Abstract: A cartridge has a first frame supporting a photosensitive member and a second frame supporting a developer carrying member. The first and second frames can take either a contact position where the two members are in contact with each other or a separated position where the two members are separated. A supporting member supporting the cartridge is movable between a mount position in a housing and a pull-out position outside the housing. When the supporting member is held in the pull-out position, the first and second frames are retrained in the separated position. The cartridge is supported on the supporting member to be movable between a first position where image formation is disabled and a second position where image formation is enabled. The cartridge is moved from the first position to the second position attendant to the movements of the supporting member from the pull-out position to the mount position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging device which charges the image bearing member, an exposure device which exposes the charged image bearing member to light, a developing device having a developer carrying member, and developing the electrostatic latent image by supplying the developer from the developer carrying member, and an instructing portion which generates an instruction signal for instructing to perform a developer install mode for installing developer in the developing device at a time of non-image formation. In the developer install mode a control portion sets an absolute value of a potential on the image bearing member charged by the charging device to a value which is smaller than an absolute value of a potential of the developer carrying member caused by a direct current component of the bias to be applied to the developing device and larger than an absolute value of an image dark section potential on the image bearing member at the time of image formation.

Abstract: An exposure portion scans, in an axial direction, light which is emitted from a light source based on image data of a document sheet, and applies the light to surfaces of image carriers, to form an electrostatic latent image on each image carrier. The cleaning member is disposed so as to contact with each image carrier and removes residual toner on each image carrier, to perform cleaning. The driving mechanism causes each image carrier to shuttle in the axial direction with a predetermined amplitude while the image carrier is driven to rotate. The detecting member detects positional information representing a position, in the axial direction, obtained when each image carrier shuttles. The control portion controls, based on a result of detection by the detecting member, a time when scanning on each of the image carriers by the exposure portion is to be started.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit having a heating member that heats a recording medium, a backup member that rotates and contacts the heating member, and a pressure mechanism that supports one of the heating member and the backup member such that the one of the heating member and the backup member moves relative to the other. The apparatus includes a main body including the fixing unit inside, and has a first opening on a downstream side of the fixing unit and a second opening on a side of the main body different from the first opening. Also the apparatus has first and second covers that open and close the first and second openings, respectively, and an interlocking mechanism that causes the pressure mechanism to move the one of the heating member and the backup member in conjunction with movement of the first cover and the second cover.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus (100) is equipped with a plurality of photoreceptor drums (31A to 31D), an intermediate transfer belt (41), a separating and contacting mechanisms (20), a tension roller (44), a meandering correction mechanism, and a controller. The separating and contacting mechanism (20) displaces the intermediate transfer belt (41). The meandering correction mechanism increases and decreases a biasing force applied to each of the opposite end portions of the tension roller (44) according to the amount of movement of the intermediate transfer belt (41) in the axial direction (94) of the tension roller (44). The controller, during a non-image forming period, at a predetermined timing during rotation of the intermediate transfer belt (41), executes a belt displacement process in which the intermediate transfer belt (41) is displaced from a predetermined reference position and then returned to the reference position.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming device including an image holding member that is rotatable at a first speed and a second speed, a developing unit that includes a developing part that is rotatable at a third speed and a fourth speed, and a carrying part that is rotatable at a fifth speed and a sixth speed, and a control unit that executes a change of a high speed mode in which the image holding member is operated at the first speed, the developing part is operated at the third speed and the carrying part is operated at the fifth speed to perform development and a low speed mode in which the image holding member is operated at the second speed, the developing part is operated at the fourth speed and the carrying part is operated at the sixth speed to perform development.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body and at least one handle unit disposed on the main body. The handle unit includes a fixing bracket disposed on the main body and having a stop portion, a hinge shaft disposed on the fixing bracket, a handle member disposed to rotate with respect to the fixing bracket by the hinge shaft, a hook formed at an end of the handle member, and a hook catching portion formed on the main body, the hook catching portion to which the hook is caught. The hook is caught to the hook catching portion by weight of the handle member.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an image formation unit including a photosensitive drum and a motor for driving the image formation unit. The apparatus acquires a frequency generator signal, which is phase information output from the motor as the motor rotates. In addition, the apparatus corrects unevenness of the density that may occur due to the rotation of the motor according to the acquired phase information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an ejection stacking section, a cooling target unit, and a cooling fan. The cooling target unit is disposed below the ejection stacking section. The cooling fan sends air to flow between the cooling target unit and the ejection stacking section. The ejection stacking section includes an opening, a movable member, and a biasing member. The movable member is movable between a closed position and an open position. The biasing member biases the movable member toward the closed position. In response to that the recording mediums are stacked on the ejection stacking section, the movable member moves toward the open position against a biasing force of the biasing member to allow the air sent from the cooling fan to flow through the opening so as to cool a lower surface of the recording mediums stacked on the ejection stacking section.

Abstract: A fixing device for thermally fixing a developing agent image to a sheet includes: a flexible tubular member having an inner peripheral surface defining an internal space; a heater; a nip member being in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the flexible tubular member and having an electrically conductive surface; a stay supporting the nip member and being electrically conductive and electrically connected to the electrically conductive surface; a backup member nipping the flexible tubular member in cooperation with the nip member; a supporting member supporting the nip member and the stay, the supporting member being movable relative to the backup member; and a first grounding member disposed to be in contact with the stay for grounding the stay, the first grounding member being supported to the supporting member such that the first grounding member is integrally movable with the supporting member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include controls for changing a state of a developing roller from a stopped state to a rotating state. The change in state may be used to avoid deterioration of toner and/or a surface of the developing roller. Changes in state may occur at various times including at a timing corresponding to an outside of an image formation area, a timing corresponding to an inside of an image formation area and the like. In one arrangement, a first developing roller may continue to rotate (e.g., during monochrome printing), while one or more other developing rollers are switched between a stopped state and a rotating state. Alternatively or additionally, a roller which is caused to change states may remain stopped between the timing corresponding to a rear end of an image formation area and a timing corresponding to a front end of an immediately subsequent image formation area.

Abstract: A current resonance type switching power supply device controls an ON/OFF operation of two switching elements according to an amount of change in voltage of a current resonance capacitor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section that forms an image on a recording material; an image reading device that is disposed above the image forming section, and reads an image on an original; a connecting section that is disposed at either one of end sides of an apparatus housing in a lateral direction thereof, and that connects the image forming section and the image reading device to each other; an operating section that is disposed in front of the image reading device, and that is operated by a person; a human detecting device that detects the person operating the operating section; a discharging section that discharges the recording material on which the image has been formed by the image forming section to a placing section; and the placing section on which the recording material discharged from the discharging section is placed.

Abstract: A transfer assist member comprising a plurality of layers, at least one of the layers being a check film layer comprised of a crosslinked mixture of an epoxy resin and a carboxylated polyester.

Abstract: A glossing apparatus for glossing at least part of a toner image on a recording material includes a film, a supply roller on which the film is wound, a wind-up roller configured to wind-up the film, and a driving device configured to drive the wind-up roller to rotate. In addition, a heating device heats at least part of the toner image on the recording material through the film at a heating position between the supply roller and the wind-up roller in a heating operation, a reversing device reverses the film to the supply roller to use an unused area of the film not having been contacted to the recording material during the heating operation, and a conveying device conveys the recording material toward the heating position so that the toner image on the recording material is heated using the unused area of the film.

Abstract: A drum cleaning device includes a toner supply roller, a toner layer restricting member, and a toner receiving member. The toner layer restricting member includes an inclined portion formed in a lateral region outside of an image forming region to incline gradually away from a surface of a cleaning roller with increasing distance from an inner side of the lateral region. The toner receiving member includes a lower-level upper end portion provided in the lateral region outside of the image forming region, the lower-level upper end portion being located below a second contact region where the cleaning roller and the toner supply roller come into contact with each other. The inclined portion is disposed in a region overlapping the lower-level upper end portion.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a first controller forms a first image pattern on an image bearer and determines a first image formation condition based on a detection result of density of a toner image. The first controller then controls a toner image forming device based on the first image formation condition. A second controller forms a second image pattern different from the first image pattern on an image bearer and determines a second image formation condition based on a detection result of density of a toner image. The second controller then controls a toner image forming device based on the second image formation condition.

Abstract: A fixing device for thermally fixing a developing agent image to a sheet includes: a flexible tubular member having an inner peripheral surface and circularly moving in a moving direction while the developing agent image is thermally fixed; a heater; a nip member being in sliding contact with the tubular member; a backup member nipping the tubular member in cooperation with the nip member; a stay covering the heater and supporting the nip member; an electric component positioned opposite to the heater with respect to the stay; and a frame supporting the electric component. The frame includes: an isolating portion interposed between the tubular member and the electric component for isolating the electric component from the tubular member; and a guide portion guiding the inner peripheral surface of the tubular member while the flexible tubular member is moving in the moving direction.

Abstract: A switching power source is provided, which includes, a transformer, a switching unit configured to switch a voltage supplied to a primary side of the transformer, and an output unit configured to output a voltage generated at a secondary side of the transformer, wherein a switching cycle of the switching unit is set to be a predetermined period of time when the output unit outputs a first voltage, a first period of time and a second period of time are set to be longer than the predetermined period of time and are set to be different from each other.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing chamber which supplies a developer to a developer bearing member, an agitating chamber connected at both ends to the developing chamber and disposed above the developing chamber, a first developer conveying member disposed within the developing chamber, and a second developer conveying member disposed within the agitating chamber. In addition, a third developer conveying member is disposed on a same axis as the first developer conveying member and able to convey the developer toward the developing chamber at a downstream side from a first connecting portion in a conveying direction of the first developer conveying member, and a supplying portion supplies developer to the third developer conveying member and is disposed at a position facing the third developer conveying member.