Oki Data Corporation

Konica Corporation

Shinichi Otani

Tetsu Koyama

Yukiyoshi Oda

Shigenori Koido

Atsushi Kobayashi

Takanori Mimura

Junichi Ito

Teruo Kashino

Yasushi Nakasone

Masayuki A Suzuki

Takeo Arai

Toshiharu Nagashima

Hiroaki Sato

Tetsuji Kojima

Hiromitsu Kosugi

Masakazu Andoh

Masahiro Kawano

Kazuhiro Nemoto

Futoshi Wada

Image drum cartridge

Toner cartridge

An image formation unit includes a first unit rotatably supporting an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed, and a second unit rotatably supporting a developer carrier configured to develop the electrostatic latent image with a developer. The first unit includes a first engagement portion formed at one end in the direction of the rotational axis of the image carrier, and a second engagement portion provided at a predetermined distance from the first engagement portion at the one end side. The second unit includes a first engaged portion engaged with the first engagement portion, a second engaged portion engaged with the second engagement portion, and a drive input portion provided between the first and second engaged portions and configured to rotate the developer carrier.

Image formation unit and image formation apparatus

An image forming unit includes a first rotating body having a first gear; a first unit that rotatably supports the first rotating body; a second rotating body having a second gear; a second unit that rotatably supports the second rotating body; and a biasing part that biases the second unit toward the first unit, wherein a drive force is generated by transmitting rotation from the first gear to the second gear in order to transmit the rotation from the first rotating body to the second rotating body, and the biasing part biases the second unit in a biasing direction substantially perpendicular to a driving direction of the drive force.

Image forming unit having biasing part that biases developing unit toward drum unit and image forming device including same

A developing device includes a developer bearing body, a first developer supply member, a second developer supply member, and a compression member. The developer bearing body bears a developer. The first developer supply member supplies the developer to the developer bearing body. The second developer supply member moves the developer in the vicinity of the first developer supply member to the first developer supply member. The compression member opposes, and is out of contact with, the first developer supply member. The compression member also directs the developer moved by the second developer supply member to the first developer supply member, and compresses the developer between the first developer supply member and the compression member.

Developing device and image forming apparatus

A contact pressure setting method of setting a contact pressure between contact members of an image forming apparatus. A film member is inserted into a gap between the contact members and the contact pressure is set so that a pulling force to pull out the film member lies within a predetermined range. Thus, the contact pressure can be accurately and easily recognized and the contact pressure can be set to be uniform.

Contact pressure setting apparatus for an image forming apparatus

A developing device includes a developer container having a developer supply opening and a developer storage section, so that developer is supplied from the developer container to the developer storage section through the developer supply opening. The developing device further includes a developer guide member disposed below the developer supply opening along a longitudinal direction of the developing device, and a developer delivery member disposed in the developer guide member for delivering developer supplied through the developer supply opening in a longitudinal direction of the developer guide member. The developer guide member has a wall portion having a shape so that developer flows out the developer guide member in a substantially uniform amount along the longitudinal direction of the developing device.

Developing device with developer guide member and image forming apparatus

A toner container () is detachably attached to a developing device (). A toner () stored in the toner container () is supplied through a supply opening () to a hopper () of the developing device (). A movable shutter () is provided below the supply opening (). The shutter () opens the supply opening () when the amount of the toner () in the hopper () is less than a predetermined amount, and closes the supply opening () when the amount of the toner () in the hopper () is greater than or equals to the predetermined amount.

Developing device

Contact pressure setting method and image forming apparatus

An image-forming apparatus includes a mechanism that controls the replenishment amount of toner to a predetermined value. A toner cartridge holds toner therein. The toner cartridge is detachably attached to a process cartridge. The process cartridge has a toner reservoir that holds the toner supplied from the toner cartridge, a photoconductive drum and a developing roller that supplies the toner to the photoconductive drum. A valve is located between the toner cartridge and the process cartridge and supplies the toner from the toner cartridge to the process cartridge. When the valve rotates, the valve supplies a volume of toner in such a way that the toner in the toner reservoir fills a volume not more than a predetermined fraction of a maximum capacity of the toner reservoir.

Image forming apparatus with mechanism to control toner replenishment

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Shinichi Otani