Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a pickup roller for feeding a sheet on a tray toward a predetermined processing position, an arm member rotatably supporting the pickup roller, a rotary shaft supported on the housing to be rotatable about an axis thereof, a coupling member for coupling the arm member and the rotary shaft, a pivoting mechanism for pivoting the arm member via the rotary shaft so that the pickup roller shifts its position between a feeding position and a retracted position, and a controller for controlling the operation of the pivoting mechanism. The controller controls the arm member to pivot in such a direction that the pickup roller moves toward the retracted position when a sheet is placed on the tray.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device, a liquid developer supplying device including a liquid developer flow path and supplying a liquid developer containing a solid content to the developing device through a discharge port of the liquid developer flow path, a storage container storing the liquid developer, a conveying mechanism capable of feeding the liquid developer from the storage container to the liquid developer flow path and feeding the liquid developer in the liquid developer flow path back to the storage container and a controller controlling the conveying mechanism. At the time of non-developing operation in which a toner image forming operation is not performed by the developing device, the controller controls the conveying mechanism to feed at least a part of the liquid developer present in the liquid developer flow path back to the storage container.

Abstract: To provide enhanced operability to users incapable of setting complicated operations such as handicapped people, children, and old people. An operation panel section displays a plurality of settable functions to receive an input of the plurality of the settable functions. An input controller switches an input mode through an operation panel section between a standard mode in which any function can be set and a universal mode in which limited functions can be set with visibility higher than the standard mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has R, G and B dot pattern detection units that detect the presence/absence of image data of operation restricting dot patterns of R, G and B color components respectively in document image data. A dot pattern color determination unit determines the presence/absence of the operation restricting dot pattern and the color of the operation restricting dot pattern on a document from the detection results from the detection units. A restriction detail table storage unit stores, beforehand, a table showing the correspondence relationship between the color of the operation restricting dot pattern and a restriction detail concerning a copy operation. An image formation control unit determines, based on a determination of the dot pattern color determination unit and the table, whether a current setting of a multi-functional peripheral is relevant to the restriction detail corresponding to the color, and, when relevant, prohibits the copy operation.

Abstract: A developing device is provided with a developer conveyance path for conveying a developer containing nonmagnetic toner and magnetic carrier, a wall portion including a wall surface for defining the developer conveyance path, a developing roller for supplying the toner from the developer conveyance path to an image bearing member, a conveying member extending in the developer conveyance path for conveying the developer while agitating it, a toner supply port arranged above the developer conveyance path for supplying new toner into the developer conveyance path from the outside, and a scraping member arranged at a position below the toner supply port in the developer conveyance path and adapted to scrape off the toner adhering to the wall surface while sliding in contact with the wall surface of the wall portion.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a document feed unit that can adopt a first attitude to sandwich a document against a document table and a second attitude to release the document. An attitude detection unit detects the attitude of the document feed unit. A document detection unit detects whether a document is on a placement section of the document feed unit. An input acceptance unit accepts a selection input indicating whether a document on the document table is a read object document when attitudes of the document feed unit have been detected in a second-to-first sequence by the attitude detection unit when a document is detected on the document placement section. A control unit sets a document on the document table as the current read object, when the input acceptance unit accepts a selection input indicating that the document on the document table is to be a read object document.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a two-component developing devices for each of a plurality of photoreceptors and a motor for the developing device. A transmission can assume a coupled state where the transmission transmits driving force of the motor to the developing device and a separated state where the transmission does not transmit the driving force of the motor to the developing device. A toner agitating mechanism stirs toner inside the developing device. A permeability sensor detects permeability inside the developing device and outputs a signal according to a ratio of the toner to the carrier. A coupling judging section judges that the coupling state exists when a variation of a signal value outputted by the permeability sensor equals or exceeds a predetermined value and judges that the separated state exists when the variation of the signal value outputted by the permeability sensor is lower than the predetermined value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a display unit, a login information storage unit, a login information reception unit, a login authentication unit, an authorization limitation information storage unit, an execution instruction reception unit, a control unit and an execution permission determination unit. The authorization limitation information storage unit stores functions permitted to be executed by the logged-in user and a default user, who is a non-logged-in user. The control unit executes a function in accordance with an execution instruction received by the execution instruction reception unit. The execution permission determination unit determines whether the function indicated in the received execution instruction is a default function that is permitted to be executed by the default user, causes the control unit to execute the function if the function is the default function, and displays the login screen on the display unit if the function is not the default function.

Abstract: An color image forming apparatus 1 has photosensitive units 5 and developing units 6 that can be drawn out of an apparatus main body along a direction of a photosensitive drum 15 and has an intermediate transfer unit 7 that can be drawn out of the apparatus main body along a moving direction of an intermediate transfer belt 10. The color image forming apparatus 1 includes a pressing release mechanism 41 that releases pressing against the photosensitive drum 15 by a primary transfer roller 8 in conjunction with an operation required at a time of drawing out any of the photosensitive unit 5, the developing unit 6, and the intermediate transfer unit 7.

Abstract: Provided is a toner dispersing mechanism, including: a housing arranged between a toner storage container and a developing device and provided with a toner filling port communicating to the toner storage container and a toner discharge port communicating to the developing device; and a dispersing member constituted by a large number of dispersing protrusions formed of an elastic material on a rotary shaft rotatably supported in the housing and on an outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft, in which toner replenished from the toner storage container is dispersed and discharged into the developing device.

Abstract: A feed assembly configured to feed a sheet, including: a feed roller configured to convey the sheet; a support element configured to rotatably and detachably support the feed roller; a base including a guide surface configured to guide the sheet; a frictional element configured to generate a frictional force on the sheet guided by the guide surface; and an elastic member provided between the frictional element and the base; wherein a recess is defined in the guide surface to accommodate the frictional element; and the elastic member causes the frictional element to project from the guide surface when the feed roller is detached from the support element.

Abstract: Provided is a toner dispersing member including a rotary shaft and dispersing protrusions formed of a flexible film member wound along an outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft, the flexible film member including a large number of cuts formed on one side thereof and are directed outward. The toner dispersing member is rotated about the rotary shaft so that a lump of toner coming into contact with the dispersing protrusions is dispersed.

Abstract: A sheet width regulating device includes a base plate, a regulating member, a first moving cursor, a first guiding portion, a second guiding portion, a first guidable portion, a second guidable portion, and a synchronizing member. The regulating member regulates one end of the sheet. The first moving cursor regulates the other end of the sheet, and is movable in the way perpendicular to a direction along the other end of the sheet that the first guiding portion extends. The second guiding portion extends in parallel with the first guiding portion. The first guidable portion is attached to the first moving cursor and guided by the first guiding portion. The second guidable portion is attached to the first moving cursor and guided by the second guiding portion. The synchronizing member synchronizes a movement of the first guidable portion and the second guidable portion.

Abstract: To provide an electrostatic charge developing toner in which resin fine particles and inorganic fine particles are externally added to toner base particles, wherein the toner base particles include at least binder resin and colorant, the resin fine particles are monodispersed and fixed to surfaces of the toner base particles, and following equations are established: a=70 to 160 nm, b/a=0.2 to 0.5, and c/a=0.6 to 0.8, where “a” represents an average of diameters (nm) of circular surfaces of contact between the fixed resin fine particles and toner base particle surfaces, “b” represents an average of heights (nm) of the resin fine particles from the contact surfaces, and “c” represents an average diameter (nm) of the resin fine particle at the height b/2.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus, including: a heating section; a coil that is opposed to the heating section, for heating the heating section; a core that has a circumferential surface covered with a magnetic shielding plate having different lengths in an axis direction in a plurality of steps according to a position in a circumferential direction; a rotary section for causing the core to rotate; a plurality of temperature sensing elements for sensing temperatures of the heating section; and a control section for controlling a heating width by controlling the rotary section to control a rotation angle of the core, setting the heating width corresponding to a size of a paper sheet at a start of a print job, and setting the heating width wider than at the start of the print job midway through the print job.

Abstract: The development device includes a developer storage part storing a developer, a developer carrier having a carrying surface for carrying the developer and a first magnet, and receiving the developer from the developer storage part on the carrying surface while rotating in a predetermined direction, and supplying the developer to a predetermined image carrier, a magnetic member formed from a magnetic material, forming a predetermined regulatory gap with the carrying surface, and arranged opposite to the first magnet, a second magnet disposed more upstream than the magnetic member when viewed from the rotating direction of the developer carrier, and having a magnetic pole of the same polarity as the first magnet, and a deterioration suppressing part suppressing deterioration of the developer transported to the regulatory gap along with the rotation of the developer carrier.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that achieves reduction in power and resumption time by selectively resuming a function which a user desires when a storage medium in which identification information for identifying the user is stored is exposed so as to perform resumption from the energy saving state. The image forming apparatus includes: two or more functions of a copy function, a printer function, a scan function and a FAX function; a radio communication portion that performs radio communication with a storage medium in which identification information for identifying a user is stored; and a control portion that when the radio communication portion obtains the identification information from the storage medium in a case where part of the apparatus is in an energy saving state, selects a function to be resumed from the energy saving state according to an exposure state in which the storage medium is exposed to the radio communication portion.

Abstract: A developing device includes: a developer carrying member for supplying a developer to an image bearing member at an opposing region opposing to the image bearing member, the developer carrying member being arranged so as to be opposed to the image bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed; a blade for regulating an amount of the developer carried on the developer carrying member; a casing for housing the developer carrying member and the blade, the casing including a wall portion opposed to the developer carrying member between the blade and the opposing region; a sheet member that is flexible, provided on the wall portion, has a free end, forms a part of an inner wall surface of the wall portion, and is movable in a direction perpendicular to the inner wall surface; and a moving portion provided on the wall portion, for moving the sheet member.

Abstract: A fixing unit for fixing a toner image formed on a sheet is provided with a belt unit including a belt configured to press the sheet, a reference roller configured to nip the sheet in cooperation with the belt, and a supporting element configured to support the belt unit and the reference roller. The belt unit includes first and second rollers on which the belt is wound. The supporting element includes a supporting plate configured to support the first, second and reference rollers.

Abstract: Provided is an automatic document conveying device, including: a document feeding portion that feeds a document from a document stacking tray; a conveying portion that conveys the document which is fed, to a document reading portion; a discharge portion that discharges the document after being read to a discharge tray; a branching guide that switches a conveying path so that a second surface is read after a first surface of the document is read; and a switchback portion including a switchback roller pair for sending the document to the conveying portion again after the conveying path is switched by the branching guide, in which a switch of the conveying path by the branching guide and open/close of a nip of the switchback roller pair are performed in one drive portion.