Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a toner image forming section for forming toner images on the image bearing member, whereby the toner image forming section forms a detection patch on the image bearing member; a transfer member for contacting the image bearing member to form a transfer nip portion, and electrically transferring the toner image to the recording material in the transfer nip portion; a detector for detecting the detection patch; a controller for variably controlling a toner image forming condition based on the detection result of the detector; and a toner removing section for forming a cleaning electric field to remove toner adhering to the transfer member when the inter-toner image area passes through the transfer nip portion. The electric field electrostatically moves the toner adhering to the transfer member to the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable image bearing member; a toner image forming unit which repeatedly forms plural toner images in the image bearing member; a detection toner image forming unit which forms a detection toner image in an inter-image area between the toner image and the toner image on the image bearing member; a transfer member which is in contact with an area in the image bearing member through intervention of a recording material, the toner image being formed in the area, the transfer member being in contact with the inter-image area with no recording material, the transfer member electrostatically transferring the toner image formed in the image bearing member to the recording material; a detecting unit which detects the detection toner image on the image bearing member; a controlling unit which variably controls a toner image forming condition of the toner image forming unit based on the detection result; and a toner removing unit which forms a cleaning electric field to remove ton

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a belt member for bearing and moving a toner image; a tension roller for supporting the belt member and imparting tension to the belt member; a transferring device for transferring the toner image borne by the belt member to a recording material; a blade member which is in contact with a portion of the belt member supported by the tension roller to be at an acute angle on a downstream side with respect to a moving direction of the belt member and which removes toner on the belt member; a supporting member for supporting the blade member; a fixing member which fixes on the supporting member a substantial central portion of the blade member in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the belt member so that the blade member is rotatable; and a cushion member which is disposed between the fixing member and the blade member and which is deformed to urge the blade member, wherein the cushion member is disposed on a side opposite to the belt member with respect to th

Abstract: An image forming apparatus features a toner removing unit which forms a cleaning electric field to remove toner adhering to a transfer member. The cleaning electric field electrostatically moves the toner adhering to the transfer member to an image bearing member while the transfer member is in contact with an inter-image area, wherein, a time when the toner removing unit forms the cleaning electric field is T1 in the case where the detection toner image is formed prior to the formation of the cleaning electric field in the inter-image area with which the transfer member is in contact, and a time when the toner removing unit forms the cleaning electric field is T2 in the case where the detection toner image is not formed in the inter-image area with which the transfer member is in contact, where T1 is longer than T2.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus including: an image heating member, which heats an image on a recording material in a nip portion; an air blower, which blows air toward an air blowing port to cool a predetermined area of the image heating member; and a shutter, which opens and closes the air blowing port, in which the shutter is kept at a closed position when a temperature of the predetermined area of the image heating member is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, whereby a temperature rise in a non-sheet passing portion can be efficiently reduced by using the small air blower without lowering the productivity when small-size recording materials are continuously passed nor reducing the lifetime of the air blower.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus including: an image heating member for heating an image formed on a sheet at a nip portion; a temperature detector for detecting temperature of a predetermined region of the image heating member; a cooler for cooling the predetermined region; and an activating device for activating the cooler to perform a cooling operation in accordance with an output of the temperature detector, wherein the apparatus has a first mode of stopping a cooling operation in accordance with an output of the temperature detector; and a second mode of stopping the cooling operation in accordance with an end of image heating processing irrespective of the output of the temperature detecting device. The image heating apparatus is capable of suppressing unnecessary energy consumption, and of eliminating uneven glossiness due to a reduced temperature region at a boundary between a sheet passing portion and a non-sheet passing portion.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus including: a heating rotary member, which heats an image on a recording material in a nip portion; an air blowing unit, which blows air toward an air blowing port to cool a predetermined area of the heating rotary member; and a shutter, which opens and closes the air blowing port, wherein a cooling operation can be performed continuously with the shutter opened after image heating processing is completed, whereby a downtime required for making the temperature distribution over the entire heating area uniform after the continuous sheet supply of small-size recording materials is reduced remarkably.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; toner image formation means for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; removing means for removing deposited matter deposited on the image bearing member; detecting means for detecting a toner image to be detected, formed on the toner image formation means; control means for controlling a toner image forming condition of the toner image forming means in accordance with a result of detection of the toner image to be detected by the detecting means; the apparatus being operable in a mode in which the removing means operates to remove the deposition, and the detecting means operates to detect the toner image to be detected, executing means for executing an operation in the mode; and an operating portion for manually starting execution of the operation in the mode by the executing means.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a belt member for bearing and moving a toner image; a tension roller for supporting the belt member and imparting tension to the belt member; a transferring device for transferring the toner image borne by the belt member to a recording material; a blade member which is in contact with a portion of the belt member supported by the tension roller to be at an acute angle on a downstream side with respect to a moving direction of the belt member and which removes toner on the belt member; a supporting member for supporting the blade member; a fixing member which fixes on the supporting member a substantial central portion of the blade member in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the belt member so that the blade member is rotatable; and a cushion member which is disposed between the fixing member and the blade member and which is deformed to urge the blade member, wherein the cushion member is disposed on a side opposite to the belt member with respect to th

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member; a toner image formation means for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; a transfer member, contactable to the image bearing member, for transferring a toner image from the image bearing member onto a recording material in a transfer region; a voltage source for applying a first bias voltage to the transfer member when the transfer member transfers the toner image onto the recording material; executing means for executing, in absence of the recording material in the transfer region, a toner application mode operation for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member onto the transfer member by application, from the voltage source to the transfer member, of a second bias voltage having a polarity which is the same as that of the first bias voltage and which is different from that of the first bias voltage.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable image bearing member; a toner image forming unit which repeatedly forms plural toner images in the image bearing member; a detection toner image forming unit which forms a detection toner image in an inter-image area between the toner image and the toner image on the image bearing member; a transfer member which is in contact with an area in the image bearing member through intervention of a recording material, the toner image being formed in the area, the transfer member being in contact with the inter-image area with no recording material, the transfer member electrostatically transferring the toner image formed in the image bearing member to the recording material; a detecting unit which detects the detection toner image on the image bearing member; a controlling unit which variably controls a toner image forming condition of the toner image forming unit based on the detection result; and a toner removing unit which forms a cleaning electric field to remove ton