Abstract: To regulate the gloss on a print material, and avoid excess release oil, the properties of the fusing medium are measured, and the gloss on the print material is determined on the basis of the measured properties of the fusing medium.

Abstract: Systems and methods for replacing a spool cover attached to a spool casing of a laser toner cartridge. When installed on the laser toner cartridge, the spool cover covers a spool and seal sensing contacts located above an electrical trace. A method of replacing the spool cover includes separating the spool cover from the spool casing, replacing the electrical trace with a new electrical trace, attaching a pad to a bottom surface of the spool cover, and replacing the spool cover on the spool casing such that the pad forces the seal sensing contacts to come in contact with the electrical trace.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transferring-and-feeding unit (103) including a transfer belt (110). The transferring-and-feeding unit (103) is supported by a support frame (115) swingable in the direction away from image forming portions (100) including photosensitive bodies (107). The fixing unit (104) includes release members (121) that bring a heat roller (117) and the pressure roller (118) to stop pressing the recording medium. As the support frame (115) swings, the transfer belt (110) separates from the photosensitive bodies (107), and the heat roller (117) and the pressure roller (118) stop pressing the recording medium, with the result that the recording medium can easily removed from the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which the control of toner supply can be effected well irrespective of an image forming mode (image forming speed). The density of a toner in a developer contained in a developer containing portion is detected by a toner density sensor. A controller controls the supply of the toner to the developer containing portion so that the density of the toner detected by the toner density sensor may assume a predetermined target value. When the last developing operation is executed at an ordinary speed, whereafter next developing operation is executed at a low speed, a toner image of predetermined density is formed, and the density of this toner image is detected by an image density sensor. The controller determines an amount of toner supply by the use of the target value corrected on the basis of the detection output of the image density sensor, and the detection output of the toner density sensor.

Abstract: In a case where a rotating speed of an intermediate transfer member is reduced during the process of image formation, carriers may adhere to a photosensitive member before the rotating speed of the intermediate transfer member stabilizes. To cope therewith, in changing an image formation speed in accordance with a conveying speed of a recording material on completion of primary transfer, a developing rotary is rotated so as to keep any developing device off a developing position. Consequently, a situation in which the carriers adhere to an image bearing member can be avoided. At the same time, stopping a charging operation of a charger enables a longer service life of the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a plurality of developing devices for developing an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member, a rotary member holding the plurality of developing devices and rotated in a route including a developing position, the rotary member selectively positioning any one of the developing devices at the developing position, each of the plurality of developing devices having a first developer carrying member and a second developer carrying member for carrying a developer thereon and carrying it to the image bearing member, and a holding member holding the first developer carrying member and the second developer carrying member and pivotally movably provided.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus has a developer container containing a developer therein, a developer toner density detecting portion for detecting the permeability of the developer in the developer container to thereby detect toner density, and an engine controller for detecting whether the image forming apparatus has gone wrong, on the basis of the toner density detected by the developer toner density detecting portion. Thereby, it becomes possible to detect the failure of a developing apparatus reliably and early by an inexpensive construction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an image carrier on which a toner image is to be formed, and a sheet support member for conveying a sheet, carrying the toner image thereon, in cooperation with the image carrier. The image carrier and sheet support member are driven such that their surfaces move in the same direction, as seen at a contact position where the two surfaces face each other via the sheet. An electric field, forcing the toner image toward the image carrier, and an electric field, forcing it toward the sheet, are formed between the surface of the image carrier and that of the sheet at positions upstream and downstream, respectively, of the contact position in the direction of movement of the sheet.

Abstract: A surface of a photosensitive body is charged and exposed to light to form an electrostatic latent image that is developed with toner having the same polarity as the surface. The toner image is transferred to a transfer material. During non-image forming periods a first step of applying a first voltage having the same polarity as that of the surface of the photosensitive body and an absolute value larger than the electric image forming potential of the transfer member is performed for a first period of time. In addition, a second step of applying a second voltage having an absolute value smaller than the absolute value of the electric potential of the surface of the photosensitive body to the transfer member for a second period of time not shorter than the first period of time is performed alternately with the first step.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus having an image deviation correction function of the present invention measures passing waveforms of correction patterns on a transfer belt printed in the main scanning direction in a relationship of a reflected image and correction patterns thermally fixed on a sheet of paper by detection sensors and from measured results, obtains main scanning magnification Sp2 and center position deviation amount ZCR for double-side horizontal deviation correction with high accuracy. During double-side image forming, a toner image on the first side is printed at a main scanning magnification of 100%, while a toner image on the second side is printed using a correction signal to which main scanning magnification Sp2 and center position deviation amount ZCR are applied, thus horizontal deviation of double-side image forming is corrected.

Abstract: A developing device having a plurality of sleeves is provided for high-speed development and the prevention of an abnormal image, for example, thinning of a line image. An AC bias is effectively applied, so that the base contamination is suppressed to obtain a smooth image without obvious grains. Among the plural sleeves, a bias towards the photoreceptor side is applied to an upstream-side sleeve, and a bias in the reverse direction is applied to a downstream-side sleeve. Alternatively, an AC bias with a low frequency is applied to the upstream-side sleeve and an AC bias with a high frequency is applied to the downstream-side sleeve. In addition, an AC bias with a large amplitude is applied to the upstream-side sleeve, and an AC bias with a small amplitude is applied to the downstream-side sleeve.

Abstract: A release agent fluid management system and methods of dispensing such fluid in fuser apparatus of image reproduction systems. The release agent fluid management system controllably applies release agent fluid to the fuser surface. A processor controls the amount of applied release agent fluid based on one or more image reproduction operating parameters.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a transport path for transporting an original from an original tray to a reading position; a reading device for reading the original at a reading position; a determining device for determining whether the original includes a black and white image or color image; a circulating path for returning the original to the reading position without turning over the original; a discharge path for guiding the original from the reading position to a discharge tray; and selection means for selecting one of the circulating path and the discharge path. The image reading apparatus reads the same side of the original fed from the circulating path again according to a result of the determining device.

Abstract: A fixing device as an image heating device is provided, by which a difference in glossiness is not caused in a recording medium in the axial direction of a pressure roller. When a print request is issued during the end-processing sequence, an electric power applied to a magnetization coil via an exciting circuit is dropped to 0 by controlling means during the start-processing sequence, and after an appropriate interval, the heating with full power is restarted by the controlling means. By so doing, the decrease in temperature at both ends of a fixing belt and a heat-generating roller in the axial direction can be compensated.

Abstract: A developing device including: plural developing units each for developing an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member with developer that contains toner and carriers in a developing portion; a rotary member for mounting the plurality of developing units thereon and rotating along a path that includes the developing portion; and a containing pipe provided in the rotary member to contain excess developer discharged from the developing units in association with a replenishment of developer, in which the containing pipe is substantially non-rotatably provided, and the developer in the containing pipe is fed utilizing the rotation of the rotary member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a black sensitized body and plural color sensitized bodies arranged in a row as well as a belt adapted to move round on a course, sequentially passing by or coming into contact with the plural sensitized bodies, of which the black sensitized body is located at an end of the row, a roll for causing the belt to come into contact with the black sensitized body and a retractable roll located between the color sensitized body disposed at the other end of the row of the sensitized bodies opposite to the black sensitized body and the color sensitized body immediately adjacent to the black sensitized body and adapted to shift from a position for holding itself in contact with the belt to a position for separating itself from the belt and vice versa to change the course of round movement of the belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image bearing member and a developing portion having a plurality of developing devices provided facing the latent image bearing member, as well as an inputting portion for inputting an image signal, an auto-discriminating portion for automatically discriminating the kind of image input, and a control portion for changing between a first mode for executing monochrome image formation, a second mode for executing color image formation, and an auto-selecting mode for changing over between the first mode and the second-mode according to the discrimination of the auto-discriminating portion. In the auto-selecting mode, movement of a predetermined developing device to a predetermined position is started before the auto-discriminating portion makes the discrimination.

Abstract: In order to prevent a toner residual amount from being erroneously judged as “toner present” after the toner residual amount has been judged to be insufficient, the toner residual amount detection apparatus of the present invention has a developing device for developing an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member by a toner, the developing device being provided for movement relative to an apparatus main body, a sensor for outputting information corresponding to the toner residual amount in the developing device, a judging device for comparing the output of the sensor with a reference value to thereby judge the toner residual amount, wherein image forming is inhibited via a predetermined number of times of image forming after the toner residual amount is judged to be not sufficient, and a changing device for changing the reference value to a smaller value with the judgement that the toner residual amount is not sufficient.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a charging roller, a transfer roller, and a toner charging brush, wherein the toner charging brush reciprocates in a longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum. In the image forming apparatus, when a number of rotations per a unit time of the image bearing member is assumed to be “a” and a number of times of reciprocation per unit time of the toner charging brush is assumed to be “b”, assuming that R=b/a, R is set to be in a range of 1/25?R?3. However, R=m/n (m and n are integers of 5 or less) is excluded. Consequently, generation of a periodic attachment pattern appearing on the photosensitive drum is eliminated.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing machine of the type having a latent image recorded on an imaging member wherein said latent image is developed and transferred to a media substrate during successive printing cycles of successive print jobs, including a charging device for producing a voltage potential on the media substrate to transfer the developed latent image to the media substrate, said charging device including a coronode member and shield; a first voltage supply for apply a shield voltage to said shield; a second voltage supply for applying a wire voltage to said coronode member; a voltage monitor for measuring the voltage on the shield, said voltage monitor periodically polling the voltage during a cycle of a print job and generating a voltage measured signal as a function thereof; controller, responsive to a media type of each media substrate and said voltage monitor, for adjusting said wire voltage to said coronode member in respect to said shield voltage to said shield to compensate for process imped