Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Masateru Ujiie

Takashi Sakamaki

Naoto Suzuki

Yohhei Watanabe

Teppei Kawata

Shinichi Namekata

Fumihiro Hirose

Akiyasu Amita

Tetsuo Tokuda

Kazuyoshi Kondo

Makoto Kikura

Kazuyoshi Matsumoto

Norikazu Yanase

Daisuke Arai

Yoshinori Uchino

Gaku Hosono

Yuuzoh Obata

Ryohhei Sugiyama

Hironori Yamaoka

Shu Kanno

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device and circuitry. The fixing device includes a fixing rotator, an electromagnetic induction heater configured to heat the fixing rotator, and a magnetic flux control member. The circuitry is configured to control the electromagnetic induction heater to lead a temperature of the fixing rotator to a target temperature and change an upper limit of power supplied to the electromagnetic induction heater based on the target temperature.

Image forming apparatus

A belt device includes an endless belt, a plurality of support rotators configured to support the endless belt, and a support configured to support shaft portions of the plurality of support rotators. The support has an attaching and detaching path through which the shaft portions of the plurality of support rotators pass in a direction orthogonal to an axial direction of at least one of the plurality of support rotators when the shaft portions of the plurality of support rotators are detached from the support.

Belt device and image forming apparatus incorporating same

A sheet conveying device, which is included in a fixing device and an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet contacting body and a lateral relative position shifting body. The sheet contacting body is configured to contact a sheet to be conveyed. The lateral relative position shifting body is configured to shift a passing position of the sheet being conveyed toward the sheet contacting body, in a width direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction and a relative position to the sheet contacting body, each time the sheet is conveyed by a number of sheets based on a setting. The setting of the number of sheets varies based on information of the sheet.

Sheet conveying device, fixing device incorporating the sheet conveying device, and image forming apparatus incorporating the sheet conveying device

A fixing device controller includes a plurality of voltage detectors to detect voltages of a plurality of power sources for supplying power to a plurality of heaters to heat a fixing member of a fixing device that fixes a toner image on a recording medium and a heater controller to execute duty control to turn on the plurality of heaters. The heater controller corrects a duty of at least one of the plurality of heaters based on the voltages detected by the plurality of voltage detectors and rated output values of the plurality of heaters.

Fixing device controller, image forming apparatus, fixing device control method, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing fixing device control program

A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, and a pressure assembly that forms a fixing nip therebetween and includes a first adjuster and a second adjuster. The first adjuster includes a pressure cam, a first biasing device, a first pressure lever that holds the pressure rotator, and a second pressure lever that moves with the pressure cam and presses against the first pressure lever via the first biasing device. The first adjuster adjusts a load of the first biasing device to adjust a pressure force from the pressure rotator to the fixing rotator. The second adjuster includes an adjustment screw is driven into the second pressure lever, and a retainer that retains an adjusted state between the adjustment screw and the first pressure lever. The second adjuster adjusts a holding position of the first pressure lever to hold the pressure rotator.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating same

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing belt stretched across a first roller and a second roller including an elastic layer. A pressure rotator presses against the second roller via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the pressure rotator and the fixing belt. A recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed through the fixing nip. A clearance detector detects a clearance between the first roller and the second roller. A mover moves the pressure rotator with respect to the second roller in a pressing direction in which the pressure rotator presses against the second roller via the fixing belt and a separation direction in which the pressure rotator separates from the second roller. A controller controls an amount of movement of the pressure rotator moved by the mover toward the second roller based on the clearance detected by the clearance detector.

Image forming apparatus including a fixing device

A fixing device includes an endless belt, a drive rotator, a driven rotator, a rotation detector, and circuitry. The drive rotator contacts and rotates the endless belt. The driven rotator contacts an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. The rotation detector detects a rotational speed of the driven rotator. The circuitry is operatively connected to the rotation detector to control a rotational speed of the drive rotator based on the rotational speed of the driven rotator detected by the rotational detector. The circuitry changes the rotational speed of the drive rotator when a recording medium bearing a toner image is not conveyed over the endless belt.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus to adjust rotational speed of rotator due to thermal expansion

A separation device includes an endless belt, a rotary body, a separation supporter, and a transfer mechanism. The separation supporter presses against an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt downstream from an area of contact between the endless belt and the rotary body in a recording medium conveyance direction to curve the endless belt toward an outer circumferential surface side of the endless belt at a greater curvature than a curvature of the endless belt at the area of contact between the endless belt and the rotary body. The transfer mechanism switches the separation supporter between a first position and a second position farther from the area of contact between the endless belt and the rotary body than the first position.

Separation device, fixing device, and image forming apparatus

A fixing device includes a fixing rotator and a slider that slides over the fixing rotator. A cam presses the slider against the fixing rotator. The cam includes a cam rear disposed opposite a rear end of the fixing rotator in an axial direction thereof and a cam front disposed opposite a front end of the fixing rotator in the axial direction thereof. A controller rotates the cam to a first slide position where the cam rear presses the slider against the fixing rotator, a second slide position where the cam rear and the cam front press the slider against the fixing rotator, a third slide position where the cam front presses the slider against the fixing rotator, and an isolation position where the cam rear and the cam front do not press the slider against the fixing rotator.

Fixing device having slider to polish and finish fixing rotator

A fixing device includes a fixing member, a member disposed opposite the fixing member, a rubbing member, a detector, and a rubbing operation controller. The fixing member fixes a toner image on a recording medium. The rubbing member rubs the fixing member to maintain a surface of the fixing member in optimum condition of the fixing member. The detector detects vibration of the rubbing member. The rubbing operation controller controls rubbing the fixing member with the rubbing member. The rubbing operation controller controls a rubbing rotation speed and a rubbing force in response to at least the vibration of the rubbing member as a trigger.

Fixing device for an image forming apparatus

A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressing rotator, an oil applicator, a first adjuster, a surface modifier, a second adjuster, and a processor. The fixing rotator contacts a recording medium bearing a toner image. The pressing rotator forms a fixing nip with the fixing rotator. The oil applicator is pressed against at least one of applied members of the fixing rotator and pressing rotator. The first adjuster adjusts contact/separation of the oil applicator with respect to the applied member. The surface modifier contacts the fixing rotator to modify a surface thereof. The second adjuster adjusts contact/separation of the surface modifier with respect to the fixing rotator. The processor allows the surface modifier to modify the fixing rotator surface after the oil applicator contacts the applied member, and the oil applicator to separate from the applied member after the surface modifier is separated from the fixing rotator.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus

A fixing device includes a first rotator rotatable in a given direction of rotation and a second rotator contacting the first rotator to form a fixing nip therebetween through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A heater is disposed opposite and heats at least one of the first rotator and the second rotator. An abutment separably contacts the first rotator to refresh an outer circumferential surface of the first rotator. A mover is connected to the abutment to move the abutment with respect to the first rotator. A degradation estimator is operatively connected to the mover to estimate a degradation level of the outer circumferential surface of the first rotator and control the mover to move the abutment with respect to the first rotator according to the degradation level of the first rotator.

A separation device separates a recording medium ejected from a fixing nip formed between a first rotator and a second rotator from the first rotator. The separation device includes a separator including a front end disposed opposite the fixing nip and the recording medium and a plurality of recesses disposed on the front end of the separator at least in a conveyance span on the separator where the recording medium is conveyed. The plurality of recesses includes a first recess extending in a first extension line that is oblique relative to a recording medium conveyance direction and a second recess adjacent to the first recess and extending in a second extension line that is oblique relative to the recording medium conveyance direction. The second extension line overlaps the first extension line in a direction perpendicular to the recording medium conveyance direction to define an overlap span.

An image forming apparatus includes a rotary fixing member cleaner that includes a freely rotatable rotary unwinding member, around which a cleaning web winds, a rotary winding member to wind the cleaning web thereon from one end thereof, and a load applicator to apply a load to the cleaning web unwound from the rotary unwinding member. The rotary fixing member cleaner removes any unnecessary substance adhering to an outer circumferential surface of the rotary fixing member therefrom by unwinding and moving the cleaning web from the rotary unwinding member in an opposite direction to a direction of movement of the outer circumferential surface of the rotary fixing member at a contacting point at which the cleaning web contacts the outer circumferential surface of the rotary fixing member. The load applicator presses against the cleaning web winding around the rotary unwinding member at a prescribed angular contact position.

Cleaner for rotary fixing member, image forming apparatus incorporating the cleaner, and image forming method executed by the image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a roll body including a print medium wound around, the medium having an adhesive face, an image forming unit to form an image on the adhesive face, a conveyance unit having a pair of a conveyance rotor and an opposed rotor to convey the medium with the medium interposed between the conveyance rotor and the opposed rotor and an adhesive face guide unit to guide the medium when the conveyance unit returns the medium in a return direction opposite a conveyance direction of the medium. The adhesive face guide unit has a downstream rotor disposed downstream from the opposed rotor in the return direction and an endless adhesive face guide member wound around the opposed rotor and the downstream rotor. The adhesive face guide member is configured to receive and guide the adhesive face of the medium returned, in a separable state.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Masateru Ujiie