Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-Kaisha

Kenjiro Nishiwaki

Tomoaki Hattori

Masashi Suzuki

Toshio Furukawa

Masataka Maeda

Kazuna Taguchi

Tomoaki Hazeyama

Keisuke Takahashi

Seiichi Senda

Kazutoshi Kotama

Takanori Uno

Shougo Sato

Yasuo Fukamachi

Motoaki Mushika

Masahiro Ishii

Yasuhiro Maruyama

Katsuyuki Yokoi

Yoshinori Endo

Masateru Kawamura

Takuya Amaike

Mitsukiyo Okamura

Shunji Yoshimoto

Suzue Onoda

A developing device includes a casing configured to accommodate developer, a developing roller, a seal member, at least portion of which is disposed between the developing roller and the casing, and which includes a fabric member including a plurality of first fibers extending in a first direction, and a heat radiation member configured to contact end surfaces of the first fibers of the seal member and radiate heat of the seal member.

Developing device, process cartridge and image forming apparatus

A development agent supply device has a transfer board including a supply section disposed upstream relative to a proximity position in a development agent transfer direction, and a retrieving section disposed downstream relative to the proximity position in the development agent transfer direction. The supply section includes first transfer electrodes arranged along the development agent transfer direction to transfer development agent toward the proximity position with an electric field generated with a supply bias applied to the first transfer electrodes and supply the development agent to the development agent holding surface near the proximity position. The retrieving section includes second transfer electrodes arranged along the development agent transfer direction to retrieve development agent from the development agent holding surface near the proximity position and transfer the development agent downstream in the development agent transfer direction with an electric field generated with a retrieving bias applied to the second transfer electrodes.

Development agent supply device having a transfer board for transferring development agent and image forming apparatus having the same

A developer transport body transports a developer on a transport surface in a predetermined direction. This transport surface is composed of a first constituent surface which renders relatively large the absolute value of a charge amount of the developer due to friction, and a second constituent surface disposed in an area downstream of and adjacent to the first constituent surface and which renders the absolute value of the charge amount of the developer smaller than if the first constituent surface was disposed in the area. Therefore, when the developer is moved toward a latent-image forming surface by electrostatic force, the developer is less likely to be affected by disturbing forces other than the electrostatic force. Further, since the absolute value of the charge amount of the developer becomes smaller on the second constituent surface, adhesion of the developer to the transport surface and aggregation of the developer can be restrained.

Developer transport substrate configuration for an image forming apparatus

An image forming device is provided which includes a developer carrying body and a developer supply device to supply a developer to the developer carrying body. The developer supply device includes a plurality of transfer electrodes, and a transfer voltage applying unit to apply traveling-wave shaped transfer voltages to the plurality of transfer electrodes. The developer includes a fine particle charged in a predetermined polarity and a fine particle charged in a polarity opposite to the predetermined polarity. The transfer voltage applying unit is configured to apply the transfer voltages having waveforms, which make a fly height of the fine particle charged in the predetermined polarity higher than a fly height of the fine particle charged in the opposite polarity, to the plurality of transfer electrodes.

Developer supply apparatus and image forming apparatus

A developer supply device is provided, which includes a bias controller that, during an image forming operation by an image forming apparatus, applies a first bias to a first transfer board and applies a second bias to between a developer holding body and the first transfer board, so as to make the developer holding body hold development agent thereon while transferring the development agent along a first developer transfer path of the first transfer board. At least one of before and after the image forming operation, the bias controller applies the first bias to the first transfer electrodes without applying the second bias to between the developer holding body and the first transfer board, so as to transfer the development agent along the first developer transfer path without making the developer holding body hold the development agent.

Developer supply device and image forming apparatus having the same

A development agent supply device is provided, which includes a development agent holding member configured to rotate around an axis parallel to a first direction such that a development agent holding surface, which faces an intended device to be supplied with development agent in a first position, moves in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a transfer board configured to charge and transfer development agent thereon to a second position to face the development agent holding surface, and a facing member disposed to face the development agent holding surface in a position between the first position and the second position in the second direction, the facing member being configured to charge development agent held on the development agent holding surface under an alternating electric field generated between the facing member and the development agent holding member.

Development agent supply device and image forming apparatus having the same

A development agent supply device includes a casing having an opening and a development agent storage section, a development agent holding member housed in the casing such that a development agent holding surface thereof faces a developer-supplied device via the opening, a first electric-field transfer board that transfers development agent with a traveling-wave electric field along a down-facing development agent transfer surface in a predetermined direction from the development agent storage section to the opening and faces the development agent holding surface at a downstream end in the predetermined direction, and a second electric-field transfer board that includes a first section facing an downstream end of the first electric-field transfer board in the predetermined direction, and a second section facing the development agent holding member and transfers development agent received from the first electric transfer board at the first section, to the second section with a traveling-wave electric field.

A development agent supply device includes a casing having an opening, a first development agent storage section, and a second development agent storage section, a development agent holding member housed in the casing such that a development agent holding surface thereof faces a developer-supplied device via the opening, a first electric-field transfer board that transfers development agent with a traveling-wave electric field along a down-facing development agent transfer surface in a predetermined direction from the first development agent storage section to the opening and faces the development agent holding surface at a downstream end in the predetermined direction, and a development agent retrieving unit that agitates development agent stored in the second development agent storage section and inadequately-charged development agent falling from the development agent transfer surface and conveys the development agent to the first development agent storage section.

Development agent supply device including an electric-field transfer board and a development agent retrieving unit and image forming apparatus having the same

A developer supply apparatus is provided which supplies a toner to a supply object, the developer supply apparatus including a developer storage body which stores a powdery developer, and a transfer body which transfers the developer along the developer transfer path with traveling wave electric fields. The developer includes a toner having a predetermined charging characteristic and an electric neutralizer having an opposite charging characteristic, which is opposite to the predetermined charging characteristic.

A development device, comprising: a casing; a developer reservoir formed at a bottom part of the casing; a developer supply chamber that accommodates the developer; a developer holding body that is provided to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in a width direction of the casing and is located on an upper side of the developer reservoir to face an image holding body; a first carry member that is provided in the developer supply chamber to extend in the width direction and to carry the developer to the width direction, a second carry member that is provided on a casing side to extend in the width direction and to carry the developer to the width direction; and a carry substrate that is provided in the casing so that the developer is carried from the developer reservoir to a position facing the developer holding body.

Development device and image forming device

There is provided a developer carrying device, including a first carrying body having a first electrode group configured to form a traveling electric field while being applied a voltage sequentially and to circulate charged developer through a facing portion with respect to a developer supply target; and a second carrying body having a second electrode group configured to form a traveling electric field while being applied a voltage sequentially and to circulate the developer through a facing part with respect to the first electrode group so that the developer being carried is supplied to the first carrying body.

Electrode configuration for carrying developer in a developer carrying device and image forming device

A developer supply device carrying charged developer along a developer carrying path to a supply target, including: a carrying substrate that includes a plurality of carrying electrodes arranged along the developer carrying path and is configured to carry the developer through an electric field generated by voltage application to the plurality of carrying electrodes. The carrying substrate comprises a vertical carrying substrate provided to stand to carry the developer upward in a substantially vertical direction. The developer is supplied to the supply target around an upper end portion of the vertical carrying substrate.

Developer supply device

Each transport electrode has its longitudinal direction intersecting with a sub-scanning direction. Transport electrodes are disposed in parallel with each other and are arrayed along the sub-scanning direction. A transport-electrode electricity supply wiring section is connected to root portions of the transport electrodes. The root portions are one end portions of the transport electrodes with respect to the longitudinal direction. Toner transport guide members are disposed to cover the transport-electrode electricity supply wiring section and opposite end portions of the transport electrodes; i.e., the root portions and distal end portions.

Image forming apparatus with a developer feed device having a developer transport body for transporting developer

A developer supply device, comprising: a carrying substrate having electrodes arranged along a developer transport path at predetermined intervals to carry a developer through a traveling electric field, wherein the carrying substrate comprises: a rigid upper carrying substrate formed to stand to carry the developer upward; and a flexible bottom carrying substrate curved to be a semispherical shape and is configured to charge the developer by friction with the developer and to be connected with a lower end portion of the upper carrying substrate so as to form a bottom surface of a developer reservoir portion, and wherein a joint portion of the bottom carrying substrate connected to the lower end portion is overlapped with the lower end portion such that the joint portion carries the developer in a same direction as a direction in which the developer is carried by the lower end portion.

An image forming apparatus includes a developer containing casing, a developer transport body, transport electrodes, and a developer vibrating section. The developer containing casing is a box-like member in which a developer is contained. The developer transport body has a developer transport surface, and is disposed within the developer containing casing. The plurality of transport electrodes are provided along the developer transport surface. These transport electrodes are configured such that they can transport the developer in a predetermined developer transport direction on the developer transport surface upon application of traveling-wave voltages. The developer vibrating section is configured to be able to vibrate the developer which is to be transported on the developer transport surface.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Kenjiro Nishiwaki