Method and apparatus for image forming capable of performing an effective development process

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a development apparatus comprising:
• a development agent carrying member adapted to carry a development agent;
• a toner container adapted to contain toner, said toner container including an opening through which the toner is supplied to said development agent carrying member, said opening located at a position facing said development agent carrying member;
• a flexible member arranged inside said toner container, said flexible member being configured to rotate to cyclically transfer the toner to said development agent carrying member via said opening;
• and
• a stopper mounted to said toner container at a stop position such that said stopper is engaged with an edge of said flexible member to locate said flexible member at a closed position where said opening is closed by said flexible member.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a development apparatus comprising:
• a development agent carrying member adapted to carry a development agent including toner and magnetic carriers, said development agent carrying member including an inner magnetic field generating mechanism;
• a toner container adapted to contain toner, said toner container including an opening through which the toner is supplied to said development agent carrying member, said opening located at a position facing said development agent carrying member;
• an initial development agent container adapted to contain an initial development agent including at least magnetic carriers, said initial development agent container being sealed when said apparatus is in an initially-unused condition, said initial development agent container including a mechanism for supply said initial development agent to said development agent carrying member when said apparatus is initially used;
• a flexible member arranged inside said toner container, said flexible member being configured to rotate to cyclically transfer the toner to said development agent carrying member via said opening;
• and
• a stopper mounted to said toner container at a stop position such that said stopper is engaged with an edge of said flexible member to locate said flexible member at a closed position where said opening is closed by said flexible member,
• wherein said flexible member is initially located at said closed position and is caused to release said opening when the development agent is present on a surface of said development agent carrying member which in turn faces said opening after said development agent carrying member is caused to start rotation.

A development apparatus, comprising:

• development agent carrying means for carrying a development agent;
• toner containing means for containing toner, the toner containing means including an opening through which the toner is supplied to said development agent carrying means, said opening located at a position facing said development agent carrying means;
• flexible means arranged inside said toner container, said flexible means being rotatable for cyclically transferring the toner to said development agent carrying means via said opening;
• and
• stopping means mounted to the toner containing means at a stop position, said stopping means being for engaging an edge of said flexible means to locate said flexible means at a closed position where said opening is closed by said flexible means.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a development apparatus comprising:
• development agent carrying means for carrying a development agent;
• toner containing means for containing toner, said toner containing means including an opening through which the toner is supplied to said development agent carrying means, said opening located at a position facing said development agent carrying means;
• flexible means arranged inside said toner container, said flexible means being rotatable for cyclically transferring the toner to said development agent carrying means via said opening;
• and
• stopping means mounted to said toner containing means at a stop position, said stopping means being for engaging an edge of said flexible means to locate said flexible means at a closed position where said opening is closed by said flexible means.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a development apparatus comprising:
• development agent carrying means for carrying a development agent including toner and magnetic carriers, said development agent carrying means including an inner magnetic field generating mechanism;
• toner containing means for containing toner, the toner containing means including an opening through which the toner is supplied to said development agent carrying means, said opening located at a position facing said development agent carrying means;
• initial development agent containing means for containing an initial development agent including at least magnetic carriers and to be sealed when said apparatus is in an initially-unused condition, said initial development agent containing means including a mechanism for supply said initial development agent to said development agent carrying means when said apparatus is initially used;
• flexible means arranged inside said toner container, said flexible means being rotatable for cyclically transferring the toner to said development agent carrying means via said opening;
• and
• stopping means mounted to said toner containing means at a stop position, said stopping means being for engaging an edge of said flexible means to locate said flexible means at a closed position where said opening is closed by said flexible means,
• wherein said flexible means is initially located at said closed position and is caused to release said opening when the development agent is present on a surface of said development agent carrying means which in turn faces said opening after said development agent carrying means is caused to start rotation.

A development apparatus, comprising:

• a development agent carrying member adapted to carry a development agent including toner and magnetic carriers, said development agent carrying member including an inner magnetic field generating mechanism;
• a toner container adapted to contain toner, said toner container including an opening through which the toner is supplied to said development agent carrying member, said opening located at a position facing said development agent carrying member;
• an initial development agent container adapted to contain an initial development agent including at least magnetic carriers, said initial development agent container being sealed when said apparatus is in an initially-unused condition, said initial development agent container including a mechanism for supply the initial development agent to said development agent carrying member when said apparatus is initially used;
• a flexible member arranged inside said toner container near said opening, said flexible member being configured to rotate to cyclically transfer the toner to said development agent carrying member via said opening;
• and
• a stopper mounted to said toner container at a stop position such that said stopper is engaged with an edge of said flexible member to locate said flexible member at a closed position where said opening is closed by said flexible member,
• wherein said flexible member is initially located at said closed position and is caused to release said opening when the development agent is present on a surface of said development agent carrying member which in turn faces said opening after said development agent carrying member is caused to start rotation.

A development apparatus, comprising:

• development agent carrying means for carrying a development agent including toner and magnetic carriers, said development agent carrying means including an inner magnetic field generating mechanism;
• toner containing means for containing toner, said toner containing means including an opening through which the toner is supplied to said development agent carrying means, said opening located at a position facing said development agent carrying means;
• initial development agent containing means for containing an initial development agent including at least magnetic carriers, said initial development agent containing means being sealed when said apparatus is in an initially-unused condition, said initial development agent containing means including a mechanism for supplying the initial development agent to said development agent carrying means when said apparatus is initially used;
• flexible means arranged inside said toner containing means, said flexible means being rotatable for cyclically transferring the toner to said development agent carrying means via said opening;
• and
• stopping means mounted to said toner containing means at a stop position, said stopping means being for engaging an edge of said flexible means to locate said flexible means at a closed position where said opening is closed by said flexible means,
• wherein said flexible means is initially located at said closed position and is caused to release said opening when said development agent is present on a surface of said development agent carrying means which in turn faces said opening after said development agent carrying means is caused to start rotation.

A method of image forming, comprising the steps of:

• sealing an opening of a toner container for containing toner by engaging a flexible member with a stopper mounted to said toner container at a stop position such that said stopper is engaged with an edge of said flexible member to locate said flexible member at a closed position where said opening is closed by said flexible member;
• filling said toner container with the toner;
• supplying a development agent including at least magnetic carriers to a development agent carrying member at a surface of said development agent facing said opening of said toner container;
• and
• releasing said opening to start supplying the toner to said development agent carrying member through said opening by rotation of said flexible member.

A method of image forming, comprising the steps of:

• sealing an opening of a toner container for containing toner by engaging a flexible member with a stopper;
• filling said toner container with the toner;
• supplying a development agent including at least magnetic carriers to a development agent carrying member at a surface of said development agent facing said opening of said toner container;
• and
• releasing said opening to start supplying the toner to said development agent carrying member through said opening by rotation of said flexible member,
• wherein said flexible member has a flexibility such that said flexible member bends under a pressure from the toner, while the flexible member is rotating, to an extent that said flexible member does not touch an inner surface of said toner container when said toner container contains more than a predetermined amount of toner.

A method of image forming, comprising the steps of:

• sealing an opening of a toner container for containing toner by engaging a flexible member with a stopper;
• filling said toner container with the toner;
• supplying a development agent including at least magnetic carriers to a development agent carrying member at a surface of said development agent facing said opening of said toner container;
• and
• releasing said opening to start supplying the toner to said development agent carrying member through said opening by rotation of said flexible member, wherein said releasing step comprises:
• rotating said flexible member;
• causing said flexible member to be lifted up by said stopper;
• lowering said flexible member from said stopper;
• reversing a rotational direction of said flexible member by a predetermined angular degree to engage with said stopper;
• and
• applying a reversing force to said flexible member for turning said flexible member by another predetermined angular degree.