Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Keiji Katoh

Eiichi Kido

Yuhi Yui

Shigeyuki Wakada

Hiroshige Araki

Yasuo Imai

Toshihiro Ota

Toshihide Ohgoshi

Atsushi Inoue

Fumito Mizoguchi

Toshio Nishino

Wataru Yoshida

A detection mechanism is provided with a sealing member made of elastic material for preventing toner leakage between (a) a pierced wall surface of a toner tank through which a rotating shaft is inserted and (b) a second side plate provided on the rotating shaft. With this structure, a flat splicing surface of the sealing member is made to closely contact a second side plate that can be coated with a high lubricant member whose frictional forces is small. When a sealing force of the sealing member is strongly compressed, the sealing member prevents toner from coming into the sliding surface.

Developer detection device and printer

A developing apparatus which is equipped with a developer control member for controlling the developer on a developer supporter to a prescribed thickness, and which uses a one-component developer, characterized in that recessed sections are formed at the surface of the developer supporter to receive the developer, and the density .alpha. of particles of the developer which enter the recessed sections and the nip width L1 between the developer control member and the developer supporter satisfy the relationship: 3&lt;.alpha..multidot.L1&lt;10.

Developing apparatus having recessed sections on developing roller

Developing unit for printer and facsimile

A developer cartridge for image forming apparatuses which performs development to form images with non-magnetic, one-component type developer. The cartridge includes a developing roller for supplying developer to a photoconductor drum, a developer feed roller in non-contact with the developing roller for supply developer to the developing roller, and a developer-layer thickness control member for controlling the thickness of the developer layer on the developing roller. The developer feed roller is shaped as a regular polygonal prism. Since no recesses are formed in the surface of the regular polygonal prism, driving torque does not increase when developer is scrubbed from the prism, thus ensuring consistent operation and improved image quality. Non-magnetic, one-component type developer is compressed onto the developing roller by supplying the developer via the developer feed roller into a bottleneck between the developing roller and a developer applying member. The amount of developer which passes through the bottleneck onto the developing roller is controlled by a temporary reservoir, the pressurization thereof ensuring application of the developer to the developing roller. A control roller may be used against the developing roller to lower friction of developer, thereby preventing deposition of developer on the control roller while establishing a consistent amount of developer on the developing roller.

Developing device

Growing community of inventors

Nara, Japan

Keiji Katoh