Abstract: An image forming device includes a carrying part, an image forming part, a fuser, a fusion temperature controller, a winding part, a storage part and a controller. The controller stops a carrying of recording medium by the carrying part and heating by the fusion temperature controller, after the carrying part carries the recording medium by a predetermined length while the fusion temperature controller heats the fuser, when printing is started in a state where the recording medium is not wound on the winding part, and resumes the carrying of the recording medium by the carrying part and the heating by the fusion temperature controller upon detection that the time measured by the measurement part has reached the stop time for the recording medium stored in the storage part.

Abstract: Displays are provided for a graphical user interface including a device capacity mimic in a job manager in a system, such as a xerographic machine. The displays include a visual representation of the available capacity of each of a number of devices for the system, such as each output destination for a printer with multiple output destinations. The device capacity mimic shows the effect of jobs in progress on the available capacity, each job consuming a portion of the available capacity. Using this mimic, the user may, for example, revise the destination of jobs that have been planned but not yet started (e.g., by dragging the job). A mimic view of this information with a graphical user interface for managing the device assignments is provided. Thus, a user may not only view information about the device assignments for jobs, but also control or manage the device assignments for jobs.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a developer carrier being in contact with the image carrier and configured to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image carrier with a developer; a temperature humidity measurement unit configured to measure the temperature and humidity around the developer carrier; a pressure changing mechanism configured to change a pressure of a contact between the image carrier and the developer carrier; and a pressure controller operable to change, based on the temperature and humidity measured by the temperature humidity measurement unit, the pressure by controlling the pressure changing mechanism.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; toner image forming means for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; a detecting member for directing light to an object and for detecting the light reflected by the object; a controller for controlling a toner image forming condition of the toner image forming means in accordance with an output of the detecting member with respect to the toner image formed on the image bearing member and an output of the detecting member with respect to the image bearing member; a cleaning member, in contact to the image bearing member, for cleaning the image bearing member; an executing portion for executing, when the output with respect to the image bearing member reaches a reference level, an operation in a cleaning mode in which the cleaning member cleans the image bearing member; and a change portion for changing the reference level in accordance with a use amount of the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which, when a conference material or the like is printed, is capable of printing the material according to the preferences of presentees of the conference while avoiding the conference material from being printed according to print settings by users responsible for printing the conference material. Print setting information is registered on a user-by-user basis. An image printing process is executed based on the registered print setting information. When the image printing process is executed based on the registered print setting information, a user-identifying image corresponding to the print setting information is added to the image to be printed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming unit including an image carrier, a developing device configured to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier and to form a toner image on the image carrier, and a first cleaning unit configured to remove residual toner on the image carrier; a second image forming unit including an image carrier, a developing device having toner in which an external additive has a larger amount than in toner in a developing device of a first image forming unit, the developing device configured to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier and to form a toner image on the image carrier, and a second cleaning unit configured to remove residual toner on the image carrier; a transfer body facing the first and second image forming units and configured to convey the toner images transferred respectively from the image carriers at the time of executing a printing process; and a control unit configured to control to transfer the to

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes: an input section, an image bearing member, a transfer member, a cleaning section, and a control section configured to calculate, if the number of continuously printed sheets in one printing job input from the input section is equal to or larger than a first number of sheets, a printing ratio of a document image of the printing job, determine on the basis of the calculated printing ratio whether the image bearing member is caused to perform rotation opposite to the rotation during the transfer, and suspend printing under execution and drive to reversely rotate the image bearing member according to a determination result.

Abstract: A cooling device that cools the inside of an image forming apparatus provided with a developer carrier that carries an image developed with a developer while being rotated. The cooling device includes: a counting unit that counts an accumulative number of rotation of the developer carrier; and a fan that cools the inside of the image forming apparatus. The cooling device further includes: a calculating unit that calculates an abrasion amount of the developer carrier in which the accumulative number of rotation counted by the counting unit is used as at least one variable; and a controlling unit that actuates the fan with cooling efficiency according to the abrasion amount calculated by the calculating unit.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressing member, a heating member, a movement mechanism, and a control unit. The fixing member fixes a toner image onto a recording material. The pressing member is pressed against an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member to form a fixing pressure part between the pressing member and the fixing member. The heating member heats the outer circumferential surface of the fixing member. The movement mechanism moves the heating member to contact with and be apart from the fixing member. The control unit controls the movement mechanism to move the heating member relatively apart from the fixing member after a predetermined time elapses after a trailing end of a recording material in a transport direction thereof passes through the fixing pressure part each time when a recording material passes through the fixing pressure part.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device including a developing roller to bear a developing agent to develop a latent image formed on an image bearing member, a cooling device to reduce an internal temperature of the image forming apparatus, a controller to calculate a travel distance of the developing roller to control the cooling device, and a memory unit to store the total travel distance of the developing roller. The controller calculates the total travel distance of the developing roller every Y minutes in the last X minutes, and a difference between the latest total travel distance of the developing roller and the total travel distance stored Z minutes ago by the memory unit to obtain the total travel distance during Z minutes and operate the cooling device for W minutes after image forming operation where the difference is equal to or greater than a threshold value M.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a counting section, a storage section, a control section, and a driving member control section. The counting section counts the number of recording media subjected to successive printing. The storage section stores the number counted by the counting section. The control section performs a control process including: setting a power saving mode by selecting a printing speed of the fixing section which is lower than a preset normal speed used in the normal mode while selecting a preset fixing temperature of the fixing section which is lower than a preset normal temperature used in the normal mode when the normal mode is alive while a frequency of successive printing on not more than three recording media is a predetermined percentage or more. The driving member control section switches a current printing speed of the fixing section to a printing speed selected by the control section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, image formation control section, counter, image formation condition regulation section, controlled printed-paper number storage section, and regulation control section. The image forming unit includes a plurality of functional sections. The counter counts a cumulative printed-paper number in a series of image formation processing. The image formation condition regulation section regulates an image formation condition of at least one of the functional sections. The controlled printed-paper number storage section stores a benchmark printed-paper number and first allowable value to determine the timing of regulating the image creation condition. The first allowable value is set to be less than the benchmark printed-paper number.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit for forming an image using a consumable supply; a cover attached to the image forming unit; an energy accumulation unit for accumulating energy when the cover is closed; an energy initializing unit for initializing a level of the energy accumulated in the energy accumulation unit when the cover is opened; an energy detection unit for detecting whether the level of the energy accumulated in the energy accumulation unit is initialized; and a state correction unit for correcting a state of the image forming unit according to a detection result of the energy detection unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a time detection unit, a humidity measurement unit and a controller. The image forming device includes a photoconductive body, a developing device and a transfer device. The time detection unit detects information concerning a stop time period of the developing device. The humidity measurement unit is provided in a casing in which the image forming device is provided and measures a humidity. The controller controls a developer supply member in the developing device based on the information concerning the stop time period detected by the time detection unit and information concerning the humidity measured by the humidity measurement unit, so as to rotate at a lower speed than a rotation speed at a normal time before the developing device starts a first developing operation after the developing device stopped.

Abstract: An exhaust device provided in an image forming apparatus is provided. In the exhaust device, an initial condition setting unit sets an initial drive output value of a exhaust fan at a time of starting an image forming operation based on a calculation value calculated by an image bearing member drive counting unit. A drive unit drives the exhaust fan to start to discharge air in the image forming apparatus. A continuation condition setting unit sets a continuation drive condition at a time of continuously driving the exhaust fan from a point in time when ending the image forming operation based on a count value of the number of image formation by the job counting unit 303a. A drive unit drives the exhaust fan with the continuation drive condition to continuously discharge the air in the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes a receiving unit that is removably receiving a component, a determination unit that determines the acceptability of the component received in the receiving unit, and a control unit that, if the determination unit does not confirm the acceptability of the component, provides a notification and stops at least a portion of the image forming function at a predetermined time, after providing the notification.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a counting unit that, when a driving unit for rotating an image carrier is operating, adds a predetermined first count value to a total count value in a predetermined timing and that, when the driving unit is being stopped, subtracts a predetermined second count value from the total count value in every predetermined timing; and a suspending unit that suspends printing when the total count value becomes equal to or larger than a preset suspend value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus operates in a power saving mode or in the normal printing mode. An image forming section forms an image in accordance with print data received from an external apparatus. A state detecting section detects a state of the image forming apparatus. A controller causes the image forming apparatus to enter into a power saving mode where the controller terminates supply of electric power to a section of the image forming apparatus that consumes a large electric power. A data detecting section detects whether the print data exists in the image forming apparatus. When the state detecting section detects a change in the state of the image forming apparatus and the data detecting section fails to detect print data in the image forming section, the controller causes the image forming apparatus to enter the power saving mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. When a user inputs a print request, life count values stored in a life management section are read out. A table of correlation between the life count values and a rotating speed of a driving roller is looked up, a rotating speed of the driving roller corresponding to the life count values read out is determined at which the driving roller is set to rotate. With the driving roller rotating at the set rotating speed, a printing process is performed so that a transfer belt turns at a constant running speed. Following the printing process, the life count values are updated based on the latest total number of printed copies and the latest revolving speed of the transfer belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided which is of an electrophotographic type, and is capable of setting a gradation number of a patch pattern to be formed corresponding to various factor information, and to perform a process control. The image forming apparatus includes a patch pattern forming part to form a toner image of a patch pattern on an image carrier; a developing part to develop the patch pattern; a toner image density detecting part to measure a toner image density of the patch pattern; and a process control performing part to vary an image forming process condition based on detection results obtained from the toner image density detecting part, and to stabilize an image density.

Abstract: A development device is provided with: a development roller that rotates while carrying a two-component developer in a development tank accommodating the two-component developer; a tubular developer conveyance path having therein a conveyance mechanism that conveys the two-component developer in an axial direction of the development roller; a developer supply mouth for supplying the two-component developer to the developer conveyance path; a developer discharge mouth for discharging the two-component developer from the developer conveyance path; a supply mouth adjustment member that adjusts the area of the opening of the developer supply mouth; and a control unit that causes the supply mouth adjustment member to operate based on the fluidity of the two-component developer in the development tank.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a process including at least a developing section and an image bearing body. A calculating section calculates a number of the dots formed on the image bearing body. A rotation calculating section calculates a number of rotations of the image bearing body for forming the number of dots on the image bearing body in accordance with the print data. A controller makes a decision to determine whether the number of dots formed on the image bearing body is larger than a first reference when the number of rotations is larger than a second reference. If the answer is YES, then the controller forms a developer image formed of dots equivalent to a difference between the first reference and the number of dots. Then, the developer image is discarded.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit including a developing device, a toner cartridge to store toner supplied to the developing device, a first memory which is provided in the toner cartridge and in which characteristic data of the toner is written, a detection mechanism to detect a parameter to influence toner cohesion, a second memory to store the detected parameter, and an arithmetic control mechanism to determine a use limit of the toner cartridge based on the characteristic data and the parameter.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus, including: a toner image forming unit that includes an image carrier forming toner images by supplying toner to formed electrostatic latent images and transferring the formed toner images; a cleaning member that is in contact with the image carrier and removes the toner remaining in the image carrier after the toner images are transferred; a spacing part that spaces the cleaning member from the image carrier; an environment information acquisition unit that acquires information regarding temperature or humidity that is environment information, in the toner image forming unit; an environment determination unit that determines whether the temperature or the humidity in the toner image forming unit satisfies a reference by using the environment information; and a control unit that controls the spacing part to space the cleaning member from the image carrier when it is determined that the temperature or the humidity in the toner image forming unit does not satisfy the refe

Abstract: An image forming apparatus performs image stabilization after a printed page count exceeds a first threshold, if either an end of a job or a mode switch from monochrome mode to color mode has been detected. Even if neither the end of the job nor the mode switch from monochrome mode to color mode has been detected, the image forming apparatus performs image stabilization if the printed page count exceeds a second threshold that is larger than the first threshold.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a case, a printing medium feeding unit disposed in the case to feed printing media, an image forming unit disposed in the case to form images on a printing medium fed from the printing medium feeding unit using developer and to include at least one portion being stained when the images are formed, and a control portion to control the image forming unit to form the images in a plurality of print modes. The control portion sends a cleaning command to clean the at least one stained portion when the amount of the developer used by the image forming unit reaches a reference amount of the developer or when the number of the printing media supplied by the printing medium feeding unit reaches a reference value of the number of the printing media.

Abstract: A dry electrophotographic printer is operated to remove toner from a longitudinal member. A process-control time interval, and a cleaning time interval that is a positive multiple thereof, are selected. Prints are produced until the process-control time interval elapses, as measured by a timing device. A process-control patch is produced in a process-control frame. This is repeated until the cleaning interval has elapsed. In the process-control frame, after the cleaning interval elapses, the photoreceptor and development member are spaced apart, then, after a selected time delay, brought into operational relationship, so that a stop at one end of the photoreceptor contacts an end block at one end of the development member, and toner is removed from the longitudinal member, which is connected to the end block.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing toner after a selected time interval from a longitudinal member in a dry electrophotographic printer for printing a visible image on a receiver. An end block is disposed at one end of a rotatable development member, and a longitudinal member is disposed adjacent to the development member or photoreceptor and is connected to the end block. A backup bar is disposed adjacent to the photoreceptor and can selectively make physical contact with at least one point on the end block. When a measured time interval of printer operation reaches the selected time interval, a controller causes the backup bar to apply a selected force to the end block to cause toner on the longitudinal member to be removed from the member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member; a developing device for developing with toner an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member; a humidity sensor for providing information on ambient humidity of said image forming apparatus; and a controller for controlling a parameter on a density of an image to be formed on a recording material on the basis of pieces of the information provided by the humidity sensor at different times.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a latent image forming unit forming a latent image; a transfer body on which a reference index for setting an output start time point of image data is formed; a detecting unit facing the reference index and outputting a detection signal changing in accordance with passing of the reference index; a measuring unit measuring change duration time; and a controller controlling the output start time point with the detection signal. The controller starts a first period during which change of the detection signal is ignored, according to first change of the detection signal, starts a second period after the first period, regards change of the detection signal occurring first in the second period as a reference of the output start time point if the change duration time is longer than a predetermined period, and ignores change of the detection signal after the change occurring first.

Abstract: A method for extending the operating life of a fuser used in an electrophotographic imaging apparatus is disclosed. A control algorithm monitors the number of substrates processed over the lifetime of the fuser and adjusts the fusing temperature of the fuser to compensate for changes occurring in the nip forming members of the fuser. The useful lifetime of the fuser is extended while fusing quality is maintained. A corresponding fuser assembly is also disclosed.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developing device, a cleaning executing section, and a potential adjusting section. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the image bearing member. The developing device stores a two-component developer including a toner and a carrier, includes a toner carrying member, which carries the two-component developer, arranged to be opposed to the image bearing member, and forms a toner image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image bearing member. The cleaning executing section performs cleaning of the image bearing member. The potential adjusting section adjusts, during the cleaning, development contrast potential, which is a potential difference between the electrostatic latent image potential of the image bearing member and the potential of the developing device, such that the carrier adheres to the image bearing member together with the toner.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, an image forming apparatus includes: an image formation unit; an image formation frequency count unit; a first control unit; a target contrast potential determination unit, and a second control unit. The image formation unit forms an image pertaining to a print job input from an external on an image carrier. The image formation frequency count unit counts an image formation frequency of the image in the image formation unit. The first control unit controls the image formation unit, and executes a first image stabilization mode for adjusting a development bias voltage on the basis of a concentration of a pattern image formed on the image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit fixing toner images to paper sheets, a timing adjusting unit adjusting the timing of supplying paper sheets to the fixing unit, a temperature detecting unit detecting the temperature of a predetermined section of a heating rotating body included in the fixing unit, and a timing control unit selecting a first mode or a second mode immediately after start-up of the image forming apparatus in accordance with whether the number of paper sheets to be printed exceeds a predetermined number, wherein in the first mode, when the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit exceeds a first temperature, the first paper sheet is supplied to the fixing unit and, in the second mode, when the detected temperature exceeds a second temperature different from the first temperature, the first paper sheet is supplied to the fixing unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a latent image forming unit scanning and exposing an image carrier according to image data, to form a latent image; a transfer body on which a toner image is transferred and a reference index for setting an output start time point of the image data is formed; a detecting unit facing the reference index and outputting a detection signal changing in accordance with passing of the reference index; and a controller controlling the output start time point with the detection signal. The controller starts a first period during which change of the detection signal is ignored, according to first change of the detection signal, starts a second period after the first period, regards second change of the detection signal occurring first in the second period as a reference of the output start time point, and ignores change of the detection signal after the second change.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image holder that holds a latent image; a developing unit that contains developer including toner particles and carrier particles, develops a latent image with the toner particles, and forms a toner image; a voltage applying unit that applies a voltage to the developing unit; a toner concentration detection unit that detects a toner concentration that is a proportion of the toner particles to the developer contained in the developing unit; and a setting unit that sets a setting value of the voltage on the basis of the toner concentration detected by the toner concentration detection unit, the voltage being applied by the voltage applying unit to the developing unit, wherein a difference between an upper limit and a lower limit of the set value increases as the toner concentration increases, the set value being set by the setting unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier configured to carry an electrostatic latent image, a toner carrier configured to carry a toner and develop the electrostatic latent image, a switching member configured to perform a switching operation between a contact state where the toner carrier contacts the image carrier and a separation state where the toner carrier is separated from the image carrier, a first electrode member, a second electrode member arranged such that the electrostatic capacity between the first and second electrode members in the contact state is different from the electrostatic capacity therebetween in the separation state, a detection device configured to detect the electrostatic capacity between the first and second electrode members, and a measurement unit configured to measure the time during which the image carrier contacts the toner carrier, wherein the measurement unit starts the measurement when the electrostatic capacity changes exceeding a predetermined value along wit

Abstract: A patch-pattern forming unit causes an image forming unit to form a patch pattern including a plurality of patches on a conveying member. A detecting unit detects the patch pattern formed on the conveying member. An adjusting unit adjusts an image forming condition of the image forming unit based on a result of detection by the detecting unit. The patch pattern has a length substantially equal to a distance between a patch-pattern start position, which is located at a space corresponding to at least a predetermined margin of a recording medium from a position of the image, and a position of the detecting unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a guide member configured to guide a sheet to a nip section between a heating roller and a pressing roller disposed close to the upstream side of the rollers and on the pressing roller side. A downstream end of the guide member is disposed on the heating roller side with respect to the nip surface between the rollers so that a header of the sheet to be printed is in contact with the heating roller first, and a downstream end of the fixing device introduction guide member is concavely curved.

Abstract: Cross-track banding artifacts and wear in an electrophotographic (EP) print engine are reduced. A development member and a supply member are disposed so that charge is transferred between them in a charge-transfer region. The members are retained in a first position with respect to each other for a first dwell time, and neither member is rotated during the first dwell time, so that charge is transferred between members in the charge-transfer region. One of the members is rotated so that at least one point on one of the members is moved out of the charge-transfer region. The members are retained in a second position with respect to each other for a second dwell time that is greater than the time for one revolution of the development member, wherein neither member is rotated during the second dwell time.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit configured to form a toner image on an image bearing member according to printing information; a transfer unit configured to transfer an unfixed toner image formed by the image forming unit onto a printing sheet; a fixing unit configured to heat the unfixed toner image carried on the printing sheet and fix the unfixed toner image on the printing sheet; a temperature measuring unit configured to measure the temperature of the fixing unit; and a quick-print processing unit configured to cause, when printing is started, even if the temperature of the fixing unit measured by the temperature measuring unit does not reach ready temperature, the image forming unit to perform an image forming operation on the basis of low process speed for enabling the fixing in the fixing unit, which is lower than normal process speed corresponding to the ready temperature.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet supply unit for supplying a printing medium; and a sheet discharge unit for discharging the printing medium after an image is transferred to the printing medium. Further, the image forming apparatus includes a transport path medium number storage unit for storing a transport path medium number; a discharge number storage unit for storing a discharge number; an upper limit print number storage unit for storing an upper limit print number; an addition unit for calculating an addition sum of the discharge number and the transport path medium number; a number comparison unit for comparing the addition sum with the upper limit print number; and a sheet supply stop unit for stopping the sheet supply unit when the addition sum exceeds the upper limit print number.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a heating device that heats images that have been formed on a sheet-like recording medium to thereby fix the images to the recording medium; an ejection member that rotates in a forward direction and ejects to the outside the recording medium that has been conveyed from the heating device; a blower member that blows air onto the recording medium conveyed between the heating device and the ejection member; and a controller that controls the blower member such that the blower member operates when a recording page count where images are continuously formed on the recording medium is equal to or greater than a predetermined recording page count.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a conveyor mechanism, a placer, a recording head, and a controller that controls the conveyor mechanism, the placer, and the recording head. The controller determines a desired speed, which is a desired value of a driving speed of a conveyor belt of the conveyor mechanism during a recording, to be either one of a predetermined first speed and a second speed lower than the first speed. The controller determines the desired speed for a first recording medium to be recorded based on a record command, to be the second speed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for adjusting printing device power consumption based on previously acquired usage data. The printing device has multiple energy consumption states including at least a ready state in which the printing device is ready to commence processing of a print job immediately upon receipt and including at least a low power state where the printing device is not ready to commence processing of a newly received print job. Acquired usage data includes parameters of print jobs submitted during a data collection period of time. The parameters may include time and date of submitted print jobs. Based on the usage data a usage profile is determined. The usage profile identifies one or more high usage periods of time and one or more low usage periods of time. Methods and apparatus then switch the printing device among the multiple energy consumption states based on the usage profile.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which predicts VL fluctuations of a photosensitive drum in consideration of a double-sided print mode, and performs an image formation control based on the prediction, and thus always obtains a stable density image. The image forming apparatus performs an appropriate image formation control by controlling an image forming condition based on a photosensitive member rotation time, a photosensitive member stop time, a temperature of an atmospheric environment, an absolute humidity of the atmospheric environment, and whether an image formation that precedes a subsequent image formation is performed in single-sided printing or double-sided printing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and an image forming method capable of executing process control at appropriate timing are provided. A control section of an image forming apparatus carries out control for determining execution time of process control and executing the process control. The control section includes a counting section, a determining section and a process control management section. The counting section counts a number of printed sheets. The determining section determines on what time process control is to be executed form the counted number of printed sheets for each time zone. The process control management section manages the process control executed at an image forming section with the whole of the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit forming an image on a sheet transported along a transport path in a printing operation; a sheet stacking unit in which the sheet ejected at the end of the transport path is stacked; a sheet detecting unit detecting the presence or absence of the sheet in the transport path; a counting unit counting number-of-sheet data of the sheet detected by the sheet detecting unit; and a control unit controlling the printing operation in accordance with a first print request from a print instructing unit for a print job and based on a count value obtained by the counting unit. The control unit clears the count value in the absence of a next print request from the print instructing unit within a predetermined time after completion of the printing operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a developer image; a developing device including a developer carrying member for forming the developer image on the image bearing member; a fixing device for fixing the developer image on a sheet material, on which the developer image has been transferred, by heating the sheet material; a memory medium for storing an operation hysteresis value, of the developing device, which varies depending on a state of an operation of the developing device from start of the operation; and a controller for controlling a temperature of the fixing device. The controller controls, when the operation hysteresis value stored in the memory medium reaches a preset threshold, the temperature of the fixing device so as to be lower than that before the operation hysteresis value reaches the preset threshold.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet-feeder for feeding a recording sheet from a sheet cassette. Image forming devices are provided for forming a toner image. An image bearer bears a toner image formed by the image forming devices; and a transferring device transfers the toner image on the image bearer to a recording sheet. A sheet amount detector detects the amount of recording sheets in the cassette. A mode controller allows the image forming devices to start their operations before the sheet feeding section conveys a recording sheet when the amount of recording sheets detected by the sheet amount detector exceeds a predetermined reference amount, and allows the image forming devices to start their operations after the sheet-feeding section conveys the recording sheet when the amount of recording sheets detected by the sheet amount detector is smaller than the reference amount.