| Entries |
| Document | Title | Date |
|---|
| 20080199224 | DEVELOPER SUPPLY CASE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer supply case which is detachably attachable to an inserted portion of an image forming apparatus body includes a case body which stores a developer in its inside; an engaging portion which causes an inserting load W when engaged with an engaged portion provided in the image forming apparatus at completion of insertion of the developer supply case into the inserted portion; and a load causing portion which is provided so as to abut part of the inserted portion in insertion of the developer supply case into the inserted portion and causes an inserting load P | 08-21-2008 |
| 20080199225 | TONER CONVEYING APPARATUS - A toner conveying apparatus comprising: a toner conveying member which discharges toner outside a toner accommodating portion; toner conveying passage which receives toner discharged from the toner accommodating portion; and a screw constituted such that a pitch in its region downstream in the toner conveying direction is wider than a pitch in its region upstream in the toner conveying direction; and a drive device which drives the toner conveying member and the screw; wherein if a toner feeding amount per unit drive time of the toner conveying member is defines as V | 08-21-2008 |
| 20080213003 | PARTICLE SUPPLY APPARATUS, IMAGING APPARATUS, AND PARTICLE ACCOMMODATING UNIT TRANSPORTING METHOD - A particle supply apparatus for supplying particles to a supply destination is disclosed that includes a particle supply apparatus main frame, a particle accommodating unit that accommodates the particles, a gas spouting unit that is arranged at a bottom portion of the particle accommodating unit and is configured to spout gas toward the particles, and a conveying mechanism that applies suction to the particles accommodated in the particle accommodating unit and conveys the particles toward the supply destination. The particle accommodating unit is installed in the particle supply apparatus main frame and is arranged to rest on a face at the bottom portion side during operation, and the particle accommodating unit is detached from the particle supply apparatus main frame and is arranged to rest on a face other than the face at the bottom portion side during transportation. | 09-04-2008 |
| 20080219709 | Toner Metering Apparatus - The present disclosure relates to a device and/or method for conveying a quantity of image forming material between selected regions in a printing device or printer cartridge. A roller is provided having a surface that may include a recess capable of transferring a quantity of image forming material. The recess may include a convex surface. A wiper is configured to engage at least a portion of the roller surface and/or the convex surface in the recess to assist in the removal of image forming material that may otherwise accumulate on the roller surfaces. Such roller design and wiper configuration may therefore cooperate to improve the consistency of image forming material transfer. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080253810 | DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - To provide a relatively small developing device, process cartridge and image forming apparatus that prevent developer, accommodated in a second developer conveying portion for recovering the developer after a developing step, from being pumped up to a developer carrier, and that do not apply a large stress to the developer. A plurality of developer carriers are arranged side-by-side in a direction of gravitational force so as to face an image carrier. The developing device comprises a first developer conveying portion that supplies the developer to a first developer carrier, a second developer conveying portion that recovers the developer separated from the second developer carrier, and a third developer conveying portion that conveys the developer obliquely upward and conveys, to an upstream side in a conveyance direction of the first developer conveying portion, the developer reaching the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the first developer conveying portion and the developer reaching a downstream side in a conveyance direction of the second developer conveying portion. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20080260432 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes a toner supplying device, a toner container, and a developing device. The toner supplying device supplies toners stored in the toner container to the developing device. The toner supplying device includes a toner tank which stores toners discharged from the toner container, a toner carrying section which carries the toners stored in the toner tank in an obliquely upward direction, and a toner dropping route which causes the toners carried by the toner carrying section to drop into the developing device by toner own weight. The toner carrying section controls an amount of the toners to flow into the toner dropping route. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20080267669 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, REGULATING MEMBER AND CONTAINER - An image forming apparatus includes a container that contains a visualizing agent consumed with an operation of forming a visual image on a recording medium; a holding unit that detachably holds the container; and a regulating unit that is disposed in a packing member for packing the image forming apparatus and engages with a part of the container so as to prevent the container from departing from the holding unit. | 10-30-2008 |
| 20080286012 | DEVELOPER STORAGE CASE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer storage case includes: a storage case that includes: a developer storage space that stores a developer therein; and a discharge opening that discharges the developer stored in the developer storage space, the storage case defining an opening through which a developer passes into the developer storage space; a delivery member including: a rotation shaft that has one end supported on the storage case; and a main body that is supported on the rotation shaft, and that is disposed in contact with the wall surface of the developer storage space while being flexed, the delivery member delivering the developer stored in the developer storage space to the discharge opening; and an opening closing member that is removably supported on the storage case, and that closes the opening and supporting the other end of the rotation shaft. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20080292363 | DEVELOPING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A developing unit of an image forming apparatus includes a developer cartridge detachably mounted on the developing unit, a developing case in which a developing member and a first supply member are provided, a developer supply passage to supply a developer stored in the developer cartridge to the developing case, and a developer supplement unit mounted in a portion connecting the developing case and the developer supply passage, to agitate the developer supplied through the developer supply passage and to supply the agitated developer to the developing case. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20080304868 | DEVELOPER SUPPLYING APPARATUS AND DEVELOPING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A developer supplying apparatus includes a developer lump prevention unit that reduces the aggregation of developer into lumps in the path, which defines the supply passage of developer from the developer cartridge, in which the developer is stored, to the developing cartridge, which houses the developing roller. The developer lump prevention unit includes a developer lump removal member disposed in the path and a driving mechanism to drive the developer lump removal member to move in the path to prevent the developer lumps from forming and/or to break up lumps that had already formed in the path. | 12-11-2008 |
| 20080310883 | TONER CARTRIDGE GUIDE UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A toner cartridge guiding unit includes a guide frame to guide mounting of a toner cartridge, and having a toner feed hole formed opposite to a toner discharge hole of the toner cartridge, a toner sealing member attached to the proximity of the toner feed hole, and a lifting unit to raise the toner cartridge so that the toner cartridge does not interfere with the toner sealing member during mounting. Because the toner sealing member is not damaged by the repeated mounting and demounting of the toner cartridge, toner is supplied efficiently from the toner cartridge, without leaking towards the guide frame. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20090016779 | TONER CARTRIDGE, A TONER CARTRIDGE LOCKING APPARATUS, AND AN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A toner cartridge locking apparatus includes a toner cartridge housing unit formed in a main body of an image forming apparatus, a locking unit to lock a toner cartridge inserted in the toner cartridge housing unit in place, and an elastic member to elastically support the toner cartridge inserted in the toner cartridge housing unit in a discharging direction of the toner cartridge. A user can remove the toner cartridge without force, thus user convenience is enhanced. In addition, since excessive force is not required to remove the toner cartridge, damage to the toner cartridge is prevented. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20090022522 | TONER CARTRIDGE AND MECHANISM OF INSTALLING AND REMOVING THE SAME - In accordance with a replacing mechanism of the present invention, a toner cartridge is replaced from a main body of an image forming apparatus by performing, in a substantially same timing, an operation of closing a toner pouring opening with a cover by a levering action; and an operation of displacing the toner cartridge from the main body of the image forming apparatus to an operator side, the toner cartridge being provided with a flange portion. The toner cartridge cannot be pulled out unless the toner pouring opening is fully closed by the shutter member. | 01-22-2009 |
| 20090028611 | DEVELOPING SYSTEM AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A developing system includes a developing unit, a mixing container, a rotary feeder, an air pump, and an airflow regulator. The developing unit is configured to convert a latent image into visible form using a developer. The mixing container is separated from the developing unit and is configured to hold and mix part of the developer after use. The rotary feeder is configured to dispense the developer from the mixing container to a delivery path. The air pump is configured to supply compressed air to deliver the dispensed developer to the developing unit through the delivery path. The airflow regulator is located where the rotary feeder connects to the delivery path, and is configured to prevent the compressed air from flowing toward the rotary feeder from the delivery path. | 01-29-2009 |
| 20090047044 | TONER SUPPLY DEVICE, DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner supply device for supplying toner to a developing device includes: a first toner supply portion for supplying toner to a developing hopper; a second toner supply portion for supplying the stored toner to the first toner supply portion; a first toner supply driver for driving the first toner supply portion; a first residual toner quantity detector for detecting the residual toner quantity in the first toner supply portion; a second toner supply driver for driving the second toner supply portion; a second residual toner quantity detector for detecting the residual toner quantity in the second toner supply portion; and a controller for controlling the drives of the first and second toner supply drivers by switching on and off the drives of the first and second toner supply drivers in accordance with the residual toner quantities detected by the first and second residual toner quantity detectors. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090052949 | Developer Cartridge, Image Forming Unit and Image Forming Apparatus - A developer cartridge includes a developer storing portion that stores a developer and has a first opening for taking out the developer, and a shutter member slidably mounted to the developer storing portion so as to open and close the first opening. The shutter member has a resilient-member-fixing portion to which a resilient member is fixed for preventing leakage of the developer through between the shutter member and the developer storing portion. A deflectable part is provided on at least one of the resilient-member-fixing portion and a peripheral portion of the first opening of the developer storing portion. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090067885 | CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR CLUTCH - A controlling apparatus for controlling at least a clutch includes: a first actuating module; a shaft, coupled to the first actuating module, for driving the first actuating module to rotate; and a controlling circuit, coupled to the shaft, for controlling a rotation of the shaft. When the shaft rotates to a first position, the first actuating module is in contact with the first clutch so as to stop the first clutch from rotating. And when the shaft rotates to a second position, the first actuating module is not in contact with the first clutch, so as to allow the first clutch to rotate. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090087223 | DEVELOPER CONVEYING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer conveying apparatus includes a first developer storing portion, a second developer storing portion, and a conveying pipe that connects the first and second developer storing portions. The conveying pipe includes a tubular main body and a conveying member rotatably provided in the main body. A groove is formed on a surface of the conveying member, and the groove has a depth less than or equal to 5 μm. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090097885 | POWDER-DELIVERING DEVICE FOR TONER CARTRIDGE - A powder-delivering device includes a tapered shell received in a toner cartridge near an outlet of the toner cartridge. The tapered shell has a transection area becoming smaller gradually toward the outlet of the toner cartridge. The tapered shell has an outer surface having at least one projection or at least one recess. The projection of the tapered shell has a spiral or linear shape. The projection has an end, which is remote from the outlet of the toner cartridge, stopped against an inner wall of the toner cartridge. Thus, the powder-delivering device of the invention has simple structure and low product costs. | 04-16-2009 |
| 20090103952 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A developing device includes a developer holding member that carries a developer; an upper developer housing section that houses the developer; a lower developer housing section that has a bottom surface lower than a bottom surface of the upper developer housing section and houses the developer; a toner supply section that includes an upper toner supply part, a lower toner supply part, and a toner transport section; an upper conveying section that includes a rotation shaft, a first conveying member, a second conveying member, and a diameter direction conveying part; and a lower conveying section that conveys at least one of the developer and the toner in a direction opposite to the conveying direction by the first conveying member. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090123190 | DEVELOPER FEEDING APPARATUS AND DEVELOPING APPARATUS - Cones whose rotation axes are substantially parallel to each other and whose sides maintain a constant interval therebetween are provided in a driving force transmission unit to transmit a driving force to a developer feeding member, a roller to transmit the driving force is provided between the cones, a position of the roller is moved in accordance with rotation of one cone or the other, and a rotational speed of the developer feeding member to which the driving force is transmitted from one cone changes with an increase in a number of revolutions of s driving force transmission unit. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20090129822 | Toner Agitator - A printer includes a toner cartridge coupling section. A toner agitation member is located adjacent the toner cartridge coupling section and is operable to engage a surface of a toner cartridge when the toner cartridge is located in the toner cartridge coupling section. An actuator is operable to actuate the toner agitation member. | 05-21-2009 |
| 20090129823 | DEVELOPER CONTAINING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INTO/FROM WHICH DEVELOPER CONTAINING DEVICE IS INSTALLED AND REMOVED - A developer containing device includes: a developer container configured to contain developer and to be inserted into a receptacle defined in an image forming apparatus main body; a developer feed inlet provided in a forward end of the developer container which is inserted into the receptacle in an insertion direction and for feeding the developer contained in the developer container into the image forming apparatus main body; and an opening and closing member that opens the developer feed inlet with movement of the developer container in the insertion direction when the developer container is inserted into the receptacle and closes the developer feed inlet with movement of the developer container in opposition to the insertion direction when the developer container is removed from the receptacle, when the opening and closing member moves to open the developer feed inlet, the forward end of the opening and closing member in the insertion direction and at least one side of the opening and closing member being pressed against restrainers provided in the receptacle. | 05-21-2009 |
| 20090142102 | Image Forming Apparatus - Each transport electrode has its longitudinal direction intersecting with a sub-scanning direction. Transport electrodes | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090169266 | POWDER TRANSPORTING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A powder transporting apparatus is made up of: a powder container containing therein powder; a transportation tank having an inlet for supplying the powder from the powder container, and an outlet for discharging the powder to an outside; a conveying device disposed in the transportation tank and rotated about an axis to thereby transport the powder in the transportation tank from the inlet to the outlet; and a suction device disposed outside the transportation tank. The suction device sucks gas in the transportation tank through a suction port which is away from both the inlet and the outlet of the transportation tank. The powder in the powder container is thus sucked into the transportation tank. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090180813 | Developer supplier, image forming apparatus, developer supplying method and image forming method - A developer supplier for supplying a developer to each of a plurality of developing devices, includes a plurality of developer supplying units each configured to supply a developer in which a toner and a carrier are preliminarily dispersed at a given concentration to each of the plurality of developing devices. A proportion of the carrier included in the developer which is supplied to one of the plurality of developing devices is set so as to be greater than a proportion of the carrier included in the developer which is supplied to the another one of the plurality of developing devices. | 07-16-2009 |
| 20090180814 | FLUID CONTAINER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner supply container according to this invention includes a toner containing portion, a support member and a container holding member. The toner containing portion is a cylindrical container having a magnet at an outer periphery thereof and configured to discharge fluid contained therein. The support member supports the toner containing portion for rotation. The container holding member has a counterpart magnet at a position opposed to the former magnet and is configured to hold the toner containing portion supported by the support member. | 07-16-2009 |
| 20090180815 | IMAGE FORMING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming unit and an image forming apparatus comprising the image forming unit are supplied capable of preventing toner in bottom part of toner accommodating room from accumulating so as to obtain toner image with good quality. In the image forming unit, a developer accommodating section that accommodates developer; a developing member that supplies developer to an electrostatic latent image on an image carrying body; a supplying member that faces to the developing member and supplies developer to the developing member; and a conveying mechanism that conveys developer in bottom part of the developer accommodating section to the upper part of the developer accommodating section. | 07-16-2009 |
| 20090185832 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING A DEVELOPER REPLENISHING DEVICE FOR A TWO-INGREDIENT TYPE DEVELOPER - An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a developing unit for developing a latent image formed on an image carrier with a two-ingredient type developer, i.e., a toner and carrier mixture. A toner replenishing device replenishes toner stored in a toner storing portion to the developing unit. A carrier storing portion, storing a carrier therein, is constructed independently of the toner storing portion. The carrier is fed from the carrier storing portion to the developing unit by a toner conveying force available with the toner replenishing device. | 07-23-2009 |
| 20090190961 | ELECTROGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTED REPLENISHMENT APPARATUS AND METHOD - A developer station and related method for distributed replenishment of toner as well as powder coatings and related materials. The developer station is divided into a first space adjacent or within a second space, the first space located adjacent a toner supply and the second space including a developer sump. The first space includes a toner-conveying device located in the first space, the toner-conveying device having a tapered body with a first end and a second end. A conveyance housing is located adjacent to and disposed such that the toner conveying device conveys the toner toward the developer sump as it travels from the first end of the toner conveying device to the second end of the toner conveying device, the housing having slots or openings so that the toner is deposited in the developer sump along the length of the conveying device. | 07-30-2009 |
| 20090214268 | DEVELOPING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME, AND DEVELOPER SUPPLYING METHOD FOR A DEVELOPING APPPARATUS - A developing apparatus usable with an image forming apparatus includes a developer cartridge having an outlet through which developer is discharged, a developing cartridge, in which the developer cartridge is detachably disposed, has an inlet, through which the developer discharged from the outlet of the developer cartridge enters, and a connecting member connecting the outlet of the developer cartridge and the inlet of the developing cartridge so that the developer is supplied from the developer cartridge to the developing cartridge, wherein through the arrangement of the developer cartridge, the developing cartridge and the connecting member, the flow of developer from the developer cartridge to the developing cartridge is regulated based on the developer pressure in the developing cartridge. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090214269 | DEVELOPER CARTRIDGE, DEVELOPING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A developing cartridge and a developing device capable of preventing developer leak which may occur during replacement of a developer containing unit, and an image forming apparatus having the same are provided. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming apparatus body where a transfer path for a printing medium is formed, and a developing device for developing a visible image. The developing device may include, for example, developing cartridge, a developer containing unit, which contains a supply of developer therein, and which is detachably disposed in the developing cartridge to form a developer transfer path fluidly communicating with the developing cartridge, and a shutter unit which closes the developer transfer path when the developer containing unit is removed from the developing cartridge. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090220284 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND DEVELOPER CONTAINER THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of developing units respectively including developer inlets, the developing units are arranged side by side in a first direction, a plurality of developer containers to contain developers to be supplied to the plurality of developing units and respectively including developer outlets, the developer units are arranged side by side in the first direction to face the plurality of developing units, and a plurality of developer supplying paths respectively to connect the developer inlets to the developer outlets, wherein the plurality of developer containers include first and second developer containers, and a position of the developer outlet of the second developer container is different from position of the developer outlet of the first developer container. | 09-03-2009 |
| 20090245880 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing device includes: a developer carrier that carries toner thereon; a toner supply member that supplies toner to the developer carrier; a development chamber having the developer carrier and the toner supply member; a replaceable toner cartridge that supplies toner to the development chamber and collects toner from the development chamber; and a contact member that is in contact with the toner supply member to form a nip portion. At the time of replacement to the toner cartridge that contains new toner therein, the new toner is supplied from the toner cartridge into the development chamber and is made to pass through a nip portion between the toner supply member and the contact member within the development chamber, and then nip-passed toner is collected from the development chamber into the toner cartridge. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20090245881 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DOSING TONER MATERIAL IN AN ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTER OR COPIER - In a method or device for dosing toner material in an electrophotographic printer or copier, toner material is introduced into at least one bucket chamber rotatably arranged in an opening at a bottom of a toner reservoir. The bucket chamber has a paddle wheel which seals the opening of the toner reservoir. As the paddlewheel rotates, toner material in the bucket chamber is conveyed into a region. The toner material conveyed from the paddlewheel is further conveyed with a screw conveyor. Also a toner reservoir is provided having a toner removal opening shaped to accommodate at least a portion of a paddlewheel. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20090257784 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND DEVELOPING DEVICE - An image forming apparatus includes a charger to charge an image carrying member, an optical device to irradiate a light onto the image carrying member to form an electrostatic latent image, a developing device to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image carrying member to form a developed image and a transfer device to transfer the developed image on a sheet. The developing device includes a developer container to store a developer including toner and a carrier, a developer supply device to supply the developer to the developer container, a driver device to drive the developer supply device, a developer collection device installed in the developer container to interlock with the driver device and collect a surplus developer left over due to supply of the developer from the developer supply device to the developer container, and a collected developer container to contain the developer collected by the developer collection device. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090285604 | TONER CONTAINER - A toner cartridge includes a cylindrical supplying pipe having a toner opening port arranged on a side surface thereof; a cylindrical cover that is attached to the supplying pipe and has a cover opening port arranged on a side surface thereof, and a cam mechanism that is provided to the supplying pipe and the cover, and that reciprocates the cover between an opening position where the toner opening port and the cover opening port align with each other and a closing position where the toner opening port is closed by the cover, which closing position is in a skewed position with respect to the opening position. This arrangement provides a toner container that reduces toner leakage when being removed from a toner hopper. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20090285605 | TONER REPLENISHING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner replenishing apparatus is provided. The toner replenishing apparatus includes a toner replenishing container for replenishing toner stored therein to a developing section by a rotation of the container itself, a toner scraping member provided to be movable without being fixed in the toner replenishing container and to rub against an inner wall surface of the container, including a plurality of magnetic bodies arranged in a predetermined direction and a support section that extends in an arranging direction of the magnetic bodies and supports an one end portion of each of the magnetic bodies, and a magnet for attracting the magnetic bodies with a magnetic force, disposed along an outer peripheral surface of the toner replenishing container. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20090297226 | DEVELOPER SUPPLY CONTAINER AND DEVELOPER RECEIVING APPARATUS - A developer supply container detachably mountable to a developer receiving apparatus, wherein developer supply container mounted to the developer receiving apparatus is set to a set position by an operator rotating the developer supply container in a setting direction, includes a containing portion for containing a developer; a rotatable discharging member for discharging the developer out of the containing portion; and a drive transmission member for engagement with a driving gear provided in the developer receiving apparatus to transmit a driving force to the discharging member, wherein the drive transmission member is revolved to a position where the drive transmission member is engageable with the driving gear, by rotation of the developer supply container to the set position by the rotating operation of the operator; wherein the drive transmission member is loaded to rotate the developer supply container placed at the set position to a developer discharging position in the setting direction when the drive transmission member receives a driving force. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20090304413 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, DEVELOPING DEVICE AND DEVELOPER CARTRIDGE THEREOF - An image forming apparatus, a developing device and a developer cartridge are disclosed. The developer cartridge includes a cartridge housing and a developer delivery unit to deliver a developer received in the cartridge housing. The developer delivery unit includes a delivery member and a contact portion to come into contact with the delivery member. The contact between the contact portion and the delivery member form a length longer than a straight line connecting one end of the contact portion to the other end. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090311010 | DEVELOPER SUPPLYING APPARATUS AND DEVELOPING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A developer supplying apparatus includes a developer lump prevention unit that reduces the aggregation of developer into lumps in the path, which defines the supply passage of developer from the developer cartridge, in which the developer is stored, to the developing cartridge, which houses the developing roller. The developer lump prevention unit includes a developer lump removal member disposed in the path and a driving mechanism to drive the developer lump removal member to move in the path to prevent the developer lumps from forming and/or to break up lumps that had already formed in the path. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20090324294 | POWDER TRANSPORTING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A powder transporting device includes: a dropping path through which developer drops; a loosening member that is arranged in the dropping path, and loosens the developer applied on an inner wall of the dropping path; a supporting portion that is provided on the inner wall of the developing path, and supports the loosening member; a rotary member that includes: a rotary center; and a reciprocation applying portion that is located at a position eccentric from the rotary center, the rotary member being arranged within the dropping path and rotationally driven; and a reciprocation applied portion that is provided on the loosening member, and is brought into contact with the reciprocation applying member, wherein the loosening member is moved along the inner wall of the dropping path by contact between the reciprocation applying member and the reciprocation applied portion while the rotary member rotates. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20090324295 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE REFILLING OF TONER POWDER - A method for filling a toner cartridge, intended for duplication apparatus, with toner powder includes the steps of; placing the toner cartridge in relation to a device for refilling, inserting a hollow supply element through the passage in the cartridge and into the interior of the toner cartridge, which supply element is applied to a container containing toner powder and in flow communication with the interior of the container, and by feed element feed the powder from the container through the supply element and into the toner cartridge. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100003055 | POWDER CONVEYANCE DEVICE - A powder conveyance device includes a powder conveyance pipe having a first conveyance section communicating with the powder container section and having a supply inlet to receive powder from a powder container. A second conveyance section is provided in the powder conveyance pipe to communicate downstream with the first conveyance section via a first bending section. The second conveyance section downwardly extends to the conveyance destination being inclined from a horizontal at a larger angle than the first conveyance section. A third conveyance section is also provided in the powder conveyance pipe to communicate downstream with the second conveyance section via a second bending section. The third conveyance section extends toward the conveyance destination being inclined from the horizontal at a smaller angle than the second conveyance section. The third conveyance section has a replenishment outlet for replenishing the powder from the powder conveyance pipe to the powder conveyance destination. A space restriction member is provided and is at least arranged in the second conveyance section and partially closes an inner space of the second conveyance section. | 01-07-2010 |
| 20100014895 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF EFFECTIVELY DEVELOPING IMAGES - An image forming apparatus, a process cartridge, and a developing unit includes a developer carrying member to carry developer, first and second rotary members arranged in parallel to each other and configured to rotate to agitate and convey the developer, and an enclosure having an inside space to contain the developer, the inside space being divided by a partition with communication openings formed therein at opposite ends thereof into a first chamber configured to maintain the developer above a first level and to hold the first rotary member therein which supplies the developer to the developer carrying member while agitating and conveying the developer, and a second chamber configured to communicate with the first chamber through the communication openings, to maintain the developer at a second level lower than the first level, and to hold the second rotary member therein which circulates the developer with the first chamber through the communication openings. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100067957 | Developer supply container and image forming apparatus - A developer supply container for supplying developer to a developer receiving portion of a main assembly of the image forming apparatus of an electrophotographic type, the developer supply container being mountable to the main assembly, the developer supply container includes an accommodating portion for accommodating a developer; a discharge opening for permitting discharge of the developer; a stirring member for stirring the developer ; a stirring drive receiving portion, provided in one of opposing sides of the supply container, for receiving a stirring driving force for driving the stirring member from a stirring drive transmitting portion provided in the main assembly and for transmitting the stirring driving force to the stirring member; an openable member movable to open and close the opening; an opening and closing drive receiving portion, provided in the openable member, for receiving an opening and closing driving force for moving the openable member; an opening and closing drive transmitting portion, provided in the other of the opposing sides, for transmitting an opening and closing driving force to the opening and closing drive receiving portion through an opening and closing driving relay portion provided in the main assembly; wherein by mounting the container to the main assembly, drive force transmittable engagements are established between the stirring drive transmitting portion and the stirring drive receiving portion, between the opening and closing drive transmitting portion and the opening and closing driving relay portion, and between the opening and closing driving relay portion and the opening and closing drive receiving portion, respectively, so that stirring force is transmittable from the stirring drive transmitting portion to the stirring drive receiving portion, and the opening and closing driving force is transmittable from the opening and closing drive transmitting portion to the opening and closing drive receiving portion, and wherein a mounting direction in which the developer supply container is mounted to the image forming apparatus is against a force received by the developer supply container from the main assembly; an engaging portion, provided adjacent each of the sides, for limiting movement of the developer supply container in a dismounting direction by engagement with a locking portion provided in the main assembly of the image forming apparatus when the developer supply container is mounted to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20100092216 | TELESCOPIC AUGER DISPENSE DROP TUBE - A toner transport apparatus for a printing system in which toner is moved from a toner container to a developer housing. The toner transport apparatus can accommodate different lengths and orientations between the toner container and the developer housing. The apparatus discloses a variable length component that expands or contracts to extend the toner transport apparatus to a desired length. The toner transport apparatus can assume unique angles per station with a gear mechanism. A flexible auger can be associated with the toner transport apparatus to move material in non-vertical positions. The toner transport apparatus with the variable length component and flexible auger would provide the ability to reuse components at a variety of positions and angles. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100150613 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER UNIT - An intermediate transfer unit of an image forming apparatus is provided between a plurality of developer containers for containing developer and a plurality of developing devices. The intermediate transfer unit includes an intermediate transfer unit for secondarily transferring primarily transferred developed images from the plurality of image carriers onto a paper, an intermediate transfer unit driving mechanism for driving the intermediate transfer unit, and a housing for supporting the intermediate transfer unit driving mechanism. One end of the housing includes a plurality of developer inlet ports positionally corresponding to the developer supply ports of the developer containers respectively, a plurality of developer outlet ports positionally corresponding to the developer receiving ports of the developing devices respectively, and a plurality of developer supply paths connecting between the developer inlet ports and the developer outlet ports respectively. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100158574 | DEVELOPING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - Disclosed are a developing unit and an image forming apparatus having the same. The developing unit includes a partition frame provided separately from the housing of the developing unit. The partition frame is supported within the housing of the developing unit in such a manner to define a path of movement of developer within the housing through an opening formed in the partition frame. A removable sealing member is detachably arranged on the partition frame to prevent developer leakage during storage or transporting of the developing unit. The installation of the removable sealing member is made easier by the partition frame provided separately from the housing. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100172673 | POWDER STORAGE DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A powder storage device that stores powder to be supplied or recovered powder, includes: a storage container that is extractably mounted on a container receiver, and in which powder to be supplied or recovered powder is stored; an opening/closing door that opens and closes the container receiver; and an opening/closing restricting mechanism that restricts a closing operation of the opening/closing door, and the opening/closing restricting mechanism includes: a restricting member as defined herein; and a restricted member as defined herein. | 07-08-2010 |
| 20100172674 | POWDER CONVEYING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An aspect of the invention is a powder conveying device including a conveying passage where powder is conveyed from a first powder accommodating chamber toward a second powder accommodating chamber, in the conveying passage, a conveying member including a rotating shaft rotatable, and a blade member spirally provided around the rotating shaft and enable to convey the powder by rotation of the rotating shaft, an intake region including an intake port through which the powder is taken in from the first powder accommodating chamber, a first conveying region arranged on a downstream side of the intake region in a conveying direction of the powder, and a second conveying region arranged on a downstream side of the first conveying region in the conveying direction, a conveyable volume of the powder per one revolution of the conveying member at the second conveying region being lower than that at the first conveying region. | 07-08-2010 |
| 20100202802 | REPLENISHER DEVELOPER CARTRIDGE, AND METHOD OF ADJUSTING REPLENISHER DEVELOPER CARTRIDGE - Provided is a replenisher developer cartridge for a trickle developing system image forming apparatus producing no image problem such as image density unevenness, image roughness or the like. Not only an image forming apparatus by which high quality images are stably output, and a replenisher developer cartridge for the image forming apparatus were possible to be provided, but also durability of a two-component developer used in the image forming apparatus was possible to be improved, by replenishing the image forming apparatus with a replenisher developer in the carrier concentration range of 5-30% by weight in terms of the mean value, and in the carrier concentration deviation range of 10% by weight or less, based on the replenisher developer. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100215407 | REMOVABLE MEMBER-HOLDING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A removable member-holding device is provided and includes: a pull-out member that is supported so as to be movable between an accommodation position and a pull-out position; a rotatable holder that is supported by the pull-out member so as to be rotatable around a rotation shaft and supported so as to be movable integrally with the pull-out member, and that holds a removable member which is attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body, the rotatable holder being movable between an insertion possible position where the pull-out member is movable from the pull-out position toward the accommodation position and an inclined position where the rotatable holder rotates downward in a direction of a gravity around the rotation shaft and is inclined with respect to the insertion possible position; and a regulating member that is disposed at the rotation shaft of the rotatable holder to lessen a movement speed of the rotatable holder when rotationally moving to the inclined position. | 08-26-2010 |
| 20100232840 | STORAGE CONTAINER, SUPPLY DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A storage container includes a container body that stores a supplementary material and is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus; a discharge port that is provided at a bottom of the container body; two protrusions that protrude from the container body toward both sides; and an opening-closing member that is movably supported by a guide frame surrounding the discharge port, wherein a rearward movement of the opening-closing member is restricted by stoppers while the container body is mounted on the mounting unit, the protrusions come in contact with the stoppers and push the stoppers laterally to release the restriction of the opening-closing member while the container body is pulled out of the image forming apparatus, and a width, in an attaching/detaching direction of the container body, of one protrusion of the protrusions is smaller than that of the other protrusion. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20100239323 | CONTAINER FOR THE STORAGE OF TONER, CONTAINER FOR THE STORAGE OF DEVELOPER AND IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS USING THESE CONTAINERS - A container for storing a toner includes: an electrostatic latent image developing toner that contains: a binder resin containing a polyester resin; a coloring agent; and a release agent, and that has a volume average particle size of about 4 to about 8 μm and an average degree of circularity of about 0.94 to about 0.99; and a toner container main body that stores the electrostatic latent image developing toner, the toner container main body including a material containing at least one of polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate. | 09-23-2010 |
| 20100247156 | TONER CARTRIDGE MOUNTING STRUCTURE, TONER CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner cartridge mounting structure includes a toner cartridge and a developing member. The toner cartridge having a toner accommodating portion for accommodating toner, a toner supplying opening through which the toner in the toner accommodating portion is supplied, and a supplying opening shutter for opening and closing the toner supplying opening. The developing member has a toner receiving opening and a receiving opening shutter for opening and closing the toner receiving opening. The toner supplying opening being higher than the toner receiving opening, and the supplying opening shutter being opened after the receiving opening shutter is opened, by the operation of mounting the toner cartridge in an apparatus body. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100247157 | Developer Supply Device - A developer supply device, comprising: a carrying substrate having electrodes arranged along a developer transport path at predetermined intervals to carry a developer through a traveling electric field, wherein the carrying substrate comprises: a rigid upper carrying substrate formed to stand to carry the developer upward; and a flexible bottom carrying substrate curved to be a semispherical shape and is configured to charge the developer by friction with the developer and to be connected with a lower end portion of the upper carrying substrate so as to form a bottom surface of a developer reservoir portion, and wherein a joint portion of the bottom carrying substrate connected to the lower end portion is overlapped with the lower end portion such that the joint portion carries the developer in a same direction as a direction in which the developer is carried by the lower end portion. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100247158 | Developer Supply Device and Image Forming Apparatus - An apparatus includes an upstream transport surface TSa which, while facing a circumferential surface DS of a developing roller, is disposed upstream of an area (developing area) in the vicinity of a latent image forming surface LS, and a downstream transport surface TSb which, while facing the circumferential surface, is disposed downstream of the developing area. The apparatus forms electric fields on the upstream and downstream transport surfaces for moving a charged developer T from an upstream side toward a downstream side. In the apparatus, the transport speed of developer on the upstream transport surface is higher than that on the downstream transport surface. As a result, there can be lowered a speed at which the developer which has not adhered to the circumferential surface and has reached a downstream end portion of the upstream transport surface flies out toward the vicinity of the developing area. Also, there can be avoided a problem in that the developer stagnates at an upstream end portion of the downstream transport surface with a resultant hindrance to collection of the developer. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100266314 | Rotating Toner Cleaning Member for a Toner Delivery Device in an Image Forming Apparatus - The present invention provides a toner container system, such as a toner cartridge, comprising a housing including a first reservoir for containing toner and a second reservoir for receiving toner from the first reservoir and transferring the toner to an image forming apparatus, and a toner transfer mechanism that includes a rotatable roller member having in the surface thereof a recess defined by a concave surface having a radius of curvature, and wherein the roller member is rotatable from a first position at which the recess is open to the first reservoir and a second position at which the recess is open to the second reservoir, for conveying toner from the first reservoir to the second reservoir upon rotation of the roller member from the first position to the second position, and a rotatable wiper member disposed within the second reservoir and being sized and having a flexible distal end rotatable through the recess in contact with the concave surface when the roller member is in the second position. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100266315 | Geneva Drive and Locking Mechanism Therefor in a Toner Metering Mechanism for an Image Forming Apparatus - The present invention provides a toner container system, such as a toner cartridge, having a first reservoir for containing toner and a second reservoir for receiving toner from the first reservoir and transferring the toner to an image forming apparatus, and a toner transfer mechanism disposed between the first and second reservoirs, the transfer mechanism including a generally cylindrically shaped rotatable roller member having a plurality of equally spaced recesses disposed around the circumference thereof and being rotatable in angular increments wherein the recesses are alternately open to the first reservoir in a first position for each recess and open to the second reservoir in a second position for each recess, whereby toner is transferred from the first reservoir to the second reservoir upon rotation of the roller member, a Geneva drive mechanism including a drive gear operatively connected to the roller member for advancing the roller member in one angular increment for each complete rotation of the drive gear; and a locking mechanism operatively interconnecting the drive gear and rotatable member, whereby the drive gear is intermittently locked after each incremental angular advancement of the roller member to prevent actuation of the toner transfer mechanism while the rotatable member rotates through a recess at the second position thereof. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100272475 | DEVELOPER SUPPLY MECHANISM, DEVELOPMENT APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE DEVELOPER SUPPLY MECHANISM - A developer supply mechanism is composed of: a developer supply path one end side of which is opened upward and which guides the developer in substantially a vertical direction; a convex portion that is formed on a wall surface of the developer supply path; a coil spring that is disposed in the developer supply path, stretchable and shrinkable in a longitudinal direction of the developer supply path, pressurized to the convex portion in a natural-length state, stretched toward one end side of the developer supply path when the convex portion is hooked on between pitches by a circumferential-direction rotation, and is given a horizontal-direction movement to leave the convex portion when coming off the convex portion; and a drive portion that is connected to the coil spring at the other end side of the developer supply path and rotates the coil spring in a circumferential direction of the coil spring. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20100272476 | DEVELOPER SUPPLYING APPARATUS - A developer supply apparatus includes an accommodating portion for accommodating a developer; a discharge opening for discharging developer from the accommodating portion; a first feeding member, provided in the accommodating portion, for feeding the developer accommodated in the accommodating portion from one end of the accommodating portion toward the other end; and second feeding member, provided at a position remoter from the discharge opening than the first feeding member, for feeding the developer accommodated in the accommodating portion from the one end of the accommodating portion toward the other end; wherein a feeding power of the second feeding member per unit drive time is higher than that of the first feeding member. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20100290817 | IMAGE FORMING AGENT STORAGE DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming agent storage device includes an image forming agent storage body that is inserted into an insertion part, an opening-and-closing member, an engagement mechanism and an engagement release prevention mechanism. The image forming agent storage body is formed with a discharge port. The engagement mechanism includes an engagement part being provided in the image forming agent storage body and an engaged part being provided in the opening-and-closing member and being capable of engaging with the engagement part. The engagement release prevention mechanism prevents that a state where the engagement part and the engaged part can engage with each other is released due to an event that a front side of the opening-and-closing member moves relative to the image forming agent storage body so as to slant in a direction away from a position where the engagement part and the engaged part are provided. | 11-18-2010 |
| 20100303508 | DEVELOPER SUPPLYING UNIT - A developer supplying unit of the present invention includes a first driving mechanism which transmits rotational driving to a drive shaft by rotating a first rotational shaft in a normal direction and a second driving mechanism which reciprocates a bottle holding member as a support member to support a toner replenishment unit between a first position within an apparatus main body and a second position being different from the first position by rotating the first rotational shaft in a reverse direction. | 12-02-2010 |
| 20100316414 | DEVELOPER STORAGE CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer storage container includes a container main body, an outflow port, an open/closed member and a turn stop part. The outflow port from which a developer flows out is formed in the container main body storing the developer. The open/closed member is supported to the container main body and, moves relative to the container main body based on a rotation of the container main body. The open/closed member opens and closes the outflow port. The turn stop part is formed on a wall face of the container main body, and has a circular arc shape being concentric with a rotation direction of the container main body. The turn stop part engages with a convex part which is provided in the attachment section and is formed at a different position in response to the image forming apparatus body. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20100329746 | Toner Cartridge Having Shutter That Selectively Opens and Closes Toner-Supply Hole of the Toner Cartridge - A developer cartridge includes a casing, which accommodates a developer and is formed with an opening through which the developer is discharged. A shutter is movable between a first position to close the opening and a second position to open the opening. A first engaging part is movable between an advanced position and a retracted position. The first engaging part at the advance position allows the shutter to move between the first and second positions, and the first engaging part at the retracted position prevents the shutter from moving between the first and second positions. A maintaining member maintains the first engaging part at the retracted position in a condition where the shutter is at the first position. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20110026973 | DEVELOPER CONTAINER, DEVELOPER SUPPLYING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer container has a main part accommodating a developer therein and is detachably attached to a main part of an image forming apparatus. The developer container comprises an outlet provided at a side of the developer container to discharge the developer from the developer container. An input unit is provided adjacent to the outlet and has a small-diameter portion an inside diameter of which is smaller than a diameter of the container main part wherein, when the developer container is attached to the image forming apparatus, the input unit is engaged with a drive motor of the image forming apparatus to receive a rotating force of the drive motor. A developer guiding unit causes the developer inside the developer container to be moved to the outlet beyond the small-diameter portion of the input unit by rotation of the developer container. | 02-03-2011 |
| 20110033208 | DEVELOPING DEVICE USABLE WITH IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND DEVELOPER DELIVERY DEVICE THEREOF - A developing device usable with an image forming apparatus having a developer delivery device of an improved drive configuration. The developing device includes a developer storage unit, a rotating member arranged in the developer storage unit, and a plurality of developer delivery members arranged in an axial direction of the rotating member to be rotated around the rotating member upon receiving rotation power from the rotating member. A first power-transmission structure may be provided between at least one of the plurality of developer delivery members and the rotating member to allow slip therebetween. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20110052266 | DETACHABLE TONER CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - An image forming apparatus includes a toner cartridge that has an inner shutter and an outer shutter and is attached to and detached from a main body through a door disposed on a main body. The outer shutter moves to a position in which toner is allowed to be discharged through a toner outlet of the toner cartridge when the toner cartridge is loaded into the main body, and the inner shutter moves to an open position in which the toner outlet is opened by being interlocked in a closing operation of the door after the toner cartridge is loaded into the main body. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110052267 | IMAGING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH THE SAME - In a single-body type imaging unit including a toner bottle provided with a drive shaft, and a print unit provided with a drive shaft, the toner bottle and the print unit are coupled to each other via an elastic member. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110058855 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TONER CONTAINER - An image forming apparatus includes: a feed portion that is fed with toner from above; a transport path that includes an inlet through which the toner fed to the feed portion enters, that allows the toner to be transported therethrough, and that is in a cylindrical shape; and a transporting member provided to continuously extend from the feed portion to the transport path, the transporting member transporting along the transport path the toner fed to the feed portion, wherein an amount of transportation of the toner per unit of time at a part of the transporting member located in the transport path is larger than an amount of transportation of the toner per unit of time at a part of the transporting member located in the feed portion. | 03-10-2011 |
| 20110064474 | DEVELOPER DELIVERING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A powder transporting device includes a transporting path that has first and second transporting path transporting paths, a connecting member that is disposed in a connecting portion of the first transporting path and the second transporting path, a sealing member that seals a connection transporting path and the connecting member; an opening that is disposed on an end side of the connection transporting path of the connecting member; a rotation gate member that moves between a rotation blocking position and a rotation opening position; and an outer gate member moves between an outer opening position and an outer blocking position. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110064475 | RECYCLING IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a first image formation unit that forms a black toner image, and a detachable second image formation unit that forms a color toner image. A first toner supply unit is provided to supply the black toner to the first image formation unit. A second toner supply unit is provided to supply one of a black and component color toner to the first and second image formation units in accordance with a color mode. A first conveyance path is provided to convey the black toner to the first image formation unit. A second conveyance path is also provided to convey the component color toner stored in the second toner container section to the second image formation unit. The second toner supply unit is selectively connected to one of the first and second conveyance paths in accordance with the color mode. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110069994 | DEVELOPING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A developing unit to deliver developer in various directions or a predetermined direction, and an image forming apparatus having the same. The developing unit includes a developer housing and a delivery unit to provide the developer with a delivery force via rotation thereof. The developer housing includes a protrusion to interfere with the delivery unit during rotation of the delivery unit, so as to change a developer delivery direction. The delivery unit includes an elastic delivery member and in turn, the delivery member includes a plurality of delivery elements to interfere with the protrusion. The developer delivery direction may be changed variously by changing positions of the delivery element and the protrusion. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110069995 | Image Forming Device and Development Unit Attachable Thereto - An image forming device includes an image forming unit that includes a development agent container, a development device that supplies development agent in the development agent container to an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductive body and forms a development agent image on the photoconductive body, a transfer unit transferring, onto a sheet, the development agent image on the photoconductive body, and a fixing unit fixing the development agent image on the sheet, a feed tray disposed under the image forming unit, a pickup unit feeding a sheet placed on the feed tray toward the image forming unit in a U-turn manner, a first conveying path tilted to extend downward obliquely from the pickup unit, and a second conveying path tilted to extend toward the fixing unit obliquely from a continuous section between the first conveying path and the second conveying path. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110069996 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - A technology for controlling the generation of damages of a photoconductive surface caused due to the attachment of a carrier to a photoconductor in an image forming apparatus using a two-component developing agent is provided. An image forming apparatus is configured to include an intermediate transfer body having prescribed elasticity on a transfer surface onto which a toner image is transferred; plural image carriers which transfer a toner image onto the transfer surface and which are disposed along a movement direction of the transfer surface of the intermediate transfer body; plural development sections which form toner images having a different color from each other with respect to the plural image carriers by using a two-component developing agent made of a toner and a carrier; and developing agent replenishment sections which replenish a toner and a carrier in the development sections. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110081167 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TONER CONTAINER - An image forming apparatus includes: a cylindrically-shaped feed portion that is fed with toner from above; a transport path including an inlet through which the toner transported from the feed portion enters and transporting the toner therethrough; and a transporting member including a rotary shaft provided to extend from the feed portion to the transport path, the rotary shaft being provided with a small-diameter portion on an upstream side thereof and a large-diameter portion on a downstream side thereof in the toner transport direction, and transports the toner along the transport path, the large-diameter portion being provided inside the transport path, the large-diameter portion having an end portion on the upstream side thereof in the toner transport direction to be connected to the small-diameter portion, the end portion being provided on a side of the feed portion of the inlet of the transport path in the toner transport direction. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20110081168 | POWDER CONVEYANCE DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING SAME - A powder conveyance device includes a powder container, a conveyance pipe extending downward and including first, second, and third conveyance portions disposed in that order, a first bent portion connecting together the first and second conveyance portions, bent in a direction to increase a horizontal gradient of the second conveyance portion from that of the first conveyance portion, and a second bent portion connecting together the second and third conveyance portions, bent in a direction to reduce a horizontal gradient of the third conveyance portion from that of the second conveyance portion, a powder conveyance member disposed inside the conveyance pipe, and a first powder regulator movably disposed inside the third conveyance portion of the conveyance pipe, to restrict an amount of powder discharged through the discharge port by varying a cross sectional area of a space present above a discharge port in the conveyance pipe. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20110081169 | TONER SUPPLYING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner supplying device and an image forming apparatus that supply toner stably and do not impose a stress on toner, regardless of a remaining amount of toner stored in a storage container of the toner supplying device are provided. Two flexible sheets constituting a toner scooping blade are bonded to each other with a double-sided adhesive tape that functions as a spacer and an adhesive member sandwiched therebetween at an end fixed to a blade support neck and the other end in contact with an inner wall of the toner storage container. Whereby, a gap is formed between the two flexible sheets. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20110110689 | TONER SUPPLYING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING SAME - A toner supplying device including a secondary toner container, a first feeding member performing a first feeding operation of feeding toner from a toner container to the secondary container on demand, a second feeding member performing a second feeding operation of feeding the toner from the secondary container to a developing device on demand, and a toner supply controller controlling the amount of the toner in the secondary container to be greater than a predetermined amount. The controller performs first control in which when the first feeding operation is performed, the amount of the toner fed in the second feeding operation per unit of time is decreased, or second control in which when the amount of the toner fed in the second feeding operation is greater than a predetermined amount, the amount of the toner fed in the first feeding operation per unit of time is decreased. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110116842 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND POWDER CONTAINER - An image forming apparatus includes: an accommodation portion accommodating a tubular powder container containing a powder; and a guide portion guiding a guided portion provided to the powder container. The guided portion includes: a base portion provided with one end portion at downstream side in an insertion direction of the powder container and the other end portion at upstream side, and a part of the one end portion provided along the axial direction and protruding from an outer circumferential surface of the powder container toward a radial direction; a first facing portion provided along the axial direction, protruding from the base portion in one direction and arranged to face the outer circumferential surface with a gap; and a second facing portion provided along the axial direction, protruding from the base portion in a direction opposite to the one direction and arranged to face the outer circumferential surface with a gap. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110123231 | POWDER CARRYING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A powder carrying apparatus includes: a drive gear to which the drive is carried from a drive source; a rolling gear capable of rotating around a rolling shaft; a first middle transmission system having at least one or more gears; a first powder carrying member to which the rotation is carried from the first middle transmission system to carry the powder; a first regulating gear capable of rotating around a first regulation shaft; a second middle transmission system having at least one or more gears including a second middle gear engaged with the rolling gear; a second powder carrying member to which the rotation is carried from the second middle transmission system to carry the powder; and a second regulating gear capable of rotating around a second regulation shaft. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110123232 | POWDER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A powder container includes: a powder containing portion that has an opening formed thereon and contains powder inside thereof, the powder containing portion being attached to an image forming apparatus; a closing member, when the powder containing portion is attached to the image forming apparatus, whose movement is regulated by striking against a regulation member provided to the image forming apparatus to relatively move against the powder containing portion to open the opening, and the closing member, when the powder containing portion is detached from the image forming apparatus, whose movement is regulated by moving and making contact with the image forming apparatus to relatively move against the powder containing portion to close the opening; and a moving portion that moves the regulation member when the powder containing portion is detached from the image forming apparatus. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110200364 | PRINTING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR AND PROGRAM FOR SAME - A printing apparatus that executes printing by using a recording material includes an accepting unit which accepts an instruction from a user, a receiving unit which receives a command from an external device, a first shifting unit to shift the printing apparatus to a state in which the user can supply the recording material according to the instruction accepted by the accepting unit, and a second shifting unit configured to shift the printing apparatus to a state in which the user can supply the recording material according to the command received by the receiving unit. In a case where the printing apparatus is shifted by one of the first shifting unit and the second shifting unit, the printing apparatus is no longer shifted by the other one of the first shifting unit and the second shifting unit. | 08-18-2011 |
| 20110200365 | DEVELOPER REPLENISHING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND DEVELOPER REPLENISHING METHOD - A developer replenishing device for replenishing a developer to a development device includes a developer housing container configured to house the developer inside the container, a discharge outlet provided on the developer housing container and configured to discharge the housed developer outside the container, a conveying device provided between the discharge outlet and the development device, and configured to convey the developer in the developer housing container to the development device, and a motion providing device configured to provide a periodic motion to the developer housing container. The periodic motion is a circling motion, in which a trajectory of an arbitrary point of the developer housing container on a horizontal plane is at least one of circular and ellipsoidal trajectories, without a fixed rotation center on the horizontal plane. | 08-18-2011 |
| 20110217086 | IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS - An image-forming apparatus includes: image-forming units arranged along a direction inclined at an acute angle relative to a horizontal direction, each of the image-forming units forming an image with developer; developer-containing units positioned above the image-forming units and arranged along the horizontal direction or along a direction inclined relative to the horizontal direction at an angle smaller than the acute angle; and developer conveyance paths that connect the image-forming units to respective developer-containing units, each developer conveyance path having a tubular passage that defines a space through which the developer contained in the developer-containing unit is conveyed to the image-forming unit, wherein the tubular passage of a developer conveyance path connected to an image-forming unit located at a position higher than that of another image-forming unit has a vertically extending portion shorter than that of the tubular passage of a developer conveyance path connected to the another image-forming unit. | 09-08-2011 |
| 20110217087 | TONER SUPPLY DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ARRANGING TONER SUPPLY DEVICE - According to one embodiment, a toner supply device includes a plurality of conveyor tubes, each of which has a first supply hole at a receiving side to receive toner, a second supply hole to communicate with a developing device, and a conveying portion to convey the toner supplied from the first supply hole at the receiving side to the second supply hole, wherein each of the first supply holes at the receiving side is arranged at a position with a different angle assuming each of the second supply holes as an axis, a plurality of toner cartridges, each of which houses toner of a different color, and has a first supply hole at a supply side to supply the toner, wherein each of the toner cartridge is located at a position shifted in a predetermined direction so that each of the first supply holes at the supply side communicates with each of the first supply holes at the receiving side of the conveyor tubes, and a plurality of transmitting portions, each of which transmits power to each of the conveying portions of the conveyor tubes. | 09-08-2011 |
| 20110222914 | POWDER TRANSPORTING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - According to an aspect of the invention, a powder transporting unit include: a first powder transporting cylindrical member in which a powder reception port for receiving a powder from a powder storage container storing the powder is opened in an upper portion of the first powder transporting cylindrical member; a second powder transporting cylindrical member whose inner diameter is formed to be larger than an inner diameter of the first powder transporting cylindrical member and in which a powder discharge port for discharging the powder; a link member which is made from an elastic material and which displaceably couples the first powder transporting cylindrical member and the second powder transporting cylindrical member with each other; and a powder transporting member which is rotatably disposed inside the first powder transporting cylindrical member and the second powder transporting cylindrical member and which transports the powder. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110229210 | TONER DISPERSING MECHANISM, AND DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PROVIDED THEREWITH - Provided is a toner dispersing mechanism, including: a housing arranged between a toner storage container and a developing device and provided with a toner filling port communicating to the toner storage container and a toner discharge port communicating to the developing device; and a dispersing member constituted by a large number of dispersing protrusions formed of an elastic material on a rotary shaft rotatably supported in the housing and on an outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft, in which toner replenished from the toner storage container is dispersed and discharged into the developing device. | 09-22-2011 |
| 20110229211 | TONER DISPERSING MEMBER AND TONER DISPERSING MECHANISM PROVIDED THEREWITH - Provided is a toner dispersing member including a rotary shaft and dispersing protrusions formed of a flexible film member wound along an outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft, the flexible film member including a large number of cuts formed on one side thereof and are directed outward. The toner dispersing member is rotated about the rotary shaft so that a lump of toner coming into contact with the dispersing protrusions is dispersed. | 09-22-2011 |
| 20110243613 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus comprising a detachable container storing a toner, the image forming apparatus comprising: a lever part movable in an attaching and detaching direction of the container, the lever part also contacting the container when the container is being detached, thereby moving the container in a detaching direction; and a stopper part being latched to the container and preventing the container from moving, a latching of the stopper part and the container being unlatched by a movement of the lever part when the container is being detached. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110262188 | MOUNTING STRUCTURE OF REMOVABLE MEMBER, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A mounting structure of a removable member includes a body; a removable member mounted to and dismounted from the body; a functional member provided at the removable member and having a determined function; a first gear provided at the removable member and transmitting power to the functional member; a second gear provided at the body, and engaging the first gear and transmitting the power to the first gear when the removable member is mounted to the body; and a covering member provided at the body. The covering member moves to an engageable position where the first and second gears are engageable with each other when the removable member is mounted to the body. The covering member covers at least a portion of the second gear from an engagement side of the first gear by moving from the engageable position when the removable member is dismounted from the body. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110262189 | POWDER DELIVERY MEMBER, AND POWDER STORAGE CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS RESPECTIVELY USING SUCH POWDER DELIVERY MEMBER - A powder delivery member includes: a rotation shaft portion disposed rotatably within a powder storage container with powder stored therein; a delivery portion for delivering the powder along the axial direction of the rotation shaft portion; and, a powder discharge portion which, is disposed at a position corresponding to the position of the powder discharge port of the powder storage container, and is capable of storing therein the powder delivered thereto from the delivery portion, and also which, when it is rotated along the peripheral direction of the rotation shaft portion with the powder stored therein, can deliver the stored powder to the powder discharge port. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110274469 | HIGH CONDUCTIVE, SOFT URETHANE ROLLERS - Rollers for high speed printers and paper handling devices are fabricated by reacting polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate with a polyester polyol and/or polyester polyamine and an optional extender, together with a metal salt, a catalyst, and one or more other optional additives, including a liquid conductive additive. The resulting rollers provide a hardness as low as 15A on cube, a resistivity as low as 5E4 Ω·cm, a compression set as low as 0.5% at room temperature and as low as 3% at 157° F., and low tackiness as low as 13 g/cm of adhesion force. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110286771 | TONER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner container includes a longitudinal container body and a held portion. The longitudinal container body has a first end and a second end distal to the first end in a length direction of the container body. The container body includes a gear configured to engage with a drive gear provided in the main body. The held portion is attached to the first end of the container body and configured to be detachably attached to the toner-container holder. The held portion includes a toner outlet, is configured to be held by the toner-container holder in non-rotating manner, and is biased downwardly by a force applied from the drive gear to the gear when the drive gear rotates. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110293333 | TONER SUPPLYING DEVICE - A toner supplying device includes a toner storing portion for storing toner; a toner feeding path in which the toner fed from the toner storing portion is to be fed; a toner feeding member for feeding the toner in the toner feeding path; and an executing portion for executing an operation in a filling mode in which the toner is filled in the toner feeding path by intermittently driving the toner feeding member in a preparatory period before image formation. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110305485 | POWDER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A powder container includes a cylindrical container body to contain a powder, having an opening in one end thereof, to convey the powder contained in the container body to the opening with rotation of the container body, and having a container-body projection provided on an outer circumferential surface of the container body; and a cylindrical holder, into which the end of the container body having the opening is inserted, to hold the container body rotatably, having a powder outlet through which the powder is discharged from the holder and a holder projection provided on an inner circumferential surface thereof. The container-body projection repetitively contacts and separates from the holder projection with rotation of the container body to vibrate the container body and the holder. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20120003013 | DEVELOPER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A developer container is provided with a container body. An opening is formed through the container body. An opening/closing lid closes the opening. A lid holding frame holds the opening/closing lid in such a manner that the opening/closing lid can move between an open position and a closed position. A stopper stops the opening/closing lid and thereby preventing it from moving toward the open position in a state that the opening/closing lid is located at the closed position. A contact portion comes into contact with a hook portion provided in a container receiving portion when the developer container is inserted into the container receiving portion. A deformable portion deforms the stopper to such an extent that the stopping of the opening/closing lid by the stopper is canceled when the developer container is inserted into the container receiving portion and the contact portion comes into contact with the hook portion. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120020703 | DEVELOPER CONTAINER, DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - A developer container includes: an outer case; an ejection opening that is rectangular and formed on the outer case and extends longitudinally along an axial direction of the outer case, and from which a developer is ejected by a weight of the developer. A toner ejection index that is calculated from S/μdM is equal to or more than 0.79, where μ is a degree of agglomeration of the developer, d is a compact density, M is a fill amount of the developer and S is the area of the ejection opening. | 01-26-2012 |
| 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 |
| 20120033997 | DEVELOPMENT DEVICE, PROCESSING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A development device includes a developer carrier configured to carry on a surface thereof a developer, the developer carrier being disposed to face a latent image carrier, a developer tank having the developer carrier, a developer container configured to house the developer to be supplied to the developer tank, the developer container being connected to the developer tank through a partition having an opening, and a developer carrier member configured to carry the developer in the developer container, the developer being supplied to the developer tank from the opening while being carried by the developer carrier member, and the amount of developer to be supplied to the developer tank from the opening being gradually increased in a developer carrying direction of the developer carrier member. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120033998 | TONER SUPPLY ASSEMBLY AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A toner supply assembly includes a toner container mount and a toner container including a container body, a cap having a toner outlet, and a shutter for the toner outlet, to move horizontally. The cap includes a shutter guide rail, a contact portion, and a pressed rail provided on a lateral side. The shutter includes a shutter body to engage the shutter guide rail and a deformable portion deformable vertically and including a stopper to contact the contact portion of the cap for inhibiting the shutter from opening the toner outlet, and a stopper release projection pressed by a bottom projection on a bottom surface of the toner container mount in conjunction with installation of the toner container. A pressing member provided in a side portion of the toner container mount engages the pressed rail of the cap, inhibiting the cap from moving upward. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120039633 | Process Unit and Image Forming Device - A process unit includes: a photosensitive member; a developing unit; a developer cartridge; a guide portion; and an operation portion. The photosensitive member has a surface. The developing unit has a developing agent bearing member for bearing a developing agent to be supplied to the surface of the photosensitive member. The developer cartridge includes a casing defining an internal space for accommodating the developing agent, and a pressed portion provided at the casing and configured to be pressed by an external force. The developer cartridge is mountable on or detachable from the developing unit in a first direction, and further configured to be pressed in a second direction different from the first direction upon application of pressure to the pressed portion by the external force. The second direction is coincident with a direction of pressing the developing agent bearing member against the surface of the photosensitive member. The guide portion is shiftable between a first posture for guiding the developer cartridge to move relative to the developing unit in the first direction, and a second posture for guiding the developer cartridge to move relative to the developing unit in the second direction. The operation portion is configured to be operated to selectively shift the guide portion to one of the first posture and the second posture. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120039634 | TWO COMPONENT DEVELOPER STORAGE PRODUCT AND METHOD OF FILLING TWO COMPONENT DEVELOPER - A two component developer storage product to replenish a two component developer containing at least toner and carrier includes: a cylindrical container having an opening at one end thereof; a lid to close the opening; a toner layer stored in the cylindrical container; and a carrier layer stored in the cylindrical container; wherein the toner layer and the carrier layer are stacked, and the cylindrical container has a spiral projection on an inner spherical surface thereof, and is configured such that when the cylindrical container is rotated, the toner layer and the carrier layer are conveyed by the spiral projection and toner and carrier are discharged from the opening. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120057905 | Developing Device - A developing device includes: a developing unit; a toner cartridge; a shutter drive member; and a second gear. The toner cartridge is mountable on or detachable from the developing unit and includes a casing defining an internal space for accommodating a developing agent and formed with a communication hole for supplying the developing agent to the developing unit, and a shutter movable between an open position in which the communication hole is open and a closed position in which the communication hole is closed. The shutter drive member includes a first gear that extends in the moving direction of the shutter. The shutter drive member is engageable with the shutter to be movable together with the shutter when the toner cartridge is mounted on the developing unit. The second gear is meshingly engageable with the first gear to transmit a drive force to the first gear. The first gear is disengaged from the second gear when the shutter is in at least one of the open position and the closed position. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120063814 | Powder feeding device and image forming apparatus - A powder feeding device includes a powder container, a feeding tank in communication with the powder container, a negative pressure room in communication with the feeding tank via a suction port communicating tube; an air suction device in communication with the negative pressure room via a negative pressure room communication tube; a suction port opening and closing unit that opens and closes the suction port communicating tube; a negative pressure room opening and closing unit that opens and closes of the negative pressure room communication tube; an output port opening and closing unit that opens and closes an output port of the feeding tank; and a controller that performs negative pressure generation control, powder supply control, and powder discharge control. Further, the controller simultaneously starts the negative pressure generation control and the powder discharge control. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120076546 | MULTIPLE LOCKING FEATURE ON A CARTRIDGE DOOR - A multiple locking feature on a cartridge door for a dry electrophotographic apparatus includes a cartridge wherein the cartridge contains a dry replenishment toner; a moveable door on the cartridge; multiple locking mechanism on the door for preventing accidental opening; and a key mechanism which unlocks the door when the cartridge is fully inserted into the electrophotographic apparatus. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120076547 | METHOD FOR UNLOCKING A DOOR ON A CARTRIDGE - A method for unlocking a door on a cartridge for a dry electrophotographic apparatus includes inserting the cartridge into the electrophotographic apparatus; unlocking a first locking mechanism on the door with a first key mechanism on the electrophotographic apparatus when the cartridge is fully inserted into the electrophotographic apparatus; and unlocking a second locking mechanism on the door with a second key mechanism on the electrophotographic apparatus when the cartridge is fully inserted into the electrophotographic apparatus. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120099901 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an inlet connected to an outlet of a container body for developer; a leakage preventing member arranged in the surroundings of the inlet and preventing leakage of the developer; and recesses that are arranged on an upstream side and a downstream side of the outlet with reference to the direction of movement that the developer container body moves when the developer container body is moved in a state that the developer container body is supported by a container support section and that are formed in a shape depressed in a direction of departing relative to an opening and closing member for opens and closes the outlet, the recesses collecting developer having adhered to the leakage preventing member when the developer container body is moved. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120114385 | DEVELOPER CONTAINER, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND DEVELOPER CONTAINER CONTROLLING METHOD - A developer container includes a containing portion that is capable of containing a developer therein, the containing portion having an opening through which the developer passes; a first opening/closing member that is movable between a first open position at which the opening is open and a first closed position at which the first opening/closing member closes the opening; and a second opening/closing member that is movable between a second closed position at which the second opening/closing member doubly closes the opening by covering an outside of the first opening/closing member and a second open position at which the first opening/closing member is exposed to the outside, wherein a direction in which the second opening/closing member moves between the second open position and the second closed position is different from a direction in which the first opening/closing member moves between the first open position and the first closed position. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120114386 | DEVELOPER TRANSPORTING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer transporting device includes a transporting device body including a transporting portion in which developer is transported and which has an opening; a developer container that is detachably supported on the transporting device body and includes a containing portion for that contains the developer and has a connection hole connected to the opening, an opening-closing member that opens or closes the connection hole, and an opening-closing-member support unit that includes a guide portion that guides the opening-closing member; a movement restraining member supported on the transporting device body and restraining the opening-closing member from moving relative to the transporting device body when the developer container is attached to the transporting device body; and a releasing portion provided on the opening-closing-member support unit and releasing the opening-closing member when the opening-closing member is moved a position for closing the connection hole. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120114387 | POWDER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A powder container includes a containing portion having an opening; an opening/closing member that is movable between an open position and a closed position and supported with play; an opening restraining portion provided on the containing portion; an opening restrained portion provided on the opening/closing member; an urging member that urges the opening/closing member; and an opening/closing contact portion provided on the opening/closing member and contactable with an opening/closing contacted portion of an apparatus into which the containing portion is installed, wherein the opening restrained portion is disposed such that a direction of force generated when the containing portion is installed into the apparatus is inclined with respect to the direction in which the opening/closing member moves, and the opening restrained portion is disposed downstream of an imaginary line extending from a contact position at which the opening/closing contact portion contacts the opening/closing contacted portion. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120134716 | TONER SUPPLY APPARATUS, TONER STORAGE CONTAINER, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - The toner supply apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a shaft connection mechanism in which a first and a second joint are engaged to thereby enable transmission of rotation of a first shaft of a development device and a second shaft of a toner storage container. The first joint has a first engagement member biased from a first main body towards a second joint, and a biasing member for biasing the first engagement member. The second joint has a second main body and an engaging recessed portion engaging with the accommodated first engagement member in a configuration that is substantially incapable of rotation. When the first rotation axis is not aligned with the second rotation axis and the first engagement member is accommodated in the engaging recessed portion, the first engagement member inclines relative to the first or second rotation axis and can engage with the engaging recessed portion. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120141169 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TONER CARTRIDGE USED THEREIN - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a toner container mount, first and second toner containers removably insertable into the toner container mount horizontally, container guides formed in toner container mount to guide lateral side portions of the first and second toner containers, respectively, and an insertion opening forming member positioned defining first and second insertion openings through which the first and second toner containers are inserted, each including a laterally projecting portion. The second toner container is greater than the first toner container in cross section perpendicular to a direction of insertion, and the second insertion opening is greater than the first insertion opening. The first and second toner containers include guided portions projecting laterally, and the guided portion of the first toner container has a vertical length longer than that of the guided portion of the second toner container. | 06-07-2012 |
| 20120148312 | TONER SUPPLY DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner supply device includes a toner storage section including plural toner containing sections and a dividing part, the plural toner containing sections being arranged from an upstream side to a downstream side in a toner feeding direction and including respective rotating members configured to rotate to feed the toner, the dividing part being formed between the toner containing sections adjacent to each other and including an upper end part. Further, a position of the upper end part of the dividing part is higher than a position of a rotational center of the rotating member included in the toner containing section on the upstream side in the toner feeding direction of the toner containing sections adjacent to each other. | 06-14-2012 |
| 20120163876 | TONER CONTAINER, DEVELOPING APPARATUS, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner container for accommodating toner, includes a first opening through which the toner is passable; a toner feeding member for feeding the toner to the first opening by reciprocating motion toward and away from the first opening; an urging member for urging the toner feeding member; a movable member movable between a position for moving the toner feeding member against an urging force of the urging member and a position for permitting the toner feeding member to move by the urging force of the urging member; a second opening for permitting the urging member and the toner feeding member to pass into the toner container to install them in the toner container; and a cap for closing the second opening. | 06-28-2012 |
| 20120170954 | Developing Device, Process Cartridge and Image Forming Apparatus - A developing device includes: a first conveying unit provided within a developing agent storage chamber and that is configured to convey a developing agent from one end of the developing agent storage chamber to another end of the developing agent storage chamber in a longitudinal direction of a developing agent carrier that is disposed with in a developing chamber and to supply the developing agent from the developing agent storage chamber to the developing chamber; a second conveying unit provided within the developing chamber and that is configured to convey the developing agent from the other end of the developing chamber to the one end of the developing chamber in the longitudinal direction and to supply the developing agent toward a developing agent carrier; and a third conveying unit provided between the one end of the developing agent storage chamber and the one end of the developing chamber. | 07-05-2012 |
| 20120183333 | DEVELOPER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer container | 07-19-2012 |
| 20120183334 | TONER DISPERSING MECHANISM, DEVELOPING DEVICE INCLUDING THE TONER DISPERSING MECHANISM, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is a toner dispersing mechanism arranged between a toner storage container and a developing device, for dispersing toner replenished from the toner storage container. The toner dispersing mechanism includes a housing, a toner dispersing member, and a projecting portion formed continuously at least at a part of an inner wall surface in a longitudinal direction of the housing. The housing includes a toner filling port communicating to the toner storage container, and a toner discharge port communicating to the developing device. The toner dispersing member includes a rotary shaft rotatably supported in the housing, and a large number of dispersing protrusions made of an elastic material and formed on an outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft. The large number of dispersing protrusions face the part and come into contact with the projecting portion. | 07-19-2012 |
| 20120189351 | TONER SUPPLY DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING SAME - In a transport pipe having a first opening portion through which toner is fed in from a toner hopper and a second opening portion through which the toner is discharged to a development device, a transport screw in which a helical blade is formed on a rotational shaft is rotatably provided. The width of the first opening portion in the direction of the rotational shaft is greater than the pitch (L | 07-26-2012 |
| 20120189352 | DEVELOPMENT APPARATUS - The present invention provides a development apparatus which develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image bearing member with developer including a development container to accommodate developer, screws to convey developer in the development container, a replenishing port to replenish new developer to the development container, a discharge port to discharge developer from the development container, and a ventilation hole to provide communication between the inside and the outside of the development container, while the ventilation hole is arranged outside a developer circulation passage through which developer is conveyed by the screws. | 07-26-2012 |
| 20120189353 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing device includes a developer tank and a developing roller. An internal space of the developer tank is divided into a first conveying path, a second conveying path, a first communication path, and a second communication path by a partition wall. In the first conveying path, there is disposed a first developer conveying section that conveys the developer within the developer tank in a conveying direction X. In the second conveying path, there is disposed a second developer conveying section that conveys the developer within the developer tank in a conveying direction Y. The first developer conveying section includes an inner spiral blade, an outer spiral blade, an upstream spiral blade, a rotation tube, a delivery portion, support members, and a first gear. The rotation tube has an admission port portion and a discharge port portion. | 07-26-2012 |
| 20120189354 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing device has a first toner carrier which carries, on an outer peripheral surface, toner to be fed to an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier and which is arranged out of contact with the image carrier; a second toner carrier which carries, on an outer peripheral surface, toner to be fed to the electrostatic latent image and which is arranged out of contact with the image carrier; and a developer carrier which carries a developer made up of toner and carriers and which feeds the toner to the first toner carrier and the second toner carrier. The toner carried by each of the first toner carrier and the second toner carrier is caused to adhere to the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier by application of an AC bias voltage to each of the first toner carrier and the second toner carrier. | 07-26-2012 |
| 20120189355 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a developer bearing body and first and second supplying members. An image bearing body and the first and second supplying members are disposed around the developer bearing body in this order. The developer bearing member rotates, and supplies a developer material to the image bearing body. The first and second supplying members rotate in contact with the developer bearing body and supply the developer material to the developer bearing body. The image bearing body is upstream of the second supplying member with respect to rotation of the developer bearing body, and the second supplying member is upstream of the first supplying member. The ratio of the circumferential speed of the first supplying member to that of the developer bearing body is larger than that of the circumferential speed of the second supplying member to circumferential speed of the developer bearing body. | 07-26-2012 |
| 20120189356 | Developing Device and Image Forming Apparatus Having the Same - A developing device is provided that facilitates developing agent delivery upward. A cartridge includes a developing roller, a supply roller, and a container disposed below the supply roller. The container can have an upper portion formed with an opening having upper and lower edges. A conveying member can be rotatably disposed in and in rotational contact with an inner surface of the container for delivering the developing agent upward. The developing agent container can include a first wall portion for receiving developing agent through the opening. The first wall portion extends from the lower edge in a downstream direction with respect to a rotational direction of the conveying member toward a bottommost portion of the supply roller. The container also includes a second wall portion extending from the upper edge in an upstream direction. The conveying member can be in simultaneous sliding contact with the first and second wall portions. | 07-26-2012 |
| 20120201574 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing device comprises a first and a second developer conveyance path. A first conveyance member is provided in the first developer conveyance path in a freely rotatable manner and has a helical blade. A developing roller supplies the developer in the first developer conveyance path to a photoconductor drum. A developer collection path guides two-component developer left on a surface of the developing roller from the first developer conveyance path. A developer surface adjustment window comprises a predetermined level for allowing excess developer exceeding the level of the window to be guided from the first developer conveyance path to the developer collection path. | 08-09-2012 |
| 20120207517 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an image forming apparatus wherein a developing unit forms a toner image on an image carrier by using a developer including a toner and a carrier, wherein a toner recovery unit recovers the toner remaining on the image carrier after the transfer of the toner image to a transfer receiving body and wherein the recovered toner is returned to the developing unit by a return transport mechanism, a recovered toner reservoir for storing the toner recovered by the toner recovery unit is disposed independently from the return transport mechanism. | 08-16-2012 |
| 20120224889 | DEVELOPER SUPPLY APPARATUS - A developer supply apparatus includes a buffer portion for storing a developer supplied from a developer container; a feeding device for feeding the developer, stored in the buffer portion, toward a developing device; a pair of light transmitting members, which permit light transmission, for detecting the developer in the buffer portion; and a vibrating device for vibrating the pair of light transmitting members in an optical axis direction. | 09-06-2012 |
| 20120237268 | POWDER TRANSPORT DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A powder transport device includes a first transport tube through which powder falls under gravity; a second transport tube having a transport member that transports the powder in a substantially horizontal direction; and a joint section having a ceiling, opposed side walls, an upstream wall, and a downstream wall. The joint section defines a first drop region, defined by the downstream wall and the side walls, continuous with and positioned directly under the first transport tube, to drop the powder dropped from the first transport tube; and a second drop region, defined by the ceiling, the upstream wall, and the side walls, displaced relative to and continuous with the first drop region, positioned adjacent to the second transport tube, to drop the powder transported from the second transport tube upstream from the first drop region in the direction in which the powder is transported through the second transport tube. | 09-20-2012 |
| 20120251185 | DEVELOPING DEVICE - A developing device includes a developer carrying member for carrying a developer; a first feeding chamber for feeding along the developer carrying member to supply the developer to the developer carrying member and for collecting the developer, after being subjected to development; a second feeding chamber, connected to the first feeding chamber, for foaming a circulating path with the first feeding chamber; and a screw member rotatably provided in the first feeding chamber. In a region where the screw member opposes at least a developing region with respect to a rotational axis direction of the developer carrying member, the screw member includes a first helical portion having a helix direction of feeding the developer in the same direction as a circulation direction of the circulation path and a second helical portion having a helix direction opposite to the helix direction of the first helical portion. | 10-04-2012 |
| 20120257911 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, DEVELOPER CARTRIDGE, AND METHOD OF ADJUSTING LENGTH OF THE DEVELOPER CARTRIDGE - According to one embodiment, there is provided an image forming apparatus in which a toner cartridge and a developer cartridge are interchanged, the toner cartridge including a toner storing section that stores a toner and the developer cartridge including a developer storing section that stores a developer, the apparatus including: the developer cartridge including a carrying section configured to carry the developer stored in the developer storing section and a power transmitting section configured to transmit power to the carrying section and enable length adjustment; a driving section configured to drive the power transmitting section of the developer cartridge; a developing device configured to store the developer carried by the carrying section; and a control section configured to control driving of the driving section. | 10-11-2012 |
| 20120269555 | DEVELOPING DEVICE - A developing device includes a developer carrying member for carrying a developer; a circulation path along which the developer is circulated; a carrier supplying portion; a discharge opening, provided in the circulation path, through which a portion of the developer is to be overflowed and discharged; and a feeding member comprising a rotation shaft and a blade portion including a helical portion. An outer diameter of the blade portion formed in a first region including at least a portion opposing the discharge opening is smaller than that in a second region adjacent to the first region with respect to a rotation shaft direction. A smaller average angle formed between the rotation shaft and a developer feeding surface of the blade portion in the first region is smaller than that in the second region. | 10-25-2012 |
| 20120321353 | SPEED OR TORQUE TO FILL DEVELOPER STATION - A system for filling a developer station for an electrophotographic printer including a sump containing developer; an auger in the sump to transport the developer; a shaft on the auger to drive the auger; a motor to drive the shaft of the auger; a mechanism for measuring speed or torque of the motor; a feedback mechanism; a filling mechanism for filling the sump with developer; and wherein filling is stopped or reduced when the speed or the torque reaches a predetermined setting. | 12-20-2012 |
| 20120321354 | METHOD FOR FILLING A DEVELOPER STATION - A method for filling a developer station for an electrophotographic printer includes mixing or transporting developer in a sump with an auger; driving the auger with a motor; measuring a speed of the motor or a torque applied by the motor or power used by the motor; sending speed, torque, or power information to a filling mechanism for filling the sump with developer; and stopping or reducing the flow of developer into the sump when the speed, torque, or power reaches a predetermined setting. | 12-20-2012 |
| 20120321355 | DEVELOPMENT DEVICE - A development device having: a main unit having formed therein a first space and a second space extending in a first direction perpendicular to a vertical direction, a first communicating portion and a second communicating portion that allow the first space and the second space to communicate with each other at both ends in the first direction; a first stirring member that extends in the first direction within the first space; a second stirring member that is positioned within the first space between the first stirring member and the second space and extends in the first direction; a conveyance member that extends in the first direction within the second space; and a developer support member that extends in the first direction within the second space. | 12-20-2012 |
| 20130011164 | TONER DISCHARGING DEVICE, TONER CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner discharging device has a toner containing section, a toner discharging member, and a toner discharging section. The toner discharging section has a toner discharge port formed by opening a vertically lower part of the cylindrical wall. The toner discharging member has a rotation axis; a toner discharge plate fixed to the rotation axis at a position facing the discharge port in the vicinity of one end of the discharging section and vertically above the discharge port; an elastic helical blade being fixed, to the discharge plate and being stretchable in a direction of the rotation axis; and a helical blade section having a helical blade fixed to the rotation axis over an area in the vicinity of another end of the discharging section and an area within the containing section where the discharge plate and the elastic helical blade are not formed. | 01-10-2013 |
| 20130017001 | TONER REPLENISHING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUSAANM Yamanaka; TatsuyaAACI Osaka-shiAACO JPAAGP Yamanaka; Tatsuya Osaka-shi JP - A toner replenishing device includes a toner conveying portion, a conveying member, a toner loosening member and a swinging member. The toner conveying portion has a vertical conveying portion for vertically conveying toner, and a horizontal conveying portion for horizontally conveying the toner. The conveying member is disposed in the horizontal conveying portion, and has a shaft member and a projecting portion formed around the shaft member. The toner loosening member is disposed in the vertical conveying portion to be swingable up and down. The swinging member is contactable with the conveying member and the toner loosening member. The swinging member swings up and down by a change in a contact portion with respect to the conveying member between the shaft member and the projecting portion, as the conveying member rotates. The toner loosening member swings up and down as the swinging member swings. | 01-17-2013 |
| 20130022374 | TONER SUPPLY DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A rotary-type toner supply device includes a toner container and a scraping member. The toner container has a peripheral wall section which is shaped so as to surround a side face of an imaginary column K | 01-24-2013 |
| 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 |
| 20130071144 | MULTIFUNCTIONAL CARBON POWDER FILLING DEVICE FOR REGENERATION OF CARBON POWDER CARTRIDGE - A multifunctional ink powder filling device for a regenerated powder cartridge box, which includes a bottle body, a powder-leakage prevention bottle plug, a powder filling nozzle and a bottle cover serving as a measuring cup at the same time, wherein the bottle plug is tightly matched and arranged on a bottle mouth of the bottle body and is externally provided with the powder filling nozzle, the inner and the outer peripheries of the pedestal of the powder filling nozzle are respectively provided with inner threads matched with the outer threads of the bottle mouth and outer threads matched with the inner threads on the mouth part of the bottle cover, and the upper end of the powder filling nozzle is provided with a diminishing heavy-caliber powder filling hopper. | 03-21-2013 |
| 20130084106 | DEVELOPER CONVEYANCE APPARATUS AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE - A developer conveyance apparatus for an image forming apparatus includes a developer storage portion configured to store developer, a developer conveyance portion arranged inside the developer storage portion and configured to convey the developer through rotation, a drive input portion configured to input a drive force to the developer conveyance portion, and a clutch arranged inside the developer storage portion and configured to transmit the drive force from the drive input portion to the developer conveyance portion, the clutch stopping or decelerating a rotation of the developer conveyance portion when a requisite torque for rotating the developer conveyance portion exceeds a predetermined magnitude, wherein the clutch is arranged inside the developer storage portion and includes at least one clutch side conveyance portion which, when receiving the drive force from the drive input portion, conveys the developer in a developer conveyance direction in which the developer conveyance portion conveys the developer. | 04-04-2013 |
| 20130084107 | DEVELOPER CASE THAT SUPPRESSES CLOGGING DUE TO DEVELOPER, DEVELOPER REPLENISHMENT UNIT HAVING THE SAME, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A developer case includes a main body, a first transportation portion, a first transportation member, a supply member, a discharge port, and a second transportation portion. The main body contains developer. The first transportation portion has a first region that receives developer from the main body and a second region that extends from the first region in a first direction. The first transportation member transports developer in the first direction. The supply member supplies developer to the first region. Developer is discharged through the discharge port. The second transportation portion has an inlet port communicating with the second region. Developer that has not been discharged through the discharge port is supplied to the second transportation portion through the inlet port. The second transportation portion transports developer in a second direction. | 04-04-2013 |
| 20130101317 | DEVELOPER CASE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS TO WHICH DEVELOPER CASE IS APPLIED - A developer case has a main body, a cylindrical portion, and a rotating unit. The main body has a bottom wall. The cylindrical portion has a discharge port. The rotating unit is located so as to extend across the main body and the cylindrical portion, transports developer in the main body, and has a rotating shaft, a first transport member, a second transport member, and dispersing members. The rotating shaft has a first portion located in the main body and a second portion located in the cylindrical portion. The first transport member transports developer in a first transport direction from the cylindrical portion to the main body. The second transport member transports developer in a second transport direction from the main body to the cylindrical portion. The dispersing members move developer in the radial direction. | 04-25-2013 |
| 20130101318 | DEVELOPER STORAGE CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH THE SAME - A developer storage container includes a container main body, a tubular portion projecting from the container main body and including a developer discharge opening, and a rotary member extending from the container main body to the tubular portion and having a function of conveying the developer in the container main body. The rotary member includes a first section located in the container main body and a second section located in the tubular portion. A first conveying member for conveying the developer from the tubular portion side toward the container main body side, a second conveying member for conveying the developer in an opposite direction, and a flexible member are mounted on the rotary shaft. The flexible member includes a fixed end portion fixed onto the circumferential surface of the rotary shaft and a free end portion arranged at a side radially outward of the second conveying member. | 04-25-2013 |
| 20130108327 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TONER SUPPLY DEVICE | 05-02-2013 |
| 20130114980 | DUAL TONER REPLENISHER ASSEMBLY FOR CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE GLOSS - A color image forming machine is provided having a plurality of xerographic marking engines, each forming associated color separations that are combined to produce a color print image. Each marking engine includes a dual replenisher assembly having first and second reservoirs containing respective toners of different gloss levels. The reservoirs each include one or more augers separately and independently controlled for dispensing the respective toners into a developer to continuously vary the gloss level of the toner in the developer. | 05-09-2013 |
| 20130121731 | DEVELOPER TRANSPORTING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer transporting device includes a transporting device body having an inlet, an inlet cover member that opens and closes the inlet, a container having an outlet, an outlet cover member that opens and closes the outlet, a restraining member that restrains an opening movement of the inlet cover member, and a releasing member that is capable of releasing the inlet cover member from the state in which the opening movement is restrained. The restraining member restrains the opening movement of the inlet cover member when the outlet cover member is closed. The releasing member releases the inlet cover member from the state in which the opening movement is restrained when the outlet cover member is open. | 05-16-2013 |
| 20130121732 | DEVELOPER TRANSPORTING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer transporting device includes a transporting device body including a transporting portion having an inlet, a developer container including a container portion having an outlet connected to the inlet and a cover member that is movable between positions for opening and closing the outlet, a first contact portion supported by the cover member, a guide portion including a passage portion and an inclined portion that is connected to the passage portion and that comes into contact with the first contact portion to move the cover member, and a second contact portion that is provided on the passage portion and extends toward the position for closing the outlet. The second contact portion comes into contact with the first contact portion and moves the cover member toward the position for closing the outlet when the first contact portion passes the second contact portion. | 05-16-2013 |
| 20130129389 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - An electrophotographic image forming apparatus including first and second developing devices to develop electrostatic latent images formed on first and second photosensitive bodies, each of the first and second developing devices comprise a first toner containing unit to contain a toner, the second developing device further including a second toner containing unit that is connected to the first toner containing unit by a connecting unit. | 05-23-2013 |
| 20130129390 | DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In a developing device, a rotation shaft is provided with a developer feeding member, a cleaning member, and a receiving portion. The receiving portion is provided downstream of the developer feeding member and upstream of a light transmitting member, provided to a wall surface of a developer accommodating chamber of the developing device, with respect to a rotational direction of the rotation shaft when the cleaning member has passed through the light transmitting member. | 05-23-2013 |
| 20130136502 | DEVELOPMENT DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A development device includes a developer introduction port, a developer conveyance portion, a first conveyance ability suppressing portion, and a connecting conveyance portion. The conveyance ability suppressing portion is disposed on a downstream side of the developer introduction port in a first direction in which the developer is conveyed in order to partially suppress a developer conveyance ability of the developer conveyance portion such that a developer accumulation portion is formed in a position opposing the developer introduction port. A first direction downstream side of the first conveyance ability suppressing portion opposes a first connecting passage in a third direction that intersects the first direction. The connecting conveyance portion is joined to the first direction downstream side of the conveyance ability suppressing portion and opposes the first connecting passage in the third direction in order to pass the developer from a first conveyance passage to a second conveyance passage. | 05-30-2013 |
| 20130136503 | DEVELOPING MECHANISM AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The present application discloses a developing mechanism including a developing device for developing electrostatic latent images and a container containing developer. The developing device includes a carrier carrying and supplying the developer to the electrostatic latent images; a first housing having a feed port through which the developer is fed; a first conveyance member conveying the developer along a first direction away from the feed port; and a first shutter mechanism selectively opening and closing the feed port. The container includes a second housing having a supply port from which the developer is supplied through the feed port to the developing device; a second shutter mechanism selectively opening and closing the supply port; and a second conveyance member conveying the developer along a second direction across the first direction for developer discharge through the supply port. The feed port is opened earlier than the supply port is opened. | 05-30-2013 |
| 20130136504 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a developing device, a support frame, a developer case, and an intermediate hopper. The support frame selectively positions the developing device to a detachment position and a developing position. The intermediate hopper includes a first hopper, a second hopper, and a third hopper. The first hopper receives developer from the developer case through a developer inlet port. The second hopper has a developer outlet port, through which the developer is supplied to the developing device. The upper and lower end portions of the third hopper are respectively connected to the first and second hoppers. Parts where the first to third hoppers are connected one another are rotatable in directions that allow the support frame to move. | 05-30-2013 |
| 20130156470 | DEVELOPER REPLENISHMENT CONTAINER ACCOMMODATING APPARATUS, DEVELOPER REPLENISHMENT CONTAINER, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer replenishment container accommodating apparatus in which a developer replenishment container is removably put in a main body of the accommodating apparatus, which replenishes a developer while rotating the developer replenishment container, the accommodating apparatus including: a holding portion provided on the main body of the accommodating apparatus and configured to hold the developer replenishment container put in the main body in a replenishment position for replenishing the developer; and a pressing portion configured to press the developer replenishment container put in the main body toward an upstream side in a push-in direction in which the developer replenishment container is pushed in the main body, wherein, when the developer replenishment container is put in the main body, the developer replenishment container is secured while being biased and pressed against the holding portion by the pressing portion. | 06-20-2013 |
| 20130164039 | DEVELOPER ACCOMMODATING CONTAINER, PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer accommodating unit includes: a flexible container, provided with an opening for permitting discharge of a developer, for accommodating the developer; a frame for accommodating the flexible container and for accommodating the developer discharged from the flexible container; and an urging member, provided inside the frame, for urging the flexible container to deform the flexible container. The flexible container has a plurality of sides including an opening-containing side and another side having stiffness lower than that of the opening-containing side. | 06-27-2013 |
| 20130164040 | DEVELOPING DEVICE, CARTRIDGE AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing device includes: a flexible container, provide with an opening, for accommodating the developer; a frame for accommodating the container; an urging member, rotatably provided inside the frame, for urging the container by rotation thereof to deform the container; and a developer carrying member for carrying the developer on its surface to feed the developer. A distance X from a rotation center of the urging member to the surface of the developer carrying member and a length T from the rotation center of the urging member to a free end thereof for urging the container satisfy a relationship of X| 06-27-2013 | |
| 20130170861 | TONER CARTRIDGE HAVING A PIVOTING EXIT PORT COVER - A toner cartridge for use in an image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for containing toner therein. The housing has an exit port in fluid communication with the reservoir. A cover is mounted on an exterior portion of the housing that is pivotable between a closed position blocking the exit port and an open position unblocking the exit port. The cover is biased toward the closed position. An actuation mechanism is operatively connected to the cover to open the cover upon being actuated by an engagement feature in the image forming device. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130170862 | TONER CARTRIDGE WITH PRESSURE EQUALIZATION SYSTEM - A toner cartridge having a pressure equalization system for equalizing a pressure differential between a toner reservoir in the toner cartridge and a toner sump developer unit containing ingested air utilizing a ducted shutter that opens and closes an exit port on the housing of the toner cartridge in combination with a passageway in fluid communication with the ducted shutter and the toner reservoir wherein, when the toner cartridge is mated with a developer unit of the imaging apparatus and the shutter is in the open position, exiting toner leaves the cartridge through the exit port and enters the developer unit while air entrained within the developer unit enters the toner reservoir via the exit port, the duct and the passageway equalizing pressure between the toner cartridge and the to developer unit. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130170863 | IMAGING APPARATUS ASSEMBLY WITH PRESSURE EQUALIZATION - An assembly in an imaging apparatus comprising a developer unit and a toner cartridge having a pressure equalization system for equalizing a pressure differential between a toner reservoir in the toner cartridge and a toner sump of a developer unit containing ingested air. A ducted shutter that opens and closes an exit port on the housing of the toner cartridge in combination with a passageway in fluid communication with a duct in the shutter and the toner reservoir forms an airway wherein, when the toner cartridge is mated with a developer unit of the imaging apparatus and the shutter is in the open position, exiting toner leaves the cartridge through the exit port and enters the developer unit while air entrained within the developer unit enters the toner reservoir via the exit port and airway equalizing pressure between the toner cartridge and the developer unit. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130170864 | TONER CARTRIDGE HAVING A SHUTTER LOCK MECHANISM - A toner cartridge for use in an image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for containing toner therein. The housing has an exit port in fluid communication with the reservoir. A shutter is positioned at the exit port that is movable between an open position and a closed position. The shutter is biased toward the closed position. A linkage is operatively connected to the shutter to open the shutter upon being actuated by a first engagement feature in the image forming device. An interlock is operatively engaged with the linkage and biased toward a locked position preventing the linkage from opening the shutter. The interlock is movable to an unlocked position that is disengaged with the linkage when the interlock is actuated by a second engagement feature in the image forming device permitting the linkage to open the shutter. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130170865 | TONER CARTRIDGE HAVING A SHUTTER LOCK MECHANISM - A toner cartridge according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for containing toner and an exit port in fluid communication therewith. A movable shutter is positioned at the exit port. A linkage is operatively connected to the shutter to open the shutter upon being actuated by a first engagement feature in the image forming device. The linkage includes a first linkage member positioned to receive the first engagement feature and a second linkage member connected to the shutter. An interlock is operatively engaged with the linkage and biased toward a locked position preventing the second linkage member from opening the shutter but permitting the first linkage member to move relative to the second linkage member. The interlock is movable to an unlocked position upon being actuated by a second engagement feature in the image forming device that permits the second linkage member to open the shutter. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130170866 | TONER CARTRIDGE HAVING A SHUTTER LOCK MECHANISM - A toner cartridge according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for containing toner and an exit port in fluid communication therewith. A movable shutter is positioned at the exit port. A linkage is operatively connected to the shutter to open the shutter upon being actuated by a first engagement feature in the image forming device. The linkage includes a first linkage member positioned to receive the first engagement feature and a second linkage member connected to the shutter. An interlock is operatively engaged with the linkage and biased toward a locked position preventing the second linkage member from opening the shutter but permitting the first linkage member to move relative to the second linkage member. The interlock is movable to an unlocked position upon being actuated by a second engagement feature in the image forming device that permits the second linkage member to open the shutter. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130170867 | TONER CARTRIDGES HAVING POSITIONAL CONTROL FEATURES - A toner cartridge for use in an image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for containing toner therein. The housing has an exit port in fluid communication with the reservoir to permit toner from the reservoir to pass out of the housing. A first leg and a second leg each project from a bottom portion of the housing to limit the side-to-side travel of the toner cartridge during insertion into the image forming device. Wing guides are positioned on opposite side surfaces of the housing. A stop extends from each wing guide to limit the forward travel of the toner cartridge in the image forming device. Rounded projections extending from the bottom surfaces of the wing guides define contact points to control the vertical position of the toner cartridge in the image forming device. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130170868 | TONER CARTRIDGE FOR USE IN AN IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - A toner cartridge according to one example embodiment includes a housing that defines a reservoir for containing toner. An exit port in fluid communication with the reservoir faces downward on the front of the housing near a first side. A shutter positioned at the exit port is movable between an open position and a closed position. A toner delivery system for transferring toner from the reservoir includes a main interface gear exposed on the front of the housing near the top of the second side. A rearward facing opening is positioned near the first side of the housing for receiving a first engagement feature in an image forming device for opening and closing the shutter. A forward facing slot is positioned near the first side of the housing for receiving a second engagement feature in the image forming device for locking and unlocking the shutter. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130170869 | Movable Toner Port Cover Member for a Replaceable Unit of an Imaging Device - A rotating cover on the developer unit of an imaging apparatus to prevent toner leaks from the toner entry port of the developer unit. When installing a toner cartridge, the cartridge contacts a surface to cause the cover to rotate to an open position, thereby exposing the toner port for receiving toner. Conversely, when the toner cartridge is removed the cover is rotated into a closed position with the aid of a torsion spring so as to seal the toner entry port of the developer unit. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130170870 | DETACHABLE TONER CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - An image forming apparatus includes a toner cartridge that has an inner shutter and an outer shutter and is attached to and detached from a main body through a door disposed on a main body. The outer shutter moves to a position in which toner is allowed to be discharged through a toner outlet of the toner cartridge when the toner cartridge is loaded into the main body, and the inner shutter moves to an open position in which the toner outlet is opened by being interlocked in a closing operation of the door after the toner cartridge is loaded into the main body. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130183064 | DEVELOPER UNIT FOR AN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer unit for an image forming apparatus is provided. The developer unit includes a developer device with a developer agent carrier and a developer agent supplier, and a developer agent container, which contains the developer agent and is arranged in a lower position with respect to the developer device. The developer agent container is formed to have a fitting wall, which is curved inward at a position to be adjacent to the developer device. The fitting wall is formed to have a feeding opening and a collecting opening. The developer unit is further provided with a first conveyer, which is rotated about a rotation axis to sweep an inner surface of the developer agent container and convey the developer agent toward the feeding opening, and a second conveyer, which is arranged along the developer agent supplier and conveys the developer agent toward the collecting opening. | 07-18-2013 |
| 20130183065 | DEVELOPER CONTAINER, DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, IMAGE FORMING DEVICE, AND DEVELOPER REFILLING METHOD - A first developer container delivers developer to a second developer container, the first developer container including a first opening to be engaged with the second developer container and to deliver the developer; and a conveyor to convey the developer and to deliver the developer through the first opening. | 07-18-2013 |
| 20130188994 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND DEVELOPER CONTAINER THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of developing units respectively including developer inlets, the developing units are arranged side by side in a first direction, a plurality of developer containers to contain developers to be supplied to the plurality of developing units and respectively including developer outlets, the developer units are arranged side by side in the first direction to face the plurality of developing units, and a plurality of developer supplying paths respectively to connect the developer inlets to the developer outlets, wherein the plurality of developer containers include first and second developer containers, and a position of the developer outlet of the second developer container is different from position of the developer outlet of the first developer container. | 07-25-2013 |
| 20130195509 | TONER CONVEYING PATH FORMING MEMBER, TONER REPLENISHMENT UNIT, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner conveying path forming member forms a toner conveying path with a hollow capable of conveying toner. The toner conveying path forming member includes an inner wall a part of which is pressed by an elastic toner conveying member provided in the toner conveying path; and a protrusion that is provided on an inner wall surface of at least a part of the inner wall to protrude toward the hollow. | 08-01-2013 |
| 20130195510 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TONER CASE - An image forming apparatus includes a toner case, a driving mechanism and an installed part. The toner case includes a container main body, a rotating member and a transmission coupling. The container main body is provided with a discharge port configured to discharge a toner. The rotating member is installed into the container main body. The transmission coupling is connected with the rotating member. The driving mechanism includes a drive coupling and a drive unit. The drive coupling is detachably connected with the transmission coupling. The toner case has a lever supported onto the container main body. The driving mechanism has a movement mechanism which works in accordance with the operation of the lever, in a state of installing the toner case into the installed part, to move the drive coupling from a disconnecting position to a connecting position with the transmission coupling. | 08-01-2013 |
| 20130202328 | INTERMEDIATE HOPPER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An intermediate hopper has a toner reception tub; a partition for dividing an internal space of the toner reception tub; a first and a second toner conveyance path separated by the partition; a first toner conveyance screw being provided in the first toner conveyance path; a second toner conveyance screw being provided in the second toner conveyance path; a toner receiving port for receiving the toner; a toner communicating path for guiding the toner in the first toner conveyance path to the second toner conveyance path; and a toner discharge port for discharging the toner out of the toner reception tub, wherein the partition comprises a plurality of intermediate slits for guiding the toner contained in the first toner conveyance path to the second toner conveyance path. | 08-08-2013 |
| 20130202329 | INTERMEDIATE HOPPER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An intermediate hopper has a toner reception tub, a partition for dividing an internal space of the toner reception tub; a first and a second toner conveyance path; a first toner conveyance screw being provided in the first toner conveyance path; a second toner conveyance screw being provided in the second toner conveyance path; a toner receiving port for receiving the toner; a toner communicating path for guiding the toner in the first toner conveyance path to the second toner conveyance path; a toner discharge port; and a toner amount detection sensor, wherein the first toner conveyance screw further comprises an agitation plate disposed at a position facing the toner receiving port so as to extend radially from the first rotation axis and fixed in parallel with the first rotation axis, and the toner amount detection sensor is provided on an upstream side relative to the agitation plate. | 08-08-2013 |
| 20130209140 | DEVELOPER SUPPLY CONTAINER AND DEVELOPER SUPPLYING SYSTEM - A developer supply container includes a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer; a discharge opening for permitting discharging of the developer from the developer accommodating portion; a drive inputting portion for receiving a driving force; a pump portion capable of being driven by the driving force received by the drive inputting portion to alternating an internal pressure of the developer accommodating portion between a pressure lower than an ambient pressure and a pressure higher than the ambient pressure; and a regulating portion for regulating a position of the pump portion at a start of operation of the pump portion so that in an initial operational period of the pump portion, air is taken into the developer accommodating portion through the discharge opening. | 08-15-2013 |
| 20130216269 | NOZZLE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF DERIVING POWDER - A nozzle is provided. The nozzle includes a gas injection unit, a sieve body, and a derivation unit. The gas injection unit is adapted to inject a gas into a powder container containing a powder. The sieve body includes a cylinder, a filter, and a blade. The cylinder has a communication aperture for communicating the cylinder with the powder container. The filter is disposed at a bottom of the cylinder. The blade is adapted to agitate the powder introduced into the cylinder from the powder container through the communication aperture upon injection of the gas into the powder container to allow the powder to pass through the filter. The blade is rotatable about a rotation axis that intersects with the filter in proximity to the filter. The derivation unit is adapted to derive the powder passed through the filter out of the powder container. | 08-22-2013 |
| 20130216270 | SIEVE DEVICE, SUPPLY UNIT, DEVELOPING UNIT, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF SUPPLYING TONER PARTICLES - A sieve device is provided. The sieve device includes a sieve body and an introduction unit. The sieve body includes a cylinder, a filter, and a blade. The cylinder is adapted to be supplied with toner particles. The filter is disposed at a bottom of the cylinder. The blade is adapted to agitate the toner particles within the cylinder to allow the toner particles to pass through the filter. The blade is rotatable about a rotation axis that intersects with the filter in proximity to the filter. The introduction unit is adapted to introduce the toner particles passed through the filter outside the sieve body. | 08-22-2013 |
| 20130216271 | SIEVE DEVICE, POWDER TRANSPORTING UNIT, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF TRANSPORTING POWDER - A sieve device is provided. The sieve device includes a sieve body and an inlet unit. The sieve body includes a cylinder, a filter, and a blade. The cylinder is adapted to be supplied with a powder. The filter is disposed at a bottom of the cylinder. The blade is adapted to agitate the powder within the cylinder to allow the powder to pass through the filter. | 08-22-2013 |
| 20130223890 | DEVELOPING DEVICE USABLE WITH IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing device usable with an image forming apparatus, which has an improved configuration to allow smooth flow of developer stored therein. The developing device includes a housing in which a developer receiving chamber is defined, a partition to divide the developer receiving chamber into a first developer receiving chamber and a second developer receiving chamber, and a first developer delivery member arranged in the first developer receiving chamber to deliver developer in a first direction. The partition includes at least one opening to communicate the first developer receiving chamber and the second developer receiving chamber with each other, and a shield to block between the first developer receiving chamber and the second developer receiving chamber at an upstream position of the first direction so as to isolate the two developer receiving chambers from each other. | 08-29-2013 |
| 20130243490 | DRIVE TRANSMISSION STRUCTURE, DEVELOPER TRANSPORT DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A drive transmission structure includes a driven shaft, a drive shaft, and a bearing member. The driven shaft has a drive receiving gear attached thereto and a first shaft portion near the drive receiving gear, to which a rotational force is transmitted. The drive shaft has a drive transmitting gear attached thereto and a second shaft portion near the drive transmitting gear. The drive transmitting gear is engaged with the drive receiving gear so as to transmit the rotational force. The bearing member has a first bearing and a second bearing, which respectively support the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion. In the drive transmission structure, the axis of the drive shaft does not intersect and is non-parallel to the axis of the driven shaft, and the first and second bearings are integrally formed with the bearing member. | 09-19-2013 |
| 20130251412 | POWDER FEED DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A powder feed device includes a casing having an opening for receiving a powder from a powder housing portion housing the powder, at least an inner side of the casing having a cylindrical shape; a transport member that is arranged in the casing, extends in a powder transport direction, and rotates and transports the powder to the fed body; and a shutter member that is arranged at a closed position for closing the opening, receives a force from the transport member by its rotation, and moves to an open position for opening the opening. The transport member includes a transport portion that contributes to the powder transport, and a non-transport portion that does not contribute to the powder transport, and handles the movement of the shutter member to the open position. The shutter member moves to the open position when receiving an effect of the non-transport portion. | 09-26-2013 |
| 20130259533 | TONER BOTTLE, SUPPLY UNIT, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A first shutter covers a first supply port formed in an outer peripheral surface of a main body, and can move in an outer peripheral direction along the outer peripheral surface of the main body. A pair of guiding members respectively formed on both ends of the first shutter guide the first shutter in the outer peripheral direction. A lock mechanism fixes the first shutter to achieve a closed sate of the first supply port. The lock mechanism includes a protrusion provided to the first shutter, the protrusion being capable of engaging with a recess formed in the outer peripheral surface. Fixing by the lock mechanism is released when the protrusion elastically deforms and is disengaged from the recess. The protrusion, the recess, and the first supply port are disposed along a virtual curve between the pair of guiding members. | 10-03-2013 |
| 20130266345 | POWDER CONVEYANCE DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A powder conveyance device including a reciprocating displacement pump, through which powder, together with air, passes to be conveyed from an origin to a destination using negative pressure and positive pressure alternately generated in the reciprocating displacement pump by changing an internal volume of the reciprocating displacement pump, and a drive part connected to the reciprocating displacement pump to drive the reciprocating displacement pump. A period of time to increase the internal volume of the reciprocating displacement pump to generate the negative pressure is set longer than a period of time to reduce the internal volume of the reciprocating displacement pump to generate the positive pressure. | 10-10-2013 |
| 20130279942 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member that bears an electrostatic latent image; a developer container containing developer; a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image on the image bearing member with the developer; a tubular transport-path forming member that forms a transport path through which the developer is transported from the developer container to the developing unit; a transport member that is disposed inside the transport-path forming member and transports the developer from the developer container to the developing unit; and a control unit that performs control such that, when the transport-path forming member is used for the first time or when the developer container is replaced, an operation to fill the developer into the transport-path forming member is performed by driving the transport member after the image forming operation is started. | 10-24-2013 |
| 20130287445 | Developing Apparatus and Image Forming Apparatus - A developing apparatus is provided, including a developing unit including a developing roller; a developer accommodating unit; a partition wall partitioning the developing unit and the developer accommodating unit; a supply port which makes communication between the developing unit and the developer accommodating unit; a transport member configured so that the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating unit is supplied to the developing unit via the supply port in accordance with rotation; a return port configured so that the developer contained in the developing unit is permitted to fall into the developer accommodating unit; an opening/closing member configured to be movable between an open position for opening the return port and a closed position for closing the return port; and a driving mechanism configured so that the opening/closing member is moved to the closed position and the open position. | 10-31-2013 |
| 20130308985 | DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY SUPPLYING TONER TO TONER CARTRIDGE - The device for automatically supplying a toner to a toner cartridge of the present invention includes: a toner storage container for storing toners to be refilled; an outer container for containing the toner storage container; a toner supplying unit for supplying the toner stored in the toner storage container to the toner cartridge; and a toner supply hose for sending the toner to the toner cartridge, wherein the toner supplying means consists of: a balloon, which expands and contracts when air is supplied to or discharged from the inside, so that the toner at the bottom is pushed in towards the cartridge or the toner at the top moves to supplement the bottom; an air pump for supplying air to the balloon; an air pipe for connecting the balloon and the air pump; a control valve; and a controller for operating the control valve, enabling the present invention to print stably by preventing toner shortage. | 11-21-2013 |
| 20130315633 | TONER CASE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner case includes a case main body and a shutter, a lever, a rotating member and a transmitting member attached to the case main body. The case main body includes a discharge port discharging a toner. The shutter is rotatably attached to open/close the discharge port and includes a shutter side gear. The lever is rotatably attached to operate the shutter and includes a lever main body that includes a lever side gear meshing with the shutter side gear. The rotating member is installed in a rotatable state. The transmitting member is rotatably attached to transmit the rotation to the rotating member and includes a transmitting member main body that covers the outside of the lever main body and includes an aperture. The aperture exposes a meshing part of the lever side gear and shutter side gear when the transmitting member is located to a predetermined rotational displacement. | 11-28-2013 |
| 20130322925 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TONER CASE - An image forming apparatus includes a toner case, an apparatus main body and a cover. The toner case is attachably/detachably installed to the apparatus main body and includes a case main body having a discharge port discharging a toner, a shutter opening/closing the discharge port and a lever connected with the shutter. The cover is openably/closably attached to the apparatus main body and partly covers the toner case. The lever is shifted to a first position in order to make the shutter close the discharge port and to allow the close of the cover without interfering with the cover, to a second position in order to make the shutter close the discharge port and to interfere with the cover, or to a third position in order to make the shutter open the discharge port and to allow the close of the cover without interfering with the cover. | 12-05-2013 |
| 20130322926 | DEVELOPER ACCOMMODATING CONTAINER, PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer accommodating unit includes: a flexible container, provided with an opening for permitting discharge of a developer, for accommodating the developer; a frame for accommodating the flexible container and for accommodating the developer discharged from the flexible container; and an urging member, provided inside the frame, for urging the flexible container to deform the flexible container. The flexible container has a plurality of sides, where the developer accommodated inside the flexible container receives gravitation, defined by a bent portion. The sides are capable of receiving an urging force of the urging member. | 12-05-2013 |
| 20130322927 | POWDER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A powder container includes a container body to accommodate powder for image forming therein, the container body including an outlet at a bottom thereof through which the powder is supplied to a powder supply device and being detachably attachable to an image forming apparatus, a rotary member, an agitator supported by the rotary member, and a powder receiver to guide a transport tube transporting the powder in the container body into the container body. The powder receiver includes a nozzle receiver opening, an opening-closing member to open and close the nozzle receiver, a container-side biasing member to bias the opening-closing member to close, a container opening-closing member supporter, a step and an end portion to contact first and second contact surfaces of the powder container receiver due to a restorative force of the container-side biasing member upon attachment of the powder container to the powder supply device. | 12-05-2013 |
| 20130336679 | DEVELOPER CONTAINING UNIT, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer containing unit configured to contain a developer, the developer containing unit including: a flexible container configured to contain the developer and provided with an opening portion through which the developer is discharged; a frame configured to accommodate the flexible container; a pressure member provided in the frame and configured to deform the flexible container; and an abutment portion extending in a longitudinal direction of the frame and at which the flexible container and the frame abut against each other. | 12-19-2013 |
| 20140029983 | TONER RESUPPLY DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner resupply device having: a detector plate for detecting a surface of toner stored in a hopper; a douser that moves together with the detector plate; a fixing plate for fixing the detector plate and the douser integrally; and a toner sensor for detecting a phase of the douser. The douser has a light-blocking surface that blocks and transmits light to be detected by the toner sensor, and a shaft extending in an axial direction crossing the light-blocking surface, the shaft being inserted in a hole made in the detector plate. The shaft has a groove in which the fixing plate is locked, the groove extending in a direction crossing the axial direction. The fixing plate in a state of being locked in the groove pushes the shaft in the axial direction, thereby fixing the detector plate and the douser to each other. | 01-30-2014 |
| 20140029984 | DEVELOPER HOLDING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING UNIT, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer holding apparatus includes a first chamber, a second chamber, a communication port, and a shutter. The first chamber holds a developer material therein. The second chamber is adjacent the first chamber, and holds the developer material therein. The first chamber communicates with the second chamber through the communication port. The shutter opens and closes the communication port. | 01-30-2014 |
| 20140037340 | DEVELOPER UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer unit for an image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a developer device having a developer agent carrier and a developer agent supplier, a developer agent container arranged in an upper position with respect to the developer device, and a curved wall, which separates the developer device from the developer agent container; is curved toward the developer agent container; and is formed to have a feeding opening and a collecting opening, and a conveyer, which is arranged along the developer agent supplier and conveys the developer agent toward the collecting opening. The curved wall is arranged to be in proximity to the conveyer and to fit with outlines of the conveyer. | 02-06-2014 |
| 20140064793 | DEVELOPING UNIT, PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing unit includes: a frame; a flexible container, provided inside the frame, for accommodating a developer, wherein the flexible container includes an opening for permitting discharge of the developer; an urging member, provided inside the frame, for urging the flexible container to deform the flexible container; and a developer carrying member for carrying the developer discharged from the opening of the flexible container. The flexible container includes a projected portion projecting toward an outside of the flexible container. The projected portion is moved depending on deformation of the flexible container, by urging of the flexible container, to stir the developer discharged from the opening. | 03-06-2014 |
| 20140072345 | DEVELOPER ACCOMMODATING CONTAINER, DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer accommodating unit includes: a flexible container, provided with an opening for permitting discharge of a developer, for accommodating the developer; and a frame for accommodating the flexible container and for accommodating the developer discharged from the flexible container. The flexible container includes a projected, portion projected from a part of a side forming the flexible container toward an outside of or toward an inside of the flexible container. | 03-13-2014 |
| 20140086639 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, TONER CASE AND DRIVE TRANSMISSION MECHANISM - An image forming apparatus includes a toner case containing a toner and an installed member in which the toner case is installed. The toner case has a case main body in which rotating members are installed, and a following coupling. The case main body has a discharge port discharging the toner. The following coupling is connected to the rotating member and has a pressured part. The installed member has a drive coupling and a drive source rotating the drive coupling. The drive coupling is linked to the following coupling and has a pressuring part. The drive coupling and following coupling are rotated in the same rotation direction around the same rotation axis by pressuring the pressured part by the pressuring part. The pressured part is provided so as to come close to the rotation axis from an upper stream side to a lower stream side in the rotation direction. | 03-27-2014 |
| 20140105650 | TONER TRANSPORT STRUCTURE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner transport structure has a transport passage that extends in an intersecting direction that intersects a vertical direction. The toner transport structure includes a path member that has an upper end and a lower end, an exit on a lower end side thereof, and an entrance on an upper end side thereof. The exit and the entrance have respective openings, and the path member guides toner downward in the vertical direction. The toner transport structure also includes a transport member disposed in the transport passage that is connected to the exit on the lower end side of the path member. The transport member transports along the transport passage the toner having been guided downward by the path member. In the toner transport structure, an area of the opening at the exit is larger than an area of the opening at the entrance. | 04-17-2014 |
| 20140133889 | DEVELOPER CONVEYANCE DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer conveyance device includes a developer reservoir for containing developer, and a positive-displacement pump to alternately generate positive pressure and negative pressure by varying a volume of space therein to transport developer from the developer reservoir to a destination. When Qp represents a volume of developer moved by a single pumping action of the pump, calculated by multiplying a maximum flow amount of the pump per unit time by an operation time of the pump; Qd represents a volume of developer contained in the developer reservoir; and Qe represents a volume of developer present in a virtual columnar space defined by vertically raising the developer outlet to a level of developer contained in the developer reservoir, either Qp>Qd or Qp>Qe is satisfied. | 05-15-2014 |
| 20140140735 | DEVELOPER MATERIAL HOLDING APPARATUS, SUPPORTING APPARATUS THAT SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPER MATERIAL HOLDING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner cartridge is supported on a supporting apparatus and includes a chamber that holds toner therein. A shutter has a first engagement portion and is slidably mounted on the toner cartridge and is configured to open and close the opening. A second engagement portion is formed on a body of the toner cartridge. The supporting apparatus includes a supporting surface that supports the toner cartridge thereon. A first limiting element limits movement of the toner cartridge in an insertion direction of the toner cartridge. A stopper limits movement of the shutter in the insertion direction when the toner cartridge is inserted into the supporting apparatus. A second limiting element engages the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion to limit movement of the toner cartridge in a pull-out direction of the toner cartridge and movement of the shutter in the pull-out direction. | 05-22-2014 |
| 20140140736 | TONER CASE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner case includes a case main body, an attachment member and a conveying member. The case main body has a discharge port configured to discharge a toner. The attachment member is provided at the case main body to be rotatable in normal and reverse rotation directions around a rotation axis. The conveying member is rotatable in the normal and reverse rotation direction around the rotation axis to convey the toner from/to the inside of the case main body to/from a side of the discharge port. When the attachment member is reversely rotated, the conveying member is moved in a direction of the rotation axis between a first position in which the conveying member is reversely rotated together with the attachment member and a second position in which the attachment member runs idle. | 05-22-2014 |
| 20140147173 | DEVELOPER SUPPLYING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer supplying device includes an inflow path; a guide path having an inlet to which a lower end of the inflow path is connected, the guide path extending diagonally downward from the inlet, the guide path guiding the developer to a developing unit; and a transport unit disposed in the guide path, the transport unit including a helical screw blade and a holder that holds the helical screw blade, the transport unit transporting the developer to the developing unit by rotating. In at least a part of a region in the guide path facing the inlet, a pitch of the helical screw blade in a horizontal direction is greater than or equal to a width of the inlet, and the holder is located at a position displaced from the rotation axis of the transport unit. | 05-29-2014 |
| 20140153970 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FACILITATING ADVANCED TONER DISPENSING FROM ROTATING TONER CARTRIDGE COMPONENTS - A system and method are provided for improving powder material dispensing from containers, including toner dispensing from rotating toner cartridge components. The disclosed systems and methods separately agitate a rotating toner bottle, including an apparently, or indicated, expended toner bottle, in an image forming device to dislodge residual toner in the toner bottle without the need to remove the toner bottle from the image forming device to perform manual agitation by modifying a physical configuration of the rotating toner bottle in a manner that improves the performance of the rotating toner bottle by improving the flow of the toner material within the toner bottle. The disclosed physical configurations of the rotating toner bottle impart agitating pulses or disturbances onto rotating toner bottles to disturb any layers of residual toner material formed within the rotating toner bottle that may inhibit flow of the toner material in the rotating toner bottle. | 06-05-2014 |
| 20140153971 | TONER CONTAINER - In one example, a toner container for an electrophotographic printer includes a toner supply reservoir having a capacity sufficient to store enough toner to print a minimum number of pages that corresponds to a predetermined expected useful life of the printer. In another example, a toner container for an electrophotographic printer includes a toner supply reservoir that, when the container is installed in the printer, extends longitudinally a distance greater than the distance between the light source and the photoconductor and laterally substantially the full axial length of the photoconductor. In another example, a toner container for an electrophotographic printer includes an opening for the imaging light beam and a toner supply reservoir that includes a lower chamber extending laterally under the opening and an upper chamber connected to the lower chamber along both sides of the opening. | 06-05-2014 |
| 20140169834 | TONER SUPPLY DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner supply device includes a toner storage, a supply opening, a toner conveyer, a toner supply opening, and an air passage. The toner storage stores toner. Through the supply opening, the toner is supplied to a developing device. The toner conveyer includes an area of space different from an area of space of the toner storage. The toner conveyer conveys the toner stored in the toner storage to supply the toner from the supply opening to the developing device. Through the toner supply opening, the toner is supplied from the toner storage to the toner conveyer. The air passage is at a position different from the toner supply opening. The air passage connects the toner storage to the toner conveyer so as to allow air flowing through the supply opening into the toner conveyer to be supplied to the toner storage through the air passage. | 06-19-2014 |
| 20140169835 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming station including a developing device for developing a latent image formed on an image bearing member, using toner; a toner container for accommodating toner, the toner container including an expansion-and-contraction portion capable of being expanded and contracted in a longitudinal direction thereof; opposing side plates; holding members, provided on the side plates, respectively, for holding the toner container; a drive transmission mechanism for transmitting a drive to the image forming station, wherein the drive transmission mechanism is provided on one of the side plates, and wherein the holding member is mounted to the one of the side plates so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the other side plate. | 06-19-2014 |
| 20140169836 | DEVELOPER SUPPLY CONTAINER AND DEVELOPER SUPPLYING SYSTEM - A developer supply container includes a developer accommodating portion for accommodating developer; a discharge opening for discharging the developer from said developer accommodating portion; a pump portion capable of changing an internal pressure of said developer accommodating portion so as to discharge the developer through said discharge opening; a venting portion for permitting venting between an inside and an outside of said developer accommodating portion while preventing flowing of the developer out of said developer accommodating portion; and a ventilation blocking portion for blocking venting of said venting portion at least when said pump portion operates. | 06-19-2014 |
| 20140178104 | APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS INCLUDING AN IMAGING MODULE AND DEVELOPER MODULE INSTALLABLE IN AN ELECTROSTATOGRAPHIC PRINTING SYSTEM - A module installable in an electrostatographic printing apparatus includes a first housing suitable for retaining marking material, and extending substantially a width of a rotatable charge receptor. The first housing includes an input port and an output port. The module includes a second housing external to the first housing, the second housing forms a conduit between the output port and the input port. The second housing contains a quantity of marking material, the quantity being suitable as at least part of an initial fill of marking material for the first housing. | 06-26-2014 |
| 20140186075 | TONER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner container includes a housing and a shutter. The housing includes a toner accommodating chamber. A communication hole is formed in the housing. The communication hole communicates an interior with an exterior of the toner accommodating chamber. The communication hole also includes a replenishment hole, through which toner is supplied to the toner accommodating chamber, and a first collection hole. The shutter is configured to slide between an opening position and a closing position of the communication hole to open/close the communication hole. The shutter moves in a closing direction from the opening position to the closing position to close the replenishment hole and the first collection hole in this order. | 07-03-2014 |
| 20140199096 | DEVELOPER ACCOMMODATING UNIT, DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer accommodating unit for accommodating a developer includes: a flexible container provided with a plurality of openings for permitting discharge of developer. The openings are formed and arranged in a longitudinal direction of the developer accommodating unit. The openings have opening areas such that with respect to the longitudinal direction, the opening area of the opening provided at an end portion is larger than the opening area of the opening provided at a central portion. | 07-17-2014 |
| 20140205327 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing device includes a developer container, a developing unit, a developer outlet and a replenishment developer inlet. The developer container contains a developer composed of a toner and a first carrier. The developing unit develops an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier using the developer. The developer outlet discharges the developer. The replenishment developer inlet supplies a replenishment developer to the developer container. The replenishment developer includes a second carrier. A ratio of a poured bulk density of the second carrier to a poured bulk density of the first carrier ranges from 0.60 to 0.95. | 07-24-2014 |
| 20140212181 | CARTRIDGE, DEVELOPING CARTRIDGE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes: a frame; a flexible developer bag, provided with an opening and provided inside the frame, for containing a developer; and an elastic member for discharging the developer through the opening by acting on the developer bag. The elastic member is extended from a free state by contact with the developer bag, and elastic energy accumulated by extension of the elastic member acts on the developer bag to discharge the developer through the opening. | 07-31-2014 |
| 20140212182 | DEVELOPER STORAGE BODY, IMAGE FORMING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer storage body includes a storage portion in which a developer is stored, a supplying opening through which the developer is ejected, and a conveying member provided in the storage portion. The conveying member is rotatable about a rotation axis so as to convey the developer to the supplying opening. The supplying opening is provided with a plurality of slits extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the conveying member. | 07-31-2014 |
| 20140219687 | TONER SUPPLY DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A toner supply device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a toner case configured to contain toner; and a mounting member on which the toner case is detachably mounted. The mounting member includes: a toner receiving portion configured to receive the toner discharged from the toner case; and a toner holding portion configured to hold the toner received by the toner receiving portion. The toner holding portion includes a movable portion disposed below the toner receiving portion. The movable portion is provided so as to be able to lift and lower relative to the toner receiving portion. | 08-07-2014 |
| 20140219688 | TONER CONVEYING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND TONER CASE - A toner conveying device includes a toner containing part, a conveying member, and a vibration mechanism. The toner containing part contains a toner. The conveying member rotates around a rotation axis so as to convey the toner in the toner containing part. The vibration mechanism vibrates the conveying member in directions of the rotation axis. | 08-07-2014 |
| 20140241757 | NOZZLE INSERTION MEMBER, POWDER CONTAINER, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A nozzle insertion member arranged in a powder container includes a nozzle insertion opening; an opening/closing member opening/closing the nozzle insertion opening; a supporting member supporting the opening/closing member; and a biasing member provided to the supporting member to bias the opening/closing member toward a closing position. When the powder is supplied to the conveying nozzle along with rotation of a rotary conveyor arranged inside the powder container, the supporting member rotates with the rotation of the conveyor. The opening/closing member is rotated by a drive transmitting mechanism with rotation of the supporting member. The mechanism includes an elongated member arranged on the opening/closing member and penetrating through an opening formed on the supporting member; and a drive transmitted portion formed on the elongated member; and a drive transmitting portion formed on an inner surface of the opening and configured to come into contact with the drive transmitted portion. | 08-28-2014 |
| 20140270854 | Developing Apparatus and Image Forming Apparatus - This developing apparatus includes a toner supply passage for supplying new toner fed from a toner cartridge to a toner carrying region where a toner carrier is arranged, and the toner supply passage is provided with a backflow prevention portion for preventing old toner from backflowing toward the toner cartridge. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140286679 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TONER CASE - An image forming apparatus includes a toner case, an apparatus main body, and a cover. The toner case includes a case main body, a shutter, and an operation part. The case main body has a discharge port discharging a toner. The shutter opens/closes the discharge port. The operation part is connected to the shutter. The operation part is movable between a port closing position where the operation part makes the shutter close the discharge port and interferes with the cover and an port opening position where the operation part makes the shutter open the discharge port and permits the cover to be closed. When the cover is closed in the state in which the operation part is located at the port closing position, the cover presses the operation part and the operation part moves from the port closing position to the port opening position. | 09-25-2014 |
| 20140294447 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus ( | 10-02-2014 |
| 20140294448 | DEVELOPER SUPPLY CARTRIDGE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer supply cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes: a developer accommodating portion; a shutter portion movable between a closed position and an open position; and a movable portion for moving the shutter portion. The movable portion is movable between a first position where the shutter portion is positioned in the closed position. The movable portion performs a preventing operation for preventing movement thereof to the first position by engagement thereof with an engaging portion, provided in the main assembly side, when the movable portion is positioned in the second position during movement of the developer supply cartridge to the main assembly. | 10-02-2014 |
| 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 |
| 20140321884 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is an image forming apparatus including an apparatus main body, an operation member, a toner container, a shutter, and an interlocking mechanism. The operation member is a member for turning on and off a power supply of the apparatus main body, and takes an ON posture and an OFF posture. The toner container is a container configured to store the toner and including an opening section configured to allow communication between the inside and the outside of the container. The shutter can take an opening posture for opening the opening section and a closing posture for closing the opening section. The interlocking mechanism interlocks the posture of the operation member and the posture of the shutter to set the shutter in the opening posture when the operation member takes the ON posture and to set the shutter in the closing posture when the operation member takes the OFF posture. | 10-30-2014 |
| 20140321885 | TONER-CONTAINER SUPPORT UNIT AND IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS - A toner-container support unit is provided. The toner-container support unit includes: a toner container housing toner; a container mount including an internal space to accommodate the toner container; a toner-container receiver which is provided on an internal end side of the internal space of the container mount; a positioning hole formed on the back end surface of the toner container; a positioning pin provided in the toner-container receiver; a retracting assembly retracing a back end portion of the toner container to the toner-container receiver side when inserting the toner container into the container mount; and an inclination stopper which prevents the inclination of the toner container when the back end portion of the toner container is retracted by the retracting assembly toward the toner-container receiver. | 10-30-2014 |
| 20140334848 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an insertion entrance through which a toner container is inserted, and an entrance peripheral wall surrounding the insertion entrance and including an upper wall and a projecting bottom wall projecting beyond the upper wall to an upstream side in an insertion direction in which the toner container is inserted. The toner container includes a toner outlet in a substantially center portion of a bottom of the toner container in a width direction perpendicular to the insertion direction and a shutter to open and close the toner outlet. A recess recessed in the insertion direction is provided in a center portion of the projecting bottom wall in the width direction, and the recess in the projecting bottom wall is longer than the shutter in the width direction. | 11-13-2014 |
| 20140348544 | TONER CASE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE TONER CASE - A toner case is directly or indirectly connected to a housing | 11-27-2014 |
| 20140348545 | TONER HOUSING CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner housing container includes: a container body housing a toner; a conveying portion; a pipe receiving port; and an uplifting portion. Flow rate index of the toner measured by powder rheometer and represented by “flow rate index=(total energy at a rotation speed of 10 mm/s)/(total energy at a rotation speed of 100 mm/s)” is in a range of “1.8≦flow rate index≦6.5”. Container body includes protruding portion protruding from container body interior side of container opening portion toward one end of container body. Uplifting portion includes: uplifting wall surface extending from container body internal wall surface toward protruding portion; and curving portion curving to conform to protruding portion. When the toner housing container is mounted on the toner conveying device, the protruding portion is present between the curving portion and the toner receiving port of the conveying pipe being inserted. | 11-27-2014 |
| 20140348546 | TONER HOUSING CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Toner housing container includes: container body mountable on toner conveying device and housing toner supplied into toner conveying device; conveying portion provided in container body and conveying toner from longer direction one end of container body to other end at which container opening portion is provided; pipe receiving port provided at container opening portion and receiving conveying pipe fixed to toner conveying device; and uplifting portion to move toner conveyed by conveying portion toward toner receiving port of conveying pipe. Toner has loose apparent density of 0.28 g/cm | 11-27-2014 |
| 20140363210 | DEVELOPER SUPPLY CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer supply container for an image forming apparatus includes a container shell; a developer accommodation bag contained in the container shell; a developer discharging path for discharging the developer from the bag an outside of the developer supply container; an air fluid communication path for fluid communication between inside and outside of the container shell; and a maintaining portion sealing the air fluid communication path to maintain a pressure inside the container shell in a negative pressure state, wherein the developer accommodation bag deforms to discharge the developer, by the maintaining portion opening the air fluid communication path to permit air to enter the container shell through the air fluid communication path. | 12-11-2014 |
| 20140376968 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a bottle which is detachably mounted on an apparatus body to store toner; a shutter which is disposed on the bottle to open and close a discharge port which discharges the toner; and a shutter slider which is disposed in the apparatus body to open and close the shutter by engaging therewith along with an insertion operation of the bottle. The shutter slider is disposed to be movable from a first position, which allows the shutter to be located at a closed position at which the discharge port is closed by the shutter when the bottle is mounted on the apparatus body, to a second position, in which the discharge port is to be opened and closed by the shutter along with an operation of attaching and detaching the bottle to and from the apparatus body. | 12-25-2014 |
| 20140376969 | CARTRIDGE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes: a frame; a flexible container, provided with an opening at a side thereof and provided inside the frame, for accommodating a developer; and a feeding member, provided below the flexible container and provided between the flexible container and the frame, for feeding the developer. The feeding member is capable of discharging the developer discharged through the opening of the flexible container into between the flexible container and the frame. | 12-25-2014 |
| 20140376970 | DEVELOPMENT DEVICE, AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A development device includes a development casing, a developer bearer, a first developer conveyance member to supply developer to the developer bearer, a second developer conveyance member to transport developer axially, and a partition dividing an interior of the development casing into a supply channel and a collecting channel via which developer received from a downstream end portion of the supply channel is forwarded to an upstream end portion of the supply channel. The supply channel includes a conveyance area and a buffer area disposed adjacent to the conveyance area in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction to temporarily retain developer and midway in the developer conveyance direction inside the supply channel, and an upstream end face defining an upstream end of the buffer area is inclined relative to the axial direction to draw away from the conveyance area downstream in the developer conveyance direction. | 12-25-2014 |
| 20150010334 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In order to prevent accidental inflow of toner into a development device and suppress occurrence of image defects caused by the accidental inflow of toner, in an image forming apparatus having a plurality of toner storage containers and a replenishing driving device including a drive motor which drives the toner storage container and a gear train which transmits drive of a drive gear attached to the drive motor to the toner storage container, a locking mechanism is provided including a rotation regulating member suppressing rotation of the gear train of the replenishing driving device. | 01-08-2015 |
| 20150016847 | TONER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE TONER CONTAINER - An apparatus body of an image forming apparatus is provided with a drive transmission mechanism including a first rotation portion and a second rotation portion. An operation portion of a toner container includes a first connection portion to be connected to the first rotation portion. An opening and closing mechanism of the toner container includes a second connection portion to be connected to the second rotation portion. The opening and closing mechanism opens and closes a toner outlet by the second connection portion being rotated. | 01-15-2015 |
| 20150030355 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TONER CASE - This image formation device is provided with a toner case ( | 01-29-2015 |
| 20150037071 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a single driving source for driving each of first and second supply containers; and a drive switching device. The drive switching device includes: a rotatable driving member; a rotatable swinging member rotatable by rotation of the rotatable driving member and swingable between a first connected position with the first supply container and a first retracted position from the first supply container; and a rotatable moving member movable between a second connected position with the second container to permit drive transmission from said rotatable swinging member swung to the first retracted position to the second supply container and a second retracted position from the second supply container. | 02-05-2015 |
| 20150037072 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a developing unit configured to develop using toner an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive member, a mounting unit to which a container is mounted, the container including a containing unit configured to contain toner and a pump unit, and performing a supplying operation for supplying toner by expansion and contraction of the pump unit, a driving unit configured to rotationally drive the container to cause the container to perform the supplying operation, and a controller configured to control a rotational speed of the container based on a time for which the supplying operation has been performed. | 02-05-2015 |
| 20150043944 | DEVELOPER SUPPLYING APPARATUS - A supplying apparatus includes a mounting portion for mounting a developer supply container. The container includes a discharge opening; a receiving portion for receiving the developer, the receiving portion including a receiving opening and connectable with the discharge opening to receive the developer when the supply container is mounting to the mounting portion; a first moving mechanism for moving the receiving portion to and away from a position of the discharge opening in interrelation with mounting and demounting operation of the supply container; a covering member provided in a position opposing and above the receiving opening and movable between a covering position covering the receiving opening and an open position opening the receiving opening; and a second moving mechanism for moving the covering member from the covering position to the open position with the mounting operation of the supply container. | 02-12-2015 |
| 20150043945 | TONER CONVEYING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A toner conveying unit includes a toner case, an intermediate unit, and a developing unit. The intermediate unit removably supports the toner case. The intermediate unit includes a toner inlet, a toner outlet, a toner conveying path and a shutter. The toner outlet discharges the toner received from the toner inlet toward the developing unit. The toner conveying path connects the toner inlet with the toner outlet. The shutter opens/closes the toner inlet and the toner outlet in linkage with an operation of attaching/detaching the toner case. The shutter integrally includes an inlet sealing member capable of opening/closing the toner inlet, and an outlet sealing member linked with the inlet sealing member and capable of opening/closing the toner outlet. | 02-12-2015 |
| 20150055985 | DEVELOPER SUPPLYING APPARATUS - A supplying apparatus includes a mounting portion for the mounting a supply container accommodating a developer and provided with an opening for permitting discharge of the developer; a receiving portion for receiving and temporarily storing the developer supplied from the supply container and for supplying the developer into a portion-to-be-supplied; and an abutment member against which the developer supplied from the is clashed, wherein the abutment member is non-rotatably fixed on the receiving portion at a position above a powder level of the developer in the receiving portion and below the discharge opening of the supply container mounted to the mounting portion. | 02-26-2015 |
| 20150063872 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus, toner container, and method are provided. The image forming apparatus includes a main body, and a toner container configured to be installed in the main body. The toner container is installed in a toner container installing groove that is formed in an upper housing part of the main body. | 03-05-2015 |
| 20150063873 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TONER CARTRIDGE - A multi-functional peripheral includes a toner cartridge and an apparatus main body having a toner cartridge attaching section to which the toner cartridge is attached. The toner cartridge has a tubular outer circumferential surface extending along an inserting direction X for insertion of the toner cartridge into a containing space in the toner cartridge attaching section | 03-05-2015 |
| 20150063874 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is provided, which includes an image forming apparatus main body, and first and second toner containers mounted in the image forming apparatus main body, wherein the first and second toner containers are respectively mounted in first and second toner container mounting grooves that are concavely formed from a housing portion of the image forming apparatus main body. | 03-05-2015 |
| 20150063875 | TONER SUPPLYING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner supplying device includes: a toner container that is tubular, includes a spiral groove at an outer circumferential face, a toner discharge opening at one end in a longitudinal direction, and a depression at the other end in the longitudinal direction, and is rotationally driven to convey toner contained in the toner container along the spiral groove in the longitudinal direction to discharge the toner from the toner discharge opening; a rotational driving unit that engages with the one end of the toner container to rotationally drive the toner container to cause the toner container to discharge the toner; and a projection provided at an interior portion at which the toner container is installed, and having an inclination in which a projection amount increases toward downstream in a rotational direction of the toner container. The projection is formed to fall in the depression of the toner container. | 03-05-2015 |
| 20150086242 | TONER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THEREOF - Apparatus main body of image forming apparatus includes first rotation portion, second rotation portion, and lever. Toner container includes opening/closing mechanism for opening and closing the toner discharge outlet, and first coupling portion that is provided rotatably with respect to the housing and configured to, when the toner container is attached to the apparatus main body, be coupled with the first rotation portion of the apparatus main body to be integrally rotatable therewith. The opening/closing mechanism includes second coupling portion configured to, when the toner container is attached to the apparatus main body, be coupled with the second rotation portion of the apparatus main body to be integrally rotatable therewith. The opening/closing mechanism is configured to open and close the toner discharge outlet as the second coupling portion is rotated. The second coupling portion and the first coupling portion are configured to rotate in conjunction with each other. | 03-26-2015 |
| 20150086243 | TONER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THEREOF - An apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus includes a plurality of rotation portions provided each rotatably, in alignment with each other. A lever is provided to integrally swing with one of rotation portions or one of coupling portions that is disposed at one end in alignment direction of rotation portions and coupling portions. An opening/closing mechanism is provided to open and close a toner discharge outlet, which is formed on a housing of a toner container, as the coupling portion, which is disposed at one end in the alignment direction, rotates. An interlocking mechanism, which causes adjacent coupling portions to rotate in conjunction with each other, and an interlocking mechanism, which causes adjacent rotation portions to rotate in conjunction with each other, are disposed alternately on coupling portions side and on rotation portions side, from one end to the other end in the alignment direction. | 03-26-2015 |
| 20150093153 | POWDER FEEDING MECHANISM, POWDER FEEDING METHOD, DEVELOPER ACCOMMODATING CONTAINER, CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A powder feeding mechanism includes: a feeding member, provided under powder, for feeding the powder; and a vibration applying member for applying reciprocating acceleration to the feeding member in a feeding surface direction along a powder feeding surface of the feeding member. Maximum acceleration applied from the vibration applying member to the feeding member in a powder feeding direction is smaller than maximum acceleration applied from the vibration applying member to the feeding member in a direction opposite to the powder feeding direction to feed the powder in the powder feeding direction by the feeding member. | 04-02-2015 |
| 20150098730 | Carriage Assembly for Toner Cartridge Loading and Latching - A carriage assembly for an image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a plurality of cradles mounted on a base. Each cradle has a cartridge storage area sized to receive and hold a corresponding toner cartridge. Each of the cradles is independently pivotable between a loading position for loading and unloading the toner cartridge into and out of the cradle and an operating position for operating the toner cartridge in the image forming device. Each of the cradles is biased toward the loading position. A latch assembly is configured to retain the cradles holding the corresponding toner cartridges in the operating position. The latch assembly has user-actuated engagement features for individually releasing the cradles from the operating position to the loading position for unloading the corresponding toner cartridge. | 04-09-2015 |
| 20150098731 | Carriage Assembly for Toner Cartridge Loading Having a Hold-Down Feature - A carriage assembly according to one example embodiment includes a cradle pivotably mounted on a base. The cradle has a cartridge storage area sized to receive and hold a toner cartridge. The cradle is pivotable between a loading position for loading and unloading the toner cartridge and an operating position for operating the toner cartridge. A hold-down feature is mounted on the base adjacent to the cradle in a substantially stationary position relative to the cradle movement. When the cradle is in the loading position, the hold-down feature is positioned clear of an insertion and removal path of the toner cartridge into and out of the cradle and, as the cradle moves toward the operating position and when the cradle is in the operating position, the hold-down feature is positioned to engage a stop on the toner cartridge to prevent the toner cartridge from separating from the cradle. | 04-09-2015 |
| 20150098732 | DEVELOPER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - A developer container includes a casing having a developer accommodating chamber and a waste-developer accommodating chamber, conveying member, a conveying-member accommodating unit, and a supporting member. The conveying member conveys waste developer in a longitudinal direction of the waste-developer accommodating chamber. The conveying-member accommodating unit accommodates the conveying member therein and has a first opening and a second opening. The first opening is provided in an upstream end portion and allows the waste developer to move from outside of the conveying-member accommodating unit to the inside of the conveying-member accommodating unit. The second opening allows the waste-developer to move from the inside of the conveying-member accommodating unit to the waste-developer accommodating chamber. The supporting member is provided on the casing. The supporting member supports the conveying-member accommodating unit such that the conveying-member accommodating unit is movable in directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction relative to the casing. | 04-09-2015 |
| 20150139698 | Electrophotographic Image Forming Device Latching System for Retaining a Replaceable Unit - An electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a tray having a storage area extending between a front end and a rear end of the tray. The tray has an opening at the front end permitting insertion and removal of a replaceable unit into and out of the storage area. A biasing member biases the replaceable unit toward the front end of the tray. A latch on the tray is movable between a latched position restraining the replaceable unit from moving toward the front end of the tray and an unlatched position freeing the replaceable unit to move toward the front end of the tray permitting removal of the replaceable unit from the storage area. A latch releasing mechanism on the replaceable unit unlatches the latch on the tray for removing the replaceable unit from the storage area. | 05-21-2015 |
| 20150147095 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a toner case, an apparatus main body and a cover. The toner case includes a case main body, a shutter and a manipulation portion. The case main body has a discharge port configured to discharge a toner. The shutter opens/closes the discharge port. The manipulation portion is movable between a first position to make the shutter open the discharge port and a second position to make the shutter close the discharge port. To the apparatus main body, the toner case is detachably attached. The cover is openably/closably attached to the apparatus main body. The cover includes an interfering member. The interfering member is movable between an interfering position where the interfering member interferes with the manipulation portion being in the second position and an interference release position where the interfering member does not interfere with the manipulation portion being in the second position. | 05-28-2015 |
| 20150293473 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus comprising: a replenishment toner container which houses toner; and a development device which forms an image by using the toner supplied from the replenishment toner container, wherein at least two types of external additives are added to the toner, wherein, of the two types of external additives, when an added amount of a first external additive is Wh (volume % with respect to the toner) and an added amount of a second external additive is Wl (volume % with respect to the toner), a value of Wh+Wl in initial toner of a developer housed in the development device in advance is larger than a value of Wh+Wl in replenishment toner of a developer housed in the replenishment toner container; and wherein the fluidity of the replenishment toner is higher than the fluidity of the initial toner. | 10-15-2015 |
| 20150293476 | DEVELOPING UNIT, IMAGE FORMING UNIT, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing unit includes a chamber in which a developer material is held. The developer material is received from an external device through the developer material receiving opening. A developer guide member is disposed in the chamber and directly under the developer material receiving opening. The developer guide member extends in a first direction and guides the developer material in the first direction. A developer material transporting member is disposed between the developer material receiving opening and the developer guide member. The developer material transporting member extends in a second direction parallel to the first direction and transports the developer material in the second direction. An agitator is formed on the developer transporting member and is disposed directly under the developer material receiving opening. | 10-15-2015 |
| 20150338775 | POWDER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The powder container includes a container body containing a powder for image formation, the powder being to be supplied to a powder replenishing device; a conveyor configured to convey the powder from one end in a longitudinal direction to the other end at which a cylindrical container opening is formed, the conveyor being provided inside the container body; a gear configured to rotate the conveyor with an external driving force; a container cover configured to cover the gear, the container cover having a gear exposing hole for partially exposing a gear tooth; and a nozzle receiver configured to guide the conveying nozzle inside of the container body, the nozzle receiver being provided on the container opening. The container cover includes a container engaged portion provided outer than the tooth of the gear in a radial direction. | 11-26-2015 |
| 20150346637 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An electrophotographic image forming apparatus may include a toner supply unit comprising a toner containing unit and a toner discharging unit having a toner outlet; a photoreceptor unit comprising a photoreceptor; a development unit comprising a development roller that supplies toner to develop the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor and a supply roller that supplies toner to the development roller; a first toner supply member that supplies toner of the toner containing unit to the toner discharging unit; and a second toner supply member that transports toner of the toner discharging unit to the toner outlet, wherein the first toner supply member is located in a second quadrant from among first through fourth quadrants based on a vertical line and a horizontal line which intersect at the second toner supply member, and wherein the photoreceptor, the supply roller, and the development roller are located in the fourth quadrant. | 12-03-2015 |
| 20160004184 | POWDER CONTAINER - A powder container contains powder and is attached to an image forming apparatus including: a conveying nozzle to convey the powder; a powder receiving hole of the conveying nozzle to receive the powder from the powder container; an apparatus main-body gear to transmit a driving force to the powder container; and a container receiving section including the conveying nozzle and receiving the powder container. The powder container includes: an opening at one end of the powder container in a longitudinal direction; a nozzle receiver at the opening to receive the conveying nozzle; a conveyor to convey the powder; and a container gear to drive the conveyor by meshing with the apparatus main-body gear. The container gear is to mesh with the apparatus main-body gear at a position closer to the opening than the powder receiving hole in the longitudinal direction. The opening is to mate with the container receiving section. | 01-07-2016 |
| 20160018759 | DEVELOPER CONVEYING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer conveying device includes a vertical conveyance member and an AC application portion. The vertical conveyance member is an electrically conductive member and conveys developer in a developer conveyance path that extends in a vertical direction, by operating in the path. The AC application portion applies an AC voltage to the vertical conveyance member. | 01-21-2016 |
| 20160033898 | TONER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a lid pulling mechanism that includes a hook to open a toner discharge opening by pulling, from the bottle head section, a lid member that is in contact with a bottle head section of a toner bottle to close the toner discharge opening, and the lid pulling mechanism pulls the lid member in a direction inclined upward with respect to a virtual line that extends in a horizontal direction. Therefore, the distance is decreased between the lid member and the bottle head section and above the toner discharge opening through which air easily passes; thus, intake of air from the outside to the inside of the bottle head section is prevented. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of spread of toner from the inside of the bottle head section to the outside of the container. | 02-04-2016 |
| 20160054680 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a cartridge storage portion that is installed in an image forming apparatus main body, and a toner cartridge that is configured so as to be able to be inserted into and removed from the cartridge storage portion. The cartridge storage portion has a storage opening that receives the toner cartridge, and has a gap between an end part of the toner cartridge and the storage opening, through which the end part of the toner cartridge is not able to be held, when the toner cartridge is stored in the cartridge storage portion. | 02-25-2016 |
| 20160070199 | POWER TRANSMITTING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS IMPLEMENTING THE SAME - A power transmitting apparatus includes a shaft, first and second passive members mounted on the shaft to be rotatable, and a driving member that is mounted on the shaft and rotates in connection with a driving source, and that according to a rotation direction, slides toward the first and second passive members along the shaft, so as to selectively establish a power connection with the first and second passive members. | 03-10-2016 |
| 20160070201 | DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In a developing device, a rotation shaft is provided with a developer feeding member, a cleaning member, and a receiving portion. The receiving portion is provided downstream of the developer feeding member and upstream of a light transmitting member, provided to a wall surface of a developer accommodating chamber of the developing device, with respect to a rotational direction of the rotation shaft when the cleaning member has passed through the light transmitting member. | 03-10-2016 |
| 20160070202 | DEVELOPER SUPPLY CONTAINER AND DEVELOPER SUPPLYING SYSTEM - To provide a developer supply container and a developer supplying system with which the discharging of the developer from the developer supply container to the developer replenishing apparatus can be carried out properly from the beginning. | 03-10-2016 |
| 20160070204 | NOZZLE RECEIVER, POWDER CONTAINER, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A nozzle receiver for use with a powder container includes: a shutter to open an opening of the nozzle receiver to an opening position when the shutter is pressed by a conveying nozzle of an image forming apparatus, and to close the opening to a closing position when not being pressed by the conveying nozzle, and that includes a sealing portion for sealing the opening; a supporter to support and guide the shutter between the opening position and the closing position; and a cap to cover the supporter when the shutter is located at the closing position. | 03-10-2016 |
| 20160124346 | NOZZLE RECEIVER, POWDER CONTAINER, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A nozzle receiver is to be arranged in a powder container used in an image forming apparatus. The nozzle receiver includes a nozzle receiving opening, in which a conveying nozzle for conveying powder supplied from the powder container is inserted in the image forming apparatus; an opening/closing member to open and to close the nozzle receiving opening; and a supporter to support the opening/closing member. The opening/closing member includes a sealing portion to seal the nozzle insertion opening. The supporter includes an end surface portion perpendicular to a moving direction of the opening/closing member. The projection area of the end surface portion in the moving direction of the opening/closing member is smaller than a projection area of the sealing portion in the moving direction of the opening/closing member. | 05-05-2016 |
| 20160131997 | DEVELOPER SUPPLY CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer supplying container includes a rotatable developer discharging portion, a drive transmitting portion, a suppressing portion movable between an operating position and a non-operating position; and a recessed portion, provided on an outer peripheral surface of the developer supply container, for reducing a sliding load between an outer peripheral surface of the developer supply container and a wiping member of a developer receiving apparatus when the developer supply container is rotated in a circumferential direction. | 05-12-2016 |
| 20160187813 | DEVELOPER CONVEYING APPARATUS AND DEVELOPING APPARATUS - A developer conveying apparatus for conveying a developer that develops an electrostatic latent image includes a rotation unit which rotates around rotation shaft pallalel to a developer conveying direction, a first developer conveying portion which is provided in the rotation unit and which conveys the developer in an axial direction of the rotation shaft, and a second developer conveying portion which is provided in the rotation unit at a position where a distance from the rotation shaft is different from that of the first developer conveying portion, and which conveys the developer in a direction opposite to that of the first developer conveying portion. | 06-30-2016 |
| 20180024463 | DEVELOPING SYSTEM AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 01-25-2018 |
