Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carriers, a charging device, an exposure device, a development device, and an intermediate transfer belt. The image carrier has a surface on which an amorphous silicon photosensitive layer is formed. The intermediate transfer belt is a plastic belt having a surface resistivity of 9.5 to 10.5 (log ?/square). An offset amount of the primary transfer roller from the image carrier is 0 to 2 (mm), a contact surface pressure between the image carrier and the intermediate transfer belt is 0.5 to 1.5 (gf/mm2), and a charge density of primary transfer current that flows when the primary transfer voltage is applied to the primary transfer roller is 0.016 to 0.040 (?C/cm2).

Abstract: A driving device is provided. The driving device includes a plurality of load blocks each including a load element, a plurality of driving circuits configured to drive the plurality of load blocks, and a connection circuit configured to connect the plurality of load blocks to the plurality of driving circuits, respectively. The connection circuit is configured to switch a connection combination of each of the plurality of load blocks and each of the plurality of driving circuits.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer member, a supplying member for supplying a protective agent applied onto a surface of the transfer member, and a controller capable of controlling the supplying member. In a state in which the transfer member contacts the image bearing member during non-image formation outside of image formation in which the toner image is transferred from the image bearing member onto the recording material, the controller carries out control so that an operation in an application mode, in which the protective agent supplied from the supplying member is applied onto the surface of the transfer member, is executed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus (100) includes: an intermediate transfer belt (15B) provided in a body housing (3); an opening/closing unit (30); a second transfer roller (152) provided in the opening/closing unit (30) and in contact with the intermediate transfer belt (15B) when the opening/closing unit (30) is closed; a guide member (31) provided in the opening/closing unit (30) turnably and guiding a sheet to a contact area between the intermediate transfer belt (15B) and the second transfer roller (152); a conductive sheet (32) covering the guide member (31); and a conductive spring (33) provided in the opening/closing unit (30) and biasing the guide member (31) toward the intermediate transfer belt (15B) via the conductive sheet (32) to press the guide member (31) to the body housing (3), wherein when the opening/closing unit (30) is opened, the guide member (31) is in contact with the conductive spring (32) by gravity.

Abstract: A developing device mountable on an image forming apparatus includes a main body, a fixing portion, a connecting portion and a developing side electric contact. The fixing portion is fixed to the image forming apparatus in a state where the main body and the fixing portion are positioned in the image forming apparatus. A developing side electric contact is provided on the fixing portion and to contact a main assembly side electric contact of the image forming apparatus in a state in which the main body and the fixing portion are positioned. When the developing device is pressed by a pressing portion of the image forming apparatus in a state where the fixing portion is fixed to the image forming apparatus, the main body is rotated about the connecting portion as a rotation center so that the developer carrying member is moved from a separated position to a developing position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus to perform an image forming operation of forming an image on a transferred material includes a photosensitive drum, an exposure unit, a transfer member to form a transfer portion, a transfer voltage applying unit to apply a transfer voltage, an opening/closing member, a detection unit to detect information regarding a first movement or a second movement, and a control unit to execute the image forming operation and a non-image forming operation. Where the detection unit detects the first and second movements, in the non-image forming operation, the control unit rotates the photosensitive drum at least one rotation in a state where a surface of the photosensitive drum is exposed with light by the exposure unit and the transfer voltage is applied so an electrostatic force that causes toner charged to a positive polarity to be attracted to the transfer member is generated in the transfer portion.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes first and second rotating members, a heater having a heating element and a substrate, and first and second contact members. A direction of a longer side on a surface of the substrate where the heating element is disposed is a longitudinal direction. A direction intersecting the longitudinal direction is a widthwise direction. The first contact member is disposed in a region outside a region where a maximum size recording material conveyed to a nip portion passes through the nip portion on one end side in the longitudinal direction on an outer circumferential surface of the first rotating member, and the second contact member is disposed in the region outside the region where the maximum size recording material conveyed to the nip portion passes through the nip portion on an other end side in the longitudinal direction on an outer circumferential surface of the second rotating member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member, a developing member, a transfer member, and a brush contacting a surface of the image bearing member in a contact portion downstream of a transfer portion and upstream of a developing portion with respect to a rotational direction of the image bearing member. The toner which is not transferred onto a toner image receiving member is collected by the developing member. In a charging series, the toner is positioned on the same side as a normal charge polarity of the toner relative to the brush. In the contact portion, a maximum value of a contact pressure of 0.7 gf/mm2 or more and 3.5 gf/mm2 or less, a maximum contact area ratio is 18% or more and 74% or less, and a Clark-Evans index of the brush is 1 or more.

Abstract: A roller cleaning mechanism includes a cleaning member making contact with a conveying roller, a holder holding the cleaning member, a housing for the holder, and an urging member. The holder is supported on the housing swingably about a swing shaft parallel to the axial direction of a driving roller. The urging member urges the holder oppositely to the rotation direction of the conveying roller. When the conveying roller rotates, its rotative driving force keeps the holder at a cleaning position where a cleaning face of the cleaning member makes contact with the outer circumferential face of the conveying roller. When the conveying roller is halted, the urging force of the urging member keeps the holder at a retracted position where a part of the cleaning member different from the cleaning face makes contact with the outer circumferential face of the conveying roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor that includes a conductive substrate, an undercoat layer provided on the conductive substrate, containing a binder resin and an electron transport material, and satisfying Expression 1-1, and a photosensitive layer provided on the undercoat layer, a charging device that charges a surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor, 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 with a developer containing a toner to form a toner image, and a transfer device that transfers the toner image to a surface of a recording medium, in which a moving time of an outer peripheral surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor, required from charging performed by the charging device to development performed by the developin

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet, a reversing unit configured to convey a sheet conveyed from the image forming unit in a first direction, stop the conveyance, and then convey the sheet in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction, an image detection unit disposed to detect at least a portion of the image on the sheet stopped by the reversing unit, and a control unit configured to control the reversing unit and the image detection unit. The control unit is configured to detect the image on the sheet by the image detection unit while the sheet conveyance is stopped by the reversing unit.

Abstract: Yellow toner with excellent cleanability, transferability and device contamination resistance is provided. When intensity of spectrum at wavenumber ?, at which total intensity of Raman spectrums of toner particles from 950 cm?1 through 3,250 cm?1 in Raman spectroscopy of toner is maximum, is normalized to 1, and distribution is generated for ?300 particles regarding LC calculated by [LC (%)=CH5 rate (%)?CHc rate (%)] based on CHc rate (%) defined as [(Inc?Iave)/Iave]×100 and CHs rate (%) defined as [(Ins?Iave)/Iave]×100 where In and Ins represent integrated intensities of spectrums of center and surface portions of each particle from 2,750 cm?1 through 3,250 cm?1, and Iave represents average of Inc and Ins of all particles, percentage by number of particles having LC deviating from LC distribution median by absolute value of ?25.0; is ?1.0% by number and ?25.0% by number.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charging unit that charges an image bearing member, a developing unit that forms a toner image on an latent image formed on the image bearing member, a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a transfer material, a charge neutralizer that neutralizes a charge of the image bearing member downstream of a transfer portion and upstream of a charging portion in a rotating direction of the image bearing member, a conductive collecting unit that collects a material adhering on the image bearing member downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the charging portion, wherein the developing unit collects residual toner on the image bearing member, an voltage application unit sets a potential difference between the voltage applied to the collecting unit and the surface electric potential of the image bearing member not more than a discharge threshold.

Abstract: A heating device includes a heat generating element, a switching element, a capacitor, a connecting portion, and a controller. When the connecting means is changed in state from an on state to an off state, the controller causes the capacitor to discharge an electric charge of the capacitor by bringing the switching element into a conduction state for a predetermined time after the connecting means is changed in state to the off state.

Abstract: A powder cartridge with a cartridge interface at a proximal, open end of a cartridge body. The cartridge interface has a dispense mechanism opened to the cartridge body and a coupling mechanism coupled with the dispense mechanism. The coupling mechanism includes at least one coupling extension and at least one shuttle configured for movable coupling with the dispense mechanism.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing container, a developing roller, a supplying roller, a first magnet including a first magnetic pole, a second magnet including second to fifth magnetic poles, and a regulating member. A maximum magnetic flux density of the second magnetic pole is larger in absolute value than a maximum magnetic flux density of the third magnetic pole in a normal direction to the supplying roller, and a maximum magnetic flux density of the third magnetic pole is larger in absolute value than a maximum magnetic flux density of the fourth magnetic pole in the normal direction. With respect to a rotational direction of the supplying roller, an angle between maximum magnetic flux density positions of the second and third magnetic poles is smaller than an angle between maximum magnetic flux density positions of the third and fourth magnetic poles.

Abstract: A positioning member defines a facing distance between a first rotating body and a second rotating body. The positioning member includes a fitting portion, a groove, and a restricting member. A fitted portion of the first rotating body is to be rotatably fitted into the fitting portion. The groove has a groove shape extending in a predetermined direction from an opening to an abutting portion. A shaft portion of the second rotating body is to be slidably movable in the groove. The restricting member restricts movement of the shaft portion in the predetermined direction in a state in which the shaft portion abuts on the abutting portion in the groove. The restricting member is detachably disposed on the groove.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a charger, a developing device, and a transferor. The charger is disposed in contact with the image bearer to charge the image bearer. The developing device supplies toner to the image bearer to form a toner image on the image bearer. The transferor transfers the toner image on the image bearer to a recording medium or an intermediate transferor. The developing device collects transfer residual toner remaining on the image bearer after transfer of the toner image. The toner contains base particles and an external additive. The external additive has a volume average particle diameter of 5 nm or more and 50 nm or less. A content of the external additive is 1.8% by mass or less in the toner.

Abstract: A reciprocating mechanism reciprocates by drive force from a drive source and to press a chute to move from a first position to a second position. In response to determining that a parameter is greater than a threshold for the parameter, a controller executes a first mode of actuating the drive source when conveying one sheet. The parameter decreases as a conveyance speed of the sheet at the fixing nip increases. The threshold is such a value that, when the parameter is greater than the threshold, a difference between a conveyance speed of the sheet at a transfer nip and the conveyance speed of the sheet at the fixing nip is greater than a particular level. In response to determining that the parameter is smaller than or equal to the threshold, the controller executes a second mode of not actuating the drive source when conveying one sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a body, an intermediate transfer assembly, a secondary transfer assembly, and a drive motor. The intermediate transfer assembly is held by the body and includes an intermediate transferor. The secondary transfer assembly is held by the intermediate transfer assembly and includes a secondary transfer assembly and a cam. The secondary transferor assembly includes a secondary transferor rotatably held by the secondary transfer assembly. The secondary transferor presses the intermediate transferor. The cam contacts the secondary transferor assembly and adjusts a contact pressure of the secondary transferor against the intermediate transferor. The drive motor is held by the body and rotates the cam.