Abstract: An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus and a discharging device. The image forming apparatus includes a first rotatable member, a second rotatable member positioned downstream of the first rotatable member, a first driving portion for driving the first and second rotatable members, and a first controller for controlling the first driving portion. The discharging device includes a third rotatable member, a second driving portion for driving the third rotatable member, and a second controller for controlling the second driving portion. The first controller controls a driving speed of the second rotatable member depending on a driving speed of the first rotatable member and feeds the driving speed of the first rotatable member to the second controller. The second controller controls a driving speed of the third rotatable member depending on the driving speed fed from the first controller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes an image forming unit that forms an unfixed toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit that heats the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image and fixes the unfixed toner image onto the recording medium at a nip portion; a heating member and a pressurizing member that touches the heating member and forms the nip portion therebetween; a first blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the heating member; and a second blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the pressurizing member. Upon the temperature of the non-sheet-passing area of the heating member exceeding a threshold temperature, the first blower blows without the second blower blowing, then the two blowers start blowing together.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes a fixing unit configured to fix the unfixed toner image on the recording medium while conveying the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image at a nip portion. The fixing unit includes a fixing rotating member and a pressure member forming the nip portion with the fixing rotating member. The apparatus also includes: a counting portion configured to count the cumulative rotation time of the fixing rotating member and the cumulative number of startups of the fixing unit; and a notifying portion configured to performing notification of information about at least one of the lifetime expiration of the fixing unit and the necessity of replacing the fixing unit. The notifying portion performs the notification in accordance with the cumulative rotation time and the cumulative number of startups of the fixing unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording material includes: a temperature detection portion that detects the temperature of a heating member; a controller that controls the power to be supplied to the heating member so that the temperature detected by the temperature detection portion becomes the target temperature; and an acquisition portion that acquires information on a ratio of a region, where the toner image is formed, in a predetermined region located in an end portion of the recording material in a width direction thereof, and this controller changes the target temperature in accordance with the ratio.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes an image forming unit that forms an unfixed toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit that heats the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image and fixes the unfixed toner image onto the recording medium at a nip portion; a heating member and a pressurizing member that touches the heating member and forms the nip portion therebetween; a first blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the heating member; and a second blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the pressurizing member. Upon the temperature of the non-sheet-passing area of the heating member exceeding a threshold temperature, the first blower blows without the second blower blowing, then the two blowers start blowing together.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a main assembly; an image bearing member; a transfer member cooperative with the image bearing member to form a transfer portion; a voltage source for applying a voltage to the transfer member; a heater for heating the sheet having a transferred toner image; a detector for detecting a value relating to an amount of water vapor in the main assembly; and a control unit for executing a moisture removing control for reducing an amount of water vapor produced in the main assembly, by heating the sheet by the heater on the basis of the amount of change, caused by passage of the sheet in an image forming operation, of the value detected by the detector.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes an image forming unit, a fixing unit, and an output unit. The fixing unit includes a heating member and a backup member. The backup member forms a nip with the heating member. The output unit, provided on a downstream side of the nip, outputs the recording medium to an outside of the apparatus. The recording medium is conveyed at the nip with a side of the recording medium facing the heating member set as an upper side of the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes an image forming unit, a fixing unit, and an output unit. The fixing unit includes a heating member and a backup member. The backup member forms a nip with the heating member. The output unit, provided on a downstream side of the nip, outputs the recording medium to an outside of the apparatus. The recording medium is conveyed at the nip with a side of the recording medium facing the heating member set as an upper side of the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording material includes the following: a temperature detection portion that detects temperature of a heating member; a controller that controls power to be supplied to the heating member so that the temperature detected by the temperature detection portion becomes target temperature; and an acquisition portion that acquires information on a ratio of a region, where the toner image is formed, in a predetermined region located in an end portion of the recording material in a width direction thereof, and this controller changes the target temperature in accordance with the ratio.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly; an image bearing member; a transfer member cooperative with the image bearing member to form a transfer portion; a voltage source for applying a voltage to the transfer member; a heater for heating the sheet having a transferred toner image; a detector for detecting a value relating to an amount of water vapor in the main assembly; and a control unit for executing a moisture removing control for reducing an amount of water vapor producing or produced in the main assembly, by heating the sheet by the heater on the basis of a amount of change, caused by passge of the sheet in a image forming operation, of the value detected by the detector.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes: a fixing unit configured to fix the unfixed toner image on the recording medium while conveying the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image at a nip portion, the fixing unit including a fixing rotating member and a pressure member forming the nip portion with the fixing rotating member; a counting portion configured to count cumulative rotation time of the fixing rotating member and a cumulative number of startups of said fixing unit; and a notifying portion configured to notify information about at least one of lifetime expiration of the fixing unit and necessity of replacing the fixing unit, wherein the notifying portion notifies the information in accordance with the cumulative rotation time and the cumulative number of startups.

Abstract: A sheet interval, serving as the distance between conveyed recording materials, is properly controlled based on a kind of a recording material and any one of a printing ratio, an adhesion amount of toner, and the presence or absence of graphic data, thus allowing printing at throughput suitable for, for example, the kind of the recording material and the printing ratio without changing an image forming condition such that image quality does not vary.

Abstract: The present invention prevents condensation on a pressure roller and excessive temperature rise of a non-paper-passage portion of a fixing unit by switching a blower unit that cools the fixing unit between a blowing mode in which the blower unit sends air to the non-paper-passage portion and an exhausting mode in which a fan of the blower unit is rotated reversely and the air in the fixing unit is exhausted out of the apparatus.

Abstract: A heat fixing device includes a rotatable member for heating, a pressing roller configured to form a fixing nip portion that nips and conveys a recording material bearing a toner image, and a cooling fan configured to cool a recording material non-passing region in the rotatable member for heating in a direction orthogonal to a recording material conveying direction, wherein the pressing roller includes a rubber layer, between a cored bar and a release layer, containing a needle-shaped heat conductive filler oriented in a roller axis direction.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a film, a heater that contacts the inner face of the film and is capable of changing heat distribution, and a pressure member that forms the nip portion with the heater via the film, the pressure member including a region on which a diameter is increased from a center portion toward an end portion, wherein the fixing apparatus performs heater control so that a ratio of an amount of heat generation at the end portion of the heater to an amount of heat generation at the center portion of the heater is changed based on a temperature of the end portion of the pressure member, during a period at least from when the warm-up of the fixing apparatus is started until the recording material reaches the nip portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes an image forming unit that forms an unfixed toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit that heats the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image and fixes the unfixed toner image onto the recording medium at a nip portion; a heating member and a pressurizing member that touches the heating member and forms the nip portion therebetween; a first blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the heating member; and a second blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the pressurizing member. Upon the temperature of the non-sheet-passing area of the heating member exceeding a threshold temperature, the first blower blows without the second blower blowing, then the two blowers start blowing together.

Abstract: The present invention prevents condensation on a pressure roller and excessive temperature rise of a non-paper-passage portion of a fixing unit by switching a blower unit that cools the fixing unit between a blowing mode in which the blower unit sends air to the non-paper-passage portion and an exhausting mode in which a fan of the blower unit is rotated reversely and the air in the fixing unit is exhausted out of the apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a fixing device, a first fan configured to supply air to a first area of the fixing device, a second fan configured to supply air to a second area of the fixing device, a first temperature detector for detecting a temperature of the first area, a second temperature detector for detecting a temperature of the second area, and a control unit configured to start to operate the first fan and the second fan, wherein, when a displacement amount of a recording material with respect to a conveyance reference is a predetermined amount or larger and when the recording material is displaced toward the first area, the control unit sets a temperature for starting to drive the second fan to be lower than a temperature that is set when the positional displacement amount is less than the predetermined amount.

Abstract: The present invention prevents condensation on a pressure roller and excessive temperature rise of a non-paper-passage portion of a fixing unit by switching a blower unit that cools the fixing unit between a blowing mode in which the blower unit sends air to the non-paper-passage portion and an exhausting mode in which a fan of the blower unit is rotated reversely and the air in the fixing unit is exhausted out of the apparatus.

Abstract: A reversely-rotatable roller conveys a sheet having an image formed on its one side at a sheet conveying velocity faster than that of a conveying roller by normal rotation and then, the reversely-rotatable roller conveys the sheet to a re-conveying path by reverse rotation. The sheet conveying velocity of the reversely-rotatable roller when the reversely-rotatable roller reversely rotates is made slower than the sheet conveying velocity when the reversely-rotatable roller normally rotates so that the sheet conveying velocity of the re-conveying roller is substantially equal to or slower than the sheet conveying velocity of the conveying roller.