A unit includes: a developing device configured to develop an electrostatic charge image that is formed on a surface of an image carrier, as a toner image with a developer including a flat toner containing a flat pigment, the developer being accommodated in the developing device; and a transfer device including an intermediate transfer belt onto which the toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier is primarily transferred, a primary transfer device configured to primarily transfer the toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier to a surface of the intermediate transfer belt, and a secondary transfer device configured to secondarily transfer the toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt to a surface of a recording medium, wherein the intermediate transfer belt contains a resin and conductive carbon particles, and after the flat toner adheres to an outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt in a loading amount of 3 g/cm.sup.2, in a case where air is blown to the outer circumferential surface from an upper side of the outer circumferential surface while increasing a blowing pressure, all the flat toner adhering to the outer circumferential surface is separated from the outer circumferential surface at a blowing pressure of 25 kPa or less.

An image forming apparatus includes a first detector detecting an operation sound based on a sound wave received by a receiver; a second detector detecting basis weight of recording material based on an ultrasonic wave transmitted from a transmitter and received by the receiver; a switching unit that switches destination of a reception signal from the receiver between a first path to the first detector and a second path to the second detector; and a controller that controls the switching unit such that the reception signal is output to the first path at a first timing and to the second path at a second timing. When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the controller controls the switching unit such that the reception signal is output to the second path at the first timing or to the first path at the second timing.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet, a conveyance guide unit, and a conveyance unit. The conveyance guide unit conveys the sheet on which the image is to be formed by the image forming unit. The conveyance unit conveys the sheet toward a first conveyance guide unit. The conveyance guide unit includes an urging member, a rotary member to be urged by the urging member and to rotate while abutting the sheet, a holding unit holding the urging member and the rotary member, and the first conveyance guide unit that is detachably attached to the holding unit to guide the sheet. The first conveyance guide unit includes a pressed portion, and the pressed portion is to be pressed by the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit and has strength less than strength of the holding unit.

An image forming apparatus including a plurality of sheet feeding cassettes includes a control unit. The control unit performs control. In a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied during execution of a print job to print image data, the control unit performs control to execute interruption processing of a correction job to print a correction patch. The control unit performs control to determine, from the plurality of sheet feeding cassettes, a sheet feeding cassette to be used for the correction job based on information on the sheet feeding cassette used for the print job.

An image reading apparatus includes a stacking portion, a feeding unit, a reading unit, and a discharge portion provided below the stacking portion. The feeding unit feeds a sheet stacked on the stacking portion in a feeding direction. The reading unit reads an image on the fed sheet and the discharge portion discharges the read sheet. The stacking portion includes first and second support surfaces that support the sheet and first and second regulating units to regulate a position of the sheet in a widthwise direction using two opposing ends of the sheet. The second support surface is retractable from a predetermined section above the discharge portion. The first support surface includes a downstream support portion that supports the sheet on a downstream side of the predetermined section in the feeding direction. A part of the second regulating surface is positioned on the downstream support portion.

Provided is an image forming apparatus, including; an imaging forming unit for forming a toner image on one surface of a recording material; a fixing unit that includes a heating unit and heats and fixes the toner image formed on the one surface; a discharging unit for discharging the recording material, on which the toner image is fixed, to a discharged paper tray; and a guide member that is disposed between the fixing unit and the discharging unit and forms a recording material conveying path for conveying the recording material from the fixing unit to the discharging unit. On the guide member, a blowing port to send air to the recording material conveying path and a suction port to suck air from the recording material conveying path are disposed on a same surface so as not to cross over the recording materials.

An image forming apparatus includes a single fan, a first air outlet port disposed so as to supply air sent from the fan to an image surface of the sheet, a second air outlet port disposed so as to supply the air sent from the fan to a surface opposite to the image surface of the sheet, and a control unit configured to control the fan. The control unit includes a first mode of controlling a rotational speed of the fan at a first rotational speed in a case where the sheet is not present in a position facing the first air outlet port and control the rotational speed of the fan at a second rotational speed lower than the first rotational speed in a case where the sheet is present in the position facing the first air outlet port.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer member, a moving portion, a driving portion, a voltage applying portion, a first detecting portion, and a second detecting portion. On the basis of a detection result of the first detecting portion when a first test voltage is applied to the transfer member by the voltage applying portion, the second detecting portion sets a second test voltage. The second detecting portion detects a position of the transfer member on the basis of a detection result of a current value by the first detecting portion acquired when the second test voltage is applied to the transfer member by the voltage applying portion.

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 amorphous silicon photosensitive member, a developing device including a developer carrying member that carries a two-component developer, and a control portion. When a potential difference V0−Vdc between the photosensitive member and the developer carrying member has a first potential difference at which the toner is moved from the developer carrying member to the photosensitive member and a second potential difference at which the toner is moved from the photosensitive member to the developer carrying member, the control portion adjusts V0 or Vdc so that the first potential difference and the second potential difference are equal in value and opposite in polarity, and a first development current |Ia| that flows at the first potential difference and a second development current |Ib| that flows at the second potential difference satisfy 1.9×10.sup.−2≥|Ib|/N≥5.7×10.sup.3 [μA/mm].