Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, and a visible image forming unit that forms a developer image. The visible image forming unit includes a first unit, a second unit detachably mounted to the apparatus main body, and a third unit. An image forming apparatus further includes a first mechanism that causes the first unit and the second unit to move toward or away from each other, a moving member that moves the first mechanism, and a second mechanism that causes the second unit and the third unit to move toward or away from each other in conjunction with a movement of the first mechanism.

Abstract: A toner case includes a main body, a cover, a rotating member, an agitating member, a protrusion arrangement part and a depression arrangement part. The main body has a first wall, a second wall, a third wall, a fourth wall, a bottom board, an opening at an upper side and a toner discharge port discharging a toner stored inside to an outside. The protrusion arrangement part is formed on one of an upper face facing upward formed in the first or second wall and a lower face facing to the upper face formed in the cover. The protrusion arrangement part has a plurality of protrusions arranged in the direction from the third wall to the fourth wall. The depression arrangement part is formed on another of the upper and lower faces. The depression arrangement part has a plurality of depressions, into which the protrusions insert, arranged in the direction.

Abstract: An attachment structure for operation panel unit includes an operation panel unit 16 with keys 20a to 20c operated by a user, a main body 2 to which the operation panel unit 16 is attached and an outer covering 6 that is attached to the main body 2 so as to cover the operation panel unit 16. The operation panel unit 16 is attached to the main body 2 in such a way that the operation panel unit 16 can slide with respect to the main body 2, in a direction intersecting an attaching direction of the outer covering 6 to the main body 2. When the outer covering 6 is attached to the main body 2 in a state in which the operation panel unit 16 is attached to the main body 2, sliding of the operation panel unit 16 is restricted.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including: a formation unit that forms an image using a color material, on a medium; a fusing unit that fixes the image formed on the medium; and a control unit that controls to perform both of a first fusing and a second fusing on the medium, wherein the first fusing is a fixation in which a first image is formed by using a color material with a metallic color and the first image formed is fixed, the second fusing is a fixation in which a second image is formed by using a color material with another color than the metallic color and the second image formed is fixed, and the first image and the second image are overlapped.

Abstract: To provide a fixing member, which contains a base, and a polyorganosiloxane layer provided on the base, where the polyoranosiloxane layer contains polyoranosiloxane including a silicon atom bonded to three or four oxygen atoms, and wherein the fixing member is designed to be used in a process for heating a toner image on a recording medium to fix the toner image onto the recording medium.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a fixing belt that heats a recording medium with a toner image transferred thereon to fix the toner image to the recording medium; a heater unit for heating the fixing belt; and a tension roller that suspends the fixing belt in a rotatable manner. This fixing device is constructed such that the heater unit is extended in the direction of the belt width that is perpendicular to the rotational direction of the fixing belt and includes a planar heat generator that generates heat by supplying electricity, a heat transfer member arranged in contact with both the planar heat generator and the fixing belt and a reinforcing member for fixing the heat transfer member while the heat transfer member is joined to the reinforcing member.

Abstract: An image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing having an access door manually movable between a closed position and an open position. A carriage is mounted on an inner portion of the access door. A first roll is rotatably mounted to the carriage and forms a nip with a second member positioned in the interior of the housing when the access door is closed. The first roll is spaced away from the second member when the access door is open. The carriage is free to move relative to the access door and is biased away from the access door toward the second member. A clamping assembly is configured to clamp the first roll against the second member to form the nip as the access door is closed and unclamp the first roll from the second member as the access door is opened.

Abstract: A developing device is capable of preventing developing agent from leaking from a developing frame of a developer cartridge. The developer cartridge includes a developing agent carrying member including a rubber roller, a first seal including a first fluffing member, and a second seal including a second base member and a second fluffing member fixed thereto. The second base member and the second fluffing member have downstream end portions in a rotational direction of the developing agent carrying member. The downstream end portion of the second base member is positioned upstream of the downstream end portion of the second fluffing member. The downstream end portion of the second fluffing member is nipped between the first fluffing member and the rubber roller.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt and an opposed rotary body contacting an outer circumferential surface of the belt. A nip formation pad contacting a first part of an inner circumferential surface of the belt presses against the opposed rotary body via the belt to form a fixing nip between the belt and the opposed rotary body through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A heat conductor disposed opposite a second part of the inner circumferential surface of the belt not contacted by the nip formation pad is interposed between a heater and the belt to conduct heat from the heater to the belt. A reflector disposed inside the loop formed by the belt reflects light from the heater toward the heat conductor. The reflector and the heat conductor surround the heater.

Abstract: A developer conveying device includes a housing, a developer conveyance path and a conveying member. The developer conveyance path extends between the pair of wall portions of the housing. The conveying member conveys developer from one wall portion toward the other. The conveying member includes a spiral member, shaft portions, a rib member, a supporting member and a projecting portion. The spiral member is formed by connecting spiral pieces in a conveying direction of the developer and includes a hollow interior formed by the connected spiral pieces. The rib member extends in the conveying direction and bridges adjacent ones of the spiral pieces of the spiral member. The supporting member connects an end part of the rib member in the conveying direction and the shaft portion. The projecting portion projects from the end part of the rib member more toward the wall portion than the supporting member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a lubricant applying member located opposite a contact portion of a cleaning blade with an image bearing member below in the vertical direction, an opposed position of the lubricant applying member opposite the contact portion of the cleaning blade with the image bearing member below in the vertical direction being located upstream of a contact position of the lubricant applying member with a cleaning member in the rotational direction of the lubricant applying member, and a carrying member configured to carry the toner removed from the lubricant applying member, the carrying member being disposed at a position on a tangent to an outer circumference of the lubricant applying member at a contact position with the cleaning member and on a vertical line extending from a contact position of the lubricant applying member with a solid lubricant member.

Abstract: An image forming device comprising a fixing unit for thermally fixing a developer on a recording sheet, a control unit that controls the temperature to maintain the fixing unit at one of a fixing temperature and a stand-by temperature lower than the fixing temperature, and a transport unit that transports the recording sheet to the fixing unit, wherein, when the temperature of the fixing unit has dropped from the fixing temperature to the stand-by temperature, and a printing command is received, the control unit controls the transport unit so as to set a stand-by time to wait before starting to transport the recording sheet after the printing command is received as a second time interval, which is longer than a first time interval of time required for the temperature of the fixing unit to reach the fixing temperature based on information relating to the current temperature of the fixing unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a covering/not-covering member that is supported by an apparatus body so as to be movable between a not-covered position and a covered position; a transporting member that is mountable on and removable from the covering/not-covering member; a positioning member provided at the apparatus body; and an engaging member provided at the covering/not-covering member, the engaging member moving as the transporting member is moved relative to the covering/not-covering member by the positioning member, to engage an engage member and hold the covering/not-covering member at the covered position.

Abstract: A developer storage container includes a developer storage portion in which a developer is stored, the developer storage portion having a wall, a rotating body rotatably provided in the developer storage portion, and an agitating plate that engages the rotating body and agitates the developer at least in the vicinity of the wall.

Abstract: A method for fixing toner onto a receiver medium includes depositing a pattern of toner onto a surface of the receiver medium. A liquid-blocking barrier is provided that has a first surface and a second surface that is impermeable to a heating liquid. The surface of the receiver medium is brought into contact with the first surface of the liquid-blocking barrier. The heating liquid is brought into contact with the second surface of the liquid-blocking barrier. The heating liquid is at a temperature greater than the toner glass transition temperature. Heat is transferred through the liquid-blocking barrier from the heating liquid to the toner, thereby raising the temperature of the toner to a temperature above the toner glass transition temperature.

Abstract: A developing device includes a first developer carrier that carries developer on a peripheral surface thereof; a second developer carrier that carries the developer on a peripheral surface thereof; a supplying section that supplies the developer to the peripheral surface of the first developer carrier; a layer thickness regulating member that regulates a layer thickness of the developer supplied to the peripheral surface of the first developer carrier by the supplying section; a first transfer magnetic pole disposed in an interior of the first developer carrier; a second transfer magnetic pole disposed in an interior of the second developer carrier; a first downstream magnetic pole disposed in the interior of the first developer carrier; and a second downstream magnetic pole disposed in the interior of the second developer carrier.

Abstract: A rotating body for use in an image forming apparatus has an outer surface in which one or more grooves are formed. The one or more grooves are oriented at an angle greater than 0° and less than 90° with respect to a longitudinal direction of the rotating body.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a coil provided along an outer surface of a heating member to generate a magnetic flux for induction heating, a coil holding portion on which the coil is mounted, a core portion that forms a magnetic path around the coil and that includes arch cores that cover an outer side of the coil and are disposed opposite the heating member with the coil interposed therebetween and at a plurality of positions spaced in a recording-medium width direction and a side core that covers the outer side of the coil between the arch cores and the coil holding portion, and a core fixing member that presses the core portion toward the coil holding portion via an elastic member. The core portion is fixed in the pressing state to the coil holding portion by fastening the core fixing member to the coil holding portion.

Abstract: Provided is a sliding member having excellent adhesion and slidability suitable for use as a transfer pad in an image forming apparatus. A sliding member (10) includes a porous body (1) that is a sintered body of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) particles and having a surface of the porous body (1) as a sliding surface (5). The sliding surface (5) has a particle occupation ratio of 50% or less, and a surface roughness Ra of 2.0 ?m or less. The sliding member (10) can be obtained by heating the porous body obtained by cutting the sintered body of UHMWPE particles to make the sliding surface (5) smoother than before the heating.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body in which an image forming section that forms an image on a recording material and a drive mechanism that generates a rotational driving force are provided; a fixing section that transports the recording material while receiving the rotational driving force and fixes the image on the recording material, the fixing section being held by the apparatus body at two axial ends thereof; and a transmission mechanism that is provided at one of the two axial ends of the fixing section and is connected to the drive mechanism, the transmission mechanism transmitting the rotational driving force from the drive mechanism to the fixing section. When a pulling force is applied to a recording material that is present in the fixing section, the drive mechanism and the transmission mechanism are disconnected from each other.