Abstract: A toner container comprises: a container for containing toner; a stirring member provided inside the container and configured to stir the toner by rotating around an axis; an engaging member attached to one end of the stirring member and configured to engage with a peripheral edge portion of an opening formed in the container; and a drive transmission member attached to the engaging member and configured to rotate the stirring member around the axis. A method of manufacturing the toner container comprises the steps of: installing the stirring member inside of the container body and attaching the engaging member to one end of the stirring member to bring the engaging member into engagement with the peripheral edge portion of the opening; forming the container by welding the container body and the cover member to each other; and attaching the drive transmission member to the engagement member.

Abstract: An anti-slip device for preventing an installed image forming device from slipping on an installation surface. The anti-slip device includes an operation portion that can be moved by a user, a movable portion, and an anti-slip member. The movable portion has a bottom surface and moves in conjunction with movement of the operation portion to move from a first position to a second position above the first position. The anti-slip member is provided on the bottom surface of the movable portion and comes into contact with the installation surface when the movable portion is in the first position and separates from the installation surface when the movable portion is raised from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: A conveyance apparatus that conveys a sheet by passing the sheet through a nip formed between a first conveyance roller and a second conveyance roller contacting each other. The conveyance apparatus includes a first gate member, a second gate member, and a third gate member into which a rotational shaft of the first conveyance roller is loosely inserted, the first and second gate members being disposed at a predefined interval, the third gate member being disposed between the first and second gate members. The first, second, and third gate members each include a portion protruding radially outwards, and the protruding portions are positioned on a conveyance path during no sheet conveyance, the protruding portion of the third gate member being positioned upstream of the protruding portions of the first and second gate members in a conveyance direction.

Abstract: A sheet material feeding device includes: a housing; a cassette configured to accommodate a sheet material therein and capable of being pulled out of the housing; a pushing-up plate which is on the cassette and configured to fluctuate and a position thereof is changed to a feeding position or a retracted position; a rear-end regulating member for regulating a position of an upstream end of the sheet material; a rear-end displacement member which is supported by the rear-end regulating member and configured to fluctuate and a position thereof is changed to a feeding position or a retracted position; a pushing-up plate displacing device configured to change the position of the pushing-up plate to the feeding position; and a rear-end displacement member displacing device configured to complete a position change of the rear-end displacement member to the feeding position before a position change of the pushing-up plate to the feeding position.

Abstract: A sheet material feeding device includes: a housing; a cassette configured to accommodate a sheet material therein and capable of being pulled out of the housing; a pushing-up plate which is on the cassette and configured to fluctuate and a position thereof is changed to a feeding position or a retracted position; a rear-end regulating member for regulating a position of an upstream end of the sheet material; a rear-end displacement member which is supported by the rear-end regulating member and configured to fluctuate and a position thereof is changed to a feeding position or a retracted position; a pushing-up plate displacing device configured to change the position of the pushing-up plate to the feeding position; and a rear-end displacement member displacing device configured to complete a position change of the rear-end displacement member to the feeding position before a position change of the pushing-up plate to the feeding position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus indicates on a display a message prompting placement of paper, which is to be placed in a cassette, on a reading device and issuance of an instruction to start reading, in order to set a size of paper placed in the cassette. When touch of a button is detected after the message is indicated and a user operation giving an instruction to start reading is accepted, the image forming apparatus detects the size of placed paper using the reading device. The image forming apparatus then sets the size of paper placed in the cassette to the detected size.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus indicates on a display a message prompting placement of paper, which is to be placed in a cassette, on a reading device and issuance of an instruction to start reading, in order to set a size of paper placed in the cassette. When touch of a button is detected after the message is indicated and a user operation giving an instruction to start reading is accepted, the image forming apparatus detects the size of placed paper using the reading device. The image forming apparatus then sets the size of paper placed in the cassette to the detected size.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus orientatable in either a first position or a second position, the second position being different from the first position in inclination with respect to a horizontal plane, comprising: a fixing device including a heating roller and a pressurizing member, pressing the pressurizing member against a surface of the heating roller to form a fixing nip, and thermally fixing a toner image on a recording sheet passing through the fixing nip; at least one temperature detector detecting surface temperature of the heating roller without contact with the surface; a heater heating the heating roller; a controller controlling the heater according to the surface temperature, thereby controlling the surface temperature; and a switcher switching a detection point of the temperature detector between a first and a second detection point according to whether the image forming apparatus is in the first or the second position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus orientatable in either a first position or a second position, the second position being different from the first position in inclination with respect to a horizontal plane, comprising: a fixing device including a heating roller and a pressurizing member, pressing the pressurizing member against a surface of the heating roller to form a fixing nip, and thermally fixing a toner image on a recording sheet passing through the fixing nip; at least one temperature detector detecting surface temperature of the heating roller without contact with the surface; a heater heating the heating roller; a controller controlling the heater according to the surface temperature, thereby controlling the surface temperature; and a switcher switching a detection point of the temperature detector between a first and a second detection point according to whether the image forming apparatus is in the first or the second position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image processor, an exterior housing, a fixing unit, an outlet, and a first partition. The image processor is configured to transfer a toner image to a recording medium. The exterior housing accommodates the image processor. The fixing unit is configured to fix the toner image, transferred by the image processor to the recording medium, onto the recording medium. The outlet is on the exterior housing and communicates with a conveyance path extending from the image processor toward the fixing unit. The first partition is adjacent the outlet on the exterior housing. The first partition separates the image processor and the fixing unit from one another.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus has a waste toner accommodation unit including a toner transporting rotation member covered with a fixed pipe. As the member rotates, waste toner in the pipe is transported downstream A fin involved in detecting an amount of toner moves upward and downward with a predetermined amplitude as the member rotates. The pipe has a projection secured by an elastic member to a bottom of the waste toner accommodation unit, and when waste toner reaches the level of the pipe, the waste toner is compressed in the pipe downstream and thus increases in density, and together with the waste toner the pipe starts to rotate. As a result, the projection rotates to a position allowing it to interfere with the fin, and the fin decreases in amplitude. Such variation in amplitude is detected by a sensor and a state full of toner is thus detected.

Abstract: There is provided a development cartridge capable of switching development colors in a plurality of development cartridges without using development rack. A development cartridge of the present invention has a part of a drive member for switching development colors.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus has a waste toner accommodation unit including a toner transporting rotation member covered with a fixed pipe. As the member rotates, waste toner in the pipe is transported downstream. The toner transporting rotation member has an upstream portion with a recessed portion having a small diameter. As the toner transporting rotation member rotates, a detection plate located external to the waste toner accommodation unit repetitively moves and thus repetitively passes across a photo sensor. When the waste toner has reached the level of the pipe the waste toner is compressed in the pipe downstream and thus increases in density. This increases a load torque of the toner transporting rotation member and hence ruptures the recessed portion, and thus stops rotation. The photo sensor detects that the detection plate no longer passes across it, and thus detects a state full of toner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the invention includes, in an apparatus body, an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; and a rotary-type development unit being rotatable about an axis thereof and having a plurality of developing devices, which are used for developing the latent images formed on the image carrier. The rotary-type development unit is formed with cavities at an outer periphery thereof for receiving gas. The rotary-type development unit is rotated for sequentially advancing the gas in the cavities whereby the gas in the apparatus body is discharged out of the apparatus body.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus has a waste toner accommodation unit including a toner transporting rotation member covered with a fixed pipe. As the member rotates, waste toner in the pipe is transported downstream A fin involved in detecting an amount of toner moves upward and downward with a predetermined amplitude as the member rotates. The pipe has a projection secured by an elastic member to a bottom of the waste toner accommodation unit, and when waste toner reaches the level of the pipe, the waste toner is compressed in the pipe downstream and thus increases in density, and together with the waste toner the pipe starts to rotate. As a result, the projection rotates to a position allowing it to interfere with the fin, and the fin decreases in amplitude. Such variation in amplitude is detected by a sensor and a state full of toner is thus detected.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus has a waste toner accommodation unit including a toner transporting rotation member covered with a fixed pipe. As the member rotates, waste toner in the pipe is transported downstream. The toner transporting rotation member has an upstream portion with a recessed portion having a small diameter. As the toner transporting rotation member rotates, a detection plate located external to the waste toner accommodation unit repetitively moves and thus repetitively passes across a photo sensor. When the waste toner has reached the level of the pipe the waste toner is compressed in the pipe downstream and thus increases in density. This increases a load torque of the toner transporting rotation member and hence ruptures the recessed portion, and thus stops rotation. The photo sensor detects that the detection plate no longer passes across it, and thus detects a state full of toner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the invention includes, in an apparatus body, an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; and a rotary-type development unit being rotatable about an axis thereof and having a plurality of developing devices, which are used for developing the latent images formed on the image carrier. The rotary-type development unit is formed with cavities at an outer periphery thereof for receiving gas. The rotary-type development unit is rotated for sequentially advancing the gas in the cavities whereby the gas in the apparatus body is discharged out of the apparatus body.

Abstract: There is provided a development cartridge capable of switching development colors in a plurality of development cartridges without using development rack. A development cartridge of the present invention has a part of a drive member for switching development colors.

Abstract: A pattern recognizing method and apparatus are arranged to detect one or more objects with its own individuality belonging to the same category, such as a vehicle or a human's face, by using incremental signs in a manner to correspond with an apparent change caused by the posture variation of the object. For achieving the pattern detection corresponding with the apparent change caused by the posture variation of the object, the statistic quality of the incremental signs is extracted from a database having image data of the objects. The learning of a feature vector composed by using the quality makes it possible to design the most approximate identifier for detecting a pattern.

Abstract: A semiconductor device for display control includes an input section for receiving a display information including a character code, a display position information and a character size information, a first address generating section for generating a first address group corresponding to the received character code by applying a predetermined conversion rule to the received character code and character size information, a font data storing section for outputting the font data stored in the region specified by the first address group when the first address group is given, a second address generating section for generating a second address group by utilizing the received display position information, the second address group representing a region where the font data is to be expanded, a font data expanding section for expanding and temporarily storing the font data in the region represented by the second address group, and an output section for outputting the font data to an external display driving unit.