Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a lubricant supplier that supplies a lubricant onto an image carrier; a fixing member that is rotatable, and comes into contact with the image carrier to fix the lubricant supplied onto the image carrier; and a hardware processor that controls rotation of the fixing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a lubricant supplier that supplies a lubricant onto an image carrier; a fixing member that is rotatable, and comes into contact with the image carrier to fix the lubricant supplied onto the image carrier; and a hardware processor that controls rotation of the fixing member.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer casing, a developer detector, and a hardware processor that performs control to set a developer amount range to either a first detection condition or a second detection condition. The hardware processor determines whether or not a developer amount within the developer casing has exceeded an acceptable value, based on a detection result in the developer detector under the second detection condition.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier rotatably supported; a lubricant supplier that supplies lubricant to a surface of the image carrier; a blade that levels the lubricant supplied from the lubricant supplier in a film-like form on the surface of the image carrier; and a controller that controls image formation, wherein the controller has a lubricant removal mode to remove the lubricant accumulated on the blade, the lubricant removal mode includes a plurality of displacement modes each of which imparts different displacement to the blade, in each of the displacement modes, one of a displacement amount, a displacement speed, a displacement period, a displacement angle, and a displacement position of the blade is different, and the controller performs switching between the displacement modes dining execution of the lubricant removal mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier rotatably supported; a lubricant supplier that supplies lubricant to a surface of the image carrier, a blade that levels the lubricant supplied from the lubricant supplier in a film-like form on the surface of the image carrier, and a controller that controls image formation, wherein the controller has a lubricant removal mode to remove the lubricant accumulated on the blade, the lubricant removal mode includes a plurality of displacement modes each of which imparts different displacement to the blade, in each of the displacement modes, one of a displacement amount, a displacement speed, a displacement period, a displacement angle, and a displacement position of the blade is different, and the controller performs switching between the displacement modes during execution of the lubricant removal mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing body; a developing unit which develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing body as a toner image; a transfer unit which transfers the toner image to a receiver medium; a cleaning member which collects residual toner on the image bearing body; a lubricant supply unit which supplies lubricant onto the image bearing body; a measurement unit which measures a static frictional force generated between the image bearing body and the cleaning member; and a control unit which corrects the amount of lubricant on the image bearing body, wherein the control unit estimates a state of the lubricant on the image bearing body based on a change between a first and a second static frictional force, and based on the estimated state, the control unit selectively executes one of processing of supplying lubricant and processing of removing lubricant.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing body; a developing unit which develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing body as a toner image; a transfer unit which transfers the toner image to a receiver medium; a cleaning member which collects residual toner on the image bearing body; a lubricant supply unit which supplies lubricant onto the image bearing body; a measurement unit which measures a static frictional force generated between the image bearing body and the cleaning member; and a control unit which corrects the amount of lubricant on the image bearing body, wherein the control unit estimates a state of the lubricant on the image bearing body based on a change between a first and a second static frictional force, and based on the estimated state, the control unit selectively executes one of processing of supplying lubricant and processing of removing lubricant.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a development unit configured to develop, as a toner image, an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier; a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image to a medium to which a toner image is to be transferred; a cleaning unit configured to recover toner remaining on the image carrier after transferring the toner image; a lubricant supply unit configured to supply lubricant on the image carrier; a charge unit disposed between the development unit and the cleaning unit, along a surface of the image carrier; and a control unit configured to perform a first mode and a second mode, the first mode configured to form the toner image, the second mode configured to allow the charge unit to increase the amount of charge on toner reaching the cleaning unit relative to that in the first mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a development unit configured to develop, as a toner image, an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier; a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image to a medium to which a toner image is to be transferred; a cleaning unit configured to recover toner remaining on the image carrier after transferring the toner image; a lubricant supply unit configured to supply lubricant on the image carrier; a charge unit disposed between the development unit and the cleaning unit, along a surface of the image carrier; and a control unit configured to perform a first mode and a second mode, the first mode configured to form the toner image, the second mode configured to allow the charge unit to increase the amount of charge on toner reaching the cleaning unit relative to that in the first mode.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a non-contact heating portion that includes at least one non-contact heating unit which heats a toner image on a sheet; and a pressurizing and heating unit that is provided downstream in a sheet transport direction with respect to the non-contact heating portion and that pressurizes and heats the toner image. A time from a first point of time when the toner image reaches a toner melting temperature by heating of the non-contact heating portion to a second point of time when the toner image enters the pressurizing and heating unit is set equal to or more than a predetermined time. The predetermined time is a time when a ratio between the weight of the toner in the toner image before the entrance and the sum of the weight of the toner and the weight of the carrier liquid is equal to or more than 70%.

Abstract: A wet-type image formation apparatus includes: an intermediate transfer body that carries a toner image including toner particles, which are charged to have a first polarity, and a carrier liquid; a transferring roller that transfers a toner image onto a transfer surface of a recording medium; a charging device that charges the transfer surface to have a second polarity opposite to the first polarity; and a fixing mechanism that fixes the toner image. The fixing mechanism includes a noncontact heating device. The noncontact heating device forms the toner particles into a film such that the toner particles and the carrier liquid are separated from each other by heating the toner image when the toner particles charged to the first polarity is electrostatically adsorbed onto the transfer surface charged to have the second polarity. The film of the toner particles is fixed onto the transfer surface.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a non-contact heating portion that includes at least one non-contact heating unit which heats a toner image on a sheet; and a pressurizing and heating unit that is provided downstream in a sheet transport direction with respect to the non-contact heating portion and that pressurizes and heats the toner image. A time from a first point of time when the toner image reaches a toner melting temperature by heating of the non-contact heating portion to a second point of time when the toner image enters the pressurizing and heating unit is set equal to or more than a predetermined time. The predetermined time is a time when a ratio between the weight of the toner in the toner image before the entrance and the sum of the weight of the toner and the weight of the carrier liquid is equal to or more than 70%.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a noncontact heating device, a pressurizing and heating mechanism, and a control unit. The control unit switches an operation of the pressurizing and heating mechanism based on gloss level information of a recording medium. According to the image forming apparatus, assuming that a temperature of the recording medium after noncontact heating is T1, a temperature of the recording medium after pressurizing and heating is T2 and a toner concentration after noncontact heating is Tc1 when the gloss level information shows high gloss, and assuming that a temperature of the recording medium after noncontact heating is T3 and a toner concentration after noncontact heating is Tc2 when the gloss level information shows low gloss, the conditions of T1<T2, T1<T3, and Tc1<Tc2 are satisfied.

Abstract: An infiltration amount measuring unit is provided to measure the amount of carrier liquid infiltrated in recording paper. An output signal of the infiltration amount measuring unit is input to a control device to be used to calculate a voltage supplied to a heat source (heater) in a pre-fixing unit. A signal of a paper temperature measuring unit is input to the control device, which determines whether a target temperature is reached. The control device estimates the amount of carrier liquid in a toner layer based on the information from the infiltration amount measuring unit. Then, the pre-fixing unit is controlled such that the amount of carrier liquid in the toner layer falls within an appropriate range, based on the estimation result of the amount of carrier liquid.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device for heating and pressing a toner image on a recording medium, a non-contact heating device arranged downstream of the fixing device for heating the toner image without coming into contact with the toner image, and a pressure contact device arranged downstream of the non-contact heating device and having a smooth surface. The pressure contact device has first and second arrangement states switched according to the kind of the recording medium. In the first arrangement state, the pressure contact device is arranged so as to make pressure contact with the toner image. In the second arrangement state, the pressure contact device is arranged so as not to make pressure contact with the toner image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium includes a fixing unit configured to fix on a recording medium, a toner image formed on the recording medium, through heating and pressurization and a gloss control unit configured to lower gloss of a surface of the toner image by charging the surface of the toner image fixed onto the recording medium and heating the toner image such that toner contained in the toner image reaches a softening point or higher thereof.

Abstract: A wet-type image formation apparatus includes: an intermediate transfer body that carries a toner image including toner particles, which are charged to have a first polarity, and a carrier liquid; a transferring roller that transfers a toner image onto a transfer surface of a recording medium; a charging device that charges the transfer surface to have a second polarity opposite to the first polarity; and a fixing mechanism that fixes the toner image. The fixing mechanism includes a noncontact heating device. The noncontact heating device forms the toner particles into a film such that the toner particles and the carrier liquid are separated from each other by heating the toner image when the toner particles charged to the first polarity is electrostatically adsorbed onto the transfer surface charged to have the second polarity. The film of the toner particles is fixed onto the transfer surface.

Abstract: A wet-type image forming apparatus includes: a heating unit configured to heat a recording medium and to volatilize liquid carrier in a toner image; a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image on the recording medium and disposed at a downstream side of the heating unit in a conveyance direction of the recording medium; a conveyance unit configured to convey the recording medium from the heating unit to the fixing unit; and a housing disposed to cover the conveyance unit, wherein the recording medium is conveyed on the conveyance unit in the housing toward the fixing unit after heated by the heating unit, in the presence of gas containing the volatilized liquid carrier, and the volatilized liquid carrier is cooled and turned into fine mist liquid carrier and then the fine mist liquid carrier attaches to the recording medium before the recording medium reaches the fixing unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a noncontact heating device, a pressurizing and heating mechanism, and a control unit. The control unit switches an operation of the pressurizing and heating mechanism based on gloss level information of a recording medium. According to the image forming apparatus, assuming that a temperature of the recording medium after noncontact heating is T1, a temperature of the recording medium after pressurizing and heating is T2 and a toner concentration after noncontact heating is Tc1 when the gloss level information shows high gloss, and assuming that a temperature of the recording medium after noncontact heating is T3 and a toner concentration after noncontact heating is Tc2 when the gloss level information shows low gloss, the conditions of T1<T2, T1<T3, and Tc1<Tc2 are satisfied.

Abstract: Provided is a liquid development apparatus having a constitution in which liquid developer containing carrier liquid with toner dispersed therein is supplied from a liquid developer/cleaning liquid supply member on a pool forming member arranged facing to a supply roller so as to form a pool of the liquid developer, from which pool the liquid developer is supplied to the supply roller, wherein a liquid developer/cleaning liquid supply member supplies cleaning liquid on a pool forming member to form a suitable pooling portion of the cleaning liquid and the liquid developer remaining on the surface of the supply roller is removed and cleaned.