An image forming apparatus includes: a rotatable transfer cylinder with a first groove formed in an outer portion thereof in a rotational radial direction that causes an image to be transferred to a recording medium when it passes along an outer surface of the transfer cylinder; a rotatable fixing cylinder that has a second groove formed in an outer portion thereof in a rotational radial direction, that causes the image transferred to the recording medium to be fixed thereto when the recording medium passes along an outer surface of the fixing cylinder; a loop-shaped circulating member that is wrapped at least around the transfer and fixing cylinders, that circulates in response to rotations of the transfer and fixing cylinders; a recording medium holding member supported by the circulating member, disposed in the first groove when the holding member passes along the transfer cylinder and disposed in the second groove when the holding member passes along the fixing cylinder; first and second driving units that rotate the transfer and fixing cylinders respectively; and that is configured such that a ratio of a moment of inertia of the fixing cylinder to an output torque of the second driving unit is set to be greater than a ratio of a moment of inertia of the transfer cylinder to an output torque of the first driving unit.

A fixing device is for fixing a developing agent image to a recording sheet by electrostatically spraying a charged fixing solution toward the developing agent image on the sheet. The fixing device includes a container portion, a plurality of nozzles, and a potential difference generating portion. The container portion is configured to store therein the fixing solution. The plurality of nozzles is in communication with the container portion and configured to spray the fixing solution toward the developing agent image. The potential difference generating portion is configured to generate a potential difference between the fixing solution stored in the plurality of nozzles and the recording sheet conveyed at a position separated from the plurality of nozzles.

An image forming apparatus comprising an image bearing member, a developer bearing member, a drive unit for driving the image bearing member and the developer bearing member in varied peripheral speeds, a control unit, a developing voltage application unit, a supply member for supplying a developer to the developer bearing member, and, a supply member voltage application unit, wherein the control unit executes a first image forming mode in which a rotational peripheral speed ratio between surface movement speeds of the developer bearing member and the image bearing member is not more than 1 and a second image forming mode in which the rotational peripheral speed ratio is larger than 1, and, the control unit controls the drive unit so that a difference between developing voltage and supply voltage becomes larger in the second image forming mode than in the first image forming mode.

An image forming apparatus includes two rotators, a driver driving the rotators, a heating device to heat the rotator, a blower blowing air to the heating device, a temperature detector, a recording medium detector, a cover, an open-close detector, and circuitry. The circuitry detects an abnormal state and stops heat generation, determines whether the cover is closed using the open-close detector, controls the blower to blow air when the cover is closed, determines whether the recording medium is in the nip using the recording medium detector, controls the driver to rotate the two rotators when the cover is closed and no recording medium is in the nip, determines whether a temperature detected is equal to or lower than a threshold value before the cover is opened, and controls the blower to decrease an air volume when the temperature detected is equal to or lower than the threshold value.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet, a conveyance unit to convey the sheet having the image formed thereon to a conveyance path and a reading unit to read a test image of a sheet conveyed to the conveyance path. In addition, a controller determines an adjustment value for adjusting a geometric characteristic of an image to be formed by the image forming unit based on a reading result of the reading unit, controls the image forming unit to form the test image, controls the reading unit to read the sheet having the test image formed thereon, and determines an adjustment value for adjusting a geometric characteristic of an image to be formed by the image forming unit based on a reading result of the reading unit.

A plurality of registration data includes control parameter data related to control of an image forming apparatus capable of executing a printing process. A processor, according to input designation information, selects target registration data from the plurality of registration data. Moreover, the processor derives estimated performance according to derivation rules. Furthermore, the processor outputs information about the estimated performance. The estimated performance is performance related to the printing process in a case where it is presumed that the printing process is executed according target parameters. The target parameters are the control parameters of the target registration data.

An image forming device including a gate mechanism reduces a noise generated when a sheet is conveyed. The image forming device includes a conveyance path and a gate. The conveyance path is branched into a plurality of paths, and the sheet is conveyed along a conveyance direction. The gate is provided at a position in the conveyance path at which the conveyance path is branched into the plurality of paths, and switches a path through which the sheet is conveyed. The image forming device rotates the gate in a direction in which a contact point of the gate, which faces a front surface of the sheet to be conveyed and is located at a position at which a trailing end of the sheet first comes into contact with the gate, and a front surface of the sheet to be conveyed face each other.

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body and a moveable unit. The apparatus body includes an image forming device and a restriction portion. The moveable unit includes an image reading device and is detachably attached to the apparatus body. The moveable unit is opened and closed with respect to the apparatus body by rotation about a rotation shaft when the moveable unit is attached to the apparatus body. The moveable unit is attached to and detached from the apparatus body by moving in an axial direction of the rotation shaft. The moveable unit further includes a restricted portion that engages with the restriction portion that restricts a movement of the moveable unit in the axial direction. The restriction portion or the restricted portion further includes a deformation portion having elasticity. The deformation portion is deformed so that the moveable unit is attached to and detached from the apparatus body.

The present disclosure provides a consumable chip, a consumable, an image-forming apparatus, a communication method, and a detection method. The consumable chip includes the first connection terminal, configured to be connected to the first connection pin when the consumable is installed on the image-forming apparatus; the second connection terminal, configured to be connected to the second connection pin when the consumable is installed on the image-forming apparatus; the power supply circuit, configured to convert the first input signal and the second input signal received through the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal into a DC voltage to supply power to the microcontroller; the demodulation circuit, configured to demodulate the first input signal and the second input signal to obtain demodulated signals; and the modulation circuit, configured to send modulation signals to the image-forming control unit through the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a temperature abnormality detection circuit provided in a temperature control device includes a target temperature determination circuit, a difference arithmetic circuit, a temperature abnormality determination circuit, and a storage circuit. The temperature abnormality detection circuit is configured to determine the presence or absence of temperature abnormality by a response situation of a detected temperature by a temperature sensor, calculate a current temperature difference from the detected temperature acquired by the temperature sensor if it is determined that there is a temperature abnormality and an estimated WAE temperature value, and determine whether the temperature sensor is abnormal or the control circuit side is abnormal based on the result of comparison between the temperature difference and a preset threshold value.