Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a storage portion to which a heating unit configured to heat the sheet stored in the storage portion is detachably attached, a conveyance unit, a detection unit configured to detect attachment of the heating unit to the storage portion, and a control unit configured to control the conveyance unit such that a standby time by which conveyance of the sheet fed from the storage portion is stopped is shorter when the detection unit detects the heating unit than when the detection unit does not detect the heating unit.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a tubular film, an elongate plate-like heater including a first surface in contact with an inner surface of the film and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the heater being in contact with the inner surface of the film with the second surface, a heat conducting member that is long along the length of the heater and is in contact with the second surface of the heater, and a support member capable of rotating the film while supporting the heater, with the heat conducting member therebetween. The heat conducting member includes an extending portion extending, outside an upstream end of the heater in a rotational direction of the film, in a direction from the second surface of the heater toward the first surface. The extending portion includes a contact portion protruding from the first surface of the heater toward the film into contact therewith.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which a cartridge is detachably mounted, wherein the cartridge includes: a storage unit that stores one or a plurality of sets of information associating identification information assigned according to a classification for image forming apparatus with control information used to control the image forming apparatus, and a management unit that, in response to a request from an image forming apparatus in which the cartridge is mounted, provides information stored in the storage unit; and the image forming apparatus comprises: a holding unit that holds identification information assigned to the image forming apparatus itself, and an acquisition unit that, with the identification information held in the holding unit, requests to and acquire from the cartridge corresponding control information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a fixing portion, an oblique movement detecting portion, and a controller. The image forming portion is configured to form the image on the recording material. The fixing portion includes a flexible cylindrical rotatable member and a roller in press contact with the rotatable member. The rotatable member and the roller are configured to form a fixing nip, in which the recording material, on which the image is formed, is nipped and fed. The oblique movement detecting portion is configured to detect oblique movement of the recording material. When the oblique movement detecting portion detects the oblique movement of the recording material, the controller increases a feeding interval of the recording material to the image forming portion.

Abstract: In a charging roll for electrophotographic equipment, an outer surface layer of an elastic layer includes a binder resin, large-diameter particles having an average particle diameter of 15-50 ?m, and small-diameter particles having an average particle diameter of 3-15 ?m, a difference in average particle diameter between the large-diameter particles and the small-diameter particles is 10-35 ?m, the small-diameter particles are arranged in one layer in the surface layer, the average distance between the small-diameter particles is not more than 1.2 times the average particle diameter of the small-diameter particles, the thickness a of the binder resin covering the large-diameter particles is within the range of 1.5-3.5 ?m, the thickness b of the binder resin covering the small-diameter particles is 3.0-6.0 ?m, and the thickness b is larger than the thickness a.

Abstract: A developing device develops an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive drum. A bottle rotation sensor detects rotation of a toner bottle that stores toner. A bottle motor drives the toner bottle for rotation to thereby discharge toner from the toner bottle. A hopper-internal toner sensor detects presence/absence of toner stored in a hopper that stores toner discharged from the toner bottle. A replenishment unit replenishes toner stored in the hopper to the developing device. Which of failure of the bottle rotation sensor and rotation failure of the toner bottle has occurred is determined based on a detection result of the bottle rotation sensor and a detection result of the hopper-internal toner sensor.

Abstract: A sensor unit includes a first movable member including a member-to-be-detected, a sensor, and a second movable member. When a sheet is normally fed, the first movable member is in a first position, the member-to-be-detected is in a first phase, the second movable member is in a second position, and a functional/non-functional state of the member-to-be-detected is one state. When the sheet is not fed and the first movable member is in a second position, the member-to-be-detected is in the first phase, the second movable member is in a third position, and the functional/non-functional state is the other state. When the first movable member is in the first position and the second movable member is in a fourth position, by movement of the member-to-be-detected to a second phase, the functional/non-functional state is changed from the one state to the other state and an output of the sensor changes.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a holding apparatus configured to collect residual developer remaining on an intermediate transfer belt and temporarily hold the residual developer, and a cleaning member configured to remove toner borne on the photosensitive drum that moves the toner held by the holding apparatus to the intermediate transfer belt and discharging the toner. Toner from a development roller is supplied to the cleaning member before toner reversely transferred from the intermediate transfer belt is supplied to the cleaning member.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, the image forming apparatus includes a developing device and a control unit. The developing device includes a rotator for rotating to cause a developer contained in a container to flow, and performs development using the developer. The control unit has a first control for rotating the rotator in a first direction during development. The control unit has a second control that rotates the rotator in a second direction opposite to the first direction at a predetermined timing when development is not performed. When the second control is performed a plurality of times during a predetermined period, the control unit gradually reduces an interval at which the second control is performed.

Abstract: A process cartridge including a photosensitive drum; a developing roller; a rotatable roller having a rotation shaft in a position deviated from an axis of the developing roller; an Oldham coupling member at an end portion of the shaft of the rotatable roller; an urging member for urging the drive receiving portion; a supporting portion supporting the drive receiving portion; an abutting portion receiving the supporting portion urged by the urging member, an elastic sheet positioned to contact at least part of the Oldham coupling member, wherein the abutting portion is positioned outside an outer periphery of the drum on a plane perpendicular to the shaft of the rotatable roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet; a second reading sensor, and a controller. The first reading sensor is provided on a conveyance path, and is configured to read a first surface of the sheet conveyed along the conveyance path. The second reading sensor is provided at a position different from a position of the first reading sensor, and is configured to read a second surface which is on a side opposite to the first surface of the sheet conveyed along the conveyance path. The controller is configured to control the image forming unit to form measurement images for measurement of printing positions on the sheet, control the first reading sensor to read end portions of the sheet, and to control the second reading sensor to read the end portions of the sheet.

Abstract: A positioning apparatus includes an apparatus body, a draw-out portion, and a positioning mechanism configured to position the draw-out portion at an attachment position with respect to the apparatus body, wherein the positioning mechanism includes a first engaging portion provided in one of the apparatus body and the draw-out portion, a first engaged portion provided in another of the apparatus body and the draw-out portion and configured to determine a position of the draw-out portion in an attachment direction by engaging with the first engaging portion, and wherein the first engaged portion includes an inclined surface that is inclined downward toward a downstream side in the attachment direction and causes a force in the attachment direction to act on the draw-out portion on a basis of a weight of the draw-out portion in a state in which the first engaged portion is engaged with the first engaging portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer container, an agitator, a toner supply, a toner sensor, and a controller. The developer container contains a two-component developer that includes toner and carrier. The agitator stirs the two-component developer. The toner supply replenishes the developer container with additional toner. The toner sensor detects a toner density of the two-component developer in the developer container. The controller calibrates the toner sensor using the two-component developer. The controller compares a first detection value indicating a toner density at a first time with a second detection value indicating a toner density at a second time after a predetermined time period has elapsed since the first time. The controller issues a notification regarding a suitability of calibration based on a comparison result of the first detection value and the second detection value.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance portion including a rotary member, and a counter member, a first contact member, a second contact member, and a contacting and separating mechanism. The contacting and separating mechanism causes the second contact member to separate from the surface of a rotary member of a conveyance portion when the rotary member rotates in the first direction, and causes the second contact member to abut against the surface of the rotary member when the rotary member rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

Abstract: A developing device includes a rotatable developer carrying member carrying a liquid developer on a carrying surface for developing an electrostatic latent image borne on an image bearing member, and an end portion restricting member, provided in contact with the developer carrying member at an end portion of the developer carrying member with respect its rotational axis direction, for restricting movement of the liquid developer in the rotational axis direction of the developer carrying member. A contact angle of the liquid developer to a side surface of the end portion restricting member on a side where the developer carrying member carries the liquid developer is larger than a contact angle of the liquid developer to the carrying surface of the developer carrying member, and the contact angle of the liquid developer to the side surface of the end portion restricting member is 45° or more.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a thermal conductive member that is in contact with a heater and has a thermal conductivity higher than the thermal conductivity of a base material of the heater, and a thermal-resistant member that is disposed between the thermal conductive member and a support member configured to support the heater, a thermal resistance in a thickness direction of the thermal-resistant member being higher than the thermal resistance in the thickness direction of the thermal conductive member.

Abstract: A fixing device (7) includes a fixing member (21), a pressing member (22), a rotation detector (41), and an auxiliary driving part (42). The fixing member (21), with rotating around an axis, heats a toner image on a medium (S). The pressing member (22), with rotating around an axis, forms a pressing area (N) with the fixing member (21) and presses toner on the medium (S) passing through the pressing area (N). The rotation detector (41), when the medium (S) stops while being sandwiched between the fixing member (21) and the pressing member (22), detects rotation of the fixing member (21) or the pressing member (22) generated in a process of extracting the medium (S) toward an upstream side or a downstream side in a passing direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus employing an electrophotographic image forming unit and an inkjet image forming unit, thereby being capable of printing an image on each of a front surface and the back surface of a recording medium.

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a fixing device, for fixing a toner image formed on an image receiving medium to the image receiving medium, including: a pressure rotation member; a pressure member against which the pressure rotation member is pressed across the image receiving medium; a heating roller separated from the pressure member and configured to rotate around a rotation axis thereof; an annular belt wound around the heating roller and the pressure member; a belt regulating member configured to include an opening into which the heating roller is loosely fitted and an abutting surface abutting against the annular belt; and a stopper arranged to face an outer edge of the annular belt contacting the heating roller across the belt regulating member.

Abstract: A powder storage height detection device includes: a main body that includes a transport path along which powder is transported; a powder transport unit that is disposed to rotate in the transport path and includes a transporter provided spirally around a rotational shaft; a swinging unit that comes into contact with a surface of the powder transported in the transport path, and swings by following at least a storage height of the surface; a detection unit that detects a state of swinging of the swinging unit; and a determination unit that determines presence or absence of the powder based on a detection signal outputted from the detection unit.