Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive member, an image forming portion, a cleaning device, and a controller. The cleaning device includes a blade, a rotatable brush, and an applying portion. The controller controls the applying portion so as to apply a bias to the brush so that a potential of the brush has a polarity opposite to a normal charge polarity of toner. When a tensile strength of the brush is A (cn/dtex), a thickness of the brush is B (denier), a bristle density of the brush is C (kF/inch2), a length of the brush is D (mm), and an elastic deformation rate of the surface of the photosensitive member is E (%), the following relationships are satisfied: 48(%)?E?60(%), and 400?{A×B2×C/D2}?20408.

Abstract: A method for reducing artifacts in an electrophotographic printing system includes receiving a print job including image data for a set of pages. The electrophotographic printing system is used to print a block of pages from the print job to provide corresponding printed pages. Image data for the block of pages is analyzed to determine a cross-track image profile for each page in the block of pages. Image data for a compensation image and a number of compensation images are determined, wherein the compensation image has a cross-track image profile which has an inverted shape relative to an average of the cross-track image profiles for the block of pages. The printing of the compensation images reduces image burn-in artifacts which result from the printing of the block of pages.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including a main casing, an opening-closing member configured to open and close an opening on a side of the main casing and to move between an open position and a closed position, a belt unit configured to move between a first position and a second position, a drum unit configured to move between a third position and a fourth position, a developing device unit configured to move in an arrangement direction of developing rollers, and an interlock mechanism configured such that in response to a movement of the opening-closing member from the closed position to the open position, the belt unit moves from the first position to the second position and the drum unit moves from the third position to the fourth position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developer bearing member, a driving unit, a latent image forming unit that forms an electrostatic image having light area potential and a dark area potential, and an application unit that applies a developing bias. The driving unit drives the image bearing member and the developer bearing member in a first peripheral speed ratio and a second peripheral speed ratio larger than the first peripheral speed ratio. The image forming apparatus further includes an acquiring unit acquiring information related to a change in an electrostatic capacitance of the image bearing member and a determining unit determining a developing contrast according to the electrostatic capacitance. The determining unit determines the developing contrast based on the acquired information when the driving unit drives the image bearing member and the developer bearing member in the second peripheral speed ratio.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first body, an image forming portion, a first conveying passage provided inside of the first body and to convey toner discharged from the image forming portion, a second body detachably connected to the first body, and a second conveying passage to convey the toner received from the first conveying passage. The second conveying passage receives the toner from the first conveying passage in the first body. The second conveying passage is projected from the first body into the second body when the second body is connected to the first body, and is detachable from the first body while leaving the first conveying passage in the first body.

Abstract: The present invention is aimed at providing an electrophotographic cleaning blade that has excellent chipping resistance and can exhibit excellent cleaning performance. This cleaning blade is provided with an elastic member that includes a polyurethane and a support member that supports the elastic member, and cleans the surface of a member to be cleaned that is moving, by bringing a part of the elastic member into contact with the surface of the member to be cleaned. The average value of the elastic modulus of the elastic member obtained when measured using SPM is at least 15 MPa and not more than 470 MPa, and the coefficient of variation thereof is not more than 6.0%.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an annular endless belt; a drive roller, around which the endless belt is wound and which moves the endless belt; a first tension roller, around which the endless belt moved by the drive roller is wound; a biasing mechanism connected to the first tension roller and including an elastic member that applies a tension to the endless belt via the first tension roller; a second tension roller, around which the endless belt moved by the drive roller is wound at a different position from the first tension roller; and a moving mechanism connected to the second tension roller to move the second tension roller in directions closer to and away from the endless belt. A range of adjustment of a circumferential length of the endless belt by the moving mechanism is larger than a range of adjustment of the circumferential length of the endless belt by the biasing mechanism.

Abstract: A transfer member includes: an inner layer; an outer layer provided on an outer periphery of the inner layer; and a surface layer provided on an outer periphery of the outer layer, both end portions of the surface layer in circumferential directions extending in the circumferential directions from both end portions of the outer layer in the circumferential directions.

Abstract: A belt driving device includes an adjustment roller to stretch and rotate an endless belt; an inclination adjuster including a cam to adjust inclination of the roller to control deviation of the belt; a belt position detector to detect a belt position in a direction orthogonal to a movement direction of the belt; a stepping motor to rotate the cam; and a control output adjuster to adjust a control output to be supplied to the motor based on the belt position. When obtaining a rotation angle less than one step of the motor, the control output adjuster supplies the control output to the motor for a time corresponding to the rotation angle less than the one step out of a supply time of the control output for obtaining a rotation angle of the one step, and stops supplying the control output for a remaining time out of the supply time.

Abstract: A photosensitive member unit includes a photosensitive member, a charging roller, a charging roller bearing member, a gear, a separation member having an engagement portion, a guide portion, and a frame to support the photosensitive member. The guide portion guides the charging roller bearing member urged by a urging member to separate the charging roller from the photosensitive member in a state where the engagement portion and the gear are engaged with each other and guides the charging roller bearing member urged by the urging member so that the charging roller comes into contact with the photosensitive member in a state where the engagement portion and the gear are not engaged. A distance between the urged charging roller bearing member and the frame is less than a length in which the engagement portion and the gear are engaged in the state where the engagement portion and the gear are engaged.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a developing unit configured to develop a latent image formed on the image bearer with a toner to form a toner image, and a transfer member including a contact area that comes in contact with the image bearer. The toner image is primary transferred from the image bearer to the transfer member. A speed difference between the image bearer and the transfer member at the contact area is 0.1% or greater but 0.8% or less. The toner has an average circularity of 0.971 or greater but 0.986 or less and a shape factor SF-2 of 110 or greater but 119 or less. The speed difference is represented by the following formula: Speed difference [%]={(V1?V2)/V2}×100??[Speed difference] where V1 is a linear speed of the image bearer, and V2 is a linear speed of the transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless image bearing belt, a first roller, a second roller, a rotatable member, a holding member, a feeding unit, and a guiding member. The guiding member is provided on a side downstream of the feeding unit and upstream of a transfer nip with respect to a recording material feeding direction at a position opposing a stretching portion stretched by the first roller and the second roller of the image bearing belt and guides a recording material, to the transfer nip, fed by the feeding unit. The guiding member is fixed to the holding member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless image bearing belt, a first roller, a second roller, a rotatable member, a feeding unit, a first guiding member, and a second material guiding member. The second guiding member is fixed to the first guiding member so as to form a feeding path of a recording material with an interval between the second guiding member and the first guiding member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes first and second image forming portions and a belt. The first and second image forming portions include first and second image bearing members, and first and second transferring members, respectively. The belt nips and feeds a recording material. The first image forming portion is disposed upstream of the second image forming portion in a moving direction of the recording material, and a plurality of members including the first and second image bearing members are integrally assembled and are mountable on or dismountable from a main assembly of the image forming apparatus. A film thickness of a surface of the first image bearing member is larger than a film thickness of a surface of the second image bearing member, circumferential speed ratios or contact pressures of rotating components differ, and/or mass ratios of components of respective developers differ.

Abstract: In an example of the disclosure, a blanket servicing system includes a rotatably mounted endless cleaning surface and a scraper. The endless cleaning surface is to have a first engagement with a blanket to obtain a layer of thermoplastic print agent from the blanket. The endless cleaning surface is to have a second engagement with the blanket to receive residue from the blanket onto the layer of thermoplastic print agent. The scraper is to scrape the endless cleaning surface to transfer the residue from the endless cleaning surface to a collection element.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that is capable of holding an image on a surface thereof while rotating, an image forming unit that forms the image on the image carrier, a transfer unit that transfers the image from the image carrier to a medium while rotating, a transport unit that circulates as the transfer unit rotates and that transports the medium to a transfer region while holding the medium, and a control unit that changes a timing at which the image forming unit forms the image in accordance with variation in a ratio of a rotation velocity of the transfer unit to a rotation velocity of the image carrier.

Abstract: A waste toner storage container includes a container body, a toner storage chamber, and a paddle. The toner storage chamber includes an introduction port, a first space, and a second space. The introduction port receives waste toner. The first space stores the introduced waste toner, and extends in a first direction. The second space is disposed in an end portion of the first space in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The paddle includes a shaft, a first plate, and a second plate. The shaft is disposed in the first space, extends along the first direction, and is elongated. The first plate is formed on an outer peripheral surface around a central axis of the shaft, and conveys the waste toner in the first direction. The second plate is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft, and conveys the waste toner toward the second space.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a housing, a cleaning blade, a toner conveyance path, a conveyance screw, a first flicker, and a second flicker. The conveyance screw includes a rotary shaft and a helical vane. The first flicker includes a first base portion and a plurality of first contact pieces. The second flicker includes a second base portion and a plurality of second contact pieces. An inclination angle ?1 has a value between an inclination angle ?2 and an inclination angle ?3.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main housing, a drawer, and a drum unit. The drawer is movable between an accommodated position at which the drawer is accommodated in the main housing and a pulled-out position at which the drawer is pulled out from the main housing. The drum unit is attachable to the drawer in a state where the drawer is located at the pulled-out position. The drum unit includes a first photosensitive drum, a second photosensitive drum, and a waste toner pipe allowing passage of waste toner from the first photosensitive drum and waste toner from the second photosensitive drum.

Abstract: An image forming device, including: a drawer movable from an inside position where the drawer is located inside a housing to an outside position where the drawer is located outside the housing via an intermediate position; a stopper movable between a first position where the stopper stops the drawer from moving from the intermediate position to the outside position and a second position where the stopper allows the drawer to move from the intermediate position to the outside position; a drum cartridge mountable on the drawer; and a toner cartridge mountable on the drawer; wherein the toner cartridge mounted on the drawer is detachable from the drawer in a state in which the drawer is located at the intermediate position, and wherein the drum cartridge mounted on the drawer is detachable from the drawer in a state in which the drawer is located at the outside position.