Abstract: A cartridge includes a first unit including a photosensitive member, and a second unit including a developer bearing member and a force receiving portion, the second unit being configured to be rotatable about a first axis to move with respect to the first unit between a first position and a second position. In a state where the first unit is in a same posture as when an image forming operation is performed, the second unit is disposed at the second position by its own weight. The developer bearing member is configured to be rotatable about a second axis. When seen in the direction of the first axis, a first distance between the force receiving portion and the second axis is smaller than a second distance between the first axis and the second axis and a third distance between the first axis and the force receiving portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor having a friction coefficient of a surface of 0.8 or less; a charging device including a charging member that is in contact with and charges the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor and includes a conductive base material, an elastic layer provided on the conductive base material and having a storage elastic modulus G of 5.0 MPa or less at 100 Hz, and a surface layer provided on the elastic layer; an electrostatic latent image forming device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor; a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor to form a toner image by a developer containing a toner; and a transfer device that transfers the toner image to a surface of a recording medium.

Abstract: An example photodetector for detecting fluorescent toner includes a light emitting unit to emit light to a toner image, and a light receiving unit. The light receiving unit is to detect visible light reflected by the toner image, detect that the toner image includes the fluorescent toner based on the detection of the visible light, the visible light generated by the fluorescent toner and having a predetermined wavelength band different from a wavelength band of the emitted light, and output a signal corresponding to the detection of the fluorescent toner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, which carries out constant-voltage control of a voltage applied to a transfer member and is capable of executing limiter control for controlling the voltage applied to the transfer member based on a detection result of a current detecting portion so that the detection result falls within a predetermined range, is capable of executing a first mode in which a toner image is transferred onto a recording material and a second mode in which a plurality of test toner images are transferred onto the recording material by applying a plurality of different voltages to the transfer member. A controller is capable of carrying out the limiter control while the recording material passes through the transfer portion in executing the first mode and does not carry out the limiter control while an area onto which the plurality of test images are transferred passes through a transfer portion in executing the second mode.

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic electroconductive member including an electroconductive support and an electroconductive layer on the support, an electroconductive member is used, in which an electroconductive layer has a matrix comprising a first rubber, and domains dispersed in the matrix, the domains each comprising a second rubber and an electronic electroconductive agent, and for impedance measured by applying an AC voltage with an amplitude of 1 V to the electroconductive layer while varying frequencies between 1.0×10?2 Hz to 1.0×107 Hz under a specific environment, when a double logarithmic plot with a frequency on an abscissa and an impedance on an ordinate is obtained, a slope on a high frequency side is ?0.8 or more and —0.3 or less, and the impedance a low frequency side is from 1.0×103 to 1.0×107?.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a drum cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, a developing device, a drum cleaner, a waste toner tube, and a flange. The waste toner tube includes a first end portion communicating with the drum cleaner and a second end portion connected to the flange. The developing device includes a protruding portion facing the flange. The cushion member is located between the flange and the protruding portion. The cushion member allows a cartridge mounting part of the developing device to move with respect to the flange in a case where the developing device moves with respect to the photosensitive drum.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body to which a cartridge is detachably attached. The apparatus main body includes a frame having an opening portion through which the cartridge is attached to the apparatus main body; an opening and closing member supported by the frame rotatably between an open position in which the opening portion is exposed and a closed position in which the opening portion is covered with the opening and closing member and having a stacking surface on which a sheet is to be stacked; a discharging roller discharging the sheet in a discharging direction onto the stacking surface; and a regulating wall which is movably attached to the opening and closing member and extends from the stacking surface toward the discharging roller in a direction intersecting the discharging direction to regulate an upstream edge of the sheet in the discharging direction.

Abstract: A first light guide guides first light in a first light guiding path. The first light is of light irradiated from the light source to a sheet. A first detection unit receives reflected light from the sheet and outputs an image signal indicating an image of a surface of the sheet. A second light guide guides second light in a second light guiding path different from the first light guiding path. The second light is of the light irradiated from the light source and is different from the first light. A second detection unit receives the second light and output a detection signal corresponding to a light amount of the second light. A control unit controls a light emission amount of the light source based on the detection signal.

Abstract: A process unit includes: a photosensitive drum on a surface of which a toner image is formed; a charging roller being pressed against the photosensitive drum so as to charge the photosensitive drum; a cleaning roller being pressed against the charging roller so as to clean the charging roller; and at least one biasing member biasing the charging roller or the cleaning roller. A central axis of the photosensitive drum is located at a position not overlapping with a central axis line passing through a central axis of the charging roller and a central axis of the cleaning roller. A biasing direction of the at least one biasing member is on a same line as the central axis line.

Abstract: In a fixing device, a first fixing member and a second fixing member are configured to form a nip in combination, and an arm biased by a first spring with a first biasing force provides a nip pressure. A cam rotatably arranged to cause the arm to move against the first biasing force has a first cam surface used to change the nip pressure from a first pressure to a second pressure smaller than the first pressure, and a second cam surface of which an angle of action is greater than that of the first cam surface to change the nip pressure from the second pressure to a third pressure smaller than the second pressure. A maximum pressure angle at the second cam surface is smaller than a maximum pressure angle at the first cam surface.

Abstract: A process cartridge including: an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a drum shape; a developing unit for developing an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member with toner; and a cleaning blade for removing the toner on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, the cleaning blade being in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member, wherein the electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises wrinkles on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and wherein the toner has a fluidity torque E of 320 mJ or more.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with a printing device, a sheet conveyance path, a protective cover, a swing member, and a biasing member. The sheet conveyance path includes an upper guide portion and a lower guide portion. The swing member is supported inside a main body and can swing upward from a standard position. The biasing member biases the swing member to the standard position. The swing member includes the upper guide portion. The protective cover includes the lower guide portion and a contact portion. The contact portion pushes the swing member upward when the protective cover pivots in an outward position from a closed position. The protective cover can pivot from the closed position to an open position as the contact portion pushes the swing member upward.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body to which a cartridge is detachably attached. The apparatus main body includes a frame having an opening portion through which the cartridge is attached to the apparatus main body; an opening and closing member supported by the frame rotatably between an open position in which the opening portion is exposed and a closed position in which the opening portion is covered with the opening and closing member and having a stacking surface on which a sheet is to be stacked; a discharging roller discharging the sheet in a discharging direction onto the stacking surface; and a regulating wall which is movably attached to the opening and closing member and extends from the stacking surface toward the discharging roller in a direction intersecting the discharging direction to regulate an upstream edge of the sheet in the discharging direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having process units, a transfer unit, a motor, first through fourth cams, a color-linkage gear train, a monochrome-transmission gear train, and a color-transmission gear train, is provided. Each of the process units has a developing unit including a developing roller and a drum unit including a photosensitive drum. The color-linkage gear train rotates the first cam, the second cam, and the third cam in shifted phases. The monochrome-transmission gear train transmits a driving force from the motor to a monochrome clutch, which engages and disengages transmission of the driving force from the monochrome-transmission gear train to the fourth cam. The color-transmission gear train transmits the driving force from the motor to a color clutch, which engages and disengages transmission of the driving force from the color-transmission gear train to the color-linkage gear train.

Abstract: An image forming system cyclically conveys an Nth sheet with an image formed on a first side to an image forming unit as a sheet subject to image formation after image formation on a subsequent (N+i)th sheet, and form an image on a second side of the Nth sheet. The system includes an obtaining unit that, during image forming processes, obtains respective updated adjustment values for the first and second sides, and a control unit that performs control to simultaneously store the updated adjustment value for the first side and an unupdated adjustment value for the second side in a part of a period of the processes, form an image on the first side of the (N+i)th sheet using the updated one for the first side, and form the image on the second side of the Nth sheet using the unupdated one for the second side.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes: a body; a developing cartridge having a memory medium and a developer bearing member; a tray including a frame which is movable between a housed position and a drawn-out position and has side portions extending in the moving direction and to which the developing cartridge is attachable, an image bearing member that faces the developer bearing member when the developing cartridge is attached, a tray-side metal terminal provided on the side portion and electrically connected to the memory medium when the cartridge is attached, and a tray guide portion extending along the moving direction; a body-side metal terminal that faces the tray-side metal terminal when the tray is housed, wherein the tray-side metal terminal is provided below the tray guide portion.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a reflecting element with first, second and third reflecting surfaces, and a receiving element configured to receive a light flux from a light source reflected by the reflecting element. A value of an inner product of a unit normal vector of the first reflecting surface and a unit normal vector of the second reflecting surface, a value of an inner product of the unit normal vector of the first reflecting surface and a unit normal vector of the third reflecting surface, and a value of an inner product of the unit normal vector of the second reflecting surface and the unit normal vector of the third reflecting surface are appropriately set.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a drum cartridge having a photosensitive drum and a drum drive input member; a developing cartridge configured to be movably mounted to the drum cartridge, the developing cartridge comprising a developing roller disposed so as to face the photosensitive drum and a developing drive input member; a drum drive transmission member configured to engage with the drum drive input member and configured to transmit drum driving force to the drum drive input member while permitting a positional gap of the drum drive input member within a predetermined range; and a developing drive transmission member configured to engage with the developing drive input member and configured to transmit developing driving force to the developing drive input member while permitting a positional gap of the developing drive input member within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A display device usable with an image forming apparatus includes a liquid crystal unit including a liquid crystal screen and a frame supporting the liquid crystal screen; a supporting member of metal supporting the liquid crystal unit; and an insulative spacer providing a space between the frame and the supporting member at a position of the frame corresponding to an outside area of a display area of the liquid crystal screen.

Abstract: Provided is a processing cartridge detachably installed in an imaging device. The processing cartridge includes a first unit and a second unit, and a movable assembly coupled to and receive force from the force applying portion. When the processing cartridge is assembled to the imaging device, the first t and second units can be switched between states of approaching and separating. The movable assembly comprises an installing part and an acting part movable relative to and connectable with each other. The movable assembly is installed in the processing cartridge by the installing part, the acting part is coupled to the force applying portion and receives force from the force applying portion, to force the first and second units to switch between the two states. The acting part is retractable relative to the installing part and comprises an acting block and a guide block guided by the installing part.