Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Tomoji Ishikawa

Kazuyuki Sugihara

Katsuhiro Kosuge

Satoshi Hatori

Yoshiyuki Kimura

Yuji Arai

Naoto Watanabe

Kiyonori Tsuda

Takeo Suda

Atsushi Sampe

Kenji Maeda

Atsushi Inoue

Seiji Terazawa

Kaori Mitsuishi

Shinji Kato

Tsukuru Kai

Seiji Oka

Takayuki Maruta

Fumio Ogata

Yoshihide Kawamura

Hiroshi Takashima

Koichi Suzuki

Hiroshi Hosokawa

Takuya Seshita

Hiroyuki Nagashima

Shin Hasegawa

Hidetoshi Yano

Masanori Kawasumi

Noriyuki Kimura

Masaru Tanaka

Makoto Obu

Kazuhiko Umemura

Takatsugu Fujishiro

Masashi Nagayama

Nobuo Kuwabara

Katsuhiro Aoki

Yuki Oshikawa

Takeroh Kurenuma

Satoshi Narumi

Hideki Zemba

Yuichi Ueno

Ryuta Takeichi

Hiroyuki Uenishi

Yuuki Satoh

Shigeru Yoshiki

Hisashi Ishijima

Toshiki Hayashi

Hiroyuki Matsushiro

Wakako Murakami

Makoto Yoshioka

Tetsuro Miura

Chiyako Kobayashi

A toner container includes a cylindrical container body, having a first opening in a first end thereof and a notch in a circumferential surface thereof continuous with the first opening in the first end, a flange member to engage the first opening and the notch in the container body and having a toner outlet therein through which toner in the container body is discharged, a shutter member disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the container body, a conveyance member, rotatably installed inside the container body to convey the toner from a second end of the container body opposite the first end to the toner outlet in the flange member, and a recessed portion in the container body that projects inward into the interior of the toner container 5 mm or less from an inner surface of the container body.

Toner container and manufacturing method for toner container

A powder container includes a cylindrical container body to contain a powder, having an opening in one end thereof, to convey the powder contained in the container body to the opening with rotation of the container body, and having a container-body projection provided on an outer circumferential surface of the container body; and a cylindrical holder, into which the end of the container body having the opening is inserted, to hold the container body rotatably, having a powder outlet through which the powder is discharged from the holder and a holder projection provided on an inner circumferential surface thereof. The container-body projection repetitively contacts and separates from the holder projection with rotation of the container body to vibrate the container body and the holder.

Powder container and image forming apparatus incorporating same

An image forming apparatus includes a process cartridge, a toner storage, and a toner supplying unit. The process cartridge includes an image bearing member, a developer container, a developer bearing member, and a pair of side plates. The developer container includes a toner inlet mounted at a predetermined position on one of its top surface. The pair of side plates are arranged in parallel and separated by a predetermined distance which determines a predetermined longitudinal width of the process cartridge and configured to support the components in the process cartridge.

Method and apparatus of image forming and process cartridge included in the apparatus

An image forming apparatus including at least two image forming units arranged side by side in an arrangement direction and each of the image forming units contains a photoconductor configured to bear a latent electrostatic image thereon and at least one process device configured to form a toner image on the photoconductor, and a unit case having a notch thereon to grasp the unit case.

Image forming apparatus and image forming unit

A method and apparatus of image forming include a process cartridge detachably mounted therein. The process cartridge includes a photoconductive element and a housing storing the photoconductive element and including a guide portion guiding the process cartridge. The guide portion faces an inner wall of the image forming apparatus or another process cartridge adjoining thereto and guides the adjoining process cartridge. The guide portion slidably engages with a portion of the process adjoining cartridge. The guide portion varies in shape according to its position in the image forming apparatus. The guide portion may be separately formed from or integrated with the housing. A method and apparatus of an image forming includes an image transfer mechanism and a plurality of process cartridges arranged in parallel. Each of the process cartridges includes photoconductive elements and a housing, and forms an image for a single separated color.

Image forming apparatus using installable process cartridge, method of positioning process cartridge, and process cartridge itself

In a powder transport apparatus, powder is transported through a pipe having a powder transport member that exerts a force on the powder such that the powder is moved downstream in a transport direction. A part regulating the amount of the powder to be transported is provided in the pipe.

Powder transport apparatus and image forming apparatus that can stabilize replenishment of powder

A developer container for use in an image forming apparatus including a supporting member rotating around a rotation shaft thereof. A plurality of developing devices are arranged on the supporting member, each developing device including a developer supplying device. A plurality of cylindrically-shaped developer containers containing developer are provided, each developer container having an opening and a guide, and each developer container being detachably mounted on the developer supplying device. A container rotating device rotates the developer container, in which the guide is arranged that when one of the developing devices needs to be filled with the developer, the container rotating device rotates the developer container to transfer the developer in the developer container to the opening in accordance with a rotating movement of the developer container.

Image forming apparatus having an improved developer-supplying mechanism and method thereof

An end of toner detector to be utilized in a toner cartridge of a developing apparatus of an image forming apparatus. A developing device develops latent images formed on an image bearing member so as to form toner images. A toner storage unit deposits toner to supply to the developing device. A light path forming unit protrudes from a wall of the toner storage unit into an interior of the toner storage unit and forms the light path through which light passes in the toner storage unit. A light sensor includes a light emitting unit which emits light and a light receiving unit which receives light emitted from the light emitting unit. Further, the light sensor outputs signals which smoothly change according to an amount of toner in the light path formed in the light forming unit.

Developing apparatus and image forming apparatus using the same developing apparatus and method of determining end-of-toner condition

An image forming apparatus including a development unit rotatably supported by a body of the apparatus and including a plurality of developing subunits and a plurality of replaceable developer containers each storing a developer to be replenished to a particular one of the developing subunits. Also included is a stepping motor configured to cause the developing unit to rotate in order to bring any one of the developing subunits to a developing position, a preventing mechanism configured to prevent the developing unit from rotating at a time of replacement of any one of the developer containers due to an unexpected change in a voltage or a current driving the stepping motor, and a locking portion included in either one of the developing unit and the body and an engaging portion included in the other of the developing unit and the body, in which the locking portion and the engaging portion selectively engaging with each other for preventing the developing unit from rotating. Further included is a door member opened when any one of the developer containers is to be removed from the apparatus or closed when development is under way. The locking portion and the engaging portion engaging with each other in mechanically interlocked relation to an opening movement of the door member. Also included is a moving device configured to cause the locking portion to engage with the engaging portion by mechanically interlocking the opening movement of the door member to a movement of the locking portion.

Image forming apparatus including a preventing mechanism for preventing

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Yokohama, Japan

Tomoji Ishikawa