Abstract: In a reuse method for reusing a reusable device and a sensor of a first image forming apparatus having a first process linear velocity in a second image forming apparatus having at least one second process linear velocity different from the first process linear velocity, the reusable device and the sensor are installed in the first image forming apparatus, and when the first image forming apparatus switches from the first process linear velocity to the second process linear velocity at an initial state before the reusable device is used, output of the sensor at the second process linear velocity is measured. When information on the output of the sensor at the second process linear velocity is stored, the reusable device and the sensor are removed from the first image forming apparatus and installed in the second image forming apparatus.

Abstract: An optical sensor includes: a light-emitting unit; a light-receiving unit that receives light radiated from the light-emitting unit and reflected from a detection target and that outputs an output value in response to the light received; and a correcting unit that corrects the output value of the light-receiving unit when receiving the light reflected from the detection target based on the output value of the light-receiving unit obtained by irradiating a detection area of the optical sensor with light without any light reflective objects being present in the detection area.

Abstract: An engine coolant amount determining apparatus includes an electric water pump that can be operated intermittently while an engine is running, and a coolant temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of coolant at a location higher than the water pump. The engine coolant amount determining apparatus also includes determining means for determining that the amount of coolant is equal to or less than a predetermined amount when the degree of change in the coolant temperature detected by the coolant temperature detecting means when the water pump is operated intermittently is large.

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: In an image forming apparatus and an image density control method that are capable of suppressing the amount of toner consumed for a purpose other than image formation and responding to variation in the development ability of a development device due to environmental variation and the like such that a constant image density is obtained, the image density is maintained at a substantially fixed level by first target output value correcting means in accordance with a toner replacement amount and without consuming toner, and adjustment of the image density accompanying variation in the development ability due to environmental variation and the like is dealt with by second target output value correcting means in accordance with a toner pattern detection result.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier configured to carry an image and a charger to which a direct current voltage overlapped with an AC voltage is applied as a charging bias to charge the image carrier. The charger is positioned in contact or contactlessly with the image carrier. The AC voltage applied to the charger in an adjustment of the AC voltage is not less than twice a charging start voltage Vth at which the image carrier starts to be charged.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carriers, an image forming mechanism, a seamless belt-like intermediate transfer body or a transfer material carrier, a detection mechanism, and an optical detecting apparatus. The optical detecting apparatus includes at least a printed board, and a plurality of photodetectors formed of a light-emitting element, a light-receiving element and light-shielding members, which are mounted on the printed board. The optical detecting apparatus is disposed such that it detects a belt surface adjacent to rollers of the intermediate transfer body or the transfer material carrier, and either displacement of a transfer image or image density is detected by a plurality of photodetectors detecting pattern images which are transferred from the plurality of image carriers to the image transfer body or the transfer material carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, using a developer including toner particles and carrier particles, includes a developing unit, a cleaning unit, and a conveying unit. The developing unit contains the developer and develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrying member as a toner image with the toner particles. The cleaning unit contains the developer and mixes the developer with the toner particles collected from the image carrying member after transferring the toner image. The conveying unit conveys a mixture of the collected toner particles and the developer from the cleaning unit to the developing unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which a predetermined image density can be obtained by correcting a toner density control target value without consuming toner. The output value Vt of the magnetic permeability sensor and the target output value Vtref are compared, and the toner density is controlled by controlling a powder pump on the basis of the comparative result thereof so that the output value Vt approximates the target output value Vtref. In addition, the target output value Vtref is corrected on the basis of the detected result of the image coverage ratio so as to maintain a predetermined development potential of the development apparatus. By virtue of this, even when image forming that involves a significant change in the toner replacement amount in the development apparatus is performed, for example, even when an image of high image coverage ratio is output, the toner density is adjusted to maintain the development capability at a constant, and a predetermined image density is ensured.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer unit to store two-component developer which includes toner and carrier and develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier, a toner concentration detector to detect toner concentration in the developer unit, a toner supply unit to supply toner to the developer unit, and a controller to control toner supply amount by controlling the toner supply unit by comparing an output value of the toner concentration detector with a reference value stored in a memory and correcting difference between output values of the toner concentration detector at two or more process linear velocities in accordance with the toner concentration in the developer unit. A compensation amount for correcting difference between output values of the toner concentration detector that differ depending on the process linear velocity is adjustable in accordance with the toner concentration in the development unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier configured to carry an image and a charger to which a direct current voltage overlapped with an AC voltage is applied as a charging bias to charge the image carrier. The charger is positioned in contact or contactlessly with the image carrier. A controller performs an adjustment to the AC voltage multiple times to gradually bring the AC voltage to a target value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which a predetermined image density can be obtained by correcting a toner density control target value without consuming toner. The toner density of the developer is controlled so that an output value Vt of a magnetic permeability sensor approaches a target output value Vtref. In addition, the target output value Vtref is corrected in accordance with image coverage history information of output images transferred to a transfer paper and image coverage ratio history information of output images determined from the image coverage thereof and the size of the transfer paper. This history information comprises, for example, a cumulative average value of the image coverage or the image coverage ratio per transfer paper. It may also comprise a moving average value of the image coverage or the image coverage ratio per transfer material.

Abstract: A first developer container having a toner supplying opening is provided in a developing unit. A toner concentration sensor is arranged downstream of the toner supplying opening to detect toner concentration in developer. A supply controlling unit is provided to determine an excess or a shortage in the amount of supplied toner based on image information correspondingly to a detection result by the toner concentration sensor, and to correct the driving amount of a toner supplying unit that has been determined based on the image information correspondingly to the recognized excess or shortage in the amount of supplied toner.

Abstract: A supply control unit is configured to, in a successive image-forming operation, perform a process of successively generating a driving control pattern for a toner supply device based on image information of each page, and synthesizing an unused portion of the driving control pattern which is obtained by eliminating a portion of the driving control pattern already reflected on a driving control of the toner supply device from the driving control pattern generated based on image information of a previous page with a driving control pattern generated based on a subsequent page.

Abstract: A cooling apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes an engine cooling system that includes a water jacket, a radiator, and a circulation passage through which a coolant is circulated between the water jacket and the radiator, wherein the coolant is provided in the engine cooling system; a water pump that forcibly circulates the coolant provided in the engine cooling system when the water pump is operated; a reservoir tank in which the coolant is reserved, and into which gas flows from the engine cooling system while the reserved coolant flows out to the engine cooling system from the reservoir tank; and a forcible introduction portion that forcibly introduces the coolant from the reservoir tank into the engine cooling system before the internal combustion engine is started.

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: An image forming apparatus including a latent image bearing member; a developing device configured to develop a latent image on the image bearing member with a two-component developer; a development potential forming device configured to form a development potential; a toner replenishing device configured to supply the toner to the developing device; a toner concentration detecting device configured to detect and output the concentration of the toner in the developer; a toner concentration controlling device configured to compare the toner concentration output with a toner concentration target to control the toner concentration; an information detecting device configured to obtain information to determine the replacement amount of the toner in the developing device in a predetermined period of time; and a development potential correcting device configured to adjust the development potential on the basis of the information obtained by the information detecting device.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a toner pattern forming unit that forms a first toner pattern and a second toner pattern downstream of the first toner pattern along a direction of advance of an intermediate transfer belt on the intermediate transfer belt. The first toner pattern is configured to include color patches of which a color density gradually differs so that, when detected by a sensor, a fluctuation of a toner density is adjusted by a feedback data. The second toner pattern is configured to prevent a cleaning blade from being twisted by a friction of the intermediate transfer belt due to the toner lubrication.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms a plurality of tone patterns of different colors, each of which containing a plurality of toner patches having different toner densities. Some of the toner patches in each of the tone patterns are formed with a predetermined fixed developing bias and the rest of the toner patches in each of the tone patterns are formed with developing biases set based on previous developing biases that have been obtained through a previous control process. The largest toner density of the toner patches in each of the tone patterns is determined based on a magnitude relation of previous index values obtained through the previous control process.

Abstract: There is provided an oil separator for blowby gas exhibiting excellent oil separation performance in a stable manner. In a common flow path section of a gas flow passage in which the blowby gas flows and an oil passage provided with a bottom of the common flow path section where oil that has been separated from blowby gas by separation means provided midway along the gas flow passage, the width of a part of the common flow path section is regulated so as to become gradually smaller towards the bottom of the common flow path section, and a flow passage regulating section, for making part of the common flow path section that has the width regulated a restricted section, is provided so as to extend upwards from the bottom of the common flow path section.