Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a rotatable fixing member, a rotatable pressurizing member, a heating portion, and a circuit portion including a contact member and configured to remove electric charge from the fixing member, the contact member being in contact with the fixing member. A surface layer of the pressurizing member is electrically connected to the circuit portion via a surface layer of the fixing member. In a case where a surface resistivity of the surface layer of the pressurizing member is represented by X (?/?) and a surface resistivity of the surface layer of the fixing member is represented by Y (?/?), 4.0?logX?13.0, 5.0?logY?14.0, logY?13.0?logX, and logY?23.0?logX are satisfied.

Abstract: A fixing unit includes a rotary member, a pressure member configured to form a fixing nip, a heater disposed in an internal space of the rotary member, the heater including a substrate, and a heating element provided on the substrate and configured to heat the rotary member by being energized, a heater holder configured to hold the heater, and a heat conducting member disposed between the heater and the heater holder. The fixing nip conveys the sheet in a direction parallel to a short direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the heater. The heater includes a protrusion extending toward the heater holder from a surface, of the heater, provided on a side opposite to the fixing nip. The protrusion faces the heat conducting member in the longitudinal direction and is disposed so as not to overlap the heat conducting member as viewed in the short direction.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a rotatable fixing member, a rotatable pressurizing member, a heating portion, and a circuit portion including a contact member and configured to remove electric charge from the fixing member, the contact member being in contact with the fixing member. A surface layer of the pressurizing member is electrically connected to the circuit portion via a surface layer of the fixing member. In a case where a surface resistivity of the surface layer of the pressurizing member is represented by X (?/?) and a surface resistivity of the surface layer of the fixing member is represented by Y (?/?), 4.0?log X?13.0, 5.0?log Y?14.0, log Y?13.0?log X, and log Y?23.0?log X are satisfied.

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: A fixing apparatus includes a rotatable fixing member, a rotatable pressurizing member, a heating portion, and a circuit portion including a contact member and configured to remove electric charge from the fixing member, the contact member being in contact with the fixing member. A surface layer of the pressurizing member is electrically connected to the circuit portion via a surface layer of the fixing member. In a case where a surface resistivity of the surface layer of the pressurizing member is represented by X (?/?) and a surface resistivity of the surface layer of the fixing member is represented by Y (?/?), 4.0?log X?13.0, 5.0?log Y?14.0, log Y?13.0?log X, and log Y?23.0?log X are satisfied.

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 an image bearing member configured to bear a non-fixed toner image, a transfer portion configured to transfer the non-fixed toner image onto a sheet at a transfer nip, a fixing portion including a first rotary member, a second rotary member and a heating portion configured to heat the first rotary member, a control portion configured to execute a nip image forming process of forming a nip image, on the sheet, corresponding to a shape of the fixing nip, and a reading unit configured to read the nip image, wherein the control portion sets the heating portion to a first temperature in a case where the non-fixed toner image passes through the fixing nip and sets the heating portion to a second temperature which is lower than the first temperature in a case where the nip image passes through the fixing nip.

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 an image bearing member configured to bear a non-fixed toner image, a transfer portion configured to transfer the non-fixed toner image onto a sheet at a transfer nip, a fixing portion including a first rotary member, a second rotary member and a heating portion configured to heat the first rotary member, a control portion configured to execute a nip image forming process of forming a nip image, on the sheet, corresponding to a shape of the fixing nip, and a reading unit configured to read the nip image, wherein the control portion sets the heating portion to a first temperature in a case where the non-fixed toner image passes through the fixing nip and sets the heating portion to a second temperature which is lower than the first temperature in a case where the nip image passes through the fixing nip.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a facing portion provided at a position facing a surface of an image bearing member that corresponds to a portion between a transfer unit and a cleaning unit, wherein a first space for conveying the recording material from the transfer unit to the fixing unit, and a second space between the surface of the image bearing member and the facing portion are formed in the image forming apparatus, and wherein the image forming apparatus includes a block member positioned in the second space and having one end side fixed to the facing portion on a side closer to the first space, the block member being configured to block a flow of an air current, the block member having the other end side in contact with the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a facing portion provided at a position facing a surface of an image bearing member that corresponds to a portion between a transfer unit and a cleaning unit, wherein a first space for conveying the recording material from the transfer unit to the fixing unit, and a second space between the surface of the image bearing member and the facing portion are formed in the image forming apparatus, and wherein the image forming apparatus includes a block member positioned in the second space and having one end side fixed to the facing portion on a side closer to the first space, the block member being configured to block a flow of an air current, the block member having the other end side in contact with the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a recording material, a fixing portion configured to heat and to fix the toner image formed on the recording material, and a controller configured to control the apparatus, which is operable to form an image on a recording material having a first size and a recording material having a second size smaller than the first size in a direction perpendicular to a recording material feeding direction. If a printing instruction for printing on the recording material of the first size is received while continuously printing on the recording material of the second size at a first throughput, the controller controls the apparatus so as to print on the recording material of the second size at a second throughput, lower than the first throughput, before printing on the recording material of the first size.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical film, and a plate heater including an electrode portion provided outside of an end portion of the film with respect to a longitudinal direction of the film at an end portion of the heater, with a lubricant being applied in a region where the heater contacts the film. A supporting member supports a surface of the heater. In addition, a sealing member contacts a surface of the heater where the electrode portion of the heater is provided, and is provided at a position closer to a center of the heater than is the electrode portion. Further, the sealing member includes an engaging portion engaging with an end portion of the supporting member with respect to a widthwise direction of the heater, and a cantilever contact portion contacting a surface of the heater where the electrode portion is provided.

Abstract: The fixing apparatus includes a cylindrical heating film, a nip portion forming member, a roller; a motor, a control unit, and an acquisition unit. The apparatus executes a fixing process of conveying and heating the recording material carrying the toner image to fix the toner image to the recording material at the nip portion. The apparatus is further configured to execute a first mode of stopping the supply of power to the motor just after the end of the fixing process and a second mode of stopping the supply of power to the motor after a low-speed rotation period for rotating the motor at a rotational speed set lower than the target rotational speed during the fixing process after the end of the fixing process, and to select one of the first and second modes.

Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an image formed on a recording material onto the recording material. The fixing device includes a heater contacting an inner surface of the film, a supporting member for supporting the heater, the supporting member being provided in a hollow space, a first portion for preventing lateral movement of the film in a generatrix direction of the film, the first portion being supported by a frame of the fixing device and holding the supporting member, and a second portion opposed to a surface of the heater where the heater contacts the film and elongated along a widthwise direction of the heater, the second portion being provided at the same position with the generatrix direction of the film.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion for forming a toner image on a sheet; a fixing portion for heating and fixing the toner on the sheet; and a controller for controlling the apparatus which is operable to form an image on the sheet having a first size and the sheet having a second size smaller than the first size. When a print instruction on the sheet of the first size during a period in which a print is formed on the sheet of the second size at a first throughput, the controller controls the apparatus so as to print on the sheet of the second size at a second throughput which is lower than the first throughput.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes an image-forming unit, a fixing device including a heating rotator and a pressure member forming a nip portion together with the heating rotator, and a bias-applying unit applying bias to the heating rotator. Image forming modes each having a time interval between a preceding recording material and a succeeding recording material which is different from each other can be performed. A control unit executes a first control while the recording materials are being conveyed at the nip portion, and a second control while the recording materials are not being conveyed at the nip portion due to the time interval. A switching time in the image forming mode in which the time interval is a first time interval is determined to be longer than in the image forming mode in which the time interval is a second time interval shorter than the first time interval.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form a toner image on a recording material based on image data, an acquisition unit to acquire image information of the toner image from the image data, a fixing unit including a heating member and a pressure member forming a nip with the heating member, to convey and to heat, at the nip, the recording material on which the toner image is formed so as to fix the toner image on the recording material, a temperature detecting unit to detect a temperature of the heating member, and a control unit to set a fixing temperature for each of a plurality of recording materials so that the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit becomes the set fixing temperature.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, an acquisition unit, a fixing unit including a heating member and a pressure member forming a nip, a temperature detecting unit, and a control unit. In a case where a toner density of a toner image on a k-th recording material of a plurality of recording materials is less than the toner density of the toner image on a (k-1)-th recording material of the plurality of recording materials, k being an integer greater than or equal to two, the control unit sets a fixing temperature of the k-th recording material to a temperature which is greater than a predetermined temperature predetermined based on image information of the toner image to be formed on the k-th recording material.

Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an image formed on a recording material onto the recording material. The fixing device includes a heater contacting an inner surface of the film, a supporting member for supporting the heater, the supporting member being provided in a hollow space, a first portion for preventing lateral movement of the film in a generatrix direction of the film, the first portion being supported by a frame of the fixing device and holding the supporting member, and a second portion opposed to a surface of the heater where the heater contacts the film and elongated along a widthwise direction of the heater, the second portion being provided at the same position with the generatrix direction of the film.