Abstract: A toner container of the present invention includes a cylindrical portion containing toner used in an electrophotographic type complex machine. When the cylindrical portion is driven to rotate, the toner gets out via an outlet thereof. The cylindrical portion of the toner container has an inner wall provided with a coat layer containing fluorine-containing silica fine particles, which are obtained by modifying a property of the surfaces of silica fine particles by using a fluorine-based silane coupling agent. This coat layer effectively prevents the toner from being adhered to the inner wall of the toner container.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a communication section that wirelessly communicates with an RFID tag on a toner supply container. Based on a state of communication between the RFID tag and the communication section, an amount of toner in the toner supply container is measured, or a rotational angle of the toner supply container is detected. Since it is unnecessary to additionally provide a member for measuring the amount of the toner or detecting the rotational angle, the number of components can be reduced.

Abstract: A toner supply device controls at what position a joint receiving section stops, using a position detection sensor. By doing so, the rotation of a toner container is stopped at a position where a toner exit is above the boundary surface of toner. Therefore, in a developer supply device in which the toner container rotates, at what position the rotation of the toner container stops is controlled, so that members such a shutter properly operate and toner supply is stably carried out.

Abstract: A toner bottle that is composed of a main body having a bottle-side toner discharge port for discharging toner and a bottle holder that encloses the bottle-side toner discharge port and rotatably holds the main part and is constructed such that the main part is rotated in its peripheral direction to thereby discharge the toner charged in it out of the bottle. The toner bottle is characterized in that the bottle holder has a guide portion that is able to position and hold the main part at a position with respect to its rotational direction, and the main part has a hooking piece that is able to position and hold itself with respect to the direction of rotation by means of the guide portion.

Abstract: A filter for a gas generator in which the manufacture is simple, which has an adequate filter performance and cooling performance and, furthermore, which has high reliability with little damage caused in actuation of the gas generator, is provided. The filter for an air bag gas generator comprises a first layer formed from helically wound wire rods having a cross-sectional area of 0.03 to 0.8 mm2, in such a way that the pitch angle of wire rods vertically superposed in the radial direction is symmetrical, and a second layer that exists on the outer side of the first layer in the radial direction and is formed to have a finer filter particle size than the first layer using a wire rod narrower than the wire rod that forms the first layer.

Abstract: A toner bottle that is composed of a main part, a toner loading portion, a bottle cap that can hermetically close and open a toner loading opening in the toner loading portion, and a bottle-side toner discharge port. This toner bottle is constructed such that the bottle cap that encloses the toner loading opening has a locking projection which can limit the rotation in the loosening direction while the toner loading portion has a cap locking projection which will engage the locking projection and can limit the rotation in the loosening direction.

Abstract: A toner bottle that is composed of a main body filled with toner and a bottle-side toner discharges port for discharging toner from the main body is adapted to discharge the toner in the main body out of the container whilst the toner bottle is being rotated in the toner bottle's peripheral direction. The toner bottle has a sealing element that seals the bottle-side toner discharge port. This sealing element is formed of a flexible member, and is peeled off the main body of the toner bottle as the toner bottle is rotated so as to open the bottle-side toner discharge port.

Abstract: A toner supply device includes: toner supply assembly for holding toner; and a toner supply assembly mounting mechanism having a housing for reserving toner supplied from the toner supply assembly and rotary parts for agitating the toner reserved in the housing. In this toner supply device, toner supplied from the toner supply assembly is fed to a developing unit after it being agitated. The toner supply device includes a multiple number of toner supply assemblies for storing toners of one color, wherein the housing is configured so as to reserve the toners supplied from the multiple toner supply assemblies in a single space, and the rotary parts mix and agitate the toners from the multiple toner supply assemblies.

Abstract: A toner supply device includes: a toner supply assembly having a toner bottle for holding toner; and a toner supply assembly mounting mechanism having the toner bottle mounted, for feeding toner supplied from the toner bottle to a developing unit. In this toner supply device, toner supplied from the toner supply assembly is fed to the developing unit after it being agitated. The toner supply assembly mounting mechanism includes: guide rails for guiding the toner supply assembly when it is mounted; and a stopper for positioning and holding the toner supply assembly. The toner supply assembly has an abutment surface which is guided by the guide rails and positioned and held by the stopper.

Abstract: A developer container includes a container main body, a supporting member and an information storage portion. The container main body is formed in a cylindrical shape and contains therein the developer for use in image formation. The supporting member supports the container main body rotatably about an axis. The information storage portion is fixed to the supporting member and stores developer associated information of the developer contained in the container main body. The information storage portion is connected to an information reading portion provided in an image forming apparatus in such a manner that the information reading portion can read out the developer associated information in the state where the developer container is mounted to the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A developer supplying apparatus of the present invention includes a toner bottle, a bottle supporting member that is in the shape of substantially a cylinder, and a shutter mechanism for opening and closing a toner discharging opening formed on the bottle supporting member. The shutter mechanism includes (i) a shutter member which is slidably provided on the bottle supporting member and opens/closes the toner discharging opening, and (ii) a protruding portion which is provided on the toner bottle, and when the shutter member is located at such a position that the toner discharging opening is closed, engages with a part of the shutter member so as to stop rotation of the toner bottle. Thus, it is possible to realize the developer supplying apparatus which can stably supply a toner to a development device at high speed.

Abstract: A developer supplying apparatus of the present invention includes a toner bottle and a bottle supporting member that is in the shape of substantially a cylinder. A slip ring is attached to an inner peripheral surface of the bottle supporting member so as to be slidable on one end portion, supported by the bottle supporting member, of the toner bottle. A V ring is attached to the end portion, supported by the bottle supporting member, of the toner bottle, and the slip ring contacts a seal strip of the V ring. Thus, it is possible to surely seal the developer supplying apparatus which can stably supply toner to a development device at high speed.

Abstract: A developer supplying apparatus of the present invention includes a toner bottle and a bottle supporting member which supports the toner bottle so that the toner bottle can rotate in a peripheral surface direction. The toner bottle has a bottle-side toner discharging opening for discharging a developer stored therein, and a groove portion for conveying the stored toner toward the bottle-side toner discharging opening by rotation of the toner bottle in the peripheral surface direction. The bottle supporting member has (i) a toner discharging chamber for temporarily storing the toner discharged from the bottle-side toner discharging opening of the toner bottle and (ii) a supporting body-side toner discharging opening for discharging the toner, stored in the toner discharging chamber, by rotation of a scraper of the toner bottle. Thus, it is possible to realize the developer supplying apparatus which can stably supply the toner at high speed.

Abstract: A toner supply device includes a stopping member which moves into the toner supply port by interlocking with opening and closing of a shutter plate for opening and closing the toner supply port, and a scraper for scraping toner supplied from a toner container is pressed by the stopping member, thereby sliding in contact along the recessed portion of the toner container, thus restricting the rotation of the toner container. This restricts the rotation of the developer supply device due to user's operating error, preventing developer from spilling out from the developer supply port.

Abstract: A developer container of the present invention includes a container main body and a supporting member. The container main body is used to contain a developer. The supporting member supports the container main body in such a manner that the container main body is freely rotatable. Further, the container main body includes an inwardly depressed recess portion on its outer peripheral surface. In that recess portion, a discharging opening is provided to discharge the developer into that recess portion opposite the direction in which the container main body rotates around the axis of rotation. Further, a regulating member having a tube-like shape is provided which surrounds the discharging opening to regulate the discharged amount of the developer.

Abstract: A developing apparatus having agitating/supplying section which is capable of providing enhanced developer stirrability and supplying a developer to a developing roller uniformly in its lengthwise direction is provided. The developing apparatus installed in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an agitating/supplying section composed of: a rotary shaft member which is made rotatable about its rotation axis; a plurality of blade support members disposed intersectionally with respect to the rotation axis of the rotary shaft member; and a plurality of blade members formed between respective adjacent blade support members so as to be arranged around the rotation axis of the rotary shaft member and extend in a direction of the rotation axis.

Abstract: A toner cartridge is provided, which comprises a toner bottle containing toner, and a support member supporting the toner bottle in an axially rotatable manner. The toner bottle has a toner outlet port provided in a portion thereof supported by the support member. The support member has an outlet port shutter provided slidably on an outer surface thereof for opening and closing the toner outlet port, and a projecting engagement portion for positioning the toner cartridge with respect to a cartridge insertion port of an image forming apparatus when the toner cartridge is mounted in the image forming apparatus. The support member and the toner bottle respectively have a projection and a recess serving as a locking portion and a to-be-locked portion for restricting rotation of the toner bottle with respect to the support member when the toner cartridge is not mounted in the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a developer container in which a container main body is protected against damage by an external torsional and bending force and an impact as much as possible, developer in the vicinity of conveying means is prevented from aggregating as much as possible, and developer in the vicinity of a discharge hole is prevented from aggregating as much as possible.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a developer container without a complicated mechanism that allows a powdered developer to be supplied to the main body of an image forming apparatus while the developer container main body containing a developer is rotatably supported stably and the developer contained therein is prevented from aggregating during rotation A developer container (130) includes a developer container main body (131) which is substantially cylindrically formed and in which the developer used for image formation is contained, the developer container main body (131) having its axial intermediate portion radially opened, and adapted to transfer the contained developer toward the intermediate portion by being rotated around an axial line (L131), and a supporting member (132) for supporting an intermediate portion in an axial line direction of the developer container main body (131) over the entire periphery thereof from radially outside as the developer container main body (131) is rotatable ar

Abstract: A developer container includes a container body, a supporting member, a leading-out member and a spring member. The container body has a first concavity and a discharge hole. The container body is rotated about its axis to convey developer toward the discharge hole. The supporting member supports the container body rotatably about its axis by covering the part including the first concavity and the discharge hole. The supporting member has a leading through hole for leading developer from discharge hole to outside. The leading-out member extends from the leading through hole on an upstream side in the rotation direction. The leading-out member leads developer from the discharge hole to the leading through hole. The spring member loads the leading-out member with a resilient force that tends to bring its upstream side end in the rotation direction into elastic contact with the outer peripheral surface of the first concavity.