Abstract: Provided is a multifunctional apparatus including an external recording medium slot at a position higher than a touch area that receives touch operation by a user, and the touch area is provided in an operation panel provided on a near side of a main body of the multifunctional apparatus and near an upper edge of the main body.

Abstract: Provided is a multifunctional apparatus including an external recording medium slot at a position higher than a touch area that receives touch operation by a user, and the touch area is provided in an operation panel provided on a near side of a main body of the multifunctional apparatus and near an upper edge of the main body.

Abstract: A device for measuring adhesion of toner to carrier containing a magnetic component, the toner and the carrier being contained in a two-component developer, includes: a developer holding section including a first magnet for holding the two-component developer by a magnetic force; an airflow supply section for supplying airflow to the two-component developer held by the first magnet; a separated toner detecting section for detecting the number of toner separated from the carrier by the airflow; and an adhesion calculating section for calculating the adhesion of the toner to the carrier or an index of the adhesion, based on wind speed of the airflow and the detected number of the separated toner. Thus, the device can measure the adhesion of the toner to the carrier with high reproducibility and exactness.

Abstract: A toner capable of ensuring cleanness and the amount of specific charge for extended periods of time and having excellent charge stability and fixing property, a two-component developer, a developing device and an image forming apparatus are provided. A toner includes toner particles containing at least a binding resin and a coloring agent, and fine silicon-containing oxide particles having an average primary particle size of not smaller than 70 nm but not larger than 150 nm and containing water in an amount of not larger than 2.0% by weight, the fine silicon-containing oxide particles being externally added to the toner particles.

Abstract: A toner capable of ensuring cleanness and the amount of specific charge for extended periods of time and having excellent charge stability and fixing property, a two-component developer, a developing device and an image forming apparatus are provided. A toner includes toner particles containing at least a binding resin and a coloring agent, and fine silicon-containing oxide particles having an average primary particle size of not smaller than 70 nm but not larger than 150 nm and containing water in an amount of not larger than 2.0% by weight, the fine silicon-containing oxide particles being externally added to the toner particles.

Abstract: A toner has columnar particles manufactured through: a kneading step of melt-kneading toner raw materials including at least binder resin, colorant and a release agent to prepare a kneaded product; a spinning step of extruding the kneaded product from orifices disposed at the tip of a spinning nozzle to prepare a fibrous kneaded product; and a pulverizing step of cutting or pulverizing the fibrous kneaded product, the toner matrix particles each having an aspect ratio of 0.5 to 5.0 and a dB/d50 value of 0.5 or above and contain an external additive composed of large particles and small particles having a volume average particle size smaller than that of the large particles, as well as to provide each of the columnar particles with each having 10 or less reentrants whose apertures have a longer length in a minor axis thereof than a radius of the respective large particles.

Abstract: A device for measuring adhesion of toner to carrier containing a magnetic component, the toner and the carrier being contained in a two-component developer, includes: a developer holding section including a first magnet for holding the two-component developer by a magnetic force; an airflow supply section for supplying airflow to the two-component developer held by the first magnet; a separated toner detecting section for detecting the number of toner separated from the carrier by the airflow; and an adhesion calculating section for calculating the adhesion of the toner to the carrier or an index of the adhesion, based on wind speed of the airflow and the detected number of the separated toner. Thus, the device can measure the adhesion of the toner to the carrier with high reproducibility and exactness.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus in which a visual image on a photosensitive drum is developed with columnar toner, and the developed toner image is transferred from the photosensitive drum to an intermediate transfer belt, a moving speed of the photosensitive drum and a moving speed of the intermediate transfer belt are different at a contact position (transfer nip section) where the photosensitive drum and the intermediate transfer belt are in contact. With this arrangement, toner scattering, nonuniform image etc. can be reduced in the image forming apparatus, in which the development is carried out with columnar toner.

Abstract: A toner is provided. The toner includes toner particles, and silica particles and inorganic fine particles that are externally added to the toner particles, the inorganic fine particles having an average primary particle size smaller than that of the silica particles. The toner particles have a shape factor SF-1 of 130 or more and 140 or less, a shape factor SF-2 of 120 or more and 130 or less, and a volume average particle size of 5 ?m or more and 8 ?m or less. The silica particles have an average primary particle size of 80 nm or more and 150 nm or less, and an amount of water of 1.5% by weight or less. A particle size distribution of the silica particles is a logarithmic normal distribution, and a value of geometric standard deviation ?g of the particle size of the silica particles is less than 1.30.

Abstract: Provided is a toner not undergoing the effect of change of temperature and humidity, with high charging stability and having good fixing property and releasability. This is an electrophotographic toner containing at least a binder resin, a colorant, a charge controller and a wax in which the binder resin comprises a polyester resin having an aromatic alcohol ingredient, the charge controller comprises an organic bentonite and the wax comprises a non-polar paraffin wax.

Abstract: A toner capable of ensuring cleanness and the amount of specific charge for extended periods of time and having excellent charge stability and fixing property, a two-component developer, a developing device and an image forming apparatus are provided. A toner includes toner particles containing at least a binding resin and a coloring agent, and fine silicon-containing oxide particles having an average primary particle size of not smaller than 70 nm but not larger than 150 nm and containing water in an amount of not larger than 2.0% by weight, the fine silicon-containing oxide particles being externally added to the toner particles.

Abstract: A toner has columnar particles manufactured through: a kneading step of melt-kneading toner raw materials including at least binder resin, colorant and a release agent to prepare a kneaded product; a spinning step of extruding the kneaded product from orifices disposed at the tip of a spinning nozzle to prepare a fibrous kneaded product; and a pulverizing step of cutting or pulverizing the fibrous kneaded product, the toner matrix particles each having an aspect ratio of 0.5 to 5.0 and a dB/d50 value of 0.5 or above and contain an external additive composed of large particles and small particles having a volume average particle size smaller than that of the large particles, as well as to provide each of the columnar particles with each having 10 or less reentrants whose apertures have a longer length in a minor axis thereof than a radius of the respective large particles.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus in which a visual image on a photosensitive drum is developed with columnar toner, and the developed toner image is transferred from the photosensitive drum to an intermediate transfer belt, a moving speed of the photosensitive drum and a moving speed of the intermediate transfer belt are different at a contact position (transfer nip section) where the photosensitive drum and the intermediate transfer belt are in contact. With this arrangement, toner scattering, nonuniform image etc. can be reduced in the image forming apparatus, in which the development is carried out with columnar toner.

Abstract: A developing device prevents deterioration of toner, i.e., prevent the toner from being damaged, or fused onto the blade, to realize a more reliable developing operation. In the developing device, an electron emitting section is provided onto the toner regulation blade in which apertures (151) are formed, wherein each of the apertures (151) is formed by electroforming to have an inner surface curved convexly to be widened outwardly to the side irradiated with an ultraviolet ray (shape A). Further, a photoelectric surface (152) is laminated on the surface of the electron emitting section with the apertures (151). With an application of ultraviolet ray onto the electron emitting section, the resulting photoelectrons as emitted from the photoelectric surface (152) are guided to the toner through the apertures (151). Here, for the aperture (151) of the shape A, a larger amount of electrons can be guided to the toner than the apertures in other shapes (B to E).

Abstract: Provided is a toner not undergoing the effect of change of temperature and humidity, with high charging stability and having good fixing property and releasability. This is an electrophotographic toner containing at least a binder resin, a colorant, a charge controller and a wax in which the binder resin comprises a polyester resin having an aromatic alcohol ingredient, the charge controller comprises an organic bentonite and the wax comprises a non-polar paraffin wax.

Abstract: Electron generating devices and LED arrays are arranged in a surrounding area of a photosensitive drum. The electron generating devices are located downstream of a cleaner and upstream of a developing unit with respect to a turning direction of the photosensitive drum with a specific gap between the electron generating devices and a surface of the photosensitive drum. The LED arrays are disposed against outer ends of the electron generating devices opposite to inner ends thereof facing the photosensitive drum. When activated by a driving circuit according to image information, individual LED elements of the LED arrays emit light, causing the electron generating devices to emit electrons in a pattern corresponding to the image information. The electrons emitted from the electron generating devices produce more electrons due to an electron avalanche phenomenon before reaching the photosensitive drum, eventually forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum.

Abstract: A developing device prevents deterioration of toner, i.e., prevent the toner from being damaged, or fused onto the blade, to realize a more reliable developing operation. In the developing device, an electron emitting section is provided onto the toner regulation blade in which apertures (151) are formed, wherein each of the apertures (151) is formed by electroforming to have an inner surface curved convexly to be widened outwardly to the side irradiated with an ultraviolet ray (shape A). Further, a photoelectric surface (152) is laminated on the surface of the electron emitting section with the apertures (151). With an application of ultraviolet ray onto the electron emitting section, the resulting photoelectrons as emitted from the photoelectric surface (152) are guided to the toner through the apertures (151). Here, for the aperture (151) of the shape A, a larger amount of electrons can be guided to the toner than the apertures in other shapes (B to E).

Abstract: Light emitted from an entire surface of a light source is passed selectively through a liquid crystal shutter. The shutter can be controlled to open/close on a pixel basis in response to image data and then selectively passed light is converted into light having a specified wavelength by a nonlinear optical element before impinging on a metal film. The metal film induces and emits its own electrons and forms an electrostatic latent image directly on a dielectric film.

Abstract: An electrophotographic toner is prepared by using a binder resin having an acid value of 5 to 15 mgKOH/g, a salicylic metal complex, a colorant, and a releasing agent. In the preparation determination for the third root distribution of a light emission voltage by helium atmospheric pressure microwave induction plasmas for carbon atoms derived from the binder resin and metal atoms derived from the salicylic metal complex is made based on a value measured by a micro-particle measuring apparatus including a normal pressure or atmospheric pressure space, a capillary tube inserted at one end in the space, a microwave source, a cavity, a quartz tubular reactor, a discharge means, an analyses means, and a signal detection portion. The absolute deviation showing the scattering of approximate straight lines approximated by a least squares method is controlled to be 0.08 or less.

Abstract: A developing device is provided with a developer conveying member in which a plurality of electrodes arranged on a substrate at a predetermined interval are coated with a surface protection layer, the developer conveying member being provided in a developing area that faces an image carrying body whose surface carries an electrostatic latent image, wherein developer is conveyed on the developer conveying member using a traveling-wave electric field that is formed by applying a polyphase voltage to the respective electrodes. The developing device is further provided with a supplying member for supplying the developer onto the developer conveying member, wherein (i) an effective electrode width Le of the respective electrodes in their width direction orthogonal to their arranging direction and (ii) a width Lt of a developer existing area on the supplying member, the width Lt being orthogonal to a direction of supplying the developer, are set so as to satisfy a relation of Lt<Le.