Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with hardware resources used by an image forming process, a storage section which stores one or more programs for carrying out processes of user services and control services related to the image forming process, a network control service which controls a network communication as an arbitrary control service and receives via a network an updating data group including an updating data for at least one of a plurality of programs, and a program starting section which starts the arbitrary control service when the network control service receives the updating data group. In addition, an updating data selection section selects an updating data from the updating data group received by the network control service, based on a program of the control service started by or is startable by the program starting section, and an updating section updates at least one arbitrary program stored in the storage section based on the selected updating data.

Abstract: The invention provides an image forming apparatus including an intermediate transfer belt composed of a resinous material, a transfer member for transferring a toner image on the intermediate transferring belt onto a transfer material, and an opposing member provided to be opposed to the transfer member across the intermediate transferring belt. The transfer member and the opposing member can be mutually pressured, and the intermediate transferring belt and the opposing member have an integrally measured microhardness smaller than 97°. Thus the invention provides an image forming apparatus capable of preventing a transfer unevenness caused at the transfer of the toner image from the intermediate transferring belt to the transfer material, and an intermediate transfer unit which is detachably attachable to the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus where toner is supplied to a photosensitive member via a toner supply roller and a developing roller, the toner being charged by the friction contact between toner supply roller and the developing roller, a regulating blade is in contact with the developing roller at a point between contact between the toner supply roller and the developing roller and between the developing roller and the photosensitive member. The area between the contact between the toner supply roller and the developing roller and where the layer regulating blade contacts the developing roller constitutes a first region and the area between the contact between the regulating blade and the developing roller and the developing roller and the photosensitive member constitutes a second region. The charge amount per unit area in the two regions is substantially equal.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with imaging systems and wear indicators are provided. In one example system, an imaging device is provided that generates and transfers an image to a print media. A photoconductor includes a photosensitive surface layer and a wear indicator layer under the surface layer. The wear indicator layer is visually distinct from the surface layer so that when the wear indicator layer is exposed, it indicates worn areas of the surface layer.

Abstract: A developing agent container includes a housing having a feeding element that feeds a developing agent and a sealing element made of felt of polyester-base fibers to prevent toner leakage from both ends of a developing roller with respect to an axial direction when mounted in position. The sealing element may be made of a fabric formed with weaving seams. Assembling of the developing agent container includes placing the sealing element at an end of the inside of the housing and placing the feeding element on the sealing element in a direction that the feeding element feeds the developing agent.

Abstract: A toner supply container detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus includes a container body with a discharge opening formed thereon. A sealing member, which unsealably seals the discharge opening, includes an engageable projection engageable with an engaging member provided in the image forming apparatus and a support for displaceably supporting the engageable portion. The sealing member is moved relative to the container body away therefrom to unseal the discharge opening. The engageable projection is engaged with the engaging member. A releasing projection, is provided in the supporting member, for receiving, from a releasing member provided in the image forming apparatus, a force for displacing the engageable projection in a direction of disengagement from the engaging member.

Abstract: The present invention concerns controlling a potential used to form an electrostatic image for image formation. According to the invention, an electrostatic latent image is formed on an image bearing member using, for example, a potential stored in a memory. The potential of the latent image is detected, and if the potential is not within a specified range, the potential is controlled (i.e., changed) to form another latent image with the changed potential. The latent image is then developed and the density of the developed image detected. In one embodiment, the amount of developer to be replenished is then controlled based upon the detected density and a target potential value, where the target potential value is determined and set based on the detected density and the potential used in the potential controlling step.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a plurality of first developing devices for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member at a developing position using a developer which includes a toner and a carrier; a rotatable member rotatable in a path including the first developing position, for supporting the plurality of first developing devices, wherein each of the plurality of first developing devices is effective to discharge excess developer produced by receiving the developer including the toner and the carrier to outside of each of the plurality of first developer devices using a rotation of the rotatable member; and a second developer container for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member at a second developing position using a developer including a toner, wherein the second developing device is disposed at a position so as to be non-rotatably adjacent to the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with a heating device, a conveying device, and a control device, wherein the control device has a mode for changing the set temperature from a first temperature to a second temperature higher than the first temperature when the leading edge of the recording material passes through the nip portion by a predetermined distance and the predetermined distance is equal to a value 0.3 to 2.0 times larger than the distance between the nip portion and the carrying device. Thereby, a recording-material jam is controlled and the image quality is prevented from deteriorating.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning member for cleaning off toner from an image bearing member, a support member for supporting the cleaning member, and a receiving portion for receiving the toner cleaned off by the cleaning member, the receiving portion having a cleaning frame, and a connecting portion for connecting both end surfaces of the cleaning frame in a longitudinal direction of the cleaning member, in which the support member is provided with a bent portion bent on a deeper side of the cleaning frame, and the connecting portion is below an upper portion of the receiving portion and above a lower surface of the bent portion.

Abstract: A cartridge removably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a developing member, a developer accommodating portion, a locking portion to engage a locking portion of the main assembly of the apparatus to prevent the cartridge from disengaging from the main assembly after mounting of the cartridge, a grip to be gripped by an operator when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly, and a releasing portion to move the locking portion of the cartridge in interrelation with a movement of the grip which is moved when the operator grips the grip to disengage the cartridge from the main assembly of the apparatus. The locking between the locking portion of the cartridge and the locking portion of the main assembly is released by the movement of the locking portion of the cartridge.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, includes a developer discharging member; a cartridge positioning portion for engagement with a main assembly positioning portion provided in the main assembly when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly; a photosensitive member driving force receiving portion for receiving a driving force for rotating the photosensitive member from the main assembly when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly; and a discharging member driving force receiving portion for receiving a driving force for rotating the developer discharging member from the main assembly when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body, an image carrier provided in the main body and configured to retain electrostatic latent images on its surface, and a developing unit including a holding unit holding plural developing devices, rotatably supported by the main body. Further, a driving source is configured to rotate the developing unit and move a desired developing device to a developing position opposed to the image carrier. A stopping member is configured to be moved to an unstopping position unengaged with the holding unit and to a stopping position to stop a one-way direction rotation of the developing unit at an exchanging position for exchanging the developing devices. A backstop member is configured to be moved to a removing position unengaged with the holding unit and to an engaged position engaged with the holding unit to prevent a rotation of the developing unit in a direction opposite the one-way direction rotation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a latent image carrier and a developing device for charging a toner into a negative polarity by triboelectric charging, wherein the work function of the toner is set to be larger than the work function of the surface of the latent image carrier. When the apparatus includes an intermediate transfer medium, the work function of the toner is set to be larger than the work function of the surface of the intermediate transfer medium. In another embodiment, the work function &PHgr;opc of the surface of the latent image carrier, the work function &PHgr;t of the toner, and the work function &PHgr;TM of the surface of the intermediate transfer medium are set to satisfy a relationship &PHgr;t>&PHgr;OPC>&PHgr;TM. These relationships help to reduce fog, and improve transfer efficiency which reduces the consumption of the toner.

Abstract: A developing device has a structure in which a toner is supplied from a toner supplying container to a first toner container by a toner supplying device and also the toner is conveyed from the first toner container to a second toner container by a toner conveying member disposed so as to lie in the space between the first and second toner containers. Thus, the developing device has a reduced size and also stably supplies the toner to two developing rollers corresponding to the first and second toner containers.

Abstract: A fixing device for use in an image forming apparatus capable of forming both-side images on a sheet by using a sheet reversing and conveying device. The fixing device has a heat applying rotary body with an elastic layer made of rubber and a toner releasing layer on top thereof, for coming into contact with and heating a side bearing an unfixed toner image of a transfer sheet; a pressure applying rotary body with an elastic layer made of rubber and a toner releasing layer on top thereof, for fixing and conveying the transfer material by coming into pressure contact and rotating with the heat applying rotary body; a drive source for driving one of the rotary bodies; and a heat applying source for heating one of the rotary bodies. The pressure applying rotary body has a micro-hardness smaller than that of the heat applying rotary body.

Abstract: There is provided a double-sided printing device that can eliminate a user having to care about the orientation of double-sided recording sheets when such recording sheets are set. A type of a recording sheet to be fed from a feed cassette is designated. An obverse surface image and a reverse surface image are printed, respectively, on the obverse surface and the reverse surface of the recording sheet in a predetermined order. The predetermined order is reversed when the designated type of the recording sheet matches a predetermined type of recording sheet.

Abstract: An excitation coil is arranged so as to be opposed to a rotatable heat generating roller of a conductive material, and on a rear side of the excitation coil, a core of a magnetic material is provided. The core is composed of a central core that is formed continuously in a rotation axis direction of the heat generating roller, and a plurality of U-shaped cores arranged at a distance from each other in that direction. A high-frequency current is applied to the excitation coil so that the heat generating roller 1 generates heat by electromagnetic induction. An additional coil is wound around the U-shaped core. Both ends of the additional coil are connected to a switching unit. When the switching unit is brought to a connected state, under an induction current generated in the additional coil, a magnetic flux in a direction in which a magnetic flux of the excitation coil is cancelled out is generated, so that heat generation of the heat generating roller can be suppressed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which includes a fixing device including a fixing roller, a pressure roller pressed into contact with the fixing roller, and a thermistor in contact with a non-paper-passage region on the surface of the fixing roller, the fixing roller incorporating a first halogen heater whose heat distribution based on the axial direction of the fixing roller is set such that heat in a middle region thereof is higher than heat in opposite-end regions thereof, and a second halogen heater whose heat distribution based on the axial direction of the fixing roller is set such that heat in opposite-end regions thereof is higher than heat in a middle region thereof; and a controller for controlling power supply to the first and second halogen heaters. The controller starts power supply to the first and second halogen heaters to start warm-up of the fixing device, and cuts off power supply to the first halogen heater for a predetermined period of time during the warm-up.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided which is capable of forming images on recording materials of various types and sizes. The image forming apparatus includes a storing member for storing recording materials having an arbitrary size, a size-information input device for inputting size information corresponding to the arbitrary size of the recording materials, and a controller for controlling an image forming operation according to the size information inputted by the size-information input device. The size information input by the size-information input device includes each of arbitrary values corresponding to longitudinal and lateral lengths of the recording materials.