Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Takashi Miyaji

Jun Yamaguchi

Susumu Murakami

Toshio Yamanaka

Hideaki Kadowaki

Takahiko Kimura

Toyoka Aimoto

Hideaki Hagihara

Yoshiki Ichikawa

Tadaaki Kawano

Masaru Nishijima

Yukinori Andou

Yoshikazu Nishikawa

Fukusaburo Ito

Masahiro Tsuji

Shigeru Yamaguchi

Kazuhiro Satou

A developer processing apparatus includes a rotary member provided rotatably in a container containing the developer, a sealing member provided at the rotary member and being brought into pressure contact with a portion supporting the rotary member and a sealing layer provided at the portion where the sealing member is brought into pressure contact, and formed of a material having lower hardness than the sealing member.

Developer processing apparatus provided with sealing member and sealing

A developing unit includes a developing tank and a toner hopper. The developing tank is disposed to oppose a recording medium rotatably mounted to an image forming apparatus utilizing electrophotography. A developing member conveys a developer and attaches toner to an electrostatic latent image formed on the recording medium to develop the electrostatic latent image. The toner hopper has a toner supply port for supplying toner to the developing tank through a toner replenishing port formed in the developing tank. The developing tank is detachable in a direction of a rotating shaft of the recording medium, and is movable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the rotating shaft of the recording medium so as to separate from or oppose the recording medium. The toner hopper has a shutter for opening/closing an opening of the toner supply port. A moving mechanism mounted on the developing tank simultaneously provides movement of the developing tank in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the rotating shaft of the recording medium and movement of the toner hopper shutter to open/close the toner supply port when manipulated.

Developing unit having interlocking mechanism

A developing device of an electrophotographic copier is structured separably into two mutually attachable and internally connected sections. One of these sections is disposed adjacent to the copier's photoreceptor and contains a developing roller and the other section distal from the photoreceptor is made of a relatively inexpensive synthetic resin material, including a stirrer roller. When the developing agent is spent, the two sections are separated and only the second part with the stirring roller is discarded for replacement. In order that the spent developing agent can be effectively collected, a bar magnet may be inserted into a chamber formed inside the shaft of the stirrer roller to make use of its magnetic force or a scrapper may be provided to scrape off the developing agent remaining attached to the developing roller. In the case of a clam shell type copier with a top part of the main body made openable rotatingly with respect to its base part, the developing device becomes tilted when the copier is opened for its replacement. A device for shaking the tank can effectively cause the developing agent remaining inside to move into the lower section of the device for easy collection.

Developing device for copier

A photoreceptor of an electrophotographic copying machine is rotatably supported by a mounting member. The mounting member is rotatably supported by a supporting member which can slide out of the housing of the copying machine. The supporting member also supports a developing station. When the supporting member is pulled out of the housing, the developing station can be displaced on the supporting member away from the photoreceptor and the mounting member can be rotated so as to expose the photoreceptor such that its surface becomes accessible from outside.

Photoreceptor attachment device for an electrophotographic copying

A developer mixer for an electrophotographic copying machine comprises a shaft which is rotatably mounted in a developer tank and a plurality of fins affixed obliquely to the shaft. Each fin has a fan-shaped grooved section and the missing sections of mutually adjacent fins are at opposite directions with respect to the shaft. Each fin has a plurality of notches along the periphery such that the liquid being mixed can pass therethrough when the shaft is rotated and hence that the unfavorable effects of centrifugal force can be reduced.

Developer mixer for electrophotographic copying machine

An electrophotographic copying machine including a unit consisting of a photoreceptor and a developing device. The unit can be pulled out of or into the copying machine. The developing device has a developer outlet provided at its bottom, and first and second grooves. A developer funnel can be coupled to the first groove to receive the old developer from the developing device. The first groove is also provided for guiding a lid closing the developer outlet. The funnel can also be coupled to the second groove to supply the new developer. In a specific form, the developing device can be shifted from a position close to the photoreceptor to a position separate from the same. The developing device can also be moved with a quadric link chain pivotally supported on the frame of the unit of the photoreceptor and the developing device. Positioning members are provided in the frame for positioning the developing device in both positions.

A developing device for an electrophotographic copying machine

A variable magnification copying apparatus arranged to determine a scanning amount having a leading edge of an original document as a reference point, based on a copy paper size and a copying magnification as selected so as to control positions of a zoom lens assembly from the copying magnification, and characterized in that there are provided an original document trailing edge indicating plate disposed on a copy lamp unit for scanning the original document, and a device for displacing the original document trailing edge indicating plate together with the copy lamp unit based on the value calculated from the copy paper size and copying magnification, so as to set a terminal point of the displacement as a home position of the copy lamp unit.

Growing community of inventors

Nara, Japan

Takashi Miyaji