Abstract: Either a first developer cartridge or a second developer cartridge is attachable to an image forming device. The second developer cartridge has capacity for accommodating developer larger than capacity for accommodating developer of the first developer cartridge. The control device determines whether the attached cartridge is the first developer cartridge or the second developer cartridge; determines that the replacement of the attached cartridge is needed upon comparison of a consumed amount of developer based on the image data that is inputted with a first threshold value when the first developer cartridge is attached; and determines that replacement of the attached cartridge is needed upon comparison of a detection value with a second threshold value when the second developer cartridge is attached. The detection value is obtained based on the detection information outputted by the detection device.

Abstract: A cartridge includes: a frame; a rotation body; a driving force transmission unit; a closing member; and a moving member. The frame is formed with a filling port for filling an internal space of the cartridge with a developing agent therethrough. The closing member is configured to close the filling port. The moving member is configured to be irreversibly moved to one of a covered position and an exposed position by an external driving force transmitted through the driving force transmission unit. The moving member covers at least a portion of the closing member when the moving member is at the covered position. The moving member exposes the closing member when the moving member is at the exposed position. The exposed position provides an exposing degree greater than that at the covered position.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus is capable of changing a state between a first state in which only a first image bearing member and transfer belt contact each other, and a second state in which respective image bearing members are separated from the transfer belt. A second transfer member is located at a first separating portion at which the second transfer member is separated from the image bearing member in the first state, and is located at a second separating position closer to the second image bearing member than the first separating position in the second state to regulate the position of the transfer belt.

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: An image forming apparatus includes an endless belt, a steering mechanism adapted to correct deviation of the belt, a cleaning blade adapted to abut the belt so as to clean the belt, a timer adapted to clock the time necessary for the steering mechanism to correct the deviation of the belt, an adjuster adapted to adjust the abutting state between the belt and the cleaning blade by making the amount of toner supplied to the belt larger than a predetermined amount, and a controller adapted to control the operation of the adjuster. The controller controls the operation of the adjuster based on the time clocked by the timer.

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: A fixing device for thermally fixing a developing agent image to a sheet includes: a flexible tubular member defining an axis extending in an axial direction; a heater; a nip plate configured to be in sliding contact with the tubular member and having an engaging portion; a backup member configured to nip the flexible tubular member in cooperation with the nip plate; and a stay configured to support the nip plate and having an end portion in the axial direction. The stay includes: a support portion configured to support the nip plate; a plurality of hook portions provided at the end portion to support the nip plate; and a protruding portion protruding toward the backup member and configured to engage the engaging portion such that the nip plate is restricted from moving in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the backup member confronts the nip plate.

Abstract: A powder accommodation container includes an accommodation container body, a regulation member, and a transport member. The accommodation container body has a hole portion to outside and accommodates powder. The regulation member is provided in the hole portion to regulate a passage of the powder accommodated in the accommodation container body. The transport member is arranged in an inside of the accommodation container body to rotate about a rotating shaft and to transport the powder in the inside of the accommodation container body. The transport member has one end side in a short direction that is arranged on the rotating shaft and the other end side that is a free end, the free end includes a flexible member that is in contact with the accommodation container body to be flexed. The flexible member is locatable to face the hole portion.

Abstract: A powder accommodation container includes an accommodation container body, a regulation member, and a transport member. The accommodation container body has a hole portion to outside and accommodates powder. The regulation member is provided in the hole portion to regulate a passage of the powder accommodated in the accommodation container body. The transport member is arranged in an inside of the accommodation container body to rotate about a rotating shaft and to transport the powder in the inside of the accommodation container body. The transport member has one end side in a short direction that is arranged on the rotating shaft and the other end side that is a free end, the free end includes a flexible member that is in contact with the accommodation container body to be flexed. The flexible member is locatable to face the hole portion.

Abstract: A corona charger conventionally includes a sheet-like shutter and a holding member configured to hold an end of the shutter, and the replacement of a charging electrode is difficult. To solve this problem, the holding member configured to hold the end of the shutter is set to be movable along the longitudinal direction of a shield to a winding member of the shutter more than a supporting member configured to replaceably support the charging electrode.

Abstract: A power supply device includes, for example, a switching element, a rectifying circuit having a first rectifying element, and a control circuit which controls an output of the rectifying circuit. In particular, the power supply device includes a detection unit which detects a current flowing through the first rectifying element, and an output reduction unit which reduces the output of the rectifying circuit as an output of the switching power supply device. The output reduction unit changes a switching state of the switching element when the detection result of the detection unit exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: A control unit drives a driving unit for a correction driving time to supply toner to a developing unit from a toner supplying unit, when a detecting unit detects that an amount of toner stored in the developing unit is equal to or less than a threshold value. A calculating unit calculates an amount of toner consumption from when the toner is supplied to the developing unit to when the detecting unit detects that the amount of the toner stored in the developing unit is equal to or less than the threshold value. The control unit calculates a unit amount of toner supply from the correction driving time and the amount of toner consumption, and supplies the toner to the developing unit by driving the driving unit on the basis of the calculated unit amount of toner supply.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming station for forming a toner image on a sheet; an image heating portion including a flexible heating roller and a pressing roller to form a nip, the image heating portion being effective to heat while feeding the sheet, by the nip; a pressing state switching portion for switching a state of the nip between a pressing state and a released state; and a sheet feeding position detector for detecting misalignment of the sheet relative to a feeding reference position with respect to a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the sheet; wherein when the sheet feeding position detector detects the misalignment, the pressing state switching portion permits the nip to feed at least one sheet in a state of the misalignment, and then switches the nip to the released state and then switches to the pressing state.

Abstract: According to aspects of the embodiments, an electrophotographic system utilizing a belt roll fuser mechanism which inhibits or minimizes wrinkling or slipping of printed media through the fuser is disclosed. In this device, the belt is driven at the ideal velocity at all locations across the width of the roll with minimal differential shear stress between the internal pressure roll and the inside of the belt in the nip and around the wrap. The ideal velocity is achieved by straining the circumference belt while its mounted on a roll support structure by flaring the other rolls equally and flaring the internal pressure roll to match the strained circumference of the belt. A small flaring of the rolls in the belt module would reduce sliding of the belt and make the transition between the wraps or the stripper shoe less stressful.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus is provided with guide portions to be used to mount a cartridge group including plural cartridges in the image forming apparatus. Some of the guide portions are used also to mount an alternative cartridge, which is configured to occupy two or more of plural mounting spaces, in the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: An image formation control section sets a secondary transfer section in the pressed state in the case of execution of a main scanning correction processing as color registration correction, and sets the secondary transfer section in the separated state in the case of execution of a sub-scanning correction processing, an entire lateral magnification correction processing, a partial lateral magnification correction processing, or a skew correction processing, which is the correction of the image position for components other than the main scanning direction as color registration correction so as to prevent the situation where the correction accuracy of the image position with respect to the main scanning direction decreases and to prevent a decrease in print quality due to a residual image of a registration correction processing.

Abstract: A current-supply control unit for controlling current supply to a heating element includes a voltage detector and a heating element control unit. The voltage detector detects voltage at both ends of the heating element. The heating element control unit controls a duty cycle of current supply for the heating element based on the voltages detected by the voltage detector when current is supplied to the heating element.

Abstract: A cleaning device of the present invention includes: a housing with an opening that is open toward a photoreceptor drum; a cleaning roller that is contained inside the housing and disposed in contact with the photoreceptor drum; a sealing member for preventing toner leakage, detachably fixed to the housing; a separation claw that separates paper from a surface of the photoreceptor drum; and a positioning member that is integrated with the separation claw, in which the sealing member is positioned and fixed on the housing by the positioning member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device, a detection mode execution unit, and a notice signal generating unit. The developing device supplies a toner bearing member with toner in a container by rotating a toner supply member in a contact manner with the toner bearing member. The detection mode execution unit executes a detection mode in which a predetermined period for changing a toner amount in the foam layer by rotating the toner supply member is provided, a capacitance C1 between the first and second electrode members is detected before the predetermined period, and a capacitance C2 between the first and second electrode members is detected after the predetermined period. The notice signal generating unit generates a low toner amount notice signal in response to an absolute value |C1?C2| of a difference between the capacitances C1 and C2 being smaller than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member that is able to circulate and fixes an image on a recording material to the recording material; a heated member that is at least partly separated from the fixing member; a heating unit that heats the fixing member and the heated member; a heated-member moving unit that moves the heated member toward the fixing member; and a fixing-member moving unit that moves the fixing member at a first speed, and moves the fixing member at a second speed higher than the first speed after the heated member is moved.