Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080310896 | CLEANING DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A cleaning device capable of reducing the apparatus and prolonging the service life of the cleaning blade is disclosed. The cleaning device includes a cleaning blade including an elastic blade, a pressing member disposed near the downstream side of the image carrier with respect to the elastic blade, and a driving mechanism for driving the pressing member so as to be in contact with and press the elastic blade. The driving mechanism operates so as to press the elastic blade in the upstream direction to separate the elastic blade from the surface of the image carrier for a while. Then, the driving mechanism operates to move the pressing member to be separated from the elastic blade so that the elastic blade is in contact with the surface of the image carrier. | 12-18-2008 |
20110064473 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier on which a latent image is formed, a charging device that charges the image carrier, an exposing device that irradiates the image carrier, thereby forming a latent image on the image carrier, a developing device that develops the latent image into a visible image by using a monocomponent developer that is carried and transferred by a developer carrier and that is charged to a predetermined polarity, and a toner supply container that is installed in the developing device for toner supply. Used old toner is conveyed from the developing device to the toner supply container and mixed with unused new toner within the toner supply container and thus a mixed toner is produced, and the mixed toner is supplied to the developing device. | 03-17-2011 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
20130195487 | COLOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is a color image forming apparatus that includes: image carriers that form toner image of black and other colors; an intermediate transfer body that makes contact with the image carriers; and transfer units that transfer the toner images on the image carriers to the intermediate transfer body. A line velocity difference is set between the image carriers and the intermediate transfer body. An accelerated cohesion degree of toner is equal to or larger than 54%. A linear velocity difference X | 08-01-2013 |
20130236217 | DEVELOPMENT DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND PROCESS UNIT INCORPORATING SAME - A development device to develop a latent image using developer having a degree of agglomeration of 54% or greater includes a developer bearer to carry developer thereon, and a developer supply member to contact the developer bearer to supply developer to a surface of the developer bearer. The developer supply member is disposed to satisfy at least one of two conditions: a biting amount of the developer supply member relative to the developer bearer is 0.7 mm or greater; and a contact pressure of the developer supply member against the developer bearer is 30 N/m or greater. | 09-12-2013 |
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 |
20130266332 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus including a latent image bearing member, a charger, a latent image forming device, a developing device, and a transfer device is provided. The transfer device is adapted to transfer a toner image formed on the latent image bearing member onto an intermediate transfer member or a recording medium by action of a transfer elected field in a transfer position where the latent image bearing member faces the transfer device. When a non-charged portion of the latent image bearing member that has not been charged to a predetermined potential by the charger passes through the transfer position, a strength of the transfer electric field is lowered than that in transferring the toner image. | 10-10-2013 |
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 |
20140147784 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING METHOD AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE - An image forming apparatus, including:
| 05-29-2014 |
20140153982 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a nip formation pad disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of an endless belt and a pressing rotary body pressed against the nip formation pad via the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressing rotary body, through which a recording medium is conveyed. The pressing rotary body has a diameter increasing from a center to each lateral end in an axial direction thereof. The nip formation pad includes a projection disposed downstream from a rotation axis of the pressing rotary body in a recording medium conveyance direction. The projection projects toward the pressing rotary body in an amount increasing from each lateral end to a center in a longitudinal direction of the nip formation pad parallel to the axial direction of the pressing rotary body. | 06-05-2014 |
20140161471 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a latent image forming device that forms a latent image, a latent image carrier that carries the latent image, a development device that develops the latent image, and a controller. The development device includes a developer carrier that faces the latent image carrier and carries toner on a rotary surface thereof that rotates in a rotation direction perpendicular to a width direction of the developer carrier, and a regulation member that regulates the thickness of a layer of the toner on the surface of the developer carrier. The controller moves the toner on lateral end regions in the width direction of the surface of the developer carrier toward the latent image carrier. The end regions are located outside a maximum image forming region within a regulation member facing region of the surface of the developer carrier facing the regulation member. | 06-12-2014 |
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 |