Abstract: According to one embodiment, a developing device includes a developer storage unit, a toner supply unit, a magnet roller, a first stirring screw, and a second stirring screw. The developer storage unit is configured to be made to be able to circulate and convey a developer. The toner supply unit supplies a toner to the developer storage unit. The magnet roller adsorbs the developer. The first stirring screw conveys the developer from a second opening portion to a first opening portion along a longitudinal direction. The second stirring screw includes a rotating shaft, a screw, a paddle, and a protrusion. The screw conveys the developer from the first opening portion to the second opening portion along the longitudinal direction by rotation. The paddle protrudes from the rotating shaft to a lateral side. The paddle stirs the developer by rotation. The protrusion protrudes from the paddle in the rotating direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding member, a charging unit that charges the surface of the image holding member, an electrostatic charge image forming unit that forms an electrostatic charge image on the charged surface of the image holding member, a developing unit that includes a developer containing toner particles containing a release agent having a melting temperature ranging from 60° C. to 100° C.

Abstract: A heating system includes a heater, a switch providing alternating current to the heater, and a current sensor electrically connected between the switch and the heater. The heating system also includes a controller that controls operation of the switch. The controller activates the switch during a portion of a half cycle of the alternating current having increasing amplitude under a threshold. The controller determines, based on a signal received from the current sensor during the activation of the switch, a time period from the start of the half cycle to a threshold timing at which the alternating current reaches the threshold. The controller reactivates the switch at a timing on or after a timing obtained by subtraction of the determined time period from an end of the half cycle. The heating system is useable within an image forming apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a photosensitive member, a plurality of corona chargers configured to charge the photosensitive member by corona discharge, a plurality of charge output circuits configured to output a charging voltage being applied to each of the corona chargers, a plurality of abnormal discharge detection circuits configured to output an abnormal discharge detection signal according to abnormal discharge occurring in each of the corona chargers, and a controller configured to have a common input port connected to the abnormal discharge detection circuits wherein the abnormal discharge detection signal output from each of the abnormal discharge detection circuits is input to the controller through the common input port. Each of the abnormal discharge detection circuits is connected to a corresponding one circuit out of the charge output circuits.

Abstract: An example system includes a power supply. The power supply is electrically coupled to an electrode, a developer roller, and a cleaner roller. The system also includes a controller. The controller is to instruct the power supply to reduce, at a first time, a magnitude of an electrode voltage supplied to the electrode. The controller also is to instruct the power supply to set, at a second time, a developer roller voltage and a cleaner roller voltage each to about a wet null voltage.

Abstract: An imaging device has first image transfer from photoconductive drums to an intermediate transfer member (ITM) and second image transfer from the ITM to media. Transfer rolls oppose the drums from an opposite side of the ITM and electrically ground to a frame of the imaging device by mechanical connection. The rolls may be laterally offset from the drums. The ITM has relatively low surface and volume resistivity. An imaging subassembly may include the frame, the ITM, and the transfer rolls grounded to the frame.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a housing; a photoconductor; a developing unit configured to form a developer image on the photoconductor; a developer cartridge storing developer, the cartridge being removably mountable on the housing, a supplier configured to supply the developer from the developer cartridge to the developing unit; and a controller configured to execute a first printing process of forming a developer image by use of the developer supplied from the developer cartridge, when the developer cartridge is being mounted on the housing, and a second printing process of forming a developer image by use of the developer remaining in the developing unit, when a usage amount of the developing unit is not less than a predetermined value and the developer cartridge is not being mounted on the housing, wherein the controller does not execute the second printing process when the usage amount is less than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt and a pressure rotator that presses against a nip formation pad via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the pressure rotator and the fixing belt. A first holder holds a first lateral end of the fixing belt in an axial direction thereof. A second holder holds a second lateral end of the fixing belt in the axial direction thereof. The second holder, together with the first holder, defines a holder interval provided between the first holder and the second holder in the axial direction of the fixing belt. A lubricant supplying sheet impregnated with a lubricant is sandwiched between the nip formation pad and the fixing belt at the fixing nip. The lubricant supplying sheet has a sheet span in the axial direction of the fixing belt. The sheet span is within the holder interval.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a developer supply container and a developer supply method using the same. The developer supply container includes a container body, a piston rod and a piston sealing element. The piston sealing element is inserted into the container body; an outer side of an end of the piston rod is fixedly connected with a bolt; a first conductive iron sheet is provided near to a front side of an end of the bolt, a lower side of the first conductive iron sheet is provided with a second conductive iron sheet, and an end of each of the first conductive iron sheet and the second conductive iron sheet is electrically coupled with a processor chip fixed at the container body; and the end of the container body away from the piston rod is provided with a powder outlet deviating from a center of the container body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device. The developing device transports a two-component developer by a transporting unit so that the two-component developer passes through a developing roller. The two-component developer is stored in a storage chamber provided with a transporting path. The transporting unit rotates in the transporting path. The developing device causes a portion of the two-component developer to overflow from a discharge port provided at the transporting path, and to discharge the two-component developer. The image forming apparatus has a period in which a first operation is executed, the first operation of reversely rotating the transporting unit at a high speed so that a rotational direction of the transporting unit is an opposite direction to that at a time of development and a rotational speed of the transporting unit is higher than that at the time of development.

Abstract: A method of converting a CMYK toner printer to print with a white toner, comprising the steps: providing a CMYK toner printer; wherein the toner printer has four printing cartridges; wherein the four printing cartridges comprise a black toner printing cartridge, a cyan toner printing cartridge, a magenta toner printing cartridge, and a yellow toner printing cartridge; removing the black toner printing cartridge from the toner printer, such that there is an empty toner cartridge slot; providing a white toner printing cartridge that is filled with a white toner; installing the white toner printing cartridge into the empty toner cartridge slot; and providing raster image processor (RIP) software, such that the printer is able to incorporate the white toner into one or more images printed by the printer.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes a light source, a deflector, an optical member, a supporting portion, a casing, a cover member, a first air current deflecting portion configured to deflect, to a direction from the bottom toward the cover member, an air current generated by rotation of the rotatable polygonal mirror and flowing along a longitudinal direction of the optical member; and a second air current deflecting portion provided on the cover member and configured to deflect, to a direction crossing the longitudinal direction, the air current deflected by the first air current deflecting portion and flowing in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: With a structure in which a coupling member includes a sphere providing a center of inclination (pivoting), a rotational force transmitted member has an opening have a diameter smaller than that of the sphere, and the coupling member is prevented from disengaging from rotational force transmitted member by contact of inner edge of the opening to the sphere, the inner edge of the opening may limit an inclinable (pivotable) angle range of the coupling member. In a state that a pin 88 which is a shaft portion is inserted in a hole 86b which is a through-hole provided in a coupling member 86, opposite end portions of the pin 88 are supported by a driving side flange 87 which is a rotational force transmitted member. The coupling member 86 and the driving side flange 87 and the pin 88 are connected in this manner, and the pin 88 contact the inside of the hole 86b without limiting the inclinable (pivotable) angle range, by which the coupling member 86 is prevented from disengaging from the driving side flange 87.

Abstract: A digital printing process for xerography printing with liquid toner is disclosed, said liquid toner including a curable carrier liquid and imaging particles suspended in the carrier liquid. The process includes: forming a latent image as a pattern of electric charge on a surface of an imaging member; transferring the liquid toner onto a development member; developing the latent image by transferring liquid toner from the development member onto the imaging member in accordance with the pattern; transferring the liquid toner from the imaging member to a first substrate; applying a second substrate on the transferred liquid toner; after application of the second substrate, irradiating the liquid toner with actinic radiation or particle beams to cure the carrier liquid.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member; an exposure portion configured to expose the photosensitive member to light depending on image information to form a latent image on the photosensitive member; a developing portion configured to develop the latent image into a toner image with toner; and a transfer portion configured to transfer the toner image from the photosensitive member onto a recording material. The image forming apparatus changes a surface movement speed of the photosensitive member at timing prior to predetermined timing, when a moving speed of a recording material at the transfer portion changes, by a predetermined time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller to control a driving device such that a rotational speed of a supplying and feeding screw when it is rotated a predetermined number of times to supply developer to a developing device in a predetermined amount during execution of a continuous image forming job on a plurality of first recording materials is a first rotational speed, and a rotational speed of the supplying and feeding screw when it is rotated the predetermined number of times to supply the developer in the predetermined amount during execution of a continuous image forming job on a plurality of second recording materials is a second rotational speed slower than the first rotational speed. The second recording materials have a length longer than the first recording materials with respect to a sub-scan direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image bearer to bear a latent image, a potential sensor having a vibrator driven by a drive frequency to detect a surface potential of the latent image bearer, a developer bearer to bear developer that develops the latent image on the latent image bearer, and a power supply to apply a superimposed voltage obtained by superimposing an alternating voltage on a direct current voltage on the developer bearer. The frequency of the alternating voltage is not a multiple of the drive frequency and is a value obtained by adding a predetermined value to a multiple of the driving frequency.

Abstract: A developing device has a housing, a developer carrying member, a regulating blade, and a magnetic member. The regulating blade forms a regulating portion regulating the thickness of toner carried on the developer carrying member. The magnetic member is arranged inside the developer carrying member and has a plurality of magnetic poles including a regulating pole arranged at a position where the developer carrying member and the regulating blade are close together. The regulating pole is movable to a first position facing the regulating portion and to a second position rotated to the upstream side from the first position in the rotation direction of the developer carrying member during image formation. The developing device is operable in the developer removing mode in which, when no image is formed, the regulating pole is moved from the first position to the second position and is then returned to the first position.

Abstract: With a structure in which a coupling member includes a sphere providing a center of inclination (pivoting), a rotational force transmitted member has an opening have a diameter smaller than that of the sphere, and the coupling member is prevented from disengaging from rotational force transmitted member by contact of inner edge of the opening to the sphere, the inner edge of the opening may limit an inclinable (pivotable) angle range of the coupling member. In a state that a pin 88 which is a shaft portion is inserted in a hole 86b which is a through-hole provided in a coupling member 86, opposite end portions of the pin 88 are supported by a driving side flange 87 which is a rotational force transmitted member. The coupling member 86 and the driving side flange 87 and the pin 88 are connected in this manner, and the pin 88 contact the inside of the hole 86b without limiting the inclinable (pivotable) angle range, by which the coupling member 86 is prevented from disengaging from the driving side flange 87.

Abstract: A fixing member comes in contact with a recording material, and the fixing member includes: an inner layer; an outer layer; and a graphite layer provided between the inner layer and the outer layer, wherein the graphite layer is bonded to at least any one of the inner layer and the outer layer, and a surface of the graphite layer to be bonded to the at least any one of the layers is ozone-treated.