Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a contact member supplied with voltage by a voltage application device, to contact an object; a rotary member rotatable about a rotation fulcrum shaft fixed to an image forming apparatus, to support the contact member; an biasing member to urge the rotary member to press the contact member against the object; a rotary conductive member fixed to the rotary member and connected electrically to the contact member; a main body side conductive member fixed to the rotation fulcrum shaft at the main body side and connected electrically to the voltage application device; and a conductive connector provided along the rotation fulcrum shaft to contact the rotary conductive member in an axial direction to connect electrically the main body side conductive member and the rotary conductive member. A contact of the conductive connector and a contact of the rotary conductive member are unfixed.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body and a heater disposed opposite the fixing rotary body. A heat shield is movable in a circumferential direction of the fixing rotary body and interposed between the heater and the fixing rotary body to shield the fixing rotary body from the heater. An overheating suppressor is interposed between the heater and the heat shield to shield the heat shield from the heater. The heat shield includes an intermediate portion spanning in the circumferential direction of the fixing rotary body and movable between a shield position where the intermediate portion is disposed opposite the heater directly and a retracted position where the intermediate portion is disposed opposite the heater via the overheating suppressor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit; an intermediate transfer member; a secondary transfer member to form a secondary transfer nip with the intermediate transfer member and the secondary transfer member; a biasing mechanism to bias the secondary transfer member toward the intermediate transfer member; a cam member rotatable between a first position, at which a predetermined space is formed in the secondary transfer nip, and a second position, at which the secondary transfer member and the intermediate transfer member contact each other; and a contact-separation controller configured to put the cam member in the first position before entry of the recording medium into the secondary transfer nip, rotate the cam member toward the second position when the recording medium enters the secondary transfer nip, and change a start timing of rotation of the cam member in accordance with a thickness of the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a contact member supplied with voltage by a voltage application device, to contact an object; a rotary member rotatable about a rotation fulcrum shaft fixed to an image forming apparatus, to support the contact member; an biasing member to urge the rotary member to press the contact member against the object; a rotary conductive member fixed to the rotary member and connected electrically to the contact member; a main body side conductive member fixed to the rotation fulcrum shaft at the main body side and connected electrically to the voltage application device; and a conductive connector provided along the rotation fulcrum shaft to contact the rotary conductive member in an axial direction to connect electrically the main body side conductive member and the rotary conductive member. A contact of the conductive connector and a contact of the rotary conductive member are unfixed.

Abstract: An image foaming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer unit, and a pressing mechanism. The image bearing member bears a toner image. The transfer unit is disposed opposite the image bearing member and is swingably and detachably held within a main body of the image forming apparatus. The transfer unit includes a transfer member and a power receiving electrode. The transfer member is disposed opposite the image bearing member, to contact the image bearing member to form a transfer nip therebetween and transfer the toner image on the image bearing member onto a recording medium in the transfer nip. The power receiving electrode receives power from the main body of the image forming apparatus. The pressing mechanism presses the transfer unit against the image bearing member and includes a power supply electrode that contacts the power receiving electrode of the transfer unit to supply power thereto.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a contact member supplied with voltage by a voltage application device, to contact an object; a rotary member rotatable about a rotation fulcrum shaft fixed to an image forming apparatus, to support the contact member; an biasing member to urge the rotary member to press the contact member against the object; a rotary conductive member fixed to the rotary member and connected electrically to the contact member; a main body side conductive member fixed to the rotation fulcrum shaft at the main body side and connected electrically to the voltage application device; and a conductive connector provided along the rotation fulcrum shaft to contact the rotary conductive member in an axial direction to connect electrically the main body side conductive member and the rotary conductive member. A contact of the conductive connector and a contact of the rotary conductive member are unfixed.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat source; a fixing member looped into a generally cylindrical shape to rotate in a circumferential direction thereof and partially heated by the heat source and to heat a surface of a recording medium bearing an unfixed toner image to fix the unfixed toner image thereon in a fixing process; a rotary pressing member disposed facing the fixing member to form a nip therebetween, through which the recording medium is transported in a transport direction; and a rotation driver to rotate one of the fixing member and the pressing member. In a case in which the fixing member is halted for a reason other than the fixing process while power of the fixing device is on, electric power is not supplied to the heat source and the fixing member is rotated by a predetermined amount or more after the fixing member is halted.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a plurality of rollers, a rotatable intermediate transfer belt wound around and stretched between the rollers, a transfer member disposed in the inner loop of the belt and facing an image bearing member of an image forming apparatus disposed at an outer circumference of the belt, to transfer an image formed onto the surface of the image bearing member when contacting the intermediate transfer belt, and a position adjuster to adjust the position of the intermediate transfer belt at different positions relative to the image bearing member. The positions include a contact state in which the intermediate transfer belt applied with a predetermined tension contacts the image bearing member, a first separation state in which the tensioned intermediate transfer belt separates from the image bearing member, and a second separation state in which the intermediate transfer belt separates further away from the image bearing member.

Abstract: A transfer assembly includes a counter member having a contact face, an engagement/disengagement unit to engage and disengage the image carrying face of image carrying member and the contact face of counter member using a cam, a pressure device to apply force to a transfer nip between the image carrying face and contact face, and a recording medium feed device to feed the recording medium to the transfer nip. When the cam is at a first rotation position, the image carrying face and contact face are separated, and when the cam is at a second rotation position, the image carrying face and contact face contact. Before the recording medium enters the transfer nip, the cam rotates from the first rotation position toward the second rotation position. After the recording medium enters the transfer nip, the cam is at the second rotation position to press the image carrying face with the contact face.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless intermediate transfer belt rotatably stretched over a plurality of rollers, and a detector to read a pattern on the intermediate transfer belt. One of the rollers includes a first portion disposed opposite an area on the intermediate transfer belt including a pattern passing position, and a second portion not including a pattern passing position. The first portion has a diameter smaller than that of the second portion thereof, and an elastic material is superimposed on the second portion only. The detector is disposed between a second roller disposed upstream of the first roller and a third roller disposed downstream of the first roller, and opposite the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: A transfer device comprises a freely rotatable transferring member contacting an image bearing member to form a transfer nip therebetween; a transfer bias applying member to apply a first bias created by superimposing an alternating current component on a direct current component to the transferring member to transfer a toner image borne on the image bearing member to a recording medium in the transfer nip; and an applicator to apply a protective agent to a surface of the transferring member.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a plurality of rollers, a rotatable intermediate transfer belt wound around and stretched between the rollers, a transfer member disposed in the inner loop of the belt and facing an image bearing member of an image forming apparatus disposed at an outer circumference of the belt, to transfer an image formed onto the surface of the image bearing member when contacting the intermediate transfer belt, and a position adjuster to adjust the position of the intermediate transfer belt at different positions relative to the image bearing member. The positions include a contact state in which the intermediate transfer belt applied with a predetermined tension contacts the image bearing member, a first separation state in which the tensioned intermediate transfer belt separates from the image bearing member, and a second separation state in which the intermediate transfer belt separates further away from the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a belt unit that includes a belt-shaped image carrier stretched around and driven to rotate by a plurality of rollers; a belt tensioning unit that includes a tensioning member that is brought into contact with an image carrying surface of the belt-shaped image carrier and applies tension to the belt-shaped image carrier; and a cleaning unit that includes a cleaning member that is brought into contact with the image carrying surface of the belt-shaped image carrier and cleans the image carrying surface. The cleaning unit is supported by the belt tensioning unit in an attachable and detachable manner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearing members to bear a toner image on a surface thereof, a transfer device including a plurality of transfer members and an endless belt formed into a loop and entrained around the transfer members, to transfer the toner images from the image bearing members onto the surface of the belt so that the toner images are superimposed one atop the other on the belt to form a composite toner image, a plurality of cleaning devices including a cleaning blade to remove residual toner remaining on the image bearing members after transfer of the toner images onto the belt, and a plurality of heaters disposed inside the loop formed by the belt. Each of the heaters is disposed between adjacent image bearing members. The belt is interposed between the plurality of heaters and the plurality of image bearing members.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a moving device to move a contact surface of an opposing member toward and away from an image bearing surface of an image bearing member. The moving device includes a cam and a cam driving device to rotate the cam. When the cam is at a first position, the image bearing surface and the contact surface are separated. When the cam is at a second position, the image bearing surface and the contact surface contact each other. After a recording medium enters a transfer nip between the image bearing surface and the contact surface, the cam is at the second position, and when the recording medium exits the transfer nip a timing at which the cam starts to rotate from the second position to the first position changes depending on a thickness of the recording medium, to reduce pressure in the transfer nip.

Abstract: An image foaming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer unit, and a pressing mechanism. The image bearing member bears a toner image. The transfer unit is disposed opposite the image bearing member and is swingably and detachably held within a main body of the image forming apparatus. The transfer unit includes a transfer member and a power receiving electrode. The transfer member is disposed opposite the image bearing member, to contact the image bearing member to form a transfer nip therebetween and transfer the toner image on the image bearing member onto a recording medium in the transfer nip. The power receiving electrode receives power from the main body of the image forming apparatus. The pressing mechanism presses the transfer unit against the image bearing member and includes a power supply electrode that contacts the power receiving electrode of the transfer unit to supply power thereto.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a contact member supplied with voltage by a voltage application device, to contact an object; a rotary member rotatable about a rotation fulcrum shaft fixed to an image forming apparatus, to support the contact member; an biasing member to urge the rotary member to press the contact member against the object; a rotary conductive member fixed to the rotary member and connected electrically to the contact member; a main body side conductive member fixed to the rotation fulcrum shaft at the main body side and connected electrically to the voltage application device; and a conductive connector provided along the rotation fulcrum shaft to contact the rotary conductive member in an axial direction to connect electrically the main body side conductive member and the rotary conductive member. A contact of the conductive connector and a contact of the rotary conductive member are unfixed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless intermediate transfer belt rotatably stretched over a plurality of rollers, and a detector to read a pattern on the intermediate transfer belt. One of the rollers includes a first portion disposed opposite an area on the intermediate transfer belt including a pattern passing position, and a second portion not including a pattern passing position. The first portion has a diameter smaller than that of the second portion thereof, and an elastic material is superimposed on the second portion only. The detector is disposed between a second roller disposed upstream of the first roller and a third roller disposed downstream of the first roller, and opposite the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: A transfer assembly includes a counter member having a contact face, an engagement/disengagement unit to engage and disengage the image carrying face of image carrying member and the contact face of counter member using a cam, a pressure device to apply force to a transfer nip between the image carrying face and contact face, and a recording medium feed device to feed the recording medium to the transfer nip. When the cam is at a first rotation position, the image carrying face and contact face are separated, and when the cam is at a second rotation position, the image carrying face and contact face contact. Before the recording medium enters the transfer nip, the cam rotates from the first rotation position toward the second rotation position. After the recording medium enters the transfer nip, the cam is at the second rotation position to press the image carrying face with the contact face.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a plurality of rollers, a rotatable intermediate transfer belt wound around and stretched between the rollers, a transfer member disposed in the inner loop of the belt and facing an image bearing member of an image forming apparatus disposed at an outer circumference of the belt, to transfer an image formed onto the surface of the image bearing member when contacting the intermediate transfer belt, and a position adjuster to adjust the position of the intermediate transfer belt at different positions relative to the image bearing member. The positions include a contact state in which the intermediate transfer belt applied with a predetermined tension contacts the image bearing member, a first separation state in which the tensioned intermediate transfer belt separates from the image bearing member, and a second separation state in which the intermediate transfer belt separates further away from the image bearing member.