Abstract: A diagnostic system may comprise an image forming apparatus that forms a diagnostic image on a sheet and an image capturing apparatus that captures an image of the sheet on which the diagnostic image is formed and which has been discharged from the image forming apparatus, and outputs the image captured as a sheet image. The image capturing apparatus may make a diagnosis for a component of the image forming apparatus based on a position of an image deficiency in the sheet image, and output a diagnosis result for the component of the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording material based on first image data; a controller configured to control an image forming operation by the image forming unit; an acquisition unit configured to acquire property information related to a property of the recording material; a setting unit configured to set a control value to be used in the image forming operation; a reader configured to read an image formed on the recording material by the image forming unit and to output second image data; and a comparison unit configured to compare the first image data to the second image data, wherein the setting unit is further configured to set the control value based on a comparison result from the comparison unit and the property information.

Abstract: An image forming system includes: a reading unit configured to read a test image, the test image having a determination image formed by overlapping a plurality of colors and a plurality of reference images formed with each of a plurality of reference colors; and a determination unit configured to determine a first color value of each of the plurality of reference colors based on a reading result of the reference images, determine a second color value of a plurality of pixels included in the determination image based on a reading result of the determination image, and determine whether an image defect has occurred based on an angle of a second vector corresponding to the second color value of the plurality of pixels with respect to a first vector corresponding to the first color value of each of the plurality of reference colors.

Abstract: An image forming system includes: a reading unit configured to read a test image, the test image having a determination image formed by overlapping a plurality of colors and a plurality of reference images formed with each of a plurality of reference colors; and a determination unit configured to determine a first color value of each of the plurality of reference colors based on a reading result of the reference images, determine a second color value of a plurality of pixels included in the determination image based on a reading result of the determination image, and determine whether an image defect has occurred based on an angle of a second vector corresponding to the second color value of the plurality of pixels with respect to a first vector corresponding to the first color value of each of the plurality of reference colors.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording material based on first image data; a controller configured to control an image forming operation by the image forming unit; an acquisition unit configured to acquire property information related to a property of the recording material; a setting unit configured to set a control value to be used in the image forming operation; a reader configured to read an image formed on the recording material by the image forming unit, and to output second image data; and a comparison unit configured to compare the first image data to the second image data, wherein the setting unit is further configured to set the control value based on a comparison result from the comparison unit and the property information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a control unit configured to acquire base information by making a reading unit read a surface of the recording material with all image forming units set in a non-forming state, acquire first determination information by making the reading unit read a non-image region of the recording material with only a first image forming unit set in a forming state, and acquire second determination information by making the reading unit read the non-image region with all image forming units set in the forming state or with only all second image forming units set in the forming state. The control unit is further configured to determine a color of a toner adhered to the non-image region based on the base information, the first determination information, and the second determination information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a control unit configured to acquire base information by making a reading unit read a surface of the recording material with all image forming units set in a non-forming state, acquire first determination information by making the reading unit read a non-image region of the recording material with only a first image forming unit set in a forming state, and acquire second determination information by making the reading unit read the non-image region with all image forming units set in the forming state or with only all second image forming units set in the forming state. The control unit is further configured to determine a color of a toner adhered to the non-image region based on the base information, the first determination information, and the second determination information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion for forming an image on a sheet; a fixing portion for fixing the image on the sheet, the fixing portion including first and second rotatable members cooperative with each other to form a nip, wherein the sheet carrying a toner image is subjected to a fixing process by passing through the nip so that the toner image is fixed on the sheet; an acquiring portion configured to acquire information relating to remaining service life of each area provided by dividing the first rotatable member into a plurality of areas in a longitudinal direction of the first rotatable member; and a notifying portion configured to notify a remaining service life of the fixing portion or the image forming apparatus in accordance with the information acquired by the acquiring portion.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a peripheral velocity difference is provided between a peripheral velocity of an intermediate transfer belt and a peripheral velocity of an image bearing member, and when a relative moving distance between the image bearing member and the intermediate transfer belt, which is generated in the transfer nip portion because of the peripheral velocity difference, is taken as a shift amount of the toner image, a lower limit value of the shift amount is set to be at least ?, preferably half of an average perimeter calculated from a weight-average particle diameter of the toner, which is measured in advance.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a peripheral velocity difference is provided between a peripheral velocity of an intermediate transfer belt and a peripheral velocity of an image bearing member, and when a relative moving distance between the image bearing member and the intermediate transfer belt, which is generated in the transfer nip portion because of the peripheral velocity difference, is taken as a shift amount of the toner image, a lower limit value of the shift amount is set to be at least ?, preferably half of an average perimeter calculated from a weight-average particle diameter of the toner, which is measured in advance.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion for forming an image on a sheet; a fixing portion for fixing the image on the sheet, the fixing portion including first and second rotatable members cooperative with each other to form a nip, wherein the sheet carrying a toner image is subjected to a fixing process by passing through the nip so that the toner image is fixed on the sheet; an acquiring portion configured to acquire information relating to remaining service life of each area provided by dividing the first rotatable member into a plurality of areas in a longitudinal direction of the first rotatable member; and a notifying portion configured to notify a remaining service life of the fixing portion or the image forming apparatus in accordance with the information acquired by the acquiring portion.

Abstract: The image heating apparatus includes an unit for spacing each of a buck-up member and a pressure roller apart from a flexible belt member which is electrified to generate heat, or heated by a source of heat at start-up, i.e. in a previous stage to heating an image, or an unit for controlling a pressure to decrease a contact area in the direction of the axis of rotation compared with the contact area for a period to heat an image. This can control, as much as possible, heat conduction from the flexible belt which is electrified to generate heat, or heated by the source of heat to the back-up member and the pressure roller at the start-up, i.e. the previous stage to heating an image.

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: two rotatable members, for forming a nip, including a region where an outer diameter is increased from a longitudinal central portion toward a longitudinal end portion; a heater; and a controller for controlling a heat generation distribution of the heater. The controller is capable of controlling the heater so that the heat generation distribution of the heater is such that a heat generation amount at the longitudinal end portion is larger than that at the longitudinal central portion in a period from start of the heater until the recording material reaches the nip. A ratio of the heat generation amount at the longitudinal end portion to that at the longitudinal central portion is larger when a cumulative amount of use of the fixing apparatus is larger than a predetermined amount than when the cumulative amount of use is smaller than the predetermined amount.

Abstract: Adjusting the start timing for conveying a printing material from a printing material conveying unit based on a power supply update period for power supplied to a heater allows proper power correction timing to be attained for compensating for a drop in temperature of the endless belt following the printing material entering a fixing nip portion.

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 image forming apparatus includes a fixing portion, a temperature detection element, and a power control portion. The power control portion is capable of setting a first power supply control mode for supplying power according to the detected temperature for each one control cycle, a second power supply control mode for supplying power according to the detected temperature for each one control cycle and a third power supply control mode for supplying predetermined power, and switches, immediately before a leading edge of the recording material enters the fixing portion, a state of supplying the power in the first power supply control mode to a state of supplying the power in the second power supply control mode, and then switches the state of supplying the power in the second power supply control mode to a state of supplying the power in the third power supply control mode.

Abstract: Corrected power for compensating for a reduction in the temperature of an endless belt that accompanies the entry of a recording material into a fixing nip portion is adjusted by correcting the power supplied to a fixing unit when the recording material enters the fixing unit with a correction power based on the difference between the update time of a power updating period and the time of the entry of the recording material.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus including an upstream conveying portion, a downstream conveying portion, and a loop detector, wherein the image forming apparatus further includes a driving portion which moves the contact portion to a projecting position where the sheet conveying path is in contact with a conveyed sheet and to a retracted position where the sheet conveying path is not in contact with the conveyed sheet, and a controlling portion which controls the driving portion such that the contact portion is moved from the projecting position to the retracted position before a tip end of a sheet which enters the sheet conveying path from the upstream conveying portion reaches the contact portion.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion forming a toner image on a recording material, and a fixing portion heating and fixing the toner image formed on the recording material to the recording material, wherein the apparatus has a cleaning mode in which the fixing portion is cleaned, and when the cleaning mode is set, the image forming portion forms a predetermined toner image on the recording material, and the fixing portion then heats and fixes the predetermined toner image to the recording material to form a cleaning sheet which is heated and conveyed to clean the fixing portion. By the virtue of the present invention, it achieves high cleaning performance in which the fixing portion is cleaned by the cleaning sheet.