Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080205915 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes a first cabinet, a toner carrier, an image carrier, a second cabinet disposed adjacent to the first cabinet, a toner amount detector and an empty decision unit. An inside of the first cabinet is communicated to an inside of the second cabinet through a plurality of openings. A spacing between one outer edge of one opening provided in one end side and another outer edge in a direction opposite to the longitudinal direction of another opening provided in another end side has a width not less than a width of an image forming region. The empty decision unit decides that a remaining state of a suspension polymerization toner in the second cabinet is the empty state before the amount of suspension polymerization toner in the second cabinet becomes smaller than the amount of suspension polymerization toner in the first cabinet. | 08-28-2008 |
20080205926 | Developing Device and Image Forming Apparatus Including the Same - A developing device includes a cabinet, a developing roller that carries developer, a supply roller for supplying the developer, a developer cartridge that accommodates the developer, a first sealing member that is provided at both ends of the developing roller, a developer passage opening provided in at least one of the cabinet and the developer cartridge, and a second sealing member provided in a vicinity of the developer passage opening. At least a part of the second sealing member overlaps the first sealing member in a direction in which the developer cartridge is attachable to and detachable from the cabinet. A portion of a shadow of the second sealing member cast in a direction, in which the developer passes through the developer passage opening, overlaps the first sealing member. The developer cartridge is attachable to and detachable from the cabinet at a position opposed to the developing roller. | 08-28-2008 |
20080205939 | Developer Cartridge, Developing Unit and Image Forming Apparatus Including the Same - A developer cartridge, developing unit, and image forming apparatus are provided. The developer cartridge includes a cartridge cabinet including a developer accommodate chamber, a supply opening, and a return opening. The developer cartridge further includes a rotational shaft that is rotatably supported in the cartridge cabinet, a first agitating blade that is attached to the rotational shaft and that is located in a position opposed to the return opening, a distance from the rotational shaft to a distal end of the first agitating blade being shorter than a distance from the rotational shaft to the return opening, and a second agitating blade that is attached to the rotational shaft and that is located in a position opposed to the supply opening, a distance from the rotational shaft to a distal end of the second agitating blade being longer than a distance from the rotational shaft to the supply opening. | 08-28-2008 |
20080205940 | Developer Cartridge, Developing Unit and Image Forming Apparatus Including the Same - A developer cartridge includes a cartridge cabinet including a developer accommodating chamber configured to accommodate developer, and a supply opening that is provided in one wall surface and is configured to supply the developer from an inside of the developer accommodating chamber to an outside of the developer accommodating chamber, a rotational shaft that is rotatably supported in the cartridge cabinet, extends parallel to the one wall surface and extends through the inside of the developer accommodating chamber, an agitating blade that is supported by the rotational shaft and rotates with the rotational shaft to supply the developer toward the supply opening while agitating the developer, and an obstruction member that is supported by the rotational shaft and rotates with the rotational shaft following the agitating blade to obstruct the supply opening during rotation of the rotational shaft. | 08-28-2008 |
20080226341 | Developer Cartridge - A developer cartridge has: a first body having an opening; a memory unit that has a contact terminal, the memory unit is provided at the first body; and a second body that covers the first body, the second body having a exposure hole; wherein the second body and the first body are movable relative to each other, the second body is able to open and close the opening by a relative movement with regard to the first body, and wherein the contact terminal of the memory faces to outside of the developer cartridge through the exposure hole when the second body is positioned at a first position in which the opening is opened, and the contact terminal of the memory unit is covered with the second body when the second body is positioned at a second position and the opening is closed by the second body. | 09-18-2008 |
20080240775 | Cartridge and Image Forming Apparatus - A cartridge, an auger, and an image forming apparatus are provided. The cartridge includes a housing including supporting members and a conveying member, at least a portion of the conveying member rotating in an eccentric manner, the conveying member including a main body portion; a pair of supported portions provided at both ends of the main body portion and rotatably supported by the supporting members; and a spiral blade portion that conveys developer. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming apparatus main body including the cartridge. The auger includes a cylindrical main body comprising a spiral blade portion that conveys developer and shaft portions having rotational centers that coincide with each other, one of the shaft portions provided at each end of the main body, a center of gravity of the main body being displaced from the rotational centers of the shaft portions. | 10-02-2008 |
20080260421 | Developer Cartridge, Developing Device and Image Forming Apparatus - A developer cartridge includes a cartridge cabinet that accommodates developer and includes an opening for enabling communication between an inside of the cartridge cabinet and an outside of the cartridge cabinet, a shutter that opens and closes the opening, and a cover that is arranged outside the cartridge cabinet and is movable between a closed position for closing the opening and an opened position for opening the opening, the opened position being located lower than the closed position, wherein the cover is movable such that a first end of the cover is in intimate contact with the cartridge cabinet while a second end of the cover is separated from the cartridge cabinet, the first end being farthest from the opening in the cover located in the opened position, and the second end being nearest to the opening in the cover located in the opened position. | 10-23-2008 |
20080298837 | Developing Device and Image Forming Apparatus - A developing device includes a cabinet, a developer carrier, a transport member rotating around a transport member shaft, and a developer cartridge attachable to and detachable from the cabinet. The developer cartridge includes a cartridge side first opening and a cartridge side second opening. The cabinet includes a cabinet side first opening located in a position opposed to the cartridge side first opening and a cabinet side second opening located in a position opposed to the cartridge side second opening. The cartridge side first opening, the cartridge side second opening, the cabinet side first opening and the cabinet side second opening extend in a vertical direction. The transport member transports a developer from the cabinet side first opening to the cabinet side second opening. A lower end of the cabinet side second opening is located upper than a center of the transport member shaft in the vertical direction. | 12-04-2008 |
20080317501 | Developer Cartridge and Developing Device - A developer cartridge and developing device are provided. The developer cartridge is attachable to and detachable from a developing housing, the developing housing comprising a drive gear for transmitting a driving force to the developer cartridge. The developer cartridge includes a cartridge housing that is configured to accommodate developer; a first passage portion provided in the cartridge housing to allow a passage of a detection light for detecting an amount of the developer accommodated in the cartridge housing; an agitator provided in the cartridge housing and configured to agitate the developer by the driving force; a transmission gear configured to mesh with the drive gear to transmit the driving force to the agitator, the transmission gear meshing with the drive gear when the developer cartridge is installed in the developing housing; and a second passage portion provided in the transmission gear to allow the passage of the detection light. | 12-25-2008 |
20080317511 | Developer Cartridge and Method of Recycling the Developer Cartridge - A developing cartridge and method of recycling a developing cartridge are provided. The developing cartridge includes a cartridge housing that is configured to accommodate developer. The cartridge housing includes a first opening for discharging the developer from the cartridge housing; and a second opening for accommodating the developer into the cartridge housing. The developing cartridge further includes a deflector that is configured to generate a swirling flow of air in the cartridge housing. The method of recycling the developing cartridge includes injecting air into the second opening such that the air is deflected by the deflector and refilling the developing cartridge with developer. | 12-25-2008 |
20080317512 | Developer Cartridge and Developing Device - A developer cartridge and developing device are provided. The developer cartridge is attachable to and detachable from a developing housing, the developing housing supporting a developer carrier and comprising a drive gear for transmitting a driving force to the developer cartridge. The developer cartridge includes a cartridge housing that is configured to accommodate developer, an agitator that is provided in the cartridge housing and is configured to agitate the developer by the driving force, a transmission gear that is configured to mesh with the agitation gear, the transmission gear meshing with the drive gear when the developer cartridge is installed in the developing housing, and a supporting member that is configured to support the transmission gear movably with respect to the agitation gear while the transmission gear meshes with the agitation gear. | 12-25-2008 |
20090087222 | Developer Cartridge, Developing Device, and Process Cartridge - A developer cartridge includes a housing for accommodating developer, a rotation shaft rotatably supported by the housing and passing across an inside of the housing, a supply opening formed in a wall of the housing opposite in a diameter direction of the rotation shaft, a return opening formed in the wall of the housing at a position displaced from the supply opening in an axial direction of the rotation shaft, a first agitation blade supported by the rotation shaft and passing through a position opposite the return opening along an inner surface of the housing, and a second agitation blade supported by the rotation shaft and passing through a position opposite the supply opening along an inner surface of the housing, wherein the first agitation blade is configured to allow the developer returned through the return opening to flow into the housing. | 04-02-2009 |
20100166458 | Developing Device - A developing device includes a developing unit having a developing frame defining therein a developing chamber and a developing roller rotatably disposed in the developing chamber, and a developing agent unit including a developing agent container that accommodates therein a developing agent, and an agitator disposed in the developing agent container and rotatable about a rotation axis in a rotational direction to agitate the developing agent. The developing agent container includes an arcuate bottom wall whose center of radius of a curvature is coincident with the rotation axis, and an arcuate protruding wall protruding from the bottom wall toward the developing chamber and positioned downstream of the bottom wall in the rotational direction. The protruding wall is formed with an opening providing a fluid communication between an interior of the developing agent container and the developing chamber. The opening has a downstream end in the rotational direction in an operational state. The bottom wall and the protruding wall have inner surfaces extending diagonally upward from a lowermost point of the bottom wall to the downstream end in the operational state. | 07-01-2010 |
20100166465 | Developing Apparatus and Developer Cartridge - A developing apparatus includes a developing roller and a feed roller accommodated in a developing chamber of a developing frame, a first agitating member accommodated in a storing chamber of the developing frame for agitating the developer by rotating in a prescribed rotational direction while moving the developer in the rotational direction, a second agitating member accommodated in a developer accommodation chamber of a developer cartridge, a wall portion provided between the storing chamber and the developer accommodation chamber and formed with an opening for circulating the developer between the storing chamber and the developer accommodation chamber to face the storing chamber on a position above the upper end portion of the feed roller, and a conveyance member arranged between the opening of the wall portion and the developer accommodation chamber for conveying the developer in an axial direction of the developing roller. | 07-01-2010 |
20110176832 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive drum; a development roller; a transfer roller; a drum driving unit that includes a forwardly and reversely rotatable motor; a forward transport unit; a reverse transport unit; and a transfer potential control unit that is configured to control a surface potential of the transfer roller to have a reverse polarity to that of the developer on the photosensitive drum during the forward rotation of the motor and control the surface potential of the transfer roller to be a potential that has the same polarity as the developer on the photosensitive drum and is equal to or higher than a surface potential of the photosensitive drum during the reverse rotation of the motor. | 07-21-2011 |
20120039632 | Developing Apparatus and Developer Cartridge - A developing apparatus includes a developing roller and a feed roller accommodated in a developing chamber of a developing frame, a first agitating member accommodated in a storing chamber of the developing frame for agitating the developer by rotating in a prescribed rotational direction while moving the developer in the rotational direction, a second agitating member accommodated in a developer accommodation chamber of a developer cartridge, a wall portion provided between the storing chamber and the developer accommodation chamber and formed with an opening for circulating the developer between the storing chamber and the developer accommodation chamber to face the storing chamber on a position above the upper end portion of the feed roller, and a conveyance member arranged between the opening of the wall portion and the developer accommodation chamber for conveying the developer in an axial direction of the developing roller. | 02-16-2012 |