Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Sho Akiyama

Yoshio Hattori

Yoshiyuki Fukuda

Noriyuki Kimura

Yoshinori Nakagawa

Hiroshi Nakai

Tomoko Takahashi

Yuki Oshikawa

Ryuji Yoshida

Takamasa Ozeki

Hiroshi Mizusawa

Taichi Urayama

Kohsuke Yamamoto

Mikio Ishibashi

Kenji Komito

An image bearer protective agent is provided. The image bearer protective agent includes a fatty acid metal salt and an inorganic lubricant. The inorganic lubricant includes a first inorganic lubricant having a tap density of from 0.30 to 0.8 g/cm.

Image bearer protective agent, protective layer forming device, image forming method, image forming apparatus, and process cartridge

A development device is operable in multiple different speed modes and includes a developer bearer to carry developer, a developer regulator to adjust an amount of developer carried on the developer bearer, and multiple developer conveyance members disposed facing the developer bearer to transport developer in a longitudinal direction to circulate developer inside the development device. The multiple developer conveyance members including a first developer conveyance member to supply developer to the developer bearer and a second developer conveyance member to transport developer collected from the developer bearer. The development device executes developer amount balance adjustment in which a driving velocity of at least the multiple developer conveyance members is increased from a driving velocity in a lower-speed mode for a predetermined period after image development in the lower speed mode is completed and before image development in a higher speed mode is started.

Development device, process cartridge, image forming apparatus incorporating same, and developer amount adjustment method therefor

A developing device includes a developer bearer, a development casing in which a developer conveyance channel is formed facing the developer bearer through a communicating area, a developer supply member disposed in the developer conveyance channel, a developer regulator disposed facing a lower portion of the developer bearer to adjust an amount of developer carried on the developer bearer, and a sheet member that is removably installed to seal the communicating area and passes through a gap between the developer regulator and the developer bearer and an opening formed in the development casing. A first end of the sheet member is retained downstream from the gap in a direction of rotation of the developer bearer, and the sheet member is fixed to the development casing at a position across the communicating area from the first end with a second end positioned outside the development casing.

Developing device and image forming apparatus

A developing device includes a developer bearer, a magnetic field generator provided inside the developer bearer, a casing including an opening to partly expose a surface of the developer bearer, and a lateral end cover to cover an axial end portion of the exposed surface of the developer bearer. The lateral end cover includes a wide portion extending more to an axial inner side of the developer bearer than a downstream portion of the lateral end cover positioned downstream from the wide portion in a direction of rotation of the developer bearer. A downstream end of the wide portion is downstream from an upstream end of the development range in the direction of rotation of the developer bearer.

Developing device and image forming apparatus and process cartridge incorporating same

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Tokyo, Japan

Sho Akiyama