Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Ryoichi Teranishi

Junji Yamabe

Junichi Matsumoto

Atsushi Inoue

Kiyonori Tsuda

Nobuo Takami

Yutaka Takahashi

Keinosuke Kondoh

Akihiro Kawakami

Seiji Terazawa

Yuuta Tanaka

Hiroshi Hosokawa

Toshio Koike

Keiichi Yano

Kenji Kikuchi

Shinji Tamaki

Shunji Katoh

Hiroshi Ikeguchi

Michiharu Suzuki

Toshihide Tomotaka

A lens unit includes: a resin lens including a flange forming an outer peripheral portion of the resin lens and a fitting portion having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the outer peripheral portion of the flange; a lens barrel including a lens housing chamber and an abutting surface, the lens housing chamber housing the resin lens with the fitting portion facing the abutting surface; and a pressing member pressing the resin lens against the abutting surface along an optical axis of the resin lens. The fitting portion being fit into the lens housing chamber over an entire circumference of the fitting portion with clearance between the entire circumference and the lens housing chamber to position the resin lens in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the resin lens.

Lens unit, stereo camera, and mobile object

A powder container is for use with an image forming apparatus, and the image forming apparatus includes a driving protrusion that is rotatable and that protrudes toward an upstream side in an insertion direction in which the powder container is inserted. The powder container includes a container body to store powder, a cap attached to the container body, and a transmitted structure provided on the cap to contact the driving protrusion. The transmitted structure extends outward from an outer circumference of the powder container. The cap is rotatable relative to the container body in a predetermined angular range. The rotation of the cap relative to the container body is restricted so that the container body rotates along with the rotation of the cap when the rotation of the cap exceeds the predetermined angular range.

Powder container and image forming apparatus

An object of this disclosure is to reduce differences in the drawn amount of the parison around the mouth of the toner container, thereby reducing the amount of resin for the toner container and the weight thereof. A powder container includes a cylindrical container body to rotate in a horizontal posture, a cylindrical mouth at a first end of the container body, smaller in diameter than the container body, a conveyor to convey the powder inside the container body toward the mouth, a scooping portion deeper in the container body than the mouth, to lift the powder above a powder inlet of a conveying tube inserted from the mouth and drop the powder to the powder inlet, and a radially inner face continuous with an inner end of the scooping portion, extending in a direction crossing the scooping portion and disposed inward in the radial direction than an outermost face of the container body. The radially inner face extends from the mouth toward a second end of the container body and is not inner in the radial direction than an inner rim of the mouth.

Powder container and image forming apparatus incorporating same

A powder container is insertable in an image forming apparatus. The powder container includes a plurality of transmitted surfaces, at least one of the transmitted surfaces being configured to contact a first protrusion of the image forming, apparatus, the first protrusion being rotatable and protruding toward an upstream side in an insertion direction in which the powder container is inserted. The transmitted surfaces stand outward from an outer circumference of the powder container so that one of the transmitted surfaces is connected to another transmitted surface adjacent to the one of the transmitted surfaces by an inclined surface.

A powder container is insertable in an image forming apparatus, and includes a main-body interlocking portion that is rotatable and protrudes toward an upstream side in an insertion direction in which the powder container is inserted, the image forming apparatus including an identifier protrusion that protrudes toward the upstream side in the insertion direction to identify a type of the powder container. The powder container includes a container interlocking portion configured to interlock with the main-body interlocking portion; and an interlocked portion configured to interlock with the identifier protrusion. The interlocked portion is provided in a front end of the powder container in the insertion direction. The container interlocking portion stands outward from an outer circumference of the powder container. The container interlocking portion and the interlocked portion are rotated integrally.

According to an embodiment, when a nozzle insertion member is detached from a powder container, an engaging portion and an engaged portion are disengaged from each other by resiliently displacing the engaging portion in a direction in which the engaging portion is disengaged from the engaged portion. Therefore, it is possible to reduce a stress applied to the powder container and the nozzle insertion member at the time of attachment and detachment of the nozzle insertion member. Consequently, it becomes possible to easily detach the nozzle insertion member from the powder container.

Powder container, image forming apparatus, and nozzle receiver

A toner housing container includes: container body; conveying portion; pipe receiving port; and uplifting portion. Container body includes; protruding portion protruding from container body interior side of container opening portion to one end of container body; and shutter member moving between closing and opening positions to close and open container opening portion. Uplifting portion includes: uplifting wall surface extending from container body internal wall surface toward protruding portion; and curving portion curving to conform to protruding portion. Shutter member moves from closing to opening position upon push by conveying pipe. When toner housing container is mounted on toner conveying device, protruding portion is present between curving portion and toner receiving port of conveying pipe inserted and extends along shutter member moving region. Toner has bulk density of &#x2266;0.399 g/cmwhen toner housing container is shaken up-and-down 10 times at 25&#xb0; C., 50% RH, and put such that container opening portion faces downward.

Growing community of inventors

Shizuoka, Japan

Ryoichi Teranishi