Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Matsushita Graphic Communication Systems, Inc.

Hiromichi Miyoshi

Shigeyuki Miya

Kenji Asakura

Noboru Katakabe

Masanori Yoshikawa

Keizou Takeuchi

Takenori Shibata

Yasutaka Tamai

Shinichi Otsuka

Tadashi Hirata

Yoshio Taniguchi

Yoshihiro Komatsu

Takuo Kobayashi

The present invention provides a recording apparatus capable of detecting whether a transfer unit is an unused unit or not, including a cover that covers a transfer medium over which a plurality of color images is superimposed to form a color image and has an opening that exposes part of the transfer medium, pasting one end of a seal for detecting whether the transfer unit is an unused unit or not near the opening of the cover in the direction in which the transfer medium moves, pasting the other end of the unused unit detecting seal to the transfer medium through the opening. This allows one end of the unused unit detecting seal to be pasted to the transfer medium through the opening and the other end of the seal to be pasted to the cover near the opening in the direction in which the transfer medium moves. With the unused unit detecting seal pasted in this way, it is possible to detect whether this transfer unit is an unused unit or not.

Transfer unit with provision for detecting whether it is an unused unit or not and recording apparatus equipped therewith

A bet unit provides an intermediate transfer belt where primary transfer is performed at a part stretching between a drive roller and a tension roller, and a cleaner roller separated from and brought into contact with a part of the intermediate transfer belt stretching between an opposed roller and the drive roller in the downstream side of the opposed roller. The belt unit is detachably attachable to the body with the opposed roller on the operator's side. The tangential line of the opposed roller is substantially vertical at a secondary transfer position. The cleaner roller is disposed in a range enclosed by the intermediate transfer belt, the tangential line of the drive roller parallel to the common tangential line of the peripheries of the tension roller and the opposed roller, and the vertical tangential line of the secondary transfer side of the opposed roller.

Image forming apparatus and belt unit thereof

The present invention relates to a toner bottle having a body with a convexly-shaped spiral rib continuously formed on the inside surface thereof and a tip with an opening for toner to flow therefrom. A section for joining the body and the tip includes a first circular face having a slope convex portion that slopes toward the inside, and a second circular face having a toner pump-up portion, the diameter of which is approximately same as that of the body. There is a shutter rotatably disposed on the tip to normally close the opening. The shutter has an opening that fits over the tip opening when the toner bottle is rotated inside the shutter. The shutter may be made of elastic material, and has arcs of different thicknesses. A thicker one of the arcs is used to keep the tip opening closed except when being used in a toner supplying apparatus. The toner bottle allows the toner to flow in a continuous manner, and prevents users from dirtying their hands when replacing toner bottles.

Toner bottle and toner supplying apparatus using the same

A developing apparatus of the type including a developing roller disposed in a development box, a stirring roller parallel spaced apart from the developing roller, and a toner replenisher pipe disposed in the stirring roller, wherein the stirring roller has a substantially hollow cylindrical shape and includes a plurality of axial ribs extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the stirring roller and disposed equidistantly from the longitudinal axis, and a plurality of helical blades integral with the axial ribs and skewed relative to the longitudinal axis of the stirring roller, said hollow cylindrical stirring roller being composed of at least two identical segments which are divided by a plane extending through said longitudinal axis of said stirring roller. The stirring roller is simple in construction and can be manufactured at a low cost. The developing apparatus further includes a separator for receiving an excess developer which is removed from the outside surface of the developing roller and direct it unto the stirring roller.

Agitating member for a developing apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Utsunomiya, Japan

Hiromichi Miyoshi