Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heating rotatable member for heating an image on a recording material at a nip; an endless belt cooperative with the heating rotatable member to form the nip; a pressing pad for pressing the belt at the nip; and a lubricant application member for applying a lubricant on an inner surface of the belt, wherein the lubricant application member is away from the belt when the belt is at a position retracted from a position where an image heating operation of the apparatus is capable.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus according to an aspect of the invention includes conveying suction belts which have a function of rotating an adsorbed sheet and a function of conveying the sheet; a suction fan 112 which adsorbs the sheet to the belts; CCDs which detect a position and an skew in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction while the sheet is adsorbed to the belts; and a control device for driving the belts to rotate the sheet according to signals of CCDs in order to correct an attitude of the sheet adsorbed to the belts.

Abstract: A registration unit includes a skew correction roller pair configured to rotate a sheet conveyed from a conveyance roller pair and to correct skew of the sheet. The registration unit sheet further includes a projectable swinging guide arranged between the conveyance roller pair and the skew correction roller pair to deflect the sheet. The skew correction roller pair corrects the skew of the sheet deflected by the swinging guide.

Abstract: An air heating mechanism for heating the air which is blown from a loosening/separating nozzle toward the top sheet attracted to an attracting and conveying unit is provided. A control unit controls the air heating mechanism based on moisture content information from a sensor for detecting a moisture content of a sheet supported by the tray.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus is provided which includes a first rotary member; a second rotary member configured to convey a sheet with the first rotary member and which is separable from and in contact with the first rotary member; a sheet detecting member which is movable by being pressed by the sheet; and a detecting sensor configured to detect a presence or absence of the sheet based on a position of the member. The sheet detecting member is movable between a detecting position for detecting a presence or absence of the sheet by the detecting sensor in which the sheet detecting member can be pressed by the sheet and a retreat position in which the sheet detecting member is retreated from a sheet conveyed, and the sheet detecting member is moved to the detecting position from the retract position in association with a movement of the second rotary member away from the first rotary member.

Abstract: When the conveying speed of a sheet by a first fixing device 9a disposed on the upstream side of the conveying path of the sheet is defined as Vu, and the conveying speed of the sheet by pairs of conveying rollers 31, 32 and 33 provided between the first fixing device 9a and a second fixing device 9b is defined as Vm, and the conveying speed of the sheet by the second fixing device 9b disposed on the downstream side is defined as Vl, Vu, Vm and Vl are set to the relation that Vu<Vm<Vl.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable heating member configured to heat an image on a recording medium at a nip, driving means configured to drive the heating member, an endless belt configured to form the nip with the heating member, and a driving roller configured to drive the endless belt. In the image heating apparatus, the following expressions are satisfied: ?2<?1 0.005<?2<0.3 V1<V2 where ?2 is a friction coefficient between the endless belt and the driving roller, ?1 is a friction coefficient between the heating member and the endless belt, V1 is a peripheral speed of the heating member, and V2 is a peripheral speed of the driving roller.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heating rotatable member for heating an image on a recording material at a nip; an endless belt cooperative with the heating rotatable member to form the nip; a pressing pad for pressing the belt at the nip; and a lubricant application member for applying a lubricant on an inner surface of the belt, wherein the lubricant application member is away from the belt when the belt is at a position retracted from a position where an image heating operation of the apparatus is capable.

Abstract: The present invention provides an external heating member abutment controller which can instantaneously adjust the quantity of heat provided by external heating members to the surface of a fixing member, to provide a fixing apparatus which can drastically increase productivity for cardboards and which can provide high-quality color images free from variations in gloss (gloss nonuniformity). Thus, a fixing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a first and second fixing rotating members that use nip portions to thermally fix a toner image on a recording material and a first and second heating members that abut against the first fixing rotating member to heat an outer surface of the first fixing rotating member. The fixing apparatus is characterized in that when a fixing operation is started, the first heating member and the second heating member are sequentially abutted against the first fixing rotating member.

Abstract: The present invention provides an external heating member abutment controller which can instantaneously adjust the quantity of heat provided by external heating members to the surface of a fixing member, to provide a fixing apparatus which can drastically increase productivity for cardboards and which can provide high-quality color images free from variations in gloss (gloss nonuniformity). Thus, a fixing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a first and second fixing rotating members that use nip portions to thermally fix a toner image on a recording material and a first and second heating members that abut against the first fixing rotating member to heat an outer surface of the first fixing rotating member. The fixing apparatus is characterized in that when a fixing operation is started, the first heating member and the second heating member are sequentially abutted against the first fixing rotating member.

Abstract: When the conveying speed of a sheet by a first fixing device 9a disposed on the upstream side of the conveying path of the sheet is defined as Vu, and the conveying speed of the sheet by pairs of conveying rollers 31, 32 and 33 provided between the first fixing device 9a and a second fixing device 9b is defined as Vm, and the conveying speed of the sheet by the second fixing device 9b disposed on the downstream side is defined as Vl, Vu, Vm and Vl are set to the relation that Vu<Vm<Vl.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, which improves the stacking ability of a sheet and prevents contamination of an image formed surface at a low cost, includes a frame, an image forming portion forming an image on the sheet, a first conveying path through which the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming portion is conveyed, a sheet discharge tray provided outside the frame and onto which the sheet conveyed through the first conveying path is discharged so as to be accommodated on the sheet discharge tray. A sheet discharging roller rotatable in a direction of discharges the sheet onto the sheet discharge tray in a reverse direction thereof.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotor to which torque in a fixed direction is transmitted and a transmitting unit for transmitting torque to the rotor. The transmitting unit is replaceable by a driving unit capable of freely rotating the rotor in both forward and backward directions.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process cartridge to be detachably mounted to an image forming apparatus body capable of selecting an image forming condition. The process cartridge includes a cartridge frame, an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a processing device operative on the electrophotographic photosensitive member and a grip member. This grip member is disposed on the cartridge frame and is capable of being gripped to select an image forming condition when the process cartridge is mounted to the image forming apparatus body.