Abstract: A volt meter and a current meter may measure a voltage and a current for the calculation of power consumption. A controller may calculate the power consumption when a heating element is activated and when the heating element is deactivated. Based on the power consumptions when the heating element is activated or deactivated, a failure condition may be determined.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning unit and a unit moving mechanism. The cleaning unit brings a web into contact with a conveyance member rotating around an axis and removes foreign matter adhered to the conveyance member. The unit moving mechanism displaces the cleaning unit to a cleaning position where the web is brought into contact with the conveyance member and to a separation position where the web is separated away from the conveyance member. When the unit moving mechanism displaces the cleaning unit from the cleaning position to the separation position, the cleaning unit is displaced in a counter direction opposite to a rotational direction of the conveyance member on a contact face between the conveyance member and the web.

Abstract: A discharger includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a tensioning member, a protrusion, and a pressing member. The first electrode extends in a longitudinal direction. The second electrode is disposed between the first electrode and an image carrier member, and includes a netlike portion including multiple openings through which electric charges discharged from the first electrode pass. The tensioning member supports the second electrode while exerting a tension on the second electrode in the longitudinal direction. The protrusion is disposed on the second electrode on an outer side of the netlike portion in the longitudinal direction. The protrusion protrudes beyond the netlike portion in a thickness direction of the second electrode. The pressing member presses the second electrode in the thickness direction. The pressing member is noncontact with the protrusion.

Abstract: In an image forming device, a first fixing member has a roller. A second fixing member has a belt to form a nip together with the first fixing member. A pressure modifying mechanism modifies a nip pressure at the nip to selected one of a first nip pressure and a second nip pressure smaller than the first nip pressure. A controller drives the first motor to drive the roller and fixes the developer image on a sheet in a state that the nip pressure is the first nip pressure. The controller modifies the nip pressure from the first nip pressure to the second nip pressure while driving the first motor in a case where a final sheet among one or more sheets fixed according to a print job has passed the nip, and halts the first motor after the nip pressure is modified to the second nip pressure.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a sheet feeding device, an image forming part, a fixing device, a conveyance path, a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor is disposed on the conveyance path on a downstream side of the fixing device in the conveyance direction and detects the sheet passed along the conveyance path. The second sensor is disposed on the conveyance path on an upstream side of the fixing device in a conveyance direction and detects the sheet passed along the conveyance path. The fixing device stops a driving of a heating source and stops a rotation of a fixing belt when the first sensor does not detect the sheet passing properly. The fixing device stops the driving of the heating source and stops the rotation of the fixing belt after a predetermined period when the second sensor do not detect the sheet passing properly.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless first rotator, a second rotator configured to contact and press the first rotator, a heater configured to heat the first rotator, a heater support, and a thermal equalizer contacting the first rotator to uniform a temperature distribution in an axial direction of the first rotator. The heater support supports the heater by a clearance fit.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt to rotate about rollers, including a heat roller. A pressure roller presses the endless belt against the heat roller. A cooling device is located adjacent a portion of the endless belt, that moves from the heat roller to the tension roller. The endless belt has a cutout, and the heat roller directly contacts the pressure roller through the cutout, when the cutout of the endless belt is located between the pressure roller and the heat roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including a casing, a toner cartridge, and a process cartridge, is provided. The toner cartridge detachably attached to the casing stores toner therein. The process cartridge detachably attached to the casing includes a developing unit and a drum unit. The developing unit includes a developer roller and a toner conveyer tube. The toner conveyer tube has a first opening, through which the toner from the toner cartridge is acceptable into the toner conveyer tube while the toner cartridge and the process cartridge are attached to the casing. The drum unit includes a photosensitive drum supporting the toner conveyer tube by contacting a circumferential surface of the toner conveyer tube. The developing unit is pivotable with respect to the drum unit with the toner conveyer tube and the drum unit being slidable on each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member, a charging member, a charging voltage applying portion, a developer carrying member, a developing voltage applying portion, a detecting portion, and a controller. In a state in which the charging voltage is applied to the charging member, the controller controls the detecting portion so as to detect whether or not a change amount between a current value detected by the detecting portion when the surface of the image bearing member opposing the developer carrying member before application of the developing voltage passes through an opposing portion where the charging member and the image bearing member are opposed to each other and a current value detected by the detecting portion when the surface of the image bearing member opposing the developer carrying member after the application of the developing voltage passes through the opposing portion is a threshold or more.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor, a charging member, an application unit, and a control unit. An image is formed on the photoreceptor. The charging member is in contact with or close to a surface of the photoreceptor. The application unit applies a voltage to the charging member. The control unit performs control so that a current flowing through the charging member and the photoreceptor becomes a constant current when the photoreceptor is in an unused state, measures a voltage when the constant current flows and stores the measured voltage as a reference voltage, and controls the application unit to apply a voltage obtained by adding correction according to a value indicating a usage amount of the photoreceptor to the reference voltage.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer conveyer, a bearing, a flange, and a developer mover. The developer conveyer is rotatable and configured to convey a developer. The bearing rotatably supports a support shaft of the developer conveyer. The flange is disposed at an end portion of the developer conveyor to regulate a movement of the developer in an axial direction of the developer conveyer. The developer mover is disposed on a surface of the flange facing the bearing and configured to move the developer that enters between the flange and the bearing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a motor, an image formation-transfer section, a switching mechanism, a fixing section, and a controller. The motor generates driving force. The image formation-transfer section state-changes between a first contact state and a first separate state by the driving force. The switching mechanism transmits and cuts off the driving force to the image formation-transfer section. The fixing section includes first and second rotating members, and state-changes between a second contact state and a second separate state by the driving force. The controller controls the motor and the switching mechanism and thereby causes part or all of a first period, in which the fixing section state-changes from the second separate state to the second contact state, and part or all of a second period, in which the image formation-transfer section state-changes from the first separate state to the first contact state, to overlap each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor, a charger, a charge remover, and control circuitry. The charger is configured to charge the photoconductor. The charge remover is configured to remove charge from a surface of the photoconductor by light and electric discharge. The control circuitry is configured to: estimate a surface potential that the photoconductor has after the photoconductor is charged by the charger, based on a characteristic value of the photoconductor and a value of a current flowing through the charger after the charge remover removes charge from the photoconductor; and control a charging bias applied to the charger, based on the surface potential estimated.

Abstract: A fixing device to fix an unfixed toner image to the sheet includes a fixing belt, a guide plate, a support member and a pressing roller. The fixing belt has endless shape and rotates with a conveyance of the sheet. The guide plate guides the fixing belt from an inside of the fixing belt so as to rotate. The support member supports the fixing belt along a conveyance path of the sheet from the inside. The pressing roller presses the fixing belt on the support member from an outside of the fixing belt. The fixing belt has a belt width wider than a guide width of the guide plate in a rotational axial direction of the fixing belt. Both end edges of the guide plate in the rotational axial direction are formed to have a shape containing a shape not parallel to a rotational direction of the fixing belt.

Abstract: When a first roller is in an operation state, a driving device displaces a second displacement member in a first direction. This displaces a second locking portion of a slide portion to a position to lock a first projection portion of a first roller support member and a second projection portion of a second roller support member, while a first displacement member is held at a first position. The driving device further displaces the second displacement member in a second direction and stops the second displacement member. This allows the first displacement member to be displaced from the first position to a second position, and the second displacement member is further displaced and stopped at a position where the second projection portion is inserted in the recessed portion of the slide portion. This allows a second roller to enter an operation state.

Abstract: Provided is a fixing member for electrophotography having excellent toner releasability even when used for a long time period. The fixing member includes a base layer, an elastic layer, and a surface layer in the stated order. The surface layer contains a fluorine resin and a fluorine oil having a perfluoropolyether structure. The mass P11 of an adhered substance including the fluorine oil, adhered in the unit area of the detection surface of a QCM sensor when a measurement sample collected from the surface layer is subjected to a predetermined treatment (i), is 1.0×102 ng or more and 1.0×104 ng or less, and the mass P12 of an adhered substance including the fluorine oil, adhered in the unit area of the detection surface of the QCM sensor when the sample is subjected to a predetermined treatment (ii), is 0.5×P11 or more and 1.2×P11 or less.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: an endless fixing belt; a pad unit and a driven roller disposed opposite to an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt so as to entrain the fixing belt; a pair of first supports located so as to sandwich the fixing belt in a width direction of the fixing belt, the pair of first supports supporting the pad unit by fixing the pad unit; and a pair of second supports located so as to sandwich the pair of first supports in the width direction of the fixing belt, the pair of second supports rotatably journaling the driven roller.

Abstract: A heater includes an insulator substrate, a heat generating section in which a plurality of divided regions are formed in a longitudinal direction on a first surface of the insulator substrate, electrodes formed at both end portions of the heat generating section to correspond to the plurality of divided regions, and electric conductors connected to at least one of the electrodes and formed over a surface different from the first surface of the insulator substrate.

Abstract: A development cartridge is provided. The development cartridge includes a toner container, having a first air vent and a second air vent, to accommodate a toner, a developing portion to receive the toner from the toner container and having a developing roller installed therein, a toner refilling portion, connected to an end of the toner container in a longitudinal direction, to provide the toner container with a passage for refilling the toner, a filter installed in the first air vent to reduce leakage of the toner, and a pressure releasing member to communicate with the toner container via the second air vent and being transformable in a contracted state and an expanded state to expand a volume of the toner container, wherein the first air vent is formed at a position farther from the toner refilling portion than the second air vent.

Abstract: A rotation member support configuration supports a roller and applies pressure in a direction orthogonal to the rotational axis line of the roller, using a spring attached around a bearing. The spring includes two coils differing from each other in twisting direction and connected at an angle formed with respect to a coil axis line direction.