G03G15/00

IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
20210373478 · 2021-12-02 ·

An image forming apparatus includes a developing roller, a motor, a motor control portion configured to control the motor, a drive switching unit configured to switch between transmission and non-transmission of the rotational driving force of the motor relative to the developing roller, a current detection portion configured to detect a current value of a current to the motor, and an acquisition unit configured to acquire information relating to a rotation amount of the developing roller. The acquisition unit is configured to acquire the information relating to the rotation amount of the developing roller on the basis of a transmission timing at which the rotational driving force is allowed to be transmitted to the developing roller by the drive switching unit and a non-transmission timing at which the rotational driving force is prevented from being transmitting to the developing roller by the drive switching unit.

FIXING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
20210373472 · 2021-12-02 ·

A fixing apparatus according includes: a heater that includes a substrate, a heating element provided on the substrate, and an electrode provided on the substrate and electrically connected to the heating element; and a power supply member that includes a first member bonded or coupled to the electrode to supply power to the heating element and a second member bonded or coupled to an opposite surface of the first member to a surface, which is bonded or coupled to the electrode, of the first member, wherein the heater generates heat by power supplied via the power supply member, and an image formed on a recording material is heated by heat of the heater; and a liner expansion coefficient of the first member is different from a liner expansion coefficient of the second member.

IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM

An image forming system including: a reading unit configured to read, through a transparent member, an image on a first sheet conveyed by a conveyance unit; an opposed member provided opposite to the reading unit with respect to the transparent member, the first sheet passing through a gap between the opposed member and the transparent member; and at least one processor configured to control, based on the image read by the reading unit, a geometric characteristic of an image to be formed on a second sheet by an image forming portion, and control a changing unit to change the size of the gap to a first size when the thickness of the first sheet is a first thickness, and to a second size larger than the first size when the thickness of the first sheet is a second thickness larger than the first thickness.

BELT EXAMINATION SYSTEM AND COMPUTER-READABLE NON-TRANSITORY RECORDING MEDIUM HAVING STORED BELT EXAMINATION PROGRAM
20210372937 · 2021-12-02 ·

A belt examination system includes a defect candidate detecting processor that detects a candidate for a belt defect that is an abnormal portion of an intermediate transfer belt of an image forming apparatus from a belt image that is an image of the intermediate transfer belt, the defect candidate detecting processor executes a background pattern reduction step to reduce a texture-pattern like background noise present in the belt image and detects the candidate based on the belt image generated during the background pattern reduction step, and the background pattern reduction step is to replace, in the belt image, a color value within a specific range of color values not including a lowest color value of the belt defect with a specific color value within the specific range.

IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
20210373480 · 2021-12-02 ·

A control circuit of an image forming apparatus outputs a pulse signal. A clock signal generation circuit generates a clock signal, based on the pulse signal. A pulse signal conversion circuit generates a pulse conversion control signal of a voltage value associated with a duty ratio of the pulse signal. An AC voltage generation circuit generates an AC voltage of a frequency based on the clock signal. Either the AC voltage generation circuit or a DC voltage generation circuit generates a voltage whose amplitude or voltage value increases as a voltage value of the received pulse conversion control signal increases, and whose amplitude or voltage value decreases as a voltage value of the pulse conversion control signal decreases.

IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM CAPABLE OF PREDICTING CONSUMED AMOUNT OF CONSUMABLE, PREDICTION DATA OUTPUT METHOD

An image forming system includes a recording processing portion, an acquirement processing portion, and an output processing portion. The recording processing portion records a consumed amount of a consumable consumed by an image forming apparatus per predetermined unit time. The acquirement processing portion acquires prediction data that indicates a predicted consumed amount of the consumable per the unit time for a time period from a predetermined standard time, based on a comparison result between: a first record result corresponding to a first time period extending to a reference time; and a second record result corresponding to a predetermined second time period extending to the standard time, among a record result recorded by the recording processing portion, the reference time being a predetermined specific time period earlier than the standard time. The output processing portion outputs the prediction data acquired by the acquirement processing portion.

MEDIUM EJECTION DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
20210373476 · 2021-12-02 · ·

A medium ejection device includes a medium ejector, a medium stacker, a medium stopper, and an extended stacker. The medium ejector ejects a medium. The medium ejected from the medium ejector is stacked on a medium stacker. The medium stopper is disposed on the medium stacker and opposite the medium ejector. The extended stacker is disposed on a downstream side of the medium stopper in a medium ejection direction.

IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
20210373479 · 2021-12-02 ·

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion and a post-processing portion, a first frame, a second frame and a connection member. The first frame includes a first section for supporting a photosensitive member and a second section bent from a bottom end of the first section. The second frame, to which an electronic circuit board is attached, supported by the second section of the first frame without being fixed to the first section of the first frame. The connection member is connected with the second frame and a third frame which is a frame of the post-processing portion.

SHEET DISCHARGING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
20210374491 · 2021-12-02 ·

A sheet discharging apparatus includes a sheet supporting portion supporting a sheet discharged out of a nip portion nipping the sheet and a guide portion provided opposed to an upper surface of the sheet fed out of the nip portion. The guide portion includes a fixed restricting portion restricting a rear end of the sheet with respect to a sheet discharging direction to moving upward away from an extension line in a sheet discharging direction of the nip portion after passing through the nip portion.

SHEET CONVEYANCE APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
20210371231 · 2021-12-02 ·

While the first opening and closing member is moved from the first closed position to the first opened position, a force transmitted to the second opening closing member by the first member interfering with the second member pivots the second opening and closing member from the second closed position toward the second opened position. While the first opening and closing member is moved from the first opened position to the first closed position, the second member retracts from the movement locus of the first member by interference of the first member with the second member, and the first opening and closing member is configured to move to the first closed position in a state where the second opening and closing member is positioned at the second closed position.