Abstract: A thermal fixing apparatus, including a rotatable first member; a heater heating the first member; a rotatable second member forming a nip portion with the first member; and a pressurizing member disposed inside the first member, and having a contact surface with an inner surface of the first member. The pressurizing member includes a surface layer constituting the contact surface, and the surface layer comprises a diamond-like carbon film containing a hydrogen atom (H), a carbon atom (C) and a silicon atom (Si). 100×(H)/((H)+(C)) is 5 or less. 100×(Si)/((Si)+(C)) is 1 to 20. Between the contact surface and an inner circumferential surface of the first member, an oil film containing a fluorinated oil and a silicone oil is present.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a cleaning member, a determination unit, and a control unit. The image carrier carries a developer image. The cleaning member removes a developer adhering to a surface of the image carrier by a frictional force when the image carrier is rotated in a first direction. The determination unit determines an image forming amount in a plurality of continuous image forming jobs. The control unit rotates the image carrier in the first direction during the image forming period and in a second direction opposite to the first direction at reverse rotation timing, and changes a condition for rotation in the second direction according to the determination result.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus resets a count value retained by a counter if a cleaning sequence is executed based on an execution instruction accepted from an operator via an operation unit or when the count value for counting the number of image-formed sheets reaches a predetermined value.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming unit including a photosensitive unit including an image bearing member, a developing unit including a developer bearing member and a container capable of containing a developer, a rotation shaft, the developing unit being rotated around the rotation shaft and positioned at one of a development position where the developer bearing member supplies the developer to the image bearing member and a separation position where the developer bearing member separates from the image bearing member, and a sensing portion sensing a variation or an amount corresponding to an amount of the developer contained in the developing unit. When the developing unit is at the separation position, the sensing portion restricts the rotation of the developing unit thereby receiving a force from the developing unit.

Abstract: An image forming device, including: a housing; a drawer movable between an inside position at which the drawer is located inside the housing and an outside position at which the drawer is located outside the housing; a drum cartridge including a photoconductive drum and a developer roller and mountable on the drawer; a toner cartridge storing toner to be supplied to the developer roller and mountable on the drawer, wherein the drawer includes a first guide that guides the toner cartridge in mounting the toner cartridge on the drawer, and wherein the drum cartridge includes a second guide connected to the first guide in a state in which the drum cartridge is mounted on the drawer, the second guide being configured to guide the toner cartridge in mounting the toner cartridge on the drawer in the state in which the drum cartridge is mounted on the drawer.

Abstract: Provided are a developing roll for an electrophotographic device and a method for manufacturing a developing roll for an electrophotographic device, with which toner fusion and toner filming are suppressed. A developing roll for an electrophotographic device includes a shaft body and an elastic body layer formed on an outer circumference of the shaft body. The surface of the elastic body layer has a plurality of large protruding parts having a width of 3.0 to 12 ?m and a height of 3.0 to 12 ?m, and the side surface of the large protruding part 16 has a plurality of small protruding parts which form convex-concavity having a ten-point average roughness Rz of 2.0 to 4.0 ?m.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a casing in which multiple units are disposed. The casing has a front wall having a first opening and a stepped wall having a second opening. In the casing, an exposure unit is disposed in front of an image forming unit, above the first opening, and above a sheet loading section, and a fixing unit is disposed above the image forming unit. The exposure unit is disposed with a first gap between the exposure unit and the image forming unit, and the fixing unit is disposed with a second gap between the exposure unit and the image forming unit. The first gap and the second gap constitute a ventilation channel for distributing outside air flowing into the casing through the first opening to the second opening.

Abstract: An apparatus for stripping light weight and ultra-light weight media from a photoreceptor that is tacked thereto by electrostatic or vacuum force includes a set of low-tip stripper fingers configured to strip the light weight and ultra-light weight media from the photoreceptor. The low-tip stripper fingers are adjustable both in the cross process and in attack angle with respect to the photoreceptor in order to change the height at which the tip of each stripper finger is in relation to the photoreceptor and thereby prevent jams due to miss-strips. Additionally, dual stripper fingers are disclosed that support inboard and outboard edges of larger media in order to reduce dog ears and jams.

Abstract: According to one example, an image forming apparatus includes a detection unit that detects temperature information on a temperature of a toner stored in a toner cartridge, an image forming unit that forms a toner image on a sheet with the toner supplied from the toner cartridge, a fixing unit that fixes the toner image formed on the sheet by the image forming unit, and a control unit that controls a fixing temperature in the fixing unit according to the temperature information detected by the detection unit and an accumulated time in which the temperature information is detected.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a light transmitting member, a guide rail, a holding member, and a cleaning member. The light transmitting member extends in a main scanning direction and transmits a light beam. The guide rail extends in the main scanning direction and is arranged parallel to the light transmitting member. The holding member extends in a cross direction intersecting the main scanning direction and moves in the main scanning direction along the guide rail. The cleaning member is held by the holding member and cleans a light emitting surface of the light transmitting member by means of movement of the holding member in the main scanning direction.

Abstract: A developer cartridge includes a housing, a developing roller, an agitator, a memory, and a cover. The housing is configured to store toner therein and has one end portion and the other end portion in a first direction. The developing roller is rotatable about a first axis extending in the first direction. The agitator is rotatable about a second axis extending in the first direction. The agitator is positioned spaced apart from the developing roller. The memory includes an electrical contact surface. The electrical contact surface is positioned at an outer surface of the housing and at the one end portion of the housing in the first direction, and is disposed between the developing roller and the agitator in a second direction from the first axis toward the second axis. The cover has an opening open in the second direction and covers the electrical contact surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a casing, a drum unit including first and second lateral walls and first and second photosensitive drums, first and second cartridges supported by the drum unit, first and second operable members, is provided. The first operable member and the second operable member press the first developing cartridge and the second developing cartridge, respectively, in a direction from the first lateral wall toward the second lateral wall to move the first and second developing rollers from the respective contacting positions to respective separated positions. The casing includes a restrictive portion. When the drum unit is attached to the casing, the restrictive portion restricts movement of the drum unit causable by at least one of a pressing action of the first operable member to press the first developing cartridge and a pressing action of the second operable member to press the second developing cartridge.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developing cartridge, a control portion configured to cause the image forming unit to form the toner image in one mode selected from a plurality of modes including a first image forming mode for forming a first toner image whose maximum loading amount is a first loading amount and a second image forming mode for forming a second toner image whose maximum loading amount is a second loading amount different from the first loading amount, a detection unit, and a display portion configured to display information related to the number of sheets of a recording material on which the first toner images can be formed in the first image forming mode and information related to the number of sheets of a recording material on which the second toner images can be formed in the second image forming mode.

Abstract: A developing cartridge including a casing, a developing roller, a developing roller gear, a gear cover, a first boss, and a pressure receiving surface. The developing roller is positioned closer to a first end portion of the casing than to a second end portion of the casing in a first direction. The first boss extends in a second direction and is movable together with the casing. The first boss is positioned away from the developing roller in the first direction by a first distance and also positioned away from the developing roller in a third direction. The pressure receiving surface is positioned further from the developing roller than the first boss is from the developing roller in the third direction. The pressure receiving surface is positioned away from the developing roller by the first distance or by a second distance shorter than the first distance.

Abstract: A toner collection device includes a casing, a fan unit and a filter. The casing has a suction port and an exhaust port. The fan unit is supported by the casing in a swingable manner and generates an air flow from the suction port to the exhaust port inside the casing. The filter is disposed inside the casing and supported by the casing or the fan unit, and collects a toner contained in the air flow flowed into the casing through the suction port. When the fan unit is driven to generate the air flow, a swinging of the fan unit is transmitted to the filter to vibrate the filter.

Abstract: A toner conveying device conveys toner supplied from outside. The toner conveying device includes a housing, a plurality of toner acceptors, a plurality of legs, a bracket, and a vibration generator. The housing has a toner conveyance path inside. The toner acceptors are provided on the housing to accept toner supplied from outside and guide the toner to the toner conveyance path. The legs are fixed near the toner acceptors on the housing, respectively, and protrude outward from a side surface of the housing. The bracket is supported by each of the legs. The vibration generator is attached to the bracket.

Abstract: A developing cartridge includes: a developing roller; a coupling for rotating the developing roller; a shaft; and a clutch. The developing roller is rotatable about a first axis extending in an axial direction. The coupling is rotatable about a second axis extending in the axial direction. The shaft rotatably supports the coupling. The clutch is rotatable together with the coupling about the shaft in a case where the coupling rotates in a first rotational direction. In a case where the coupling rotates in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction, the clutch engages with a portion of the shaft and the clutch and the coupling do not rotate.

Abstract: A protruding portion protruding in a rotation axis direction of an image bearing member is provided at a position between the tip of a separation claw and an apex of the separation claw, when the apex of the separation claw is disposed at a position farthest from the surface of the image bearing member in a direction perpendicular to a straight line connecting the tip and the rotation center of a shaft portion of the separation claw.

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.