Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable image heating member for heating an image on a recording material; a pressing member for forming a nip, with the image heating member, in which the recording material is nipped and conveyed; heating means for heating a part of the image heating member; drive means for rotationally driving the image heating member; contacting-and-separating means for contacting and separating said image heating member and said pressing member relative to each other; standby control means for heating said image heating member in a predetermined period, while said image heating member is rotated, in a state of separation between said image heating member and said pressing member during standby; and pressing operation control means for contacting said image heating member and said pressing member, wherein when an image forming signal is inputted in the predetermined period during the standby, said image heating member and said pressing member are contacted after heating of said imag

Abstract: A developing device including a first developing roller and a roller drive mechanism is disclosed. The first developing roller comprises a tubular sleeve, on the surface of which developer is supplied, and a magnetic roller that comprises a drawing magnetic pole for drawing developer and a peel-off magnetic pole for peeling off developer, both of which are arranged on the inner circumference of the sleeve. The drawing magnetic pole is arranged to be adjacent to and upstream of the peel-off magnetic pole in the first rotational direction, in which the magnetic roller rotates during an image forming operation. The roller drive mechanism rotates the magnetic roller in the first rotational direction during the image forming operation, and can rotate the magnetic roller in a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has: an intermediate transfer member to which a toner image developed on a photosensitive material is transferred while the intermediate transfer member rotates plural times; a transfer roller that is provided to be able to move into contact with and apart from the intermediate transfer member and transfers the toner image on the intermediate transfer member to a paper sheet while conveying the paper sheet pressed to the intermediate transfer member; a grooved cam having different grooves formed respectively in front and back surfaces of the grooved cam. A link mechanism for color image printing and a link mechanism for monochrome printing are reciprocated independently from each other, with ends of the link mechanism engaged respectively in the grooves of the grooved cam, thereby to control contact and separation of the transfer roller and the intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is operable with a first sheet processing device and a second sheet processing device connected to the image forming apparatus via a network. The image forming apparatus includes a memory configured to store a control program for the first and second sheet processing devices; and a controller configured to exercise control so that the control program stored in the memory is transmitted to the first sheet processing device or the second sheet processing device. When the first and second sheet processing devices are of the same type, the controller transmits the control program to either the first sheet processing device or the second sheet processing device, and after completion of the transmission, the controller causes the sheet processing device to which the control program has been transmitted to transmit the control program to the other sheet processing device.

Abstract: A development device includes a plurality of soft members, wherein at least one of the plurality of soft members has an end portion having a shape section of which width is smaller toward a tip end of the end portion; and wherein the end portion is placed on another one of the soft members.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus including a belt-shaped image bearing member; a first transfer member which abuts on the outer peripheral surface of the image bearing member; a second transfer member which abuts on an inner peripheral surface of the image bearing member; transfer electric field forming unit; a bending member which bends the image bearing member from the outer peripheral surface toward the inner peripheral surface on a downstream side of the transfer portion in a traveling direction of the image bearing member; a conductive member in which an electric field is formed with the bending member; and voltage applying unit which applies a voltage having a polarity opposite to the toner to the conductive member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image carrying member, on a surface of which an electrostatic latent image is formed, and a charging roll that is in contact with the image carrying member to charge the surface of the image carrying member to a prescribed potential. The charging roll has, in non-image forming areas in both end parts in an axial direction of the charging roll, large diameter parts having a larger outer diameter than an outer diameter of a center part of the charging roll, and small diameter parts having a smaller outer diameter than the outer diameter of the center part inside the large diameter parts in the axial direction. Differences in outer diameter of the large diameter part and the small diameter part from the outer diameter of the center part each is approximately 0.25% or less of the outer diameter of the center part.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a pair of opposing covers; a recording part that forms an image on a sheet; a feed roller that feeds the sheet to the recording part; and a discharge roller that discharges the sheet on which the image is formed by the recording part. The recording part and at least one roller of the feed roller and the discharge roller are supported with the pair of the opposing covers.

Abstract: A support device for use in an image forming apparatus includes a process cartridge and an apparatus main body. The process cartridge further includes an image carrier, at least one sub unit, and a cartridge-side fitting portion. The at least one sub unit includes a rotational member having a driven shaft. The apparatus main body further includes an apparatus-main-body-side fitting portion and a driving device. The driving device is provided with a drive shaft, and is configured to drive the rotational member. With the support device, the drive shaft is radially positioned at one support point along an axial direction thereof in the driving device before installing the process cartridge into the apparatus main body. In addition, the drive shaft is radially positioned at the one support point and a connecting point between the driven shaft and the driven shaft after installing the process cartridge into the apparatus main body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, an image carrier unit configured to move along a first direction between a first position and a second position in the housing and to hold image carriers, developing cartridges configured to be removably mounted in the image carrier unit, and an exposure unit disposed in the housing and for generating light to irradiate each image carrier. Each developing cartridge includes a developer carrier for supplying developer to the image carrier, a case configured to contain the developer and having a support portion for supporting the developer carrier at a first side of the case and a pair of sidewalls facing each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and an urging mechanism disposed at a second side of the case opposite to the first side for contacting the exposure unit when the image carrier unit is in the first position.