Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.

Kyocera Mita Corporation

Takeshi Iketani

Hiroyuki Harada

Takeshi Yoshida

Tomoya Hotani

Masaaki Maruta

Rei Yamagishi

Hideki Takeda

Akira Horie

A sheet stop mechanism includes a sheet stopper and a support mechanism. The sheet stopper is formed on a sheet stacking surface. The support mechanism supports the sheet stopper to be rotatable between a stored state and a standing state, wherein in the stored state, the sheet stopper is stored in the sheet stacking surface, and in the standing state, the sheet stopper stands from the sheet stacking surface diagonally upward toward a downstream in the sheet discharge direction. When the sheet stopper is in the standing state, the support mechanism supports the sheet stopper in such a manner that an angle formed between the sheet stopper and the sheet stacking surface becomes small as sheets stacked on the sheet stacking surface increase in number.

Sheet stop mechanism, image forming apparatus

A toner conveyance device includes a housing and a conveyance member. The conveyance member includes a conveyance shaft and a conveyance blade. The conveyance blade includes a first blade part, a second blade part and a third blade part. The first blade part is formed along a predetermined spiral direction. The second blade part is connected to the first blade part on a downstream side of the first blade part in a conveyance direction and extends along the conveyance direction. The third blade part is connected to the second blade part on a downstream side of the second blade part in the conveyance direction and formed along a spiral direction opposite to the spiral direction of the first blade part. A boundary between the first blade part and the second blade part is contained within a range of a toner discharge port in the conveyance direction.

Toner conveyance device, cleaning device and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a predetermined unit detachably received in an image forming apparatus body, a locking member that locks the predetermined unit, and an opening and closing cover that opens and closes an opening formed on a sidewall of the image forming apparatus body. The predetermined unit is configured not to be detachable from the image forming apparatus body through the opening unless the opening and closing cover is detached from the image forming apparatus body. The image forming apparatus includes a connection support member detachably engaged with a rotation center part of the opening and closing cover to serve as a shaft and connecting the opening and closing cover to the image forming apparatus body. The connection support member is detached from the opening and closing cover and is also used as a member for operating an unlocking mechanism.

Image forming apparatus including a unit detachably mounted on an apparatus body via a locking member

An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a post-printing processing device, and a paper exit part. The main body forms an image on paper. The post-printing processing device is located above the main body and performs post-printing processing on paper. The paper exit part is located on a side surface of the post-printing processing device. Paper is ejected to the paper exit part. The post-printing processing device includes a paper inlet port and a conveyance device. The paper inlet port is located in a rear part of a lower surface of the post-printing processing device. The conveyance device conveys paper conveyed via the paper inlet port into the post-printing processing device in a forward direction thereof to a paper loading tray and conveys the paper therefrom leftward to eject the paper to the paper exit part located on the left side of the post-printing processing device.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a main body and a fixing unit. The fixing unit is attachable to and detachable from the main body. The fixing unit includes a heating roller, a pressure roller, and a pressing member. The pressing member presses the pressure roller against the heating roller. The main body includes a cam and a slope member. The cam changes a pressing state of the pressing member. The slope member guides a lower end of the pressing member to a topmost part of the cam in attachment of the fixing unit to the main body.

An image forming apparatus includes a cover and a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism restricts a turning of the cover from a closed position. The locking mechanism has a first locking member, a second locking member and a lever member. The first locking member and the second locking member are movable between a lock position where they engage with the apparatus main body and an unlock position where they disengage with the apparatus main body. The lever member moves the first locking member and the second locking member between the lock position and the unlock position. An engagement quantity of the first locking member with the apparatus main body is larger than that of the second locking member at the lock position. The first locking member is formed with an engaging piece which is turnable by turning of the cover in an opening direction at the unlock position.

A toner case includes a case main body, an attachment member, and a sealing member. The case main body is configured to contain a toner. The attachment member is configured to partition an inside space of the case main body so as to adjust toner capacity. The sealing member is arranged between the case main body and the attachment member. The case main body includes a first engagement part. The attachment member includes a second engagement part configured to engage with the first engagement part via the sealing member.

Toner case and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a development device and a guide part guiding the development device to the image carrier. The development device includes a magnet roller, which includes a shaft having magnets arrayed circumferentially, and a cover member, which include a bearing part engaged with the guide part as the shaft is inserted thereinto. The shaft and the bearing part include an engaged part and an engaging part restricting a circumferential position of the magnet and including contact faces provided along an action direction of force from the guide part to the bearing part when the bearing part is engaged with the guide part and the development device approaches the image carrier. A clearance is provided between an outer circumferential face of the shaft and an inner circumferential face of the bearing part at an upstream side in the action direction from the contact faces.

Image forming apparatus apparatus positioning magnets by contact faces of shaft and bearing and restraining action of force from guide part by clearance between shaft and bearing

A developing device includes a developer container, a developer bearing member, and a plurality of stirring conveyance members. The developer container includes a plurality of developer conveyance paths and communication sections. At least one of the stirring conveyance members includes a conveyance fin configured to convey the developer toward one of the communication portions. The conveyance fin protrudes from a portion of the stirring conveyance member, the portion being located at a downstream end of the developer conveyance path in terms of a developer conveyance direction in the developer conveyance path. The conveyance fin is inclined at a specified angle to a direction of a rotational shaft of the at least one of the stirring conveyance members so that the developer being conveyed is turned by the conveyance fin in a direction at an acute angle to the developer conveyance direction in the developer conveyance path.

Developing device and image forming apparatus comprising downstream inclined conveyance fin

An image forming apparatus includes a toner case, an apparatus main body and a cover. The toner case includes a case main body, a shutter and a manipulation portion. The case main body has a discharge port configured to discharge a toner. The shutter opens/closes the discharge port. The manipulation portion is movable between a first position to make the shutter open the discharge port and a second position to make the shutter close the discharge port. To the apparatus main body, the toner case is detachably attached. The cover is openably/closably attached to the apparatus main body. The cover includes an interfering member. The interfering member is movable between an interfering position where the interfering member interferes with the manipulation portion being in the second position and an interference release position where the interfering member does not interfere with the manipulation portion being in the second position.

An image forming apparatus includes a dustproof shutter, a lock lever, a shutter lever and an elastic member. The dustproof shutter is openably/closably supported in a case so as to protect an exposure device. The lock lever is configured to lock a cover openably/closably provided in the case, and to be movable in an opening direction of the cover. The shutter lever is provided at a position coming into contact with the lock lever and the dustproof shutter when the cover is closed. The elastic member biases the shutter lever toward the lock lever. The shutter lever moves between a first position to open the dustproof shutter when the cover is locked and a second position to close the dustproof shutter when the cover is unlocked by moving the lock lever in the opening direction of the cover with assistance from a biasing force of the elastic member.

A movable member installed in a bottom portion of a housing is configured such that, if the amount of a toner existing within the housing is equal to or larger than a predetermined amount, the movable member lies down in a lying-down position where the movable member extends along an inner wall surface of the bottom portion of the housing and, if the amount of the toner existing within the housing is less than the predetermined amount, the movable member moves from the lying-down position to a protruding position where at least a portion of the movable member protrudes from the inner wall surface of the bottom portion of the housing. A stirring sheet is configured such that, if the stirring sheet moves in a state that an engaging portion engages with the movable member, the base end portion of the stirring sheet is detached from the shaft.

Toner container and image forming apparatus provided with the toner container

Toner cartridge

In an image forming apparatus (), one (wall surface ()) of facing wall surfaces of an inverting conveyance path (R) for turning a sheet (P), which had a toner image formed after an image forming operation in an image forming unit () fixed thereto, front side back is formed on a swing door () openably and closably provided on an apparatus main body (). A swing-door supporting structure () is provided to rotatably support the swing door () at positions of supporting points of rotation of the swing door () (center axis positions of shaft main bodies ()). The swing-door supporting structure () is so constructed as to ensure a specified width of the inverting conveyance path (R) with the swing door () closed while moving the swing door () in a direction away from the inverting conveyance path Rby opening the swing door ().

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Takeshi Iketani