Abstract: Provided is a developer container, including: a frame body having an opening; a sealing member configured to seal the opening; an unsealing member configured to unseal the opening by moving the sealing member and accommodated inside the frame body; and a part of the sealing member peelably bonded to an outer peripheral edge of the opening on an opposite side of the unsealing member with respect to the opening.

Abstract: The inventions relate to an apparatus for aligning and positioning pieces of food dough with predetermined orientations and at predetermined intervals, and provide an aligning and positioning apparatus that can easily adjust positions of the pieces of food dough in a perpendicular direction to a moving direction of the pieces and that can process at high speed. An aligning and positioning apparatus of the inventions includes a holding unit having a plurality of holding mechanisms to hold a plurality of pieces of food dough carried by a first conveyor, a driving mechanism of the holding mechanisms, guide members to control the positions of the holding mechanisms in the perpendicular direction when the holding mechanisms are moved by the driving mechanism, and a positioning mechanism to adjust positions of the guide members in the perpendicular direction.

Abstract: A developer container includes a frame, provided with an opening, for accommodating a developer; a sealing member, including a folded-back portion, for sealing the opening; and a sandwiching portion for sandwiching the folded-back portion of the sealing member. In a plane perpendicular to the opening, the sealing member is nonwelded in the sandwiching portion.

Abstract: With a first line segment being a line segment that joins an axis line of a developer carrier and an axis line of an image carrier, a second line segment being a line segment that joins a position, which is a position on the surface of the developer carrier at which the magnetic flux density of a magnetic pole is maximal, and the axis line of the developer carrier, and a third line segment being a line segment that joins a downstream end portion, in a rotation direction of the developer carrier, then among angles in the rotation direction of the developer carrier, a first angle formed by the first line segment and the second line segment is larger than 0° and equal to or smaller than a second angle formed by the first line segment and the third line segment.

Abstract: Provided is a developer container, including: a frame body having an opening; a sealing member configured to seal the opening; an unsealing member configured to unseal the opening by moving the sealing member and accommodated inside the frame body; and a part of the sealing member peelably bonded to an outer peripheral edge of the opening on an opposite side of the unsealing member with respect to the opening.

Abstract: There is provided a cleaning apparatus including a cleaning member configured to collect developer on an image bearing member, and a storage chamber configured to store the developer, wherein cross-sectional areas of a lengthwise center and an end portion of the storage chamber in a lengthwise direction of the storage chamber are different, the cross sections being orthogonal to the lengthwise direction.

Abstract: With a first line segment being a line segment that joins an axis line of a developer carrier and an axis line of an image carrier, a second line segment being a line segment that joins a position, which is a position on the surface of the developer carrier at which the magnetic flux density of a magnetic pole is maximal, and the axis line of the developer carrier, and a third line segment being a line segment that joins a downstream end portion, in a rotation direction of the developer carrier, then among angles in the rotation direction of the developer carrier, a first angle formed by the first line segment and the second line segment is larger than 0° and equal to or smaller than a second angle formed by the first line segment and the third line segment.

Abstract: A developer container includes a frame, provided with an opening, for accommodating a developer; a sealing member, including a folded-back portion, for sealing the opening; and a sandwiching portion for sandwiching the folded-back portion of the sealing member. In a plane perpendicular to the opening, the sealing member is nonwelded in the sandwiching portion.

Abstract: An apparatus for aligning and positioning a plurality of pieces of food dough having a triangular shape on a conveyor. The apparatus includes an upstream conveyor conveying the pieces of food dough having a triangular shape, a downstream conveyor faster than the upstream conveyor, a separating apparatus separating a plurality of the pieces of food dough set in a line in the perpendicular direction to the moving direction of the conveyor from the following row of the pieces and translocating them from the upstream conveyor to the downstream conveyor, a laying-out and rotating apparatus laying-out and rotating a plurality of the pieces set in a line so that they are positioned at predetermined intervals in the perpendicular direction to the moving direction of the conveyor and are rotated 90 degrees in a predetermined rotational direction, and a detecting device detecting the pieces.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum life estimation mechanism which estimates wear amounts of a charge transfer layer in both of a toner bearing area and an end portion of a toner non-bearing area of a developing roller and informs a user that the photosensitive drum has reached the end of its life if, out of total wear amounts of the areas corresponding to predetermined life threshold values of the toner bearing and non-bearing areas, either of the total wear amounts reaches the threshold value.

Abstract: There is provided a cleaning apparatus including a cleaning member configured to collect developer on an image bearing member, and a storage chamber configured to store the developer, wherein cross-sectional areas of a lengthwise center and an end portion of the storage chamber in a lengthwise direction of the storage chamber are different, the cross sections being orthogonal to the lengthwise direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for aligning and positioning a plurality of pieces of food dough having a triangular shape on a conveyer. The apparatus includes an upstream conveyer conveying the pieces of food dough having a triangular shape, a downstream conveyer faster than the upstream conveyer, a separating apparatus separating a plurality of the pieces of food dough set in a line in the perpendicular direction to the moving direction of the conveyer from the following row of the pieces and translocating them from the upstream conveyer to the downstream conveyer, a laying-out and rotating apparatus laying-out and rotating a plurality of the pieces set in a line so that they are positioned at predetermined intervals in the perpendicular direction to the moving direction of the conveyer and are rotated 90 degrees in a predetermined rotational direction, and a detecting device detecting the pieces.

Abstract: A charging blade for charging a surface of an image bearing drum by contacting thereto includes a charging portion for effecting electric discharge to the surface of the drum; a non-charging portion not effecting the electric discharge to the surface of the drum, wherein the non-charging portion can contact the drum to provide a dischargeable gap between the charge portion and the drum, and at least a part the non-charging portion is made of a substance having a resistance higher than that of the charge portion to prevent no discharge occurs from the non-charging portion to the surface of the drum; and a support for the non-charging portion and the charge portion, wherein the non-charging portion and the charge portion are separation members and are not contacted to each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes multiple image forming stations, and a controller for executing selectively a multi-color image mode or a monochromatic image forming mode, wherein in the monochromatic image forming mode, a first one of image forming stations which forms the image, and a second one which is upstream of the first image forming station exposes the image bearing members to a first image pattern and a second image pattern, respectively, and the controller determines the second image pattern in accordance with the first image pattern, and effects the exposure to the second image pattern.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of forming an image includes an image bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed, a developer carrying member for carrying a developer to visualize the electrostatic latent image, and a developer feeding member, having a foam layer at its surface, for feeding the developer to the developer carrying member by being rotated in contact with the developer carrying member. In addition, a controller is capable of executing an operation in a first mode in which the developer feeding member is rotated for a first time and then the electrostatic latent image is visualized at a first speed by the developer carrying member and an operation in a second mode in which the developer feeding member is rotated for a second time longer than the first time and then the electrostatic latent image is visualized at a second speed slower than the first speed by the developer carrying member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developer container, a first calculator, and a second calculator. The first calculator calculates an amount of the developer supplied to the image bearing member from the developer container, on the basis of an amount of the developer measured by a measuring device after an image forming operation, and an amount of the developer initially contained in the developer container. A controller outputs an information signal relating to the developer amount accumulated in the collection container on the basis of the amount of the developer calculated by the first calculator and the amount of the developer calculated by the second calculator.

Abstract: An apparatus for spacing and aligning triangular-like shaped pieces of food dough in one direction, which pieces are arranged so that they form a plurality of columns, wherein the directions of the pieces of the adjacent columns are alternately opposite each other, by rotating the pieces clockwise and counterclockwise at 90 degrees. The apparatus continues to alternately rotate the pieces 9 clockwise and counterclockwise at 90 degrees, which pieces 9 are cut and separated from a sheet 7 of food dough and are carried sequentially downstream from upstream by conveyors 3, 5, comprising pin-holding members 67 fixed to rotating rods 63, which rods 63 can move vertically and rotate clockwise and counterclockwise at 90 degrees, wherein the pieces 9 can be aligned so that one of the apexes of the triangular-like-shaped pieces 9 is oriented toward the upstream side of the direction for carrying the pieces 9.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum life estimation mechanism which estimates wear amounts of a charge transfer layer in both of a toner bearing area and an end portion of a toner non-bearing area of a developing roller and informs a user that the photosensitive drum has reached the end of its life if, out of total wear amounts of the areas corresponding to predetermined life threshold values of the toner bearing and non-bearing areas, either of the total wear amounts reaches the threshold value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developer container, a first calculator, and a second calculator, wherein the first calculator calculates an amount of the developer supplied to the image bearing member from the developer container, on the basis of an amount of the developer measured by a measuring device after an image forming operation, and an amount of the developer initially contained in the developer container, and wherein the controller outputs information signal relating to the developer amount accumulated in the collection container on the basis of the amount of the developer calculated by the first calculator and the amount of the developer calculated by the second calculator.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes multiple image forming stations, and a controller for executing selectively a multi-color image mode or a monochromatic image forming mode, wherein in the monochromatic image forming mode, a first one of image forming stations which forms the image, and a second one which is upstream of the first image forming station exposes the image bearing members to a first image pattern and a second image pattern, respectively, and the controller determines the second image pattern in accordance with the first image pattern, and effects the exposure to the second image pattern.