Abstract: An image forming apparatus is used, including a rotary member, on which a developer image by a developer is formed, a collection unit for collecting the developer by a blade member from a surface of the rotary member, and a control unit for controlling an image forming operation on the surface of the rotary member and a supply operation for supplying the developer to a contact portion between the rotary member and the blade member, wherein, assuming that the supply operation for supplying the developer to inside of a printable area is a first supply operation and the supply operation for supplying the developer to outside the printable area is a second supply operation, the control unit controls such that the first supply operation and the second supply operation are performed at different timing.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing belt, a steering roller, a pressure rotation member, and a contact-separation mechanism. The contact-separation mechanism moves the pressure rotation member to a position where the pressure rotation member is in a contact state with the fixing belt and a position where the pressure rotation member is in a separated state from the fixing belt. Swing of the steering roller is controlled so that the fixing belt moves to a predetermined position in a fixing belt width direction. A distance between a center position of the fixing belt in tilting the steering roller for a first time after the center position is separated from a center position of a range of movement of the fixing belt and the center position of the range of movement of the fixing belt in the width direction is smaller in the separated state than in the contact state.

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: An image forming apparatus is configured to perform image forming processing. The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a main motor configured to generate a driving force, a drum clutch having a transmission state in which the driving force is transmitted to the photosensitive drum and a disconnected state in which the driving force is not transmitted to the photosensitive drum, a sheet sensor configured to detect a rear edge of a sheet upstream of the photosensitive drum in a sheet conveying direction, and a controller. In a case where a start command for subsequent image forming processing is not received after the sheet sensor detects a rear edge of a last sheet in image forming processing performed based on received print data, the controller executes drum clutch disconnection processing, and then executes main motor rotation stop processing.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus communicating with an image forming apparatus on which toner containers containing toners of different colors are mounted and which forms an image using the toners of different colors includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire, for each color, a stock request of a toner container to be stocked being different from the toner containers mounted on the image forming apparatus, and a display unit configured to display, for each color, stock information indicating that stocking of a spare toner container is required, in accordance with the stock request acquired by the acquisition unit.

Abstract: An electrophotographic member having an endless shape comprises: a substrate; and an elastic layer on an outer peripheral surface thereof. The elastic layer contains a silicone rubber and metal silicon fillers dispersed in the silicone rubber. An average of area ratios of the metal silicon fillers in respective first binarized images is 42% or less, and an average of area ratios of the metal silicon fillers in respective second binarized images is 42% or less. The elastic layer has ? of 1.30 W/(m·K) or more, where ? is a thermal conductivity of the elastic layer in a thickness direction thereof, and the elastic layer has ?V of 9.0 LOG ?·cm or more, where ?V is a common logarithm value of a volume resistivity thereof.

Abstract: The fixing device includes: a fixing belt that is heated by a heater lamp; a pressure roller that makes contact with the fixing belt; a fixing pad that sandwiches the fixing belt from the inner side of the fixing belt and is arranged opposing the pressure roller, and which forms a nip portion between the fixing belt and the pressure roller; a sliding sheet provided between the fixing pad and the fixing belt, which reduces the frictional force with the fixing belt; and a pad heat transfer plate provided between the sliding sheet and the fixing pad, which adjusts the heat transfer in a longitudinal direction of the fixing belt. The fixing pad has protrusions and that make contact with the pad heat transfer plate, and forms a gap between the fixing pad and the pad heat transfer plate in a location where the protrusions and are not making contact.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes first and second photosensitive drums, first and second image-forming portion including first and second development rollers configured to bear developers composed of first and second toner particles and organosilicon protrusions formed on surfaces of the first and second toner particles, an intermediate transfer member to which a developer image is to be transferred in first and second contact portions in contact with the first and second photosensitive drums, and a transfer member configured to transfer the developer image to a recording material in a transfer portion. The first contact portion is formed downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the second contact portion in a movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member. A protrusion formed on the second developer has a lower height than a protrusion formed on the first developer.

Abstract: A printing drum mounting system and method of assembling the mounting system. The mounting system comprising a rotatable shaft; a first mount and a second mount arrangeable on the shaft to clamp a printing drum therebetween, wherein the first mount comprises a first engaging surface to form a mating contact with a corresponding first end surface of the printing drum and the second mount comprises a second engaging surface to form a mating contact with a corresponding end surface of the printing drum; a double-walled flexure to flexibly mount the first engaging surface and the shaft, the flexure to provide the first engaging surface with a single degree of freedom of axial movement relative to the shaft and to maintain mating contact between the first engaging surface and the first end surface of the printing drum as the printing drum thermally expands and contracts; and a releasable fixing to align and rigidly engage the second engaging surface relative to the shaft.

Abstract: A processor causes a printing portion to execute test image transfer processing for transferring a plurality of test toner images onto an area outside a secondary transfer area on a surface of an intermediate transfer member, and secondary voltage stop processing for stopping a supply of a secondary transfer voltage. The processor acquires a plurality of first sensing densities. The processor causes the printing portion to execute the test image transfer processing and secondary voltage supply processing for supplying the secondary transfer voltage. The processor acquires a plurality of second sensing densities. The processor compares the plurality of first sensing densities and the plurality of second sensing densities to determine a state of a toner charging amount in each of the plurality of test toner images.

Abstract: A processor causes a printing portion to execute, when first conveying processing is executed, test print processing for executing processing of forming a plurality of test toner images on a sheet under a print condition that differs for each of the plurality of test toner images. The processor acquires a plurality of first sensing densities when the first conveying processing is executed. The processor causes the printing portion to execute the test print processing when second conveying processing is executed. The processor acquires a plurality of second sensing densities when the second conveying processing is executed. The processor compares the plurality of first sensing densities and the plurality of second sensing densities to adjust the print condition in the print processing when the second conveying processing is executed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a drum cartridge and developing cartridge. The drum cartridge may include a photosensitive drum rotatable about a first axis extending in an axial direction. The developing cartridge may include a developing roller rotatable about a second axis extending in the axial direction. The image forming apparatus may include a main casing including a slot extending in the axial direction. The image forming apparatus may include a first inner surface positioned inside of the slot, and a second inner surface positioned inside of the slot farther from the cover in the axial direction than the first inner surface from the cover in the axial direction. The first and second inner surfaces may be configured to press the developing roller toward the photosensitive drum.

Abstract: A developing cartridge may include: a casing configured to accommodate developer therein, the casing extending in the first direction; a coupling rotatable about a first axis extending in the first direction, the coupling being positioned at one side of the casing in the first direction; a detection gear rotatable about a second axis extending in the first direction, the detection gear being positioned at another side of the casing in the first direction; and a storage medium including an electric contact surface, the electric contact surface being positioned at the one side of the casing in the first direction.

Abstract: An electrophotographic roller comprising a substrate and a foam layer on an outer peripheral surface of the substrate, the foam layer constituting an outer surface of the electrophotographic roller, the foam layer comprising cells each of which opens on the outer surface, and the foam layer having a zero-point charge measured using a standard carrier of 40 ?C/g or more.

Abstract: A heating device includes a rotator, a heater, a heater holder, and a first high thermal conduction member. The heater includes a base and a plurality of heat generators being arranged on the base and including neighboring heat generators. The heater has a gap area between the neighboring heat generators. The first high thermal conduction member has a higher thermal conductivity than the base and faces the gap area.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressure member, and a pair of retention members each including a restriction surface. The restriction surface restricts a movement of the fixing member in an axial direction. The restriction surface includes a first contact area and a second contact area. The first area is an area more on a downstream side of a passing direction of a medium than a center of a pressure area in the passing direction, and also closer to the pressure area than an apex of the fixing member on an opposite side of the pressure area. The first contact area and the second contact area are each tilted at a certain gradient so as to be set apart from the end portion of the fixing member in the axial direction from a side of the apex toward a side of the pressure area.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a housing; a drum cartridge as a first cartridge including a photosensitive drum; a second cartridge accommodating toner; and a drawer movable between an inside position where the drawer in its entirety is positioned inside the housing and an outside position where at least a part of the drawer is positioned outside the housing. The drum cartridge is attachable to and detachable from the drawer. The drawer includes: a side plate configured to receive the photosensitive drum; and a locking member supported by the side plate. The locking member is movable relative to the side plate between a locking position where the locking member locks the photosensitive drum to the side plate and an unlocking position where the locking member unlocks the photosensitive drum from the side plate in an attached state of the drum cartridge to the drawer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a wireless tag communication device configured to communicate with a wireless tag attached to a sheet, a fixing device configured to fix a toner image on the sheet, and a processor configured to: upon receipt of a print job, control the communication device to read from the wireless tag a first fixing temperature that has previously been used to fix a toner image on the sheet, determine a second fixing temperature to be used by the fixing device based on the first fixing temperature, and execute the print job by controlling the fixing device to fix a toner image on the sheet at the second fixing temperature.

Abstract: A heating device includes a heater, a rotator, and a pressure rotator. The heater includes resistive heat generators forming a heat generation area and has a separation area formed by the resistive heat generators. The pressure rotator includes a first region and a second region. The first region faces the heater in a range of 20 mm from a center position of the heat generation area toward an end thereof in the arrangement direction. The second region faces the heater in at least a part of a range of 30 mm from a center position of the separation area toward the center position of the heat generation area. An outer diameter of the pressure rotator increases from the center toward the end. The outer diameter of the second region increases at an increasing rate larger than an increasing rate of the outer diameter of the first region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a main body housing including an air outlet opening, a photosensitive drum, a fuser to thermally fix toner transferred from the photosensitive drum to a sheet on the sheet, a fan to generate an airflow toward the air outlet opening, and a controller, is provided. The controller is configured to, in a continuous stage of printing continuous from a beginning stage, count a cumulative printed page number being a cumulative number of pages printed by the image forming apparatus, in a case where the cumulative printed page number is smaller than a first page number, control the fan to rotate at a first speed, and in a case where the cumulative printed page number is equal to or larger than the first page number, control the fan to rotate at a second speed, the second speed being higher than the first speed.