Abstract: A sheet storage apparatus 10a (10b) includes a sheet storage portion 31 that loads and stores a plurality of sheets P, and an end cursor (a restriction member) 50 that is disposed in the sheet storage portion 31 and restricts a sheet position. The end cursor 50 is composed of two or more members so as to be foldable and removably fixed in the sheet storage portion 31.

Abstract: A driving unit (1) includes holders (5) rotatably supporting a shaft (2) and rotatably holding first and second helical gears (3, 4). Each holder 5 includes first and second receiving portions (9, 10). The first receiving portions (9) receive forces in a direction to push the first helical gears (3) toward backs of accommodating portions (7) by contacting parts of the first helical gears (3) when the shaft (2) and the first helical gears (3) are rotated in a certain rotational direction. The second receiving portions (10) receive forces in a direction to push the first helical gears (3) from interiors of the accommodating portions (7) to openings (8) by contacting parts of the shaft (2) when the shaft (2) and the first helical gears (3) are rotated in an opposite direction. Thus, the driving unit is assembled easily and the helical gears are held stably in both rotational directions.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller on the apparatus body to control supply of developers from developer containers to the development devices. The controller includes a storage that reads and stores identification information pieces of all the development devices attached to the apparatus body. When any of the development devices is removed from the apparatus body, and thereafter attached at a position where the removal took place, the controller reads an identification information piece of the development device attached at the position, and when the read identification information piece disagrees with an identification information piece of the development device at the position stored, and agrees with an identification information piece of another one of the development devices at another position, the controller determines that the development device is mistakenly attached and prohibits the supply of the corresponding developers.

Abstract: A rotary driving device includes a rotary shaft supported rotatably about an axis thereof on a predetermined supporting member, a rotary load body mounted on the rotary shaft to project radially outward from the rotary shaft in such a manner that the rotary load body can rotate integrally with the rotary shaft about the axis thereof, a driver for rotating the rotary shaft about the axis thereof, a disk mounted on the rotary shaft coaxially therewith for integral rotation with the rotary shaft, the disk having a mounting hole formed therein, a pendulum loosely fitted in the mounting hole, and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting a relative position relationship between a central axis position of the mounting hole and a center of gravity position of the pendulum under conditions where the disk is rotating.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with an image forming station including photoconductive drums and adapted to form toner images on surfaces of the respective photoconductive drums, and a drive control unit for rotating and driving the photoconductive drums. The image forming station includes a reference pulse output section for generating a reference pulse having a cycle equal to or an integral multiple of a rotation cycle of the photoconductive drums and outputting the reference pulse to the drive control unit. The drive control unit includes a phase peak detector for detecting phase peaks of surface speeds of the photoconductive drums, a phase difference detector for detecting phase differences between an edge of the reference pulse and the phase peaks, and a phase synchronization controller for synchronizing phases of the surface speeds of the photoconductive drums by controlling rotation speeds of the photoconductive drums according to the phase differences.

Abstract: An image forming method includes using a charging device to charge a surface of a monolayer-type electrophotographic photoconductor that contains a specific amine compound, setting a projection area of the charging device per time relative to the photo sensitive layer surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor to be S (cm2), applying a current value to the charging device to be ICC (?A) and setting an inflow current value represented by ICC/S (?A/cm2) to a value within the range of from 5 to 25 ?A/cm2.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has: a photoconductive drum that rotates; a developing roller that carries toner to be charged and to which a first voltage application portion outputting an AC voltage is connected; a contact member that makes contact with the photoconductive drum to remove residual toner; a detection portion for detecting occurrence of electric discharge between the developing roller and the photoconductive drum; and a developing unit that feeds toner to the developing roller, that supports the developing roller opposite the photoconductive drum with a gap secured in between, and that feeds toner to the developing roller with prescribed timing and for a prescribed time during electric discharge detection.

Abstract: A drive mechanism for transmitting a drive force to drive a processing apparatus which carries out a prescribed process. The drive mechanism includes an output portion, an electromagnetic clutch and a case. An output portion for outputting the drive force, an electromagnetic clutch for controlling transmission of the drive force to the output portion, and a case including a first storage section which defines a first storage room to store the output portion, and a second storage section which defines a second storage room to store the electromagnetic clutch. Additionally, the second storage section includes a peripheral wall which surround the electromagnetic clutch, and a supporting wall which supports the electromagnetic clutch. The peripheral wall includes an upper wall above the electromagnetic clutch and a lower wall below the electromagnetic clutch. An opening section is formed in the upper wall.

Abstract: A sheet discharge unit of an image forming apparatus includes a first path discharging the sheet to the outside, a second path for feeding the sheet again to the image forming unit in the case of performing a duplex image forming process, a sheet conveyor conveying the sheet from the first path to the outside, and a corrugating member corrugating the sheet in a width direction of the sheet orthogonal to a conveying direction of the sheet to give the sheet stiffness when the sheet conveyor conveys the sheet. The second path includes an upstream path section having a width that extends in a thickness direction of the sheet, the width being set to be narrow to such a degree that the corrugation of the sheet is reduced when the sheet passes the upstream path section.

Abstract: A photoconductor drum support structure includes a photoconductor drum that is supported to rotate about a rotation axis; a drum shaft that passes through the photoconductor drum, and is disposed along a rotation axis; a notch formed on the first end in the rotation axis direction of the drum shaft; a drum frame that retains the photoconductor drum to rotate, the drum frame including an opening that is formed on the first end in the rotation axis direction on the drum frame, and enables insertion of the first end of the drum shaft, an engaging portion that is engaged with the notch formed on the drum shaft inserted into the opening, and that regulates displacement of the drum shaft towards the second end.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an intermediate transfer belt stretched lightly across rollers to move endlessly in a sub-scanning direction upon image formation and has an outer surface to which a toner image formed by a development unit is transferred. A secondary transfer opposing roller is one of the rollers across which the intermediate transfer belt is stretched. A secondary transfer roller contacts the outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt and transfers the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt to recording paper. A movement mechanism moves at least one of the rollers or the secondary transfer roller and changes a pressed state of the intermediate transfer belt by the secondary transfer roller at a nip of the secondary transfer opposing roller and the secondary transfer roller. A movement mechanism control unit controls a travel distance of the roller to be moved by the movement mechanism.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided to enable a user to integrate plural images on a single sheet in a pattern controlled by the user. The apparatus includes an image acquiring portion that acquires document images, and integration pattern determining portion that makes settings relating to the integration and an integrated document image generating portion that generates the integrated document images corresponding to the integration pattern. The apparatus includes a print portion that prints the integrated document images.

Abstract: A fixing device of an image forming apparatus includes a magnetic core forming a magnetic path composed of a first path for induction-heating a specified area of a heating member and a second path for induction-heating only a smaller area as a reduction of the specified area and the magnetic field being composed of a common magnetic field region where both the first and the second paths pass and an uncommon magnetic field region where only the first path passes; and a magnetism adjusting member arranged at least over the uncommon magnetic field region and permitting the passage of magnetic fluxes propagating toward the heating member from the magnetic core in the uncommon magnetic field region when the magnetic path is switched to the first path while suppressing the passage of the magnetic fluxes in the uncommon magnetic field region when the magnetic path is switched to the second path.

Abstract: A fixing unit of an image forming apparatus includes a coil arranged along an outer surface of the heating member and generating a magnetic field, a first core arranged opposite the heating member with respect to the coil and forming a magnetic path, a second core so fixed between the first core and the heating member with respect to a direction in which the coil generates the magnetic field, as to form the magnetic path together with the first core, a shielding member positioned outward of the second core and shielding the magnetism in the magnetic path, and a magnetism adjusting unit moving the shielding member outward of the second core to switch the position of the shielding member between a shielding position where the shielding member shields the pass of the magnetism and a retracted position where the shielding member permits the pass of the magnetism.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet storage portion, an image forming portion, a sheet ejector, a sheet-reversing unit, first to fourth conveying paths, and a two-sided conveyance unit. The fourth conveying path includes a linear path formed between two conveyance guides constituting the two-sided conveyance unit. The two-sided conveyance unit is supported in a slidable manner along a slider provided to an apparatus main body. One of the two conveyance guides is made of a flat guide plate and is supported in such a manner that it can be opened or closed with respect to the other conveyance guide.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes: a fixing part having a heater; a control part controlling ON/OFF of power distribution to the heater; a power source part generating a voltage for driving the control part; a main switch for turning ON/OFF power supply from outside to the power source part; and an interrupt signal generation part generating a periodical interrupt signal. The control part, based on the interrupt signal, controls ON/OFF of the power distribution to the heater, turns OFF power supply to the heater upon passage of predetermined time since disappearance of the interrupt signal, and judges that an error has occurred, when the control part is still driving after passage of driving stop time from when the main switch is turned OFF to when the control part stops its driving since the disappearance of the interrupt signal.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an opening/closing mechanism for opening a lid member when a toner collecting portion including a waste toner bottle and the lid member for the waste toner bottle is mounted into an apparatus main body while closing the lid member when the toner collecting portion is removed from the apparatus main body. The opening/closing mechanism includes a first contact portion provided in a toner discharging portion for discharging toner for rotating the lid member in a first direction by coming into contact with the lid member when the toner collecting portion is mounted into the apparatus main body, and a second contact portion mounted in the apparatus main body for rotating the lid member in a second direction by coming into contact with the lid member when the toner collecting portion is removed from the apparatus main body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a main body for performing an image forming process on a sheet. An internal discharge stores a sheet after the image forming process and a discharge opening discharges a sheet to the internal discharge. A post-processing unit can be attached to the apparatus main body to apply a specified post processing to a received sheet. A junction can be assembled into the internal discharge to convey a sheet from the discharge opening to a receiving opening of the post-processing unit. The junction includes a first guide having a first guide surface for guiding a sheet, a second guide having a second guide surface facing the first guide at a predetermined distance and a support for supporting the second guide by a rotatable supporting portion. The support has a facing surface facing the first guide surface and has the supporting portion arranged on the facing surface.

Abstract: A controller outputs a heater control signal in synchronization with a rise in a zero-cross signal. In response to the heater control signal, a switching device of a heater driving circuit switches ON/OFF. However, a noise occurs in an output voltage of an AC power source at the time of switching, and this noise causes a false zero-cross signal. For the purpose of preventing operation of a heater in accordance with the false zero-cross signal, the controller disregards the rise in the zero-cross signal during a set time period after the rise in the heater control signal.

Abstract: A drawer mechanism includes a plate-shaped frame, a first roller and a second roller disposed in a rotatable manner on a surface of the frame at a specific interval, and a rail movable between a first state where the rail is mounted on the surface of the frame and a second state where the rail is pulled out from the frame in a predetermined pull-out direction. Each roller includes a guide peripheral surface formed in an outer peripheral portion in a radial direction and a lower surface opposing the surface of the frame at a specific interval. The rail includes a first pinched portion and a second pinched portion extending linearly in the pull-out direction and pinched between the surface of the frame and one of the lower surfaces and the guide peripheral surfaces of the first roller and the second roller, respectively.