Abstract: A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a recording material includes an endless belt, a rotatable member to form a nip, first and second stretching rollers in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the belt, and first and second heaters to heat the first and second stretching rollers, respectively. An amount of heat generation of the first heater is larger than an amount of heat generation of the second heater. At a start up of the fixing device, heating of the first heater is started by a first electric power prior to heating of the second heater, and the heating of the second heater is started by a second electric power smaller than the first electric power after a temperature of the first stretching member reaches a target temperature.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heat source, a fixing belt that is heated by the heat source to thermally fix a color material to each of a plurality of pieces of paper in sequence, an operation acceptor that allows a user to specify a fixation degree of the color material for the plurality of pieces of paper, and one or more controllers that cause each of the plurality of pieces of paper to pass through the fixing belt in sequence at a control paper feed amount which is a paper feed amount per unit time according to the fixation degree.

Abstract: A fixing rotating member, containing a resin base material, a heat generating layer extending on an outer peripheral surface of the resin base material, a silicon dioxide layer on an outer peripheral surface of the heat generating layer and on the outer peripheral surface of the resin base material in a region where the heat generating layer is not provided, and a resin layer on an outer peripheral surface of the silicon dioxide layer. The heat generating layer includes silver, the heat generating layer has a hole having an opening at a surface thereof facing the resin layer, the hole being at least partially filled with silicon dioxide, and the heat generating layer has pores.

Abstract: A fixing rotating member includes a base material containing a first resin, a heat generating layer containing silver on the base material, and a protective layer containing a second resin on a surface of the heat generating layer on a side opposite to a side facing the base material, in which the heat generating layer extends in a circumferential direction of an outer peripheral surface of the base material, the heat generating layer is a layer including a porous portion, and at least one of the base material and the protective layer contains particles having a function of preventing oxidation of the heat generating layer.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to reducing moving members for moving a magnetic body relative to a developer. An image forming apparatus includes a developing unit including an accommodation portion, a developing member, and a magnetic body unit, the magnetic body unit being located inside the accommodation portion and supported to be movable relative to the accommodation portion in a moving direction, a rotary, and a magnetic sensor. A rotation period for the rotary to make one rotation includes a first period. In the first period, the moving direction includes a vertically downward direction. The first period includes a contact period during which the magnetic body unit is received by a developer. The contact period includes timing at which a rotation center of the rotary, the magnetic body unit, and the magnetic sensor are aligned on a straight line in a radial direction of rotation of the rotary.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first photosensitive member and a second photosensitive member that can be charged to a predetermined polarity, an intermediate transfer belt, a first primary transfer member, a second primary transfer member, a first electrode member, a second electrode member, an application sections configured to apply biases having the same polarity as the predetermined polarity to the first and second electrode members, and a control section The first photosensitive member is disposed upstream of the second photosensitive member in a moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt. The control section is configured to control the application sections in such a manner that in image formation, an absolute value of the bias to be applied to the second electrode member is set to be smaller than an absolute value of the bias to be applied to the first electrode member.

Abstract: A fuser includes a rotatable heating member, a heater with a first surface and a second surface, a rotatable pressing member, a heat-conductive member, and a holder with a first holder surface and a second holder surface. In a conveying direction, a dimension of the heat-conductive member is greater than a dimension of the heater. The first holder surface supports the second surface of the heater. The second holder surface is located at least either upstream or downstream of the first holder surface in the conveying direction. The second holder surface faces the heat-conductive member and is located closer than the first holder surface to the heat-conductive member in a thickness direction of the heater. The first holder surface and the second holder surface are connected by a gap surface. A thickness of the heater is greater than a length of the gap surface in the thickness direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging member, a developing member, a transfer member, and a control unit. Following a toner image, which is formed on a surface of the image bearing member at a transfer portion, being transferred to a recording material, residual toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing member is recovered by the developing member. The control unit carries out an image forming operation, a first cleaning operation, and a second cleaning operation. In the first cleaning operation, toner adhering to the charging member is recovered by the developing member, and in the second cleaning operation, the toner adhering to the charging member is discharged to the recording material passing through the transfer portion.

Abstract: A developing cartridge includes: a casing; a developing roller; a shaft; and a cam. The casing is configured to accommodate developer therein. The developing roller is rotatable about a first axis extending in an axial direction. The shaft extends along a second axis extending in the axial direction. The shaft is movable along the second axis. The cam is movable along the second axis in response to axial movement of the shaft. The cam has a cam surface non-parallel with the second axis.

Abstract: A process cartridge mountable on an image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive drum, a developing unit including a developing roller and a toner storage unit. The toner storage includes a first toner storage chamber, a second toner storage chamber located above the first toner storage chamber, a first toner conveying member located in the first toner storage chamber and configured to convey the toner in the first toner storage chamber upward toward the second toner storage chamber in an area wider than the toner discharge outlet in the first direction, and a second toner conveying member located in the second toner storage chamber and configured to convey, in the first direction, the toner in the second toner storage chamber toward the toner discharge outlet.

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.