Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Naoaki Kurimoto

Kuniaki Nakano

Hiroshi Kubota

Yoshiharu Yoneda

Yoshiaki Hiramoto

A unit assembly () includes an image forming unit () and an intermediate transfer unit (), and is configured insertably/removably with respect to an apparatus main body. The image forming unit () includes a plurality of process units (A toD) and a joint member () that joints the plurality of process units (A toD). The intermediate transfer unit () is held by the image forming unit (). The intermediate transfer unit () and the joint member () have a first positioning section () for mutually relative positioning.

Unit assembly and image forming apparatus

A unit assembly () is provided with an image forming unit () and an intermediate transfer unit (), and is configured to be capable of being inserted into and removed from an apparatus body (). The image forming unit () has first processing units (A toD), developing units (A toD), a positioning portion, and a link member (). The positioning portion is provided in each of the developing units (A toD) and determines the mutual relative positions of the developing units (A toD). The link member () links the developing units (A toD) to each other. The intermediate transfer unit () is held by the image forming unit ().

An image forming apparatus () includes, as working sections, a paper output tray (), a paper feeding cassette (), and attachment sections to which toner cartridges () through (), a waste toner container (), and a unit assembly () are attached. Out of the working sections, a high-frequency working section with a high working frequency is provided on a front surface of the image forming apparatus, and a low-frequency working section with a low working frequency is provided on a side surface of the image forming apparatus.

Image forming apparatus with high-and low-frequency working sections

A developer recovery device is provided with a recovery container that receives and accommodates developer recovered from an image carrier, an agitator member that agitates the developer inside the recovery container, two shafts, to which mutually engageable cams are respectively provided, transmit rotational force to the agitator member, a spring that biases and causes to move one of the cams such that the two cams mutually engage and that causes a shaft connection between the two shafts to join, a torque limiter that carries out joining of the shaft connection, and disjoining of the shaft connection, in which the two cams are caused to move apart to disjoin the shaft connection, and a full-state determination portion that detects a shaft connection disjoined state and, based on the detected disjoined state, determines that the recovery container has become full of developer.

Developer recovery device and image forming apparatus including same

An apparatus for image formation comprises a fixing member, a pressing member, a heating member, a sensor, and a controller. The heating member heats at least one of the fixing and pressing members during a heating operation. The sensor senses the surface temperature of at least one of the fixing and pressing members. If the surface temperature sensed by the sensor exceeds a threshold temperature, the controller stops the heating operation of the heating member. If the sensed temperature drops below the threshold temperature, the controller starts the heating operation of the heating member. The controller includes a period measuring unit for measuring the switching period at which the controller switches the starting and stopping of the heating operation of the heating member. The controller restrains the heating of the fixing and pressing members if the switching period exceeds a reference time.

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Osaka, Japan

Naoaki Kurimoto