Patent classifications
G03G15/08
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a developing container to store developer, an operation portion, an operation detection portion, a conveyance unit to convey a recording material, a detection unit, a door that is openable and closable, a door detection portion, an agitation member, a drive portion, and a control unit. The control unit controls the drive portion in such a manner that, in a case where the operation detection portion detects movement of the operation portion, a supply agitation operation in which the agitation member agitates the developer stored in the developing container is performed. The control unit controls the drive portion in such a manner that, in a case where, in a state in which the supply agitation operation is being performed, the door detection portion has detected an opened state of the door or the detection unit has detected the recording material, the supply agitation operation is stopped.
ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC MEMBER, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS
Provided is an electrophotographic member including an electro-conductive substrate and a surface layer on the substrate. The surface layer contains a urethane resin and a first polymer having a specific nitrogen-containing structure. The urethane resin has a structure derived from a second polymer containing a fluorine atom or a structure derived from a third polymer containing a fluorine atom and a silicon atom. The surface layer contains nitrogen atoms derived from the nitrogen-containing structure at a specific ratio in a region from the outer surface of the surface layer to a depth of 300 nm, and the atomic ratios of nitrogen atoms, fluorine atoms, and silicon atoms in a region from a depth of 100 nm from the outer surface of the surface layer to a depth of 300 nm and a region from the outer surface to a depth of 10 nm have specific relationships.
Developing Device That Removes Toner Accumulated on Top Surface of Regulating Blade with Simple Configuration, and Image Forming Apparatus Including the Same
A developing device includes a developing roller, a toner supply roller, a regulating blade, a casing, and a cleaning member. The developing roller supplies a toner to the image carrier in a region opposed to an image carrier. The toner supply roller is located opposed to the developing roller. The toner supply roller forms a magnetic brush made of a two-component developer including a magnetic carrier and a toner on an outer peripheral surface to supply a toner to the developing roller in a region opposed to the developing roller. The regulating blade is located opposed to the toner supply roller at a predetermined interval. The casing houses the developing roller, the toner supply roller, and the regulating blade. The cleaning member reciprocates along a longitudinal direction of the regulating blade so as to remove a toner accumulated on a top surface of the regulating blade.
Image forming apparatus and method for controlling image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus, to which a replaceable unit with a nonvolatile memory is mounted, including: a storage portion configured to store data related to the replaceable unit read from the memory and hold stored contents even when the image forming apparatus is not activated; a door to be opened when the replaceable unit is replaced; a detector configured to detect whether the door is open or closed; a latch circuit configured to hold a specific state when the detector detects that the door is open when the image forming apparatus is not activated; and a controller configured to, when activating the image forming apparatus, read the data from the memory when the latch circuit is in the specific state, read the data from the storage portion when the latch circuit is not in the specific state, and perform an activation process based on the read data.
TONER CASE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
A toner case includes a case main body, a cover, and a coil spring. The case main body is rotatable and has a toner containing space in which a toner is contained and an opening through which the toner is discharged from the toner containing space. The cover keeps a rotation stop state when the case main body rotates and has a communication space which communicates with the toner containing space via the opening. The coil spring is fixed to the cover so that at least a part of the coil spring is arranged in the communication space. The coil spring vibrates as the case main body rotates.
DEVELOPING CARTRIDGE CAPABLE OF STOPPING MOVEMENT OF PROTRUSION OF GEAR
A developing cartridge includes a casing to accommodate toner; an agitator to agitate the toner and rotatable about a first axis extending in a predetermined direction, the agitator including one end portion and another end portion in the predetermined direction, the agitator being movable in the predetermined direction between a first position and a second position; a first gear mounted to the one end portion and rotatable along with the agitator; an input gear engaging with the first gear; a second gear mounted to the another end portion and rotatable along with the agitator; a third gear; and a protrusion. The second gear is mounted to the another end portion while the first gear engages with the input gear in the first position. And the second gear is separated from the another end portion while the first gear engages with the input gear in the second position.
DEVELOPMENT DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME
A development device includes a development container and a second agitation member. The development container includes a second transport chamber and a developer discharge port which is provided at the end portion of the second transport chamber on a downstream side. The second agitation member includes a second transport blade, a damming member which dams a developer, a regulation portion which transports the developer in a direction opposite to the second transport blade and a discharge blade which discharges the developer from the developer discharge portion. A second rotation shaft includes a large shaft diameter portion on which the second transport blade is provided, a small shaft diameter portion on which the regulation portion and the discharge blade are provided and a shaft diameter change portion. The damming member is arranged between the shaft diameter change portion and the end portion of the second transport blade on the downstream side.
Developing Device
A developing device, including a casing and a seal member is provided. The casing includes a divider wall, dividing a space inside the casing into a container chamber and a developing chamber, and a developing roller. The divider wall includes an opening. The container chamber accommodates a developing agent. The seal member is configured to seal the opening. The seal member includes a ventilation section configured to allow air to pass there-through but restrict the developing agent from passing there-through at least at a part of an area that seals the opening.
Developing device, regulating member, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus
A developing device includes a frame, a cylindrical developer carrying member rotatably supported by the frame and configured to carry a developer containing toner particles, and a regulating member fixed to the frame at one end thereof and including a contact portion which contacts the developer carrying member at the other end of the regulating member and which forms a contact nip between the regulating member and the developer carrying member. When a position of the contact portion where a maximum of a pressure distribution of the contact portion to the developer carrying member with respect to a rotational direction of the developer carrying member is indicated is a reference position, the contact portion includes a first surface portion positioned upstream of the reference position and a second surface portion positioned downstream of the reference position with respect to the rotational direction.
Cartridge used in image forming apparatus
A cartridge configured to be attachable to an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus includes a first unit including a photosensitive drum, a second unit attached to the first unit and including a developing roller, and a second frame member including a toner storage portion and including a toner reception port, the toner storage portion including a first end portion and a second end portion in a rotational axis direction of the photosensitive drum, the toner reception port provided in the first end portion, a toner container configured to be attachable to the second unit, the toner container including a toner discharge port configured to discharge the toner to the toner storage portion through the toner reception port, and a memory, the memory provided in an end portion of the cartridge on the same side as the second end portion of the toner storage portion.