Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer unit to store two-component developer which includes toner and carrier and develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier, a toner concentration detector to detect toner concentration in the developer unit, a toner supply unit to supply toner to the developer unit, and a controller to control toner supply amount by controlling the toner supply unit by comparing an output value of the toner concentration detector with a reference value stored in a memory and correcting difference between output values of the toner concentration detector at two or more process linear velocities in accordance with the toner concentration in the developer unit. A compensation amount for correcting difference between output values of the toner concentration detector that differ depending on the process linear velocity is adjustable in accordance with the toner concentration in the development unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier configured to carry an image and a charger to which a direct current voltage overlapped with an AC voltage is applied as a charging bias to charge the image carrier. The charger is positioned in contact or contactlessly with the image carrier. A controller performs an adjustment to the AC voltage multiple times to gradually bring the AC voltage to a target value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a recording head including a plurality of nozzles which eject ink drops onto a recording medium to form an image; and a vibrator which is disposed to face the plurality of nozzles and vibrates in a non-printing state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which a predetermined image density can be obtained by correcting a toner density control target value without consuming toner. The toner density of the developer is controlled so that an output value Vt of a magnetic permeability sensor approaches a target output value Vtref. In addition, the target output value Vtref is corrected in accordance with image coverage history information of output images transferred to a transfer paper and image coverage ratio history information of output images determined from the image coverage thereof and the size of the transfer paper. This history information comprises, for example, a cumulative average value of the image coverage or the image coverage ratio per transfer paper. It may also comprise a moving average value of the image coverage or the image coverage ratio per transfer material.

Abstract: An ink-jet printing head having a cavity unit, the cavity unit including a plurality of nozzles for ejecting an ink, a plurality of pressure chambers communicating with the respective nozzles, a common manifold chamber for distributing the ink into the plurality of pressure chambers, and a flexible plate having the plurality of nozzles and including a wall portion which partly defines the common manifold chamber and which constitutes a damper portion, wherein the damper portion absorbs a pressure wave of the ink propagating from each selected one of the pressure chambers to the common manifold chamber, when the ink in each selected pressure chamber is pressurized to eject the ink from the corresponding nozzle.

Abstract: A developing unit supplies toner from a developing roller to an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier, and creates a visual image. A forced consumption unit causes, when a proportion of number of pixels used for forming the electrostatic latent image for a maximum image effective-width is equal to or less than a predetermined value, a forced consumption of toner by an amount corresponding to a difference between a toner amount corresponding to the number of pixels and a predetermined toner consumption amount. The forced consumption unit adds toner of an amount used in the forced consumption to an amount of toner to be supplied in a next imaging process.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a latent image bearing member; a developing device configured to develop a latent image on the image bearing member with a two-component developer; a development potential forming device configured to form a development potential; a toner replenishing device configured to supply the toner to the developing device; a toner concentration detecting device configured to detect and output the concentration of the toner in the developer; a toner concentration controlling device configured to compare the toner concentration output with a toner concentration target to control the toner concentration; an information detecting device configured to obtain information to determine the replacement amount of the toner in the developing device in a predetermined period of time; and a development potential correcting device configured to adjust the development potential on the basis of the information obtained by the information detecting device.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a toner pattern forming unit that forms a first toner pattern and a second toner pattern downstream of the first toner pattern along a direction of advance of an intermediate transfer belt on the intermediate transfer belt. The first toner pattern is configured to include color patches of which a color density gradually differs so that, when detected by a sensor, a fluctuation of a toner density is adjusted by a feedback data. The second toner pattern is configured to prevent a cleaning blade from being twisted by a friction of the intermediate transfer belt due to the toner lubrication.

Abstract: Provision of, and a method for production of, a polymer electrolyte membrane, which is characterized by introducing a vinyl monomer into an aromatic polymer membrane substrate, typified by polyether ether ketone, polyether imide, or polysulfone, as graft chains by graft polymerization, and then chemically converting some of the graft chains or/and part of the aromatic polymer chain into sulfonic groups.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms a plurality of tone patterns of different colors, each of which containing a plurality of toner patches having different toner densities. Some of the toner patches in each of the tone patterns are formed with a predetermined fixed developing bias and the rest of the toner patches in each of the tone patterns are formed with developing biases set based on previous developing biases that have been obtained through a previous control process. The largest toner density of the toner patches in each of the tone patterns is determined based on a magnitude relation of previous index values obtained through the previous control process.

Abstract: An ink-jet head includes pressure chambers arranged in a row in a row-direction, and a manifold flow passage communicated with the pressure chambers and extending in the row-direction. An ink inflow port is formed at one end of the manifold flow passage. The manifold flow passage has a main portion, a connecting portion, and an extended portion which are arranged in this order from a side close to the ink inflow port. The manifold flow passage is communicated with the pressure chambers at the main portion. The main portion has a constant cross-sectional area greater than that of the connecting portion. A cross-sectional area of the extended portion is greater than that of the connecting portion. The pressure wave, generated in the pressure chamber and propagated to the manifold flow passage, can be efficiently attenuated by the manifold flow passage constructed as described above.

Abstract: In a reuse method for reusing a reusable device and a sensor of a first image forming apparatus having a first process linear velocity in a second image forming apparatus having at least one second process linear velocity different from the first process linear velocity, the reusable device and the sensor are installed in the first image forming apparatus, and when the first image forming apparatus switches from the first process linear velocity to the second process linear velocity at an initial state before the reusable device is used, output of the sensor at the second process linear velocity is measured. When information on the output of the sensor at the second process linear velocity is stored, the reusable device and the sensor are removed from the first image forming apparatus and installed in the second image forming apparatus.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a toner image formed on a photosensitive drum is primarily transferred onto an intermediate transfer belt. The toner image on the intermediate transfer belt is secondarily transferred onto a transfer material by a secondary transfer roller in contact with the intermediate transfer belt. A relation A>B>C is satisfied, where A is a width of the intermediate transfer member, B is a width of the secondary transfer member, and C is a width of the transfer material. The intermediate transfer member includes a patch-pattern forming area that is not contacted by the secondary transfer member. The image forming apparatus includes a reflection-type photosensor that detects a patch pattern formed in the patch-pattern forming area.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes multiple image forming units to form different single-color images with respective different color developers and a control system to selectively perform a multicolor image forming operation, a specific-color image forming operation, a multicolor image quality correction operation, and a specific-color image quality correction operation.

Abstract: An electrical connecting box suitable to widely-ranging temperature conditions from high temperature to low temperature inside the engine room of a vehicle is described, having a printed circuit board 300 and a first protecting member 100 and a second protecting member 200 housing the printed circuit board in a sandwich state. In this electrical connecting box an extended portion 310 being a part of electrical parts is formed upon a board surface 301 on the side of the first protecting member of the printed circuit board. Additionally, first pillar portions 110 and a second pillar portion 120 are formed upon the inside surface of the first protecting member facing one side of the board surfaces, and a tip 111 and a tip 121 of these pillar portions, according to bending of the first protecting member, can be in either a contacted state or a spaced state with respect to the board surface 301 or, alternatively, a projecting body 321 fixed to the board surface.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer, including: a casing; a head unit which is disposed in the casing and which includes (a) a carriage that moves reciprocally relative to a recording medium and (b) a recording head mounted on the carriage for ejecting ink droplets from a plurality of nozzle holes; and a pair of skirt members which are provided respectively on opposite sides of the carriage as seen in a carriage-moving direction in which the carriage moves, so as to protrude outwardly from respective first side surfaces of the carriage that are opposed to each other in the carriage-moving direction and which are flush with a nozzle surface of the recording head in which the plurality of nozzles are open, for rectifying air flows which are generated as a result of the movement of the carriage and which flow on the recording medium, each of the pair of skirt members protruding, in the carriage-moving direction, at opposite end portions thereof as seen in a perpendicular direction that is perpendicular to the carriage-moving dir

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejecting apparatus includes an ejecting head configured to eject liquid droplets onto an ejected target element to form a of dots arranged at predetermined dot intervals in dot columns. The liquid droplet ejecting head has a flow passage unit including individual flow passages including a first individual flow passage and a second individual flow passage, at least one common liquid chamber in fluid communication with each individual flow passage; and a plurality of nozzles, including a first nozzle fluidly communicating with the first individual flow passage and a second nozzle fluidly communicating with the second flow passage. A control unit causes a liquid droplet to be ejected from the first nozzle, then moves the ejecting head less than the dot interval, then subsequently suspends the first nozzle from ejecting, and ejects a liquid droplet from the second nozzle.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control device that calculates a developing ability of the developing device based on a detection value detected by an optical detection device from the plural toner patches. The control device adjusts an image formation condition based on the calculated developing ability. A factor detection device is provided to detect a contributing factor that causes the developing ability to largely change after the last adjustment of the image formation condition. The control device controls image formation such that when the factor detection device does not detect the contribution factor and a developing ability calculated this time is different from that calculated last time (as to a part of the plural toner patches), the plural toner patches are formed based on a prescribed fixed image formation condition so that an attraction amount of toner attracting to the plural toner patches enter a prescribed range detectable for the optical detection device.

Abstract: A liquid-droplet ejecting apparatus has a drawing mechanism and an ejection head. The ejection head has a nozzle face and a protection plate. The protection plate has a frame portion and a first end positioned at a first widthwise plane, and a second end positioned at a second widthwise plane. The protection plate has a first and a second opening formed therethrough. The first opening is in fluid communication with the nozzles, and the second opening provides fluid communication with the nozzles and an exterior of the ejection head. A cap member selectively contacts the nozzle face and the protection plate, and the drawing mechanism operates in a first mode in which the cap member covers the first and the second opening, and a second mode in which the cap member covers only one of the first and the second opening.

Abstract: A process cartridge for use in an image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a developing unit. The developing unit includes a developer bearing member to bear developer including toner and carrier, a casing forming a developer container containing the developer, a screw having a shaft with a spiral screw blade, a toner density sensor to detect a density of the toner on a detection surface, and a detection surface agitating member fixedly mounted on the shaft of the screw at a position facing a detection surface to scrape away the developer accumulated on the detection surface as the screw rotates. The detection surface agitating member includes an elastic sheet elastically deformable to scrape away the developer accumulated on the detection surface and disposed at a substantially same angle to an axial direction of the shaft of the screw as the spiral screw blade.