Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a dividing the image data into regions including pixels; an obtaining a first ratio by dividing a total number of the pixels included in groups, the pixels having a density equal to or higher than a predetermined value and arranged consecutively in a predetermined direction, by a total number of the pixels having the density and included in each of the regions; an obtaining a second ratio by dividing the total number of pixels having the density and included in each of the regions by a total number of the pixels included in each of the regions; a determining a target temperature for maintaining a temperature of a fixing portion based on the first and second ratios; and a controlling power to be supplied to the fixing portion so that the fixing portion is maintained at the target temperature.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, an intermediary transfer member, a transfer portion, a cleaning portion, and an air blowing portion. The air blowing portion blows the air toward an outer peripheral surface of the intermediary transfer member in a moving direction of the intermediary transfer member away from the transfer portion, at a position between the transfer portion and the cleaning portion with respect to a movement direction of the intermediary transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a photosensitive member, a developing cartridge that has a developing member, a developing frame, an end member attached to the developing frame, and a restricting portion restricting a swing movement of the end member, and an apparatus body to which the developing cartridge is attachable. The apparatus body includes a movement unit moving the developing cartridge from a first position to a second position, a positioning portion engaging with the end member when the developing cartridge is located at the second position, and a restriction releasing portion acting on the restricting portion with a movement of the developing cartridge from the first position to the second position and releasing restriction of the swing movement of the end member, the restriction releasing portion being provided at a part of the apparatus main body excluding the movement unit.

Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a plurality of feed rollers spaced in a direction perpendicular to a medium conveying direction, each of the feed rollers rotating independently at a respective speed to feed a medium, a plurality of brake rollers, each of the plurality of brake rollers being located to face a corresponding one of the plurality of feed rollers, a plurality of torque limiters separately provided between one of rotation shafts of the plurality of brake rollers and a corresponding one of the plurality of brake rollers, and a processor to detect a skew of the medium, and correct the skew of the medium by changing the speed of one of the plurality of feed rollers when the skew of the medium is detected.

Abstract: There is provided a fixing apparatus configured to fix a toner image on a print medium by spraying a fixing solution, the fixing apparatus including: a plurality of first nozzles from which the fixing solution is sprayed, a first electrode which extends in a first direction, and which faces the first nozzles in a second direction, a holding groove which accommodates the first electrode, which is configured to hold the fixing solution sprayed from the first nozzles, and which has a discharge port through, and a container configured to contain the fixing solution discharged from the discharge port. The holding groove has a bottom surface which is positioned apart from the first electrode in the second direction so that the fixing solution held in the holding groove passes between the first electrode and the bottom surface to flow toward the discharge port.

Abstract: A transfer belt unit includes a belt frame, a transfer belt, a storage element, an electrical contact surface, a pressing member, and a holder. The storage element stores therein information on the transfer belt. The electrical contact surface is electrically connected to the storage element. The pressing member presses the electrical contact surface in a pressing direction. The holder is positioned at the belt frame and holds the electrical contact surface. The holder is movable relative to the belt frame in a direction crossing the pressing direction.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a heating device to be used in a fixing device to fix a toner image to a medium has a heat pipe, a heater, and a heat conductive layer. The heater has a heating portion, and heats the medium via the heat pipe. The heat conductive layer is provided between the heating portion and the heat pipe, and conducts heat from the heating portion to the heat pipe.

Abstract: A heater for being attached to a heating device includes a base layer, a heat generator mounted on the base layer, an electrode mounted on the base layer, and a feeder mounted on the base layer. The feeder is interposed between the electrode and the heat generator. The feeder is configured to electrically connect the electrode to the heat generator. A positioner is configured to engage a counterpart of the heating device. The positioner is configured to position the heater in a longitudinal direction of the heater when the heater is attached to the heating device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging member for charging the image bearing member, an exposure unit for exposing the charged surface of the image bearing member, a developing apparatus that supplies a developer containing a toner particle and an external additive having an opposite charging polarity to the regular charging polarity of the toner particle to the image bearing member, a cleaning member for removing the developer from the image bearing member, a transfer member for transferring a developer image on the image bearing member onto a transfer subject material, and a voltage application unit for applying a voltage to the transfer member. During an image non-formation period as a lubrication operation to the cleaning member, (i) the developer is supplied to the image bearing member, and (ii) a voltage having an identical polarity to a voltage applied during the image formation operation is applied.

Abstract: A heater for being attached to a heating device includes a base layer and a heat generator, an electrode, and a feeder that are mounted on the base layer. The feeder is interposed between the electrode and the heat generator. The feeder is configured to electrically connect the electrode to the heat generator. The base layer includes a heat generating portion mounting the heat generator and an electrode portion mounting the electrode. A decreased cross section portion is interposed between the heat generating portion and the electrode portion. The decreased cross section portion has a cross-sectional area that is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the heat generating portion. The decreased cross section portion includes a positioner configured to engage a counterpart of the heating device and position the heater in a longitudinal direction of the heater when the heater is attached to the heating device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a plurality of sheet detection units, provided at different positions along a sheet width direction, configured to detect the sheet conveyed on a conveyance path. A controller determines, by using the plurality of sheet detection units, a presence or absence of a sheet being conveyed in each of a plurality of regions sectioned in the sheet width direction, and determines, based on input image data, a presence or absence of an image to be formed in each of the plurality of regions. The controller further determines, based on the above determination results, whether or not the image to be formed on the sheet being conveyed is to be formed with a deviation from the sheet, and controls an image forming operation in accordance with this determination result.

Abstract: A leak-prohibiting device includes a fixation mount for being mounted to an toner outlet of a housing of a toner cartridge, a valve member mounted in the fixation mount and forced by a first resilient member to seal an opening of the fixation mount, and a push member mounted in the fixation mount and moveable between an extended position where the push member is abutted against the valve member and a retracted position where an engagement portion of the push member is engaged with a position-limiting portion of the fixation mount such that the push member, on which a biasing force of a second resilient member exerts toward the extended position, is prohibited from moving from the retracted position to the extended position. As such, the leak-prohibiting device can positively block the toner cartridge and the toner cartridge can be repeatedly installed with less manual force.

Abstract: An air blowing cooling mechanism includes a duct provided with an air blowing port, a fan configured to blow air toward the air blowing port, a first louver portion provided inside the duct, a shutter member, and a second louver portion provided downstream of the shutter member with respect to an air blowing direction of the fan. With respect to the air blowing direction, the fan, the first louver portion, the shutter member, the second louver portion and the rotatable heating member are disposed in a named order.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly including an image forming portion capable of forming an image on a sheet, a rotatable cover movable between an open state and a closed state, a substrate mounting unit including a substrate mounting portion on which an electrical substrate is mounted, and a substrate cover portion engaged and held so as to cover the electrical substrate mounted on the substrate mounting portion. The substrate mounting unit includes a mounting and demounting mechanism configured to permit mounting and dismounting of the substrate cover portion. The substrate cover portion is covered by the cover when the cover is in the closed state, and the substrate cover portion is uncovered by the cover when the cover is in the open state.

Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a container having an opening, a flexible bag in which toner is received, a sealing portion configured to seal the flexible bag, and an extension extending from an edge of the sealing portion, the flexible bag being accommodated in the container so that the sealing portion faces the opening, a rotatable member rotatably provided on the container, a movable member connected to the extension and being movable from a first position close to the opening to a second position far from the opening in a longitudinal direction of the container, a rope having a first end portion connected to the rotatable member and a second end portion connected to the movable member, and a bias member configured to elastically bias the rotatable member to rotate in a direction in which the rope is switched from an unwound state to a wound state.

Abstract: In a fixing apparatus 200 having a heater 300 capable of selectively causing a plurality of heat generating blocks divided in a longitudinal direction of a substrate 305 to generate heat, an energization control portion 400 acquires, when performing a fixing operation, a cumulative amount of heat generation in each of a plurality of heating areas, a cumulative rotation time of a pressure roller 208, and information on a recording material that passes through a fixing nip portion, and controls energization of heat generating elements 302a and 302b on the basis of the acquired information.

Abstract: Aspects presented herein are directed towards a carrier evaporator for a Liquid Electrophotography Printing (LEP) system. In an example, the carrier evaporator provides a hot air supply to absorb an evaporated carrier liquid resulting in first air flow comprising a carrier vapour, an evacuator to evacuate at least a portion of the carrier vapour, a heat exchanger to decrease a temperature of the remaining carrier vapour thereby transforming the first air flow to a second airflow comprising carrier particles, and a filter to remove the carrier particles from the second air flow.

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: 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: According to one embodiment, the exposure device includes an exposure head, a holder, a biasing member, a lifting mechanism, a support member, a harness, and a protrusion. The holder supports the exposure head movably in a first direction of approaching the photosensitive drum and a second direction of being spaced from the photosensitive drum. The harness has one end portion connected to the exposure head. The harness is positioned with respect to the support member in a positioning location having a length direction position different from that of the one end portion. The harness has a folding portion formed between the one end portion and the positioning location. The protrusion enters inside of the folding portion to regulate movement of the folding portion of the harness in the first direction or the second direction. The protrusion protrudes from the holder in a third direction intersecting the first direction.