Abstract: A fixing apparatus including: a first rotary member; a second rotary member; a nip forming member; and a heater. The nip forming member includes: a first projection portion inside a nip area; and a second projection portion located outside the nip area. The first and second projection portion abut against the inner circumferential surface of the first rotary member. In a direction orthogonal to a nip tangent, a distance between a tip of the second projection portion and the nip tangent is larger than a distance between a tip of the first projection portion and the nip tangent. The second projection portion extends toward the second rotary member without exceeding the nip tangent. A radius of curvature at a tip portion of the second projection portion is smaller than a radius of an inner circumferential circle of the first rotary member.

Abstract: A fixing unit fixes the toner image on a sheet by causing the sheet carrying a toner image to pass through a nip portion formed by bringing a rotary fixing member and a rotary pressing member into pressure contact with each other. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming apparatus main body having a fixing unit accommodating portion for accommodating the fixing unit in an insertable and removable manner, and a heating unit provided in the image forming apparatus main body and heating a rotary fixing member of the fixing unit mounted on the fixing unit accommodating portion from outside in a radial direction. The direction in which the fixing unit is inserted into and removed from the fixing unit accommodating portion coincides with the axial direction of the rotary pressing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion for forming a toner image on a sheet, a fixing portion for fixing the toner image formed by the image forming portion on the sheet, a reversing portion for reversing the sheet carrying the toner image fixed by the fixing portion, a blower for blowing air, and a duct for guiding the air blown from the blower to the reversing portion. The duct is provided with an opening at an end in a width direction of the sheet, and the blower blows the air from a downstream side to an upstream side with respect to the feeding direction of the sheet after being reversed by the reversing portion.

Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a developer bearing member and a developer container having a first chamber and a second chamber. A first conveyance screw in the first chamber conveys developer in a first direction, and a second conveyance screw in the second chamber includes a first rotation shaft portion and a first blade portion to convey the developer in a second direction. The second conveyance screw also includes a second rotation shaft portion formed coaxially with the first rotation shaft portion and a second blade portion disposed downstream of the first blade portion to convey the developer in the first direction. Each of the first blade portion and the second blade portion are disposed in the second direction to face a first communicating portion. In addition, a developer discharging portion disposed downstream of the second blade portion in the second direction discharges a part of the developer from the developing apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer member. The intermediate transfer member includes a layer made of an acrylic copolymer. A plurality of grooves is formed in the layer along a moving direction of the intermediate transfer member across a width direction of the intermediate transfer member. A groove distance that is an average distance between adjoining grooves of the plurality of grooves in the width direction of the intermediate transfer member is 2 ?m or more and 10 ?m or less.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a cooler and a heater. The heater includes a heat generation unit, which includes resistive heat generators arranged in a longitudinal direction of the heater, a first electrode, a second electrode, a first conductor that connects the resistive heat generators in parallel with each other to the first electrode, and a second conductor that connects the resistive heat generators in parallel with each other to the second electrode. The first and second conductors are connected to at least one of the resistive heat generators on a first longitudinal end side of the heater from a center of the resistive heat generator in the longitudinal direction of the heater. A cooling ability of the cooler to a second longitudinal end side of the heater opposite the first longitudinal end side of the heater is greater than that to the first longitudinal end side of the heater.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a first processor and a second processor are provided. When the two processors receive a cooperative command for forming images respectively at first and second image forming sections, the first processor transmits a preparation command for performing image formation preparation in the second image forming section to the second processor, and the second processor performs the image formation preparation in the second image forming section and transmits a completion notification to the first processor upon completion, and the first processor executes an image forming process.

Abstract: A cooling device for cooling a recording material on which a toner image is fixed includes: a rotatable feeding belt configured to feed the recording material by rotation; a rotatable member configured to nip and feed the recording material in cooperation with the feeding belt; and a heat sink contacting a solid lubricant contacting an inner peripheral surface of the feeding belt.

Abstract: A belt device includes an endless belt, a plurality of support rotators configured to support the endless belt, and a support configured to support shaft portions of the plurality of support rotators. The support has an attaching and detaching path through which the shaft portions of the plurality of support rotators pass in a direction orthogonal to an axial direction of at least one of the plurality of support rotators when the shaft portions of the plurality of support rotators are detached from the support.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a belt, a plurality of color information detectors, and a hardware processor. The belt is a belt on which images of a plurality of colors are formed to be laid on each other by a plurality of image formers that form the images of color components different from each other, the belt being colorless and transparent and having a transparency. The plurality of color information detectors are arranged on a front surface side and a back surface side of the belt, and detect, from the front and back surface sides, color information about a pattern image including two layers formed on the belt by two image formers among the plurality of image formers. The hardware processor calculates a color correction amount of an image formed by the two image formers based on detection results by the color information detectors.

Abstract: Provided is an intermediate transfer body comprising a layer containing ferroelectric particles, wherein the ferroelectric particles has an average primary particle diameter in the range of 200 nm or less; and when three-dimensional axes of crystal lattices of the ferroelectric particles are a-axis, b-axis, and c-axis, a ratio of lattice constants of the c-axis and the a-axis (c/a) is in the range of 1.006 or more.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a photoreceptor unit, a first terminal, a stage, a first protrusion, a second protrusion, a slider, and an exposure device. The stage moves from a first position closer to the photoreceptor to a second position farther from the photoreceptor in a second direction than the first position so that the second terminal is fitted to the first terminal. The slider includes a first position regulation portion and a second position regulation portion at positions separated from each other in the third direction. A thickness of the first position regulation portion in the first direction is thinner than a thickness of the second position regulation portion in the first direction. The slider slides with the first protrusion between a base portion and the second protrusion and includes a guide portion. The exposure device is supported by the stage.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating section. The heating section includes a heater, a heater holding member, a heat-sensitive body, a cover member, and an urging member. The heater holding member holds the heater. The heat-sensitive body faces the heater. The cover member covers the heat-sensitive body. The urging member urges the cover member in a first direction which is toward the heater from the heat-sensitive body. The urging member extends in a second direction intersecting with the first direction and engages with the heater holding member and the cover member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first processor and a second processor. The first processor controls a transporter that transports a sheet and a first image forming section that forms an image on the sheet transported by the transporter. The second processor controls a second image forming section that forms an image on the sheet transported by the transporter.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a thin plate-shaped first blade that cleans a surface of a toner carrying body by making a tip portion come in contact with the toner carrying body to carry toner. The first blade includes a substrate and a coat layer covering a surface of the substrate. In the first blade, a cross-sectional shape, in a thickness direction, of the tip portion is a convex shape, or a protruding shape in which a center side protrudes more than an end portion of a contact side.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit, a fixing unit having a first rotating member and a second rotating member, and includes a first motor, a second motor, a drive transmission unit that operates in a first state and in a second state, and an adjustment member that adjusts a shaft-to-shaft distance and moves between a first position and a second position. In a state where a driving force of the second motor is not transmitted to the adjustment member located at the second position, the adjustment member maintains the shaft-to-shaft distance at a second distance that is shorter than a first distance. In a state where the drive transmission unit operates in the first state and the shaft-to-shaft distance is maintained at the second distance by the adjustment member located at the second position, the first rotating member is driven by both the first and second motors.

Abstract: In one example, a flow structure for an ink supply in a liquid electrophotographic developer unit includes an elongated basin having a volume that shrinks progressively from an upstream part of the basin to a downstream part of the basin such that a rate of shrinkage increases towards the downstream part.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the technical field of printer consumables, and particularly relates to a consumable chip, a consumable and a consumable communication method. A session key for communication authentication is determined based on a communication session chip count which is selected by the consumable chip and stored in a storage device. The calculation process of the communication session chip count is avoided, thereby increasing the response speed of the consumable chip for a read request of an imaging device, and reducing the error rate.

Abstract: A heater includes: a substrate; a first heating element being provided on one surface of the substrate and extending in a longitudinal direction of the substrate; a second heating element being provided on one surface of the substrate, extending in the longitudinal direction of the substrate, and being provided side by side with the first heating element in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction; a first detecting section being provided on one surface of the substrate and detecting a temperature; a wiring being electrically connected to one ends of the first heating element, the second heating element, and the first detecting section; a first terminal being electrically connected to the other end of the first heating element; a second terminal being electrically connected to the other end of the second heating element; and a third terminal being electrically connected to the other end of the first detecting section.

Abstract: A particle collecting device includes: an air pipe having a flow space in which air including particles flows; and a collecting unit that is disposed in such a way as to block the flow space of the air pipe and that collects the particles included in the air. The collecting unit is a plate-shaped air-permeable member having a honeycomb structure such that a number of cells per square inch is 600 or larger and 1400 or smaller.