Abstract: A solid fuel burner is provided with a guide member arranged on an outer circumferential section of a distal end of a first gas nozzle so as to guide a fluid flowing through a second flow passage outward in a radial direction; and a contraction forming member that is arranged on an upstream side of the guide member with respect to the flow direction of the second flow passage so as to reduce the cross sectional area of the second flow passage. An outer diameter of the guide member is formed to be smaller than an inner diameter of an outer peripheral wall of a second gas nozzle. The first gas nozzle, the guide member, and the contraction forming member are configured so as to be integrally attachable/detachable along an axial direction of the first gas nozzle toward the outside of a furnace.

Abstract: This solid fuel burner is provided with: a venturi tube in which a channel for mixed fluid in a fuel nozzle narrows toward the center in the channel cross section; a fuel concentrator that imparts, to the mixed fluid, a velocity component away from the center of the fuel nozzle; and a channel separation member that separates the channel of the fuel nozzle into an internal side and an external side; wherein the channel separation member is shaped in such a way that the cross sectional area of an external channel is larger at the downstream end than at the upstream end, and the upstream end of the fuel concentrator is located between the upstream end and the downstream end of an expanded portion of the venturi tube. This solid fuel burner prevents solid fuel particles, which is ground biomass fuel, from adhering and depositing inside the nozzle.

Abstract: A solid fuel burner is provided with a guide member arranged on an outer circumferential section of a distal end of a first gas nozzle so as to guide a fluid flowing through a second flow passage outward in a radial direction; and a contraction forming member that is arranged on an upstream side of the guide member with respect to the flow direction of the second flow passage so as to reduce the cross sectional area of the second flow passage. An outer diameter of the guide member is formed to be smaller than an inner diameter of an outer peripheral wall of a second gas nozzle. The first gas nozzle, the guide member, and the contraction forming member are configured so as to be integrally attachable/detachable along an axial direction of the first gas nozzle toward the outside of a furnace.

Abstract: A solid fuel burner is provided with a nozzle that is provided around the central axis of the burner, that includes a straight tube section having an opening opposed to a furnace, and a curved tube section continuous with the straight tube section, and that sprays out, from the opening to the furnace, a fluid mixture which is of a solid fuel and carrier gas of the solid fuel and which is flowing in the curved tube section; a first swirler that gives the fluid mixture a swirl at the burner central axis side of the straight tube section; and a second swirler that gives, at the burner central axis side downstream of the first swirler, the fluid mixture a swirl opposite to that given by the first swirler.

Abstract: A developing device has a housing, a developer carrying member, a regulating blade, and a magnetic member. The regulating blade forms a regulating portion regulating the thickness of toner carried on the developer carrying member. The magnetic member is arranged inside the developer carrying member and has a plurality of magnetic poles including a regulating pole arranged at a position where the developer carrying member and the regulating blade are close together. The regulating pole is movable to a first position facing the regulating portion and to a second position rotated to the upstream side from the first position in the rotation direction of the developer carrying member during image formation. The developing device is operable in the developer removing mode in which, when no image is formed, the regulating pole is moved from the first position to the second position and is then returned to the first position.

Abstract: A burner includes: an inner gas nozzle which extends along an axis while surrounding the axis, and which is capable of supplying a furnace with an inner combustion oxygen containing gas; a fuel supply nozzle surrounding the inner gas nozzle as seen in a direction along the axis, the fuel supply nozzle being capable of supplying the furnace with a fluid mixture of a solid powder fuel and a carrier gas; an outer gas nozzle surrounding the fuel supply nozzle as seen in the direction along the axis, the outer gas nozzle being capable of supplying the furnace with an outer combustion oxygen containing gas; and a flow-velocity-ratio adjustment apparatus capable of adjusting a relative flow velocity ratio of a discharge flow velocity of the inner combustion oxygen containing gas to a discharge flow velocity of the outer combustion oxygen containing gas.

Abstract: A developing device has a housing, a developer carrying member, a regulating blade, and a magnetic member. The regulating blade forms a regulating portion regulating the thickness of toner carried on the developer carrying member. The magnetic member is arranged inside the developer carrying member and has a plurality of magnetic poles including a regulating pole arranged at a position where the developer carrying member and the regulating blade are close together. The regulating pole is movable to a first position facing the regulating portion and to a second position rotated to the upstream side from the first position in the rotation direction of the developer carrying member during image formation. The developing device is operable in the developer removing mode in which, when no image is formed, the regulating pole is moved from the first position to the second position and is then returned to the first position.

Abstract: This solid fuel burner is provided with: a venturi tube in which a channel for mixed fluid in a fuel nozzle narrows toward the center in the channel cross section; a fuel concentrator that imparts, to the mixed fluid, a velocity component away from the center of the fuel nozzle; and a channel separation member that separates the channel of the fuel nozzle into an internal side and an external side; wherein the channel separation member is shaped in such a way that the cross sectional area of an external channel is larger at the downstream end than at the upstream end, and the upstream end of the fuel concentrator is located between the upstream end and the downstream end of an expanded portion of the venturi tube. This solid fuel burner prevents solid fuel particles, which is ground biomass fuel, from adhering and depositing inside the nozzle.

Abstract: The present invention provides a solid fuel burner which ensures ignition performance and flame holding performance of a fuel nozzle. The present invention provides a solid fuel burner which achieves cost reduction by simplifying the structure of the fuel nozzle, for example, and which ensures the ignition performance and flame holding performance of the fuel nozzle. Further, the present invention provides a burner which enables stable combustion by both solid fuel and oil combustion with the suppression of soot and dust and mist generated during the oil start-up envisaged.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance section, an image forming section, a fixing section, a sheet output tray, a toner container, a suitable product determining section, and a control section. The suitable product determining section determines whether the toner container loaded in an apparatus body is a suitable product. When the suitable product determining section determines that the toner container is not a suitable product, on condition of successive feeding of sheets, the control section allows, after every predetermined number of sheets have been subjected to an image forming operation, a fixing aging operation for stopping the image forming operation and rotating rotating bodies of the fixing section to be performed. When the suitable product determining section determines that the toner container is a suitable product, the control section keeps the fixing aging operation conditional on successive feeding of sheets from being performed.

Abstract: In accordance with the flow distribution of combustion gas including an unburned portion, an after-air port (AAP) arranged downstream of the two-stage combustion burner can effectively reduce the unburned portion by dividing as appropriate so as to avoid interaction, and by mixing together, two types of after-air having functions of linearity and spreading. As the configuration of this AAP, a primary nozzle for supplying primary after-air and having a vertical height greater than the horizontal width is provided in the center in the opening of the AAP, a secondary nozzle for supplying secondary after-air is provided in the opening outside of the primary nozzle, and one or more secondary after-air guide vanes having a fixed or variable tilt angle relative to the after-air port center axis are provided at the outlet of the said secondary nozzle to deflect and supply the secondary after-air horizontally to the left or right.

Abstract: A developing device has a developer carrier, a regulating member, a regulating pole, and a magnetic pole generation member. The regulating member has a magnetic body for regulating the thickness of developer on the surface of the developer carrier. The regulating pole is arranged inside the developer carrier to face the regulating member. The magnetic pole generation member is arranged upstream of the regulating member in the developer carrier rotation direction, and has a magnet for generating, at an end portion of the regulating member, a magnetic pole of a polarity different from that of the regulating pole. The regulating member has, in its side face, a depressed portion having an inner face with an arc-shaped cross-section. The magnetic pole generation member is cylindrical, with a radius substantially equal to that of the inner face of the depressed portion, and is rotatable while staying fitted in the depressed portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance section, an image forming section, a fixing section, a sheet output tray, a toner container, a suitable product determining section, and a control section. The suitable product determining section determines whether the toner container loaded in an apparatus body is a suitable product. When the suitable product determining section determines that the toner container is not a suitable product, the control section allows the conveyance section, the image forming section, and the fixing section to form, on a sheet, a solid image having a circumferential length of one of rotating bodies of the fixing section or longer, and allows the sheet on which the solid image is formed to pass through a fixing nip, to thereby periodically allow a cleaning operation of removing a contamination adhering to surfaces of rotating bodies of the fixing section to be performed.

Abstract: A developing device has a developer carrier, a regulating member, a regulating pole, and a magnetic pole generation member. The regulating member has a magnetic body for regulating the thickness of developer on the surface of the developer carrier. The regulating pole is arranged inside the developer carrier to face the regulating member. The magnetic pole generation member is arranged upstream of the regulating member in the developer carrier rotation direction, and has a magnet for generating, at an end portion of the regulating member, a magnetic pole of a polarity different from that of the regulating pole. The regulating member has, in its side face, a depressed portion having an inner face with an arc-shaped cross-section. The magnetic pole generation member is cylindrical, with a radius substantially equal to that of the inner face of the depressed portion, and is rotatable while staying fitted in the depressed portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transport unit, an image forming unit, an output tray, a toner container, and a processor that realizes a function of a conformity decision unit, a change reception unit, and a controller. The controller discharges, when the conformity decision unit decides that the toner container is not a conforming product, a quality check sheet to the output tray each time a predetermined number of sheets have been printed, or each time a predetermined time has elapsed. The change reception unit receives a change of a quality adjustment value from a user. The controller controls the operation of the transport unit and the image forming unit, according to the quality adjustment value that has been changed and received by the change reception unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance section, an image forming section, a fixing section, a sheet output tray, a toner container, a suitable product determining section, and a control section. The suitable product determining section determines whether the toner container loaded in an apparatus body is a suitable product. When the suitable product determining section determines that the toner container is not a suitable product, the control section allows the conveyance section, the image forming section, and the fixing section to form, on a sheet, a solid image having a circumferential length of one of rotating bodies of the fixing section or longer, and allows the sheet on which the solid image is formed to pass through a fixing nip, to thereby periodically allow a cleaning operation of removing a contamination adhering to surfaces of rotating bodies of the fixing section to be performed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance section, an image forming section, a fixing section, a sheet output tray, a toner container, a suitable product determining section, and a control section. The suitable product determining section determines whether the toner container loaded in an apparatus body is a suitable product. When the suitable product determining section determines that the toner container is not a suitable product, on condition of successive feeding of sheets, the control section allows, after every predetermined number of sheets have been subjected to an image forming operation, a fixing aging operation for stopping the image forming operation and rotating rotating bodies of the fixing section to be performed. When the suitable product determining section determines that the toner container is a suitable product, the control section keeps the fixing aging operation conditional on successive feeding of sheets from being performed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transport unit, an image forming unit, an output tray, a toner container, and a processor that realizes a function of a conformity decision unit, a change reception unit, and a controller. The controller discharges, when the conformity decision unit decides that the toner container is not a conforming product, a quality check sheet to the output tray each time a predetermined number of sheets have been printed, or each time a predetermined time has elapsed. The change reception unit receives a change of a quality adjustment value from a user. The controller controls the operation of the transport unit and the image forming unit, according to the quality adjustment value that has been changed and received by the change reception unit.

Abstract: A solid fuel burner is provided with a nozzle that is provided around the central axis of the burner, that includes a straight tube section having an opening opposed to a furnace, and a curved tube section continuous with the straight tube section, and that sprays out, from the opening to the furnace, a fluid mixture which is of a solid fuel and carrier gas of the solid fuel and which is flowing in the curved tube section; a first swirler that gives the fluid mixture a swirl at the burner central axis side of the straight tube section; and a second swirler that gives, at the burner central axis side downstream of the first swirler, the thud mixture a swirl opposite to that given by the first swirler.

Abstract: A burner includes: an inner gas nozzle which extends along an axis while surrounding the axis, and which is capable of supplying a furnace with an inner combustion oxygen containing gas; a fuel supply nozzle surrounding the inner gas nozzle as seen in a direction along the axis, the fuel supply nozzle being capable of supplying the furnace with a fluid mixture of a solid powder fuel and a carrier gas; an outer gas nozzle surrounding the fuel supply nozzle as seen in the direction along the axis, the outer gas nozzle being capable of supplying the furnace with an outer combustion oxygen containing gas; and a flow-velocity-ratio adjustment apparatus capable of adjusting a relative flow velocity ratio of a discharge flow velocity of the inner combustion oxygen containing gas to a discharge flow velocity of the outer combustion oxygen containing gas.