Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that is rotatable; a transfer member that is rotatably disposed so as to face the image carrier, the transfer member transferring an image carried by the image carrier to a sheet; a leading end gripping member that is attached to the transfer member, the leading end gripping member gripping a leading end of the sheet in the transport direction on an outer peripheral surface of the transfer member; a trailing end holding member that holds a trailing end of the sheet in the transport direction between the trailing end holding member and the outer peripheral surface of the transfer member; and a controller that changes a distance between the leading end gripping member and the trailing end holding member when holding the sheet on the basis of a length of the sheet in the transport direction.

Abstract: A copper-zinc alloy product of the invention contains zinc in an amount of higher than 35% by weight and 43% by weight or less and has a two-phase structure of an ?-phase and a ?-phase. Further, the ratio of the ?-phase in the copper-zinc alloy is controlled to be higher than 10% and less than 40% and the crystal grains of the ?-phase and the ?-phase are crushed into a flat shape and arranged in a layer shape through cold working. According to the copper-zinc alloy product, it is possible to decrease the copper content and to appropriately secure the strength and cold workability by appropriately controlling the ratio of the ?-phase.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image output unit that outputs an image; and an image processing unit that converts an input image signal to an output image signal and outputs the image signal to the image output unit, the image output unit having: an image carrier that carries at least a latent image; plural developer containers containing mutually different color developers used for developing the latent image carried on the image carrier; and a transport member for repeated operations of attachment of the developer contained in one of the plural developer containers, transport of the attached developer to the image carrier, and removal of remaining developer, and the image processing unit having a change unit that changes a color conversion characteristic of an image signal in correspondence with color mixture of the mutually different color developers.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a transfer member, a gripper that grips a leading end portion of a recording medium, and a restraining portion that is disposed so as to face an outer peripheral surface of the transfer member and that is movable relative to the transfer member. The restraining member restrains a trailing end portion of the recording medium that is gripped by the gripper from rising. The restraining portion has widths in a rotational axis direction of the transfer member and in a transport direction of the recording medium and is capable of facing the recording medium in a faceable region, and a part of the faceable region over which the restraining portion faces the trailing end portion of the recording medium is larger than a part of the faceable region over which the restraining member does not face the trailing end portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, a transfer member, a leading-end holding member, and a trailing-end holding member. The leading-end holding member is mounted on the transfer member and holds, on an outer peripheral surface of the transfer member, a leading-end portion of a recording medium fed to a sheet feeding position that is further upstream than a transfer position in a rotation direction of the transfer member. The trailing-end holding member rotates along the outer peripheral surface. The trailing-end holding member presses the recording medium against the outer peripheral surface while waiting at a waiting position that is further upstream than the transfer position and downstream than the sheet feeding position, and holds a trailing end portion on the outer peripheral surface while rotating together with the transfer member when the trailing end portion of the recording medium arrives at the waiting position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a transfer member that transfers an image onto a recording medium; a leading-end holding member that holds a leading-end side of the recording medium, which is fed to the transfer member, between the leading-end holding member and an outer circumferential surface of the transfer member, in such a way to restrict displacement of the recording medium and to restrict movement of the recording medium in a direction away from the transfer member; and a rear-end holding member that holds a rear-end side of the recording medium, in the transporting direction thereof, between the rear-end holding member and the outer circumferential surface of the transfer member, in such a way to allow displacement of the recording medium in the transporting direction and to restrict movement of the recording medium in the direction away from the transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body portion including an image carrier, an image-carrier driving unit, a latent-image forming unit, a developing-unit attachment section, and a transfer-unit attachment section. The developing-unit attachment section receives a first developing unit having plural developing members or a second developing unit having a single developing member. The transfer-unit attachment section receives a first transfer unit, which includes a first transfer member capable of retaining a recording medium and a first transfer driving unit that rotates the first transfer member, and a second transfer unit, which includes a second transfer member that cannot retain the recording medium. When the first developing unit and the first transfer unit are attached to the developing-unit attachment section and the transfer-unit attachment section, respectively, the first transfer driving unit is mechanically connected to the first developing unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier that is rotatably arranged and carries an image on an outer circumferential surface thereof; a transfer member that is rotatably arranged to face the image carrier and transfers the image carried on the image carrier onto a sheet held between the transfer member and the image carrier; a leading edge gripping member that is secured to the transfer member and grips a leading edge side of the sheet in a transport direction thereof on an outer circumferential surface of the transfer member; and a trailing edge holding member that is arranged to be rotatable around the transfer member, holds a trailing edge side of the sheet in the transport direction thereof between the trailing edge holding member and the outer circumferential surface of the transfer member, and bends to release the trailing edge side of the sheet in the transport direction thereof.

Abstract: A developing device includes: plural developing units; a rotary body, where the plural developing units are attached, that rotates so as to place one of the plural developing units in a developing position to develop a subject of development; a first driving unit that drives the rotary body; a second driving unit that drives at least one of the plural developing units; and a regulatory mechanism that regulates a position of the rotary body using a rotational force caused in the rotary body in accordance with driving by the second driving unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a development unit that develops an electrostatic latent image present on the image carrier with a developer; a transfer member that transfers a developer image developed by the development unit from the image carrier to a recording medium by transporting while nipping the recording medium in a transfer position in contact with the image carrier; a corrective guide member that contacts the recording medium which is simultaneously caught by the transfer member for a period and that corrects placement of the recording medium with respect to the transfer member, thus guiding the recording medium toward the transport position; and a transport unit that transports the recording medium toward the transfer position while exerting a force on the recording medium in a direction causing a side edge of the recording medium along a transport direction to abut the corrective guide member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first unit including at least a development unit that develops an electrostatic latent image and a first developer container containing a developer; an image carrier that holds an electrostatic latent image to be developed by the development unit; a transfer unit that transfers a developer image developed by the development unit onto a recording medium; a fixing device that fixes a developer image transferred to the recording medium by the transfer unit onto a recording medium; and an image forming apparatus main body in which the first unit is installed, the image forming apparatus main body being configured such that a second unit including at least plural second developer containers respectively containing developers of different colors and development units for respective colors is installable instead of the first unit and, when the second unit is installed, a loop transport path is provided to allow the recording medium having the developer image fixed thereon by th

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a transfer member transfers the image carried on the outer circumferential surface of the image carrier onto a recording medium; a holding member that holds, on an outer circumferential surface of the transfer member, the recording medium fed to the transfer member; and a control unit that performs control so that in first image formation operation in which images of plural colors carried by the image carrier are sequentially transferred onto a single recording medium one color at a time, the holding member holds the recording medium on the transfer member, and in second image formation operation in which an image of a single color carried by the image carrier is transferred onto a single recording medium, the holding member does not hold, the recording medium on the transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that is rotatable; a transfer member that is rotatably disposed so as to face the image carrier, the transfer member transferring an image carried by the image carrier to a sheet; a leading end gripping member that is attached to the transfer member, the leading end gripping member gripping a leading end of the sheet in the transport direction on an outer peripheral surface of the transfer member; a trailing end holding member that holds a trailing end of the sheet in the transport direction between the trailing end holding member and the outer peripheral surface of the transfer member; and a controller that changes a distance between the leading end gripping member and the trailing end holding member when holding the sheet on the basis of a length of the sheet in the transport direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a transfer member that transfers an image onto a recording medium; a leading-end holding member that holds a leading-end side of the recording medium, which is fed to the transfer member, between the leading-end holding member and an outer circumferential surface of the transfer member, in such a way to restrict displacement of the recording medium and to restrict movement of the recording medium in a direction away from the transfer member; and a rear-end holding member that holds a rear-end side of the recording medium, in the transporting direction thereof, between the rear-end holding member and the outer circumferential surface of the transfer member, in such a way to allow displacement of the recording medium in the transporting direction and to restrict movement of the recording medium in the direction away from the transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a transfer member transfers the image carried on the outer circumferential surface of the image carrier onto a recording medium; a holding member that holds, on an outer circumferential surface of the transfer member, the recording medium fed to the transfer member; and a control unit that performs control so that in first image formation operation in which images of plural colors carried by the image carrier are sequentially transferred onto a single recording medium one color at a time, the holding member holds the recording medium on the transfer member, and in second image formation operation in which an image of a single color carried by the image carrier is transferred onto a single recording medium, the holding member does not hold, the recording medium on the transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium; a fixing unit that fixes the image formed on the recording medium by the image forming unit by applying heat; a first detector unit that detects a length of the recording medium in a transport direction, the first detector unit being disposed upstream of the fixing unit in the transport direction; and a second detector unit that detects the length of the recording medium in the transport direction, the second detector unit being disposed downstream of the fixing unit in the transport direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier that carries an electrostatic latent image; plural developing devices that store respective developers of different colors and visualize the electrostatic latent image with the developers; a developing device switching mechanism that switches among the developing devices; a transfer unit that transfers a developer image visualized by the one of the developing devices to a recording medium; a fixing device that fixes the developer image transferred by the transfer unit onto the recording medium; a first transporter that transports in a first direction the recording medium with the developer image fixed thereon; a second transporter that transports in a second direction the recording medium with the developer image fixed thereon; and a transporter switching mechanism that switches between the first transporter and the second transporter in conjunction with an operation of the developing device switching mechanism for switching among the developing devices.

Abstract: A developing device includes: plural developing units; a rotary body, where the plural developing units are attached, that rotates so as to place one of the plural developing units in a developing position to develop a subject of development; a first driving unit that drives the rotary body; a second driving unit that drives at least one of the plural developing units; and a regulatory mechanism that regulates a position of the rotary body using a rotational force caused in the rotary body in accordance with driving by the second driving unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; a transferring unit; a fixing unit; a conveying unit; and a sheet shape detecting unit as defined herein, and a discharge position where the sheet is discharged from the conveying path, a feed position where the sheet is fed to the sheet conveying path and a detection position where the shape of the sheet is detected by the sheet shape detecting unit are arranged in this sequence along a sheet conveying direction to be close to one another, immediately downstream in the sheet conveying direction from a fixing position where the toner image is fixed to the sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a development unit that develops an electrostatic latent image present on the image carrier with a developer; a transfer member that transfers a developer image developed by the development unit from the image carrier to a recording medium by transporting while nipping the recording medium in a transfer position in contact with the image carrier; a corrective guide member that contacts the recording medium which is simultaneously caught by the transfer member for a period and that corrects placement of the recording medium with respect to the transfer member, thus guiding the recording medium toward the transport position; and a transport unit that transports the recording medium toward the transfer position while exerting a force on the recording medium in a direction causing a side edge of the recording medium along a transport direction to abut the corrective guide member.