Abstract: An exhaust air cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning duct for cleaning air to be exhausted from an exhaust port of an image forming apparatus. In the cleaning duct, a fan and a filter are provide between an inflow part connected with the exhaust port of the image forming apparatus and a discharge port for discharging air from the inside of the cleaning duct. The exhaust air cleaning apparatus further includes a pressure adjusting part for adjusting the pressure in the cleaning duct. The pressure adjusting part performs pressure adjustment so that the pressure at a pressure adjusting position located between the inflow part and the fan in the cleaning duct falls within an appropriate pressure range determined in advance to be equal to or less than atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: A developing cartridge includes a casing and a developing roller. The casing has an accommodation chamber, first and second ribs, a handle, and first and second pressure members. The accommodation chamber has one end portion and another end portion in a first direction, and an outer surface. The developing roller is positioned at one side of the accommodation chamber in a second direction. The ribs, the handle, and the pressure members are positioned at another side of the accommodation chamber in the second direction. The ribs and the pressure members are positioned at the outer surface. The handle is positioned between the first rib and the second rib in the first direction. The first pressure member is positioned between the handle and the first rib in the first direction. The second pressure member is positioned between the handle and the second rib in the first direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a sensor which emits light with a spot diameter serving as a predetermined size to a pattern for position detection formed on a transfer medium conveyed by a conveyance section, and outputs a read signal corresponding to reflected light of the emitted light; a processing circuit which generates a differential signal obtained by differentiating the read signal output by the sensor, and outputs a signal obtained through an exclusive OR of the read signal and the differential signal obtained by differentiating the read signal; and a control section configured to specify a position at which a image forming section forms a image on the basis of the signal output by the processing circuit.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a rotary polygon mirror, a plurality of light sources, a light detecting portion, an obtainment processing portion, an a switching processing portion. The rotary polygon mirror has a reflection surface that reflects incident light, and scans, in a scanning cycle, the light reflected on the reflection surface. The light sources emit, toward the reflection surface, a plurality of light beams. The light detecting portion detects a light amount of each light beam reflected on the reflection surface. The obtainment processing portion obtains a switching timing to switch a light emission amount of each of the light sources in the scanning cycle, based on light amounts of the light beams detected by the light detecting portion. The switching processing portion switches the light emission amount of each of the light sources based on the switching timing obtained by the obtainment processing portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises an image forming section; a fixing device; an input section; a storage section which stores a target temperature of the fixing device in a case of carrying out the fixing processing and a target temperature of the fixing device in a case of carrying out the erasing processing; and a control section which controls to read out lower one of the target temperature of the fixation and the target temperature of the erasure from the storage section to set the lower one to the target temperature of the fixing device in a case in which the processing information of the fixing processing and the erasing processing is input by the input section and the processing is continuously carried out, and drive the fixing device via the driving section at a driving speed corresponding to each of the fixing processing and the erasing processing.

Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a developer bearing member configured to bear a developer on a surface, a regulating member that regulates layer thickness of the developer on the developer bearing member, and a developer conveying member. In addition, a frame has a development chamber in which the developer bearing member and the regulating member are provided, a storage chamber in which the conveying member is provided and the developer is stored, and an opening through which the developer passes into the development chamber. The developing apparatus collects the developer remaining on the developer bearing member into the storage chamber after the developer on the developer bearing member is transferred onto a transfer material. The regulating material includes a step portion that forms a gap between the regulating member and the developer bearing member.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a fixing device comprises a first rotating body; a second rotating body configured to face the first rotating body and be stretched over a plurality of rotating bodies; and a first mechanism configured to enable at least one among a plurality of the rotating bodies to move to change a nip width between the first rotating body and the second rotating body.

Abstract: A toner case includes a case main body, a cover, and a seal member. The case main body is configured to contain a toner and to rotate. The cover is configured to cover an opening part arranged at the case main body and to maintain a rotation stop state when the case main body rotates. The seal member is interposed between the case main body and the cover and configured to maintain a rotation stop state when the case main body rotates. At least a part of the seal member is composed of an elastic material.

Abstract: A drum unit includes a photosensitive drum and a cleaning member. A scratch remaining depth measured by a scratch test of the photosensitive drum under a following Test Condition 1 is 110 nm or less. Test Condition 1 is; test environment temperature=25° C.; test environment humidity=50%; test indenter=pre-mount type Berkovich indenter; scratch direction=horizontal direction; scratch speed=20 ?m/sec; initial load=0 mN; maximum reaching load=4 mN; and load at the time of measuring the scratch remaining depth=1.9 mN.

Abstract: A solid lubricant containing a fatty acid metal salt and a polyethylene having an acid value is prepared. The solid lubricant is disposed so as to be applied on a surface of an image bearing member of an image forming apparatus in electrophotography, and a lubricant layer is formed on the surface of the image bearing member with the solid lubricant.

Abstract: A fixing device is equipped with a lower pressure roller, an upper pressure roller and a fixing belt which fix a toner image onto a sheet, by holding and conveying the sheet by a nip portion, and a control unit which controls rotation of the lower pressure roller. The control unit periodically changes a velocity of rotational drive of the lower pressure roller, at a frequency of which a period is shorter than a time needed for the sheet to pass through the nip portion, when the sheet passes through the nip portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes optical sensor units provided opposed to an image bearing member; light blockers provided between the image bearing member and the optical sensor units, respectively, the blockers being movable between locking and exposing positions, respectively; calibration members provided where the light is incident when the blockers are in the blocking positions, respectively, the calibration members calibrating data acquired by the optical sensor units; a movable link connected with the blockers; a switching portion for switching the blockers between the exposing and blocking positions; and a positioning portion for determining the blocking position, the positioning portion being disposed at a position where at least one of the blockers is contacted to the positioning portion when the blockers are switched from the exposing positions to the blocking positions.

Abstract: A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one embodiment includes a pocket formed on a first side of a housing. A bottom end of the pocket is open for receiving an electrical connector during insertion of the replaceable unit into the image forming device. An electrical contact is positioned within the pocket and is electrically connected to processing circuitry on the housing. An outer guide is positioned on the first side of the housing and below the pocket. A portion of the outer guide inclines inward toward the first side of the housing as the outer guide extends upward. An inner guide is positioned within the pocket on a first inner surface of the pocket, which faces toward the first side of the housing. A portion of the inner guide inclines inward toward the first side of the housing as the inner guide extends upward.

Abstract: There is provided a printing control device. A setting unit sets a sorting priority mode that causes a printing device to perform printing using a recording sheet in which the difference from the recording sheet size designated by a current print job mounted on the printing device is within a predetermined range, in a case where a recording sheet with a same size as the recording sheet designated by the current print job is not mounted on the printing device, and a recording sheet which has a recording sheet size that is printable without reducing the printing range, and for which the difference from the size of the recording sheet designated by the current print job is within a predetermined range is mounted on the printing device in a sheet feed direction different from the sheet feed direction of the recording sheet of the previous print job.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus 100 includes a photosensitive drum 21 on which an electrostatic latent image is formed by being scanned with a light beam emitted from a light source 29 through a transparent member 26, a developing roller 23 that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 21 to form an image on the photosensitive drum 21, a transfer roller 24 that transfers the image developed and formed by the developing roller 23 to a sheet S, a fixing portion 30 that heat-fixes the image transferred on the sheet S by the transfer roller 24 to the sheet S, and a condensation member 28 provided in an airflow path A from the fixing portion 30 to the transparent member 26, and condenses and collects vapor in the airflow.

Abstract: A paper humidifying apparatus includes humidifying rollers, a first drive unit and a controller. The humidifying rollers, forming a pair, are pressed against each other forming a nip portion and apply moisture to a sheet of paper when sandwiching and conveying the sheet of paper. The first drive unit which makes the humidifying rollers separate from each other or press against each other. The controller controls the first drive unit. The controller controls the first drive unit so as to make the humidifying rollers separate from each other and receive the sheet of paper, and after a tip of the sheet of paper passes a position corresponding to the nip portion, the controller controls the first drive unit so as to make the humidifying rollers press against each other to apply moisture to the sheet of paper.

Abstract: A toner filling apparatus includes a filling tank, a toner filling path forming member, a toner fluidizing unit, a filling path opening/closing unit and a container room sucking unit. The toner filling path forming member is in communication with the filling tank and forms a toner filling path connected to the toner container. The container room sucking unit sucks air from the toner container through a filter member which is impermeable to the toner but permeable to air. When the toner fluidizing unit fluidizes the toner in the filling tank and the filling path opening/closing unit opens the toner filling path so as to load the toner to the toner container, the container room sucking unit reduces a pressure in the toner container to a negative pressure so as to draw in the toner into the toner container.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit for forming successive images and a pattern image with developer on a transfer member, the successive images including a first image and at least one second image subsequent to the first image; a conveying unit for conveying a medium; a transfer unit for transferring the successive images on the transfer member onto the medium; a detector for detecting the pattern image on the transfer member; a controller for causing the image forming unit to form the pattern image between the first image and the at least one second image and form the at least one second image on the transfer member based on the detection of the pattern image by the detector; and a separation unit for separating the transfer member and the medium from each other to prevent the pattern image from being transferred onto the medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member unit having an image bearing member, a developing unit including a developer carrying member configured to form a toner image on the image bearing member, and a moving mechanism configured to move the developing unit in interrelation with opening and closing of an openable member. In addition, a moving portion moves the image bearing member unit between a mounting position and a predetermined position a predetermined distance away from the mounting position in an upstream direction with respect to the inserting direction, with the moving portion capable of moving the image bearing member unit to the predetermined position or to a position upstream of the predetermined position with respect to the inserting direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a cover member, an opening/closing detecting device and an elastic member. The cover member is supported so as to open and close an opening formed in an apparatus main body. The opening/closing detecting device is configured to be switched into OFF state to detect that the cover member is in opening state where the opening is opened and into ON state to detect that the cover member is in closing state where the opening is closed. The elastic member is interposed between the opening/closing detecting device and the cover member. The elastic member is configured to be deformed when the cover member closes the opening and then to switch the opening/closing detecting device from the OFF state into the ON state.