Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including an image developer to develop an electrostatic latent image and a toner provider to provide a toner from a toner container to the image developer in a direction of gravitational force. The toner container is capable of taking a first position of directing a toner outlet in a horizontal direction; a second position of directing the toner outlet in a direction of gravitational force; and a position of being removed, directing the toner outlet upward relative to the horizontal direction when further rotating from the first position. The toner container includes a main cap member to close the toner outlet when taking the first position and the position of being removed; and a sub-cap member to cover the main cap member while the toner container is displaced from the first position to the position of being removed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, an apparatus-side terminal provided to a first inner side wall of the apparatus body, a developer container to contain developer and to be removably installable in the apparatus body, a container-side terminal electrically connectable to the apparatus-side terminal and disposed in a first end portion of the developer container in a longitudinal direction thereof, and an apparatus-side protrusion projecting inward from the first inner side wall of the apparatus body. In removal of the developer container from the apparatus body, a second end portion of the developer container in the longitudinal direction is disengaged from the apparatus body before the first end portion is disengaged from the apparatus body, and the apparatus-side protrusion contacts the first end portion of the developer container immediately after removal of the developer container from the apparatus body is started.

Abstract: A shutter assembly includes an internal shutter and an external shutter. The internal shutter including a contact member is movable between a first position at which the internal shutter closes the outlet, a third position at which the internal shutter opens the outlet, and a second position between the first position and the third position. The internal shutter at the second position is movable to the third position while closing the outlet. The external shutter is movable between a closed position at which the external shutter closes the outlet and an open position at which the external shutter opens the outlet, and includes an interlocking member to contact the contact member to move the internal shutter. As the external shutter is moved from the closed position to the open position, the internal shutter is moved from the first position to the second position in conjunction with the external shutter.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a powder container containing powder used for image forming and including an inlet through which the powder is supplied, a powder supply unit including an outlet that is removably connected to the inlet and supplying the powder to the powder container with the outlet connected to the inlet of the powder container, a powder amount detector detecting whether a present powder level in the powder container is equal to or greater than a threshold, and a controller controlling an amount of powder supply from the powder supply unit and controlling the present powder level in the powder container after replenishment to remain in a range from the threshold and a position corresponding to an upper edge of the inlet. A powder transport unit includes a transport decelerating part to decelerate the speed of powder transport and a detection area in the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A novel organic material with fewer impurities, a light-emitting element including the organic material, and a light-emitting device, an electronic appliance, and a lighting device each of which includes the light-emitting element are provided. The organic material is obtained by coupling an aryl halide and an aryl boronic acid or an aryl boronic acid ester. The aryl boronic acid or the aryl boronic acid ester includes at least one of a first impurity in which a boryl group of the aryl boronic acid or the aryl boronic acid ester is substituted by hydrogen and a second impurity in which a molecular mass of 16 or 17 is added to the molecular mass of the first impurity. The concentration of an impurity other than the first impurity and the second impurity is 1% or lower.

Abstract: A toner supplying method for supplying toner from a toner container to a developing part that causes toner to adhere to a latent image formed on a latent image carrying member and develops the latent image, includes detecting a toner amount in the developing part as being equal to or less than a predetermined toner amount value; forming a fog detecting image in a case where the toner amount in the developing part is equal to or less than the predetermined toner amount value, and detecting fog; and determining based on the detected fog whether to execute a toner ejecting process of ejecting the toner remaining in the developing part toward the latent image carrying member before supplying the toner to the developing part from the toner container.

Abstract: A toner supply method includes detecting whether a remaining toner amount in the development device is equal to or greater than a first remaining amount, supplying a first supply amount of toner to the development device in a first supply mode when the remaining toner amount is not greater than the first remaining amount, detecting whether the remaining toner amount in the development device is equal to or greater than a second remaining amount smaller than the first remaining amount, and supplying a second supply amount, smaller than the first supply amount, of toner to the development device in a second supply mode when the remaining toner amount is reduced to or below the second remaining amount.

Abstract: The developer container includes a rotator that is rotated in the container body, a sequence of gears disposed outside the developer container that transmits a torque to the rotator, and a container guiding portion that fits with a main body side guiding portion and guides the developer container in a direction in which the developer container is attached to a mounting portion of an image forming device main body. A first gear included in the sequence of the gears is movable between an operating position where the first gear engages with a second gear and a retracted position where the first gear is retracted. On a surface on which the container guiding portion is disposed, a part of the container guiding portion is disposed within a projected area of the first gear being disposed at the operating position.

Abstract: The developer container includes a rotator that is rotated in the container body, a sequence of gears disposed outside the developer container that transmits a torque to the rotator, and a container guiding portion that fits with a main body side guiding portion and guides the developer container in a direction in which the developer container is attached to a mounting portion of an image forming device main body. A first gear included in the sequence of the gears is movable between an operating position where the first gear engages with a second gear and a retracted position where the first gear is retracted. On a surface on which the container guiding portion is disposed, a part of the container guiding portion is disposed within a projected area of the first gear being disposed at the operating position.

Abstract: A developing unit includes: a developer carrier; a toner supplying member having a porous surface layer; a toner storage storing therein toner; a stirring member that is rotated to stir the toner; a toner amount detecting unit that detects an amount of the toner; a toner supplying unit that supplies new toner to the toner storage based on a detection result; and a toner removing member that removes the toner carried in the porous surface layer, wherein the toner removing member is arranged in a separable and contactable manner from and with the porous surface layer, and the developing unit has a stirring mode in which the toner removing member is brought into contact with the porous surface layer, and the toner supplying member is rotated while the stirring member is rotated to stir the toner.

Abstract: Toner is supplied from a toner container to a developing part that causes the toner to adhere to a latent image formed on a latent image carrying member and develops the latent image, a pre-toner-supply operation of supplying a predetermined amount of toner to the developing part is carried out, a fog detecting image is formed and fog is detected in the fog detecting image, a toner supply amount to be supplied to the developing part is determined based on the fog detected in the detecting and an operational status of the developing part since the toner was supplied to the developing part the last time, and the toner supply amount of the toner determined in the determining is supplied to the developing part.

Abstract: A seal member covers a space between a developing roller and a casing of a developing device. The seal member includes a flexible sheet and a reinforcing member fixed to the sheet. The reinforcing member is fixed to the casing. Notches are provided in the reinforcing member in a direction perpendicular to the length of the reinforcing member.

Abstract: An image developing device includes a developer supporting body; a first conveyance path in which a first conveyance member is arranged; a second conveyance path in which a second conveyance member is arranged; and a partition member that partitions the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path and that has a first communication port and a second communication port. The first communication path and the second communication path communicates with each other through the first communication port and the second communication port. The image developing device includes a developer amount detection unit that includes an optical detection unit arranged in the second conveyance path and that optically detects an amount of the developer in the image forming device. The developer is caused to accumulate in the vicinity of the developer amount detection unit.

Abstract: Provided is a novel heterocyclic compound which has excellent heat resistance and can be used as a host material for a light-emitting substance (a substance emitting fluorescence or a substance emitting phosphorescence). A light-emitting element includes a heterocyclic compound which includes one dibenzo[f,h]quinoxaline ring, one ring having a hole-transport skeleton, and two to eight benzene rings. Note that in the above structure, the molecular weight of the heterocyclic compound is greater than or equal to 564 and less than or equal to 1000.

Abstract: A developer container includes a container body in which a developer containing chamber and a discharge outlet are formed, a developer conveyance member disposed inside the developer containing chamber and including a first conveyance portion and a second conveyance portion downstream from the first conveyance portion in a developer conveyance director, a canopy disposed inside the container body and facing the discharge outlet, a developer conveyance chamber defined by the canopy and an inner face of the container body in which the discharge outlet is formed, and a return opening formed in the canopy downstream from the discharge outlet. A developer conveyance velocity (Q2) of the second conveyance portion of the developer conveyance member to transports the developer toward the return opening is slower than a developer conveyance velocity (Q1) of the first conveyance portion of the developer conveyance member.

Abstract: A process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, a charging unit, a developing unit, and a cleaning unit, arranged opposite to each other along a rotating direction of the photosensitive drum in an enclosure that has an opening opposite to a developing roller of the developing unit. An extended line connecting a tangent line to an outer circumference of the developing roller and a wall of a first end of the enclosure in an axial direction of the developing roller does not intersect with a wall of a second end of the enclosure.

Abstract: A control unit drives a driving unit for a correction driving time to supply toner to a developing unit from a toner supplying unit, when a detecting unit detects that an amount of toner stored in the developing unit is equal to or less than a threshold value. A calculating unit calculates an amount of toner consumption from when the toner is supplied to the developing unit to when the detecting unit detects that the amount of the toner stored in the developing unit is equal to or less than the threshold value. The control unit calculates a unit amount of toner supply from the correction driving time and the amount of toner consumption, and supplies the toner to the developing unit by driving the driving unit on the basis of the calculated unit amount of toner supply.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, an optical writing unit to writing an electrostatic latent image on the image bearer, the optical writing unit including multiple optical writing elements arranged in a longitudinal direction of the image bearer and a frame to hold the multiple optical writing elements, a development device to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image bearer with developer, a developer container for containing the developer supplied to the development device, and a developer amount detector to detect an amount of developer contained in the developer container based on a light transmission amount between a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element. At least one of the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element of the developer amount detector is attached to the optical writing unit.

Abstract: A toner cartridge is configured by integrally arranging a fresh toner storing chamber and a residual toner collection chamber. Fresh toner is filled in the fresh toner storing chamber through a fresh toner filling opening. Residual toner is conveyed in the residual toner collection chamber through a residual toner conveying opening. Two residual toner discharging openings are created in the residual toner collection chamber through which the residual toner is discharged.