Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Japan Science and Technology Corporation

Waseda University

Kei Saito

Yuki Oshikawa

Naohiro Kawashima

Kentarou Matsumoto

Masaaki Yamada

Kunihiro Ohyama

Yoshihiro Fujiwara

Yoshiyuki Fukuda

Yuuji Ishikura

Junichi Matsumoto

Masaki Takahashi

Yuusuke Furuichi

Hideo Yoshizawa

Yasunobu Shimizu

Tomoya Adachi

Noriyuki Kimura

Akira Azami

Yoshiko Ogawa

Yoshiharu Kishi

Hiroyuki Nishide

Eishun Tsuchida

Takahiro Adachi

Kenichi Oyaizu

Yuuki Tsuchiya

Yosuke Kumaki

A toner container () includes a rotatable container body (). The container body includes an opening portion () and a plurality of projections (). The opening portion is on a first end, which is opposite a second end, of the container body in a rotation axis direction. The plurality of projections are each protrude inward and have a slope inclined with respect to the rotation axis direction. The plurality of projections are disposed such that, out of two adjacent projections in the rotation axis direction, one projection closer to the first end of the container body in the rotation axis direction overlaps the other projection closer to the second end of the container body in the rotation axis direction, in an area of the one projection closer to the second end and an area of the other projection closer to the first end in the rotation axis direction.

Toner container and image forming apparatus

A developing device includes a developer bearer rotatable in a rotation direction and forming a developing range, a holder, and an entrance seal. The holder has a facing face facing the developer bearer upstream from the developing range in the rotation direction, a support face defining a part of an outer face of the developing device, and a relay face extending from one end of the support face to one end of the relay face connected to the facing face to form an acute tip portion closer to the developing range than the one end. The entrance seal has a free end projecting from the one end as a cantilever, and a length of the entrance seal from a tip of the free end of the entrance seal to the one end is shorter than a length of the relay face from the acute tip portion to the one end.

Developing device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus including an entrance seal which contacts an image bearer

A powder conveyance device includes a conveyor that rotates in a rotation direction to convey powder and a first conveyance tube accommodating the conveyor. A second conveyance tube extends in an angled direction that is angled with respect to the first conveyance tube. The second conveyance tube communicates with the first conveyance tube. A swing member is disposed inside the second conveyance tube. The swing member swings in accordance with rotation of the conveyor. The swing member has one end that is detachably attached to the conveyor. The one end is detached from the conveyor in a detaching direction. A restrictor is disposed inside one of the first conveyance tube and the second conveyance tube. The restrictor restricts motion of the swing member in the detaching direction.

Powder conveyance device and image forming apparatus including a conveyor and first and second conveyance tubes

A toner container includes a container body, a gear, a held portion, an information storage device, a holding portion, and a connecting portion. The container body is rotatable around a rotation axis. The gear is disposed on a leading end of the toner container in the attaching direction of the toner container. The held portion is disposed such that the gear is exposed on the leading end in the attaching direction. The information storage device communicates with the body of the image forming apparatus. The holding portion is held by the held portion via the connecting portion. The information storage device, the holding portion, and the connecting portion are disposed at oblique positions excluding positions on a horizontal line and a vertical line. The connecting portion covers a part of the gear in a rotation direction and includes a rib-shaped portion that connects the held portion and the holding portion.

Toner container including a rotatable container body, a gear, and a held portion

A developer container to store developer includes a rotator, a bearing, and a seal. The rotator includes a rotary shaft made of metal. The bearing supports the rotary shaft. The seal is made of fiber, disposed toward an inside of the developer container in the bearing, and contacts an outer circumferential surface of the rotary shaft.

Developer container, developing device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a heating device including a heater, a developing device, and an airflow generation device. The heater includes a base, a heat generator, an electrode portion, and conductive portions. The conductive portions are disposed on one side and another side in a longitudinal direction in a heat generation region and spaced apart in a lateral direction intersecting the longitudinal direction. A maximum total value among total values of squares of current flowing in the conductive portions at longitudinal positions on the one side is larger than that on said another side. The developing device includes a rotating member and sliding portions. A sliding portion having highest temperature in operation is disposed on one side of the developing device being same as the one side of the heater in the longitudinal direction. The airflow generation device generates an airflow toward the one side of the developing device.

Image forming apparatus

A developing device configured to develop a latent image formed on a surface of an image bearer includes a rotator, a bearing, a holder, a first regulator, and a second regulator. The rotator includes a rotation shaft. The bearing supports the rotation shaft. The holder holds the bearing. The first regulator, disposed on any one of the bearing and the holder, regulates movement of the bearing such that the bearing does not fall toward one end side in an axial direction of the rotation shaft relative to the holder. The second regulator regulates movement of the bearing such that the bearing does not fall toward another end side in the axial direction relative to the holder after the bearing is attached to the holder.

Developing device and image forming apparatus containing regulated bearing

A developing device includes a developer container, a developing roller, and a doctor member. The developer container contains a developer including a toner and a developer. The developing roller includes a developing sleeve bearing the developer, a magnet roller in the developing sleeve. The doctor member includes a regulating portion regulating an amount of the developer home on the developing sleeve to be a predetermined amount. The regulating portion is disposed with a first distance from the developing sleeve. The developing sleeve is disposed with a second distance from an image hearer, and when the developing sleeve bearing the predetermined amount of developer passes a vicinity of the image bearer, a value obtained by dividing the predetermined amount by the second distance is less than a threshold of occurrence of adherence of the developer to the developing sleeve.

Developing device regulates an amount of developer on a developing sleeve

The developing device includes a developer bearer, a conveyor, a casing including a ceiling, and a seal. The developer bearer is configured to bear a developer and develop a latent image. The conveyor is configured to convey and stir the developer. The casing is configured to contain the developer, the developer bearer, and the conveyor. The seal is configured to seal the inside of the casing to form a closed space that encloses the developer in the developing device. The conveyor is configured to be partially or entirely buried in the developer enclosed in the closed space in both of a normal posture and an upside-down posture of the developing device. A cross-sectional area of the closed space in a horizontal plane gradually increases from a top of the ceiling of the casing toward a bottom of the developing device in the normal posture of the developing device.

Developing device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus incorporating same

A developing device includes a developer bearer disposed facing a latent image bearer in a developing range to transport developer by rotation, a support to support the developer bearer and including a holder mount, a rod-shaped developer regulator disposed facing a surface of the developer bearer across a gap, and a holder secured to the holder mount of the support to hold the rod-shaped developer regulator. The rod-shaped developer regulator extends in an axial direction of the developer bearer.

Developing device and image forming apparatus incorporating same

A process for preparing polyphenylene ether by oxidizing phenols using water as a solvent, enabling polyphenylene ether to be prepared with only a small amount of oxidizer, while making it possible to reuse a solvent after reaction repeatedly. Water is used as the solvent. Phenols are oxidized under the presence of a water-soluble metal complex catalyst. For the water-soluble metal complex catalyst, it is preferable to use the one whose central metal is copper or manganese, having an amine multidentate ligand.

Process for preparing polyphenylene ether

The synthesis of fluoropolyarylene ether with a high degree of polymerization is enabled, by using a copper complex catalyst with an oxidation potential in the range of &minus;1V to 2V, for the oxidative polymerization of fluorophenols that contain at least one hydrogen atom as well as a fluorine atom bonded to the carbon atoms constituting the benzene ring.

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Tokyo, Japan

Kei Saito