Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, an image forming apparatus is equipped with a conveyance device configured to include a rotatable first pulley and a rotatable second pulley arranged side by side, a belt hung on a first pulley and a second pulley and a conveyance roller connected with the belt on the outer periphery of the first pulley and rotating together with the belt, and sandwich and convey a recording medium at a nip part between the conveyance roller and the belt. The axis of the second pulley of the conveyance device is rotated by the rotating mechanism by taking the axis of the first pulley as a fulcrum.

Abstract: Provided is a contact member that comes in contact with an inner surface of a cylindrical member being rotated to press against the inner surface, is supported within the cylindrical member, is provided along the inner surface when viewed in an axial direction of the cylindrical member while being supported by the cylindrical member, has an arc shape in which both ends thereof face each other, and has first thin-wall regions which are respectively formed at both ends thereof in a circumferential direction to have thicknesses lower than thicknesses of other regions.

Abstract: A modular system is designed to interface cell cultures to a shock tube (simulated blast) and/or drop tower (simulated blunt impact) for testing of helmet and helmet pad materials for mitigating cell injury. It includes a set of layers including helmet material, optionally helmet pad, simulated skin, simulated skull, and simulated bulk brain tissue.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes an image forming section that forms an image layer on a recording medium by supplying and fixing a toner based on image information, a winding section that winds the recording medium on which the image layer is formed by the image forming section, an extraction section that extracts step portion which is formed at end portion of the image layer based on the image information, and an adjustment layer forming section that forms an adjustment layer which suppresses the step portion that is extracted by the extraction section on the recording medium.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable fixing member, a pressing member to contact the fixing member with pressure to form a nip between the pressing member and the fixing member, an induction heating unit serving as a heating source to heat the fixing member, and a conductive wire drawn out of the induction heating unit to be disposed outside the cover member through a hole provided substantially at a center of the cover member in a longitudinal direction of the induction heating unit. The induction heating unit includes an excitation coil, a coil holder to hold the excitation coil, and a cover member provided facing the coil holder with the coil holder interposed between the cover member and the fixing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body, endless belt, photosensitive drums, setting unit, contacting/separating mechanism, transmitting mechanism, and coupling members. The photosensitive drums are disposed in confrontation with the endless belt and are arranged in a first direction. Each photosensitive drum has an axis extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The setting unit sets the image forming apparatus to a monochrome mode or color mode. The contacting/separating mechanism controls at least one photosensitive drum to contact or separate from the endless in accordance with the set mode. The transmitting mechanism selectively transmits drive power to photosensitive drums. Each coupling member is selectively coupled to the corresponding photosensitive drum and has a coupling axis extending in the second direction.

Abstract: A developer container includes an accommodating portion accommodating developer and is provided with an opening, a shutter member for opening and closing the opening, a projection for moving the shutter member, and a guiding portion for guiding the projection. When the projection is pushed in a pushing direction, the projection is moved in a direction different from the pushing direction by being guided by the guiding portion in contact with the guiding portion and thereafter is moved in the pushing direction, thereby to move the shutter member to open the opening.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a transfer member, and a power source. The image bearer includes a plurality of layers. The transfer member forms a transfer nip between the image bearer and the transfer member. The power source outputs a transfer bias to transfer a toner image from the image bearer onto a recording sheet in the transfer nip. The transfer bias alternates between a transfer-side bias that causes the toner image to move from the image bearer to the recording sheet, and an opposite-side bias different from the transfer-side bias. A duty ratio of a time period, during which the opposite-side bias is output, relative to one cycle of a waveform, is greater than 50%.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member that fixes a toner image to a recording medium, a pressure member that forms, together with the fixing member, a pressure portion through which the recording medium carrying the toner image yet to be fixed passes, and a heating member including a heating layer that generates heat when energized and an insulating layer that encloses the heating layer so as to electrically insulate the heating layer. The heating member has a curved shape along an inner peripheral surface of the fixing member, in a state in which no external force is applied, and is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the fixing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a measuring unit configured to measure a plurality of measurement images, the plurality of measurement images including a first measurement image and second measurement images; a generation unit configured to generate a conversion condition based on second measurement data corresponding to the second measurement images; a first determination unit configured to determine an execution condition based on first measurement data corresponding to the first measurement image; and a second determination unit configured to determine a light intensity based on the first measurement data. A subsequent timing when the plurality of measurement images are to be formed is determined based on the execution condition, and an exposure unit updates the set light intensity to the light intensity determined by the second determination unit when the plurality of measurement images are formed at the subsequent timing.

Abstract: An image hearing apparatus includes: a rotatable heating member; a rotatable collecting member; a cleaning unit including a cleaning web; a moving mechanism configured to move the cleaning unit between a first position where the cleaning web contacts the rotatable collecting member and a second position where the cleaning web contacts the rotatable collecting member at a contact pressure lower than a contact pressure at the first position; and an urging portion. The cleaning unit also includes a first pressing potion configured to press the rotatable collecting member toward the rotatable heating member in contact with the rotatable collecting member when the cleaning unit is in the first position, and includes a second pressing portion configured to press the rotatable collecting member toward the rotatable heating member in contact with the urging portion without contacting the rotatable collecting member when the cleaning unit is in the second position.

Abstract: A fixing device fixes a toner to a recording medium. The fixing device includes a rotary member, a bearing, and a bearing holder. The rotary member is rotatable about an axis of rotation of the rotary member. The bearing is disposed around an end part of the rotary member. The bearing holder holds the bearing. The bearing has an outer circumferential surface with a flat portion and a bearing groove. The bearing groove has a bottom surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface. The first side surface of the bearing groove is capable of being in contact with the bearing holder. The second side surface of the bearing groove is capable of being in contact with the bearing holder. The bearing holder is engaged with the bearing groove such as to be in contact with the first and second side surfaces of the bearing groove.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an electrostatic latent image holding member, a charging device, a latent image forming device, a developing device that stores a liquid developer containing a toner and a non-volatile carrier liquid, and develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the electrostatic latent image holding member by the liquid developer to form a toner image, a transfer device that transfers the toner image onto a surface of an impermeable recording medium, and a fixing device, wherein when the SP value of the toner is set as SP(t), the SP value of the non-volatile carrier liquid is set as SP(c), and the SP value of the recording medium is set as SP(m), an absolute value of a difference between SP(t) and SP(c) is from 1.5 to 7.0 and the following relational expression (A) is satisfied: |SP(c)?SP(m)|>|SP(t)?SP(m)|.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium includes a first photoconductor on which a first intermediate image of a first color is formed; a second photoconductor on which a second intermediate image of a second color is formed, the second color being different from the first color; first and second light sources configured to emit light to the first and second photoconductors, respectively; a light source control unit configured to control the first light source to emit light according to a light emission control signal; a conveyance control signal generation unit configured to generate a conveyance control signal based on the light emitted from the first light source according to the light emission control signal; and a conveyance unit configured to convey the recording medium based on the conveyance control signal, upon transferring the second intermediate image onto the recording medium.

Abstract: A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a circuit board mounted within a pocket on a first side of a housing of the replaceable unit. The pocket has an opening facing a front of the housing to permit an electrical connector of the image forming device to enter the pocket and mate with the circuit board. A first guide wall and a second guide wall are each positioned outside the pocket on the first side closer to the front than the opening. The first and second guide walls each include an inclined surface that inclines outward from the first side of the housing in a direction from the front to a rear of the housing to move the electrical connector of the image forming device toward the circuit board during insertion of the replaceable unit into the image forming device.

Abstract: A toner container that is detachably attached to a main body of an image forming apparatus such that a longitudinal direction of the toner container is parallel to a horizontal direction includes: a cylindrical container body that has an opening on one end thereof in the longitudinal direction, and is configured to convey toner contained therein toward the opening; a cap portion into which the opening of the container body is inserted, and which includes a toner outlet at a bottom portion thereof for discharging toner discharged from the opening of the container body to the outside of the toner container in a vertically downward direction; and a shutter member that is held on the bottom portion of the cap portion, and moves along an outer periphery of the cap portion to thereby open and close the toner outlet, wherein the cap portion is formed by integral molding.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless belt, a heater, a first temperature sensor, and a second temperature sensor. The endless belt is configured to circularly move about a rotational axis extending in an axial direction. The endless belt has a center portion and end portions in the axial direction, and defines an internal space and an outer peripheral surface. The heater is configured to heat the endless belt. The first temperature sensor is positioned at the center portion and in the internal space. The second temperature sensor is positioned at one of the end portions and facing the outer peripheral surface.

Abstract: A toner container which is a powder container includes a container body that stores toner which is powder; a nozzle receiver having a nozzle insertion opening which is a nozzle insertion opening through which a powder conveying nozzle of a powder conveying device is inserted in the container body; and an elastic sheet which is an elastic sheet member that blocks the nozzle insertion opening and is elastically deformed so that the powder conveying nozzle can pass through when the powder conveying nozzle is inserted. A plurality of elastic sheets is arranged so as to overlap at least partially.

Abstract: A process cartridge includes an image carrying member cartridge and a developing cartridge. The image carrying member cartridge includes a first handle. The developing cartridge includes a second handle. In a state where the developing cartridge is attached to the image carrying member cartridge, a one edge of the first handle is located at substantially the same position as a one edge of the second handle in a direction, and the second handle is spaced apart from the first handle.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable fuser member, a rotatable pressure member, a heater, and a controller. The rotatable fuser member is subjected to heating. The rotatable pressure member is disposed opposite the fuser member. The pressure member presses against the fuser member to form a fixing nip therebetween, through which multiple recording media, each spaced apart from each other by an interval distance in a conveyance direction, are sequentially conveyed at a conveyance speed. The heater is disposed adjacent to the fuser member to heat the fuser member. The controller is operatively connected to the heater to control power supply to the heater through a series of on-off switching control cycles, each including an on-time during which the heater power supply is on, and an off-time during which the heater power supply is off, in synchronization with conveyance of the recording medium.