Abstract: A developing agent regulating member and a method of manufacturing the same is provided. The method includes providing a non-magnetic member and a magnetic member. The non-magnetic member and the magnetic member are fixed together by caulking such that an end face of the non-magnetic member and an end face of the magnetic member are substantially aligned with each other, and such that the non-magnetic member and the magnetic member are closely pressed together in order to reduce a gap between the non-magnetic member and the magnetic member. The end face of the non-magnetic member and the end face of the magnetic member are polished so as to prepare the regulating face of the developing agent regulating member by making the end face of the non-magnetic member and the end face of the magnetic member flush.

Abstract: A developing device capable of conveying discharged developer to the outside of the device well by preventing developer from firmly adhering within a discharge conveyance path, as well as an image forming apparatus and a process cartridge having this developing device.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a toner that can sustain favorable transferability and cleaning ability for prolonged periods; prevent photoconductor filming; exhibit no variation in image nonuniformity or external additive immersion induced by developer agitation at the time of use; excels in stability with flowability and charge stability over prolonged periods. Therefore, provided is the toner of which the quantity of aggregate of residual external additives found on the sieve of 635-mesh and 452 cm2 of mesh area, after 0.2 g of the toner on the sieve is blasted with air at a blow pressure of 0.2 MPa from 160 mm above the sieve while being air-suctioned at a suction force of 5 mmHg, and then air-suctioned at a suction force of 20 mmHg, is 4,500 or less and 5 or more.

Abstract: A developing unit used in an image forming apparatus with a latent image carrier includes a developer carrier, a supply compartment, a recovery compartment, a separation member, and a gap. The developer carrier facing the latent image carrier rotates while carrying two-component developer containing toner and carrier and supplies the toner to the latent image. The supply compartment includes a supply transport member to transport the developer in a first direction. The recovery compartment includes a recovery transport member to transport the developer in a second direction. The separation member includes one end portion facing the latent image carrier at a facing area. The separation member separates the supply compartment and the recovery compartment and is disposed above the recovery compartment behind the separation member. The gap is provided at the facing area. The gap has a width of not more than 1.4 millimeters.

Abstract: A toner which includes a toner material, wherein the toner satisfies the following formula: 0° C.??Tm?20° C. where ?Tm represents Tma (° C.)?Tmb (° C.), Tma (° C.) is ½ flown-out temperature of the toner by a capillary type flow tester, and Tmb (° C.) is ½ flown-out temperature of a melt kneaded mixture of the toner by the capillary type flow tester, and wherein Tma is from 130° C. to 200° C.

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 toner which includes a toner material, wherein the toner satisfies the following formula: 0° C.??Tm?20° C. where ?Tm represents Tma (° C.)?Tmb (° C.), Tma (° C.) is ½ flown-out temperature of the toner by a capillary type flow tester, and Tmb (° C.) is ½ flown-out temperature of a melt kneaded mixture of the toner by the capillary type flow tester, and wherein Tma is from 130° C. to 200° C.

Abstract: A toner containing toner particles having a core-shell structure containing a binder resin, a colorant and a release agent. The toner particles are prepared by dissolving or dispersing at least one of the binder resin and a precursor thereof in an organic solvent or a polymeric monomer and reacting the resultant in an aqueous medium for reaction, wherein the toner satisfies the following relationship: ?Tm=Tm1?Tm2>10 ° C., wherein Tm1 represents half efflux temperature of the toner and Tm2 represents half efflux temperature of a toner which is prepared by melting and kneading the toner particles and wherein a content of the release agent existing close to the surface portion of the toner particles is from 7 to 30% by volume based on an entire portion close to the surface portion of the toner particles when the content is determined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Attenuated Total Reflection (FTIR-ATR) method.

Abstract: A toner for developing an electrostatic image, includes: a colorant; and a binder resin. The toner has a particle including at least one pore having a diameter of 10 nm or over, and a porosity thereof is in a range from 0.01 to 0.60.

Abstract: A developing device and image forming apparatus that can satisfy stability over time in relation to amount of developer carried, and prevent developer retention, deterioration of developer and developing sleeve adhesion, wherein the amount of developer carried per unit area on the developer carrier in the developing region is 30 [mg/cm2] to 60 [mg/cm2]; the weight mean particle diameter of the toner is 4.5 [?m] to 8.0 [?m]; the ratio [Dw/Dn] of the toner weight mean particle diameter (Dw) and the number mean particle diameter (Dn) is 1.20 or less; an irregular roughness pattern having the maximum height Rz of the surface roughness of 20 to 40 [?m] and the mean space Sm of the roughness of 100 to 200 [?m] is formed on the surface of the developer carrier; and the relationship between the developing gap PG and the gap DG between the developer restricting member and the developer carrier is 1.0?(DG/PG)3.0?.

Abstract: To provide a toner that can provide long-term removability and high-definition images with reduced image layer thickness and densely-packed toner particles, a developer capable of forming high-quality images using the toner, a toner container for containing the toner, a process cartridge using the toner, an image forming apparatus using the toner, and an image forming method using the toner. The toner of the present invention is a toner having a substantially spherical shape with irregularities on its surface and containing at least a binder resin and a colorant, wherein a surface factor SF-1 that represents the sphericity of toner particles is 105 to 180, a surface factor SF-2 that represents the degree of surface irregularities of the toner particles is correlated with the volume-average diameter of the toner particles, and the toner particles have an inorganic oxide particle-containing layer within 1 ?m from their surfaces.

Abstract: To provide a toner that can provide long-term removability and high-definition images with reduced image layer thickness and densely-packed toner particles, a developer capable of forming high-quality images using the toner, a toner container for containing the toner, a process cartridge using the toner, an image forming apparatus using the toner, and an image forming method using the toner. The toner of the present invention is a toner having a substantially spherical shape with irregularities on its surface and containing at least a binder resin and a colorant, wherein a surface factor SF-1 that represents the sphericity of toner particles is 105 to 180, a surface factor SF-2 that represents the degree of surface irregularities of the toner particles is correlated with the volume-average diameter of the toner particles, and the toner particles have an inorganic oxide particle-containing layer within 1 ?m from their surfaces.

Abstract: A toner including toner particles including a binder resin, a colorant, and an inorganic particulate material present on a surface of the toner particles. The toner particles have a surface roughness (Ra) of from 1 to 30 nm, a standard deviation of the surface roughness of from 10 to 90 nm and include 1 to 20 convexities per 1 ?m, which have a height not less than 10 nm.

Abstract: A toner including toner particles including a binder resin, a colorant, and an inorganic particulate material present on a surface of the toner particles. The toner particles have a surface roughness (Ra) of from 1 to 30 nm, a standard deviation of the surface roughness of from 10 to 90 nm and include 1 to 20 convexities per 1 ?m, which have a height not less than 10 nm.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a toner which has sufficiently high chargeability and less toner spent to a carrier or the like even when several tens of thousands of image sheets are output, is capable of keeping high-charge property and flowability without causing substantial background smear or toner fogging, excels in low-temperature fixing property and hot-offset property, and has a wide range of fixing temperature as well as to provide a developer, an image forming apparatus, a process cartridge, and an image forming method using the toner for developing electrostatic images. The toner of the present invention comprises a colorant, and a resin, and a fluoride compound, in which the fluoride compound exists on the surfaces of toner particles, and the atomic number ratio (F/C) of fluoride atoms to carbon atoms existing on the surfaces of the toner particles is 0.010 to 0.054.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a developer having a sharp charge amount distribution and bringing out high-quality image without substantially smearing a charging unit, developing units, a photoconductor, and an intermediate transferring member by the developer, namely, a developer capable of providing an appropriate image density and exhibiting extremely little background smear even when used over a long period of time and repeatedly used for a number of sheets of paper as well as to provide an image forming apparatus for electrophotography using the developer.

Abstract: Toners, developers, toner-containing containers, process cartridges, image forming apparatuses and image forming processes are provided that may maintain proper transfer ability and cleaning property for long period, exhibit less image fluctuation, and represent less embedding of external additives even under stirring the developer at use, and also afford stable flowability and charging ability for long period. The toner of the present invention comprises toner base particles and secondary agglomerates, wherein the toner base particles comprise a toner material that comprises a colorant and a binding resin, and the secondary agglomerates, which being formed of fine particles, each have a secondary particle diameter of no less than 10 ?m.

Abstract: To provide a toner that can provide long-term removability and high-definition images with reduced image layer thickness and densely-packed toner particles, a developer capable of forming high-quality images using the toner, a toner container for containing the toner, a process cartridge using the toner, an image forming apparatus using the toner, and an image forming method using the toner. The toner of the present invention is a toner having a substantially spherical shape with irregularities on its surface and containing at least a binder resin and a colorant, wherein a surface factor SF-1 that represents the sphericity of toner particles is 105 to 180, a surface factor SF-2 that represents the degree of surface irregularities of the toner particles is correlated with the volume-average diameter of the toner particles, and the toner particles have an inorganic oxide particle-containing layer within 1 ?m from their surfaces.

Abstract: A toner for electrophotography contains a binder resin, a colorant and a releasing agent and has a viscosity, a storage modulus (G?) and a loss modulus (G?), in which the viscosity is 1×103 Pa·s or more and a loss tangent (tan ?) as the ratio of G? to G? is 0.4 or more at temperatures from 140° C. to 170° C.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a toner which is excellent in shelf stability for a long term by producing the toner through controlling the dispersion condition of the wax around the toner surface and through improving, not only the off-set resistance of the toner for rendering the fixing properties of the toner advantageous, but also the blocking resistance of the toner, wherein the toner contains a binder resin, a colorant, and a wax, wherein the amount of the wax is 3% by mass to 21% by mass, and the amount of the wax which is present in the portion of the toner particle which is in the range of from the outermost surface to the depth of 0.3 ?m in the toner particle is in a specified range, and at least a part of the wax is present as plural individual wax dispersion particles involved in the toner particles.