Abstract: An image forming apparatus for carrying out an image forming process with a detachably mountable image forming unit mounted thereon, when the mounting of the image forming unit has been detected, whether the mounted image forming unit is a new one is discriminated. Then, unit control information held by an information holding portion for holding unit control information corresponding to the image forming unit is updated on the basis of the results of discrimination at the last time and this time. By such a construction, image formation becomes executable on the mounted image forming unit always in an optimized state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; toner image formation means for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; removing means for removing deposited matter deposited on the image bearing member; detecting means for detecting a toner image to be detected, formed on the toner image formation means; control means for controlling a toner image forming condition of the toner image forming means in accordance with a result of detection of the toner image to be detected by the detecting means; the apparatus being operable in a mode in which the removing means operates to remove the deposition, and the detecting means operates to detect the toner image to be detected, executing means for executing an operation in the mode; and an operating portion for manually starting execution of the operation in the mode by the executing means.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming apparatus body and a peripheral unit operable to transport a recording medium. The image forming apparatus includes a communication device for communicating with the peripheral unit and a controller for controlling transporting the recording medium by the peripheral unit using a communication by the communication device. The controller sets a plurality of transport speeds, each of which corresponds to a predetermined identification code, to the peripheral unit and specifies the transport speed by using the predetermined identification code to the peripheral unit.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus which is capable of securing a time period for measuring the base reflected light quantity required for the base correction, and at the same time, reducing a time period required for the entire image density control. An image forming unit includes an image carrier disposed to be exposed to light to have a latent image formed thereon, an electrostatic charger that charges the image carrier to a predetermined polarity, a developing device that visualizes the latent image formed on the image carrier to form a visible image, and an endless belt onto which the visible image is transferred. A CPU controls the image forming unit to form predetermined detection patterns on the endless belt. The detection patterns and the quantity of reflection light from the endless belt are detected. The CPU corrects the detected detection patterns based on the detected quantity of reflection light.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus changes over an electric potential on an image bearing member in response to an attenuation region in which a remaining potential on a developing member is attenuating after a developing bias applied to the developing member has been turned off after completion of an image forming operations. Accordingly, it is possible to mitigate adherence of developer due to a large potential difference between the developing member and the image bearing member.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus which is capable of improving operability while suppressing an increase in apparatus size. In a front cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a front cover is inserted into a bundle of sheets on which images have been formed, and in a rear cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a rear cover is inserted into the bundle of sheets. Insertion sheets for the front cover and insertion sheets for the rear cover are set with the same orientation in a manual feed tray 105. An insertion sheet for the front cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to a finisher 500 in one of a face-down state and a face-up state. An insertion sheet for the rear cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to the finisher 500 in the other of the face-down state and the face-up state. The insertion sheets for the front cover and for the rear cover conveyed from the manual feed tray 105 and the sheets on which images have been formed are stacked on the finisher 500.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus which has an image bearing member for bearing a toner image, a transferring device for transferring the toner image, a cleaning device for recovering waste toner which remains on the image bearing member, a containing device for containing the waste toner which is recovered, a near-end position detecting device, an image information detecting device for detecting information about an image on the image bearing member, and an image formation state recognizing device for recognizing an image formation state, the image forming apparatus including a full determining device which accumulates pixel amount on the basis of detection result by the image information detecting device, and recognition result by the image formation state recognizing device when it is detected by the near-end position detecting device that the waste toner is contained to a near-end position in the containing device, and determines that the waste toner becomes full when accumulation result reaches a predetermin

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of connecting to a sheet post-processing equipment, includes an image forming unit which forms an image on a sheet; a reversing unit which reverses the sheet between front and back sides for forming an image on the back side after an image has been formed on the front side by the image forming unit; a two-sided conveying unit which conveys the sheet having been reversed by the reversing unit to the image forming unit for forming the image on the back side; a retaining unit which temporarily retains the sheet on a conveying path of the two-sided conveying unit by using the reversing unit and the two-sided conveying unit and then discharges the sheet to the sheet post-processing equipment when a post-processing procedure is selected; and a conveyance control unit which controls a conveying speed at a time of discharging the sheet from the two-sided conveying unit to the sheet post-processing equipment to be faster than a conveying speed at a time of conveying the sheet from th

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus which is capable of securing a time period for measuring the base reflected light quantity required for the base correction, and at the same time, reducing a time period required for the entire image density control. An image forming unit includes an image carrier disposed to be exposed to light to have a latent image formed thereon, an electrostatic charger that charges the image carrier to a predetermined polarity, a developing device that visualizes the latent image formed on the image carrier to form a visible image, and an endless belt onto which the visible image is transferred. A CPU controls the image forming unit to form predetermined detection patterns on the endless belt. The detection patterns and the quantity of reflection light from the endless belt are detected. The CPU corrects the detected detection patterns based on the detected quantity of reflection light.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus which requires the user to manually input sheet medium information, (when a bundle of sheets which include a plurality of types of print media are to be printed, the user must manually input setups of the image forming apparatus for each individual print medium. In manual setups by the user, some setups require user's knowledge about print media. When the user has made wrong setups, a print result cannot be obtained under an appropriate control condition Furthermore, when information about a print medium is sensed by the sensor without manual setups, the information cannot be often precisely detect depending on the type and thickness of the print medium, an environment, and the like, and it is consequently difficult to attain optimal image formation. It is an object of this invention to attain optimal image formation, saving user labor and shortening the print time by using a radio tag attached to the sheet medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that is capable of performing post-processing so as to ensure that sheets on which images are formed and inserted sheets are aligned in orientation when performing sheet insertion processing and post-processing in combination. The image forming apparatus is capable of having attached thereto a finisher that performs post-processing on sheets with images formed thereon. An insertion sheet is placed on one of sheet supply trays and a manual feed tray. An operating/display section controller inputs a post-processing instruction for causing the finisher to perform post-processing. A placing direction in which the insertion sheet is to be placed on one of the sheet supply trays and the manual feed tray is instructed according to the post-processing instruction input by the operating/display section.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus which is capable of securing a time period for measuring the base reflected light quantity required for the base correction, and at the same time, reducing a time period required for the entire image density control. An image forming unit includes an image carrier disposed to be exposed to light to have a latent image formed thereon, an electrostatic charger that charges the image carrier to a predetermined polarity, a developing device that visualizes the latent image formed on the image carrier to form a visible image, and an endless belt onto which the visible image is transferred. A CPU controls the image forming unit to form predetermined detection patterns on the endless belt. The detection patterns and the quantity of reflection light from the endless belt are detected. The CPU corrects the detected detection patterns based on the detected quantity of reflection light.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units, an endless moving member for mounting and carrying a recording material so as to transfer each image formed by a corresponding one of the plurality of image forming units at a transfer position, a detection circuit for detecting the recording material on the endless moving member, and a correction circuit for correcting an image forming timing of each corresponding one of the plurality of image forming units based on a detection output of the detection circuit. Each image forming unit has a delay unit that delays input image data and an image forming unit that forms an image based on the image data output from the delay unit. The correction circuit corrects the timing of an image forming, operation by controlling the delay time of the delay unit.