Abstract: A mono-component developing apparatus including a developing roller which transports toner supported on an outer circumferential face of a center portion toward a developing area by rotating while frictionally sliding on a sealing member on each of two end portions. The developing roller includes surface processing areas having a spiral shape, placed on each of outer circumferential faces of the two end portions. An angle, made by a spiral direction of each surface processing area and the rotation direction, is an acute angle. The developing roller inhibits toner leakage, with the driving torque of the developing roller being only slightly increased.

Abstract: The present invention provides a toner cartridge and its recycling method in which a clearance due to stack of the housing and the lid can reliably be sealed so that toner leakage can be prevented. A toner cartridge which is set in an image forming apparatus to feed toner to the image forming apparatus includes a housing having a toner containing portion for containing toner therein, and a lid for covering the toner containing portion of the housing. A stack portion where the housing and the lid are stacked on each other is sealed by a sealing member having first and second adhesive materials provided on both-side surfaces of a base material with the first adhesive material stuck on an outer peripheral surface of the stack portion and with a release paper stuck on the second adhesive material.

Abstract: To provide a developing roller which makes it possible to sufficiently prevent toner leakage, with the driving torque of the developing roller being scarcely increased, and a mono-component developing apparatus having such a developing roller. A developing roller for a mono-component developing apparatus, which transports toner supported on an outer circumferential face of a center portion 12 toward a developing area by rotating while frictionally sliding on a sealing member on each of two end portions 11a, 11b, comprising: surface processing areas 13 having a spiral shape, placed on each of outer circumferential faces of the two end portions, wherein an angle ?, made by a spiral direction y of each surface processing area and the rotation direction x, is allowed to have an acute angle, and a mono-component developing apparatus having such a developing roller.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus and a controlling method thereof, the image forming apparatus comprises conveyer mechanisms for conveying collected toner to a waste part or a recycling part, and a controller for controlling the conveyer mechanism and a developer supplying device according to image forming conditions. When the image forming condition exceeds a predetermined reference level, the controller decreases a recycling rate of the collected toner. If the recycling rate becomes high as a result of the controlling, the controller decreases an amount of supplying the developer so as to lower toner density. Thus, reference toner density in the developer is controlled, thereby, high quality images can be maintained, and the controller can be simplified.

Abstract: A toner container has a rotatable cylindrical member attached to an opening portion of a recessed side wall of the toner container. A portion of the outer periphery of the cylindrical member includes a toner port so that toner particles contained in the toner container can be fed through the toner port to a developer. The cylindrical member is rotatable from a position where the toner port is at the bottom of the cylindrical member to a position where the toner port is at the top of the cylindrical member under a lid member which covers the toner port to completely prevent the leakage of toner particles from the toner container during the exchange or transportation of the toner container.

Abstract: A test pattern image is formed on a photosensitive drum, and the density of the test pattern image is detected by a sensor. The grid voltage Vg of an electrifying charger and the toner concentration T/C in a developer are adjusted according to the detection result so that a target image density can be obtained. Every time a specified number of copies are made in a multiple copying operation, the adjusting target value of the toner concentration T/C is lowered by one step, and the adjusting target value of the grid voltage Vg is heightened by one step.