Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080205930 | PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, a charging unit, an exposing unit, a developing unit, an intermediate transfer unit, and a cleaning unit, arranged opposite to each other along a rotating direction of the photosensitive drum in an enclosure that has an opening opposite to a developing roller of the developing unit. An extended line connecting a tangent line to an outer circumference of the developing roller and a wall of a first end of the enclosure in an axial direction of the developing roller does not intersect with a wall of a second end of the enclosure. | 08-28-2008 |
20080219698 | LATENT IMAGE CARRIER UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - There is disclosed an image forming apparatus including: a latent image carrier; a latent image writing unit; a development unit; a latent image carrier unit having the latent image carrier; a first positioning protrusion disposed on the latent image carrier unit, the first positioning protrusion being engaged with a groove or a slit of an image forming apparatus body; an abutted portion disposed on the groove or the slit, the abutted portion abutting the first positioning protrusion in order to position the latent image carrier unit in an installation and removal direction; and a second positioning protrusion shifted in the installation and removal direction and disposed on the latent image carrier unit, the second positioning protrusion positioning the latent image carrier unit at a position different from a position of the first positioning protrusion in order to engage the groove or the slit. | 09-11-2008 |
20080267661 | TONER-COLLECTING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner-collecting device includes a toner-collecting unit, a shaft member, and a guide member. The toner-collecting unit is configured to be detachably attachable. The shaft member is rotatably arranged in the toner-collecting unit. The guide member includes a sliding portion that allows the shaft member to slide while the shaft member is being inserted from one end to an opposite end of the toner-collecting unit. | 10-30-2008 |
20080279586 | DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing device that supplies developer to an image carrier. In a developing device having a developer carrier that is driven in rotation by drive force applied to a gear provided on the shaft section thereof, the developer carrier being pressed in the direction of the image carrier, the effect of the gear drive force on the pressing force of the developer carrier onto the image carrier can be eliminated. The bearing that supports the shaft section is made slidable and the sliding direction of the bearing with respect to the direction of the drive force is set at about 90°. | 11-13-2008 |
20090022531 | TONER CARTRIDGE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND METHOD OF MAKING TONER CARTRIDGE REUSABLE - A toner cartridge is configured by integrally arranging a fresh toner storing chamber and a residual toner collection chamber. Fresh toner is filled in the fresh toner storing chamber through a fresh toner filling opening. Residual toner is conveyed in the residual toner collection chamber through a residual toner conveying opening. Two residual toner discharging openings are created in the residual toner collection chamber through which the residual toner is discharged. | 01-22-2009 |
20090110430 | SEAL MEMBER, DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A seal member covers a space between a developing roller and a casing of a developing device. The seal member includes a flexible sheet and a reinforcing member fixed to the sheet. The reinforcing member is fixed to the casing. Notches are provided in the reinforcing member in a direction perpendicular to the length of the reinforcing member. | 04-30-2009 |
20090154973 | WASTE-TONER COLLECTING DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A waste-toner collecting device includes a cleaning unit that collects waste toner remaining on an image carrier; a conveying belt that conveys the waste toner collected by the cleaning unit in a first direction; and a conveying screw that conveys the waste toner conveyed by the conveying belt in a second direction. An end of the conveying screw on a side of the conveying belt is rotatably supported by an inner wall of a body of the waste-toner collecting device in a state where the end of the conveying screw is in contact with the inner wall. | 06-18-2009 |
20090162101 | TONER AGITATING UNIT, TONER HOPPER, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner agitating unit is located in a toner hopper that houses toner used for developing a latent image. The toner agitating unit includes a rotary shaft and an agitating member. The agitating member is a flat plate made of resin. The agitating member has a plurality of slits extending from an outer edge of the agitating member toward the rotary shaft. | 06-25-2009 |
20090169246 | DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS UNIT, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing device includes a main body that is arranged between a pair of supporting members and includes a developing roller. Both end portions of the developing roller are supported by the supporting members in a first direction in which the developing roller is movable toward and away from an image carrier. A groove is formed on each of the supporting members. Either one of an end portion of the developing roller and a bearing that supports the end portion is inserted into the groove. Either one of at least one of the end portions of the developing roller and at least one of the bearings is movable in the groove in a second direction that intersects the first direction. | 07-02-2009 |
20090169265 | POWDER TRANSPORT SCREW, AND DEVELOPMENT DEVICE, PROCESS UNIT AND IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS COMPRISING THIS POWDER TRANSPORT SCREW - A toner transport screw that is capable of maintaining a smooth and stable transport function. The toner transport screw, in which a helical blade is disposed on the circumference of a rotating shaft, has at least one spiral direction reversal part formed by connecting the respective ends of a first blade part and a second blade part, the directions of spiral of the first blade part and the second blade part being in opposite directions. A passage, which allows the toner to pass through the blades in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft, is formed in the spiral direction reversal part. | 07-02-2009 |
20110188896 | DEVELOPING UNIT, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE - A developing unit includes: a developer carrier; a toner supplying member having a porous surface layer; a toner storage storing therein toner; a stirring member that is rotated to stir the toner; a toner amount detecting unit that detects an amount of the toner; a toner supplying unit that supplies new toner to the toner storage based on a detection result; and a toner removing member that removes the toner carried in the porous surface layer, wherein the toner removing member is arranged in a separable and contactable manner from and with the porous surface layer, and the developing unit has a stirring mode in which the toner removing member is brought into contact with the porous surface layer, and the toner supplying member is rotated while the stirring member is rotated to stir the toner. | 08-04-2011 |
20110194864 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TONER SUPPLY METHOD - A toner supplying method for supplying toner from a toner container to a developing part that causes toner to adhere to a latent image formed on a latent image carrying member and develops the latent image, includes detecting a toner amount in the developing part as being equal to or less than a predetermined toner amount value; forming a fog detecting image in a case where the toner amount in the developing part is equal to or less than the predetermined toner amount value, and detecting fog; and determining based on the detected fog whether to execute a toner ejecting process of ejecting the toner remaining in the developing part toward the latent image carrying member before supplying the toner to the developing part from the toner container. | 08-11-2011 |
20110217055 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TONER SUPPLY METHOD - Toner is supplied from a toner container to a developing part that causes the toner to adhere to a latent image formed on a latent image carrying member and develops the latent image, a pre-toner-supply operation of supplying a predetermined amount of toner to the developing part is carried out, a fog detecting image is formed and fog is detected in the fog detecting image, a toner supply amount to be supplied to the developing part is determined based on the fog detected in the detecting and an operational status of the developing part since the toner was supplied to the developing part the last time, and the toner supply amount of the toner determined in the determining is supplied to the developing part. | 09-08-2011 |
20120033982 | TONER SUPPLY METHOD, DEVELOPMENT DEVICE, PROCESS UNIT, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner supply method includes detecting whether a remaining toner amount in the development device is equal to or greater than a first remaining amount, supplying a first supply amount of toner to the development device in a first supply mode when the remaining toner amount is not greater than the first remaining amount, detecting whether the remaining toner amount in the development device is equal to or greater than a second remaining amount smaller than the first remaining amount, and supplying a second supply amount, smaller than the first supply amount, of toner to the development device in a second supply mode when the remaining toner amount is reduced to or below the second remaining amount. | 02-09-2012 |
20120033996 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus, including an image developer to develop an electrostatic latent image and a toner provider to provide a toner from a toner container to the image developer in a direction of gravitational force. The toner container is capable of taking a first position of directing a toner outlet in a horizontal direction; a second position of directing the toner outlet in a direction of gravitational force; and a position of being removed, directing the toner outlet upward relative to the horizontal direction when further rotating from the first position. The toner container includes a main cap member to close the toner outlet when taking the first position and the position of being removed; and a sub-cap member to cover the main cap member while the toner container is displaced from the first position to the position of being removed. | 02-09-2012 |
20120063806 | SEAL MEMBER, DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A seal member covers a space between a developing roller and a casing of a developing device. The seal member includes a flexible sheet and a reinforcing member fixed to the sheet. The reinforcing member is fixed to the casing. Notches are provided in the reinforcing member in a direction perpendicular to the length of the reinforcing member. | 03-15-2012 |
20120114373 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF EFFECTIVELY UTILIZING INTERIOR SPACE - An image forming apparatus comprises a exposure device as a light source, a developer container storing developer and attached to a main body of the image forming apparatus perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the photoconductor, a developing unit and a photoconductor unit having a photoconductor for bearing a latent image thereon each detachably attached to the main body substantially in the same direction as the developer container. An exposure device displacing mechanism displaces the exposure device between a first position enabling the exposure device to function as the light source and a second position disabling the exposure device to function as the light source. The photoconductor unit is detached when the developer container is either displaced from an initially attached position or is removed from the main body and the exposure device displacing device has displaced the exposure device to the second position. | 05-10-2012 |
20120189326 | DEVELOPER AMOUNT DETECTOR, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME, AND POSITIONING STRUCTURE FOR POSITIONING UNIT WITHIN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer amount detector for detecting an amount of developer contained in a unit removably installable in an image forming apparatus, including optical elements having a light-emitting element to emit light and a light-receiving element to receive the light; two light-guiding members, provided in the unit, to guide the light from the light-emitting element to the light-receiving element; a holder, held in the image forming apparatus, to hold the optical elements, movable in a direction orthogonal to optical axes of the optical elements as the unit is being installed in the image forming apparatus; and a positioning mechanism to position the unit within the image forming apparatus by restricting movement of the holder in the direction orthogonal to the optical axes relative to the unit in a state in which the unit is installed in the image forming apparatus. | 07-26-2012 |
20120189327 | DEVELOPER AMOUNT DETECTOR, AND DEVELOPER CONTAINER, DEVELOPMENT DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A development device includes a development housing, a first developer conveyance member, a developer bearer, and a developer amount detector to detect an amount of developer in the development housing. The developer amount detector includes a light-emitting element, a right-receiving element, a first light guide including a first end from which light enters and a second end disposed inside the development housing, and a second light guide including a first end positioned inside the development housing across a predetermined distance from the second end of the first light guide and a second end from which the light exits. The second end of the first light guide and the first end of the second light guide are arranged in an axial direction of the first developer conveyance member with a light transmission path therebetween partly inside a locus of rotation of the first developer conveyance member. | 07-26-2012 |
20120189350 | DEVELOPMENT DEVICE, DEVELOPER CONTAINER, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A development device includes a housing for containing developer, a developer bearer to carry by rotation the developer contained in the housing to a development range position facing a latent image bearer, and developer conveyance device that includes a rotary shaft, a conveyance blade extending axially along the rotary shaft, projecting from the rotary shaft, and extending obliquely to the rotary shaft, to transport developer as the rotary shaft rotates, and a flexible agitation blade provided to the rotary shaft. An axial range of the flexible agitation blade overlaps at least partially with that of the conveyance blade. The flexible agitation blade has a width wider than a width of the conveyance blade and extends beyond an outer edge of the conveyance blade in the direction of diameter of the rotary shaft. | 07-26-2012 |
20120230708 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, an optical writing unit to writing an electrostatic latent image on the image bearer, the optical writing unit including multiple optical writing elements arranged in a longitudinal direction of the image bearer and a frame to hold the multiple optical writing elements, a development device to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image bearer with developer, a developer container for containing the developer supplied to the development device, and a developer amount detector to detect an amount of developer contained in the developer container based on a light transmission amount between a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element. At least one of the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element of the developer amount detector is attached to the optical writing unit. | 09-13-2012 |
20120237227 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, TONER SUPPLYING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - A control unit drives a driving unit for a correction driving time to supply toner to a developing unit from a toner supplying unit, when a detecting unit detects that an amount of toner stored in the developing unit is equal to or less than a threshold value. A calculating unit calculates an amount of toner consumption from when the toner is supplied to the developing unit to when the detecting unit detects that the amount of the toner stored in the developing unit is equal to or less than the threshold value. The control unit calculates a unit amount of toner supply from the correction driving time and the amount of toner consumption, and supplies the toner to the developing unit by driving the driving unit on the basis of the calculated unit amount of toner supply. | 09-20-2012 |
20130028638 | DEVELOPER CONTAINER, DEVELOPMENT DEVICE, PROCESS UNIT, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer container includes a container body in which a developer containing chamber and a discharge outlet are formed, a developer conveyance member disposed inside the developer containing chamber and including a first conveyance portion and a second conveyance portion downstream from the first conveyance portion in a developer conveyance director, a canopy disposed inside the container body and facing the discharge outlet, a developer conveyance chamber defined by the canopy and an inner face of the container body in which the discharge outlet is formed, and a return opening formed in the canopy downstream from the discharge outlet. A developer conveyance velocity (Q | 01-31-2013 |
20130058670 | IMAGE DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE INCLUDING IMAGE DEVELOPING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE INCLUDING IMAGE DEVELOPING DEVICE - An image developing device includes a developer supporting body; a first conveyance path in which a first conveyance member is arranged; a second conveyance path in which a second conveyance member is arranged; and a partition member that partitions the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path and that has a first communication port and a second communication port. The first communication path and the second communication path communicates with each other through the first communication port and the second communication port. The image developing device includes a developer amount detection unit that includes an optical detection unit arranged in the second conveyance path and that optically detects an amount of the developer in the image forming device. The developer is caused to accumulate in the vicinity of the developer amount detection unit. | 03-07-2013 |
20130259532 | DEVELOPER CONTAINER, DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS UNIT, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The developer container includes a rotator that is rotated in the container body, a sequence of gears disposed outside the developer container that transmits a torque to the rotator, and a container guiding portion that fits with a main body side guiding portion and guides the developer container in a direction in which the developer container is attached to a mounting portion of an image forming device main body. A first gear included in the sequence of the gears is movable between an operating position where the first gear engages with a second gear and a retracted position where the first gear is retracted. On a surface on which the container guiding portion is disposed, a part of the container guiding portion is disposed within a projected area of the first gear being disposed at the operating position. | 10-03-2013 |
20130266347 | DEVELOPER CONTAINER, DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS UNIT, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The developer container includes a rotator that is rotated in the container body, a sequence of gears disposed outside the developer container that transmits a torque to the rotator, and a container guiding portion that fits with a main body side guiding portion and guides the developer container in a direction in which the developer container is attached to a mounting portion of an image forming device main body. A first gear included in the sequence of the gears is movable between an operating position where the first gear engages with a second gear and a retracted position where the first gear is retracted. On a surface on which the container guiding portion is disposed, a part of the container guiding portion is disposed within a projected area of the first gear being disposed at the operating position. | 10-10-2013 |
20140029962 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND POWDER TRANSPORT UNIT - An image forming apparatus includes a powder container containing powder used for image forming and including an inlet through which the powder is supplied, a powder supply unit including an outlet that is removably connected to the inlet and supplying the powder to the powder container with the outlet connected to the inlet of the powder container, a powder amount detector detecting whether a present powder level in the powder container is equal to or greater than a threshold, and a controller controlling an amount of powder supply from the powder supply unit and controlling the present powder level in the powder container after replenishment to remain in a range from the threshold and a position corresponding to an upper edge of the inlet. A powder transport unit includes a transport decelerating part to decelerate the speed of powder transport and a detection area in the image forming apparatus. | 01-30-2014 |
20140050502 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND DEVELOPER CONTAINER, DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS UNIT, AND REPLACEABLE UNIT THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, an apparatus-side terminal provided to a first inner side wall of the apparatus body, a developer container to contain developer and to be removably installable in the apparatus body, a container-side terminal electrically connectable to the apparatus-side terminal and disposed in a first end portion of the developer container in a longitudinal direction thereof, and an apparatus-side protrusion projecting inward from the first inner side wall of the apparatus body. In removal of the developer container from the apparatus body, a second end portion of the developer container in the longitudinal direction is disengaged from the apparatus body before the first end portion is disengaged from the apparatus body, and the apparatus-side protrusion contacts the first end portion of the developer container immediately after removal of the developer container from the apparatus body is started. | 02-20-2014 |
20140050507 | SHUTTER ASSEMBLY, POWDER CONTAINER, CLEANING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A shutter assembly includes an internal shutter and an external shutter. The internal shutter including a contact member is movable between a first position at which the internal shutter closes the outlet, a third position at which the internal shutter opens the outlet, and a second position between the first position and the third position. The internal shutter at the second position is movable to the third position while closing the outlet. The external shutter is movable between a closed position at which the external shutter closes the outlet and an open position at which the external shutter opens the outlet, and includes an interlocking member to contact the contact member to move the internal shutter. As the external shutter is moved from the closed position to the open position, the internal shutter is moved from the first position to the second position in conjunction with the external shutter. | 02-20-2014 |
20140153972 | POWDER CONTAINER, DEVELOPING UNIT, PROCESS UNIT, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A powder container that includes a container body to contain powder for image formation, a discharge outlet formed in the container body to discharge powder therefrom, a shutter movable between an open position to open the discharge outlet and a closed position to close the discharge outlet, and a seal member to be interposed between the container body and the shutter when the shutter is at the open position. In a state in which the shutter is at the open position, a downstream end of the seal member in an opening direction in which the shutter moves to open the discharge outlet is positioned downstream from a downstream end of the shutter in the opening direction. | 06-05-2014 |
20140294449 | DEVELOPER CONTAINER, DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS UNIT, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The developer container includes a rotator that is rotated in the container body, a sequence of gears disposed outside the developer container that transmits a torque to the rotator, and a container guiding portion that fits with a main body side guiding portion and guides the developer container in a direction in which the developer container is attached to a mounting portion of an image forming device main body. A first gear included in the sequence of the gears is movable between an operating position where the first gear engages with a second gear and a retracted position where the first gear is retracted. On a surface on which the container guiding portion is disposed, a part of the container guiding portion is disposed within a projected area of the first gear being disposed at the operating position. | 10-02-2014 |
20140356004 | DEVELOPER CONTAINER, DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESSING UNIT, IMAGE FORMING DEVICE, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING DEVELOPER CONTAINER - A developer container includes: a container body that stores a developer and includes a filling port for the developer; and a container terminal that is attachable to and detachable from the container body. The container body is provided with an identifier that engages with the container terminal and is caused to change own form that can be identified from an outside, by an external force that is applied to detach the container terminal from the container body. The container body is provided with a flow preparation part that separates an inside and outside of the container body before changing the form of the identifier and that allows the air to flow between the inside and outside of the container body after changing the form of the identifier. | 12-04-2014 |