Abstract: A fixing device includes: a heat source, a heating member, a pressure member, a heat absorption unit, a holding member, and an end part supporting member. The heat source generates infrared rays. The heat absorption unit is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the heating member, absorbs radiation heat of the heat source, and opposes an outer circumferential part of the holding member with a gap. The holding member has a hollow and cylindrical shape, and arranged between the heat source and the inner circumferential surface of the heat member, permits transmission of infrared rays and has heat resistance. The end part supporting member supports the holding member at both axial end parts of the heating member. The outer circumferential part of the holding member, the inner circumferential surface of the heating member, and the end part supporting member form a sealing space sealing the heat absorption unit.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless fixing belt, a heating unit, a supporting member, and a pressure roller. The pressure roller sandwiches the fixing belt to form a fixing nip portion between the pressure roller and the fixing belt. The fixing device is configured to insert a recording medium into the fixing nip portion to fix an unfixed toner image carried on the recording medium. The fixing belt includes a heating layer and a sliding layer. The heating layer is configured to generate heat using the heating unit. The sliding layer is laminated onto an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt and sliding on the supporting member. The plurality of holes are formed in the sliding layer such that the sliding layer has a mesh pattern in plan view.

Abstract: This air intake mechanism is configured of a first louver (23), a second louver (30), and an axial fan (33). The first louver (23) is an annular opening between an outer circular section (25), which is concentric to the rotating axis (rotation center) of the axial fan (33), and an inner circular section (27), which is concentric to the outer circular section (25). The second louver (30) is configured of a plurality of linear slits (30a), which are parallel to each other. The opening width (d2) of each of the slits (30a) that constitutes the second louver (30) is smaller than the opening width (d1) of the first louver (23).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a fan, a first louver, and a second louver. The first louver includes first rectifier vanes that direct airflow produced by the fan. The second louver is located on an inner side of an apparatus body with respect to the first louver and faces the first louver in such a manner as to overlap the first louver in a direction of an axis of rotation of the fan. The second louver includes second rectifier vanes that direct the airflow produced by the fan. Each of the first rectifier vanes and a corresponding one of the second rectifier vanes that is adjacent thereto extend in one plane inclining at a specific angle with respect to the axis of rotation of the fan.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a heat source, a heating member, a pressure member, a heat absorption unit, a holding member, and an end part supporting member. The heat source generates infrared rays. The heat absorption unit is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the heating member, absorbs radiation heat of the heat source, and opposes an outer circumferential part of the holding member with a gap. The holding member has a hollow and cylindrical shape, and arranged between the heat source and the inner circumferential surface of the heat member, permits transmission of infrared rays therethrough, and has heat resistance. The end part supporting member supports the holding member at both axial end parts of the heating member. The outer circumferential part of the holding member, the inner circumferential surface of the heating member, and the end part supporting member form a sealing space sealing the heat absorption unit.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless fixing belt, a heating unit, a supporting member, and a pressure roller. The pressure roller sandwiches the fixing belt to form a fixing nip portion between the pressure roller and the fixing belt. The fixing device is configured to insert a recording medium into the fixing nip portion to fix an unfixed toner image carried on the recording medium. The fixing belt includes a heating layer and a sliding layer. The heating layer is configured to generate heat using the heating unit. The sliding layer is laminated onto an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt and sliding on the supporting member. The plurality of holes are formed in the sliding layer such that the sliding layer has a mesh pattern in plan view.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer tank which houses two-component developer containing toner and carrier, and a supply unit which supplies the developer tank with supply developer containing toner and carrier, wherein, when the ratio of mass of inorganic fine particles attached to the carrier contained in the two-component developer to mass of the carrier contained in the two-component developer is A, and when the ratio of mass of inorganic fine particles attached to the carrier contained in the supply developer to mass of the carrier contained in the supply developer is B, the following Formula (1) is satisfied: 0.7<B/A<0.96??(1).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a fan, a first louver, and a second louver. The first louver includes first rectifier vanes that direct airflow produced by the fan. The second louver is located on an inner side of an apparatus body with respect to the first louver and faces the first louver in such a manner as to overlap the first louver in a direction of an axis of rotation of the fan. The second louver includes second rectifier vanes that direct the airflow produced by the fan. Each of the first rectifier vanes and a corresponding one of the second rectifier vanes that is adjacent thereto extend in one plane inclining at a specific angle with respect to the axis of rotation of the fan.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer tank which houses two-component developer containing toner and carrier, and a supply unit which supplies the developer tank with supply developer containing toner and carrier, wherein, when the ratio of mass of inorganic fine particles attached to the carrier contained in the two-component developer to mass of the carrier contained in the two-component developer is A, and when the ratio of mass of inorganic fine particles attached to the carrier contained in the supply developer to mass of the carrier contained in the supply developer is B, the following Formula (1) is satisfied: 0.7<B/A<0.96??(1).

Abstract: Toner for electrophotography contains toner base particles containing a binder resin and a colorant, and an external additive to be externally added to the toner base particles, and the external additive includes surface treated particles obtained by surface treating resin fine particles with a fatty acid metal salt.

Abstract: A tandem image forming apparatus, comprising multiple image forming units placed along the travelling direction of a transfer medium for transferring toner images in various colors one by one onto the transfer medium, wherein a toner (T1) containing a higher fatty acid metal salt is stored at least in the image forming unit placed most downstream in the travelling direction of the transfer medium, and, when the concentration of the higher fatty acid metal salt in the toner (T1) is designated as X1, the concentration of the higher fatty acid metal salt in the toner (Tn) stored in the image forming unit placed most upstream in the travelling direction of the transfer medium as Xn, and the concentration of the higher fatty acid metal salt in the toner (Tm) in an image forming unit placed between the most downstream image forming unit and the most upstream image forming unit as Xm, X1, Xm, and Xn satisfy the relationships represented by the following Formulae (I) and (II).

Abstract: The electrophotographic toner of the present invention comprises toner particles containing at least a binder resin, wax, a charge control agent and a pigment, and at least titanium oxide externally added to the toner particles as an external additive. The titanium oxide has an aspect ratio of 2 to 5 and a Mohs hardness of not less than 6. It is preferable that the titanium oxide is a compound oxide doped with a metal of the group V of the periodic table and is anatase-type. The electrophotographic toner is especially preferably used for an image forming apparatus having amorphous silicon photoreceptors.

Abstract: A toner for use in an oil-less fixing system free from an oil coating on a fixing roller, the toner includes a binder resin and a wax as well as carbon black having an oil absorption of 50 to 100 mL/100 g where the toner is the black toner or a coloring agent where the toner is the color toner, and wherein the binder resin has a rate of decrease of storage elastic modulus G? of not more than 0.3 Pa/° C. as determined in association with temperature increase in the range of 160 to 200° C. The binder resin preferably has a weight average molecular weight [Mw] of 10,000 to 200,000, an [Mw/Mn] ratio between [Mw] and a number average molecular weight [Mn] thereof in the range of 1 to 15, or a peak rate of decrease of the storage elastic modulus G? in the temperature range of 70 to 100° C. The toner suited for use in the oil-less fixing system and particularly suitable for forming a color image is provided.

Abstract: A toner consisting of either a black toner or a color toner for use in an oil-less fixing system free from an oil coating on a fixing roller, the toner comprises a binder resin and a wax as well as carbon black having an oil absorption of 50 to 100 mL/100 g where the toner is the black toner or a coloring agent where the toner is the color toner, and is characterized in that the binder resin has a rate of decrease of storage elastic modulus G′ of not more than 0.3 Pa/° C. as determined in association with temperature increase in the range of 160 to 200° C. The binder resin preferably has a weight average molecular weight [Mw] of 10,000 to 200,000, an [Mw]Mn] ratio between [Mw] and a number average molecular weight [Mn] thereof in the range of 1 to 15, or a peak rate of decrease of the storage elastic modulus G′ in the temperature range of 70 to 100° C.