Abstract: A tandem drum unit includes a pair of side plates, a plurality of photosensitive drums and a plurality of developing cartridge accommodating sections. The plurality of photosensitive drums is juxtaposed in a second direction, each photosensitive drum having an axis extending in a first direction and supported rotatably about the axis by the pair of side plates. Each developing cartridge accommodating section accommodating therein a developer cartridge having a casing and a connecting frame extending in the first direction and connected to the pair of side frames. The casing of each developer cartridge is seated on at least two abutment portions, the at least two abutment portions being positioned spaced away from each other in the first direction, wherein the plurality of connecting frames includes an endmost connecting frame in the second direction having a specific abutment portions resiliently movable in the pressing direction of the developer cartridge.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an intermediate transfer member configured to transfer the developer images on the plurality of photosensitive members; a secondary transfer member configured to transfer the developer images transferred onto the intermediate transfer member onto a recording sheet; a plurality of primary holding rollers provided to each of the plurality of photosensitive members, respectively; a collecting unit configured to collect developer remaining on the intermediate transfer member; and a control device configured to control biases applied to the secondary transfer member and the plurality of primary holding rollers, wherein, after printing control terminates, the control device is configured to perform cleaning control in which biases having opposite polarities to biases during the printing control are applied to the plurality of primary holding rollers and the secondary transfer member.

Abstract: A developing cartridge having a first side plate and a second side plate spaced opposite from the first side plate, a developer carrying member rotatably supported between the side plates, a developer supplying member rotatably supported between the side plates, a input member to which driving force is input rotatably supported by the first side plate, a primary developing gear to which the driving force is transferred provided on the developer carrying member at the first side plate, a secondary developing gear to which the driving force is transferred provided on the developer carrying member at the second side plate, and a supply gear to which the driving force is transferred provided on the developer supplying member at the second side plate, wherein the input member and the supply gear are arranged so that their projections in the direction of the rotation axis of the developer supplying member overlap.

Abstract: A developer container includes: a container body that has an opening at an upper part and is configured to accommodate therein developer; a conveyance member that is provided in the container body, and includes a rotation member having a rotary shaft and an elastic part, which is supported by the rotation member, is configured to be elastically deformed and is configured to rotate to convey the developer from the opening to an outside of the container body; and a driving member that is connected to one end portion of the rotary shaft and is configured to rotate the rotary shaft. The container body includes a first support part to which the other end portion of the rotary shaft is loosely fitted and a second support part that supports the one end portion of the rotary shaft.

Abstract: A developer container comprising: a container body accommodating developer; a conveyance member that is provided to the container body, and includes a rotation member having a rotary shaft and an elastic part, which is supported by the rotation member and rotates to convey the developer. The container body includes a first support part to which the rotary shaft is loosely fitted, and a second support part that supports the rotary shaft. The container body includes a sliding contact part that the elastic part sliding-contacts while being elastically deformed when the conveyance member is being rotated. A distance from a center of the rotary shaft to a leading end of the elastic part is gradually increased from the one end portion-side of the rotary shaft towards the other end portion-side of the rotary shaft.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a developing roller which carries developer and contacts the photosensitive member, and a control device which is configured to apply, to the developing roller, a developing bias having a direct current component and an alternating current component overlapped with each other so as to supply developer from the developing roller to the photosensitive member. The control device is configured to execute either one of a first mode in which an amplitude of the alternating current component of the developing bias is set with a first set value and a second mode in which the amplitude of the alternating current component of the developing bias is set with a second set value larger than the first set value, based on whether or not a temperature of the developing roller is a first predetermined value or larger.

Abstract: A stopper for plugging a developer filling port includes a stopper main body and a lock member engageable with the stopper main body. The stopper main body is configured to be fitted to the filling port and shaped like a tube with a bottom. The lock member has a rigidity greater than that of the stopper main body, the lock member engaged with the stopper main body serves to restrict deformation of the stopper main body. A developing device for use in an image forming apparatus includes the stopper configured as described above to be fitted to its developer filling port.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises: a casing including a side wall having an opening; a drawer member configured to support a plurality of cartridges in such a manner as to allow the cartridges to be detachably attached thereto, and to be movable through the opening from an inside position in which the drawer member is located inside the casing to an outside position in which the drawer member is located outside the casing in a moving direction; and a leg portion configured to support the casing. In this image forming apparatus, the leg portion includes a portion located downstream from the opening in the moving direction of the drawer member.

Abstract: A developing cartridge having a first side plate and a second side plate spaced opposite from the first side plate, a developer carrying member rotatably supported between the side plates, a developer supplying member rotatably supported between the side plates, a input member to which driving force is input rotatably supported by the first side plate, a primary developing gear to which the driving force is transferred provided on the developer carrying member at the first side plate, a secondary developing gear to which the driving force is transferred provided on the developer carrying member at the second side plate, and a supply gear to which the driving force is transferred provided on the developer supplying member at the second side plate, wherein the input member and the supply gear are arranged so that their projections in the direction of the rotation axis of the developer supplying member overlap.

Abstract: There is provided a developer transport member including a rotatable member, a main body configured to transport the developer by being rotated in accordance with rotation of the rotatable member, and a metal spring configured to bias the main body.

Abstract: An A/D conversion device has first to third pulse delay circuits, first to third pulse passage stage detection circuits, a time output circuit, and an output circuit. Each of the first to third pulse delay circuit has multiple stages of delay units which are connected together and delay a first to a third pulse signals, respectively. Each of the first to third pulse passage stage detection circuit detects a first to a third number of stages, respectively. The time output circuit outputs a time signal. The output circuit outputs the digital value corresponding to the third number of stages.

Abstract: A correction signal generator generates a correction signal that corrects a digital signal obtained from an analog input voltage. The correction signal generator has a correction signal output circuit that holds the number of transit stages of delay units detected by a first stage count detection circuit and a third stage count detection circuit at the timing corresponding to the difference in the number of stages between the number of transit stages of delay units detected by the first stage count detection circuit and the number of transit stages of delay units detected by a second stage count detection circuit, and outputs the difference between the number of stages from the first stage count detection circuit and the number of stages from the third stage count detection circuit, which were held, as the correction signal.

Abstract: A developing apparatus is provided, including a developing unit including a developing roller; a developer accommodating unit; a partition wall partitioning the developing unit and the developer accommodating unit; a supply port which makes communication between the developing unit and the developer accommodating unit; a transport member configured so that the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating unit is supplied to the developing unit via the supply port in accordance with rotation; a return port configured so that the developer contained in the developing unit is permitted to fall into the developer accommodating unit; an opening/closing member configured to be movable between an open position for opening the return port and a closed position for closing the return port; and a driving mechanism configured so that the opening/closing member is moved to the closed position and the open position.

Abstract: A developer container for an image forming apparatus includes a housing configured to store developer, a developer conveying member disposed inside the housing and configured to rotate to convey the developer stored in the housing. The developer conveying member includes a rotary shaft, a rotary base member and a sheet-like main body. The main body has a base end portion fixed to the rotary base member and a free end portion configured to be pressed into contact with an inner wall of the housing. The rotary base member includes an urging member configured to urge the main body from an upstream side toward a downstream side in a direction of rotation thereof.

Abstract: There is provided a developing unit, including: a body defining a developing chamber and a developer accommodating chamber, and a developer delivery member. The body includes a sliding portion, a restoring portion and a colliding portion at the developer accommodating chamber. The developer delivery member includes an elastic member configured to be made a sliding contact with the sliding portion while being curved elastically, configured to be restored elastically at the restoring portion, and configured to collide with the colliding portion. The developer delivery member is configured so that, the elastic member which has been elastically restored at the restoring portion is collided with the colliding portion to generate an air flow and to deliver the developer in the developer accommodating chamber toward the connection port.

Abstract: A developing cartridge having a first side plate and a second side plate spaced opposite from the first side plate, a developer carrying member rotatably supported between the side plates, a developer supplying member rotatably supported between the side plates, a input member to which driving force is input rotatably supported by the first side plate, a primary developing gear to which the driving force is transferred provided on the developer carrying member at the first side plate, a secondary developing gear to which the driving force is transferred provided on the developer carrying member at the second side plate, and a supply gear to which the driving force is transferred provided on the developer supplying member at the second side plate, wherein the input member and the supply gear are arranged so that their projections in the direction of the rotation axis of the developer supplying member overlap.

Abstract: In an electronic apparatus, a first switch and a second switch are located in a correspondence relationship with each other. The first switch is configured to obtain an electric output by causing a first contact and a second contact to contact each other with an operation member. The second switch is configured to obtain an electric output by deforming a dome-shaped plate spring covering a third contact. The electronic apparatus includes a supporting member configured to keep a gap between the first contact and the second contact constant and to regulate the first switch and the second switch to be located on an approximately same line with respect to an operation direction of the operation member.

Abstract: An image forming device capable of providing precise positional relationship between an exposure unit and a photosensitive body. The exposure unit having an exposure head elongated in a longitudinal direction and having light emitting sections arrayed in the longitudinal direction. The light elements emit light in an optical axis direction. A frame supports the photosensitive body. A positioning protrusion protrudes in the optical axis direction from one of the frame and the exposure unit. A remaining one of the frame and the exposure unit is formed with a positioning part engageable with the positioning protrusion. A biasing unit provides a biasing force that ensures engagement between the positioning protrusion and the positioning part.

Abstract: A signal processing apparatus, which executing a decoding process for a digital signal Manchester-encoded by assigning two bits of “10” to any one of binary digital signals “0 and “1”, and assigning two bits of “01” to the other binary digital signal, is provide with a decoding unit which executes the decoding process with a processing unit corresponding to a term of two bits of the Manchester-encoded digital signal so as to detect only any one of the first bit and the second bit of the Manchester-encoded digital signal.

Abstract: A signal processing apparatus, which executing a decoding process for a digital signal Manchester-encoded by assigning two bits of “10” to any one of binary digital signals “0 and “1”, and assigning two bits of “01” to the other binary digital signal, is provide with a decoding unit which executes the decoding process with a processing unit corresponding to a term of two bits of the Manchester-encoded digital signal so as to detect only any one of the first bit and the second bit of the Manchester-encoded digital signal.