Abstract: A developing device includes: a rotating member that passes a developer while rotating to an image holding body on which a latent image is formed; a housing in which a circulation path through which the developer to be supplied to the rotating member circulates and a branch path that is branched from the circulation path and through which a part of the developer is transported are formed; and a wall portion that forms the branch path at a part of the housing and in which an output port from which the developer is output to an outside and an exhaust port from which air in the branch path is output to the outside above the output port are formed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive body, a light source, a deflector to deflect a light beam from the light source, a scanning optical system to image the deflected light beam onto the photoconductive body, a developing unit to supply developer to the photoconductive body, an optical sensor to detect the deflected light beam, a moving mechanism to move the developing unit to a first position and to a second position, and a controller configured to start driving the deflector, when the developing unit is in the second position, the light source to emit the light beam, thereby obtaining a detection signal of the light beam from the optical sensor, and after obtaining the detection signal of the light beam from the optical sensor, control the moving mechanism to move the developing unit to the first position.

Abstract: An image reading device includes an image reader and circuitry. The image reader is configured to read an image on a recording medium. The circuitry is configured to obtain defective image information and defect type information based on the image on the recording medium read by the image reader, and determine an abnormality of the image on the recording medium based on the defective image information and the defect type information.

Abstract: Provided are a counting assembly and a developing box. The counting assembly comprises a counting member for attaching to and detaching from an external counted member; the counting member comprises a rotating member and a toggling member, the rotating member receives driving force from outside to rotate and the toggling member is driven to rotate; the counting assembly further comprises a holding member in contact with the rotating and toggling members. During counting, the rotating member applies a discontinuous acting force to the toggling member through the holding member; when applied with the acting force, the toggling member is kept by the holding member at a static position where the counted member is continuously pressed; when not applied with the acting force, the toggling member rotates under the action of the counter force of the counted member along a direction opposite to the rotating direction of the rotating member.

Abstract: A drum unit includes: a frame; a first photosensitive drum; a second photosensitive drum; a charger; and a storage medium. The frame includes: a first frame plate; a second frame plate spaced apart from the first frame plate in a first direction; a third frame plate connecting one end of the first frame plate to one end of the second frame plate; and a fourth frame plate connecting another end of the first frame plate to another end of the second frame plate. The first photosensitive drum and the second photosensitive drum are rotatably supported by the frame. The second photosensitive drum is spaced apart from the first photosensitive drum and positioned closer to the third frame plate than the first photosensitive drum to the third frame plate in a second direction. The storage medium has an electrical contact surface positioned at an outer surface of the third frame plate.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a main casing; a drum cartridge; a toner cartridge; a display; and a controller. The drum cartridge is attachable to and detachable from the main casing. The drum cartridge includes a photosensitive drum and a drum memory. The toner cartridge is attachable to and detachable from the drum cartridge. The toner cartridge includes a toner memory. The controller is configured to: determine whether an error occurs in the drum cartridge through a communication with the drum memory; determine whether an error occurs in the toner cartridge through a communication with the toner memory; and when determining that an error occurs in the drum cartridge and determining that an error occurs in the toner cartridge, display on the display an error relating to the drum cartridge in preference to displaying on the display an error relating to the toner cartridge.

Abstract: A holding member includes a first side wall portion and a second side wall portion, and a part of a surface of a substrate on a side opposite from a mounting surface and a holding member are fixed to each other by an adhesive. In the first side wall portion, an inserting hole is disposed opposing a corner portion as of the substrate in a widthwise direction of the substrate and also, in the second side wall portion, another inserting hole is disposed opposing another corner portion of the substrate.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt that can bear a toner image includes a first layer and a second layer. The first layer includes a first surface located on an outer peripheral surface side of the first layer. The second layer is provided on a side of the first surface, transmits light, and includes a second surface. The first surface includes first grooves that (i) extend in a first direction in a circumferential direction of the intermediate transfer belt and (ii) are arranged in a width direction of the intermediate transfer belt that is orthogonal to the circumferential direction. The second surface is located on an outer peripheral surface side of the second layer, contacts a toner image, and includes second grooves that extend in a second direction in the circumferential direction. The first grooves includes 80 or more grooves per 1-mm length in the width direction in the first surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a colorant image former; an image holder configured to hold a colorant image formed by the colorant image former and to be rotationally driven; a transfer member configured to transfer the colorant image onto a recording medium, which is transported from an upstream side, by sandwiching the recording medium between the transfer member and the image holder, and rotationally driving the transfer member to transport the recording medium to a downstream side; and a contact-and-separation mechanism configured to relatively contact or separate the image holder and the transfer member, in which, in response to an abnormality being detected, the image forming apparatus operates in a mode in which the contact-and-separation mechanism relatively separates the image holder and the transfer member, and then rotational driving of the transfer member is stopped after rotational driving of the image holder is stopped.

Abstract: A rotatable polygon mirror including a plurality of reflecting surfaces includes first and second surfaces connecting to the reflecting surfaces provided on opposite ends, first and second protrusion portions with an annular shape, provided on the first and second surfaces and protruding inversely to each other in the rotational axis direction, about a rotational axis of the rotatable polygon mirror. A height of a top surface portion of the first protrusion portion from the first surface is higher than that of a top surface portion of the second protrusion portion from the second surface with respect to the rotational axis direction. In a case that the rotatable polygon mirrors are stacked in the rotational axis direction, a wall of an inner peripheral side of the first protrusion portion and a wall of an outer peripheral side of the second protrusion portion are engaged with each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearing members, a transfer unit including an intermediate transfer belt, a plurality of transferring members which sandwich the intermediate transfer belt between the plurality of image bearing members and themselves, a biasing member which biases each of the plurality of transferring members toward the plurality of image bearing members via the intermediate transfer belt, and a frame which supports the intermediate transfer belt, the plurality of transferring members, and the biasing member, and an apparatus main body which supports the plurality of image bearing members and the transfer unit. The apparatus main body includes a supporting portion which supports the transfer unit and a biasing force receiving portion of which a position is between the plurality of transferring members in a moving direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer belt and which is capable of supporting the transfer unit.

Abstract: A printing system includes a printing unit configured to print an image on a sheet, a receiving unit configured to receive an adjustment value from a user, first and second adjustment units, and a control unit. The first adjustment unit conveys the sheet on which the image is printed by the printing unit to a reading apparatus, and performs a first adjustment based on an image read by the reading apparatus. The second adjustment unit performs a second adjustment based on the adjustment value received by the receiving unit. The control unit prevents the first adjustment from being performed for a sheet of a size where the first adjustment is not properly performed among sheets for the printing unit to print an image on. The control unit does not prevent the second adjustment from being performed for the sheet of the size where the first adjustment is not properly performed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is used, which includes: a scanning unit that scans a surface of a photosensitive member with light and forms a latent image according to image data; a developing unit that supplies toner to the latent image to develop the latent image; a fixing unit that heats and fixes the toner image on a recording material; and a control unit that controls a fixing temperature based on the image data, wherein the control unit analyzes a printing ratio by dividing the image data into a plurality of regions in a main scanning direction when the scanning unit scans the surface of the photosensitive member with light, and determines the fixing temperature on the basis of the position in the main scanning direction and the printing ratio for each of the plurality of regions.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging member, an exposure unit, a developing unit including a developing member, a motor, a contact and separation unit, a controller, an acquiring portion for acquiring information on a switching time which is a time required for switching a state of the developing member from a separated state to a contact state by executing a contact operation by the contact and separation unit, and a setting portion for setting, on the basis of the information on the switching time acquired by the acquiring portion, a start timing which is a timing when the contact operation by the contact and separation unit is started in a preparation operation and which is a timing before a region on the photosensitive member exposed to light in a light emission period reaches a developing position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium based on an image forming condition; an image reader configured to read an image for adjustment of the image forming condition, the image for adjustment being formed on the recording medium; and a controller configured to control the image forming unit to form images for adjustment; control the image reader to read the images for adjustment; determine target data based on a reading result of a first image included in reading results of the images for adjustment; and adjust the image forming condition, during execution of a job in which the image forming unit forms a plurality of images on a plurality of recording mediums, based on the target data and a reading result of second image included in the reading results of the images for adjustment.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearers, a plurality of rotation reference position detectors, and circuitry. Each of the plurality of rotation reference position detectors faces a corresponding image bearer of the plurality of image bearers to detect a rotation reference position of the corresponding image bearer. The circuitry performs, before an operation of rotating the plurality of image bearers, alignment control based on a result of detection performed by the plurality of rotation reference position detectors. The alignment control is control of driving of the plurality of image bearers to acquire a given relationship between the respective rotation reference positions of the plurality of image bearers. The circuitry determines whether to perform the alignment control based on whether the operation of rotating the plurality of image bearers is a function maintenance related operation.

Abstract: A print system having an information processing apparatus and a printing apparatus configured to receive a print job from the information processing apparatus and execute printing. The information processing apparatus sets so as to insert a chart sheet on which patches for tone correction have been printed for the print job. In a case where the print job includes a setting to insert the chart sheet, the printing apparatus controls whether or not to insert the chart sheet based on a type of sheet to be used in the print job.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an exposure device configured to perform multiple exposure with a second light-emitting element array of a place exposed with a first light-emitting element array; and a controller configured to transmit a signal for controlling the exposure device. The exposure device sets a first pulse signal for light emission of the first light-emitting element array based on a first delay time and a first pulse width, sets a second pulse signal for light emission of the second light-emitting element array based on a second delay time, different from the first delay time, and a second pulse width, identical to the first pulse width, and starts and terminates light emission of each of the first light-emitting element array and the second light-emitting element array according to the set first pulse signal and second pulse signal.

Abstract: The heater including a substrate, a first heat generation member, a second heat generation member having a length substantially a same in a longitudinal direction as a length of the first heat generation member, a third heat generation member having a length shorter than lengths of the first heat generation member and the second heat generation member in the longitudinal direction, and a fourth heat generation member having a length shorter than length of the third heat generation member in the longitudinal direction, wherein the first heat generation member, the second heat generation member, the third heat generation member and the fourth heat generation member are arranged on the substrate.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a development roll for electrophotographic apparatuses. The development roll for electrophotographic apparatuses includes: a shaft; an elastic layer formed on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft; a surface layer formed on an outer circumferential surface of the elastic layer; and an end protection layer formed on an outer circumferential surface of the surface layer at both ends in an axial direction. The end protection layer contains a binder polymer and a surface modification agent that has a cyano group.