Abstract: A developing device (50) includes a developing sleeve (53) for supplying toner particles (T) to a latent image area (22) on a peripheral surface of a photoconductive drum (20) while rotating about a central shaft (534). The developing sleeve (53) has an immovable sleeve magnet (533) therein. Two magnetic members (82) are disposed in opposite end portions of the developing sleeve (53) and are spaced a predetermined distance from the peripheral surface of the developing sleeve. Each magnet member (82) has an arc shape. A magnetic member magnet (83) is mounted in the magnet member (82) and faces a sleeve magnet (533) so that opposite facing portions of the magnetic member magnet (83) and the sleeve magnet (533) have the same polarity. With this construction, toner particles are prevented from leaking from the end portions of the developing sleeve (53).

Abstract: A developing device includes a container for containing toner, a rotatable shaft provided in the container, a spiral shaped blade formed on an outer circumference of the shaft, and a first spiral member for conveying the toner in the longitudinal direction of the shaft by means of rotation. In addition, a toner removing member is provided for removing the toner attached to the first spiral member. Then, by rotation of the first spiral member, the toner removing member is moved in the longitudinal direction of the shaft and the direction that is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the shaft so as to be in contact with the surface of the first spiral member. Accordingly, it is possible to adequately scrape the toner off the spiral shaped blade and the shaft, thereby effectively prevent an aggregation of toner from occurring.

Abstract: A developing device (100) according to the present invention is provided with a housing (102) for holding toner, conveying screws (104, 105) arranged in the housing (2) and each including a rotary shaft (107) and a blade (106) arranged on the rotary shaft (107) for conveying the toner from one end of the rotary shaft (107) toward the other end thereof by the rotation of the rotary shaft (107), and a developing roller (103) provided in the housing with a part of the developing roller (103) being exposed from the housing, and rotatable to obtain the toner conveyed by the conveying screws (104, 105). The conveying screws (104, 105) are constructed, for the efficient agitation of the toner, such that toner pressing forces of the blades (106) differ depending the angle of rotation of the rotary shaft (107).

Abstract: A developing device is disclosed which includes a fixed magnet roller 25 having a plurality of magnetic poles, a development roller 27 having a development sleeve 26 that is supported axially with the ability to rotate freely, and a magnetic sealing member 29 arranged at the end of the longitudinal direction X of the development sleeve 26. Further, the length of each of the plurality of magnetic poles not facing the magnetic sealing member 29 (in other words, the development pole S1, lead-in pole N1, and blade pole N3) of the fixed magnet roller 25 are shorter than the length of each of the plurality of magnetic poles facing the magnetic sealing member 29. Accordingly, the magnetic toner retained on the peripheral surface of the development sleeve 26 is guided to the development area side in the longitudinal direction X of the development sleeve 26.

Abstract: A driving mechanism for use in an image forming apparatus has a rotary shaft, a driving joint, a drum gear, a cleaning roller gear, and a transfer roller gear. The rotary shaft extends through a photosensitive member along an axis of rotation of the photosensitive member. The rotary shaft is rotatably supported at the opposite axial end parts thereof by bearings, respectively. The rotary shaft is un-rotatably jointed to the photosensitive member relative thereto at a lateral side part of a rear end part of the rotary shaft corresponding to the rear side of the image forming apparatus. The driving joint is jointed to the rear end part of the rotary shaft protruding from the photosensitive member at the rear side of the image forming apparatus to input a rotating force of a drum motor to the photosensitive drum. The drum gear is provided at the rear side of the photosensitive member. The cleaning roller gear and the transfer roller gear are in mesh with the drum gear.

Abstract: A driving mechanism for use in an image forming apparatus has a rotary shaft, a driving joint, a drum gear, a cleaning roller gear, and a transfer roller gear. The rotary shaft extends through a photosensitive member along an axis of rotation of the photosensitive member. The rotary shaft is rotatably supported at the opposite axial end parts thereof by bearings, respectively. The rotary shaft is un-rotatably jointed to the photosensitive member relative thereto at a lateral side part of a rear end part of the rotary shaft corresponding to the rear side of the image forming apparatus. The driving joint is jointed to the rear end part of the rotary shaft protruding from the photosensitive member at the rear side of the image forming apparatus to input a rotating force of a drum motor to the photosensitive drum. The drum gear is provided at the rear side of the photosensitive member. The cleaning roller gear and the transfer roller gear are in mesh with the drum gear.

Abstract: A destaticizer which is adapted to remove electric charges from the surface of a photoreceptor by exposing the photoreceptor surface to light. The destaticizer includes a light source, and a light guide member for generally uniformly guiding light from the light source to a light exposure area on the photoreceptor. In accordance with one embodiment, the light guide member is an elongated member, which has an end face serving as a light receiving face for receiving the light emitted from the light source, a light transmitting path for transmitting the light received by the light receiving face, and a plurality of reflecting portions arranged along the length of the light guide member for reflecting the light transmitted through the light transmitting path in a direction intersecting the length of the light guide member.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine. In the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, a sealing member is interposed between a transparent platen on which an original is put and a frame member on which the transparent platen is mounted. Therefore, the sealing properties between the transparent platen and the frame member on which the transparent platen is mounted are improved, thereby to make it possible to prevent external air from entering the apparatus from a portion between the frame member and the transparent platen. As a result, it is possible to prevent image degradation and an increase in toner consumption.

Abstract: A transfer plate which also serves as a sheet guide plate is pushed by a torsion spring. A minimum gap less than 0.2 mm between a guide surface of the transfer plate and the surface of a photoreceptor drum is maintained to be smaller than the thickness of a transfer sheet by a spacer member provided on the guide surface. When the sheet passes through the gap between the drum surface and the guide surface, the transfer plate is pushed down by the sheet and the sheet is pressed onto a toner image formed on the drum surface with an appropriate pressure by the pushing force of the torsion spring. At this time, a transfer voltage is applied to the transfer plate, so that the toner image on the drum surface is transferred to the sheet.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus comprising a main image forming mechanism for forming a toner image on a recording sheet based on image information and an auxiliary image forming mechanism for forming an auxiliary image on a recording sheet on which the main image is formed. The auxiliary image forming mechanism supplies charged toner to a substrate provided with a plurality of toner passage holes and selectively forms electric potential which allow or does not allow the charged toner to pass through each toner passage hole by a pair of electrodes. A predetermined image is formed with the toner passed through the toner passage holes.

Abstract: A cleaning unit includes a plurality of rotatable fur brushes which are arranged so as to adjoin in a downstream direction of a transferring process on a surface of a photoreceptor drum and whose tips are in contact with the surface for removing residual toner on the surface, recovering rollers arranged so as to be in contact with the tip of each of the fur brushes for removing toner adhering to the fur brushes, and a charger for charging the fur brushes and the recovering rollers, wherein the fur brush arranged at the downmost stream side rotates at a lower speed compared to another fur brush arranged in the upstream side thereof, wherein a discharger is further provided for decreasing the charge of the residual toner, and wherein the charger charges the downmost stream side fur brush reversely to the uppermost stream side fur brush.

Abstract: A developing unit in which an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photoconductor with toners transported with carriers in a developer. The toners are supplied as needed from a toner hopper. The developing unit includes an agitation roller for agitating the toners supplied from the toner hopper with the developer, and a developer regulating member for regulating the amount of the developer transported along the circumferential surface of the agitation roller toward the area where the developer is agitated and mixed with the toners supplied from the toner hopper.

Abstract: Disclosed is a photoconductive toner comprising as a main component a photoconductive substance dissolved or dispersed in a binder resin medium, wherein when the photoconductive substance is a p-type semiconductor, it is combined with a binder resin having a positive tribochargeability and when the photoconductive substance is an n-type semiconductor, it is combined with a binder resin having a negative tribochargeability.