Abstract: Provided is a powder container having a new structure capable of stable discharge and transport of a powder contained in a container by enabling the powder to be reliably discharged to the outside of the package while preventing the powder from spilling and flying out of the container.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which a medium container is installed includes a main body, an image forming unit, a medium container a container body at least partially formed of a deformable material, a drawer to hold the medium container thereon and movable between a first position and a second position, a medium transport unit including a medium outlet port provided on a distal end of the medium container, and a medium receiving unit disposed at the second position of the drawer and connected to the medium transport unit provided on the medium container, and a medium transport facilitator mounted on the drawer to contact the medium container set in the drawer from below to move the medium contained in the medium container toward the medium transport unit at the second position.

Abstract: A powder container that has a hollow interior for containing powder includes a tubular member that is equipped with an information storage unit that stores therein at least information related to a container body, and attached to the container body such that the container body is located within an inner hole of the tubular member. The powder container also includes a movement restricting unit that restricts movement of the tubular member in an axial direction of the tubular member.

Abstract: A powder container that has a hollow interior for containing powder includes a tubular member that is equipped with an information storage unit that stores therein at least information related to a container body, and attached to the container body such that the container body is located within an inner hole of the tubular member. The powder container also includes a movement restricting unit that restricts movement of the tubular member in an axial direction of the tubular member.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes a development device configured to form a visualized image with a developer, a powder supplier configured to supply the developer from a powder container to the development device and a housing in which the powder supplier and the development device are housed, a loading preparation position which allows the powder container to be placed from an outside of the housing and a loading position which enables the developer to be supplied to the development device from the powder container are set in the powder supplier, and the powder supplier includes a loading drive mechanism configured to move the powder container in a central axis line direction between the loading preparation position and the loading position while rotating the powder container about the central axis line of the powder container.

Abstract: A powder container which is mounted on an image-forming apparatus body, and houses a powder includes a container body configured to carry the powder housed inside thereof from a first end side to a second end side by rotating, and discharge the powder outside from the second end side, a gear formed in an outer circumference of the container body, and a cover which is mounted on the gear to cover at least a tooth section of the gear.

Abstract: A developing device includes a first screw that supplies a developer to a developing roller while agitating/conveying the developer in a first direction, and a screw that collects residual developer from the developing roller, agitates/conveys the residual developer in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and delivers the residual developer to the first screw. Between two points that a magnetic flux density in a normal direction of a magnetic field formed in a developer separating magnetic pole in the developing roller become substantially zero, a point at a downstream side in a rotating direction of the developing roller is formed at an upstream side to a developing roller rotating direction, than a line joining the center of the developing roller and the center of the second screw.

Abstract: A cap is configured to be attached to a developer container that discharges developer contained in the container body out of the container body through a discharge port defined in a portion of the container body. The cap includes a first attaching member and a second attaching member that are detachably assembled into one piece. When the first attaching member or the second attaching member receives a rotary force, the first attaching member and the second attaching member are separated from each other, and only the first attaching member is released from the container body.

Abstract: A developing device including a developer container casing, a developer bearing member to supply toner to a latent image, a supply path to convey developer in an axial direction of the developer bearing member, a supply conveyance member to apply a force to the developer in the supply path to convey the developer, a recovery path to return the developer reaching a downstream end of the supply path to an upstream end of the supply path relative to a direction of conveyance of the developer, and a recovery conveyance member to apply a force to the developer in the recovery path to convey the developer. A bottom surface of the supply path is tilted such that the bottom surface at the downstream end of the supply path relative to the direction of conveyance of the developer is lower than the bottom surface at the upstream end of the supply path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which a medium container is installed includes a main body, an image forming unit, a medium container a container body at least partially formed of a deformable material, a drawer to hold the medium container thereon and movable between a first position and a second position, a medium transport unit including a medium outlet port provided on a distal end of the medium container, and a medium receiving unit disposed at the second position of the drawer and connected to the medium transport unit provided on the medium container, and a medium transport facilitator mounted on the drawer to contact the medium container set in the drawer from below to move the medium contained in the medium container toward the medium transport unit at the second position.

Abstract: A development device includes a developer containing part containing two-component developer, a cylindrical developer carrier to carry by rotation the developer to a development range, a first developer transport member disposed in the developer containing part, to supply the developer to the developer carrier while transporting the developer in an axial direction of the developer carrier, and a magnetic field generator disposed inside the developer carrier, having three developer-carrying magnetic poles, consisting of a development pole to generate a first magnetic field in the development range, a pre-development pole to generate a second magnetic field to transport the developer supplied from the developer containing part to the development range, and a post-development pole to generate a third magnetic field disposed between the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field, to transport the developer to a release position where the developer is separated from the developer carrier.

Abstract: A powder container that has a hollow interior for containing powder includes a tubular member that is equipped with an information storage unit that stores therein at least information related to a container body, and attached to the container body such that the container body is located within an inner hole of the tubular member. The powder container also includes a movement restricting unit that restricts movement of the tubular member in an axial direction of the tubular member.

Abstract: A developing device including a developer container casing, a developer bearing member to supply toner to a latent image, a supply path to convey developer in an axial direction of the developer bearing member, a supply conveyance member to apply a force to the developer in the supply path to convey the developer, a recovery path to return the developer reaching a downstream end of the supply path to an upstream end of the supply path relative to a direction of conveyance of the developer, and a recovery conveyance member to apply a force to the developer in the recovery path to convey the developer. A bottom surface of the supply path is tilted such that the bottom surface at the downstream end of the supply path relative to the direction of conveyance of the developer is lower than the bottom surface at the upstream end of the supply path.

Abstract: A developing device includes a first screw that supplies a developer to a developing roller while agitating/conveying the developer in a first direction, and a screw that collects residual developer from the developing roller, agitates/conveys the residual developer in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and delivers the residual developer to the first screw. Between two points that a magnetic flux density in a normal direction of a magnetic field formed in a developer separating magnetic pole in the developing roller become substantially zero, a point at a downstream side in a rotating direction of the developing roller is formed at an upstream side to a developing roller rotating direction, than a line joining the center of the developing roller and the center of the second screw.

Abstract: A toner contained in a hopper is fed to an electrostatic conveyance member by a supply roller. With an actuator of the electrostatic conveyance member functioning, the toner is conveyed while being electrically charged at the same time, and is then supplied to a development roller. A thin layer of toner is formed on the development roller under the effect of an electric field. Since the toner is formed and charged without a mechanical layer thickness controlling member such as a doctor blade, mechanical stress acting on the toner is reduced.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention frees images from various defects including the thinning of horizontal lines, the omission of the trailing edge of an image, background contamination, granularity particular to a halftone image, carrier scattering, and image noise. Further, the apparatus of the present invention solves problems ascribable to patches used to sense image density. Moreover, the apparatus of the present invention faithfully reproduces tonality and has a high developing ability.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a bias power supply for applying a bias VB to a developer carrier on which a developer is deposited. A charge potential deposited on an image carrier, which faces the developer carrier for forming a latent image thereon, is 400 V or below in absolute value. Assume that the potential of the image carrier is lowered to VL after exposure, that a development potential is |VB?VL|, that the maximum set value of the development potential for development is |VB?VL|max, and that the development potential varies in a range satisfying relations: |VB?VL|?|VB?VL|max+|VB?VL|max×0.2 |VB?VL|?|VB?VL|max?|VB?VL|max×0.2 |VB?VL|max?300 V Then image density varies by a width of 10% of image density corresponding to the maximum set value of the development potential or less.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus develops a latent image formed on an image carrier with a developer that forms a magnet brush on a developer carrier. The developer carrier is made up of a sleeve and a stationary magnet roller accommodated in the sleeve. The magnet roller includes a main pole for causing the developer to form the magnet brush and auxiliary poles for helping the main pole exert a magnetic force. An electric field including an oscillation component is formed between the image carrier and the developer carrier. A particular ratio is set up between a distance between the image carrier and the developer carrier, as measured at the boundary of a nip, and the shortest distance between them, between the above shortest distance and the shortest distance between the developer carrier and a metering member, or between the shortest distance between the image carrier and the developer carrier and the amount of developer scooped up to the image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a casing, an image forming unit, and an air conditioning device. The image forming unit includes a case accommodating at least a photoconductive element therein and formed with an opening for image transfer via which the photoconductive element is partly exposed to the outside. The opening is the only opening that might allow substances harmful to image formation into the case when the image forming unit is mounted to the casing. The air conditioning device removes the harmful substances flowing into the image forming unit from the outside.

Abstract: An image forming method including providing a developer including a toner and a magnetic carrier, a developer carrier configured to convey the developer deposited thereon, and magnetic field generating means fixed within the developer carrier, and forming a magnetic field which forms a magnet brush between the image carrier and the developer carrier such that the magnet brush rises, contacts the image carrier and collapses within a range in which the magnetic field is more intense than an electric field capable of separating the toner and the magnetic carrier from each other by using the magnetic field generating means. The magnetic brush rubs the image carrier to thereby develop a latent image formed on the image carrier.