Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming portion, a second image forming portion, a power source portion, and a controller. The power source portion is constituted so that when the power source portion applies a charging voltage to a first charging member of the first image forming portion, the charging voltage is also applied to a second charging member of the second image forming portion. The controller carries out control so that an emitted light quantity of a light emitting element is changed from a first light quantity to a second light quantity larger than the first light quantity and is changed from the second light quantity to a third light quantity larger than the second light quantity.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first sensor configured to detect a temperature; an image forming unit configured to form an image; a sheet container configured to contain sheets; a conveyance roller configured to convey a sheet from the sheet container; a transfer unit configured to transfer the image on the sheet conveyed by the conveyance roller; a fixing unit configured to fix the image on the sheet by heating the image on the sheet; a second sensor configured to detect a temperature of the fixing unit; a sheet container heater configured to heat the sheet in the sheet container, wherein the sheet container heater is provided at a position where a distance from the first sensor to the sheet container heater is closer than a distance from the fixing unit to the sheet container heater.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes an ink jetter that jets ink and a transfer unit that has a ring-shaped intermediate transfer body. The transfer unit transfers, to a recording medium, a primary image formed on an outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer body with the ink that is jetted to land on the outer circumferential surface by the ink jetter. The transfer unit includes a heater that heats air in an internal space of the intermediate transfer body enclosed by an inner circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer body, and an air mover that flows the air in the internal space.

Abstract: A static eliminating device includes a substrate provided with a plurality of light emitters that irradiates light as static eliminating light onto a surface of a photosensitive body, and a plurality of limiting resistors that is provided on a same surface as the light emitters. One ends of each of the plurality of light emitters are connected to a power source via the plurality of limiting resistors. The static eliminating device further includes: a first switching section that supplies power from the power source to the plurality of limiting resistors and the plurality of light emitters at a ON state; and a second switching section that supplies power from the power source to the limiting resistors at the ON state, but does not supply the power to the light emitters.

Abstract: There is provided an electrophotographic photoreceptor in which a temperature adjusting member can be installed and rotation axes of a base and a shaft or a bearing of a flange can be adjusted with high accuracy. An electrophotographic photoreceptor according to an embodiment of the invention includes a cylindrical base; a joint portion located at an end portion of the cylindrical base, including a shaft; and a photosensitive layer located on an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical base, wherein the joint portion includes a penetration hole penetrating along an axial direction of the cylindrical base, the penetration hole configured to allow insertion and extraction of a temperature adjusting member located along an inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical base.

Abstract: A development device includes a developer carrier, a restriction member to control a layer thickness of the developer on the developer carrier, first and second developer supply members being in contact with the developer carrier. Each of the developer supply members is configured to rotate at a speed having a constant ratio to a rotation speed of the developer carrier. The second developer supply member and the restriction member are arranged in this order downstream of the first developer supply member in a rotating direction of the developer carrier. A peripheral speed (a speed of the outer peripheral surface) of the second developer supply member is set to be slower than that of the first developer supply member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus (100) forms an image on a recording medium. The image forming apparatus (100) includes image forming units (110). Of the image forming units (110), one or more image forming units are intermediate image forming units, and one or more image forming units adjacent to a side of the intermediate image forming units and one or more image forming units adjacent to an opposite side of the intermediate image forming units are side image forming units. The image forming units (110) each include a photosensitive drum (120), a light emitting element (162) performing static elimination on the photosensitive drum (120), and a heating element (163) heating the photosensitive drum (120). The heating elements (163) of the intermediate image forming units receive supply of electric power different in quantity from that of which supply the heating elements (163) the side image forming units receive.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developing unit, a cleaning unit, and a heating element. The heating element for heating the image bearing member includes: a substrate having a length corresponding to an entire region of the image bearing member in a longitudinal direction of the image bearing member; and a plurality of resistor chips mounted on the substrate. At least either resistance values or spacing intervals of the resistor chips vary in a longitudinal direction of the substrate to ensure that the surface temperature distribution of the image bearing member heated by the heating element is uniform.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging unit, a laser scanning unit, a developing unit, a transfer member, a recording medium conveyance path, a cleaning unit, and a heating element. The recording medium conveyance path includes a resin member that forms a conveyance surface. The resin member has a concave portion at a location closer to the transfer member than to the image bearing member. The heating element for heating the image bearing member is accommodated in the concave portion. The heating element is disposed downstream from the contact point between the image bearing member and the transfer member in the conveyance direction in which a recording medium is conveyed through the recording medium conveyance path. The developing unit is located upstream from the contact point between the image bearing member and the transfer member in the conveyance direction of the recording medium.

Abstract: A photosensitive drum has a drum sleeve and a pair of drum flanges. At least one of the pair of drum flanges each has a flange part, a retaining part, and a linking part. The flange part is fitted to the drum sleeve. The retaining part, which is located inward of the flange part in the axial direction of the drum sleeve, pivotably supports a shaft that rotates the photosensitive drum. Openings are formed between the flange part and the retaining part in a direction intersecting the axial direction. An air flow enters the interior of the photosensitive drum from the openings.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, provided is an image forming apparatus including a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a control unit. The control unit determines whether an environment of the apparatus is a dew condensation environment, based on a temperature of the apparatus detected by the temperature sensor and humidity in the apparatus detected by the humidity sensor. The control unit turns ON a dew condensation preventing heater when determining that the environment of the apparatus is the dew condensation environment in a case where a main power source of the apparatus is in an OFF state or the apparatus is in a power saving mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a conductive member, a bias application device, and a control portion. The image bearing member has a photosensitive layer formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof. The conductive member is disposed so as to make contact with an inner peripheral surface of the image bearing member and has a dielectric property. The bias application device applies a bias including an alternating current bias to the conductive member. The control portion controls the bias application device. The image forming apparatus is capable of executing a heating-up mode in which an alternating current bias having a peak-to-peak value twice or more as large as a discharge start voltage between the conductive member and the image bearing member is applied to the conductive member to cause the surface of the image bearing member to be heated up.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes: a developer image carrier configured to carry a developer image; a transfer unit provided in contact with the developer image carrier, and configured to transfer the developer image onto a medium which is conveyed along a medium conveyance path and passes through a contact between the developer image carrier and the transfer unit; a blower provided on one of upstream and downstream sides, in a medium conveyance direction, of the contact, and configured to cool the surface temperature of the developer image carrier; and a temperature sensor provided on the other of upstream and downstream sides, in the medium conveyance direction, of the contact, and configured to sense an ambient temperature around the developer image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a slidingly-rubbing roller abutting a surface of a photoconductive drum; a temperature detection section; a humidity detection section; and a heating control section. In a case when the humidity detected by the humidity detection section is equal to or higher than first threshold humidity and also when the temperature detected by the temperature detection section is equal to or higher than a threshold temperature, the heating control section heats and dries the surface of the photoconductive drum by a heat generator, while in a case when the humidity is equal to or higher than first threshold humidity and also when the temperature is less than the threshold temperature, the heating control section polishes the surface of the photoconductive drum by the slindingly-rubbing roller with a polishing agent contained in a toner and heats and dries the drum surface by friction heat generated following the polishing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, where the image carrier may include an image carrier body having a hollowness and image carrier flanges, which are installed at both ends of the image carrier body. Each image carrier flange may include a blower fan integrally formed therewith, so that air outside of the image carrier body is moved from one end of the image carrier body, at which a drive gear is positioned, to the other end of the image carrier body as the image carrier rotates. Waste developer which may accumulate on the drive gear is reduced, thereby preventing the operational error of the image carrier and thus avoiding the degradation of the image quality.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a conductive member, a bias application device, and a control portion. The image bearing member has a photosensitive layer formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof. The conductive member is disposed so as to make contact with an inner peripheral surface of the image bearing member and has a dielectric property. The bias application device applies a bias including an alternating current bias to the conductive member. The control portion controls the bias application device. The image forming apparatus is capable of executing a heating-up mode in which an alternating current bias having a peak-to-peak value twice or more as large as a discharge start voltage between the conductive member and the image bearing member is applied to the conductive member to cause the surface of the image bearing member to be heated up.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes temperature sensors that measure temperatures at different locations in the longitudinal direction of a photosensitive drum. The image forming apparatus also includes an image processing circuit configured to change an exposure condition in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum based on measured values obtained by the temperature sensors. A related image forming method includes calculating a temperature at a third location between the first and second location based on the measured temperatures at the first location and the second location, and controlling an exposure condition for exposure at the third location in accordance with image information, including changing the exposure condition for the exposure at the third location based on the calculated temperature at the third location.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus, comprising: a rotatable photoreceptor; a charging device configured to charge a surface of the photoreceptor to be a target charge potential; an exposure device configured to expose a charged portion on the surface of the photoreceptor to form an electrostatic latent image; a developing device configured to develop the electrostatic latent image using toner to form a toner image; a transfer device configured to apply a transfer bias between the photoreceptor and a transfer member by applying an electrical potential of opposite polarity to the target charge potential to the transfer member facing the photoreceptor, and which transfers the toner image on the photoreceptor onto a body to be transferred by the transfer bias; a neutralization device configured to neutralize the surface of the photoreceptor by irradiating the surface with neutralization light after the transferring; and a pre-rotation device configured to perform a pre-rotation process.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging unit, a laser scanning unit, a developing unit, a transfer member, a recording medium conveyance path, a cleaning unit, and a heating element. The recording medium conveyance path includes a resin member that forms a conveyance surface. The resin member has a concave portion at a location closer to the transfer member than to the image bearing member. The heating element for heating the image bearing member is accommodated in the concave portion. The heating element is disposed downstream from the contact point between the image bearing member and the transfer member in the conveyance direction in which a recording medium is conveyed through the recording medium conveyance path. The developing unit is located upstream from the contact point between the image bearing member and the transfer member in the conveyance direction of the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developing unit, a cleaning unit, and a heating element. The heating element for heating the image bearing member includes: a substrate having a length corresponding to an entire region of the image bearing member in a longitudinal direction of the image bearing member; and a plurality of resistor chips mounted on the substrate. At least either resistance values or spacing intervals of the resistor chips vary in a longitudinal direction of the substrate to ensure that the surface temperature distribution of the image bearing member heated by the heating element is uniform.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heating element, an interior temperature/humidity detection section, and a controller. The heating element is conducted during connection of the image forming apparatus to an external power source to heat an image bearing member. The interior temperature/humidity detection section detects temperature and humidity in the interior of the image forming apparatus. The controller performs a refresh operation when a relative humidity calculated on the basis of the temperature and humidity detected by the interior temperature/humidity detection section immediately after the image forming apparatus is connected to the external power source is higher than the preset value. The refresh operation is an operation for supply of developer from a development device to the image bearing member and for polish of the surface of the image bearing member with the use of a polishing member.

Abstract: An undercoat layer of an electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a polymer having a specific repeating structural unit in order to provide an electrophotographic photosensitive member that suppresses positive ghost, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus having the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus, each of which has the electrophotographic photosensitive member. In the electrophotographic photosensitive member, a charge transport layer used as a surface layer contains a charge transport material, a polycarbonate resin A which has a specific amount of a specific repeating structural unit of a specific siloxane moiety, and a polyester resin C and/or a polycarbonate resin D, each of which has a specific repeating structural unit. In the charge transport layer, a matrix-domain structure is formed in which a matrix is formed from the charge transport material and the polyester resin C and/or the polycarbonate resin D, and domains are formed in the above matrix from the polycarbonate resin A.

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: A process cartridge attachable to and detachable from an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a first unit having an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a second unit including a developing roller configured to develop a latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a sheet member which is disposed along the developing roller in a lengthwise direction of the developing roller and contacts the electrophotographic photosensitive member to restrain scattering of developer. The second unit is movably connected to the first unit and can move between a contact position in which the developing roller contacts the electrophotographic photosensitive member and a separated position in which the developing roller separates from the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units that are arranged in parallel so as to be opposed to an intermediate transfer belt or a transfer carriage belt. A black image forming unit that forms a black toner image is arranged at a downstream end or upstream end in the running direction of the intermediate transfer belt or the transfer carriage belt with respect to the other image forming units. The black image forming unit is configured so that its lubricant supplying unit contains a larger amount of lubricant.

Abstract: A cooling mechanism for a photoreceptor includes: a photoreceptor of cylindrical shape; a pair of flanges respectively attached to both ends in an axial direction of the photoreceptor; a rotational shaft that is inserted into a shaft center of the photoreceptor; a holder that is disposed to face a first flange and rotatably supports the rotational shaft; and a main body frame that supports the holder. In such a cooling mechanism for a photoreceptor, an air duct is configured by the through hole formed in the flange and the concave portion formed on the holder, and discharges air flow generated inside the photoreceptor to the outside thereof.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes temperature sensors that measure temperatures at different locations in the longitudinal direction of a photosensitive drum. The image forming apparatus also includes an image processing circuit configured to change an exposure condition in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum based on measured values obtained by the temperature sensors. A related image forming method includes calculating a temperature at a third location between the first and second location based on the measured temperatures at the first location and the second location, and controlling an exposure condition for exposure at the third location in accordance with image information, including changing the exposure condition for the exposure at the third location based on the calculated temperature at the third location.

Abstract: A photosensitive member unit detachably mountable to each of a plurality of image forming apparatuses including a voltage supplying mechanism adapted to different commercial power sources. The photosensitive member unit includes a photosensitive member on which an electrostatic image is to be formed; a resistor configured and positioned to generate heat so as to heat said photosensitive member by energization; and a plurality of contact portions, configured and positioned to be selectively connectable to the voltage supplying mechanism, including a first contact portion and a second contact portion which are connected to both ends of said resistor and including a third contact portion connected so as to divide the resistor into two branches. At least one of the contact portions used for supplying a voltage to the resistor is common to different commercial power source voltages.

Abstract: A thick film charging device is used to simultaneously heat a photoreceptor as it is being charged in order to mitigate image quality defects associated with the photoreceptor in high humidity conditions.

Abstract: A thick film charging device is used to simultaneously heat a photoreceptor as it is being charged in order to mitigate image quality defects associated with the photoreceptor in high humidity conditions.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus, comprising: a rotatable photoreceptor; a charging device configured to charge a surface of the photoreceptor to be a target charge potential; an exposure device configured to expose a charged portion on the surface of the photoreceptor to form an electrostatic latent image; a developing device configured to develop the electrostatic latent image using toner to form a toner image; a transfer device configured to apply a transfer bias between the photoreceptor and a transfer member by applying an electrical potential of opposite polarity to the target charge potential to the transfer member facing the photoreceptor, and which transfers the toner image on the photoreceptor onto a body to be transferred by the transfer bias; a neutralization device configured to neutralize the surface of the photoreceptor by irradiating the surface with neutralization light after the transferring; and a pre-rotation device configured to perform a pre-rotation process.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a heating device which is installed upstream from a fixing device in a recording medium carrying direction and heats an image forming face of a recording medium; a temperature sensor which detects temperature of a heating device; a cooling device which cools a transfer belt; a cooling fan which cools the cooling device, a photoconductive drum temperature sensor which is provided for each photoconductive drum and detects temperature of the photoconductive drum; and a control unit which controls heating temperature of the heating device to higher than a toner outer layer glass transition temperature Tg and lower than a toner melting point Tm and controls the temperature of the photoconductive drum to lower than a threshold temperature.

Abstract: A cooling mechanism for a photoreceptor includes: a photoreceptor of cylindrical shape; a pair of flanges respectively attached to both ends in an axial direction of the photoreceptor; a rotational shaft that is inserted into a shaft center of the photoreceptor; a holder that is disposed to face a first flange and rotatably supports the rotational shaft; and a main body frame that supports the holder. In such a cooling mechanism for a photoreceptor, an air duct is configured by the through hole formed in the flange and the concave portion formed on the holder, and discharges air flow generated inside the photoreceptor to the outside thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a substantially cylindrical body and a photosensitive layer formed on the outer circumference of the body. The body has an outer diameter larger at a middle portion of a latent image forming area than at end portions of the latent image forming area in the axial direction. The electrophotographic photosensitive member may further include a heating member accommodated within the body and extending along the axial direction of the body, for heating the latent image forming area of the photosensitive layer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive body; a driver to drive the photosensitive body; a supporting bracket to support the driver; and a heat insulator disposed between the supporting bracket and the driver to shield the photosensitive body from heat generated by the driver.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an imaging unit for black and imaging units for other colors, a writing unit for black and a writing unit for other colors, a first heater corresponding to the imaging unit and the writing unit for black color, and a second heater corresponding to the imaging units and the writing unit for other colors. Turning ON/OFF of each of the first heater and the second heater are controlled separately. Thus, the first heater can be ON while the second heater is OFF.

Abstract: There is provided a temperature control unit for an electrophotographic photoconductor substrate, containing a stretchable membrane member which is detachably disposed in a hollow space of the cylindrical substrate, wherein the membrane member is configured to sequentially stretch until reaching the deepest part of the hollow space of the cylindrical substrate as a result of an introduction of a refrigerant therein to closely contact with an entire inner wall of the cylindrical substrate, and to sequentially shrink to the original shape thereof as a result of a release of the refrigerant therefrom, so that the membrane member is detachably disposed in the hollow space, and wherein the membrane member is configured to make a heat transfer between a surface of the cylindrical substrate and the refrigerant via the membrane member closely contacted with the inner surface of the cylindrical substrate, to control a surface temperature of the cylindrical substrate.

Abstract: A photosensitive member unit detachably mountable to each of a plurality of image forming apparatuses including a voltage supplying mechanism adapted to different commercial power sources. The photosensitive member unit includes a photosensitive member on which an electrostatic image is to be formed; a resistor configured and positioned to generate heat so as to heat said photosensitive member by energization; and a plurality of contact portions, configured and positioned to be selectively connectable to the voltage supplying mechanism, including a first contact portion and a second contact portion which are connected to both ends of said resistor and including a third contact portion connected so as to divide said resistor into two branches. At least one of the contact portions used for supplying a voltage to said resistor is common to different commercial power source voltages.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including an electrophotographic photosensitive member provided with a substantially cylindrical body having outer circumference on which a photosensitive layer with a latent image forming area is formed, and a contact electrification means positioned substantially parallel to the axial direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member. A nip width of a contact area between the photosensitive layer and the electrification means is larger at a middle portion than at end portions of the latent image forming area. Preferably, the nip width becomes larger gradually or stepwise as proceeding from the end portions to the middle portion of the latent image forming area.

Abstract: A heated drum assembly improves thermal control of a rotating drum in a printer. The assembly includes a hollow drum, two stationary heaters located within an internal cavity of the drum, one of the two stationary heaters being at one end of the drum and the other stationary heater being at another end of the drum, a fan located at one end of the drum, a temperature sensor at one end of the drum, and a second temperature sensor at the other end of the drum, and a controller electrically coupled to the heaters, the fan, and the two temperature sensors to control a temperature of the wall of the drum to a set point by activating at least one of the heaters in response to a signal indicating a temperature below a first predetermined temperature threshold and operating the fan at one of three speeds.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus and an image forming method capable of effectively suppressing the occurrence of image deletion etc. and thus stably obtaining a high-quality image and stably reducing the influence of titanium oxide particles on image quality. The image forming apparatus includes an amorphous silicon photoconductor drum having a heater provided therein; a charging device; and a rotating member that cleans the surfaces of the amorphous silicon photoconductor drum using titanium oxide particles included in toner particles. In the image forming apparatus and the image forming method using the same, the heater controls a difference between the surface temperature of the amorphous silicon photoconductor drum and the outdoor temperature within a predetermined range, and slide friction between the amorphous silicon photoconductor drum and the rotating member and the average primary particle diameter of the titanium oxide particles are set in predetermined ranges.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an organic electronic device comprising a charge transport layer comprising a host charge transport material and a guest charge transport material, wherein the guest material is not homogeneously distributed in the host material and is spatially doped within the host material. The charge transport layer may be either a hole or electron transport layer and is useful in a variety of organic electronic devices.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus and an image forming method capable of effectively suppressing the occurrence of image deletion etc. and thus stably obtaining a high-quality image and stably reducing the influence of titanium oxide particles on image quality. The image forming apparatus includes an amorphous silicon photoconductor drum having a heater provided therein; a charging device; and a rotating member that cleans the surfaces of the amorphous silicon photoconductor drum using titanium oxide particles included in toner particles. In the image forming apparatus and the image forming method using the same, the heater controls a difference between the surface temperature of the amorphous silicon photoconductor drum and the outdoor temperature within a predetermined range, and slide friction between the amorphous silicon photoconductor drum and the rotating member and the average primary particle diameter of the titanium oxide particles are set in predetermined ranges.

Abstract: A temperature control device includes a first heat source, a second heat source configured to heat a controlled object subjected to temperature control, a first temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of heat from the first heat source, a second temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of the controlled object, a heat transfer member configured to transfer heat produced by the first heat source to the controlled object, a heat-transfer-amount changing unit configured to change the amount of heat transferred to the controlled object by the heat transfer member, and a controller configured to control a transfer state of the heat-transfer-amount changing unit on the basis of an output from the first temperature detector and an output from the second temperature detector.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image by a power supply from a commercial power source, the image forming apparatus including: an image forming member for forming an image on a recording material; a heater for heating the image forming member; a heat fixing device for fixing an image formed on the recording material; a capacitor for storing power supplied from the commercial power source; and a distributor for distributing power stored in the capacitor to the heat fixing device and the heater.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed and toner deposited to form a toner image, a heater disposed at a position out of contact with the surface of the image bearing member to output radiant heat to the image bearing member, and a heat controller for controlling rotation of the image bearing member and heat output by the heater to heat the outer peripheral surface of the image bearing member moving relative to the heater. The heater includes a lamp heater having a radiation spectrum that exhibits a major part of the peak intensity in the range of infrared wavelength from 2 to 3.5 ?m.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that can maintain the accuracy of temperature control of an object to be heated within a predetermined range and avoid adverse effects of contamination of first temperature detection means. The image forming apparatus 1 has a photosensitive drum 14, a heater 901, a thermopile temperature sensor 902, a non-contact thermistor 903, and a control circuit 904. The control circuit 904 controls the heater 901 based on an output signal 902s in a case where the output signal 902s is output earlier in time than the output signal 903s, and informs of a state of the thermopile temperature sensor 902 in a case where the output signal 903s is output earlier in time than the output signal 902s.

Abstract: A thermal fixing device for fixing toner images onto recording sheets includes a heat member, a pressing member, a temperature sensor, a clock, and a control unit. The control unit performs a toner fixing control and a high-temperature heat-up control. During the toner fixing control, the control unit controls the heat member to heat up to a fixing temperature required to melt toner on a recording sheet disposed between the heat member and the pressing member. During the high-temperature heat-up control, the control unit controls the heat member to heat up to a high-temperature fixing temperature that is higher than the fixing temperature. The control unit sets length of the high-temperature heat-up control in accordance with length of the start-up time measured by the clock.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus which effectively suppresses an increase in temperature of a heating means by an air blowing means when image formation is performed to a small-size recording material and can continuously perform the image formation even though the air blowing means. The image forming apparatus includes a heating means to heat a recording material to be conveyed, a cooling fan which blows air from an air blowing port facing a part of the heating means, a shutter which moves such that an opening width of the air blowing ports is regulated depending on a width of the recording material, and an error detecting means which detects an error of the cooling fan. When the error detecting means detects an error of the cooling fan, the shutter moves to such a position that the cooling fan in which an error is detected, so that image formation is continued.