Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Toshio Nishino

Yasuyuki Ishiguro

Tsutomu Nagata

Jun Yamaguchi

Toshihide Ohgoshi

Takeshi Wakabayashi

Atsushi Inoue

Wataru Yoshida

Hiroshi Tanisawa

Yoshinori Otsuka

Masatoshi Kaneshige

Naotaka Funayama

Keiji Kato

Hiroshi Ishii

Takahiko Kimura

Hiroshi Onda

Fumito Mizoguchi

Syouichi Fujita

Hirofumi Sakita

Hiroshige Araki

Syohji Tomita

Haruko Yoneda

Shigeki Hayashi

Hitoshi Nagahama

Mitsuru Tokuyama

Yasutaka Maeda

Eiichi Kido

Jitsuo Masuda

Hiroshi Kawahito

Yoshiaki Sanada

Itaru Kawabata

Hideji Saiko

Hiroshi Kawamoto

Katsuaki Sumida

Makoto Uehara

Akira Nakakuma

Yohichi Takesawa

Keiji Katoh

Tao Ou

Humito Mizoguchi

A developing device comprises a stirring rollerhaving stirring bladesfor stirring a developer, a developing rollerfor transferring the developer to an electrostatic latent image, a control memberfor controlling the amount of developer transferred from the developing rollerto the electrostatic latent image, a reflux plateby which the excess developer resulting from control by the control memberis flowed back to the stirring roller, one end portion of the reflux platebeing disposed in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the stirring roller, part of the developer stirred by the stirring rollerflying toward the reflux plate, wherein said one end portion of the reflux plateis disposed at a position remote from the stirring rollerover a distance greater then the maximum fly distance of the developer provided by rotation of the stirring roller

Developing device and image forming device

A device including a developing roller having a magnet roller for transporting developer, and developing an electrostatic latent image, a regulating member regulating transportation amount of the developer transported to the electrostatic latent image with the development roller, and a reflux plate refluxing excess developer regulated by the regulating member away from the regulating member is constructed to comprise a rubbing member arranged to face the developing roller, at a second gap larger than a first gap defined by the developing roller and the regulating member, and rubbing developer transported to the first gap. The rubbing member carries out preliminary electrification on developer and then the regulating member carries out main electrification on the preliminarily electrified developer.

Magnet roller developing device and image forming apparatus for reducing obstructions in developer circulation path

A development apparatus includes an auger conveyor member for stirring and conveying developer, the gravity of the developer being eccentrically distributed with respect to a center of rotation, a drive transfer member for driving and rotating the auger conveyor member, the drive transfer member being capable of being engaged and disengaged, and a rotation detector for detecting a rotational state of the auger conveyor member. The remaining amount of the developer is detected based on the rotational state detected by the rotation detector. Alternatively, a development apparatus includes the auger conveyor member and the drive transfer member, in which the eccentric gravity distribution is achieved by a rod-like weight member eccentrically provided with respect to a rotational axis, the auger conveyor member includes a first coil spring having an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the weight member, and the first coil spring is inserted around the weight member in a manner which allows the first coil spring to be rotated and limits an angle of rotation of the first coil spring to a predetermined angle. Alternatively, a development apparatus includes the auger conveyor member and the drive transfer member, in which the auger conveyor member is provided near a development supply roller, and a uniforming member for making the developer uniform is provided in a space portion between the development supply roller and the auger conveyor member.

Developing agent detecting mechanism section of developing apparatus

The process frame body has the guide portion, and the development device has the to-be-guided shaft. When the process frame body is unattached to the apparatus main body, the guide portion of the development device is absent, thus preventing proper attachment and positioning of the development device. The convex engagement portion is formed integrally with the development device so as to jut into the attachment path for the process frame body. This prevents attachment of the process frame body when the development device is attached first. If users try to attach the process frame body after attachment of the development device, the convex engagement portion interferes with the process frame body, thus preventing attachment of the process frame body.

Image forming apparatus with arrangement for controlling assembly order

A detection mechanism is provided with a sealing member made of elastic material for preventing toner leakage between (a) a pierced wall surface of a toner tank through which a rotating shaft is inserted and (b) a second side plate provided on the rotating shaft. With this structure, a flat splicing surface of the sealing member is made to closely contact a second side plate that can be coated with a high lubricant member whose frictional forces is small. When a sealing force of the sealing member is strongly compressed, the sealing member prevents toner from coming into the sliding surface.

Developer detection device and printer

A toner cartridge stored in a developer casing includes a biasing force generating device, an actuating rod that switches the biasing device between an active state and a non-active state by one movement of a release member. A developer casing swings by the movement of the actuating rod and presses a developing roller with appropriate pressure to a photosensitive drum. There is a lock member that is restrained from moving by the movement of the actuating rod. The structure recited is capable of inserting and fixing the developer casing to an image forming device. Also, by one restore movement of the release member, the photosensitive drum and the developing roller are separated and the lock is released, thereby enabling removal/exchange of the developer casing.

Image forming device and toner device

A use status detecting mechanism includes a cover having an edge portion, in a portion of which a notch is formed, a moving member having a rod member, a spring portion, protrusions and grooves, and a shaft having a driving gear and ribs. In the unused state of a developing unit, the rod member is maintained to be exposed by the contact of the protrusions with the edge portion from the outside. When the developing unit is started to be used and rotation is transmitted to the driving gear, the moving member is rotated by the engagement of the ribs and the grooves, and the moving member is moved to the shaft side by the elastic force of the spring portion when the protrusions are opposed to the notches. Thus, the rod member is retreated from the exposed position.

Use status detecting mechanism and image-producing unit

Elastic members are fixed at one end to the housing of an image forming apparatus while their distal ends extend into the framework of the developing unit. When a toner cartridge is fitted to the framework of a developing unit, the distal ends of the elastic members abut the top surface of the toner cartridge, so that the elastic members are compressed to produce repulsive force, which in turn causes the developing unit to rotate clockwise about a support so as to bring the developer roller into pressing contact with a photoconductor.

Image forming apparatus with members for holding a cartridge

The length of a conveying sheet is set to be greater than the rotational radius of an agitating element so that the distal end of the conveying sheet will slide over the inner wall of the toner container. A slider element having a low frictional resistance is attached at the distal end of the conveying sheet. The slider element preferably has a low coefficient of dynamic friction and is preferably made of a soft resilient material having a thickness smaller than the conveying sheet. Cutouts or openings may be preferably formed at the distal part. A multiple number of ribs are attached to the wall surface of the toner container at the highest position at which the wall and the top plate meet. The ribs are arranged apart from each other in the direction parallel to the agitating shaft of the agitating element. Each rib is a plate-like element projected inward from the wall surface in the toner container with its width put in the direction of the spacing. Further the end portions of the ribs on the interior side of the toner container are adapted to form a curved surface smoothly connecting the top plate surface and the wall surface.

Toner supply device with rotatable agitating element

A toner reserve container provided with a toner replenishing roller and a replenishing port which constitute a toner replenishing portion is arranged adjacent to a developing hopper and is provided with a toner conveying unit. The conveying unit includes an agitator rotated about a rotary shaft and a conveying sheet fixed to the agitator and scooping up and conveying toner to the toner replenishing roller. The conveying sheet has a plurality of slits formed close to the end portion where it is fixed to the agitator and extending in the direction from the end portion to the tip end of the conveying sheet. When the conveying sheet is rotated and deformed, the plurality of slits absorb rotational load to keep toner conveyed by the conveying sheet stable for a long period of time.

Developing unit with agitator and conveying sheet for toner

A developing unit includes a developing hopper, a toner reserve container that incorporates a replenishing roller and a replenishing port forming a toner replenishing portion, arranged adjacent to the developing hopper in order to supply the toner to the developing hopper. The toner reserve container further includes an agitator rotatable about a rotary shaft and a conveying sheet attached to the agitator for conveying the toner to the replenishing roller. The conveying sheet has a bent portion where the conveying sheet is bent in the rotational direction of the agitator at a halfway point thereof with a predetermined angle &agr;. Deformation of the conveying sheet during rotation is absorbed around the position of the bent portion, so that the conveying sheet will not be plastically deformed at the attached part of the conveying sheet joined to the attachment edge of the agitator, whereby long stable toner conveyance by the conveying sheet can be maintained.

Developing unit equipped with a toner replenishing device configured with a conveying sheet and rotator

A developing apparatus is equipped with a development casing, a development roller, and developer stirring shafts that rotate together with the development roller. In this developing apparatus, the developer stirring shafts are disposed adjacent to each other and are also disposed substantially in parallel with the development roller. Each developer stirring shaft has a rotational axis that rotates together with the development roller and has a plurality of stirring vanes of an approximately elliptic shape laid out at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotational axis. The rotational axis is provided substantially in parallel with the development roller. The stirring vanes are disposed substantially in parallel with each other, with the opposing stirring vanes between the adjacent developer stirring shafts having mutually different installation positions in the axial direction.

Developing apparatus having stirring shafts with elliptic stirring vanes

A developing unit includes a developer hopper, a toner reserve container that incorporates a replenishing roller and a replenishing opening forming a toner replenishing portion, arranged adjacent to the developer hopper in order to replenish the toner to the developer hopper. The toner reserve container further includes an agitator rotatable about a rotary shaft with a conveying sheet for conveying the toner to the replenishing roller. The conveying sheet is attached to the agitator so that it becomes close to the rotary shaft of the agitator. By this configuration, an adequate space can be secured between the top plate, i.e., an operable/closable lid, constituting the toner reserve container and the conveying sheet so that the distal part of the conveying sheet can efficiently retain the toner, thus making it possible to improve the conveyance performance to the replenishing roller and realize an uniform amount of conveyance.

Developing unit and toner replenishing device with conveying apparatus

A developer cartridge capable of being fitted to the toner replenishing opening of a developer storage hopper has a sealing member for sealing the toner therein that is bonded to the rim of its replenishing opening to be opposed to the opening of the developer storage hopper. The bottom face of this developer cartridge which constitutes the bottom for supporting the toner stored therein is inclined upwards in the stripping direction of the sealing member, whereby the supplied amount of the toner at the stripping start of the sealing member is regulated when the sealing member is stripped so that the toner can be uniformly supplied across the full length of the developer storage hopper with respect to the stripping direction of the sealing member.

Developer cartridge

A developing device includes: a multiple number of magnetic poles fixed at predetermined positions; a developer sleeve which rotatably encloses the magnetic poles; a doctor blade for regulating the thickness of the developer layer on the developer sleeve; and an agitating roller arranged adjacent to the developer sleeve and agitating and supplying the developer. In this arrangement, the magnetic poles include a development magnetic pole for developing the static latent image on the photoreceptor drum, and a developer conveyance magnetic pole positioned downstream, with resect to the rotational direction of the developer sleeve, of the development magnetic pole. A magnetic element is arranged opposing the developer sleeve outside the developer flow path where the magnetic field of the developer conveyance pole is not effective.

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Yamatokoriyama, Japan

Toshio Nishino