Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.

Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp.

Arichika Tanaka

Kuniaki Tanaka

Yusuke Sakai

Kazuyoshi Hagiwara

Yuki Nagamori

Hiroaki Satoh

Yutaka Kiuchi

Akira Takahashi

Toru Nishida

Mihoko Tanaka

Kaoru Matsushita

Satoshi Mohri

Masahiko Sekimoto

Koji Otsuka

Koichi Sato

Akihiro Ouchi

Satoshi Shigezaki

Susumu Kibayashi

Toshiyuki Matsui

Hirohisa Hoshino

Toyohiko Awano

Seigo Shinozaki

Koji Deguchi

Hibiki Sasaki

Kazuyuki Yagata

Shigeo Ohno

Shohei Miyagawa

Hiroaki Yagi

Yuichi Fujisawa

Kentaro Iwamoto

Go Miura

Tomoyoshi Chihara

Yuki Yoshihira

A developing device includes a developer holder that supplies developer to an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed. The developing device further includes a removing member that removes the developer that has not been supplied to the image carrier and remains on the developer holder and a transport unit that includes a helical rotating body, the transport unit rotating the rotating body to transport the developer and supply the developer to the developer holder. The developing device further includes an accommodating unit that accommodates the developer holder, the removing member, and the transport unit; and a drive mechanism that operates the developer holder and the transport unit together in a first operation mode for image formation and operates the developer holder and the transport unit individually in a second operation mode for cleaning an inside of the accommodating unit by removing the developer.

Developing device and image forming apparatus having operation mode for cleaning

A developing device includes: an image carrier unit including an image carrier; a developing unit including a developer holder that supplies developer to the image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a support unit that supports the developing unit such that the developing unit is movable back and forth toward and away from the image carrier unit; a first positioning unit provided on an end portion of the support unit, the end portion being adjacent to the image carrier unit, the first positioning unit positioning the developing unit; and a second positioning unit that positions the developing unit with a predetermined gap provided between the developer holder and the image carrier when the developing unit is positioned by the first positioning unit and leans toward the image carrier unit.

Developing device and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a belt component, a first detachable unit that faces the belt component in an area where an outer surface of the belt component faces upward, a first housing component that houses the first detachable unit and is drawable from and loadable into the apparatus, a second detachable unit that faces the belt component in an area where the outer surface of the belt component faces downward, and a second housing component that houses the second detachable unit and is drawable from and loadable into the apparatus. With the first housing component being drawn from the apparatus, the first detachable unit is detachable from and attachable to the first housing component in a side-to-side direction. With the second housing component being drawn from the apparatus, the second detachable unit is detachable from and attachable to the second housing component in an upward direction.

Image forming apparatus

A powder transport device includes: a rotation shaft rotatably supported in a container chamber that contains powder; and plural blade members detachably attached to the rotation shaft, the blade members including spiral blades configured to transport the powder in an axial direction of the rotation shaft in response to the rotation shaft rotating.

Powder transport device, developing device, and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor unit, a developing device, a space maintaining device, a pressing device, a securing device, and at least one connecting device. The photoconductor unit includes a photoconductor and a first part. The developing device includes a developing roller and a second part. The space maintaining device has a third part, is provided in the photoconductor unit or the developing device, and is brought into contact with the first part or the second part at the third part so as to maintain a space between the developing roller and the photoconductor. The pressing device presses the developing device toward the photoconductor unit. The securing device is removable. The at least one connecting device secures the photoconductor unit and the developing device by using the securing device so as to connect the photoconductor unit and the developing device to each other.

Image forming apparatus having a securing device to secure a photoconductor unit and a developing unit

A developing device includes a housing that includes a container portion, a rotating portion, and a developing roller. The container portion has a metal formed portion formed of metal and contains developer. The rotating portion is to be rotated so as to transport the developer contained in the container portion in a longitudinal direction. The developing roller holds the developer transported by the rotating portion. The metal formed portion is disposed in at least part of the container portion in a region superposed on a developer holding region of the developing roller in the longitudinal direction.

Developing device and image forming apparatus having housing including a metal portion

A cleaning device includes an accommodating container, a collector, and a remover. The accommodating container has an opening and a receiving port. The collector is in contact with a surface of a cleaned body while rotating, to remove matter on the surface of the cleaned body. The remover has a tip end that is in contact with the surface of the cleaned body to remove the matter. The accommodating container accommodates the collector and the remover. The collector and the remover are exposed to the cleaned body through the opening. The accommodating container receives, through the receiving port, the matter removed from the cleaned body. The accommodating container is supported in such a manner that the accommodating container can rotate to a position where the matter collected in the accommodating container do not leak through the opening, so as to be separated from the cleaned body.

Rotatable cleaning device for photoconductor drum that prevents spillage

A powder-container attachment device includes a powder container that accommodates powder, and a device body. The device body includes an attachment portion to and from which the powder container is attached and removed with a pushing operation and a pull-out operation, a receiving port, a lid that is moved in interconnection with the pushing operation and the pull-out operation to open and close the receiving port, and an engaging portion with which the lid is engaged in the state of closing the receiving port. The powder container includes a protrusion and a disengagement portion. The lid includes a holding portion that removably holds the protrusion, and an engaged portion that is engaged with the engaging portion during the pull-out operation. The powder container is movable in a direction in which the protrusion moves away from the disengagement portion during the pull-out operation.

Powder-container attachment device, image forming apparatus, and powder container

A flywheel includes a rotation shaft, a flywheel body, and a protruding body. A first end of the rotation shaft is supported by a rotating body. The flywheel body is provided at a second end of the rotation shaft and rotates together with the rotation shaft. The protruding body protrudes from a surface at a rotating-body side of the flywheel body and extends in a circumferential direction of the rotation shaft.

Flywheel and image forming apparatus

Provided is a transfer mechanism including a rotor that configures a transfer section which transfers an image including a flat pigment to a recording medium, a second gear that engages with a first gear provided in a support, a to-be-supported object that is provided with the rotor and the second gear, is supported by the support through a shaft portion of the rotor, and is allowed to move around the shaft portion in a direction in which engagement of the second gear with the first gear becomes weaker, and a member that presses or pulls the to-be-supported object in a direction in which the engagement becomes stronger.

Transfer mechanism and image forming apparatus

A transfer device includes a first support member that supports a wound member, an endless transferred body being wound around the wound member; a second support member that supports a transfer member, the transfer member and the wound member pinching the transferred body and a recording medium, the transfer member causing a developer image on the transferred body to be transferred onto the recording medium; a coupling portion that couples the second support member to the first support member so that an angle of the second support member is changeable relative to the first support member; and an urging portion that is provided at the first support member and urges the second support member in a direction in which the transfer member presses the wound member.

Transfer device and image forming apparatus for increasing relative positional accuracy between a transfer member and a wound member

An image forming apparatus includes a latent-image forming member including a latent-image carrier and support members disposed at both ends of the latent-image carrier to support the latent-image carrier, a charging member including a discharge electrode that supplies an electric charge to the latent-image carrier and a control electrode that is disposed between the discharge electrode and the latent-image carrier and controls a potential of the latent-image carrier, a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion that are respectively formed on the latent-image forming member and the charging member and that are connected to each other to connect the latent-image forming member and the charging member to each other, and an urging member that is disposed between the latent-image forming member and the charging member to urge them away from each other.

Image forming apparatus including charging unit positioning

A charging device includes a discharge electrode that charges a surface of a rotatable image carrier and extends along the image carrier, a case that extends along and encloses the discharge electrode with a side thereof nearest to the image carrier being open, a grid electrode provided between the image carrier and the discharge electrode, a cleaning member that cleans at least one of the discharge electrode, the case, and the grid electrode by moving along the case, a regulating portion that is provided between the cleaning member and the case and regulates a distance between the cleaning member and the case in a direction orthogonal to the direction of movement of the cleaning member by coming into contact with the cleaning member or the case, and a supporting portion that supports the regulating portion and allows the regulating portion to move away from the cleaning member or the case.

Charging device and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a latent-image forming member including a latent-image carrier and support portions, a charging member including a discharge electrode and a control electrode, restraining portions that restrain both ends of the control electrode in a width direction, and abutting portions that are provided on the support portions, that include curved surfaces, and that are abutted against the control electrode. The curved surfaces have a center of curvature that coincides with a rotational center of the latent-image carrier, and are at a position where a distance from the latent-image carrier in a radial direction is equal to a distance between the latent-image carrier and the control electrode. When the charging member is attached to the latent-image forming member, the control electrode is abutted against the curved surfaces by the restraining portions and is deformed along the curved surfaces.

An image forming apparatus has a latent image forming portion that includes a latent image carrier having a cylindrical shape, and a supporting member disposed at both ends of the latent image carrier and rotatably supporting the latent image carrier, a charging unit that includes a discharge electrode supplying electric charge to the latent image carrier, and a grid electrode having a shape curved around the latent image carrier, a first supporting portion that supports the curved grid electrode from the latent image carrier side, a second supporting portion that supports the curved grid electrode from the discharge electrode side, and a pinching unit that pinches the grid electrode between the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion in a contact state.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Arichika Tanaka