Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.

Konica Corporation

Konica Minolta, Inc.

Konica-minolta Holdings, Inc.

Suzuki International Patent Office

Ritsuo Fujii

Hiroshi Isokawa

Seiji Yamaguchi

Yasuo Shiokawa

Toshio Shida

Masaaki Ikeda

Satoshi Sakata

Kazumichi Yamauchi

Akira Kosugi

Hiroyuki Watanabe

Hiroaki Ura

Hirotaka Kabashima

Fumio Haibara

Tsugio Sugizaki

Tadashi Abe

Hitoshi Uchida

Takahiko Ushiroji

Akihiko Shimazu

Kouki Takahashi

Shinobu Konno

Tooru Matsumoto

Takuya Akabori

A cutting device includes a main body unit and a support unit. The main body unit includes a cutting unit on a lower side. The cutting unit cuts off an edge portion of paper. The support unit supports the main body unit in such a way that the main body unit rotates. The main body unit exposes a blade of the cutting unit at least on a lateral side by rotating.

Cutting device and image forming system

The fixing device and image forming apparatus employ a horizontally moving claw for separating a sheet on which a toner image has been fixed. The claw moves in a horizontally reciprocating manner at a velocity between 0.001 mm/seconds to 0.1 mm/seconds. Moving at that speed, it has been found to reduce scratching of the fixing drum. The device and image forming apparatus also employ a claw having a width between 1.0 mm and 5.0 mm. The claw contacts the drum with a pressure in a range of 3.0&#xd7;9.8 mN to 7.0&#xd7;9.8 mN.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus with horizontally moving separating claw

An image forming apparatus includes: a photoreceptor; a charger that electrically charges the photoreceptor; an exposing unit having an LED printing head that forms a latent image on the photoreceptor; a developing unit that develops a toner image corresponding to the latent image on the photoreceptor; a blower unit that sends air to a space between the photoreceptor and the LED printing head; a first shielding member provided on the charger, which intercepts the air coming from the blower unit to enter inside the charger; and a second shielding member provided on the developing unit, which intercepts the air coming from the blower unit to enter inside the developing unit.

Image forming apparatus equipped with LED printing head

An image forming apparatus including: a cleaning member for cleaning an image carrier after a toner image on the image carrier has been transferred; a toner recycling device for conveying toner removed by the cleaning member to a developing device; a collection section where the toner removed by the cleaning member is collected; a branch conveyance path, branched from the toner recycling device, for conveying the toner to the collection section; and an air pump, provided on the branch conveyance path, for sucking air with the toner; wherein, whether the toner is conveyed from the cleaning member to the collection section or to the developing device is switched corresponding to whether the air pump operates or does not operate.

Image forming apparatus

An image apparatus comprising a toner supplying device; a toner receiving device; a first toner conduit communicating with the toner receiving device to feed a toner supplied from the toner supplying device; a first feeding device which forms an air stream to feed the toner through the first toner conduit; and a detector which monitors abnormality condition in the course of toner supplying in the apparatus.

Image forming apparatus which detects abnormality condition in feeding of toner

Image forming apparatus and image forming method

A toner replenishment device has: a toner reservoir section for supplying a toner to a development device; a supply fluid conveyance section for conveying a fluid mixture of toner and air from the toner reservoir section through a supply conveying path; a toner separation section for separating the fluid mixture which has been conveyed by the supply fluid conveyance section into the toner and the air and supplying the toner to the development device; a circulation fluid conveyance section for circulating at least air separated from the fluid mixture, from the toner separation section to the toner reservoir section through a circulation conveyance path; and a capacity variable member connected with the supply conveying path or the circulation conveyance path, capable of absorbing a pressure fluctuation of the fluid mixture or the air by varying a capacity of the member.

Toner replenishment device for use in electrophotographic image forming apparatus

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming section, a recording material storing section, a sheet feeding and conveying section provided sideward of the recording material storing section, a toner reservoir section provided on a side opposite to the sheet feeding and conveying section, a toner separation section provided upward of the developing device to separate the toner, a supply pipe for interconnecting the toner reservoir section and the toner separation section to supply the toner, a collection pipe for interconnecting the toner reservoir section and the toner separation section to collect the toner, a first fluid conveyance device provided on the supply pipe between the toner reservoir section and the toner separation section for conveying a supply fluid, and a second fluid conveyance device provided on the collection pipe between the toner reservoir section and the toner separation section for conveying a collection fluid.

Electrophotographic image forming apparatus equipped with toner conveyance device

A toner supplying apparatus for feeding a toner to a developing device to develop a latent image on an image bearing member. The apparatus includes: a toner separating member communicating to the developing device, to separate the toner from the mixed fluid containing the toner and an air stream; a separating side flow control mechanism disposed between the toner separating member and the developing device; a wall to cover at least a portion of the flow control mechanism, having a clearance therebetween; and an after-separation storage to store the toner separated from the mixed fluid.

Toner supplying apparatus and image forming apparatus

A toner conveyance device for conveying toner particles including: a toner mixing unit having a toner introducing portion to introduce toner particles, for mixing the toner particles from the toner introducing portion with air to make a toner fluid; a first conveyor for receiving the toner fluid in the toner mixing unit and conveying; a toner separation unit for separating the toner fluid conveyed by the first conveyor into air and toner particles, the toner separation unit having a toner discharging portion for discharging the separated toner particles to an outside; a second conveyor for conveying the air separated by the toner separation unit back to the toner mixing unit; and a tightly closed circulation path of air, formed starting at the toner mixing unit which leads to the toner separation unit through the first conveyor and returning back to the toner mixing unit through the second conveyor.

Toner conveyance device and image forming apparatus equipped therewith

This invention relates to a toner replenishing method including the steps of conveying, from a toner storing section which forms a fluid mixture of toner and air, the fluid mixture to a toner separating section provided away from the toner storing section through toner supplying fluid conveying system, separating the toner from air in the toner separating section, and supplying the toner from the toner separating section to a developing unit, and a toner replenishing unit which practices the toner replenishing method. The toner replenishing method of the invention further includes the step of returning part of air separated from the toner from the toner separating section to the toner storing section by using a returning fluid conveying system. The toner replenishing unit of the present invention includes a returning fluid conveying system between the toner storing section and the toner separating section. A path through which the fluid mixture meanders in the toner separating section is formed in the toner separating section.

Toner replenishing method with improved storage and separation units

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus having a sheet curl correcting mechanism includes: a rotary body including either an endless annular belt or a roller; and a pressing roller for pressing the rotary body, wherein the curled recording sheet on which a toner image is formed is inserted between the rotary body and the pressing roller thereby bending force is applied to the curled recording sheet in a direction opposite to a curl of the curled recording sheet so that the curl is corrected. The apparatus further includes an air flow generator for applying an air flow to a curled recording sheet and the sheet curl correcting mechanism.

Sheet curl correcting mechanism and image forming apparatus having the

In an automatic sheet reversing apparatus having a convey/reversing section with a plurality of conveyor belts, a stacking/moving section with a stopper for stopping a leading end of a reversed sheet, and a feed section, the stopper is located below the conveyor belts. The upper portion of the stopper is located above the lower surface of the conveyor belt.

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Hachioji, Japan

Ritsuo Fujii