Abstract: An image forming unit of an image forming apparatus includes a developing device and a toner replenishing unit that replenishes the developing device with toner. The toner replenishing unit includes an upper toner container, a lower toner container, a toner conveyance unit. The upper toner container and the lower toner container are disposed in a staggered manner in an apparatus body.

Abstract: A rotational force is transmitted to a main assembly side feeding member for feeding the toner into a main assembly side toner accommodating portion from a coupling member provided on a cartridge. The cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, a discharge opening configured to discharge the toner removed from the photosensitive drum toward the main assembly side feeding member, and a coupling member configured to transmit the rotational force to the main assembly side feeding member. The coupling member is movable between a first position for transmitting the rotational force to the main assembly side feeding member and a second position retracted from the first position.

Abstract: A deviation detection device to detect a deviation of a rotator includes a contact member disposed in contact with the rotator and configured to move, following a deviation of the rotator in a width direction of the rotator. The deviation detection device further includes a deviation detector configured to detect a direction of the deviation and a deviation amount of the rotator based on a displacement of the contact member, and a wear detector configured to detect a state in which an amount of wear of the contact member has reached a threshold.

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: A fixing device comprises a cylindrical sheet heating body for heating a sheet; a heat generation section which includes a center heat element that generates heat in a central area, a first heat element that generates heat in a first area containing an end in the length direction, and a second heat element that generates heat in a second area between the central area and the first area; a center temperature measurement section which measures a temperature of a portion of the sheet heating body; a both-end temperature measurement section which measures a temperature of the sheet heating body at a destination by moving in the length direction; and a power controller configured to control electric power to be supplied to the center heat element, to the first heat element, and to the second heat element according to the center temperature measurement section and the both-end temperature measurement section.

Abstract: A drive transmission device according to an embodiment may include: a driving shaft configured to be rotated by a driving source; a driven shaft; and a coupling device including a driving side coupling connected to the driving shaft and a driven side coupling connected to the driven shaft, and configured to selectively couple the driving shaft and the driven shaft with each other to transmit a rotation of the driving shaft to the driven shaft. The driving side coupling may include an Oldham's coupling including a driving side rotor, an intermediate rotor, and a driven side rotor and configured to absorb an eccentricity between the driving shaft and the driven shaft, wherein the driving side coupling further comprises a bias member provided inside of the driving side coupling, the bias member biasing the driven side rotor toward the driven side coupling.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a resistive heat generator, a temperature detector, and a power controller that detects a temperature-resistance property of the resistive heat generator before the resistive heat generator is used when the resistive heat generator is removably installed. The power controller obtains power supplied to the resistive heat generator and a change in a temperature of the resistive heat generator, that is detected by the temperature detector, while the power controller supplies the power at a predetermined power duty cycle for adjustment to the resistive heat generator. The power controller calculates the temperature-resistance property of the resistive heat generator based on the power and the change in the temperature that are obtained. The power controller adjusts a power duty cycle at which the power is supplied to the resistive heat generator in use of the resistive heat generator, based on the temperature-resistance property.

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 rotational force is transmitted to a main assembly side feeding member for feeding the toner into a main assembly side toner accommodating portion from a coupling member provided on a cartridge. The cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, a discharge opening configured to discharge the toner removed from the photosensitive drum toward the main assembly side feeding member, and a coupling member configured to transmit the rotational force to the main assembly side feeding member. The coupling member is movable between a first position for transmitting the rotational force to the main assembly side feeding member and a second position retracted from the first position.

Abstract: According to embodiments, an image forming apparatus includes a fixation member, a pressurization member, a heat source, a drive unit, a measurement unit, and a control unit. The measurement unit measures the time that elapses after the image forming apparatus ends image forming processing until the image forming apparatus receives an instruction to perform the next image forming processing. If the elapsed time does not exceed a predetermined threshold, the control unit causes the drive unit to start to drive the fixation member after a temperature of the fixation member reaches a first control temperature. If the elapsed time exceeds the predetermined threshold, the control unit causes the drive unit to start to drive the fixation member after the temperature of the fixation member reaches a second control temperature that is higher than the first control temperature.

Abstract: A developing cartridge includes: a casing, a developing roller, a first agitator, a supply roller, and a second agitator. The casing is configured to accommodate toner. The developing roller is rotatable about a developing roller rotation axis extending in a first direction. The first agitator is configured to agitate the toner. The first agitator is rotatable about a first agitator rotation axis extending in the first direction. The supply roller is positioned between the first agitator and the developing roller. The supply roller is rotatable about a supply roller rotation axis extending in the first direction. The second agitator is positioned between the supply roller and the first agitator. The second agitator is rotatable about a second agitator rotation axis extending in the first direction. A rotation locus of the second agitator is positioned outside of a rotation locus of the first agitator.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit including a photosensitive drum, a developing device, a temperature detector for detecting an environment temperature; a storage storing accommodate sheets, wherein a heating unit for heating the sheets is detachably mountable to the storage; a cooling unit for cooling the developing device; a controlling unit for operating the cooling unit in response to an output of the temperature detection unit. When the heating unit is not mounted in the storage, the controlling unit actuates the cooling unit in response to a first temperature detected by the detector. When the heating unit is mounted in the storage, the controlling unit actuates the cooling unit in response to a second temperature detected by the detector. The second temperature is lower than the first temperature.

Abstract: Toner contained in a toner container is used for replenishing a developing unit via an intermediate hopper. A toner sensor detects emptiness for the toner on an upstream side of a conveyance screw of the intermediate hopper in terms of the toner conveyance direction. Every time the toner sensor detects emptiness, the controller drives a rotation mechanism so that the toner is ejected from the toner container. Based on a drive history of a conveyance-purpose motor, the controller calculates a toner conveyance amount conveyed from the intermediate hopper between a time when the toner sensor detects emptiness and a time when the toner sensor detects emptiness again. When the calculated toner conveyance amount has been equal to or smaller than a first conveyance amount threshold value successively, the controller determines that the toner container is in a nearly empty state.

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: An apparatus includes a photosensitive member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image as an image by using toner, an image bearing member to which the image is transferred, a detecting unit including a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light toward the image bearing member and a light-receiving element that receives light reflected from a detection target, and a control unit that adjusts an image forming condition. The control unit adjusts a light-emission ratio between the light-emitting elements based on a difference between a reflected light amount at a first position on the image bearing member and a reflected light amount at a second position.

Abstract: In a case of performing a second rotation control to match the rotation phase of a first rotational polygon mirror with the rotation phase of a second rotational polygon mirror in a rising period, a period during which a non-image region is irradiated with light from both or one of a first light source and a second light source is controlled to be a second period longer than a first period.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a fixing device comprises a fixing belt configured to heat a toner image on a sheet to which the toner image is attached to fix the toner image to the sheet using heat; a heating roller, arranged to internally contact the fixing belt to carry the fixing belt, configured to heat the fixing belt; and a plurality of support rollers each configured to abut against a portion that does not abut against the fixing belt at an end in a longitudinal direction of the heating roller to support the heating roller, and have an outer diameter smaller than that of the portion that does not abut against the fixing belt.

Abstract: In a case where a controller executes formation of a first image which is a monochrome image, a second image which is a monochrome image, a third image which is a color image, and a fourth image which is a color image in order, the controller forms the first image by one image formation unit while other image forming units are in a separated state, and controls a mechanism to switch to a contact state after the formation of the first image completes and transfer to a sheet by an intermediate transfer member completes, and prior to starting formation of the second image. The controller forms the second image by the one image formation unit and forms the third image by one of the other image formation units.

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: An image forming apparatus includes an image former configured to form an image on a recording medium, and a hardware processor, wherein the hardware processor, before the image is formed on the recording medium by the image former, determines a medium type of a subject medium that is the recording medium on which the image is to be formed by the image former, and before the medium type of the subject medium is determined, determines whether an image forming speed at which the image former forms the image is a medium speed that is predetermined with respect to the medium type of the subject medium.