Abstract: A cartridge attachable to and detachable from an image forming apparatus forming an image on a recording material, the cartridge includes: an image bearing member; a developer container that contains therein a developer; a developing member that is rotatable and carries the developer supplied from the developer container and supplies the developer to the image bearing member; a developer supplying member that is rotatable and provided in the developer container and in contact with the developing member to supply the developer to a surface of the developing member; and a contact member provided in the developer container and in contact with a surface of the developer supplying member, wherein the developer remaining on the image bearing member after image formation is collected to the developing member, and the developer collected to the developing member is collected into the developer container.

Abstract: A developing device, includes a first storage chamber that stores developer; a first conveyor that is disposed in the first storage chamber and conveys developer; a developer supporter that is disposed so as to face an image supporter, supports developer conveyed from the first conveyor, and conveys the supported developer to a developing position where an electrostatic latent image formed on the image supporter is developed; a second storage chamber that stores developer conveyed via the developing position and communicates with the first storage chamber at a confluent opening; a second conveyor that is disposed in the second storage chamber and conveys developer conveyed via the developing position toward the confluent opening; and a third storage chamber that stores developer overflowing in a case where an amount of developer in the second storage chamber becomes a predetermined amount or more.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming unit that includes: an image supporting member including a photosensitive layer configured to support a latent image; a developer supporting member configured to support a developer, and perform a development process on the latent image with use of the developer; and a developer feeding member including a surface that comes into contact with the developer supporting member, and configured to feed the developer to the developer supporting member. The developer feeding member includes an elastic layer. The elastic layer has a plurality of cells each including an opening that is exposed on the surface, and an area occupancy rate of the openings in area of the surface is in a range from 40% to 85%.

Abstract: A developer conveying device includes a rotatable developer conveying body including a shaft portion and a blade portion provided on the shaft portion for conveying a developer. The developer conveying device further includes a developer removing portion having a developer removing fin that contacts the developer conveying body in a counter direction with respect to a rotating direction of the developer conveying body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developer carrier, a toner carrier, a bias voltage control unit, and a detection unit. The developer carrier carries a developer layer containing toner, an additive and carriers thereon. The toner carrier supplies toner to the image carrier. The bias voltage control unit changes bias voltage setting from ordinary developing mode to toner removing mode when the detection unit detects toner adhesion in excess of a threshold value on the toner carrier. In the toner removing mode, the bias voltage control unit sets the bias voltage to be applied to the image carrier, the developer carrier, and the toner carrier so that only the additive remains on the circumferential surface of the toner carrier, and the developer layer carried on the developer carrier contacts the circumferential surface of the toner carrier with a larger force, as compared with the ordinary developing mode.

Abstract: A developer apparatus including a housing defining a chamber storing a supply of toner, and a developer roll disposed in the chamber, the developer roll configured to rotate about a longitudinal access to transport toner on a surface of the developer roll to a development zone. The developer apparatus also includes a charge/metering blade having a curved section configured to contact the surface of the developer roll so as to form an adjustable contact nip. The charge/metering blade also includes an overhang configured to control an amount of toner to enter the adjustable contact nip formed by the at least one curved section of the charge/metering blade.

Abstract: A print system including a print engine for printing a receiving material, a plurality of holders, each for holding one type of receiving material and delivering said material for printing to the print engine, a receiver for receiving jobs, a job being an order containing printing information on one or more types of receiving material specified in said order, and a control system for planning jobs, wherein the jobs are placed in a print queue in a sequence of finishing, and the control system is adapted to establish: a) the types of receiving material specified for a set of different jobs in the print queue, b) a shortage of a type of receiving material if there is insufficient receiving material present in the plurality of holders in order to finish a job of the said set, c) an indication of the time when said type of receiving material is no longer present in the plurality of holders, and wherein the print system further comprises a unit for displaying an image adapted to show an operator of the print syste

Abstract: A developing device is equipped with a photoreceptor drum on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a developing roller that supplies toner to the electrostatic latent image of the photoreceptor drum, a supply roller, a regulating roller, and a toner recovery unit that recovers at least toner adhering to the developing roller. The toner recovery unit includes a recovery member in which toner is recovered and which is disposed beneath the developing roller, the supply roller, and the regulating roller so as to be detachable.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a separating unit for performing a stripping operation of forcibly returning toner particles carried on a toner bearing member to a developer bearing member, a sheet size discriminator for discriminating whether a sheet is a standard sized sheet or a long sheet, a determiner for determining whether or not there is any blank area of a predetermined length or longer in the sub scanning direction, where no toner image is to be substantially transferred, for each long sheet, and a controller for controlling the stripping operation. The controller causes the separating unit to perform the stripping operation at a developing timing of an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the blank area to be formed on the image bearing member when the sheet is a long sheet and when the blank area of the predetermined length or longer is present.

Abstract: A developing device that is provided in an image forming device that forms an image includes an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a developer carrier that is configured to form a developer image on a surface of the image carrier by attaching developer on the electrostatic latent image; and a contact member that is configured to contact the developer carrier. The contact member contacts the developer carrier and exerts a contact pressure per unit area thereon, the contact pressure per unit area being based on charging characteristics of the developer being used.

Abstract: A developer supply device is provided, which includes a developer retrieving member disposed to face a developer holding surface of a developer holding member across a predetermined distance in a position downstream relative to a developer supply position where the developer holding member faces an intended device to be supplied with development agent in a direction perpendicular to a main scanning direction parallel to an axial direction of the developer holding member. The developer retrieving member is driven to rotate around an axis parallel to the main scanning direction and configured to retrieve the development agent from the developer holding surface under a retrieving electric field that is generated when a retrieving voltage is applied between the developer retrieving member and the developer holding member.

Abstract: A developing device and an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing occurrence of development hysteresis and moving a developer on a chute without being retained is provided. The developing device provides a chute that guides a two-component developer regulated by a regulating member in the direction separating from a developing roller. The chute is composed of a rectangular thin plate made of non-magnetic austenitic stainless alloy, and a tip part that is one end part in a short side direction thereof is provided so as to face a surface of the developing roller. The tip part is transformed to a processed induced martensitic phase to be made ferromagnetic, and subjected to magnetic field orientation in an area facing the surface of the developing roller so as to form a repulsive magnetic field.

Abstract: A developer supply device is provided, which includes a developer retrieving board disposed in closest proximity to a developer holding surface parallel to a first direction, across a predetermined distance in a retrieving proximity position that is downstream relative to a first position where a developer holding surface faces an intended device to be supplied with development agent and upstream relative to a second position that is upstream relative to the first position and a position where the development agent is transferred onto the developer holding surface, in a second direction as a moving direction of the developer holding surface which direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The developer retrieving board retrieves the development agent from the developer holding surface in a position downstream relative to the retrieving proximity position in a developer transfer direction along a developer retrieving path perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: An image forming unit includes a developer bearing body that bears a developer, and a supplying member provided so as to face the developer bearing body. The supplying member rotates to thereby collect the developer from the developer bearing body and supply the developer to the developer bearing body. The image forming unit further includes a developer storage portion that stores the developer to be supplied to the supplying member, and a charge providing member that charges the developer held on the supplying member. In a rotating direction of the supplying member, the charge providing member is disposed on a downstream side of an opposing portion between the developer bearing body and the supplying member and on an upstream side of a region where the developer storage portion supplies the developer to the supplying member.

Abstract: An image developer, including a developer container containing a developer developing a latent image on a latent image bearer; a developer bearer bearing the developer, located close to or contacting the latent image bearer; and a developer feeding and collection roller feeding the developer onto the developer bearer and scraping the developer therefrom, rotating while contacting thereto with pressure, wherein the developer feeding and collection roller includes an inner layer formed of an electroconductive foamed rubber; and an outer layer formed of an insulative foamed rubber, and wherein the following relationship is satisfied: ??T wherein ? represents a compression amount of the pressure of the developer feeding and collection roller to the developer bearer; and T represents a thickness of the outer layer, and wherein an offset voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the charged developer is applied to the developer feeding and collection roller.

Abstract: A developer supply device configured to supply developer is provided. The developer supply device includes a rotatable developer carrying body configured to carry the developer, a casing configured to rotatably support the developer carrying body, and a restricting member configured to contact the developer carrying body to remove a part of the developer. The casing has a collecting side developer storage room configured to store the developer removed by the restricting member and a supplying side developer storage room configured to store the developer to be supplied to the brush layer. A supplying side developer storage level, which is a storage level of the developer in the supplying side developer storage room, is higher than a collecting side developer storage level, which is a storage level of the developer in the collecting side developer storage room.

Abstract: In a method to remove toner deposits on a surface of a cleaning element, electrically charged toner particles are transferred from a transfer element surface to a photoconductor. On the cleaning element, untransferred, electrically charged toner particles as residual toner from the transfer element surface are received. Electrically charged toner particles on the cleaning element are directed past an electrode arrangement arranged at a distance from the surface of the cleaning element. An alternating electrical field is generated which acts on the toner particles to loosen them. The toner particles remaining on the surface of the cleaning element are brought into contact with a mixture of carrier particles and toner particles during further transport along a transport direction of the cleaning element.

Abstract: A developer supply device is provided, which includes a developer retrieving member having a plurality of fibers extending from an outer circumferential surface of the developer retrieving member, the developer retrieving member being disposed in such a position that the fibers contact a developer carrying surface of a developer carrying body in a developer retrieving position downstream relative to a developer supply position in a moving direction of the developer carrying surface, the developer retrieving member being configured to rotate and retrieve the development agent from the developer carrying surface in the developer retrieving position by the fibers moving in contact with the developer carrying surface in response to the rotation of the developer retrieving member.

Abstract: A developer regulating member regulates a thickness of a layer of a developer on a surface of a developer bearing body. The developer has a degree of circularity in a range from 0.94 to 0.97. The developer regulating member includes a resilient plate member composed of a metal material and having a bent portion. An outer surface of the bent portion contacts the surface of the developer bearing body so that a ridge line of the outer surface of the bent portion crosses a moving direction of the surface of the developer bearing body. A curvature radius R (?m) of the outer surface of the bent portion and a mean crystal grain diameter D (?m) of the metal material satisfy the relationship: 60×10?3×R?11?D?93.75×10?3×R?6.875.

Abstract: A development system (10) for an electrophotographic printer with multiple augers containing a development roller (11) and a first channel contains a feed auger (13) and developer, with a plurality of paddles (12) attached to the feed auger, at least some the paddles increase in size with respect to a previous paddle along a direction of developer flow (18). This arrangement of paddles ensures that a uniform layer of developer is formed on the development roller despite the volume of developer in the first channel decreasing along the length of the first channel in the direction of developer flow.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a separating unit for performing a stripping operation of forcibly returning toner particles carried on a toner bearing member to a developer bearing member, a sheet size discriminator for discriminating whether a sheet is a standard sized sheet or a long sheet, a determiner for determining whether or not there is any blank area of a predetermined length or longer in the sub scanning direction, where no toner image is to be substantially transferred, for each long sheet, and a controller for controlling the stripping operation. The controller causes the separating unit to perform the stripping operation at a developing timing of an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the blank area to be formed on the image bearing member when the sheet is a long sheet and when the blank area of the predetermined length or longer is present.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus provided with an image carrying member to carry an electrostatic latent image, a toner carrying member to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image carrying member with toner; a first developer carrying member to carry developer containing toner, carrier, reverse polarity particles and to supply toner to the toner carrying member; and a second developer carrying member to carry developer and to recover toner on the toner carrying member, wherein an ability to move the reverse polarity particles from the toner carrying member to the first developer carrying member is larger than an ability to move the reverse polarity particles from the second developer carrying member to the toner carrying member.

Abstract: A developing unit including a retainer receiving portion for receiving a developer retainer, a first agitation portion adjacent to the retainer receiving portion, a second agitation portion adjacent to the first agitation portion, a first conveyance member received in the first agitation portion, a second conveyance member received in the second agitation portion, a layer thickness limiting member made of a magnetic material and disposed between the second conveyance member and the developer retainer to limit the layer thickness of a developer retained on the surface of a retaining member, and a blocking portion disposed on the upstream side of the layer thickness limiting member in the rotation direction of the retaining member and in a space located between the layer thickness limiting member and the second agitation portion to block a developer on the upstream side of the layer thickness limiting member from entering the space.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a rotary member that contacts with an image carrier and moves materials on a surface of the image carrier along a rotation direction of the rotary member; a scraping member that contacts with the rotary member to scrape the materials adhering on the rotary member; a collected material receiving portion disposed downstream of a contact portion of the rotary member and the scraping member in a gravity direction; plural openings provided along a width direction of the image carrier by a partition member, through which the materials scraped by the scraping member pass to the collected material receiving portion; a protrusion portion that is arranged between the openings and the contact portion of the rotary member and the scraping member, and protrudes toward an upstream side in a rotation direction of the rotary member.

Abstract: A blade member having; a contact layer in contact with a surface of an image carrier; and a support layer superimposed on the contact layer, wherein a first curve indicating a relation between loss tangent and temperature of the contact layer and a second curve indicating a relation between loss tangent and temperature of the support layer intersect with each other in a temperature range of not lower than 25° C. and not higher than 45° C.

Abstract: A blade for an electro-photographic device includes an elastic rubber member constituted by an edge portion and a base portion which are in contact with each other and are constituted by different materials, wherein the edge portion includes an edge subject to frictional wear in use and is made of ester polyurethane, and the base portion is adapted to be bonded to a support and is made of ether polyurethane. The blade undergoes minimal permanent deformation and offers excellent mechanical strength, wear resistance and compliance to the use environment.

Abstract: A developer supply device configured to supply charged development agent to an intended device is provided, the developer supply device including a developer storage section storing the development agent, an electric-field transfer board that includes transfer electrodes arranged along a developer transfer path in parallel with each other, and transfers the development agent stored in the developer storage section along the developer transfer path when the transfer electrodes are supplied with a multi-phase alternating-current voltage, and a brush roller that is disposed to face the intended device in a predetermined developer supply position and face the electric-field transfer board in a predetermined developer carrying position, and configured to receive the development agent from the electric-field transfer board in the predetermined developer carrying position and carry the received development agent to the predetermined developer supply position where the development agent is supplied to the intended de

Abstract: A printer includes a development member for providing toner to a photoreceptor. A developer remover is located between a developer supply and the photoreceptor in the direction of rotation of the development member, and selectively contacts the development member to remove developer therefrom. A controller receives a print job, determines a non-developing zone of the development member corresponding to the non-image area of the job, and determines a developing zone of the development member corresponding to the image area of the job. The developer remover removes developer when it is in the non-developing zone, but not when it is in the developing zone.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cleaning blade for an electrophotographic device, which, even when spherical (perfectly spherical or irregularly shaped), polymerized toner with a small particle diameter is used, can achieve sufficient abrasion resistance and sufficient cleaning ability (particularly cleaning ability under low-temperature and low-humidity conditions). The cleaning blade for an electrophotographic device includes an elastic rubber member; and a supporting member. The elastic rubber member has a double layer structure including an edge layer and a base layer. The edge layer is made of a material with a JIS-A hardness of 65° to 72° at 23° C. and a rebound resilience of 10 to 35%. The base layer is made of a material with a JIS-A hardness of 70° to 80° at 23° C. and a rebound resilience of 40 to 70%, the JIS-A hardness value being larger than the value of hardness of the edge layer.

Abstract: A developing device is provided with a developing roller arranged to face a photoconductor for forming an electrostatic latent image and adapted to supply a toner to the photoconductor, an agitating member for agitating a developer, a supply roller that holds the developer agitated by the agitating member, and supplies the toner to an area facing the developing roller; a restricting member for blocking the developer supplied onto the supply roller and restricting the amount of the developer conveyed by the supply roller, and an intermediate roller including a first magnetic pole facing in a direction toward the staying developer by being restricted by the restricting member for attracting the staying developer and arranged at such a position as to face the developer blocked by the restricting member. Thus, the developing device can avoid image quality deterioration even when a developing process continues over a long period of time.

Abstract: The development device includes a toner carrier, a toner supplier, and a surface electrical potential controller. When the toner supplier supplies toner particles to the toner carrier, the toner carrier carries toner particles to adhere to a latent image formed on the latent image carrier and has a time constant ?1 of a surface electrical potential change of the toner carrier. The surface electrical potential controller has a time constant ?2 of a surface electrical potential change of the toner carrier smaller than the time constant ?1. The toner carrier includes a plurality of electrodes aligned in parallel and electrically insulated from each other on the surface thereof, and a voltage supplier for supplying each of the plurality of electrodes with a voltage to periodically switch electrical fields therebetween, so that the toner particles form a cloud on the surface of the toner carrier while hopping.

Abstract: A developing device, includes: a housing that stores toner inside; a toner carrier roller that is shaped approximately like a cylinder, is mounted to the housing rotatably about a rotational axis, rotates while carrying the toner on a surface thereof to convey the toner to outside of the housing, and is provided, on the surface thereof, with a plurality of convex sections which are regularly arranged and a concave section which surrounds the convex sections, the convex sections including top surfaces that coincide with a part of a curved surface of single cylinder and have electrical conductivity; and a seal member that is arranged in abutting contact with the surface of the toner carrier roller moving from the outside the housing toward the inside the housing at a position downstream of the opposed position in a rotation direction of the toner carrier roller to prevent toner leakage from the housing, a contact surface of the seal member being made of a material located at a position to charge the toner with

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image supporting member; a developer supporting member for attaching developer to the image supporting member to form a developer image; a regulation member for forming a thin layer of the developer on the developer supporting member; a charge adjustment member for receiving a charge adjustment voltage and contacting with the thin layer of the developer formed on the developer supporting member to adjust a charge amount of the developer; and a charge adjustment voltage switching unit for switching the charge adjustment voltage applied to the charge adjustment member between an image forming voltage upon forming an image and a non-image forming voltage during a preparation operation.

Abstract: A developer supply device is provided, which includes a developer retrieving board disposed in closest proximity to a developer holding surface parallel to a first direction, across a predetermined distance in a retrieving proximity position that is downstream relative to a first position where a developer holding surface faces an intended device to be supplied with development agent and upstream relative to a second position that is upstream relative to the first position and a position where the development agent is transferred onto the developer holding surface, in a second direction as a moving direction of the developer holding surface which direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The developer retrieving board retrieves the development agent from the developer holding surface in a position downstream relative to the retrieving proximity position in a developer transfer direction along a developer retrieving path perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: A developer supply device is provided, which includes a developer retrieving member disposed to face a developer holding surface of a developer holding member across a predetermined distance in a position downstream relative to a developer supply position where the developer holding member faces an intended device to be supplied with development agent in a direction perpendicular to a main scanning direction parallel to an axial direction of the developer holding member. The developer retrieving member is driven to rotate around an axis parallel to the main scanning direction and configured to retrieve the development agent from the developer holding surface under a retrieving electric field that is generated when a retrieving voltage is applied between the developer retrieving member and the developer holding member.

Abstract: A development apparatus includes a first developer chamber configured to store and supply the developer, a first developer bearer configured to convey the developer supplied from the first developer chamber to a first development domain, defined by a portion of the first developer bearer facing a latent image bearer, to develop the latent image, a second developer bearer configured to convey the developer passed through the first development domain to a second development domain, defined by a portion of the second developer bearer facing the latent image bearer, to develop the latent image, a second developer chamber configured to recover the developer passing through the second development domain and store the recovered developer, and a transfer prevention member provided between the second developer chamber and the second developer bearer to reduce a transfer of the developer from the second developer chamber to the second developer bearer.

Abstract: An image developer, including a developer container containing a developer developing a latent image on a latent image bearer; a developer bearer bearing the developer, located close to or contacting the latent image bearer; and a developer feeding and collection roller feeding the developer onto the developer bearer and scraping the developer therefrom, rotating while contacting thereto with pressure, wherein the developer feeding and collection roller includes an inner layer formed of an electroconductive foamed rubber; and an outer layer formed of an insulative foamed rubber, and wherein the following relationship is satisfied: ??T wherein ? represents a compression amount of the pressure of the developer feeding and collection roller to the developer bearer; and T represents a thickness of the outer layer, and wherein an offset voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the charged developer is applied to the developer feeding and collection roller.

Abstract: An amount-of-developer regulating apparatus configured to restrict the amount of developer carried on a developer bearing member. The amount-of-developer regulating apparatus includes a flexible developer amount regulation member having a contact portion configured to contact with a developer bearing member, and first and second holding portions configured to hold the developer amount regulation member and to contact with the developer amount regulation member at further upstream and further downstream in a direction where the developer bearing member is rotationally moved than the contact portion. With a pressure distribution of the contact portion as to the developer bearing member, there are a plurality of local maximum values in the direction where the developer bearing member is rotationally moved. Thus, the apparatus can be reduced in size, and also image concentration unevenness after long-term use can be prevented.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a first roller, a second roller, and a separating mechanism. The first roller is formed in a longitudinal shape. The second roller is formed in a longitudinal shape and arranged in parallel to the first roller via a gap. The separating mechanism moves the second roller in a direction further away from the first roller such that the gap between the first roller and the second roller in a direction orthogonal to the axis direction of the second roller increases.

Abstract: A developer apparatus includes a toner carrier roller having convex and concave sections formed thereon. A restriction member including an elastic abutting member having an edge part that abuts the toner carrier roller removes toner from the convex sections such that the concave sections alone carry toner. Within a restriction nip created as the toner carrier roller and the restriction member abut abutting segments where the edge part abuts on the convex sections, and opening segments where the edge part and the concave sections are opposed to each other with a gap between each other, appear alternatingly along the width direction. In the opening segments, the edge part bulges toward bottom surfaces of the concave sections beyond linear lines connecting top surfaces of two adjacent convex sections which are on both sides to the concave sections which are opposed to the edge part.

Abstract: A developer apparatus, includes: a container which houses toner; a toner carrier roller that is provided, on a surface thereof, with a plurality of convex sections which are regularly arranged and a concave section which surrounds the convex sections, is shaped approximately like a cylinder, and rotates while carrying a toner layer of charged toner on the surface thereof; and a restriction member that abuts on the surface of the toner carrier roller to form a restriction nip, restricts a thickness of the toner layer carried on the surface of the toner carrier roller in the restriction nip, and removes the toner layer on the convex sections from among the toner layer carried on the surface of the toner carrier roller at an upstream-side end of the restriction nip in a rotation direction of the toner carrier roller, wherein a part of toner carried by the concave section moves to the convex sections to cover the convex sections with the toner at a downstream side to the restriction nip in the rotation direction

Abstract: Provided are a developing device and an image forming apparatus, the developing device which employs a two-component developer wherein development hysteresis (ghost) is reduced and deterioration of a carrier is stably suppressed, and high-quality images are thus realized for a long period of time. The developing device, which uses a developer including toner, carrier and reverse polarity particles which are charged to have a polarity reverse to that of the toner, performs a collecting operation for collecting the reverse polarity particles at a timing in which image formation is not affected by a collecting operation, where the reverse polarity particles are accumulated in the area enclosed by a toner carrying member, a developer carrying member for toner supply and developer carrying member for collecting toner are collected into a developer container.

Abstract: A developing unit comprises a developing portion, a first developer storage portion and a partitioning wall. The developing portion includes a rotatable developer carrier, a rotatable supply member configured to supply the developer to the developer carrier, a regulating member contacting with the developer carrier to regulate the thickness of the developer on the developer carrier, and a developer feeding member arranged below the regulating member and configured to feed the developer. The partitioning wall is configured to partition between the developing portion and the first developer storage portion. The partitioning wall has a supply port for supplying the developer from the first developer storage portion to the developing portion. The regulating member is contacting with the developer carrier at a contact position located above an upper level of the developer in the developing portion.

Abstract: A development agent supply device has a transfer board including a supply section disposed upstream relative to a proximity position in a development agent transfer direction, and a retrieving section disposed downstream relative to the proximity position in the development agent transfer direction. The supply section includes first transfer electrodes arranged along the development agent transfer direction to transfer development agent toward the proximity position with an electric field generated with a supply bias applied to the first transfer electrodes and supply the development agent to the development agent holding surface near the proximity position.

Abstract: An aspect of the invention provides a developing unit that includes: a developer; an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a first developer carrier configured to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier by causing the developer to adhere to the electrostatic latent image; a first restriction member configured to be in press-contact with the first developer carrier; a second developer carrier configured to abut to the first developer carrier, and to form a developer layer on the second developer carrier; a second restriction member configured to abut to the second developer carrier; and a supplying member configured to supply the second developer carrier with the developer.

Abstract: A device for metering developer material to a predefined developer material bed height on a donor member, including a trim bar being mounted a predefined spacing from the donor member; and a magnetic member positioned adjacent and along the length of the trim bar, the magnetic member coacting with the trim bar to obtain the predefined developer material bed height on the donor member.

Abstract: A developing apparatus has a developer carrying member carrying a developer thereon, a developer supplying member for supplying the developer to the developer carrying member, and a scraping member for contacting the developer carrying member upstream of the closest position between the developer carrying member and the developer supplying member with respect to the movement direction of the developer carrying member to thereby scrape off the developer from the developer carrying member. There is formed a developer supplying portion surrounded by the scraping member, the developer carrying member and the developer supplying member for supplying the developer from the developer supplying member to the developer carrying member, and the developer scraped off by the scraping member is conveyed to a collecting passage differing from the closest position.

Abstract: An apparatus and related method for a self-cleaning toner roller device adjacent a toner roller. The cleaning device having one or more shields to capture the toner debris from the toner roller, a toner debris receptacle to collect the toner debris, and a controller to move the applicator from an operational mode to a self-cleaning mode.

Abstract: A component mounting structure mounting a press component with the press component in a condition of elastic pressing against a pressed article, and comprising an intermediate fixing member mounted on a fixing frame supporting the pressed article and capable of position adjustment in a direction of pressing of the press component against the pressed article; a fixing connection part, supporting the press component, mounted on the intermediate fixing member, and capable of position adjustment in the same direction as the direction of pressing; a setting part setting a distance of separation between the fixing connection part and the pressed article within a prescribed range; a first fixing mechanism fixing a position of the intermediate fixing member with respect to the fixing frame; and a second fixing mechanism fixing a position of the fixing connection part with respect to the intermediate fixing member.

Abstract: In a developing unit including a collecting roller for collecting the developer falling from a developing roller and a developer removing device for removing the developer collected by the collecting roller from the collecting roller, the developer removing device includes a casing for supporting the collecting roller, a scraper for removing the developer adhering to the collecting roller and a scraper supporter for supporting the scraper, and the scraper is supported by pressing it against the casing by the scraper supporter.