Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first and second rotation bodies; a heater disposed in the first rotation body; and a frame body supporting the first and second rotation bodies. A second length is smaller than a first length in a rotational axis direction of the second rotation body, the first length and the second length being a length of a rotation shaft of the second rotation body exposed on a one-end side and an other-end side of the second rotation body, and a second value is larger than a first value, the first value and the second value being a total area of openings disposed in a first region and a second region of the frame body respectively corresponding to the one-end side and the other-end side of the frame body with respect to a center of the frame body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes first and second image bearing members and first and second developing members. The controller controls to execute first and second controls based on image information in a case that the first developing member is separated from the first image bearing member when an operation in which the image is sequentially transferred to a transferred member from the first and second image bearing members is terminated. The first developing member is started to separate from the first image bearing member in the first control after an end of an image forming area on the first image bearing member in a moving direction passes through the first transfer position, and in the second control after the end of the image forming area on the first image bearing member in the moving direction passes through the developing position and before the end of the image forming area reaches the first transfer position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of forming images in mono-color and a plurality of colors includes first and second image forming units and a control unit. The image forming unit includes a rotatable image bearing member, a rotatable developing member that contacts the image bearing member to supply a developer to the surface thereof, and a developer supply member that supplies the developer to the developing member. The control unit switches between an image forming operation of forming an image on the image bearing member surface and a cleaning operation of removing an attached matter on the image bearing member surface with the developing member by controlling a voltage applied to the developing member and a voltage applied to the developer supply member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive member, a charging member, an exposing unit to form an electrostatic latent image by exposing the surface of the photosensitive member charged by the charging member to light and, a developing member to develop the electrostatic latent image with toner. A controller controls so that a predetermined charging voltage is charged and the light is emitted by a low light quantity to a first non-print area, which is a non-print area provided in a region including the print area and the first non-print area with respect to a main scanning direction, and controls so that a charging voltage lower than the predetermined voltage is charged and exposure is not performed on a second non-print area, which is provided in a region including only the non-print area with respect to the main scanning direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of forming images in mono-color and a plurality of colors includes first and second image forming units and a control unit. The image forming unit includes a rotatable image bearing member, a rotatable developing member that contacts the image bearing member to supply a developer to the surface thereof, and a developer supply member that supplies the developer to the developing member. The control unit switches between an image forming operation of forming an image on the image bearing member surface and a cleaning operation of removing an attached matter on the image bearing member surface with the developing member by controlling a voltage applied to the developing member and a voltage applied to the developer supply member.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes first and second photosensitive drums, first and second image-forming portion including first and second development rollers configured to bear developers composed of first and second toner particles and organosilicon protrusions formed on surfaces of the first and second toner particles, an intermediate transfer member to which a developer image is to be transferred in first and second contact portions in contact with the first and second photosensitive drums, and a transfer member configured to transfer the developer image to a recording material in a transfer portion. The first contact portion is formed downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the second contact portion in a movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member. A protrusion formed on the second developer has a lower height than a protrusion formed on the first developer.

Abstract: A heater includes a substrate, a first heating element and a second heating element disposed on a first surface of the substrate, a temperature detection element, and a conductor. The temperature detection element is disposed on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface of the substrate. The conductor is disposed on the second surface and connected to the temperature detection element. The first heating element has a first distance from the temperature detection element in a lateral direction of the substrate orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the substrate, and the second heating element has a second distance that is greater than the first distance from the temperature detection element in the lateral direction. As viewed in a thickness direction of the substrate orthogonal to the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction of the substrate, the conductor overlaps the first heating element and the second heating element.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive member, a charging member, an exposing unit to form an electrostatic latent image by exposing the surface of the photosensitive member charged by the charging member to light, a developing member to develop the electrostatic latent image with toner. A controller controls so that a predetermined charging voltage is charged and the light is emitted by a small light quantity to a first non-print area which is a non-print area provided with the print area and the non-print area with respect to a main scanning direction, and controls so that a charging voltage smaller than the predetermined voltage is charged and exposure is not performed to a second non-print area which is provided with only the non-print area with respect to the main scanning direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes first and second image bearing members, first and second developing members. The controller controls to execute first and second controls based on an image information in a case that the first developing member is separated from the first image bearing member when an operation in which the image is sequentially transferred to a transferred member from the first and second image bearing members is terminated. The first developing member is started to separate from the first image bearing member in the first control after an end of an image forming area on the first image bearing member in a moving direction passes through the first transfer position, and in the second control after the end of the image forming area on the first image bearing member in the moving direction passes through the developing position and before the end of the image forming area reaches the first transfer position.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an endless first rotary member, a second rotary member configured to form a nip portion, and a nip member configured to be rubbed against the first rotary member via lubricant, and being configured to receive radiant heat from a heating element and heat the nip portion. The nip member involves a nip forming portion configured to be in contact with the first rotary member, and an extending portion formed continuously with a downstream edge portion of the nip forming portion. The extending portion involves a holding portion configured to hold the lubricant. The holding portion is longer than the second rotary member and shorter than the first rotary member, and when viewed in a sheet conveyance direction, both end portions of the holding portion are position outside of end portions of the second rotary member and inside of end portions of the first rotary member.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an endless first rotary member, a second rotary member configured to form a nip portion, and a nip member configured to be rubbed against the first rotary member via lubricant, and being configured to receive radiant heat from a heating element and heat the nip portion. The nip member involves a nip forming portion configured to be in contact with the first rotary member, and an extending portion formed continuously with a downstream edge portion of the nip forming portion. The extending portion involves a holding portion configured to hold the lubricant. The holding portion is longer than the second rotary member and shorter than the first rotary member, and when viewed in a sheet conveyance direction, both end portions of the holding portion are position outside of end portions of the second rotary member and inside of end portions of the first rotary member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of cartridges containing toners, each cartridge including a storage element that stores a type of thermal characteristic information of the toner contained therein, and a reading portion configured to read the type of thermal characteristic information. A fixing portion thermally fixes a toner image, formed by a plurality of toners of different colors contained in the cartridges, respectively, onto a recording material, and a control portion controls the fixing portion by switching a thermal fixing condition in accordance with a combination of the types of the thermal characteristic information read by the reading portion, the thermal fixing condition being a condition that prioritizes the performance of fixing, to a recording material, a toner, of the toners that form the toner image, that is transferred first to the recording material, from among the plurality of toners of different colors.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; a developer carrying member to correspond to the image bearing member; drive portion to rotationally drive the developer carrying member; control unit to control the rotational drive by the drive portion, and detection portion to detect information from the toner patch. Modes for controlling, by control unit, the rotational drive of the drive portion include (i) a first mode which uses a first driving condition including a first peripheral speed ratio between the developer carrying member and the image bearing member and (ii) a second mode which uses a second driving condition including a second peripheral speed ratio which is higher than the first peripheral speed ratio. The control unit controls the image bearing member to form the toner patch for each of peripheral speed ratios and sets the second driving condition on the basis of the detected information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of cartridges containing toners, each cartridge including a storage element that stores a type of thermal characteristic information of the toner contained therein, and a reading portion configured to read the type of thermal characteristic information. A fixing portion thermally fixes a toner image, formed by a plurality of toners of different colors contained in the cartridges, respectively, onto a recording material, and a control portion controls the fixing portion by switching a thermal fixing condition in accordance with a combination of the types of the thermal characteristic information read by the reading portion, the thermal fixing condition being a condition that prioritizes the performance of fixing, to a recording material, a toner, of the toners that form the toner image, that is transferred first to the recording material, from among the plurality of toners of different colors.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; a developer carrying member to correspond to the image bearing member; drive portion to rotationally drive the developer carrying member; control unit to control the rotational drive by the drive portion, and detection portion to detect information from the toner patch. Modes for controlling, by control unit, the rotational drive of the drive portion include (i) a first mode which uses a first driving condition including a first peripheral speed ratio between the developer carrying member and the image bearing member and (ii) a second mode which uses a second driving condition including a second peripheral speed ratio which is higher than the first peripheral speed ratio. The control unit controls the image bearing member to form the toner patch for each of peripheral speed ratios and sets the second driving condition on the basis of the detected information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of cartridges containing toners, each cartridge including a storage element that stores a type of thermal characteristic information of the toner contained therein, and a reading portion configured to read the type of thermal characteristic information. A fixing portion thermally fixes a toner image, formed by a plurality of toners of different colors contained in the cartridges, respectively, onto a recording material, and a control portion controls the fixing portion by switching a thermal fixing condition in accordance with a combination of the types of the thermal characteristic information read by the reading portion, the thermal fixing condition being a condition that prioritizes the performance of fixing, to a recording material, a toner, of the toners that form the toner image, that is transferred first to the recording material, from among the plurality of toners of different colors.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat generating member, an endless belt, and a heat conductive member that contacts the heat generating member in a first region. A positioning portion is provided at an end portion of the heat conductive member, so as to extend in a direction in which the positioning portion is spaced apart from the heat generating member. A supporting member is provided with a first opening at a position corresponding to a second region of the heat generating member, and supports the heat generating member via the heat conductive member. An electrical power shut-off member, located in the first opening of the supporting member, shuts off electrical power supplied to the heat generating member. The positioning portion is inserted into the first opening of the supporting member to prevent movement of the heat conductive member.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; an ionically conductive intermediate transferring belt; a primary transfer member; an opposing member that opposes the current supply member through the intermediate transferring belt, and a control unit configured to execute a recovery operation in a state where a primary transfer in which a toner image is primarily transferred to the image intermediate transferring belt from the image bearing member is not performed, wherein the recovery operation includes to supply a current flowing in a flow direction opposite to a flow direction of a current in the primary transfer through the opposing member from the current supply member to remove an uneven distribution of the conductive agent in the intermediate transferring belt caused by primary transfer.

Abstract: Each of a plurality of cartridges configured to contain toner and to be detachably attached to an apparatus main body 2 includes a storage element that stores a type of thermal characteristic information on the toner which is classified into at least two types and which is contained in each of the cartridges. The image forming apparatus has a reading portion configured to read the type of the thermal characteristic information stored in the storage element, and a control portion switches a thermal fixing condition to control the fixing portion in accordance with a combination of the types of the thermal characteristic information that has been read by the reading portion.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat generating member extending in a longitudinal direction and having a first region and a second region, an endless belt, an opposing member opposing the endless belt, a heat conductive member extending in the longitudinal direction within the first region in which a surface of the heat conductive member contacts the heat generating member, a positioning portion extending from an end portion of the surface, an electric power shut-off member provided at a position corresponding to the second region, and a supporting member provided with an opening at a position corresponding to the second region and configured to support the heat generating member through the heat conductive member. The opening is configured to permit insertion of the positioning portion to prevent movement of the heat conductive member.