Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a non-magnetic sleeve installing a magnetic field creating device, a developer carrier that carries and conveys developer including magnetic carrier and toner, and a development casing that contains developer. The development casing includes an opening that allows the developer carrier to be partially exposed and oppose a latent image carrier. The surface of the developer carrier vertically moves in the opening. An angle (?) between an inner wall surface of the development casing, located in the vicinity of opening on the down stream side and the horizontal plane, meets the following relation, wherein ? represents a static friction coefficient of the inner wall surface in relation to the toner; Sin ?>?×cos ?.

Abstract: A developer supply system includes a container, a memory, and a positioning mechanism. The container has a deformable bag formed of flexible material to accommodate developer therein. The memory is attached to a given planar surface of the deformable bag to store information for communication to the image forming apparatus. The positioning mechanism holds the container therein while maintaining the given planar surface in position relative to the image forming apparatus when the deformable bag collapses as it discharges developer. An image forming apparatus employing such a developer supply system is also disclosed.

Abstract: A switching controller is provided to switch from a developer replenishment prohibition mode to a developer replenishment permission mode when the replenishment detection device detects that the developer containing section does not store the developer, and from the developer replenishment permission mode to the developer replenishment prohibition mode when a prescribed operation is executed upon completion of replenishment of the developer from the developer containing bottle to the developer containing section. The developer replenishment prohibition mode prohibits the developer replenishment device from replenishing the developer to the developer containing section, while the developer replenishment permission mode permits the developer replenishment device to replenish the developer to the developer containing section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an latent image carrier configured to carry a latent image thereon, a developing unit disposed facing the latent image carrier to develop the latent image with developer, a developer container containing the developer and attachable to the image forming apparatus, a developer detector configured to detect the presence of the developer in the developing unit, and a developer supply controller. The developer supply controller prohibits supply of the developer from the developer container to the developing unit when the developer detector detects that the developer is present in the developing unit.

Abstract: A toner supply device includes a toner container, a transport-path forming member, an opening, a shutter member, and a first seal member. The opening is provided at a side wall of the transport-path forming member. The shutter member is movable between a closed position to close the transport path by being inserted in the opening and an open position. The first seal member fills a gap between an inner wall of the opening and the shutter member in a toner transport direction in which the toner is transported through the transport path. When the shutter member is inserted in the opening, the shutter member is elastically deformable in a deformation direction perpendicular to both the toner transport direction and a moving direction of the shutter member, and when the shutter member is not inserted in the opening, the shutter member is wider than the opening in the deformation direction.

Abstract: A developing unit includes a developer bearing member, a developer transporter, a developer conveyance system for directing the developer, including a supply path, a recovery path, and an agitation path, a developer supply opening through which the developer is supplied to the developer conveyance system, a developer supply device for supplying the developer from the developer supply opening to the developer conveyance system, a developer discharge device for discharging the developer outside the developing unit, a developer level rise detector for detecting increase in a level of the developer between the downstream end of the recovery path facing the developer bearing member in the direction of developer transport and a portion of the agitation path where the agitation path receives the collected developer from the recovery path, and a controller for controlling the developer discharge device based on the detection result provided by the developer level rise detector.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, a development unit, a first driving unit, a second driving unit, and a cleaning blade. The image carrying member forms a latent image thereon. The development unit develops the latent image formed on the image carrying member. The first driving unit drives the image carrying member. The second driving unit drives the development unit. The cleaning blade, contactable against the image carrying member, removes materials including toner remaining on the image carrying member. When an agent-empty development unit is filled with a developing agent, the second driving unit is activated to start a driving of the development unit, and the first driving unit is activated to start a driving of the image carrying member after starting a developing agent filling operation to the development unit.

Abstract: To provide a relatively small developing device, process cartridge and image forming apparatus that prevent developer, accommodated in a second developer conveying portion for recovering the developer after a developing step, from being pumped up to a developer carrier, and that do not apply a large stress to the developer. A plurality of developer carriers are arranged side-by-side in a direction of gravitational force so as to face an image carrier.

Abstract: A developing device capable of preventing deterioration of the image quality, which is caused when a developer recovered by a developing roller re-adheres thereto, and an image forming apparatus equipped with the developing device. The developer conveyance amount on the upstream side of an agitation conveyance path in a developer conveyance direction becomes larger than the amount of developer to be transported from a recovery conveyance path to the agitation conveyance path, by making the developer conveyance amount on the upstream side of an agitating screw in the developer conveyance direction equal to or larger than the developer conveyance amount on the downstream side of a recovery screw in the developer conveyance direction. Accordingly, the amount of developer existing on the upstream side of the agitation conveyance path in the developer conveyance direction becomes small, whereby the developer can be delivered smoothly from the recovery conveyance path to the agitation conveyance path.

Abstract: A developing device which can stably supply a developer to a latent image carrier by preventing the scattered developer from being discharged and thereby preventing the developer from being discharged despite that the amount of developer within the developing device does not increase, and an image forming apparatus using the developing device. A block member serving as a scattered developer discharge prevention member is provided so as to block a path through which the developer scattered as a result of a conveyance operation of a supply screw serving as a developer conveying member moves toward a developer discharge port. Accordingly, the scattered developer is prevented from reaching the developer discharge port and being discharged therefrom.

Abstract: A powder filling method, which fills at least two kinds of powders with different specific gravities into a powder container, and by which a region having only a powder with the highest specific gravity out of the at least two kinds of powders is prevented from being generated in the filled powder container. A toner, which is a first powder that does not include a carrier having the highest specific gravity, is mixed with air in a toner storage portion. The air is introduced into the toner particles to increase the bulk of the toner, and then a toner filling device fills a toner bottle serving as the powder container with the toner having the air. Upon completion of such filling, a carrier filling device starts filling the carrier, which is a second powder, into the toner bottle. Filling of the carrier is completed before the air is released from the toner particles contained in the toner bottle and thereby the bulk of the toner is reduced and then stabilized.

Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a non-magnetic sleeve installing a magnetic field creating device, a developer carrier that carries and conveys developer including magnetic carrier and toner, and a development casing that contains developer. The development casing includes an opening that allows the developer carrier to be partially exposed and oppose a latent image carrier. The surface of the developer carrier vertically moves in the opening. An angle (?) between an inner wall surface of the development casing, located in the vicinity of opening on the down stream side and the horizontal plain, meets the following relation, wherein ? represents a static friction coefficient of the inner wall surface in relation to the toner; Sin ?>?×cos ?.