Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Takashi Akazawa

Narutaka Yoshida

Mineyuki Sako

Sanji Inagaki

Hitoshi Sekino

Shoichi Tsuge

Kenzo Toya

Satoshi Yoshida

This invention relates to a developer for electrophotography comprising: a domain resin phase containing specified additives, a matrix resin phase containing specified additives and a dispersion assistant, the matrix resin having a low compatibility with the domain resin, and the dispersion assistant having a compatibility with both of the domain resin and matrix resin and an Izod impact value higher than the matrix resin.

Electrophotography carrier having domains dispersed in a matrix resin

A device for detecting the residual amount of a developer has a developer storing vessel, a light-emitting element for projecting a light for irradiation from the outside to the inside of the vessel, a light-receiving element disposed outside the vessel and adapted to receive the light for irradiation projected by the light-emitting element into the interior of the vessel and issuing a signal in response to the received light, and a control device for discerning between arrival and no arrival of the residual amount of the developer in the vessel at the prescribed level on the basis of the signal from the light-receiving element. The control device discerns the arrival of the residual amount of the developer in the vessel at the predetermined level when the state in which the duration of an excess of the output signal of the light-receiving element over the prescribed threshold level surpasses the first predetermined time interval repeats on a prescribed plurality of instances during the second predetermined time interval.

Device for optically detecting an amount of remaining developer in an

The present invention provides an image forming apparatus comprising a main assembly and an imaging cartridge detachable from the main assembly. The imaging cartridge includes a first unit and a second unit, both of which are separable form each other, a toner image carrier provided in the first unit, and a charging device provided in the second unit for transferring a toner image on the toner image carrier onto a copy sheet, wherein the charging device includes a charging roller. The present invention also provides an imaging cartridge detachable from the main assembly of an image forming apparatus. The imaging cartridge comprises a first unit and a second unit wherein the second unit is separable from the first unit, a toner image carrier provided in the first unit, and a charging device provided in the second unit for transferring a toner image on the toner image carrier onto a copy sheet.

Electrophotographic image forming apparatus with detachable imaging

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Machida, Japan

Takashi Akazawa