Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable endless belt, a pressing roller and a fixing pad. The pressing roller contacts an outer peripheral surface of the belt and forms a nip portion in cooperation with the belt. A toner image is formed in the nip portion and fixed onto the recording material by application of heat and pressure. The fixing pad contacts an inner peripheral surface of the belt. The fixing pad includes a contact area in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the belt. The contact area includes a downstream end portion with respect to a conveyance direction of the recording material. The downstream end portion includes a central portion and both end portions with respect to a widthwise direction of the belt. The central portion locates downstream of the both end portions with respect to the conveyance direction.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing belt, a heating roller, a nip portion forming member, a pressing rotary member, a suspending roller, and an urging unit. The heating roller is in contact with an inner surface of the fixing belt and heats the fixing belt. The suspending roller has a center and both ends in an area where the fixing belt and the suspending roller are in contact with each other in a width direction of the suspending roller. Outside diameters at both ends are greater than an outside diameter at the suspending roller center by a value between 50 micrometer and 300 micrometer, inclusive. The urging unit urges the suspending roller from the inner surface of the fixing belt toward an outer circumference surface of the fixing belt. A force that the urging unit applies to the suspending roller ranges between 50 newtons and 100 newtons, inclusive.

Abstract: A charge eliminating apparatus configured to remove charges from a sheet on which an image is formed by a printing apparatus, includes a charge eliminating roller pair including a first charge eliminating roller and a second charge eliminating roller configured to form a nip portion together with the first charge eliminating roller, the charge eliminating roller pair being configured to remove the charges from the sheet in a state of contacting the sheet at the nip portion, a first setting unit configured to set a value of a voltage applied to the charge eliminating roller pair, and a second setting unit configured to set whether to apply the voltage to the charge eliminating roller pair, wherein the second setting unit is configured to set whether to apply the voltage to the charge eliminating roller pair without changing the value of the voltage set by the first setting unit.

Abstract: A charge-eliminating device for eliminating charge of a sheet on which toner is fixed by an image forming apparatus includes a conveying guide, a first charge-eliminating unit and a second charge-eliminating unit. The conveying guide forms a conveyance passage through which the sheet conveyed from the image forming apparatus is conveyed. The first charge-eliminating unit is disposed on one side of the conveyance passage in a thickness direction of the sheet and eliminates charge of the sheet in a non-contact state with the sheet. The second charge-eliminating unit is disposed on the other side of the conveyance passage in the thickness direction and eliminates charge of the sheet in the non-contact state with the sheet.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing belt, a heating roller, a nip portion forming member, a pressing rotary member, a suspending roller, and an urging unit. The heating roller is in contact with an inner surface of the fixing belt and heats the fixing belt. The suspending roller has a center and both ends in an area where the fixing belt and the suspending roller are in contact with each other in a width direction of the suspending roller. Outside diameters at both ends are greater than an outside diameter at the suspending roller center by a value between 50 micrometer and 300 micrometer, inclusive. The urging unit urges the suspending roller from the inner surface of the fixing belt toward an outer circumference surface of the fixing belt. A force that the urging unit applies to the suspending roller ranges between 50 newtons and 100 newtons, inclusive.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable endless belt, a pressing roller and a fixing pad. The pressing roller contacts an outer peripheral surface of the belt and forms a nip portion in cooperation with the belt. A toner image is formed in the nip portion and fixed onto the recording material by application of heat and pressure. The fixing pad contacts an inner peripheral surface of the belt. The fixing pad includes a contact area in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the belt. The contact area includes a downstream end portion with respect to a conveyance direction of the recording material. The downstream end portion includes a central portion and both end portions with respect to a widthwise direction of the belt. The central portion locates downstream of the both end portions with respect to the conveyance direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control portion configured to output, in a test mode, a recording member which has passed through a fixing nip portion in a case of a first temperature difference in which a center part temperature of a first rotary member is higher than an end part temperature of the first rotary member and a recording member which has passed through the fixing nip portion in a case of a second temperature difference in which the center part temperature is lower than the end part temperature by one operation of starting test mode to the input portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion capable of forming a toner image on an envelope including a flap; a stacking portion configured to stack the envelope; a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image on the envelope; a display portion configured to display information; and a controller configured to control the display portion so that when a double-side mode in which the images are formed on the double sides of the envelope is selected, a stacking method in which the envelope is stacked on the stacking portion so as to fix the image on a flap-formed side when the envelope first passes through the fixing portion is displayed at the display portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control portion configured to output, in a test mode, a recording member which has passed through a fixing nip portion in a case of a first temperature difference in which a center part temperature of a first rotary member is higher than an end part temperature of the first rotary member and a recording member which has passed through the fixing nip portion in a case of a second temperature difference in which the center part temperature is lower than the end part temperature by one operation of starting test mode to the input portion.

Abstract: A pair of rotary members nips and conveys a recording material and a heating element heats a toner image on the recording material via the pair of rotary members. A separating mechanism separates the pair of rotary members. A heating time recording portion records a cumulative length of a period during which the pair of rotary members in an abutted state is heated as a first heating time and a cumulative length of the period during which the pair of rotary members in a separated state is heated as a second heating time. A determining portion determines a remaining lifetime of the pair of rotary members using the first and second heating times and data indicating a relationship between length of the period during which the pair of rotary members is heated and decrease in lifetime of the pair of rotary members.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotary member, a web, a moving unit, a detecting unit configured to detect a predetermined position, and a control portion. The control portion informs, in a case where an actual moving amount per one winding operation is a first moving amount, the replacement of the web, if a number of sheets of recording materials on which images have been formed after the predetermined position is detected reaches a first number of sheets. The control portion informs, in a case where the actual moving amount per one winding operation is a second moving amount which is greater than the first moving amount, the replacement of the web, if a number of sheets of recording materials on which images have been formed after the predetermined position is detected reaches a second number of sheets which is less than the first number of sheets.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion capable of forming a toner image on an envelope including a flap; a stacking portion configured to stack the envelope; a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image on the envelope; a display portion configured to display information; and a controller configured to control the display portion so that when the double-side mode in which the images are formed on the double sides of the envelope is selected, a stacking method in which the envelope is stacked on the stacking portion so as to fix the image on a flap-formed side when the envelope first passes through the fixing portion is displayed at the display portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotary member, a web, a moving unit, a detecting unit configured to detect a predetermined position, and a control portion. The control portion informs, in a case where an actual moving amount per one winding operation is a first moving amount, the replacement of the web, if a number of sheets of recording materials on which images have been formed after the predetermined position is detected reaches a first number of sheets. The control portion informs, in a case where the actual moving amount per one winding operation is a second moving amount which is greater than the first moving amount, the replacement of the web, if a number of sheets of recording materials on which images have been formed after the predetermined position is detected reaches a second number of sheets which is less than the first number of sheets.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image formation unit, an image heating unit, a placement unit, and a control unit. The image heating unit heats an image formed by image formation unit on the recording material that was placed on the placement unit. If an envelope is placed on the placement unit with a flap of the envelope in a direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of a recording material, the control unit executed control to automatically execute two-sided printing on the envelope such that images formed on a first and a surface of the envelope are heated by the image heating unit. If an envelope is placed on the placement unit with a flap of the envelope in the conveyance direction of the recording material, the control unit executes control to inhibit execution of two-sided printing on the envelope.

Abstract: A pair of rotary members nips and conveys a recording material and a heating element heats a toner image on the recording material via the pair of rotary members. A separating mechanism separates the pair of rotary members. A heating time recording portion records a cumulative length of a period during which the pair of rotary members in an abutted state is heated as a first heating time and a cumulative length of the period during which the pair of rotary members in a separated state is heated as a second heating time. A determining portion determines a remaining lifetime of the pair of rotary members using the first and second heating times and data indicating a relationship between length of the period during which the pair of rotary members is heated and decrease in lifetime of the pair of rotary members.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image formation unit, an image heating unit, a placement unit, and a control unit. The image heating unit heats an image formed by image formation unit on the recording material that was placed on the placement unit. If an envelope is placed on the placement unit with a flap of the envelope in a direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of a recording material, the control unit executed control to automatically execute two-sided printing on the envelope such that images formed on a first and a surface of the envelope are heated by the image heating unit. If an envelope is placed on the placement unit with a flap of the envelope in the conveyance direction of the recording material, the control unit executes control to inhibit execution of two-sided printing on the envelope.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a correcting portion, an image forming device, and a fixing device that is one of a first fixing device including a first pair of rotatable members forming a first nip under a first load, and a second fixing device including a second pair of rotatable members forming a second nip under a second load that is less than the first load. A mounting portion selectively mounts one of the plurality of fixing devices. A detector detects a density of a toner image fixed on a recording material. When the fixing device is the first fixing device, an executing portion permits execution of a calibration process for generating a correction condition on the basis of a result of detection of a predetermined toner image by the detector, and, when the fixing device is the second fixing device, the executing portion prohibits execution of the calibration process.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a reading configured to read a shape of a sheet to be used for image formation, and an original sheet carrying an original image, and an image forming portion configured to form a toner image, corresponding to the original image read by the reading portion, on the sheet to be used for image formation. A fixing portion is configured to fix the toner image, formed by the image forming portion, to the sheet to be used for image formation. In addition, a controller is configured to control a fixing condition of the fixing portion in accordance with the shape of the sheet to be used for image formation read by the reading portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a correcting portion to correct gradation of inputted image data on the basis of a correction condition, an image forming device to form, on a recording material, a toner image corresponding to the corrected image data, a mounting portion, an executing portion to execute an output process for forming and outputting, on the recording material, a predetermined toner image for generating the correction condition, the predetermined toner image including a plurality of image regions different in density, an input portion to permit input of an execution instruction of the output process by an operator, and a controller to control notification of information to the operator. The controller provides notification prompting exchange of the fixing portions in certain cases.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming station, a mounting portion for mounting one of fixing devices, each including a first roller and a second roller which cooperate to form a nip for fixing a toner image on a sheet fed from the image forming station, a rubbing roller configured to rub a surface of the first roller, a storing portion capable of storing information, a counter for counting sheets fed to the fixing device mounted on the mounting portion and to store a number indicative of the number counted by the counter in the storing portion of the fixing device, and an executing portion for effecting a rubbing treatment to the first roller of the fixing device, when the number counted by the counter on the basis of the number in the storing portion of the fixing device mounted on the mounting portion exceeds a predetermined number.