Abstract: A developing device includes a first feeding screw to feed developer, a first rotatable member to carry and feed the developer for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an image bearing member, a first magnet fixedly provided inside the first rotatable member and including a first magnetic pole and a second magnetic pole provided downstream of and adjacent to the first magnetic pole in a rotational direction of the first rotatable member and which is different in polarity from the first magnetic pole, and a second rotatable member provided opposed to the first rotatable member. A second magnet is fixedly provided inside the second rotatable member and includes a third magnetic pole provided opposed to the first magnetic pole and which is different in polarity from the first magnetic pole. A second feeding screw is provided in the second chamber and feeds the developer in the second chamber.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a circulating member to be made to circulate while carrying a toner image on a peripheral surface; a transfer member configured to nip at a nip part a recording medium that is transported and the circulating member and to transfer the toner image on the circulating member to the recording medium with a voltage being applied to the transfer member; and a controller configured to control a transfer scheme in accordance with which a voltage is to be applied to the transfer member, the controller being capable of switching the transfer scheme between constant-voltage control and constant-current control, the controller causing an image forming section configured to form an image on the circulating member to start an image forming operation under constant-voltage control selected as the transfer scheme if a length ratio defined as a ratio of a length of the recording medium in an axial direction to a length of the nip part in the axial direction is smaller than a predetermined r

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main housing, a process unit configured to form a toner image on a sheet that is conveyed through the process unit and comprising a cartridge containing toner, a fixing device located downstream of the process unit in a direction of conveyance of the sheet, and an elastically deformable film. The fixing device includes a rotatable heating body and a rotatable pressure body. The rotatable heating body and the rotatable pressure body nip and apply heat and pressure to the sheet on which the toner image is formed to fix the toner image on the sheet. An upper end of the film is attached to the main housing at a position between the fixing device and the process unit. The film extends downward from a position above an area through which the sheet is conveyed toward the area through which the sheet is conveyed.

Abstract: A heating device includes a first rotating body, a heater, a temperature detection element, and a heater holder. The heater includes a heating element and a substrate on which the heating element is located. The temperature detection element is located on a second surface of the substrate opposite to a first surface of the substrate in a thickness direction of the substrate. The heater holder includes a reservoir portion configured to reserve grease to be supplied to between the first rotating body and the heater in a longitudinal direction of a longer side of the first surface of the substrate. A length of an area in the thickness direction of the reservoir portion overlapping an area where the temperature detection element is located is greater than a length of an area in the thickness direction of the reservoir portion not overlapping the area where the temperature detection element is located.

Abstract: A cartridge is provided that includes a first accommodating portion configured to accommodate toner, a first rotation shaft configured to be rotatable about a first rotation axis line, a first flexible member fixed to the first rotation shaft, a first magnetized member provided on the first flexible member, a second accommodating portion configured to accommodate toner to be supplied to the first accommodating portion and being aligned with the first accommodating portion in a first direction, a second rotation shaft configured to be rotatable about a second rotation axis line, a second flexible member fixed to the second rotation shaft, a second magnetized member provided on the second flexible member, and a magnetism sensing sensor provided between the first rotation axis line and the second rotation axis line in the first direction, and configured to sense magnetism in a sensing-capable range.

Abstract: A developing cartridge may include: a casing to accommodate developer; a storage medium including an electric contact surface; an elastic member extending in a first direction crossing the electric contact surface, and configured to be compressed or stretched in the first direction between a first state and a second state; and a holder including an outer surface positioned toward a side of the holder in the first direction, the electric contact surface positioned at the outer surface, and movable between first and second positions in the first direction relative to the casing. A length of the elastic member in the first direction is greater in the first state than in the second state. The electric contact surface is in the first position when the elastic member is in the first state, and the electric contact surface is in the second position when the elastic member is in the second state.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus to fix a toner image on a recording material includes a heating unit, a pressure member, a support member, a pressing mechanism, and an insulating member. The heating unit includes a heating member having a conductive layer, a coil having a helical structure portion having a helical axis substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction of the heating member, and a core to induce magnetic lines of force of an alternating magnetic field generated by the coil. The pressure member is in contact with a heating member outer circumferential surface and forms a nip portion between the pressure member and the heating member. The insulating member electrically interrupts a conductive path to prevent formation of the conductive path that is in a loop-shape surrounding the coil and passing through the support member and the pressing mechanism when viewed in an axial direction of the helical axis.

Abstract: In a fixing device, a heater holder comes into contact with an end of an insulation sheet and causes the insulation sheet to deform in a process of mounting a thermistor and the insulation sheet in the heater holder. Further, in a state in which mounting of the thermistor and the insulation sheet in the heater holder is completed, an inclined surface releases the end of the insulation sheet from contact with the heater holder.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes, an image former that forms an image in a plurality of colors on a sheet by an intermediate transfer method; and a hardware processor that acquires sheet attribute information indicating an attribute of the sheet, wherein, the hardware processor measures a color misregistration amount at a predetermined position in a surface of the sheet on which the image is formed by the image former; and the hardware processor performs control for correcting at least the color misregistration on the surface of the sheet, based on the acquired sheet attribute information and the measured color misregistration amount.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a belt member that cyclically moves, a pressing unit that comes into contact with the belt member and presses a recording medium moving between the belt member and the pressing unit, and a heat source that includes a base material, a resistance heating element disposed on a surface of the base material along a longitudinal direction of the base material, and an insulator covering the resistance heating element and that comes into contact with the pressing unit via the belt member to heat an inner surface of the belt member, in which the insulator is formed to cover a corner portion of the base material in a direction of movement of the belt member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer bearing member that transports developer to an electrostatic latent image formed on an image bearing member; a supply roller, including a foam elastic member, that supplies the developer to the developer bearing member; a power source device that applies a developing voltage to the developer bearing member and applies a supply voltage to the supply roller; a power source control unit that controls supply of the developer from the supply roller to the developer bearing member by controlling the developing voltage and the supply voltage; and an image control unit that controls formation of the electrostatic latent image based on image information. The image control unit controls, based on a predetermined value, a change amount of the supply voltage in a period during which image formation is performed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing in which an exhaust port is formed, a fan, a duct extending in an exhausting direction and configured to accommodate the fan, the duct including a downstream end in the exhausting direction, and an exhaust filter disposed between the duct and the exhaust port in the exhausting direction, the exhaust filter including a first surface facing the exhaust port and a second surface facing the duct. Dimensions of the duct each orthogonal to the exhausting direction are smaller than dimensions of the exhaust filter each orthogonal to the exhausting directions. A perimeter of the downstream end of the duct in the exhausting direction is in contact with the second surface of the exhaust filter.

Abstract: A fixing device is disclosed that has a heating rotating member configured to be rotatable and to heat the unfixed toner image; a pressing rotating member configured to be rotatable and to form a fixing nip portion by coming in contact with the heating rotating member; and a separating member configured to separate the recording material having passed through the fixing nip portion from the heating rotating member, the separating member being provided downstream of the fixing nip portion in a conveying direction of the recording material to be opposed to the heating rotating member with a gap in a non-contact state, wherein the pressing rotating member comes in contact with the heating rotating member to form the fixing nip portion that nips and conveys the recording material with a first pressure or a second pressure that is lower than the first pressure, and wherein the separating member moves more downstream in the conveying direction when the pressure of the fixing nip portion is the second pressure than

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a transfer unit and a control unit. The control unit switches between a first control in which the recording material is conveyed in the first direction and a second control in which the recording material is conveyed in a second direction. In performing a double-side printing in which an image is formed on first and second sides, the control unit performs a reciprocating control in which the first and second controls are alternately switched at least one time in a case in which it is predicted that the recording material reaches a transfer portion earlier than a toner image formed by the image forming unit to be transferred onto the second side when the recording material is being conveyed in a double-side conveyance path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body housing, a drum cartridge, and a toner cartridge. The drum cartridge is movable inside the main body housing between a drum first position and a drum second position. The toner cartridge is movable between a toner first position and a toner second position in a state where the toner cartridge is coupled to the drum cartridge. In a state where the toner cartridge is coupled to the drum cartridge, the drum cartridge is at the drum second position, and the toner cartridge is at the toner second position, the toner cartridge is pivotally movable relative to the drum cartridge between a first pivot position at which coupling of the toner cartridge to the drum cartridge is not releasable and a second pivot position at which the coupling of the toner cartridge to the drum cartridge is releasable.

Abstract: A photosensitive drum is rotatable about a drum axis extending in a first direction. A frame includes a first side plate located at first end in the first direction and a second side plate spaced from the first side plate in the first direction. The frame rotatably supports the photosensitive drum between the first side plate and the second side plate in the first direction. The frame holds a developer cartridge. A lock lever is pivotable about a pivot axis extending in a second direction intersecting with the first direction. The lock lever is movable between a lock position at which the developer cartridge is locked on the frame and a release position at which the developer cartridge is unlocked from the frame.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a motor, a heater, a power supply stopping portion, and a threshold setting portion. The motor rotates a fixing member that fixes a toner image transferred to a sheet onto the sheet. The heater heats the fixing member upon being supplied with power. In a case where temperature of the fixing device exceeds a threshold, the power supply stopping portion stops supply of power to the heater. The threshold setting portion changes the threshold from a first temperature to a second temperature higher than the first temperature in an acceleration period in which rotation speed of the motor increases, and changes the threshold from the second temperature to the first temperature when a deceleration period in which the rotation speed of the motor decreases starts.

Abstract: A main body includes a first opening and a second opening. A first cover member is capable of opening and closing the first opening. A second cover member is capable of opening and closing the second opening. At least a part of a fixing device can be drawn out from the main body via the second opening. A latch mechanism latches the second cover member at a closing position. A release mechanism is arranged at a position that can be accessed from the first opening in the main body and releases the latch of the second cover member by the latch mechanism upon receiving an external force.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a heating portion including a heating source; a pressing portion that presses the heating portion while in contact with it; a temperature detector that detects the temperature of the heating portion and/or the pressing portion; and a conveyer that guides a print sheet with a toner image through a nip portion where the heating portion and the pressing portion are in contact with each other; and a controller that controls the heat source and the conveyer. The controller controls the heating source to set the heating portion to target temperature during execution of a print job, determines a nip width magnitude, on the basis of the temperature variation of the heating portion and/or the pressing portion and heat generation of the heating source by rotating them when the print job is not being executed, and changes the target temperature on the basis of the determination.

Abstract: A fixing rubbing member including a metallic base material having a plurality of first protruded portions on at least one surface, and a resin layer covering a surface of the first protruded portions of the metallic base material, in which the resin layer is provided with a plurality of second protruded portions corresponding to the plurality of respective first protruded portions, on a surface of the resin layer on an opposite side of a side that faces the metallic base material; an apex of at least one of the plurality of second protruded portions is provided with at least one depressed portion; and, when a glass sheet is pressed against the surface of the fixing rubbing member provided with the second protruded portions, at 0.4 MPa, at a temperature of 25° C., a rim surrounding the depressed portion comes into contact with the glass sheet.