Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Hideaki Hagihara

Masakiyo Okuda

Hisashi Kunihiro

Takahiro Fukunaga

Masanobu Deguchi

Kenichi Nagata

Hiroshi Kawahito

Hiroshi Kinashi

Shinji Kato

Junichi Kajiwara

Masaru Nishijima

Souichi Takata

Susumu Murakami

Atsushi Ueda

Yasuhiro Takai

Fumio Shimazu

Kozo Takahashi

Shoichiro Yoshiura

Kazuo Nakamura

Takeshi Wakabayashi

Jitsuo Masuda

Fumito Mizoguchi

Masato Asanuma

Masatoshi Kaneshige

Naotaka Funayama

Itaru Kawabata

Michiaki Nishimura

Hideo Yamasa

Hirokazu Tanaka

Hiroshi Tanisawa

Iwakazu Honda

Kiwamu Morita

Tadaaki Kawano

Teruhiko Noguchi

Keiji Kato

Osamu Nakayama

Takashi Miyaji

Toshihide Morimoto

Ken Yamagishi

Fukusaburo Ito

Yukinari Sato

Akio Shiomi

Haruo Nishiyama

Junji Morimoto

Kazuhiko Yamakawa

Kazuhiro Satou

David Isner

Tamio Yoshikai

Toshiyuki Kurosaka

Mitsuru Mizutani

A toner container has a partitioning wall disposed therein for partitioning the toner container while allowing communication between partitioned compartments. A waste toner collecting port for receiving the waste toner collected by the cleaning unit of an image forming apparatus is formed in a waste toner collection department. A toner agitating element for mixing waste toner with unused toner is located inside the partitioned waste toner collection compartment.

Toner cartridge for image forming apparatus

To meet a main unit downsized and provided with a lot of functions and an interchangeable part made to be versatile by simplification of manufacturing work, thereby preventing increase of the manufacturing cost and decrease of practical utility. When a toner cartridge is mounted to a developing section, a detecting electrode contacts the surface of a first dielectric layer at a position opposed to a pattern electrode of a recognizing portion, and a return electrode of a detecting section contacts the surface of the first dielectric layer at a position opposed to an entire electrode of the recognizing portion. The first dielectric layer is interposed between the detecting electrode and the pattern electrode, and the first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer are interposed between the return electrode and the entire electrode. When an AC voltage is applied from an AC power source to the detecting electrode, an AC current passes from the detecting electrode to the pattern electrode through the first dielectric layer. The AC current having passed to the pattern electrode passes to the entire electrode through the second dielectric layer, and returns to the return electrode after passing through the second dielectric layer and the first dielectric layer in this order.

Interchangeable part recognizing apparatus and image forming apparatus

Bidirectional communication is carried out between a toner bottle end communication device disposed in a toner bottle and a main body end communication device disposed in a device main body while the toner bottle is moved from a first position where the toner bottle starts being attached to the device main body to a second position where the toner bottle is completely attached. The CPU provided in the main body end communication device decides whether or not the information on the toner bottle received from the toner bottle end communication device matches the device main body, and notifies prior to toner refilling. If the toner bottle is not suitable, the CPU specifies a lower quality image forming condition under which operation conditions for the main charging device, exposure device, and fixing device are changed so as to produce an image of relatively low quality in comparison to normal quality. The user can single out a bogus product among unsuitable toner bottles by identifying a degradation in the quality of the image produced by that condition.

Image forming device with communication to supplementary toner container

A document feeder includes: a document detecting device arranged on the top of the copier body, for detecting a document inserted from the outside; a feed roller arranged adjacent to the document detecting device, on the top of the copier body, for feeding an inserted document into a space between the original table and the original cover, in response to the detection of a document by the document detecting device; and an original cover lifting device arranged on the top of the copier body, for lifting the original cover to create a gap between the original table and the original cover, in response to the detection of a document by the document detecting device. Alternatively, the feed roller further has a rotary cam on its shaft, so that the cam rotates to lift the original cover up as the feed roller rotates in the document feeding direction. Then, after the document is fed in place, the feed roller is reversely rotated in a constant time, whereby the document cover is sunk to press the document onto the original table.

Document feeder and cover for an image forming apparatus

A feed roller for feeding a document is disposed between a control panel and an original table on the top of a copier body. A document stocker provided rotatably relative to an original cover on the original table is rotated so as to cover the control panel, whereby the original cover is raised from the original table to create some clearance. In this situation, a document is inserted through the document stocker from a document inserting port. The document thus inserted is detected by the operation of a detecting lever, which activates the feed roller to convey the inserted document to the original table. As the rear part of the document thus conveyed is detected by the operation of the detecting lever, the feed roller is deactivated. In this condition, copying operation is carried out so that an image of the document conveyed onto the original table is formed.

Image forming apparatus with a document feeder

Deteriorating developer including toner and carrier in a developer container is replaced by supplying carrier developer including carrier from a developer supply unit and discharging an amount of the deteriorated developer corresponding to the amount of the supplied carrier developer through a discharge opening formed in the developer container by opening a cover. The cover is driven by a solenoid for discharging. With this structure, even when the amount of developer in the developer container is changed and the surface level of the developer is changed, a predetermined amount of deteriorated developer is accurately discharged according to the driving of the cover. It is thus possible to control in a desired manner the replacement ratio of deteriorated developer in the developer container to new developer to be supplied. With this configuration, it is possible to maintain the charge of developer substantially uniform and good image quality of copies.

Developing device in an electrophotographic apparatus capable of

A xerographic apparatus which allows simple attachment and detachment of a corona charger type transferring device, wherein the apparatus includes a first engagement section which matches a first positioning protrusion section provided at the holder located at one end of the corona charger type transferring device, a second engagement section which matches a second elastically deformable protrusion section for engagement with the xerographic device and which is provided at the holder located at the other end, biasing means for biasing the transferring device upward, and a first sidewall having an opening section which is located facing the second protrusion section in order to confine the site of the second protrusion section to be subjected to elastic deformation by pressing and allows application of pressure therethrough.

Xerographic apparatus with a detachable corona charger

In an electrophotographic apparatus according to the present invention, carrier is gradually supplied to a developing device and a developer is gradually discharged from the developing device through a developer discharge opening. The upper body of a copying machine is free to move upward round a supporting point. The developer discharge opening is formed in a portion of the developing device remotest from the supporting point. This arrangement prevents the developer from spilling from the developer discharge opening when the upper body of the copying machine is opened. Moreover, the developer discharge opening is provided with a shutter device which closes the developer discharge opening (1) when opening the upper body of the copying machine, (2) when removing the developing device from the copying machine, (3) when removing a waste container from the developing device, or (4) for a predetermined period during a copying operation. Consequently, there is no need to concern about spilling the developer from the developer discharge opening, and the developer is easily maintained and handled.

Electrophotographic apparatus

An forming apparatus of the present invention is provided with a waste-toner transport unit that is installed separately from a photoreceptor drum cartridge. The waste-toner transport unit is pivoted so that the photoreceptor drum cartridge is easily removed from a machine main body. This arrangement makes it possible to miniaturize the photoreceptor drum cartridge and to use the waste-toner transport unit repeatedly. In another image forming apparatus of the present invention, a developer-supplying container, a waste-toner container, and a waste-developer container for receiving excessive developer that has been overflown from the developer tank are integrally formed into a container unit. This arrangement makes it possible to reduce the volumes of the containers in accordance with the respective supplying quantities of developer. Further, a pressing mechanism is provided so that upon replacing the container unit, the developer tank is brought apart from and close to the photoreceptor drum simultaneously with the pivotal movement of the container unit. This arrangement makes it possible to reduce the number of steps that are taken in the replacing operation as well as to prevent misoperations such as caused by negligence of duty in pressing the developer tank toward the photoreceptor.

Image forming apparatus

A paper feeder for use in copiers has a feed roller, a conveying roller and a registration roller. The apparatus further includes a feeding-conveying drive section for driving the conveying roller in synchronization with the rotation of the feed roller, and a conveying-registration drive section for driving the conveying roller in synchronization with the rotation of the registration roller. By this structure, the peripheral velocity of the rollers when the feed roller and conveying roller rotate can be set up higher than the peripheral velocity of the rollers when the registration roller and conveying roller rotate. An alternative construction of the apparatus includes a feeding-conveying drive section in which the conveying roller is driven through the conveying roller gear and conveying roller clutch and a conveying-registration drive section in which the conveying roller is driven through a pulley disposed on the rotary shaft of the registration roller, a timing belt and a clutch-equipped pulley disposed on the rotary shaft of the conveying roller. In this construction, the conveying roller is made to be able to be driven either by the feeding-conveying drive section or by the conveying-registration drive section.

Paper feeder

A box-shaped container (10) has an opening (12) and the opening is sealed tightly and doubly by a sealing material (13). The sealing material is hot-glued to a peripheral portion of the opening of the cartridge body to such an extent that the sealing material can be peeled from the peripheral part. The end portion (13a) of the sealing material is bonded at an adequate length from the free end to the face 11a of a side of the peripheral portion, and the free end portion is turned down for 180 degree angle to the outer side of the opening. Furthermore, the sealing material is bonded to the face (11b) of a opposite side of the peripheral portion side at which the free end portion (13a) is adhered and turned down to cover the opening in double covering. The sealing material also covers the turned-down end portion. The other end portion (13b) of the sealing material is attached to a roller (16), and as the user turns a handle (18) of the roller, the sealing material can be peeled off easily.

Developer cartridge having easily removable sealing material

A developing apparatus includes a first locking means for locking a first supplying lid disposed at a first supplying opening in a closing position, a second locking element for locking a second supplying lid of a second supplying opening in a closing position, and a lock release element for releasing only the second locking element when a detachable developer cartridge is used. The second locking element includes a concave portion formed on a peripheral wall of the second supplying opening and a lock piece disposed in the concave portion, and a hole formed at an edge of the second supplying lid. The lock piece engages the hole when the second supplying lid is closed, thereby the lid is locked. The lock release element includes a lid having a opening disposed at an upper surface of the developing apparatus and a hole disposed at the lock piece, and the detachable developer cartridge comprises a pair of lock release pieces. The hole engages only the lock release piece for releasing the locking of the second supplying lid when the developer cartridge is mounted on the developing apparatus.

Developing apparatus having a detachable developer cartridge

A developing device for an electrophotographic copier has a supply tank above a developing tank with an opening therebetween. A sealing member is removably attached to the rims of this opening before the developing device is ready to be used. An end part of this sealing member is attached to a take-up shaft and the sealing member is pulled or peeled off to be wound around the take-up shaft when the developing device is set in the copier and the shaft becomes connected to a motor in the copier.

Developing device for copier with sealing means

Electrophotographic apparatus according to this invention are controlled in different ways such that quality of produced images is not affected by deterioration of the developing agent or the condition of the photoreceptor. A timer may be provided to detect the duration of a rest period to adjust the speed of development accordingly as well as by the number of copies produced. Similar control may be effected by measuring the surface voltage of the photoreceptor by a voltage detector and by adjusting the output level of the principal charger used for uniformly charging the photoreceptor prior to a development process.

Electrophotographic apparatus controlling image quality according to

A photoreceptor of an electrophotographic copying machine is rotatably supported by a mounting member. The mounting member is rotatably supported by a supporting member which can slide out of the housing of the copying machine. The supporting member also supports a developing station. When the supporting member is pulled out of the housing, the developing station can be displaced on the supporting member away from the photoreceptor and the mounting member can be rotated so as to expose the photoreceptor such that its surface becomes accessible from outside.

Photoreceptor attachment device for an electrophotographic copying

Growing community of inventors

Nara, Japan

Hideaki Hagihara