Abstract: A belt device includes a first stretching member and a detector. The first stretching member stretches an endless belt capable of rotational movement. The detector detects a base of the belt and/or a density of a toner image on the belt. The first stretching member includes a first parallel area that is parallel to an axial direction, which is a direction of a rotation axis of the belt, and a first inclined area that is connected to an outer side of the first parallel area with respect to the axial direction and is inclined in a direction closer to the rotation axis. The detector detects a location corresponding to a first boundary between the first parallel area and the first inclined area or a location corresponding to a predetermined first adjacent area that is adjacent to and on an inner side of the first boundary.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a development roller configured to supply developer to the photosensitive drum, a transfer roller configured to transfer a developer image formed on the photosensitive drum to a recording material, and a cleaning roller being in contact with the photosensitive drum, configured to clean a part of the recording material adhered to the photosensitive drum, wherein the diameter of the transfer roller is greater than the diameter of the development roller and the diameter of the cleaning roller is greater than the diameter of the development roller.

Abstract: An image carrier unit includes an image carrier, a charging device including a charging member, a cleaning member, a pair of bearing members rotatably supporting the charging member and the cleaning member, a biasing member biasing the bearing members in an approaching direction to the image carrier, and a charging housing holding the charging member and the cleaning member, and a pair of separation members. The bearing members each include a first bearing portion supporting a first rotary shaft of the charging member, a second bearing portion supporting a second rotary shaft of the cleaning member, and an engaged portion. The first bearing portion has an elongated hole shape having a greater inner diameter in an approach/separation direction. The separation members are each inserted between the charging housing and the engaged portion, thus causing the bearing members to move in such a direction as to separate from the image carrier.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, an environmental sensor, a waste toner collection container, a paddle motor, a storage unit, and a control unit. The image forming unit is configured to forma toner image on a sheet using a toner that is replenished from a toner cartridge containing the toner. The environmental sensor is configured to acquire information regarding an environment around the image forming unit. The waste toner collection container is configured to contain a waste toner produced in the image forming unit. The paddle motor is configured to rotate a stirring paddle provided in the waste toner collection container. The storage unit is configured to store a correction factor corresponding to the information regarding the environment acquired by the environmental sensor.

Abstract: There is provided a method of producing a blade for cleaning a toner image retainer, the method including: binding an abutting layer that abuts against the toner image retainer and a supporting layer that supports the abutting layer, wherein the maximum value D of a difference between a first loss tangent at 1 Hz and a second loss tangent at 100 Hz of the blade that includes the abutting layer and the supporting layer satisfies the formula: 0.2?D?0.7, wherein the maximum value D is a maximum value of a difference between the first loss tangent and the second loss tangent at temperatures within a range of 0° C. to 50° C.

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: A belt rotating device includes a belt wound around plural rollers to circulate and move, the plural rollers including a roller to be cleaned; and a first cleaning unit disposed inside the belt, the first cleaning unit being in contact with at least the roller to be cleaned to scrape off foreign matter on the roller to be cleaned, the first cleaning unit being configured to change a contact state with respect to the roller to be cleaned.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an acquiring portion configured to acquire image information and operation information of the image forming apparatus; an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a recording material; a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image to the recording material by heating the recording material on which the toner image is formed; and a control portion configured to, when the acquiring portion acquires image information corresponding to a first page and fails to acquire image information corresponding to a second page following the first page, set a temperature of the fixing portion for fixing the first page as a first temperature based on the image information corresponding to the first page and the operation information, and set the temperature of the fixing portion for fixing the second page as a second temperature based on the operation information.

Abstract: An electroconductive member for electrophotography has 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 impedance of an outer surface of the electroconductive member is 1.0×103 to 1.0×108?. 80% by number or more of domains observed at each of a total of nine 15-?m square observation regions, which are disposed at any three points in a thickness region from the outer surface to a specific depth on each of cross sections in a thickness direction at three points: the center of the electroconductive layer in the longitudinal direction and points at a specific distance from both edges of the electroconductive layer toward the center, satisfy specific requirements.

Abstract: An imaging system includes a pair of belt rollers, a steering roller, a wheel, and a link mechanism. The pair of belt rollers includes a first roller and a second roller to drive an endless belt along a belt path. The steering roller is between the first roller and the second roller. The steering roller is tiltable to engage the endless belt. The wheel is at an end of the first roller in abutment with an edge of the endless belt, to move in an outward direction along a rotation axis of the first roller, when the endless belt shifts away from the belt path toward the wheel. The link mechanism is between the wheel and the steering roller to tilt the steering roller in response to a sliding movement of the wheel in the outward direction, to urge the endless belt to shift toward the belt path.

Abstract: In an example of the disclosure, a blanket servicing system includes a rotatably mounted endless cleaning surface and a scraper. The endless cleaning surface is to have a first engagement with a blanket to obtain a layer of thermoplastic print agent from the blanket. The endless cleaning surface is to have a second engagement with the blanket to receive residue from the blanket onto the layer of thermoplastic print agent. The scraper is to scrape the endless cleaning surface to transfer the residue from the endless cleaning surface to a collection element.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a light source, a light guiding unit including a light guiding member, a casing portion provided with a first through-hole, and a sheet-like elastic member provided with a second through-hole. The light guiding unit penetrates the first through-hole and the second through-hole, and one end portion of the light guiding unit opposes the light source and is positioned inside the casing portion. At a flat surface of the light guiding unit perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the light guiding unit, an area of the second through-hole is smaller than an area of the light guiding 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 front wall has a first hole. The first developing-device frame supports the developing roller. The first developing-device frame includes a first boss extending in the first direction. The first boss goes through the first hole of the front wall.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a printing unit; a bottle which is rotationally driven in a predetermined rotation direction, whereby a waste developer conveyed from the printing unit to an opening is accommodated inside and the waste developer inside is conveyed to a second end side in a longitudinal direction; and a capacitive sensor having a first detection electrode and a first ground electrode arranged in parallel, where a first detection surface of an electrostatic capacitance formed by the first detection electrode and the first ground electrode is arranged to directly face a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the bottle which is positioned obliquely upward with respect to a center line of rotation of the bottle in a region which moves from a bottom to a top when the bottle rotates in the predetermined rotation direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor; a charging roller; an exposure device; a developing device that is provided on a downstream side of the charging roller in a rotation direction of the photoconductor, and forms a toner image by supplying toner to a latent image; a cleaning blade that is provided between a transfer part of a surface of the photoconductor located on a downstream side of the developing device in the rotation direction of the photoconductor and the charging roller, and removes residual toner adhering to a part of the surface of the photoconductor on a downstream side of the transfer part; a lubricant supplier that supplies a lubricant to the surface of the photoconductor; and a voltage controller that controls a charging voltage to be applied to the charging roller.

Abstract: A waste toner storage container includes a container body, a toner storage chamber, and a paddle. The toner storage chamber includes an introduction port, a first space, and a second space. The introduction port receives waste toner. The first space stores the introduced waste toner, and extends in a first direction. The second space is disposed in an end portion of the first space in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The paddle includes a shaft, a first plate, and a second plate. The shaft is disposed in the first space, extends along the first direction, and is elongated. The first plate is formed on an outer peripheral surface around a central axis of the shaft, and conveys the waste toner in the first direction. The second plate is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft, and conveys the waste toner toward the second space.

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 to rotate about a rotation axis, a cleaning blade to contact a surface of the image carrier, and a protective agent coater. The protective agent coater has a rotatable shaft extending along the rotation axis of the image carrier, an elastic body formed around the rotatable shaft, and a waste toner supply member. The waste toner supply member supplies waste toner to the elastic body of the protective agent coater. The elastic body transfers protective agent from a protective agent supply to the image carrier. The protective agent coater is positioned upstream of the cleaning blade in the rotation direction of the image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a unit including a drive member and being positioned to the housing, and a drive device configured to rotate the drive member in a normal direction and a reverse direction. The drive device includes a housing-side gear mounted on the housing, and a unit-side gear mounted on the unit, the unit-side gear being configured to mesh with the housing-side gear. The drive device transmits a driving force to the drive member, the driving force causes a force from the housing-side gear to the unit-side gear, the force includes a component force in a direction to detach the unit from the housing, and the component force is smaller than a static friction force between the unit and the housing.

Abstract: A belt driving device to drive an endless belt, includes a drive roller and a suspension roller which extend in a first direction and face each other in a second direction. The belt driving device includes a steering roller located between the drive roller and the suspension roller in a tiltable manner. A pulley (or wheel) is located at an end portion of the steering roller. The belt driving device includes a link mechanism which presses the end portion of the steering roller to tilt the steering roller with the movement of the pulley (or wheel).