Abstract: A power supply apparatus to supply power to an image forming device, the power supply apparatus includes an amplifier to amplify an input AC power by a general amplification or a double amplification, a converter to receipt the input AC power amplified by the general amplification or the double amplification and output a DC power with a determined size. A controller control applying the general amplification or the double amplification to the converter, in response to an operating mode of the image forming device.

Abstract: A development device is attachable to and detachable from an apparatus main body in an inserting/drawing direction. The development device includes a holder portion, a hook, a lever portion, and an elastic arm portion. The holder portion supports a board connectable to a controller of the apparatus main body. The hook is engageable with a recess of the apparatus main body. The lever portion is provided with the hook. At least one elastic arm portion connects the holder portion and the lever portion. In a middle of an attachment to the apparatus main body, the hook interferes with the apparatus main body to shift the lever portion in a direction crossing the inserting/drawing direction and to elastically deform the elastic arm portion. When the hook is engaged with the recess, the elastic deformation of the elastic arm portion is released and the board is connected to the controller.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a sheet supply unit, a printer, a fixing device, and a controller. The sheet supply unit supplies a sheet from a sheet container. The printer forms a toner image to the sheet conveyed from the sheet supply unit. The fixing device includes a heater, a fixing belt, and a pressure roller. The heater includes a heat generating member including a plurality of heating elements arranged in a first direction orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction and in which a heating element group selected in response to a printing request from the heat generating member generates heat. The fixing belt fixes the toner image heated by the heater to the sheet. The pressure roller presses the fixing belt.

Abstract: A drum cartridge includes: a drum frame to which a developing cartridge is attachable; a photosensitive drum rotatable about an axis extending in a first direction; a memory having an electrical contact surface; and a resilient member positioned between the electrical contact surface and the drum frame. The resilient member is configured to expand and compress in a second direction crossing the electrical contact surface between a first state and a second state, the resilient member having a shorter length in the second state than in the first state. A distance between the drum frame and the electrical contact surface in the second direction when the resilient member is in the second state is smaller than a distance between the drum frame and the electrical contact surface in the second direction when the resilient member is in the first state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes a body housing, a drawer movable between an accommodated position and a drawn position, a drum cartridge including a photoconductor drum, a developing cartridge including a developing roller, and a belt located above the photoconductor drum, and the drawer is located at the accommodated position. The drum cartridge includes a moving member movable, with respect to the photoconductor drum, between (i) a first position which is a position at which the moving member is not opposed to the developing cartridge mounted on the drum cartridge and is opposed to a circumferential surface of the photoconductor drum and (ii) a second position which is a position at which the moving member is not opposed to the circumferential surface of the photoconductor drum and is opposed to the developing cartridge mounted on the drum cartridge.

Abstract: A developer supply container is detachably mountable to a developer receiving apparatus, the developer receiving apparatus including a developer receiving portion provided with a receiving port for receiving a developer and including a portion-to-be-engaged of displacing integrally with the developer receiving portion. The developer supply container includes a discharging portion provided with a shutter opening for discharging the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion, and an engaging portion. The engaging portion engages with the portion-to-be-engaged with a mounting operation of the developer supply container to displace the developer receiving portion so as to bring the receiving opening into fluid communication with the shutter opening. The engaging portion includes a curved portion having an angle relative to a mounting direction of the developer supply container, the angle decreasing with approach toward an upstream side in the mounting direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, to which a replaceable unit with a nonvolatile memory is mounted, including: a storage portion configured to store data related to the replaceable unit read from the memory and hold stored contents even when the image forming apparatus is not activated; a door to be opened when the replaceable unit is replaced; a detector configured to detect whether the door is open or closed; a latch circuit configured to hold a specific state when the detector detects that the door is open when the image forming apparatus is not activated; and a controller configured to, when activating the image forming apparatus, read the data from the memory when the latch circuit is in the specific state, read the data from the storage portion when the latch circuit is not in the specific state, and perform an activation process based on the read data.

Abstract: A photosensitive member unit includes a photosensitive member, a transfer roller, a mounting portion capable of mounting a development unit including a development roller, a first gear and a second gear each provided at one end of the photosensitive member in an axial direction of the photosensitive member, and a third gear provided at one end of the transfer roller in an axial direction of the photosensitive member and configured to engage with the second gear. The first gear, the second gear, and the third gear are helical gears. A direction in which helical teeth of the first gear are inclined is opposite to a direction in which helical teeth of the second gear are inclined, and the direction in which the helical teeth of the first gear are inclined matches a direction in which helical teeth of the third gear are inclined.

Abstract: A drum unit includes a photosensitive drum in a coupling member. The coupling member includes an engageable member having a driving force receiving portion which is capable of entering a recess of a driving shaft to receive a driving force for rotating photosensitive drum. The coupling member includes a holding member configured to hold said engageable member so as to be slidable at least in a radial direction of said drum unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a cartridge including a portion-to-be-positioned, and an apparatus main body on which the cartridge is mounted in a mounting direction. The apparatus main body includes a positioning portion and a regulating portion. The positioning portion positions the cartridge by engaging with the portion-to-be-positioned. The regulating portion is provided on an upstream side of the positioning portion in the mounting direction. The cartridge includes a portion-to-be-regulated provided on an upstream side of the portion-to-be-positioned in the mounting direction. The portion-to-be-positioned engages with the regulating portion before engaging with the positioning portion, to regulate movement of the cartridge in the direction orthogonal to the mounting direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a cartridge including an abutting portion and an apparatus main body. The apparatus main body includes a mounting portion of the cartridge, a fixing portion for fixing the toner image, an attachable/detecting mechanism of the cartridge, a shutter, and a moving member. The attachable/detecting mechanism includes an acting member movable between a first position and a second position by the mounting of the cartridge. The shutter is movable between a closed position and an open position, and a moving member moves both the shutter and the acting member and includes an abutted portion. When the cartridge is moved, the moving member is moved by abutment of the abutting portion of the cartridge with the abutted portion, the acting member moves from the first position to the second position, and the shutter moves from the closed position to the open position.

Abstract: An image forming device and a method of operating an image forming device are provided. The method includes detecting a coupling of a first toner refill kit to an image forming device, obtaining, based on a first electrical signal generated in the first toner refill kit, first authentication data corresponding to the first electrical signal, obtaining a first authentication key used to authenticate the first toner refill kit from the first authentication data, applying the first authentication key to a predetermined criterion used to determine validity of an authentication key of a toner refill kit to confirm whether the first toner refill kit is genuine, and controlling a toner refilling operation of the first toner refill kit based on whether the first toner refill kit is genuine.

Abstract: There are provided a rotatable developer accommodating portion accommodating a developer, a discharge end portion provided at a bottom side with a discharge opening for discharging the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion, an engaging portion 30 engageable with a portion-to-be-engaged 11b with a mounting operation of the developer supply container 1 to displace the portion-to-be-engaged 11b in an upward direction U to bring the receiving opening into fluid communication with the discharge opening, and a swing shaft 41 rotatably supporting engaging portion 30 provided at such a position that opposite end portions of the engaging portion 30 a rotatable.

Abstract: A developing unit and a photosensitive unit respectively have engaging mechanism parts that fit in each other in the longitudinal direction so as to integrate the developing unit and the photosensitive unit. The developing unit includes, as the engaging mechanism part, a first holding member to hold the front end part of a drum shaft. The photosensitive unit includes, as the engaging mechanism part, a second holding member to hold the rear end part of a roller shaft. The first holding member and the second holding member are provided in a slidable manner in a direction in which the developing roller and the photosensitive drum separate from each other, and furthermore are biased toward a direction in which the developing roller and the photosensitive drum come close to each other.

Abstract: A universal coupler includes: a driving shaft, a coupler holder, driving coupler, a driving coupling pin, and an elastic member. The driving shaft has a driving shaft a first pin hole. The coupler holder includes a bore, a separation prevention member that partially blocks the bore, and a coupling groove formed in the bore. The driving coupler includes a spherical portion that is located in the bore and in contact with the separation prevention member, a shaft insertion portion formed through the spherical portion, and a second pin hole that penetrates the spherical portion. The driving coupling pin is insertable into the driving pin hole, and has an end insertable into the coupling groove. The elastic member applies elasticity to the coupler holder in a direction that urges the spherical portion of the driving coupler against the separation prevention member.

Abstract: An imaging device has a fuser assembly and a removably insertable cartridge with an activation device. The fuser assembly has a fusing nip that heats during use. A shutter moves between a fully opened and fully closed position to allow or block access to the fusing nip. A frame has an opening to allow passage of the activation device of the cartridge. During use, the shutter blocks access to the fusing nip until the activation device of the cartridge passes through the opening of the frame and contacts a corresponding activation surface, whereby the shutter begins opening and travels through a range of movement until reaching the fully opened position when the cartridge is fully inserted into the imaging device. Removal of the cartridge reverses the action of the shutter.

Abstract: An example image forming apparatus includes a coupling device to perform coupling or decoupling between the image forming apparatus and a consumable, a sensor to sense an opening of a cover of the image forming apparatus, and a processor. When receiving an opening sensing signal of the cover from the sensor, the processor determines whether the consumable coupled to the image forming apparatus corresponds to a consumable access condition, and based on a result of determination, transmits a signal requesting decoupling of the consumable corresponding to the consumable access condition to the coupling device.

Abstract: A developing cartridge includes a developing roller, a casing, and a cam. The developing roller is configured to be positioned at a contact position where the developing roller is in contact with a photosensitive drum of a drum cartridge. The developing roller is also configured to be positioned at a separated position where the developing roller is separated from the photosensitive drum. The cam is movable relative to the casing between a first position and a second position. A portion of the developing cartridge is in contact with the drum cartridge and functions as a pivot center so that the casing and the developing roller are pivotally moved about the pivot center when the cam is moved from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an intermediary transfer belt, a transfer roller, and a metallic roller in contact with the transfer roller to form a current path through which a current flows between itself and the transfer roller. The apparatus further includes a first bearing member to rotatably support the transfer roller, a holding member to movably hold the first bearing member, a first pressing member to press the first bearing member, a second bearing member movably held by the first bearing member and to rotatably support the metallic roller and a second pressing member provided between a bearing surface provided in the first bearing member and the second bearing member to press the second bearing member.

Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a casing, a developing roller, a holder, a toner memory, an electrical contact and a wiring. The holder is positioned at an outer surface of one side in a first direction of the casing. The electric contact surface is positioned at an outer surface of one side in a second direction of the holder. The second direction crosses the electric contact surface. The electrical contact is positioned on an outer surface of another side in the second direction of the holder. The wiring electrically connects the electrical contact and the electric contact surface. The electric contact surface includes a first electric contact surface and a second electric contact surface. The first electric contact surface electrically is connected to the electrical contact through the wiring. The second electric contact surface electrically is connected to the toner memory.