Abstract: A document transport device includes a placement portion, a slide member, a movable piece, and a detector. A document is to be placed on the placement portion. The slide member includes a document guide that contacts one lateral side of the document which is placed on the placement portion. The movable piece is provided to the slide member, and includes a shading pattern composed of plural patches that have plural densities corresponding to plural document sizes and having plural adjacent patch density differences that are different from each other. The detector detects a density of the shading pattern, and outputs an output signal for document size recognition.

Abstract: A document transport device includes a placement portion, a slide member, a movable piece, and a detector. A document is to be placed on the placement portion. The slide member includes a document guide that contacts one lateral side of the document which is placed on the placement portion. The movable piece is provided to the slide member, and includes a shading pattern composed of plural patches that have plural densities corresponding to plural document sizes and having plural adjacent patch density differences that are different from each other. The detector detects a density of the shading pattern, and outputs an output signal for document size recognition.

Abstract: A powder material storage container includes: a cylindrical body member that extends in one direction and includes a storage chamber for storing powder material; a transport member that transports the powder material to an end of the storage chamber; a cylindrical end member that is attached to the body member, extends in the one direction and includes a passage chamber through which the powder material is passed, and a discharge outlet through which the powder material is discharged; a pillar member that is disposed in the passage chamber, extending in the one direction, and rotates in a circumferential direction of the passage chamber along the wall surface, and transports the powder material adhering to the wall surface to the discharge outlet; and a beam member that is laid across the discharge outlet and extends from an upstream side to a downstream side of a rotation direction of the pillar member.

Abstract: A developer supply device includes: a device main body having a fixed portion; a developer accommodating member including a stationary portion fixed to the fixed portion, a rotary portion, and a seal member provided on one of an outer circumferential portion of the rotary portion and the stationary portion and being in contact with the other, a developer to be supplied to a developing device being accommodated in the rotary portion; and a motor that rotates the rotary portion, wherein the developer supply device has a first torque mode in which the motor rotates the rotary portion with a first rotational torque and a second torque mode in which the motor rotates the rotary portion with a second rotational torque higher than the first rotational torque when the motor rotates the rotary portion after a preset time or more elapses since the rotary portion stops rotating.

Abstract: A powder material storage container includes: a cylindrical body member that extends in one direction and includes a storage chamber for storing powder material; a transport member that transports the powder material to an end of the storage chamber; a cylindrical end member that is attached to the body member, extends in the one direction and includes a passage chamber through which the powder material is passed, and a discharge outlet through which the powder material is discharged; a pillar member that is disposed in the passage chamber, extending in the one direction, and rotates in a circumferential direction of the passage chamber along the wall surface, and transports the powder material adhering to the wall surface to the discharge outlet; and a beam member that is laid across the discharge outlet and extends from an upstream side to a downstream side of a rotation direction of the pillar member.

Abstract: A developer supply device includes: a device main body having a fixed portion; a developer accommodating member including a stationary portion fixed to the fixed portion, a rotary portion, and a seal member provided on one of an outer circumferential portion of the rotary portion and the stationary portion and being in contact with the other, a developer to be supplied to a developing device being accommodated in the rotary portion; and a motor that rotates the rotary portion, wherein the developer supply device has a first torque mode in which the motor rotates the rotary portion with a first rotational torque and a second torque mode in which the motor rotates the rotary portion with a second rotational torque higher than the first rotational torque when the motor rotates the rotary portion after a preset time or more elapses since the rotary portion stops rotating.

Abstract: A control device includes an image-formation command section and a first reception section. The image-formation command section commands an image forming section to form multiple latent images based on one input image onto an image bearing member in accordance with different light emission patterns by using a light source including multiple light emitting members, develop the latent images, and output the multiple developed images to a medium. The first reception section receives a designation by a user with respect to one of the multiple light emission patterns after the multiple images are output. Each light emission pattern indicates which of the multiple light emitting members included in the light source is to emit light.

Abstract: A control device includes an image-formation command section and a first reception section. The image-formation command section commands an image forming section to form multiple latent images based on one input image onto an image bearing member in accordance with different light emission patterns by using a light source including multiple light emitting members, develop the latent images, and output the multiple developed images to a medium. The first reception section receives a designation by a user with respect to one of the multiple light emission patterns after the multiple images are output. Each light emission pattern indicates which of the multiple light emitting members included in the light source is to emit light.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a replaceable toner cartridge filled with toner, a toner supplying unit, and a control unit. The toner supplying unit supplies toner from the toner cartridge to a developing device of the apparatus. The control unit exerts control so that, when the toner cartridge is mounted in the apparatus, the toner supplying unit is driven based on the amount of toner with which the mounted toner cartridge is filled in advance. The expression T1>T2 is satisfied, where T1 represents a driving time for the toner supplying unit driven based on the amount of toner with which the toner cartridge mounted upon initial installation is filled in advance, and T2 represents a driving time for the toner supplying unit driven based on the amount of toner with which the toner cartridge mounted newly when no toner is detected is filled in advance.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a replaceable toner cartridge filled with toner, a toner supplying unit, and a control unit. The toner supplying unit supplies toner from the toner cartridge to a developing device of the apparatus. The control unit exerts control so that, when the toner cartridge is mounted in the apparatus, the toner supplying unit is driven based on the amount of toner with which the mounted toner cartridge is filled in advance. The expression T1>T2 is satisfied, where T1 represents a driving time for the toner supplying unit driven based on the amount of toner with which the toner cartridge mounted upon initial installation is filled in advance, and T2 represents a driving time for the toner supplying unit driven based on the amount of toner with which the toner cartridge mounted newly when no toner is detected is filled in advance.

Abstract: A density detection apparatus includes the following elements. An image forming unit forms density detection images having different area ratios. A measuring unit measures an amount of reflected light. A storage unit stores reference values and also stores a representative value thereof. A determining unit determines a threshold for the area ratios of the density detection images on the basis of a variation among the reference values. A density obtaining unit obtains, for a density detection image having an area ratio which exceeds the threshold, a density level by using the amount of light reflected by the density detection image and the representative value, and obtains, for a density detection image having an area ratio which is equal to or smaller than the threshold, a density level by using the amount of light reflected by the density detection image, the associated reference value, and the representative value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, and a rotation device having image-forming devices each containing a toner and forming a toner image on the image carrier with the toner. The apparatus further includes: a detector attached to at least one of the image-forming devices to detect a quantity of the toner, thereby outputting an analog signal representing the quantity; and a transmission path transmitting the analog signal to the outside of the rotation device. The transmission path includes: a rotation terminal mounted on and rotating with the rotation device; and a contact terminal provided outside the rotation device, and maintaining continuity with the rotation terminal by contacting a surface of the rotation terminal even when the rotation terminal rotates. The apparatus further includes a correction section correcting the analog signal transmitted by the transmission path, according to a contact resistance between the rotation terminal and the contact terminal.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an acquiring unit that acquires diagnosis information regarding an operating condition of an image forming apparatus that forms an image, a communication connection unit that establishes a communication connection with the image forming apparatus and a management server via a communication line, a storage controller that stores the diagnosis information acquired by the acquiring unit in a predetermined memory, where the storage controller reduces a data amount of the diagnosis information stored when a communication connection is not established to less than that stored when a communication connection is established, and a transmitting unit that transmits the diagnosis information stored in the memory to the management server if a communication connection is established by the communication connection unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller that provides control in which, if image formation processing by a single unit is executed first since a density adjustment condition for adjusting a density of an image is satisfied, a density adjustment value is changed by a predetermined basic change amount, and a first image is formed in a corresponding image formed region with a density that is adjusted in accordance with the changed density adjustment value, and control in which, if a single image other than the first image is formed in the corresponding image formed region, the current density adjustment value is changed by a predetermined fine change amount that is smaller than the basic change amount, and the single image is formed in the corresponding image formed region with a density that is adjusted in accordance with the changed density adjustment value.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an acquiring unit that acquires an information item regarding an operating condition of an image forming apparatus, a first storage controller that stores the information item in a memory, an extracting unit that extracts samples from among the information items stored in the memory in accordance with a predetermined algorithm if an amount of space remaining in the memory is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, where the samples represent results of detection of the operating condition of the image forming apparatus, a statistical unit that computes a statistical value using the samples, a second storage controller that deletes the samples from the memory and stores the statistical value in the memory, and a transmitting unit that transmits the information items to a server via a communication line.

Abstract: A density detection apparatus includes the following elements. A storage unit stores therein image information. A measuring unit measures amounts of light components reflected by an image carrier or density detection images represented by the image information. A light amount obtaining unit obtains a variation in amounts of light components reflected by each region in which the associated density detection image is formed, and obtains, as a reference value, a representative value of the amounts of light components. An image correcting unit corrects the image information by changing an arrangement order of the density detection images. An image forming unit forms the density detection images on the image carrier on the basis of the corrected image information. A density obtaining unit obtains density levels of density detection images corresponding to their area ratios by using the amounts of light components reflected by the density detection images and the reference values.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; an image-forming device including a toner and forming a toner image on the image carrier during a first running period; a detector detecting a toner quantity in a set period within the first running period; and a toner supplying device supplying the image-forming device with a toner according to the detected toner quantity. The apparatus further includes a period setting device that causes the image-forming device to stir the toner over a second running duration longer than the first running duration, and causes, during the second running duration, the detector to perform detection plural times over a period longer than the period, thereby measuring a result stable time required to stabilize the result of the detection, and setting in the detector, as the period, a period over which the result of the detection is stable within the first running duration.

Abstract: A density detection apparatus includes the following elements. A storage unit stores therein image information. A measuring unit measures amounts of light components reflected by an image carrier or density detection images represented by the image information. A light amount obtaining unit obtains a variation in amounts of light components reflected by each region in which the associated density detection image is formed, and obtains, as a reference value, a representative value of the amounts of light components. An image correcting unit corrects the image information by changing an arrangement order of the density detection images. An image forming unit forms the density detection images on the image carrier on the basis of the corrected image information. A density obtaining unit obtains density levels of density detection images corresponding to their area ratios by using the amounts of light components reflected by the density detection images and the reference values.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller that provides control in which, if image formation processing by a single unit is executed first since a density adjustment condition for adjusting a density of an image is satisfied, a density adjustment value is changed by a predetermined basic change amount, and a first image is formed in a corresponding image formed region with a density that is adjusted in accordance with the changed density adjustment value, and control in which, if a single image other than the first image is formed in the corresponding image formed region, the current density adjustment value is changed by a predetermined fine change amount that is smaller than the basic change amount, and the single image is formed in the corresponding image formed region with a density that is adjusted in accordance with the changed density adjustment value.

Abstract: A density detection apparatus includes the following elements. An image forming unit forms density detection images having different area ratios. A measuring unit measures an amount of reflected light. A storage unit stores reference values and also stores a representative value thereof. A determining unit determines a threshold for the area ratios of the density detection images on the basis of a variation among the reference values. A density obtaining unit obtains, for a density detection image having an area ratio which exceeds the threshold, a density level by using the amount of light reflected by the density detection image and the representative value, and obtains, for a density detection image having an area ratio which is equal to or smaller than the threshold, a density level by using the amount of light reflected by the density detection image, the associated reference value, and the representative value.