Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a reading unit including a reading portion, an image forming unit including an image bearing member, a fixing portion, and a discharging portion configured to discharge the sheet toward the discharging space in a sheet discharging direction, and a first duct extending in a first direction and configured to communicate an outside surface of the image forming unit to the discharging space, the first direction being along the sheet discharging direction and orthogonal to a rotation-axis direction of the image bearing member. The image forming unit includes a second duct which extends in the rotation-axis direction, and through which an air flow cooling the sheet discharged by the discharging portion passes. At least a portion of the first duct is disposed so as to overlap with the second duct in a second direction orthogonal to both of the first direction and the rotation-axis direction.

Abstract: A toner container includes: a bag having an opening; a discharge member having a receiving port aligned with the bag in a first direction and for receiving toner, and a discharge port for discharging the toner; and a shutting member shutting the discharge port. The receiving port is provided on an inner side with respect to the opening in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The receiving port is open in the first direction and has an area greater than or equal to 25 mm2. The discharge member has a fixing portion to which the opening is fixed, and a surface between the fixing portion and the receiving port. A filling amount [g] of the toner with respect to a total volume [cm3] up to which the toner in the toner container is allowed to be contained is less than or equal to 0.547 [g/cm3].

Abstract: A cartridge includes a first container, a filter, a second container for housing toner, and a pipe. The filter includes a partition between the first container and the second container and a held portion. With a direction in which the first and second containers align defined as a first direction, and directions perpendicular to each other on a cross-section perpendicular to the first direction defined as a second direction and a third direction, when the cartridge is positioned in an orientation in which the second chamber is above the first chamber, one of the first container and the second container includes an inclined surface that descends toward the opposing region, as viewed in the third direction, with a decreasing distance from the opposing region in the second direction, and the other container includes a holding surface. The held portion includes a first held part extending in the second direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a body frame, a cartridge movable to an attached position and a retracted position, a moving device configured to move the cartridge, a driving device configured to drive the moving device and to perform a first operation of driving the moving device to move the cartridge from the attached position toward the retracted position and a second operation of driving the moving device to move the cartridge from the retracted position toward the attached position, and a controller configured to control the driving device and to cause the driving device to perform the second operation in a case where the cartridge has not reached the retracted position even after elapse of a predetermined time since the driving device is caused to start the first operation in a state in which the cartridge is positioned at the attached position.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a consumable includes a consumable memory. The consumable is attached to a main casing. The main casing has an opening through which the consumable is attachable. A cover is configured to open and close the opening. The controller is configured to perform: a reception process; a determination process; an initialization process; and a reading process. The reception process receives an instruction to initialize consumable memory information stored in the consumable memory. The determination process determines at least whether the cover is in an open state in accordance with the received instruction. When determining at least that the cover is in the open state, the controller performs the initialization process. The initialization process initializes the consumable memory information. The reading process reads the consumable memory information from the consumable memory while the cover is in a closed state.

Abstract: A power control device includes a heater, a zero-cross detecting unit, a triac, a supplying unit, and a controlling unit. The supplying unit discharges an electric charge when a control signal is outputted in a half-wave of each of a first polarity and a second polarity and charges the electric charge when the control signal is not outputted in the half-wave of the first polarity. The controlling unit outputs: in a first half-wave, a first control signal on the basis of the zero-cross point and a second control signal in a first phase different in timing from the first control signal, and in a second half-wave, a third control signal on the basis of the zero-cross point and a fourth control signal in a second phase different in timing from the second control signal. The first phase and the second phase are different from each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a main casing to which a consumable is attached; a controller; and a main memory. The consumable includes a consumable memory in which lifetime information relating to a service life of the consumable is stored. The controller is configured to perform: a reception process to receive an instruction to initialize the lifetime information; an initialization process to initialize the lifetime information stored in the consumable memory in accordance with the received instruction; and a write process to write initialization information into the consumable memory, the initialization information indicating that the lifetime information was initialized.

Abstract: A shutter unit to be installed in a toner container attachable to and detachable from an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus includes: a shutter to be pushed by a nozzle disposed in the apparatus body, with movement of the container in an insertion direction into the apparatus body, to insert the nozzle into the container and communicate the nozzle and the container via an opening of the nozzle; a shutter holder holding the shutter movable in the insertion direction; a seal to contact a circumferential surface of the shutter in a closed state and slide on the circumferential surfaces of the shutter and the nozzle during an opening operation in which the shutter is pressed by the nozzle; and a seal holder detachably holding the seal at an inner portion of the seal holder. The shutter holder and the seal holder are integrated in a detachable manner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first door configured to pivot about a first pivot shaft in a left-right direction, an inside thereof being accessible in a state where the first door is open, and a second door configured to pivot about a second pivot shaft in the left-right direction, the inside thereof being accessible in a state where the second door is open. The first door includes a first fitting portion configured to pivot integrally with the first door. The second door includes a second fitting portion configured to pivot integrally with the second door and to be fitted into the first fitting portion. In a state where the first door is closed, the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion are fitted to each other to regulate a position of the first door relative to the second door in the left-right direction.

Abstract: A toner container is provided with a bag member made of flexible film material and a discharging member connected to the bag member and configured to discharge toner from an accommodating space to an outside. When a length from an opposing surface of the discharging member to an end portion in an opposite side of the opposing surface of the bag member in a first direction is defined as Xmax, and in a case in which a position X (0?X?Xmax) using the opposing surface as a reference in the first direction is given, a length of the bag member on a plane perpendicular to the first direction in a second direction is defined as Y and a length of the bag member on the plane in a third direction is defined as Z, in a case in which Z is Z0 in X=0, Xmax>Y?Z in a range of 0?X?Xmax, 0.8×Z0?Z?1.2×Z0 in the range of 0?X?Xmax, and Y?2×Z in a range of 0?X<0.5×Xmax.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a frame member connected to first and second metal plates supporting the image bearing member, and a motor disposed on the first metal plate and between the first and second metal plates in a rotation-axis direction of the image bearing member. The frame member includes a reinforcing surface formed in an area in the rotation-axis direction in which the motor is not disposed, and when viewed in the rotation-axis direction, the reinforcing surface and the motor partially overlap with each other. A portion of the motor projects from the reinforcing surface toward a direction opposite to the image bearing member. A shield metal plate is connected to the first and second metal plates and the frame member and covers the portion of the motor from a side opposite to the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an apparatus body; a removable body that is removably attachable to the apparatus body; an installation body including an operating part that operates when manipulated by a user, the installation body being installed in the apparatus body such that the installation body covers at least a portion of the removable body; and an urging unit that operates in association with the operating part and urges the removable body in an attachment direction, in which the removable body is attached to the apparatus body, while at least the portion of the removable body is covered by the installation body.

Abstract: A cover closes a first opening of a main box portion. A second opening is formed in a unit housing of an optical scanning unit to externally expose a connector mounted on an electronic board. The unit housing has a protruding inner frame portion and a wiring portion. The protruding inner frame portion protrudes from an outer surface of the unit housing and surrounds the second opening. The cover includes a protruding outer frame portion that protrudes from an inner surface of the cover and surrounds the protruding inner frame portion. A top portion of the protruding inner frame portion is formed along an inner-side portion of the protruding outer frame portion on an inner surface of the cover. A top portion of the protruding outer frame portion is formed along an outer-side portion of the protruding inner frame portion on the outer surface of the unit housing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first unit having a first container and a first roller; a second unit having a second container and a second roller; a first section to which a first container is attachable and having a first frame with a first inlet; a second section to which a second container is attachable and having a second frame with a second inlet; a first receptacle provided below the first mount section and communicating with the first inlet; a second receptacle provided below the second mount section and communicating with the second inlet; a first passage extending from the first receptacle to the first container; first means for conveying toner through the first passage; a second passage extending from the second receptacle to the second container; and second means for conveying toner through the second passage.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes a housing, a fixing device, a shutter, a link, a circuit board, and a fan. The fixing device includes a heating unit and is configured to thermally fix a toner image to a sheet conveyed in a conveying direction. The shutter is movable relative to the fixing device between a closing position for closing an upstream end of the heating unit in the conveying direction and an opening position for exposing the upstream end of the heating unit. The link is connected to the shutter, and is configured to abut on a cartridge, which is detachably attachable to the housing, to move the shutter between the closing position and the opening position. The circuit board and the fan are spaced apart from each other to provide an airflow path through which air flows. The link is positioned between the circuit board and the fan.

Abstract: A housing structure includes a main housing, a first cover configured to open and close by rotating with respect to the main housing about a first axis along a horizontal direction, a second cover provided further inside than the first cover and configured to open and close with respect to the main housing together with the first cover by rotating around a second axis parallel to the first axis, a regulation section configured to regulate the second cover in a closed state in which the second cover is closed, and a restriction section configured to, when the first cover is closed, restrict the release of regulation by the regulation section.

Abstract: A toner container is provided with a bag member made of flexible film material and a discharging member connected to the bag member and configured to discharge toner from an accommodating space to an outside. When a length from an opposing surface of the discharging member to an end portion in an opposite side of the opposing surface of the bag member in a first direction is defined as Xmax, and in a case in which a position X (0?X?Xmax) using the opposing surface as a reference in the first direction is given, a length of the bag member on a plane perpendicular to the first direction in a second direction is defined as Y and a length of the bag member on the plane in a third direction is defined as Z, in a case in which Z is Z0 in X=0, Xmax>Y?Z in a range of 0?X?Xmax, 0.8×Z0?Z?1.2×Z0 in the range of 0?X?Xmax, and Y?2×Z in a range of 0?X<0.5×Xmax.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a nip forming member, a pressing roller, a housing, a planer heater, a pair of belt holders, and a pressing mechanism. The pressing mechanism has a pair of pressing springs that urge the pair of belt holders toward the pressing roller, and a pair of pressing plates that are arranged opposite the pair of belt holders and swing toward or away from the belt holder. The pressing mechanism swings the pressing plate to adjust the urging force of the pressing spring. The pressing springs are compression coil springs and their diameter is larger than the width-direction length of the planer heater, which is the same as the rotation direction of the fixing belt, and the central axis of the pressing spring coincides with a straight line passing through the rotation centers of the fixing belt and the pressing roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a fixing portion configured to fix a toner image to a recording material, a housing which accommodates the image forming portion and the fixing portion and in which a conveyance path that the recording material passes through is formed, and a discharge portion configured to discharge the recording material. The housing includes a first exterior surface and a second exterior surface. The second exterior surface is provided with an opening portion through which an outside of the housing and an inside of the housing communicate with each other. The image forming apparatus further includes a filter disposed to cover the opening portion. In a width direction orthogonal to both the vertical direction and the discharge direction, a center of the conveyance path is positioned between one end and an other end of a range where the opening portion is provided.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a main casing; a main memory; and a controller. A cartridge is detachably attachable to the main casing. The cartridge includes a cartridge memory storing therein identification information identifying the cartridge. The main memory is configured to store therein history information including history identification information. The history identification information is identification information for a previous subscription cartridge previously attached to the main casing.