Abstract: A film forming method includes applying liquids to a material by discharging the liquids from each of a plurality of discharge heads disposed along a transport direction of the material. Each of the discharge heads has a plurality of liquid discharge nozzles disposed along a direction intersecting the transport direction. The applying includes applying at least a first liquid, a second liquid, and a third liquid from each of the plurality of discharge heads. The second liquid is applied to a position substantially equal to a position to which the first liquid is applied along a width direction. The third liquid is applied to an intermediate position between the position to which the first liquid is applied and the position to which the second liquid is applied along the transport direction, the intermediate position being different from the position to which the first liquid is applied along the width direction.

Abstract: A film forming method includes applying liquids to a material by discharging the liquids from each of a plurality of discharge heads disposed along a transport direction of the material. Each of the discharge heads has a plurality of liquid discharge nozzles disposed along a direction intersecting the transport direction. The applying includes applying at least a first liquid, a second liquid, and a third liquid from each of the plurality of discharge heads. The second liquid is applied to a position substantially equal to a position to which the first liquid is applied along a width direction. The third liquid is applied to an intermediate position between the position to which the first liquid is applied and the position to which the second liquid is applied along the transport direction, the intermediate position being different from the position to which the first liquid is applied along the width direction.

Abstract: A liquid discharging device includes a carriage carrying a head configured to discharge a liquid onto a target, the liquid including an ink, the ink consisting water, an organic solvent, a coloring material, and a plurality of polysiloxane compounds, a driving unit configured to move the carriage and the target relatively to each other, a measuring unit configured to measure the distance between the carriage and the target, an image-capturing unit configured to capture a target image, and a setting unit configured to set a liquid discharging performance of the head based on a measurement result obtained by the measuring unit and the target image obtained by the image-capturing unit.

Abstract: A liquid discharging device includes a carriage carrying a head configured to discharge a liquid onto a target, the liquid comprising an ink, the ink comprising water, an organic solvent, a coloring material, and a plurality of polysiloxane compounds, a driving unit configured to move the carriage and the target relatively to each other, a measuring unit configured to measure the distance between the carriage and the target, an image-capturing unit configured to capture a target image, and a setting unit configured to set a liquid discharging performance of the head based on a measurement result obtained by the measuring unit and the target image obtained by the image-capturing unit.

Abstract: An image forming system includes a post-processing unit capable of performing a post-processing on the sheet on which the toner image is formed. The image forming system is capable of executing a transfer cleaning operation to more toner from a transfer member to an image bearer by electrostatic force caused by cleaning bias applied by a bias applying unit in a state where the image bearer and the transfer member are rotated, to clean the transfer member, as an inter-sheet operation performed when at least one of inter-sheet areas that exist on the image bearer during a successive image forming period. The image forming system is capable of executing a rotation stop operation to stop rotation of the image bearer and the transfer member, as the inter-sheet operation when the post-processing is performed, in addition to the transfer cleaning operation, before or after the transfer cleaning operation is executed.

Abstract: A liquid discharging device detects, among a plurality of nozzles of a liquid discharging head, a normal-discharging nozzle and a false-discharging nozzle, selects whether to recover discharging performance of the false-discharging nozzle by a cleaner or to compensate deterioration in an image caused by the false-discharging nozzle by a compensator using the normal-discharging nozzle according to the detected number of consecutive false-discharging nozzles, and performs operation according to the selection.

Abstract: A developing device includes a casing containing a two-component developer including toner and carrier, a developer bearer to transfer the developer on the developer bearer to a developing area, a toner density sensor to output an output value based on toner density of the developer, a toner density detection module to detect the toner density based on the output value of the toner density sensor and output characteristics relating the toner density and the output value, an acquisition module to acquire the output characteristics based on the output value of the toner density sensor relating a new developer and a predetermined toner density of the new developer, a bulk density fluctuation estimating module to estimate bulk density fluctuation for bulk density of the new developer, and a correction module to correct the output value based on the estimated bulk density fluctuation.

Abstract: A liquid discharging device detects, among a plurality of nozzles of a liquid discharging head, a normal-discharging nozzle and a false-discharging nozzle, selects whether to recover discharging performance of the false-discharging nozzle by a cleaner or to compensate deterioration in an image caused by the false-discharging nozzle by a compensator using the normal-discharging nozzle according to the detected number of consecutive false-discharging nozzles, and performs operation according to the selection.

Abstract: An image forming system includes a post-processing unit capable of performing a post-processing on the sheet on which the toner image is formed. The image forming system is capable of executing a transfer cleaning operation to more toner from a transfer member to an image bearer by electrostatic force caused by cleaning bias applied by a bias applying unit in a state where the image bearer and the transfer member are rotated, to clean the transfer member, as an inter-sheet operation performed when at least one of inter-sheet areas that exist on the image bearer during a successive image forming period. The image forming system is capable of executing a rotation stop operation to stop rotation of the image bearer and the transfer member, as the inter-sheet operation when the post-processing is performed, in addition to the transfer cleaning operation, before or after the transfer cleaning operation is executed.

Abstract: An image forming system includes a post-processing unit capable of performing a post-processing on the sheet on which the toner image is formed. The image forming system is capable of executing a transfer cleaning operation to move toner from a transfer member to an image bearer by electrostatic force caused by cleaning bias applied by a bias applying unit in a state where the image bearer and the transfer member are rotated, to clean the transfer member, as an inter-sheet operation performed when at least one of inter-sheet areas that exist on the image bearer during a successive image forming period. The image forming system is capable of executing a rotation stop operation to stop rotation of the image bearer and the transfer member, as the inter-sheet operation when the post-processing is performed, in addition to the transfer cleaning operation, before or after the transfer cleaning operation is executed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided in which, during a continuous sheet passing, in the case where a between-sheets time is short, none of a cleaning mode and a drive OFF mode is performed; in the case where the between-sheets time is of a medium length of time, the cleaning mode is performed but the drive OFF mode is not performed; and in the case where the between-sheets time is long, both the cleaning mode and the drive OFF mode are performed. As a result, degradation of an image bearer due to the cleaning bias is alleviated, decreased productivity due to the cleaning mode is alleviated, a problem is alleviated in which a back surface of a recording medium gets dirty due to toner adhered to a transfer rotation body, and another problem is alleviated in which the service life of a driven member is shortened.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer; a developing device; a transfer device; a waste-developer container; a developer collecting device including a collected-developer conveyor, a waste channel, a reuse channel, and a channel switching member to switch a route between the waste channel and the reuse channel; a switching determiner to determine whether to dispose or reuse collected developer; an operating condition data collector to collect and store operating condition data used as a degradation speed index of developer in the developing device; a determination type selector to select, according to the degradation speed index, one of a first determination type based on an operating amount and a second determination type based on developer replacement data indicating an amount of developer replaced with supplied developer in the developing device; and a switching controller to control the channel switching member according to determination made by the switching determiner.

Abstract: An image forming system includes a post-processing unit capable of performing a post-processing on the sheet on which the toner image is formed. The image forming system is capable of executing a transfer cleaning operation to move toner from a transfer member to an image bearer by electrostatic force caused by cleaning bias applied by a bias applying unit in a state where the image bearer and the transfer member are rotated, to clean the transfer member, as an inter-sheet operation performed when at least one of inter-sheet areas that exist on the image bearer during a successive image forming period. The image forming system is capable of executing a rotation stop operation to stop rotation of the image bearer and the transfer member, as the inter-sheet operation when the post-processing is performed, in addition to the transfer cleaning operation, before or after the transfer cleaning operation is executed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that includes an image bearer, a developing device to develop a latent image, a transfer device to transfer a developed image from the image bearer, a developer collecting device to collect developer remaining on the image bearer, and a waste-developer container to contain developer to be disposed. The apparatus also includes a switching determiner to perform a determination of a preferred transfer amount of developer in a target period, an estimation of an accumulative consumption of developer in the target period, a determination of whether to dispose or reuse collected developer, and a determination of whether to perform switching between disposal and reuse of the collected developer based on comparison between the preferred transfer amount and the estimated accumulative consumption of developer. The apparatus also includes a switching controller to cause the developer collecting device to perform the switching between disposal and reuse.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer; a developing device; a transfer device; a waste-developer container; a developer collecting device including a collected-developer conveyor, a waste channel, a reuse channel, and a channel switching member to switch a route between the waste channel and the reuse channel; a switching determiner to determine whether to dispose or reuse collected developer; an operating condition data collector to collect and store operating condition data used as a degradation speed index of developer in the developing device; a determination type selector to select, according to the degradation speed index, one of a first determination type based on an operating amount and a second determination type based on developer replacement data indicating an amount of developer replaced with supplied developer in the developing device; and a switching controller to control the channel switching member according to determination made by the switching determiner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided in which, during a continuous sheet passing, in the case where a between-sheets time is short, none of a cleaning mode and a drive OFF mode is performed; in the case where the between-sheets time is of a medium length of time, the cleaning mode is performed but the drive OFF mode is not performed; and in the case where the between-sheets time is long, both the cleaning mode and the drive OFF mode are performed. As a result, degradation of an image bearer due to the cleaning bias is alleviated, decreased productivity due to the cleaning mode is alleviated, a problem is alleviated in which a back surface of a recording medium gets dirty due to toner adhered to a transfer rotation body, and another problem is alleviated in which the service life of a driven member is shortened.

Abstract: A developing device includes a casing containing a two-component developer including toner and carrier, a developer bearer to transfer the developer on the developer bearer to a developing area, a toner density sensor to output an output value based on toner density of the developer, a toner density detection module to detect the toner density based on the output value of the toner density sensor and output characteristics relating the toner density and the output value, an acquisition module to acquire the output characteristics based on the output value of the toner density sensor relating a new developer and a predetermined toner density of the new developer, a bulk density fluctuation estimating module to estimate bulk density fluctuation for bulk density of the new developer, and a correction module to correct the output value based on the estimated bulk density fluctuation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer; a developing device to develop a latent image; a transfer device to transfer a developed image from the image bearer; a developer collecting device to collect developer remaining on the image bearer; a waste-developer container to contain developer to be disposed, a switching determiner to perform determination of a preferred transfer amount of developer in a target period, estimation of an accumulative consumption of developer in the target period, determination of whether to dispose or reuse collected developer collected by the developer collecting device, and determination of whether to perform switching between disposal and reuse of the collected developer based on comparison between the preferred transfer amount and the estimated accumulative consumption of developer; and a switching controller to cause the developer collecting device to perform the switching between disposal and reuse.

Abstract: A powder refilling device includes a refill powder chamber to accommodate a powder bag containing powder, an opener to open the powder bag inside the refill powder chamber, and a squeezer to squeeze the opened powder bag to discharge powder therefrom and reduce a volume of the opened powder bag.

Abstract: A powder refilling device includes a refill powder chamber to accommodate a powder bag containing powder, an opener to open the powder bag inside the refill powder chamber, and a squeezer to squeeze the opened powder bag to discharge powder therefrom and reduce a volume of the opened powder bag.