Abstract: A cartridge including: a first unit including an image bearing member and a first portion, and configured to take a removal posture when the cartridge is to be removed from a main body; a second unit including a developer bearing member and a second portion, the second unit being movable between a first position where the developer bearing member is in contact with the image bearing member and a second position where the developer bearing member is separated from the image bearing member and where the second portion is in contact with the first portion, wherein when the first unit takes the removal posture, the second unit is located at the second position, and when the second unit is located at the second position, movement of the second unit in a direction, in which the developer bearing member is separated from the image bearing member, is restricted.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit having a photosensitive member, an exposure unit, and a developing unit having a developing sleeve; and a controller configured to acquire read data relating to a first test image, a second test image, and a third test image formed on a same sheet by the image forming unit, and adjust a density in a main scanning direction of an image to be formed by the image forming unit based on the read data. A first interval between the first test image and the second test image is different from a second interval between the second test image and the third test image. Each of the first interval and the second interval is different from an integral multiple of a circumferential length of the photosensitive member, and is different from an integral multiple of a circumferential length of the developing sleeve.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of an embodiment includes an image forming unit, a waste toner collection container, a paddle motor, and a controller. The controller acquires a replenishment amount for each toner cartridge, when the image forming component is replenished with the toner from the plurality of toner cartridges, sets a coefficient for each replenishment amount of the toner cartridges, at least one of each set coefficient is different from the others, each of the replenishment amount is corrected by each coefficient, and drives the paddle motor according to a cumulative amount of each corrected replenishment amount.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, an intermediate transfer body including a surface layer that includes an acrylic resin and a fluorine-containing polyether, first and second transfer units, and an intermediate transfer body cleaning unit that includes a cleaning blade including a tetrahedral amorphous carbon layer disposed on a surface of a contact portion of the cleaning blade, the contact portion being arranged to contact the intermediate transfer body, and removes a residual toner by bringing the cleaning blade into contact with the intermediate transfer body. Linear velocities of the intermediate transfer body and the photosensitive member are adjusted to satisfy a requirement (1): Requirement (1): 0.3?|Linear velocity of Intermediate transfer body?Linear velocity of Photosensitive member|/Linear velocity of Intermediate transfer body×100?1.5.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an image forming unit, a belt conveying device including an intermediate transfer belt, a pair of restriction portions provided in the belt conveying device, and restriction engagement portions. The image forming unit forms a toner image on the image bearing member and the toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt. The pair of restriction portions and the restriction engagement portions cooperate to restrict an orientation of the intermediate transfer belt. One restriction portion of the pair of restriction portions is supported to be movable to a first position where at least a part of the one restriction portion is placed outside a stretching area defined by the intermediate transfer belt in a stretched state, and a second position where the one restriction portion is inside the stretching area as viewed from a width direction of the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: A developing cartridge includes a casing, a rotating member, and an electrode member. The casing may be configured to accommodate therein developer. The rotating member has a rotational shaft extending in an axial direction. The rotating member is configured to rotate about the rotational shaft and carries the developer thereon. The electrode member is configured to be electrically connected to the rotating member. The electrode member covers at least part of the rotational shaft from an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the axial direction and is arranged to confront the casing in the axial direction. The electrode member is configured to move in the orthogonal direction in accordance with a movement in the axial direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an exposure device to expose the image carrier to form an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier, a conductive member, and a developing device having a rotatable developing roller and a rotatable toner supply roller. Polarity of direct-current components of biases applied during an image forming operation to the conductive member, the developing roller, and the toner supply roller are the same as a polarity of normally charged toner. An absolute value of the bias applied to the developing roller during the image forming operation is smaller than an absolute value of the bias applied to the toner supply roller during the image forming operation. The absolute value of the bias applied to the toner supply roller during the image forming operation is smaller than an absolute value of the bias applied to the conductive member during the image forming operation.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt is provided. The intermediate transfer belt includes a base layer, an elastic layer over the base layer, and a surface layer over the elastic layer. The elastic layer contains spherical particles and has an uneven surface formed by the spherical particles. The surface layer contains at least one of antimony-doped tin oxide or indium tin oxide.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, an image input portion, a transfer unit, a transfer voltage power supply, and a control portion. The transfer unit includes a transfer roller having a metal shaft and an elastic layer laid around an outer circumferential face of the metal shaft to form a transfer nip by keeping the elastic layer in pressed contact with an image carrying member, and transfers a toner image formed on the image carrying member to a recording medium as it passes through the transfer nip. The transfer unit includes, as the transfer roller, a first roller, and a second roller having a larger axial-size elastic layer compared to the first roller. The control portion arranges the first or second roller opposite the image carrying member according to width-direction sizes of the recording medium and image data fed to the image input portion.

Abstract: A cleaning device cleans a discharge wire that discharges electric charge onto a discharge target. The cleaning device moves in a longitudinal direction oldie discharge wire. The cleaning device includes a first contact portion that contacts and cleans the discharge wire and a second contact portion that contacts and cleans the discharge wire. When the first contact portion and the second contact portion clean the discharge wire, the first contact portion and the second contact portion sandwich the discharge wire in a discharge direction in which the discharge wire discharges the electric charge onto the discharge target. The discharge direction is parallel to a radial direction of the discharge wire.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning blade, a supporting portion, a housing, and a blade pressing spring. The blade pressing spring includes a first coil portion formed of a single wire material and provided between the supporting portion and the housing so as to capable of being expanded and contracted, a second coil portion provided between the supporting portion and the housing so as to be capable of being expanded and contracted, and a connecting portion connecting the first coil portion and the second coil portion. The first coil portion and the second coil portion are disposed side by side with respect to a direction crossing a center axis direction of the first coil portion.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer device includes an intermediate transfer belt, a plurality of primary transfer rollers, a plurality of pairs of support members, a biasing member, a pair of movable members, and a pair of frame members. The plurality of pairs of support members rotatably support both end parts of respective rotary shafts of the plurality of primary transfer rollers and are pivotable in directions in which the primary transfer rollers approach and separate from the intermediate transfer belt. The pair of movable members makes contact with the support members on both end sides of the rotary shafts of the plurality of primary transfer rollers so as to cause the support members to pivot. In a rotation axis direction of the primary transfer rollers, the movable members are disposed between the pair of frame members and within an extending range of the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a flow passage associated with a direction of flow and a particle collecting device including a filter to collect particles in a fluid passing through the flow passage in the direction of flow. The flow passage includes a curved portion, and a distribution in particle collecting performance of the filter in a direction perpendicular to the direction of flow results from the curved portion of the flow passage.

Abstract: A lubricant application device for an image forming apparatus includes a grinding roller that is rotatable to scrape off a lubricant from a solid lubricant source, and a scattering member to scatter the lubricant from the grinding roller toward a separate rotating member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image; a transferring unit configured to transfer the image formed by the image forming unit on a recording material; a fixing unit having a fixing heater, the fixing heater being configured to generate heat with electric power supplied from a commercial power source, and the fixing unit being configured to fix the image on the recording material by heating the recording material on which the image is transferred with the heat generated by the fixing heater; a memory configured to store resistance information representing a resistance value of the fixing heater; a zero-cross detection unit configured to detect a zero-cross timing of an AC voltage supplied from the commercial power source, and a voltage detection unit configured to detect a voltage value of AC voltage.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body housing, a drawer, a drum cartridge, and a toner cartridge. The drawer includes a waste toner conveying pipe and a lock member. In a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge, the drum cartridge is mounted on the drawer, the drawer is located at a drawn-out position, and the lock member is located at a lock position, the toner cartridge is detachable from the drum cartridge.

Abstract: An example image forming apparatus includes a printing unit to print an image on a print medium using toner, a container having a hollow portion to accommodate waste toner discharged from the printing unit, a heater to apply heat to the container such that the waste toner becomes a waste toner viscous body, and a piston inserted in the hollow portion of the container movable between a first position blocking a first end portion of the hollow portion, a second position exposing the waste toner viscous body to a second end portion of the hollow portion to cool the waste toner viscous body to become a waste toner pellet, and a third position beyond the second position to separate the waste toner pellet from the second end portion of the hollow portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first sensor configured to measure measurement images on a first photoreceptor, a second sensor configured to measure measurement images on an intermediate transfer member, and a controller. The controller controls a first image forming unit to form first measurement images, wherein the first measurement images are formed along a rotation direction of the first photoreceptor, and controls the first sensor to measure the first measurement images on the first photoreceptor. The controller further controls the first image forming unit and a second image forming unit to form a plurality of measurement images while a rotation speed of the first photoreceptor is being controlled based on a measurement result of the first sensor, wherein the plurality of measurement images are formed along the predetermined direction of the intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless belt including a base layer and an electroconductive layer positioned on an inner peripheral surface side of the belt than the base layer and forming an inner peripheral surface of the belt, and a roller provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the belt and including a roller portion around which the belt is wound and which is formed of an aluminum material. The electroconductive layer contains a binder resin, an electroconductive agent, and a copper compound, and has surface resistivity of 5.0×106?Q/? or less. The roller includes an alumite layer forming a surface contacting the electroconductive layer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a print engine, a detection circuit, a switch, and a processor. The print engine is located within the main body to form an image by using a toner. The print engine generates waste toner. A waste toner container is detachably mountable to the main body of the image forming apparatus and collects the waste toner. The detection circuit includes a toner amount detection sensor to output a voltage value associated with an amount of waste toner in the waste toner container and a switch to selectively output the voltage value depending on whether the waste toner container is mounted or detached. The processor determines whether printing is available based on the voltage value outputted from the detection circuit.