Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member that is rotatable, a toner image forming portion that is able to form a toner image to be transferred to a transfer material and a control toner image not to be transferred to a transfer material on the image bearing member, a transfer member that transfers the toner image formed on the image bearing member to the transfer material, a detecting portion that detects a density of the control toner image, an adjustment portion that adjusts a toner image formation condition of the toner image forming portion based on an output of the detecting portion, a cleaning member that electrostatically cleans the transfer member, and a controller which changes a voltage or a current to be applied between the transfer member and the cleaning member based on the density of the control toner image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an image forming device for forming a toner image on the image bearing member, a recording material, a transfer device for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member to the recording material, a transfer belt for carrying the recording material, a first cleaning member, a second cleaning member, and a voltage control device. When continuously forming toner images on sheets of the recording material, a detection toner image is formed on the image bearing member between images to be formed on sheets of the recording material. The first cleaning member cleans the image bearing member. The second cleaning member cleans the transfer belt. The voltage control device controls the voltage applied to the transfer device so that the number of operations to clean the detection toner image is higher for the second cleaning member than the first cleaning member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; an image forming portion for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; an intermediary transfer belt for carrying the toner image transferred from the image bearing member; a transfer belt for carrying and conveying a recording material; an attraction portion for electrostatically attracting the recording material to the transfer belt; a transfer portion for transferring the toner image from the intermediary transfer belt onto the recording material attracted to the transfer belt; and an electrode member, disposed downstream of the attraction portion and upstream of the transfer portion with respect to a movement direction of the transfer belt, being contacted to an inner surface of the transfer belt.

Abstract: An elastic layer and a top layer of an intermediate transfer belt are configured such that an elastic modulus in a sub-scanning direction is larger than an elastic modulus in a main-scanning direction. Accordingly, when a toner image is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt, a pressure applied to and affect on a toner is reduced as well as deformation at a sliding-contact portion between the intermediate transfer belt and a cleaning blade can be suppressed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member which bears a toner image; a transfer roller which transfers the toner image on the image bearing member, and has different rotational velocities when the transfer roller is in contact with and separated from the image bearing member; a cleaning member which removes toner adhering to the transfer roller when the transfer roller is in contact with and separated from the image bearing member; and control unit which changes voltages applied to the cleaning member such that a value of a current flowing between the transfer roller and the cleaning member when the transfer roller is in contact with the image bearing member and a value of a current flowing between the transfer roller and the cleaning member when the transfer roller is separated from the image bearing member are different from each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a rotatable transfer roller, a contact separation unit, a driving force transmission portion, a cleaning member, and a control portion. The cleaning member cleans the transfer roller in: (i) a first mode in which the transfer roller rotates with a first peripheral velocity difference while the transfer roller is in contact with the image bearing member, and (ii) a second mode in which the transfer roller rotates with a second peripheral velocity difference while the transfer roller is separated from the image bearing member. The control portion controls a voltage applied to the cleaning member such that a value of the voltage in the first mode or the second mode, which has a smaller peripheral velocity difference between the first peripheral velocity difference and the second peripheral velocity difference, is smaller than the value of the voltage in the other mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has: an intermediate transfer member to which a primary transfer voltage having a positive polarity is applied and the toner image is primarily transferred in which a reverse voltage having a negative polarity is applied; a primary transfer device which primarily transfers the toner image by applying the primary transfer voltage; a secondary transfer device which secondarily transfers the toner image by applying a secondary transfer voltage; and a resistance adjusting device which controls at least either the primary transfer device or the secondary transfer device in such a manner that while the intermediate transfer member rotates once, a first correction voltage is applied to the area where the primary transfer voltage has been applied and a second correction voltage higher than the first voltage is applied to the area where the reverse voltage has been applied.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a pair of regulating members, for regulating movement of a recording material conveyed from a secondary transfer portion toward an intermediary transfer belt side, configured to be contactable to the recording material at both end portions with respect to a width direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the recording material; a moving mechanism capable of moving a position of the pair of regulating members with respect to the width direction; a recording material size detecting portion for obtaining width information of the recording material with respect to the width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction; and a width control portion for controlling the moving mechanism so that the pair of regulating members to a position correspondingly to the width information obtained by the recording material size detecting portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is capable of reducing the time when it is unable to perform image formation due to a temperature change of an image bearing member. The apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member; an electrostatic image forming device for continuously forming electrostatic images on the image bearing member based on forming image amount information; a toner image forming device for developing the electrostatic image and forming a toner image; a primary transferring device for transferring the toner image on the image bearing member to a rotatable intermediate transferring member; a simultaneously transferring and fixing device for transferring the toner image on the intermediate transferring member to a recording material and heating and fixing it; a detector detects a temperature of the image bearing member; and a starting device starts the electrostatic image forming device based on a detection result and the forming image amount information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member for bearing a toner image and a contact transfer member. The contact transfer member has a temperature-dependent resistance value and contacts the image bearing member. The contract transfer member is applied with a voltage so as to transfer the toner image on the image bearing member to a transfer material, wherein the contact transfer member is heated or cooled in such a way that the resistance value of the contact transfer member is changed in response to the type of the transfer material.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has: an intermediate transfer member to which a primary transfer voltage having a positive polarity is applied and the toner image is primarily transferred in which a reverse voltage having a negative polarity is applied; a primary transfer device which primarily transfers the toner image by applying the primary transfer voltage; a secondary transfer device which secondarily transfers the toner image by applying a secondary transfer voltage; and a resistance adjusting device which controls at least either the primary transfer device or the secondary transfer device in such a manner that while the intermediate transfer member rotates once, a first correction voltage is applied to the area where the primary transfer voltage has been applied and a second correction voltage higher than the first voltage is applied to the area where the reverse voltage has been applied.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus using simultaneously transferring and fixing means and capable of reducing time unable to perform image formation due to temperature change of an image bearing member, the apparatus including: a rotatable image bearing member; electrostatic image forming means capable of continuously forming electrostatic images on the image bearing member based on forming image amount information; toner image forming means for developing the electrostatic image on the image bearing member and forming a toner image; primary transferring means for transferring the toner image on the image bearing member to a rotatable intermediate transferring member; simultaneously transferring and fixing means for transferring the toner image on the intermediate transferring member to a recording material and heating and fixing it; image bearing member detecting means for detecting temperature of the image bearing member; and starting means for starting electrostatic

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is capable of reducing the time when it is unable to perform image formation due to a temperature change of an image bearing member. The apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member; an electrostatic image forming device for continuously forming electrostatic images on the image bearing member based on forming image amount information; a toner image forming device for developing the electrostatic image and forming a toner image; a primary transferring device for transferring the toner image on the image bearing member to a rotatable intermediate transferring member; a simultaneously transferring and fixing device for transferring the toner image on the intermediate transferring member to a recording material and heating and fixing it; a detector detects a temperature of the image bearing member; and a starting device starts the electrostatic image forming means based on a detection result and the forming image amount information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member which bears a toner image; a transfer roller which transfers the toner image on the image bearing member, and has different rotational velocities when the transfer roller is in contact with and separated from the image bearing member; a cleaning member which removes toner adhering to the transfer roller when the transfer roller is in contact with and separated from the image bearing member; and control unit which changes voltages applied to the cleaning member such that a value of a current flowing between the transfer roller and the cleaning member when the transfer roller is in contact with the image bearing member and a value of a current flowing between the transfer roller and the cleaning member when the transfer roller is separated from the image bearing member are different from each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member for bearing a toner image and a contact transfer member. The contact transfer member has a temperature-dependent resistance value and contacts the image bearing member. The contract transfer member is applied with a voltage so as to transfer the toner image on the image bearing member to a transfer material, wherein the contact transfer member is heated or cooled in such a way that the resistance value of the contact transfer member is changed in response to the type of the transfer material.

Abstract: A system and method for determining, during a pre-rotation period, a proper transfer bias for colors, e.g. YMCK. These proper transfer bias voltages are applied to a primary transfer roller, which enables proper transfer of color images from a photoconductive drum. Four exposure bias voltages for each of YMCK are determined. The first exposure bias voltage for Y is applied to the photoconductive drum, while three predetermined voltages are applied to a primary transfer roller in order to obtain corresponding currents and a voltage/current relationship thereof, from which a proper transfer bias voltage for Y is determined. For all subsequent colors, a proper transfer bias voltage for each subsequent color is determined by employing the Y exposure bias voltage and the exposure bias voltage for each the subsequent colors, MCK. In an exemplary embodiment, it is noted that the proper transfer voltages are obtained during pre-rotation in which the primary transfer roller rotates no more than three times.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a latent image forming portion for forming an electrostatic latent image on an image bearing member; a plurality of developing portions for developing the electrostatic latent image on the image bearing member with a developer; a primary transferring portion for transferring by sequentially superposing each developer image developed by the plurality of developing portions on an intermediate transferring member; a secondary transferring portion for collectively transferring onto a transferring material the developer images transferred by being superposed on the intermediate transferring member; and a charging portion for charging the developer images on the image bearing member; wherein the charging portion decides a charging condition in accordance with the order of transferring the developer images onto the intermediate transferring member.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus using simultaneously transferring and fixing means and capable of reducing time unable to perform image formation due to temperature change of an image bearing member, the apparatus including: a rotatable image bearing member; electrostatic image forming means capable of continuously forming electrostatic images on the image bearing member based on forming image amount information; toner image forming means for developing the electrostatic image on the image bearing member and forming a toner image; primary transferring means for transferring the toner image on the image bearing member to a rotatable intermediate transferring member; simultaneously transferring and fixing means for transferring the toner image on the intermediate transferring member to a recording material and heating and fixing it; image bearing member detecting means for detecting temperature of the image bearing member; and starting means for starting electrostatic

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a latent image forming portion for forming an electrostatic latent image on an image bearing member; a plurality of developing portions for developing the electrostatic latent image on the image bearing member with a developer; a primary transferring portion for transferring by sequentially superposing each developer image developed by the plurality of developing portions on an intermediate transferring member; a secondary transferring portion for collectively transferring onto a transferring material the developer images transferred by being superposed on the intermediate transferring member; and a charging portion for charging the developer images on the image bearing member; wherein the charging portion decides a charging condition in accordance with the order of transferring the developer images onto the intermediate transferring member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a latent image forming portion for forming an electrostatic latent image on an image bearing member; a plurality of developing portions for developing the electrostatic latent image on the image bearing member with a developer; a primary transferring portion for transferring by sequentially superposing each developer image developed by the plurality of developing portions on an intermediate transferring member; a secondary transferring portion for collectively transferring onto a transferring material the developer images transferred by being superposed on the intermediate transferring member; and a charging portion for charging the developer images on the image bearing member; wherein the charging portion decides a charging condition in accordance with the order of transferring the developer images onto the intermediate transferring member.