Abstract: A developing device includes: a developing roller that supplies toner so as to develop an electrostatic latent image into a toner image; and a seal member that prevents toner from leaking from end portions in the axial direction of the developing roller to the outside and the developing device is characterized by a structure in that the developing roller includes a sheet member disposed so as to cover the surface of the end portions in the axial direction of the developing roller, and the sheet member has no seam in the circumferential direction, and has a surface roughness that is smaller than that of the developing roller, or has a surface hardness that is higher than that of a synthetic resin as a base material of the toner.

Abstract: A silencing device disposed to the outside of a fan 2 that discharges air from the interior of a device 1 to the outside. The silencing device includes a reflection plate 6 provided substantially normal to the rotation axis 2a of the fan 2, and a right-angled parallelepiped shaped duct 4 that guides air from the fan 2 to the outside of the device 1. The reflection plate 6 is disposed at the other end of the duct 4, an air discharge slit 7 is formed in at least one of the four sides of the reflection plate 6, and the distance from the fan 2 to the reflection plate 6 satisfies the relationship L=(?/2)×n. n is a natural number, and ? is the wavelength of the maximum component from among the wavelength components that constitutes the sound generated by the fan 2.

Abstract: A developing device includes: a developing roller that supplies toner so as to develop an electrostatic latent image into a toner image; and a seal member that prevents toner from leaking from end portions in the axial direction of the developing roller to the outside and the developing device is characterized by a structure in that the developing roller includes a sheet member disposed so as to cover the surface of the end portions in the axial direction of the developing roller, and the sheet member has no seam in the circumferential direction, and has a surface roughness that is smaller than that of the developing roller, or has a surface hardness that is higher than that of a synthetic resin as a base material of the toner.

Abstract: A silencing device disposed to the outside of a fan 2 that discharges air from the interior of a device 1 to the outside. The silencing device includes a reflection plate 6 provided substantially normal to the rotation axis 2a of the fan 2, and a right-angled parallelepiped shaped duct 4 that guides air from the fan 2 to the outside of the device 1. The reflection plate 6 is disposed at the other end of the duct 4, an air discharge slit 7 is formed in at least one of the four sides of the reflection plate 6, and the distance from the fan 2 to the reflection plate 6 satisfies the relationship L=(?/2)×n. n is a natural number, and ? is the wavelength of the maximum component from among the wavelength components that constitutes the sound generated by the fan 2.

Abstract: The image-forming machine has an electrostatic latent image-bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image will be formed and an exchangeable developing unit. The developing unit includes a developing housing, a developing agent contained in the developing unit and a developing agent applicator for applying the developing agent onto the surface of the electrostatic latent image-bearing member. A counter is provided that counts the number of times the developing unit has been used and that can be reset. In the developing unit is disposed a developing agent depletion detector that detects the depletion of the developing agent. The developing unit further has a reset that resets the counter when the use of the developing unit is started. When the developing agent depletion detector has detected the depletion of the developing agent, a developing unit exchange signal is formed to indicate that the developing unit be renewed.

Abstract: This invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a method for assembling the apparatus. A main body of the image forming apparatus has a frame main body consisting of an optical frame and a chassis made of a resin (resin chassis). Mounting an image recorder unit on the resin chassis improves the precision in mounting the image recorder unit, while the optical frame assuring the rigidity of the apparatus as a whole. The resin chassis consisting part of the frame main body reduces the production cost of the frame main body, in turn, reducing the production cost on the final product, i.e., image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A device for recovering toner in an image-forming machine includes a cleaning mechanism for removing the toner that remains on an image carrier, a toner conveyer mechanism for conveying the toner removed by said cleaning mechanism, and a toner recovery container for containing the toner conveyed by said toner conveyer mechanism. The toner conveyer mechanism includes a toner conveying pipe connected at its one end to said cleaning mechanism and having, at its other end, a toner discharge port that faces a toner reception port formed in said toner recovery container, a toner conveying member in the form of a coil arranged in said toner conveying pipe and is coupled at its one end to a rotary member, and a toner-scraping member mounted on the other end of said toner conveying member and rotates together with said toner conveying member.

Abstract: This invention relates to a drive switching mechanism for use in an image input apparatus. While a pivotable gear is set on the side of a document feeder, a displacement restricting mechanism of the drive switching mechanism restricts a displacement of the pivotable gear toward an image scanner. With this arrangement, even if the pivotable gear is caused to move toward the image scanner while set on the side of the document feeder, a stopper of the displacement restricting mechanism restricts such movement to maintain an engaged state of the pivotable gear with a drive gear of the document feeder. Accordingly, a driving force of a motor rotatable in the opposite direction (forward and backward) can securely be transmitted to the drive gear of the document feeder via a non-pivotable gear and the pivotable gear. The same operation and effect as on the side of the document feeder is obtainable on the side of the image scanner.

Abstract: A fixing felt is brought into contact with a heating roller surface of an image forming apparatus such that at a predetermined distance towards the downstream side in the direction of rotation of the heating roller from a perpendicular line passing through the center line of the heating roller. As a result, even though foreign matter and residue are accumulated on the contacting part of the fixing felt and the heating roller, such foreign matters and residues will drop and not be transferred to the paper with a latent image.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for a copying machine, a printer, etc., which is provided with an electrifying member disposed opposite to the surface of a photosensitive body and electrifying the surface thereof by applying electric charge thereto. An electrifying member disposed opposite to the surface of a photosensitive body and electrifying the surface thereof by application of electric charge has a curved or flat face along the surface of the photosensitive body and resistance from 10.sup.5 to 10.sup.10 ohms, and at the same time the electrifying member is disposed about 350 .mu.m to about 1000 .mu.m from the surface of the photosensitive body. The electrifying member may be curved to meet the curvature of the surface of the photosensitive body. A conductive portion to apply voltage to the electrifying member may be formed at the side of the electrifying member, which is opposite to the side facing the surface of the photosensitive body.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus where a transfer roller is arranged to be out of contact with a photoreceptor drum, a guide member for guiding a transfer sheet so as to abut the photoreceptor drum at a predetermined angle and an auxiliary guide member for supporting the transfer sheet to prevent the rear end of the transfer sheet separated from the end of the guide member from being weighed down are arranged close to the photoreceptor drum. Further, to supply a conveying force to the transfer sheet until the rear end of the transfer sheet is separated from the guide member, a conveying roller is arranged opposite to the upper surface of the guide member where the transfer sheet passes.

Abstract: A transferring apparatus transfers a toner image formed on the surface of a photoreceptor drum onto a sheet. The photoreceptor drum surface and a transfer roller are arranged in such manner that a gap larger than the thickness of the sheet is left between the photoreceptor drum and transfer roller, and a lower guide member for guiding the sheet in such direction that the sheet abuts the drum surface at a predetermined angle is arranged between a resist roller pair and the drum. The sheet which abuts the drum surface by way of the upper surface of the guide member is in close contact with the drum surface while being bent and deformed along the drum surface. A conveying roller is provided, opposite the upper surface of the lower guide member, with a predetermined gap between, at a position close to but out of contact with the drum surface. The conveying roller may also be arranged to contact the transfer roller.

Abstract: An image-forming machine equipped with a transfer device means of the type not using a transfer corona discharger is disclosed. A charge supply member is disposed opposite to an image forming member on whose surface a toner image is to be formed and at a greater distance than the thickness of a transfer material from the image forming member. In a transfer zone, the surface of the transfer material is brought into contact with the surface of the image forming member. In a charge supply zone, the transfer material is contacted with the surface of the charge supply member. In the direction of conveyance of the transfer material, the charge supply zone is positioned downstream of the transfer zone.

Abstract: An image-forming machine equipped with a transfer device of the type not using a transfer corona discharger is disclosed. A charge supply member is disposed opposite to an image forming member on whose surface a toner image is to be formed, and at a greater distance than the thickness of a transfer material from the image forming member. A voltage of a predetermined polarity is applied to the charge supply member. In a transfer zone, the surface of the transfer material is brought into contact with the surface of the image forming member, while the back of the transfer material is not contacted with the surface of the charge supply member.

Abstract: An image processing machine functions both as a facsimile machine and as an ordinary copying machine. The image processing machine is provided with a document scanning system and image-forming system. The document scanning system comprises a first scanning zone, a second scanning zone an image-receiving system, an optical system for optically connecting the first scanning zone and the second scanning zone to the image-receiving system, a first document scan moving system for moving a document across the first scanning zone and a second document scan moving system for moving a document across the second scanning zone. The image-forming system comprises printing system with a print output zone and a system for conveying a printing substrate through the printing output zone. An ink ribbon cartridge in the image forming system has a detector for detecting a broken ink ribbon.

Abstract: A document size detecting device according to the invention is adapted to be mounted in an image forming device for a copying machine or the like, comprising an arm adapted to be folded and unfolded in operative association with the forward and backward movements, respectively, of the optical section of the image forming device, and a plurality of optical sensors attached to the arm at predetermined positions thereon corresponding to various format sizes of documents.