Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Syohji Tomita

Hiroshi Ishii

Hiroshi Onda

Takashi Mukai

Takeshi Wakabayashi

Atsuyuki Katoh

Toshio Nishino

Masatsugu Nakamura

Yoshinobu Okumura

Shuichi Morikuni

Tohru Yoshioka

A powder storage device includes a container housing and a powder storage. The container housing is configured to allow the powder container to rotate around a rotation axis &#x3b1;. When the powder container is rotated from an installing position to a predetermined position in a peeling-off rotation direction around the rotation axis &#x3b1;, a supply port moves to a position corresponding to a receiving port, a bonder in which the sealer adheres to the powder container is peeled off, and thus the supply port and the receiving port are interconnected.

Powder storage device and image-forming apparatus equipped with the same

An apparatus for forming an image according to the present invention includes a coverage rate finder, a developing unit, and a control unit. The coverage rate finder finds the coverage rate of the image. The developing unit holds developer in it and includes a stirring means for stirring the held developer at a stirring speed. The developing unit supplies the stirred developer to a surface of an image carrier. When the apparatus forms the image consecutively on sheets of paper, the control unit changes the stirring speed in proportion to the coverage rate. When the apparatus forms an image with a higher coverage rate consecutively on sheets of paper, the control unit makes the stirring speed higher.

Apparatus and method for forming an image with variable processing speed or variable developer mixing speed

A developing device comprises a stirring rollerhaving stirring bladesfor stirring a developer, a developing rollerfor transferring the developer to an electrostatic latent image, a control memberfor controlling the amount of developer transferred from the developing rollerto the electrostatic latent image, a reflux plateby which the excess developer resulting from control by the control memberis flowed back to the stirring roller, one end portion of the reflux platebeing disposed in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the stirring roller, part of the developer stirred by the stirring rollerflying toward the reflux plate, wherein said one end portion of the reflux plateis disposed at a position remote from the stirring rollerover a distance greater then the maximum fly distance of the developer provided by rotation of the stirring roller

Developing device and image forming device

A target specified range of a toner density is correctly set so that a toner density is consistently appropriately controlled. If a specified range within which a measured toner density TD (%) should fall is set based on an expression (2) below using a volume average diameter Dcav_vol (&#x3bc;m) of a magnetic carrier and a volume average diameter Dtav_vol (&#x3bc;m) of a toner, the target specified range can be correctly set, thereby making it possible to consistently appropriately control the toner density.()}&#xd7;100 &#x2003;&#x2003;(2)

Development method with controlled toner density

A device including a developing roller having a magnet roller for transporting developer, and developing an electrostatic latent image, a regulating member regulating transportation amount of the developer transported to the electrostatic latent image with the development roller, and a reflux plate refluxing excess developer regulated by the regulating member away from the regulating member is constructed to comprise a rubbing member arranged to face the developing roller, at a second gap larger than a first gap defined by the developing roller and the regulating member, and rubbing developer transported to the first gap. The rubbing member carries out preliminary electrification on developer and then the regulating member carries out main electrification on the preliminarily electrified developer.

Magnet roller developing device and image forming apparatus for reducing obstructions in developer circulation path

Flanges are pressed into opposite ends of a photoreceptor drum. A noncontact charging roller is arranged so as to face, but have no direct contact with, the photoreceptor drum. On both end portions of the noncontact charging roller, spacers are provided for maintaing a gap between the photoreceptor drum and the noncontact charging roller. The spacers are of tape form and wound around the noncontact charging roller. Winding positions of the spacers are distant by more than an effective projection length of each of the flanges from respective opposite ends of the charging roller.

Image forming apparatus having non-contact charging roller

The present removing system has a feature to remove a left-over toner that is accumulated on a brush that touches a left-over toner on a photoreceptor. More specifically, the present removing system is so arranged that an alternating voltage (superimposing voltage) on which a positive direct current voltage is superimposed is applied onto a conductive brush in accordance with a user's instruction. With this arrangement, even if a positively electrified left-over toner is accumulated on the conductive brush, it is possible to remove the positively electrified left-over toner accumulated on the conductive brush, because a voltage value (positive) applied on the conductive brush in a moment is large. Moreover, because a voltage of the conductive brush becomes negative in a moment, it is possible to remove a negatively electrified left-over toner attached on the conductive brush.

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Yao, Japan

Syohji Tomita