Abstract: A cartridge detachably attachable to a main body of an image forming apparatus, the main body including: a fixing portion that includes a heating rotation member; and a mounting portion on which the cartridge is mounted, the fixing portion including a fixing shutter movable between a first position where a part of the heating rotation member is covered and a second position where the part of the heating rotation member is exposed, the fixing shutter including a force receiving portion that receives a force for causing the fixing shutter to move from the first position to the second position, the cartridge including a photosensitive member, a frame that supports the photosensitive member, and a pressing portion that presses the force receiving portion of the fixing shutter while the cartridge is being mounted on the mounting portion.

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: A toner container includes a container body, an opening, a cover, a toner discharge port, a shutter, a cylindrical structure, protrusions, and an identifier. The shutter is attached to the cover and includes a main shutter covering the toner discharge port. The main shutter moves between a closed position to close the toner discharge port and an open position to open the toner discharge port. The protrusions are on both sides of the cover and protrude in a direction orthogonal to a toner container mounting direction. The identifier is on the cover to indicate a toner color. The cylindrical structure's leading end is downstream of leading ends of the protrusions in the mounting direction. The main shutter's leading end is downstream of the protrusions' leading ends in the mounting direction when the main shutter is in the closed position. The protrusions are downstream of the identifier in the mounting direction.

Abstract: A power supply apparatus includes a first circuit, a second circuit, a switcher configured to switch between a power supplied state and a power interrupted state, a driver configured to output a signal for switching the state of the switcher, an adjusting unit, a first control unit, a second control unit, a first communication portion, and a second communication portion. The first control unit is operated by power supplied by a signal generated in the first communication portion. The first control unit transmits, to the second communication portion, information about a detection result. The second control unit controls the adjusting unit based on the information. The first control unit outputs a predetermined signal for causing the driver to output the switching signal for putting the switcher into the interrupted state in a case where abnormality occurs. The driver outputs the switching signal for putting the switcher into the interrupted state based on the predetermined signal.

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 charging member includes: a cylindrical or columnar conductive base material; and an elastic portion provided on the conductive base material, in which Re and Rc satisfy Re>Rc, where Re is an outer diameter of a charging member at a position of 5 mm from an axial end portion of an elastic portion, and Rc is the maximum value of an outer diameter of the charging member at an axial center of the elastic portion, and a cylindrical or columnar charging member has a value of Ac/Aa of 1.0 or less, in which Ac is the maximum amplitude value in a periodic region from 1.5 mm to 6 mm in a case of periodically analyzing a surface shape of the charging member in a circumferential direction, and Aa is the maximum amplitude value in a periodic region from 1.5 mm to 6 mm in a case of periodically analyzing a surface shape of the charging member in an axial direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment may include a control section that controls operation of the image forming unit; a driving source that drives the image forming unit and drives, based on an instruction of the control section, rotation of a cleaning member whose sliding member passes a gap between a first light transmission window of a first optical path and a second light transmission window of a second optical path in a developer storing section while sliding on the first light transmission window and the second light transmission window. The control section detects, based on a light reception information detected by a light receiving element, a passage timing at which the sliding member passes through the gap, and stops the driving by the driving source based on the passage timing.

Abstract: Herein is disclosed an intermediate transfer member for liquid electrophotographic printing. The intermediate transfer member may include at least one layer including a thermoplastic polyurethane. A liquid electrophotographic printer and a method of forming an intermediate transfer member are also described.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing toner waste during startup of a print operation for electrostatic printers includes a controller that is configured to delay the biasing and rotation of a developer roller until initially uncharged portions of a photoconductive drum have rotated past the developer roller. At the start of a print operation the controller rotates a photoconductive drum and activates a charge corona to put an initial charge on the photoconductive drum, which is thereafter selectively removed in accordance with the image to be printed. The charge corona and developer roller are angularly displaced from one another such that at the start of a print job uncharged portions of the photoconductive drum are initially rotated past the developer roller. Delaying the biasing and rotation of the developer roller prevents toner from being transferred from the developer roller to the initially uncharged portions of the photoconductive drum.

Abstract: Measures for controlling an engagement force between a photo imaging plate (110) and a developer roller (200) in a printing device (100) are described. A motor (310) 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: A fixing device according an embodiment includes a belt unit and a pressure member. The belt unit includes a supporter, an endless belt movably supported by the supporter, a heater provided inside the endless belt, and a thermal diffusion member including: a first surface in contact with the heater; a second surface in contact with an inner surface of the endless belt; a first wall provided upstream of the heater in a transport direction of a medium; and a second wall provided downstream of the heater in the transport direction. The supporter includes first and second grooves in which the first and second walls are provided respectively. Upon applying a pressing force toward the supporter to the outer surface of the endless belt by the pressure member, the thermal diffusion member and the heater are in contact with each other while being pressed toward a contact surface of the supporter.

Abstract: A cylindrical fixing member for use with a fixing device includes a heat generating layer and an electrode layer contacting the heat generating layer. The electrode layer is smaller in volume resistance value than the heat generating layer. The electrode layer is formed in a helical shape so that a helical axis thereof extends in a direction along a generatrix direction of the fixing member. One end and the other end of the electrode layer are electrically open.

Abstract: A fusing device includes a driving roller and a fusing unit. The driving roller is for driving a printing media to move. The fusing unit includes a heat insulating component, a heating component, a heat conductive component, a heat reflecting component and a fusing component. The heating component is for generating heat. The heat reflecting component includes a reflecting portion having a cross section formed in a conic section substantially. The reflecting portion is located at a side of the heating component away from the heat conductive component for reflecting the heat generated from the heating component to the heat conductive component. The heat conductive component transfers the heat to the fusing component. The fusing component contacts with the printing media to fuse toners onto the printing media when the driving roller drives the printing media to move.

Abstract: In one example, a system for transferring an image from a photoconductor to a print substrate includes a transfer member having a removable blanket wrapped around a rotatable drum and a laser. The blanket has a light absorbing exterior surface to receive a liquid LEP ink image from the photoconductor and to release a layer of molten toner to a print substrate. As the drum rotates, the laser exposes a width of the exterior surface of the blanket carrying a liquid LEP ink image to a beam of coherent light that delivers enough power to transform the liquid LEP ink image into molten toner.

Abstract: Examples of charging a photoconductive layer in an image forming apparatus are described. In one example, a method includes applying a charging voltage to the photoconductive layer and measuring surface voltages of the photoconductive layer at a plurality of positions on the photoconductive layer. Based on the measured surface voltages, a correction voltage profile is determined. The determined correction voltage profile includes at least a first correction voltage associated with a first position on the photoconductive layer and a second correction voltage associated with a second position, different to the first position, on the photoconductive layer. The method includes applying the first correction voltage to the photoconductive layer and applying the second correction voltage to the photoconductive layer.

Abstract: In some examples, a printing liquid developer includes a developer roller that has a hollow tubular base body formed of a material including conductive carbon fiber, a conductive, compliant layer around an outer surface of the hollow tubular base body, and an electrically conductive support separate from the hollow tubular base body and electrically contacted to a surface of the hollow tubular base body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing member and a pressing member forming a fixing nip therebetween, a heat generator, and a processor. The heat generator is disposed to heat a print medium passing through the fixing nip via the fixing member. The processor is configured to control the heat generator to start heating at a timing when a non-fixed image portion formed on the print medium is expected to reach the fixing nip, based on image data of an image to be fixed, a conveyance speed of the print medium, and an estimated heat capacity of the print medium.

Abstract: A drive transmission device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a drive transmission body to which a drive force is applied from a driving source, and a rotary shaft having a press-in portion mounted on one end thereof in the axial direction. The press-in portion has multiple planes disposed parallel to an axial direction and configured to receive the drive transmission body. The multiple planes include upstream and downstream side planes disposed downstream from the upstream side plane in a press-in direction of the drive transmission body. The upstream and downstream side planes are aligned along the press-in direction of the drive transmission body and have respective distances different from each other from an axial center of the rotary shaft. A distance from the downstream side plane to the axial center is greater than a distance from the upstream side plane to the axial center.

Abstract: A cleaning member includes a core and first and second foamed elastic layers wound around an outer peripheral surface of the core in a double-helical pattern. The compressive stress F1 of the first foamed elastic layer is greater than the compressive stress F2 of the second foamed elastic layer. The cleaning member cleans a member to be cleaned with the first and second foamed elastic layers in contact with a surface of the member to be cleaned.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming unit which forms a first image on a first recording medium with a first material that is not thermally decolorizable; a second image forming unit which forms a second image on a second recording medium with a second material that is thermally decolorizable; a fixing device which is on a common carrying path shared by the first recording medium and the second recording medium and fixes the first image to the first recording medium; and a controller which controls the fixing device so that a temperature of the fixing device is lower than a decolorizing temperature of the second material when the second recording medium reaches the fixing device.