller is configured to execute a temperature decrease processing and thereafter execute a temperature increase processing in a period in which the sheet is conveyed through the conveyance section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transport member that transports a continuous medium as a result of a transport surface of the transport member making contact with the continuous medium and a transfer device that is disposed on a downstream side in a direction in which the transport member transports the medium and that transfers an image onto the medium, which extends to the transport member, as a result of a transfer surface of the transfer device making contact with the medium. A moving speed of the transfer surface is lower than a moving speed of the transport surface when the medium is transported.

Abstract: In a remanufacturing method for remanufacturing a cartridge from a material cartridge, the material cartridge is attachable to and detachable from an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus, and the apparatus main body includes a guide member. The material cartridge includes a frame member including an engagement portion configured to be engaged with the guide member, and a first attachment portion provided in the engagement portion, and a first storage member. The first storage member includes a first holding portion configured to hold a first electrode and be attached to the first attachment portion. The remanufacturing method includes detaching the first holding portion, attaching a second electrode to the frame member, and attaching a second storage element to the frame member at a different position from a position of the first attachment portion.

Abstract: A powder container contains powder and is attached to an image forming apparatus including: a conveying nozzle to convey the powder; a powder receiving hole of the conveying nozzle to receive the powder from the powder container; an apparatus main-body gear to transmit a driving force to the powder container; and a container receiving section including the conveying nozzle and receiving the powder container. The powder container includes: an opening at one end of the powder container in a longitudinal direction; a nozzle receiver at the opening to receive the conveying nozzle; a conveyor to convey the powder; and a container gear to drive the conveyor by meshing with the apparatus main-body gear. The container gear is to mesh with the apparatus main-body gear at a position closer to the opening than the powder receiving hole in the longitudinal direction. The opening is to mate with the container receiving section.

Abstract: In a case where a drive instruction signal in a high level for placing a first triac provided to correspond to a heat generation member in a conduction state is output from a CPU, the first triac is placed in a conduction state after a second triac provided to correspond to a heat generation member is prohibited from being in a conduction state. In a case where a drive instruction signal in a low level for placing the second triac in a non-conduction state is output from the CPU, the state in which the second triac is prohibited from being in the conduction state is released after the first triac is placed in the non-conduction state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image holding section; a transfer section that has a transfer member, applies a transfer electric-field to a transfer region between the image holding section and the transfer member, and electrostatically transfers an image held by the image holding section onto a recording medium; contact sections that act as electrodes to ground while being in contact with the recording medium; a humidification section that is provided upstream of the transfer region and humidifies the recording medium; a first control section that performs control without humidification by the humidification section; a second control section that performs control to cause the humidification section to humidify the recording medium; and a selection section that selects the first control section or the second control section depending on a type of the recording medium.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming device includes a fixing device and a controller. The controller obtains an identifier for identifying a user. The controller controls the fixing device based on the obtained identifier, history information, and temperature information, to be a fixing temperature associated with usage status information associated with the obtained identifier. The history information is information obtained by associating the identifier and the usage status information. The usage status information is information including a printing ratio in previous image formation by a user. The temperature information is information obtained by associating the usage status information and the fixing temperature.

Abstract: In a server authentication process, a controller (a) transmits identification information of a consumable unit to an authentication server, and causes the authentication server to determine whether the consumable unit is a genuine product or not on the basis of the identification information and (b) receives the genuine product determination result from the authentication server. Further, (a) upon detecting replacement of the consumable unit, the controller reads identification information from a storage device of the consumable unit, performs the server authentication process based on the read identification information, and stores the received genuine product determination result into the non-volatile storage device, and (b) when powered on, the controller determines whether the consumable unit currently mounted is a genuine product or not on the basis of the genuine product determination result stored in the non-volatile storage device, without performing the server authentication process.

Abstract: In a case where fixing processing is performed continuously on sheets having a width that is shorter than a length of a heat generation member in a longitudinal direction and longer than a length of another heat generation member in the longitudinal directions, the CPU determines a timing to switch between the heat generation member and the another heat generation member by a heat generation member switching device based on information relating to a size of the sheet.

Abstract: A toner conveyance device includes a housing and a conveyance member. The conveyance member includes a conveyance shaft and a conveyance blade. The conveyance blade includes a first blade part, a second blade part and a third blade part. The first blade part is formed along a predetermined spiral direction. The second blade part is connected to the first blade part on a downstream side of the first blade part in a conveyance direction and extends along the conveyance direction. The third blade part is connected to the second blade part on a downstream side of the second blade part in the conveyance direction and formed along a spiral direction opposite to the spiral direction of the first blade part. A boundary between the first blade part and the second blade part is contained within a range of a toner discharge port in the conveyance direction.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer carrier on which an attraction region is set, the attraction region being a region that attracts developer including toner and a carrier, and that carries, in the attraction region, the developer that is to be supplied to an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a regulation member that regulates the developer so that a predetermined amount of the developer is carried by the developer carrier; and a forming unit that is located upstream of the regulation member and that forms, in the attraction region, a first region that restricts a flow of developer supplied to the developer carrier and a second region that is located between the first region and the regulation member and that does not restrict a flow of the developer compared with the first region.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, at least a part of a cleaning roller is provided on the same side as an opposed roller with respect to an external common tangent Z of a first roller and a second roller. In a case in which a surface velocity of the driving roller is designated as v1; a surface velocity of the cleaning roller is designated as v2; a radius of the cleaning roller is designated as r; a radius of the opposed roller is designated as s; and a distance between the center of rotation of the cleaning roller and the center of rotation of the opposed roller is designated as x, the cleaning roller is rotated so as to satisfy a relationship: v2/v1<r/(x?s).

Abstract: A binary ink developer (BID) assembly for a liquid electrophotography (LEP) printing device can include a developer roller having an electrically insulating exterior coating that receives ink from an ink supply and transfers the received ink to a photoconductive imaging cylinder in accordance with an electrostatic image on the imaging cylinder. A charge-specified boundary condition can exist at the boundary between the exterior coating and the ink. Electrically conductive ink may not be transferred to the imaging cylinder at background portions of the electrostatic image.

Abstract: A process unit includes a photosensitive drum on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed, a charger that charges an outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum to a predetermined polarity and a predetermined potential, a cleaner that removes residual toner from the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum, a process frame that holds the photosensitive drum and is provided with the cleaner, and a charger cover that holds the charger and is rotatably supported on the process frame so as to move the charger away from or closer to the photosensitive drum.

Abstract: A power supply apparatus includes: a power supply circuit configured to generate a bias voltage and output the bias voltage to a load, the power supply circuit being configured to output a determination signal and a detection current signal, the determination signal being binarized and representing a result obtained by comparing a voltage value according to the bias voltage with a threshold, the detection current signal indicating a current value of a load current flowing between the power supply circuit and the load, the load current flowing in response to outputting of the bias voltage; and a controller configured to control generation of the bias voltage generated by the power supply circuit, and determine a malfunction of the power supply circuit and an abnormality in the load, based on the determination signal and the detection current signal.

Abstract: First correction data for use in a first printing mode is generated by image density measurement in the first printing mode, and second correction data for use in a second printing mode, which is different from the first printing mode in peripheral speed ratio of a developing roller to a photosensitive drum, is generated by image density measurement in the second printing mode. First processing for generating first and second correction data for the first and second printing modes, respectively, by density measurement, or second processing for generating the first correction data by density measurement and generating the second correction data using the generated first correction data and a difference in image density between the first printing mode and the second printing mode is executed. The first processing is executed when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

Abstract: A powder container includes a powder chamber for containing powder for forming images, a powder outlet formed in a face of the powder container, and a shutter assembly to open and close the powder outlet and including first and second shutters. The first shutter is movable between a sealing position to close the powder outlet and an open position to open the powder outlet and includes a pressed member to cancel retention of the first shutter at the sealing position. The second shutter includes a pressing projection that interferes with the pressed member of the first shutter and is movable between a shielding position to cover the pressed member without interference between the pressing projection and the pressed member and a releasing position to press the pressed member with the pressing projection.