Abstract: An image forming apparatus which is free from occurrence of image noise due to the bleed phenomenon even without providing any contact-and-separation mechanism for the transfer member includes a control device which counts stop time elapsing from a stop to a restart of the image carrier, calculates an avoidance sheet count corresponding to the stop time at a restart of the image carrier, and makes a toner image carried on only part of the image carrier that has been out of the nip against the transfer member during the stop of the image carrier until the avoidance sheet count is reached after the restart of the image carrier.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a printing unit configured to perform printing by a short edge feed mode or a long edge feed mode, an inputting unit configured to input a print job, a setting unit configured to set an upper-limit value of a number of sheets to be used for a job, and a control unit configured to control the printing unit to perform printing by the short edge feed mode if the number of sheets to be used for the print job is less than the upper-limit value, and to perform printing by the long edge feed mode if the number of sheets to be used for the print job is equal to or greater than the upper-limit value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes: an image carrier on whose surface is formed a latent image; a developing unit that forms a developer image with a developer including toner, carrier and additive; a transfer unit that transfers the developer image onto a recording medium; a recovery member that recovers the developer remaining on the surface of the image carrier after the developer image is transferred; a supply member that supplies, to the image carrier, a recovery promoter; and a voltage application unit that applies, to the supply member, an alternating-current voltage whose amplitude is changed in accordance with a change in the percentages of the amount of toner and the amount of carrier per unit area of a developer image forming portion of the developing unit.

Abstract: In an MFP, when a count of printed sheets of paper exceeds a predetermined count, a controller reads, from internal counters, a frequency of a stabilization process executed in return, a frequency of a stabilization process executed automatically in printing, a frequency of a stabilization process executed manually based on a user's instruction, and a frequency of return, respectively. When the frequency of the stabilization process executed automatically is small while the frequency of the stabilization process executed manually is large, the controller raises a frequency level of execution of the stabilization process. When the frequency of the stabilization process executed manually is small, the controller lowers the frequency level of execution of the stabilization process.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a fuser including, a heating unit configured to heat a toner to be fixed on a sheet medium and the sheet medium and including at least three heat sources that can be independently driven, a temperature detecting unit configured to detect temperature of the heating unit in at least two positions spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the heating unit, and a control unit configured to change power supply to the heat sources of the heating unit according to elapse time from the power supply to the heat sources, a number of sheet media to be continuously processed, and a type of the sheet media.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with: an image forming unit that forms an image on a medium according an image forming condition; a speed changing unit that changes an image forming speed of the image forming unit between a plurality of image forming speeds including a first image forming speed; an adjusting unit that adjusts the image forming condition set in the image forming unit; a measuring unit that measures an elapsed state after the image forming condition is adjusted for the last time at the first image forming speed in the image forming unit, and outputs a measured value indicative of the elapsed state; and a determination unit that determines, according to the elapsed state, whether or not to adjust the image forming condition before the image forming unit starts forming an image at the first image forming speed.

Abstract: A developing device includes: a developing roller on the surface of which intersecting inclined grooves are formed by rolling working; and a seal member which comes into contact with the developing roller, wherein ridge portions of a convex portion surrounded by the inclined grooves of the surface of the developing roller are formed such that rotational resistance due to the contact of the seal member on the downstream side of a rotation direction opposite to a rotation direction of the developing roller at the time of development is larger than rotational resistance due to the contact of the seal member on the downstream side of a rotation direction of the developing roller at the time of development, and at the time of refreshing of the seal member, the developing roller is rotated in the opposite direction to a direction at the time of development.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus capable of performing stable charging and thus stable image formation over a long term by changing a charge control method based on various environments. An engine control section serves as a first applied voltage determining unit, obtains a relationship between an applied voltage and a discharge current amount to a charging roller, and determines a voltage value of an applied voltage corresponding to a predetermined discharge current amount. The engine control section serves as a second applied voltage determining unit and determines a voltage value of a voltage to be applied to the charging roller based on the environment information detected by the environmental sensor. The engine control section selects, as the voltage to be applied to the charging roller, any one of the voltage values determined by the first and the second applied voltage determining units based oh the environment information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; toner image forming means for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; a detecting member for directing light to an object and for detecting the light reflected by the object; a controller for controlling a toner image forming condition of the toner image forming means in accordance with an output of the detecting member with respect to the toner image formed on the image bearing member and an output of the detecting member with respect to the image bearing member; a cleaning member, in contact to the image bearing member, for cleaning the image bearing member; an executing portion for executing, when the output with respect to the image bearing member reaches a reference level, an operation in a cleaning mode in which the cleaning member cleans the image bearing member; and a change portion for changing the reference level in accordance with a use amount of the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus outputting a color image and a monochrome image obtains data for output image by RIP-convert of accepted image data, and extracts feature of the data for output image. When the data for output image is determined to correspond to a color image, the image forming apparatus outputs a color image corresponding to the data for output image, on condition that the feature satisfies a determination reference.

Abstract: When a sheet P is jammed after start of a print job, it is determined whether an automatic resumption mode for automatically resuming the print job is set. When a determination result of this determination is affirmative, the print job is resumed after the jam is released. When the determination result is negative, the print job is stopped.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heating rotary member, which heats an image on a recording material at a nip portion, an air blowing device for blowing air toward an air blowing port to cool a predetermined area of the heating rotary member, a shutter, which opens and closes the air blowing port, and a determination device. The determination device determines an execution of an operation of the air blowing device with the shutter opened after a first job is completed, in accordance with a size of a recording material in a width direction perpendicular to a recording material transport direction in a second job for supplying a recording material, between an execution termination of the first job for continuously supplying recording materials having a size smaller than a predetermined size in the width direction, while operating the air blowing device, and a start of a recording material supply of the second job, in a case that the second job is executed subsequent to the termination of the first job.

Abstract: A method and a multi-function machine are provided for scanning and counting documents, generating a summary report thereof, and dispatching the summary report to at least one destination. The summary report contains a count of the number of documents scanned or, additionally or alternatively, the number of document sides which contain an image; thumbnail representations of at least one of the scanned pages; and/or metadata.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided, which prevents occurrence of conveying malfunction or image failure due to variation of conveying speed caused by endurance of a fixing unit or a conveying unit, variation of using environment, or a type of a recording material. The image forming apparatus includes: a fixing unit for heating and fixing a toner image on a recording sheet (P); a secondary transferring portion for conveying the recording sheet (P) to the fixing unit; a loop sensor for detecting a degree of a loop of the recording sheet (P) generated according to a speed difference between a conveying speed of the fixing unit and a conveying speed of the secondary transferring portion; a CPU for controlling the conveying speed of the fixing unit; a fixing deliver sensor for detecting a used amount of the fixing unit; and an EEPROM for storing information on the used amount of the fixing unit detected by the fixing deliver sensor.

Abstract: Related is an image forming apparatus by electrophotography having a function of performing adjustment of image quality when performing image formation. The image forming apparatus includes a detection portion for detecting a fixing temperature of a fixing apparatus; a storage portion for storing an application history of a development bias; a count portion for counting a reposed time from a point when an operation of image formation is ended; a determination portion for determining a change range of the development bias immediately before the end of the operation of image formation; and an execution portion for executing adjustment of image quality by setting the development bias based on a determination result from the determination portion when the reposed time or the fixing temperature exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: A printer, including a printing unit to print print data on print medium.

Abstract: An image forming device includes: a collecting container that collects a waste toner; a rotation member that rotates and spreads a waste toner inside the collecting container; a torque detection unit that detects torque applied to the rotation member by a waste toner inside the collecting container; and a rotation direction switching unit that switches a rotation direction of the rotation member. When a torque value detected by the torque detection unit is more than a first threshold, the rotation direction of the rotation member is switched by the rotation direction switching unit.

Abstract: When the time period is night, processing advances to step S13 to set the initialization speed of a line feed motor to the first speed (v1), and to step S15 to execute initialization operation of the line feed motor at the first speed (v1). When the time period is morning or daytime, the processing advances to step S12 to detect a cover open/closed state. When the cover is open, the processing advances to step S13 to set the initialization speed of the line feed motor to the first speed (v1). When the cover is closed, the processing advances to step S14 to set the initialization speed of the line feed motor to the second speed (v2) which is higher than the first speed (v1). The processing advances to step S15 to execute initialization operation of the line feed motor at the second speed (v2).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit having an image carrier, a developing agent container for holding a developing agent, and a developing agent supplier for supplying the developing agent from the developing agent container to the image carrier. A controller determines the amount of use of the image forming unit. A shaking mechanism shakes the image forming unit from time to time, at intervals determined by the controller according to the amount of use of the image forming unit. The shaking loosens the developing agent so as to maintain its fluidity, thereby avoiding faint image formation.

Abstract: A patch mark-forming unit forms a first patch mark at a first density on a surface. A light emitting unit emits an incident light onto the surface moving. The incident light reflected by the surface is divided into a mirror-reflected light and a diffusion-reflected light on the surface. A first detecting unit detects an amount of the diffusion-reflected light. The patch mark forming unit reforms a second patch mark at a second density weaker than the first density if the amount detected by the first detecting unit is larger than a threshold. A second detecting unit detects an amount of the mirror-reflected light reflected by the surface on which the second patch mark has been reformed. A position calculating unit calculates, based on the amount detected by the second detecting unit, a position at which an image should be formed. An image-forming unit forms an image at the position.

Abstract: An image forming device, which is capable of double-side printing to form an image on each of first and second sides of a recording medium, includes a calibration unit configured to perform calibration for modifying quality of the image to be formed, a first judging unit configured to judge, for each page to be printed, whether the calibration is to be performed, a second judging unit configured to judge whether a page to be printed is one of a first side in one-side printing and a first side in the double-side printing, and a control unit configured to control the calibration unit to perform the calibration when the first judging unit judges that the calibration is to be performed, and the second judging unit judges that the page to be printed is one of the first side in the one-side printing and the first side in the double-side printing.

Abstract: A sheet temperature sensor which detects temperature of a recording medium that is fed is provided downstream in a sheet feeding direction from a fixing device. A controller counts the number of sheets on which an image is continuously formed, and controls the number of sheets discharged by the fixing device per unit time in accordance with the counted number of sheets and the temperature detected by the sheet temperature sensor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a method to control a velocity ratio thereof. The image forming apparatus includes a developing device to rotate opposite a photoconductive medium and to supply the photoconductive medium with a developer, and a controller to control a velocity ratio of the developing device to the photoconductive medium according to an accumulated number of printed copies.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charging unit, an image carrier, an exposing unit, a developing unit, a transfer belt on which the transfer material is placed, a fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred onto the transfer material, a cleaning unit that cleans up toner attached to the fixing unit, and a control unit that controls printing of the image on the transfer material. The control unit causes the exposing unit to expose a latent image of a first image having an image-area ratio equal to or larger than a predetermined ratio, causes the developing unit to form a toner image of the latent image and to transfer the toner image to the transfer material, and causes the fixing unit to fix the toner image transferred by the transfer belt to the transfer material.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus provided with a rotary type image developing apparatus, during monochrome print job processing, it is judged whether the amount of toner remaining in the developing chamber of the black developer unit is equal to or less than a predetermined amount M. If the judgement is affirmative, (i) the monochrome print job is suspended, (ii) the rotary rack is rotated to stop the black developer unit at the toner supply position temporarily, and is moved to the developing position again, and (iii) the monochrome print job is resumed. With the stated structure, the toner can be steadily supplied even when the amount of toner remaining in the developing chamber gets low during executing monochrome print jobs.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a receiver to receive image information from an external device, a movable intermediate transfer member, a plurality of latent image bearing members on which a latent image is formed based on the image information, a plurality of developing devices, each of which disposed in proximity to the latent image baring member, to develop the latent image on the latent image bearing member with toner to form a toner image thereon, a transfer bias application mechanism to apply a transfer bias to the intermediate transfer member and halt temporarily and periodically application of the transfer bias in a continuous output mode in which a plurality of images are continuously formed on different recording media sheets based on the image information of the plurality of images received continuously by the receiver, and a secondary transfer member to transfer the superimposed toner image onto a recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner carrying member for supplying toner to the image bearing member to visualize the latent image; a rotatable toner supply member, contacted to the toner carrying member, for supplying the toner to the toner carrying member, the toner supply member including a surface foam layer; a voltage applying device for applying voltages to the toner carrying member and the toner supply member; a controller for controlling the voltage application apparatus such that A and B have a polarity which is the same as a regular charging polarity of the toner, where A=Vs2?Vd2; B=(Vs2?Vd2)?(Vs1?Vd1); Vd1 is a voltage applied to the toner carrying member during a period in which the latent image is visualized; Vs1 is a voltage applied to the toner supplying member during the period; vd2 is a voltage applied to the toner carrying member during at least a part of a period which is after the visualization of the latent image and before stoppage of rotation of the toner supplying member; and Vs

Abstract: A document reading apparatus is disclosed. The document reading apparatus includes a scanner; an energy-saving power supply unit; an energy-saving control unit; a clock IC; an output compensation unit for updating digital conversion parameters including image signal amplification gain such that image data of a reference white board read by a CCD of the scanner are made into a proper value; and an output compensation controlling unit.

Abstract: An image forming device includes an image carrier, an exposing part, a developing member; a developer reserving part; a detection part to detect a developer remaining amount; a first count part to count a rotation number of the image carrier; a second count part to count an exposing dot number; a first calculation part to calculate a print duty for a print sheet based on the rotation number of the image carrier and the exposing dot number; and a discarding part in which when the developer remaining amount is equal to or less than a standard remaining amount, and when the print duty is less than a standard duty, developer is to discard more than the case in which the developer remaining amount is more than the standard remaining amount.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a developer carrier being in contact with the image carrier and configured to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image carrier with a developer; a temperature humidity measurement unit configured to measure the temperature and humidity around the developer carrier; a pressure changing mechanism configured to change a pressure of a contact between the image carrier and the developer carrier; and a pressure controller operable to change, based on the temperature and humidity measured by the temperature humidity measurement unit, the pressure by controlling the pressure changing mechanism.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of performing monochrome printing and color printing in which all the developing units share a single development transformer is constructed such that at the time of monochrome printing the photoreceptor drums for colors are stopped rotating while all the developing units are constantly applied with a high voltage. Further, the cumulative operation time in which the black photoreceptor drum has been operated for monochrome printing is calculated so that the color-printing photoreceptor drums which are stopped during monochrome printing are rotationally driven by a predetermined angle when the cumulative operation time exceeds predetermined fixed time. Thus, the surface of each color-printing photoreceptor drum that is being worn is restored by making the fresh surface of the drum oppose the associated color developing unit, whereby it is possible to prevent occurrence of defects on the surface of each photoreceptor drum.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier that carries an electrostatic latent image; a development device that includes a toner carrier which is disposed opposite to the image carrier, carries and supplies toner to the image carrier, and develops the electrostatic latent image formed on a surface of the image carrier; and a control means that performs a refresh process in which toner is ejected from the toner carrier to the image carrier in a time an image is not formed, and a toner ejection pattern which is formed by ejecting a line image a plurality of times that has an acute angle to a main scan direction at predetermined intervals in a circumferential direction of the image carrier over a total width of a development region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a developer carrier configured to supply developer to the image carrier; a power supply unit configured to apply a voltage to the developer carrier; a drive unit configured to rotationally drive the image carrier and developer carrier; a rotation amount determiner configured to determine the amount of rotation of the image carrier or the developer carrier in a predetermined time period; and a drive control unit configured to instruct the drive unit to rotate the image carrier and the developer carrier in a non-printing state, when it is determined that the rotation amount in a printing operation in the predetermined time period was equal to or greater than a threshold.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a photoconductive drum which carries an electrostatic latent image, a developer supply unit which supplies a developer to the photoconductive drum, an image carrier which carries a developer image, and a density sensor which measures a density of a test print on the image carrier. The image forming apparatus carries out a second image quality maintenance operation for lowering a contrast potential when the density of the test print is higher than a predetermined value. When the test print is still dense even if the contrast potential reaches a lower limit value, the image forming apparatus carries out a first image quality maintenance operation for discharging the developer, then supplying a fresh developer to the developer supply unit, and causing the developer to be stirred and thus charged.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms a toner image onto sheets at the first feeding interval on a photoconductor or intermediate transfer member and, if the temperature of a fixing unit falls outside a set temperature range, the sheet layout is changed to a feeding interval wider than the first feeding interval. Adjustment processing is performed based on the image forming condition so that the feeding interval is changed to a wider one in the feeding interval changing step during image formation and it is determined in the determination step to perform adjustment processing, toner patch images are formed in an area where no toner image is formed on the photoconductor or intermediate transfer member . The adjustment processing is performed based on reading toner patch images.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus which, when switching operation from color image forming operation to monochromatic image forming operation, forms a monochromatic image on each of a prescribed number of sheets by stopping a part of the functions of yellow, magenta and cyan image forming sections of the color image forming operation, and thereafter, forms a monochromatic image only with a black-only image forming section, thereby permitting extension of service life of the image forming sections, while improving the productivity.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a time detection unit, a humidity measurement unit and a controller. The image forming device includes a photoconductive body, a developing device and a transfer device. The time detection unit detects information concerning a stop time period of the developing device. The humidity measurement unit is provided in a casing in which the image forming device is provided and measures a humidity. The controller controls a developer supply member in the developing device based on the information concerning the stop time period detected by the time detection unit and information concerning the humidity measured by the humidity measurement unit, so as to rotate at a lower speed than a rotation speed at a normal time before the developing device starts a first developing operation after the developing device stopped.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is configured to control the timing to switch a development unit by a development rotary after forming an image, based on the size of the image to be formed. Accordingly, if the switching of the development unit is completed within a time period corresponding to a trailing edge margin of an image area, a subsequent color image can be formed without idling an intermediate transfer member, so that the image forming apparatus can suppress or reduce degradation of the throughput.

Abstract: An image forming device includes an image support object, a charging unit, an exposure unit, and a developing unit. The image forming device further includes a monitoring unit that sequentially updates a count value to a new count value according to a rotation state and a stop state of the image support object, and an intermittent driving unit that intermittently rotates the image support object according to the new count value generated by the monitoring unit after an image formation operation to form the toner image on the image support object surface is completed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member driving part that drives a photosensitive member, a counting part that carries out an adding operation when the photosensitive member driving part drives the photosensitive member, and carries out a subtracting operation when the photosensitive member driving part stops the photosensitive member; and a control part that interrupts, when a count value of the counting part becomes equal to or more than a first predetermined value, a printing operation of driving the photosensitive member, forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member, and fixing a toner adhering to the photosensitive member onto a recording sheet, and causes the counting part to start the subtracting operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section attached on an apparatus main body, having a forming and writing section that forms and writes an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier based on image information, and a transfer section which transfers a developed image after the electrostatic latent image has been developed, onto a sheet; a sheet conveyance section detachably attached on the apparatus main body, which conveys the sheet to the image forming section; a sheet detection section attached on the apparatus main body, which detects a sheet position conveyed to the image forming section by the sheet conveyance section; and a position correction section which corrects an image writing position for an image in the image forming section based on information of the detected sheet position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes: an image carrier on whose surface is formed a latent image; a developing unit that forms a developer image with a developer including toner, carrier and additive; a transfer unit that transfers the developer image onto a recording medium; a recovery member that recovers the developer remaining on the surface of the image carrier after the developer image is transferred; a supply member that supplies, to the image carrier, a recovery promoter; and a voltage application unit that applies, to the supply member, an alternating-current voltage whose amplitude is changed in accordance with a change in the percentages of the amount of toner and the amount of carrier per unit area of a developer image forming portion of the developing unit.

Abstract: An image formation unit detached to an image forming apparatus integrally mounts at least one replacement member, and a nonvolatile memory. The nonvolatile memory stores recycle information related to the replacement member to be used when the image formation unit is recycled.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically adjusting nip width based on a scanned nip print image on ultraviolet (UV)-sensitive media in an image production device is disclosed. The method may include receiving a signal to generate a nip print, automatically inserting a sheet of UV-sensitive media into a fuser nip in the image production device, pausing the sheet of UV-sensitive media in the fuser nip for a predetermined time period, illuminating the UV-sensitive media with ultraviolet light to generate a nip print, scanning the generated nip print, determining if a nip width adjustment is required based on the scanned nip print, and if it is determined that a nip width adjustment is required based on the scanned nip print, adjusting the nip width using a nip width adjustment device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, a development unit, a first driving unit, a second driving unit, and a cleaning blade. The image carrying member forms a latent image thereon. The development unit develops the latent image formed on the image carrying member. The first driving unit drives the image carrying member. The second driving unit drives the development unit. The cleaning blade, contactable against the image carrying member, removes materials including toner remaining on the image carrying member. When an agent-empty development unit is filled with a developing agent, the second driving unit is activated to start a driving of the development unit, and the first driving unit is activated to start a driving of the image carrying member after starting a developing agent filling operation to the development unit.

Abstract: A developing device includes: a developing roller on the surface of which intersecting inclined grooves are formed by rolling working; and a seal member which comes into contact with the developing roller, wherein ridge portions of a convex portion surrounded by the inclined grooves of the surface of the developing roller are formed such that rotational resistance due to the contact of the seal member on the downstream side of a rotation direction opposite to a rotation direction of the developing roller at the time of development is larger than rotational resistance due to the contact of the seal member on the downstream side of a rotation direction of the developing roller at the time of development, and at the time of refreshing of the seal member, the developing roller is rotated in the opposite direction to a direction at the time of development.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described that facilitate reducing temperature droop during an initial portion of a print job by reducing fuser speed to increase fuser-to-paper interaction while fuser heat is absorbed by the paper during a temperature transient. For instance, during a first N pages of a print job, where N is an integer, the paper acts as a heat sink and exerts a thermal load on the fuser roll. To compensate, fuser speed is reduced initially to ensure that a given amount of heat is applied to toner on the pages. Fuser speed is increased until fuser temperature reaches steady state. Acceleration of the fuser is also adjustable.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a receiving part for receiving an image forming request, a conveyor belt for rotating and conveying a recording paper, a charging part for applying charges to the conveyor belt, and an image forming part for forming an image on the recording paper is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes a cleaning part configured to clean a surface of the conveyor belt by rotating the conveyor belt and setting a contacting member in contact with the surface of the conveyor belt when a bias voltage of the charges is reduced. The cleaning part is configured to clean the surface of conveyor belt when a printing process and a post-printing process are completed by the image forming part and no subsequent image forming request is received by the receiving part.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a rotation detector detects an angular velocity or an angular displacement of a shared drive motor, or an angular velocity or an angular displacement of a photosensitive element. A drive control unit executes a process for controlling a drive speed of a drive source of the photosensitive element based on a result of detection by the rotation detector.

Abstract: Disclosed an image forming apparatus including: a first input section to receive a setting instruction of an output cycle of sample output; a second input section to receive an instruction of immediate output of the sample output; an image forming section; an ejection section; a control section to count a number of the recording media, the control section judging timing of executing the sample output, based on a counted value of the number of recording media and an set output cycle, the control section ejecting sample output matter according to a judgment result, the control section simultaneously initializing the counted value, the control section allowing the image forming section to form an image and eject the sample output matter when the immediate output of the sample output is instructed with the second input section, the control section simultaneously initializing the counted value.