Abstract:
A cleaning device includes a cleaning blade disposed in contact with a rotator, a toner collecting section disposed along the rotator and the cleaning blade and includes a groove extending in an axial direction of the rotator, a conveyor disposed in the groove, and an agitator disposed on a side of a rim of the groove. The conveyor rotates to convey the toner in a longitudinal direction of the groove. The agitator vibrates through contact with the conveyor and includes comb-tooth portions lined in a comb shape in the longitudinal direction of the groove, and bent portions, each of which is bent from an end of one of the comb-tooth portions. The comb-tooth portions contact a circumference of the conveyor to vibrate. The bent portions are lined at intervals smaller than intervals on a base side of the comb-tooth portions.
Abstract:
A toner conveyance device includes a downward passage, a reciprocating member disposed in the downward passage, to move in a vertical direction in which the downward passage extends, a conveyance passage communicating with a lower end of the downward passage and extending in a direction crossing the vertical direction, a conveyor to rotate in the conveyance passage around an axis extending along the conveyance passage to transport the toner, and a flexible member projecting from a bottom of the reciprocating member toward the conveyance passage. The flexible member extends in the axial direction of the conveyor and moves together with the reciprocating member. When the reciprocating member is at a lowest position, a lower end of the flexible member opposes a portion of the conveyor downstream from an upper end thereof in a rotation direction thereof.
Abstract:
A toner conveyance device includes a toner conveyance path through which toner is transported. The toner conveyance path includes a flexible portion, a toner conveyor inside the conveyance path to convey the toner, and a restrictor outside the toner conveyance path to restrict deformation of the toner conveyance path.
Abstract:
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer; a charger to charge a surface of the image bearer; an exposure device to expose the surface of the image bearer and form an electrostatic latent image on the image bearer; a developing device to adhere electrically charged toner to the electrostatic latent image on the image bearer, to thereby form a toner image; a microprocessor to control rotation of the image bearer; and a sensor to detect temperature and humidity. In a state of suspended rotation of the image bearer, the microprocessor controls the image bearer to rotate a predetermined amount at a predetermined interval and determines whether a rotation operation of the image bearer is to be performed, based on a detection result of the sensor.
Abstract:
A lubricant supplying device used with a solid lubricant, includes a supplying member to supply lubricant taken from the solid lubricant to an object to be supplied with the lubricant, and a remaining amount detecting section to detect a remaining amount of the solid lubricant becoming below a predetermined value. A detection of the remaining amount of the solid lubricant is executed when an operation to supply the lubricant to the object to be supplied with the lubricant stops.
Abstract:
In a navigation apparatus, HOV information related to a high-occupancy vehicle lane or carpool lane is added into node data of a node as a part of the node data in map data. The HOV information of all nodes in a highway in a guide route is acquired from the map data to calculate the total number of transfer permit points. When it is determined that a guide for HOV is possible based on the calculated total number of transfer permit points, and then it is determined that an entry distance from the present position to a nearest transfer permit point is in a predetermined range suitable for an entrance guide into the carpool lane, the entry distance is determined to be suitable for the entrance guide into the carpool lane. Thereby the entrance guide into the carpool lane is provided.
Abstract:
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a cleaning device that collects a waste toner attached to the surface of the image carrier using a cleaning member, a waste container that is removable from an image forming apparatus body, a temporary storage unit that is provided in the image forming apparatus body to temporarily store a waste including the waste toner collected in the cleaning device before the waste is transported to the waste container, and a waste transport unit that transports the waste to the temporary storage unit, wherein a discharge speed of the waste from the temporary storage unit by the waste discharge unit is lower than a transport speed of the waste to the temporary storage unit by the waste transport unit.
Abstract:
An image carrier surface treatment device is disposed opposite an image carrier rotatable in a first rotation direction and carrying a toner image. The image carrier surface treatment device includes a roller rotatable in a second rotation direction while contacting an outer circumferential surface of the image carrier. The roller includes a shaft projecting from each lateral end of the roller in an axial direction thereof. A rolling-element bearing is fitted on the shaft of the roller to support and position the roller inside the image carrier surface treatment device.
Abstract:
In an image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming devices, a first image forming device in which a leveling blade that functions as a lubricant leveling blade is easily worn away over time uses an obtuse-angle blade as a first leveling blade, and a second image forming device being other image forming device among the plurality of image forming devices uses a right-angle blade as a second leveling blade.
Abstract:
In an optical pick-up used in common with DVD/CD and BD, when the thickness is intended to be reduced by mounting a total reflection mirror, a cavity for passing through a laser light is necessary and, since this decreases the degree of freedom for arranging tracking coils and magnets and secondary resonance caused by a magnetic thrust in the tracking direction tends to be generated, an improvement therefor is necessary. In a lens coil holder of the optical pick-up having an objective lens and tracking coil mounted thereon each of the coils is arranged such that the thrust relative to the vertical center of the suspension wires that support the lens coil holder is well balanced. For example, most of the portion of the tracking coils is situated at one height relative to the suspension wire and the tilt coil is situated at the other remaining height.