Abstract: A developing unit includes a developer bearing member, a container, an end seal, a sheet, and a backup member. The container contains a developer. The container has an opening for supplying the developer to the developer bearing member. The end seal is disposed between the developer bearing member and the developer container. The end seal is disposed at an area of the container outside a longitudinal end of the opening. The sheet seals a gap between the developer bearing member and the container. One widthwise end of the sheet is fixed to the container. The other widthwise end is in contact with the developer bearing member. A longitudinal end of the sheet includes a sandwiched portion between the end seal and the developer bearing member. The backup member is provided in an area facing a surface of the sheet opposite to a surface in contact with the developer bearing 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: An attachment unit for attaching a second device to a first device includes a first attachment member and a second attachment member. Each of the first attachment member and the second attachment member has first to Nth engagement sections. N is an integer of at least 2. The first to Nth engagement sections of the first attachment member respectively have the same shape as the first to Nth engagement sections of the second attachment member. The nth engagement section of the first attachment member is engageable with the (N?n+1)th engagement section of the second attachment member. n is an integer of at least 1 and no greater than N. At least one of the first device and the second device is an image forming apparatus or an extension device.

Abstract: A drive transmitter includes a group of gears to which grease is applied, at least one gear of the group of gears being an internally toothed gear, multiple pulleys, and a drive belt wound around the multiple pulleys to drive the group of gears. An image forming apparatus includes the drive transmitter.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device configured to fix a toner to a recording medium, a cooling device disposed so as to cool the fixing device with forced air, and a rotatable guide configured to guide the recording medium towards a first location when in a first position and towards a second location when in a second position. The rotatable guide partially blocks the forced air at the first position and forms a pathway for the forced air when at the second position. A control unit rotates the guide unit to the second position if an operating mode of the fixing device is changed from a first mode having a fixing temperature set point at a first temperature to a second mode having a fixing set point temperature lower than the first temperature.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a solid lubricant to be coated on an image bearing member included in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The solid lubricant contains a resin particle and metal soap. The resin particle includes a particle body containing an amorphous resin as a principal component, and a fluorine atom supported on a surface of the particle body. The resin particle is a particle having a volume average particle size of 70 nm or more. The solid lubricant can sufficiently increase a cleaning effect in the image forming apparatus.

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: 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: Conventionally, it has been impossible to adjust a transportation direction magnification correspondingly to jobs, causing an image to be formed in an unintended size, while the transportation direction magnification for the image formed on the sheet varies with jobs. A controller included in an image forming apparatus selects an image adjustment chart used to adjust a transportation direction magnification that varies with job conditions of a job to be executed currently in a transportation direction of images transferred to sheets by a transferrer. The controller adjusts the transportation direction magnification for images formed by an image former based on the image adjustment chart formed on a sheet by the image former.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus configured to detect an image density while suppressing a change in sensitivity characteristic of an optical sensor, which is caused by leak light. The image forming apparatus includes the optical sensor configured to measure a measurement image formed on an intermediate transfer belt, and output a detected analog value indicating a measurement result, and a controller. The optical sensor includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element. The controller includes a memory configured to store profile data regarding a driving current of the light emitting element and an amount of leak light directly received by the light receiving element from the light emitting element. The controller is configured to detect the amount of leak light corresponding to the driving current of the light emitting element at a time of measurement of the measurement image based on the profile data.

Abstract: A developing device includes a rotatable developer bearing member, a regulation member configured to regulate a thickness of the developer borne on the surface of the developer bearing member, a frame configured to support the developer bearing member, the frame including a recess in an opposed surface opposed to the regulation member, the recess being recessed in a direction away from the regulation member and extending from a center portion toward both end portions in the rotation axis direction, a width, in the orthogonal direction, of the recess in both the end portions increasing gradually as distance from the center portion in the rotation axis direction increases, and a sealing member provided in the recess to seal a gap between the regulation member and the frame, the sealing member being formed by ejecting thermally molted resin into the recess.

Abstract: A drum unit includes: a photosensitive drum; a blade contacting a surface of the photosensitive drum and configured to remove waste toner therefrom; a first auger; and a second auger. The photosensitive drum defines an axis extending in a first direction and is rotatable about the axis. The first auger extends in the first direction. The first auger is rotatable upon receipt of a drive force from the photosensitive drum to convey the waste toner removed by the blade in the first direction. The second auger extends in a second direction crossing the first direction. The second auger is rotatable upon receipt of the driving force from the first auger to convey the waste toner conveyed by the first auger in the second direction.

Abstract: Provided are a drive force transmission member and control unit. The drive force transmission member has multiple first engaging portions. Drive force is transmitted from the drive force transmission member to a drive force receiving member with each first engaging portion engaged with a second engaging portion of the drive force receiving member. The second engaging portions are movable in a radial direction centered on a rotation axis line of the drive force transmission member. The control unit performs rotation control of forward rotation of the drive force transmission member by ?° and thereafter backward rotation by ?° after a cartridge is mounted to an apparatus main body but before image formation. Each of the multiple first engaging portions is upstream in the forward rotation direction of the drive force transmission member from the second engaging portion out of the multiple second engaging portions with which engaging will be realized.

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 image forming apparatus prevents sheets from remaining inside the image forming apparatus even when a container that is not empty is replaced with another container. The image forming apparatus includes a mount to which a container containing developer is mounted, and a replenishing unit replenishing an image forming unit with the developer from the mounted container. In a case where the mounted container is replaced with another one without replacement of the container necessary during image formation of the image forming unit, a controller suspends feeding of a sheet, discharges the sheet remaining in a conveying path, and disables an image forming operation. A display displays a screen for prompting replacement of the mounted container if replacement of the container is necessary, and displays a screen for prompting re-mounting of the replaced container in a case where the mounted container is replaced without replacement of the container necessary.

Abstract: A developing cartridge includes: a casing, a developing roller, a storage medium having an electrical contact surface, a holder, and a holder cover configured to cover the holder. The holder has: a first outer surface holding the electrical contact surface, a second outer surface spaced away from the first outer surface in a third direction, and a resilient member connected to the first outer surface and to the second outer surface. The resilient member is configured to expand and contract to change a distance between the first outer surface and the second outer surface. The resilient member has a first length in the third direction in a state where the holder cover is detached from the holder. The resilient member has a second length in the third direction smaller than the first length in a state where the holder cover is attached to the holder.

Abstract: A drum unit includes: a photosensitive drum; a blade contacting a surface of the photosensitive drum and configured to remove waste toner therefrom; a first auger; and a second auger. The photosensitive drum defines an axis extending in a first direction and is rotatable about the axis. The first auger extends in the first direction. The first auger is rotatable upon receipt of a drive force from the photosensitive drum to convey the waste toner removed by the blade in the first direction. The second auger extends in a second direction crossing the first direction. The second auger is rotatable upon receipt of the driving force from the first auger to convey the waste toner conveyed by the first auger in the second direction.

Abstract: A housing includes at least one openable cover and at least one adjacent cover. The at least one openable cover swings on a hinge to separate an interior of the housing from an exterior of the housing. The at least one openable cover has a first side edge on a side of the hinge. The at least one adjacent cover is adjacent to the at least one openable cover. The at least one adjacent cover has a second side edge neighboring the first side edge of the at least one openable cover across a gap. One of the at least one openable cover and the at least one adjacent cover includes at least one projection projecting into the gap and another one of the at least one openable cover and the at least one adjacent cover includes a recess that accommodates the at least one projection in the gap.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding body, a transfer member, and a controller. The image holding body holds an unfixed image. The transfer member presses a continuous medium against the image holding body and causes the image to be transferred to the medium. The controller allows a cleaning operation in which undesired adhering matter adhering to the transfer member is transferred to the image holding body to be performed when the medium does not exist between the image holding body and the transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a measuring unit configured to measure a stopping time period in which rotation of a developer carrying member is stopped; a correcting unit configured to control an image forming unit to form a pattern image, control a detecting unit to detect the pattern image, and correct an image formation condition of the image forming unit based on a detection result of the detecting unit; and a correcting unit configured to correct a correction amount of the image formation condition, which is corrected by the correcting unit, based on the stopping time period measured by the measuring unit.