Abstract: A control member 76 for controlling transmission and blocking of a rotational force by a clutch is rotatably supported by a supporting member which supports a developing frame. a locking portion provided on the control member 76 rotates between a position retracted from a locked portion of the clutch and a position for engaging with the locked portion.

Abstract: A control member 76 for controlling transmission and blocking of a rotational force by a clutch is rotatably supported by a supporting member which supports a developing frame. a locking portion provided on the control member 76 rotates between a position retracted from a locked portion of the clutch and a position for engaging with the locked portion.

Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a casing, an auger rotatable about an axis extending in a first direction, an auger gear rotatable with the auger, an agitator aligned with the auger in a second direction, an agitator gear rotatable with the agitator, and a detection gear positioned opposite to the auger gear with respect to the agitator gear in the second direction. The detection gear is rotatable from a first position to a second position. At the first position, a through-hole or a cutout of the detection gear is positioned farther away from the auger than an outer surface of another end portion of the casing in the second direction is. At the second position, a portion of the detection gear different from the through-hole or the cutout is positioned farther away from the auger than the outer surface of the another end portion of the casing is.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus, having: a power source; a first coupling member configured to be rotated by a driving force transferred from the power source; and a cartridge including a second coupling member configured to rotate in a state of being adsorbed to the first coupling member, and a rotating member connected with the second coupling member, wherein the first coupling member has a first driving force transfer surface which is perpendicular to a rotation axis of the first coupling member, the second coupling member has a second driving force transfer surface which is perpendicular to a rotation axis of the second coupling member, and the driving force is transferred from the first coupling member to the second coupling member in a state where an adsorption force is generated mutually between the first driving force transfer surface and the second driving force transfer surface.

Abstract: A drum cartridge mountable to an image forming apparatus in a mounting direction, the drum cartridge including: a frame having an opening, the frame allowing a toner cartridge to be attached, and the frame including a housing configured to accommodate therein a toner and a first storage medium including a first electric contact; a photosensitive drum; and a second storage medium including a second electric contact and located at an outer surface of the frame, and in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted to the frame, the first storage medium is exposed via the opening and the second storage medium is aligned with the first storage medium in the mounting direction of the drum cartridge.

Abstract: A slide member over which a sliding member is configured to slide includes a slide portion over which the sliding member slides. The slide portion is weaved with a first fiber having a first color. The slide member further includes a non-slide portion over which the sliding member does not slide. The non-slide portion is weaved with a second fiber having a second color that is different and distinguished from the first color.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus including a fixing unit having a heat generation member; a switch unit configured to connect or disconnect a power supply path from an AC power supply to the heat generation member; a temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature of the heat generation member; a control unit configured to perform operations to supply power to the heat generation member by controlling the switch unit according to a detection result of the temperature detection unit; a setting unit configured to set the switch unit to a state in which the switch unit cuts off the power supply path upon detecting an overheating state of the heat generation member based on a detection result of the temperature detection unit; and a first switch configured to supply or cut off a first driving voltage that drives the setting unit.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming device including: an image heating portion which includes a heater including a plurality of heating blocks divided in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of a recording material and heats an image formed on the recording material; a temperature sensing element which senses a temperature of each of the heating blocks; and a control portion which controls electric power supplied to each of the heating blocks on the basis of the temperature sensed by the temperature sensing element, wherein the control portion determines whether or not the recording material is in a skewed state in which the recording material is conveyed in an obliquely inclined state with respect to the conveying direction on the basis of a variation of the electric power supplied to end heating blocks for heating end portions of the recording material among the plurality of the heating blocks.

Abstract: A sheet discharging apparatus includes a discharging unit to discharge a sheet such that the sheet nipped between a first roller and a second roller is warped as viewed from a downstream side in a sheet discharge direction, a sheet supporting member to support the sheet discharged by the discharging unit, and a first charge-removing portion to remove electrostatic charges of the sheet by coming into contact with the sheet at a position downstream of a position where the first roller and the second roller nip the sheet in the sheet discharge direction. In addition, a second charge-removing portion removes electrostatic charges of the sheet by coming into contact with the sheet at a position downstream of the position where the first charge-removing portion comes into contact with the sheet in the sheet discharge direction.

Abstract: A control member 76 for controlling transmission and blocking of a rotational force by a clutch is rotatably supported by a supporting member which supports a developing frame. a locking portion provided on the control member 76 rotates between a position retracted from a locked portion of the clutch and a position for engaging with the locked portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an exposure device, a developer image forming unit, a memory, and a processor. The image carrier carries a developer image. The exposure device exposes the image carrier. The developer image forming unit forms the developer image by transporting a developer to a latent image formed on the image carrier. The processor generates correction data for correcting density unevenness in a main scanning direction detected based on an image generated by the developer image, corrects the density unevenness in the main scanning direction occurring in the developer image by changing an exposure amount when the image carrier is exposed by the exposure device, using the generated correction data, and when a position change of the developer image forming unit in the main scanning direction is detected, adjusts the correction data by a detected position change amount.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly and a cartridge attached to the main assembly in an attaching direction. The main assembly includes a movable member movable between first and second positions and having first and second engaging portions to engage with first and second protrusions on the cartridge, and an urging member urging the movable member from the second position to the first position. The first engaging portion has a surface-to-be-abutted, a first surface-to-be-supported, and a recessed surface, and the second engaging portion has a regulating surface and a second surface-to-be-supported.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer bearer and a stirring conveyor. The stirring conveyor includes a first conveying chamber including a conveying member and a second conveying chamber to receive the developer from an end of the first conveying chamber. The conveying member includes a forward winding blade, a reverse winding blade, and a shaft portion on which the forward winding blade and the reverse winding blade are mounted with a space therebetween. A circumferential phase of the conveying member at a start position of the reverse winding blade is different from a circumferential phase of the conveying member at an end position of the forward winding blade. The conveying member is disposed in the first conveying chamber so that the space is opposite a portion at which the second conveying chamber receives the developer from the end of the first conveying chamber.

Abstract: The heating apparatus including a plurality of heat generation members including first, second and third generation members, the second heat generation member and the third heat generation member having lengths in a longitudinal direction shorter than a length of the first heat generation member, the heating apparatus including first, second, third, and fourth contacts, and a first switching unit configured to bring an electric path between the second contact and the fourth contact into one of a connecting state and an open state.

Abstract: A digital printing process for xerography printing with curable dry toner. The process includes: forming a latent image as a pattern of electric charge on a surface of an imaging member; transferring dry toner onto a development member; developing the latent image by transferring dry toner from the development member onto the imaging member in accordance with the pattern; transferring the dry toner from the imaging member to a first substrate; applying a second substrate on the transferred dry toner, fusing the transferred dry toner, and bonding the second substrate to the first substrate. The fusing is done before and/or during and/or after the applying of the second substrate. After application of the second substrate, the dry toner is irradiated with actinic radiation or particle beams to cure at least the fused transferred dry toner. The irradiating is done after and/or during the fusing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member configured to bear a non-fixed toner image, a transfer portion configured to transfer the non-fixed toner image onto a sheet at a transfer nip, a fixing portion including a first rotary member, a second rotary member and a heating portion configured to heat the first rotary member, a control portion configured to execute a nip image forming process of forming a nip image, on the sheet, corresponding to a shape of the fixing nip, and a reading unit configured to read the nip image, wherein the control portion sets the heating portion to a first temperature in a case where the non-fixed toner image passes through the fixing nip and sets the heating portion to a second temperature which is lower than the first temperature in a case where the nip image passes through the fixing nip.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units, a developing voltage power supply, a current detection unit, and a control unit. The image forming units form an image by superimposing a toner image of a same color and a same type, and substantially same development conditions are set to evenly divide an image density among the image forming units. The control unit detects whether there is an anomaly in the image forming unit based on detecting a DC component of developing current, being either of current flowing through a non-exposed portion of an image carrier during image formation, and current flowing through an exposed portion of the image carrier. When an anomaly is detected in any image forming unit, the control unit inhibits use of the image forming unit, and resets the development conditions to evenly divide an image density among the usable image forming units.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units, a developing voltage power supply, a density detection device, a current detection unit, and a control unit. The plurality of image forming units form an image and substantially same development conditions are set to evenly divide an image density among the image forming units. The control unit detects whether there is an anomaly in a developing device, based on a toner charge amount calculated based on a DC component of developing current when a reference image is formed on an image carrier by each of the developing devices and a density of the reference image. When an anomaly is detected in any of the developing devices, the control unit inhibits use of the image forming unit including the developing device, and resets the development conditions to evenly divide the image density among the usable image forming units.

Abstract: A developer cartridge according to one aspect is attachable to a photoconductor unit that comprises a photoconductive drum. The developer cartridge may comprise a main body having an opening, the main body comprising an electric circuit, a front cover configured to move to an opening position in which the opening of the main body is exposed and to a closing position in which the opening of the main body is closed, a first terminal electrically connected to the electric circuit, a photosensitive drum, and a developer cartridge comprising a developing roller, developing frame having a pressed portion, memory unit and second terminal. The front cover may include a pressing portion configured to press the pressed portion of the developing frame in a direction from the developing roller toward the photosensitive drum, and wherein the second terminal faces to the front cover when the front cover is in the closed position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an optical sensor configured to detect an image formed on an intermediate transfer belt. The optical sensor includes a first light emitting diode (LED), a second LED, a first photodiode (PD), and a second PD on a substrate. The first PD is arranged at a position at which specularly reflected light of light emitted from the first LED can be received, and scattered reflected light of light emitted from the second LED can be received. The second PD is arranged at a position at which scattered reflected light of light emitted from the second LED can be received. A light receiving surface of the first PD and a light receiving surface of the second PD are formed at different angles. The light receiving surface of the first PD has an area that is smaller than an area of the light receiving surface of the second PD.