Abstract: A waste toner collecting device includes: a tubular member provided with a toner inlet and a toner outlet; a roller that is provided upstream of the toner outlet in a toner transport direction inside the tubular member, that has a substantially horizontal rotation axis line, and that is elliptical in vertical section; a scraper that is provided on an inner wall of the tubular member on a downstream side of the toner outlet in a rotation direction of the roller, an edge of the scraper being in contact with the roller; and a waste toner collecting bag that is inflatable and is attached to the toner outlet of the tubular member.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus having a structure in which the positioning accuracy of the optical instruments related to image processing are hardly influenced from the condition of the installation surface of the apparatus body. Near the edges of floor plate 60 forming the undersurface of the body of image processing apparatus A, four legs 61, 62, 63a, and 63b are provided in a protruding manner in three points forming generally a triangle, and optical unit X1 in which the optical instruments are mounted is supported by vertical positioning plate 6a or horizontal positioning plate 6a, which are a part of the apparatus body's structure, in three points forming a triangle in the same direction as the triangle formed by Legs 61, 62, and 63 in three points when viewed from underneath, and then, these three points are arranged in the position near each of the three points provided with legs 61, 62, and 63 when viewed from underneath.

Abstract: A belt fixing unit has a fixing roller and a pressing roller that are provided in a pair midway along a transport passage through which paper having a toner image formed thereon is transported from bottom to top approximately in a vertical direction and that fix the toner image on the paper, a heating roller that is provided parallel to and in a position approximately horizontal to the fixing roller and that incorporates a heater for heating the fixing roller, and a fixing belt that is formed as an endless belt and that is wound around and between the fixing roller and the heating roller. A non-contact temperature sensor for controlling the fixing temperature is provided on a non-contact basis in the paper passage region on the surface of the upper one of the parts of the fixing belt facing each other up and down between the fixing roller and the heating roller.

Abstract: A fixing device is provided with a fixing roller and a pressure roller that presses against the fixing roller, and is configured such that an endless belt that is wound around a plurality of belt support rollers presses against the fixing roller and the fixing roller is heated via the endless belt by heat from a heating means mounted inside at least one of the plurality of belt support rollers, wherein the pressure roller is configured to be capable of relatively pressing against and moving apart from the fixing roller and the endless belt is configured to be capable of relatively pressing against and moving apart from the fixing roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer belt that is formed of an endless belt; a plurality of image forming units that are so arranged as to be aligned in a transfer belt conveyance direction; a plurality of toner supply containers that are detachably fitted, on one end side in the direction orthogonal to the transfer belt conveyance direction, in correspondence with the plurality of image forming units; an optical sensor that is provided in opposition to the transfer belt; and a cleaning member that is biased toward the one end side in the direction orthogonal to the transfer belt conveyance direction and that cleans a detection surface of the optical sensor in conjunction with replacement operation for one particular toner supply container among the plurality of toner supply containers.

Abstract: A belt fixing unit has a fixing roller and a pressing roller that are provided in a pair midway along a transport passage through which paper having a toner image formed thereon is transported from bottom to top approximately in a vertical direction and that fix the toner image on the paper, a heating roller that is provided parallel to and in a position approximately horizontal to the fixing roller and that incorporates a heater for heating the fixing roller, and a fixing belt that is formed as an endless belt and that is wound around and between the fixing roller and the heating roller. A non-contact temperature sensor for controlling the fixing temperature is provided on a non-contact basis in the paper passage region on the surface of the upper one of the parts of the fixing belt facing each other up and down between the fixing roller and the heating roller.

Abstract: An image forming device has image forming units 3-6, a transfer belt 7, a position detection unit 19, a concentration sensor 23, and an adjustment unit. A toner image is formed on the surfaces of the image forming units 3-6, and transferred onto the transfer belt 7. The position detection unit 19 detects a predetermined position on the surface of the transfer belt 7. On the predetermined position, the concentration sensor 23 detects first information relating to the color of the surface of the transfer belt 7. The concentration sensor 23 detects second information relating to the color of the pattern image that is formed on the predetermined position. The adjustment unit adjusts toner concentration at the time of forming an image based on the first information and the second information detected by the concentration sensor 23.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes photoconductive drums aligned side by side for toner images in colors to be formed on peripheral surfaces thereof. A transfer belt turns while stretched over rollers for the toner images to be transferred thereon by being superimposed one another as a surface thereof abuts on the peripheral surfaces of the photoconductive drums. A transfer roller transfers the toner images from the transfer belt onto a recording sheet. The transfer belt uses the position of the transfer roller as a turning position and turns to have a first side that moves in a first direction towards the turning position while abutting the peripheral surfaces of the photoconductive drums and a second side that moves opposite to the first direction using the turning position as a starting point. A cooling mechanism cools the transfer belt by circulating taken-in outside air along a surface of the second side.

Abstract: A fixing device is provided with a fixing roller and a pressure roller that presses against the fixing roller, and is configured such that an endless belt that is wound around a plurality of belt support rollers presses against the fixing roller and the fixing roller is heated via the endless belt by heat from a heating means mounted inside at least one of the plurality of belt support rollers, wherein the pressure roller is configured to be capable of relatively pressing against and moving apart from the fixing roller and the endless belt is configured to be capable of relatively pressing against and moving apart from the fixing roller.

Abstract: A sensor cleaning mechanism is arranged on a transport/transfer belt unit having a photosensor mounted thereon. The transport/transfer belt unit is detachably arranged on a main body of an image forming device. The sensor cleaning mechanism includes a cleaning arm that is pivotably mounted on a frame of the transport/transfer belt unit, and a cleaning member that is arranged on the cleaning arm and capable of cleaning the surface of the photosensor. With the transport/transfer belt unit mounted in the main body of the image forming device, the cleaning member of the cleaning arm will placed in a stowed position away from the surface of the photosensor, and when a user removes the transport/transfer belt unit from the main portion of the image forming device, the cleaning member of the cleaning arm will pivot to a position that covers the surface of the photosensor and cleans the same.

Abstract: A developing device including a first developing roller and a roller drive mechanism is disclosed. The first developing roller comprises a tubular sleeve, on the surface of which developer is supplied, and a magnetic roller that comprises a drawing magnetic pole for drawing developer and a peel-off magnetic pole for peeling off developer, both of which are arranged on the inner circumference of the sleeve. The drawing magnetic pole is arranged to be adjacent to and upstream of the peel-off magnetic pole in the first rotational direction, in which the magnetic roller rotates during an image forming operation. The roller drive mechanism rotates the magnetic roller in the first rotational direction during the image forming operation, and can rotate the magnetic roller in a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with a cooling fan for cooling toner boxes within the apparatus. The outlet of the cooling fan and the toner boxes are connected by flexible tubes, respectively. This makes it possible to connect the cooling fan with the toner boxes even if there is not sufficient space, thereby enabling cooling of the toner boxes.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a paper feeding cassette which selectively stores at least two kinds of paper sheets having different size with respect to a paper feeding direction, and includes a posterior end cursor which restricts a posterior end position of the stored paper sheets with respect to the paper feeding direction, wherein the height of the posterior end cursor is changeable. According to this construction, a smaller space is provided to stack large-sized paper sheets which are not frequently used while a larger space is provided to stack small-sized paper sheets which are frequently used can be reserved.

Abstract: A toner cartridge (20) has a shutter (40) adapted to be changed between a closed posture (S1) and an open posture (S1) for opening a toner supply port (322), a lever (50) to be operated manually to change the posture of the shutter (40), and a postural-change restriction mechanism (60) for controlling a postural change of the shutter (40). The postural-change restriction mechanism (60) includes a lock groove (53) in the lever (50), and a restriction pawl (62) integrally formed with a cartridge body (30). The restriction pawl (62) engages the lock groove (53) when the lever (50) is operated to set the shutter (40) in the closed posture (S1), to block a postural change of the shutter (40), and to be elastically deformed when the cartridge body (30) is attached to a development device, in a manner to allow the postural change.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer belt that is formed of an endless belt; a plurality of image forming units that are so arranged as to be aligned in a transfer belt conveyance direction; a plurality of toner supply containers that are detachably fitted, on one end side in the direction orthogonal to the transfer belt conveyance direction, in correspondence with the plurality of image forming units; an optical sensor that is provided in opposition to the transfer belt; and a cleaning member that is biased toward the one end side in the direction orthogonal to the transfer belt conveyance direction and that cleans a detection surface of the optical sensor in conjunction with replacement operation for one particular toner supply container among the plurality of toner supply containers.

Abstract: A pair of fixing section discharge rollers 24 is arranged on the downstream side, with respect to the paper conveying direction, of a fixing section 20 including a fixing roller 21 and a pressing roller 22. Near the fixing section 20, a openable section 40 is provided that makes externally accessible the paper conveying passage on the downstream side of the fixing section 20. The openable section 40 has the axis of its pivot portion 41 aligned with the axis of the pressing roller 22, and is rotatable about the pivot portion 41. The fixing section discharge rollers 24 are mounted on the openable section 40. If a paper jam occurs on the downstream side of the fixing section 20, when the openable section 40 is opened, a wide space is secured on the downstream side of the fixing section 20, and the paper P stuck in the conveying nip between the fixing section discharge rollers 24 is automatically brought outward.

Abstract: A belt fixing unit has a fixing roller and a pressing roller that are provided in a pair midway along a transport passage through which paper having a toner image formed thereon is transported from bottom to top approximately in a vertical direction and that fix the toner image on the paper, a heating roller that is provided parallel to and in a position approximately horizontal to the fixing roller and that incorporates a heater for heating the fixing roller, and a fixing belt that is formed as an endless belt and that is wound around and between the fixing roller and the heating roller. A non-contact temperature sensor for controlling the fixing temperature is provided on a non-contact basis in the paper passage region on the surface of the upper one of the parts of the fixing belt facing each other up and down between the fixing roller and the heating roller.

Abstract: The object of this invention is to provide an image processing apparatus having a structure in which the positioning accuracy of the optical instruments related to image processing are hardly influenced from the condition of the installation surface of the apparatus body. Near the edges of Floor plate 60 forming the undersurface of the body of Image processing apparatus A, four Legs 61, 62, 63a, and 63b are provided in a protruding manner in three points forming generally a triangle, and Optical unit X1 in which the optical instruments are mounted is supported by Vertical positioning plate 6a or Horizontal positioning plate 7a, which are a part of the apparatus body's structure, in three points forming a triangle in the same direction as the triangle formed by Legs 61, 62, and 63 in three points when viewed from underneath, and then, these three points are arranged in the position near each of the three points provided with Legs 61, 62, and 63 when viewed from underneath.

Abstract: A sensor cleaning mechanism is arranged on a transport/transfer belt unit having a photosensor mounted thereon. The transport/transfer belt unit is detachably arranged on a main body of an image forming device. The sensor cleaning mechanism includes a cleaning arm that is pivotably mounted on a frame of the transport/transfer belt unit, and a cleaning member that is arranged on the cleaning arm and capable of cleaning the surface of the photosensor. With the transport/transfer belt unit mounted in the main body of the image forming device, the cleaning member of the cleaning arm will placed in a stowed position away from the surface of the photosensor, and when a user removes the transport/transfer belt unit from the main portion of the image forming device, the cleaning member of the cleaning arm will pivot to a position that covers the surface of the photosensor and cleans the same.