Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a film-shaped cylindrical body, a heating body unit, a first member, and a control unit. The image forming unit forms an image on a sheet. The cylindrical body has a sheet-passing region coming into contact with the sheet to fix the image to the sheet moving in a first direction. The cylindrical body is broader than the sheet-passing region in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The heating body unit includes a heating body and comes into contact with a first surface inside the cylindrical body. The first member is disposed on a second surface opposite to the first surface of the heating body. The first member has an outer end disposed outside an outer end of the sheet-passing region in the second direction. The control unit allows the heating body to generate heat inside the outer end of the sheet-passing region in the second region.

Abstract: An example lubricant coating device includes a rotatable applicator to apply lubricant from a solid lubricant source to a member to be coated, and a supporting device to support the solid lubricant source in a contact state with the rotatable applicator. The supporting device changes a supporting angle of the solid lubricant source relative to the rotatable applicator when a consumption of the solid lubricant source reaches a consumption threshold.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, an image bearing member, and a process unit attached to the apparatus body. The process unit includes a frame including a storage portion configured to store developer, a developer bearing member configured to supply developer to the image bearing member to develop an electrostatic latent image. and a circuit board attached to the frame. The circuit board includes a light emitting portion configured to emit light, and a light receiving portion configured to receive the light emitted from the light emitting portion and having passed through an interior of the storage portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner container, a first conveyance unit, and an apparatus main body. The apparatus main body includes a photosensitive drum, a development roller, a second conveyance unit, a toner conveyance passage, light sensor, an acquisition unit, and a control unit configured to execute an abnormality detection mode. In an abnormality detection mode, the acquisition unit acquires a first acquired value after the driving of the second conveyance unit with the driving of the first conveyance unit stopped. When the first acquired value satisfies a first condition, the acquisition unit further acquires a second acquired value after the driving of the second conveyance unit with the driving of the first conveyance unit stopped. The apparatus main body further includes a notification unit to make notification of the abnormality when the second acquired value satisfies a second condition.

Abstract: A developer storage device that stores developer includes a frame having an internal space and an inlet, a partition portion for partitioning the internal space into first and second chambers, the partition portion including a communication port through which the first and second chamber communicate, a conveyance portion arranged in the internal space and configured to convey the developer, and a detection unit detecting an amount of the developer stored in the first chamber. When the amount of the developer in the first chamber is less than a predetermined value, the developer is conveyed to a far side portion of the first chamber by the conveyance portion. When the detection unit detects that the amount of the developer in the first chamber reaches the predetermined value or more, the conveyance portion conveys the developer to the second chamber.

Abstract: A contact-separation device brings a contact-separation member into contact with a contacted member separably and includes a biasing member that generates a biasing force. A presser presses the contact-separation member against the contacted member in a pressing direction with the biasing force from the biasing member. A cam presses the presser in an opposite direction being opposite to the pressing direction. The cam is rotatable and has a cam face. A cam follower has a cam contact face that contacts the cam face of the cam. The cam contact face is curved to project toward the cam. The cam contact face has a curvature that is smaller than a greatest curvature of the cam face of the cam and is greater than a smallest curvature of the cam face of the cam.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photosensitive members; a scanner unit including light sources, a rotatable polygonal mirror, and reflecting members; and a fixing portion. Parts of the laser beams emitted from the light sources are reflected by the rotatable polygonal mirror toward the fixing device side, and rest parts of the laser beams are reflected by the rotatable polygonal mirror toward a side opposite from the fixing device side. Of the parts of the laser beams reflected by the rotatable polygonal mirror toward the fixing device side, the laser beam reflected toward the reflecting member provided at a position remotest from the rotatable polygonal mirror travels downward relative to a horizontal direction. A rotational axis of the rotatable polygonal mirror is inclined relative to a vertical direction.

Abstract: A developer discharging method includes inserting a shielding member into a second communication portion via an inserting opening of a developer container to shift the second communication portion from an opening state for opening the second communication portion to a shielding state for shielding the second communication portion, and discharging the developer from a developing device via a developer discharging portion by rotatably driving a first conveying screw in a direction opposite to a direction of rotatably driving the first conveying screw during a developing operation of developing an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member when the shielding member is inserted into the second communication portion and by rotatably driving the second conveying screw in a direction opposite to a direction of rotatably driving the second conveying screw during the developing operation when the shielding member is inserted into the second communication portion.

Abstract: A developing cartridge may include a developing roller and a casing capable of containing a developer material, a member having a first end portion and a second end portion, the member being movable together with the casing and the developing roller, and the member having a first hole extending in a direction between the first end portion and the second end portion; and a first lever movable relative to the casing between a first position and a second position, the first lever including one end portion that functions as the point of effort, an other end portion that functions as the point of application, and a cam surface that is located between the one end portion and the other end portion and that functions as a pivot point.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a fixing belt; a facing member disposed on an inner side of the fixing belt; a pressure roller that presses against the fixing belt toward the facing member from outside to form a fixing nip area; a heat source; a non-passage area temperature measurer that measures a temperature of a sheet non-passage area; a pressure roller swinger that swings one end side of the pressure roller in a direction intersecting with a longitudinal direction of the fixing nip area; and a controller that performs meandering correction control for correcting a movement direction of the fixing belt by causing the pressure roller swinger to swing the pressure roller, and the controller has such a movement mode as to cause the pressure roller swinger to forcibly move the fixing belt in a direction away from the non-passage area temperature measurer while rotating the fixing belt.

Abstract: A developer accommodating device includes a rotator including a rotation shaft, a collar that rotates together with the rotation shaft, and a bearing rotatably supporting the rotation shaft via the collar. The rotation shaft includes a resin material, and collar including a metal material. The collar includes a collar main portion to be in sliding contact with the bearing, and a flange portion closer to a center of the rotator in an axial direction of the rotator than the collar main portion. The collar main portion has a first outer diameter, and the flange portion has a second outer diameter greater than the first outer diameter of the collar main portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a transfer portion, a power source, a reading portion, and a controller. The controller executes an output operation so that first test images do not overlap with second test images, respectively, on a first side and a second side of a recording material. On the basis of information on a second test voltage for transfer of the second test image, of the plurality of second test images, of which information on a density read by the reading portion coincides with a preset condition, the controller sets a transfer voltage for image transfer onto the second side in double side image formation so that an absolute value of the transfer voltage set for the image transfer onto the second side in double side image formation is greater than an absolute value of the second test voltage that coincides with the preset condition.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer container including first and second chambers, first and second communication portions to permit the developer to communicate with the first and second chambers, first and second screws provided in the first and second chambers, respectively, and a developer discharging portion. The developer discharging portion is provided in a passage continuous with the first chamber and downstream of the first communication portion. In the developing device, a discharging method includes a step for inserting a shielding member into the second communication portion via an inserting opening of the developer container, and a step for discharging the developer from the developing device via the developer discharging portion, by rotating the first and second screws in a same direction as a direction of rotating during a developing operation in a state where the shielding member is inserted into the second communication portion.

Abstract: An image forming method, an image forming apparatus, and a storage medium are provided in embodiments of the present disclosure. The method includes rotating an image carrier along a preset direction, where the image carrier at least includes a first region and a second region; and simultaneously applying voltages to a first image forming module and a second image forming module, such that the first image forming module forms a first image on the first region of the image carrier based on the voltages, and the second image forming module forms a second image on the second region of the image carrier based on the voltages. Each of the first image and the second image includes a plurality of patterns with different concentrations; and a quantity of patterns in the first image and the second image is determined based on a first preset distance.

Abstract: A heating unit includes a heater including a substrate and a resistance heating element, a temperature sensor, an endless belt, a holder, a first heat conductive sheet located between the heater and the holder, and a second heat conductive sheet which is smaller than the first heat conductive heat member. The first heat conductive sheet includes a first heater-side surface which is in contact with a back surface of the heater and a first opposite surface. The first heat conductive sheet has a heat conductivity higher than that of the substrate. The second heat conductive sheet includes a second heater-side surface which is in contact with the first opposite surface and a second opposite surface. The temperature sensor is in contact with the second opposite surface of the second heat conductive sheet.

Abstract: A powder conveying device includes an inflow portion, a discharge portion, and a conveying screw. Powder flows into the inflow portion from outside of the powder conveying device. The powder flows out from the discharge portion to the outside of the powder conveying device. The conveying screw includes a shaft and conveys the powder from the inflow portion to the discharge portion in a conveying direction. A surface portion of the shaft at at least one of an upstream end or a downstream end of the shaft in the conveying direction, in at least one of the inflow portion or the discharge portion has a lower friction with the powder than another surface portion of the shaft at a position other than the at least one of the upstream end or the downstream end.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a first rotary member and a second rotary member that form a nip portion, and, a changing mechanism configured to change a pressing force applied at the nip portion. The changing mechanism includes a worm having both ends supported rotatably, a worm wheel that is meshed with the worm and to which a driving force from the worm is transmitted, a rotatable shaft to which the worm wheel is attached, a cam that is attached to the shaft, and, a displacement mechanism that is abutted against the cam and that is configured to displace the second rotary member with respect to the first rotary member along with a rotation of the cam.

Abstract: A toner conveyance device includes a vertical conveyance portion, a horizontal conveyance portion, a conveyance member, and a loosening member. The vertical conveyance portion conveys a toner or a developer containing the toner conveyed therein through an entry port connected to a main-body-side conveyance path by causing the toner or the developer to fall vertically. The horizontal conveyance portion is connected to a lower end of the vertical conveyance portion and conveys the toner or the developer in a horizontal direction by using the conveyance member arranged in the horizontal conveyance portion. The loosening member is arranged so as to be movable between a first position below a connection portion between the main-body-side conveyance path and the entry port and a second position protruding upward beyond the connection portion and reciprocates in a vertical direction at each of the first position and the second position.

Abstract: A nip formation pad includes a base, a high thermal conduction member, and an attachment. The high thermal conduction member has a thermal conductivity greater than a thermal conductivity of the base. The attachment is attached to the high thermal conduction member by elastic deformation of the attachment on the base held between the high thermal conduction member and the attachment.

Abstract: Examples described herein relate to a print particle refill device consistent with the disclosure. For instance, a print particle refill device may comprise a cap disk to form a barrier between the print particle refill device and a receptacle, a first liner adjacent to the cap disk to seal print particles in the print particle refill device, and an actuating liner to wipe print particles, when present, from the receptacle.