Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes first and second rollers forming a image heating nip therebetween; a pressing mechanism for pressing the first roller to the second roller using first and second cams supported by a cam shaft; wherein the first cam portion and the second cam portion are capable of placing the pressing mechanism at a pressing position and a spacing position a first bearing portion and a second bearing portion provided between the first cam portion and the second cam portion with respect to the longitudinal direction and configured to support the cam shaft; a regulating portion configured to regulate flexure of the cam shaft by contacting the shaft portion at a position between the first bearing portion and the second bearing portion when the pressing mechanism is in the spacing position.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a first unit including a first rotatable member; a second unit including a second rotatable member forming a nip, in cooperation with the first rotatable member, for fixing a toner image on a recording material; a frame supporting the second unit; a guiding member movable between a guiding position for guiding the recording material toward the nip and a retracted position where the guiding member is retracted from a space permitting demounting of the second unit from the frame; a cover member openable for exposing the space; and an interrelating mechanism configured to restore the guiding member, which is in the retracted position when the cover member is in an open position, to the guiding position in interrelation with movement of the cover member from the open position to a closed position.

Abstract: A fixing device includes first and second rotatable members; a movable member; a first supporting side plate including an opening; a second supporting side plate; a detecting portion; a supporting plate; a holding portion; a slit portion; a first projected portion; a second projected portion; and a hole. When the position of the holding portion with respect to the height direction is regulated by the second projected portion in contact with the supporting plate, in a projection plane in which the outside of the first supporting side plate is viewed in the longitudinal direction of the first rotatable member, the flag portion is accommodated inside the opening and is in a non-overlapping position with the detecting portion. When the projected portion is engaged in the hole, in the projection plane, the flag portion is in an overlapping position with the detecting portion.

Abstract: A fixing device includes first and second rotatable members; a moving mechanism configured to move the first rotatable member away from the second rotatable member; a flag provided downstream of the nip with respect to a recording material feeding direction and retractable by passing of the recording material; a sensor configured to detect whether or not the flag is retracted by contact with the recording material; a movable guide movable together with the first rotatable member away from the second rotatable member and from said flag by the moving mechanism and configured to guide the recording material; and a stationary guide provided at such a fixed position that the stationary guide opposes the flag in the presence of the recording material in the fixing device, irrespective of a position of the movable guide member. The stationary guide is immovable together with the movable guide.

Abstract: A humidification device for humidifying a sheet, comprising a control unit that rotates a water-supply roller in a separate state where the water-supply roller and a humidification roller are separated from each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a display portion; an image forming device; a fixing device; a controller configured to control display of the display portion so that one is selected from a plurality of sheet widths to impose a limitation on a use of the image forming apparatus; a storing portion, provided detachably mountable to the image forming apparatus together with the fixing device, configured to store information corresponding to the sheet width selected at the display portion; a reading portion configured to read information stored in the storing portion; and a limiting portion configured to impose, on the basis of the information read by the reading portion, a limitation on widths of sheets capable of being designated as a printing condition.

Abstract: In order to correct a corrugation caused when a sheet widthwise edge portion elongates more than the vicinity of the center in a sheet feeding direction, a sheet processing apparatus includes: a fixing portion that fixes a toner image onto a sheet by heating, a plurality of pairs of rollers provided along a sheet feeding direction with an interval in the downstream of the fixing portion in the feeding direction to nip and convey a sheet; and a tensioning device that applies a tensile strength of the sheet feeding direction to a sheet in a center area of a width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction.

Abstract: A control device configured to control an image forming apparatus by replacing a fixing device mounted therein with another fixing device including a storing portion configured to store information corresponding to a width of a recording material. The control device includes: a reading portion configured to read the information corresponding to the width of the recording material stored in the storing portion; an obtaining portion configured to obtain information corresponding to a width of a recording material to be subjected to image formation; and a controller configured to control an operation of the image forming apparatus on the basis of the information read by the reading portion and the information obtained by the obtaining portion. The controller prohibits an image forming operation when the width of the recording material obtained by the obtaining portion is smaller than the width of the recording material read by the reading portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming device; a first image heating device; a second image heating device; a first feeding path configured to discharge the recording material introduced into the first image heating device without introducing the recording material into the second image heating device; a second feeding path configured to discharge a recording material introduced into the first image heating device and then introduced into the second image heating device; a discriminating portion configured to discriminate whether or not the first image heating device is an image heating device for an envelope; and a controller configured to effect control so as not to execute a heating operation of the second image heating device, upon discrimination of the first image heating device being the image heating device for the envelope by the discriminating portion.

Abstract: In order to correct a corrugation caused when a sheet widthwise edge portion elongates more than the vicinity of the center in a sheet feeding direction, a sheet processing apparatus includes: a fixing portion that fixes a toner image onto a sheet by heating, a plurality of pairs of rollers provided along a sheet feeding direction with an interval in the downstream of the fixing portion in the feeding direction to nip and convey a sheet; and a tensioning device that applies a tensile strength of the sheet feeding direction to a sheet in a center area of a width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction.

Abstract: In order to correct a corrugation caused when a sheet widthwise edge portion elongates more than the vicinity of the center in a sheet feeding direction, a sheet processing apparatus includes: a fixing portion that fixes a toner image onto a sheet by heating, a plurality of pairs of rollers provided along a sheet feeding direction with an interval in the downstream of the fixing portion in the feeding direction to nip and convey a sheet; and a tensioning device that applies a tensile strength of the sheet feeding direction to a sheet in a center area of a width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction.

Abstract: A control device configured to control an image forming apparatus by replacing a fixing device mounted therein with another fixing device including a storing portion configured to store information corresponding to a width of a recording material includes: a reading portion configured to read the information corresponding to the width of the recording material stored in the storing portion; an obtaining portion configured to obtain information corresponding to a width of a recording material to be subjected to image formation; and a controller configured to control an operation of the image forming apparatus on the basis of the information read by the reading portion and the information obtained by the obtaining portion. The controller prohibits an image forming operation when the width of the recording material obtained by the obtaining portion is smaller than the width of the recording material read by the reading portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming device; a first image heating device; a second image heating device; a first feeding path configured to discharge the recording material introduced into the first image heating device without introducing the recording material into the second image hating device; a second feeding path configured to discharge a recording material introduced into the first image heating device and then introduced into the second image heating device; a discriminating portion configured to discriminate whether or not the first image heating device is an image heating device for an envelope; and a controller configured to effect control so as not to execute a heating operation of the second image heating device, upon discrimination of the first image heating device being the image heating device for the envelope by the discriminating portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a display portion; an image forming device; a fixing device; a controller configured to control display of the display portion so that one is selected from a plurality of sheet widths to impose a limitation on a use of the image forming apparatus; a storing portion, provided detachably mountable to the image forming apparatus together with the fixing device, configured to store information corresponding to the sheet width selected at the display portion; a reading portion configured to read information stored in the storing portion; and a limiting portion configured to impose, on the basis of the information read by the reading portion, a limitation on widths of sheets capable of being designated as a printing condition.

Abstract: Provided is a sheet conveying apparatus which includes a conveyance unit and a controller. The conveyance unit includes a first pair of rotators which convey a sheet, a second pair of rotators which are provided on a downstream side of the first pair of rotators in a sheet conveying direction and convey the sheet, and a load portion which applies a load on the rotation of the first pair of rotators to generate a tensile stress on the sheet when the sheet is nipped between the first pair of rotators and the second pair of rotators. The controller controls whether to apply a load on the first pair of rotators by the load portion based on information on the conveyed sheet.

Abstract: A humidification device for humidifying a sheet, comprising a control unit that rotates a water-supply roller in a separate state where the water-supply roller and a humidification roller are separated from each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes: an image heating device for heating an image on a sheet; a cooling belt for cooling the sheet in close contact with the sheet heated by the image heating device; a heat sink for cooling the cooling belt; a first fan for forming airflow in the heat sink; and a second fan for forming airflow in a space between the image heating device and the cooling belt.

Abstract: In order to correct a corrugation caused when a sheet widthwise edge portion elongates more than the vicinity of the center in a sheet feeding direction, a sheet processing apparatus includes: a fixing portion that fixes a toner image onto a sheet by heating, a plurality of pairs of rollers provided along a sheet feeding direction with an interval in the downstream of the fixing portion in the feeding direction to nip and convey a sheet; and a tensioning device that applies a tensile strength of the sheet feeding direction to a sheet in a center area of a width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes first rotatable member and second rotatable member; a heater provided in the second rotatable member; a moving mechanism for integrally moving the second rotatable member and the heater between a contact position in which the second rotatable member is contacted to the first rotatable member and a separation position in which the second rotatable member is separated from the first rotatable member; and an electrical connecting piece for electrically connecting an electric energy supplying portion of the heater and an electric wire under pressure application. A direction of the electrical connecting piece is set so that a smaller angle formed between a longitudinal direction of the electrical connecting piece in cross section of the electric wire and a movement direction of the electrical connecting piece during an operation by the moving mechanism is 45 degrees or less.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes: a rotatable heating member; a driving mechanism; a rotatable pressing member; a first contact-and-separation mechanism; a rotatable externally-heating member; a second contact-and-separation mechanism; a detecting portion configured to detect information corresponding to a drive load exerted on the driving mechanism; and a controller configured to actuate, when the information is detected by the detecting portion, the driving mechanism for a predetermined time in a state in which the rotatable externally-heating member is press-contacted to the rotatable heating member and in which the rotatable pressing member is spaced from the rotatable heating member. The controller controls, depending on an output of the detecting portion, whether or not image heating is prohibited.