Abstract: When a switch displayed on an operation panel is operated, a control portion starts aging control in which image formation is stopped and yellow toner is applied onto an intermediary transfer belt and a secondary transfer roller. A toner band is formed, on full circumference of the intermediary transfer belt at a position in which toner images for control are formed, with a width correspondingly to widths of the toner images for control.

Abstract: In an early-middle stage of a photosensitive drum life cycle, an image forming apparatus uses only a second semiconductor laser having an oscillation wavelength 660 nm to perform writing of an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum surface. In a middle-late stage of the photosensitive drum life cycle, the image forming apparatus starts using a first semiconductor laser having an oscillation wavelength of 440 nm in addition to the second semiconductor laser to perform writing of an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum surface with a combined exposure spot formed at the same position. An exposure control unit gradually increases an output rate of the first semiconductor laser according to an increase in total output of the first and second semiconductor lasers.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a control portion forms a restoring toner image (restoring toner band) at a position, in which the refreshing toner image overlaps with a control image with respect to a longitudinal direction of a secondary transfer roller, during post-rotation after image formation in an image forming job is completed. The restoring toner band is formed in a length corresponding to 3 full circumferences of the secondary transfer roller for one-sheet image forming job, 2 full circumferences of the secondary transfer roller for 5-sheet image forming job, and one full circumference of the secondary transfer roller for 10-sheet image forming is job. In the case of an image forming job on 50 sheets or more, a lowering in cleaning performance of a secondary transfer member cleaning device for the secondary transfer roller is not caused to occur, so that the restoring toner band is not formed.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, when backside contamination of a recording material occurs, a control portion carries out control so that a plurality of restoring toner bands having a length L1 longer than a circumference L3 of a secondary transfer roller is formed at an interval L2 at positions in which the restoring toner bands can overlap with control images with respect to a longitudinal direction of the secondary transfer roller and then is transferred onto the secondary transfer roller through an intermediary transfer belt. The restoring toner bands transferred onto the secondary transfer roller stagnate on a fur brush rubbing against the secondary transfer roller to remove an electric discharge product deposited on the secondary transfer roller. The toner stagnating on the fur brush is inverted in charge polarity and then is re-transferred onto the intermediary transfer belt through the secondary transfer roller.

Abstract: When a switch displayed on an operation panel is operated, a control portion starts aging control in which image formation is stopped and yellow toner is applied onto an intermediary transfer belt and a secondary transfer roller. A toner band is formed, on full circumference of the intermediary transfer belt at a position in which toner images for control are formed, with a width correspondingly to widths of the toner images for control.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of container units containing sheets, a sheet feeding device provided for each of the plurality of container units and configured to feed the sheets; and a controller switching between modes including a first mode and a second mode in order to automatically switch a sheet feeding position from a container unit in current use to another container unit. In the first mode, the sheet feeding position is switched to the other container unit in the state in which a prescribed amount of sheets are left in the container unit in current use, and in the second mode, the sheet feeding position is switched to the other container unit after the sheets in the container unit in current use are exhausted.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus has an image bearing member, a detecting member, a toner image forming apparatus, a transfer member and a collecting member for collecting toner of a toner image for detection attached to the transfer member rotating while contacting with the transfer member, and removing member for removing the toner collected into said collecting member from the collecting member in a removing area. In the image forming apparatus, a portion of the collecting member contacts the transfer member passes through the removing area by a time when said collecting member next contacts with the transfer member, and by a time when a portion of the collecting member which contacts a portion of the transfer member contacts the toner image for detection next contacts the portion of the transfer member contacts with the toner image for detection, said collecting member passes through the removing area at least two times.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heating rotatable member for heating an image on a recording material in a nip, a nip forming member for cooperating with the heating rotatable member to form the nip, and a rubbing rotatable member. The rubbing rotatable member rubs, by its rotation, the heating rotatable member. The rubbing rotatable member has an elastic layer to provide a microhardness [GPa] of not less than 0.03 and not more than 1.0.

Abstract: In an early-middle stage of a photosensitive drum life cycle, an image forming apparatus uses only a second semiconductor laser having an oscillation wavelength 660 nm to perform writing of an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum surface. In a middle-late stage of the photosensitive drum life cycle, the image forming apparatus starts using a first semiconductor laser having an oscillation wavelength of 440 nm in addition to the second semiconductor laser to perform writing of an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum surface with a combined exposure spot formed at the same position. An exposure control unit gradually increases an output rate of the first semiconductor laser according to an increase in total output of the first and second semiconductor lasers.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes an image-bearing member supporting a toner image; a transfer roller that rotates in contact with the image-bearing member so as to transfer the toner image to a recording material; first and second cleaning rollers, each having a brush provided on a circumferential surface thereof so as to electrostatically recover toner deposited on the transfer roller while rotating in contact therewith; a recovery roller that rotates in contact with the first and second cleaning rollers to electrostatically recover the toner therefrom; and a blade-like removing member that comes in contact with the recovery roller so as to remove the toner therefrom.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heating rotatable member for heating an image on a recording material in a nip; a nip forming member for cooperating with said heating rotatable member to form the nip; a rubbing rotatable member for rubbing, by its rotation, said heating rotatable member; wherein said rubbing rotatable member has an elastic layer to provide a microhardness the GPa] of not less than 0.03 and not more than 1.0.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has: an image bearing member which bears a toner image; a transfer member which comes into pressure contact with the image bearing member and transfers the toner image on the image bearing member onto a recording material; a first cleaning member which electrostatically collects the toner on the transfer member; and a second cleaning member which electrostatically collects the toner on the first cleaning member, wherein when a ratio of an amount of toner which is adsorbed by the first cleaning member to an amount of toner on the transfer member is assumed to be a (%) and a ratio of an amount of toner which is adsorbed by the second cleaning member to an amount of toner on the first cleaning member is assumed to be ? (%), ?>90 (%), ?>90 (%), and ???.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer member, and a transfer member cleaning apparatus. The transfer member cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning blade and a rotatable cleaning member around the transfer member. A transfer member where a developer image is transferred from the image bearing member onto a transfer material, the cleaning blade, and the rotatable cleaning member are disposed in this order from an upstream side to a downstream side in a rotation direction of the transfer member. During a cleaning operation of the transfer member cleaning apparatus, developer in an amount corresponding to one to three layers of the developer passes through between the cleaning blade and the transfer member.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes an image-bearing member supporting a toner image; a transfer roller that rotates in contact with the image-bearing member so as to transfer the toner image to a recording material; first and second cleaning rollers, each having a brush provided on a circumferential surface thereof so as to electrostatically recover toner deposited on the transfer roller while rotating in contact therewith; a recovery roller that rotates in contact with the first and second cleaning rollers to electrostatically recover the toner therefrom; and a blade-like removing member that comes in contact with the recovery roller so as to remove the toner therefrom.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus has an image bearing member, a detecting member, a toner image forming apparatus, a transfer member and a collecting member for collecting toner of a toner image for detection attached to the transfer member rotating while contacting with the transfer member, and removing member for removing the toner collected into said collecting member from the collecting member in a removing area. In the image forming apparatus, a portion of the collecting member contacts the transfer member passes through the removing area by a time when said collecting member next contacts with the transfer member, and by a time when a portion of the collecting member which contacts a portion of the transfer member contacts the toner image for detection next contacts the portion of the transfer member contacts with the toner image for detection, said collecting member passes through the removing area at least two times.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of container units containing sheets, a sheet feeding device provided for each of the plurality of container units and configured to feed the sheets; and a controller switching between modes including a first mode and a second mode in order to automatically switch a sheet feeding position from a container unit in current use to another container unit. In the first mode, the sheet feeding position is switched to the other container unit in the state in which a prescribed amount of sheets are left in the container unit in current use, and in the second mode, the sheet feeding position is switched to the other container unit after the sheets in the container unit in current use are exhausted.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer member, and a transfer member cleaning apparatus. The transfer member cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning blade and a rotatable cleaning member around the transfer member. A transfer member where a developer image is transferred from the image bearing member onto a transfer material, the cleaning blade, and the rotatable cleaning member are disposed in this order from an upstream side to a downstream side in a rotation direction of the transfer member. During a cleaning operation of the transfer member cleaning apparatus, developer in an amount corresponding to one to three layers of the developer passes through between said cleaning blade and said transfer member.