Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a non-magnetic one-component developer, an image bearing member, and a development device that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on a surface of image bearing member by supplying non-magnetic one-component developer to the electrostatic latent image. Development device includes a development roller that carries non-magnetic one-component developer and a restricting member that restricts the thickness of a development layer constituted by non-magnetic one-component developer. Non-magnetic one-component developer contains a positively chargeable toner containing toner particles that include toner mother particles and external additive particles attached to the surfaces of toner mother particles and including resin particles and silica particles.

Abstract: An ink supply unit includes an ink supply path and at least one element component. The ink supply path includes a first ink flow hole, a first valve member, and a first biasing member. The element component includes a second ink flow hole, a second valve member, and a second biasing member. When the element component is attached to the ink supply path, the first valve member and the second valve member respectively separate from the first ink flow hole and the second ink flow hole against biasing forces of the first biasing member and the second biasing member. When the element component is detached from the ink supply path, the first valve member and the second valve member are respectively caused by the biasing forces of the first biasing member and the second biasing member to close the first ink flow hole and the second ink flow hole.

Abstract: The casing houses the scanning optical system, and includes a holding portion holding an optical element configuring the scanning optical system. The pressing holding member presses and holds the optical element to the holding portion. The pressing holding member includes a body portion and a pressing portion. The pressing portion is coupled to the body portion, and presses the optical element held by the holding portion, against the holding portion. The casing includes a support portion provided to face the holding portion and supporting the body portion. The support portion is disposed on a peripheral edge of a through hole penetrating through the casing, and includes a support protrusion. The support protrusion protrudes from an outer surface to come into contact with a peripheral edge of the body portion. The through hole is an emission port emitting the laser beam to outside of the casing.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a head unit, a wipe unit, and a control part. The head unit is provided with a nozzle surface on which a plurality of ink ejection ports is opened downward. The wipe unit performs a wiping operation in which a blade is moved along the nozzle surface while applying a cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface to wipe the nozzle surface. The control part controls the head unit and the wipe unit to perform a first maintenance operation to perform the wiping operation and a second maintenance operation to perform the wiping operation after the ink is pushed out from the nozzle surface. In the second maintenance operation, the cleaning liquid applied to the nozzle surface is suppled firstly, then the ink is pushed out from the nozzle surface, and then wiping operation is performed.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a rotating member to be heated; a pressure rotating member; a housing; a sheet entrance port; a shutter member; and a biasing member. The shutter member slides between a first position for opening the sheet entrance port provided in the housing and a second position for closing the sheet entrance port. The biasing member biases the shutter member in a direction toward the second position. The shutter member includes a hook portion in which an engagement claw is formed, and when the shutter member is arranged in the second position, the engagement claw is opposite a portion to be engaged in the housing. When an external force directed toward the inside of the housing is applied to the shutter member arranged in the second position, the engagement claw engages the portion to be engaged to restrict the movement of the shutter member to the first position.

Abstract: A recording head filling liquid contains a specific moisturizing agent, a monovalent alkali, and water. The specific moisturizing agent is a compound represented by general formula (1) below. The specific moisturizing agent has a percentage content of at least 19.00% by mass and no greater than 42.00% by mass. The recording head filling liquid has a static surface tension at 25° C. of at least 20.0 mN/m and no greater than 29.0 mN/m. In general formula (1), a, b, and c each represent, independently of one another, an integer of at least 1 and a+b+c is at least 4 and no greater than 20.

Abstract: A control unit of an image forming apparatus can perform a density correction mode to correct toner density, based on detection results of toner density of a plurality of reference images formed with density gradations changed sequentially in a plurality of steps, detects presence or absence of a change in the voltage in each density gradation, based on the toner density detection value detected in the density correction mode, and if the density gradation has a specific density gradation in which a change in the voltage is detected, it corrects the toner density of the specific density gradation, using the detection values of density gradations before and after the specific density gradation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus (100) includes: an intermediate transfer belt (15B) provided in a body housing (3); an opening/closing unit (30); a second transfer roller (152) provided in the opening/closing unit (30) and in contact with the intermediate transfer belt (15B) when the opening/closing unit (30) is closed; a guide member (31) provided in the opening/closing unit (30) turnably and guiding a sheet to a contact area between the intermediate transfer belt (15B) and the second transfer roller (152); a conductive sheet (32) covering the guide member (31); and a conductive spring (33) provided in the opening/closing unit (30) and biasing the guide member (31) toward the intermediate transfer belt (15B) via the conductive sheet (32) to press the guide member (31) to the body housing (3), wherein when the opening/closing unit (30) is opened, the guide member (31) is in contact with the conductive spring (32) by gravity.

Abstract: A process unit includes a unit frame detachable from a main body frame, a plurality of development cartridges mounted so as to be mutually independently attachable and detachable with respect to the unit frame, and a lock mechanism. The lock mechanism has a lock member that restrains movement of the unit frame by being held at a first position at which the lock member is engageable with the main body frame. The lock member is caused, by all the development cartridges being detached from the unit frame, to shift from the first position to a second position at which the lock member does not engage with the main body frame.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a controller that allows a display device to display a settings screen for setting of a function by a user and executes a job based on a user setting made through the settings screen; and a backup device that backs up as backup data the user setting on a storage device each time the user setting is made. When execution of the job based on the user setting is completed, the controller deletes the user setting from the storage device. When, in newly displaying a settings screen on the display device for another job, the user setting for a function configurable on the settings screen is saved on the storage device, the controller determines the content of the user setting as a content of a setting for the job and allows the display device to display the settings screen showing the content of the setting.

Abstract: A drying device according to the present disclosure includes a conveying device, an air blowing device, and an exhaust device. The conveying device conveys a medium on which an image is formed, along a predetermined conveyance direction. The air blowing device sends air toward the medium from above the medium conveyed by the conveying device to dry the medium. The exhaust device takes in air above the medium from both sides of the conveying device in a width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction and exhausts the taken air to an outside.

Abstract: An ink supplying mechanism includes an ink container, a sub tank, a main channel and a branched channel. The ink container contains ink. The sub tank stores the ink supplied from the ink container. The main channel is extended to a downward direction from the sub tank 22 and flows the ink between the ink container and the sub tank. The branched channel is branched from the middle of the main channel and is subjected to hydraulic head pressure of the ink stored in the sub tank in order to supply the ink to a recording head.

Abstract: A predetermined frame includes a main frame part and a drum arrangement part. Winding drums are disposed in a drum arrangement part. Relay pulleys includes a first relay pulley disposed in the drum arrangement part, for a first wire to wrap around, a second relay pulley disposed on the same axis as the first relay pulley, outward of the first relay pulley, for a second wire to wrap around, and a third relay pulley disposed in the main frame part, for the second wire to wrap around. The drum arrangement part is positioned inward of the main frame part.

Abstract: A drying apparatus includes an endless conveying belt, a conveying plate, and a suction device. The endless conveying belt has a number of through-holes, and supports the medium and conveys the medium in a predetermined conveyance direction. The conveying plate has a number of through-holes and supports the conveying belt in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the conveying belt. The suction device sucks air through the through-holes of the conveying belt and the through-holes of the conveying plate to attract the medium to the conveying plate. The conveying plate is formed so as to be expandable and contractable in a direction parallel to the conveyance direction.

Abstract: An ink supplying mechanism includes an ink container containing ink, an ink tank storing the ink supplied from the ink container to a recording head, a decompressing part decompressing the ink tank and a degassing channel circulating the ink flowed out from the ink tank and flowing the ink into the ink tank. To the recording head, the ink tanks are arranged in parallel. When one ink tank among the ink tanks is used for printing, a degassing tank to be degassed is selected from other ink tanks, whose dissolved oxygen amount of the ink have not arrived a predetermined supplying target value, according to predetermined degassing selection criteria, and the ink inside the degassing tank is circulated by using the degassing channel, in a state that the degassing tank is decompressed by the decompressing part, to perform degassing operation of degassing the ink inside the degassing tank.

Abstract: A sheet storage device includes a regulation cursor and a hold mechanism. The hold mechanism includes a guide shaft, and a stopper having a guide hole in which the guide shaft is inserted, and being capable of reciprocating with the regulation cursor. When the stopper is inclined to one side, movement of the regulation cursor is restricted. When the stopper is raised to the other side, movement of the regulation cursor is enabled. The stopper has a contact part that contacts the regulation cursor, so as to restrict the stopper from inclining to the other side, when the regulation cursor is enabled to move.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charger that charges the surface of the image bearing member to positive polarity, a light exposure device that exposes the charged surface of the image bearing member to light to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image bearing member, a development device that develops the electrostatic latent image into a toner image, a transfer device that transfers the toner image from the image bearing member to a transfer target, a cleaning member that collects toner attached to the surface of the image bearing member by contacting the surface of the image bearing member, and a controller that controls voltage to be applied to the cleaning member. The controller causes a first voltage with negative polarity to be applied to the cleaning member in a printing mode.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a conductive substrate, an intermediate layer provided on the conductive substrate, and a photosensitive layer provided on the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer contains a specific polyamide resin and specific inorganic particles. The specific inorganic particles include metal oxide particles. The specific polyamide resin includes a first repeating unit derived from an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and a second repeating unit derived from a diamine compound. The total percentage content of the first repeating unit and the second repeating unit is at least 80% by mol to all repeating units included in the specific polyamide resin. The photosensitive layer contains a charge generating material, an electron transport material, a binder resin, a hole transport material, and an n-type pigment.

Abstract: A sheet storage device includes first and second frames, a cover, and a torque retention mechanism that includes a shaft to rotate in conjunction with pivoting of the cover, and generates a resistance torque against rotation of the shaft when the cover pivots to a closed position. The torque retention mechanism includes a first torque retention mechanism and a second torque retention mechanism. A shaft of the first torque retention mechanism is attached to a first support part disposed on a first frame side, while a shaft of the second torque retention mechanism is attached to a second support part disposed on a second frame side.

Abstract: A belt drive device includes an endless belt, a plurality of tension rollers on which the belt is rotatably tensioned and a belt cleaning device. The belt cleaning device includes a cleaning blade and an opposite roller. The cleaning blade makes contact with the outer circumferential surface of the belt to remove a foreign substance adhered to the belt. The opposite roller is arranged in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the belt opposite the cleaning blade through the belt. The opposite roller includes a cover layer arranged on an outer circumferential surface, the surface resistance value of the cover layer when a voltage of 100V is applied is equal to or greater than 10 to the 10th power (?) and the Asker A hardness of the cover layer is equal to or greater than 60° and equal to or less than 90°.