Abstract: A pulverization/classification apparatus including a cylindrical vessel having an inner wall, on a surface of which a layer including a release agent is located; a pulverizer configured to pulverize a material such as toner raw materials in the cylindrical vessel using a compressed air to prepare a particulate material; and a classifier configured to classify the particulate toner material to prepare a powder of the material. Alternatively, the inner wall of the cylindrical vessel has a circumferentially projected portion. A method for manufacturing a powder such as toners using the pulverization/classification apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: A method for producing a low-cost developer container filled with developer, which is capable of stably preventing image density from being locally reduced even in the case where the entire replenishment developer is not dispersed uniformly, the developer container filled with developer, and a developer replenishing device and image forming apparatus that use this developer container filled with developer.

Abstract: A conveying device includes a guiding member that has a contact portion that comes into contact with an inner peripheral surface of a conveying belt in which a plurality of suction holes is formed, and an endless conveying belt that has ridges to hold a recording medium lest the recording medium come into contact with the suction holes. A plurality of slits is formed in the contact portion to attract the recording medium to the endless conveying belt through the suction holes. The slits are formed to prevent the conveying belt from falling in the slits when the conveying belt is pressed due to suction.

Abstract: A developing agent storage device for storing a refill developing agent includes toner particles, carrier particles, an inner layer of the developing agent storage device. The toner particles and carrier particles compose the refill developing agent. The inner layer is provided as a wall contacting the refill developing agent. An electrostatic chargeability level of the toner particles, the carrier particles, and the inner layer is set in an order of toner, inner layer, and carrier from any one of a negative charge side and a positive charge side.

Abstract: A developing device that can be mounted to and dismounted from a mounting and dismounting section provided in an image forming apparatus main unit, the developing device includes: a developing device main unit; a positioning member for positioning the developing device main unit with respect to the mounting and dismounting section by engaging the mounting and dismounting section when the developing device is mounted to the mounting and dismounting section, the positioning member being fixed on a one end side in a longitudinal direction of the developing device main unit; a coupling member that is to be coupled to the mounting and dismounting section when the developing device is mounted to the mounting and dismounting section, the coupling member being attached to the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the developing device main unit in such a manner that its relative position to the developing device main unit can be changed; and an element capable of communication in a noncontacting manner with

Abstract: A method for loading a replenishment developer into a developer accommodating container such that when the replenishment of the replenishment developer inside the loaded developer accommodating container is started, the developer composed of a toner and a carrier, or a toner is discharged from a developer discharge port of the developer accommodating container, wherein when a premix toner that is a replenishment developer composed of a replenishment toner and a replenishment carrier is loaded into a toner bottle serving as the developer accommodating container, the replenishment carrier is loaded and then the replenishment toner is loaded.

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: An image forming apparatus and process cartridge that achieves extended operating life of a two-component developer without generating such problems as toner scattering, etc. either in the initial period or over time. The gap between the image support member and the developer support member is set to 0.3±0.1 mm. A substance having a resin cover layer on the surface of a core material is used as the carrier. The resin cover layer provides a conductive covering layer having a tin dioxide layer on the surface of base particles and an indium oxide layer, and contains conductive particles formed such that the oil adsorption is 10 to 300 mL/100 g. A substance that provides a bonding resin including a hybrid resin having vinyl polymers and polyester polymers is used as the toner. The amount of hybrid resin contained in relation to the amount of releasing agent is set to the range of 0.5 to 3.

Abstract: An electrostatic latent image is formed on an image carrier. A plurality of development cartridges include toner and are adapted to face the image carrier at a development position, respectively. The development cartridges cause the toner to adhere onto the image carrier to develop the electrostatic latent image as a toner image. A development device is configured to be rotatable around an rotational axis thereof. The development device houses the plurality of development cartridges around the rotational axis. A duct includes an inlet port through which air in the vicinity of the development position is sucked and an outlet port from which the sucked air is exhausted to the outside of the image forming apparatus. The duct covers an outer peripheral surface of the development device.

Abstract: An improved developing device for developing latent images to toner images is provided for stabilizing the amount of the developer on the developing bearing member, in which the amount of toner particles consumed in one second for the development process “a” (mg/sec) and circumferential velocity of the surface of the developer bearing member “b” (m/sec) are arranged to satisfy the following relationships (1) and (2) at the condition in which the amount of the developer after 20 hours of rotation of the developer bearing member exceeds the amount of the developer before rotation: 45 mg/m<a/b??(1) a/b<110 mg/m??(2).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes (A) an image forming section, (B) a document reading section, and (C) a controller. The image forming section is for forming an image. The document reading section is capable of reading a document concurrently with an operation of the image forming section. The document reading section reads the document by successively shifting a reading position. The controller lowers a speed for shifting the reading position in the document reading section when the image forming section carries out a predetermined operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and process cartridge that achieves extended operating life of a two-component developer without generating such problems as toner scattering, etc. either in the initial period or over time. The gap between the image support member and the developer support member is set to 0.3±0.1 mm. A substance having a resin cover layer on the surface of a core material is used as the carrier. The resin cover layer provides a conductive covering layer comprising a tin dioxide layer on the surface of base particles and an indium oxide layer, and comprises conductive particles formed such that the oil adsorption is 10 to 300 mL/100 g. A substance that provides a bonding resin comprising a hybrid resin having vinyl polymers and polyester polymers is used as the toner. The amount of hybrid resin contained in relation to the amount of releasing agent is set to the range of 0.5 to 3.

Abstract: In a developing device of the present invention, the ratio of the volume of a two-ingredient type developer to the capacity of a space storing the developer is selected to range from 40% to 75%. A carrier, forming part of the developer, is made up of a core and a resinous coating layer formed on the core. The resinous coating layer contains conductive particles each having a tin dioxide layer formed on a core and an indium oxide layer formed on the tin dioxide layer and containing tin dioxide. The conductive particles are provided with an oil absorbing amount ranging from 10 ml/100 g to 300 ml/100 g.

Abstract: A toner is proposed which includes toner particles and a fluidity-imparting agent and which has characteristics that when the toner is sieved with a 500-mesh sieve, the residue of the toner on the sieve has a circularity of from 0.93 to 0.97 and when 100 g of the toner is sieved with a 500-mesh sieve, the residue of the toner on the sieve has a weight not greater than 10 mg. The toner is for use in an electrophotographic image formation method using an intermediate image transfer method. A full-color image formation method, using this toner, and an image formation apparatus in which this toner is used are also proposed.

Abstract: An electrostatic latent image is formed on an image carrier. A plurality of development cartridges include toner and are adapted to face the image carrier at a development position, respectively. The development cartridges cause the toner to adhere onto the image carrier to develop the electrostatic latent image as a toner image. A development device is configured to be rotatable around an rotational axis thereof. The development device houses the plurality of development cartridges around the rotational axis. A duct includes an inlet port through which air in the vicinity of the development position is sucked and an outlet port from which the sucked air is exhausted to the outside of the image forming apparatus. The duct covers an outer peripheral surface of the development device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus where during the image forming operation, the completion of development by one of development cartridges is followed by the rotation of a rotary for setting the next development cartridge to a development position. The rotational speed v of the rotary is increased linearly to the maximum speed vmax and, after that, is decreased linearly to stop the rotary when the next development cartridge reaches the development position. During replacement of the development cartridge, the rotary is rotated to set the development cartridge to be replaced to the replacement position. The rotational speed of the rotary is set to be a constant speed v1 in a region other than a contact region where an input gear of the development side is in contact with a driving gear of the fixed side and a speed lower than the speed v1 in the contact region (the minimum speed v2).

Abstract: A rotary developing apparatus having a plurality of developing devices mounted along the outer periphery of a cylindrical rotary unit. A first gear train for connecting the rotary unit to a drive source to rotate the rotary unit. A second gear train for connecting a developing roller of a developing device revolved and stopped at a developing position, as a result of the rotary unit being rotationally driven, to the drive source to rotate the developing roller. The rotary unit and the developing roller are rotated with the same motor used as the drive source by switching between the connections of the gear trains, thereby rapidly damping vibration generated by the rotation of the rotary unit and vibration generated by the rotation of the developing roller, and thus eliminating image defects due to displacement, etc.

Abstract: A rotary developing apparatus having a plurality of developing devices mounted along the outer periphery of a cylindrical rotary unit 2 includes a first gear train 81, 6 and 21 for connecting the rotary unit to a drive source 8 to rotate the rotary unit 2, a second gear train 81, 7, 5 and 4 for connecting a developing roller 3 of a developing device revolved and stopped at a developing position, as a result of the rotary unit 2 being rotationally driven, to the drive source 8 to rotate the developing roller 3, and a drive switching means 9 for switching between the first gear train and the second gear train to connect either of them to the drive source 8.

Abstract: A rotary developing apparatus having a plurality of developing devices mounted along the outer periphery of a cylindrical rotary unit. A first gear train for connecting the rotary unit to a drive source to rotate the rotary unit. A second gear train for connecting a developing roller of a developing device revolved and stopped at a developing position, as a result of the rotary unit being rotationally driven, to the drive source to rotate the developing roller. The rotary unit and the developing roller are rotated with the same motor used as the drive source by switching between the connections of the gear trains, thereby rapidly damping vibration generated by the rotation of the rotary unit and vibration generated by the rotation of the developing roller, and thus eliminating image defects due to displacement, etc.

Abstract: A toner is proposed which includes toner particles and a fluidity-imparting agent and have such characteristics that the toner particles has an average circularity of 0.93 to 0.97, and that a residue of the toner is in an amount of 10 mg or less when 100 g of the toner is sieved with a 500-mesh sieve, which toner is for use in an electrophotographic image formation method using an intermediate image transfer method. A full-color image formation method, using this toner, and an image formation apparatus in which this toner is used are also proposed.