Abstract: Provided is a fixing device that makes it difficult for a sheet to adhere to a heating unit when the sheet is caught in a gap between the heating unit and a fixing member, and an image forming apparatus that includes the fixing device. The fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressure roller, an IH heater, and convex portions. The fixing belt is rotatable. The pressure roller forms a pressure region in which the sheet is held and conveyed between the pressure roller and the fixing belt. The IH heater is such that the surface facing the outer peripheral surface of the fixing belt is formed in a shape along the outer peripheral surface, and the IH heater heats the fixing belt. The convex portions are formed on the surface of the IH heater facing the outer peripheral surface of the fixing belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a storage case, a developer conveyance portion, a developer detecting portion, a time measuring portion, and a driving control portion. The storage case stores developer that is supplied to a developing device, and conveys the developer by driving a first conveyance member. The developer conveyance portion conveys, by driving a second conveyance member, the developer supplied from the storage case. The developer detecting portion is provided in the developing device and detects the developer supplied from the developer conveyance portion. The time measuring portion measures a required time between a time when the first conveyance member starts to be driven and a time when the developer detecting portion detects the developer. The driving control portion sets a driving time of the second conveyance member based on the required time measured by the time measuring portion.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing the occurrence of image defects in response to a difference in carrier resistance and obtaining high image quality. A developing unit has a developing roller that carries toner in a two-component developer that includes a toner and a magnetic carrier on the surface thereof, and forms a toner image on the surface of a photosensitive drum. A current detecting unit detects developing current flowing between the developing roller and the photosensitive drum when a developing voltage is applied to the developing roller by a developing power supply. When the developing voltage is applied to the photosensitive drum, a control unit derives a carrier resistance based on the developing current detected by a current detecting unit, and controls an AC amplitude of an AC voltage of the developing voltage based on the carrier resistance.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a motor, a first coupling, an attachable/detachable unit, a detector, a phase determiner, and a controller. The motor rotates a rotary member through the first coupling and the attachable/detachable unit. The controller includes a first control mode and includes a second control mode. In the second control mode, in a case where a rotor load torque applied value is greater than a first predetermined value and a rotor rotational speed value is greater than a second predetermined value, the controller switches from the second control mode to the first control mode.

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 including: a transfer component including a transfer roller configured to transfer an image; a holding mechanism supported by a cover, configured to hold the transfer component; a lever rotatably between a first position and a second position, configured to pressurize the transfer component to press the transfer roller against an image carrier when the lever is at the first position; and an engagement portion supported by the cover, configured to engage with the lever to move the lever to the first position while the cover is closed, to engage with the lever to move the lever to the second position while the cover is opened, and to disengage from the lever to be separated from a space through which the lever is capable of passing when the lever is positioned at a third position between the first position and the second position.

Abstract: A pressing device includes a cam member 120, a bearing 120a, a cam portion 120b, a cam engaging portion 120c of snap fit fashion. The bearing 102a is rotatably supported by a fixation frame 115. The cam portion 120b is provided on one side of the bearing 120a and contacts a pressing lever. The cam engaging portion 120c is provided on the other side of the bearing 120a and engages with a hole 123a formed on an outer surface of a cam shaft 123. The cam engaging portion 120c engages with the hole 123a at a position away from a maximum load portion of the cam portion 120b by not less than 90 degrees phase different.

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 a plurality of developer containers to contain different types of developers and a container mount in which the plurality of developer containers is removably installed and arranged adjacent to each other. Each of the developer containers includes an engagement portion. The engagement portion of one of the developer containers engages the engagement portion of another of the developer containers adjacent to the one of the developer containers when the developer containers are installed in the container mount in a predetermined order, to allow the developer containers to be installed. Further, the engagement portion of one of the developer containers interferes with the engagement portion of another of the developer containers adjacent to the one of the developer containers when the developer containers are installed in the container mount in a different order from the predetermined order, to prevent the developer containers from being installed.

Abstract: A charging device includes: a charging roll configured to charge a photoconductor; a housing that houses the charging roll; and a heating unit that directly heats the housing or the charging roll. In the charging device, the heating unit may be disposed in contact with an outside or inside of the housing, and at least a part of the outside or inside of the housing may be covered with a thermally conductive member.

Abstract: In an example, a method includes providing a print agent with chargeable particles in a carrier fluid to a print agent concentration apparatus. The print agent may be passed between a conveyor and an electrode, and a potential applied to cause the chargeable particles to be attracted to the conveyor and to form a concentrated layer of particles on the conveyor. An indicator of particle concentration in the concentrated layer may be measured. It may be determined if the indicator of particle concentration meets predetermined criteria.

Abstract: A toner container includes a container main body, a conveying body, at least one first rotating body, and a second rotating body. The container main body has a compartment and an exit port. The compartment contains toner. The exit port allows the toner to be ejected from the compartment. The conveying body is located inside the compartment. The conveying body moves in a direction approaching the exit port while rotating to convey the toner to the exit port. The first rotating body engages with an outer circumferential surface of the conveying body and rotates according to rotation of the conveying body. The second rotating body rotates according to a first driving force generated by rotation of the first rotating body. The first rotating body is located at a prescribed position. The first rotating body rotates in response to the conveying body arriving at the prescribed position.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a fixing unit including a heater and a fixing belt. The fixing belt is electrically connected between a first power source and a ground terminal. A controller is configured to control the heater to heat the fixing belt. The controller is further configured to determine whether a current is flowing through the fixing belt and, upon determining that a current is not flowing through the fixing belt, control the heater not to heat the fixing belt.

Abstract: A fixing device receives a recording material having a toner image and applies pressure and heat to fix the toner image. The fixing device includes a fixing member, a sliding member, a pressing member, and a heating member. The fixing member has a rotatable endless belt shape that includes an inner circumferential resin layer. The sliding member is pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the fixing member with a lubricant interposed between the sliding member and the inner circumferential surface. The sliding member has a resin coating layer and slides on the inner circumferential surface. The pressing member presses the recording material toward an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member. The heating member generates heat to heat the recording material. A surface hardness of the inner circumferential surface of the fixing member is smaller than a surface hardness of the sliding surface of the sliding member.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a controller controls a toner container so that toner in the toner container is supplied to a developing section according to replenishment amount information stored in storage. The developing section includes a developer container that contains toner supplied from the toner container, and a sensor that detects a concentration of the toner in the developer container. The controller changes a replenishment amount indicated in the replenishment amount information based on a predicted toner concentration value in the developer container after the toner is supplied to the developer container under control of the toner container, and a detected toner concentration value detected by the sensor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer case and a developer detection sensor. The developer detection sensor is disposed in contact with a contacted portion located near a developer in the developer case, and detects magnetic permeability of the developer. The developer detection sensor includes a substrate and one or more contact portions that are formed in a facing region on a first surface of the substrate that faces the contacted portion, and configured to come in contact with the contacted portion. A first contact portion that is one of the one or more contact portions includes a detection portion that detects magnetism of the developer. The detection portion is formed in a spiral shape extending from its center part outward. A first magnetic member is provided on the first surface, or on both the first surface and a second surface opposite from the first surface, at a position corresponding to the center part.

Abstract: A first waste-toner box includes a detection switch wherein a state of the detection switch changes depending on an amount of waste toner stored therein. A second waste-toner box without the detection switch is initially mounted on a housing. The first waste-toner box is mounted after replacement of the second waste-toner box. A sensor circuit detects the state of the detection switch. In a case where the second waste-toner box is mounted on the housing, a controller detects a full state of waste toner stored in the second waste-toner box based on a dot count that is a number of dots forming a toner image formed on a sheet; and in a case where the first waste-toner box is mounted on the housing, the controller detects a full state of waste toner stored in the first waste-toner box based on the state of the detection switch.

Abstract: A controller controls power to be supplied to a plurality of heat-generating blocks obtained by dividing a heater in a direction orthogonal to a transport direction for a recording material, and when images formed on a plurality of sheets of the recording material having an equal size are continuously heated, and the controller determines whether each of the heat-generating blocks is a heat-generating block which is passed by the recording material or a heat-generating block which is not passed by the recording material on the basis of a detection temperature by a temperature detecting element when prescribed power is supplied to the heat-generating block and changes a control condition in heating on the basis of the determination.

Abstract: Provided is a technology relating to an image forming apparatus configured to calculate a toner usage amount per day. The image forming apparatus stores the calculated toner usage amount per day in a list when a toner usage history is permitted to be stored, and avoids storing the calculated toner usage amount per day in the list when the usage history is inhibited from being stored. When the toner usage history is permitted to be stored, the image forming apparatus extracts a feature amount indicating a toner consumption tendency exhibited by a user based on the toner usage amount per day corresponding to a predetermined period stored in the list, and avoids extracting the feature amount when the toner usage history is inhibited from being stored.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus configured to form a toner image on a photoreceptor drum, transfer the toner image to a recording medium, and output the recording medium, and the image forming apparatus includes a cleaning device including a cleaning blade that abuts against the photoreceptor drum and removes residual developer, a cleaning blade supporter that rotatably supports the cleaning blade, a cleaning blade movement restrictor that restricts a movement range of the cleaning blade, and a spring member that urges an end of the cleaning blade to abut against the photoreceptor drum.