Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a drum cartridge including a photosensitive drum, a developing cartridge including a developing roller, a main assembly. The main assembly includes a first opening, a second opening, a first openable member, a second openable member, a pressing member, a first pressing releasing member for releasing the developing cartridge from the pressing member in a state in which the second openable member is in a second closed position, in interrelation with movement of the first openable member from a first closed position to a first open position, and a second pressing releasing member for releasing the pressing the developing cartridge from the pressing member in interrelation of movement of the second openable member from a second closed position to a second open position.

Abstract: In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a fluid application device is described. The device includes an application roller to deposit a fluid containing metallic particles on a surface. A squeegee roller of the device forms a first nip with the roller and a cleaner roller forms a second nip with the application roller. A first resistive coating is disposed on a surface of the application roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section, a measuring section, a generating section, and a predicting section. The image forming section forms an image on a sheet. The measuring section measures sound or vibration in the image forming section to obtain a measured result. The generating section generates frequency data through a frequency analysis of the measured result. The predicting section predicts a malfunction to occur of the image forming section based on the frequency data.

Abstract: A developing device includes a development roller, a housing, a suction device, and a discharging device. The development roller rotates to pass a developer to an image carrier. The housing includes an opening, which allows the development roller to face the image carrier therethrough, and a flow-in path, which is a gap formed to allow air to flow therethrough between the development roller and an edge of the opening downstream in a rotation direction of the development roller. The suction device has a suction path having a distal end serving as a suction port that is open to an outside of the housing, and sucks air through the suction port. The discharging device includes a through-hole, which extends through the housing to connect an inside to an outside of the housing, and a discharge path, which extends from the through-hole to the suction port. The discharge path merges with the suction path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an oscillator configured to oscillate a laser beam, an irradiation portion configured to radiate the laser beam oscillated by the oscillator to an outside, a light absorption unit configured to absorb the laser beam and to convert the laser beam to heat, and a control unit including at least one processor and at least one memory. The control unit is configured to control the irradiation portion to press the irradiation portion against a workpiece via the light absorption unit and irradiating the workpiece with the laser beam via the light absorption unit, so as to perform image forming processing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body housing, a drawer, a drum cartridge and a toner cartridge. The drawer is movable in a first direction between an inner position at which the drawer is located inside the main body housing and an outer position at which the drawer is located outside the main body housing. The drum cartridge includes a photosensitive drum. The drum cartridge is attachable to and detachable from the drawer. The toner cartridge accommodates toner. When the drum cartridge is attached to the drawer and the drawer is at the inner position, the toner conveyor conveys toner from the toner cartridge to the drum cartridge.

Abstract: An optical device includes a plurality of light sources each configured to emit light having a different wavelength, and a lens mirror array in which a plurality of optical elements is arrayed, each of the plurality of optical elements including an incident surface through which the light emitted from each light source enters the optical element, a first reflection surface from which the light incident on the incident surface is reflected, a second reflection surface from which the light reflected by the first reflection surface is further reflected, and an emission surface through which the light reflected by the second reflection surface exits the optical element. The plurality of light sources is arranged such that a light source that emits light having a shorter wavelength is disposed farther from the second reflection surface.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a heating portion, and a belt guide member. The heating portion heats the fixing belt. The belt guide member includes a guide portion and an engaging portion. The guide portion guides the fixing belt to move along a moving path. The engaging portion is provided to project from the guide portion outward in a width direction of the fixing belt, wherein the engaging portion is engaged with a connector at an engagement position that intersects with a plane that includes a center, in the width direction, of the connector attached to the heating portion in an attachment direction perpendicular to the width direction.

Abstract: A cleaning unit for removing debris from an ink transfer surface includes a cleaning roller having: a microcellular material outer layer; a wetting module to supply cleaning fluid to the microcellular material outer layer of the cleaning roller; and an extractor to remove cleaning fluid and debris from the cleaning roller.

Abstract: A process unit has an image carrying unit having an image carrying member configured to be rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction, and a developing agent removing member, a developing unit having a developing agent carrying member configured to be rotatable about a second axis parallel to the first axis, and a waste developing agent collecting unit configured to collect the developing agent removed by the removing member from the image carrying member. The waste developing agent collecting unit is arranged on one side in the first direction with respect to the developing unit such that the waste developing agent collecting unit faces the developing unit, and the developing unit is connected to the waste developing agent collecting unit such that the developing unit being movable in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction with respect to the waste developing agent collecting unit.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus configured to connect with an information management server that manages information relating to a service contracted for the image processing apparatus, includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire, from the information management server, the information relating to the service contracted for the image processing apparatus, and a notification unit configured to perform notification to the information management server in order to activate service setting that has been determined as being invalid by the information management server, of a service contracted for the image processing apparatus, based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an intermediary transfer belt, first to third image bearing members, a driving member, and first and second drive transmission members, and includes first to third transfer positions. A first inter-transfer-position distance between the first and second transfer positions and a second inter-transfer-position distance between the second and third transfer positions are different from each other. The first inter-transfer-position distance is set at “N×A” and the second inter-transfer-position distance is set at “N×A±N×A/i”, where N is an integer of rotations of the driving member during to movement of the belt in the first inter-transfer-position distance, A is a distance of movement of the belt when the driving member rotates through one full circumference, and i is a transmission ratio between the first and second drive transmission members.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a charging member for electrophotographic equipment capable of providing constant and excellent uniform chargeability over a long period of time from low-temperature and low-humidity through high-temperature and high-humidity environments, while suppressing bleeding. A charging member for electrophotographic equipment includes an elastic layer and a surface layer formed around the elastic layer. The elastic layer includes the following (a) through (c): (a) an ion conducting agent that is solid at room temperature; (b) an ion conducting agent that is liquid at room temperature; and (c) an electron conducting agent with an average grain diameter of 25 to 90 nm and a DBP absorption of 152 ml/100 g or below.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus according to one or more embodiment may include: image formation parts each including a developer image development part, a developer container that accommodates a developer, and a deteriorated developer container that accommodates a deteriorated developer discharged from the developer image development part; a collection part that collects a value based on a history of printing rates of each of the image formation parts; a printing rate calculator that calculates a printing rate of a received print data; and an image formation part selector that selects, based on the value based on the history of printing rates of each of the image formation parts collected by the collection part and the printing rate of the received printed data calculated by the printing rate calculator, one of the image formation parts, to be used for performing printing of the received print data.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including applications and system side software for providing system side services to the applications is provided, in which the image forming apparatus includes: an authentication module for displaying an authentication screen on an operation panel of the image forming apparatus, wherein the authentication module allows the image forming apparatus to display a screen for using the image forming apparatus instead of the authentication screen if authentication data input from the authentication screen satisfies an authentication condition, and wherein the authentication module is provided in the image forming apparatus separately from the system side software.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a control method of an image forming apparatus which offers high convenience are described. An image forming section forms a toner image in a print medium, and fixes the toner image by a heated fixing device. A power circuit supplies power to the image forming section to heat the fixing device. A communication interface receives a facsimile call signal and a facsimile image signal. A system controller controls the image forming section and the power circuit such that, when the facsimile call signal and the facsimile image signal are received, the image forming section and the power circuit are controlled to form an image by the image forming section on the basis of the facsimile image signal and, when the facsimile call signal is received and the facsimile image signal is not received, the power circuit supplies power to the image forming section to heat the fixing device.

Abstract: Measures for controlling an engagement force between a photo imaging plate and a developer roller in a printing device are described. A motor is operated to generate rotational motion. The rotational motion is translated into linear motion. The linear motion causes an adjustment to the engagement force between the developer roller and the photo imaging plate. A characteristic of the motor is monitored. The motor is controlled on the basis of the monitored characteristic in order to maintain a desired engagement force between the developer roller and the photo imaging plate.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a fixing device includes rotating body that is rotatably supported, a heater that heats the rotating body, a pressing body that is pressed against the rotating body to form a nip through which print media passes to a media conveyance path, and a water vapor discharge passage downstream of the nip from rotating body. The water vapor discharge passage is separate and distinct from the media conveyance path. The fixing device may be used in image forming apparatuses and the like.

Abstract: A transfer device includes an intermediate transfer belt configured to bear a toner image and rotate, a transferor configured to contact the intermediate transfer belt via a recording medium and form a transfer nip, a guide configured to guide the recording medium conveyed to the transfer nip, and a pressure reducing device. The intermediate transfer belt is shaped as an endless belt. The pressure reducing device is configured to reduce pressure-contact force of the transferor against the intermediate transfer belt as the recording medium advances in the transfer nip. Therefore, a trailing end of the recording medium does not move toward the intermediate transfer belt when the trailing end of the recording medium has passed the guide.

Abstract: The developer carrying member, includes: an electroconductive substrate; and a surface layer containing a resin, on the substrate, in which a thickness of the surface layer is 1.0 ?m or more and 100.0 ?m or less, a Martens hardness at an indentation depth of 0.1 ?m that is measured by infiltrating a Vickers indenter in a thickness direction of the surface layer from an outer surface of the surface layer is 50.0 N/mm2 or more and 100.0 N/mm2 or less, an Asker C hardness that is measured from the outer surface of the surface layer is 75° or more and 90° or less, and a value of a work function of the outer surface of the surface layer is 5.6 eV or more and 6.0 eV or less.