Abstract: A toner cartridge extends in a longitudinal direction, and is detachably attached to an image drum unit. A memory element is electrically connected to an electrical terminal. The toner cartridge includes a first end portion on which the electrical terminal is disposed and a second end portion longitudinally opposite to the first end portion. An engagement portion is formed on the outer surface of the toner cartridge in the vicinity of the first end portion. When the toner cartridge is attached into the image drum unit, the second end portion engages the image drum unit, and the engagement portion engages the image drum unit such that the toner cartridge is urged against the image drum unit.

Abstract: Provided is a heat device which heats and fixes a developed image onto a recording material while nipping and conveying the recording material bearing the developed image by a nip portion, in which even when a turn-on duty ratio between at least two heat generation members provided to a heat source is switched in a direction in which a maximum amount of possible heat generation is decreased, in order to suppress generation of a fixing failure of the developed image formed on the recording material due to a shortage of electric power, in a case where the turn-on duty ratio of a second heat generation member to a first heat generation member is switched, at a predetermined timing, in a direction in which the maximum amount of possible heat generation is decreased, with respect to the at least two heat generation members provided to the heat source, it is set as a condition that a turn-on ratio of the first heating member at the timing is smaller than a predetermined value.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention can include an image forming apparatus having an image forming portion configured to form an image using developer, a recovery portion configured to recover the developer, a accommodating portion having a first chamber for accommodating developer recovered by the recovery portion, a second chamber which is connected to the first chamber and has a groove, a partition member positioned between the first chamber and the second chamber and which is movable by a pressure of the developer deposited in the first chamber, and a sensing portion having two positions for sensing developer deposited in the groove.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an ink image forming section, an irradiation section, an intermediate transfer section, a transfer section, a recoding medium feed section and a discharge section. When forming an image, the ink image forming section is irradiated with light by the irradiation section according to image information transmitted from an external device to form an electrostatic latent image, and the ink image forming section feeds an ink to the obtained electrostatic latent image to form an ink image. The ink image obtained is intermediately transferred to the intermediate transfer section, and then transferred to a recording medium by the transfer section. The recording medium is fed to the transfer section by the recording medium feed section, and after the ink image is transferred, the recording medium is discharged to an outside of the image forming apparatus by the discharge section.

Abstract: A roller member includes a cylindrical core bar. The roller member is rotatably supported at both ends, and forms a nip, to which a recording medium is conveyed, by making a contact with another member. The core bar satisfies 1.0??D/D1×100?3.0, where D1 is an outer diameter of the core bar in millimeters and ?D is an outer diameter deformation value of a convey direction in millimeters.

Abstract: A belt member faces a plurality of carrying bodies that respectively carry toner images or developers. A plurality of facing members respectively faces the carrying bodies via the belt member. A detaching unit brings at least one of the facing members to face a corresponding carrying body and detaches other facing members from other carrying bodies. A contacting member contacts the belt member to detach the belt member from the other carrying bodies when the detaching unit detaches the other facing members from the other carrying bodies.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which forms a toner image on a transfer material, including: an image carrier which carries a toner image; a transfer section which transfers the toner images carried on the image carrier onto a transfer material; and a guide section having paired guide surfaces whose guide surfaces guide the transfer material to a transfer position of the transfer section while supporting the transfer material in between; wherein an end of one of the paired guide surfaces, which is closer to the image carrier than another one of the paired guide surfaces, has an elastic extension guide member, and a tear resistance of an leading portion of the elastic extension guide member is greater than the tear resistance of other portions of the elastic extension guide member.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for checking for a disconnection, with respect to an image forming apparatus including electrical loads and voltage generating circuits that generate voltages that are applied to the electrical loads, by determining if the voltage generating circuits and electrodes that are electrically connected to the electrical loads are normally connected.

Abstract: A developer camming apparatus connected to a developer unit, including a slide, a motor, and an encoder, wherein the encoder determines a distance a developer unit is from the photoreceptor, wherein the encoder allows the developer unit to be sufficiently close to effect application of toner to the photoreceptor from the developer unit, but also does not allow the developer unit to contact the photoreceptor during a print job.

Abstract: An image forming device includes an image forming arrangement including a medium passage and motor, and a temperature detecting unit. A supplying control unit allows supply of a recording medium in the medium passage responsive to an image-forming signal, and prevents supply of a recording medium in the passage responsive to a warm-up signal. A warm-up control unit controls the motor to drive, responsive to the warm-up signal, at a first speed if a detected temperature is least a first temperature, and a second speed lower than the first speed if the detected temperature detected is lower than the first temperature. An image forming control unit controls the motor to drive, responsive to the image-forming signal, at a third speed if the detected temperature is at least a second temperature, and a fourth speed lower than the third speed if the detected temperature is lower than the second temperature.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus includes, for each of liquid developers of plural colors, a photosensitive member, a developing roller, an agitating device that agitates a liquid developer having a viscosity characteristic dependent on a shearing force, and a developer supplying unit that supplies the liquid developer to the developing roller. In development, agitation start timing is varied depending on the color of the liquid developer.

Abstract: There is provided a charging member cleaning roller including: a core body; and an elastic layer that is provided on a peripheral surface of the core body and includes a polyurethane foam obtained from at least a polyester polyol, a foam stabilizer, and a catalyst. Moreover, there is provided a charging member cleaning roller including: a core body; and an elastic layer that is provided on a peripheral surface of the core body and includes a urethane foam having an open-cell structure, a resilience of approximately 15% to 30%, and a hardness of approximately 150N to 230N.

Abstract: A toner cartridge and a developing unit are used in an image forming apparatus. The toner cartridge includes a toner chamber, an inner shutter, and an outer shutter. The toner chamber holds toner therein and has an opening through which the toner is discharged into the developing unit. The inner shutter is disposed in the toner chamber and is rotatable relative to the toner chamber to close and open the opening. The outer shutter has an engagement portion, is mounted to an outer surface of the toner chamber, and is movable either to a closing position where said outer shutter closes the opening or to an opening position where the outer shutter opens the opening. When the toner cartridge is moved into the developing unit, the engagement portion is guided in a guide groove formed in the developing unit to move relative to the toner chamber from the closing position to the opening position.

Abstract: A surface of a discharge electrode of an ion generating device of the present invention, other than a surface in contact with a dielectric body, is coated with a protective layer made of a metal that is gold or a combination of gold and nickel. This allows the ion generating device to generate ions evenly and stably, and to have a longer life.

Abstract: A charging apparatus which is excellent in charging uniformity and thus allows a to-be-charged body to be charged uniformly and in which the generation of discharge products can be reduced, is provided. In the charging apparatus, ions are generated under the difference in electrical potential between the discharge electrode and the induction electrode produced in the ion generating section. The generated ions are caused to flow toward the counter electrode, whereupon the to-be-charged body arranged between the ion generating section and the counter electrode is charged.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device to fix a toner image on a recording medium by applying heat. Such a fixing device includes at least a magnetic flux generator, a heat generating roller, a magnetic shunt layer, and a protective layer. The magnetic flux generator is configured to generate magnetic flux. The heat generating roller including a heat generating layer is configured to generate heat by the magnetic flux. The magnetic shunt layer may be formed independently of the heat generating layer. The protective layer is provided on an inner surface of the magnetic shunt layer and configured to cover a crack formed in the magnetic shunt layer during fabrication of the magnetic shunt layer. An image is fixed onto the recording medium by the heat from the heat generating roller. Alternatively, the magnetic shunt layer may be integrally provided with the heat generating layer.

Abstract: A fuser assembly is provided comprising first and second fuser structures, drive apparatus and nip engagement and release apparatus. The first fuser structure comprises a heated rotatable member and first structure for supporting the heated rotatable member. The second fuser structure comprises a rotatable backup member positioned adjacent the heated rotatable member and second structure for supporting the backup member. The rotatable backup member is adapted to define a nip with the heated member. The drive apparatus is associated with one of the heated rotatable member and the backup member for effecting rotation of the one member in a selected first direction or a second direction.

Abstract: For an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier (31b), besides an operation forming an “image forming electrostatic latent image” used to form the primary image, an operation is executed that forms an “electrostatic latent image for removing developer” for removing developer that resides on a developer supply member (53a) for a predetermined time period onto the image carrier (31b). Thus, developer is nearly eliminated from residing on this developer supply member (53a) in an overcharged state for a long period of time, and generation of a fogged image is avoided as much as possible.

Abstract: In a charging device of the present invention, with reference to a state (movement speed of a charging receiving material, operating period of charging device) in which the charging device is used which state is obtained by an image formation controlling section, a voltage controlling section sets or changes an applied voltage to be applied between a discharge electrode and an inductive electrode. Accordingly, even in a case where discharge is hard to occur, a necessary amount of ions can be supplied stably.

Abstract: A maintenance system for image forming apparatuses, which make it possible to acquire appropriate maintenance information even when an exceptional trouble has occurred in an image forming apparatus, to thereby reduce maintenance time and maintenance costs. When an abnormal image occurs in an image forming apparatus connected to a host computer via a network, the image forming apparatus transmits image data of the abnormal image together with supplementary information. The host computer receives the abnormal image data and the supplementary information, and adds these to a database in an HDD. When a transmission request is received from the image forming apparatus, the host computer transmits abnormal image data and supplementary information stored in the HDD to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus receives the abnormal image data and the supplementary information, and displays these on a display unit.