Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a main body, a conveyance path, a first external cover and a second external cover. The first cover provided in the main body to cover the conveyance path includes a blocking wall facing the conveyance path; a concave portion provided below the blocking wall and recessed toward the main body with respect to a lower end of the blocking wall; a communication portion, provided between the lower end of the blocking wall and an upper end of the concave portion, that penetrates the first external cover and faces an outer space of the image forming apparatus at a position that extends from the concave portion to the blocking wall; and an air exhaust portion provided above the blocking wall.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an air intake unit, a first blower path, a second blower path, and an air discharge unit. The air intake unit introduces air. The first blower path guides the air introduced by the air intake unit and cools the developer device. The second blower path ventilates an inside or a periphery of the charging device by using air guided from the first blower path. The air discharge unit discharges air guided from the second blower path to an outside of a predetermined range.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a paper feeding unit which feeds a sheet-shaped recording medium, an image forming unit which forms a toner image on the recording medium fed from the paper feeding unit, a fixing unit which fixes the toner image formed by the image forming unit on the recording medium, a stacking unit which stacks the recording medium on which the toner image is fixed by the fixing unit, a temperature sensor which detects the surface temperature of the recording mediums stacked on the stacking unit and a control unit which determines, according to the printing information of the recording medium, whether or not to feed a new recording medium from the paper feeding unit when the surface temperature of the recording mediums detected by the temperature sensor is above a threshold temperature.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a paper feeding unit which feeds a sheet-shaped recording medium, an image forming unit which forms a toner image on the recording medium fed from the paper feeding unit, a fixing unit which fixes the toner image formed by the image forming unit on the recording medium, a stacking unit which stacks the recording medium on which the toner image is fixed by the fixing unit, a temperature sensor which detects the surface temperature of the recording mediums stacked on the stacking unit and a control unit which determines, according to the printing information of the recording medium, whether or not to feed a new recording medium from the paper feeding unit when the surface temperature of the recording mediums detected by the temperature sensor is above a threshold temperature.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a paper feeding unit which feeds a sheet-shaped recording medium, an image forming unit which forms a toner image on the recording medium fed from the paper feeding unit, a fixing unit which fixes the toner image formed by the image forming unit on the recording medium, a stacking unit which stacks the recording medium on which the toner image is fixed by the fixing unit, a temperature sensor which detects the surface temperature of the recording mediums stacked on the stacking unit and a control unit which determines, according to the printing information of the recording medium, whether or not to feed a new recording medium from the paper feeding unit when the surface temperature of the recording mediums detected by the temperature sensor is above a threshold temperature.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided an image forming apparatus including a fan and a duct. The fan and the duct are provided in a housing. If the fan is driven, the duct guides the air flowing into the housing from an intake port of the housing toward components in the housing. The duct includes a bent section that changes a flowing direction of the air. The bent section includes holes.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of an embodiment has a printer portion, a fan motor, a counter, a timer, and a control unit. The control unit calculates a time interval between print jobs from the difference between a printing completion time of a first print job and a printing start time of a second print job based on the value which is measured by the timer when the print jobs are continuously performed. Furthermore, the control unit starts driving of the fan motor when the operation time of the printer portion which is counted by the counter or a value replaced with the operation time of the printer portion is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

Abstract: The transfer device transfers a toner image to a recording medium. The recording medium passes through a nip portion formed by a belt roller which is disposed on a main body of an apparatus and a transfer roller which is disposed on an opening and closing cover. The opening and closing cover opens and closes an opening of a main body of the apparatus. The main body includes a positioning member which positions the transfer roller which moves according to a closing operation of the opening and closing cover, to a predetermined distance with respect to the belt roller. The main body also includes an engaging member which engages with the transfer roller and pushes the transfer roller toward a positioning position of the positioning member, by being urged by a pressurizing spring.

Abstract: The transfer device according to one embodiment is a device which transfers a toner image to a member for transferral which passes through a nip portion formed by a first transfer member which is disposed on a main body of an apparatus and a second transfer member which is disposed on an opening and closing cover which opens and closes an opening of a main body of the apparatus which includes, a positioning member which positions the second transfer member which moves according to a closing operation of the opening and closing cover, to a predetermined distance with respect to the first transfer member; and an engaging member which engages with the second transfer member and pushes the second transfer member toward a positioning position of the positioning member, by being urged by the elastic member.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sheet conveyor includes a first roller 62 having a first cam 71, rotating against the first roller, whose cam diameter simply increases and a second roller 63 having a second cam 72, rotating against the second roller, whose cam diameter simply increases. The first cam contacts the second cam at their cam surfaces of increased cam diameters when the sheet is conveyed by the first and second rollers. When the rear end of the sheet goes out of the first and second rollers, a delay time is provided by the first and second cams until the first and second rollers directly contact one the other because the first and second cams rotate by the same distance from the contacting cam surfaces of increased cam diameter.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a toner cartridge includes a housing, plural paddles and an auger. The housing contains a toner and has a shape spreading in a gravity direction in a state of being supported in an image forming apparatus. The plural paddles agitate the toner in an area including a bottom surface of the housing in the gravity direction in the state of being supported in the image forming apparatus. The auger delivers the toner agitated by the plural paddles.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable developing device incorporating first developer units, a second developer unit disposed outside the rotatable developing device, a photoconductor on which a toner image can be formed by contact of each of the first and second developer units, and a driving motor for rotating the rotatable developing device. A first value of angular acceleration of the rotatable developing device when development performed by a first one of the first developer units proceeds to development performed by the second developer unit and a second value thereof when the development performed by the second developer unit proceeds to development performed by a second one of the first developer units are set to be smaller than a third value thereof when development performed by the second one of the first developer units proceeds to development performed by a next one of the first developer units.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable developing device incorporating first developer units, a second developer unit disposed outside the rotatable developing device, a photoconductor on which a toner image can be formed by contact of each of the first and second developer units, and a driving motor for rotating the rotatable developing device. A first value of angular acceleration of the rotatable developing device when development performed by a first one of the first developer units proceeds to development performed by the second developer unit and a second value thereof when the development performed by the second developer unit proceeds to development performed by a second one of the first developer units are set to be smaller than a third value thereof when development performed by the second one of the first developer units proceeds to development performed by a next one of the first developer units.

Abstract: A process unit includes a unit body, a photosensitive device set in the unit body and designed to have a toner image formed thereon, a transfer unit body set in the unit and swingable between a first position in which the transfer unit body is located close to the photosensitive device to form a conveyor path for conveying a recording sheet between the transfer unit body and the photosensitive device, and a second position at a distance from the first position, and a transfer device set in the transfer unit body and capable of transferring the toner image formed on the photosensitive device to the recording sheet.

Abstract: A process unit of this invention includes a unit body, a photosensitive device set in the unit body and designed to be formed a toner image thereon, a transfer unit body set in the unit and swingable between a first position in which the transfer unit body is located close to the photosensitive device to form a conveyor path for conveying of a recording sheet between the transfer unit body and the photosensitive device, and a second position at a distance from the first position, and a transfer device set in the transfer unit body and capable of transferring the toner image formed on the photosensitive device to the recording sheet.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer includes a rotary drum 10, having a dielectric peripheral surface 11, for rotating at a constant speed, a sheet loader 90 for loading a sheet to the rotary drum 10, a sheet holding system for causing the sheet to be held on the peripheral surface 11 of the rotary drum 10, and a print head section 200 for printing an image on the sheet held on the peripheral surface 11 of the rotary drum 10 by jetting ink to the sheet while the rotary drum 10 makes a predetermined number of rotations. Particularly, the sheet holding system includes a charging section 20 and a supplementary charger section 26. The charging section 20 is charges the peripheral surface 11 of the rotary drum 10 on an upstream side of the loading point where the leading end of the sheet loaded by the sheet loader 90 contacts the peripheral surface 11 of the rotary drum 10. The supplementary charger section 26 charges the sheet to supplement the electrostatic attraction force attenuated during the rotation of the rotary drum 10.

Abstract: A head loading device includes a print head for ejecting ink from a print position adjacent to a paper sheet to print an image with the ink, and an elevator for moving the print head upward from the print position at the time of non-printing and downward to the print position at the time of printing. The head loading device further includes a three-point support mechanism for supporting, at three points, the print head moved to the print position by the elevator to hold the print head at a preset distance from the paper sheet.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer includes a rotary drum 10 for rotating at a constant speed, a sheet loader for loading a paper sheet onto the rotary drum 10, a sheet holding system 20 for holding the paper sheet loaded by the sheet loader on the rotary drum 10, and a print head 200 for printing an image by ejecting ink onto the paper sheet which is held on the rotary drum 10 by the sheet holding system 20 and rotated together with the rotary drum 10. In particular, the sheet loader has a pair of loading rollers 91 and 92 for feeding the paper sheet while pinching the paper sheet, and a roller moving mechanism 28 for separating the loading roller 91 from the other loading roller 92 to release the paper sheet after the leading edge of the paper sheet has been held on the rotary drum 10.

Abstract: A head loading device includes a print head for ejecting ink from a print position adjacent to a paper sheet to print an image with the ink, and an elevator for moving the print head upward from the print position at the time of non-printing and downward to the print position at the time of printing. The head loading device further includes a three-point support mechanism for supporting, at three points, the print head moved to the print position by the elevator to hold the print head at a preset distance from the paper sheet.