Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Shinji Hosoya

Tsutomu Ishida

Hidetoshi Hanamoto

Toshikazu Tsuchiya

Masafumi Monde

Taku Fukita

Hidehiro Ushiozu

Kenichi Fujii

Takuya Mukaibara

An image forming apparatus includes a detector for detecting one of position and density information of a detection image based on a signal corresponding to a difference between a value of a detection signal corresponding to a first position of one of the detection image on an image carrier and a surface of the image carrier and an average value of a value of the detection signal corresponding to a second position on a downstream side with respect to the first position in a moving direction of the detection image and a value of the detection signal corresponding to a third position on an upstream side with respect to the first position in the moving direction during a time when the detection image formed on the image carrier passes through an irradiation region of an irradiation device.

Image forming apparatus and detection apparatus

The image forming apparatus includes a developing unit that is detachable and contains a developer, a detection member that includes an electrode to be detected and is rotatable around a rotation axis in the developing unit, an agitator that moves around the rotation axis in the developing unit; an electrostatic capacitance sensor electrode provided on an exterior of the developing unit, an electrostatic capacitance sensor that detects electrostatic capacitance between the electrode to be detected and the electrostatic capacitance sensor electrode, and outputs data on the detected electrostatic capacitance, and a CPU that determines an amount of developer in the developing unit based on the data output from the electrostatic capacitance sensor.

Image forming apparatus

When a stirring member that stirs developer in a developer containing portion rotates at high speed, toner flies and the detection accuracy of light transmission type toner remaining amount detection is degraded. A developing apparatus including a developer containing portion that contains developer, a stirring member that stirs the developer in the developer containing portion, and a partition member which is disposed to separate the developer containing portion from a space adjacent to the developer containing portion and which bends to block at least a part of a light path, which is formed in the space and used to detect an amount of the developer, when being pressed by the stirring member via the developer.

Developing apparatus, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable member which is provided on and rotatable about a rotation shaft in a detachably mountable developing unit containing a developer and has flexibility so that it is flexed depending on a resistance of the developer; an electroconductive member to be detected which is provided on the rotatable member; a detecting electrode provided in a neighborhood of an outer wall surface of a bottom of the developing unit; a converting portion for detecting an electrostatic capacity between the member to be detected and the detecting electrode and for converting the electrostatic capacity into an electric signal; a measuring portion for measuring a time duration in which the electric signal converted by the converting portion exceeds a predetermined threshold; and a discriminating portion for discriminating an amount of the developer on the basis of the time duration measured by the measuring portion.

A developing unit includes a developer storage unit, a developer bearing member, an agitation member, a flexible member, and a magnet member. The developer storage unit stores a developer. The developer bearing member develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image bearing member with the developer. The agitation member agitates the developer in the developer storage unit. The flexible member, disposed in the developer storage unit, is distorted by pressure applied by the agitation member via the developer. The magnet member, disposed on the flexible member, is displaced in response to the flexible member being distorted.

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Naka-gun, Japan

Shinji Hosoya