Abstract: A toner detection unit includes an LED and a light receiving element that outputs a current in accordance with a received light amount. A current/voltage converter circuit converts the current outputted from the light receiving element into a voltage and outputs the voltage. A voltage amplifier circuit amplifies a difference between the voltage outputted from the converter circuit and a reference voltage and outputs the amplified difference as a voltage corresponding to the received light amount. A microcomputer measures the voltage outputted from the voltage amplifier circuit by causing the LED to emit light, under a measurement condition under which the reflected light is not incident on the light receiving element through an opening formed in a housing of the toner detection unit, and adjusts the reference voltage used in the voltage amplifier circuit based on the obtained measured voltage.

Abstract: A toner detection unit is configured by an LED that irradiates light toward an intermediate transfer belt, first and second light receiving elements that respectively receive specular reflection light and diffused reflection light of light irradiated toward the intermediate transfer belt from the LED, a circuit board, and a housing. The LED and the light receiving elements are mounted in a line on the circuit board. The housing is configured to guide, to the first light receiving element, the specular reflection light from a first region within an irradiation region on which light is irradiated from the LED on the intermediate transfer belt, and to guide, to the second light receiving element, the diffused reflection light from a second region which is different from the first region within the irradiation region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit, a discharging portion, a supporting portion, an image reading portion, and a switching portion is provided. The image forming unit is configured to form an image on a sheet. The discharging portion is configured to discharge the sheet on which the image has been formed. The supporting portion is configured to support the sheet discharged by the discharging portion. The image reading portion is configured to read, at a reading position, the image formed on the sheet. The switching portion is configured to switch between causing the sheet discharged by the discharging portion to be conveyed to the supporting portion and causing the sheet discharged by the discharging portion to be conveyed toward the image reading portion. The sheet conveyed toward the image reading portion is conveyed to the reading position after conveyance by the discharging portion is finished.

Abstract: A discharge unit discharges the sheet has an image. A switching unit switches between stacking the sheet discharged from the discharge unit on a stacking unit or conveying the sheet the discharge unit toward an image reading apparatus. A conveyance unit conveys the sheet conveyed via the switching unit to a reading unit. A cooling unit cools the sheet discharged from the discharge unit or cools the reading unit.

Abstract: An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus, an image reading apparatus, a connecting conveyance path that branches from a second main conveyance path of the image reading apparatus and joins a first sub conveyance path of the image forming apparatus, and configured to convey an original from the image reading apparatus to the image forming apparatus. The system controls conveyance of the original so that a first side becomes a side that faces an image forming unit if the first side of the original is designated as the image formation side or so that a second side becomes the side that faces the image forming unit if the second side of the original iFs designated as the image formation side.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit, first and second discharging portions, first and second supporting portions, an image reading portion, and first and second switching portions is provided. The first switching portion switches between causing a sheet bearing an image formed by the image forming unit to be discharged to the first supporting portion by the first discharging portion and causing the sheet to be conveyed toward the image reading portion that reads the image. The second switching portion switches between causing the sheet whose image has been read to be conveyed toward the second discharging portion that discharges the sheet whose image has been read to the second supporting portion and causing the sheet to be conveyed toward the image forming unit. The image reading portion is disposed above the first discharging portion and further on the inside of the apparatus than the second switching portion.

Abstract: A toner detection unit is configured by an LED that irradiates light toward an intermediate transfer belt, first and second light receiving elements that respectively receive specular reflection light and diffused reflection light of light irradiated toward the intermediate transfer belt from the LED, a circuit board, and a housing. The LED and the light receiving elements are mounted in a line on the circuit board. The housing is configured to guide, to the first light receiving element, the specular reflection light from a first region within an irradiation region on which light is irradiated from the LED on the intermediate transfer belt, and to guide, to the second light receiving element, the diffused reflection light from a second region which is different to the first region within the irradiation region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a light-receiving unit that includes light-receiving elements arranged along a movement direction of a target formed on an image carrier, and is arranged so as to receive light emitted from a light-emitting unit and specularly reflected off the image carrier; a member configured to limit a size of diffused reflection light that is incident on the light-receiving unit in the movement direction; a selection unit configured to select whether or not each of the light-receiving elements in the light-receiving unit is a effective light-receiving element; a generation unit configured to generate a detection signal from an output of the effective light-receiving element; and a detection unit configured to detect a target formed on the image carrier based on the detection signal.

Abstract: A toner detection unit includes an LED and a light receiving element that outputs a current in accordance with a received light amount. A current/voltage converter circuit converts the current outputted from the light receiving element into a voltage and outputs the voltage. A voltage amplifier circuit for amplifies a difference between the voltage outputted from the converter circuit and a reference voltage and outputs the amplified difference as a voltage corresponding to the received light amount. A microcomputer measures the voltage outputted from the voltage amplifier circuit by causing the LED to emit light, under a measurement condition under which the reflected light is not incident on the light receiving element through an opening formed in a housing of the toner detection unit, and adjusts the reference voltage used in the voltage amplifier circuit based on the obtained measured voltage.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a sheet feeding portion configured to feed a sheet to a sheet conveying path; an image forming portion configured to form an image on the sheet; a sheet discharging portion configured to discharge the sheet; a sheet re-conveying path configured to guide the sheet on which the image has been formed to the sheet conveying path again; an original feeding portion configured to feed an original; an original feeding path configured to guide the original to the sheet re-conveying path; an image reading portion configured to read an image of the original; an original discharging path configured to guide the original guided along the sheet re-conveying path to an original discharging portion; and an original conveying portion configured to convey the original which has been guided along the original feeding path toward the original discharging path.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus, including first and second drive portions respectively transmitting a drive force to first and second photosensitive drums, the first and second drive portions each including: a transmission gear rotated by the drive force; an idler gear rotated in mesh with the transmission gear; and a drive gear rotated in mesh with the idler gear. When a meshing angle of the idler gear is an angle from a meshing position between the idler gear and the transmission gear to a meshing position between the idler gear and the drive gear with respect to a rotation center of the idler gear, the meshing angles of the idler gears of the first and second drive portions are substantially equal to each other, and rotational phases of the idler gears of the first and second drive portions match with each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first conveying path guiding a sheet such that the sheet passes through the image forming portion, a second conveying path guiding the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming portion to the first conveying path. A document is fed to the second conveying path and the image forming apparatus includes a first drive transmission portion transmitting a drive force to the image forming portion and a second drive transmission portion transmitting the drive force to a document feeding portion, a conveyance portion and a document discharge portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a sheet feeding portion configured to feed a sheet to a sheet conveying path; an image forming portion configured to form an image on the sheet; a sheet discharging portion configured to discharge the sheet; a sheet re-conveying path configured to guide the sheet on which the image has been formed to the sheet conveying path again; an original feeding portion configured to feed an original; an original feeding path configured to guide the original to the sheet re-conveying path; an image reading portion configured to read an image of the original; an original discharging path configured to guide the original guided along the sheet re-conveying path to an original discharging portion; and an original conveying portion configured to convey the original which has been guided along the original feeding path toward the original discharging path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a sheet feeding portion configured to feed a sheet to a sheet conveying path; an image forming portion configured to form an image on the sheet; a sheet discharging portion configured to discharge the sheet; a sheet re-conveying path configured to guide the sheet on which the image has been formed to the sheet conveying path again; an original feeding portion configured to feed an original; an original feeding path configured to guide the original to the sheet re-conveying path; an image reading portion configured to read an image of the original; an original discharging path configured to guide the original guided along the sheet re-conveying path to an original discharging portion; and an original conveying portion configured to convey the original which has been guided along the original feeding path toward the original discharging path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first conveying path which connects between a sheet feed portion and a sheet discharging portion, and on which a image forming portion is arranged. The image forming apparatus further includes a second conveying path configured to guide the sheet on which the image has been formed on one surface thereof by the image forming portion to the first conveying path again, a document conveying path, and a reading portion. The document conveying path includes a document feeding path, a document discharging path, and a common conveying path which serves as at least a part of the second conveying path, and guides the document from a document feed portion to a document discharging portion through the document feeding path, the common conveying path and the document discharging path without causing the document to pass through the image forming position. The reading portion reads a first face and a second face of the document which is fed from the document feed portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeding unit, an image forming unit, a first conveyance path configured to guide the sheet fed from the sheet feeding unit, a second conveyance path configured to guide the sheet on one surface of which an image has been formed by the image forming unit to the first conveyance path again, a document feeding unit configured to feed a document to the second conveyance path, an image reading unit configured to read the document, a third conveyance path branching off from the second conveyance path and configured to guide the document, a switch back conveyance unit configured to convey the document in the third conveyance path, a fourth conveyance path configured to guide the document conveyed by the switch back conveyance unit, and a document discharge unit configured to discharge the document guided by the fourth conveyance path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feed portion configured to feed a sheet, an image forming portion configured to form an image on the sheet, a first conveying path configured to guide the sheet fed from the sheet feed portion such that the sheet passes through the image forming portion, a second conveying path configured to guide the sheet on which the image has been formed on one surface thereof by the image forming portion to the first conveying path again, a document feed portion configured to feed a document to the second conveying path, an image reading portion configured to read an image of the document fed by the document feed portion, and a control portion configured to control the sheet feed portion and the document feed portion such that the document and the sheet are conveyed on the second conveying path in a sequence in which the document and the sheet are mixed in a case where an operation of forming images respectively on both surfaces of a plurality of sheets overlaps with an operati

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a reading unit, first and second original sheet conveyance paths, a common conveyance path in which a recording material or the original sheet is conveyed to form an image, a third original sheet conveyance path that connects the first original sheet conveyance path and the second original sheet conveyance path and is used for conveying the original sheet conveyed in the second original sheet conveyance path to the common conveyance path, and a control unit that controls so as to convey the original sheet conveyed in the second original sheet conveyance path to the common conveyance path via the third original sheet conveyance path, and form an image on the original sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a sheet feeding portion configured to feed a sheet to a sheet conveying path; an image forming portion configured to form an image on the sheet; a sheet discharging portion configured to discharge the sheet; a sheet re-conveying path configured to guide the sheet on which the image has been formed to the sheet conveying path again; an original feeding portion configured to feed an original; an original feeding path configured to guide the original to the sheet re-conveying path; an image reading portion configured to read an image of the original; an original discharging path configured to guide the original guided along the sheet re-conveying path to an original discharging portion; and an original conveying portion configured to convey the original which has been guided along the original feeding path toward the original discharging path.

Abstract: In a reading apparatus including a first conveying device including a first and a second movable unit to cause the sheet to pass through the first position; and a second conveying device including a third and a fourth movable unit to cause the sheet to pass through the second position; characterized in that when the reading device reads the sheet at the first position, a moving velocity of the second movable unit is larger than a moving velocity of the first movable unit, and when the reading device reads the sheet at the second position, a moving velocity of the fourth movable unit is larger than a moving velocity of the third movable unit.