Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image forming means for forming an image on a recording material; a plurality of image heating means for sequentially heating an image on the recording material ; and switching means for switching a number of the image heating means to be used for heating the image; setting means for manually setting an operating condition of at least one of the image heating means.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming mechanism and a process controller. The process controller is configured to instruct the image forming mechanism to perform an image forming operation and a control operation of image forming process conditions. The control operation includes at least two phases each executable at an individual time. The process controller instructs the image forming mechanism to perform the control operation by executing the at least two phases in order of execution frequency from the highest execution frequency to the lowest execution frequency, and discontinue sequential execution of the at least two phases in accordance with an image output command to preferentially perform the image output operation in accordance with the image output command. An image forming method is also described.

Abstract: The front ends of the plurality of sheets stacked on the processing tray are abutted against the stopper and are reliably aligned. The stack of a predetermined number of sheets to be accommodated in the processing tray is aligned and stacked all at once in the processing tray while being simultaneously gripped by the gripping portion 5a of the movement gripper in a plurality of sheet groups. The temporal margin is thereby produced compared to when aligning and stacking are performed one sheet at a time, and thus is effective in realizing the high speed process at low cost and maintaining high productivity.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, which comprises a toner density detection device for detecting the density of a toner inside a developing device, acquires the number of pixels from inputted image information, calculates the toner replenishment amount from the toner density detection value and the information on the pixels, and thereby performs replenishment control so that excessive replenishment or insufficient replenishment of the toner is not caused. The upper limit value of the amount of toner to be replenished at once to the developing device is changed in accordance with the amount of information on an input image such as the image area, pixels of the input image.

Abstract: A developing unit supplies toner from a developing roller to an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier, and creates a visual image. A forced consumption unit causes, when a proportion of number of pixels used for forming the electrostatic latent image for a maximum image effective-width is equal to or less than a predetermined value, a forced consumption of toner by an amount corresponding to a difference between a toner amount corresponding to the number of pixels and a predetermined toner consumption amount. The forced consumption unit adds toner of an amount used in the forced consumption to an amount of toner to be supplied in a next imaging process.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a buffer unit which stores plural supplied sheets with upstream edges in a conveying direction thereof aligned; a processing tray on which sheets discharged from the buffer unit are stacked; and an oscillation roller pair and a return roller which convey the sheet stacked on the processing tray to bring the sheet into abutment against a stopper for receiving the upstream edge of the sheet. The buffer unit is adapted to align the upstream edges of only sheets to be stored before a sheet to be supplied last among the sheets to be stored.

Abstract: An adjustment time reduction mode of reducing adjustment operation time is provided such that a user can set the adjustment time reduction mode in which a user arbitrarily reduces the adjustment operation time, depending on the user's situation. An apparatus performing adjustment operation at a predetermined timing, monitors a timing at which the adjustment operation is to be performed and visually notifies a user of the timing at which the adjustment operation is to be performed before execution of a job requested by the user. When the adjustment time reduction mode is set, the apparatus reduces a time for the adjustment operation during execution of the job requested by the user, and the apparatus is caused to operate in the adjustment time reduction mode until the job is completed.

Abstract: An image-heating device has a detector for detecting the state of a recording medium at a position between a first fixing unit and a second fixing unit along a conveying path of the recording medium and a controller for controlling a fixing condition of the second fixing unit on the basis of the information obtained by the detector.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus using a two-component developer includes a sensor mechanism, an image forming mechanism, a toner supply controller, a memory, an estimation mechanism, and a correction mechanism. The sensor mechanism detects a toner density of the developer. The image forming mechanism produces a toner image at one of at least two selectable process linear speeds. The toner supply controller controls a toner amount based on a result by the sensor mechanism. The memory stores data of an external input voltage for adjusting a variation in an output voltage of the sensor mechanism. The estimation mechanism estimates a difference between output voltages of the sensor mechanism before and after a speed selection of the at least two linear speeds is changed. The correction mechanism corrects the output voltage of the sensor mechanism when a speed selection of the at least two selectable process linear speeds is changed.

Abstract: An image forming system executes image forming with pages kept continuous by controlling supplying of sheets corresponding to pages for which sheets have not fed in consideration of pages for which sheets have already been fed, even if image forming processing is temporally suspended.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which enables the user to easily remove a sheet bundle left in the apparatus after a bookbinding-mode job is stopped in the middle of execution thereof. In a bookbinding mode of the apparatus, in a sheet stacking section, a plurality of sheets having images formed thereon are stacked as a sheet bundle; in a gluing section, glue is applied to an end face of the sheet bundle; and in a bonding section, a cover sheet is bonded to the sheet bundle to wrap the sheet bundle in the cover sheet. When a bookbinding-mode job is canceled during execution thereof, in the gluing section, glue is applied to the sheet bundle stacked in the stacking section before the job is stopped, and a discharge section discharges the glue-applied sheet bundle which is neither wrapped nor trimmed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a process cartridge, a toner storage, and a toner supplying unit. The process cartridge includes an image bearing member, a developer container, a developer bearing member, and a pair of side plates. The developer container includes a toner inlet mounted at a predetermined position on one of its top surface. The pair of side plates are arranged in parallel and separated by a predetermined distance which determines a predetermined longitudinal width of the process cartridge and configured to support the components in the process cartridge.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which can facilitate acquisition of an image output bundle that has a uniform and optimal gloss level as a whole. An image forming apparatus 10 fixes a toner image on a plurality of sheets. An image ratio calculation unit 233 calculates a composition ratio of image types in a plurality of pages of image data. A gloss level control unit 250 provides a control for uniformly fixing toner images formed on the plurality of pages to the plurality of sheet based on the calculation result by the image ratio calculation unit 233.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus a developing device develops an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier with a developer that contains toner to obtain a toner image, a toner-amount detecting unit detects amount of toner attached to the toner image, and a toner-density detecting unit detects a density of toner in the developer. Moreover, a process control unit corrects a toner-density target value indicative of a target value of density of toner in the developer based on the amount of toner detected by the toner-amount detecting unit and the density of toner detected by the toner-density detecting unit, and a determines execution timing of next process based on corrected toner-density target value.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a buffer unit which stores plural supplied sheets with upstream edges in a conveying direction thereof aligned; a processing tray on which sheets discharged from the buffer unit are stacked; and an oscillation roller pair and a return roller which convey the sheet stacked on the processing tray to bring the sheet into abutment against a stopper for receiving the upstream edge of the sheet. The buffer unit is adapted to align the upstream edges of only sheets to be stored before a sheet to be supplied last among the sheets to be stored.

Abstract: Timing information for use to determine the timing to discharge a sheet from an image forming apparatus is transmitted. The timing information is relayed, by being edited repeatedly, from a first sheet processing apparatus connected directly with the image forming apparatus to a second sheet processing apparatus which actually processes the sheet. The timing information is edited on each sheet processing apparatus by considering, for example, transit time of the sheet, processing time of the sheet, preparation time for the sheet to get ready to be processed, and the like. The second sheet processing apparatus transmits the timing information to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus determines the discharge timing of the sheet based on the received timing information and discharges the sheet with the determined discharge timing.

Abstract: A sheet conveying system which is capable of preventing a jammed sheet from being mixed with processed sheets, reducing waste in sheets and toners, and further alleviating the user's operations, when jamming has occurred during passing of a sheet between respective sheet conveying devices of upstream and downstream apparatuses. A puncher control section of a puncher as an upstream apparatus of the system issues a passing completion notification as to the passing of a sheet to a staple stacker control section of a staple stacker as a downstream apparatus of the system. Upon reception of the notification, when the staple stacker control section determines that the parameter of auxiliary information of the notification indicates an abnormal discharge of the sheet from the puncher, the staple stacker stops the conveyance of the sheet.

Abstract: An image forming system comprises a selection unit for selecting a post-processing apparatus that executes post-processing to a recording medium on which an image is formed from among a plurality of post-processing apparatuses, and a selection limitation unit for determining an insertion apparatus whose supply of the insertion medium to be limited for a selected post-processing apparatus and limiting selection of the insertion apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming system that has an apparatus that receives recording media from an apparatus upstream from it, executes image formation processing, and conveys the recording media to an apparatus positioned downstream from it. The apparatus controls whether to continue conveyance of recording media, change their discharger, and accept recording media in accordance with condition of its own or the downstream apparatus regardless of the configuration of the entire system.

Abstract: A program operating apparatus is provided, which is capable of rewriting control programs for a plurality of CPUs without using any exclusive external apparatuses, thereby achieving a simplified and efficient rewrite operation. A control program stored in a ROM of a master CPU that controls the basic operation of the entire apparatus is transferred to a slave CPU and then written to an internal ROM of the slave CPU which controls the operations of functional units of the apparatus. The transfer of the control program is carried out when the mode of the apparatus is switched to a write control mode.