Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance portion, a printing portion, a delay storage portion, a control portion, an input portion, and a display portion. The delay storage portion can store delay information. The control portion performs a measurement mode. The input portion receives instructions to start and end the measurement mode. When an instruction to perform the measurement mode is entered, the control portion deletes the delay information stored in the delay storage portion and stores the delay information generated thereafter during printing in the delay storage portion. When an instruction to end the measurement mode is entered, the control portion displays on the display portion delay information on predetermined irregular delay factors that occur irregularly during printing, out of the delay information stored in the delay storage portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance portion, a printing portion, a delay storage portion, a control portion, an input portion, and a display portion. The delay storage portion can store delay information. The control portion performs a measurement mode. The input portion receives instructions to start and end the measurement mode. When an instruction to perform the measurement mode is entered, the control portion deletes the delay information stored in the delay storage portion and stores the delay information generated thereafter during printing in the delay storage portion. When an instruction to end the measurement mode is entered, the control portion displays on the display portion delay information on predetermined irregular delay factors that occur irregularly during printing, out of the delay information stored in the delay storage portion.

Abstract: An inkjet recording device includes: an endless conveyance belt having plural openings; a recording medium supply unit that supplies a recording medium to the conveyance belt; an opening position detection unit that detects positions of the openings in the conveyance belt; a flushing control unit that causes the recording head to perform flushing on the basis of position detection of the openings; and a recording medium supply control unit that controls the recording medium supply unit in any of plural control modes. The plural control modes include: a first control mode in which the recording medium supply unit is controlled independently from the position detection of the openings by the opening position detection unit; and a second control mode in which the recording medium supply unit is controlled on the basis of the position detection of the openings by the opening position detection unit.

Abstract: A control unit in an inkjet recording device controls a drive roller to stop a conveyance belt such that, after completion of a print job, a reference specifying portion of the conveyance belt is stopped at a position on an upstream side in a conveyance direction of the conveyance belt from a detecting position of a reference detection sensor by a particular distance or longer. The particular distance is a distance, for which the conveyance belt moves until the conveyance belt reaches a specific conveyance speed after the conveyance belt in a stopped state starts moving by driving of the drive roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyor belt for conveying a sheet, a plurality of ink heads for fulfilling printing on the sheet, a sensor whose detection position is a position within a belt zone, a controller for halting the printing upon occurrence of jam, and a notification part for executing a notification process that urges cleaning of the conveyor belt. Upon occurrence of jam, the controller, based on an output signal of the sensor, decides for each one of the plurality of ink heads whether or not an ink head is a sheet-nonarrival head where an in-zone sheet has not yet arrived at a gap between the ink head and the conveyor belt, and given that there is no such sheet-nonarrival head, the controller keeps the notification part from executing the notification process.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyor belt for conveying a sheet, a plurality of ink heads for fulfilling printing on the sheet, a sensor whose detection position is a position within a belt zone, a controller for halting the printing upon occurrence of jam, and a notification part for executing a notification process that urges cleaning of the conveyor belt. Upon occurrence of jam, the controller, based on an output signal of the sensor, decides for each one of the plurality of ink heads whether or not an ink head is a sheet-nonarrival head where an in-zone sheet has not yet arrived at a gap between the ink head and the conveyor belt, and given that there is no such sheet-nonarrival head, the controller keeps the notification part from executing the notification process.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printing section, an operation control section, a post-processing section, and a delay time calculating section. The operation control section is configured to control an operation of the printing section. The post-processing section is configured to perform post-processing of a recording paper sheet subjected to printing by the printing section. The delay time calculating section is configured to calculate a delay time in a printing process to be generated by the post-processing performed by the post-processing section. When the delay time calculated by the delay time calculating section is equal to or longer than a predetermined first time period, the operation control section controls the printing section to perform a printing operation at a predetermined printing speed higher than a normal printing speed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printing section, an acceptance section configured to accept an instruction for the printing section to change a printing speed, and an operation control section configured to control an operation of the printing section. When the acceptance section accepts the instruction, the operation control section calculates a first amount of time for the printing section to start and complete printing at an unchanged printing speed, a second amount of time for the printing section to start and complete printing at a changed printing speed, and a third amount of time for the printing section to change the printing speed and start printing at the changed printing speed, compares a total of the second and third amounts of time with the first amount of time, and determines whether to allow the printing section to change the printing speed based on a result of the comparison.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printing section, an acceptance section configured to accept an instruction for the printing section to change a printing speed, and an operation control section configured to control an operation of the printing section. When the acceptance section accepts the instruction, the operation control section calculates a first amount of time for the printing section to start and complete printing at an unchanged printing speed, a second amount of time for the printing section to start and complete printing at a changed printing speed, and a third amount of time for the printing section to change the printing speed and start printing at the changed printing speed, compares a total of the second and third amounts of time with the first amount of time, and determines whether to allow the printing section to change the printing speed based on a result of the comparison.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printing section, an operation control section, a post-processing section, and a delay time calculating section. The operation control section is configured to control an operation of the printing section. The post-processing section is configured to perform post-processing of a recording paper sheet subjected to printing by the printing section. The delay time calculating section is configured to calculate a delay time in a printing process to be generated by the post-processing performed by the post-processing section. When the delay time calculated by the delay time calculating section is equal to or longer than a predetermined first time period, the operation control section controls the printing section to perform a printing operation at a predetermined printing speed higher than a normal printing speed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a storage portion, a density measurement portion, a calibration portion, and a correction portion. The image forming portion is configured to form an image by using a developer. The storage portion is configured to store a relationship between a number of pixels formed by the image forming portion and a usage amount of the developer. The density measurement portion is configured to perform measurement of a density of a patch image formed by the image forming portion. The calibration portion is configured to perform calibration based on the measured density. The correction portion is configured to perform correction of the relationship between the number of pixels and the usage amount of the developer, the relationship being stored in the storage portion, by using differences in number of pixels at a plurality of previously set densities between before and after the calibration.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printing portion, an ordinary printing controller, and an energy-saving printing controller. The ordinary printing controller causes the printing portion to perform ordinary printing at a first fixing temperature. The energy-saving printing controller causes the printing portion to perform energy-saving printing at a second fixing temperature lower than the first fixing temperature. The energy-saving printing controller selectively performs first energy-saving printing of performing the energy-saving printing by setting the sheet conveying speed to a first speed and setting the sheet interval to a first interval, and second energy-saving printing of performing the energy-saving printing by setting the sheet conveying speed to a second speed faster than the first speed and setting the sheet interval to a second interval larger than the first interval.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image carrier, a developing unit, a toner container, a pixel counter, and a used toner amount estimator. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the image carrier's surface. The developing unit feeds toner on the image carrier's surface. The toner container with a transport screw supplies toner to the developing unit. The pixel counter counts the number of pixels in toner images formed on the image carrier's surface since the toner container started being used. The used toner amount estimator estimates the amount of toner used, until the cumulative value of the number of revolutions of the transport screw reaches a predetermined number, based on the cumulative value and, thereafter, by multiplying the pixel count of the pixel counter by a coefficient. The estimator corrects the coefficient based on the pixel count as observed when the cumulative value reaches the predetermined number.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a storage portion, a density measurement portion, a calibration portion, and a correction portion. The image forming portion is configured to form an image by using a developer. The storage portion is configured to store a relationship between a number of pixels formed by the image forming portion and a usage amount of the developer. The density measurement portion is configured to perform measurement of a density of a patch image formed by the image forming portion. The calibration portion is configured to perform calibration based on the measured density. The correction portion is configured to perform correction of the relationship between the number of pixels and the usage amount of the developer, the relationship being stored in the storage portion, by using differences in number of pixels at a plurality of previously set densities between before and after the calibration.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image carrier, a developing unit, a toner container, a pixel counter, and a used toner amount estimator. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the image carrier's surface. The developing unit feeds toner on the image carrier's surface. The toner container with a transport screw supplies toner to the developing unit. The pixel counter counts the number of pixels in toner images formed on the image carrier's surface since the toner container started being used. The used toner amount estimator estimates the amount of toner used, until the cumulative value of the number of revolutions of the transport screw reaches a predetermined number, based on the cumulative value and, thereafter, by multiplying the pixel count of the pixel counter by a coefficient. The estimator corrects the coefficient based on the pixel count as observed when the cumulative value reaches the predetermined number.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printing portion, an ordinary printing controller, and an energy-saving printing controller. The ordinary printing controller causes the printing portion to perform ordinary printing at a first fixing temperature. The energy-saving printing controller causes the printing portion to perform energy-saving printing at a second fixing temperature lower than the first fixing temperature. The energy-saving printing controller selectively performs first energy-saving printing of performing the energy-saving printing by setting the sheet conveying speed to a first speed and setting the sheet interval to a first interval, and second energy-saving printing of performing the energy-saving printing by setting the sheet conveying speed to a second speed faster than the first speed and setting the sheet interval to a second interval larger than the first interval.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image formation control unit for forming print images on an image carrier and for forming a reference toner pattern having a predetermined size between the print images formed on the image carrier; a reference image density detecting unit for detecting a image density of the reference toner pattern; and an image forming condition adjusting unit for adjusting an image forming condition based on the image density detected by the reference image density detecting unit. If a toner amount of one or plurality of the print images is greater than a predetermined value, the image formation control unit prevents any further adjustment operation performed by the image forming condition adjusting unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image formation control unit for forming print images on an image carrier and for forming a reference toner pattern having a predetermined size between the print images formed on the image carrier; a reference image density detecting unit for detecting a image density of the reference toner pattern; and an image forming condition adjusting unit for adjusting an image forming condition based on the image density detected by the reference image density detecting unit. If a toner amount of one or plurality of the print images is greater than a predetermined value, the image formation control unit prevents any further adjustment operation performed by the image forming condition adjusting unit.