Abstract: A feeding apparatus includes a feeding unit, an ion generating unit and a controller. The ion generating unit irradiates the sheet fed by the feeding unit with the ion. The controller acquires an information on the fed sheet and to controls the ion generating unit. The controller operates the ion generating unit in a case that the information of the sheet is a first information, and does not operate the ion generating unit in a case that the information of the sheet is a second information.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt, a rotatable pressing member, a pad member inside of the belt, and a sliding member held by the pad member and sliding on an inner circumferential surface of the belt in a nip. The rotatable pressing member nips and feeds a recording material in the nip in cooperation with the belt and fixes a toner image on the recording material by applying heat and pressure. The sliding member includes a base material layer on which a plurality of projections projecting toward the rotatable pressing member are formed on a side sliding with the belt and a sliding layer provided on an outer surface of the plurality of projections. A leading end of the plurality of projections is a plane and an average roughness (Ra) of the plane satisfies 0.13 ?m?Ra?1.67 ?m.

Abstract: A first exposure head forms an image corresponding to a first color based on a first synchronization signal. A second exposure head forms the image corresponding to a second color based on a second synchronization signal. A period of the first synchronization signal in a case where the first exposure head is to form the image for a second surface of a sheet is shorter than a period of first synchronization signal in a case where the first exposure head is to form the image for a first surface of the sheet. A period of the second synchronization signal in a case where the second exposure head is to form the image for the second surface is shorter than a period of the second synchronization signal in a case where the second exposure head is to form the image for the first surface.

Abstract: A conductive roller includes: a core member including an outer surface along and about an axial line thereof; and a surface layer arranged along the outer surface of the core member. The surface layer includes a conductive portion formed of a conductive resin composition, and a surface roughness imparting material in a form of particles dispersed in the conductive portion. An average particle size of the surface roughness imparting material is in a range of 6 micrometers or greater and 10 micrometers or less. The number of particles of the surface roughness imparting material per unit area of the surface layer is in a range of 1.0×104 particles per mm2 or greater and 2.0×106 particles per mm2 or less. An average thickness of the surface layer is in a range of 3.0 micrometers or greater and 15.0 micrometers or less.

Abstract: A conductive roller includes: a core member including an outer surface along and about an axial line thereof; and a surface layer arranged along the outer surface of the core member. The surface layer includes a conductive portion, and a surface roughness imparting material in a form of particles dispersed in the conductive portion. An average particle size of the surface roughness imparting material is in a range of 6 micrometers or greater and less than 10 micrometers. The number of particles of the surface roughness imparting material per unit area of the surface layer is in a range of 3.5×105 particles per mm2 or greater and 7.5×105 particles per mm2 or less. An average thickness of the surface layer is in a range of 0.2 micrometers or greater and 5.5 micrometers or less.

Abstract: A system for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a toner container having a reservoir for storing toner and an impact member configured to selectively impart an impulse force on the toner container to cause vibration of the toner container. A sensor is configured to sense the vibration of the toner container upon the impact member imparting the impulse force on the toner container. Processing circuitry in communication with the sensor is configured to determine an estimate of an amount of toner in the reservoir based on the sensed vibration of the toner container.

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic apparatus including: an electrophotographic photosensitive member; a voltage application unit configured to cause discharge from an electroconductive member to the electrophotographic photosensitive member; a charge transfer amount detection unit configured to detect a charge transfer amount per unit time resulting from the discharge from the electroconductive member to the electrophotographic photosensitive member; and a charging potential control unit, wherein V1 and V2 defined by specific procedures for the electrophotographic photosensitive member satisfy a relationship represented by the following expression (E-4): 100V1<V2?V1 (E-4), and wherein the charging potential control unit is configured to control the charging potential of the electrophotographic photosensitive member at the time of image formation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a detachable unit attachable to and detachable from an apparatus body, a preceding unit configured to move relative to the apparatus body before the detachable unit is attached to or detached from the apparatus body, and an adhesion-suppressing component provided on the preceding unit and configured to suppress adhesion of floating matter in the apparatus body to a grip of the detachable unit by covering the grip.

Abstract: A container member includes a container body that contains a recording medium and that tilts with respect to a horizontal direction such that a leading edge of the contained recording medium is higher than a trailing edge, a trailing edge restriction portion that comes into contact with the trailing edge of the recording medium that is contained in the container body in a front-rear direction of the recording medium and that restricts a position of the trailing edge of the recording medium, and a restriction portion that restricts movement of the trailing edge in a thickness direction of the recording medium that is contained in the container body.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process cartridge detachably mounted to an image forming device having a tray and force applying components. The process cartridge has a process cartridge frame, a photosensitive unit, a developing unit rotatable relative to the photosensitive unit. The process cartridge frame has a driving side and a conductive side disposed oppositely along a length direction. The driving side has a first driving force receiving portion for rotating a photosensitive drum and a second driving force receiving portion for rotating a developing roller. The developing unit has a force receiving portion for receiving force of force applying components to rotate the developing unit relative to the photosensitive unit. When the process cartridge is pushed into to the image forming device, the force receiving portion move at least in a left-and-right direction and/or an up-and-down direction relative to the frame of the process cartridge.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus includes an endless belt configured to bear a toner image, a rotary member configured to be wound around by the belt, and configured to rotate integrally with the belt, a bearing configured to rotatably support the rotary member, a cleaning unit configured to come into contact with a surface of the belt and collect an adhering matter adhered onto the surface, an urging member configured to urge the cleaning unit toward the surface of the belt, and a support member configured from a single member and including a first supporting portion, a second supporting portion, and a third supporting portion. The first supporting portion rotatably supports the belt via the bearing and the rotary member. The second supporting portion pivotably supports the cleaning unit. The third supporting portion supports the urging member.

Abstract: A fixing belt includes a base member containing a metal, a sliding layer containing a filler and formed on a base member inner side, and a separation layer formed on a base member outer side. Assume that (i) a sliding layer cross section is obtained by cutting the sliding layer along a sliding layer thickness direction and is divided into sections each having a length that is the same as a sliding layer thickness in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, and (ii) a ratio of a filler area to a sliding layer area in each cross section sections is an area ratio. A period coefficient is calculated using the formula (Ave %?Min %)/Ave %, where an average of area ratios of filler areas in all the sections is Ave % and a minimum of the area ratios is Min %, and the calculated period coefficient is 0.6 or more.

Abstract: A transfer unit includes first and second rollers, a roller switching mechanism, and upstream-side and downstream-side guides. The second roller is arranged downstream of the first roller in the conveyance direction of the recording medium. The roller switching mechanism selectively arranges the first or second roller at a reference position to form a transfer nip. The upstream-side and downstream-side guides are respectively arranged upstream and downstream of the transfer nip in the conveyance direction of the recording member. When the first roller moves to the reference position by the roller switching mechanism, the second roller moves to a first retracted position behind the downstream-side guide, and when the second roller moves to the reference position by the roller switching mechanism, the first roller moves to a second retracted position behind the upstream-side guide.

Abstract: A digital printing system (10) includes a flexible substrate (44), an optical assembly (200, 301) and a processor (20). The flexible substrate (44) has a periodic pattern, and is configured to be moved and to receive ink droplets in a printing process that forms an image thereon. The optical assembly (200, 301) is configured to illuminate the flexible substrate (44) with light (215, 315), to detect the light (215, 315) from the flexible substrate (44), and to derive from the detected light (215, 315) a signal indicative of the periodic pattern. The processor (20) is configured to receive the signal and to monitor or control the digital printing system (10) based on the periodic pattern as indicated by the signal.

Abstract: An electrophotographic belt having a layered structure with excellent scratch resistance and excellent adhesion of layers to each other. The electrophotographic belt includes a first layer and a second layer directly covering any one of the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the first layer, the first layer containing a first polyester resin, and the second layer containing a second polyester resin and an acrylic resin that contains a carboxy group in its molecule.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a developing roller which is not prone to scumming in a nonprinting area. The solution is to provide a developing roller which has an elastic layer, a coat layer formed on the elastic layer, and end portion coat layers formed on outermost surfaces on two axial end portions, wherein the end portion coat layer contains a conductive material.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of forming images in mono-color and a plurality of colors includes first and second image forming units and a control unit. The image forming unit includes a rotatable image bearing member, a rotatable developing member that contacts the image bearing member to supply a developer to the surface thereof, and a developer supply member that supplies the developer to the developing member. The control unit switches between an image forming operation of forming an image on the image bearing member surface and a cleaning operation of removing an attached matter on the image bearing member surface with the developing member by controlling a voltage applied to the developing member and a voltage applied to the developer supply member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member, a rotatable transfer member, a first driving source to drive the image bearing member, a second driving source to drive the transfer member, and a control portion. Based on a toner amount per unit area of the toner image transferred to each of a plurality of first divided regions on a plane of a recording material in a feeding direction, the control portion controls a driving speed of the transfer member while each of the plurality of the first divided regions passes through a transfer portion. The control portion acquires an index value correlating with a toner amount of the toner image transferred to each of a plurality of second divided regions of each first divided region in a widthwise direction, and controls the driving speed based on the index value while the first divided region passes through the transfer portion.

Abstract: A transfer member for a printing device includes a shaft, a rigid cylindrical core member, mounted on the shaft, an outer layer supported on the rigid cylindrical core member, and optionally a conformable intermediate layer, spacing the cylindrical core member from the outer layer. The outer layer defines an outer surface of the transfer member, and is configured for receiving a toner image thereon. The cylindrical core and outer layer have a same axis of rotation as the shaft. The rigid cylindrical core and/or the conformable intermediate layer, where present may be electrically biased, relative to a photoconductor drum of the printing device.

Abstract: A cylinder member includes: a cylinder body having a cross section and including a dent portion; a sheet member wrapped around the cylinder body and including a metal layer contacting the cylinder body and an outer layer; a first attachment member on a sheet member first end portion and removably attached to the dent portion; a second attachment member on a metal layer end portion protruding from the outer layer in the circumferential direction at a sheet member second end portion, the second attachment member being removably attached to the dent portion; a tension-applying mechanism pulling the second attachment member in a dent portion depth direction to apply tension to the metal layer; a projection on one of the second attachment member and metal layer end portion; and a fitting portion on other one of the second attachment member and the metal layer end portion and fitted to the projection.