Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Kenji Matsuzaka

Tomio Noguchi

Masaaki Sato

Kenichi Iida

Yuichiro Inaba

Takao Sameshima

Akitoshi Toyota

Takahiro Azeta

Koji Fujinaka

Kei Hayashida

Koji Wada

Hiroshi Takarada

Masahiko Suzumi

Tsuyoshi Ogawa

Jun Asami

Shinji Kubo

Kenichi Tagami

Shinya Noda

Takashi Narahara

Jun Agata

Sho Taguchi

Ryukichi Inoue

Masatoshi Takiguchi

Kouichi Yamada

An image forming apparatus includes a developer container having an accommodating portion to accommodate developer, and a replenishment port for replenishing the accommodating portion with developer from an attachable replenishment container. A transfer portion transfers the developer image on an image bearing member onto a recording material, a supporting tray supports the recording material, and a discharge portion discharges the recording material on the supporting surface. The supporting tray has an opening portion opening with the replenishment port being exposed through the supporting surface, wherein an opening/closing member is movable between a closed position where it covers the replenishment port and serves as a part of the supporting surface and an open position where the replenishment port is exposed. Movement of the opening/closing member to the closed position is hindered by the replenishment container in a state it is attached to the developer container.

Image forming apparatus having toner replenishment

An image forming apparatus includes a main body that includes a photosensitive member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed and a development unit configured to develop the photosensitive member with toner. The main body is configured to discharge a recording material on which an image is formed with the toner onto a discharge tray. The image forming apparatus also includes a toner supply port on which a supply container is mounted to supply toner to a toner containing portion of the development unit. The image forming apparatus further includes a non-contact communication portion including an antenna and configured to receive a signal for user authentication. The discharge tray, the toner supply port, and the non-contact communication portion are provided at an upper portion of the main body. The non-contact communication portion is provided outside the discharge tray when the main body is viewed from above.

Techniques and mechanisms for supplying toner to an image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a developer container to and from which a replenishment container is attachable and detachable, the developer container including an accommodating portion, and a supporting portion, wherein the developer container includes a projection portion that is provided at one end portion thereof in the rotation axis direction of the developer bearing member and projects toward the supporting portion more than a center portion of the developer container in a crossing direction crossing the rotation axis direction, the projection portion communicates with the accommodating portion and includes, at a distal end portion thereof, an attachment portion configured such that the replenishment container is attachable thereto in a state of being exposed to the outside of the apparatus, and a replenishment port for replenishing the accommodating portion with developer from the replenishment container is defined in the attachment portion.

Image forming apparatus having an opening/closing member that is prevented from closing when a replenishment container is attached to a process unit

An apparatus includes a developer container to and from which a replenishment container is attachable and detachable and which includes an accommodating portion and a replenishment port, a transfer portion configured to transfer a developer image on an image bearing member onto a recording material, a supporting tray including a supporting surface configured to support the recording material thereon, and a discharge portion configured to discharge the recording material, onto which the developer image has been transferred, on the supporting surface, wherein the supporting surface has an opening portion opening such that the replenishment port is exposed through the supporting surface, and wherein an opening/closing member configured to be movable between a closed position where the opening/closing member covers the replenishment port and serves as a part of the supporting surface and an open position where the replenishment port is exposed is provided.

An image forming apparatus includes a storage container in which toner is stored, a replenishment port configured to allow replenishment of toner from the replenishment container outside the image forming apparatus to the storage container therethrough, a replenishment restriction portion, a drive source configured to supply a driving force, and a drive transmission portion configured to take a first operation state, in which the drive transmission portion transmits the driving force of the drive source to the replenishment restriction portion to switch the replenishment restriction portion between a restricting state and an allowing state, and a second operation state, in which the drive transmission portion transmits the driving force of the drive source to a toner conveyance portion to cause the toner conveyance portion to convey toner.

Image forming apparatus having a mechanism to restrict or allow toner replenishment

Image forming apparatus with mechanism for supplying the image forming apparatus with toner

An image forming apparatus includes a storage container in which toner is stored, a replenishment port configured to allow replenishment of toner from a replenishment container outside the image forming apparatus to the storage container therethrough, a replenishment restriction portion, and a drive source configured to supply a driving force A drive transmission portion is configured to take a first operation state, in which the drive transmission portion transmits the driving force of the drive source to the replenishment restriction portion to switch the replenishment restriction portion between a restricting state and an allowing state, and a second operation state, in which the drive transmission portion transmits the driving force of the drive source to a toner conveyance portion to cause the toner conveyance portion to convey toner.

Image forming apparatus having a detachable toner replenishment container

Image forming apparatus with a mechanism for supplying toner for forming an image, and method thereof

A reversely-rotatable roller conveys a sheet having an image formed on its one side at a sheet conveying velocity faster than that of a conveying roller by normal rotation and then, the reversely-rotatable roller conveys the sheet to a re-conveying path by reverse rotation. The sheet conveying velocity of the reversely-rotatable roller when the reversely-rotatable roller reversely rotates is made slower than the sheet conveying velocity when the reversely-rotatable roller normally rotates so that the sheet conveying velocity of the re-conveying roller is substantially equal to or slower than the sheet conveying velocity of the conveying roller.

Image forming apparatus with reversely-rotatable roller of differential velocities

The image heating apparatus includes a flexible sleeve including a stainless base layer; a heater being in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the flexible sleeve; and an elastic roller being in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the flexible sleeve and forming a nip portion with the heater, in which: a recording material bearing an image is heated while being pinched and conveyed at the nip portion; and the stainless base layer has an outer diameter of 18 mm to 24 mm and a thickness of 25 &#x3bc;m to 30 &#x3bc;m, and includes an outer circumferential surface being subjected to a blasting process. Bu the present invention, an image heating apparatus is capable of ensuring durability and a flexible sleeve used for the image heating apparatus.

Image heating apparatus and flexible sleeve used for the same

A process cartridge detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus includes, a drum; a process device actable on the drum; a cartridge frame supporting these elements; a cartridge guide; and a cartridge coupling member. The apparatus includes an opening through which the cartridge is mounted and demounted; an opening and closing member for opening and closing the opening; a main assembly side guide for supporting the cartridge guide and movable in interrelation with the opening and closing member; a main assembly coupling member, for connection with the cartridge coupling member to transmit a driving force to the cartridge coupling member; and a driving connector for effecting connection and disconnection between the main assembly coupling member and the cartridge coupling member by moving the main assembly coupling member in a direction substantially perpendicular to a cartridge mounting direction in interrelation with opening and closing of the opening and closing member.

Electrophotographic image forming apparatus having opening and closing member for opening and closing an opening through which a process cartridge is mounted

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Kenji Matsuzaka