Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet; a fixing device that includes a heating member and heats the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming device, to fix the image on the sheet; a detector that detects a temperature in the fixing device; and a hardware processor that performs PID control of a turn-on rate of the heating member according to a deviation between a detected temperature by the detector and a target temperature, the PID control being in accordance with an expression including at least a proportional term or an integral term and further including a constant term of a value corresponding to an operation condition of the apparatus, wherein the hardware processor calculates an average turn-on rate of the heating member during execution of the operation, and updates the value of the constant term.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a fixer that includes a heater controlled and lighted on the basis of a detection result of a temperature sensor, and melts and fixes an unfixed toner on a recording medium, using heat of when the heater is lighted; a lighting rate acquirer that acquires a first lighting rate of the heater after jam recovery and a second lighting rate of the heater before jam occurrence in a case where a jam of the recording medium occurs at a fixing nip position of the fixer; and a determiner that compares the first lighting rate with the second lighting rate, and determines whether the recording medium remains between the temperature sensor and the heater according to a result of the comparison.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing member, a blowing section, and a hard ware processor. The blowing section generates airflow toward the fixing nip, and the airflow is used for separating a sheet from the fixing member. The hardware processor performs a control of the blowing section so that airflow amounts of the blowing section toward the fixing nip are different in an axial direction of the fixing member and part of the airflow flowing from the blowing section toward a non-sheet-passing region of the fixing nip is directed in the moving direction of the fixing member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a fixer that includes a heater controlled and lighted on the basis of a detection result of a temperature sensor, and melts and fixes an unfixed toner on a recording medium, using heat of when the heater is lighted; a lighting rate acquirer that acquires a first lighting rate of the heater after jam recovery and a second lighting rate of the heater before jam occurrence in a case where a jam of the recording medium occurs at a fixing nip position of the fixer; and a determiner that compares the first lighting rate with the second lighting rate, and determines whether the recording medium remains between the temperature sensor and the heater according to a result of the comparison.

Abstract: A image forming apparatus includes: a fixing member; a blowing section that generates airflow toward the fixing nip, the airflow being used for separating a sheet from the fixing member; and a hardware processor that performs a control of causing airflow amounts of the blowing section to be different in an axial direction of the fixing member so that part of the airflow flowing from the blowing section toward a non-sheet-passing region of the fixing nip is directed toward the fixing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing member, a pressing member, a heating unit and a controller. The fixing member heats a toner image formed on a sheet. The pressing member presses the sheet onto the fixing member. The heating unit heats the fixing member. The controller controls the heating unit. The sheet is located at the fixing member in a first period and the sheet is not located at the fixing member and the fixing member is located between sheets in a second period. The controller controls the heating unit such that the heating unit heats the fixing member in a first heating pattern in which a heating period does not include the second period or in a second heating pattern in which a heating period includes the second period.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing member, a pressing member, a heating unit and a controller. The fixing member heats a toner image formed on a sheet. The pressing member presses the sheet onto the fixing member. The heating unit heats the fixing member. The controller controls the heating unit. The sheet is located at the fixing member in a first period and the sheet is not located at the fixing member and the fixing member is located between sheets in a second period. The controller controls the heating unit such that the heating unit heats the fixing member in a first heating pattern in which a heating period does not include the second period or in a second heating pattern in which a heating period includes the second period.

Abstract: An image forming device includes: an image forming unit configured to form an image on paper fed from a paper housing unit; a heater lighting control unit configured to determine, based on a temperature detected by a temperature detecting unit in a fixing unit at least including a fixing roller that holds and carries the paper on which the image is formed, a pressure roller arranged in pressure-contact with the fixing roller, a heater that heats the fixing roller, and the temperature detecting unit arranged in a vicinity of the heater, a lighting rate of the heater; and a paper determination unit configured to determine information related to the paper based on lighting rates of the heater in standby and in printing which rates are determined by the heater lighting control unit.

Abstract: An image forming device includes: an image forming unit configured to form an image on paper fed from a paper housing unit; a heater lighting control unit configured to determine, based on a temperature detected by a temperature detecting unit in a fixing unit at least including a fixing roller that holds and carries the paper on which the image is formed, a pressure roller arranged in pressure-contact with the fixing roller, a heater that heats the fixing roller, and the temperature detecting unit arranged in a vicinity of the heater, a lighting rate of the heater; and a paper determination unit configured to determine information related to the paper based on lighting rates of the heater in standby and in printing which rates are determined by the heater lighting control unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a heating rotating body (first body) and a pressurizing rotating body (second body) disposed in a pressure contact state, and commencing image forming when a temperature of the first body reaches a predetermined temperature lower than a fixing temperature. The apparatus acquires a value indicating a temperature of the second body upon commencement of warm-up, and when the value is below a threshold value, heats the first body until the temperature thereof reaches the fixing temperature while rotating the two bodies at a first speed, and when the value equals or exceeds the threshold value, heats the first body until the temperature thereof reaches the predetermined temperature while rotating the two bodies at a second speed slower than the first speed and further heats the first body until the temperature thereof reaches the fixing temperature while rotating the two bodies at the first speed.

Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning a belt member, includes a cleaning blade; a removing member coming in contact with the surface of the belt member so as to remove foreign matter adhering on the surface of the belt member; and a contact pressure changing section to change a contact pressure between the removing member to the belt member, wherein, when the contact pressure between the removing member and a region of the belt member corresponding in position to a toner image to be not transferred to a paper sheet is made P1, and the contact pressure between the removing member and a region of the belt member corresponding in position to a toner image to be transferred to a paper sheet is made P2, the contact pressure changing section changes the contact pressure to satisfy the conditional formula: (P1<P2).

Abstract: A game machine comprises: a chasses having a top plate and a section plate arranged at a lower surface side of the top plate to make space; a traveling body arranged in the space and capable of traveling along an upper surface of the section plate; and a sensor outputting signal corresponding to a position of the traveling body, the sensor having a flexible sheet-like detection portion that is laid on the section plate and a substrate portion being provided with an electric circuit component for detecting the position using the detection portion and connected with an end portion of the detection portion. In the game machine, the end portion of the detection portion of the sensor is bent along a side surface of the chassis from a circumferential edge portion of the section plate, and the substrate portion is attached to the chassis at the side surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a heating rotating body (first body) and a pressurizing rotating body (second body) disposed in a pressure contact state, and commencing image forming when a temperature of the first body reaches a predetermined temperature lower than a fixing temperature. The apparatus acquires a value indicating a temperature of the second body upon commencement of warm-up, and when the value is below a threshold value, heats the first body until the temperature thereof reaches the fixing temperature while rotating the two bodies at a first speed, and when the value equals or exceeds the threshold value, heats the first body until the temperature thereof reaches the predetermined temperature while rotating the two bodies at a second speed slower than the first speed and further heats the first body until the temperature thereof reaches the fixing temperature while rotating the two bodies at the first speed.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating roller which is heated by a heater, a pressure roller which comes into contact with a fixing belt to form a nip portion, and a thermopile capable of measuring a surface temperature of the fixing belt. The fixing device moves that portion on the surface of the fixing belt which was located at the nip portion with the pressure roller at the start of a warm-up operation, to a measurement location of the thermopile. The fixing device uses the thermopile to measure the temperature of that portion on the surface of the fixing belt moved to the measurement location. The fixing device controls the warm-up operation on the basis of the temperature measured by the thermopile. This can reduce the time required for the warm-up operation.

Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning a belt member, includes a cleaning blade; a removing member coming in contact with the surface of the belt member so as to remove foreign matter adhering on the surface of the belt member; and a contact pressure changing section to change a contact pressure between the removing member to the belt member, wherein, when the contact pressure between the removing member and a region of the belt member corresponding in position to a toner image to be not transferred to a paper sheet is made P1, and the contact pressure between the removing member and a region of the belt member corresponding in position to a toner image to be transferred to a paper sheet is made P2, the contact pressure changing section changes the contact pressure to satisfy the conditional formula: (P1<P2).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developer carrier arranged to face the image carrier to form a developing nip portion, which carries developer containing toner for developing a latent image formed on the image carrier, a developing unit having a developer regulating member that regulates a thickness of a layer of the carried developer, an air sending duct having an air sending path provided on the developing unit, which sends air to the developer carrier and a suction duct having a suction path provided on the developing unit, which sucks air from the developer carrier. The developer regulating member is arranged on an air sending duct side, and the air sending and suction paths are arranged to be connected by forming a space surrounded by a surface of the developer carrier, the developer regulating member and a wall forming the suction path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having an image carrier for forming an electrostatic latent image and a developing unit for developing the electrostatic latent image with a two-component developing agent, the developing unit includes: a developing agent carrier for developing the electrostatic latent image to form a visible image, having inside thereof a development main magnetic pole for forming a bristle of a magnetic brush; and a plurality of magnetic poles for conveying the developing agent, wherein the developing unit performs a counter type contact developing method, and wherein, a development area is formed so that, a contact width of the bristle of the magnetic brush is 70% or less with respect to a development width, and a center position of the contact width is positioned on an upstream side with respect to a center position of the development width in a rotation direction of the image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fog controller to control a fogging level of a toner image carrier by adjusting a fog control parameter on the basis of the fogging level detected by a fogging level detection section and the target fogging level stored in a memory section. While varying a value of the fog control parameter, the fog controller makes a detection pattern forming section to form a series of detection patterns between toner images for each page on the toner image carrier, makes the fogging level detection section to detect each of fogging levels of the series of detection patterns, determines a target fog control parameter value on the basis of each fogging level of the series of detection patterns detected and the target fogging level stored, and adjusts the fog control parameter on the basis of the target fog control parameter value.

Abstract: High quality images are provided by controlling development conditions based on the proportion of the toner layer potential difference, which a difference between the toner layer potential and electrostatic latent image potential, to the development contrast potential difference, which is a difference between the development bias potential and electrostatic latent image potential. The control section for controlling a development power supply controls the voltage supplied by the development power supply, based on the toner layer potential difference and development contrast potential difference in the development section. This arrangement ensures formation of high-quality images free from concentration of toner.

Abstract: There is described an image forming apparatus, which makes it possible to suppress quality degradation of an image on the basis of a developing electric current profile without optically detecting density of a patch image. The image forming apparatus includes: a developing current detecting sensor to detect a developing current; and a control section that conducts consecutive operations of: creating a detecting-use image pattern for detecting a developing characteristic, by aligning a plurality of image patterns, which are different from each other in density; forming a latent image of the detecting-use image pattern onto the photoreceptor element; finding a developing electric current profile, which represents a transition of the developing electric current flowing during an operation of developing the detecting-use image pattern, from an outputted signal of the developing current; and changing an image forming condition, based on the developing electric current profile found by the finding operation.