Abstract: A developing cartridge includes: a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor with a toner; and a developing tank for storing the toner to be supplied to the developing roller, the developing tank including: a toner receiving port for receiving the toner to be stored; a shutter having a function for sliding to open and close the toner receiving port, the shutter being adapted to be maintained in a closed state by an electrically-releasing adhesive; and a pair of conductive member for supplying an electric current to the electrically-releasing adhesive to open the shutter.

Abstract: To a toner used in an image forming apparatus is added an external additive whose main components are oxide fine particles in which dimethylsilyl groups are introduced to surfaces thereof, and whose volatilizing amount of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane in a first volatilizing test is 0.2 ?g or less. Consequently, it is possible to prevent foreign matters from attaching to a discharging electrode included in the image forming apparatus. The first volatilizing test is performed in such a manner that 2 g of the external additive is put in a sealing container and the inside of the sealing container is kept at 120° C. for 10 minutes so that octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane volatilizes from the external additive.

Abstract: In a toner supply container, an air blowing mechanism includes an air blowing fan, an air blowing tube, and an air inlet coupling member. The air inlet coupling member is in close contact with a side wall of the toner container around an air inlet, and includes a skirt made of elastic silicone rubber that covers a joint part of the air blowing tube and the air inlet. An exhaust mechanism includes an exhaust outlet coupling member, an exhaust tube, and an air cleaning filter. The exhaust outlet coupling member is in close contact with an upper wall of the toner container around an exhaust outlet, and includes a skirt made of elastic silicone rubber that covers a joint part of the exhaust tube and the air outlet.

Abstract: An ink cartridge including a main body, a cover member, and an insulating seal member, which are components for constituting the ink cartridge for an inkjet printer, wherein the main body and the cover member are bonded to each other with an electrically-disbonding adhesive having a characteristic of causing a bond dissociation with a passage of an electric current so as to form an ink storing section, the main body has a first electrode for passing the electric current through the electrically-disbonding adhesive, the cover member has a second electrode for passing the electric current through the electrically-disbonding adhesive, the seal member is arranged in the vicinity of a bonding portion where the main body and the cover member are bonded to each other so as to prevent an ink stored in the storing section from being in contact with the first and the second electrodes.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section and a toner cartridge which is loadable into the image forming section. The toner cartridge includes a seal member which is bonded to a peripheral edge of a toner discharging port by an electro-releasing adhesive, of which adhesive force decreases when a current is applied thereto. The image forming section includes a first electrode and a second electrode that contact the peripheral edge of the toner discharging port and the seal member, respectively, when the toner cartridge is loaded into the image forming section. When a current is applied to the electro-releasing adhesive via the first and second electrodes, the adhesive force of the electro-releasing adhesive decreases, whereby the seal member is released from the toner discharging port.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor of high durability capable of providing stable excellent electrical characteristics over a prolonged period of time, which electrophotographic photoreceptor excels in mechanical strength. A photosensitive layer (14) of an electrophotographic photoreceptor (1) includes a polyarylate resin having structural units, for example, those of formula (1) and an enamine compound represented by, for example, formula (2) The variables R1, R2, R3, R4, R7˜R10, X1, Ar1, Ar2, Ar3, Ar4, Ar5, R11, R12, R13, R14, a, m, and n are as defined in the specification. By virtue of these, the electrophotographic photoreceptor (1) of excellent mechanical strength and favorable electrical characteristics can be realized.

Abstract: A developing cartridge includes: a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image of a photoconductor with a toner; and a developing tank for storing the toner to be supplied to the developing roller, the developing tank including: a toner receiving port for receiving the toner to be stored; a shutter having a function for sliding to open and close the toner receiving port, the shutter being adapted to be maintained in a closed state by an electrically-releasing adhesive; and a pair of conductive member for supplying an electric current to the electrically-releasing adhesive to open the shutter.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image forming section for forming an image, and a toner cartridge for supplying a toner to the image forming section, the toner cartridge being detachably loaded into the image forming section. The toner cartridge includes a toner discharging port for discharging the toner when the toner cartridge is loaded into the image forming section, and a seal member for sealing the toner discharging port until the toner cartridge is loaded into the image forming section. The seal member is bonded to a peripheral edge of the toner discharging port by electro-releasing adhesive, of which adhesive force decreases when a current is applied thereto. The image forming section includes a first electrode and a second electrode that contact the peripheral edge of the toner discharging port and the seal member, respectively, when the toner cartridge is loaded into the image forming section, and a power supply for applying a voltage between the first and second electrodes.

Abstract: In a toner supply container, an air blowing mechanism includes an air blowing fan, an air blowing tube, and an air inlet coupling member. The air inlet coupling member is in close contact with a side wall of the toner container around an air inlet, and includes a skirt made of elastic silicone rubber that covers a joint part of the air blowing tube and the air inlet. An exhaust mechanism includes an exhaust outlet coupling member, an exhaust tube, and an air cleaning filter. The exhaust outlet coupling member is in close contact with an upper wall of the toner container around an exhaust outlet, and includes a skirt made of elastic silicone rubber that covers a joint part of the exhaust tube and the air outlet.

Abstract: A toner cartridge comprising: a toner storage container with a toner discharge port, including a plurality of container component members, and a toner discharging unit for discharging toner stored in the toner storage container outside through the toner discharge port, wherein the plurality of container component members are mutually joined by an electrically-peeling adhesive whose adhesion force is reduced by electrification.

Abstract: An ink cartridge including a main body, a cover member, and an insulating seal member, which are components for constituting the ink cartridge for an inkjet printer, wherein the main body and the cover member are bonded to each other with an electrically-disbonding adhesive having a characteristic of causing a bond dissociation with a passage of an electric current so as to form an ink storing section, the main body has a first electrode for passing the electric current through the electrically-disbonding adhesive, the cover member has a second electrode for passing the electric current through the electrically-disbonding adhesive, the seal member is arranged in the vicinity of a bonding portion where the main body and the cover member are bonded to each other so as to prevent an ink stored in the storing section from being in contact with the first and the second electrodes.

Abstract: To a toner used in an image forming apparatus is added an external additive whose main components are oxide fine particles in which dimethylsilyl groups are introduced to surfaces thereof, and whose volatilizing amount of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane in a first volatilizing test is 0.2 ?g or less. Consequently, it is possible to prevent foreign matters from attaching to a discharging electrode included in the image forming apparatus. The first volatilizing test is performed in such a manner that 2 g of the external additive is put in a sealing container and the inside of the sealing container is kept at 120° C. for 10 minutes so that octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane volatilizes from the external additive.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor using a non-contact type charging process has a creep value CI? of is 2.70% or more, preferably 3.00% or more, and a Vickers hardness (HV) at its surface of 20?HV?25 in a case where a maximum indenting load of 30 mN is loaded to the surface under a circumstance at a temperature of 25° C. and at a relative humidity of 50%. Since such an electrophotographic photoreceptor is excellent in flexibility and has plasticity not too soft nor exhibiting fragility, the amount of film reduction due to wear is decreased during long time use, excellent surface smoothness is ensured, and there is no occurrence of injury or unevenness in density to the formed images.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor of high durability capable of providing stable excellent electrical characteristics over a prolonged period of time which electrophotographic photoreceptor excels in mechanical strength. A photosensitive layer (14) of an electrophotographic photoreceptor (1) includes a polyarylate resin having structural units, for example, those of the aforementioned formula (1-3) and an enamine compound represented by, for example, aforementioned formula (2-1). By virtue of these, the electrophotographic photoreceptor (1) of excellent mechanical strength and favorable electrical characteristics can be realized.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor which is excellent in the cleaning property and does not deteriorates the image quality for the formed images during long time use, and capable of forming images at high sensitivity, high resolution and high image quality, is provided. A photosensitive layer provided on a conductive substrate of an electrophotographic photoreceptor contains an oxotitanium phthalocyanine of a crystal form showing a diffraction peak at least at 27.3° in view of the Bragg angle 2? in the X-ray diffraction spectrum and a surface free energy (?) on a surface thereof is set to range from no less than 20 mN/m to no more than 35 mN/m. Such a inclusion of the oxotitanium phthalocyanine of specified crystal form enables formation of an image excellent in sensitivity and resolution and the control of a foreign matter depositing force when ? is set to an appropriate range, thus delivering a good cleaning performance.