Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd.

Konica Corporation

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.

Konishiroku Photo Industry

Junichi Koiso

Fumio Iwai

Tsugio Hirabayashi

Hiroaki Ura

Masakazu Kokiso

Kanehiro Watanabe

Yasushi Koshimura

Tamio Ogino

Kazuhiko Sato

Toshio Shida

Akihiko Tamura

Takayoshi Hashimoto

Isao Ikemoto

Junichi Hamada

Mitsugu Nemoto

Kenichi Matsumoto

Atsushi Ogane

Takayuki Horie

Yukiko Omori

Yoichi Ishii

Masaru Inoue

Hiroko Ito

Masahiro Fukase

An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier with an electrostatic latent image formed thereon; a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image, a developer carrier arranged opposite to the image carrier, for allowing a magnetic field generation member arranged inside the developer carrier, for forming a magnetized area of the magnetic brush in a predetermined area in the axial direction of the developer carrier; and a scatter toner sucking port arranged at a position other than a position opposite to the magnetized area of the developer carrier.

Image forming apparatus having a scattered toner sucking port

An image developing apparatus having a rotating member to bear developing agent in a housing of the image developing apparatus and to convey the developing agent of latent images onto paper transfer sheets opposite a image bearing member, wherein a part of the rotating member rotatably supported by the housing of the image development apparatus is exposed to the exterior of the housing of the image development apparatus so that the exposed portion of the rotating member radiates heat accumulated of the rotating member.

Image developing apparatus to develop a latent image in a developing area on an image bearing member

Image forming apparatus

A cleaning method of a toner image carrying body, includes the steps of: bringing a discharging member formed in a shape of flexible plate having electric conductivity, which is electrically grounded or to which a discharging voltage is applied, into contact with the toner image carrying body, thereby discharging a toner on the toner image carrying body; and operating a cleaning device on the toner image carrying body whereby cleaning the toner.

Cleaning method of toner image carrying body, cleaning device of the toner image carrying body and image forming apparatus equipped therewith

A cleaning device removing residual toner from a photoreceptor. The cleaning device has a cleaning blade composed of a plurality of plate materials laminated together. The plate materials include a cleaning blade member and a plastic member each of which is mounted on a support. In use, the cleaning blade member is brought into contact with the photoreceptor; however, the plastic member is not brought into contact with the photoreceptor. The elastic modulus of the cleaning blade D and the elastic modulus of the plastic member D satisfy the following formula 16&lE;D /D &lE;2,800.

Cleaning device, and image forming method and image forming apparatus using the cleaning device

A toner collecting device for collecting residual toner removed from an image retainer by a cleaning device after a toner image formed in the image retainer has been transferred to a sheet of paper. The toner collecting device has therein a conveyor device for carrying the residual toner. The conveyor device has its leading end portion disposed at a central portion of the toner collecting device. The upper surface of the toner collecting device has functions to guide transfer paper and to support a transfer electrode, and the leading end portion of the conveyor device is provided with a toner distributing diffusion blade member.

Toner collecting device

A toner collecting device for collecting residual toner removed from an image retainer by a cleaning device after a toner image formed on the image retainer has been transferred to a sheet of paper. The toner collecting device has therein a conveyor device for carrying the residual toner. The conveyor device has its leading end portion disposed at a central portion of the toner collecting device. The upper surface of the toner collecting device has functions to guide transfer paper and to support a transfer electrode, and the leading end portion of the conveyor device is provided with a toner distributing diffusion blade member.

In an electrostatic image reproducing system, the developing unit or cleaning unit comprises a first magnetic brush having a first revolving element which revolves on a first revolving axis, and a plurality of magnets inside the first revolving element. The first revolving element is adjacent to an image recording body and confronts the image recording area of the image recording body. A second magnetic brush unit is axially adjacent to the first magnetic brush unit for attracting and transferring developer, the second magnetic brush unit including a second revolving element having a second revolving axis therein which is substantially colinear with the first revolving axis. The second magnetic brush unit does not confront the image recording area of the image recording body.

Electrophotographic copying machine

An electrostatic image reproducing system includes a developing unit, a rotatable photosensitive drum, a cleaning unit, and a developer recovering device for recycling developer containing a magnetic ingredient from the cleaning unit to the developing unit. The developer recovering device includes a developer conveying device including a revolving element made of a non-magnetic material and having an outer surface, and a plurality of magnets arranged adjacent the inner surface of the circumference of the revolving element, and a casing encircling at least a portion of the outer surface of the revolving element with a given spacing therebetween for receiving developer containing the magnetic ingredient. The revolving element is arranged to pick up developer from the casing by the magnetic power of the magnets, and the picked up developer is conveyed to the developing unit by the revolving element as ears of developer on the revolving element.

Developer recovering device for electrostatic image reproducing system

A toner recovery device having a non-magnetic rotary member, magnets embedded around the circumferential surface of said non-magnetic rotary member, and an endless belt wound on said rotary member so as to recover a toner collected by a cleaning device into a developing unit. A plurality of protuberances are equidistantly and projectingly formed around the circumferential surface of said rotary member to prevent said endless belt from floating as a whole. The protuberances drive said endless belt.

Toner recovery device

A roller fixing device wherein a claw member facing a pressure roller is arranged so that the distance between the contact point of a roller and a pressure roller and the top end portion of said claw member be within 6.5 mm on the pressure roller periphery and an angle between a tangential line of the pressure roller at a point where said top end portion of said claw member contacts under pressure with said pressure roller and the upper edge of said claw member be at least 45 degrees. Said roller is a heat roller including a heater therein. An electrophotographic copying machine which comprises: a charge receptor, a latent image forming means for forming an electrostatic latent image on said charge receptor, a developing means for developing said electrostatic latent image, a transferring means for transferring said developed image to a transfer material, and said roller fixing device.

Roller fixing device

A toner transporting device for an electrophotographic copying apparatus includes a transporter for carrying toner to and into a chamber through a first opening therein, a second opening in the chamber through which toner in the chamber is moved out of the same in a different direction, and an elastic plate mounted at one of its ends for rotation within the chamber such that its opposite tip end is maintained in contact with the interior wall of the chamber except at the second chamber opening so as to move toner from the first to and through the second chamber opening.

Toner transporting device for an electrostatic recording apparatus

A toner recovery device is provided in an electrostatic recording apparatus through the arrangement of an endless nonmagnetic belt extending about a cylinder mounted coaxially with the drum. The belt moves from the drum to an idler located at the top of a toner supply bin. A blade is provided for scraping toner from the drum into contact with the belt on the cylinder. Magnets mounted about the inside of the cylinder attract the scraped off toner to the belt when it is on the drum. The belt carries the attracted toner from off the drum to the idler in the supply bin. Toner drops from the belt into the supply bin where it is mixed with the toner already therein.

Electrostatic recording apparatus having a toner recovering device

An improved developing device includes a rotatable sleeve, a reservoir from which developer is available for image development, a hopper containing fresh replenishment toner, a plate for scraping used developer from the sleeve and for directing it into a conduit in which it is mixed with fresh replenishment toner, and at least an opening in the conduit from which replenished developer comprising used developer mixed with fresh toner is returned to the reservoir in a substantially uniformly mixed condition for use in subsequent image development.

Dry-type developing device

An apparatus for collecting copy sheets in facially reversed or overturned relation with respect to their discharge from a copying machine includes a guide member disposed proximate the discharge port of the machine. The guide member comprises a substantially planar guide portion inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the direction of copy sheet discharge from the machine, and a deflecting portion unitarily extending from the guide portion at a predetermined angle with respect thereto. The apparatus further includes a receiving tray spaced below the discharge port and toward which discharged copy sheets are deflected by contact with the guide and deflecting portions of the guide member for collection in overturned or face reversed orientation.

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Hachioji, Japan

Junichi Koiso