Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier that carries a toner image including toner; a driver that rotates the image carrier; a toner remover that comes in contact with the image carrier and removes toner remaining on the image carrier while the image carrier is rotated in a forward direction by the driver; and a hardware processor that evaluates a degree of deterioration of the image carrier or the toner remover, determines a number of times of execution of removal operation in which the image carrier is rotated in a reverse direction and then rotated in the forward direction, on the basis of the degree of deterioration, and controls the driver to cause the removal operation to be executed the number of times of execution.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes: a brush-like rotation body that collects residual toner adhering to a photoreceptor from the photoreceptor and holds the residual toner; a collection member that is disposed so as to be in contact with the brush-like rotation body and collects the residual toner held by the brush-like rotation body from the brush-like rotation body; a blade member that scrapes off the residual toner collected by the collection member from the collection member; a conveyance member that is disposed below the brush-like rotation body and the collection member and conveys the residual toner scraped off from the collection member by the blade member; and a restriction part that is disposed above the conveyance member and restricts contact of the conveyance member with the brush-like rotation body and the collection member.

Abstract: A belt unit includes: a drive roller; a drive shaft having an axis defining an axial direction and rotatable together with the drive roller about the axis; a bearing rotatably supporting one end portion of the drive shaft; a driven shaft; a driven roller rotatable together with the driven shaft; an endless belt looped over the drive roller and the driven roller under tension; a first frame; and a second frame spaced away from the first frame in the axial direction. The first frame includes: a facing section supporting one end portion of the driven shaft; and a bearing holder holding the bearing. The second frame rotatably supports another end portions of the drive shaft and the driven shaft. The bearing holder is positioned closer to the second frame than the facing section is to the second frame in the axial direction.

Abstract: A system and method for creating a fountain solution pattern for digital imaging, can include a charge image bearing surface bearing a charge image, an array of insulated channels, wherein a fountain solution can enter and fills the array of insulated channels by capillary action to a ledge region of the insulated channels in the array of insulated channels, and a scorotron that charges a surface of the fountain solution in the array of insulated channels. The array of insulated channels can be moved into proximity with the charge image on the charge image bearing surface of a digital printer, such that a fountain solution pattern can be developed on the charge image bearing surface with a measured amount of the fountain solution.

Abstract: An imaging system includes an endless belt which includes a first surface and a second surface and a steering assembly which is tiltable to adjust a position of the endless belt. The steering assembly includes a first member that is adjacent to the first surface of the endless belt and a second member that is adjacent to the second surface of the endless belt, to press the endless belt against the first member.

Abstract: A container to store residual transfer toner remaining on an intermediate transfer belt is disposed in a region of a transfer unit, where the region is defined by an inner circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt. A single conveyance member, which rotates to convey toner conveyed from an inlet toward the container, is disposed in the inside of the container. An end portion of the conveyance member that is opposite to an end portion on a side of the inlet is located in a central region of the container.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a process unit and a toner cartridge. The toner cartridge includes a cartridge housing having a first shutter and a second shutter. The process unit includes a conveying tube. The cartridge housing is movable between a first position and a second position. The first position is a position in which (a) the first shutter is positioned at a first open position, (b) the second shutter is positioned at a second open position, and (c) a second opening is aligned with the conveying tube in a second direction. The second position is a position in which (a) the first shutter is positioned at a first closed position, (b) the second shutter is positioned at a second closed position, (c) the second opening is spaced apart from the conveying tube, and (d) the toner cartridge is mountable and removable on and from the process unit.

Abstract: A surface roughness Rz of an outer peripheral surface of an intermediate transfer belt is 0.05 ?m or more, and toner contains toner base particles and an organosilicon polymer on the surface of the toner base particles. After residual toner on the intermediate transfer belt is collected by a blade into a belt cleaning device, the blade has a coating layer on its surface facing the intermediate transfer belt, the coating layer containing the organosilicon polymer.

Abstract: A recording material cooling device includes a first unit provided with a first endless belt and a cooling member, a second unit provided with a second endless belt and a supporting member but not provided with a cooling member, a holding member and a fixing member. The holding member is fixed to a supporting frame and rotatably holds the supporting member in order to be rotated by a user. The fixing member fixes the supporting member to the holding member at any rotating position by the user.

Abstract: An imaging system includes a belt roller, an endless belt, a steering member, a tilting mechanism, and a link mechanism. The endless belt rotates about the belt roller which extends in a longitudinal direction. The steering member is located inside the endless belt. The tilting mechanism is operably coupled to a center portion of the steering member. The link mechanism is operably coupled to the tilting mechanism and operates the tilting mechanism so that the steering member is tilted in response to a displacement of the endless belt in the longitudinal direction of the belt roller.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes an image heating portion including a heater, a tubular film having an inner surface in contact with the heater, and a pressure member that is in contact with the outer surface of the film and forms a nip portion for conveying a recording material between the outer surface and the pressure member. The image heating portion heats an unfixed toner image on the recording material by the heater. A temperature detection portion detects the temperature of the heater. A control portion controls electric power to the heater such that the temperature detected by the temperature detection portion is maintained at a predetermined control target temperature. An obtainment portion obtains image information for forming the unfixed toner image. The control target temperature is set, based on the image information, for each of a plurality of regions defined by dividing the recording material in the conveying direction.

Abstract: An image forming method includes forming an image by transferring and fixing white toner and color toner of at least one color to a recording medium, wherein when an endothermic peak top temperature and a toner softening point in a first temperature increasing process in differential scanning calorimetry of the white toner are Tmw (° C.) and Tspw (° C.), respectively, and an endothermic peak top temperature and a toner softening point in a first temperature increasing process in differential scanning calorimetry of the color toner are Tmc (° C.) and Tspc (° C.), respectively, Equations (1) and (2) below are satisfied: [Math.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a charging device, an exposing device, a developing device, and a cleaning device. The cleaning device includes a toner keeping member, which has toner keeping portions disposed respectively at opposite end sides of a polishing roller along its axial direction with a gap from an outer circumferential surface of the polishing roller to keep between themselves and the polishing roller toner removed off an outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum. The toner keeping portions extend along the axial direction of the polishing roller, and of each toner keeping portion, one end part along the axial direction is located outward of an end part of a guaranteed development region but inward of an end part of a developing roller and another end part is located outward of an end part of the polishing roller.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a developer layer regulating member including: a magnetic material extending in an axis direction of a developing roller; a non-magnetic material facing the magnetic material; and first and second spot weld rows that bond the magnetic material to the non-magnetic material. The magnetic material includes a first end located near the developing roller and a second end located on an opposite side of the first end. The first spot weld row extends in the axis direction of the developing roller between the first and second ends of the magnetic material. The second spot weld row extends in the axis direction of the developing roller between the first spot weld row and the second end of the magnetic material.

Abstract: A foreign substance collection apparatus includes: a frame body; a photosensitive drum; a cleaning roller which collects foreign substances from a surface of the photosensitive drum; a collecting roller which further collects the foreign substances having been collected by the cleaning roller from the cleaning roller; and a scraping member which scrapes off the foreign substances from the collecting roller. A foreign substance collecting portion included in the frame body has, in a posture during use: a first inner bottom surface which is positioned below the scraping member in a gravity direction; an outer bottom surface which is positioned further below the first inner bottom surface; and a connecting surface which intersects the first inner bottom surface and the outer bottom surface and which connects the first inner bottom surface and the outer bottom surface with each other.

Abstract: Provided are a charging roller excellent in charging characteristics (charging property/charge imparting property), elasticity/flexibility, durability, and filming resistance, and an image forming apparatus using the charging roller. The charging roller includes a shaft, and at least a base layer and a surface layer on an outer peripheral portion of the shaft in a radial direction, where the surface layer contains large-particle size particles and small-particle size particles having different average particle sizes and further contains hydrophilic particles; the water contact angle of the hydrophilic particles measured with a sessile drop technique is preferably more than 0 degree and 90 degrees or less and more preferably 50 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less; the large-particle size particles are large-particle size acrylic resin particles; the small-particle size particles are small-particle size acrylic resin particles; and the hydrophilic particles are hydrophilic silica particles.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, first and second rotary members, a cleaning mechanism, and a separating mechanism. The first and second rotary members cooperatively form a nip portion configured to nip and convey a recording material while heating and fixing a toner image onto the recording material. The cleaning mechanism includes a collecting roller. The cleaning mechanism is configured to clean the first rotary member by bringing a cleaning web into contact with the collecting roller that is in contact with the first rotary member and rotates together with the first rotary member. The separating mechanism is configured to separate the cleaning web from the collecting roller when the collecting roller is separated from the first rotary member.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus according to an embodiment may include: a first image formation unit that forms a first toner image on a first image carrier by using a bright toner containing a bright pigment; a second image formation unit that forms a second toner image on a second image carrier by using a non-bright toner containing no bright pigment; a transfer unit that transfers the first and second toner images to a transfer body; and a controller that controls the transfer unit. The controller is configured to perform control such that a transfer efficiency of the bright toner in a case where the second toner image is superimposed to the first toner image formed on the transfer body is lower than the transfer efficiency of the bright toner in a case where the second toner image is not superimposed to the first toner image formed on the transfer body.

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: A printer 1 including an image forming portion using toner containing a wax, a transfer portion for transferring an image onto a sheet, a belt unit and a pressing roller which heat the sheet in a nip, a duct including an air suction port for sucking air from a sheet inlet, a filter provided on the duct and for collecting dust, and a fan provided on the duct and for sucking the air includes a detector for detecting a temperature in the neighborhood of the belt unit and a control circuit portion for effecting control so that an air flow rate of the fan is weakened in the case where the temperature in the neighborhood of the belt unit is high during an image forming process and so that the air flow rate of the fan is weakened in the case where the temperature is high.