Oki Data Corporation

Nec Corporation

Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.

Tetsu Koyama

Shinichi Otani

Hisatoshi Saito

Shingo Shimada

Yoshihiro Goto

Akira Saito

Shigenori Koido

Hiroki Haruyama

Junichi Ito

Masayuki A Suzuki

Atsushi Kobayashi

Takuya Goto

Shun Hatanaka

Tatsuya Murakami

Takanori Mimura

Yasushi Nakasone

Tetsuji Kojima

Masashi Fujii

Atsushi Ota

Noboru Ooishi

Yoshitatsu Okiyama

Teruaki Kuroda

Tomohiro Miyazaki

Shinichi Koike

Eisaku Muto

Kazuhiko Aizawa

Toner cartridge

Image drum cartridge

A developer container according to an embodiment includes: a container having a space that contains a developer; an optical system includes a first optical member including first end face exposed to a containing space in the container and a second optical member including a second end face exposed to the containing space and being opposed to the first end face in a first direction, and on which the light is incident through the second end face; a shaft provided in the containing space to be rotatable about the first direction; a cleaning member provided to the shaft to be movable in the first direction to clean the first and second end faces by passing through a gap with a rotation of the shaft; and a guide member provided upstream of the optical system and that comes into contact with the cleaning member to guide the cleaning member to a gap.

Developer container, image formation unit, and image formation apparatus

A replaceable unit includes a body, a memory element, a holder, and a first post. The holder has a first hole and holds the memory element to the body. The first post is provided on the body, and includes a first insert and a first head. The first insert is inserted into the first hole. The first head is located on opposite side of the first insert to the body and covers a periphery of the first hole of the holder.

Replaceable unit, developing unit, image forming unit, and image forming apparatus

A toner container includes: a containing unit that contains a toner; a storage device that stores information; and an attachment unit. The attachment unit includes a cover member, a supporting member, and an insertion member. The cover member has a first projection and an insertion opening. The first projection extends in a first direction. The insertion opening is provided on the first projection and extends in a second direction. The supporting member has a first depression and a through opening. The first depression extends in the first direction and allows the first projection to be inserted into the first depression. The through opening extends in the second direction and is in communication with the first depression. The insertion member is inserted into the through opening and the insertion opening in a state where the storage device is positioned between the cover member and the supporting member.

Toner container, image forming unit including the toner container, and image forming apparatus including the toner container

A developer storage body includes a first storage member, a second storage member, a frame and a resiliently deformable partition member. The first storage member includes a first opening, and a first flange provided along an outer periphery of the first opening. The second storage member includes a second opening, and a second flange provided along an outer periphery of the second opening so that the second flange faces the first flange. The frame includes a third flange held between the first flange and the second flange. A partition member includes a peripheral end portion fixed to the frame. The partition member and the first storage member form a first space portion therebetween. The partition member and the second storage member form a second space portion therebetween.

Developer storage body, image forming unit and image forming apparatus

An image forming unit includes an image carrier, a developer carrier carrying a developer for developing images by attaching the developer to electrostatic latent images on the image carrier, a developer supply member for supplying the developer to the developer carrier, a first developer container having an opening, for containing the developer, a second developer container reserving the developer supplied via the opening from the first developer container, and a stirring member disposed rotatably in a prescribed rotation direction around a rotation axis in the first developer container for stirring the developer. The stirring member comprises a first elastic member extending in a first direction, and a second elastic member extending in a second direction as different direction from the first direction, and the second elastic member is disposed on a downstream side of the first elastic member in the rotation direction of the stirring member.

Image forming unit and image forming apparatus

An image forming unit includes an image bearing body, a developer bearing body that supplies a developer to the image bearing body, a developer storage portion for storing the developer, a developer reserving portion that reserves the developer, a replenishing member that replenishes the developer from the developer reserving portion to the developer storage portion, and a guide member provided between the replenishing member and the developer bearing body. The guide member temporarily holds the developer replenished by the replenishing member and regulates falling of the developer. A conveying member conveys the developer held by the guide member in an axial direction of the developer bearing body along the guide member. A detecting portion is provided between the guide member and the developer bearing body for detecting the developer. The replenishing member replenishes the developer to the developer storage portion based on a result of detection using the detecting portion.

An image forming unit includes a first unit and a second unit. The first unit includes a first engagement portion and a rotatably supported image bearing body. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the image bearing body. A second unit includes a second engagement portion and a rotatably supported developer material bearing body. The developer bearing body develops the electrostatic latent image with a developer material into a developer image. The second unit is coupled to the first unit such that the first engagement portion engages the second engagement portion. A plurality of urging members that are mounted in a vicinity of one end of an axis of rotation of developer material bearing body, and urge the first unit and the second unit in directions such that the image bearing body and the developer material bearing body are urged against each other.

Image forming unit and image forming apparatus that incorporates the image forming unit

A developer storage container includes a storage portion for storing a developer therein, an opening for ejecting the developer stored in the storage portion, and an opening-and-closing member for opening and closing the opening. A concave portion is formed on the opening-and-closing member so that the concave portion faces the opening.

Developer storage container, image forming unit and image forming apparatus

A image forming unit includes an image forming unit including an image bearing body that bears a latent image, a developer bearing body that develops the latent image, a developer supplying portion that supplies the developer to the developer bearing body, an agitating portion provided in the vicinity of the developer supplying portion and including a plate member for agitating the developer in the vicinity of the developer supplying portion and a rotation shaft that holds the plate member, and a driving mechanism that causes the plate member of the agitating portion to reciprocatingly swing about the rotation shaft.

Image forming unit having agitating portion and image forming apparatus

An image forming unit includes an image bearing body, a rotating body disposed in contact with or disposed facing the image bearing body, a supporting member that supports a rotation shaft of the rotating body, an insertion hole provided on the supporting member, a bearing inserted into the insertion hole and supporting the rotation shaft of the rotating body, and three or more contact portions provided on the bearing or the insertion hole. The contact portions contact the insertion hole or the bearing.

A developing device is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus. The developing device includes a first frame member; a second frame member disposed to face the first frame member; a shaft member for connecting the first frame member and the second frame member; a first engagement member disposed at one end portion of the shaft member for engaging the first frame member; a second engagement member disposed at the other end portion of the shaft member for engaging the second frame member; and a fixing member for fixing at least one of the first engagement member and the second engagement member.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Tetsu Koyama