Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a display unit for displaying a program which can be executed in the apparatus so as to be identified is disclosed. The apparatus has: an input unit for inputting a program into the image forming apparatus; a display control unit for controlling a process for displaying select keys including a plurality of select keys to instruct a selection of a desired one of a plurality of programs stored in the image forming apparatus onto a display screen displayed on the display unit; and a discriminating unit for discriminating whether the select key to instruct a selection of the program inputted by the input unit can be further displayed onto the first display screen to display the select keys corresponding to the programs registered in the image forming apparatus in response to the input of the program from the input unit or not.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a charging roller for electrically charging the drum; a drum frame rotatably supporting the longitudinal ends of the charging roller through bearings and rotatably supporting one longitudinal end of the drum; a drum bearing rotatably supporting the other longitudinal end of the drum and connected to the other longitudinal end of the drum frame by an adhesive; a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the drum; a longitudinally movable magnet roller provided inside the developing roller; and first and second side members supporting different longitudinal ends of the magnet roller and connected to different longitudinal ends of a developing device frame.

Abstract: A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A polarity controlling device for controlling polarity of residual material on an image bearing member, including a blade, to which a first voltage is applied and which has a contact edge contacted with the surface of the image bearing member to charge the residual material, wherein the contact edge is covered with a resin layer including an electroconductive material. A cleaner including the polarity controlling device; a brush contacting the image bearing member to electrostatically collect the charged residual material utilizing potential difference; a collection member contacting the brush to collect the residual material; and a cleaning blade contacting the collection member to scrape the residual material therefrom. An image forming apparatus including an electrostatic image bearing member; a developing device developing the electrostatic image using a developer including a toner to form a toner image; a transfer device transferring the toner image onto a receiving material; and the cleaner.

Abstract: A device for determining an end of life of an organic photoreceptor includes a potential detecting unit that detects a residual potential of the organic photoreceptor, a temperature detecting unit that detects temperature of the organic photoreceptor in either one of a direct manner and an indirect manner, and a life determining unit that determines the end of life of the organic photoreceptor based on the residual potential detected by the potential detecting unit and the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit.

Abstract: A removable member-holding device is provided and includes: a pull-out member being movably between an accommodating position and a pull-out position; a holding member supported on the pull-out member and having a holding member body, the holding member being extended in a moving direction of the pull-out member and holding a removable member which is removed from the image forming apparatus body, the holding member being movable between an insertion enabling position and a removing position; and a pull-out regulating member provided on a downstream end of the holding member in the pull-out direction and regulating a movement of the removable member to a downstream side in the pull-out direction.

Abstract: A fuser assembly includes first and second fuser structures, drive apparatus and nip engagement and release apparatus. The nip engagement and release apparatus includes nip-loading structure, a bias spring for engaging the nip-loading structure, a nip release cam for engaging the bias spring, a swing arm assembly and nip release structure. The nip engagement and release apparatus is adapted to cause a fuser nip to release during a reverse operation except when performing a duplex operation.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, exercitation coils for induction-heating the fixing belt, power supplies that supply high-frequency power to the excitation coils, an output power detecting circuit that detects output electric energy of the power supplies, a power control circuit that controls the output electric energy of the power supplies, and temperature sensors that detect the temperature of a surface portion of the fixing belt. When electric energy applied to the excitation coils during the power fall reaches minimum power set in advance larger than 0 W, the power control circuit maintains the minimum power while the temperature detected by the temperature sensors is within a predetermined control temperature range and controls output power of the induction heating power supplies to shift from the minimum power to 0 W when the detected temperature deviates from the predetermined control temperature range.

Abstract: A developing device is disclosed that is capable of preventing the hysteresis phenomenon, and which contains a toner and a carrier. The toner and the carrier are charged to different polarities by frictional contact thereof. The developing device has a first conveyance member and a second conveyance member which faces an electrostatic latent image bearing body via the second region. An electric field forming device forms a first electric field between the first conveyance member and the second conveyance member to move the toner in the developer retained by the first conveyance member to the second conveyance member, and forms a second electric field between the second conveyance member and the electrostatic latent image bearing body to move the toner retained by the second conveyance member to an electrostatic latent image of the electrostatic latent image bearing body.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable fixing member, a pressing member, a drive input rotating body, a first frame, a support shaft, and at least one positioning member. The pressing member contacts the fixing member to form a fixing nip therebetween. The drive input rotating body receives an external driving force and transmits the driving force to the fixing member. The first frame supports the fixing member and the pressing member. The support shaft is provided on the first frame to support the drive input rotating body. At least one positioning member is supported by an image forming apparatus body when the fixing device is installed in the image forming apparatus body.

Abstract: A toner cartridge is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus and supplies toner to the image forming apparatus. The locking mechanism is positioned either at a locking position or at a non-locking position. Shortly after the toner cartridge has been attached to the image forming apparatus, the locking mechanism is at a non-locking position. When a user operates a driving member of the toner cartridge after the toner cartridge has been attached to the image forming apparatus, the operating lever engages the locking mechanism to cause the locking mechanism to move to a locking position. When the locking mechanism is at the locking position, the locking mechanism limits the driving member to move relative to the engagement portion, so that the toner cartridge is not allowed to be detached from the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A transfer belt driving control method and transfer belt driving control apparatus for color registration correction. The color registration correction method and apparatus performs the color registration correction by setting a pattern forming section, in which patterns for the color registration correction are able to be formed, and a non-pattern forming section, in which the patterns are not able to be formed, on a transfer belt in which the patterns are formed, performing the color registration correction by driving the transfer belt at a first speed in the pattern forming section, and driving the transfer belt at a second speed, which is faster than the first speed, in the non-pattern forming section.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a printing control unit that performs, between printing on a first printing side of a paper sheet and printing on a second printing side thereof, to print on the first printing side of a next paper sheet; a determination unit that determines, when the printing on the first printing side of the paper sheet is finished, whether a process of processing print data for the next paper sheet has been completed; and a standby control unit that causes a printing unit to delay a printing process on the second printing side of the paper sheet until printing on the first printing side of the next paper sheet is finished if it is determined that the process of processing the print data for the next paper sheet has not been completed.

Abstract: A separator hanger has a body with forward and rearward portions and a central portion interconnecting the forward and rearward portions. The rearward portion has side wing sections extending laterally in opposite directions beyond opposite side edges of the central portion with respective elements thereon adapted to extend through first slots in a packaging insert. The rearward portion also has a tail section between the side wing sections with an element thereon adapted to extend through a second slot in the packaging insert located between and offset from the first slots. Such elements provide the rearward portion in a threaded relationship with the packaging insert so as to detachably attach the rearward portion thereto. The forward portion is adapted to anchor the body to one portion of a device so as to thereby constrain the packaging insert to a position clear of another portion of the device located nearby the packaging insert.

Abstract: A turnable transfer unit, including a transfer member forming a transfer nip while contacting an image bearer installed in an image forming apparatus; and a pressurizer pressurizing the transfer member to the image bearer, wherein the turnable transfer unit further includes a turnable lever member, including an engaging part engaging with a positioning part of the image forming apparatus; and a contact part contacting an opening and closing body openable and closable in the image forming apparatus, wherein the lever member turns in conjunction with a closing operation of the opening and closing body to position the transfer unit in the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A first calculating unit calculates an allocation time required for forming a patch pattern. A second calculating unit calculates a maximum patch-pattern length of the patch pattern that can be formed within the allocation time based on the number of patch patterns that can be formed within the allocation time. A setting unit calculates a difference between an environmental temperature around the image forming apparatus and an environmental temperature at which the image forming condition stored in the storing unit is set, and newly sets an image forming condition for the patch patterns based on a result of comparing the difference with a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member that bears a latent electrostatic image on the surface thereof, a charging device that uniformly charges the surface of the image bearing member, an irradiation device that irradiates the surface of the image bearing member to form the latent electrostatic image thereon, a development device that develops the latent electrostatic image on the surface of the image bearing member with toner to form a toner image thereon, a transfer device that transfers the toner image to a transfer body, a cleaning device including a cleaning blade that removes residual toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing member with the cleaning blade, a protective agent application device that applies a protective agent containing zinc stearate and zinc palmitate to the surface of the image bearing member, wherein the ratio of the zinc stearate and the zinc palmitate is from 66:34 to 40:60 by weight.

Abstract: The fixing device includes: a fixing member including a conductive layer and fixing toner onto a recording medium with the conductive layer self-heated by electromagnetic induction; a drive unit rotationally driving the fixing member; a magnetic field generating member generating an alternate-current magnetic field intersecting with the conductive layer; a magnetic path forming member being in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing member, forming a magnetic path of the alternate-current magnetic field, and transmitting heat to the fixing member by being self-heated by electromagnetic induction; an induction member that is in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the magnetic path forming member, that induces magnetic field lines and that diffuses heat; and an elastic member having force in a direction to press the magnetic path forming member and the induction member against the inner peripheral surface of the fixing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a first and a second photoconductor groups constituted of one or more photoconductors respectively; a first and a second drive control sections for controlling the drive of the first and the second photoconductor groups respectively to rotate the photoconductors thereof, wherein the rotational phases of the first photoconductor group and the second photoconductor group are adjusted to be matched therebetween; and the first and the second drive control sections control so that the first and the second photoconductor groups are driven simultaneously with an equal target speed during a formation of a image, wherein an initial drive speed is lower than a predetermined speed for image-formation, and after the first and the second photoconductor groups reaches the initial drive speed, the target speed is changed from the initial drive speed to the speed for image-formation.

Abstract: A suction duct that sucks air is provided downstream from a magnet roller that applies a developer to a photoconductor while rotating, in a direction of rotation of the photoconductor, and upstream of a surface potential sensor that measures surface potential of the photoconductor. Moreover, ribs for adjusting an air flow are arranged within the suction duct in such a manner that a width of an air flow passage formed by a rear end in a direction of air flow and a forward end of a nearest rib in the direction of air flow is narrowed from a rib installed upstream in the direction of air flow toward a rib installed downstream. The collection duct collects a floating developer by using a negative pressure.