Abstract: A developing device includes a developing roller, toner supplying roller, regulation blade, and casing. The developing roller faces an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed, and supplies toner to the image carrier. The toner supplying roller faces the developing roller, and supplies the toner to the developing roller. The regulation blade faces the toner supplying roller at predetermined distance. The casing houses the developing roller, toner supplying roller, and regulation blade. The casing includes a toner catching support member facing the developing roller or the toner supplying roller between the regulation blade and the image carrier. The developing device further includes a toner catching member, which is arranged along a longitudinal direction of the toner catching support member and catches toner that drops from the developing roller, and a vibration generating portion, which vibrates the toner catching member.

Abstract: A shaft member holding mechanism comprising: a shaft member arranged rotatably about a rotation axis; a bearing that supports the shaft member rotatably, including an outer ring portion, and an inner ring portion that holds the shaft member and is arranged at an inside of the outer ring portion so that the inner ring portion can rotate relatively to the outer ring portion; a holding member having a bearing holding portion that holds the outer ring portion of the bearing in a state where a rotation of the outer ring portion is regulated; and an inclination suppression member that is arranged at one side of the bearing in the rotation axis direction of the bearing and suppresses the bearing from inclining.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus is provided with a cleaning roller that is positioned so as to be in contact with a photosensitive drum, and with a toner layer thickness regulating member that regulates the thickness of a toner layer adhering to the surface of this cleaning roller. The toner layer thickness regulating member is formed by a toner layer thickness regulating roller that rotates in contact with the cleaning roller.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing roller, toner supplying roller, regulation blade, and casing. The developing roller faces an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed, and supplies toner to the image carrier. The toner supplying roller faces the developing roller, and supplies the toner to the developing roller. The regulation blade faces the toner supplying roller at predetermined distance. The casing houses the developing roller, toner supplying roller, and regulation blade. The casing includes a toner catching support member facing the developing roller or the toner supplying roller between the regulation blade and the image carrier. The developing device further includes a toner catching member, which is arranged along a longitudinal direction of the toner catching support member and catches toner that drops from the developing roller, and a vibration generating portion, which vibrates the toner catching member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a paper feeding cassette that selectively stores at least first and second kinds of paper sheets having different sizes with respect to a paper feeding direction. Heights of the paper sheets storable in the paper feeding cassette are set in such a manner that the height of the second paper sheets is lower than the height of the first paper sheets. The apparatus also has a paper feeding tray and a structural member that has a mechanism for feeding third paper sheets loaded on the paper feeding tray. The structural member is disposed in a space of the cassette defined by a difference in the heights.

Abstract: A shaft member holding mechanism comprising: a shaft member arranged rotatably about a rotation axis; a bearing that supports the shaft member rotatably, including an outer ring portion, and an inner ring portion that holds the shaft member and is arranged at an inside of the outer ring portion so that the inner ring portion can rotate relatively to the outer ring portion; a holding member having a bearing holding portion that holds the outer ring portion of the bearing in a state where a rotation of the outer ring portion is regulated; and an inclination suppression member that is arranged at one side of the bearing in the rotation axis direction of the bearing and suppresses the bearing from inclining.

Abstract: A toner container is mounted to an image forming apparatus in a state of containing toners. The toner container includes: a container body for containing toners; and an agitating unit provided in the container body for agitating the toners. The agitating unit includes: a cylindrical member having a cylindrical peripheral wall and rotating about an axis of cylinder; an opening formed in the cylindrical peripheral wall for allowing the toners to pass through; and a conveying section for conveying the toners in a direction of the axis of the cylindrical member.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus is provided with a cleaning roller that is positioned so as to be in contact with a photosensitive drum, and with a toner layer thickness regulating member that regulates the thickness of a toner layer adhering to the surface of this cleaning roller. The toner layer thickness regulating member is formed by a toner layer thickness regulating roller that rotates in contact with the cleaning roller.

Abstract: A sheet transport direction switching device includes: a rotary guide member having a single guide passage for passing a sheet to be transported, and a support shaft extending in a direction orthogonal to a transport direction of the sheet; and a posture changing mechanism for changing the posture of the rotary guide member. The rotary guide member is operable to change the posture thereof by pivotal movement about an axis of the support shaft so that an exit of the guide passage faces one of at least two discharge destinations. The posture changing mechanism has a stepping motor for pivotally moving the rotary guide member about the axis of the support shaft.

Abstract: A waste toner collecting device includes: a tubular member provided with a toner inlet and a toner outlet; a roller that is provided upstream of the toner outlet in a toner transport direction inside the tubular member, that has a substantially horizontal rotation axis line, and that is elliptical in vertical section; a scraper that is provided on an inner wall of the tubular member on a downstream side of the toner outlet in a rotation direction of the roller, an edge of the scraper being in contact with the roller; and a waste toner collecting bag that is inflatable and is attached to the toner outlet of the tubular member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes photoconductive drums aligned side by side for toner images in colors to be formed on peripheral surfaces thereof. A transfer belt turns while stretched over rollers for the toner images to be transferred thereon by being superimposed one another as a surface thereof abuts on the peripheral surfaces of the photoconductive drums. A transfer roller transfers the toner images from the transfer belt onto a recording sheet. The transfer belt uses the position of the transfer roller as a turning position and turns to have a first side that moves in a first direction towards the turning position while abutting the peripheral surfaces of the photoconductive drums and a second side that moves opposite to the first direction using the turning position as a starting point. A cooling mechanism cools the transfer belt by circulating taken-in outside air along a surface of the second side.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a paper feeding cassette which selectively stores at least two kinds of paper sheets having different size with respect to a paper feeding direction, and includes a posterior end cursor which restricts a posterior end position of the stored paper sheets with respect to the paper feeding direction, wherein the height of the posterior end cursor is changeable. According to this construction, a smaller space is provided to stack large-sized paper sheets which are not frequently used while a larger space is provided to stack small-sized paper sheets which are frequently used can be reserved.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with a cooling fan for cooling toner boxes within the apparatus. The outlet of the cooling fan and the toner boxes are connected by flexible tubes, respectively. This makes it possible to connect the cooling fan with the toner boxes even if there is not sufficient space, thereby enabling cooling of the toner boxes.

Abstract: A belt fixing unit has a fixing roller and a pressing roller that are provided in a pair midway along a transport passage through which paper having a toner image formed thereon is transported from bottom to top approximately in a vertical direction and that fix the toner image on the paper, a heating roller that is provided parallel to and in a position approximately horizontal to the fixing roller and that incorporates a heater for heating the fixing roller, and a fixing belt that is formed as an endless belt and that is wound around and between the fixing roller and the heating roller. A non-contact temperature sensor for controlling the fixing temperature is provided on a non-contact basis in the paper passage region on the surface of the upper one of the parts of the fixing belt facing each other up and down between the fixing roller and the heating roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a paper feeding cassette which selectively stores at least two kinds of paper sheets having different size with respect to a paper feeding direction, and includes a posterior end cursor which restricts a posterior end position of the stored paper sheets with respect to the paper feeding direction, wherein the height of the posterior end cursor is changeable. According to this construction, a smaller space is provided to stack large-sized paper sheets which are not frequently used while a larger space is provided to stack small-sized paper sheets which are frequently used can be reserved.

Abstract: An image forming device has image forming units 3-6, a transfer belt 7, a position detection unit 19, a concentration sensor 23, and an adjustment unit. A toner image is formed on the surfaces of the image forming units 3-6, and transferred onto the transfer belt 7. The position detection unit 19 detects a predetermined position on the surface of the transfer belt 7. On the predetermined position, the concentration sensor 23 detects first information relating to the color of the surface of the transfer belt 7. The concentration sensor 23 detects second information relating to the color of the pattern image that is formed on the predetermined position. The adjustment unit adjusts toner concentration at the time of forming an image based on the first information and the second information detected by the concentration sensor 23.

Abstract: A developing device including a first developing roller and a roller drive mechanism is disclosed. The first developing roller comprises a tubular sleeve, on the surface of which developer is supplied, and a magnetic roller that comprises a drawing magnetic pole for drawing developer and a peel-off magnetic pole for peeling off developer, both of which are arranged on the inner circumference of the sleeve. The drawing magnetic pole is arranged to be adjacent to and upstream of the peel-off magnetic pole in the first rotational direction, in which the magnetic roller rotates during an image forming operation. The roller drive mechanism rotates the magnetic roller in the first rotational direction during the image forming operation, and can rotate the magnetic roller in a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction.

Abstract: A sheet transport direction switching device includes: a rotary guide member having a single guide passage for passing a sheet to be transported, and a support shaft extending in a direction orthogonal to a transport direction of the sheet; and a posture changing mechanism for changing the posture of the rotary guide member. The rotary guide member is operable to change the posture thereof by pivotal movement about an axis of the support shaft so that an exit of the guide passage faces one of at least two discharge destinations. The posture changing mechanism has a stepping motor for pivotally moving the rotary guide member about the axis of the support shaft.

Abstract: A toner container is mounted to an image forming apparatus in a state of containing toners. The toner container includes: a container body for containing toners; and an agitating unit provided in the container body for agitating the toners. The agitating unit includes: a cylindrical member having a cylindrical peripheral wall and rotating about an axis of cylinder; an opening formed in the cylindrical peripheral wall for allowing the toners to pass through; and a conveying section for conveying the toners in a direction of the axis of the cylindrical member.

Abstract: A pair of fixing section discharge rollers 24 is arranged on the downstream side, with respect to the paper conveying direction, of a fixing section 20 including a fixing roller 21 and a pressing roller 22. Near the fixing section 20, a openable section 40 is provided that makes externally accessible the paper conveying passage on the downstream side of the fixing section 20. The openable section 40 has the axis of its pivot portion 41 aligned with the axis of the pressing roller 22, and is rotatable about the pivot portion 41. The fixing section discharge rollers 24 are mounted on the openable section 40. If a paper jam occurs on the downstream side of the fixing section 20, when the openable section 40 is opened, a wide space is secured on the downstream side of the fixing section 20, and the paper P stuck in the conveying nip between the fixing section discharge rollers 24 is automatically brought outward.