Abstract: A developing device includes a housing, a developing roller, and a blade. The housing includes a developer chamber and an opening. The developing roller is disposed in the developer chamber, such that a part of the developing roller in a rotational direction thereof is exposed to an outside of the opening. The developer roller includes a sleeve rotatable around a shaft and a magnetic element. The magnetic element has a magnetic polarity opposite to that of a developer and is disposed at an entrance rotational position of the developer roller at which a sleeve region of the sleeve goes into the developer chamber from the outside of the opening. The blade is positioned near a surface of the sleeve to regulate a thickness of the developer on the surface of the sleeve. The thickness of the developer regulated on the sleeve region at the entrance rotational position by the blade is equal to or greater than 0.6 mm and equal to or less than 1.4 mm.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer belt, an image forming unit, a transfer unit, a roller configured to transport the sheet to the transfer unit, a light emitting unit configured to irradiate a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt along a width direction of the intermediate transfer belt, a light reception unit configured to detect a quantity of light reflected from the portion of the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt, and a pressure applying unit arranged between the roller and the transfer unit in a sheet conveying direction, and configured to press a portion of the sheet in a width direction of the sheet that overlaps with the portion of the outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: A developing device includes a housing having an opening in a wall thereof, a developing roller rotatably arranged within the housing, and a magnetic pole structure, wherein the developing roller is configured to carry a developer on an outer surface thereof using the magnetic force of the magnetic pole structure. The developing device further includes a gap forming member located within, and spaced from, the housing at a location downstream, in the rotation direction of the developing roller, of the opening in the wall of the housing, forming a first gap with respect to the developing roller and forming a second gap with respect to the housing, a blocking member arranged in the first gap, and a guide section configured to guide airflow passing through the second gap in a general direction toward the developing roller.

Abstract: The electric storage device includes an electrode assembly having a positive electrode and a negative electrode, a case for housing the electrode assembly, a pressure relief valve, and positive and negative electrode conductive members that are electrically connected to the respective corresponding electrodes. The case has a wall in which the pressure relief valve is disposed. At least one of the positive and negative electrode conductive members includes an interposing portion located between the inner surface of the wall and an end face of the electrode assembly facing the inner surface, and a shielding portion located closer to the end face of the electrode assembly than the interposing portion. The shielding portion covers the pressure release valve from a side of the wall where the electrode assembly is located.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image transfer unit configured to transfer an image formed on an image carrier to a sheet, according to a transfer control parameter, and a transfer control unit. The transfer unit is configured to set the transfer control parameter to a first value when a first portion of the image is being transferred to a first area of the sheet and to a second value when a second portion of the image is being transferred to a second area of the sheet transfers an image formed on an image carrier to a sheet.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an operation section configured to receive instruction information specifying a print media, a printer section configured to drive an image carrier, the printer section including the image carrier on which an image including a developing agent to be transferred to a print media may be formed, the image carrier drivable through a transfer section wherein the image is transferred to a print media, and a processing unit configured to determine driving information indicating a driving mode of the image carrier for carrying a developing agent, wherein the driving mode includes a mode where additional driving of the image carrier after transferring an image therefrom is performed after an ordinary image form, and control the printer section to further drive the image carrier, after transferring the developing agent onto the print media, by additionally driving the image carrier.

Abstract: A developing device includes a housing having an opening in a wall thereof, a developing roller having a hollow interior portion, a magnetic pole structure disposed within the hollow interior portion of the roller, a gap forming member, and a blocking member. The gap forming member is located within, and spaced from, the housing at a location downstream, in the rotation direction of the developing roller, of the opening in the wall of the housing, forms a first gap with respect to the developing roller and forms a second gap with respect to the housing, the gap forming member having a first side facing the opening in the wall of the housing and a second side spaced inwardly of the housing, from the first wall. The blocking member is located in the first gap and at one of the first and second sides of the gap forming member.

Abstract: A developing device includes a housing having an opening in a wall thereof, a developing roller rotatably arranged within the housing, and a magnetic pole structure, wherein the developing roller is configured to carry a developer on an outer surface thereof using the magnetic force of the magnetic pole structure. The developing device further includes a gap forming member located within, and spaced from, the housing at a location downstream, in the rotation direction of the developing roller, of the opening in the wall of the housing, forming a first gap with respect to the developing roller and forming a second gap with respect to the housing, a blocking member arranged in the first gap, and a guide section configured to guide airflow passing through the second gap in a general direction toward the developing roller.

Abstract: A developing device includes a housing having an opening in a wall thereof, a hollow developing roller, a magnetic pole structure disposed within the developing roller and at least a portion thereof facing the opening in the housing, a gap forming member located within the housing at a location downstream the opening in the housing and forming a first gap with the developing roller and forming a second gap with the housing, and a blocking member arranged in the first gap. The housing and the gap forming member form a first opening and a second opening spaced from the first opening across the second gap between the gap forming member and the housing, such that the first opening is farther from the opening in the wall of the housing than the second opening, and the width of the first opening is larger than that of the second opening.

Abstract: An electricity storage apparatus 100 may include: an electrode assembly 3 including a positive electrode and a negative electrode; a tab 9 including one end which is electrically connected to the electrode assembly 3; and a conductive member 20 disposed above the electrode assembly 3, and electrically connected to the tab 9. The tab 9 may include a first bent part 14 provided in a vicinity of the one end of the tab 9, a second bent part 16 provided in a vicinity of another end of the tab 9, and a joining part 18 provided between the first bent part 14 and the second bent part 16 and joined to the conductive member 20. The second bent part 16 may be bent so that the other end of the tab 9 is disposed above the conductive member 20.

Abstract: A case of an electrical storage device includes a case body, a lid, and a welded portion at an abutting portion where the case body and the lid are abutting against each other. In a cross-sectional view of the case along its extending direction, the welded portion has an interface existing at a boundary of the welded portion with the case body and the lid. The maximum dimension from an exposed surface of the welded portion to the interface is defined as a weld depth X. The dimension from the abutting portion to an edge of the welded portion in a direction along the exposed surface of the welded portion is defined as a weld width Y. The welded portion is configured to exist over the entire circumference of the case in a shape that satisfies an expression Y/X>1.

Abstract: A positive electrode plate includes a front positive electrode active material layer on a front surface of a positive electrode metal foil, and having a positive electrode large tapered portion that extends at an incline from one edge of the front surface of the positive electrode metal foil at a positive electrode large inclination angle. A negative electrode plate includes a front negative electrode active material layer on a front surface of a negative electrode metal foil, and having a negative electrode large tapered portion that extends at an incline from one edge of the front surface of the negative electrode metal foil at a negative electrode large inclination angle. The positive and negative electrode plates are alternately laminated with a separator interposed therebetween such that each of their front surfaces is oriented in the same direction in the rear-to-front directional axis along the thickness of the plates.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image transfer unit configured to transfer an image formed on an image carrier to a sheet, according to a transfer control parameter, and a transfer control unit. The transfer unit is configured to set the transfer control parameter to a first value when a first portion of the image is being transferred to a first area of the sheet and to a second value when a second portion of the image is being transferred to a second area of the sheet transfers an image formed on an image carrier to a sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer belt, an image forming unit, a transfer unit, a roller configured to transport the sheet to the transfer unit, a light emitting unit configured to irradiate a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt along a width direction of the intermediate transfer belt, a light reception unit configured to detect a quantity of light reflected from the portion of the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt, and a pressure applying unit arranged between the roller and the transfer unit in a sheet conveying direction, and configured to press a portion of the sheet in a width direction of the sheet that overlaps with the portion of the outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a pressing unit configured to press an image forming surface of a sheet with a first pressure, an image carrier configured to hold a toner image, a transfer unit disposed downstream with respect to the pressing unit in a sheet conveying direction and configured to transfer the toner image on the image carrier to the sheet by pressing the sheet against the image carrier with a second pressure that is less than the first pressure, and a density sensor to detect density of toner held on the image carrier.

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a marking apparatus that including a determination section configured to determine the type of a medium on which an image is formed with decolorable image forming material, a recording section configured to record a mark indicating the decolored times of the image on the medium on which the image is formed with the decolorable image forming material, and a change section configured to change a recording method of the mark recorded by the recording section according to the determination result of the medium determined by the determination section.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, an image forming apparatus with a first printing device configured to carry out printing with a non-decolorable recording material, second printing device configured to carry out printing with a decolorable recording material, the color of which is same or same color system of the color of the non-decolorable recording material; and an identification mark adding section configured to add, to a record receiving member printed by at least one of the first printing device and the second printing device, an identification mark indicating which one of the first and second printing devices is used for printing.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, an image forming apparatus with a first printing device configured to carry out printing with a non-decolorable recording material, second printing device configured to carry out printing with a decolorable recording material, the color of which is same or same color system of the color of the non-decolorable recording material; and an identification mark adding section configured to add, to a record receiving member printed by at least one of the first printing device and the second printing device, an identification mark indicating which one of the first and second printing devices is used for printing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier whose surface is moved in a specific direction, a charging device to charge the image carrier, an exposure device to form an electrostatic latent image by exposing a surface of the charged image carrier, a developing device to supply a developer to the image carrier on which the electrostatic latent image is formed, a transfer device to transfer a developer image formed on the surface of the image carrier onto an image forming medium, and a dielectric member that extends from the charging device to the vicinity of the image carrier and is disposed between the charging device and the image carrier surface part exposed by the exposure device, in which the charging device, the exposure device, the developing device and the transfer device are sequentially arranged around the image carrier along the movement direction of the surface of the image carrier.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion configured to selectively form a toner image on an image bearing member using a developing device including a decolorizable toner or a developing device including an undecolorizable toner, a transfer portion configured to transfer the toner image, which is formed on the image bearing member, onto a transfer material, and a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image, which is transferred by the transfer portion, on the transfer material. The undecolorizable toner has at least a fixing temperature range in a range equal to or higher than a fixing temperature lower limit of the decolorizable toner and lower than decoloring temperature of the decolorizable toner.