Abstract: A fixing device includes a nip formation pad disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of an endless belt and a pressing rotary body pressed against the nip formation pad via the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressing rotary body, through which a recording medium is conveyed. The pressing rotary body has a diameter increasing from a center to each lateral end in an axial direction thereof. The nip formation pad includes a projection disposed downstream from a rotation axis of the pressing rotary body in a recording medium conveyance direction. The projection projects toward the pressing rotary body in an amount increasing from each lateral end to a center in a longitudinal direction of the nip formation pad parallel to the axial direction of the pressing rotary body.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a nip formation pad disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of an endless belt and a pressing rotary body pressed against the nip formation pad via the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressing rotary body, through which a recording medium is conveyed. The pressing rotary body has a diameter increasing from a center to each lateral end in an axial direction thereof. The nip formation pad includes a projection disposed downstream from a rotation axis of the pressing rotary body in a recording medium conveyance direction. The projection projects toward the pressing rotary body in an amount increasing from each lateral end to a center in a longitudinal direction of the nip formation pad parallel to the axial direction of the pressing rotary body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including an image developer to develop an electrostatic latent image and a toner provider to provide a toner from a toner container to the image developer in a direction of gravitational force. The toner container is capable of taking a first position of directing a toner outlet in a horizontal direction; a second position of directing the toner outlet in a direction of gravitational force; and a position of being removed, directing the toner outlet upward relative to the horizontal direction when further rotating from the first position. The toner container includes a main cap member to close the toner outlet when taking the first position and the position of being removed; and a sub-cap member to cover the main cap member while the toner container is displaced from the first position to the position of being removed.

Abstract: A toner supplying method for supplying toner from a toner container to a developing part that causes toner to adhere to a latent image formed on a latent image carrying member and develops the latent image, includes detecting a toner amount in the developing part as being equal to or less than a predetermined toner amount value; forming a fog detecting image in a case where the toner amount in the developing part is equal to or less than the predetermined toner amount value, and detecting fog; and determining based on the detected fog whether to execute a toner ejecting process of ejecting the toner remaining in the developing part toward the latent image carrying member before supplying the toner to the developing part from the toner container.

Abstract: A toner supply method includes detecting whether a remaining toner amount in the development device is equal to or greater than a first remaining amount, supplying a first supply amount of toner to the development device in a first supply mode when the remaining toner amount is not greater than the first remaining amount, detecting whether the remaining toner amount in the development device is equal to or greater than a second remaining amount smaller than the first remaining amount, and supplying a second supply amount, smaller than the first supply amount, of toner to the development device in a second supply mode when the remaining toner amount is reduced to or below the second remaining amount.

Abstract: A developing unit includes: a developer carrier; a toner supplying member having a porous surface layer; a toner storage storing therein toner; a stirring member that is rotated to stir the toner; a toner amount detecting unit that detects an amount of the toner; a toner supplying unit that supplies new toner to the toner storage based on a detection result; and a toner removing member that removes the toner carried in the porous surface layer, wherein the toner removing member is arranged in a separable and contactable manner from and with the porous surface layer, and the developing unit has a stirring mode in which the toner removing member is brought into contact with the porous surface layer, and the toner supplying member is rotated while the stirring member is rotated to stir the toner.

Abstract: Toner is supplied from a toner container to a developing part that causes the toner to adhere to a latent image formed on a latent image carrying member and develops the latent image, a pre-toner-supply operation of supplying a predetermined amount of toner to the developing part is carried out, a fog detecting image is formed and fog is detected in the fog detecting image, a toner supply amount to be supplied to the developing part is determined based on the fog detected in the detecting and an operational status of the developing part since the toner was supplied to the developing part the last time, and the toner supply amount of the toner determined in the determining is supplied to the developing part.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier on which a latent image is formed, a charging device that charges the image carrier, an exposing device that irradiates the image carrier, thereby forming a latent image on the image carrier, a developing device that develops the latent image into a visible image by using a monocomponent developer that is carried and transferred by a developer carrier and that is charged to a predetermined polarity, and a toner supply container that is installed in the developing device for toner supply. Used old toner is conveyed from the developing device to the toner supply container and mixed with unused new toner within the toner supply container and thus a mixed toner is produced, and the mixed toner is supplied to the developing device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a toner-image forming unit, a photosensor, an information obtaining unit, and a toner-amount calculating unit. The toner-image forming unit forms a toner image on the image carrier with toner. The photosensor detects a toner area where the toner is sticking to the image carrier. The information obtaining unit obtains particle-size-change information about how particle size distribution of the toner changes over time. The toner-amount calculating unit calculates a toner amount of the toner image based on the toner area and the particle-size-change information.

Abstract: To provide an electrophotographic photoconductor including: a substrate; a charge generating layer; and a charge transporting layer, the charge generating layer and the charge transporting layer being disposed over the substrate, wherein the charge transporting layer contains a charge transporting material represented by General Formula (I) below and an additive represented by General Formula (II) below: where R1, R2 and R3 each independently denote any one of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group which may contain a substituent, and an alkoxy group which may contain a substituent, where R4 and R5 each denote a tertiary butyl group, and R6 and R7 each independently denote one of an alkyl group which may contain a substituent, and an aryl group which may contain a substituent.

Abstract: A toner supply method includes detecting whether a remaining toner amount in the development device is equal to or greater than a first remaining amount, supplying a first supply amount of toner to the development device in a first supply mode when the remaining toner amount is not greater than the first remaining amount, detecting whether the remaining toner amount in the development device is equal to or greater than a second remaining amount smaller than the first remaining amount, and supplying a second supply amount, smaller than the first supply amount, of toner to the development device in a second supply mode when the remaining toner amount is reduced to or below the second remaining amount.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including an image developer to develop an electrostatic latent image and a toner provider to provide a toner from a toner container to the image developer in a direction of gravitational force. The toner container is capable of taking a first position of directing a toner outlet in a horizontal direction; a second position of directing the toner outlet in a direction of gravitational force; and a position of being removed, directing the toner outlet upward relative to the horizontal direction when further rotating from the first position. The toner container includes a main cap member to close the toner outlet when taking the first position and the position of being removed; and a sub-cap member to cover the main cap member while the toner container is displaced from the first position to the position of being removed.

Abstract: Toner is supplied from a toner container to a developing part that causes the toner to adhere to a latent image formed on a latent image carrying member and develops the latent image, a pre-toner-supply operation of supplying a predetermined amount of toner to the developing part is carried out, a fog detecting image is formed and fog is detected in the fog detecting image, a toner supply amount to be supplied to the developing part is determined based on the fog detected in the detecting and an operational status of the developing part since the toner was supplied to the developing part the last time, and the toner supply amount of the toner determined in the determining is supplied to the developing part.

Abstract: A toner supplying method for supplying toner from a toner container to a developing part that causes toner to adhere to a latent image formed on a latent image carrying member and develops the latent image, includes detecting a toner amount in the developing part as being equal to or less than a predetermined toner amount value; forming a fog detecting image in a case where the toner amount in the developing part is equal to or less than the predetermined toner amount value, and detecting fog; and determining based on the detected fog whether to execute a toner ejecting process of ejecting the toner remaining in the developing part toward the latent image carrying member before supplying the toner to the developing part from the toner container.

Abstract: A developing unit includes: a developer carrier; a toner supplying member having a porous surface layer; a toner storage storing therein toner; a stirring member that is rotated to stir the toner; a toner amount detecting unit that detects an amount of the toner; a toner supplying unit that supplies new toner to the toner storage based on a detection result; and a toner removing member that removes the toner carried in the porous surface layer, wherein the toner removing member is arranged in a separable and contactable manner from and with the porous surface layer, and the developing unit has a stirring mode in which the toner removing member is brought into contact with the porous surface layer, and the toner supplying member is rotated while the stirring member is rotated to stir the toner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier on which a latent image is formed, a charging device that charges the image carrier, an exposing device that irradiates the image carrier, thereby forming a latent image on the image carrier, a developing device that develops the latent image into a visible image by using a monocomponent developer that is carried and transferred by a developer carrier and that is charged to a predetermined polarity, and a toner supply container that is installed in the developing device for toner supply. Used old toner is conveyed from the developing device to the toner supply container and mixed with unused new toner within the toner supply container and thus a mixed toner is produced, and the mixed toner is supplied to the developing device.

Abstract: A toner consumption-calculating apparatus includes a printed portion area-detecting unit that detects an area of a printed portion of image data of a latent image that is formed on a latent image-bearing member; a latent image portion area-detecting unit that detects an area of a latent image portion on the latent image-bearing member; and a latent image portion toner consumption-calculating unit that calculates latent image portion toner consumption that indicates toner amount that is consumed due to adhering on the latent image portion. The latent image portion toner consumption-calculating unit uses a detection result of the latent image portion area-detecting unit and a detection result of the printed portion area-detecting unit to calculate the latent image portion toner consumption.

Abstract: Toner images of different colors are superimposed on a transfer belt of an endless type from image carriers, to form a full color toner image. A tension roller maintains a tension of the transfer belt. A driving roller drives the transfer belt. A biasing unit applies the tension to the tension roller. A holding unit holds the tension roller. An image reading sensor detects the toner image formed on the transfer belt. The image reading sensor is disposed in the holding unit, in an opposite position to the tension roller with respect to the transfer belt.

Abstract: To provide an electrophotographic photoconductor including: a substrate; a charge generating layer; and a charge transporting layer, the charge generating layer and the charge transporting layer being disposed over the substrate, wherein the charge transporting layer contains a charge transporting material represented by General Formula (I) below and an additive represented by General Formula (II) below: where R1, R2 and R3 each independently denote any one of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group which may contain a substituent, and an alkoxy group which may contain a substituent, where R4 and R5 each denote a tertiary butyl group, and R6 and R7 each independently denote one of an alkyl group which may contain a substituent, and an aryl group which may contain a substituent.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, an intermediate transfer belt is made of a resin film and is supported by a plurality of rollers. A driving roller that is one of the plurality of rollers, drives the intermediate transfer belt, and also functions as an opposing unit with respect to a secondary transfer roller. The driving roller is made of metal, and applies a bias to at least secondary transfer units, at least at a time of performing primary transfer to a plurality of image bearing bodies.