Abstract: A paper discharge apparatus that sequentially discharges paper through a discharge outlet, stacks and stores the paper is provided, the apparatus includes: a discharge tray including a fixed tray that is fixedly disposed spaced apart from the discharge outlet, and a swing tray that is disposed between the fixed tray and the discharge outlet and that is axially supported so as to be capable of swinging at or near an end portion of the fixed tray; and a drive control unit that controls an angle of inclination of a surface of the swing tray with respect to a surface of the fixed tray by swinging the swing tray. In this paper discharge apparatus, paper discharged from the discharge outlet is received on the fixed tray and the swing tray of the discharge tray.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an operation state, standby state or installation environment of an image forming apparatus is detected or determined, and details of heating control of the surface temperature of rollers of a fixing apparatus are changed in accordance with the detected or determined state or environment. For example, when the operation state is a state in which printing on a last sheet of recording paper in a print job is complete, or when the operation state is a state in which printing on recording paper is interrupted, and, in addition, when the installation environment is a low-temperature and low-humidity environment and the image forming apparatus enters the standby state, heating of the rollers is respectively controlled to prevent unexpected and inappropriate changes in the surface temperature of the rollers.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus including: a fixing roller, pressed against a printing paper at a fixing nip area, for fixing toner on the printing paper, and transporting the printing paper by undergoing rotation; an external heating section for heating a surface of the fixing roller by being brought into contact therewith; a release/contact operating section for causing the external heating section to be brought into contact with or separated from the fixing roller; and a cleaning section for cleaning the surface of the fixing roller. The release/contact operating section brings the external heating section into contact with the fixing roller at such a timing that a portion of fixing roller initially in contact with the external heating section does not make contact with the printing paper at the fixing nip area in one rotation of the fixing roller.

Abstract: A cleaning device according to the present invention comprises which includes a cleaning belt, an unwinder, a winder, and a detector. The unwinder is wound with the cleaning belt. The winder winds up the cleaning belt intermittently from the unwinder along a path leading past a cleaning position where the belt is brought into contact with a body to be cleaned. The detector is fitted in a detecting position on the path between the unwinder and the cleaning position. The cleaning belt has an end point set on it near its trailing end and associated with the detecting position. When detecting the end point, the detector outputs a detection signal.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a stacking plate, a sheet stacker, and a damping member. The stacking plate is liftably supported in the sheet stacker and is adapted for sheets to be fed into a sheet processing apparatus to be stacked thereon. The sheet stacker is adapted to be movable between a housed position where the stacker is housed in a housing and an exposed position where the stacking plate is exposed outside of the housing. The damping member is adapted to exert on the sheet stacker a damping force according to moving speed of the sheet stacker, thereby limiting the moving speed.

Abstract: A paper discharge apparatus that sequentially discharges paper through a discharge outlet, stacks and stores the paper is provided, the apparatus includes: a discharge tray including a fixed tray that is fixedly disposed spaced apart from the discharge outlet, and a swing tray that is disposed between the fixed tray and the discharge outlet and that is axially supported so as to be capable of swinging at or near an end portion of the fixed tray; and a drive control unit that controls an angle of inclination of a surface of the swing tray with respect to a surface of the fixed tray by swinging the swing tray. In this paper discharge apparatus, paper discharged from the discharge outlet is received on the fixed tray and the swing tray of the discharge tray.

Abstract: A fuser apparatus including: a fuser member having an endless contact surface to be brought into contact with each of successively transported recording media and a non-contact surface and being arranged to apply heat to the recording medium from the contact surface to fix a toner on the recording medium; a heating member energized to supply heat to the contact surface; a contact surface temperature detecting member for detecting a temperature of the contact surface; a non-contact surface temperature detecting member for detecting a temperature of the non-contact surface; and an energization controlling member for controling energization power of the heating member; wherein the energization controlling member controls the heating member energization power so that the heating member energization power is reduced as a difference between the non-contact surface temperature and the contact surface temperature decreases.

Abstract: A fuser unit with a cleaning mechanism, including: a set of a heat roller and a pressure roller for sandwiching a recording sheet while heating the recording sheet by the heat roller; a feed roller for feeding a band-shaped cleaning member which is windable; a press roller for pressing the fed cleaning member against a surface of the heat roller or the pressure roller; a wind roller for winding the cleaning member which is pressed by the press roller; and a first reverse rotation preventing mechanism for preventing rotation of the press roller from rotating in the opposite direction to the winding direction of the cleaning member.

Abstract: A fuser unit including: a set of a heat roller and a pressure roller for sandwiching and conveying a printing sheet while heating the printing sheet by the heat roller; a peripheral surface contact member which is in contact with the peripheral surface of the heat roller; an external heater for heating the peripheral surface contact member by applying electric energy; a contact member temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the peripheral surface contact member; and a temperature controller for controlling an upper limit temperature of the peripheral surface contact member in accordance with the number of printing sheets conveyed per unit time.

Abstract: The fixing device includes a pair of rotating bodies which conveys a recording medium between a nip; a heating unit which heats at least one of the rotating bodies; and a temperature detection unit which detects a temperature of at least one of the rotating bodies. The temperature detection unit detects a temperature change until an image forming apparatus is normally operated since the heating unit starts the heating, and the temperature change is stored. It is judged that the image forming apparatus is in an abnormal state when the temperature detection unit detects a temperature change different from the temperature change in the normal operation. A temperature control unit stops passage of current through the heating unit when it is judged that the image forming apparatus is in the abnormal state.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus is provided with a fixing roller that fixes a toner image that has been transferred onto a paper, a cleaning member that cleans a circumferential surface of the fixing roller using a metal roller that is idly rotated by contacting the circumferential surface of the fixing roller, a drive control means that, at a predetermined timing, sets a rotation velocity of the fixing roller to high-speed rotation that is faster by a predetermined velocity than a rotation velocity during print processing, a load torque detection means that detects a load torque of a drive source of the fixing roller, and a determination means that determines an extent of smearing of the cleaning member based on a load torque detected by the load torque detection means during high-speed rotation by the drive control means.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a casing having an engagement portion, and a sheet stacker detachably housed in the casing. The stacker has a liftable stacking plate, a handle, a lock claw, and a transmission mechanism. The plate is provided for loading a plurality of sheets. The handle is pivotable between operational and nonoperational positions. The claw is pivotable between engaged and disengaged positions. In the engaged and disengaged positions, the claw is engaged with, and disengaged from, the engagement portion, respectively. The mechanism has a solenoid and an interlock member. The solenoid has a plunger movable between locking and unlocking positions according to an input driving signal. The member allows, only with the plunger in the unlocking position, the claw to be moved from the engaged position to the disengaged position in association with pivot movement of the handle from the nonoperational position to the operational position.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a stacking plate, a moving mechanism, a pick-up device, a detection plate, a detecting device, and a control section. The stacking plate is movably supported inside the sheet feeding device. The mechanism moves the stacking plate up and down. The pick-up device sends a top one of sheets stacked on the stacking plate, out in a direction from a sheet feeding position within a predetermined level range. The detection plate is mounted above the position and below a top inner surface of the sheet feeding device, with a lower surface thereof facing an object to be placed on the stacking plate. The detection plate is movably supported at a support portion provided at a predetermined location in an upper surface thereof. The detecting device detects upward and downward displacement of the detection plate. According to the detection result, the section controls operation of the mechanism.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning web, a supply roller, a take-up roller, and a control section. Positioned in contact with a circumferential surface of a fuser roller, the web removes toner particles on the circumferential surface. The supply roller has the web wound thereon. The take-up roller takes up the web withdrawn from the supply roller. The control section controls rotation of the take-up roller. The control section performs a first process of causing the take-up roller to take up a first length of the web each time a predetermined taking-up condition is satisfied. The control section also performs a second process, instead of the first process, of causing the take-up roller to take up a second length of the web each time after a first predetermined number of the first processes are performed.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device is adapted to feed a sheet to a sheet processing apparatus. The sheet feeding device has a stacking plate, a first guiding member, and an angle adjustment mechanism. The stacking plate is adapted for sheets to be stacked thereon. The first guiding member is adapted to move on the stacking plate along a width dimension thereof perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction. The first guiding member is also adapted to rotate around a vertical axis. The first guiding member has a vertical guiding surface for positioning the sheets disposed on the stacking plate. The angle adjustment mechanism is adapted to rotate the guiding member around the vertical axis, for slanting the guiding member with the vertical guiding surface at an angle with the sheet feeding direction.

Abstract: The subject invention provides a sheet feeding device which can be easily attached to an image forming apparatus. The sheet feeding device includes an adapting part and a lock section. When the sheet feeding device is attached to the image forming apparatus, the adapting part is hooked to a catch section provided in the image forming apparatus. Then, the sheet feeding device is lifted up by the adapting part, which serves as a fulcrum, so as to attach lock section to an attachment board of the image forming apparatus. In this method, it is not necessary to lift up the entire body of the sheet feeding device, and therefore the sheet feeding device can be installed on the image forming apparatus with a little effort. After installation, the sheet feeding device transfers recording sheets to the image forming apparatus via a sheet feeding opening.

Abstract: A feeding device according to the present invention holds a pile of sheets of paper in it. Feed force so acts selectively on a specified region of the upper side of the held top sheet as to feed the held sheets one after one in a feed direction. The feeding device includes a flat press plate and a support. The press plate is not smaller in the feed direction and the cross directions perpendicular to the feed direction than the maximum size of the sheets which can be held in the main body. The press plate is not larger in the feed and cross directions than the inner size of the main body. The press plate has a first opening formed over the specified region. The press plate is supported vertically movably above the held sheets by the support.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus is provided with a fixing roller that fixes a toner image that has been transferred onto a paper, a cleaning member that cleans a circumferential surface of the fixing roller using a metal roller that is idly rotated by contacting the circumferential surface of the fixing roller, a drive control means that, at a predetermined timing, sets a rotation velocity of the fixing roller to high-speed rotation that is faster by a predetermined velocity than a rotation velocity during print processing, a load torque detection means that detects a load torque of a drive source of the fixing roller, and a determination means that determines an extent of smearing of the cleaning member based on a load torque detected by the load torque detection means during high-speed rotation by the drive control means.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member in contact with an unfixed image constituted of developer T on one side of a recording material P; and a pressure member pressed against the fixing member. The fixing device fixes the unfixed image onto the recording material P by causing the recording material P, charged so as to have a same polarity as a polarity of the developer T, to pass through a gap between the fixing member and the pressure member. In the fixing device, an inflow current into the fixing member Ih is 0 when the recording material P passes through the gap between the fixing member and the pressure member. This securely restrains the developer on the recording material from electrostatically offset to the side of the fixing device, thereby maintaining the formation of high quality images.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an operation state, standby state or installation environment of an image forming apparatus is detected or determined, and details of heating control of the surface temperature of rollers of a fixing apparatus are changed in accordance with the detected or determined state or environment. For example, when the operation state is a state in which printing on a last sheet of recording paper in a print job is complete, or when the operation state is a state in which printing on recording paper is interrupted, and, in addition, when the installation environment is a low-temperature and low-humidity environment and the image forming apparatus enters the standby state, heating of the rollers is respectively controlled to prevent unexpected and inappropriate changes in the surface temperature of the rollers.