Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a container body, and an electrostatic capacitance sensor. The container body contains a liquid and is placed on a ground surface which is a part of the housing. The electrostatic capacitance sensor detects a change in capacitance between a side surface of the container body and the ground surface to determine a change in quantity of the liquid in the container body. The top surface of the container body is a part of the housing. The top surface and the ground surface are in electrically conductive state, a distance between the top surface and the electrostatic capacitance sensor is longer than a distance between the ground surface and the electrostatic capacitance sensor, or the top surface and the ground surface are electrically insulated, or the top surface is opened.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a container body, and an electrostatic capacitance sensor. The container body contains a liquid and is placed on a ground surface which is a part of the housing. The electrostatic capacitance sensor detects a change in capacitance between a side surface of the container body and the ground surface to determine a change in quantity of the liquid in the container body. The top surface of the container body is a part of the housing. The top surface and the ground surface are in electrically conductive state, a distance between the top surface and the electrostatic capacitance sensor is longer than a distance between the ground surface and the electrostatic capacitance sensor, or the top surface and the ground surface are electrically insulated, or the top surface is opened.

Abstract: A wipe unit of the present disclosure includes a wiper, a wiper carriage, a wiper fixing member and a recovery tray. The recovery tray is arranged below the wiper, and includes a tray surface that recovers the ink wiped off with the wiper. The tray surface is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane, and makes the recovered ink flow in a predetermined direction so as to collect the recovered ink. The wiping portion is formed with the wiper and the wiper fixing member, and the wiping portion includes an ink drop portion which drops the ink wiped off with the wiper to the tray surface. The ink drop portion is formed such that the length thereof in a width direction orthogonal to the wiping direction is reduced as the ink drop portion is extended downward.

Abstract: A wipe unit of the present disclosure includes a wiper, a wiper carriage, a wiper fixing member and a recovery tray. The recovery tray is arranged below the wiper, and includes a tray surface that recovers the ink wiped off with the wiper. The tray surface is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane, and makes the recovered ink flow in a predetermined direction so as to collect the recovered ink. The wiping portion is formed with the wiper and the wiper fixing member, and the wiping portion includes an ink drop portion which drops the ink wiped off with the wiper to the tray surface. The ink drop portion is formed such that the length thereof in a width direction orthogonal to the wiping direction is reduced as the ink drop portion is extended downward.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing roller, a housing, and a film member. A side opening provided in the housing communicates with a suction device at an end in a rotation axis direction of the developing roller. A downstream cover portion of the housing covers the developing roller from a downstream side in a rotation direction of the image carrying member. Concave portions of the downstream cover portion and a portion of a film member bonded to the downstream cover portion form ducts that communicate from openings facing the image carrying member to the side opening.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a body, a photoreceptor unit, and a developing unit. The developing unit includes a first attaching/detaching lever that moves a developing sleeve from a first position to a second position by lifting the first attaching/detaching lever. The photoreceptor unit includes a second attaching/detaching lever that moves the developing sleeve from the first position to the second position by lifting the second attaching/detaching lever. The photoreceptor unit and the developing unit move the developing sleeve to the second position by lifting the first or second attaching/detaching lever so that the photoreceptor unit and the developing unit are individually detached from the body.

Abstract: A developing device of the present disclosure includes a developing roller, a toner supply roller, a regulation blade, a casing, a toner receiving support member, a toner receiving member, a vibration generation unit, and a vibration inhibition member. The toner receiving support member is disposed in the casing so as to be opposed to the developing roller or the toner supply roller in an area between the regulation blade and an image carrier. The toner receiving member has a toner receiving surface that receives toner dropping from the developing roller, and is supported so as to be swingable about an end edge thereof on a toner supply roller side as a fulcrum. In a state where the toner receiving member is not vibrating, the vibration inhibition member is in contact with each of both end portions of the toner receiving surface in a longitudinal direction thereof.

Abstract: A developing device according to the present disclosure includes a developer container, a duct, a duct coupling portion and a handle portion, and is removable with respect to an image forming apparatus. The duct is formed in the developer container and sucks floating toner together with air within the developer container. The duct coupling portion is formed at an end of the duct and is coupled to a toner suction portion of the image forming apparatus. The handle portion is formed in the shape of a flat plate and is formed to protrude from immediately below the duct coupling portion in a horizontal direction. A hollow portion is formed within the handle portion. A through hole is formed in a portion of an upper surface of the handle portion that is protruded as compared with an opening surface of the duct coupling portion and communicates with the hollow portion.

Abstract: A developing device according to the present disclosure includes a developer container, a duct, a duct coupling portion and a handle portion, and is removable with respect to an image forming apparatus. The duct is formed in the developer container and sucks floating toner together with air within the developer container. The duct coupling portion is formed at an end of the duct and is coupled to a toner suction portion of the image forming apparatus. The handle portion is formed in the shape of a flat plate and is formed to protrude from immediately below the duct coupling portion in a horizontal direction. A hollow portion is formed within the handle portion. A through hole is formed in a portion of an upper surface of the handle portion that is protruded as compared with an opening surface of the duct coupling portion and communicates with the hollow portion.

Abstract: A developing device of the present disclosure includes a developing roller, a toner supply roller, a regulation blade, a casing, a toner receiving support member, a toner receiving member, a vibration generation unit, and a vibration inhibition member. The toner receiving support member is disposed in the casing so as to be opposed to the developing roller or the toner supply roller in an area between the regulation blade and an image carrier. The toner receiving member has a toner receiving surface that receives toner dropping from the developing roller, and is supported so as to be swingable about an end edge thereof on a toner supply roller side as a fulcrum. In a state where the toner receiving member is not vibrating, the vibration inhibition member is in contact with each of both end portions of the toner receiving surface in a longitudinal direction thereof.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a body, a photoreceptor unit, and a developing unit. The developing unit includes a first attaching/detaching lever that moves a developing sleeve from a first position to a second position by lifting the first attaching/detaching lever. The photoreceptor unit includes a second attaching/detaching lever that moves the developing sleeve from the first position to the second position by lifting the second attaching/detaching lever. The photoreceptor unit and the developing unit move the developing sleeve to the second position by lifting the first or second attaching/detaching lever so that the photoreceptor unit and the developing unit are individually detached from the body.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing roller, a housing, and a film member. A side opening provided in the housing communicates with a suction device at an end in a rotation axis direction of the developing roller. A downstream cover portion of the housing covers the developing roller from a downstream side in a rotation direction of the image carrying member. Concave portions of the downstream cover portion and a portion of a film member bonded to the downstream cover portion form ducts that communicate from openings facing the image carrying member to the side opening.

Abstract: A developing unit in an image forming apparatus includes a bearing unit, a first biasing device, a shaft member, and a second biasing device. The bearing unit rotatably supports the respective end portions of the developing roller and the magnetic roller. The first biasing device biases the bearing unit in a direction to cause the developing roller to move toward the image carrier. The shaft member causes the bearing unit to swing by moving in a front-back direction. The second biasing device biases the shaft member in a forward direction. A cover unit of the image forming apparatus presses the shaft member backward by pivoting from an open position to a closed position, and draws out the shaft member in the forward direction by pivoting from the closed position to the open position.

Abstract: A toner collecting unit includes a housing, an inlet, a first fan, a lower duct, a first filter, and an oscillation motor. The inlet is provided in the housing. Toner flows into the inlet together with an air flow. The first fan is arranged in the interior of the housing and is configured to suck the air flow flowing from the inlet and to exhaust the air outside the housing. The lower duct guides the air flow upward from below. The first filter is arranged in an upper part of the lower duct so that its approach surface, which the air flow enters, faces downward.

Abstract: An image forming unit includes a charging roller, a cleaning roller, a bush member, and a shifting mechanism. A first journal portion of the bush member allows the charging roller to shift in a direction of abutment against and separation from a photosensitive drum and journals the charging roller with play in the direction of abutment and separation when the charging roller is free from nip with the photosensitive drum. When the charging roller forms a nip with the photosensitive drum by the movement of the bush member actuated by the shifting mechanism, the first journal portion journals the charging roller so that the charging roller is pressed by the photosensitive drum to shift to a position within the first journal portion close to the cleaning roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a housing, a photosensitive drum, a cleaning blade, a contact portion, and a contacted portion. The housing and drum are disposed in an internal space of the main body. The blade is a plate-shaped elastic member extending in an axial direction of a rotational axis of the drum, is supported by the housing, and contacts a circumferential surface of the drum for cleaning. The contact portion is disposed opposite the housing in the main body. The contacted portion is disposed at a center portion, in the axial direction, of the housing and is contacted by the contact portion. A position of the center portion, in the axial direction, of the housing is adjusted in a cross section intersecting the axial direction by the housing being inserted into the internal space and the contact portion coming into contact with the contacted portion.

Abstract: A toner collector includes a housing, an inlet port, a fan, a discharge port, a first upstream side filter, and a downstream side filter. The inlet port is opened in the housing. The fan is disposed in the housing, and intakes and discharges the airflow having flowed in through the inlet port. The discharge port is provided to the fan. The first upstream side filter is disposed on an upstream side of the fan in a direction of the airflow, and captures the toner and allows passage of the airflow. The downstream side filter is disposed on a downstream side of the discharge port in the direction of the airflow, and allows passage of the airflow discharged from the discharge port and captures the toner. The downstream side filter has a larger cross-sectional area of a cross section perpendicular to the direction of the airflow than the discharge port.

Abstract: A photosensitive drum has a drum sleeve and a pair of drum flanges. At least one of the pair of drum flanges each has a flange part, a retaining part, and a linking part. The flange part is fitted to the drum sleeve. The retaining part, which is located inward of the flange part in the axial direction of the drum sleeve, pivotably supports a shaft that rotates the photosensitive drum. Openings are formed between the flange part and the retaining part in a direction intersecting the axial direction. An air flow enters the interior of the photosensitive drum from the openings.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a case, a rotating member, a sheet member, and a cover member. The rotating member includes a peripheral face which comes into contact with the cylindrical face of an image carrier, is rotatively driven in a same direction as the image carrier at a contact position, and recovers a toner which has attached on the image carrier. The sheet member extends toward a direction approaching a straight line that connects the rotating axis of the image carrier and the contact position of the rotating member, and includes a leading end which comes into contact with the cylindrical face. The cover member is provided in the case so as to cover an upside of the sheet member, extends toward the direction approaching the straight line, and reaches a position above the leading end of the sheet member.