Abstract: Since a large part of an outer tube is made of light alloy such as aluminum, plating on a surface of the outer tube sometimes peels off. Thus, the surface of the outer tube is generally painted. However, a problem is presented in the external appearance of the outer tube due to painting. A structure of a front fork includes an outer tube into which an inner tube is movably inserted in an axial direction thereof. A stepped part is formed in the outer tube with a third elastic member fitted to the stepped part. A tube cover includes a lower portion which is supported by the third elastic member. Since an outer surface of the tube cover covering the outer tube is plated, the external appearance can be enhanced. Even if the outer tube has a rough surface, light metal castings or forgings can be used.

Abstract: An image apparatus comprising a toner supplying device; a toner receiving device; a first toner conduit communicating with the toner receiving device to feed a toner supplied from the toner supplying device; a first feeding device which forms an air stream to feed the toner through the first toner conduit; and a detector which monitors abnormality condition in the course of toner supplying in the apparatus.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming section, a recording material storing section, a sheet feeding and conveying section provided sideward of the recording material storing section, a toner reservoir section provided on a side opposite to the sheet feeding and conveying section, a toner separation section provided upward of the developing device to separate the toner, a supply pipe for interconnecting the toner reservoir section and the toner separation section to supply the toner, a collection pipe for interconnecting the toner reservoir section and the toner separation section to collect the toner, a first fluid conveyance device provided on the supply pipe between the toner reservoir section and the toner separation section for conveying a supply fluid, and a second fluid conveyance device provided on the collection pipe between the toner reservoir section and the toner separation section for conveying a collection fluid.

Abstract: A developing device has a rotary developer carrier, a rotary developer supply and collection member, a first and second rotary developer stirring members for stirring the developer while conveying and circulating the developer between them in the direction opposite to each other and having the same developer conveyance power, and a third rotary developer stirring member having a zero conveyance power in the rotary axis direction, which are provided in a housing in parallel with each other in this order in the direction to leave a latent image carrier. A toner replenishment inlet is provided at an upper part where the second and third stirring members face each other, and on an upstream side of the second stirring member in the developer conveyance direction, and the second and third stirring members are rotated downwardly at the position where both developer stirring members face each other.

Abstract: The developer agitating member has a shaft portion, a spiral rib and an inclined rib protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion and provided in the spiral rib in the axial direction of the shaft portion. As a result, in a developing apparatus, a process cartridge and an image forming apparatus, the developer agitating member can efficiently agitate and convey a developer.

Abstract: A toner supplying apparatus for feeding a toner to a developing device to develop a latent image on an image bearing member. The apparatus includes: a toner separating member communicating to the developing device, to separate the toner from the mixed fluid containing the toner and an air stream; a separating side flow control mechanism disposed between the toner separating member and the developing device; a wall to cover at least a portion of the flow control mechanism, having a clearance therebetween; and an after-separation storage to store the toner separated from the mixed fluid.

Abstract: This invention relates to a toner replenishing method including the steps of conveying, from a toner storing section which forms a fluid mixture of toner and air, the fluid mixture to a toner separating section provided away from the toner storing section through toner supplying fluid conveying system, separating the toner from air in the toner separating section, and supplying the toner from the toner separating section to a developing unit, and a toner replenishing unit which practices the toner replenishing method. The toner replenishing method of the invention further includes the step of returning part of air separated from the toner from the toner separating section to the toner storing section by using a returning fluid conveying system. The toner replenishing unit of the present invention includes a returning fluid conveying system between the toner storing section and the toner separating section.

Abstract: A license light for a two-wheeled vehicle capable of uniformly illuminating a display plane of a license plate. A lamp main body is supported in a light housing portion of a light cover mounted to a license plate mounting portion of a rear fender. The lamp main body is configured such that a lamp fixed to a base via a socket is covered with a lens. A prism is provided on an upper surface portion of the lens through which light emitted from the lamp is directed for illuminating a display plane of the license plate. The prism is formed by arraying a plurality of prism elements, each of which is directed in a direction parallel to the center line of a vehicular body, in a direction perpendicular to the center line direction. The light emitted from the lamp is uniformly diffused by the prism, so that the license light is uniformly illuminated with the light with a uniform brightness.

Abstract: A winker device for providing protection for a winker cord and a light-emitting device. The winker device includes a winker holder mounted on a front fork member of a motorcycle, a winker supported on an outer side of the winker holder by a winker support base, and a winker cord extending from the winker holder. The winker holder includes a pair of front and rear holder members. The winker cord is inserted through a cord insertion hole defined in the holder members and is exposed out of the winker holder inwardly of the front fork member. The winker device also includes a light-emitting device body with front and side light-emitting faces that are capable of emitting light. A cover covers only a portion of the light-emitting side face of the light-emitting body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of developing devices, each of which includes a developer carrying member for carrying a developer to develop an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member with a developer, and a developer regulating member for regulating the developer carried on the developer carrying member; common voltage applying means for applying voltages to the developer regulating members, wherein the voltages applied to the developer carrying members are variable independently from each other, and when at least one of the voltages varies, the voltage applied by said voltage applying means is capable of being changed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of developing devices each including a developer carrying member for carrying a developer to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on an image bearing member, and a developer regulating member for regulating the developer carried on the developer carrying member; common voltage applying means for applying a common voltage to the plurality of develop our regulating members, wherein a first one of the developer carrying members is rotating, and a second one of the developer carrying members is not rotating, a potential difference between the second developer carrying member and the common voltage is smaller than a voltage difference between the first developer carrying member and the common voltage.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a first dirt separation unit and a second dirt separation unit. The first dirt separation unit has a first inlet port through which a suction air stream including dirt particles is introduced thereinto, and the second dirt separation unit has a second inlet port through which the air stream introduced into the first dirt separation unit is introduced into the second dirt separation. The first and the second inlet port are disposed such that they are not registered with each other. Accordingly, the dirt particles suctioned are separated in two stages, thereby decreasing the possibility of occlusion of a filter and rapid deterioration of a suction force.

Abstract: A toner conveyance device for conveying toner particles including: a toner mixing unit having a toner introducing portion to introduce toner particles, for mixing the toner particles from the toner introducing portion with air to make a toner fluid; a first conveyor for receiving the toner fluid in the toner mixing unit and conveying; a toner separation unit for separating the toner fluid conveyed by the first conveyor into air and toner particles, the toner separation unit having a toner discharging portion for discharging the separated toner particles to an outside; a second conveyor for conveying the air separated by the toner separation unit back to the toner mixing unit; and a tightly closed circulation path of air, formed starting at the toner mixing unit which leads to the toner separation unit through the first conveyor and returning back to the toner mixing unit through the second conveyor.

Abstract: To provide a meter cover structure capable of enhancing the visibility of a meter, and preventing, even if an object comes in contact with a meter cover, the meter from being damaged by the contact with the object. A meter cover structure includes a meter, and a meter cover disposed over a fuel tank. The meter cover has an opening portion in which the meter is disposed. A chamfer portion having a linear cross-section tilted downwardly toward the front side is formed at an edge portion, on the rear side of the opening portion, of the meter cover. An upper surface portion of the meter is tilted such that a tilting angle of the upper surface portion of the meter with respect to the chamfer portion of the meter cover is different from a tilting angle of the upper surface portion of the meter with respect to an upper surface portion, continuous to the rear end of the chamfer portion, of the meter cover.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a first unit having a developer container holding developer containing toner and carrier, and a developer holder to hold and transfer the developer held in the developer container; a second unit to supply toner to the developer container; and a processing unit to determine time of replacement of the first unit, from information on a toner supply amount from the second unit or information on an operation amount of the developer holder.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a developing apparatus capable of reducing unevenness of density of an image in a longitudinal direction of a photosensitive member. For this purpose, in the present invention, a developing apparatus includes a developer bearing member, and a developer carrying screw placed adjacently to the developer bearing member in parallel with the developer bearing member, and an inclination angle of “a carrying surface facing in a developer carrying direction of a spiral blade of the developer carrying screw” to a shaft of the developer carrying screw is equal to or less than 60 degrees.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for controlling a toner supply includes a density detecting component for detecting a density of toner in a developer when forming an image, a toner supply component for supplying toner during image formation in an amount determined by a first toner density detected by the density detecting component, an image forming component for forming an image with toner supplied from the toner supply component in accordance with the toner density detected by the density detecting component, and a storage component for storing a second toner density detected by the density detecting component in preparation for forming a second image after forming a first image, the toner supply component shutting off power to the image forming apparatus after supply of toner to the image forming apparatus using the second toner density stored in the memory is completed when power to the image forming apparatus is switched OFF.

Abstract: A speedometer mounting structure in a motorcycle is provided which is capable of mounting the speedometer without deteriorating the design of the motorcycle. A handlebar holder is provided to secure a steering handlebar, on a fork support member for supporting a front fork of a motorcycle. The speedometer is mounted on the handlebar holder.

Abstract: A developer agitating system for agitating a developer includes a cartridge detachably mountable to a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and including a developing member for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a developer container for containing the developer used for development of the electrostatic latent image by the developing member, an agitating member for agitating the developer contained in the developer container, and an informing member having information for indicating that the cartridge is a given cartridge, and a detector for detecting the information in the informing member when the cartridge is mounted to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.