Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a heat source, a fixing pad, and a support member. In the support member, a fixture and an upright are integrally formed, and the fixing pad is fixed in a rotation axis direction of the fixing belt. The upright is upright from a side opposite to the fixing pad in a width direction orthogonal to the rotation axis direction of the fixture, and a plurality of connections between the fixture and the upright is provided.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable unit, a support unit, a protruding portion, a guide portion, and a pressing portion. The movable unit includes a fixing member and a pressure member, and swings along a width direction of a sheet. The support unit supports the movable unit. The protruding portion is electrically conductive and is provided to protrude from a first unit of one of the movable unit and the support unit toward a second unit of the other. The guide portion is electrically conductive and is formed in the second unit so that the protruding portion can be inserted therein, and guides the protruding portion along the width direction. The pressing portion presses the movable unit in a pressing direction perpendicular to the width direction and along a horizontal plane.

Abstract: A fixing member includes a conductive layer that generates heat when a circulation current in a circumferential direction of the fixing member having a tubular shape is induced. The conductive layer includes segments arranged in a row in a longitudinal direction of the tubular shape and electrically separated from each other. Each segment is formed continuously over an entire circumference of the tubular shape in the circumferential direction. The conductive layer is configured such that a heat generation amount in an end portion of the fixing member in the longitudinal direction is less than a heat generation amount in a central portion of the fixing member in the longitudinal direction when an alternating magnetic field is applied to a whole area of the fixing member in the longitudinal direction in a state where a temperature of the central portion is equal to a temperature of the end portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a drawer unit, and a transfer device a including a belt. When image formation on a recording material is performed, the drawer unit is at a first apparatus main body inner position and the transfer device is at a second apparatus main body inner position. In this drawer unit state, (a) a part of the transfer device is disposed downstream of the drawer unit in a moving direction in which the drawer unit moves from the first inner position to a first apparatus main body outer position, and (b) in a vertical direction, an area where the part of the transfer device is positioned overlaps, at least in part, with an area where the drawer unit is positioned. The transfer device includes a cleaning member to clean the belt and is accommodated in the part of the transfer device.

Abstract: A developing device includes a first rotatable member having a rotation center Q and a second rotatable member having a rotation center R. When a rectilinear line connecting the rotation center Q and an intersection point X is a rectilinear line L4, a rectilinear line connecting the rotation center Q and a magnetic flux density peak position Y is a rectilinear line L5, a rectilinear line connecting the rotation center Q and a magnetic flux density peak position Z is a rectilinear line L6, an acute angle formed between the rectilinear line L4 and the rectilinear line L5 is ? [°], and an acute angle formed between the rectilinear line L4 and the rectilinear line L6 is ? [°], ?>? is satisfied.

Abstract: A heating device includes a first rotating body, a heater, a temperature detection element, and a heater holder. The heater includes a heating element and a substrate on which the heating element is located. The temperature detection element is located on a second surface of the substrate opposite to a first surface of the substrate in a thickness direction of the substrate. The heater holder includes a reservoir portion configured to reserve grease to be supplied to between the first rotating body and the heater in a longitudinal direction of a longer side of the first surface of the substrate. A length of an area in the thickness direction of the reservoir portion overlapping an area where the temperature detection element is located is greater than a length of an area in the thickness direction of the reservoir portion not overlapping the area where the temperature detection element is located.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus may include a voltage supply device configured to control a transfer voltage such that a first ratio of a first transfer voltage to a second transfer voltage, is greater than a second ratio of a third transfer voltage to a fourth transfer voltage, where the first transfer voltage is the transfer voltage for a first medium having a first thickness, a first resistance, and a first width, the second transfer voltage is for a second medium having the first thickness and the first resistance, and a second width larger than the first width, the third transfer voltage is for a third medium having a second thickness larger than the first thickness, a second resistance smaller than the first resistance, and the first width, and the fourth transfer voltage is for a fourth medium having the second thickness, the second resistance, and the second width.

Abstract: A developing sleeve for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an aluminum alloy containing more than 0.6% by mass of silicon and conveys a developer containing a toner and a carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developer bearing member, a drive unit for driving the image bearing member and the developer bearing member in varied peripheral speeds, a control unit, a developing voltage application unit, a supply member for supplying a developer to the developer bearing member, and a supply member voltage application unit. The control unit executes a first image forming mode in which a rotational peripheral speed ratio between surface movement speeds of the developer bearing member and the image bearing member is not greater than 1 and a second image forming mode in which the rotational peripheral speed ratio is greater than 1, and the control unit controls the drive unit so that a difference between developing voltage and supply voltage is greater in the second image forming mode than that in the first image forming mode.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus is communicably connected to an image forming apparatus and acquires a consumption amount of a consumable in the image forming apparatus, outputs a delivery request for a replacement consumable based on the acquired consumption amount, and notifies information for prompting to stock a spare replacement consumable based on the consumption amount.

Abstract: A fixing unit includes a film including a tubular shape and configured to rotate, a heater arranged inside the film and including a heating resistor configured to generate heat by passing alternating current therethrough and an insulator configured to cover the heating resistor, a sliding member arranged between the heater and the film and configured to be in sliding contact with an inner surface of the film, the sliding member having electric conductivity, a pressing member configured to be in pressure contact with the sliding member across the film to form a nip portion between the sliding member and the pressing member, and a conductive member electrically connected to a ground potential via at least one impedance element. The sliding member is electrically connected to the conductive member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a rotating member to be heated; a pressure rotating member; a housing; a sheet entrance port; a shutter member; and a biasing member. The shutter member slides between a first position for opening the sheet entrance port provided in the housing and a second position for closing the sheet entrance port. The biasing member biases the shutter member in a direction toward the second position. The shutter member includes a hook portion in which an engagement claw is formed, and when the shutter member is arranged in the second position, the engagement claw is opposite a portion to be engaged in the housing. When an external force directed toward the inside of the housing is applied to the shutter member arranged in the second position, the engagement claw engages the portion to be engaged to restrict the movement of the shutter member to the first position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a conveyance section that sequentially conveys a plurality of recording media; a transfer member that transfers an image formed on an image carrier to each of the recording media conveyed by the conveyance section, with a potential difference; a detection section that detects an electrical characteristic value of the transfer member in transferring the image to each of the recording media; and a determination section that determines multi feeding of the recording media, by comparing an electrical characteristic value in transferring the image to each of the recording media with an electrical characteristic value in transferring the image to each of the recording media.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a housing; a drum cartridge as a first cartridge including a photosensitive drum; a second cartridge accommodating toner; and a drawer movable between an inside position where the drawer in its entirety is positioned inside the housing and an outside position where at least a part of the drawer is positioned outside the housing. The drum cartridge is attachable to and detachable from the drawer. The drawer includes: a side plate configured to receive the photosensitive drum; and a locking member supported by the side plate. The locking member is movable relative to the side plate between a locking position where the locking member locks the photosensitive drum to the side plate and an unlocking position where the locking member unlocks the photosensitive drum from the side plate in an attached state of the drum cartridge to the drawer.

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: An image forming apparatus includes a drum cartridge and developing cartridge. The drum cartridge may include a photosensitive drum rotatable about a first axis extending in an axial direction. The developing cartridge may include a developing roller rotatable about a second axis extending in the axial direction. The image forming apparatus may include a main casing including a slot extending in the axial direction. The image forming apparatus may include a first inner surface positioned inside of the slot, and a second inner surface positioned inside of the slot farther from the cover in the axial direction than the first inner surface from the cover in the axial direction. The first and second inner surfaces may be configured to press the developing roller toward the photosensitive drum.

Abstract: A driving device includes a drive source including a plurality of windings, a plurality of driving components configured to transmit a driving force output from the drive source to a load, a current detector configured to detect a driving current flowing through the plurality of windings, and at least one processor configured to determine a lifespan and presence or absence of abnormality of the drive source and the plurality of driving components based on the driving current, wherein the current detector is configured to detect a first driving current flowing through a first winding with a first low-pass filter having a first cutoff frequency, and detect a second driving current flowing through a second winding with a second low-pass filter having a second cutoff frequency which is higher than the first cutoff frequency.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body casing, a drum cartridge, a developing cartridge and an intermediate transfer belt. The drum cartridge is removably insertable into to the main body casing in a first direction. The developing cartridge is removably insertable into the main body casing in the first direction. The drum cartridge includes a first handle. The first handle has a first recess having a first hollow. The developing cartridge includes a second handle. The second handle has a second recess having a second hollow.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes first and second photosensitive drums, first and second image-forming portion including first and second development rollers configured to bear developers composed of first and second toner particles and organosilicon protrusions formed on surfaces of the first and second toner particles, an intermediate transfer member to which a developer image is to be transferred in first and second contact portions in contact with the first and second photosensitive drums, and a transfer member configured to transfer the developer image to a recording material in a transfer portion. The first contact portion is formed downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the second contact portion in a movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member. A protrusion formed on the second developer has a lower height than a protrusion formed on the first developer.

Abstract: A printing drum mounting system and method of assembling the mounting system. The mounting system comprising a rotatable shaft; a first mount and a second mount arrangeable on the shaft to clamp a printing drum therebetween, wherein the first mount comprises a first engaging surface to form a mating contact with a corresponding first end surface of the printing drum and the second mount comprises a second engaging surface to form a mating contact with a corresponding end surface of the printing drum; a double-walled flexure to flexibly mount the first engaging surface and the shaft, the flexure to provide the first engaging surface with a single degree of freedom of axial movement relative to the shaft and to maintain mating contact between the first engaging surface and the first end surface of the printing drum as the printing drum thermally expands and contracts; and a releasable fixing to align and rigidly engage the second engaging surface relative to the shaft.