Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having: an image carrier configured by a positively charged single-layer electrophotographic photosensitive body; a charging device which is based on a contact charging method for charging a circumferential surface of the image carrier while making contact with the circumferential surface of the image carrier; a developing roller which is disposed so as to oppose the image carrier and carry and convey toner on the circumferential surface; and a voltage application unit which applies a developing bias to the developing roller, wherein the frequency of an AC component of the developing bias applied by the voltage application unit is 2.6 to 4.2 kHz.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a rotary body which rotates in accordance with an image forming operation; a rotation shaft of the rotary body; a through hole which is provided in an end portion in an axial direction of the rotation shaft; a stabilizing member which is provided to rotate together with the rotary body and stabilize the rotary body by reducing fluctuations of rotation of the rotary body under inertia, and which has an inserted portion into which the rotation shaft is inserted; a holding member which is disposed so as to be adjacent to the stabilizing member in the axial direction to hold the stabilizing member on the rotation shaft; a through hole which is formed in the longitudinal portion correspondingly to the through hole provided in the rotation shaft; and a clamp member which passes through the through hole provided in the longitudinal portion and the through hole provided in the rotation shaft.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a flexible endless fixing member; a metal member; and a pressing member. “A” is equal to or less than “Bmax” and greater than “Bave” (“Bmax”?“A”>“Bave”), where “A” represents an amount of a clearance at the time of normal temperature between the fixing member and the metal member, “Bmax” represents a maximum amount of deformation generated in the metal member when heating is started by the heating member from a normal temperature state, and “Bave” represents an amount of stable deformation generated in the metal member when the temperature of the entire metal member becomes even.

Abstract: A fixing device is provided with a fixing device body, a fixing member, and a first attachment section. The fixing device body is adapted to attach to and detach from an apparatus body of a double-sided image forming apparatus, which has a return passage through which a recording medium is returned to an image forming position, and an apparatus body of a single-sided image forming apparatus, which does not have the return passage. The first attachment section is provided at a return passage side in the fixing device body, and is adapted to have a passage surface member, which has a passage surface of an introduction passage through which a fixed recording medium is introduced into the return passage, attached thereto.

Abstract: A housing unit includes: a first housing that contains a cylindrical image holder; a second housing that contains a fuser unit for fixing an image to a recording medium by a heat roller; a protruding unit that protrudes outwardly from a surface of the first housing, which surface faces a circular surface of the image holder; a heat resistant member that is formed of a material having heat resistance higher than that of the protruding unit, and covers the protruding unit; a metallic supporting unit that supports an end of the heat roller; a connecting unit that is formed on the supporting unit and is shaped to contact and fit the heat resistant member; and a fixing unit that fixes the first housing to the second housing at such a position that the connecting unit is fitted to the heat resistant member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a laser source that irradiates an image with laser light, the image being formed on a moving recording material with a thermoplastic image-forming material; and a support member arranged to face the laser source and having a curved portion, the curved portion being curved to extend in a recording-material moving direction and to protrude toward the laser source, the curved portion having a supporting portion of the recording material corresponding to at least an irradiation area of the laser light in a curved manner.

Abstract: Provided is a developing device capable of, with a simple structure, preventing occurrence of image degradation ascribable to a distribution of an amount of fall in a longitudinal direction due to developer replenishment within a developer container. An upper rim portion of a developer regulating wall for adjusting an amount of a developer falling along a developer transport direction of a developer transport path is inclined so as to become low in height in the developer transport direction of the developer transport path. A width of a surface in the developer transport direction of the developer transport path is enlarged along the developer transport direction of the developer transport path. A wall is formed by the developer transported on the developer transport path, and the developer transported in a longitudinal direction is transported in the longitudinal direction while breaking a wall of the developer itself.

Abstract: A printer apparatus includes the use of at least two HSD stations to develop an electrostatic image generated by a single exposure on a photoreceptor in order to enable high speed, high quality monochrome development. A third standby HSD station can be included for increased reliability or be cycled in and out of development allowing on-the-fly cleaning of HSD wires.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member bearing an image; a transfer member having the image transferred thereto from the image bearing member; a correction-image-formation control unit that causes, on the transfer member, a bias correction image to be formed based on an uncorrected bias and a first parameter-correction image to be formed immediately behind the bias correction image based on the uncorrected bias and an uncorrected image-formation parameter; a bias correcting unit obtaining a corrected bias by correcting the uncorrected bias based on the bias correction image; a bias determining unit for determining whether the corrected bias is within a predetermined range defined based on the uncorrected bias; and a parameter correcting unit obtaining, if the corrected bias is within the predetermined range, a corrected image-formation parameter by correcting the uncorrected image-formation parameter based on the first parameter-correction image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes, a carrier element, an image forming unit, a patch mark generation unit, a specular reflected light detection unit that detects light irradiated onto the carrier element by the irradiation unit and specularly-reflected by the carrier element or patch marks, and a diffuse reflected light detection unit that detects the light irradiated onto the carrier element by the irradiation unit and diffusely-reflected by the carrier element or the patch marks. Additionally, the image forming apparatus includes, a correction unit that corrects at least one of a value detected by the specular reflected light detection unit and the diffuse reflected light detection unit, a correction condition determination unit that determines correction conditions for the correction unit, and a density calculation unit that calculates a density of a patch mark.

Abstract: An image formation device includes an image carrier that holds developed images, a transfer body that transfers the developed images held by the image carrier to a recording medium, a cleaning unit that cleans developer on the transfer body, a developer container in which the developer removed by the cleaning unit is deposited, and a sucking unit that sucks the developer leaking from the developer container, the transfer body having at least a rotating member of which both ends are rotatably supported, and the sucking unit having a suction hole opening at least at one end of the rotating member.

Abstract: A fixing device for thermally fixing a developer image transferred onto a recording sheet, includes: a flexible fusing member which is flexibly deformable; a heating element; a nip member disposed in such a manner as to contact with a surface of the flexible fusing member and to allow the flexible fusing member to slide along the nip member; a reflecting plate configured to reflect radiant heat from the heating element in a direction toward the nip member; a backup member configured to nip the flexible fusing member with the nip member to thereby form a nip portion for the recording sheet between the flexible fusing member and the backup member; and a stay configured to support both end portions of the nip member. The reflecting plate has at least one flange portion, and the flange portion is held and supported between the nip member and the stay.

Abstract: In a method to remove toner deposits on a surface of a cleaning element, electrically charged toner particles are transferred from a transfer element surface to a photoconductor. On the cleaning element, untransferred, electrically charged toner particles as residual toner from the transfer element surface are received. Electrically charged toner particles on the cleaning element are directed past an electrode arrangement arranged at a distance from the surface of the cleaning element. An alternating electrical field is generated which acts on the toner particles to loosen them. The toner particles remaining on the surface of the cleaning element are brought into contact with a mixture of carrier particles and toner particles during further transport along a transport direction of the cleaning element.

Abstract: In an electrophotographic (EP) printer, a rotatable member includes a deposition area and a non-deposition area. A toner supply supplies toner to the member, and a moving receiving member receives from the deposition area of the rotatable member while the rotatable member rotates. The rotatable member is cleaned with a selectively-retractable blade in mechanical contact with the member so that toner is removed from the deposition area while the rotatable member rotates. An artifact sensor automatically detects a toner image artifact on the receiver. A controller responsive to the artifact sensor causes the blade to retract when an artifact is detected, and a blade cleaner cleans the blade while the blade is not in mechanical contact with the member.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning blade configured to clean a surface of a rotating subject, a solid lubricant configured to reduce the friction coefficient of the surface of the subject, and a lubricant coating device that includes a coating roller to shave the solid lubricant during normal rotation and a reverse rotation to coat the surface of the subject with the lubricant. The amount of lubricant supplied to the subject during normal rotation of the coating roller is different from a supply amount of the lubricant during reverse rotation of the coating roller, with more lubricant supplied during reverse rotation than during normal rotation.

Abstract: A toner-leveling mechanism installed and operative in a housing chamber that houses toner, the toner-leveling mechanism being capable of leveling toner accumulated in the housing chamber and narrowing an operation space of the toner-leveling mechanism in accordance with an increase in an accumulated amount of the toner.

Abstract: A fixing member includes a tubular surface layer having a first band section including a resin composition that contains a heat resistant resin having releasability, and a second band section having a higher mechanical strength than the resin composition, and the first band section and the second band section is respectively disposed along a circumferential direction of the surface layer and is disposed alternately in a width direction of the surface layer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a fixing device having a first nip to fix toner to a recording medium; a conveyance device provided at a position downstream from the fixing device in a direction of conveyance of the recording medium to convey the recording medium further downstream; a guide member provided along a conveyance path of the recording medium between the fixing device and the conveyance device to contact and convey the recording medium from the fixing device to the conveyance device, the guide member having multiple through-holes formed therein and penetrating from a front surface of the guide member facing the conveyance path of the recording medium to a back surface of the guide member; and an airflow generator to generate an airflow through the multiple through-holes.

Abstract: An ion generating unit comprises a duct, an ion generating device, a mounting plate and a fan. The duct is configured so as to have an air intake port at a first end and so as to have an exhaust port at a second end. The ion generating device is disposed inside the duct. The mounting plate is configured so as to serve to attach the duct to the housing. The mounting plate has an opening aperture communicating with the duct, and is configured so as to be attachable to the housing and so as to function as a part of the housing when it is attached to the housing.