Abstract: Disclosed herein is a developing device including: a developer housing section configured to house a developer including toner and carrier; a carrier replenishing section configured to supply the carrier to the developer housing section; a carrier concentration detecting section provided at a position near a carrier replenishment position at which the carrier is received from the carrier replenishing section in the developer housing section, the carrier concentration detecting section being configured to detect a carrier concentration in the developer housing section; and a carrier replenishment determination section configured to determine whether the carrier is properly supplied to the developer housing section on the basis of a result of detecting by the carrier concentration detecting section.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus including an image carrier, a developing device which uses a developer including a toner and a carrier and to develop the electrostatic latent image and forms a visible toner image, plural toner supplying devices each of which supplies the toner in which mass ratio of an additive against the toner is different, and a control section which controls a ratio of a toner supplying amount to be supplied from each of the plural toner supplying devices, under a condition that toner consumption per a single print is low, the control section is configured to increase the toner supplying ratio of the toner including a high ratio of the additive, and under a condition that the toner consumption per the single print is high, the control section is configured to decrease the toner supplying ratio of the toner including a high ratio of the additive.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a developing device including: a developer housing section configured to house a developer including toner and carrier; a carrier replenishing section configured to supply the carrier to the developer housing section; a carrier concentration detecting section provided at a position near a carrier replenishment position at which the carrier is received from the carrier replenishing section in the developer housing section, the carrier concentration detecting section being configured to detect a carrier concentration in the developer housing section; and a carrier replenishment determination section configured to determine whether the carrier is properly supplied to the developer housing section on the basis of a result of detecting by the carrier concentration detecting section.

Abstract: A lubricant coating device related to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a lubricant supply unit 12 which supplies a lubricant 11 onto an outer peripheral surface of an image carrier 1 that is driven to rotate and a lubricant smoothing unit 13 which is disposed on the downstream side in a rotating direction of the image carrier 1 of the lubricant supply unit 12 and smoothes the lubricant 11 supplied onto the outer peripheral surface. In the lubricant coating device, the lubricant smoothing unit 13 rotates while being in surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the image carrier 1 and thereby smoothes the lubricant 11 supplied onto the image carrier 1 by the lubricant supply unit 12.

Abstract: A developing device, includes a developer agitating member, an upstream side developing roller, and a downstream side developing roller; wherein a toner in a developer handed over from the upstream side developing roller to the downstream side developing roller has a volume average particle size larger than a volume average particle size of the toner in the developer conveyed by the upstream side developing roller to the facing position between the upstream side developing roller and a photoreceptor drum.

Abstract: A carrier removing apparatus, including: an electrode, having a plurality of openings through which a carrier passes, disposed to oppose an image carrier, and a power source to apply a voltage onto the electrode so as to separate the carrier on the image carrier from the image carrier, wherein the electrode has a surface along a surface of the image carrier.

Abstract: A development apparatus is equipped with a first developing roller, developer supply section, a second developing roller, a developer removing part and a developer recovery section. The second developing roller is disposed on the downstream side of the first developing roller and above the first developing roller, to which the developer is delivered from the first developing roller by magnetic force. The developer supply section includes a developer circulation section and a first regulating member that regulates an amount of the developer. The developer recovered by the developer recovery section drops by gravity and is introduced into the developer circulation section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a latent image forming device; a developing device; an electrode which faces to the image carrier; an electric power source, a toner contamination detecting device for detecting toner contamination onto the electrode; an electrode cleaning device for cleaning the electrode; and a controlling section. The control section controls the electric power source to apply at least an alternating current voltage to the electrode so that toner image is rearranged by reciprocally moving toner of the toner image between the image carrier and the electrode control section and allows the electrode cleaning device to clean the electrode when the toner contamination detecting device detects toner contamination on the electrode, and performs the toner rearrangement by the electrode from which the toner contamination is removed.

Abstract: The present invention realizes an image forming apparatus which is equipped with a carrier recovery section of simple configuration and for which maintenance is not required, the apparatus includes: a photoconductive drum; a developing device to develop a latent image formed on the photoconductive drum by a two-component developer containing a toner and a magnetic carrier, and a carrier recovery section which is equipped with a recovery roller, wherein the carrier recovery roller includes a rotatable sleeve, and a magnet roller that is installed inside the sleeve and provided with a plurality of fixed magnetic poles including a main pole to recover the magnetic carrier adhered onto the photoconductive drum and a separating pole to separate the magnetic carrier from the recovery roller, wherein a separating member is disposed at such a position that is opposite to the sleeve at a prescribed distance in a non-contact state.

Abstract: Provided is a developing device which can prevent the occurrence of a phenomenon of an excessive increase of a developer quantity in a developer standby space, thereby acquiring a stable image. The developing device comprises a developer agitation-transfer unit, a developer roller, a developer feeding roller, a developer guide member and a space forming member. The developing device is characterized in that the developer feeding roller rotates to transfer the developer transferred by the agitation-transfer means, upward from the clearance between the developer feeding roller and the developer guide member, and in that, when the developer standby space formed in the device is filled with the developer transferred by the developer feeding roller, the developer feeding roller is rotated to carry the developer, which overflows from the developer standby space, and to move the same in the direction away from the developer roller, so that the developer is once discharged from the developer standby space.

Abstract: Provided is a developing device employing a two-component developer where a good image can be obtained by preventing the influence of scratching caused by a magnetic brush.

Abstract: A lubricant coating device related to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a lubricant supply unit 12 which supplies a lubricant 11 onto an outer peripheral surface of an image carrier 1 that is driven to rotate and a lubricant smoothing unit 13 which is disposed on the downstream side in a rotating direction of the image carrier 1 of the lubricant supply unit 12 and smoothes the lubricant 11 supplied onto the outer peripheral surface. In the lubricant coating device, the lubricant smoothing unit 13 rotates while being in surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the image carrier 1 and thereby smoothes the lubricant 11 supplied onto the image carrier 1 by the lubricant supply unit 12.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a supplying section for supplying developer; a first developing roller including plural magnetic poles and a first sleeve arranged rotatable to the first developing roller; a second developing roller including plural magnetic poles and a second sleeve arranged rotatable to the second developing roller, the second developing roller arranged adjacent to the first developing roller and parallel to the same; an electrode arranged between the first and second developing rollers; and a voltage applying unit for applying bias voltages each having different electric potential corresponding to the first developing roller, the second developing roller and the electrode, wherein an absolute value of the bias voltage to be applied to the electrode is larger than that of the bias voltage to be applied to the first developing roller and smaller than that of the bias voltage to be applied to the second developing roller.

Abstract: Described is a developing roller, which makes it possible to appropriately peel developer off the developing roller, even if the developing roller is a small-sized. The developing roller includes a non-magnetic developing sleeve and a magnetic member installed into an inner space of the developing sleeve and having plural magnetic poles including a peeling magnetic pole. When a reference position is defined as such a position that exhibits a maximum value of magnetic flux density to be generated in a normal direction by the peeling magnetic pole, a magnetic-flux density flat region within which the magnetic flux density is kept at substantially a constant value being closely approximate to the maximum value of the magnetic flux density and the reference position is included, exists while fulfilling an Equation indicated as follow: Z?7° where numeral Z indicates an angle of the developing roller in the magnetic-flux density flat region.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus including an image carrier, a developing device which uses a developer including a toner and a carrier and to develop the electrostatic latent image and forms a visible toner image, plural toner supplying devices each of which supplies the toner in which mass ratio of an additive against the toner is different, and a control section which controls a ratio of a toner supplying amount to be supplied from each of the plural toner supplying devices, under a condition that toner consumption per a single print is low, the control section is configured to increase the toner supplying ratio of the toner including a high ratio of the additive, and under a condition that the toner consumption per the single print is high, the control section is configured to decrease the toner supplying ratio of the toner including a high ratio of the additive.

Abstract: A developing device, includes a developer agitating member, an upstream side developing miler, and a downstream side developing roller; wherein the toner in the developer handed over from the upstream side developing roller to the downstream side developing roller has a volume average particle size larger than a volume average particle size of the toner in the developer conveyed by the upstream side developing roller to the facing position between the upstream side developing roller and the photoreceptor.

Abstract: Provided is a developing device which can prevent the occurrence of a phenomenon of an excessive increase of a developer quantity in a developer standby space, thereby acquiring a stable image. The developing device comprises a developer agitation-transfer unit, a developer roller, a developer feeding roller, a developer guide member and a space forming member. The developing device is characterized in that the developer feeding roller rotates to transfer the developer transferred by the agitation-transfer means, upward from the clearance between the developer feeding roller and the developer guide member, and in that, when the developer standby space formed in the device is filled with the developer transferred by the developer feeding roller, the developer feeding roller is rotated to carry the developer, which overflows from the developer standby space, and to move the same in the direction away from the developer roller, so that the developer is once discharged from the developer standby space.

Abstract: The present invention realizes an image forming apparatus which is equipped with a carrier recovery section of simple configuration and for which maintenance is not required, the apparatus includes: a photoconductive drum; a developing device to develop a latent image formed on the photoconductive drum by a two-component developer containing a toner and a magnetic carrier, and a carrier recovery section which is equipped with a recovery roller, wherein the carrier recovery roller includes a rotatable sleeve, and a magnet roller that is installed inside the sleeve and provided with a plurality of fixed magnetic poles including a main pole to recover the magnetic carrier adhered onto the photoconductive drum and a separating pole to separate the magnetic carrier from the recovery roller, wherein a separating member is disposed at such a position that is opposite to the sleeve at a prescribed distance in a non-contact state.

Abstract: Provided is a developing device employing a two-component developer where a good image can be obtained by preventing the influence of scratching caused by a magnetic brush.

Abstract: A carrier removing apparatus, including: an electrode, having a plurality of openings through which a carrier passes, disposed to oppose an image carrier, and a power source to apply a voltage onto the electrode so as to separate the carrier on the image carrier from the image carrier, wherein the electrode has a surface along a surface of the image carrier.