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.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heater, heating roller heated by the heater and a fixing belt heated by the heating roller. A thermistor detects a temperature of the fixing belt at an area where the belt is stretched by the heating roller. When a CPU receives a signal which instructs the stop of rotation of the fixing belt, the CPU continues rotation of the fixing belt until the detected temperature detected by the thermistor decreases a predetermined temperature in a case in which the detected temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature.

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. The supply roller includes a metal shaft member and a cylindrical foamed elastic body, and supplies the toner to the development roller and collects the toner from the development roller. The supply roller has an electric resistance within a range of 1×102? or more and 1×104? or less. The supply roller comes into contact with the circumferential face of the development roller in a state where a compression load within a range of 0.2 N or more and 1.5 N or less is applied to the shaft member of the supply roller in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the shaft member.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a separation mechanism moves a developing roller from a contact position to a separation position. At the contact position a surface of the developing roller is in contact with a surface of a photosensitive drum. At the separation position the surface of the developing roller is separated from the surface of the photosensitive drum. A sensor detects whether the developing roller is at the separation position. A controller executes a transmission process transmitting to the motor a command to drive the separation mechanism, a determination process determining whether or not the sensor detects that the developing roller is positioned at the separation position within a predetermined period of time after the command is transmitted in the transmission process, and a stop process stopping image formation operation in a case where the sensor does not detect that the developing roller is positioned at the separation position.

Abstract: A driving device for photosensitive members and developing rollers includes a clutch for selectively transmitting a rotational force from a driving source to the rollers. The clutch includes a rotatable driving member having a first engaging portion together with the first portion, a follower having a second engaging portion engageable with the first portion, and a rotatable member changeable, by rotation in a direction opposite from a rotational direction of the driving member, from a first state in which the driving force from the driving source is not transmitted without engagement between the first portion and the second engaging portion to a second state in which the rotor rotates by engagement therebetween. The rotor urges the follower in the opposite direction when the first engageable member and the second engageable member are not engaged with each other, by the opposite rotation.

Abstract: A rotator includes a rotation shaft, a first radial flap, a second radial flap, and a holder. The first radial flap extends from the rotation shaft in a first radial direction, and the second radial flap extends from the rotation shaft in a second radial direction. The holder holds the first radial flap and the second radial flap and includes a support face and a hole. The support face faces toward a rotation direction of the rotator and is configured to fix the first radial flap by thermal caulking. The hole is configured to insert a part of the second radial flap to hold the second radial flap.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a plurality of parts, an acquisition unit, and a control unit. The plurality of parts are used in the image forming process and are replaced according to the degree of use. The acquisition unit acquires, for each of the parts, use-related information that is information indicating the degree of use of the plurality of parts. The control unit determines the replacement timing of the part using the plurality of pieces of use-related information acquired by the acquisition unit and the determination condition regarding the replacement timing of the part.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless rotatable belt, a rotary pressing member, a pressing member, a driving unit, a heating roller, a temperature detection member, and a control unit. The rotary pressing member is configured to form a nip portion between the rotary pressing member and the belt, the nip portion being a portion in which a toner image borne by a recording material is fixed to the recording material while the recording material is nipped and conveyed. The control unit is configured to control the driving unit such that the driving unit does not start to rotate the belt during a period of time for a preparatory operation if a temperature of the heating roller is higher than a predetermined temperature, wherein the preparatory operation is an operation performed for enabling image formation after an error or a jam is handled.

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 includes a flexible rotary member, a pressure roller, a heating element, a regulation member configured to regulate movement of the flexible rotary member by abutting against one end portion of the flexible rotary member in the axial direction, a guide unit, and an interlocking portion. The interlocking portion includes a hole portion and a shaft portion engages with the hole portion, and wherein an axis of the shaft portion is parallel to the axial direction of the flexible rotary member. The interlocking portion configured to move the guide unit in the conveyance direction in accordance with movement of the regulation member in the conveyance direction so that a clearance is kept between the guide unit and the flexible rotary member in the conveyance direction.

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 includes a main casing, a drum cartridge and a developing cartridge. The drum cartridge may include a first handle positioned at a first end of a frame of the drum cartridge. The developing cartridge may include a second handle positioned at a first end of a developing casing the developing cartridge. The main casing may include a first edge surface in the axial direction and a second edge surface opposite the first edge surface in the axial direction. The second handle may extend farther from the second edge surface than the first handle extends from the second edge surface in the axial direction in a state where the drum cartridge and the developing cartridge are attached to the main casing.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heater having a first heating block and a second heating block, a heating rotating member to be heated by the heater, a pressure rotating member forming a nip portion for conveying a recording material between the pressure rotating member and the heating rotating member, first temperature detection elements and second temperature detection elements for detecting temperatures of the first heating block and second heating block respectively at positions farther from a recording material conveyance reference position than the first temperature detection elements. In the image heating apparatus, the first temperature detection elements are arranged on a side downstream of the heater in a recording material conveying direction, and the second temperature detection elements are arranged on a side upstream of the first temperature detection elements in the recording material conveying direction.

Abstract: A fuser, having a heater, a holder, and a first wire spring, is provided. The heater is in a form of a planar plate and has a first face and a second face. The holder has a supporting base supporting the first face of the heater. The first wire spring retain the heater on the holder. The first wire spring has a first facing portion, a first engageable portion, and a second engageable portion. The first facing portion faces and supports the second face of the heater. The first engageable portion and the second engageable portion extend from one and the other ends of the first facing portion. The first engageable portion and the second engageable portion are engageable with the holder in an end area on one side and an end area on the other side of the heater in a widthwise direction.

Abstract: Provided is a developer replenishing container including: a developer containing part capable of containing a developer; a discharge port through which the developer contained in the developer containing part is discharged; a conveyance part conveying the developer in the developer containing part by rotating; and a displacement part displaceable in conjunction with rotation of the conveyance part in the developer in a vicinity of the discharge port, and including a moving member capable of reciprocating in conjunction with the rotation of the conveyance part and a biasing member which biases the moving member and which is expandable according to movement of the moving member.

Abstract: An attachable-detachable unit that is attachable to and detachable from a body. The unit includes a storage portion having a storage space in which powder is stored, the storage space including a bottom part that is continuous in one direction and a narrow region in which the storage space seen in the one direction has a smaller sectional area than in an other region; and a transport member extending in the one direction in the storage space and transporting the powder in the one direction such that at least some of the powder passes through the narrow region.

Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a housing capable of accommodating toner and having six peripheral walls, a first shutter, and a second shutter. The housing includes (i) a first surface formed on a first peripheral wall and having a first circumferential surface and (ii) a second surface and having a second circumferential surface, the first peripheral wall having a first hole, the second peripheral wall having a second hole. The first shutter is movable relative to the housing along the first circumferential surface between a first closed position at which the first opening is closed and a first open position at which the first opening is opened. The second shutter is movable relative to the housing along the second circumferential surface between a second closed position at which the second opening is closed and a second open position at which the second opening is opened.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having first, second, third, and fourth photosensitive drums, first, second, third, and fourth developing rollers, a development-driving gear, a development motor, a first development gear train having a first gear, a second development-gear train having a second gear, a process-driving gear, a process motor, a first process-gear train having a third gear, and a second process gear-train having a fourth gear, is provided. The first development-gear train transmits a driving force from the development motor to the first and second developing rollers. The second development-gear train transmits the driving force from the development motor to the third and fourth developing rollers. The first process-gear train transmits a driving force from the process motor to the first and second photosensitive drums. The second process-gear train transmits the driving force from the process motor to the third and fourth photosensitive drums.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a developing device, an environment sensor, a memory, and a processor. The developing device stores a developer containing a toner and a carrier. The environment sensor measures an environment parameter. The memory stores end time environment information indicating an environment parameter of a date and time when printing is ended. The processor discharges the toner stored in the developing device when a difference between the environment parameter indicated by the end time environment information and the environment parameter measured by the environment sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and puts the toner into the developing device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form a toner image on one surface of a recording material, a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image on the surface of the recording material in a nip portion formed by a heating unit and a pressing unit, a discharge unit configured to discharge the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed to a discharge tray, and a recording material conveyance path between the fixing unit and the discharge unit. In a conveyance direction of the recording material from the fixing unit to the discharge unit, a fan is disposed between the fixing unit and the discharge unit. The fan takes in air from an intake portion that takes in air of the recording material conveyance path and exhausts air such that air is applied to the recording material discharged from the discharge unit.