Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include first, second, third, and fourth photosensitive media; a first driving source to rotate the first photosensitive medium; a second driving source to rotate the second photosensitive medium; and a planetary gear train to receive rotational forces of the first and second driving sources so as to rotate the third photosensitive medium, wherein the fourth photosensitive medium is rotated by being linked with the third photosensitive medium.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods determine a permeation characteristic of a challenge chemical for a chemical protective material. A processor retrieves barrier characteristics of the chemical protective material for which the permeation characteristic is to be determined from a computer memory. Information regarding the challenge chemical is obtained. A temperature is received of the chemical protective material for which the permeation characteristic is to be determined. The permeation characteristic is determined from the temperature, the barrier characteristics, and the information regarding the challenge chemical.

Abstract: A heating member for a fusing apparatus includes a resistive heating layer including a base polymer and an electroconductive filler dispersed in the base polymer, where the resistive heating layer generates heat by receiving electric energy, and where a storage modulus of the resistive heating layer is about 1.0 megapascal or greater.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for forming a latent image; a charging member, press-contacted to the image bearing member at a predetermined urging force, for electrically charging the image bearing member by being supplied with a charging bias; a developing device for developing the latent image by supplying a polymerized toner to the image bearing member; and a cleaning blade for removing the polymerized toner deposited on the image bearing member in contact with the image bearing member. The charging member includes: an electroconductive support; one or more elastic layer formed around the electroconductive support; and projected portions and recessed portions provided on a surface of the charging member. The projected portions are elastically deformable in contact with the image bearing member, leaving electrically dischargeable gaps between the recessed portions of the charging member and the image bearing member.

Abstract: A removable unit for an electrophotographic imaging device includes a housing having an opening, a rotatable roll disposed near the opening and adjacent to a bottom of the housing and a blade assembly coupled to the housing. The blade assembly includes a support bracket secured to a wall defining at least a part of the opening of the housing, and a blade member coupled to the support bracket and being positioned in the removable unit so that a distal end portion of the blade member engages with the rotatable roll. The housing, the blade assembly, and a portion of a surface of the rotatable roll define a substantially sealed enclosure for containing toner therein.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes a thermopile array sensor, a reflector, and a temperature detection unit. The thermopile array sensor includes a plurality of thermopile elements arranged in a two-dimensional array pattern and a temperature detection surface divided into a plurality of predetermined regions aligned in vertical and horizontal directions, and the thermopile elements output a temperature detection signal corresponding to a temperature of the respective predetermined regions. The reflector is set at an angle to reflect infrared light emitted from a measurement point located outside of a viewing angle of the thermopile array sensor, so as to allow the infrared light to be incident on the temperature detection surface. The temperature detection unit detects the temperature on the basis of the temperature detection signal outputted from each of the thermopile elements. The thermopile array sensor and the reflector are located inside the electronic apparatus.

Abstract: A bearing member includes a concave section receiving a spherical body therein, and swing grooves into which end sections of a rotating force transmission pin are inserted. The swing groove at least includes a parallel part an axis and a curved part, an undercut section is not provided in the concave section when the concave section is viewed from an opened side of the concave section in a direction of the axis of the bearing member, and a clearance between the two swing grooves in a direction which is orthogonal to the direction of the axis on the opened side of the concave section is shorter than a distance between both ends of the rotating force transmission pin in the direction which is orthogonal to the axis of the bearing member even when the shaft member is mounted on the bearing member in a posture inclined at the most.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, a developer carrying member configured to carry developer to be supplied to the image carrying member, a transfer member configured to transfer a developer image formed on the image carrying member to a sheet passing between the image carrying member and the transfer member, a detector configured to detect a temperature, and a control device. The control device is configured to change, in response to a sheet interval, a developing bias to be applied to the developer carrying member from a first developing bias to a second developing bias at a changing rate based on a temperature detected by the detector, the changing rate being an amount of change in the developing bias per unit time based on the temperature.

Abstract: A developing device includes a casing configured to store a developing agent and a developing agent carrier configured to carry the developing agent in the casing. The developing agent carrier is configured to rotate about an axis extending in a first direction. The developing device further includes a layer-thickness regulating member configured to regulate a thickness of a layer of the developing agent carried on the developing agent carrier and a first seal member disposed between the layer-thickness regulating blade and the casing. The first seal member extends along the first direction. The casing includes a first regulating portion configured to regulate a movement of the first seal member in the first direction by contacting a surface of the first seal member non-parallel to the first direction. The first regulating portion may include protrusions and/or indentations to regulate the movement of the first seal member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a forming unit that forms a toner image with a substantially flat toner containing a substantially flat metal pigment on a movable body; a transfer unit that forms a nip with the movable body and transfers the toner image on a medium transported to the nip; and a controller that, if at least one of first and second conditions, the first condition in which an image width from data for allowing the forming unit to form the toner image is larger than a predetermined width, the second condition in which an area coverage from the data is higher than a predetermined area coverage, is satisfied, causes the forming unit to form a toner image with a corrected area coverage lower than the area coverage from the data.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor, an optical scanner, a development device, a movable density sensor, a density sensor driver, and a processor. The optical scanner includes a light source to emit light, and irradiates a surface of the photoconductor in a main scanning direction with the light to form a latent image on the surface of the photoconductor. The development device develops the latent image into a toner image. The density sensor detects unevenness in density of the toner image in the main scanning direction. The density sensor driver moves the density sensor in the main scanning direction. The processor corrects a driving signal for the light source according to image data to reduce the unevenness in density in the main scanning direction, according to positional data of the density sensor in the main scanning direction and an output value of the density sensor.

Abstract: A container for developer detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus body includes a rotating body that contains developer and is rotated about a rotational center when drive is transmitted from the apparatus body, a discharge member that supports the rotating body such that the rotating body is rotatable relative to the discharge member and has a discharge port through which the developer is discharged, an anti-leakage member that is disposed in one of the rotating body and the discharge member and suppresses leakage of the developer, and a compressing portion that has a first side and a second side farther from the rotational center than the first side, is disposed in the other of both, and is pressed against the anti-leakage member to compress the anti-leakage member such that a compressing amount is larger on the second side than on the first side.

Abstract: The recording medium determination apparatus includes a transmission unit for transmitting an ultrasonic wave, a receiving unit for outputting a signal corresponding to the ultrasonic wave, a peak extraction unit for detecting a value of the signal output from the receiving unit, a control unit for determining basis weight of a recording medium based on the value of the signal, and a timer for measuring a period of time from when the transmission unit transmits the ultrasonic wave to the detection by the peak extraction unit. The control unit calculates, based on a period of time measured by the timer at the time of factory shipment and a period of time measured by the timer after the factory shipment, variation of a distance between the transmission unit and the receiving unit after the factory shipment.

Abstract: A powder container includes a rotatable powder chamber for containing powder used for forming images, having an opening on a first side in an axial direction of the powder container, a conveyor to transport powder contained in the powder chamber to the first side from a second side in the axial direction, a protrusion radially projecting from an outer circumferential surface of the powder chamber, disposed in a circumferential area of the powder chamber, and a facing member disposed facing the outer circumferential surface of the powder chamber. The protrusion contacts the facing member as the powder chamber rotates.

Abstract: Provided is a charging member capable of suppressing adhesion of smear on its surface and suppressing generation of a C set image as well. The charging member includes: an electroconductive support; and an elastic layer as a surface layer, in which: the elastic layer has at least one local maximum value in a distribution of Young's modulus at respective positions in a depth direction thereof; and “a”, “Tmax” and “b” satisfy the following expressions (1) to (3): (1) 0.8 ?m?Tmax?2.5 ?m, (2) 0.6 MPa?b?1.2 MPa, (3) (a?b)/b?0.40.

Abstract: A belt unit is provided with an endless belt, a pair of rollers around which the endless belt is wound, and a regulating member having a flange surface provided at one axial end of at least one of the pair of rollers. The flange surface extends on an outer side with respect to an outer surface of the endless belt wound around the pair of rollers, the flange surface is configured to contact an end, in a width direction, of the endless belt to prevent the endless belt from moving obliquely, and the flange surface is formed with a conical surface which is configured such that a portion closer to a peripheral side of the conical surface is closer to an axial center of the at least one of the pair of rollers.

Abstract: A developing cartridge is provided for use with an image forming apparatus and may include a housing, a developing roller rotatably provided in the housing, and a developing roller gear configured to rotate integrally with the developing roller. Further, the developing cartridge can include a driving input gear configured to receive an external driving force and apply the received driving force to the developing roller gear. The driving input gear can be meshed with the developing roller gear or an intermediate gear can be provided to mesh with the developing roller gear and the driving input gear. Such an intermediate gear can be configured to apply the received driving force to the developing roller gear. Also, the developing cartridge can include a receiving member which is disposed between the housing and the developing roller gear and between the housing and the driving input gear.

Abstract: An apparatus body of an image forming apparatus is provided with a drive transmission mechanism including a first rotation portion and a second rotation portion. An operation portion of a toner container includes a first connection portion to be connected to the first rotation portion. An opening and closing mechanism of the toner container includes a second connection portion to be connected to the second rotation portion. The opening and closing mechanism opens and closes a toner outlet by the second connection portion being rotated.

Abstract: When a detection signal indicates that a switch has switched off, a first relay cuts off the supply of alternating current from a commercial alternating-current source to a third DC power source and terminates a first load such as a motor and a high-voltage power source. When the detection signal indicates that the switch has switched off, a control circuit executes shutdown processing for safely terminating an operation of a second load such as a hard disk drive. When the shutdown processing is complete, the control circuit outputs a signal for terminating an operation of a second DC power source. When the shutdown signal is input, a second relay terminates the operation of the second load by cutting off the supply of the alternating current from the commercial alternating-current source to a second DC power source.

Abstract: An apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus includes a plurality of rotation portions provided each rotatably, in alignment with each other. A lever is provided to integrally swing with one of rotation portions or one of coupling portions that is disposed at one end in alignment direction of rotation portions and coupling portions. An opening/closing mechanism is provided to open and close a toner discharge outlet, which is formed on a housing of a toner container, as the coupling portion, which is disposed at one end in the alignment direction, rotates. An interlocking mechanism, which causes adjacent coupling portions to rotate in conjunction with each other, and an interlocking mechanism, which causes adjacent rotation portions to rotate in conjunction with each other, are disposed alternately on coupling portions side and on rotation portions side, from one end to the other end in the alignment direction.