Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide an induction heating member including a substrate and a heating layer disposed on the substrate. The heating layer includes carbon nanotubes and metal. An outer layer is disposed on the heating layer and includes a fluoropolymer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming mechanism for forming an image, at least one developer container replaceably provided in the image forming apparatus for containing developer, a housing for housing the image forming mechanism and the at least one developer container, and an operation device provided on the housing. The housing includes at least one openable portion opened for replacement of the at least one developer container. The operation device includes an instruction display part for indicating a message prompting opening of the at least one openable portion, and at least one developer-end display part for indicating depletion or near-depletion of the developer contained in any one of the at least one developer container. The at least one developer-end display part and the instruction display part are placed adjacent to each other and are viewable from a front side of the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A cartridge for containing toner material used in an image-forming device according to one example embodiment includes a developer roll, two J-seals that provide interfaces with the developer roll at the ends thereof, and an air duct that conducts airflow across the interfaces to cool the developer roll and seals. The air duct includes an elongated hollow body and a pair of nozzles in fluid communication with the hollow body. One of the nozzles is disposed at a distal end of the developer roll near one J-seal, and the other of the nozzles is disposed at a proximal end of the developer roll near the second J-seal.

Abstract: An image forming device includes: a main body; a plurality of image forming units; a holding unit; and an engagement mechanism. Each of the plurality of image forming units has a developing portion. The holding unit holds the plurality of image forming units. The plurality of image forming units are aligned in the holding unit in a predetermined drawing direction. The holding unit is configured so as to be drawn out in the predetermined drawing direction from a storage position where the holding unit is stored in the main body. The holding unit sequentially reaches a plurality of different drawing positions while moving in the predetermined drawing direction. The plurality of image forming units are sequentially exposed to the outside while the holding unit sequentially reaches the plurality of drawing positions. The engagement mechanism is configured to engage the holding unit with the main body when the holding unit reaches each of the plurality of drawing positions.

Abstract: An aspect of the invention provides an image forming unit that comprises: a developer container configured to contain a developer; and a developer supplier including at least a developer carrier configured to supply the developer, contained in the developer container, to a latent image formed on an image carrier, wherein: the glass transition temperature of a first developer initially contained in the developer supplier is higher than the glass transition temperature of a second developer contained in the developer container; and the glass transition temperature of the first developer is equal to or lower than 75° C.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that forms multicolor toner images superposed on a transfer belt. A sensor is disposed in an image formation region and detects a pattern on the transfer belt. A controller determines, when image data is received, whether or not a region of a toner image based on the image data will be superposed on a region of the pattern. The controller controls the image forming unit to form the toner image based on the image data and the pattern simultaneously on the transfer belt when the controller determines that the region of the toner image based on the image data will not be superposed on the region of the pattern.

Abstract: In a case where a display unit displays a setting screen having a first display area to display a draft graphical image in accordance with draft setting and a second display area to display a finished graphical image in accordance with sheet setting, and a user designates a position to be stapled, a staple region mark is superimposed and displayed on a region corresponding to the position to be stapled in the draft graphical image in accordance with the draft setting, and a staple position mark is superimposed and displayed on a position corresponding to the position to be stapled in the finished graphical image in accordance with the sheet setting.

Abstract: A surface treatment device includes a belt member having a surface layer in which plural kinds of rubbers having a different hardness mixedly exist. In the device, a press/heat unit presses a recording medium with a toner image formed against the belt member such that the toner image contacts with the surface layer, and heats the recording medium to melt at least a surface of the toner image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an image supporting body, a developing device, a cleaning device, an input device, a recycling mechanism, and a controller. The image supporting body is for having a latent image based on image data formed on a surface thereof. The developing device applies a developer to the image supporting body to develop the latent image. The cleaning device eliminates developer remaining on the surface of the image supporting body, after a developer image formed by the developing has been transferred to paper. The input device receives a setting input related to a type of paper for use in image forming. The recycling mechanism transports the developer eliminated by the cleaning device to the developing device as recycled developer. The controller is configured to selectively operate the recycling mechanism based on the type of paper set by the input device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a latent image supporting body configured by a substrate and a covering layer provided on the substrate; and a charging device which is a rotating body configured by an axis member and a charging member provided on the axis member, and which charges the latent image supporting body facing the charging member. In this image forming apparatus, a value, which is obtained by dividing a capacitance [pF] between the axis member in the rotating body and the substrate in the latent image supporting body by the length [mm] in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the surface migration of the charging member, is set to be at least 0.35 [pF/mm], the capacitance being obtained when, instead of the latent image supporting body, the substrate in the latent image supporting body is caused to face the charging member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes image carriers arranged side by side in a preselected direction, developing means each for forming a toner image on one of the image carriers, a drive mechanism for driving in the preselected direction a member to which toner images are to be sequentially transferred from the image carriers one above the other, and image transferring devices each for transferring a toner image from one of the image carriers to the above member. At least during an image forming process, a slip condition is substantially the same throughout all image transfer positions where the image carriers face the member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that performs fixing processing on a sheet having a transferred toner image in smaller area units than the size of the sheet includes an image forming unit that forms a toner image in each predetermined color, a transfer unit that transfers the toner image in each color over a sheet, a detecting unit that detects, for each of the areas, the maximum number of stacked toner images, a determining unit that determines the amount of heat to be applied to the area based on the maximum number of stacked toner images of the area detected by the detecting unit, and a fixing unit that, on each of the areas on the sheet after the transfer processing by the transfer unit, applies the amount of heat determined by the determining unit and fixes a transferred toner image in each color.

Abstract: An operation device displays, in a display unit, an input screen to input setting information on an insertion sheet designated by a user, and sets the insertion sheet based on contents input in the input screen of an insertion sheet setting displayed in the display unit, in a case where a specific sheet designated by the user is set to be inserted as the insertion sheet in a mode to print a plurality of pages of images onto a plurality of sheets, and the operation device further displays, in the display unit, a check screen which displays set contents of the insertion sheet set by a setting unit, in a case where the input of the setting information on the insertion sheet by the user ends in the input screen.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus concurrently conducts alignment of toner images of respective color components on a transfer belt and alignment control of the toner images. In the image forming apparatus of this invention, when a region occupied by a composite toner image that is to be superposed on a transfer unit belt is ensured even excluding a region occupied by a test pattern, and when a predetermined condition to conduct alignment control is met (S505), an alignment control unit executes alignment control concurrently with ordinary composite toner image generation (S506, S507, S508, S503). Thus, the amount of time spent just for alignment control is reduced.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having an image support body configured to support a latent image, a charging member configured to provide a substantially uniform charge to a surface of the image support body and a spacer coupled to the charging member and configured to contact the image support body to maintain a gap between the image support body and the charging member. A cleaning part is configured to clean the surface of the image support body after developer is applied to the image support body and transferred to a recording medium. The cleaning part is configured to satisfy the relationship A+B?C, where A is a width of the effective charging area of the charging member that charges a surface of the image support body, B is a total width of the spacer that contacts the image support body, and C is a width of cleaning part that contacts the image support body.

Abstract: In a case where a display unit displays a setting screen having a first display area to display a draft graphical image in accordance with draft setting and a second display area to display a finished graphical image in accordance with sheet setting, and a user designates a position to be stapled, a staple region mark is superimposed and displayed on a region corresponding to the position to be stapled in the draft graphical image in accordance with the draft setting, and a staple position mark is superimposed and displayed on a position corresponding to the position to be stapled in the finished graphical image in accordance with the sheet setting.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods and devices for configuration-based imaging device accounting wherein costs are calculated based on detailed job parameters derived from job configuration data.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes an endless belt member; at least two support members, for supporting the belt member, disposed inside the belt member; and an induction heating member, for heating the belt member, disposed opposite to an intermediary portion of the belt member extending between the support members. The image heating apparatus heats a recording material carrying thereon an image by heat from the belt member. The image heating apparatus further includes a position change mechanism for changing a position of the belt member so that a gap between the belt member and the induction heating member is different between a portion corresponding to a sheet-passing area of the recording material and a portion corresponding to a non-sheet-passing area of the recording material.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit that forms an image on both surfaces of a recording medium; and a control unit that controls the image forming unit to form an image so that the image expresses information of a user who uses the image forming apparatus or a job, on a rear surface of a recording medium that includes an image of a first page or a last page of the user's job.

Abstract: A mark sensing device of the present invention senses marks formed on a turnable body in a preselected periodic pattern in a direction of movement of the turnable body with light emitted from a light source. A slit mask is formed with slits for splitting the light emitted from the light source. A light receiving portion receives the light thus split and then incident on the mark. The slits of the slit mask each belong to either one of two regions one of which is shifted from the other by one-half of the period of the periodic pattern. The light receiving portion receives the light incident on the mark in each of the two regions and converts the light received to two electric signals. A control signal for controlling the amount of movement of the turnable body is produced from the two electric signals.