Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developing roller, and a control unit. The image carrier has a surface on which an electrostatic latent image is formed. The developing roller is arranged to face the image carrier to form a development nip between the image carrier and the developing roller. The developing roller supplies toner in a two-component developer carried on a surface of the developing roller to the image carrier in the development nip so as to develop the electrostatic latent image. The control unit drivingly controls the image carrier and the developing roller. The control unit discharges the toner in the development nip to the image carrier in a state where the developing roller is stopped, so as to calculate a toner concentration in the two-component developer based on an amount of discharged toner.

Abstract: According to a nonwoven fabric substrate (1) for wiping sheet of the invention, ridges (2) and grooves (3) are alternately formed at positions corresponding to each other on both surfaces (1a, 1b), and apertures (4) are formed in the grooves (3). Each of the ridges (2) and the grooves (3) extend parallel to one side of the nonwoven fabric substrate (1). Each of the grooves (3) alternately includes an aperture portion (3h) which has a plurality of the apertures (4), and a non-aperture portion (3n) which has no aperture (4) and is longer than a distance between the nearest end portions of the adjacent apertures (4) in the aperture portion (3h). An arrangement pattern of the aperture portion (3h) and the non-aperture portion (3n) provided in the groove (3a) is different from an arrangement pattern of the aperture portion (3h) and the non-aperture portion (3n) provided in an adjacent groove (3b).

Abstract: Provided is a nonwoven fabric substrate (1) in which ridges (2) and grooves (3) are alternately formed at positions corresponding to each other on each of both surfaces (1a, 1b), and apertures (4) penetrating the grooves (3) of both surfaces are formed. The ridges (2) and the grooves (3) extend parallel to each other. The ridges (2) and the grooves (3) extend in a direction intersecting with each of a pair of both sides (1c, 1d) extending in parallel of the nonwoven fabric substrate (1). In planar view, each of the grooves (3) alternately includes an aperture portion (3h) which has a plurality of the apertures (4), and a non-aperture portion which has no aperture (4) and is longer than a distance between the nearest end portions of the adjacent apertures (4) in the aperture portion (3h), and arrangement patterns of the aperture portion (3h) and the non-aperture portion (3n) provided in the adjacent grooves (3) are different from each other.

Abstract: A cleaning sheet (1A) of the invention includes: a substrate sheet (2); and at least one long-fiber bundle (3) disposed on at least one side of the substrate sheet (2) and made by aggregating long fibers (31) oriented in substantially one direction. The long-fiber bundle (3) is formed by joining the long fibers (31) together with a fiber-joining section (32) extending linearly in a direction orthogonal to the orientation direction of the long fibers (31). The cleaning sheet (1A) is formed by joining the thus-formed long-fiber bundle (3) to the substrate sheet (2) by at least one sheet-joining section (21). The cleaning sheet (1A) is formed such that the entire fiber-joining section (32) or at least a portion of the fiber-joining section (32) is not joined to the substrate sheet (2) and the sheet-joining section (21) is in perpendicular contact with the fiber-joining section (32).

Abstract: A developing device includes a storing portion, a stirring member, a developing roller, a shield plate, and a guide portion. The storing portion stores developer. The stirring member is rotatably provided in the storing portion and stirs the developer in the storing portion by being rotationally driven in a predetermined first rotation direction. The developing roller is rotatably provided above the stirring member, has a magnet that attracts the developer in the storing portion by a magnetic force, and is rotationally driven in a predetermined second rotation direction. The shield plate is made of a nonmagnetic material and provided at a facing position where the developing roller and the stirring member face each other. The guide portion is provided more on an upstream side in the first rotation direction than the facing position, and guides the developer from the storing portion to the developing roller side.

Abstract: A wheel loader includes detectors and a controller. The detectors include at least an accelerator pedal angle detector that detects an accelerator displacement. The controller includes: a state judging unit that judges from a detection result provided by the detectors whether or not the wheel loader is in an excavation operation; and a torque-curve selector. The torque-curve selector selects one excavation torque curve when the wheel loader is judged to be in the excavation operation by the state judging unit, and selects one of two or more non-excavation torque curves depending on the accelerator displacement when the wheel loader is judged not to be in the excavation operation.

Abstract: A developing device has a developing container, a developer carrier, and a restricting member. The restricting member restricts the layer thickness of developer on the surface of the developer carrier. The restricting member includes a restricting base formed of resin with higher strength than the developing container and a metal foil arranged at a tip part of the restricting base. The metal foil has a downstream face portion fixed to a downstream-side face of the restricting base and a restricting face portion formed by bending the tip of the downstream face portion to an upstream side and arranged to face the developer carrier.

Abstract: A developing device includes: a housing, a refill developer storage part, a developing roller, a developer conveyance path, a developer receiving port, a conveyance member, and a magnetic member. The developing roller is driven into rotation in the developing housing and carries a toner on a circumferential surface thereof. The toner is conveyed inside the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path of the developing housing in a circulating manner. A first stirring screw is disposed on the first conveyance path and conveys the toner in a first direction. Downstream of the toner refill port, a magnet is arranged. The magnetic member forms a magnetic brush from a top panel of the developing housing towards the first stirring screw. A refill toner flowed-in through the toner refill port is so conveyed as to fall below the magnetic brush whereby the refill toner is favorably stirred with a surrounding toner.

Abstract: A developing device includes a housing containing a developer, a developer carrier, a developer conveying path, a developer conveying member, and a plurality of paddle members. The developer conveying path includes a first conveying path and a second conveying path. The developer conveying member is disposed in the second conveying path and includes a rotating shaft and spiral blades formed around the rotating shaft. The developer conveying member is rotationally driven to convey the developer in the second direction and feeds the developer to the developer carrier. The plurality of paddle members project in a radial direction from the rotating shaft of the developer conveying member at one circumferential position on the rotating shaft. The plurality of paddle members is contiguously arranged in the axial direction of the rotating shaft to connect the spiral blades adjacent to each other in the axial direction.

Abstract: A development device includes a development case, a first agitating/conveying member and a second agitating/conveying member. The first agitating/conveying member is arranged below the second agitating/conveying member to convey the developer in a first direction. The second agitating/conveying member conveys the developer in a second direction as an opposite direction to the first direction to supply the developer to the developer carrier. The development case includes a first conveyance chamber, a second conveyance chamber, a first communicating portion communicating end parts of the first conveyance chamber and second conveyance chamber in the first direction, and a second communicating portion communicating end parts of the first conveyance chamber and second conveyance chamber in the second direction.

Abstract: A developing device of this disclosure has: a housing, a developing roller, a developer conveying path, a partition board, a second communication path, a developer receiving port, a first conveying member, a second conveying member, and a conveyance capability inhibition part. A toner is cyclically conveyed in a first conveying path and a second conveying path. A first stirring screw is disposed in the first conveying path and driven into ration around a first rotation axis for toner conveyance. Formed downstream of the first stirring screw by the conveyance capability inhibition part is a toner accumulation part, and the amount of toner refilled from a toner refill port is adjusted. Where an aperture area of the first communication path is A1 and a circular area formed by an outer circumferential edge of the first stirring screw in section orthogonal to the first rotation axis is A2, relationship 0.5×A2<A1<1.2×A2 is satisfied.

Abstract: A developing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a developing roller, a development housing, a first agitating screw, a toner supply inlet, a downstream-side reduction wall, and an upstream-side reduction wall. The developing roller is driven to rotate in the development housing, and carries toner on the circumferential surface thereof. Toner is circulated and conveyed in a first conveying path and a second conveying path in the development housing. The first agitating screw is disposed in the first conveying path, and conveys toner in a first direction. The downstream-side reduction wall is disposed downstream of the toner supply inlet. Further, the upstream-side reduction wall is disposed upstream of the toner supply inlet. An accumulation portion for toner is formed downstream and upstream of the toner supply inlet due to the downstream-side reduction wall and the upstream-side reduction wall.

Abstract: A developing device includes: a housing, a refill developer storage part, a developing roller, a developer conveyance path, a developer receiving port, a conveyance member, and a magnetic member. The developing roller is driven into rotation in the developing housing and carries a toner on a circumferential surface thereof. The toner is conveyed inside the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path of the developing housing in a circulating manner. A first stirring screw is disposed on the first conveyance path and conveys the toner in a first direction. Downstream of the toner refill port, a magnet is arranged. The magnetic member forms a magnetic blush from a top panel of the developing housing towards the first stirring screw. A refill toner flowed-in through the toner refill port is so conveyed as to fall below the magnetic blush whereby the refill toner is favorably stirred with a surrounding toner.

Abstract: A developing device includes a housing containing a developer, a developer carrier, a developer conveying path, a developer conveying member, and a plurality of paddle members. The developer conveying path includes a first conveying path and a second conveying path. The developer conveying member is disposed in the second conveying path and includes a rotating shaft and spiral blades formed around the rotating shaft. The developer conveying member is rotationally driven to convey the developer in the second direction and feeds the developer to the developer carrier. The plurality of paddle members project in a radial direction from the rotating shaft of the developer conveying member at one circumferential position on the rotating shaft. The plurality of paddle members is contiguously arranged in the axial direction of the rotating shaft to connect the spiral blades adjacent to each other in the axial direction.

Abstract: A cleaning sheet (1A) includes: a substrate sheet (2); and a plurality of long-fiber bundles (3) provided thereon, each long-fiber bundle (3) being made by aggregating long fibers (31), the long-fiber bundles (3) being arranged side-by-side and joined to the substrate sheet (2). Each long-fiber bundle (3) is joined together by fiber-joining sections (32). Each long-fiber bundle (3) is joined to the substrate sheet (2) by sheet-joining sections (21). Each sheet-joining section (21) is provided so as to overlap one of the fiber-joining sections (32). Each long-fiber bundle (3) has been cut by linear cut sections (24), each linear cut section (24) being formed in a region between adjacent sheet-joining sections (21). Each long-fiber bundle (3) includes cut fibers (311) and uncut fibers (312).

Abstract: A developer storage container includes a container main body, a tubular portion projecting from the container main body, and a rotary member extending from the container main body to the tubular portion. The rotary member includes a first section located in the container main body and a second section located in the tubular portion. A first conveying member for conveying developer in a first conveying direction is arranged on the second section of a rotary shaft, and a second conveying member for conveying the developer in a second conveying direction is arranged radially outwardly of the first conveying member around the first section. A first flexible member radially extending to a side outward of the second conveying member and a second flexible member radially extending to a side outward of the second conveying member and having a shorter length than the first flexible member are mounted on the rotary shaft.

Abstract: A developing device of this disclosure has: a housing, a developing roller, a developer conveying path, a partition board, a second communication path, a developer receiving port, a first conveying member, a second conveying member, and a conveyance capability inhibition part. A toner is cyclically conveyed in a first conveying path and a second conveying path. A first stirring screw is disposed in the first conveying path and driven into ration around a first rotation axis for toner conveyance. Formed downstream of the first stirring screw by the conveyance capability inhibition part is a toner accumulation part, and the amount of toner refilled from a toner refill port is adjusted. Where an aperture area of the first communication path is A1 and a circular area formed by an outer circumferential edge of the first stirring screw in section orthogonal to the first rotation axis is A2, relationship 0.5×A2<A1<1.2×A2 is satisfied.

Abstract: A developing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a developing roller, a development housing, a first agitating screw, a toner supply inlet, a downstream-side reduction wall, and an upstream-side reduction wall. The developing roller is driven to rotate in the development housing, and carries toner on the circumferential surface thereof. Toner is circulated and conveyed in a first conveying path and a second conveying path in the development housing. The first agitating screw is disposed in the first conveying path, and conveys toner in a first direction. The downstream-side reduction wall is disposed downstream of the toner supply inlet. Further, the upstream-side reduction wall is disposed upstream of the toner supply inlet. An accumulation portion for toner is formed downstream and upstream of the toner supply inlet due to the downstream-side reduction wall and the upstream-side reduction wall.

Abstract: A VVT has a movable restriction member and a restriction slot. When the restriction member is in a projected position, the VVT is variable in a restricted range to which the restriction member can be rotatable within the restriction slot. When the restriction member is in a retracted position, the VVT is variable in a range wider than the restricted range. When a condition where the restriction member shall be projected is satisfied, if the variable range of the VVT reaches beyond the restricted range, the device determines that the restriction member is stuck at the retracted position. When a condition where the restriction member shall be retracted is satisfied, if the variable range of the VVT is restricted in the restricted range, the device determines that the restriction member is stuck at the projected position.

Abstract: A laminate (6) is prepared by superposing a fibrous web (1a), (1b) containing fibers comprising polyethylene terephthalate on one side or both sides of a net-form sheet (4); water needling the fibrous web (1a), (1b) to entangle the fibers of the fibrous web (1a), (1b) with each other, and also to entangle the fibers of the fibrous web (1a), (1b) with the net-form sheet (4); and then, blowing hot air having a temperature above the glass transition temperature (Tg (° C.)) of the polyethylene terephthalate and below “Tg (° C.)+70° C.” to the laminate (6) by through-air technique. Preferably, after preparing the laminate (6) by entangling the fibers of the fibrous web(s) (1a), (1b) with the net-form sheet (4), the laminate (6) is dried with hot air; and then hot air is blown to the laminate (6) by through-air technique.