Oki Data Corporation

Takemasa Ishikuro

Hiroyuki Inoue

Takeshi Asaba

Takuya Goto

Tatsuya Murakami

Teruo Soeda

Yujiro Iida

A fuser device disclosed in the application, which fuses a developer to a medium, includes a first carrying part that contacts a surface of the medium on which the developer is transferred and carries the medium, a second carrying part that is positioned facing the first carrying part and carries the medium. A surface resistivity of the first carrying part is higher than a surface resistivity of the second carrying part.

Fuser device and image forming apparatus

A developer container includes a developer containing member that contains developer; an opening part through which the developer is externally supplied, and a pressure absorbing mechanism that is provided on an external portion of the developer containing member. The pressure absorbing mechanism is configured to deform in an inward direction toward the developer container when an external force is applied to the developer container.

Developer container and packaging system

An image forming apparatus includes an attracting member and a guide member. The attracting member extends along a transport path. A print medium carries a developer image thereon and is transported on the guide member in the transport path after passing through a transfer section. The guide member is disposed downstream of the transfer section and is disposed at a position where when the print medium is transported in the transport path, the attracting member attracts the electrostatically toward the attracting member such that the print medium is spaced a distance from the attracting member by the guide member.

Image forming apparatus including guide and attracting members

A medium carrying unit to be installed in an image forming apparatus includes a first carrying path through which a medium is carried, a handle member positioned above or around the first carrying path and including a part to be gripped by a user in a state that allows the handle member to project above a carrying surface of the first carrying path, an accommodation area that is defined around the handle member and that accommodates the handle member in a state that allows the handle member to be freely inserted and removed so that the handle member hides below the carrying surface of the first carrying path, and a push-out mechanism that pushes out the handle member from an interior of the accommodation area when the medium carrying unit is removed from the image forming apparatus.

Medium carrying unit and image forming apparatus using the medium carrying unit

An image forming apparatus can include an image forming member that forms an image on a sheet, an ejecting transport member that can transport the sheet in first and second directions, and a switching unit. The guide member can move to a first predetermined position and a second predetermined position. At the first predetermined position, the guide member can apply a pushing force to the sheet. At the second predetermined position, the guide member can either apply a smaller pushing force to the sheet than at the first predetermined position, or provide a clearance between the guide member and the sheet. The switching unit can switch the guide member into the first and second predetermined positions based on the sheet transporting direction of the ejecting transport member.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus capable of properly discharging a medium has a first medium stacking unit, a second medium stacking unit, and a guiding member for guiding the medium to the second medium stacking unit in a case that the second medium stacking unit is set in an opened state and guiding the medium to the first medium stacking unit in a case that the second medium stacking unit is set in a closed state. Since the guiding member guides the medium to the second medium stacking unit in a case that the second medium stacking unit is set in the opened state and guides medium to the first medium stacking unit in a case that the second medium stacking unit is set in the closed state, the medium can be discharged to the second medium stacking unit in a case that large normal curling occurs.

An image forming apparatus includes an image supporting member; a developer supporting member for attaching developer to the image supporting member to form a developer image; a transfer unit for transferring the developer image to a recording medium; a driving unit for driving at least one of the image supporting member, the developer supporting member, and the transfer unit; an external temperature detection unit for detecting an environmental temperature outside the image forming apparatus; and a control unit for setting a driving speed of the driving unit according to the environmental temperature.

Image forming apparatus having control unit

An image forming apparatus includes a medium transporting mechanism. A first transporting section transports a recording medium on which an image is formed. A second transporting section receives the recording medium from the first transporting section and then further transports the recording medium. The second transporting section has a smaller transporting force than the first transporting section. A controller controls the second transporting section in such a way that the second transporting section transports the recording medium at a higher speed than the first transporting section.

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing section that fixes an image formed on a recording medium and a drive section that drives the fixing section in rotation. The drive section is stopped or rotated at a lower speed for reducing noise after fixing an image on the recording medium while preventing the temperature of a fixing roller from increasing.

Image forming apparatus with self cooling fixing section

An image forming section forms a visible image on a charged surface of an image bearing body. A transfer section transfers the visible image onto a recording medium. A fixing unit fixes the visible image on the recording medium. A temperature detecting section outputs a signal indicative of a temperature of the image bearing body. A controller performs a cooling operation in which the temperature of the image bearing body is lowered when the signal is higher than a first predetermined value. When the controller performs the cooling operation, the controller turns on and off the heater of the fixing unit with a first duty cycle. When the controller does not perform the cooling operation, the controller turns on and off the heater of the fixing unit with a second duty cycle higher than the first duty cycle. During the cooling operation, the controller may drive the medium-transporting mechanism to rotate in an idling mode in which no printing is performed.

Image forming apparatus with temperature control

An image forming apparatus such as a printer has: an image forming unit which forms an electrostatic latent image onto a charged photosensitive drum, deposits toner onto the image, and forms a visible image; a belt arranged so as to run freely in contact with the image forming unit; a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of the belt; and a controller which controls an image forming process on the basis of the detected temperature. Since the belt temperature is detected and the printing process is controlled on the basis of the detected temperature, an increase in temperature of the drum and an increase in temperature in the printer can be suppressed. Thus, the flowability of the toner in each image forming unit does not deteriorates and image quality can be improved.

Image forming apparatus that controls image forming process based on temperature of conveying belt

A paper cassette holds a stack of print medium therein. A guide member includes first and second members. A medium-supporting plate supports the stack of the paper placed thereon. When the guide member is moved to a predetermined position, the first member abuts the end of the stack of print medium and the second member slides under the edges of the paper placed on the medium-supporting plate. The second member has a tapered forward end portion that allows the second member to smoothly slide under the bottom of the stack of print medium. The guide member is guided in a groove to move to and from the stack of print medium. The second member has a flat portion and the tapered forward end portion extends further away from the flat portion than the bottom of the stack of print medium.

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Tokyo, Japan

Takemasa Ishikuro