Konica Minolta, Inc.

Shuan Yang

Shigeru Sawano

Isao Kawakami

Naoki Matsui

Yasuaki Tomoda

Shogo Asaoka

Naoki Nonoyama

Junichi Tanimoto

Sho Karakama

Yuki Doshida

Katsumi Kuroyanagi

A toner container attachable to and detachable from a main body of an image forming device and including: a first chamber containing toner; a second chamber adjacent to the first chamber through a partition wall and downstream of the first chamber in a toner supply direction; and a switching member in the second chamber that is movable or rotatable and has a shell structure. The partition wall has a first aperture. A bottom wall of the second chamber opposing the partition wall has a second aperture and sits on the main body. The shell has third and fourth apertures. The fourth aperture coincides with the second aperture when the third aperture coincides with the first aperture, and the first aperture is closed by the shell when the third aperture faces an inner wall surface of the second chamber.

Toner container and image forming device having a switching member in the structure of a shell

An air flow sensor includes a case, a to-be-detected object, and a detector. The case includes an intake port and an exit port through which air is to flow. The to-be-detected object is located at a first position in the case when the air flowing from the intake port to the exit port has lower than a predetermined level of pressure, and is movable from the first position receiving the air when the air has equal to or higher than the predetermined level of pressure. The detector is disposed outside the case and is configured to detect a movement of the to-be-detected object and output an electrical signal.

Air flow sensor and optional device that is for electrical machine and that includes the air flow sensor

An option device for an electrical appliance of the invention is provided with a filter for purifying exhaust air from the electrical appliance, and an electric fan, wherein the air flow resistance in an external air inlet port formed independently of a suction port for sucking exhaust air from the electrical appliance is adjustable. According to this configuration, it is easy to secure balance between the exhaust air flow rate of the electrical appliance and the suction force by the electric fan without variably controlling the rotational speed of the electric fan.

Optional device for electrical appliance

A sheet material feeding device includes: a housing; a cassette configured to accommodate a sheet material therein and capable of being pulled out of the housing; a pushing-up plate which is on the cassette and configured to fluctuate and a position thereof is changed to a feeding position or a retracted position; a rear-end regulating member for regulating a position of an upstream end of the sheet material; a rear-end displacement member which is supported by the rear-end regulating member and configured to fluctuate and a position thereof is changed to a feeding position or a retracted position; a pushing-up plate displacing device configured to change the position of the pushing-up plate to the feeding position; and a rear-end displacement member displacing device configured to complete a position change of the rear-end displacement member to the feeding position before a position change of the pushing-up plate to the feeding position.

Sheet material feeding device and image forming apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Kariya, Japan

Shuan Yang