Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a recording material accommodating portion configured to accommodate a recording material; an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on the recording material fed from the recording material accommodating portion; a fixing portion configured to heat-fix the toner image formed on the recording material by the image forming portion; a storing portion configured to store information corresponding to the type of the recording material accommodated in the recording material accommodating portion; a detecting portion configured to detect that an operator exists in a predetermined zone in a neighborhood of the image forming apparatus; and an executing portion configured to execute a start-up process of the fixing portion, when the detecting portion detects the existence of the operator before the image forming apparatus receives an image formation instruction, over a time depending on the information stored in the storing portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus (100) forms an image on a recording medium. The image forming apparatus (100) includes a substrate (161), a photosensitive drum (120), a heating element (163) that heats the photosensitive drum (120), a light emitting element (162) that performs static elimination on the photosensitive drum (120), and a metal member (167) that transfers heat from the heating element (163) to the photosensitive drum (120). The light emitting element (162) and the heating element (163) are mounted on one of main surfaces of the substrate (161). The metal member (167) is in contact with another of the main surface of the substrate (161).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device for forming an image on a sheet; a fixing device for fixing an image formed on a sheet; a detector for detecting a temperature of the fixing device, and a controller for controlling an image formation start timing in accordance with an output of the detector. In an operation of continuously forming images on a plurality of predetermined sheets, when a number of image formations is not less than a predetermined number, the start of the image formation is delayed until a temperature of the fixing device rises up to a first temperature, and when the number of image formations is less than the predetermined number, the image formation is started when the temperature of the fixing device rises up to a second temperature which is lower than the first temperature.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a recording material accommodating portion configured to accommodate a recording material; an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on the recording material fed from the recording material accommodating portion; a fixing portion configured to heat-fix the toner image formed on the recording material by the image forming portion; a storing portion configured to store information corresponding to the type of the recording material accommodated in the recording material accommodating portion; a detecting portion configured to detect that an operator exists in a predetermined zone in a neighborhood of the image forming apparatus; and an executing portion configured to execute a start-up process of the fixing portion, when the detecting portion detects the existence of the operator before the image forming apparatus receives an image formation instruction, over a time depending on the information stored in the storing portion.

Abstract: A roller used for a fixing apparatus has: a core; a first elastic layer that is formed outside the core and includes a first tapered portion on an edge of the roller in an axis direction; and a second elastic layer that is formed outside the first elastic layer and includes a second tapered portion on the edge in the axis direction on the same side as the first elastic layer. The second elastic layer has a hardness that is higher than the hardness of the first elastic layer. A second start point, which is a start point of the second tapered portion, is set in a position closer to the center of the roller in the axis direction than a first start point, which is a start point of the first tapered portion.

Abstract: A lubricant supplying device used with a solid lubricant, includes a supplying member to supply lubricant taken from the solid lubricant to an object to be supplied with the lubricant, and a remaining amount detecting section to detect a remaining amount of the solid lubricant becoming below a predetermined value. A detection of the remaining amount of the solid lubricant is executed when an operation to supply the lubricant to the object to be supplied with the lubricant stops.

Abstract: A charge roller includes a body having a metal external surface and an inorganic outer resistive coating.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including a main body and a process cartridge including a photosensitive body cartridge and a developing cartridge. The photosensitive body cartridge includes a photosensitive body and a waste developing agent storage container. The developing cartridge includes a developing agent carrier. The photosensitive body cartridge is configured to receive the developing cartridge such that the developing cartridge is attached to and detached from the photosensitive body cartridge through a particular space defined in the main body. The process cartridge is configured to pivot, with respect to the main body, between a first position, in which the waste developing agent storage container is positioned outside the particular space entirely, and a second position, in which the waste developing agent storage container at least partially occupies the particular space.

Abstract: Provided is a developer carrying member which depends on a sheet-passing speed to a small extent while maintaining satisfactory developability, and can stably suppress a fogging amount with time. The developer carrying member includes: an electro-conductive mandrel; and an electro-conductive elastic layer, in which: the elastic layer contains a resin j, an electro-semiconductive particle p, and an electro-conductive particle c; and when an electroconductivity of the resin j is defined as ?j, a dielectric constant of the resin j is defined as ?j, an electroconductivity of the electro-semiconductive particle p is defined as ?p and a dielectric constant of the electro-semiconductive particle p is defined as ?p, ?j, ?j, ?p, and ?p satisfy relationships represented by the following formulae (1) and (2), ?j, ?j, ?p and ?p being calculated by an AC impedance method. ?j<?p<0.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, an image forming apparatus has a fixing section that transfers a toner image to a recording medium for printing in a printer section and then fixes the toner image, a decoloring section that heats and decolors a decolorable image printed on a recording medium for reuse with a color material of which the color is decolored if heated at a decoloring temperature, and a controller that enables the fixing section and the decoloring section to operate exclusively.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner-image-forming device that forms a toner image on a recording material with a toner having a volume-mean particle size of about 6 ?m or smaller; and a fixing device that includes a fixing member that fixes the toner image, a pressing member that applies pressure to the toner image, and a heating member that heats the fixing member. The pressing member applies a first pressure to the toner image while the recording material carrying the toner image passes through a pressing portion by taking a first passing time period in a first state. The pressing member applies a second pressure lower than the first pressure to the toner image while the recording material carrying the toner image passes through the pressing portion by taking a second passing time period longer than the first passing time period in a second state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a development unit configured to develop, as a toner image, an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier; a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image to a medium to which a toner image is to be transferred; a cleaning unit configured to recover toner remaining on the image carrier after transferring the toner image; a lubricant supply unit configured to supply lubricant on the image carrier; a charge unit disposed between the development unit and the cleaning unit, along a surface of the image carrier; and a control unit configured to perform a first mode and a second mode, the first mode configured to form the toner image, the second mode configured to allow the charge unit to increase the amount of charge on toner reaching the cleaning unit relative to that in the first mode.

Abstract: A recording material detecting apparatus includes a light guiding unit that allows first and second light to enter a surface of a recording material, respectively, in two directions which are not parallel; an imaging device that images a first light irradiated area and a second light irradiated area, on the surface of the recording material; and an output device that outputs information on a surface condition of the recording material based on an output of the imaging device. When viewed in a direction along the center optical axes of first and second light sources which are of the same type, the first and second light sources are arranged such that the respective reference lines of the rotational phases around the center optical axes are rotated in opposite directions by approximately the same angles from a line perpendicular to the direction where the first and second light sources are arrayed.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a charge transport layer containing (?) a charge transporting compound, (?) a binding resin in a proportion in the range of 50% by mass to 200% by mass relative to the mass of the charge transporting compound, (?) a compound being at least one of xylene and toluene with a content in the range of 0.01% by mass to 2.00% by mass relative to the total mass of the charge transport layer, and (?) a cycloalkanone with a content in the range of 0.01% by mass to 1.20% by mass relative to the total mass of the charge transport layer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of latent image bearers, a latent image writer, a plurality of developing units, a primary transfer unit, a secondary transfer unit, an adjuster, a pattern image formation controller, a color deviation detector, a color deviation correction controller, and an image-formation-mode setting unit. The color deviation correction controller executes color deviation correction control in the separated state. The image-formation-mode setting unit sets a normal linear-velocity image formation mode in which an image is formed at a normal linear velocity and at least one non-normal linear-velocity image formation mode including a low linear-velocity image formation mode in which an image is formed at a low linear velocity slower than the normal linear velocity.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming device; a first image heating device; a second image heating device; a first feeding path configured to discharge the recording material introduced into the first image heating device without introducing the recording material into the second image heating device; a second feeding path configured to discharge a recording material introduced into the first image heating device and then introduced into the second image heating device; a discriminating portion configured to discriminate whether or not the first image heating device is an image heating device for an envelope; and a controller configured to effect control so as not to execute a heating operation of the second image heating device, upon discrimination of the first image heating device being the image heating device for the envelope by the discriminating portion.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a cylindrical aperture, a support member, and a base portion. In the aperture, an opening portion restricts a beam path width of a laser beam emitted from a light source. The support member includes a cylinder supporting portion that pivotably supports the aperture. To the base portion, the support member is fixed by adhesion fixing. The base portion includes a pass-through portion that passes through between front and rear surfaces of the base portion and allows the support member to move in direction perpendicular to a pivoting axis of the aperture. The support member has a length such that its lower end portion projects from a rear surface of the base portion in the state where the support member has been inserted in the pass-through portion to such a position where laser beam is incident in the opening portion of the aperture.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing unit configured to include at least a first and second radiation heaters capable of heating printing medium; a power supply unit configured to supply power to the first and second radiation heaters; and a controller configured to select either one of the first and second radiation heaters and control to light or turn off the selected radiation heater, wherein a heating width of the printing medium of the second radiation heater is wider than that of the first radiation heater, and the controller determines whether to preheat the second radiation heater based on the number of times of lighting of the first and second radiation heaters and controls to light and turn off the second radiation heater when the controller has determined that it is necessary to preheat the second radiation heater.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with: a main body; a photosensitive member, and a developing cartridge having a developer carrier that rotates about an axis line. The main body includes: an urging member configured to urge the developing cartridge; and a first guide configured to guide the developing cartridge. The developing cartridge includes an end portion in the axis line, the end portion having a guided part configured to be guided by the first guide of the main body. The developing cartridge is configured to rotate about the guided part between a first position at which the urging member cannot urge the developing cartridge and a second position at which the urging member can urge the developing cartridge. The developer carrier is spaced apart from the photosensitive member when the developing cartridge is located at the second position.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotating member, a bearing and a heat insulating member. The rotating member fixes a toner image onto a recording medium. The bearing rotatably supports the rotating member. The heat insulating member is interposed between the rotating member and the bearing and rotated around a rotation axis. A notch part is arranged in a portion in a circumferential direction of the heat insulating member so as to continue from an end part at an inside to an end part at an outside in a direction of the rotation axis. At least one groove part is formed in a contact portion with the rotating member or the bearing in a circumference face of the heat insulating member.