Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080279578 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus, for which a heated roller fixing device is employed but for which a savings in power can still be obtained, is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: a fixing device | 11-13-2008 |
20110311258 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH STANDBY AND POWER SAVING MODES - An image forming apparatus, for which a heated roller fixing device is employed but for which a savings in power can still be obtained, is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: a fixing device, which is a heated roller fixing device that requires pre-heating in a stand-by state; an operation panel, with which a power-saving mode transition time period can be changed; and a control part, which selects pre-heating or does not select pre-heating of the heated roller fixing device. The control part employs the power-saving mode transition time period, entered at the operation panel, to change the pre-heating or to not change the pre-heating of the heated roller fixing device. | 12-22-2011 |
20120148271 | TONER CONTAINER, DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner container includes a toner accommodating portion: a rotatable toner stirring member; a sensor for detecting a remaining amount of the toner; wherein the sensor includes a first flexible sheet portion, a second sheet portion, a first opening, a first electroconductive portion, a second electroconductive portion, wherein the first sheet portion flexes by a stirring operation of the stirring member, and the first electroconductive portion is contacted to the second electroconductive portion, by which the remaining toner amount is detectable, and wherein the toner accommodating portion is provided with a second opening for communicating the first opening and an outside of the toner accommodating portion with each other. | 06-14-2012 |
20130223857 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus includes a developing unit adapted to contain a developer a member adapted to perform a circumduction motion in the developing unit and a detection unit installed on an internal surface of the developing unit and adapted to detect a signal corresponding to pressure in the developing unit which varies with the circumduction motion of the member. An amount of the developer can be determined based on the detected pressure. | 08-29-2013 |
20130266330 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a developing unit for accommodating a developer; a ratatable member for paddling in the developing unit, wherein the paddling member includes a pressure-applying portion for applying pressure to a wall surface perpendicular to a rotational axis direction; a pressure-detecting portion for detecting the pressure applied by the pressure-applying portion of the ratatable member, wherein the pressure-detecting portion is provided on the wall surface perpendicular to the rotational axis direction of the ratatable member in the developing unit; and a discriminating portion for discriminating an amount of the developer in the developing unit on the basis of a detection result of the pressure-detecting portion. | 10-10-2013 |
20130302046 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus includes: a rotatable cylindrical belt; a heater, provided inside the belt, for heating the belt; and an overheating preventing element, including a circuit which is opened when abnormal temperature rise occurs, for interrupting electric power supply to the heater. The overheating preventing element is provided at a position, inside the belt, where the overheating preventing element is free from direct heat radiation emitted from said heater. | 11-14-2013 |
20130308965 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable member which is provided on and rotatable about a rotation shaft in a detachably mountable developing unit containing a developer and has flexibility so that it is flexed depending on a resistance of the developer; an electroconductive member to be detected which is provided on the rotatable member; a detecting electrode provided in a neighborhood of an outer wall surface of a bottom of the developing unit; a converting portion for detecting an electrostatic capacity between the member to be detected and the detecting electrode and for converting the electrostatic capacity into an electric signal; a measuring portion for measuring a time duration in which the electric signal converted by the converting portion exceeds a predetermined threshold; and a discriminating portion for discriminating an amount of the developer on the basis of the time duration measured by the measuring portion. | 11-21-2013 |
20140023385 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus includes a developing unit that is detachable and contains a developer, a detection member that includes an electrode to be detected and is rotatable around a rotation axis in the developing unit, an agitator that moves around the rotation axis in the developing unit; an electrostatic capacitance sensor electrode provided on an exterior of the developing unit, an electrostatic capacitance sensor that detects electrostatic capacitance between the electrode to be detected and the electrostatic capacitance sensor electrode, and outputs data on the detected electrostatic capacitance, and a CPU that determines an amount of developer in the developing unit based on the data output from the electrostatic capacitance sensor. | 01-23-2014 |
20140037305 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus includes a developing unit that contains developer and that is detachable; a detection member that includes a detected electrode and that moves around a rotation shaft in the developing unit, an electrostatic capacitance sensor electrode that is provided on an outer side of the developing unit, an electrostatic capacitance sensor that detects an electrostatic capacitance between the detected electrode and the electrostatic capacitance sensor electrode and that outputs data related to the detected electrostatic capacitance, and a CPU that determines an amount of the developer in the developing unit based on the data output from the electrostatic capacitance sensor. | 02-06-2014 |