Abstract: A developing unit includes a developer hopper, a toner reserve container that incorporates a replenishing roller and a replenishing opening forming a toner replenishing portion, arranged adjacent to the developer hopper in order to replenish the toner to the developer hopper. The toner reserve container further includes an agitator rotatable about a rotary shaft with a conveying sheet for conveying the toner to the replenishing roller. The conveying sheet is attached to the agitator so that it becomes close to the rotary shaft of the agitator. By this configuration, an adequate space can be secured between the top plate, i.e., an operable/closable lid, constituting the toner reserve container and the conveying sheet so that the distal part of the conveying sheet can efficiently retain the toner, thus making it possible to improve the conveyance performance to the replenishing roller and realize an uniform amount of conveyance.

Abstract: A developer cartridge capable of being fitted to the toner replenishing opening of a developer storage hopper has a sealing member for sealing the toner therein that is bonded to the rim of its replenishing opening to be opposed to the opening of the developer storage hopper. The bottom face of this developer cartridge which constitutes the bottom for supporting the toner stored therein is inclined upwards in the stripping direction of the sealing member, whereby the supplied amount of the toner at the stripping start of the sealing member is regulated when the sealing member is stripped so that the toner can be uniformly supplied across the full length of the developer storage hopper with respect to the stripping direction of the sealing member.

Abstract: A toner reserve container provided with a toner replenishing roller and a replenishing port which constitute a toner replenishing portion is arranged adjacent to a developing hopper and is provided with a toner conveying unit including an agitator rotated about a rotary shaft and a conveying sheet fixed to the agitator and scooping up and conveying a toner to the toner replenishing roller. The conveying sheet has a plurality of slits formed close to the end portion where it is fixed to the agitator and extending in the direction from the end portion to the tip end of the conveying sheet. When the conveying sheet is rotated and deformed, the plurality of slits absorb rotational load to keep stable toner conveyance by the conveying sheet for a long time.

Abstract: To solve problems that the amount of reuse toner increases with time recovery of reuse toner is efficiently achieved while forming an image of high quality. In a toner replenishing apparatus, toner recovered by a cleaning unit is conveyed via conveying device and contained in a recovery toner container. When an amount of the recovery toner exceeds a predetermined capacity of the recovery toner container, the recovery toner flows into a fresh toner container over an upper edge of a partition wall. Fresh toner and recovery toner are replenished to a developing unit via a fresh toner replenishing roller and a recovery toner replenishing roller, respectively, and the ratio between fresh toner and recovery toner is selected so that the fresh toner occupies a larger part than the recovery toner. This ratio is controlled on the basis of the cumulative rotation time of a photoconductor drum counted by a counting device.

Abstract: For realizing a satisfactory and stable developing process, the charge state of a developer and the density of toner particles contained in the developer is kept constant in the developing process. A developing roller to be driven rotationally is provided in a developing tank containing a developer. The developer is sucked magnetically using the magnetic force of a magnet provided in a developing sleeve composing the developing roller. The developer is then fed into a developing area opposed to a photosensitive member, then collected into the developing tank after the developing process is ended. The magnet is composed of an odd number of magnetic poles; developing pole, feeding pole, magnetic force distribution adjusting pole, developer sucking pole, developer separating pole, auxiliary collecting pole, and collecting pole. Between the sucking pole and the developing pole, an even number of poles are disposed. Between the developing pole and the separating pole are disposed an even number of poles.

Abstract: A developing device having a reduced size in the horizontal direction and in which a developing agent is transported with stirring along a circulating route inside a developing tank to effectively mix newly added toner therewith and stir the mixture. A developing tank for storing developing agent therein is horizontally divided with a partition member thereby providing an upper chamber and a lower chamber. A developer roller and a stirring roller are disposed in the lower chamber. Two screw rollers are disposed in the upper chamber. An inlet opening is formed between an end of the partition member and a regulating member for restricting a layer if the developing agent adsorbed to the developing roller. A developing agent removed by the restricting member is fed through an inlet opening to the screw rollers in the upper chamber. The developing agent is mixed with fresh toner supplied through a supply inlet and transported with being stirred by the screw roller in its axial direction.

Abstract: Impurities contained in a developer are captured and prevented from mixing into the developer again, thereby to avoid lowering of image quality due to the impurities. Such impurities include aggregates of the developer formed in a developing apparatus, insufficiently charged toner particles, defectively charged toner particles having an opposite polarity to a predetermined polarity, and defective carrier particles lacking in strength for being held by a developing magnet roller. A recess is provided between peaks of magnetism located in a lower portion of a developing magnet roller. The recess has an air pressure substantially equal to an air pressure (atmospheric pressure) in the developing apparatus, so that air in the developing apparatus and the recess does not flow only in one direction. Impurities contained in the developer circulating around the developing roller cannot be magnetically held in the lower half of the developing roller because of centrifugal force and gravity.

Abstract: The invention is characterized by efficiently and quickly loosening an aggregation of toner material formed in a toner cartridge. A toner cartridge has an L-shaped toner agitating member disposed in a main body thereof having a discharge port for feeding toner at the front surface of the main body. Since the toner agitating member is supported so as to pivot like a conical pendulum, a support pin fixed to a bottom surface of the main body passes through a through hole having a greater diameter than that of the support pin. The support pin has an engagement portion attached thereto for prevention of disengagement of the toner agitating member therefrom. A plate-like portion of the toner agitating member defines an agitating plate, a distal end of which extends toward the discharge port of the main body.

Abstract: An electrostatic latent image-developing device includes a toner cartridge provided with a container having a toner discharge opening, a toner contained in the container and a sealing tape for sealing the toner discharge opening, and a toner cartridge-holding device having a toner-receiving opening and allowing detachable mounting of the toner cartridge. The toner cartridge is equipped with a shutter member that is disposed on one edge side of the toner discharge opening and is so constituted as to move to the other edge side across the toner discharge opening to cover the toner discharge opening. The toner cartridge-holding device is equipped with a shutter-moving device which moves the front edge of the shutter member from one edge side to the other edge side of the toner discharge opening.

Abstract: A toner recovery roller having at least its outer peripheral part made of an insulator and rotated and driven in a predetermined direction is disposed in the vicinity of a position where an image carrier and a developing roller interact with each other, and a triboelectric charging member for triboelectrically charging an outer peripheral surface of the toner recovery roller to a polarity opposite to that of toner particles is so provided as to be brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the toner recovery roller.The rotation of the toner recovery roller in a predetermined direction causes friction between the friction charging member and the insulating outer peripheral surface of the toner recovery roller, so that the insulating outer peripheral surface of the toner recovery roller is triboelectrically charged to a polarity opposite to that of toner particles. Therefore, toner particles scattered from the developing roller are attracted to the toner recovery roller to adhere thereto.

Abstract: An electrostatic latent image-developing device is equipped with a toner cartridge-holding means and a toner cartridge fitted thereto. The toner cartridge includes a container with a toner discharge openings, a toner contained in the container, and a sealing means for sealing the toner discharge opening. The sealing means is constituted by a tape member that is provided to move across the toner discharge opening, and a toner passage opening is formed in the tape member. The toner discharge opening is opened when the tape member is so moved that the toner passage opening is positioned at the toner discharge opening. The toner cartridge-holding means includes a hoist frame that moves up and down, and the toner cartridge is held in this hoist frame.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which facilitates the input and output of copy paper. One embodiment includes an image forming apparatus with paper supply trays, a development area, a console and a sorter. By pressing a transparent paper mode key on the console, normal and projector paper are sequentially fed from the trays to the development area and then to the sorter. The sorter is set in one of three modes by a sorter instructor. A manual key on the console allows an operator to set the instructor to position the sorter in any one of the three modes. The pressing of the transparent paper mode key or the detection by a detector of transparent paper in the feeding tray results in the instructor setting the sorter in a non-sort mode despite the sort instructor having been previously set in a different mode.

Abstract: When documents fed by an automatic document feeder are subjected to the first copying operation, the documents are counted one by one. Alternately, the total number of documents are calculated by dividing the number of copy paper sheets sent to an intermediate tray, by the preset number of copies. Page entry is made in the copy paper sheets taken out from the intermediate tray, based on the total number of documents thus obtained. The total number of documents may be automatically counted. Accordingly, even though the documents are successively fed, starting from the last-page document, page entry may be made. The operator is not required to manually count the total number of documents.

Abstract: A cleaning device in an image-forming machine. A supporting frame structure includes a toner recovery box receiving space and a toner recovery box to be inserted into the receiving space. A toner inlet extending in the front-rear direction is formed in the toner recovery box. The cleaning device further includes a cover for recovering or closing the toner inlet at the time of withdrawing the toner recovery box from the receiving space, thereby preventing scattering of toner from the toner inlet.

Abstract: A cleaning unit for an electrophotographic copier is provided to remove toner and developing material from a photo-sensitive material from which a developed image has been transferred and includes a housing having an opening facing the photo-sensitive material. A main blade member is provided in the housing of the cleaning unit and has an upper portion which abuts against the photo-sensitive material through an opening of the housing to scrape the toner and developing materials off the photo-sensitive material. The cleaning unit further includes a receiving blade covering the lower portion of the opening, and having an upper end portion abutted against the photo-sensitive material to allow the toner and developing material scraped off by the main blade to fall into the opening and a film-shaped reinforcing member bonded to the surface of the receiving blade facing the inside of the housing to prevent deformation of the receiving blade.

Abstract: Toner collecting apparatus in which a toner collecting container for collecting toner remaining on the surface of a photosensitive drum in a copying machine or a facsimile machine is provided, at the lower side thereof, with a toner receiving port, a sponge roller for rotatingly feeding collected tone disposed adjacent the toner receiving port, and an optical detector for detecting that a predetermined amount or more toner has been collected in the toner collecting container. The optical detector, is disposed on the toner collecting container. At least those portions of the toner collecting container located opposite to the optical detector are made of a light-permeable material.

Abstract: A cleaning unit for an electrophotographic copier is provided to remove toner and developing material from a photo-sensitive material from which a developed image has been transferred and includes a housing having an opening facing the photo-sensitive material. A main blade member is provided in the housing of the cleaning unit and has an upper portion which abuts against the photo-sensitive material through an opening of the housing to scrape the toner and developing materials off the photo-sensitive material. The cleaning unit further includes a receiving blade covering the lower portion of the opening, and having an upper end portion abutted against the photo-sensitive material to allow the toner and developing material scraped off by the main blade to fall into the opening and a film-shaped reinforcing member bonded to the surface of the receiving blade facing the inside of the housing to prevent deformation of the receiving blade.