Abstract: A toner-container support unit is provided. The toner-container support unit includes: a toner container housing toner; a container mount including an internal space to accommodate the toner container; a toner-container receiver which is provided on an internal end side of the internal space of the container mount; a positioning hole formed on the back end surface of the toner container; a positioning pin provided in the toner-container receiver; a retracting assembly retracting a back end portion of the toner container to a toner-container receiver side when inserting the toner container into the container mount; and an inclination stopper which prevents the inclination of the toner container when the back end portion of the toner container is retracted by the retracting assembly toward the toner-container receiver.

Abstract: A toner supply device including a casing and a shutter member. The casing includes a toner container for containing toner, a discharge aperture for discharging the toner from the toner container, and an aperture. The shutter member includes an elastic part having at least one bending portion and the elastic part is elastically deformable. The shutter member is insertable into the casing through the aperture to be movable between a closed position at which the discharge aperture is closed and an opened position at which the discharge aperture is opened while the elastic part is kept elastically deformed.

Abstract: A toner-container support unit is provided. The toner-container support unit includes: a toner container housing toner; a container mount including an internal space to accommodate the toner container; a toner-container receiver which is provided on an internal end side of the internal space of the container mount; a positioning hole formed on the back end surface of the toner container; a positioning pin provided in the toner-container receiver; a retracting assembly retracing a back end portion of the toner container to the toner-container receiver side when inserting the toner container into the container mount; and an inclination stopper which prevents the inclination of the toner container when the back end portion of the toner container is retracted by the retracting assembly toward the toner-container receiver.

Abstract: A data reader includes a memory board provided to a removable member and a reading member including a reading terminal. The memory board includes a positioning opening, a ground terminal provided to the positioning opening, and a contact terminal. The reading member includes an engagement projection that fits in the positioning opening and is disposed adjacent and parallel to the reading terminal. The engagement projection includes a uniform diameter portion, a tapered portion extending from the uniform diameter portion, and an apparatus-side ground terminal to contact the ground terminal of the memory board when the engagement projection fits in the positioning opening. The apparatus-side ground terminal includes a portion projecting laterally from the uniform diameter portion from an end of the uniform diameter portion toward a reading member base and an extended portion at the end of the uniform diameter portion, covered with the tapered portion.

Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a toner container to store toner and two rotary agitation members to rotate to agitate toner in the toner container. The toner container has two arc-shaped portions adjacent to each other at an inner bottom wall of the toner container. The two rotary agitation members has edges to rotate along the two arc-shaped portions with rotation phases thereof shifted from each other. The two rotary agitation members are placed with rotation trajectories thereof partially overlapping each other.

Abstract: A development device includes a developer bearer to carry the developer to a development range, a magnetic field generator disposed inside the developer bearer for generating magnetic force, a developer regulator for adjusting an amount of the developer, a developer supply compartment disposed adjacent to the developer bearer, separated by a side wall from a portion where the developer bearer is provided, a developer agitator provided in the supply compartment, and a blocker disposed above the side wall of the supply compartment across a supply gap through which the developer moves from the supply compartment. The magnetic field generator has an attraction magnetic pole and a regulation magnetic pole. The blocker prevents the developer blocked by the developer regulator from moving along a magnetic force line of the regulation magnetic force toward the circumferential surface of the developer bearer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a medical rubber having high cleanliness and excellent compression set resistance. The present invention relates to a medical rubber including an ethylene-propylene-diene rubber crosslinked by an organic peroxide having no aromatic ring structure.

Abstract: A development device includes a developer bearer to carry the developer to a development range, a magnetic field generator disposed inside the developer bearer for generating magnetic force, a developer regulator for adjusting an amount of the developer, a developer supply compartment disposed adjacent to the developer bearer, separated by a side wall from a portion where the developer bearer is provided, a developer agitator provided in the supply compartment, and a blocker disposed above the side wall of the supply compartment across a supply gap through which the developer moves from the supply compartment. The magnetic field generator has an attraction magnetic pole and a regulation magnetic pole. The blocker prevents the developer blocked by the developer regulator from moving along a magnetic force line of the regulation magnetic force toward the circumferential surface of the developer bearer.

Abstract: A developing device, process cartridge and image forming apparatus of a premix developing system, with which developer splashed by the transport member is not discharged from the device, fluctuations of the amount of developer discharged to the outside are not produced, and the output image quality is stable. This developing device is provided with a pocket part, which is installed in a depressed manner facing the outside in relation to the transport route formed by the transport member, and into and out of which part of the developer transported in the transport route flows. This pocket part is provided with a discharge port for discharging developer to outside the device when the surface of the developer flowing into the pocket part exceeds a specified height.

Abstract: A development device includes a developer bearer, a developer regulator to adjust an amount of developer on the developer bearer, a supply compartment adjacent to the developer bearer across a side wall formed monolithic with the development casing using an identical material, a developer supply member to transport developer in the supply compartment in an axial direction, and a channel forming member having higher rigidity than that of the side wall. The channel forming member defines, with the side wall, a supply route extending over an entire development range, through which developer moves from the supply compartment to the developer bearer, and defines, with an inner wall of the development casing, a collecting route through which developer blocked by the developer regulator is collected in the supply compartment. Both axial end portions of the channel forming member are supported by the development casing.

Abstract: A development device includes a developer bearer to carry the developer to a development range, a magnetic field generator disposed inside the developer bearer for generating magnetic force, a developer regulator for adjusting an amount of the developer, a developer supply compartment disposed adjacent to the developer bearer, separated by a side wall from a portion where the developer bearer is provided, a developer agitator provided in the supply compartment, and a blocker disposed above the side wall of the supply compartment across a supply gap through which the developer moves from the supply compartment. The magnetic field generator has an attraction magnetic pole and a regulation magnetic pole. The blocker prevents the developer blocked by the developer regulator from moving along a magnetic force line of the regulation magnetic force toward the circumferential surface of the developer bearer.

Abstract: A powder container includes a powder chamber for containing powder for forming images, a powder outlet formed in a face of the powder container, and a shutter assembly to open and close the powder outlet and including first and second shutters. The first shutter is movable between a sealing position to close the powder outlet and an open position to open the powder outlet and includes a pressed member to cancel retention of the first shutter at the sealing position. The second shutter includes a pressing projection that interferes with the pressed member of the first shutter and is movable between a shielding position to cover the pressed member without interference between the pressing projection and the pressed member and a releasing position to press the pressed member with the pressing projection.

Abstract: A toner supply device including a casing and a shutter member. The casing includes a toner container for containing toner, a discharge aperture for discharging the toner from the toner container, and an aperture. The shutter member includes an elastic part having at least one bending portion and the elastic part is elastically deformable. The shutter member is insertable into the casing through the aperture to be movable between a closed position at which the discharge aperture is closed and an opened position at which the discharge aperture is opened while the elastic part is kept elastically deformed.

Abstract: A developing device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus, include at least one developing roller. A plurality of transport members with screw and shaft portions, transport developing agent housed within the device in a longitudinal direction, and form a circulation path. A discharge aperture, formed in a transport path wall of one transport member, discharges developing agent to the outside when a surface of the developing agent transported by one of the plurality of transport members exceeds a predetermined height. The one transport member is adjacent to the developing roller that supplies the developing agent and includes, in a part in the longitudinal direction, an area on which the screw portion is not formed. The discharge aperture is disposed opposite to the area on which the screw portion is not formed, and the length of the discharge aperture is formed smaller than that of the area in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A developing device that can discharge developer by an amount of developer in the developing device increased by a carrier supplemented into the developing device includes a supply transport screw and a receiving transport screw in a top and bottom positional relationship, the rotational axes of the supply transport screw and the receiving transport screw are mutually parallel in relation to an image support member. The developing device also includes an inclined transport screw arranged at an incline between one end of the supply transport screw and an other end of the receiving transport screw. The developing device also includes a supply unit for supplying new carrier into a casing and a discharge port and discharge unit for discharging part of the developer housed in the casing to the outside, the discharge port provided on a part of the casing corresponding to an upper part of the inclined transport screw.

Abstract: A developing device, process cartridge and image forming apparatus of a premix developing system, with which developer splashed by the transport member is not discharged from the device, fluctuations of the amount of developer discharged to the outside are not produced, and the output image quality is stable. This developing device is provided with a pocket part, which is installed in a depressed manner facing the outside in relation to the transport route formed by the transport member, and into and out of which part of the developer transported in the transport route flows. This pocket part is provided with a discharge port for discharging developer to outside the device when the surface of the developer flowing into the pocket part exceeds a specified height.