Abstract: A fixing device causes an eccentric cam to perform a rotation step of 113° to shift from a pressurization releasing mode to a pressurization mode, and causes the eccentric cam to perform a rotation step of 263° to shift from a standby mode to the pressurization mode. A control unit activates a motor by setting a rotational speed of a rotational magnetic field of a stator to 600 rpm in the rotation step of 113° and to 1500 rpm in the rotation step of 263° so as to prevent the eccentric cam from receiving acceleration of a rotational direction from a pressure lever before a rotational speed of a rotor reaches a first rotational speed. Then, the control unit stops the rotational magnetic field of the stator based on an output of a photo interrupter.

Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a developing container for accommodating a developer; a developer carrying member for carrying the developer to a developing zone for developing a latent image; a developer regulator in contact with the developer carrying member to regulate a developer layer thickness on the developer carrying member; a developer feeding member in contact with the developer carrying member to supply the developer to the developer carrying member; an urging member for urging the developer carrying member toward the developer regulator; and a moving mechanism for moving the developer carrying member in a first direction which is a direction in which the urging member urges the developer carrying member and in a second direction crossing with the first direction. The moving mechanism moves the developer carrying member in the second direction to reduce or remove press-contact forces applied by the developer regulator and the developer feeding member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a drive motor configured to rotate the lower pressure roller, a torque generation unit for generating a braking force in the direction to hinder rotation of a fixing belt in order to adjust the differential speed between the surface speed of the fixing belt and the surface speed of the lower pressure roller, and a control unit for adjusting the braking force generated by the torque generation unit. The control unit adjusts the braking force generated by the torque generation unit to decrease if the rotational torque of the drive motor is larger than a predetermined target torque, and increase if the rotational torque of the drive motor is smaller than the predetermined target torque.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a dustproof shutter, a lock lever, a shutter lever and an elastic member. The dustproof shutter is openably/closably supported in a case so as to protect an exposure device. The lock lever is configured to lock a cover openably/closably provided in the case, and to be movable in an opening direction of the cover. The shutter lever is provided at a position coming into contact with the lock lever and the dustproof shutter when the cover is closed. The elastic member biases the shutter lever toward the lock lever. The shutter lever moves between a first position to open the dustproof shutter when the cover is locked and a second position to close the dustproof shutter when the cover is unlocked by moving the lock lever in the opening direction of the cover with assistance from a biasing force of the elastic member.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing portion which comes into contact with a sheet and fixes a toner image on the sheet, a magnetic flux generating portion which generates a magnetic flux so as to heat the fixing portion by electromagnetic induction, a magnetic flux shielding portion which shields a magnetic flux generated from the magnetic flux generating portion between the fixing portion and the magnetic flux generating portion, a support portion which supports the magnetic flux shielding portion, a moving portion which moves the support portion in a width direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction, a controller which controls the moving portion so as to move the magnetic flux shielding portion to a position based on a sheet size in the width direction, and a sheet guide portion which is supported on the support portion and guides the sheet to the fixing portion.

Abstract: When image formation is not performed, an image forming apparatus performs a toner collection mode that includes a first positive rotation step of rotating a developer carrying member and a toner carrying member in the same direction as a direction at the time of image formation, in a state where a second bias applied to the toner carrying member is set at a higher voltage on the same polarity side as a toner than a first bias, and a reverse rotation step of rotating the developer carrying member and the toner carrying member in a direction reverse to the direction at the time of image formation after the first positive rotation step is performed, in a state where the first bias is set at a higher voltage on the same polarity side as the toner than the second bias.

Abstract: A gear mounting portion of a rotating shaft includes a shaft portion, with a D-shaped cross-section, engaged with a connecting portion of a gear having a D-shaped cross-section; the connection portion provided with a first hole portion; one flexible portion provided along the axial direction; and a retaining portion provided at a tip of the flexible portion. The retaining portion protrudes outwards with respect to the shaft portion, and the shaft portion is engaged with the connecting portion after the retaining portion has passed through a second hole portion of a hollow shaft. The flexible portion remains bent while the retaining portion passes through the second hole portion of the hollow shaft. Once the shaft portion engages with the first hole portion of the connecting portion, the flexible portion ceases to bend and engages with the gear. As a result, without damaging the rotating shaft, the gear is reliably prevented from coming free from the rotating shaft.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit which controls a correcting operation of correcting the meandering of an endless belt by a roller position adjusting mechanism. Prior to the correcting operation, the control unit causes a toner image for monitoring to be transferred to an area of a circumferential surface of the belt passing a detection area of a density sensor, causes the density sensor to perform a first detecting operation of detecting the toner image for monitoring, subsequently causes the density sensor to perform a second detecting operation of detecting the toner image for monitoring after the circumferential surface of the belt is moved by a predetermined distance, and calculates a meandering amount of the belt by comparing a first density value obtained by the first detecting operation and a second density value obtained by the second detecting operation.

Abstract: A process cartridge, wherein both in the case where the developing unit is at the contact position and in the case where the developing unit is at the separation position, a first regulating portion that the drum unit has and a first regulated portion that the developing unit has, are engaged with each other, whereby movement of the developing unit with respect to the drum unit in the axial direction of the developing roller is regulated, wherein in the case where the developing unit is at the separation position, a second regulating portion and a second regulated portion overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and wherein in the case where the developing unit is at the contact position, the second regulating portion and the second regulated portion do not overlap each other in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

Abstract: A fixing unit which may be disposed in an image forming apparatus includes a heating roller, at least one pressure roller being in pressure contact with the heating roller to form a nip together with the heating roller, and a pressure releasing member partially restricting application of pressure to the nip. The nip includes an effective fixing section used for fixing. The pressure releasing member includes a pair of pressure releasing parts inserted into sections of the nip other than the effective fixing section, a connection part connecting the pair of pressure releasing parts, and guide parts extending from the connection part in the same direction as the pair of pressure releasing parts. The pressure releasing member prevents deformation of a portion of an elastic layer formed on the heating roller which corresponds to the effective fixing section.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat roller, a fuser member, an endless belt, a pressure member, a first rotation transmitter, a second rotation transmitter, a rotation sensor, a controller, a first biasing member, and a second biasing member. The heat roller is rotatable around a rotational axis thereof while subjected to induction heating. The fuser member is disposed parallel to the heat roller. The endless belt is looped for rotation around the heat roller and the fuser member. The pressure member is disposed opposite the fuser member via the endless belt. The first rotation transmitter is connected to the rotational axis of the heat roller to rotate around a rotational axis thereof upon rotation of the heat roller. The second rotation transmitter engages the first rotation transmitter to rotate around a rotational axis thereof upon rotation of the first rotation transmitter.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing container, a first agitating/conveying member, a second agitating/conveying member, a developer supply member, a supply port, and a supply section. The developing container is separated into a developer supply passage, a first conveying chamber, and a second conveying chamber, which are arranged substantially parallel to one another. The supply section is disposed between the developer supply passage and the first conveying chamber, and through the supply section, the developer is supplied from the developer supply passage into the first conveying chamber.

Abstract: A computer readable recording medium stored with a color conversion setting program, the program causes a computer to execute a process comprising: (a) generating a plurality of profile sets respectively associated with paper types, each of the profile sets being to be used for applying at least one kind of color conversion profile having conversion data for converting colors to a color conversion process depending on the particular paper type used for printing; (b) generating color setting information containing the plurality of profile sets respectively associated with paper types to be used during the color conversion process for each job; and (c) executing a control process for registering the color setting information generated in the step (b) to a storage unit, from which the color setting information is read out during the color conversion process.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus which reads a first ticket and a second ticket and performs processing extracted from information on the tickets includes a ticket generation unit configured to extract, from a processing instruction sheet serving as an original document which describes a processing target region in a processing target original document, information regarding the processing target region in order to generate a ticket, and to generate a ticket's contents of processing to be performed on the processing target region in a format. The ticket generation unit further extracts information regarding contents of processing instructed to be performed on a region in which a change in contents of processing instructed by the processing instruction sheet to be performed thereon is permitted, and generates a second ticket.

Abstract: There is provided an image copying apparatus provided with a scanner and a printer, the image copying apparatus comprising: an obtaining unit which obtains image data by causing the scanner to scan an image of an original; a correction unit which performs correction processing that adds, to saturation, a value corresponding to a difference between lightness before and after performing predetermined editing processing on the image data, with respect to a region where a correction is performed designated near the maximum saturation of a color gamut of the printer; and a control unit which causes the printer to print the image data corrected by the correction unit.

Abstract: A multifunction printer includes a scanner; a still image data-extracting section which extracts a plurality of still image data from inputted movie image data; a memory which stores a correlation between the extracted still image data and time positions thereof in the movie image data; a printing head which prints, on a first printing medium, a plurality of thumbnail images corresponding to the extracted still image data and the time positions; and a selected image-extracting section which specifies the time position in the movie image data corresponding to a selection mark marked by a user when the first printing medium is read by the scanner after the selection mark is marked by the user to the first printing medium and which extracts a still image data corresponding to the identified time position based on the correlation stored in the memory.

Abstract: When a handwritten character or hand-drawn illustration in a color desired by a user is combined with a photograph, in order to achieve an excellent combined result, characteristics of the photograph are analyzed and an appropriate combining method from among a plurality of combining methods is selected in accordance with a result of the analysis.

Abstract: A fixture structure is disclosed that is able to independently adjust relative positions of constituent components in different directions and able to reduce workload of the relative position adjustment. The fixture structure includes plural members fixed with each other by screws, a first adjustment unit for adjusting relative positions of two or more of the members in a first direction and arranged on surfaces of the two or more members parallel to the first direction, and a second adjustment unit for adjusting relative positions of two of more of the members in a second direction intersecting with the first direction and arranged on surfaces of the two or more members parallel to the second direction.

Abstract: A reference pixel PB is specified for a specified pixel P0 whose (luminance) value is below a threshold, for example, in the RGB data obtained in image pickup. The reference pixel PB should be on a straight line passing through the specified pixel P0 and the center O of the image and spaced from the specified pixel P0 by a distance, dr, depending on a reduction or expansion rate of a blue component (or B) image of the optical image corresponding to an optical zoom magnification in the image pickup. Only when the B value of the specified pixel P0 is greater than that of the reference pixel PB, the B value of the specified pixel P0 is replaced with that of the reference pixel PB. By expanding or reducing the blue component image alone for the original RGB data, image data is obtained in which the magnification chromatism is corrected.

Abstract: A color printed image with compressed colors produced by printing an electronic color image is reconstructed into an electronic color image similar to an original color image by using digital watermark image data with a reduced data size. The digital watermark image data is produced using color difference data of the color image data including luminance data and the color difference data. The digital watermark image data either does not include luminance data or includes luminance data with a data size reduced at a very large ratio.