Abstract: An image forming device that forms a toner image on a photosensitive drum 413, including a lubrication device 200 that applies lubricant to the photosensitive drum 413 and an operation panel 20. The image forming device acquires spring mounting times 108d that indicate lubrication performance of the lubrication device 200, compares the spring mounting times 108d to a threshold value, and when the spring mounting times 108d exceed the threshold value, displays guidance on the operation panel 20 prompting an operation to restore lubrication performance of the lubrication device 200.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier whose rotational speed changes depending on a printing speed of an image onto a sheet, an applicator that applies a lubricant to a surface of the latent image carrier, and a hardware processor that causes a surface of the applicator to move such that a difference between a first moving speed and a second moving speed is within a certain range, the first moving speed being a speed at which the surface of the latent image carrier moves, the second moving speed being a speed at which the surface of the applicator moves.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoreceptor; a charging member that charges the photoreceptor; a charging power supply that outputs an AC bias as a charging bias to be applied to the charging member during image formation, and outputs a DC bias as the charging bias during a non-image forming operation, the AC bias being obtained by superimposing an alternating current voltage and a direct current voltage, the image formation forming a latent image, the DC bias being a direct current voltage, the non-image forming operation rotating and driving the photoreceptor; a processor that performs predetermined processing on the photoreceptor; and a controller that controls the charging power supply and the processor such that a value of a potential difference of the photoreceptor before and after being charged by the DC bias is a value equal to or less than a setting value during the non-image forming operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier whose rotational speed changes depending on a printing speed of an image onto a sheet, an applicator that applies a lubricant to a surface of the latent image carrier, and a hardware processor that causes a surface of the applicator to move such that a difference between a first moving speed and a second moving speed is within a certain range, the first moving speed being a speed at which the surface of the latent image carrier moves, the second moving speed being a speed at which the surface of the applicator moves.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoreceptor; a charging member that charges the photoreceptor; a charging power supply that outputs an AC bias as a charging bias to be applied to the charging member during image formation, and outputs a DC bias as the charging bias during a non-image forming operation, the AC bias being obtained by superimposing an alternating current voltage and a direct current voltage, the image formation forming a latent image, the DC bias being a direct current voltage, the non-image forming operation rotating and driving the photoreceptor; a processor that performs predetermined processing on the photoreceptor; and a controller that controls the charging power supply and the processor such that a value of a potential difference of the photoreceptor before and after being charged by the DC bias is a value equal to or less than a setting value during the non-image forming operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a charging roller that charges the image carrier; a power supply part that applies a charging voltage to the charging roller; a current measurement part that measures a value of a DC component of a current flowing between the image carrier and the charging roller at at least two timings having mutually different elapsed times; and a hardware processor that measures an elapsed time from a start of application of the charging voltage by the power supply part, calculates a coefficient of an approximate expression indicating a relationship between the value of the DC component of the current flowing between the image carrier and the charging roller, and the elapsed time, and performs judgment related to life of the charging roller on the basis of the coefficient and a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a charging roller that charges the image carrier; a power supply part that applies a charging voltage to the charging roller; a current measurement part that measures a value of a DC component of a current flowing between the image carrier and the charging roller at at least two timings having mutually different elapsed times; and a hardware processor that measures an elapsed time from a start of application of the charging voltage by the power supply part, calculates a coefficient of an approximate expression indicating a relationship between the value of the DC component of the current flowing between the image carrier and the charging roller, and the elapsed time, and performs judgment related to life of the charging roller on the basis of the coefficient and a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having: an image supporting member; a developing device configured to supply a developer to the image supporting member to develop a latent image; a transfer member configured to transfer the developed image from the image supporting member to a transfer medium; a blade configured to remove the developer left on the image supporting member after transfer therefrom; a storing member located downstream from the transfer member and upstream from the blade, the storing member configured to temporarily store a part of the developer left after transfer therein; and a control unit. The storing member is controlled by the control unit to release the temporarily stored developer therefrom toward the image supporting member after a lapse of a predetermined time from when an image density of an image to be formed becomes lower than a predetermined value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having; an image supporting member; a developing device configured to supply a developer to the image supporting member to develop a latent image; a transfer member configured to transfer the developed image from the image supporting member to a transfer medium; a blade configured to remove the developer left on the image supporting member after transfer therefrom; a storing member located downstream from the transfer member and upstream from the blade, the storing member configured to temporarily store a part of the developer left after transfer therein; and a control unit. The storing member is controlled by the control unit to release the temporarily stored developer therefrom toward the image supporting member after a lapse of a predetermined time from when an image density of an image to be formed becomes lower than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A method applicable to an image forming apparatus with a lubricant to be applied to a surface of a photoreceptor for measuring surface roughness of the surface of the photoreceptor after lubricant application, the method including: a first step of measuring a surface profile of the photoreceptor and obtaining first data indicating the surface profile; a second step of generating second data on the basis of the first data, the second data indicating arithmetic mean roughness Ra within a predetermined range; and a third step of calculating a difference value ?Ra between second data before lubricant application and second data after lubricant application obtained by performing the first and second steps both before and after the lubricant is applied to the photoreceptor.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, when some of a plurality of image supporters which are preceded by another image supporter on an upstream side of the carrying direction are referred to as downstream side image supporters, a control section derives a toner supply amount for each of positions in a main-scanning direction for each of downstream side image supporters based on image data for the downstream side image supporters and image data for an upstream side image supporter, and thereafter generates patch image data that represents the derived toner supply amount, and the exposure section further scans each of the downstream side image supporters in the main-scanning direction with an optical beam modulated according to the patch image data generated by the control section.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, when some of a plurality of image supporters which are preceded by another image supporter on an upstream side of the carrying direction are referred to as downstream side image supporters, a control section derives a toner supply amount for each of positions in a main-scanning direction for each of downstream side image supporters based on image data for the downstream side image supporters and image data for an upstream side image supporter, and thereafter generates patch image data that represents the derived toner supply amount, and the exposure section further scans each of the downstream side image supporters in the main-scanning direction with an optical beam modulated according to the patch image data generated by the control section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a rotative image carrier and transferring the image onto an object, including: a cleaning unit removing a residual material from the image carrier; and a lubricant applying unit applying lubricant to a circumferential surface of the image carrier, the lubricant applying unit including: a rotative transporter picking up and retaining lubricant, transporting the lubricant to a lubricant application point, and supplying a portion of the lubricant to the image carrier at the lubricant application point; an ejector causing the transporter to eject a portion of the lubricant retained by the transporter; a collector collecting the portion of the lubricant ejected from the transporter; and a controller controlling ejection of the portion of the lubricant so as to maintain the amount of the lubricant retained by the transporter as no greater than a predetermined upper limit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a rotative image carrier and transferring the image onto an object, including: a cleaning unit removing a residual material from the image carrier; and a lubricant applying unit applying lubricant to a circumferential surface of the image carrier, the lubricant applying unit including: a rotative transporter picking up and retaining lubricant, transporting the lubricant to a lubricant application point, and supplying a portion of the lubricant to the image carrier at the lubricant application point; an ejector causing the transporter to eject a portion of the lubricant retained by the transporter; a collector collecting the portion of the lubricant ejected from the transporter; and a controller controlling ejection of the portion of the lubricant so as to maintain the amount of the lubricant retained by the transporter as no greater than a predetermined upper limit.

Abstract: An image forming device includes an image carrying member that is rotatable, a development unit that develops an image on the image carrying member, a transfer unit that transfers a developed toner image from the image carrying member to a transferred member, a cleaning unit making contact with the surface of the image carrying member, a lubricant application unit that applies a lubricant to the surface of the image carrying member; and a switching control unit that switches a development condition of the development unit between a first mode in which the lubricant applied to the surface of the image carrying member is unlikely to be moved to the development unit and a second mode other than the first mode. The development condition is set at the first mode at a time of no image formation such that the lubricant is applied to the image carrying member.

Abstract: A method applicable to an image forming apparatus with a lubricant to be applied to a surface of a photoreceptor for measuring surface roughness of the surface of the photoreceptor after lubricant application, the method including: a first step of measuring a surface profile of the photoreceptor and obtaining first data indicating the surface profile; a second step of generating second data on the basis of the first data, the second data indicating arithmetic mean roughness Ra within a predetermined range; and a third step of calculating a difference value ?Ra between second data before lubricant application and second data after lubricant application obtained by performing the first and second steps both before and after the lubricant is applied to the photoreceptor.

Abstract: A cleaning blade, which is configured to be pressed against a toner image carrier that rotates in one direction, for removing residual toner from the toner image carrier, the cleaning blade having: a contact layer that is located in a side to come into contact with the toner image carrier; and a supporting layer that is located in a side not to come into contact with the toner image carrier, wherein tensile stress characteristic curves of a material of the contact layer and a material of the supporting layer intersect with each other. An image forming apparatus having a toner image carrier and the cleaning blade.

Abstract: A cleaning blade, which is configured to be pressed against a toner image carrier that rotates in one direction, for removing residual toner from the toner image carrier, the cleaning blade having: a contact layer that is located in a side to come into contact with the toner image carrier; and a supporting layer that is located in a side not to come into contact with the toner image carrier, wherein tensile stress characteristic curves of a material of the contact layer and a material of the supporting layer intersect with each other. An image forming apparatus having a toner image carrier and the cleaning blade.

Abstract: In a rotary type image developing apparatus that has a rotary rack accommodating a plurality of developer units and drives the rotary rack to rotate in a predetermined rotational direction so as to bring a targeted one of the developer units to a developing position, each developer unit includes a toner storage in which a first slope is disposed. As the rotary rack rotates, toner that remains upstream of a toner supply opening in a toner flowing direction in the toner storage is guided by a slope surface of the first slope, which enables the toner to be smoothly supplied to a developing chamber. Thus, even when the toner gets low, the toner can be efficiently supplied from the toner storage to the developing chamber with the aid of the first slope.

Abstract: One of aspects of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer member rotating at a first circumferential speed, and an image carrier capable of having a plurality of toner images formed thereon in turn, each of the toner images having a color different from one another, for transferring the toner images onto the intermediate transfer member, the image carrier rotating at a second circumferential speed. At least one of the first and second circumferential speeds are adjustable in accordance with a driving mode selected from a group consisting of a monochrome mode and a color mode. Also, a first difference between the first and second circumferential speeds in the monochrome mode is greater than a second difference between the first and second circumferential speeds in the color mode.