Abstract: An alloy material includes: a composition containing 17 at % to 25 at % of silver (Ag), 30 at % to 45 at % of palladium (Pd), and 30 at % to 53 at % of copper (Cu) in a composition range of a ternary alloy of Ag, Pd, and Cu; and at least one of manganese (Mn), tin (Sn), silicon (Si), antimony (Sb), titanium (Ti) and magnesium (Mg) added to the composition in a range of 4.5 at % or less, and the Mn in a range of 0.5 at % to 3.5 at %, the Sn in a range of 1 at % to 2 at %, the Si in a range of 0.5 at % to 2 at %, the Sb in a range of 0.5 at % to 3 at %, the Ti in a range of 0.5 at % to 2 at %, and the Mg in a range of 0.5 at % to 3.5 at % are added to the composition.

Abstract: Provided is a 5,6-diaryl-2-pyrazyl triflate, its synthetic method, and a method for synthesizing an organometallic complex having a triarylpyrazine ligand from the 5,6-diaryl-2-pyrazyl triflate. The triflate is readily obtained from the corresponding 5,6-diarylpyrazin-2-ol, and the palladium-catalyzed coupling of the 5,6-diaryl-2-pyrazyl triflate with an arylboronic acid derivative leads to a high yield of a triarylpyrazine derivative having high purity. The use of the triarylpyrazine derivative in the reaction with a metal compound such as a metal chloride results in an ortho-metallated organometallic complex with high purity. The high purity of the organometallic complex contributes to the extremely high durability of a light-emitting element.

Abstract: A developer amount detector for detecting an amount of developer contained in a unit removably installable in an image forming apparatus, including optical elements having a light-emitting element to emit light and a light-receiving element to receive the light; two light-guiding members, provided in the unit, to guide the light from the light-emitting element to the light-receiving element; a holder, held in the image forming apparatus, to hold the optical elements, movable in a direction orthogonal to optical axes of the optical elements as the unit is being installed in the image forming apparatus; and a positioning mechanism to position the unit within the image forming apparatus by restricting movement of the holder in the direction orthogonal to the optical axes relative to the unit in a state in which the unit is installed in the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A dibenzo[f,h]quinoxaline derivative in which impurities are reduced and a novel method of synthesizing the dibenzo[f,h]quinoxaline derivative in which impurities are reduced are provided. In addition, a light-emitting element, a light-emitting device, an electronic appliance, or a lighting device with high emission efficiency and high reliability in which the dibenzo[f,h]quinoxaline derivative is used as an EL material is provided. In the synthesis method, a 2-(chloroaryl)dibenzo[f,h]quinoxaline derivative is used as a synthetic intermediate in a synthetic pathway so that an impurity contained in a final product can be removed easily by purification by sublimation.

Abstract: A developer container includes: a container body that stores a developer and includes a filling port for the developer; and a container terminal that is attachable to and detachable from the container body. The container body is provided with an identifier that engages with the container terminal and is caused to change own form that can be identified from an outside, by an external force that is applied to detach the container terminal from the container body. The container body is provided with a flow preparation part that separates an inside and outside of the container body before changing the form of the identifier and that allows the air to flow between the inside and outside of the container body after changing the form of the identifier.

Abstract: A shutter assembly includes an internal shutter and an external shutter. The internal shutter including a contact member is movable between a first position at which the internal shutter closes the outlet, a third position at which the internal shutter opens the outlet, and a second position between the first position and the third position. The internal shutter at the second position is movable to the third position while closing the outlet. The external shutter is movable between a closed position at which the external shutter closes the outlet and an open position at which the external shutter opens the outlet, and includes an interlocking member to contact the contact member to move the internal shutter. As the external shutter is moved from the closed position to the open position, the internal shutter is moved from the first position to the second position in conjunction with the external shutter.

Abstract: A control unit drives a driving unit for a correction driving time to supply toner to a developing unit from a toner supplying unit, when a detecting unit detects that an amount of toner stored in the developing unit is equal to or less than a threshold value. A calculating unit calculates an amount of toner consumption from when the toner is supplied to the developing unit to when the detecting unit detects that the amount of the toner stored in the developing unit is equal to or less than the threshold value. The control unit calculates a unit amount of toner supply from the correction driving time and the amount of toner consumption, and supplies the toner to the developing unit by driving the driving unit on the basis of the calculated unit amount of toner supply.

Abstract: A development device includes a development housing, a first developer conveyance member, a developer bearer, and a developer amount detector to detect an amount of developer in the development housing. The developer amount detector includes a light-emitting element, a right-receiving element, a first light guide including a first end from which light enters and a second end disposed inside the development housing, and a second light guide including a first end positioned inside the development housing across a predetermined distance from the second end of the first light guide and a second end from which the light exits. The second end of the first light guide and the first end of the second light guide are arranged in an axial direction of the first developer conveyance member with a light transmission path therebetween partly inside a locus of rotation of the first developer conveyance member.

Abstract: The developer container includes a rotator that is rotated in the container body, a sequence of gears disposed outside the developer container that transmits a torque to the rotator, and a container guiding portion that fits with a main body side guiding portion and guides the developer container in a direction in which the developer container is attached to a mounting portion of an image forming device main body. A first gear included in the sequence of the gears is movable between an operating position where the first gear engages with a second gear and a retracted position where the first gear is retracted. On a surface on which the container guiding portion is disposed, a part of the container guiding portion is disposed within a projected area of the first gear being disposed at the operating position.

Abstract: A developer container includes a container body in which a developer containing chamber and a discharge outlet are formed, a developer conveyance member disposed inside the developer containing chamber and including a first conveyance portion and a second conveyance portion downstream from the first conveyance portion in a developer conveyance director, a canopy disposed inside the container body and facing the discharge outlet, a developer conveyance chamber defined by the canopy and an inner face of the container body in which the discharge outlet is formed, and a return opening formed in the canopy downstream from the discharge outlet. A developer conveyance velocity (Q2) of the second conveyance portion of the developer conveyance member to transports the developer toward the return opening is slower than a developer conveyance velocity (Q1) of the first conveyance portion of the developer conveyance member.

Abstract: An image developing device includes a developer supporting body; a first conveyance path in which a first conveyance member is arranged; a second conveyance path in which a second conveyance member is arranged; and a partition member that partitions the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path and that has a first communication port and a second communication port. The first communication path and the second communication path communicates with each other through the first communication port and the second communication port. The image developing device includes a developer amount detection unit that includes an optical detection unit arranged in the second conveyance path and that optically detects an amount of the developer in the image forming device. The developer is caused to accumulate in the vicinity of the developer amount detection unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, an optical writing unit to writing an electrostatic latent image on the image bearer, the optical writing unit including multiple optical writing elements arranged in a longitudinal direction of the image bearer and a frame to hold the multiple optical writing elements, a development device to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image bearer with developer, a developer container for containing the developer supplied to the development device, and a developer amount detector to detect an amount of developer contained in the developer container based on a light transmission amount between a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element. At least one of the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element of the developer amount detector is attached to the optical writing unit.

Abstract: The developer container includes a rotator that is rotated in the container body, a sequence of gears disposed outside the developer container that transmits a torque to the rotator, and a container guiding portion that fits with a main body side guiding portion and guides the developer container in a direction in which the developer container is attached to a mounting portion of an image forming device main body. A first gear included in the sequence of the gears is movable between an operating position where the first gear engages with a second gear and a retracted position where the first gear is retracted. On a surface on which the container guiding portion is disposed, a part of the container guiding portion is disposed within a projected area of the first gear being disposed at the operating position.

Abstract: A development device includes a housing for containing developer, a developer bearer to carry by rotation the developer contained in the housing to a development range position facing a latent image bearer, and developer conveyance device that includes a rotary shaft, a conveyance blade extending axially along the rotary shaft, projecting from the rotary shaft, and extending obliquely to the rotary shaft, to transport developer as the rotary shaft rotates, and a flexible agitation blade provided to the rotary shaft. An axial range of the flexible agitation blade overlaps at least partially with that of the conveyance blade. The flexible agitation blade has a width wider than a width of the conveyance blade and extends beyond an outer edge of the conveyance blade in the direction of diameter of the rotary shaft.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an exposure device as a light source, a developer container storing developer and attached to a main body of the image forming apparatus perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the photoconductor, a developing unit and a photoconductor unit having a photoconductor for bearing a latent image thereon each detachably attached to the main body substantially in the same direction as the developer container. An exposure device displacing mechanism displaces the exposure device between a first position enabling the exposure device to function as the light source and a second position disabling the exposure device to function as the light source. The photoconductor unit is detached when the developer container is either displaced from an initially attached position or is removed from the main body and the exposure device displacing device has displaced the exposure device to the second position.

Abstract: A powder container that includes a container body to contain powder for image formation, a discharge outlet formed in the container body to discharge powder therefrom, a shutter movable between an open position to open the discharge outlet and a closed position to close the discharge outlet, and a seal member to be interposed between the container body and the shutter when the shutter is at the open position. In a state in which the shutter is at the open position, a downstream end of the seal member in an opening direction in which the shutter moves to open the discharge outlet is positioned downstream from a downstream end of the shutter in the opening direction.

Abstract: The developer container includes a rotator that is rotated in the container body, a sequence of gears disposed outside the developer container that transmits a torque to the rotator, and a container guiding portion that fits with a main body side guiding portion and guides the developer container in a direction in which the developer container is attached to a mounting portion of an image forming device main body. A first gear included in the sequence of the gears is movable between an operating position where the first gear engages with a second gear and a retracted position where the first gear is retracted. On a surface on which the container guiding portion is disposed, a part of the container guiding portion is disposed within a projected area of the first gear being disposed at the operating position.