Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a conveyance belt which conveys a recording sheet via a position opposing the image carrier, a belt cleaner which removes adhered matters on the conveyance belt, a driving unit which drives the image carrier and the conveyance belt, a bias applying unit which applies a cleaning bias to the belt cleaner, and a controller which controls the driving unit and the bias applying unit such that when the image carrier is driven at a first speed, the cleaning bias is applied to the belt cleaner, and when the image carrier is driven at a second speed slower than the first speed, the cleaning bias is not applied to the belt cleaner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for carrying a developed image, a developer carrying member for carrying a developer to be supplied to the image bearing member, a cleaning blade for removing the developer from the image bearing member, and a controller for executing, at predetermined timing during a non-image-formation period, sequence controls for moving developer to the image bearing member and removing developer from the image bearing member by the cleaning blade. In addition, a removing unit removes the developer at a position before the developer, moved to the image bearing member by the sequence control, reaches the cleaning blade. An amount of the developer removed by the cleaning blade is controlled to be smaller in a first sequence control than in a second sequence control.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a cleaning device that collects a waste toner attached to the surface of the image carrier using a cleaning member, a waste container that is removable from an image forming apparatus body, a temporary storage unit that is provided in the image forming apparatus body to temporarily store a waste including the waste toner collected in the cleaning device before the waste is transported to the waste container, and a waste transport unit that transports the waste to the temporary storage unit, wherein a discharge speed of the waste from the temporary storage unit by the waste discharge unit is lower than a transport speed of the waste to the temporary storage unit by the waste transport unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit that performs two types of stop operations in which an image bearing member is rotated or is not rotated after forming an image. The control unit selects the stop operation according to operation time of the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: at least one image bearing member; a developing device for forming a developer image by developing a latent image formed on a surface of the image bearing member; a cleaning device, including a cleaning blade for collecting a developer on the image bearing member; a discriminating portion for discriminating whether or not a cleaning sequence in which an amount of the developer to be conveyed to the cleaning device is adjusted is to be performed; and a stop detecting portion for detecting the stop of an operation of the image forming apparatus. When the operation of the image forming apparatus is resumed after the stop detecting means detects stop of the operation of the image forming apparatus, the discriminating means discriminates, before the image bearing member is operated, whether or not the cleaning sequence is to be performed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member that carries a toner image; a transfer member whose endless peripheral surface that circulates is disposed so as to oppose the image carrying member; a cleaning member that is disposed so as to contact the peripheral surface of the transfer member and removes toner adhered to a surface of the transfer member; a cleaning bias applying unit that applies a cleaning bias voltage to a portion between the cleaning member and the transfer member; a print mode switching section that switches a print mode between print modes including a borderless print mode and an ordinary print mode; and a bias voltage controller that performs control so that the cleaning bias voltage is a first bias voltage value in the ordinary print mode and a second bias voltage value in the borderless print mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member that bears a toner image; a transfer member that faces the image bearing member, nips a recording medium together with the image bearing member, and allows the recording medium to pass therebetween; a transfer-bias applying unit that applies transfer bias voltage to generate an electric field between the transfer member and the image bearing member; a cleaning member that is disposed in contact with the transfer member and removes toner from the transfer member; a cleaning-bias applying unit that applies cleaning bias voltage between the cleaning member and the transfer member; a transfer-toner-amount estimating unit that estimates an amount of toner to be transferred from the image bearing member to the transfer member when the recording medium does not pass therebetween; and a cleaning-bias controller that controls the cleaning bias voltage in correspondence with the estimated amount of toner.

Abstract: A cleaning system usable with an image forming apparatus, which includes an intermediate transfer member having an image transfer blanket, includes a cleaning unit including a cleaner roller having at least one channel to transport fluid therein and a cleaner receiving surface to receive a cleaner layer, and a control unit including a temperature control module to control transportation of the fluid through the at least one channel to regulate a temperature of the cleaner roller, with the cleaner layer formed on the cleaner receiving surface to remove surface contaminants from the image transfer blanket.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a setting memory storing multiple voltage settings; two or more voltage applying members each contacting a voltage applied member at respective contact positions close to each other, which are simultaneously being applied with respective voltages selected from the voltage settings; two or more current detectors each detecting a current flowing in the respective contact positions; and a setting changer performing a setting changing processing in which the voltage applied to one of the voltage applying members is changed based on the current detected by the corresponding current detector while a predetermined voltage is applied to the other voltage applying members, so that an optimum current flows in the corresponding contact position.

Abstract: A cleaning device including a rotatable cleaning member contacting a rotatable image carrier bearing a toner image to electrostatically remove toner from the image carrier while rotating, and a control unit to control rotation of the cleaning member to satisfy a relation of (60/R)>(L/V) during removal of a toner pattern formed on the image carrier at a predetermined timing and remaining attached to the image carrier without being transferred from the image carrier onto a transfer member using the cleaning member, where R (rpm) is a number of rotations of the cleaning member, L (mm) is a length of the toner pattern in a direction of rotation of the image carrier, and V (mm/s) is a speed of the image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include a first and second mode. In the first mode, the image forming apparatus uses a second charging member to charge toner that remains on an intermediate transfer member and then transfers the charged, remaining toner to an image carrier in a primary transfer portion. In the second mode, the image forming apparatus transfers the remaining toner adhered to the second charging member in the first mode to the intermediate transfer member. Also in a second mode, the image forming apparatus controls so that a surface potential of the image carrier that reaches the primary transfer portion at a timing at which the remaining toner transferred to the intermediate transfer member passes through the primary transfer portion has a same polarity as that of a surface potential of the image carrier in the first mode and also has an absolute value smaller than that thereof.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an intermediate transfer member configured to transfer the developer images on the plurality of photosensitive members; a secondary transfer member configured to transfer the developer images transferred onto the intermediate transfer member onto a recording sheet; a plurality of primary holding rollers provided to each of the plurality of photosensitive members, respectively; a collecting unit configured to collect developer remaining on the intermediate transfer member; and a control device configured to control biases applied to the secondary transfer member and the plurality of primary holding rollers, wherein, after printing control terminates, the control device is configured to perform cleaning control in which biases having opposite polarities to biases during the printing control are applied to the plurality of primary holding rollers and the secondary transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a transfer member and a cleaning member. The image forming apparatus: determines whether the electric resistance of a recording medium is low or high; applies a first transfer bias to the transfer member if the electric resistance is low; applies a second transfer bias to the transfer member if the electric resistance is high; applies a first cleaning bias to the cleaning member if the electric resistance is low; and applies a second cleaning bias to the cleaning member so that a potential difference between a portion of a surface of the image carrier against which the cleaning member is rubbed and the cleaning member becomes smaller than that in a case of applying the first cleaning bias if the electric resistance is high.

Abstract: A cleaning device of an image forming apparatus includes: a magnetic brush roller rubbing a surface of a photosensitive drum by a magnetic brush formed of a toner and carriers; a cleaning blade removing the toner remaining on a photosensitive drum; a toner concentration initialization control part, in order that toner-to-carrier ratio T/C of the magnetic brush formed on the magnetic brush roller falls within a predetermined range, controlling bias applied to the magnetic brush roller and an amount of the toner supplied from a developing device to the photosensitive drum.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an endless belt having an outer circumferential surface for conveying a recording sheet; a photosensitive member provided to face the outer circumferential surface of the endless belt; a cleaning member provided to face the outer circumferential surface of the endless belt and configured to clean the outer circumferential surface of the endless belt; and a control device configured to control a cleaning bias to be applied to the cleaning member such that while a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the endless belt, which has contacted the recording sheet since being cleaned by the cleaning member, faces the cleaning member, a second bias, which is larger than a first bias having been applied to the cleaning member before the corresponding portion faces the cleaning member, is applied to the cleaning member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and an image forming method therefor. The image forming apparatus includes: an image forming part, which forms printed and alternate printed images including different developing agents to a recording medium; and a controller which controls the image forming part to form a the printed and alternate printed images according to a comparison of number of pages of a print job and a reference number of pages, and a whether the images of the print job are of a single color.

Abstract: A cleaning blade mounting method includes the steps of: moving a toner image carrier on which a toner layer is formed so that the toner layer reaches a cleaning position by a cleaning device; after bringing a tip of a cleaning blade into contact with the toner layer, bringing the tip into contact with the toner image carrier, mounting the cleaning blade to a temporary position with a second load lower than a first load that is a contact load at a time of an image formation; moving the cleaning blade with the second load from the temporary position to a final position at which a cleaning operation is carried out; bringing the cleaning blade with the first load into contact with the toner image carrier; and mounting the cleaning blade to the final position at the time of the image formation.

Abstract: A cleaner includes at least two cleaning brush members to electrostatically remove toner on an object; a memory; a voltage applicator to apply a voltage to the cleaning brush members based on setup voltage values stored in the memory; a current detector to detect the amounts of currents flowing through contact portions of the object with the cleaning brush members; and a setup voltage changing device to change the setup voltage values based on the amounts of currents detected by the current detector. The voltage applicator applies a first voltage for removing residual toner or a second voltage higher than the first voltage in absolute value for removing non-transferred toner to at least one of the cleaning brush members, and the setup voltage changing device performs change of the setup voltage value for the second voltage prior to change of the setup voltage value for the first voltage.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to instructing deposition of a service patch for different toners, and determining the respective different toner amounts as a function of toner coverages on at least one previous media unit.

Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning a belt member, includes a cleaning blade; a removing member coming in contact with the surface of the belt member so as to remove foreign matter adhering on the surface of the belt member; and a contact pressure changing section to change a contact pressure between the removing member to the belt member, wherein, when the contact pressure between the removing member and a region of the belt member corresponding in position to a toner image to be not transferred to a paper sheet is made P1, and the contact pressure between the removing member and a region of the belt member corresponding in position to a toner image to be transferred to a paper sheet is made P2, the contact pressure changing section changes the contact pressure to satisfy the conditional formula: (P1<P2).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, which executes, after an image forming operation is stopped, a cleaning operation in which toner that remains on an intermediate transfer belt is transferred to a photosensitive drum and is removed by a cleaning blade while the image forming apparatus causes the intermediate transfer belt to move for circulation, causes a charging roller or a laser scanner to change the surface potential of the photosensitive drum such that the toner to be transferred from the intermediate transfer belt to the photosensitive drum is part of the toner that is to remain on the intermediate transfer belt, when the cleaning operation is executed.

Abstract: A method for reducing wear upon an electro-photographic printer drum includes the steps of determining a non-image region of a page to be printed, applying a halftone pattern of toner to a portion of the printer drum corresponding to the non-image region, and rotating the printer drum against a cleaning blade, the halftone pattern of toner providing lubrication between the drum and the cleaning blade.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a secondary transfer belt that rotates, an imaging unit for forming a patch image of toner on the secondary transfer belt, and an upstream brush and a downstream brush coming into contact with the secondary transfer belt in a rotating state to remove the patch image from on the secondary transfer belt. A length p of the patch image formed by the imaging unit along a rotational direction of the secondary transfer belt, a distance b1 over which the secondary transfer belt rotates while the upstream brush makes one turn, and a distance b2 over which the secondary transfer belt rotates while the downstream brush makes one turn satisfy an expression: p?|b1?b2|.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit configured to transfer a developer image; a processor; and memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, causing the image forming apparatus to: perform an image forming operation of forming an image; perform a cleaning operation of cleaning unnecessary developer of the image forming unit; in a case where existence of data of an image which is to be formed is recognized after activation of the image forming apparatus before a first image forming operation, determine whether to perform the cleaning operation; and in a case where existence of data of the image which is to be formed is not recognized after the activation of the image forming apparatus before the first image forming operation, not to perform the cleaning operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is for transferring a toner image on an image carrier onto a transfer medium, and thermally fixing the toner image by a fixing device, and comprises a cleaner removing residual toner on the image carrier. The apparatus: acquires information relating to a distribution of a density of the residual toner at each position within a section on the image carrier at an end of an image forming job, the section extending from the transfer position to immediately before a cleaning position; determines, based on the information, whether or not the density of the residual toner at the transfer position exceeds a corresponding threshold density pertaining to occurrence of fusion of the residual toner; and causes, if determining negatively, the drive unit to stop when the image forming job is completed and the residual toner at the transfer position reaches a predetermined position within the section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image forming devices which each forms a developer image on a latent image carrier, transfers the developer image onto an intermediate transfer member, and cleans the latent image carrier by using a plate-shaped cleaning member, the intermediate transfer body, and a controller. The developer used in one of the image forming devices is a low-electrostatic-propensity developer having an electrification performance lower than those of the developers used in the other image forming devices. The controller has a control mode for executing a supply operation in which the low-electrostatic-propensity developer used in the one of the image forming devices is transferred onto the intermediate transfer body and at least a part of the low-electrostatic-propensity developer is reversely transferred onto the latent image carriers of the other image forming devices and caused to reach the respective plate-shaped cleaning members.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; toner image forming portion for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; a transfer member for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member onto a transfer material; a cleaning blade for removing a toner remaining on the image bearing member after transfer while being contacted to the image bearing member; a rotatable member, provided upstream of the cleaning blade, for carrying the toner and rotationally sliding on the image bearing member; a separating mechanism for removing the toner from the rotatable member in contact with the rotatable member, wherein the separating mechanism includes a toner sump for accumulating the toner in an area adjacent to the rotatable member so that the toner removed from the rotatable member is suppliable to the rotatable member; and a controller for controlling at least one of the toner image forming portion and rotatable member so that an amount of the toner in the toner sump is estimated an

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner density detection unit, cleaning member, motor and motion conversion unit. The toner density detection unit is configured to detect toner density. The cleaning member is configured to linearly reciprocate to clean a detection surface of the toner density detection unit. The motor has a rotational shaft. The motion conversion unit is configured to convert a rotation of the rotational shaft to a linear reciprocal movement of the cleaning member. The motion conversion unit includes a cam having a shape configured to cause the cleaning member to perform one reciprocal movement at each rotation of the cam.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier member, an intermediate transfer member, a transfer unit, a cleaning unit, and a driving controller. The image carrier member carries a toner image. The toner image carried on the image carrier member is first-transferred to the intermediate transfer member. The transfer unit second-transfers the toner image first-transferred to the intermediate transfer member onto a recording medium. The cleaning unit removes residual toner on the intermediate transfer member after the second transfer. The driving controller changes a driving time of the intermediate transfer member after completion of image formation in accordance with information about a life of the intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable drum; a developing device for developing a latent image formed on the drum into a developer image; and a cleaning blade for removing developer remaining on the drum after the developer image is transferred from the drum onto a developer image receiving member. After image formation, a predetermined amount of strain of the cleaning blade is released and the drum is subsequently rotated. The drum is subsequently rotated in a direction identical to a rotation direction of the drum during image formation.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus includes a first cleaning roller, and a second cleaning roller. The first cleaning roller is contrived to contact to a circumferential surface against a moving member to be cleaned and to apply a bias to the member to be cleaned while rotating such that the circumferential surface of the first cleaning roller moves in a same direction as the member to be cleaned moves. The second cleaning roller is contrived to contact to the member to be cleaned after the member has been cleaned by the first cleaning roller and to rotate such that a circumferential surface of the second cleaning roller moves in a direction opposite a direction in which the member being cleaned moves.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus comprises: a first driving section causing an image carrying body carrying a developer image to perform regular rotation or reverse rotation; a fixing section fixing the developer image and conveying a sheet; a second driving section rotating the fixing section; and a control section. The control section controls the first driving section to cause the image carrying body to perform regular rotation such as to convey the sheet and transfer onto the sheet the developer image formed on the image carrying body, and controls the second driving section to cause the fixing section to fix the developer image on the sheet. Further, in a state that the fixing section nips but does not convey the sheet, the control section controls the first driving section to cause the image carrying body to perform reverse rotation so that the image carrying body is cleaned using the sheet.

Abstract: An image forming device performs an image forming operation in either one of a color mode or a monochrome mode. The image forming device includes a plurality of photosensitive members, a plurality of collecting members configured to collect excrescences from the corresponding photosensitive members, and a reverse-transfer member that performs a reverse-transfer operation to transfer the excrescences collected by the collecting members back onto the photosensitive members and further onto an endless bearing member. A control unit controls the reverse-transfer member to perform the reverse-transfer operation at a frequency when image forming operations are performed in succession in the monochrome mode. The control unit sets the frequency based on an image forming condition.

Abstract: A cleaning device disposed downstream from a transfer position in a direction of rotation of the image carrier to remove toner from the image carrier. The cleaning device includes a normally-charged toner cleaning member to electrostatically remove normally-charged toner from the image carrier, one of a polarity controller to control the toner on the image carrier to have a normal charging polarity and a reversely-charged toner cleaning member to electrostatically remove reversely-charged toner from the image carrier, a pre-cleaning member to electrostatically remove normally-charged toner from the image carrier, a pre-collection member to electrostatically collect the toner from the pre-cleaning member, and a control unit to reduce a voltage applied to the pre-cleaning member immediately after an untransferred toner image is removed from the image carrier by the pre-cleaning member below a voltage applied to the pre-cleaning member during removal of the untransferred toner image.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a control unit is capable of carrying out a cleaning mode with a first step of allowing an image forming unit to form, on an image bearing member, a cleaning toner image with a length according to a length of a feeding member or conveying member in a direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the recording material, a second step of moving the cleaning toner image from the image bearing member to a transfer member, and a third step of moving the cleaning toner image from the transfer member to the image bearing member.

Abstract: An initialization method of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes rotating a photosensitive member to receive toner along a width of the photosensitive member prior to activation of a charging unit and to remove the toner with a cleaning unit, and activating the charging unit configured to charge the photosensitive member in response to a determination of a completion of a predetermined number of rotations of the photosensitive member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a transfer section for transferring a toner image formed on an image bearing member onto a sheet by pressure contact of the sheet against the image bearing member with a transfer member; a cleaning section having a cleaning blade to remove residual toner on the image bearing member; and a control section for controlling a rotation of the image bearing member so as to carry out a return action of a blade configuration which stops or reverses the rotation of the image bearing member, when the rotation amount reaches a predetermined value, wherein the control section additionally carries out the return action when the rotation amount reaches a value smaller than the predetermined value, in a case where a size of a sheet in a current job is larger than a size a sheet having been passed through in a previous job.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: image forming stations each including: a photosensitive drum; a charger configured to charge the drum; a transfer device configured to transfer a developer image on the drum onto an intermediate transfer member; and a cleaner configured to remove developer from the drum; an exposure device configured to expose the drum to form a latent image; the intermediate transfer member; a memory storing information on the drum; and a controller configured to control at least one of the charger, transfer device, and exposure device in the station based on the information in the memory to provide a predetermined potential difference between the drum and the transfer device to form an electric field therebetween in a reverse direction to that in an image formation in order to move the developer from the intermediate transfer member to the drum to collect the developer by the cleaner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier rotates in a predetermined direction; a correction image forming unit forming correction images on the image carrier in the predetermined direction; and a cleaning roller configured to clean the correction images on the image carrier. With respect to all values ranging from 1 to an arbitrary value n, a positive integer N which satisfies following expression for each of n exists: (T×N+L)/n?R/V?(T×(N+1)?L)/n, where R represents a circumferential length of the cleaning roller, L represents a length of each of the correction images in a moving direction of the image carrier, T represents a formation interval of the correction images in the moving direction of the image carrier, and V represents a ratio of a peripheral speed of the cleaning roller to a moving speed of the image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including, a plurality of image bearing members, a plurality of developing units which includes toner storage containers and a belt transferring toner images onto a transfer material, the image forming apparatus being capable of executing a first cleaning mode and a second cleaning mode to move the toner adhering onto the belt onto the image bearing members and to collect the adhering toner into the toner storage containers, wherein, in the first cleaning mode, the adhering toner is collected into the toner storage container of the developing unit developing a black toner, and in the second cleaning mode, a portion of the adhering toner is collected into the toner storage container corresponding to the image bearing member located at a most upstream position and a rest of the adhering toner is collected into the toner storage container of the developing unit developing the black toner.

Abstract: A control unit temporarily stops an image carrier when transfer of an image formed using a developer to a recording medium ends. Thereafter, the control unit controls a drive source to intermittently drive the image carrier N times. A measuring unit measures an amount of rotation of the image carrier when the image carrier is intermittently driven. A determination unit determines an amount of rotation for stop instruction issuance that will be applied to a next drive. The amount of rotation for stop instruction issuance is based on an amount of inertial rotation measured from when a stop instruction is issued until when the image carrier stops rotating, and a target amount of rotation for each time the image carrier is driven.

Abstract: A maintenance system includes a maintenance device and a control device that controls the operation of the maintenance device. The control device is configured to activate the maintenance device automatically when a numerical value associated with the operation of a maintenance target device reaches a predetermined threshold value and to activate the maintenance device when it receives an instruction from a user. When the control device is instructed to activate the maintenance device by an instruction from the user, the control device changes the preset threshold value such that the operation interval of the maintenance device becomes smaller.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus is provided with a cleaning roller that is positioned so as to be in contact with a photosensitive drum, and with a toner layer thickness regulating member that regulates the thickness of a toner layer adhering to the surface of this cleaning roller. The toner layer thickness regulating member is formed by a toner layer thickness regulating roller that rotates in contact with the cleaning roller.

Abstract: A developing device in an image forming apparatus includes: a first developer carrier that rotates in a same direction as a rotating direction of an image carrier of the image forming apparatus so as to supply developer to the image carrier; and a second developer carrier that rotates in a direction opposite to the rotating direction of the image carrier so as to supply the developer to the image carrier. The developing device simultaneously performs a refreshing operation of performing replacement of the developer and a filming removal operation of causing the image carrier to rotate idle while forming an image for use in the refreshing operation and causing the first and second developer carriers to rotate in their respective rotating directions.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; an exposure device; a developing device that develops the latent image on the image carrier by using a toner charged to a predetermined polarity and having an external additive; a transfer device that transfers a toner image developed on the image carrier to a transfer medium; a first charging member that charges the external additive and the transfer residual toner remaining on the image carrier and the image carrier after transfer to the same polarity as a polarity of the toner; a cleaning member that electrostatically attracts the external additive and the transfer residual toner charged by the first charging member; and a second charging member that charges the image carrier to an electric potential smaller in absolute value than an electric potential of the image carrier generated after the image carrier passes the cleaning member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image carrier; a holding member that contacts with the image carrier and is configured to carry adhering substance received from the image carrier; a belt that contacts with the image carrier; a collection member that contacts with the belt and is configured to collect adhering substance adhered on the belt; and a control device configured to apply a bias to the collection member, detect an electric resistance of the collection member, and control the bias that is applied to the collection member based on the detected electric resistance of the collection member so that the electric resistance of the collection member is converged within a predetermined range, when a cleaning operation of collecting the adhering substance adhered on the holding member from the holding member to the collection member is not performed.

Abstract: If an input of a continuous image forming job is received, a time for interrupting the continuous image forming job is decided based on an image area ratio of a toner image that is formed on a latent image carrier through the continuous image forming job and a predetermined number of formed images (the number of passed sheets) that is formed until a predetermined type of abnormal image is generated when continuous image formation is performed at the image area ratio. During an interruption period of the continuous image forming job, an idle rotation in which the latent image carrier rotates in a state in which the toner is not supplied to the latent image carrier by the developing unit is performed, and the cleaning process is performed.

Abstract: A sensor device includes: a member that has an aperture facing a target measuring position through which a target to be measured passes; a sensor that is provided in an opposing relation to the target measuring position, and that measures a physical quantity of the target at a sensor surface facing the aperture; and a moving member that reciprocates a movement in a predetermined direction, and includes: a cleaning unit that cleans the sensor surface by contacting the sensor surface while the moving member moves to at least one of an outward movement and a return reciprocal movement; an applying portion that applies to the moving member a force in one direction of the reciprocation movement; and a manipulation portion that is moved by an operator against the force applied by the applying portion in an direction opposite to that of a direction of the force.

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: A multiple-output power supply unit includes: a transformer including: a primary winding; and a secondary winding which has a first node and a second node and which generates a secondary-side voltage at the secondary winding; first output terminal to output a first voltage corresponding to the secondary-side voltage; a first constant voltage element; a current limiting resistor; a second constant voltage element; a second output terminal to output a second voltage different from the first voltage; a current generation circuit provided between the first node and the ground so as to cause a predetermined current to flow between the first node and the ground; a transformer driver circuit connected to the primary winding so as to drive the transformer; and a secondary-side voltage control circuit that controls the transformer driver circuit so as to generate the secondary-side voltage having a predetermined value at the first node.