Abstract: A developing cartridge includes: a developing roller rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction; a casing; a first shaft extending in the first direction and movable in the first direction between a first position and a second position; a first inclined surface movable together with the first shaft; a second shaft extending in the first direction and movable in the first direction between a third position and a fourth position; a second inclined surface movable together with the second shaft; and a link mechanism connecting the first shaft to the second shaft. The link mechanism shifts to a first state to move the second shaft to the third position when the first shaft is at the first position. The link mechanism shifts to a second state to move the second shaft to the fourth position when the first shaft is at the second position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a fixing unit, a belt, a conveyance unit, a heat sink, first and second rollers, a belt position detection unit, a steering unit, and a control unit further includes an image forming unit to form a toner image on a recording material, and perform a state transition to a power-off state and to a standby state where image forming by the image forming unit is possible. The belt position detection unit detects a position of the belt. The steering unit swings the first roller relative to the second roller based on a detection result by the belt position detection unit to widthwisely move the belt relative to the first roller. When the image forming apparatus enters the power-off state, the control unit controls the steering unit to make a rotational axis of the first roller approximately parallel to a rotational axis of the second roller.

Abstract: An image carrier unit, insertable into and removable from an apparatus housing, includes: an image carrier; a protection cover removable from and attachable to the image carrier and including a covering portion and a block, the covering portion covering an exposed portion of the image carrier, the block being disposed on a near side in an insertion-removal direction and protruding in a direction crossing the insertion-removal direction; and a surface opposing a far side of the block in the insertion-removal direction, wherein the block is pressed by a protrusion movable toward the apparatus housing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit configured to perform a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode. The first mode is a mode in which a sheet conveyance unit is controlled so that an arrival time from a passage of a trailing edge of a preceding sheet through a nip portion to an arrival of a leading edge of a succeeding sheet succeeding to the preceding sheet at the nip portion becomes a first time. The second mode is a mode in which the sheet conveyance unit is controlled so that the arrival time becomes a second time. The third mode is a mode in which the sheet conveyance unit is controlled so that the arrival time becomes a third time. The second time is longer than the first time, and the third time is longer than the second time.

Abstract: A transport device includes: a first nipping part having an outer surface; a second nipping part having an outer surface, the second nipping part being configured to form, with the first nipping part, a nip region in which a recording medium is nipped by bringing the outer surface of the second nipping part into contact with the outer surface of the first nipping part, the second nipping part being relatively movable between a first position at which a distance from the second nipping part to the first nipping part is a first distance at which the nip region is formed and a second position at which the distance from the second nipping part to the first nipping part is longer than the first distance; a transport part including a holder that holds a front end side of the recording medium, the transport part being configured to move the holder to transport the recording medium to pass through the nip region together with the holder while the recording medium is being held by the holder; and a moving mechanism co

Abstract: A development roller for an electrophotographic device that can both reduce resistance and suppress bleeding-out of an ion-conducting agent is provided. A development roller for an electrophotographic device 10 is provided with a shaft body 12, an elastic body layer 14 formed on the outer periphery of the shaft body 12, and a surface layer formed on the outer periphery of the elastic body layer 14. The surface layer 16 includes the following constituents (a) to (c), and the content of constituent (b) is 3.0 to 60 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of constituent (a). Constituent (a) is a binder comprising acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, where the content of acrylonitrile is 31 mass % or more and 36 mass % or less. Constituent (b) is an ion-conducting agent. Constituent (c) is an acrylic polymer comprising at least one selected from among a silicone group and a fluorine group.

Abstract: A developing roller includes a base portion, an elastic layer disposed on the outer circumference of the base portion, and a coating disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer. The ten-point mean roughness of the coating according to JIS B 0601:1994 is from 2 to 4 micrometers. Furthermore, the mean spacing of profile irregularities of the coating according to JIS B 0601:1994 is from 120 to 290 micrometers. Furthermore, the surface free energy of the coating according to the Owens-Wendt-Rabel-Kaelble method is from 5 to 25 millinewtons per meter.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a discharge guide provided downstream of a fixing device in a sheet transport direction, and configured to guide a sheet on which a toner image has been fixed, to a sheet discharge port formed in a main body of the image forming apparatus, the discharge guide including an air vent for cooling the sheet, and a cooling fan that blows air to the sheet passing the discharge guide, through the air vent. A fixing device housing includes an air inlet that allows an airflow generated by the cooling fan toward the sheet and reflected thereby, to be introduced into inside the fixing device housing.

Abstract: A cartridge includes a photosensitive drum and a discharge opening for permitting discharge of toner removed from the photosensitive drum to outside of the cartridge. The cartridge also includes a coupling member provided adjacent to the discharge opening and configured to output a rotational force, with the coupling member being movable relative to the photosensitive drum between (i) a first position and (ii) a second position retracted from the first position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body casing, a drum cartridge, a developing cartridge and an intermediate transfer belt. The drum cartridge is removably insertable into to the main body casing in a first direction. The developing cartridge is removably insertable into the main body casing in the first direction. The drum cartridge includes a first handle. The first handle has a first recess having a first hollow. The developing cartridge includes a second handle. The second handle has a second recess having a second hollow.

Abstract: A development device includes a development housing, a development roller, a supply roller and a layer thickness regulating member. The development housing stores a nonmagnetic one-component toner. The development roller is formed by a cylindrical elastic body, and moves in a same direction as a rotational direction of a rotatable photosensitive drum at a development nip area while coming into contact with the photosensitive drum. The supply roller is formed by a cylindrical elastic body, and supplies the toner to the development roller and collects the toner from the development roller. The development roller has a surface free energy within a range of 5 mJ/m2 or more and 27 mJ/m2 or less.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging member for charging the photosensitive member, a cleaning member that comes into contact with the charging member and moves relative to the charging member to clean the charging member, an opening/closing member for exposing an inside of the apparatus, and a driving mechanism that moves the charging member and the cleaning member relative to each other in association with opening/closing of the opening/closing member.

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 cartridge includes a photosensitive drum and a discharge opening for permitting discharge of toner removed from the photosensitive drum to outside of the cartridge. The cartridge also includes a coupling member provided adjacent to the discharge opening and configured to output a rotational force, with the coupling member being movable relative to the photosensitive drum between (i) a first position and (ii) a second position retracted from the first position.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer container, a developer carrier, and first and second stirring/conveying members. The developer container includes a first partition wall partitioning between the two conveying chambers longitudinally, a first communication portion for passing developer from the first to the second conveying chamber, a second communication portion for passing developer from the second to the first conveying chamber, a developer supply port for supplying developer in, a developer discharge portion for discharging excessive developer, a second partition wall arranged, adjacent to the regulating portion, downstream of the second communication portion to partition between the first conveying chamber and the regulating portion, and a shield portion connected to the two partition walls to bridge between them to shield a top part of the second communication portion. A gap is formed between an upper end part of the shield portion and the inner surface of the developer container.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a main assembly side drive transmission member and a main assembly side urging member, the cartridge including a rotatable photosensitive drum; a rotatable developing roller for developing a latent image formed on the drum, the developing roller contactable to and spaceable from the drum; an urging force receiving portion for receiving an urging force from the urging member to space the roller from the drum; a cartridge side drive transmission portion capable of coupling with the main assembly side drive transmission member to receive a rotational force for rotating the roller; a releasing member capable of urging the main assembly side drive transmission member to decouple the cartridge side drive transmission member from the main assembly side drive transmission member by the urging force receiving portion receiving the urging force from the main assembly side urging member.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a heating roller including a plurality of halogen heaters whose number is three or more and a driving-force transmission member disposed on one end portion of the heating roller and configured to transmit rotational force that rotates the heating roller. The plurality of halogen heaters whose number is three or more includes at least one asymmetric halogen heater in which an amount of heat generated from one end side on which the driving-force transmission member is provided is larger than an amount of heat generated from another end side, and in which heat generation distribution is asymmetric with respect to a center of a heat generating portion in a longitudinal direction, and at least one symmetric halogen heater in which heat generation distribution is symmetric with respect to a center of a heat generating portion in a longitudinal direction, and the number of symmetric halogen heaters is larger than the number of asymmetric halogen heaters.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a heating unit configured to come into contact with a medium to heat the medium; and a contacting unit configured to not come into contact with the medium and to come into contact with the heating unit, in which a surface temperature of the contacting unit is made higher than a surface temperature of the heating unit to move deposits from the contacting unit to the heating unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly, a first cartridge including an image bearing member, a second cartridge including a developing member, a developer supplying member provided in the second cartridge, and a controller for changing a polarity of a developer supply amount control bias which is a difference between the developing bias and the developer supplying bias depending on a print ratio based on an inputted image data. The controller changes the polarity of the developer supply amount control bias depending on at least one of a use history of the first cartridge and a use history of the second cartridge and on the print ratio.

Abstract: A cartridge configured to be attachable to an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus includes a first unit including a photosensitive drum, a second unit attached to the first unit and including a developing roller, and a second frame member including a toner storage portion and including a toner reception port, the toner storage portion including a first end portion and a second end portion in a rotational axis direction of the photosensitive drum, the toner reception port provided in the first end portion, a toner container configured to be attachable to the second unit, the toner container including a toner discharge port configured to discharge the toner to the toner storage portion through the toner reception port, and a memory, the memory provided in an end portion of the cartridge on the same side as the second end portion of the toner storage portion.