Abstract: A charging device for electrically charging a rotatable image bearing member includes a corona charger including a discharging wire, a rotatable rotation shaft provided along the discharging wire and provided with a helical groove on an outer peripheral surface thereof, a motor configured to rotate the rotation shaft, and a movable member including a projected portion engaging with the helical groove and mounted on the rotation shaft so as to be movable along the rotation shaft with rotation of the rotation shaft. In addition, a cleaning member is provided on the movable member to clean the discharging wire, and a brush member is provided on the movable member and configured to brush the helical groove.

Abstract: A drum cleaner in a drum unit removes toner from a photosensitive drum. A waste-toner conveyance pipe has a waste-toner discharge port and conveys toner removed from the photosensitive drum by the drum cleaner. A toner accommodation chamber accommodates toner to be supplied to a developing roller. A waste-toner accommodation chamber accommodates toner removed from the photosensitive drum. A toner cartridge rotatably moves relative to the drum unit between: a first position at which a waste-toner receiving port is separated from the waste-toner discharge port in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum unit; and a second position at which an internal space of the waste-toner accommodation chamber is in communication with an internal space of the waste-toner conveyance pipe through the waste-toner discharge port and the waste-toner receiving port in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a main casing; a drum cartridge; and a developing cartridge. The drum cartridge includes a photosensitive drum having a rotational axis. The drum cartridge is drawable from the main casing in a first direction where the axis of the photosensitive drum extends. The developing cartridge is drawable from the main casing in the first direction. The developing cartridge includes: a developing roller; a front wall; and a first developing-device frame. The front wall is disposed at a downstream end of the developing cartridge in the first direction. The first developing-device frame supports the developing roller. The front wall and the first developing-device frame are overlapped with each other when viewed in the first direction. The first boss goes through the first hole of the front wall.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a feeding device to feed residual toner, discharged from an image forming portion, toward a first collecting container and a second collecting container selectively. The feeding device includes an aggregate feeding passage to aggregate the residual toner discharged from a first or second image forming portion and feed the residual toner in an aggregate feeding direction traversing an up down direction. A vertical conveyance passage is provided along the up down direction and connected to the aggregate feeding passage, and a lateral feeding passage is connected to the vertical conveyance passage and capable of feeding the residual toner in a lateral feeding direction traversing the up-down direction. The feeding device feeds the residual toner in the lateral feeding passage toward the first collecting container and the second collecting container.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a drawer movable in a first direction from an inside position to an outside position via an intermediate position; a stopper movable between a first position at which the stopper stops the drawer from moving from the intermediate position to the outside position, and a second position at which the stopper allows the drawer to move from the intermediate position to the outside position; a drum cartridge including a photoconductive drum and mountable on the drawer; and a developing cartridge including a developing roller and mountable on the drawer. The developing cartridge mounted on the drawer is removable from the drawer in a state in which the drawer is located at the intermediate position. The drum cartridge mounted on the drawer is removable from the drawer in a state in which the drawer is located at the outside position.

Abstract: A heating device includes a heater, a housing, an airflow path, and an outer airflow path. The airflow path is configured to flow air from an airflow generator into the housing. The outer airflow path is configured to flow air from the airflow generator to an outer face of the housing.

Abstract: Provided are an image bearing member; a charging member that charges the image bearing member; an exposure unit that exposes the image bearing member; a developing unit that develops an electrostatic latent image as a developer image by supplying a developer, charged to regular polarity, to the image bearing member; a transfer member that transfers the developer image to a transfer-receiving body; and a collecting member that collects a deposit on the image bearing member downstream of a transfer portion of the image bearing member at which the developer image is transferred to the transfer-receiving body by the transfer member, and upstream of a charging portion of the image bearing member charged by the charging member, in a rotation direction of the image bearing member. After transfer of the developer image to the transfer-receiving body, the developer remaining on the image bearing member is collected by the developing unit.

Abstract: A process for producing an electrophotographic electroconductive member having an electroconductive support and an electroconductive layer in the order mentioned. The electroconductive layer has a matrix including a crosslinked product of a first rubber, and a domain including a crosslinked product of a second rubber and an electroconductive particle, the process including the steps of: providing a rubber mixture for forming the domain, including carbon black and the second rubber by kneading the carbon black and the second rubber; providing a rubber mixture for forming the matrix, including the first rubber; kneading the rubber mixture for forming the domain and the rubber mixture for forming the matrix to prepare a rubber composition having a matrix-domain structure; forming a layer of the rubber composition on a surface of the electroconductive support; and curing the layer of the rubber composition on the surface of the electroconductive support to form the electroconductive layer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developing device that supplies a toner to the image carrier, and a cleaning member. The cleaning member includes a blade that contacts the image carrier and applies a pressure onto the image carrier. The blade has two ends that are bent in a direction toward the image carrier, wherein the blade forms cleaning angles with the image carrier at the two ends of the blade, that are smaller than cleaning angles formed with the image carrier in other portions of the blade.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an intermediary transfer belt provided at a position overlapping with an image forming portion as viewed in a vertical direction, a first mounting portion having a mountable first collecting container for collecting residual toner discharged from the image forming portion, and a second mounting portion having a mountable second collecting container for collecting the residual toner. The first and second mounting portions are provided below the intermediary transfer belt and disposed side by side perpendicular to a rotational axis direction of the image bearing member, and wherein as viewed in the vertical direction, the first mounting portion is provided at a position where at least a part of the first mounting portion overlaps with the intermediary transfer belt, and the second mounting portion is provided at a position where at least a part of the second mounting portion overlaps with the intermediary transfer belt.

Abstract: In a developing apparatus, a distance along an outer peripheral surface of a rotatable developing member between a first and a second maximum peak positions is less than 18 [mm], the first and the second maximum peak positions respectively corresponding to maximum values of a magnetic flux density of a first and a second magnetic poles with respect to a normal direction of the rotatable developing member. A distance along the outer peripheral surface of the rotatable developing member in a width of a value obtained by adding 2 [mT] to a minimum value of the magnetic flux density with respect to the normal direction of the rotatable developing member is 5.5 [mm] or more, at a downstream side of the first maximum peak position and at an upstream side of the second maximum peak position with respect to a rotation direction of the rotatable developing member.

Abstract: Toner contains toner base particles and an organosilicon polymer on the surface of the toner base particles. After a toner image is transferred from an intermediate transfer belt to a transfer material, residual toner on the intermediate transfer belt is collected into a belt cleaning device by a blade. A CPU executes supply control of supplying toner from a developing device toward the blade via a photosensitive drum and via the intermediate transfer belt on the basis of a counter accumulated value that correlates with an amount of organosilicon polymer adhering to the blade.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus in which an image carrier and an elastic body may be in pressure contact with each other, and in which a toner remover may be in contact with the image carrier to remove toner remaining on the image carrier. The image forming apparatus may include: a first hardware processor that forms an image pattern in a region including at least a part of a pressure contact part of the image carrier that is in pressure contact with the elastic body when operation of the image carrier is stopped; a second hardware processor that acquires density of the image pattern formed on the image carrier; a third hardware processor that adjusts driving time of the image carrier based on the density of the image pattern; and a fourth hardware processor that drives the image carrier for the driving time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image bearing members, an intermediary transfer member having ion conductivity, primary transfer members, a first voltage applying portion, a secondary transfer member, a second voltage applying portion, and a controller. On the basis of image information, the controller controls a transfer voltage applied to the secondary transfer member so as to be different between a first voltage when a first region, in which a coverage indicating a ratio occupied by an image region per predetermined area is a first coverage passes through the secondary transfer portion and a second voltage when a second region, in which the coverage is a second coverage larger than the first coverage, passes through the secondary transfer portion. The controller controls a change amount of the first voltage with respect to the second voltage so as to be different between a first mode and a second mode.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a transfer belt, a transfer roller, a conductive roller, and a power source. The transfer roller includes a metal shaft electrically floating during an imaging operation. The conductive roller has an electrical resistance lower than an electrical resistance of the transfer roller. The power source is electrically connected to the conductive roller, and the power source includes a first supply path to supply a first electrical bias to the conductive roller during an imaging operation and a second supply path to supply a second electrical bias to the transfer roller during a cleaning operation.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer roller, a power source and a switch device. The transfer roller may transfer an image formed on an image carrier to a transfer medium in an imaging apparatus. The transfer roller includes a rotation shaft including a conductive material, and a ion conductive member disposed around the rotation shaft. The power source may generate a transfer voltage. The switch device may selectively connect, during rotation of the transfer roller, a power-feed path from the power source to the transfer roller, among a plurality of power-feed paths based on whether the image is being transferred or not being transferred, to thereby reverse the direction of an electric field applied by the transfer voltage to the ion conductive member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a toner supplying portion including a first attachment portion; and a waste toner collecting portion including a second attachment portion. A toner container includes a positioning member and a compatible key. The first attachment portion includes a first engaging portion configured to position the toner container to a first attachment position. The second attachment portion includes a second engaging portion configured to position the toner container to a second attachment position. The first engaging portion and the positioning member are formed in a shape that allows the toner container of a type corresponding to the first attachment portion to be selectively attached to the first attachment portion. The second engaging portion is formed in a shape that allows the positioning member to be engaged with a toner container of any one of a plurality of types.

Abstract: An imaging system includes a fixing device, a collection device, and a controller. The collection device collects ultrafine particles (UFP) emitted by the fixing device. The collection device includes an ionizer. The controller turn on the ionizer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charger, an exposure device, a development device and a pressing mechanism. When a developer carrier and the image carrier are rotated in a state where a film is held in a development nip area and then a pulling force of the film is measured, a maximum value MAX, a minimum value MIN, and an average value X of the pulling force satisfy the expressions (1) and (2). When a development voltage applied to the developer carrier is set to Vdc, the surface potential of the image carrier is set to V0, and the surface potential of the image carrier after exposure is set to VL, the expressions (3) and (4) are satisfied. X?MAX?1.5X??(1), 0.5X?MIN?X??(2), V0?Vdc?2(Vdc?VL)??(3) and Vdc?VL?100??(4).

Abstract: A lubricant application device includes an application roller with application bristles radially arranged about an outer circumferential surface thereof for receiving a lubricant from a lubricant supply source and applying the lubricant to a photosensitive body. A minimum distance between the outer circumferential surface of the application roller and the photosensitive body is shorter than a length of the application bristles. The lubricant application device has a drive unit for rotating the application roller and a controller for controlling the drive unit. The controller is adapted to control the drive unit to counteract a bristle-bending tendency of the application bristles.