Abstract: Provided is a remanufacturing method of a developer accommodating unit including a frame member configured to accommodate a flexible container for accommodating developer. The remanufacturing method includes taking out the flexible container from the inside of the frame member, and refilling the developer into the flexible container.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller that executes a collection sequence to collect developer of opposite polarity adhering to a charging member. The controller executes the collection sequence by setting a first potential difference to allow the developer of opposite polarity to move from the charging member to an image bearing member, setting a second potential difference to allow the developer of opposite polarity to move from the image bearing member to a developer bearing member and to allow the developer of regular polarity to move from the developer bearing member to the image bearing member, setting a third potential difference to not allow the developer of regular polarity to move from the image bearing member to the charging member, and setting a fourth potential difference to allow the developer of regular polarity to move from the image bearing member to the developer bearing member.

Abstract: A motor control device includes an H-bridge circuit for controlling on/off of a current fed to a motor, a drive circuit for driving the H-bridge circuit, a drive command signal generator for generating a drive command signal including a pulse signal having a predetermined drive frequency for sending a command to drive the motor, a current detection circuit that includes a current detection resistor and a comparator connected in series with the motor and outputs a comparison output signal based on comparison between a current detection signal of a motor current and a target value signal, a latch circuit for holding a current detection result based on an ON signal of the drive command signal and the comparison output signal, and a gate circuit for driving the drive circuit based on the ON signal of the drive command signal and a latch output signal from the latch circuit.

Abstract: Provided is a remanufacturing method of a developer accommodating unit including a flexible container provided with an opening and configured to accommodate developer, and a frame member configured to accommodate the flexible container. The remanufacturing method includes refilling the developer into the flexible container.

Abstract: Provided is a remanufacturing method of a developer accommodating unit including a frame member configured to accommodate a flexible container for accommodating developer. The remanufacturing method includes taking out the flexible container from the inside of the frame member, and refilling the developer into the flexible container.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging member, a charging voltage source, an electrostatic image forming portion, a developing device, a developing voltage source, a transfer portion, a transfer voltage source, and a controller. During image formation, the toner remaining on the image bearing member after transfer is collected into the developing device while forming an image. In a cleaning operation performed during non-image formation, while rotating the image bearing member, the controller transfers the toner from the charging member onto the image bearing member, passes the toner through the developing portion in an urged state, reverses a charge polarity of the toner to a normal polarity at a charging portion, and then transfers the toner reversed in charge polarity from the image bearing member onto the developing member at the developing portion to collect the toner in the developing device.

Abstract: A collection sequence, according to the present invention, is executed by controlling the charging bias to the first charging bias in such a manner that the difference ?V1 between the charging bias and the surface potential of the image bearing member is predetermined difference; by controlling the developing bias to the first developing bias in such a manner that the difference ?V2 between the developing bias and the surface potential is predetermined difference; and by controlling the developing bias to the second developing bias in such a manner that the difference ?V3 between the developing bias and the surface potential is predetermined difference.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; a charging member for electrically charging the image bearing member in contact with the image bearing member; and a developing member for supplying developer in contact with the image bearing member. The developer remaining on the image bearing member after transfer is collected by the developing member. A Martens hardness HMR of a surface of the charging member and a Martens hardness HMD of a surface of the developer satisfy the following relationship: HMD>HMR.

Abstract: A motor control device includes a drive circuit to drive an H-bridge circuit to control a current fed to a motor, a drive command signal generator to generate a drive command signal including a pulse signal having predetermined drive frequency and duty for sending a command to drive the motor, a current detection circuit operable to output a comparison output signal based on comparison between a current detection signal of a motor current and a target value signal, a latch circuit to hold a current detection result based on an ON signal of the drive command signal and the comparison output signal, a gate circuit to drive the drive circuit based on the ON signal of the drive command signal and a latch output signal from the latch circuit, and a control unit that changes the duty of the drive command signal based on the current detection result.

Abstract: A developer accommodating unit for accommodating a developer includes: an accommodating portion, provided with an opening, for accommodating the developer; a sealing member for sealing the opening; and an unsealing member rotatable for winding up the sealing member. The sealing member is peelable off from the accommodating portion to unseal the opening in a first unsealing direction and a second unsealing direction opposite to the first unsealing direction.

Abstract: In a developing apparatus, a cartridge, and an image forming apparatus, the positions of a regulating section, an opening, a bottom section of a development chamber, and a bottom section of a storage chamber are in a specific positional relationship, an optical discharging section is provided in a specific position, or the structure of a regulating member is a specific structure.

Abstract: A rolled steel bar or wire rod having hot surface fatigue strength, wear resistance, and machinability even after hot forging has a composition containing C, Si, Mn, S, Cr, Mo (optional), Al, and N, with the balance being Fe and impurities. The chemical composition satisfies that fn1 defined by Formula (1) is 1.60 to 2.10. The structure of the rolled steel bar or wire rod for hot forging includes a ferrite-pearlite structure, a ferrite-pearlite-bainite structure, or a ferrite-bainite structure. A maximum value/a minimum value of average ferrite grain size, which is observed and measured randomly in 15 visual fields each having an area of 62500 ?m2 in a cross section, is not more than 2.0. fn1=Cr+2×Mo (1), and each symbol of elements in Formula (1) is substituted by a content (mass %) of a corresponding element.

Abstract: A developer accommodating unit for accommodating a developer includes: an accommodating portion, provided with an opening, for accommodating the developer; a sealing member for sealing the opening; and an unsealing member rotatable for winding up the sealing member. The sealing member is peelable off from the accommodating portion to unseal the opening in a first unsealing direction and a second unsealing direction opposite to the first unsealing direction.

Abstract: The inside of a housing of a printer device is cooled by the air from a ventilation port and, consequently, the temperature of solder SP on a mask surface supported by a mask holding frame inside the housing can be kept low. Moreover, provided is a mask cover for blocking the air flow from the ventilation port toward the mask, and the drying of the solder SP caused by the wind from the ventilation port is thereby inhibited as a result of the wind from the ventilation port not coming into contact with the solder SP on the mask surface. In this way, the solder SP is cooled while inhibiting the drying of the solder SP and, consequently, it is possible to appropriately inhibit the change in viscosity of the solder SP, and favorable printing can be realized.

Abstract: A motor control device includes an H-bridge circuit for controlling on/off of a current fed to a motor, a drive circuit for driving the H-bridge circuit, a drive command signal generator for generating a drive command signal including a pulse signal having a predetermined drive frequency for sending a command to drive the motor, a current detection circuit that includes a current detection resistor and a comparator connected in series with the motor and outputs a comparison output signal based on comparison between a current detection signal of a motor current and a target value signal, a latch circuit for holding a current detection result based on an ON signal of the drive command signal and the comparison output signal, and a gate circuit for driving the drive circuit based on the ON signal of the drive command signal and a latch output signal from the latch circuit.

Abstract: A motor control device includes a drive circuit to drive an H-bridge circuit to control a current fed to a motor, a drive command signal generator to generate a drive command signal including a pulse signal having predetermined drive frequency and duty for sending a command to drive the motor, a current detection circuit operable to output a comparison output signal based on comparison between a current detection signal of a motor current and a target value signal, a latch circuit to hold a current detection result based on an ON signal of the drive command signal and the comparison output signal, a gate circuit to drive the drive circuit based on the ON signal of the drive command signal and a latch output signal from the latch circuit, and a control unit that changes the duty of the drive command signal based on the current detection result.

Abstract: A steel for cold forging/nitriding has, by mass percent, C: 0.01 to 0.15%, Si?0.35%, Mn: 0.10 to 0.90%, P?0.030%, S?0.030%, Cr: 0.50 to 2.0%, V: 0.10 to 0.50%, Al: 0.01 to 0.10%, N?0.0080%, and O?0.0030%, further according to need a specific amount of one or more elements selected from Mo, Cu, Ni, Ti, Nb, Zr, Pb, Ca, Bi, Te, Se and Sb, with the balance being Fe and impurities, and further satisfying the conditions of [399×C+26×Si+123×Mn+30×Cr+32×Mo+19×V?160], [20?(669.3×logeC?1959.6×logeN?6983.3)×(0.067×Mo+0.147×V)?80], [140×Cr+125×Al+235×V?160] and [90?511×C+33×Mn+56×Cu+15×Ni+36×Cr+5×Mo+134×V?170] are excellent in cold forgeability and machinability after cold forging.