Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes, an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a sheet using printing toner and apply powder adhesive on the sheet, a fixing portion configured to heat the toner image formed on the sheet and the powder adhesive applied on the sheet by the image forming portion and fix the toner image and the powder adhesive to the sheet, and a bonding portion configured to bond the sheet with the powder adhesive by reheating the sheet having been heated by the fixing portion. The bonding portion is arranged above the image forming portion.

Abstract: An adhesion apparatus includes: an image forming unit configured to form, through an electrophotographic process, an adhesive image of a powder adhesive on a sheet that is conveyed; and a control unit configured to control the image forming unit to use a first pattern in a first conveyance period, and use a second pattern different from the first pattern in a second conveyance period following the first conveyance period, as a formation pattern in an adhering section corresponding to part of a width direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the sheet.

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic developer set having a toner and a powder adhesive, wherein the toner comprises a thermoplastic resin A; the powder adhesive comprises a thermoplastic resin B and a wax A; the wax A has two or more ester groups in the molecule; the thermoplastic resin B has an ester group; and in a viscoelasticity measurement, with Gt?(100) (Pa) being a storage elastic modulus at 100° C. of the toner, and Gb?(100) (Pa) being a storage elastic modulus at 100° C. of the powder adhesive, Gb?(100) is 1.00×105 Pa or less, and Gt?(100)/Gb?(100) is 1.20 or more, as well as a method for producing a bonded product using the above electrophotographic developer set.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method of supporting a learning of programming includes determining, by at least one processor, a user interface for providing a block-based programming environment, from among a plurality of user interfaces for providing respective block-based programming environments, and displaying, by the at least one processor, the determined programming interface as the block-based programming environment. The plurality of user interfaces for providing the respective block-based programming environments include a first user interface for providing a first block-based programming environment where a label of a block is described in a predetermined natural language and a second user interface for providing a second block-based programming environment where a label of a block is described in a predetermined text programming language.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a rotary member including a heat-generation layer with a plurality of rings, a temperature detecting portion configured to detect a temperature of the rotary member, a conduction detecting unit configured to detect a conduction failure in an opposing ring that is one of the plurality of rings of the heat-generation layer and that opposes the temperature detecting portion, and a controller configured to control the supply of power to the magnetic field generator. The conduction detecting unit includes a first magnetic core, a second magnetic core, and a current detecting portion that includes a detection coil. A length of one of the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core around which the detection coil is wound is less than a length of another of the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core around which the detection coil is not wound.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes, an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a sheet using printing toner and apply powder adhesive on the sheet, a fixing portion configured to heat the toner image formed on the sheet and the powder adhesive applied on the sheet by the image forming portion and fix the toner image and the powder adhesive to the sheet, and a bonding portion configured to bond the sheet with the powder adhesive by reheating the sheet having been heated by the fixing portion. The bonding portion is arranged above the image forming portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes, an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a sheet using printing toner and apply powder adhesive on the sheet, a fixing portion configured to heat the toner image formed on the sheet and the powder adhesive applied on the sheet by the image forming portion and fix the toner image and the powder adhesive to the sheet, and a bonding portion configured to bond the sheet with the powder adhesive by reheating the sheet having been heated by the fixing portion. The bonding portion is arranged above the image forming portion.

Abstract: The powder adhesive comprises a thermoplastic resin and particles of an aromatic compound, wherein the particles of an aromatic compound are particles of a compound that has an aromatic ring and an azo bond bonded to the aromatic ring, or are particles of a compound comprising a heteroaromatic ring comprising nitrogen atom; the thermoplastic resin comprises an ester group; and, designating Es (mmol/g) as an ester group concentration in the thermoplastic resin, M (mass %) as a content of the aromatic compound particles in the powder adhesive, and N (mmol/g) as a nitrogen atom concentration in the aromatic compound particles, Es is from 1.0 mmol/g to 4.5 mmol/g, M is from 1.0×10?4 mass % to 1.0×100 mass %, and N is from 5.0 mmol/g to 15.0 mmol/g.

Abstract: An electrophotographic developer set comprising a toner, and a powder adhesive, wherein the powder adhesive comprises a crystalline polyester resin, and a thermoplastic resin other than the crystalline polyester resin; the amount of the crystalline polyester resin in the powder adhesive is 21% by mass or more; the melting point of the crystalline polyester resin is 55° C. to 100° C.; in a viscoelasticity measurement, where Gt?(100) denotes a storage elastic modulus of the toner at 100° C. and Gb?(100) denotes a storage elastic modulus of the powder adhesive at 100° C., Gb?(100) is 1.0×105 Pa or less and Gt?(100)/Gb?(100) is 1.2 or more.

Abstract: An adhesion apparatus includes: an image forming unit configured to form, through an electrophotographic process, an adhesive image of a powder adhesive on a sheet that is conveyed; and a control unit configured to control the image forming unit to use a first pattern in a first conveyance period, and use a second pattern different from the first pattern in a second conveyance period following the first conveyance period, as a formation pattern in an adhering section corresponding to part of a width direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the sheet.

Abstract: An electrophotographic developer set comprising a toner comprising a thermoplastic resin and a wax, and a powder adhesive comprising a thermoplastic resin and a wax, wherein where Ea (mmol/g) denotes an ester group concentration of the wax contained in the toner, Na (mass %) denotes a content of the wax in the toner, Eb (mmol/g) denotes an ester group concentration of the wax contained in the powder adhesive, and Nb (mass %) denotes a content of the wax in the powder adhesive, the Ea, the Na, the Eb and the Nb satisfy the following formulae: 0.00?Ea?2.45, 2.50?Eb?3.60, and 0.80?Nb/Na.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a fixing portion configured to heat the toner image formed on the sheet by the image forming portion and fix the toner image to the sheet, a folding portion configured to fold the sheet having passed through the fixing portion such that a surface of the sheet to which the powder adhesive is applied is inside, and a bonding portion configured to heat the sheet folded by the folding portion and bond the sheet by the powder adhesive. A relationship of Tmax1>Tmax2 is satisfied, where Tmax1 (° C.) is a highest temperature of the powder adhesive when being heated by the fixing portion and Tmax2 (° C.) is a highest temperature of the powder adhesive when being heated by the bonding portion.

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic developer set having a toner and a powder adhesive, wherein the toner comprises a thermoplastic resin A; the powder adhesive comprises a thermoplastic resin B and a wax A; the wax A has two or more ester groups in the molecule; the thermoplastic resin B has an ester group; and in a viscoelasticity measurement, with Gt?(100) (Pa) being a storage elastic modulus at 100° C. of the toner, and Gb?(100) (Pa) being a storage elastic modulus at 100° C. of the powder adhesive, Gb?(100) is 1.00×105 Pa or less, and Gt?(100)/Gb?(100) is 1.20 or more, as well as a method for producing a bonded product using the above electrophotographic developer set.

Abstract: An image forming system includes: a reading unit configured to read a test image, the test image having a determination image formed by overlapping a plurality of colors and a plurality of reference images formed with each of a plurality of reference colors; and a determination unit configured to determine a first color value of each of the plurality of reference colors based on a reading result of the reference images, determine a second color value of a plurality of pixels included in the determination image based on a reading result of the determination image, and determine whether an image defect has occurred based on an angle of a second vector corresponding to the second color value of the plurality of pixels with respect to a first vector corresponding to the first color value of each of the plurality of reference colors.

Abstract: An image forming system includes: a reading unit configured to read a test image, the test image having a determination image formed by overlapping a plurality of colors and a plurality of reference images formed with each of a plurality of reference colors; and a determination unit configured to determine a first color value of each of the plurality of reference colors based on a reading result of the reference images, determine a second color value of a plurality of pixels included in the determination image based on a reading result of the determination image, and determine whether an image defect has occurred based on an angle of a second vector corresponding to the second color value of the plurality of pixels with respect to a first vector corresponding to the first color value of each of the plurality of reference colors.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a rotary member including a heat-generation layer with a plurality of rings, a temperature detecting portion configured to detect a temperature of the rotary member, a conduction detecting unit configured to detect a conduction failure in an opposing ring that is one of the plurality of rings of the heat-generation layer and that opposes the temperature detecting portion, and a controller configured to control the supply of power to the magnetic field generator. The conduction detecting unit includes a first magnetic core, a second magnetic core, and a current detecting portion that includes a detection coil. A length of one of the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core around which the detection coil is wound is less than a length of another of the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core around which the detection coil is not wound.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes, an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a sheet using printing toner and apply powder adhesive on the sheet, a fixing portion configured to heat the toner image formed on the sheet and the powder adhesive applied on the sheet by the image forming portion and fix the toner image and the powder adhesive to the sheet, and a bonding portion configured to bond the sheet with the powder adhesive by reheating the sheet having been heated by the fixing portion. The bonding portion is arranged above the image forming portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a recording material; a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image on the recording material by heating the toner image formed on the recording material; a flow path including a first space connecting with the fixing portion and a second space connecting with the first space and through which air discharged from the fixing portion passes; a first electrode portion provided in the first space and provided with a first potential; and a second electrode portion provided in the second space and provided with a second potential different from the first potential. An air speed of the air passing through the second space is slower than an air speed of the air passing through the first space.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus including a sleeve having divided heat generating layers, an exciting coil provided in an inside space of the sleeve, a magnetic core provided inside the exciting coil, a temperature detecting element opposing one of the divided heat generating layers, and a current monitoring sensor. An induced current is generated in the divided heat generating layers by passing an alternating current through the exciting coil, and the divided heat generating layers generate heat. An image on the recording material is heated by the divided heat generating layers. The current monitoring sensor is configured to monitor a current flowing through the above-described one of the divided heating generating layers.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a sleeve including divided heat generating layers, an exciting coil provided in an inside space of the sleeve, a magnetic core provided inside the exciting coil, and a temperature detecting element opposing one of the divided heat generating layers. An induced current is generated in the divided heat generating layers by passing an alternating current through the exciting coil, and the divided heat generating layers generate heat. An image on the recording material is heated by the divided heat generating layers. The image heating apparatus further comprises a current monitoring sensor configured to monitor a current flowing through the above-described one of the divided heating generating layers.