Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus that consumes toner to form an image, including a first calculation portion, a second calculation portion, and a third calculation portion. The first calculation portion calculates a toner consumption by a first calculation method. The second calculation portion calculates the toner consumption by a second calculation method according to a predetermined calculation formula after a predetermined switching criterion is satisfied. The third calculation portion calculates a value of a parameter in the predetermined calculation formula of the second calculation method based on the toner consumption calculated by the first calculation method.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide a pressure member used in electrophotographic printing devices, wherein the pressure member can include a coated outermost layer containing fluoropolymers and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) each surrounded by an elastomeric material.

Abstract: An apparatus is capable of switching between a mode in which a first resistance heating element and a second resistance heating element are connected in series and a mode in which they are connected in parallel. When a temperature increase rate detected by a temperature detection unit is smaller than a threshold rate although a current detected by a current detection unit is greater than a threshold current, a notification of a failure is issued.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide materials and methods for a non-woven fabric, a fuser member, and a fusing apparatus used in electrophotographic printing devices, wherein the non-woven fabric can be at least part of the topcoat layer of the fuser member and can include a plurality of non-woven electrospun fibers bonded with a fluoropolymer.

Abstract: An operation device includes a first condition in which the operation device consumes a first amount of electric power; a second condition in which the operation device consumes a second amount of electric power; a first detecting unit, to which electric power is supplied in the second condition, having a first detection range and detecting a person in the first detection range; a second detecting unit having a second detection range and detecting the person in the second detection range; a transmitting section that transmits, when the person is detected by the first detecting unit in the second condition, the electric power required for the second detecting unit to detect the person to the second detecting unit; and an instructing section that instructs, when the person is detected by the second detecting unit, the operation device to change a condition from the second condition to the first condition.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units which are provided side by side at least in a horizontal direction, each of which includes a rotatable image bearing member and an image forming section adapted to form a toner image on the image bearing member, and an air blow device configured to generate an air flow to cool the plurality of image forming units. In addition, a belt is placed above the plurality of image forming units, and a changing member is disposed in a space below the belt and between two image forming units located next to each other among the plurality of image forming units and configured to change flowing direction of the air flow generated by the air blow device. The changing member directs the air flow to flow along a rotation axis direction of the image bearing member from both ends of an upper area of the space toward a center of the upper area of the space, and then flow from the center of the upper area of the space to below the space.

Abstract: Printers are provided. One printer has an ink jet printer with an inkjet printhead to print an inkjet image on a receiver using an inkjet ink having a liquid with a boiling point a toner print engine to generate a toner image conforming to the ink jet image using toner particles with a glass transition temperature that is below the boiling point and to transfer the toner image into an unabsorbed volume of liquid ink of the inkjet image on the receiver and a fixing system having a first energy source to apply a first energy to the toner and the liquid sufficient to bring the liquid to the boiling point without bringing a heated surface into contact therewith. The toner particles are heated above the glass transition temperature by the combination of heat from the liquid and heating of the toner particles by the first energy.

Abstract: An image scanner includes: a light source that irradiates, with light, a recording medium on which an image is formed; a light receiving portion that receives light reflected by the recording medium; a generating portion that generates a light amount value from the light received by the light receiving portion; a measuring portion in which plural reflecting surfaces are disposed, the reflecting surfaces respectively having predetermined colors different from each other; and a processing portion that derives a correlation formula from a light amount value generated at predetermined reference time and from a light amount value generated when the reflecting surfaces in the measuring portion are irradiated with the light from the light source, the correlation formula expressing a time-varying change in the light source.

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: Provided is a developing device including: a developing container including a developer replenishing port from which the developer is replenished, and a developer discharge port which is provided on a downstream side of one of the conveyance paths and from which surplus developer is discharged; and a discharge regulating portion provided to one of the plurality of stirring members which is arranged in the one of the conveyance paths, in which the discharge regulating portion includes a regulating member arranged so as to face the developer discharge port, for regulating movement of the developer to the developer discharge port side, and a decelerating conveyance member arranged between the helical blade and the regulating member, for partially reducing a conveying speed of the developer in the one of the conveyance paths.

Abstract: The semiconductive roller according to the present invention includes a roller body having an outer peripheral surface made of a crosslinked substance of a semiconductive rubber composition and exhibiting Shore A hardness of not more than 60, the semiconductive rubber composition contains a base polymer made of a mixture of (1) mixed rubber N of liquid nitrile rubber and solid nitrile rubber, (2) chloroprene rubber C, and (3) epichlorohydrin rubber E in a mass ratio (C+E)/N of 10/90 to 80/20, the ratios of the chloroprene rubber and the epichlorohydrin rubber in the total quantity of the base polymer are not less than 5 mass % and not less than 5 mass % respectively, and roller resistance at an applied voltage of 5 V is not less than 104? and not more than 109?.

Abstract: There is provided an electro-conductive belt including a resin material and conductive particles, the electro-conductive belt including: an innermost layer that contains none of the conductive particles; a first conductive layer that is adjacent to the innermost layer at an outer side thereof, a concentration of the conductive particles being highest in the first conductive layer; and a second conductive layer that is adjacent to the first conductive layer at an outer side thereof, the second conductive layer containing the conductive particles in a concentration lower than in the first conductive layer and higher than in the innermost layer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printing unit configured to print an input print job including a plurality of pages, wherein, if it is determined that a remaining amount of a recording agent in a cartridge is less than or equal to a threshold value, the printing unit prints a portion of print data in the print job, temporarily stops printing, and displays a toner out message on a display unit to prompt a user to replace the cartridge, and repeats, if the user does not replace the cartridge after the toner out message is displayed, printing a portion of print data in the print job that is different from the print data that the printing unit has already printed, temporarily stopping printing, and displaying on the display unit the toner out message.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image carrier; an intermediate transfer member having a first portion and a second portion that has a higher glossiness than that of the first portion; a primary transfer member; a light source to emit light to the intermediate transfer member side; a detector to detect intensity of reflected light emitted from the light source and then reflected from the intermediate transfer member and a density adjustment pattern formed on the intermediate transfer member; a processor including a light-emission intensity adjuster to adjust light-emission intensity from the light source based on detected intensity of light reflected from the second portion of the intermediate transfer member; and an image forming condition controller to control image forming conditions for forming a toner image based on the detected intensity of the light reflected from the density adjustment pattern formed on the intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a process cartridge having a developing device and detachably installable in the image forming apparatus, and a drive unit to rotatively drive the developing device. The drive unit includes a drive force generator to generate a drive force to rotatively drive the developing device, a drive substrate to support the drive force generator, a drive shaft to transmit the drive force to the developing device, a bracket having a cylindrical bearing seating, a bracket bearing provided inside the bearing seating to support the drive shaft in a thrust direction, and an elastic member provided between the bearing seating and the bracket bearing to allow movement of the drive shaft in a radial direction, and a substrate bearing provided to the drive substrate to support the drive shaft in both the radial and thrust directions.

Abstract: An image recording device records an image on a recording sheet based on input image information. The image recording device includes: an illumination-light-information inputting unit that inputs information of illumination light when the recorded image is observed; a whiteness setting unit that sets a whiteness of the recording sheet when the recorded image is observed; an addition amount determining unit that determines an amount of fluorescent-whitening-agent to be added to the recording sheet based on the input information of the illumination light and the whiteness that is set; and a fluorescent-whitening-agent adding unit that adds an amount of fluorescent-whitening-agent onto the recording sheet according to the determined amount of fluorescent-whitening-agent.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a toner container mount, first and second toner containers removably insertable into the toner container mount horizontally, container guides formed in toner container mount to guide lateral side portions of the first and second toner containers, respectively, and an insertion opening forming member positioned defining first and second insertion openings through which the first and second toner containers are inserted, each including a laterally projecting portion. The second toner container is greater than the first toner container in cross section perpendicular to a direction of insertion, and the second insertion opening is greater than the first insertion opening. The first and second toner containers include guided portions projecting laterally, and the guided portion of the first toner container has a vertical length longer than that of the guided portion of the second toner container.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a rotating fixing body including a resistance heating layer disposed throughout an entire periphery; and a pressure-applying member pressed against an outer peripheral surface of the rotating fixing body to form a fixing nip. The rotating fixing body further includes: a pair of electrodes each of which is a layer disposed along a different one of edges of the resistance heating layer throughout an entire periphery; and a pair of resistor layers each of which is disposed between the resistance heating layer and a different one of the electrodes. An inner edge of each resistor layer is positioned at a location corresponding to or axially more inwardly of an inner edge of the electrode. The resistor layers are higher in volume resistivity than the electrodes.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming part which picks up a recording medium at a predetermined pickup timing and forms an image at a predetermined printing speed; and a controller which accelerates the timing for picking up the recording medium in advance of the predetermined pickup timing, and which lowers the printing speed so as to allow the printing operation to take place at a lower fusing temperature during warming up from a cold start in order to shorten the first print output time (FPOT).

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.