Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment includes: an image erasing section including a first member which has an elastic layer and heats a recording medium having a thermally decolorizable toner image on the toner image side and a second member which erases the toner image by allowing the recording medium in cooperation with the first member; an image forming section which transfers a thermally decolorizable toner image onto the recording medium on which the toner image is erased to form an unfixed toner image; and an image fixing section including a third member which does not have an elastic layer and heats the recording medium on the unfixed toner image side and a fourth member which fixes the unfixed toner image by allowing the recording medium in cooperation with the third member.

Abstract: A power supply device includes: a first line, a second line, and a third line, each having a different electric potential from one another; a battery circuit in which a fuel cell stack and an electric storage device are connected in series; and a first DC-DC converter, wherein both ends of the battery circuit are connected to the first line and the third line, a connection point of the electric storage device and the fuel cell stack of the battery circuit is connected to the second line, a primary side of the first DC-DC converter is connected to the second line and the third line, a secondary side of the first DC-DC converter is connected to the first line and the third line, and electric power is outputted from the first line and the third line.

Abstract: A fuser includes: a heat generating section including a heat generating layer and configured to rotationally travel; an induction-current generating section provided around the exterior of the heat generating section and including an exciting coil and an external ferrite core that covers the outer circumference of the exciting coil; an opposing section set in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the heat generating section; and an internal ferrite core arranged inside of the heat generating section in a position opposed to the exciting coil, a first center angle connecting both edges of the internal ferrite core and a rotation center of the heat generating section being larger than a second center angle connecting both edges of the external ferrite core and the rotation center of the heat generating section.

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a fuser including a cylindrical fixing belt, a heating member, an auxiliary heat generating member, a plurality of heat pipes, a pressurizing pad, and a pressurizing roller. The heating member heats the fixing belt. The auxiliary heat generating member auxiliary heats the fixing belt. The plural heat pipes are sparsely arranged in the center in the longitudinal direction of the auxiliary heat generating member and more densely arranged at the ends in the longitudinal direction of the auxiliary heat generating member than in the center. The pressurizing pad is arranged on the inside of the fixing belt. The pressurizing roller is arranged in contact with the outer circumference of the fixing belt. The pressurizing roller presses the fixing belt against the pressurizing pad.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a fuser includes a fixing belt including a conductive layer, an induction-current generating section to electromagnetically induction-heat the conductive layer, an opposed section to form a nip in cooperation with the fixing belt, an auxiliary heat generating section electromagnetically induction-heated by the induction-current generating section, and a moving section to move the auxiliary heat generating section with respect to the fixing belt.

Abstract: A fuser is equipped with a heating roller, fixing belt, pressure roller, pad, and spring. The heating roller is located on the downstream side of the fixing belt with respect to the sheet conveyance direction, and as the heating roller rotates, contacts the sheet toner side of a sheet, heating the sheet. The fixing belt contacts the side of the sheet opposite to the toner side of the sheet. The pressure roller comes into contact with the heating roller via the fixing belt. The pad is of a softer material than the fixing belt, and, as the pad exerts a force on the heating roller by pressing on the fixing belt, a downstream side of the pad with respect to the sheet conveyance direction is inclined away from the pressure roller. Springs urge the pad toward the pressure roller and the heating roller.

Abstract: A connection switch control part that, within a voltage change period where an applied voltage to an inverter can be changed by repeatedly and alternately switching to a serial state where a first power supply and a second power supply are connected in series to the inverter and to a parallel state where the first power supply and the second power supply are connected in parallel to the inverter, provides: a first period during which current of either one of the first power supply and the second power supply changes with an increasing trend, and current of the other one changes with a decreasing trend; and a second period during which current of one of the power supplies changes with a decreasing trend and current of the other power supply changes with an increasing trend.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt including a metal layer, a pressing member to form a nip between the pressing member and the fixing belt, an induction current generating coil that faces an outer periphery of the fixing belt, and heats the fixing belt located at a nip position through a hollow inside of the fixing belt, and a coil controller supplies a high frequency to the induction current generating coil.

Abstract: A control device of an electric power supply apparatus controls a voltage applied to an inverter to fall within a voltage range between a first voltage that is the voltage of one of a first electric power supply and a second electric power supply and a second voltage that is the sum of the voltage of the first electric power supply and the voltage of the second electric power supply, by alternately switching between a series state in which a current loop that connects the first electric power supply, the second electric power supply, and a reactor in series with the inverter is formed, and a parallel state in which the first electric power supply and the second electric power supply are connected in parallel with the inverter as an electric load.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt including a metal layer, a pressing member to form a nip between the pressing member and the fixing belt, an induction current generating coil that faces an outer periphery of the fixing belt, and heats the fixing belt located at a nip position through a hollow inside of the fixing belt, and a coil controller supplies a high frequency to the induction current generating coil.

Abstract: A power unit for an electric vehicle includes: a first power source connected between a first node and a second node; a first switch connected between the second node and a third node; a second power source connected between the third node and a fourth node; a second switch connected between the first node and the third node; and a DC-DC converter, wherein the DC-DC converter adjusts an electric potential of the first node by changing an electric potential of the second node by making the first node connectable to the third node, or, by making the second node connectable to the third node; an output electric power obtained from between the first node and the fourth node is supplied to an electric motor; and the first power source or the second power source is a fuel cell stack and an another is a secondary battery.

Abstract: A power unit for an electric vehicle includes: a first power source connected between a first node and a second node; a first switch connected between the second node and a third node; a second power source connected between the third node and a fourth node; a second switch connected between the first node and the third node; and a DC-DC converter connected to the second node, wherein the DC-DC converter changes an electric potential of the second node by making the second node connectable to the fourth node or the third node, and an output electric power obtained from between the first node and the fourth node is supplied to an electric motor.

Abstract: The two ends of a battery circuit (18), in which a first power supply (11) is connected in series to a second power supply (12), are connected to the respective first and third lines (L1 and L3), while a junction (18a) between the first power supply (11) and the second power supply (12) is connected to a second line (L2). The two ends of a switching circuit (33) are connected to the respective first and third lines (L1 and L3). An end of a reactor (34) is connected to a junction between first and second switching elements (31 and 32), while the other end of the reactor (34) is connected to the second line (L2). The power supply apparatus (10), when activated, executes an operation in which, while the ON state of the first switching element (31) is inhibited, only the second switching element (32) is alternately turned ON and OFF with the ON state duration changed such that the ON state duration has a tendency to become longer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a developing device in which a decolorizable developing agent containing encapsulated colorant microparticles each including a core containing a color developable compound, a color developer, and a decolorizing agent is accommodated and a developing device in which a transparent developing agent containing a binder resin is accommodated are provided, respectively, and an image is formed by transferring a transparent developing agent image onto a region capable of covering a decolorizable developing agent image, followed by fusing the image. Further, in the second image formation and thereafter, the using amount of the transparent developing agent is decreased as compared with that in the first image formation.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a reception unit, a button setting unit, a storage unit, and a printing unit. The reception unit receives operation setting information including image information of a printing target, printing condition information, and button setting information from an external device. The button setting unit sets a printing instruction button using the button setting information which is included in the operation setting information which is received by the reception unit. The storage unit stores the image information and the printing condition information in the printing instruction button which is set by the button setting unit to be correlated with each other. The printing unit prints image data which is denoted in the image information according to the printing condition when the printing instruction button is input.

Abstract: A fuser is equipped with a heating roller, fixing belt, pressure roller, pad, and spring. The heating roller is located on the downstream side of the fixing belt with respect to the sheet conveyance direction, and as the heating roller rotates, contacts the sheet toner side of a sheet, heating the sheet. The fixing belt contacts the side of the sheet opposite to the toner side of the sheet. The pressure roller comes into contact with the heating roller via the fixing belt. The pad is of a softer material than the fixing belt, and, as the pad exerts a force on the heating roller by pressing on the fixing belt, a downstream side of the pad with respect to the sheet conveyance direction is inclined away from the pressure roller. Springs urge the pad toward the pressure roller and the heating roller.

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a fuser including a cylindrical fixing belt, a heating member, an auxiliary heat generating member, a plurality of heat pipes, a pressurizing pad, and a pressurizing roller. The heating member heats the fixing belt. The auxiliary heat generating member auxiliary heats the fixing belt. The plural heat pipes are sparsely arranged in the center in the longitudinal direction of the auxiliary heat generating member and more densely arranged at the ends in the longitudinal direction of the auxiliary heat generating member than in the center. The pressurizing pad is arranged on the inside of the fixing belt. The pressurizing roller is arranged in contact with the outer circumference of the fixing belt. The pressurizing roller presses the fixing belt against the pressurizing pad.

Abstract: The two ends of a battery circuit (18), in which a first power supply (11) is connected in series to a second power supply (12), are connected to the respective first and third lines (L1 and L3), while a junction (18a) between the first power supply (11) and the second power supply (12) is connected to a second line (L2). The two ends of a switching circuit (33) are connected to the respective first and third lines (L1 and L3). An end of a reactor (34) is connected to a junction between first and second switching elements (31 and 32), while the other end of the reactor (34) is connected to the second line (L2). The power supply apparatus (10), when activated, executes an operation in which, while the ON state of the first switching element (31) is inhibited, only the second switching element (32) is alternately turned ON and OFF with the ON state duration changed such that the ON state duration has a tendency to become longer.

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a fuser including a cylindrical fixing belt, a heating unit configured to heat the fixing belt, a pressurized section, a first nip forming section, a second nip forming section, and a moving mechanism. The pressurized section is arranged in contact with the fixing belt. The first nip forming section is fixed in a position where the first nip forming section presses the fixing belt against the pressurized section. The second nip forming section is configured to be movable between a position where the second nip forming section can press the fixing belt against the pressurized section and a position where the second nip forming section is separated from the fixing belt. The moving mechanism moves the second nip forming section.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a fuser includes a heat roller, an endless belt, a first press roller and a second press roller. The heat roller rotates and contacts a toner surface side of a sheet, and heats the sheet. The endless belt contacts a part of an outer peripheral surface of the heat roller. The first press roller contacts a part of an inner peripheral surface of the endless belt, and is provided at an insertion part of the sheet in a nip portion where the heat roller contacts the endless belt. The second press roller contacts a part of the inner peripheral surface of the endless belt, is provided at an exit part of the sheet in the nip portion, and has a lower rotational resistance than the first press roller.