Abstract: A charging device includes a discharge electrode that extends along an axial direction of a member to be charged; and a potential control plate disposed between the member to be charged and the discharge electrode and curved along a peripheral surface of the member to be charged. The potential control plate includes three or more structural lines that are arranged in a circumferential direction of the member to be charged and that linearly extend along the axial direction, and connecting portions arranged in the axial direction, each connecting portion connecting two or more of the three or more structural lines to each other, the two or more structural lines being next to each other in the circumferential direction. The structural lines connected by one of the connecting portions and those connected by another one of the connecting portions are at least partly different from each other.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a first cleaning member, a first opposing member, a second cleaning member, a second opposing member, and a pressing member. The first and second cleaning members clean an outer surface of a belt member by coming into contact with the outer surface. The first and second opposing members are in contact with an inner face of the belt member at positions that are opposite the first and second cleaning members. The pressing member is disposed between the first and second opposing members and is in contact with the outer surface of the belt member. The pressing member presses a portion of the belt member that is located between the first and second opposing members from an outer surface side of the belt member toward an inner face side of the belt member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charger facing a rotatably supported image carrier, the charger being configured to charge the image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed; a movement mechanism configured to move the charger between a charging position at which the charger is close to the image carrier and a retracted position at which the charger is retracted away from the image carrier; a positioning structure including a first reference member that is provided on the charger and a second reference member that is provided on the image carrier, the first reference member and the second reference member are in contact with each other when the charger is at the charging position such that the charger is held in the charging position; and a pushing member configured to push the charger against the image carrier when the charger is at the charging position.

Abstract: Terminals of upstream and downstream sides of an in-service line and a detour line are connected by optical couplers. An optical oscilloscope is connected to one optical coupler, and a chirped pulse light source is connected to the other optical coupler to thereby form dualized lines. The detour line includes an optical line length adjuster for compensating for the phase difference of optical transmission signals that occurs because of the optical line length difference with the in-service line. Pulse light in which an optical frequency is chirped is transmitted from the chirped pulse light source. The pulse light is branched by the second optical coupler, passes through the in-service line and the detour line, is multiplexed again by the first optical coupler, and is measured by the optical oscilloscope.

Abstract: A charging device includes a charging member that charges an outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical image carrier; an electrode member that has the shape of a plate having a longitudinal direction in an axial direction of the image carrier and that is disposed above the charging member; an attachment member that has a curved surface which is curved along the outer peripheral surface of the image carrier, the electrode member being attached thereon; and a pushing member disposed between the electrode member and the image carrier, the pushing member pushing the electrode member toward the curved surface so that the electrode member is curved to follow the curved surface.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes first and second cleaning members and a moving member. The first cleaning member contacts a surface of a rotating member, which is in contact with an image carrier, to clean the rotating member by removing substances attached thereto. The moving member supports the first cleaning member in a movable manner. The second cleaning member is disposed downstream of the first cleaning member in a rotation direction in which the rotating member rotates and contacts the surface of the rotating member to clean the rotating member by removing the substances. The second cleaning member removes the substances that remain on the surface of the rotating member after the first cleaning member has been separated from the rotating member so that the substances are removed before a part of the surface of the rotating member on which the substances remain comes into contact with the image carrier.

Abstract: A laminated core of a rotor includes an inner core portion and a plurality of outer core portions. The inner core portion axially extends in a cylindrical shape in a region located more radially inward than magnets. The outer core portions are arranged in a circumferential direction in a region located more radially outward than the inner core portion. The plurality of outer core portions and a plurality of the magnets are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction. Accordingly, magnetic flux generated from a pair of magnetic pole surfaces of the plurality of magnets can be effectively used. In addition, the laminated core includes caulking portions in each of the inner core portion and the plurality of outer core portions. Accordingly, a plurality of thin plate cores are firmly fixed.

Abstract: A rotor includes a laminated core, a plurality of magnets, and a resin portion. The laminated core includes a plurality of outer core portions arranged in a circumferential direction. The plurality of outer core portions and the plurality of magnets are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction. In addition, the outer core portion includes a through-hole that penetrates in an axial direction. The resin portion includes a columnar portion that is disposed inside the through-hole. Accordingly, the rigidity of the resin portion is enhanced. In addition, the resin portion includes a gate mark portion. At least a portion of the gate mark portion is positioned farther radially inward than the through-hole.

Abstract: A charging device includes a charger facing a rotatably supported image carrier and configured to charge the image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed, and a movement mechanism configured to move the charger between a charging position at which the charger is close to the image carrier and a retracted position at which the charger is retracted away from the image carrier. The movement mechanism includes a support member supporting the charger that has been moved to the retracted position by the movement mechanism, and a movable member configured to move when a driving force from a drive source is transmitted thereto. The movable member moves to the charging position or the retracted position when the movable member is moved in a direction of a rotational axis of the image carrier while being in contact with the support member.

Abstract: Various sensors, such as a GPS and a vehicle speed sensor, are used to detect a current position and direction of a vehicle. A normal running direction, which is a running direction specified for a road on which the vehicle runs, is acquired. In a state where a vehicle speed pulse is acquired at the predetermined intervals, it is detected whether the vehicle is placed in a wrong-way driving situation on the basis of the detected current direction of the vehicle and the normal running direction; whereas, in a state where a vehicle speed pulse is not acquired, it is not detected whether the vehicle is placed in the wrong-way driving situation on the basis of the detected current direction of the vehicle.

Abstract: A charging device includes a charging member that charges an outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical latent-image carrier; an electrode member including a curved portion that is formed by press working so as to extend along the outer peripheral surface of the latent-image carrier, the curved portion having an electrode to which a voltage is applied, the electrode being disposed between the charging member and the latent-image carrier; a cleaning member that is movable along the curved portion in an axial direction of the latent-image carrier and that cleans the electrode; and a receiving portion formed in the curved portion at a position outside the electrode, the receiving portion receiving the cleaning member to release a contact pressure between the curved portion and the cleaning member.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a first cleaning member, a first opposing member, a second cleaning member, a second opposing member, and a pressing member. The first and second cleaning members clean an outer surface of a belt member by coming into contact with the outer surface. The first and second opposing members are in contact with an inner face of the belt member at positions that are opposite the first and second cleaning members. The pressing member is disposed between the first and second opposing members and is in contact with the outer surface of the belt member. The pressing member presses a portion of the belt member that is located between the first and second opposing members from an outer surface side of the belt member toward an inner face side of the belt member.

Abstract: A control electrode includes attachment portions that are at least partially flat and provided at either end of the control electrode in a longitudinal direction, frame portions that are at least partially flat and provided at either end of the control electrode in a lateral direction, the frame portions extending in the longitudinal direction so as to be connected to the attachment portions, and an electrode portion that is surrounded by the attachment portions and the frame portions and curved. The attachment portions, the frame portions, and the electrode portion are formed integrally with each other. One of the attachment portions has first holes on extension lines of the frame portions. The other one of the attachment portions has second holes on the extension lines of the frame portions.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent-image forming member including a latent-image carrier and support portions, a charging member including a discharge electrode and a control electrode, restraining portions that restrain both ends of the control electrode in a width direction, and abutting portions that are provided on the support portions, that include curved surfaces, and that are abutted against the control electrode. The curved surfaces have a center of curvature that coincides with a rotational center of the latent-image carrier, and are at a position where a distance from the latent-image carrier in a radial direction is equal to a distance between the latent-image carrier and the control electrode. When the charging member is attached to the latent-image forming member, the control electrode is abutted against the curved surfaces by the restraining portions and is deformed along the curved surfaces.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent-image forming member including a latent-image carrier and support members disposed at both ends of the latent-image carrier to support the latent-image carrier, a charging member including a discharge electrode that supplies an electric charge to the latent-image carrier and a control electrode that is disposed between the discharge electrode and the latent-image carrier and controls a potential of the latent-image carrier, a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion that are respectively formed on the latent-image forming member and the charging member and that are connected to each other to connect the latent-image forming member and the charging member to each other, and an urging member that is disposed between the latent-image forming member and the charging member to urge them away from each other.

Abstract: A charging device includes a discharge electrode that is attached to a base member and discharges electricity to supply an electric charge to a latent-image carrier that carries an electrostatic latent image, a control electrode that is located on the latent-image-carrier side of the discharge electrode attached to the base member, that is curved along the latent-image carrier, and that controls a potential of the latent-image carrier, a support member that is fixed to the base member by a fixing member and includes a curved support surface that supports both ends of the control electrode in a longitudinal direction at a side at which the discharge electrode is provided, and first and second pressing members that are provided at respective ends of the control electrode in the longitudinal direction and that press the control electrode against the support surface.

Abstract: An end cover part is used to close an end of a cylindrical body, and transmits a driving force of a rotatable driving shaft to the cylindrical body, and the end cover part includes a cover member having a tubular portion into which the driving shaft is to be fitted, and a to-be-fitted portion which is disposed in a flange-like manner in a periphery of the tubular portion, and which is to be fitted into an end portion of the cylindrical body; and three cut surfaces which are disposed respectively on inner and outer circumferences of the tubular portion of the cover member and an outer circumference of the to-be-fitted portion, and concentrically about a common reference central axis.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a latent image forming portion that includes a latent image carrier having a cylindrical shape, and a supporting member disposed at both ends of the latent image carrier and rotatably supporting the latent image carrier, a charging unit that includes a discharge electrode supplying electric charge to the latent image carrier, and a grid electrode having a shape curved around the latent image carrier, a first supporting portion that supports the curved grid electrode from the latent image carrier side, a second supporting portion that supports the curved grid electrode from the discharge electrode side, and a pinching unit that pinches the grid electrode between the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion in a contact state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a latent image forming portion that includes a latent image supporting body, and a supporting member disposed at both ends of the latent image supporting body, a charging unit that includes a discharge electrode supplying electric charge to the latent image supporting body, and a control electrode controlling a potential of the latent image supporting body, a cleaning member that makes one end of the control electrode located at a stand-by position and is reciprocally moved so as to clean the control electrode, and a movement portion that moves the charging unit to a first position when charging the latent image supporting body, and moves the charging unit to a second position which is further spaced from the latent image forming portion than the first position when the control electrode is cleaned by the cleaning member.

Abstract: A charger includes: a first electrode; a second electrode that has a mesh pattern and is arranged on a side closer to a photoconductor than the first electrode; a cleaner that moves along the second electrode to clean the second electrode by a brush thereof. The second electrode has the mesh pattern successively arranged in a certain direction, and a peripheral region of the mesh pattern of the second electrode has been changed to prevent catching of the brush of the cleaner.