Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image bearing member, a charging member, an exposing member, a developer carrying member, a storage member to store a first lifetime threshold for the first image forming mode, a second lifetime threshold for the second image forming mode and a value related to a driving amount of the image bearing member. The image forming apparatus further includes a controller to (i) perform a first determination regarding the lifetime corresponding to the first mode based on the value related to the driving amount and the first lifetime threshold and (ii) perform a second determination regarding the lifetime corresponding to the second mode based on the value related to the driving amount and the second lifetime threshold, and a notifying unit to perform a notification based on a result of the first or second determination to the image bearing member.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image bearing member, a charging member, an exposing member, a developer carrying member, a storage member to store a first lifetime threshold for the first image forming mode, a second lifetime threshold for the second image forming mode and a value related to a driving amount of the image bearing member. The image forming apparatus further includes a controller to (i) perform a first determination regarding the lifetime corresponding to the first mode based on the value related to the driving amount and the first lifetime threshold and (ii) perform a second determination regarding the lifetime corresponding to the second mode based on the value related to the driving amount and the second lifetime threshold, and a notifying unit to perform a notification based on a result of the first or second determination to the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a holding apparatus configured to collect residual developer remaining on an intermediate transfer belt and temporarily hold the residual developer, and a cleaning member configured to remove toner borne on the photosensitive drum that moves the toner held by the holding apparatus to the intermediate transfer belt and discharging the toner. Toner from a development roller is supplied to the cleaning member before toner reversely transferred from the intermediate transfer belt is supplied to the cleaning member.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus that is capable of performing a first image forming mode that performs image formation at a first peripheral speed ratio representing a ratio of a peripheral speed of a developer bearing member to a peripheral speed of an image bearing member and a second image forming mode that performs the image formation at a second peripheral speed ratio different from the first peripheral speed ratio, and that detects an amount of a developer consumed in the image formation, based on an estimate of the amount of the developer consumed by one pixel and the number of pixels at a part at which the developer is consumed. The estimate of the amount of the developer consumed by the one pixel in the first image forming mode is different from that in the second image forming mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a cleaning unit removing toner remaining on an image bearing member after a toner image is transferred to an intermediate transfer member; a first storage unit which collects removed toner; a conveying unit which is driven by transmission of rotation of the image bearing member to convey toner in the first storage unit to a second storage unit; and a control unit which performs conveyance control, by driving the image bearing member to rotate during a non-image forming period, in which the conveying unit is caused to convey toner from the first storage unit to the second storage unit, wherein when an amount of toner in the first storage unit is equal to or larger than a threshold during an image forming period, the control unit executes the conveyance control during the non-image forming period to reduce the toner in the first storage unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus that is capable of performing a first image forming mode that performs image formation at a first peripheral speed ratio representing a ratio of a peripheral speed of a developer bearing member to a peripheral speed of an image bearing member and a second image forming mode that performs the image formation at a second peripheral speed ratio different from the first peripheral speed ratio, and that detects an amount of a developer consumed in the image formation, based on an estimate of the amount of the developer consumed by one pixel and the number of pixels at a part at which the developer is consumed. The estimate of the amount of the developer consumed by the one pixel in the first image forming mode is different from that in the second image forming mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developer bearing member, an updating device to update toner consumption based on a number of dots corresponding to laser irradiation by which toner is consumed, and an alerting device to alert an alarm concerning a residual amount of the toner based on toner consumption updated by the updating device. Image formation is performed in a first mode at a first peripheral speed ratio representing a ratio of a peripheral speed of the developer bearing member to a peripheral speed of the image bearing member, and in a second mode at a second peripheral speed ratio, which is greater than the first peripheral speed ratio. The alerting device alerts the alarm based on a total number of dots, which is smaller as an operation frequency of the second mode and becomes higher in an operation frequency of the first mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a cleaning unit removing toner remaining on an image bearing member after a toner image is transferred to an intermediate transfer member; a first storage unit which collects removed toner; a conveying unit which is driven by transmission of rotation of the image bearing member to convey toner in the first storage unit to a second storage unit; and a control unit which performs conveyance control, by driving the image bearing member to rotate during a non-image forming period, in which the conveying unit is caused to convey toner from the first storage unit to the second storage unit, wherein when an amount of toner in the first storage unit is equal to or larger than a threshold during an image forming period, the control unit executes the conveyance control during the non-image forming period to reduce the toner in the first storage unit.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image bearing member, a charging member, an exposing member, a developer carrying member, a storage member to store a first lifetime threshold for the first image forming mode, a second lifetime threshold for the second image forming mode and a value related to a driving amount of the image bearing member. The image forming apparatus further includes a controller to (i) perform a first determination regarding the lifetime corresponding to the first mode based on the value related to the driving amount and the first lifetime threshold and (ii) perform a second determination regarding the lifetime corresponding to the second mode based on the value related to the driving amount and the second lifetime threshold, and a notifying unit to perform a notification based on a result of the first or second determination to the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developer bearing member, an updating device to update toner consumption based on a number of dots corresponding to laser irradiation by which toner is consumed, and an alerting device to alert an alarm concerning a residual amount of the toner based on toner consumption updated by the updating device. Image formation is performed in a first mode at a first peripheral speed ratio representing a ratio of a peripheral speed of the developer bearing member to a peripheral speed of the image bearing member, and in a second mode at a second peripheral speed ratio, which is greater than the first peripheral speed ratio. The alerting device alerts the alarm based on a total number of dots, which is smaller as an operation frequency of the second mode and becomes higher in an operation frequency of the first mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is capable of performing a first image forming mode that performs image formation at a first peripheral speed ratio representing a ratio of a peripheral speed of a developer bearing member to a peripheral speed of an image bearing member and at a second image forming mode that performs the image formation at a second peripheral speed ratio different from the first peripheral speed ratio. The image forming apparatus also detects an amount of a developer consumed in the image formation, based on an estimate of the amount of the developer consumed by one pixel and the number of pixels at a part at which the developer is consumed. The estimate of the amount of the developer consumed by the one pixel in the first image forming mode is different from that in the second image forming mode.

Abstract: In a motor lock determination device (1), a lock determination on an electric motor (7) is performed such that: a first detection value (PI), which is a detection value (P) of a refrigerant pressure sensor (17) during a stop of an electric fan (5), is detected, and a second detection value (P2), which is a detection value (P) of the refrigerant pressure sensor (17) after the electric fan (5) is driven for a first predetermined time (?), is detected; when the second detection value (P2) is equal to the first detection value (PI) or more than the first detection value (PI), it is determined that a motor lock occurs; and when the second detection value (P2) is less than the first detection value (PI), it is determined that no motor lock occurs.

Abstract: A developing device configured to develop a latent image formed on an image bearing member includes a rotatable developing-agent bearing member configured to bear developing agent, a developing container configured to form a developing-agent storage chamber that stores the developing agent, a developing-agent regulating portion provided in the developing container to regulate an amount of the developing agent born on the developing-agent bearing member, a support portion configured to support the developing-agent bearing member movably relative to the developing-agent regulating portion, and a pressurizing member configured to pressurize the developing-agent bearing member toward the developing-agent regulating portion. A contact portion of the developing-agent regulating portion with the developing-agent bearing member is fixed to the developing container without forming a gap from the developing container on a downstream side in a pressurizing direction of the pressurizing member.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus that is capable of performing a first image forming mode that performs image formation at a first peripheral speed ratio representing a ratio of a peripheral speed of a developer bearing member to a peripheral speed of an image bearing member and a second image forming mode that performs the image formation at a second peripheral speed ratio different from the first peripheral speed ratio, and that detects an amount of a developer consumed in the image formation, based on an estimate of the amount of the developer consumed by one pixel and the number of pixels at a part at which the developer is consumed. The estimate of the amount of the developer consumed by the one pixel in the first image forming mode is different from that in the second image forming mode.

Abstract: A cyclone separator includes a centrifugal separator which separates solid matters from a fluid mixture containing fluid and solid matters. The centrifugal separator includes a fluid introducing unit which introduces the fluid subjected to the separation of the solid matters. An electric dust collector of the cyclone separator includes a main unit and a container. The container is provided in the fluid introducing unit and houses the main unit. The main unit includes an electrostatic member, an introducing member, a voltage applying unit and a controller. The introducing member is slidable along a longitudinal direction of the electrostatic member. The electrostatic member is switched to an electrically-charged state or a non-electrically-charged state by on and off control of the voltage applying unit using the controller. Minute particles of the solid matters are adhered to the electrostatic member by an electrostatic force generated by electrical charging of the electrostatic member.

Abstract: An exhaust heat recovery control device includes a recovered heat adjusting unit configured to adjust an amount of heat recovered of exhaust gas by an exhaust heat recoverer recovering heat of exhaust gas and a control unit configured to control the recovered heat adjusting unit so as to prevent or suppress freezing in an exhaust pipe based on a traveling history of a vehicle on which the exhaust heat recovery control device is mounted when the freezing in the exhaust pipe is predicted.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an exposure device configured to expose image bearing members charged by charging devices to form latent images on the image bearing members, and a control unit configured to, in ether one or both of an image forming unit A and an image forming unit B, adjust an amount of exposure by which the image bearing member is exposed and a charging voltage based on information about the image bearing members of the image forming units A and B. The control unit is configured to make the charging voltage and the amount of exposure in the image forming unit A different from the charging voltage and the amount of exposure in the image forming unit B.

Abstract: In a motor lock determination device (1), a lock determination on an electric motor (7) is performed such that: a first detection value (PI), which is a detection value (P) of a refrigerant pressure sensor (17) during a stop of an electric fan (5), is detected, and a second detection value (P2), which is a detection value (P) of the refrigerant pressure sensor (17) after the electric fan (5) is driven for a first predetermined time (?), is detected; when the second detection value (P2) is equal to the first detection value (PI) or more than the first detection value (PI), it is determined that a motor lock occurs; and when the second detection value (P2) is less than the first detection value (PI), it is determined that no motor lock occurs.

Abstract: In a development device in which a developer containing unit underlies a development chamber, a supplying member in the development chamber forms a nip portion with a developer carrier and the developer carrier and the supplying member rotate in the direction in which their respective surfaces move from an upper end to a lower end of the nip portion.

Abstract: A developing device configured to develop a latent image formed on an image bearing member includes a rotatable developing-agent bearing member configured to bear developing agent, a developing container configured to form a developing-agent storage chamber that stores the developing agent, a developing-agent regulating portion provided in the developing container to regulate an amount of the developing agent born on the developing-agent bearing member, a support portion configured to support the developing-agent bearing member movably relative to the developing-agent regulating portion, and a pressurizing member configured to pressurize the developing-agent bearing member toward the developing-agent regulating portion. A contact portion of the developing-agent regulating portion with the developing-agent bearing member is fixed to the developing container without forming a gap from the developing container on a downstream side in a pressurizing direction of the pressurizing member.