Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a recording material, a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image on the recording material, a stacking portion configured to stack the recording material on which the toner image is fixed, an air passageway provided between the image forming portion and the fixing portion and between the image forming portion and the stacking portion, and an air blowing portion configured to blow air to the air passageway from outside of the image forming apparatus. The air passageway is configured so that the air blown from the outside by the blowing portion passes below the stacking portion and, thereafter, is folded back below the fixing portion and, then, passes again below the stacking portion.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a flexible rotating fixing belt, a pressing member, a heating part, a guide member and a contact force changing part. The pressing member forms a pressing area with the fixing belt. The heating part heats the fixing belt from an outside of the fixing belt. The guide member comes into contact with an inner circumferential face of the fixing belt to support the fixing belt so as to face the heating part. The contact force changing part moves the guide member in directions close to or away from the fixing belt to change a contact force between the guide member and the fixing belt depending on a pressure of the pressing area.

Abstract: A controller, which is a high-voltage power supply apparatus, includes: a secondary transfer high-voltage output device including a first high-voltage generator, which is configured to generate a first voltage having a positive voltage value, and a second high-voltage generator, which is connected in series to the first high-voltage generator, and is configured to generate a second voltage, the secondary transfer high-voltage output device being configured to output an output voltage, which is a sum of the first voltage and the second voltage; and a secondary transfer high-voltage control device, which is configured, in a case where the high-voltage power supply apparatus is switched from a state in which the first high-voltage generator is driven to output a first target voltage as the output voltage, to a state in which a second target voltage is output as the output voltage, to perform feedback control on the second voltage.

Abstract: A manufacturing method includes a dividing step for dividing a supporting member into a first divided portion including a fixed portion to a frame and a second divided portion including a second engaged portion, a divided-portion detaching step for detaching the second divided portion from the frame, and a separating step for detaching an engaging portion from a first engaged portion and separating a developing unit from the frame.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image forming units each of which includes an image bearing member, a contact charging member, and a developer bearing member of a toner, applies a charging bias in a direction in which the toner moves from the image bearing member to the charging member in an image forming period, and applied a charging bias of an opposite polarity relative to that in the image formation in a cleaning period, and collects the toner by the developer bearing member. In consecutive image formation, a charging bias in the image forming period is applied in a first interval period and which is between first and second image forming periods and a second interval period which is between second and third image forming periods. An absolute value of a charging bias applied in the second interval period is larger than that applied in the first interval period.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of cartridges containing toners, each cartridge including a storage element that stores a type of thermal characteristic information of the toner contained therein, and a reading portion configured to read the type of thermal characteristic information. A fixing portion thermally fixes a toner image, formed by a plurality of toners of different colors contained in the cartridges, respectively, onto a recording material, and a control portion controls the fixing portion by switching a thermal fixing condition in accordance with a combination of the types of the thermal characteristic information read by the reading portion, the thermal fixing condition being a condition that prioritizes the performance of fixing, to a recording material, a toner, of the toners that form the toner image, that is transferred first to the recording material, from among the plurality of toners of different colors.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus and a fixing apparatus include a cleaning web configured to remove toner adhering to a rotation member, the cleaning web including a recessed portion in at least a part thereof, and a displacement mechanism configured to situate a relative position between the rotation member and a pressure member configured to press the cleaning web toward the rotation member at a first position where the cleaning web is pressed toward the rotation member by the pressure member and at a second position where the rotation member and the pressure member are farther from each other than at the first position. The displacement mechanism situates the relative position at the second position based on an output of a detection position configured to detect a position of the recessed portion, so that a rear end of the recessed portion is not pressed toward the rotation member by the pressure member.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a cartridge, the cartridge being attachable to an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus, the cartridge including a first member and a second member, the first member including a receiving surface and a retaining portion, and the second member including a contact surface in contact with the receiving surface. In the manufacturing method, the first member and the second member are held so that the contact surface covers the retaining portion and so that the contact surface and the receiving surface are in contact with each other and joined by ultrasonic spot welding so that a recess recessed towards the retaining portion is formed in the second member and so that at least part of a fused portion of the first member and the second member enters the retaining portion.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heater having a plurality of heat generating elements, a roller for forming a nip portion with the heater, an acquisition portion that acquires a plurality of count values indicating heat accumulation amounts of a plurality of heating regions heated by the plurality of heat generating elements, respectively, and a control portion that controls electrical power to be supplied to the plurality of heat generating elements to control individual heat generating quantities of the plurality of heat generating elements. The control portion controls the heat generating quantities so that a difference between a first count value indicating a heat accumulation amount of a first heating region heated by a first heat generating element and a second count value indicating a heat accumulation amount of a second heating region heated by a second heat generating element is maintained within a predetermined range.

Abstract: An electrophotographic imager includes a photoconductive element, a charger, and a light source to expose areas of a charged surface of the photoconductive element to form a latent image. A development element is coupled relative to the photoconductive element to develop, via charged marking agent, the latent image on the photoconductive element. An exposure adjustment factor is selectively applied, prior to the exposing, to a first printable area of the latent image.

Abstract: A cylindrical base body of the disclosure includes an outer peripheral surface and an end surface which is connected to the outer peripheral surface. The outer peripheral surface includes a first inclined surface which is inclined inwardly toward the end surface, the end surface includes a second inclined surface which is inclined inwardly toward the outer peripheral surface and is connected to the first inclined surface, and a connecting portion of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface has a radiused surface.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a controller that determines a duty ratio of a drive signal to be a first duty ratio if an alternating voltage of a commercial alternating current power supply detected by a voltage detector is less than a predetermined voltage, and to determine the duty ratio of the drive signal to be a second duty ratio, which is less than the first duty ratio, if the alternating voltage is greater than the predetermined voltage. The controller also supplies the drive signal, set to the determined duty ratio, to a driving circuit if a temperature detected by a temperature detector is less than a first temperature, and not to supply the drive signal to the driving circuit if the temperature detected by the temperature detector is not less than the first temperature.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable fixing belt; a contact portion that comes into contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt in a width direction; a holding portion disposed opposite the inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt to guide and hold the fixing belt; a pressing unit that presses the fixing belt against the contact portion; a first protrusion and a second protrusion respectively disposed at portions of the holding portion upstream and downstream of the contact portion in a rotation direction of the fixing belt to come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt in the width direction; and a lubricant applied to the inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt. At least one of the first protrusion and the second protrusion has a recess at at least a center portion of the protrusion in a longitudinal direction of the protrusion.

Abstract: The fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressing member, a pushing member and a cap. The fixing belt is endless and rotatable. The pressing member is configured to form a pressing area with the fixing belt. The pushing member is configured to come into contact with an inner circumferential face of the fixing belt via a lubricant and to push the fixing belt to the pressing member at the pressing area. The cap is configured to be attached to an end portion of the fixing belt through an elastic member. The cap has a contact part with which an end face of the fixing belt comes into contact. The contact part has a groove configured to store the lubricant leaked from the fixing belt. The groove is formed such that a width is varied along a radial direction of the cap.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member, a heat source, a pressing member and a holding member. The holding member includes a base plate and a sliding sheet. The base plate includes a main body and a projection. The main body has one face facing an inner circumferential face of the fixing member and the other face opposite to the one face. The projection is formed on the other face. The sliding sheet has a through hole into which the projection is fitted. The sliding sheet is wrapped around the main body with the projection fitted into the through hole. The sliding sheet is subjected to a heat treatment at a temperature higher than a maximum temperature where a temperature of the fixing member reaches when the fixing member is heated by the heat source.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is configured to execute a first image forming mode, in which an image is formed by forming toner images on a first photosensitive member and a second photosensitive member, and a second image forming mode, in which an image is formed by releasing the first photosensitive member from an outer peripheral surface of an intermediate transfer member and bringing the second photosensitive member into abutment against the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer member. A control unit is configured to set a potential difference, which is a difference between an absolute value of a dark point potential of the second photosensitive member and an absolute value of a direct current component of a developing bias, to be lower in a case of the second image forming mode than in a case of the first image forming mode.

Abstract: A fixing device controller includes a plurality of voltage detectors to detect voltages of a plurality of power sources for supplying power to a plurality of heaters to heat a fixing member of a fixing device that fixes a toner image on a recording medium and a heater controller to execute duty control to turn on the plurality of heaters. The heater controller corrects a duty of at least one of the plurality of heaters based on the voltages detected by the plurality of voltage detectors and rated output values of the plurality of heaters.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charger, a photoconductor, a charging high-voltage power supply, and circuitry. The charging high-voltage power supply supplies a charging bias to the charger and generates an output value feedback voltage representing a voltage value corresponding to an output current value from the charger to the photoconductor. The circuitry extracts a minimum value of the output value feedback voltage based on the output value feedback voltage generated in a given time. The circuitry calculates a maximum gap value between the charger and the photoconductor based on the minimum value. The circuitry calculates an AC voltage value based on the maximum gap value. The circuitry adds the AC voltage value to a DC voltage value to generate and transmit an output value control signal to the charging high-voltage power supply, to cause the charging high-voltage power supply to adjust the charging bias.

Abstract: A film for use in a fixing device includes a base layer having a cylindrical shape. An electrode portion is formed at an end part of the base layer in a longitudinal direction of the film. A heat generation portion is formed at a central part of the base layer in the longitudinal direction of the film and electrically connected to the electrode portion. The heat generation portion is formed of a conductive layer made of a same material as a material of the electrode portion. A thickness of the conductive layer is larger in the electrode portion than in the heat generation portion. A surface area of the conductive layer per unit length in the longitudinal direction of the film is larger in the electrode portion than in the heat generation portion.

Abstract: A toner case includes a case main body, a rotator, a transmitter and a cover. The case main body stores a toner. The rotator is stored in the case main body and rotates around a rotation axis. The transmitter transmits rotation to the rotator. At least apart of the transmitter is arranged outside the case main body. The cover moves along a rotation axis direction of the rotator between a covering position where the cover covers an outer circumference of the transmitter and an exposing position where the cover exposes the transmitter.