Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member in which durability is improved by suppressing detachment of particles from a surface layer while transferability is improved. The electrophotographic photosensitive member is an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a surface layer containing a binder resin and a particle, wherein a value of a ratio of a total volume of the particle occupying the surface layer to a volume of the binder resin occupying the surface layer is 0.50 or more and 3.0 or less, and wherein a maximum value Rmkmax [nm] of an averaged sectional difference of elevation Rmk and a calculated length Lmax [nm] when the maximum value Rmkmax is taken, which are obtained by measuring a surface of the surface layer with a scanning probe microscope, satisfy the following formulae (i) and (ii), 30?Rmkmax?70 . . . (i) and 100?Lmax?500 . . . (ii).

Abstract: A photographic fixing temperature control method includes: controlling a photographic fixing module to heat and fix a first part of a recording medium according to a first temperature; and controlling the photographic fixing module to heat and fix a second part of the recording medium according to a second temperature. The first part is located in front of the second part and the first temperature is lower than the second temperature.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor that rotates about a first axis; an exposure portion that includes a substrate that includes a plurality of light emitting portions for exposing a surface of the photoconductor, and a support portion for supporting the substrate, and that moves between an exposure position where the photoconductor is exposed and a retracted position where the photoconductor is retracted from the exposure position; and a rotational member that has a second axis along the first axis, and that moves the exposure portion between the retracted position and the exposure position by rotation about the second axis. A developing unit moves between a developing position and a separated position in response to a door opening.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and an intermediate transfer unit including an intermediate transfer member (an intermediate transfer belt) and a cleaning device, the intermediate transfer unit is attachable to and detachable from an apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus, the cleaning device is attachable to and detachable from a unit main body of the intermediate transfer unit, a storage section is disposed in the cleaning device, a control section is disposed in the apparatus main body, and the control section is configured to read first information regarding whether the cleaning device is new, and second information regarding whether the intermediate transfer member attached to the intermediate transfer unit is new, when the intermediate transfer unit, to which the cleaning device that is new is attached, is attached to the image forming apparatus main body.

Abstract: A fuser includes a heating member, a fusing belt including an inner circumferential surface, the fusing belt to be heated by the heating member by having the inner circumferential surface of the fusing belt in contact with the heating member, a first temperature sensor to sense a first temperature of an outer circumferential surface of the fusing belt, and a second temperature sensor to sense a second temperature of the heating member.

Abstract: A toner seal member excellent in abrasion resistance. A toner seal member includes a foam layer and a coating layer, and the coating layer is exposed. The coating layer is produced using a polyol, an isocyanate, a photopolymerizable monomer having a hydroxyl group, and a silicone resin as raw materials.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an exposure portion, a developing portion including a developer carrying member, a transfer portion, a development separation portion, a transfer separation portion, a storing portion, and a controller. Before a present image forming operation, the controller controls the transfer separation portion to put the image bearing member and the transfer portion in a separation state and controls the development separation portion to put the image bearing member and the developer carrying member in a separation state, and then the controller carries out control to determine whether or not pre-exposure for exposing the image bearing member to light by the exposure portion is executed, depending on a standing time from an end of a last image forming operation to a start of the present image forming operation and on information stored in the storing portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having front and rear surfaces, a photoreceptor having a rotation axis extending in a first direction, an exposure unit, and a cooling unit. The exposure unit includes a substrate having a longitudinal axis extending in the first direction, a first surface and a second surface. A plurality of light emitting elements that emit light toward the photoreceptor are mounted on the first surface of the substrate. The cooling unit includes an intake port that sucks air from outside of the image forming apparatus. The intake port is disposed at an intake port distance in the first direction to the rear surface. The intake port distance is shorter than a distance in the first direction of a center of the substrate to the rear surface. The cooling unit cools the substrate by blowing air sucked by the intake port onto the second surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A magnet roller includes a shaft, a plurality of magnets, and an adhesive. The plurality of magnets is arranged in a circumferential direction of a shaft center of the shaft on an outer surface of the shaft. The adhesive bonds the shaft and the plurality of magnets to each other. At least one of the magnets has a recess portion recessed with respect to a surface of the shaft, the surface facing the outer surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a developing roller, fixing unit including a fixing film, a pressure roller, and a heating member that forms a fixing nip portion between itself and the pressure roller, and a driving source that transmits driving force to the developing roller and the pressure roller. Whether recording material is a normal-sized sheet or a small-sized sheet is determined, and in a case of the normal-sized sheet a first mode is executed in which a post-rotation operation is performed following the recording material passing the fixing nip portion, while in a case of the small-sized sheet a second mode is executed in which the post-rotation operation and processing to place in an image forming job-stop state are performed, the driving source is stopped, thereafter the driving source is driven, and thereafter the driving source is stopped.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer portion, a fixing portion, a detection unit configured to detect a bending amount of the sheet nipped between the transfer portion and the fixing portion, and a control unit. The detection unit includes a rotation portion configured to rotate in a rotation direction from a standby position by being pressed by the sheet nipped by the transfer portion and the fixing portion, a rotary encoder configured to output a pulse signal corresponding to a rotation amount of the rotation portion, and a rotation detector configured to detect that the rotation portion has reached a detection position downstream of the standby position in the rotation direction. The control unit controls a sheet conveyance speed of the fixing portion based on the pulse signal output from the rotary encoder after the rotation detector detects that the rotation portion has reached the detection position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of performing a supplying operation for supplying toner from a supply container detachably mountable thereto includes an image bearing member, a developing member, a developing container, a detecting portion, a notifying portion, and a controller for carrying out control so as to cause the notifying portion to notify a timing to perform a toner supplying operation when a toner amount detected by the detecting portion is smaller than a threshold. The controller carries out control so as to set the threshold to a first threshold in a case where a print ratio after the last supplying operation is a predetermined print ratio or more and to set the threshold to a second threshold higher than the first threshold in a case where the print ratio is less than the predetermined print ratio.

Abstract: A drum cartridge includes: a drum frame to which a developing cartridge is attachable; a photosensitive drum; and a first storage medium. The drum frame has one end portion and another end portion spaced apart from the one end portion in a first direction. The photosensitive drum is rotatable about a first axis extending in a second direction and is positioned at the one end portion of the drum cartridge. The first storage medium includes a first electrical contact surface. The first storage medium is positioned at an outer surface of the drum frame, the outer surface being exposed in a state where the developing cartridge is attached to the drum frame.

Abstract: The delivery management apparatus is configured to acquire information on a consumption state of one or more consumables used in each of the one or more image forming apparatuses, determine a same timing of delivery of the one or more consumables to the one or more image forming apparatuses, based on the information, generate an adjustment setting for a consumption amount of the one or more consumables, for the each image forming apparatus, based on the same timing of delivery, and transmit, to the each image forming apparatus, the adjustment setting for the each image forming apparatus. The each image forming apparatus is configured to transmit the information to the delivery management apparatus, receive the adjustment setting, and perform the adjustment setting.

Abstract: A power supply device according to the present disclosure includes an AC voltage output circuit and a DC voltage output circuit. The DC voltage output circuit includes a first voltage dividing resistor provided between a power supply line of a voltage output portion and a ground potential, a second voltage dividing resistor provided between the first voltage dividing resistor and the ground potential, a capacitor provided in parallel with the second voltage dividing resistor, and an operational amplifier. An output of the AC voltage output circuit is connected to the voltage output portion of the DC voltage output circuit. A cutoff frequency of a low-pass filter circuit constituted of the first voltage dividing resistor, the second voltage dividing resistor, and the capacitor is set to be lower than a frequency of the AC voltage output from the AC voltage output circuit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cartridge attachable to an image forming apparatus body, the cartridge including: a memory member storing information relating to the cartridge; and a supporting body having a memory mounting portion on which the memory member is mounted, the memory member having a first surface, a second surface, and a lateral surface, the first surface is provided with a contact portion connected to a body electrode portion of the body of the image forming apparatus when the cartridge is installed in the body of the image forming apparatus, the memory mounting portion has a first opposing portion opposing the second surface and a second opposing portion opposing the lateral surface when the memory member is mounted, the memory member is mounted by adhesive between the second surface and the first opposing portion and between the lateral surface and the second opposing portion.

Abstract: A light source includes a light emitting element, and an optical system that directs light output from the light emitting element to a surface of a photosensitive member. An irradiation amount of light for forming a second electrostatic latent image is larger than an irradiation amount of light for forming a first electrostatic latent image. A position at which a propagation efficiency of light peaks in a scanning direction of the light is located between a center of an image height of the optical system and a surface area in which the second electrostatic latent image is formed out of the surface of the photosensitive member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a tray configured to mount a process cartridge. The process cartridge includes: a developing unit provided with a developing member; a photosensitive unit provided with a photosensitive member; a side member disposed at a longitudinal end of the process cartridge, the developing unit and the photosensitive unit being arranged along a front-rear direction and movably connected by the side member; a resetting member configured to elastically deform and apply a force to the photosensitive unit when the developing unit moves relative to the photosensitive unit; and a positioning member provided on at least one of the side member and the photosensitive unit, the positioning member being configured to abut the tray in the front-rear direction when the developing unit moves relative to the photosensitive unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a main housing, a sheet tray, and a first circuit board removably installed in the main housing. The main housing accommodates the image forming unit and has a bottom surface, a first side surface on one side, and a second side surface on another side. A first side cover forms the first side surface, and a second side cover of the image forming unit forms the second side surface. The sheet tray is positioned between the first side cover and the second side cover in a first direction. The main housing includes an opening in the bottom surface between the first side cover and the sheet tray in the first direction. The opening allows communication between outside and inside of the main housing and allows the first circuit board to pass therethrough when it is being installed into the main housing.

Abstract: A developing cartridge includes a casing, a developing roller, a shaft, and a first cam. The developing roller is rotatable about an axis extending in a first direction. A part of a peripheral surface of the developing roller is exposed on one side in a second direction. The developing roller is positioned at one end portion of the casing in a third direction crossing both the first direction and the second direction. The shaft extends in the first direction and is movable in the first direction relative to both the casing and the developing roller. The first cam is positioned at one end portion of the shaft in the first direction and is movable in the first direction together with the shaft. The shaft and the first cam are positioned at an other end portion of the casing in the third direction.