Abstract: A powder container includes a container body, a cap, a shutter, and an information storage medium. The store powder in the container body and is detachably attachable to an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus in an attachment direction. The cap has a through hole having an entrance at a downstream end of the through hole in the attachment direction and covers a portion of the container body. The shutter is fittable to the through hole and openably closes the through hole in response to an attachment and a detachment of the container body to and from the apparatus body. The information storage medium is on the cap, is disposed downstream from the entrance of the through hole in the attachment direction, and is electrically communicable with the image forming apparatus in response to the attachment of the container body to the apparatus body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a developing device, a motor, and circuitry. The developing device includes a screw and a developing roller. The screw stirs and conveys a developer. The developing roller bears the developer stirred and conveyed by the screw, brings the developer into contact with the image bearer, and develops an electrostatic latent image on the image bearer. The motor drives the developing device at multiple process speeds. The circuitry is configured to cause the motor to drive the screw and the developing roller before the developing roller starts developing the electrostatic latent image on the image bearer and adjust a drive time of the motor based on a process speed in a previous printing and a process speed in a next printing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a developing device, a motor, and circuitry. The developing device includes a screw and a developing roller. The screw stirs and conveys a developer. The developing roller bears the developer stirred and conveyed by the screw, brings the developer into contact with the image bearer, and develops an electrostatic latent image on the image bearer. The motor drives the developing device at multiple process speeds. The circuitry is configured to cause the motor to drive the screw and the developing roller before the developing roller starts developing the electrostatic latent image on the image bearer and adjust a drive time of the motor based on a process speed in a previous printing and a process speed in a next printing.

Abstract: A developer accommodating device includes a rotator including a rotation shaft, a collar that rotates together with the rotation shaft, and a bearing rotatably supporting the rotation shaft via the collar. The rotation shaft includes a resin material, and collar including a metal material. The collar includes a collar main portion to be in sliding contact with the bearing, and a flange portion closer to a center of the rotator in an axial direction of the rotator than the collar main portion. The collar main portion has a first outer diameter, and the flange portion has a second outer diameter greater than the first outer diameter of the collar main portion.

Abstract: A powder container case includes a first member, a second member, a main joint, and an additional joint. The first member and the second member are joined to form an edge portion of a case opening. The main joint is disposed between the first member and the second member, and has an end portion at the edge portion of the case opening. The additional joint is disposed adjacent to the end portion of the main joint.

Abstract: A developer accommodating device includes a rotator including a rotation shaft, a collar that rotates together with the rotation shaft, and a bearing rotatably supporting the rotation shaft via the collar. The rotation shaft includes a resin material, and collar including a metal material. The collar includes a collar main portion to be in sliding contact with the bearing, and a flange portion closer to a center of the rotator in an axial direction of the rotator than the collar main portion. The collar main portion has a first outer diameter, and the flange portion has a second outer diameter greater than the first outer diameter of the collar main portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a rotation shaft, a developing device, and a supply portion. The developing device includes a developing device main portion that rotates around the rotation shaft between a developing position and a retracted position and includes a developer, a developer bearer to face or be away from the image bearer depending on whether the developing device main portion is at the developing position or the retracted position, a replenishment portion having a replenishment port with an opposite surface formed by an arc drawn around the rotation shaft to replenish the developer, and a non-rotating portion. The supply portion has a supply port with an opposite surface formed by an arc drawn around the rotation shaft and facing the opposite surface of the replenishment port. The supply port communicates the replenishment port and supplies the developer to the developing device through the replenishment port.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer conveyer, a bearing, a flange, and a developer mover. The developer conveyer is rotatable and configured to convey a developer. The bearing rotatably supports a support shaft of the developer conveyer. The flange is disposed at an end portion of the developer conveyor to regulate a movement of the developer in an axial direction of the developer conveyer. The developer mover is disposed on a surface of the flange facing the bearing and configured to move the developer that enters between the flange and the bearing.

Abstract: A powder container case includes a first member, a second member, a main joint, and an additional joint. The first member and the second member are joined to form an edge portion of a case opening. The main joint is disposed between the first member and the second member, and has an end portion at the edge portion of the case opening. The additional joint is disposed adjacent to the end portion of the main joint.

Abstract: A developer container includes a plurality of components combined together to form a space to store a developer. The plurality of components includes a first component and a second component. The developer container further includes a sealant to bond the first component and the second component, and a position regulator to regulate relative positions of the first component and the second component so as to maintain a distance between an adhesion portion of the first component and an adhesion portion of the second component.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device including at least one stirring rotator configured to stir a developer in the developing device, a driver configured to drive the at least one stirring rotator in forward and reverse rotation, a device detector configured to detect whether the developing device is set in the image forming apparatus, and control circuitry configured to execute a warm-up operation. In the warm-up operation, the driver drives the at least one stirring rotator alternately in the reverse rotation and the forward rotation in response to a detection of setting of the developing device in the image forming apparatus by the device detector and a detection of a predetermined condition.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a rotation shaft, a developing device, and a supply portion. The developing device includes a developing device main portion that rotates around the rotation shaft between a developing position and a retracted position and includes a developer, a developer bearer to face or be away from the image bearer depending on whether the developing device main portion is at the developing position or the retracted position, a replenishment portion having a replenishment port with an opposite surface formed by an arc drawn around the rotation shaft to replenish the developer, and a non-rotating portion. The supply portion has a supply port with an opposite surface formed by an arc drawn around the rotation shaft and facing the opposite surface of the replenishment port. The supply port communicates the replenishment port and supplies the developer to the developing device through the replenishment port.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer conveyer, a bearing, a flange, and a developer mover. The developer conveyer is rotatable and configured to convey a developer. The bearing rotatably supports a support shaft of the developer conveyer. The flange is disposed at an end portion of the developer conveyor to regulate a movement of the developer in an axial direction of the developer conveyer. The developer mover is disposed on a surface of the flange facing the bearing and configured to move the developer that enters between the flange and the bearing.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing roller, a cover to cover the developing roller from above the developing roller, a filter to cover a vent of the cover to filter air and collect toner passing through the vent, and a pressing member engaged with the cover in which the filter is installed. The cover includes a projecting support to support the filter. The pressing member holds the filter between the pressing member and the cover. The projecting support is projected from one end toward the other end of the vent in a transverse direction of the vent at a part of the cover in a longitudinal direction of the developing roller to block the vent, and cantilevered on the one end. A gap is provided between a tip of the projecting support and an inner edge of the cover on the other end.

Abstract: A developer container includes a plurality of components combined together to form a space to store a developer. The plurality of components includes a first component and a second component. The developer container further includes a sealant to bond the first component and the second component, and a position regulator to regulate relative positions of the first component and the second component so as to maintain a distance between an adhesion portion of the first component and an adhesion portion of the second component.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device including at least one stirring rotator configured to stir a developer in the developing device, a driver configured to drive the at least one stirring rotator in forward and reverse rotation, a device detector configured to detect whether the developing device is set in the image forming apparatus, and control circuitry configured to execute a warm-up operation. In the warm-up operation, the driver drives the at least one stirring rotator alternately in the reverse rotation and the forward rotation in response to a detection of setting of the developing device in the image forming apparatus by the device detector and a detection of a predetermined condition.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing roller, a cover to cover the developing roller from above the developing roller, a filter to cover a vent of the cover to filter air and collect toner passing through the vent, and a pressing member engaged with the cover in which the filter is installed. The cover includes a projecting support to support the filter. The pressing member holds the filter between the pressing member and the cover. The projecting support is projected from one end toward the other end of the vent in a transverse direction of the vent at a part of the cover in a longitudinal direction of the developing roller to block the vent, and cantilevered on the one end. A gap is provided between a tip of the projecting support and an inner edge of the cover on the other end.

Abstract: An information processing system includes one or more information processing apparatuses for determining lifetimes of components, to be replaced by preventive maintenance, of respective electric devices. The information processing system includes a leading variable specifying unit configured to specify, based on variables that represent use states of the electric devices and failure data of the electric devices which have been obtained from the electric devices, a plurality of leading variables relevant to the lifetimes of the components; a lifetime matrix creating unit configured to classify a plurality of values of each of the leading variables into sections to create a lifetime matrix in which the lifetimes of the components are set with respect to combinations of the sections each of which relates to a different leading variable; and a lifetime outputting unit configured to determine the lifetimes of the components with respect to the respective electric devices.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a charging, a charge power supply to supply a charging bias to the charging device, a developing device, a toner adhesion amount detector, an environment detector, and a controller to determine whether to execute a charging bias adjustment process in which the charging device charges the image bearer to have different potentials, the developing device supplies the toner to the image bearer according to the different potentials, the toner adhesion amount detector detects the amount of toner adhering to the image bearer, and the controller adjusts the charging. The controller includes a memory device to store the environment data, and is configured to compare the environment data with previous environment data stored in the memory device, and determine not to execute the charging bias adjustment process when an environment change amount is not greater than a threshold.

Abstract: An information processing system includes one or more information processing apparatuses for determining lifetimes of components, to be replaced by preventive maintenance, of respective electric devices. The information processing system includes a leading variable specifying unit configured to specify, based on variables that represent use states of the electric devices and failure data of the electric devices which have been obtained from the electric devices, a plurality of leading variables relevant to the lifetimes of the components; a lifetime matrix creating unit configured to classify a plurality of values of each of the leading variables into sections to create a lifetime matrix in which the lifetimes of the components are set with respect to combinations of the sections each of which relates to a different leading variable; and a lifetime outputting unit configured to determine the lifetimes of the components with respect to the respective electric devices.