Abstract: A decurling device includes: a pair of decurling units configured to correct curl of a recording medium by sandwiching the recording medium; a switching unit configured to switch the pair of decurling units between a first state in which a pressure contact force is relatively large and a second state in which the pressure contact force is smaller than that in the first state; a release unit configured to release a pressure contact between the pair of decurling units; and a restricting unit configured to restrict release of the pressure contact between the pair of decurling units when the pair of decurling units are in the first state.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a device body, a fixing unit, a pair of decurling units, and an open/close unit. The fixing unit is disposed on the device body to perform a fixing operation on a recording medium, and includes a removal assistance unit to assist removal of the recording medium. The pair of decurling units are disposed on the device body to correct a curl of the recording medium by holding the recording medium therebetween. The open/close unit is openably and closeably disposed on the device body to separate, when opened, the removal assistance unit from the fixing unit and one of the decurling units from the other decurling unit.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating member that heats a developer image on a recording medium; a controlling member that controls a surface temperature of the heating member by coming into contact with an outer circumferential surface of the heating member; a measuring member that measures, on a downstream of the controlling member and on an upstream of a pressing member in a rotation direction of the heating member, the surface temperature; and a supporting unit that causes the controlling member to come into contact with and be separated from the outer circumferential surface by rotating a supporting member around a rotation fulcrum. A distance between the rotation fulcrum and a contact position at which the controlling member comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface is longer than that between the rotation fulcrum and a measurement position at which the measuring member measures the surface temperature.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating member that heats a developer image on a recording medium; a controlling member that controls a surface temperature of the heating member by coming into contact with an outer circumferential surface of the heating member; a measuring member that measures, on a downstream of the controlling member and on an upstream of a pressing member in a rotation direction of the heating member, the surface temperature; and a supporting unit that causes the controlling member to come into contact with and be separated from the outer circumferential surface by rotating a supporting member around a rotation fulcrum. A distance between the rotation fulcrum and a contact position at which the controlling member comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface is longer than that between the rotation fulcrum and a measurement position at which the measuring member measures the surface temperature.

Abstract: A developing device includes a container that contains a developer including a carrier and a toner; a transport member that is rotatably disposed in the container and that agitates and transports the developer in a rotation-axis direction thereof; a discharge outlet that has an opening in a side wall of the container facing in a direction perpendicular to the rotation-axis direction, the discharge outlet allowing the developer to be discharged to an outside of the container when a height of a surface of the developer becomes greater than a height of a lower surface of the discharge outlet; and a magnetic member that is disposed at a position that is above the lower surface of the discharge outlet and that overlaps the lower surface in an up-down direction, the magnetic member attracting a part of the developer that is lifted up by the transport member.

Abstract: A developing device includes a container that contains a developer including a carrier and a toner; a transport member that is rotatably disposed in the container and that agitates and transports the developer in a rotation-axis direction thereof; a discharge outlet that has an opening in a side wall of the container facing in a direction perpendicular to the rotation-axis direction, the discharge outlet allowing the developer to be discharged to an outside of the container when a height of a surface of the developer becomes greater than a height of a lower surface of the discharge outlet; and a magnetic member that is disposed at a position that is above the lower surface of the discharge outlet and that overlaps the lower surface in an up-down direction, the magnetic member attracting a part of the developer that is lifted up by the transport member.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer containing body having an opening and containing developer, a developer carrier that is disposed facing the opening of the developer containing body, and rotates while carrying the developer, and a seal member attached over the opening of the developer containing body to seal the gap between the developer containing body and the developer carrier. The seal member includes an upstream seal part that seals between the developer containing body, and a part of the developer carrier located upstream with respect to its rotational direction, a first side seal part that seals between the developer containing body, and one axial end side of the developer carrier, and a second side seal part that seals between the developer containing body, and the other axial end side of the developer carrier. The upstream seal part, and the first and second side seal parts are integrated together.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer carrier that has a cylindrical shape and that rotates while carrying developer to supply the developer to an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a container that contains the developer carrier, and a discharge-path forming member that is provided along an outer peripheral surface of the developer carrier, that covers a top portion of a path along which the outer peripheral surface moves, the top portion being located at an uppermost position of the path, and that forms a discharge path, through which air is discharged from inside of the container to outside of the container, between the discharge-path forming member and an inner wall surface of the container, the discharge path having an outlet located closer to the developer carrier than the top portion.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer carrier that has a cylindrical shape and that rotates while holding developer to supply the developer to an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a container that contains the developer carrier; a discharge-path forming member that forms a discharge path along which air is discharged out of the container from inside the container; and a magnetic member that generates a magnetic field that acts on the developer in the discharge path and causes the developer to stay in the discharge path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that carries an electrostatic latent image; a developer supplying unit that supplies developer by being driven at a predetermined speed; a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image, while a transporting member transports the developer, a transport speed of the transporting member being switched to a plurality of speeds; a determining unit that determines whether or not an operation where a supply capacity of the developer supplying unit is greater than a transport capacity of the developing unit exceeds a predetermined threshold value and is continued; and a controller that performs control so that, when the determining unit determines that the operation exceeds the predetermined threshold value and is continued, an operation that was being executed immediately prior to the determination is stopped to forcefully drive the transporting member of the developing unit for a predetermined driving time.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer carrier that has a cylindrical shape and that rotates while carrying developer to supply the developer to an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a container that contains the developer carrier, and a discharge-path forming member that is provided along an outer peripheral surface of the developer carrier, that covers a top portion of a path along which the outer peripheral surface moves, the top portion being located at an uppermost position of the path, and that forms a discharge path, through which air is discharged from inside of the container to outside of the container, between the discharge-path forming member and an inner wall surface of the container, the discharge path having an outlet located closer to the developer carrier than the top portion.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer carrier that has a cylindrical shape and that rotates while holding developer to supply the developer to an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a container that contains the developer carrier; a discharge-path forming member that forms a discharge path along which air is discharged out of the container from inside the container; and a magnetic member that generates a magnetic field that acts on the developer in the discharge path and causes the developer to stay in the discharge path.

Abstract: A powder container includes a container body having an opening corresponding to a powder opening of a container receiver; an open/close lid that closes the opening; a first restricting portion inclined to face a contact surface, which is located upstream of the powder opening and inclined with respect to an open/close operation direction of the open/close lid, when the container body is attached to the container receiver, the first restricting portion contacting the contact surface to restrict a position of the open/close lid in the open/close operation direction; and a second restricting portion restricting a posture of the open/close lid with respect to the container receiver in a direction in which the first restricting portion is tilted down toward the contact surface, when the container body is attached to or detached from the container receiver and a press member restricts movement of the open/close lid.

Abstract: A powder container includes a container body that can be attached to and detached from a powder processing apparatus and that includes an outer wall having an opening; a lid that covers the opening and that is held by a lid holder such that the opening is not covered by the lid when the container body is attached to the powder processing apparatus; a retaining frame that projects from the periphery of the opening and retains the lid in a movable manner; and a suppressing body that projects from the lid by an amount set such that the suppressing body does not come into contact with the outer wall when the lid is moved and such that, if the lid is inclined while being held, the suppressing body comes into contact with the outer wall to suppress the inclination of the lid before the lid is released.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developing device, a toner container, a container support member, a toner supply unit, a transfer device, a fixing device, and a restricting mechanism. The toner container includes a container housing having a container opening, a sealing member having a hole that communicates with the container opening, and a shutter member. The shutter member is slidable between a closed position and an open position at which a front end portion of the shutter member in an attachment direction at least partially overlaps with the sealing member. When the shutter member is at the open position, the front end portion is pressed in a direction away from the toner container by the sealing member, and the restricting mechanism restricts a position of a back end portion of the shutter member, the back end portion is opposed to the front end portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that carries an electrostatic latent image; a developer supplying unit that supplies developer by being driven at a predetermined speed; a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image, while a transporting member transports the developer, a transport speed of the transporting member being switched to a plurality of speeds; a determining unit that determines whether or not an operation where a supply capacity of the developer supplying unit is greater than a transport capacity of the developing unit exceeds a predetermined threshold value and is continued; and a controller that performs control so that, when the determining unit determines that the operation exceeds the predetermined threshold value and is continued, an operation that was being executed immediately prior to the determination is stopped to forcefully drive the transporting member of the developing unit for a predetermined driving time.

Abstract: A powder container includes an open/close lid that closes an opening partly formed in a container body corresponding to a powder opening of a container receiver; a first restricting portion that, upon attachment of the container body to the container receiver, contacts a contact surface formed upstream of the powder opening to restrict a position of the lid in an open/close operation direction thereof; a flexible sealing member that protrudes from an opening-side edge of an open position, and closes an opening-side portion of a gap between the contact surface and the first restricting portion; and a second restricting portion that, upon detachment of the container body, when a press member restricts movement of the lid, restricts a posture of the sealing member so as to be pressed against an edge portion of the powder opening at a position where the first restricting portion contacts the contact surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developing device, a toner container, a container support member, a toner supply unit, a transfer device, a fixing device, and a restricting mechanism. The toner container includes a container housing having a container opening, a sealing member having a hole that communicates with the container opening, and a shutter member. The shutter member is slidable between a closed position and an open position at which a front end portion of the shutter member in an attachment direction at least partially overlaps with the sealing member. When the shutter member is at the open position, the front end portion is pressed in a direction away from the toner container by the sealing member, and the restricting mechanism restricts a position of a back end portion of the shutter member, the back end portion is opposed to the front end portion.

Abstract: A removable member-holding device is provided and includes: a pull-out member that is supported so as to be movable between an accommodation position and a pull-out position; a rotatable holder that is supported by the pull-out member so as to be rotatable around a rotation shaft and supported so as to be movable integrally with the pull-out member, and that holds a removable member which is attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body, the rotatable holder being movable between an insertion possible position where the pull-out member is movable from the pull-out position toward the accommodation position and an inclined position where the rotatable holder rotates downward in a direction of a gravity around the rotation shaft and is inclined with respect to the insertion possible position; and a regulating member that is disposed at the rotation shaft of the rotatable holder to lessen a movement speed of the rotatable holder when rotationally moving to the inclined position.

Abstract: A powder container includes a container body that can be attached to and detached from a powder processing apparatus and that includes an outer wall having an opening; a lid that covers the opening and that is held by a lid holder such that the opening is not covered by the lid when the container body is attached to the powder processing apparatus; a retaining frame that projects from the periphery of the opening and retains the lid in a movable manner; and a suppressing body that projects from the lid by an amount set such that the suppressing body does not come into contact with the outer wall when the lid is moved and such that, if the lid is inclined while being held, the suppressing body comes into contact with the outer wall to suppress the inclination of the lid before the lid is released.