Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a polygon mirror; a first optical sensor; a second optical sensor; and a controller configured to (a) determine a second-beam exposure standby time which is a time period from a timing when the first beam deflected by a first surface of the polygon mirror has been detected by the first sensor to a timing when scanning exposure of the second beam deflected by a second surface of the polygon mirror is started, based on a measured time which is a time period from the timing of detection by the first sensor to a timing of detection of the second beam by the second sensor and (b) start the scanning exposure of the second beam deflected by the second surface when the second-beam exposure standby time elapses after the first beam deflected by the first surface has been detected by the first optical sensor.

Abstract: A method for welding a developing blade to a supporting member may include increasing a relative movement speed of a welding laser and a developing blade, along a moving direction. The method may include maintaining, upon the welding laser reaching the developing blade, the relative movement speed and initiating irradiation of the welding laser toward the developing blade and the supporting member.

Abstract: There is provided an exposure device including an exposure head having a light-emitting member which has a plurality of light-emitting sections arranged in a row and a casing which holds the light-emitting member and which is elongated in a longitudinal direction orthogonal to an optical axis direction of a light emitted from the light-emitting sections; and an elongated frame member fixed to the casing and having a reference portion at which the frame member is positioned with respect to the light-emitting sections; wherein the frame member is fixed to the casing such that the frame member is positioned with respect to the light-emitting sections in both of the longitudinal direction and a width direction of the casing, the width direction being orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and the optical axis direction. The exposure device is capable of performing exposure precisely at a desired exposure position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with: a main body; a photosensitive member, and a developing cartridge having a developer carrier that rotates about an axis line. The main body includes: an urging member configured to urge the developing cartridge; and a first guide configured to guide the developing cartridge. The developing cartridge includes an end portion in the axis line, the end portion having a guided part configured to be guided by the first guide of the main body. The developing cartridge is configured to rotate about the guided part between a first position at which the urging member cannot urge the developing cartridge and a second position at which the urging member can urge the developing cartridge. The developer carrier is spaced apart from the photosensitive member when the developing cartridge is located at the second position.

Abstract: Aspects include an apparatus, a blade assembly, and a method for manufacturing the apparatus with the blade assembly. The apparatus may include a developer carrier for carrying developer and a blade assembly. The blade assembly may include a blade disposed adjacent to the developer carrier and configured to regulate an amount of developer on the developer carrier. The blade may include a plurality of weld marks joining the blade to the supporting member. Each of the plurality of weld marks may overlap with an adjacent one of the plurality of weld marks. Together the weld marks may form a combined weld mark that extends in a direction that the blade extends.

Abstract: An exposing unit has a plurality of light emitters arranged in a main scanning direction. The exposing unit is configured to form a scanning line by exposing an image surface in the main scanning direction, and to form a plurality of pixels arrayed in the main scanning direction by sequentially forming a plurality of scanning lines shifted in a sub-scanning direction. A clock generator is configured to generate frequency-spread clocks having frequency that is spread with a particular modulation cycle. A driver is configured to drive the exposing unit to emit light during a lighting period based on the frequency-spread clocks. The driver sets an interval of exposure start time of the plurality of scanning lines. At least one interval is different from a reference period obtained by dividing a period for forming the pixels arrayed in the main scanning direction by a number of the plurality of scanning lines.

Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing a developing device including a developer carrier having a rotation axis extending in a first direction, a blade and including a first end portion and a second end portion, and a supporting member supporting the blade. The method includes the steps of positioning the blade, and welding the blade onto the supporting member by irradiating a laser beam onto the blade while moving at least one of the blade and the laser beam relative to the other of the blade and the laser beam. The positioning includes positioning the first end portion in the first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and positioning the second end portion in the second direction without being positioned with respect to the first direction. The welding includes moving the laser beam from a first end portion side toward a second end portion side.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a photoconductive body, an exposure unit configured with a plurality of light emitting elements aligned in a predetermined direction, the exposure unit being adopted to expose the photoconductive body to light emitted by the light emitting elements, a frame configured to support both sides of the exposure unit in the predetermined direction, the frame having a reference portion configured to position the exposure unit in the predetermined direction in contact with an end of the exposure unit in the predetermined direction, and a pressing member provided to one of the frame and the exposure unit, the pressing member being configured to press the end of the exposure unit against the reference portion.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a photoconductor cartridge including a photoconductor is removably installed in a housing, a transfer unit configured to transfer a developer image onto a sheet in a transfer position is disposed in contact with the photoconductor, a developer cartridge is removably installed in the housing, and a fixing unit is configured to fix a developer image on the sheet in a fixing position. The housing has a first opening provided behind the transfer unit opposite to the photoconductor, and a second opening provided separate from the first opening. The photoconductor cartridge can be removed from and installed into the housing through the to first opening. The developer cartridge can be removed from and installed into the housing through the second opening. The photoconductor cartridge includes a chute that extends between the transfer position and the fixing unit to guide the sheet toward the fixing unit.

Abstract: A developing blade apparatus may include a supporting a protrusion and a developing blade connected to the supporting member and including an opening. The protrusion of the supporting member may be disposed within the opening. The developing blade may include a plurality of weld marks that includes a first weld mark and a second weld mark. The protrusion and the opening are disposed between the first weld mark and the second weld mark on an imaginary straight line connecting the first weld mark and the second weld mark.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive member; an exposing unit which is opposed to the photosensitive member, and which includes a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in an arrangement direction to expose the photosensitive member; and a body frame which is provided at both sides of the exposing unit in the arrangement direction. The body frame is made of a conductive member. The exposing unit includes an exposing unit body having an exterior made of a resin; and an electrically conductive holding member which is longer than the exposing unit body in the arrangement direction, and which holds the exposing unit body, wherein the holding member is electrically connected to the body frame to be grounded.

Abstract: An exposing unit forms a scanning line by exposing an image surface in a main scanning direction, and forms a plurality of pixels arrayed in the main scanning direction by sequentially forming a plurality of scanning lines shifted in a sub-scanning direction. A clock generator generates frequency-spread clocks having frequency that is spread with a particular modulation period and that changes in accordance with a modulated waveform corresponding to the particular modulation period. A driver drives the exposing unit to emit light during light emitting time that is determined from the frequency-spread clocks. The plurality of scanning lines is formed with respective phases of the modulated waveform. The phases corresponding to the plurality of scanning lines are shifted from each other for compensating, among the plurality of scanning lines, deviations of the light emitting time relative to a reference value, for each of the plurality of pixels.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: plural photosensitive members; plural exposing units opposed to the photosensitive members, respectively, each of the exposing units including a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a first direction; and a body frame which is provided at both sides of the exposing units in the first direction. Each of the exposing units includes: a gap maintaining member which abuts a respective one of the photosensitive members to define a distance between the exposing unit and the photosensitive member; a first-direction positioning portion which abuts the body frame in the first direction to position the exposing unit in the first direction; and a second-direction positioning portion which abuts the body frame in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and an exposing direction of the light emitting elements, to position the exposing unit in the second direction.

Abstract: Aspects include an apparatus, a blade assembly, and a method for manufacturing the apparatus with the blade assembly. The apparatus may include a developer carrier for carrying developer and a blade assembly. The blade assembly may include a blade disposed adjacent to the developer carrier and configured to regulate an amount of developer on the developer carrier. The blade may include a weld mark joining the blade to the supporting member. A first dimension of the weld mark in a first direction may be greater than a second dimension of the weld mark in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a third dimension of the weld mark in a third direction may be a dimension of the thickness of the blade. The weld mark may be formed by irradiating a laser beam onto the blade while moving the laser beam or the blade.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with: a main body; a photosensitive member, and a developing cartridge having a developer carrier that rotates about an axis line. The main body includes: an urging member configured to urge the developing cartridge; and a first guide configured to guide the developing cartridge. The developing cartridge includes an end portion in the axis line, the end portion having a guided part configured to be guided by the first guide of the main body. The developing cartridge is configured to rotate about the guided part between a first position at which the urging member cannot urge the developing cartridge and a second position at which the urging member can urge the developing cartridge. The developer carrier is spaced apart from the photosensitive member when the developing cartridge is located at the second position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with: an apparatus body; a photosensitive member; a developing cartridge configured to have a developer supporting body; a cleaner configured to collect developer remaining on the photosensitive member; and a waste developer container configured to contain developer collected by the cleaner. The apparatus body is configured to have an installment passage, through which the developing cartridge passes when the developing cartridge is installed into and removed from the apparatus body. The waste developer container is configured to be movable between a first position at which at least a part of the waste developer container is located within the installment passage and a second position at which the waste developer container is located away from the installment passage.

Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing a developing device including a developer carrier having a rotation axis extending in a first direction, a blade and including a first end portion and a second end portion, and a supporting member supporting the blade. The method includes the steps of positioning the blade, and welding the blade onto the supporting member by irradiating a laser beam onto the blade while moving at least one of the blade and the laser beam relative to the other of the blade and the laser beam. The positioning includes positioning the first end portion in the first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and positioning the second end portion in the second direction without being positioned with respect to the first direction. The welding includes moving the laser beam from a first end portion side toward a second end portion side.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a photoconductive body, an exposure unit configured with a plurality of light emitting elements aligned in a predetermined direction, the exposure unit being adopted to expose the photoconductive body to light emitted by the light emitting elements, a frame configured to support both sides of the exposure unit in the predetermined direction, the frame having a reference portion configured to position the exposure unit in the predetermined direction in contact with an end of the exposure unit in the predetermined direction, and a pressing member provided to one of the frame and the exposure unit, the pressing member being configured to press the end of the exposure unit against the reference portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes exposing units, a photoconductor, developing units, a processor, and a memory storing instructions. Each exposing unit includes light emitting elements arranged in a main scanning direction and divided into blocks each illuminating at a corresponding light emitting time point. The instructions cause the image forming apparatus to: change a light emitting time point for one of two blocks contained in respective two exposing units at the same position in the main scanning direction, to reduce an image distance in a sub-scanning direction between two images each to be formed by illumination of at least one light emitting element contained in a corresponding one of the two blocks; illuminate the light emitting elements of each of the exposing units at light emitting time points including the light emitting time point obtained by the change; and develop electrostatic latent images formed on the photoconductor.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including: an image forming section including a photosensitive body, and an LED array configured to expose the photosensitive body; and a controller configured to: make a judgment of a dew-condensation state of the LED array, and change a power supply state of the LED array based on the dew-condensation state.