Abstract: The present invention provides a toner that can maintain excellent transferability even when a transfer bias is low. The toner includes a toner particle that includes a toner base particle and a plurality of convex portions X existing on a surface of the toner base particle, wherein the convex portion X contains an organic silicon polymer; when a cross-section of the toner is observed with a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), and the convex portions X comprise a plurality of convex portions Y each having a convex height H of 40 nm or higher, a number ratio P (H/w) of the a number of the convex portions Y2 in which a ratio (H/w) of the convex height H to the convex width w is 0.33 or larger and 0.80 or smaller is 70% by number or more with respect to a total number of the convex portions Y.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member that carries a developer image; a transfer member that forms a transfer nip portion with the image bearing member and transfers the developer image in the transfer nip portion from the image bearing member to a recording material; a fixing portion that includes a heater and fixes the developer image to the recording material using heat of the heater; a temperature detection portion that detects a temperature of the fixing portion; a control portion that controls power supplied to the heater such that the temperature detected by the temperature detection portion becomes a predetermined control target temperature; and an acquisition portion that acquires a temperature of the image bearing member or the transfer member. The control target temperature is changed based on the temperature acquired by the acquisition portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member that carries a developer image; a transfer member that forms a transfer nip portion with the image bearing member and transfers the developer image in the transfer nip portion from the image bearing member to a recording material; a fixing portion that includes a heater and fixes the developer image to the recording material using heat of the heater; a temperature detection portion that detects a temperature of the fixing portion; a control portion that controls power supplied to the heater such that the temperature detected by the temperature detection portion becomes a predetermined control target temperature; and an acquisition portion that acquires a temperature of the image bearing member or the transfer member. The control target temperature is changed based on the temperature acquired by the acquisition portion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a toner that can maintain excellent transferability even when a transfer bias is low. The toner includes a toner particle that includes a toner base particle and a plurality of convex portions X existing on a surface of the toner base particle, wherein the convex portion X contains an organic silicon polymer; when a cross-section of the toner is observed with a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), and the convex portions X comprise a plurality of convex portions Y each having a convex height H of 40 nm or higher, a number ratio P (H/w) of the a number of the convex portions Y2 in which a ratio (H/w) of the convex height H to the convex width w is 0.33 or larger and 0.80 or smaller is 70% by number or more with respect to a total number of the convex portions Y.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes an image forming unit that forms an unfixed toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit that heats the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image and fixes the unfixed toner image onto the recording medium at a nip portion; a heating member and a pressurizing member that touches the heating member and forms the nip portion therebetween; a first blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the heating member; and a second blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the pressurizing member. Upon the temperature of the non-sheet-passing area of the heating member exceeding a threshold temperature, the first blower blows without the second blower blowing, then the two blowers start blowing together.

Abstract: A moving member is disposed between an upper guide, which guides a conveyed transfer material and to which a voltage is applied from a power source, and a lower guide, which guides the conveyed transfer material, the upper guide being disposed on an upstream side with respect to a photosensitive drum in a conveyance direction of the transfer material. The moving member is supported by the upper guide, and is capable of abutting against and separating from the lower guide. By being pushed by the transfer material, the moving member transitions from a first state in which the moving member is abutted against the lower guide to a second state in which the moving member is separated from the lower guide.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion for forming an image on a sheet; a fixing portion for fixing the image on the sheet, the fixing portion including first and second rotatable members cooperative with each other to form a nip, wherein the sheet carrying a toner image is subjected to a fixing process by passing through the nip so that the toner image is fixed on the sheet; an acquiring portion configured to acquire information relating to remaining service life of each area provided by dividing the first rotatable member into a plurality of areas in a longitudinal direction of the first rotatable member; and a notifying portion configured to notify a remaining service life of the fixing portion or the image forming apparatus in accordance with the information acquired by the acquiring portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit that causes a supply operation to form a predetermined toner image and supplies toner of the predetermined toner image to a contact portion between a cleaning member and a photosensitive member at a non-image forming time. During at least a period in which toner of the predetermined toner image on the photosensitive member passes through a transfer unit during the supply operation, the control unit causes application of a pass-through voltage having the same polarity as a normal charge polarity of the toner and an absolute value that is less than an electric potential of a portion that is exposed by an exposure device of the photosensitive member, or having a reverse polarity that is reverse to the normal charge polarity of the toner to be applied from the transfer power supply to the transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes an image forming unit that forms an unfixed toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit that heats the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image and fixes the unfixed toner image onto the recording medium at a nip portion; a heating member and a pressurizing member that touches the heating member and forms the nip portion therebetween; a first blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the heating member; and a second blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the pressurizing member. Upon the temperature of the non-sheet-passing area of the heating member exceeding a threshold temperature, the first blower blows without the second blower blowing, then the two blowers start blowing together.

Abstract: An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus and a discharging device. The image forming apparatus includes a first rotatable member, a second rotatable member positioned downstream of the first rotatable member, a first driving portion for driving the first and second rotatable members, and a first controller for controlling the first driving portion. The discharging device includes a third rotatable member, a second driving portion for driving the third rotatable member, and a second controller for controlling the second driving portion. The first controller controls a driving speed of the second rotatable member depending on a driving speed of the first rotatable member and feeds the driving speed of the first rotatable member to the second controller. The second controller controls a driving speed of the third rotatable member depending on the driving speed fed from the first controller.

Abstract: A moving member is disposed between an upper guide, which guides a conveyed transfer material and to which a voltage is applied from a power source, and a lower guide, which guides the conveyed transfer material, the upper guide being disposed on an upstream side with respect to a photosensitive drum in a conveyance direction of the transfer material. The moving member is supported by the upper guide, and is capable of abutting against and separating from the lower guide. By being pushed by the transfer material, the moving member transitions from a first state in which the moving member is abutted against the lower guide to a second state in which the moving member is separated from the lower guide.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes an image forming unit that forms an unfixed toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit that heats the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image and fixes the unfixed toner image onto the recording medium at a nip portion; a heating member and a pressurizing member that touches the heating member and forms the nip portion therebetween; a blower having a fan and duct, that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the heating member; wherein the duct includes a second opening through which airflow from the fan is directed to the conveyance roller pair, and wherein the second opening of the duct is configured not to overlap with the non-sheet-passing area of the heating member in a longitudinal direction of the heating member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion for forming an image on a sheet; a fixing portion for fixing the image on the sheet, the fixing portion including first and second rotatable members cooperative with each other to form a nip, wherein the sheet carrying a toner image is subjected to a fixing process by passing through the nip so that the toner image is fixed on the sheet; an acquiring portion configured to acquire information relating to remaining service life of each area provided by dividing the first rotatable member into a plurality of areas in a longitudinal direction of the first rotatable member; and a notifying portion configured to notify a remaining service life of the fixing portion or the image forming apparatus in accordance with the information acquired by the acquiring portion.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes the control unit that causes a supply operation that forms a predetermined toner image and supplies toner of the predetermined toner image to a contact portion between the cleaning member and the photosensitive member at a non-image forming time. During at least a period in which toner of the predetermined toner image on the photosensitive member passes through the transfer unit during the supply operation, the control unit causes application of a pass-through voltage that is a voltage having the same polarity as the normal charge polarity of the toner and whose absolute value is less than an electric potential of a portion that is exposed by the exposure device of the photosensitive member, or that is a voltage with a reverse polarity to the normal charge polarity of the toner to be applied from the transfer power supply to the transfer member.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus, a conveyance speed of a recording material at a fixing nip portion, controlled by a control portion of the image forming apparatus so that a part of the recording material being conveyed touches a guide member between a transfer nip portion and a loop detection device for a period after an operation for maintaining a loop amount of the recording material being conveyed within a predetermined range is finished until the recording material trailing edge exits out the transfer nip portion.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus, a conveyance speed of a recording material at a fixing nip portion, controlled by a control portion of the image forming apparatus so that a part of the recording material being conveyed touches a guide member between a transfer nip portion and a loop detection device for a period after an operation for maintaining a loop amount of the recording material being conveyed within a predetermined range is finished until the recording material trailing edge exits out the transfer nip portion.

Abstract: An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus and a discharging device. The image forming apparatus includes a first rotatable member, a second rotatable member positioned downstream of the first rotatable member, a first driving portion for driving the first and second rotatable members, and a first controller for controlling the first driving portion. The discharging device includes a third rotatable member, a second driving portion for driving the third rotatable member, and a second controller for controlling the second driving portion. The first controller controls a driving speed of the second rotatable member depending on a driving speed of the first rotatable member and feeds the driving speed of the first rotatable member to the second controller. The second controller controls a driving speed of the third rotatable member depending on the driving speed fed from the first controller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes an image forming unit that forms an unfixed toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit that heats the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image and fixes the unfixed toner image onto the recording medium at a nip portion; a heating member and a pressurizing member that touches the heating member and forms the nip portion therebetween; a first blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the heating member; and a second blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the pressurizing member. Upon the temperature of the non-sheet-passing area of the heating member exceeding a threshold temperature, the first blower blows without the second blower blowing, then the two blowers start blowing together.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes an image forming unit that forms an unfixed toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit that heats the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image and fixes the unfixed toner image onto the recording medium at a nip portion; a heating member and a pressurizing member that touches the heating member and forms the nip portion therebetween; a first blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the heating member; and a second blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the pressurizing member. Upon the temperature of the non-sheet-passing area of the heating member exceeding a threshold temperature, the first blower blows without the second blower blowing, then the two blowers start blowing together.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing portion, including: a heating member and a back-up member forming a nip; and an air feeding portion for feeding air to a non-sheet-passing area of at least one of the heating member and the back-up member, the air feeding portion including a fan for feeding the air, a duct, including an opening, for guiding the air fed from the fan through the opening to the non-sheet-passing area, and an adjusting member for adjusting an opening amount of the opening. The apparatus executes a first air feeding operation with a first opening amount and a first rotational frequency of the fan and a second air feeding operation with a second opening amount and a second rotational frequency, when the fixing portion fixes the images on sheets having the same widths.