Abstract: Liquid electrophotography apparatus including a plurality of members defining a flow path for a printing liquid. At least a first member of the plurality of members is arranged to generate an electric field. The liquid electrophotography apparatus also includes a first insulation layer arranged around at least a portion of a surface of the first member to prevent electrical discharge from the printing liquid.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner supply section, an image forming section, a touch panel, a determining section, a calculating section, and a display section. The determining section determines whether a toner container mounted to the toner supply section is a first container or a second container which differs from the first container. The calculating section calculates a consumption amount of toner consumed for the image forming section to form an image on paper when the determining section determines that the toner container is the second container. The display section displays a ratio of a second consumption amount to a first consumption amount on the touch panel. The first consumption amount is a consumption amount of the toner when the toner container is the first container. The second consumption amount is a consumption amount of the toner when the toner container is the second container.

Abstract: A system and method for urging stray toner away from sealing areas on rotating shafts in electrostatic process units includes a shaft that is associated with a rotating component of the electrostatic process unit such as a toner mixer, a waste auger, a developer, or a photoconductive drum. The shaft includes sealing areas at either end of the shaft that are configured to prevent toner leakage through the sealing areas, and protruding ridges in the sealing areas that encircle the shaft. The protruding ridges are angled relative to the axis of the shaft such that rotation of the shaft causes the protruding ridges to urge stray toner away from the sealing areas. The protruding ridges substantially reduce toner leakage through the sealing areas of rotating shafts of electrostatic process units.

Abstract: A separation cam is disposed on a shaft of an opposing roller. The separation cam rotates about the shaft in response to a separation unit separating an intermediate transfer belt from a photosensitive drum, and the separation cam thereby separates a secondary transfer roller from the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a rotary body, a heater having one end and another end, a first power supply cord having one end portion connected to the one end of the heater, a first insulator, a second power supply cord having one end portion connected to the other end of the heater, a second insulator, a support frame, and a restriction member. The first insulator holds both the one end of the heater and the one end portion of the first power supply cord. The second insulator holds both the other end of the heater and the one end portion of the second power supply cord. The support frame includes a first support portion supporting the first insulator and a second support portion supporting the second insulator. The restriction member is detachably attachable to the support frame and restricts movement of the first insulator in a first direction.

Abstract: A fuser includes: a heater; a rotation body which is heated by the heater; an endless belt; an elastic pad which is in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt to form a nip portion with the endless belt intervening between the elastic pad and the rotation body; and a wall surrounded by the endless belt and disposed downstream of the elastic pad in a moving direction of the endless belt in the nip portion. The wall has a surface facing the elastic pad in the moving direction. The surface includes: contact portions positioned at both ends in a width direction of the endless belt and in contact with the elastic pad; and a center portion positioned between the contact portions in the width direction, at a downstream side of the contact portions in the moving direction.

Abstract: A developing apparatus includes: a developing roller; a frame configured to support the developing roller at each of two end portions of the developing roller in a longitudinal direction of the developing roller; and a sealing member configured to seal a space between the frame and each of the two end portions of the developing roller. A first lubricant having an average particle size smaller than a predetermined surface roughness Ra is applied to a first region that is located at each end portion of the developing roller in the longitudinal direction and is in contact with the sealing member. A second lubricant having an average particle size larger than the surface roughness Ra is applied to a second region that is located on an inner side of the first region in the longitudinal direction and is separated from the sealing member and has the surface roughness Ra.

Abstract: A fuser includes a rotatable member, a belt, a pressure member, and a sliding member. The pressure member sandwiches the belt together with the rotatable member to form a nip portion. The sliding member is sandwiched between an inner peripheral surface of the belt and the pressure member. The sliding member includes a front surface, which faces the inner peripheral surface of the belt. The front surface includes a plurality of first dimples and a plurality of second dimples. The first dimples are arranged in a zone corresponding to a first part of the nip portion. The second dimples are arranged in a zone corresponding to a second part of the nip portion, to which a pressure smaller than a pressure applied in the first part is applied. Each of the first dimples is of a shape that can release lubricant more easily than each of the second dimples.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing container, first and second stirring-conveyance members, a developer carrier, a toner concentration sensor, a scraper, and a scraper attachment unit. The second stirring-conveyance member includes a rotation shaft, a first spiral blade to convey developer in an axial direction, and a second spiral blade to overlap a region where the first spiral blade is formed, which is opposite to the first spiral blade in phase, and lower than the first spiral blade in height in a radial direction. An absent region, where the second spiral blade does not exist, is formed in one pitch of the first spiral blade, the one pitch facing the toner concentration sensor. The scraper attachment unit is formed to extend, along a straight line passing through intersection points of the first and second spiral blades and parallel to the rotation shaft, into the absent region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device that includes a heater to heat a fixing rotator, an opposed rotator to press against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip therebetween, and at least one rotary body to convey a recording medium to the fixing nip. A controller rotates the fixing rotator in a forward direction to fix a toner image on the recording medium. The controller stops the heater and rotates the fixing rotator in a predetermined rotation direction when a failure occurs while the fixing device is activated. The controller determines that the predetermined rotation direction is the forward direction or a backward direction according to the at least one rotary body that sandwiches the recording medium, if the fixing nip and the at least one rotary body sandwich the recording medium simultaneously when the failure occurs while the fixing device is activated.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing sleeve configured to carry and convey developer containing non-magnetic toner and magnetic carrier and having a plurality of concave parts on a surface thereof. The concave parts are periodically arranged in each of a rotation direction and a width direction of the developing sleeve, and each have a shape that can house a circular shape having a diameter equal to an average particle diameter of the carrier carried on the developing sleeve, in a planar view. A distance between the concave parts is smaller than the average particle diameter.

Abstract: When viewed in an axial direction, a pair of circumferential ends and a notched portion of a cylindrical shaft are at different positions in a circumferential direction, and a first central angle of a first imaginary arc which connects the pair of circumferential ends and a first force receiving portion nearest to the pair of circumferential ends in an opposite direction to a direction, in which a force is received, from the pair of circumferential ends to the first force receiving portion in the opposite direction is smaller than a second central angle of a second imaginary arc, which connects the pair of circumferential ends and a second force receiving portion nearest to the pair of circumferential ends in the direction, in which the force is received, from the pair of circumferential ends to the second force receiving portion in the direction in which the force is received.

Abstract: With reference to a correction value revision parameter table, a periodic non-uniformity correction value corresponding to changed rotational speed is obtained from the correction value revision parameter table, and set as a new periodic non-uniformity correction value corresponding to the rotational speed of a rotary component, and thereby a gradation which is an image formation parameter of image data is corrected.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a discharging device that discharges a sheet to which a toner image is transferred. The discharging device is disposed on a side opposite to a transfer surface of the sheet to which the toner image is transferred downstream from a nip portion between an intermediate transfer belt and an external secondary transfer roller in a sheet conveyance direction. The discharging device includes a grounded first discharging plate, and a grounded second discharging plate which is disposed downstream from the first discharging plate in the sheet conveyance direction at an angle different from an angle of the first discharging plate.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging roller, a toner image forming portion, a voltage source, a detecting member, a controller, and a test executing portion configured to execute an operation in a test mode in which in a period in advance of the image forming period, a plurality of test AC voltages having a test peak-to-peak voltage with different frequencies are successively applied to the charging roller and alternating currents are detected by the detecting member. The test executing portion sets a predetermined peak-to-peak voltage on the basis of a specific frequency which is a maximum frequency at which a relationship between the frequencies and the alternating currents acquired in the operation in the test mode maintains linearity.

Abstract: A developing device, detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus main body, includes a developing frame containing a developer, a developing roller performing developing using the developer, and a plurality of electric contact points disposed at one end in an axial direction of the developing roller, on a face that intersects the axial direction. The developing device is pivotably centered on a pivot axis parallel to the axial direction of the developing roller, and electrically conducts with the image forming apparatus main body via the plurality of electric contact points when mounted to the image forming apparatus main body. In a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the developing roller, a position of the pivot axis is within a polygon having a greatest area formed of outer shapes of the plurality of electric contact points and straight lines connecting the outer shapes of the multiple electric contact points.

Abstract: An electrophotographic component includes a substrate and an optional cushioning layer disposed on the substrate. The optional cushioning layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicones, fluorosilicones and fluoroelastomers. An optional release layer is disposed on the substrate and if present, on the optional cushioning layer. The optional release layer comprises a fluoropolymer. The substrate, the optional cushioning layer, the optional release layer, or any combination thereof, comprise a plurality of fluorinated boron nitride nanosheets. The electrophotographic component comprises at least one layer selected from the optional cushioning layer and the optional release layer.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotating unit, a heating unit configured to heat the rotating unit, and a pressure member configured to nip a recording material between the rotating unit and the pressure member and to convey the recording material. In addition, a control portion is configured to variably control, when the rotating unit is changed from a rotating state to a halt state, a heating temperature of the heating unit in the halt state according to the heating temperature of the heating unit in the rotating state.

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 fixing apparatus includes a cylindrical heating rotating member, a nip portion forming member having first and second surfaces, and provided in a hollow portion of the heating rotating member so that the first surface contacts an inner surface of the heating rotating member, and a roller that, sandwiches the heating rotating member with the nip portion forming member to form a nip portion. A plurality of recessed portions are on the first surface, so a size of an area in which the first surface is in contact with the heating rotating member in an upstream area of the nip portion is less than a size of the area in which the first surface of the nip portion forming member is in contact with the heating rotating member in a downstream area of the nip portion with respect to a center of the nip portion.