Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Mitsuru Horinoe

Yuichi Matsushita

Fan Xu

Hiroki Mori

Yukiko Nakaya

Fumikazu Sato

Takashi Yasuda

Naoya Kamimura

Hideaki Deguchi

Shougo Sato

Masahiro Ishii

Isao Kishi

Soichiro Nishimura

Masatoshi Sakaguchi

Makoto Ishii

Tomoaki Hattori

Satoru Ishikawa

Tsuyoshi Suzuki

Keisuke Takahashi

Takeshi Fuwazaki

Koji Aoyama

Fran Xu

Hedeaki Deguchi

A developing device for an image forming apparatus may include a seal and a casing to prevent leakage of developer. In some examples, the seal member may include multiple side surfaces while the casing may include projections that may abut and contact various surfaces of the seal member. According to one arrangement, the casing may include first, second and third protrusions, where each protrusion is configured to abut and contact a corresponding surface of the seal member. Additionally, the second projection may protrude in a position inside of the first projection while the third projection may protrude in a position between the first and second projections.

Casing projections of an image forming apparatus configured to support a seal of a developing device

A developing device comprising: a developing roller; a casing that includes a developer storage unit; a roller supporting unit and an opening; and a seal member that is mounted on the casing outside the opening in the central axis direction and faces an end portion of the developing roller, the seal member configured to rub against the end portion of the developing roller when the seal member is elastically deformed, wherein the casing includes: an outer projection that is provided along a moving direction of the developing roller to abut on an outer end portion of the seal member, the outer projection protruding in a position which is inside the roller supporting unit; and an inner projection provided along the outer projection so as to abut on an inner end portion of the seal member, the inner projection protruding in a position which is outside the opening.

A development device includes a casing storing development agent, a developing member that is rotatably supported in an opening of the casing and configured to hold development agent thereon, a first seal member that extends in a first direction parallel to a rotational axis of the developing member and has a base end at a side of the casing and a free end contacting an entire length, in the first direction, of the developing member, and an elastic member disposed between the casing and the free end so as to face the entire length, in the first direction, of the developing member. The elastic member presses the free end against the entire length, in the first direction, of the developing member.

Development device having a seal member and an elastic member and image forming device having the same

A developing device includes a developer carrier, a developing unit housing which rotatably supports the developer carrier, a side seal member which comes into slidable contact with both ends of the developer carrier, a sheet-like elongated seal member which extends in the axial direction of the developer carrier so as to come into slidable contact with the developer carrier, a side seal attachment surface which is formed in the developing unit housing and to which the side seal member is attached, and a support portion which is formed in the developing unit housing and protrudes toward the developer carrier from the side seal attachment surface to support the elongated seal member. The elongated seal member is attached onto the support portion in a state where both ends thereof overlap the side seal member and are opposite the side seal attachment surface.

Developing device having seal member including base member and surface member having side surface disposed inward from side surface of base material

Developing device

A development device has a casing configured with a first frame and a second frame. The first frame includes attachment surfaces to which a regulating member is attached. A facing surface of the second frame is disposed between the attachment surfaces, in a predetermined plane including the attachment surfaces, and configured to face a portion of the regulating member between the attachment surfaces. A seal member is disposed between the regulating member and opposite surfaces including the attachment surfaces and the facing surface, and configured to seal first gaps each of which is formed between the facing surface and one of the attachment surfaces, in a first direction parallel to a rotational axis of a developing member rotatably supported by the casing.

Development device and printer having the same

A developing device includes a developer carrier which carries a developer, a developing unit housing which rotatably supports the developer carrier, a side seal member which comes into slidable contact with both ends of the developer carrier, a sheet-like elongated seal member which extends in the axial direction of the developer carrier so as to come into slidable contact with the developer carrier, a side seal attachment surface which is formed in the developing unit housing and to which the side seal member is attached, and a support portion which is formed in the developing unit housing and protrudes toward the developer carrier from the side seal attachment surface to support the elongated seal member. The elongated seal member is attached onto the support portion in a state where both ends thereof overlap the side seal member and are opposite the side seal attachment surface. A filler is filled in a gap surrounded by the elongated seal member, the side seal member, the support portion, and the side seal attachment surface. A protrusion for suppressing the spread of the filler is formed at the side seal attachment surface at a predetermined interval from the support portion.

A developing unit is provided, which includes: a developer carrier; a housing; and a side sealing member disposed between an end part of the developer carrier and a portion of the housing adjacent to a supply port. The side sealing member includes an elastic member having an integral base part attached to the portion of the housing and plural integral projections protruding from the base part toward the developer carrier in a protruding direction. A distal end part of each of the projection has an inclination face inclined so that a part of the inclination face is closer to the supply port as the part of the inclination face is farther from the base part in the protruding direction.

Developing unit and side seal member

A developing unit is provided that includes a developer carrier; a housing; and a side sealing member disposed between an end part of the developer carrier and a portion of the housing adjacent to a supply port. The side sealing member includes an upstream side seal and a downstream side seal. The upstream side seal is configured to convey a developer on the upstream side seal in an oblique direction toward the supply port and the downstream side. The downstream side seal is configured to convey a developer on the downstream side seal in a direction toward the downstream side.

Developing unit including side seal member between end of developer carrier and housing

An arrangement of sealing members seals developer in a developer device. The sealing members minimize or eliminate developer from leaking around the sides of a developer carrier.

Developing device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a main body, image formation units disposed in the main body, a moving member disposed in the main body, the moving member including a surface facing each image formation unit, a pair of first stoppers disposed in each image formation unit, and a pair of second stoppers disposed in the main body in correspondence with each image formation unit, each second stopper being configured to prevent the developer on the moving member from entering the image formation unit.

Image forming apparatus, image formation process unit, and developing unit

A layer-thickness regulating member includes a thin plate member and a projection member provided on a free edge portion of the thin plate member. A leak preventing members include a first seal member and a second seal member. The first seal member includes a first downstream portion disposed adjacent to the projection member on a front surface of the thin plate member, and a first upstream portion extending upstream of the first downstream portion. The second seal member includes a second downstream portion, and a second upstream portion which extends upstream of the second downstream portion. The second upstream portion includes a covered portion covered with the first upstream portion, an opposed portion disposed adjacent to the covered portion and opposed to the adjacent portion of the projection member and an exposed portion extending upstream of the covered portion and the opposed portion.

Developing device, image carrier device, and image forming apparatus

A layer-thickness regulating member may include a thin plate member and a projection member. The projection member includes a first pressure contact portion that comes into pressure-contact with each of seal areas, a second pressure contact portion that comes into pressure-contact with each of side end areas, and a third pressure contact portion that comes into pressure-contact with a central area. A notched portion is formed at a position of the distal end of the thin plate member where each of the second pressure contact portions is formed, by cutting the thin plate member from an end edge of the distal end toward a downstream side of the rotation direction of the developing agent carrier.

A developer cartridge includes a developer cartridge case for accommodating a developer, a developing roller, a toner layer thickness control blade, and a side sealing member. The developing roller is supported by the developer cartridge case such that a circumferential surface thereof is exposed to an outside of the developer cartridge case along a width direction. The toner layer thickness control blade includes a blade body portion made of a metallic plate. A tip portion of the blade body portion is disposed at a sliding portion of the developing roller and the side sealing member so as to contact with the side sealing member. A frictional heat generated at the sliding portion is released to the outside of the developer cartridge case through the blade body portion in order restrain a leak of the developer as much as possible.

Image forming apparatus and developer cartridge

A developing agent leakage preventing member is provided that is attached to the developer housing and that has a housing attaching face which contacts with the developer housing, a front side face which opposes the housing attaching face, and two side faces each of which connects to each other end portions of the housing attaching face and the front side face in the longitudinal direction of the opening of the developer housing. At least one of the side faces of the developing agent leakage preventing member is formed as an inclined side face that is inclined in a predetermined direction relative to the housing attaching face when pressed from the front side face side. In a developing apparatus, developing agent (toner) leakage is avoided.

Growing community of inventors

Aichi-ken, Japan

Mitsuru Horinoe