Abstract: A roller support device includes a roller including a cylindrical portion having a through hole, a support member attached to a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the roller adjacent to the through hole to support the roller so that the roller is rotatable, and a restricting member including a bent hook and a contact portion. The restricting member restrains the support member from moving in a first direction of a rotation axis of the roller by contacting the support member at the contact portion. The bent hook is bent so as to extend to an inside of the cylindrical portion through the through hole and oppose a portion of the inner peripheral surface surrounding the through hole. The contact portion is disposed so as to extend in a circumferential direction of an outer peripheral surface of the roller and being capable of contacting the support member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a member-to-be-cleaned, a first cleaner unit including a first attracting member, a first rotatable member and a first blade member, a second cleaner unit including a second attracting member, a second rotatable member and a second blade member, and a feeding member. The feeding member rotates around its rotational axis and is provided vertically below a first position where a toner drops by gravitation and a second position where the toner drops by gravitation. The feeding member is disposed such that vertical lines passing through the first position and the second position cross the feeding member.

Abstract: The present wet development device includes a developer carrying member, a supply member that supplies a liquid developer to the developer carrying member, a charger that charges the liquid developer on the developer carrying member, a cleaner that removes the liquid developer on the developer carrying member, and a bias applying member that applies alternating bias in contact with the developer carrying member before removing by the cleaner. In a direction in alignment with an axis of rotation of the developer carrying member, a range to which the alternating bias is applied by the bias applying, member is located within a range in which the liquid developer is supplied onto the developer carrying member.

Abstract: A positional deviation correction pattern includes a first and second pattern image portions adjacent in a sub-scanning direction at the same position in a main-scanning direction, with the same width in the main-scanning direction. Each image portion includes a first side extending in the sub-scanning direction, a second side continuing from one end of the first side and extending in a direction intersecting the sub-scanning direction, and a third side continuing from the other end and extending in a direction intersecting both the sub-scanning direction and the second side. The second sides have the same inclination angle to a virtual line parallel to the main-scanning direction. The third sides have the same inclination angle to the virtual line. A length of one image portion in the sub-scanning direction gradually increases from one end to the other end in the main-scanning direction, a length of the other image portion gradually decreases.

Abstract: A static eliminating device includes a substrate provided with a plurality of light emitters that irradiates light as static eliminating light onto a surface of a photosensitive body, and a plurality of limiting resistors that is provided on a same surface as the light emitters. One ends of each of the plurality of light emitters are connected to a power source via the plurality of limiting resistors. The static eliminating device further includes: a first switching section that supplies power from the power source to the plurality of limiting resistors and the plurality of light emitters at a ON state; and a second switching section that supplies power from the power source to the limiting resistors at the ON state, but does not supply the power to the light emitters.

Abstract: A fixing device has a flexible endless fixing member; a heater to heat the fixing member; a nip forming member to contact the fixing member directly or via a slide member; a pressure member, rotatably disposed opposite the fixing member and the nip forming member; and a back curl correction structure that includes a drive roller disposed on a side where a back curl appears in the recording sheet; a driven roller disposed opposite the drive roller; an auxiliary nip portion to feed the recording sheet; a guide member to guide the recording sheet fed out from the auxiliary nip portion to bend in a direction opposite a curled direction of the back curl of the recording sheet. A driving connection between the drive roller and the pressure member is performed by a connection between a drive roller side connection gear and a pressure member side connection gear.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet, a fixing device including a fixing member that fixes the image formed on the sheet and a polishing device that polishes a surface of the fixing member, and circuitry that determines whether an interruption required operation is to be performed, at a time while image formation is being performed by the image forming device to execute an image forming job, or at a time after image formation is executed for one job and before image formation is to be executed for a subsequent job, controls the image forming device to stop image formation to perform the interruption required operation, based on a determination indicating that the interruption required operation is to be performed, and controls the polishing device to polish the surface of the fixing member concurrently with the interruption required operation.

Abstract: A control portion switches first and second modes based on information which influences a toner charging amount. In the first mode, a driving input to the developer bearing member is stopped in response to image formation completion before or at the same time when a trailing end of a charging area reaches the development position, and an application of the development voltage is stopped after the trailing end reaches the development position. In the second mode, The driving input to the developer bearing member is stopped in response to image formation completion before or at the same time when the trailing end reaches the development position, and the application of the development voltage is stopped at a timing after the trailing end reaches the development position and earlier than that in the first mode, or at the same time when the trailing end reaches the development position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a drum unit movable between an inside position inside a main body casing and an outside position outside the main body casing. The drum unit includes a photoconductive drum extending in an axial direction intersecting a moving direction of the drum unit from the outside position toward the inside position, and a transporter transporting toner removed by a cleaner toward a waste toner container. The transporter includes a transportation member transporting the toner along the moving direction, a transportation tube accommodating the transportation member and having an outlet, and a shutter movable between a closed position to close the outlet and an open position to open the outlet. The shutter includes a protruding section protruding along the axial direction from a shutter main body when the shutter is in the closed position, the protruding section being upstream of the photoconductive drum in the moving direction.

Abstract: An image carrier unit of the present disclosure includes an image carrier, a charging device, a unit housing and a drive mechanism. The charging device is fittable to and removable from the unit housing in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal direction, and has a charging member and a cleaning member for cleaning the charging member. The drive mechanism has a biasing member for biasing a rotating shaft of the cleaning member in a first direction extending along its axial direction, and a moving member for moving the rotating shaft of the cleaning member in a second direction opposite to the first direction. An engaging portion to engage with an engaged portion provided on the unit housing side is formed at one longitudinal end portion of the charging device, and an engagement state between the engaging portion and the engaged portion is retained by biasing force of the biasing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes multiple first image forming units, a second image forming unit, and a controller. The first image forming units transfer toner images developed with colored toners to a transfer body, and form first images on the transfer body. The second image forming unit transfers a toner image developed with a spot color toner different from colors of the colored toners to the transfer body prior to the first image forming units, and forms a second image serving as an undercoat or an overcoat of the first images on the transfer body. The controller controls the first image forming units in order that amounts of the colored toners used for forming the first images by the first image forming units become less than amounts of the colored toners used when the first images are formed prior to the second image.

Abstract: This image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a shaft portion, a support portion, and a bush member. The photosensitive drum is configured to hold a toner image to be transferred to a sheet member. The shaft portions are connected to both ends in an axial direction of the photosensitive drum, and project outward in the axial direction from a center of the photosensitive drum. The support portions have shaft holes through which the shaft portions are inserted, and are configured to rotatably support the shaft portions. The bush members are interposed between inner surfaces of the shaft holes and outer circumferential surfaces of the shaft portions, and are each formed in an arc shape having a slit extending in the axial direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including an image bearer configured to bear a toner image; a transfer device disposed opposing to the image bearer; and a transfer bias power source. The transfer bias power source is configured to output a transfer bias to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium. The transfer bias is a superimposed bias that cyclically alternates between a transfer-directional bias to transfer the toner image from the image bearer onto the recording medium and an opposite-directional bias in an opposite direction of the transfer direction. A ratio of a time period of application of the opposite-directional bias to a total time period of one cycle of the output transfer bias is greater than 50%. The transfer bias power source changes a value of a direct current voltage in the superimposed bias according to a linear velocity of the image bearer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit that develops a first latent image using a first developer so that a first developer image is developed with the first developer, a second image forming unit that develops a second latent image using a second developer, which is lower in saturation or higher in light-permeability in comparison to the first developer, so that a second developer image is developed with the second developer, a transfer part that transfers the first developer image and the second developer image to a medium, and a control part that controls an amount of the second developer used to develop the second developer image according to a type of the medium.

Abstract: A developer vessel includes a container that includes a discharge port through which developer is discharged, and a transport portion that rotates to transport the developer toward the discharge port, a first protrusion that protrudes from an outer surface of the container, a second protrusion that protrudes from the outer surface at a position on an opposite side to the first protrusion with a virtual line being interposed between the first and second protrusions, the virtual line passing through a rotational axis of the transport portion and on a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the transport portion and being parallel to the discharge port, and an extending portion that is disposed at an outer end of each of the first and second protrusions on the plane and that extends in a direction intersecting with the respective first and second protrusions.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body casing, a waste toner container, and a drum unit configured to move between a first position inside the main body casing and a second position outside the main body casing, the drum unit including a photoconductive drum, a cleaner, and a transporter including a first transportation member, and a transportation tube including a first frame including a first half-tubular section and a tubular section, and a second frame including a second half-tubular section. The first half-tubular section and the second half-tubular section define a first space configured to allow toner removed by the cleaner to pass therethrough. The tubular section of the first frame defines a second space configured to allow the toner passed through the first space to pass therethrough.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing unit configured to develop using toner an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive member, a mounting unit to which a container is mounted, the container including a containing unit configured to contain toner and a pump unit, and performing a supplying operation for supplying toner by expansion and contraction of the pump unit, a driving unit configured to rotationally drive the container to cause the container to perform the supplying operation, and a controller configured to control a rotational speed of the container based on a time for which the supplying operation has been performed.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing housing that contains developer; a developer carrier that transports the developer; a layer-thickness regulating member that is provided for an upstream gap between the developer carrier and the developing housing and that regulates a layer thickness of the developer; and a sealing member that is provided for a downstream gap between the developer carrier and the developing housing. The sealing member is fixed to the developing housing at one side and is in contact with the developer on the developer carrier at the other side. The sealing member has cuts extending from a free end of the sealing member by approximately 60% or more of a dimension of the sealing member from the free end to a fixed end in the width direction, and is at an angle of approximately 30° or less with respect to a reference line.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit that forms an image by transferring toner onto a paper sheet; a fixing unit that fixes the image onto the paper sheet having the image formed thereon by the image forming unit; a charging unit that electrically charges the paper sheet having the image fixed thereonto by the fixing unit; and an adhesion preventing unit that prevents adhesion of wax to the charging unit, the wax being contained in the toner transferred onto the paper sheet, the adhesion preventing unit being located on an upstream side of the charging unit in a direction of conveyance of the paper sheet.

Abstract: A developing device includes a casing containing a two-component developer including toner and carrier, a developer bearer to transfer the developer on the developer bearer to a developing area, a toner density sensor to output an output value based on toner density of the developer, a toner density detection module to detect the toner density based on the output value of the toner density sensor and output characteristics relating the toner density and the output value, an acquisition module to acquire the output characteristics based on the output value of the toner density sensor relating a new developer and a predetermined toner density of the new developer, a bulk density fluctuation estimating module to estimate bulk density fluctuation for bulk density of the new developer, and a correction module to correct the output value based on the estimated bulk density fluctuation.