Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing member, a pressing member, heat generators, temperature detectors, a power source, and a heat controller. The heat generators include a first heat generator and second heat generators corresponding to an imaged area and a blank area, respectively, of a recording medium. The heat controller controls a power source according to data provided by the temperature detectors, such that a heating area of the fixing member heated by one of the second heat generators located adjacent to the first heat generator acquires a temperature of T1??T, where T1 is a temperature corresponding to the imaged area higher than a temperature T2 corresponding to the blank area, and ?T is a temperature lower than a difference between T1 and T2. The heat controller changes ?T between when a first side thereof is printed upon duplex printing and upon single-sided printing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises an image information obtainer that obtains image information, a gradation sequence processor that applies multiple types of gradation sequence processing to the image information, and a toner image formation device that forms a toner image based on the image information. A fixing device is provided to fix the toner image onto a recording medium in a fixing process. A temperature controller is also provided to change a start-up temperature of the fixing device before the fixing process. The start-up temperature is changed in accordance with inclusion of a halftone process and a type of the gradation sequence processing applied to the image information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a charger, an exposure device, a developing device, an image density sensor, and a controller. The controller is configured to charge the image bearer, expose the image bearer with a first exposure that saturates potential of the image bearer after exposure to form a latent image pattern on the image bearer, develop the latent image pattern into a toner pattern while changing a developing electrical field, detect a first image density of the toner pattern, determine developing bias and charging bias, form patterns with the first exposure and a second exposure smaller than the first exposure, detect a second image density of the patterns, and determine an exposure to output an image based on the second image density, the first exposure, and the second exposure.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member to bear a latent image on a surface thereof, a developing unit to develop the latent image on the image bearing member with toner, a driving unit to drive the developing device, a storage unit to store a cumulative travel distance of the developing roller at predetermined timing, a total travel distance of the developing unit, and control conditions for the developing unit, a controller to obtain a difference between the total travel distance of the developing roller and the cumulative travel distance up to a predetermined point in time in image forming operation and to instruct intermittent printing in which continuous printing is limited to a certain number of pages in a predetermined time period when the difference is equal to or greater than a threshold travel distance, and an operation unit in which the control conditions are set.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of continuous image formation on multiple pages includes an image bearer to bear an image, a latent image forming unit to form a latent image on the image bearer, a developing device to develop the latent image with toner, a temperature sensor to detect temperature inside the developing device or adjacent to the developing device, a controller to impose a limit on a quantity of pages in continuous image formation and cancel the limit according to a detection result generated by the temperature sensor, and a report unit to report time data indicating when the limit is imposed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing member, a pressing member, heat generators, temperature detectors, a power source, and a heat controller. The heat generators include a first heat generator and second heat generators corresponding to an imaged area and a blank area, respectively, of a recording medium. The heat controller controls a power source according to data provided by the temperature detectors, such that a heating area of the fixing member heated by one of the second heat generators located adjacent to the first heat generator acquires a temperature of T1??T, where T1 is a temperature corresponding to the imaged area higher than a temperature T2 corresponding to the blank area, and ?T is a temperature lower than a difference between T1 and T2. The heat controller changes ?T between when a first side thereof is printed upon duplex printing and upon single-sided printing.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming device including a fixing unit that fixes a first image to be fixed onto a sheet, the first image to be fixed being supported on the sheet, a target fixing temperature varying unit that varies a target fixing temperature during a time period in which a fixing process is performed, and a gradation processing unit that applies a gradation process to first image information. The target fixing temperature varying unit varies the target fixing temperature for the sheet of the recording medium to which the fixing process is applied, depending on presence or absence of a halftone process, and depending on a type of the gradation process to be utilized.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of continuous image formation on multiple pages includes an image bearer to bear an image, a latent image forming unit to form a latent image on the image bearer, a developing device to develop the latent image with toner, a temperature sensor to detect temperature inside the developing device or adjacent to the developing device, a controller to impose a limit on a quantity of pages in continuous image formation and cancel the limit according to a detection result generated by the temperature sensor, and a report unit to report time data indicating when the limit is imposed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device including a developing roller to bear a developing agent to develop a latent image formed on an image bearing member, a cooling device to reduce an internal temperature of the image forming apparatus, a controller to calculate a travel distance of the developing roller to control the cooling device, and a memory unit to store the total travel distance of the developing roller. The controller calculates the total travel distance of the developing roller every Y minutes in the last X minutes, and a difference between the latest total travel distance of the developing roller and the total travel distance stored Z minutes ago by the memory unit to obtain the total travel distance during Z minutes and operate the cooling device for W minutes after image forming operation where the difference is equal to or greater than a threshold value M.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of executing continuous image forming operation forming images on more than one page includes a temperature detector that detects internal or surrounding temperature of a developing device correspondingly changing to temperature of a developer bearer. A temperature information acquiring device acquires information of ambient temperature outside of the image forming apparatus. A controller switches a current operation mode to an intermittent image forming operation mode intermittently including a braking time period not to allow image formation and cancels the intermittent image forming operation mode in accordance with detection result of the temperature detector. The intermittent image forming operation mode allowed to continuously form images only on a prescribed limited number of sheets. The controller varies the braking time period in accordance with the ambient temperature detected by the temperature information acquiring device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a fixing unit configured to fix a not-yet-fixed image on a recording medium, includes a fixing target temperature changing part configured to change a fixing target temperature at a time of a fixing process; and a gradation processing part configured to carry out gradation processing on image information. For each sheet of a recording medium on which the fixing process is carried out, the fixing target temperature is changed based on whether halftone processing is carried out and a type of gradation processing to be used.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing member to be heated and a pressure-contacting member for pressure contacting the fixing member. The fixing apparatus directs and conveys a recording member through a nip formed between the fixing member and pressure applying member in such a manner that a toner image carried on a recording member contacts the fixing member in order to be fixed thereto with heat and pressure. The fixing apparatus is configured to direct a tip margin of the recording member toward the pressure applying member across a virtual linear extension line drawn from a downstream end to upstream end of the nip when only the tip margin exits from the nip. A fixing member side separation device may be separately provided from the surface of the fixing apparatus so as to separate the recording member exiting from the nip. A gap formed between the downstream end of the nip and the tip of the fixing member side separation device is set smaller than the width of the tip margin.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming device including a fixing unit that fixes a first image to be fixed onto a sheet, the first image to be fixed being supported on the sheet, a target fixing temperature varying unit that varies a target fixing temperature during a time period in which a fixing process is performed, and a gradation processing unit that applies a gradation process to first image information. The target fixing temperature varying unit varies the target fixing temperature for the sheet of the recording medium to which the fixing process is applied, depending on presence or absence of a halftone process, and depending on a type of the gradation process to be utilized.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a latent image carrier, a charger to evenly charge a surface of the latent image carrier, a writing device to irradiate a charged surface of the latent image carrier to form an electrostatic latent image, a writing device control unit to control the writing device, a developing device to develop the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image, a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto a transferred member, and a pre-transfer irradiating device to irradiate the charged surface of the latent image carrier during a period after development and before transfer. The writing device control unit controls the writing device based on a target image signal A and an image signal B output a single rotation of the latent image carrier after output of the target image signal A in a sub-scanning direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises an image information obtainer that obtains image information, a gradation sequence processor that applies multiple types of gradation sequence processing to the image information, and a toner image formation device that forms a toner image based on the image information. A fixing device is provided to fix the toner image onto a recording medium in a fixing process. A temperature controller is also provided to change a start-up temperature of the fixing device before the fixing process. The start-up temperature is changed in accordance with inclusion of a halftone process and a type of the gradation sequence processing applied to the image information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a fixing unit configured to fix a not-yet-fixed image on a recording medium, includes a fixing target temperature changing part configured to change a fixing target temperature at a time of a fixing process; and a gradation processing part configured to carry out gradation processing on image information. For each sheet of a recording medium on which the fixing process is carried out, the fixing target temperature is changed based on whether halftone processing is carried out and a type of gradation processing to be used.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device including a developing roller to bear a developing agent to develop a latent image formed on an image bearing member, a cooling device to reduce an internal temperature of the image forming apparatus, a controller to calculate a travel distance of the developing roller to control the cooling device, and a memory unit to store the total travel distance of the developing roller. The controller calculates the total travel distance of the developing roller every Y minutes in the last X minutes, and a difference between the latest total travel distance of the developing roller and the total travel distance stored Z minutes ago by the memory unit to obtain the total travel distance during Z minutes and operate the cooling device for W minutes after image forming operation where the difference is equal to or greater than a threshold value M.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for image fixing are disclosed. A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressure member, a heater, and a pressure controller. The fixing member and the pressure member face with each other to form a nip. The heater heats a surface of the fixing member when the fixing member rotates. The pressure controller changes a pressure generated at the nip, according to an operation of the fixing device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member to bear a latent image on a surface thereof, a developing unit to develop the latent image on the image bearing member with toner, a driving unit to drive the developing device, a storage unit to store a cumulative travel distance of the developing roller at predetermined timing, a total travel distance of the developing unit, and control conditions for the developing unit, a controller to obtain a difference between the total travel distance of the developing roller and the cumulative travel distance up to a predetermined point in time in image forming operation and to instruct intermittent printing in which continuous printing is limited to a certain number of pages in a predetermined time period when the difference is equal to or greater than a threshold travel distance, and an operation unit in which the control conditions are set.

Abstract: To provide an image bearing member protecting agent that includes at least a hydrophobic organic compound and an amphiphile organic compound. Preferred embodiments are that the hydrophobic organic compound is a hydrocarbon wax, and the hydrocarbon wax is at least a wax selected from normal paraffins, isoparaffins, and cycloparaffins; and that the amphiphile organic compound is an polyalcohol esterified compound including a nonionic surface active surfactant, and the nonionic surface active surfactant is an alkyl carboxylic acid represented by a structural formula, CnH2n+1COOH.