Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Kouta Fujimori

Masumi Sato

Tomotoshi Nakahara

Takaaki Yanagisawa

Junichi Matsumoto

Satoshi Muramatsu

Yoshio Hattori

Kazuhisa Sudo

Nobuo Iwata

Nobuo Kasahara

Tomoyuki Ichikawa

Kazuhiko Yuuki

Akio Kosuge

Yoshinori Ozawa

Yoshi Hattori

Shinji Kato

Noboru Sawayama

Takayuki Maruta

Jun Hosokawa

Motonori Hanada

Shin Hasegawa

Goro Katsuyama

Kayoko Tanaka

Nobutaka Takeuchi

Kazuhiko Kobayashi

Tadashi Shinohara

Tetsuo Yamanaka

Masaaki Kabumoto

Kazumi Kobayashi

Yushi Hirayama

Takashi Enami

Kanae Amemiya

Masahiro Yonekawa

Masahiro Kurita

Hiroyasu Shijo

Kiichiro Shimizu

An image forming apparatus in which a predetermined image density can be obtained by correcting a toner density control target value without consuming toner. The output value Vt of the magnetic permeability sensor and the target output value Vtare compared, and the toner density is controlled by controlling a powder pump on the basis of the comparative result thereof so that the output value Vt approximates the target output value Vt. In addition, the target output value Vtis corrected on the basis of the detected result of the image coverage ratio so as to maintain a predetermined development potential of the development apparatus. By virtue of this, even when image forming that involves a significant change in the toner replacement amount in the development apparatus is performed, for example, even when an image of high image coverage ratio is output, the toner density is adjusted to maintain the development capability at a constant, and a predetermined image density is ensured. Moreover, because the image coverage ratio can be detected without consuming toner, toner does not need to be consumed when the target output value Vtis corrected.

Image forming apparatus with a two component developer, toner density detection and toner density correction

The toner supply unit is provided with a preventing unit for preventing toner contamination due to toner leakage from that sealing valve. A mouth ring of the toner container is provided with the sealing valve. This valve is opened/closed by removing/inserting a nozzle.

Toner supply unit and image forming apparatus

A toner replenishing device includes a toner conveyance path for connecting a toner storing device with a developing device, a toner conveying device for conveying the toner from the toner storing device to the developing device along the toner conveyance path, and an air supplying device connected to the toner conveyance path vie an air supply path for supplying the toner storing device with air from a bottom of the toner storing device so as to agitate the toner pooling in the toner storing device.

Apparatus and method for replenishing a developing device with toner while suppressing toner remaining

A toner container includes a container body having a mouth-piece member positioned at a mouth of the container body. The mouth-piece member includes an opening to allow toner to be discharged from the container body, a valve configured to seal the opening and which allows a nozzle located at a setting portion of an image forming apparatus to protrude into the valve, and a least two guides provided at opposite sides of the mouth-piece member configured to engage with at least two setting guides at the setting portion of the image forming apparatus.

A container including a container body configured to hold toner and a mouthpiece configured to deliver toner from the container body. The mouthpiece includes a circular outlet and engagement portions configured as openings located at positions opposed to each other around the circular outlet. The circular outlet is positioned at a center location between the positions of the engagement portions, and the engagement portions are configured to engage with guide members provided at a setting portion on which the container is to be mounted.

A method of color displacement detection for use in a color image forming apparatus sequentially forming image layers in different colors on a photosensitive member and overlaying the image layers on one after another into a color image on a transferring member. This method includes steps of forming, detecting, and calculating. The forming step forms a predetermined number of mark sets within one circumferential length surface of the transferring member. Each of the predetermined number of mark sets includes a predetermined number of different color marks arranged in a line in a moving direction of the transferring member. The detecting step detects the predetermined number of mark sets formed on the transfer member. The calculating step calculates mean values of displacement amounts of same color marks in different mark sets in the predetermined number of mark sets relative to respectively corresponding reference positions.

Method and apparatus for image forming capable of effectively performing color displacement detection

The present invention provides an electro photographic image forming apparatus comprising a replacement assembly having a toner container attachable to the image forming apparatus, a feeding unit to feed toner from the toner container to a development unit, and a read/write non-volatile memory, wherein, the image forming apparatus comprising an estimation unit which generates information in such way that first, the estimation unit obtains an amount of a toner feed period for the feeding unit during forming images, next, accumulates the amount of a toner feed period into an accumulated sum of the amount of a toner feed periods, then, generates the information on the amount of toner in the replacement assembly and stores the information in the read/write non-volatile memory.

Image forming apparatus, replacement assembly for image forming apparatus and integrated circuit chip therefor

An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a mount portion in which a toner container is expected to be set from above. When the toner container set in the mount portion runs out of toner, a spring causes the toner container to hop up away from a position where it is set. This promotes easy handling of the toner container in a limited space available in the apparatus.

Image forming apparatus and toner container therefor

A color image forming apparatus includes a main body and a toner container setting part configured to set a plurality of toner containers individually therein. Each toner container contains a toner of a different color, and the setting part includes a receiving member configured to receive the plurality of toner containers inserted therein. The plurality of toner containers, inserted in the receiving member, are partially exposed.

Color image forming apparatus and toner replenishing apparatus each including plural toner containers received in receiving member of setting part and toner containers therefor

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Kanagawa, Japan

Kouta Fujimori