Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer member, plural transfer sections, and a medium transfer section. The transfer member has an endless shape. An image is transferred to the transfer member during circulation of the transfer member. The transfer sections transfer the image to a surface of the transfer member through a first transfer current. The transfer sections include a most-downstream transfer section provided most downstream in a circulation direction of the transfer member. The medium transfer section transfers the image transferred to the transfer member to a recording medium through a second transfer current. A current flows through the most-downstream transfer section even in the case where the image is transferred to the transfer member by at least one of the transfer sections excluding the most-downstream transfer section, and the most-downstream transfer section does not transfer an image to the transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes four first imaging units that use standard toners for colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, respectively, a second imaging unit that uses a toner having a particle size smaller than a smallest one of particle sizes of the four standard toners, and a transfer unit that transfers first images formed by the respective first imaging units and a second image formed by the second imaging unit to a recording medium such that the first images are provided on the recording medium and the second image is provided on the first images.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a chamber that accommodates a processing target substrate therein; a gas supply unit that supplies a gas into the chamber; a gas discharge port that exhausts the chamber; an adjustment mechanism that adjusts an exhaust amount discharged from the gas discharge port; a measuring unit that measures an internal pressure of the chamber; and a controller that executes a series of substrate processings according to recipe information indicating contents of substrate processings. The controller performs a feedback control that controls an opening degree of the adjustment mechanism to maintain the internal pressure within a prescribed range based on a measurement result from the measuring unit. When a predetermined event, estimated to change the internal pressure to a level out of the prescribed range, occurs, the controller switches the feedback control to a non-feedback control that controls the opening degree based on a prescribed control value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer member, first transfer units, and second transfer units. Images of reference colors and other colors are transferred onto the transfer member being rotated. The first transfer units each transfer the image of a corresponding one of the reference colors. The second transfer units disposed upstream of the first transfer units in a rotational direction of the transfer member each transfer the image of a corresponding one of the other colors. The image of one of the reference colors is transferred by one of the first transfer units disposed most upstream. The other colors include at least one color of lightness lower than lightness of the one of the reference colors of the image transferred by the one of the transfer units. The highest-lightness image among the other colors is transferred by one of the second transfer units disposed most downstream.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus, including a first image portion that uses a first toner, and a second image portion that uses a second toner having a particle diameter greater than a particle diameter of the first toner, wherein, in a case where a first image of the first image portion is formed on a recording medium and a second image of the second image portion is formed on the first image, as compared to a case where only the first image is formed on the recording medium, an amount of the first toner per unit area of the first image increases.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus, including a first image portion that uses a first toner, and a second image portion that uses a second toner having a particle diameter greater than a particle diameter of the first toner, wherein, in a case where a first image of the first image portion is formed on a recording medium and a second image of the second image portion is formed on the first image, as compared to a case where only the first image is formed on the recording medium, an amount of the first toner per unit area of the first image increases.

Abstract: A transfer device includes an intermediate transfer belt that is stretched by multiple rollers, and transports a toner image on an outer peripheral surface, a second transfer member that performs second transfer that transfers the toner image to a recording medium at a second transfer position, an opposed member that abuts an inner peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt, and is opposed to the second transfer member at the second transfer position, and an abutment member that is rotatably arranged so as to contact the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt at a contact point, the contact point being located on the second transfer member side of a region defined by an imaginary line extended orthogonally to an imaginary normal, the imaginary normal connecting a center of the opposed member and a center of the second transfer member at the second transfer position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer member, plural transfer sections, and a medium transfer section. The transfer member has an endless shape. An image is transferred to the transfer member during circulation of the transfer member. The transfer sections transfer the image to a surface of the transfer member through a first transfer current. The transfer sections include a most-downstream transfer section provided most downstream in a circulation direction of the transfer member. The medium transfer section transfers the image transferred to the transfer member to a recording medium through a second transfer current. A current flows through the most-downstream transfer section even in the case where the image is transferred to the transfer member by at least one of the transfer sections excluding the most-downstream transfer section, and the most-downstream transfer section does not transfer an image to the transfer member.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer portion that transfers a toner image formed with a toner containing flat pigment particles to a recording medium; a DC voltage applying portion that applies a DC voltage to the transfer portion; and an AC voltage applying portion that applies an AC voltage to the transfer portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image carriers that carry toner images; an intermediate transfer body that is brought into contact with the image carriers to carry the images before transferring them to a recording material; first transfer devices that include first transfer members and form first-transfer electric fields for transferring the images on the image carriers to the intermediate transfer body; a second transfer device that includes a second transfer member and forms a second-transfer electric field for transferring the images transferred to the intermediate transfer body to the recording material; and an adjusting device that adjusts an electric field to be formed in a second transfer area to a cleaning electric field, which is of the same polarity as and a lower intensity than the second-transfer electric field, when the images on the intermediate transfer body passes through the second transfer area without a recording material passing therethrough.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer body having an endless structure and to which an image is transferred while the transfer body is rotated; a first transfer portion that transfers an image formed with toner containing metallic pigment to a surface of the transfer body by applying a transfer current; a second transfer portion that is disposed on the upstream side of the first transfer portion in the rotation direction of the transfer body and transfers an image formed with toner not containing metallic pigment to the surface of the transfer body by applying a transfer current; and a support member that is grounded and disposed on the downstream side of the first transfer portion in the rotation direction of the transfer body, the support member being in contact with the back surface of the transfer body to support the transfer body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member that bears a toner image; a transfer member that faces the image bearing member, nips a recording medium together with the image bearing member, and allows the recording medium to pass therebetween; a transfer-bias applying unit that applies transfer bias voltage to generate an electric field between the transfer member and the image bearing member; a cleaning member that is disposed in contact with the transfer member and removes toner from the transfer member; a cleaning-bias applying unit that applies cleaning bias voltage between the cleaning member and the transfer member; a transfer-toner-amount estimating unit that estimates an amount of toner to be transferred from the image bearing member to the transfer member when the recording medium does not pass therebetween; and a cleaning-bias controller that controls the cleaning bias voltage in correspondence with the estimated amount of toner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion that forms a toner image using a screen; a first transfer member that transfers the toner image formed by the image forming portion to a rotating transfer belt; a second transfer member that transfers the toner image transferred to the transfer belt by the first transfer member to a recording medium; and a controller that differentiates between, in a transfer area of the transfer belt to which the toner image is transferred by the first transfer member a screen that is used to form a toner image to be transferred to the transfer area in a preceding print cycle and a screen that is used to form a toner image to be transferred to this transfer area for the first time after the transfer belt has been rotated and the toner image has been second-transferred to a recording medium.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer portion that transfers a toner image formed with a toner containing flat pigment particles to a recording medium; a DC voltage applying portion that applies a DC voltage to the transfer portion; and an AC voltage applying portion that applies an AC voltage to the transfer portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image carriers that carry toner images; an intermediate transfer body that is brought into contact with the image carriers to carry the images before transferring them to a recording material; first transfer devices that include first transfer members and form first-transfer electric fields for transferring the images on the image carriers to the intermediate transfer body; a second transfer device that includes a second transfer member and forms a second-transfer electric field for transferring the images transferred to the intermediate transfer body to the recording material; and an adjusting device that adjusts an electric field to be formed in a second transfer area to a cleaning electric field, which is of the same polarity as and a lower intensity than the second-transfer electric field, when the images on the intermediate transfer body passes through the second transfer area without a recording material passing therethrough.

Abstract: A transfer device includes an intermediate transfer belt that is stretched by multiple rollers, and transports a toner image on an outer peripheral surface, a second transfer member that performs second transfer that transfers the toner image to a recording medium at a second transfer position, an opposed member that abuts an inner peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt, and is opposed to the second transfer member at the second transfer position, and an abutment member that is rotatably arranged so as to contact the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt at a contact point, the contact point being located on the second transfer member side of a region defined by an imaginary line extended orthogonally to an imaginary normal, the imaginary normal connecting a center of the opposed member and a center of the second transfer member at the second transfer position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member that bears a toner image; a transfer member that faces the image bearing member, nips a recording medium together with the image bearing member, and allows the recording medium to pass therebetween; a transfer-bias applying unit that applies transfer bias voltage to generate an electric field between the transfer member and the image bearing member; a cleaning member that is disposed in contact with the transfer member and removes toner from the transfer member; a cleaning-bias applying unit that applies cleaning bias voltage between the cleaning member and the transfer member; a transfer-toner-amount estimating unit that estimates an amount of toner to be transferred from the image bearing member to the transfer member when the recording medium does not pass therebetween; and a cleaning-bias controller that controls the cleaning bias voltage in correspondence with the estimated amount of toner.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer device, a facing member, and a prepressing member. The transfer member transfers a toner image, which is carried on an intermediate transfer member, to a recording medium. The facing member is disposed so as to be in pressed contact with the transfer member with the intermediate transfer member therebetween. The prepressing member is disposed so as to be in pressed contact with the transfer member with the intermediate transfer member therebetween at a position that is upstream of a contact section in which the facing member is in pressed contact with the transfer member and that is immediately behind a position at which the toner image starts to come into contact with the recording medium. A pressure applied by the prepressing member is lower than a pressure with which the facing member is in pressed contact with the transfer member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a fixing member that fixes a toner image on a recording medium; a pressure member that forms a fixing pressure portion between the pressure member and the fixing member by making pressure contact with an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member, the fixing pressure portion being passed through by the recording medium holding an unfixed toner image; a heat supplier that supplies heat to the fixing member; and a thermal diffusion member that diffuses heat on a surface of the fixing member by contact with the fixing member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a fixing roll that is rotatable; a belt member that is stretched over the fixing roll; a pressurizing roll that pressurizes the fixing roll via the belt member; a belt pressing member that presses an outer surface of the belt member to the pressurizing roll from inside of the belt member on a downstream side at a pressure-contact position between the fixing roll and the pressurizing roll; and a controller that decrease a time difference between a passage time per unit area of a tip region of a recording medium and a passage time per unit area of a succeeding region of the recording medium to pass a pressure-contact portion between the fixing roll and belt pressing member and the pressurizing roll.