Abstract: Provided is an intermediate transfer member used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus having a unit of primary-transferring a toner image carried on an electrostatic latent image carrier to an intermediate transfer member, and then secondary-transferring the primary-transferred toner image onto a transfer material from the intermediate transfer member, wherein a surface of the intermediate transfer member has a hardness in the range of 150 to 350 MPa, and an elastic modulus in the range of 200 to 600 MPa, which are measured by a nano indentation method, and also has a hardness of 0.5 to 2.0 MPa specified in terms of universal hardness.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor including a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer disposed on the conductive substrate; a charging device that charges a surface of the photoreceptor; an exposure device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor by irradiating the surface of the photoreceptor with light, the exposure device including plural light sources arranged in an axial direction of the photoreceptor; a developing device including a developer including a toner which forms a toner image by developing the electrostatic latent image with the developer; and a transfer device that transfers the toner image to a recording medium. A mean width WSm of waviness profiles of an outer periphery of the conductive substrate determined in accordance with JIS B0601 (2001) is smaller than an interval at which the light sources are arranged in the axial direction of the photoreceptor.

Abstract: An image can be formed by using a developer containing a luminescent substance, without impairing the finish of the area in which the image is formed. An image forming device 100 includes a print function section 124 which forms a first image included in a plurality of images to be formed on a single page, based on image formation data indicating the image to be formed, on a medium by using a first developer, and forms a second image included in the plurality of images, based on the image formation data, in a non-image-forming area in which the first image is not formed on the medium, by using a second developer containing a luminescent substance.

Abstract: A process cartridge configured to be detachably installed to a main body of the imaging device includes a housing, and a photosensitive drum arranged in the housing. A drive coupler configured to receive a driving force from a drive head of the main body of the imaging device is provided at an end of the photosensitive drum. The process cartridge can be installed to the main body of the imaging device or be detached from the main body of the imaging device in a manner that the photosensitive drum rotation axis forms a variable included angle with respect to the drive head rotation axis. The installation of the process cartridge is facilitated, and the engagement of the drive coupler with the drive head of the imaging device is facilitated.

Abstract: A powder collecting device includes a collecting container and a ventilation passage. The collecting container is removably attachable to a housing of a processing apparatus including a powder processing unit, has one or more collecting openings through which heat-melting powder transported from the powder processing unit is collected, and includes an accommodation space capable of accommodating the collected powder. The ventilation passage is partitioned from the accommodation space of the collecting container. Airflow generated by an airflow generator passes through the ventilation passage. The ventilation passage extends in a longitudinal direction of the collecting container, and has an inlet through which the airflow is introduced and a ventilation hole formed in a downstream section of the ventilation passage in a direction of the airflow.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is operable in a mode of forming an image using only a part of image forming stations. In the mode, a developing device contacts an image bearing member in the part of the image forming stations, and the developing device is spaced from the image bearing member in the rest of the image forming stations. The contact pressure between the image bearing member and a transferring device is made smaller in the rest than in the part. The image forming operation in the mode is executed while the image bearing members of the part and the rest are rotated. A controller is configured such that when the operation in the mode is continuously executed for a time period longer than a predetermined period, the contact pressure in the rest is made larger than the above-mentioned smaller contact pressure.

Abstract: With a first line segment being a line segment that joins an axis line of a developer carrier and an axis line of an image carrier, a second line segment being a line segment that joins a position, which is a position on the surface of the developer carrier at which the magnetic flux density of a magnetic pole is maximal, and the axis line of the developer carrier, and a third line segment being a line segment that joins a downstream end portion, in a rotation direction of the developer carrier, then among angles in the rotation direction of the developer carrier, a first angle formed by the first line segment and the second line segment is larger than 0° and equal to or smaller than a second angle formed by the first line segment and the third line segment.

Abstract: An electric apparatus includes a casing, a power supply, a frame, and a fan. The power supply is accommodated in the casing, and includes a power supply board and a power supply component mounted on a mounting surface of the power supply board. The frame is disposed outward of the power supply within the casing. The frame is formed with a through-hole extending therethrough, and has a first part and a second part. The first part is made from a flame retardant resin, and constitutes at least a part of the ambient portion surrounding the through-hole. The at least a part of the ambient portion is positioned at a side the same as the power supply component with respect to the mounting surface. At least a part of the second part is made from a material having flame retardancy lower than that of the flame retardant resin.

Abstract: A light scanning apparatus, including: a light source configured to emit a light beam; a rotary polygon mirror configured to deflect the light beam emitted from the light source so that the light beam scans on a surface of a photosensitive member in a main scanning direction; a motor configured to rotate the rotary polygon mirror; and a rotational position detection unit configured to detect a magnetic flux change caused by rotation of the motor to generate a rotational position detection signal, wherein an emitting start timing of the light beam from the light source is determined based on the rotational position detection signal in order to maintain a writing start position of the light beam with respect to the photosensitive member in the main scanning direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a power supply, a detection member, a plurality of band-pass filters, and a setting unit. The power supply outputs a first charging bias having a first frequency or a second charging bias having a second frequency that is an integral submultiple of the first frequency. The detection member detects a current flowing through a charging member. Each of the plurality of band-pass filters receives an output of a current detected by the detection member. The setting unit uses the band-pass filters for both setting of a peak-to-peak voltage of the first charging bias and setting of a peak-to-peak voltage of the second charging bias.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an electric wire and an electric box. The electric box extends substantially horizontally and includes a wire connector coupled to the electric wire. A body face exposes the wire connector. An outer cover covers the body face. The outer cover includes a slot and a wire accommodator. The slot is disposed opposite the wire connector to expose the wire connector to an outside of the image forming apparatus. The wire accommodator accommodates the electric wire.

Abstract: A cartridge includes: a casing including a developer accommodation part for accommodating developer; an agitator for agitating the developer and rotatable about a first rotational axis extending in an axial direction; a receiving member rotatable about a second rotational axis upon receipt of a drive-force inputted thereto; a first drive-force transmission member rotatable about a third rotational axis upon receipt of the drive-force from the receiving member; and a second drive-force transmission member rotatable about the first rotational axis together with the agitator. The second drive-force transmission member can contact the first drive-force transmission member and receive the drive-force therefrom, the first rotational axis being positioned closer to the second rotational axis than the third rotational axis is to the second rotational axis when projected in the axial direction of the agitator.

Abstract: An image forming system includes: an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a paper sheet; a toner amount sensing device including a reading unit configured to read the paper sheet having the image formed thereon by the image forming apparatus; a charging device including a charging unit configured to electrically charge the paper sheet having the image formed thereon by the image forming apparatus; and a control unit configured to acquire an amount of toner adhering to the paper sheet by reading the paper sheet with the reading unit, and control the charging unit based on the amount of toner.

Abstract: Provided is an opening/closing device including an opening/closing member that rotates to open and close an opening of a housing, a shaft member that is formed at a portion on one side of the opening/closing member and is formed of a shaft about which the opening/closing member rotates with respect to the housing, a grip portion that is formed at a portion on the other side of the opening/closing member and is gripped by a user, a meshed portion that is formed at a portion on the other side of the opening/closing member and meshes with a meshing portion formed at the housing, and a restraint unit that is formed at a portion on one side of the opening/closing member and restrains the opening/closing member from being deformed due to a release of meshing of the meshing portion with the meshed portion.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a first belt that heats a developer image on a recording medium; a support member that is arranged inside the first belt and supports the first belt; a second belt that sandwiches the recording medium with the first belt; a pressing roller that is provided with the second belt having an inner peripheral surface wound thereon, is provided rotatably in a direction orthogonal to a recording-medium transport direction as an axial direction, presses the second and first belts toward the support member, and forms a first press region; and a forming member that is provided inside the second belt, at an upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the pressing roller, presses the second and first belts toward the support member, and forms a second press region having a larger width than that of the first press region in the transport direction.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, an image processing apparatus comprises a human sensor, a fixing device and a controller. The human sensor detects a person in the vicinity of the image processing apparatus. The fixing device carries out fixation of an image formed with a decolorable recording agent serving as a recording agent containing a coloring agent which is decolored through heating on a medium and decoloration of the image formed on the medium. The controller controls the fixing device to stop the decoloration of the image when the person is detected by the human sensor.

Abstract: An endless belt includes a polyimide resin layer in which a content of at least one solvent selected from a solvent group A consisting of a urea solvent, an alkoxy group-containing amide solvent, and an ester group-containing amide solvent is from 50 ppm to 2,000 ppm.

Abstract: A bearing assembly for supporting a rotatable component of an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a metal bearing insert molded into an electrically nonconductive plastic shell. The metal bearing includes a bearing surface that defines a cylindrical opening for receiving an axial end of a shaft. The plastic shell covers an entire outer circumferential surface of the metal bearing and an inner axial side of a portion of the metal bearing forming the opening is inset from an inner axial side of the plastic shell such that the plastic shell shields the metal bearing from electrical arcing.

Abstract: An example method of controlling a printing process in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes controlling an optical density of a printed image such that the optical density is increased for a predetermined portion of a leading edge of a page.

Abstract: A high-quality developing member having compatibility between high toner charging properties and high durability under high temperature and high humidity environments is provided. The developing member includes an electro-conductive substrate and an electro-conductive surface layer in this order. The surface layer includes a binder resin, an alumina particle and a polyester phosphate compound.