Abstract: An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus that includes an image forming section which forms an image on a recording medium, and an opening/closing portion which is opened outward; and a recording-medium storage device that stores a recording medium to be fed to the image forming section, the recording-medium storage device being formed separately from the image forming apparatus and having a space allowing the opening/closing portion to be opened outward when the recording-medium storage device is connected to the image forming apparatus so as to cover the opening/closing portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transport device that transports fluid inside a body of an image forming apparatus; a counting unit that counts a cumulative number of image forming operations; and a transport control unit that controls a start and a stop of operation of the transport device so as to keep the transport device stopped when an image forming operation is started, and to start the transport device when the cumulative number of image forming operations has become larger than or equal to a preset number.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transport device that transports fluid inside a body of an image forming apparatus; a counting unit that counts a cumulative number of image forming operations; and a transport control unit that controls a start and a stop of operation of the transport device so as to keep the transport device stopped when an image forming operation is started, and to start the transport device when the cumulative number of image forming operations has become larger than or equal to a preset number.

Abstract: An air guide mechanism includes a box unit that incorporates a heating element therein; an air fan unit that is disposed within the box unit; and a guide unit that is disposed on a side of the box unit, wherein the guide unit guides the air to a portion of a round area formed due to the rotation of the vane portion from a first direction having an acute angle with respect to an inclination direction of the vane portion corresponding to the portion of the round area, and to an area, which is at least another portion of the round area and in which the first direction intersects at a non-acute angle with an inclination direction of the vane portion, from a second direction having a smaller angle than the non-acute angle.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes plural image holding members that hold toner images, a belt unit, an apparatus side portion, and a fan unit. The belt unit includes a belt member disposed facing the plural image holding members. The apparatus side portion is disposed on an outer side of the belt unit in an axial direction of rotating shafts of the plural image holding members. The fan unit is disposed between the apparatus side portion and the belt unit and aerates end portions of the belt unit in the axial direction of the rotating shafts.

Abstract: An endless member driving device, includes: an endless member that rotates by receiving a driving force; a cooling path that extends in a widthwise direction along at least one of an obverse surface and a reverse surface of the endless member; and a gas transfer unit that transfers a gas in the cooling path along the widthwise direction of the endless member, wherein the cooling path includes a downstream-side cooling path that is formed on a downstream side in a gas transferring direction of the cooling path, and the downstream-side cooling path being directed in an opposite direction to a moving direction of the obverse surface or the reverse surface of the endless member perpendicular to the widthwise direction with respect to the moving direction.

Abstract: An air guide mechanism includes a box unit that incorporates a heating element therein; an air fan unit that is disposed within the box unit; and a guide unit that is disposed on a side of the box unit, wherein the guide unit guides the air to a portion of a round area formed due to the rotation of the vane portion from a first direction having an acute angle with respect to an inclination direction of the vane portion corresponding to the portion of the round area, and to an area, which is at least another portion of the round area and in which the first direction intersects at a non-acute angle with an inclination direction of the vane portion, from a second direction having a smaller angle than the non-acute angle.

Abstract: An endless member driving device, includes: an endless member that rotates by receiving a driving force; a cooling path that extends in a widthwise direction along at least one of an obverse surface and a reverse surface of the endless member; and a gas transfer unit that transfers a gas in the cooling path along the widthwise direction of the endless member, wherein the cooling path includes a downstream-side cooling path that is formed on a downstream side in a gas transferring direction of the cooling path, and the downstream-side cooling path being directed in an opposite direction to a moving direction of the obverse surface or the reverse surface of the endless member perpendicular to the widthwise direction with respect to the moving direction.

Abstract: In a sheet carrier of an image-forming apparatus, a gate, a carrier guide and a cover are cooled by air exhausted from an exhaust port of a guiding guide and an exhaust hole of the gate, and dew condensation is prevented. A recording paper where a full color toner image is fixed to one side is cooled by blowing the air exhausted from the exhaust port of the guiding guide and the exhaust hole of the gate against the recording paper. A pinch roller and a detection sensor are cooled by blowing the air exhausted from the exhaust port of the guiding guide and the exhaust hole of the gate against the pinch roller and the detection sensor. Since a heat of a fixing device is not absorbed by applying the air to the fixing device, no unnecessary surplus energy is consumed for maintaining a temperature required for fixing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes plural image holding members that hold toner images, a belt unit, an apparatus side portion, and a fan unit. The belt unit includes a belt member disposed facing the plural image holding members. The apparatus side portion is disposed on an outer side of the belt unit in an axial direction of rotating shafts of the plural image holding members. The fan unit is disposed between the apparatus side portion and the belt unit and aerates end portions of the belt unit in the axial direction of the rotating shafts.

Abstract: In a sheet carrier of an image-forming apparatus, a gate, a carrier guide and a cover are cooled by air exhausted from an exhaust port of a guiding guide and an exhaust hole of the gate, and dew condensation is prevented. A recording paper where a full color toner image is fixed to one side is cooled by blowing the air exhausted from the exhaust port of the guiding guide and the exhaust hole of the gate against the recording paper. A pinch roller and a detection sensor are cooled by blowing the air exhausted from the exhaust port of the guiding guide and the exhaust hole of the gate against the pinch roller and the detection sensor. Since a heat of a fixing device is not absorbed by applying the air to the fixing device, no unnecessary surplus energy is consumed for maintaining a temperature required for fixing.

Abstract: A second opening and closing door has a main body of the second opening and closing door, a sound absorbing member and a sound absorbing member cover. The sound absorbing member covers almost the entire surface of the main body of the second opening and closing door facing a guide member. The sound absorbing member cover is dyed black and made of an antistatic-treated cloth material which has air permeability, and is designed to cover almost the entire surface of the sound absorbing member facing the guide member. Further, the sound absorbing member cover is dyed with a dye which does not contain carbon, so that carbon-containing fibrous materials can be prevented from floating in an image forming apparatus while the light-shielding effect can be maintained.

Abstract: A second opening and closing door has a main body of the second opening and closing door, a sound absorbing member and a sound absorbing member cover. The sound absorbing member covers almost the entire surface of the main body of the second opening and closing door facing a guide member. The sound absorbing member cover is dyed black and made of an antistatic-treated cloth material which has air permeability, and is designed to cover almost the entire surface of the sound absorbing member facing the guide member. Further, the sound absorbing member cover is dyed with a dye which does not contain carbon, so that carbon-containing fibrous materials can be prevented from floating in an image forming apparatus while the light-shielding effect can be maintained.

Abstract: A sheet material feeding device includes: a press plate which is provided at a bottom portion of a cassette and on which sheet materials are loaded and which is swingable upward and downward; a feed roll which is positioned above the press plate and which feeds an uppermost sheet material of the sheet materials by rotating while contacting the uppermost sheet material; a limiting member provided above the press plate and limiting a stacked height of the sheet materials; a spring urging the press plate upward so that the uppermost sheet material abuts the limiting member; and a presser mechanism which swings the press plate downward against urging force of the spring when the uppermost sheet material is fed to a predetermined position by the feed roll. Accordingly, when the uppermost sheet material is fed to the predetermined position by the feed roll, the press plate is swung downward, and there is no frictional resistance between the limiting member and the uppermost sheet material.