Abstract: A cleaning apparatus removes a toner and a paper dust remaining on an intermediate transfer belt. The pressure reducing member includes a fitting hole and an outer peripheral portion. The fitting hole is fitted to a rotation shaft of a rotation roller rotating at which the intermediate transfer belt is stretched. The outer peripheral portion is in a cam shape and has a diameter dimension larger than a diameter of the rotation roller. The outer peripheral portion is located around the fitting hole. The outer peripheral portion includes a first outer peripheral portion and a second outer peripheral portion. The first outer peripheral portion has a predetermined first radius and does not contact the supporting member when not reducing the pressure. The second outer peripheral portion has a predetermined cam radius larger than the first radius. The second outer peripheral portion contacts the supporting member when reducing the pressure.

Abstract: A cartridge includes: a rotational body; a joint member having a first joint-side engagement part configured to be engaged to a rotational body-side engagement part with a predetermined moving range in a rotational direction, and a press member, wherein the joint member has a second joint-side engagement part configured to be engaged with a transfer-side engagement part with central axes of the joint member and the driving force transfer member being substantially matched, and wherein when the second joint-side engagement part is contacted to the driving force transfer member at a position at which the central axes of the joint member and the driving force transfer member are not matched, the joint member is rotated within the predetermined range and the second joint-side engagement part is thus moved, so that the second joint-side engagement part is engaged with the transfer-side engagement part in the rotational direction.

Abstract: The systems, methods and apparatuses described herein provide a chip for a cartridge with dispensable material may be provided. In one aspect, the chip may comprise a non-volatile memory for storing a number tracking amount of dispensable material in the cartridge, a circuit with permanently and irreversibly changeable state and circuit components configured to receive and process a first message, and receive a second message. The first message may comprise a first command and an operation input value for a print job at the cartridge, and to process the first message may comprise decreasing the amount of dispensable material. The second message may comprise a second command to increase the amount of dispensable material. The circuit components may be further configured to ignore the second command if the circuit has permanently and irreversibly changed its state to prevent responding to requests to increase the number tracking amount of dispensable material.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus capable of reducing a downtime for switching between a monochrome image forming mode and a color image forming mode. In the image forming apparatus, images formed by a plurality of image forming stations are transferred in superimposition onto a transfer member. Further, the image forming apparatus controls image formation in each of a first mode of performing image formation using only an image forming station located at the most downstream position in a moving direction of the transfer member among the plurality of image forming stations, and a second mode of performing image formation using the plurality of image forming stations.

Abstract: In an example, a method of wetting a print blanket includes receiving a null cycle trigger during a printing session. The method also includes maintaining printing voltages on a forecast BID (binary ink developer) that has been prepared to print a next color separation onto a photoreceptor, and applying wet null voltages to a non-forecast BID. The method then includes engaging the non-forecast BID with the photoreceptor to transfer fluid other than ink to the photoreceptor during the null cycle.