Abstract: A developing device includes a developer container, a developing roller, and a doctor member. The developer container contains a developer including a toner and a developer. The developing roller includes a developing sleeve bearing the developer, a magnet roller in the developing sleeve. The doctor member includes a regulating portion regulating an amount of the developer home on the developing sleeve to be a predetermined amount. The regulating portion is disposed with a first distance from the developing sleeve. The developing sleeve is disposed with a second distance from an image hearer, and when the developing sleeve bearing the predetermined amount of developer passes a vicinity of the image bearer, a value obtained by dividing the predetermined amount by the second distance is less than a threshold of occurrence of adherence of the developer to the developing sleeve.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressure member, a first holding member, and a second holding member. The fixing belt is endless and includes a first rim and a second rim. The pressure member presses the fixing belt by being in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt and rotates about a rotation axis of the pressure member. The first holding member is attached to the fixing belt and holds the first rim of the fixing belt. The second holding member is attached to the fixing belt and holds the second rim of the fixing belt. The second holding member includes a base portion, a main portion, and a protrusion. The main portion protrudes from the base portion. The protrusion protrudes from the main portion in a direction away from the base portion.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a hollow rotating body, a pressing member that applies pressure to a recording medium and transports the recording medium in a transport direction along with rotation of the rotating body, a heating member that is in contact with the rotating body while extending in an axial direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and a holding member that holds the heating member. The heating member includes a contact portion and non-contact portions, the contact portion has a first end portion on a downstream side of the contact portion in the transport direction, each non-contact portion has a second end portion on the downstream side in the transport direction, and each second end portion is thicker than the first end portion in a direction perpendicular to the transport and axial directions. The holding member is in contact with the second end portions in the transport direction.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming unit contained in a flexible bag and held to allow a cushion member to absorb shock. The image forming unit includes: an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a developing device including a developing unit that is configured to develop the electrostatic latent image by turning around a turning center and coming into contact with the image carrier; and a developer accommodating portion that accommodates a developer for use in the developing device. The image forming unit also includes a restricting portion that is provided on an outermost portion of the developing device to come into contact with the cushion material so that rotation of the developing device is restricted.

Abstract: A stereoscopic image forming method forms a color stereoscopic image on a recording medium having a thermal expansion property. The stereoscopic image forming method includes the steps of: fixing a color image on the thermally expandable recording medium using a color material; and irradiating the fixed color image with light of a light source having a maximum emission wavelength in a wavelength range of 280 to 780 nm. This light is absorbed by a compound contained in the color material to generate heat of the compound.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer container, a developer carrier, and a stirring/conveying member. The developer container stores developer containing toner. The developer carrier carries on its surface the toner in the developer container. The stirring/conveying member includes a rotary shaft rotatably supported on the developer container and a stirring blade formed around the outer circumferential face of the rotary shaft and stirs and conveys the developer in the developer container. The stirring/conveying member to be used can be selected from a plurality of types of stirring/conveying members with rotary shafts with different shaft diameters.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a developing section that forms a toner image by developing an electrostatic latent image using toner. The toner satisfies the following relations: (ln?(T1)?ln?(T2))/(T1?T2)??0.14; (ln?(T2)?ln?(T3))/(T2?T3)??0.15; and (ln?(T1)?ln?(T2))/(T1?T2)<(ln?(T2)?ln?(T3))/(T2?T3), where ?(T1) represents a viscosity of the toner at 60° C., ?(T2) represents a viscosity of the toner at 90° C., and ?(T3) represents a viscosity of the toner at 130° C.).

Abstract: A belt driving device includes plural rotating members around which a belt member extends, each rotating member rotating about a rotating shaft; and contact members disposed at both sides of the belt member in a width direction. The rotating members include a first rotating member, having a dimension less than a width of the belt member in a direction of the rotating shaft. Each contact member has a first contact point at which the contact member contacts the belt member and a second contact point closer to a corresponding one of the end portions in the width direction than the first contact point and at which the contact member contacts the belt member such that an angle between the contact member and the rotating shaft at the second contact point is greater than an angle between the contact member and the rotating shaft at the first contact point.

Abstract: A presser presses a pressed object and includes a first rotation shaft and a pressurizing portion that is supported by the first rotation shaft and pivots about the first rotation shaft. A depressurizing portion is supported by a second rotation shaft and pivots about the second rotation shaft with respect to the pressurizing portion. The depressurizing portion includes an engagement. An interlock lever includes an opening that engages the engagement. The depressurizing portion pivots to switch between a pressurization state in which the engagement contacts and presses the opening to cause the pressurizing portion to press the pressed object and a depressurization state in which the pressurization state is released. The depressurizing portion pivots to define a gap between the engagement and the opening in a moving direction in which the engagement moves.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image former that forms a toner image on paper using a toner containing a wax component; a fixer that fixes the toner image formed on the paper; a cleaner including a cleaning roller that contacts a surface of the paper that has passed through the fixer and causes the wax component to adhere to an outer peripheral surface of the cleaning roller; a cooler that supplies air at least over the outer peripheral surface of the cleaning roller; and a hardware processor that controls operations of the cleaner and the cooler.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus stores a plurality of candidate formulas in a memory. Each of the candidate formulas is a formula for calculating a prediction formula for calculating a predicted value of the color misregistration amount based on an external exposure device temperature, which is a temperature of the atmosphere around the exposure device, an external machine temperature, and a heater temperature of a heater which heats the plurality of image forming units. The CPU determines the prediction formula from the plurality of candidate formulas according to the external exposure device temperature, the external machine temperature, and the heater temperature. The CPU calculates the predicted value of the color misregistration amount using the determined predicted formula, and performs a color misregistration correction according to the calculated predicted value.

Abstract: An image forming device may include an image unit which in turn may include an image carrier, and a transfer unit arranged adjacent to the image carrier. A controller sets a usable period of the image unit based on a relative positional relation between the image unit and the transfer unit. The controller further: obtains first positional information related to the image unit and second positional information related to the transfer unit, identifies the relative positional relation between the image unit and the transfer unit based on the obtained first and second positional information.

Abstract: A toner container including non-volatile memory is mounted to a first mounting section, and a toner container already used is mounted as a waste toner bottle to a second mounting section. Every time a supplied amount of toner is calculated, a writing section writes an integrated value of the supplied amount as a current value and a maximum value in the non-volatile memory. Every time the generated amount of waste toner is calculated, an updating section updates the current value stored in the non-volatile memory by subtracting the generated amount from the current value. A detecting section detects fullness of the waste toner bottle when the current value stored in the non-volatile memory of the toner container mounted as the waste toner bottle to the second mounting section becomes no greater than a value obtained by subtracting an initial remaining space of the toner container from 0.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a contact portion contacting a recording material transported; a heat source heating the contact portion and including a heat generator extending in a width direction intersecting a transport direction in which the recording material is transported, and a support portion supporting the heat generator, the heat source having a counter surface facing the contact portion, and an opposite surface; a high-thermal-conductivity portion is provided on the opposite surface of the heat source and extends in the width direction such that a part of the high-thermal-conductivity portion overlaps the heat generator of the heat source, the high-thermal-conductivity portion having a higher thermal conductivity than the support portion or the contact portion. A length of an area of overlap between the high-thermal-conductivity portion and the heat generator of the heat source in the transport direction is shorter in a width-direction central portion than in two width-direction end portions.

Abstract: An image forming system includes a shelf portion, a post, and an image forming apparatus. An article is placeable on the shelf portion. The post is configured to support the shelf portion. The image forming apparatus is configured to form an image and includes a support portion on an upper surface of the image forming apparatus. The support portion is configured to support the post.

Abstract: In a cartridge, a developing roller is configured to rotate around a first rotational axis extending in a predetermined direction and to carry developer thereon, the developing roller having a first end and a second end apart from each other in the predetermined direction, a from-first-to-second direction being defined along the predetermined direction as being directed from the first end to the second end. A developing electrode is formed of a conductive material and is configured to be electrically connected to the developing roller, the developing electrode including a main part and a protruding portion protruding from the main part in the from-first-to-second direction. A detection body is formed of an insulating material and is rotatably supported by the protruding portion, the detection body including a first opening that exposes part of the protruding portion and a covering portion covering part of the protruding portion.

Abstract: An image forming method for an image forming apparatus having a fixing rotator and a pressure rotator opposite the fixing rotator includes transferring white toner and color toner onto a surface of a metallic sheet. The metallic sheet has a thermal conductivity of 0.34 W/m·K or less as measured by hot-wire method. The transferring process forms an unfixed color toner layer layered on an unfixed white toner layer on the metallic sheet. Further, the method includes conveying the metallic sheet, with the surface on which the white toner layer and the color toner layer being transferred facing the fixing rotator, between the fixing rotator heated and the pressure rotator to fix the white toner layer and the color toner layer onto the metallic sheet.

Abstract: A developing cartridge may include a developing roller and a casing capable of containing a developer material, a member having a first end portion and a second end portion, the member being movable together with the casing and the developing roller, and the member having a first hole extending in a direction between the first end portion and the second end portion; and a first lever movable relative to the casing between a first position and a second position, the first lever including one end portion that functions as the point of effort, an other end portion that functions as the point of application, and a cam surface that is located between the one end portion and the other end portion and that functions as a pivot point.

Abstract: A developing device includes a first conveyance screw including a first blade portion and a second blade portion, the first blade portion configured to convey the developer in a first direction, the second blade portion being disposed downstream of the first blade portion in the first direction and configured to convey the developer in a second direction, a discharge path through which the developer passes to be discharged through a discharge port, and a magnet. The first conveyance screw includes a third blade portion disposed in the discharge path and configured to convey the developer in the first direction. The discharge port is disposed downstream of an upstream end of the third blade portion in the first direction. The magnet is disposed downstream of an upstream end of the discharge port in the first direction so as to overlap with the discharge port in the first direction.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a first rotator having an endless form, a second rotator, a heater arranged in at least one of the first rotator and the second rotator, a guide facing an end of the first rotator, and a nip formation pad that is in contact with the second rotator via the first rotator to form a nip between the second rotator and the nip formation pad. The second rotator is configured to move between a pressing position at which the second rotator presses the first rotator and a non-pressing position at which the second rotator does not press the first rotator. The nip formation pad is configured to separate from the guide when the second rotator is at the pressing position.