Konica Minolta, Inc.

Takumi Sakurada

Yuki Higuchi

Shinichi Kawabata

Kiyohito Tsujihara

Tomoyoshi Yukimoto

A component feeder includes: a component housing that stores a plurality of components; a plurality of orientation adjusters that adjusts an orientation of the components housed in the component housing; and a first hardware processor that controls driving of the plurality of orientation adjusters based on component information related to the components housed in the component housing.

Component feeder and component feeding method

A component supply device includes a hopper, a conveyance robot, a pick-up stand, and a discharge stand. A temporary placement position at which the component is temporarily placed on the tray is disposed on a straight line connecting a supply position at which the component is supplied to the conveyance robot in the hopper and a hand-over position at which the component is delivered from the conveyance robot on the discharge stand. The discharge stand includes a posture changer that changes a posture of the component conveyed by the conveyance robot.

Component supply device

A developing apparatus includes: a housing that accommodates developer and has a plurality of constituent parts; a vibrator that vibrates parts, which are two or more of the plurality of the constituent parts and to which scattered toner may adhere, as vibrated portions; an adjuster provided for at least one of the vibrated portions and the vibrator so as to adjust and match natural frequencies of the two or more of the vibrated portions; and a hardware processor that controls the vibrator.

Developing apparatus and image forming apparatus

A developer discharge auxiliary tool, including a supporting section which supports a developing unit, that is provided with a discharge port to discharge developer contained therein, at a predetermined height with the discharge port down in a state in which the discharge port is located on a lateral or lower side of the developing unit.

Developer discharge auxiliary tool and method for discharging developer

In an image forming apparatus that is provided with a developing unit to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier as a toner image, the developing unit is provided with a developer reservoir that is disposed between a supplying roller to feed developer agitated by an agitating member into the developer reservoir and a developing roller to cause the developer in the developer reservoir to adhere onto the latent image on the image carrier so as to be developed as the toner image. A control section controls driving of the supplying roller, independently from driving of the agitating member.

Growing community of inventors

Hachioji, Japan

Takumi Sakurada