The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 02, 1996
Filed:
Mar. 15, 1994
Kazuo Yasuda, Hachioji, JP;
Satoshi Takahashi, Hachioji, JP;
Konica Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A developing unit in use with an image forming apparatus such as a printer and a copier. The developing unit includes: a photoreceptor for holding a toner image; two-component developer consisting of toner and magnetic carrier; a developing sleeve, located in a vicinity of the photoreceptor and slightly separated from the photoreceptor, for supplying the toner of the two-component developer to the surface of the photoreceptor; a developer layer thickness regulator for regulating a layer thickness of the two-component developer provided on a rotatable surface member of the developing sleeve; and a developing bias generator for applying a developing bias voltage, including an AC component, onto the developing sleeve. The developing sleeve further including: the rotatable surface member for conveying the two-component developer; plural magnetic poles each of which is fixed at a respective predetermined location in the rotatable surface member. In the developing unit, layer thickness H.sub.D (mm) of the two-component developer and gap D.sub.SD (mm), between the surface of the photoreceptor and the rotatable surface member, both at the location where the rotatable surface member is closest to the surface of the photoreceptor, satisfies the equation of 0.02.ltoreq.D.sub.SD -H.sub.D .ltoreq.0.3; and the toner of the two-component developer is conveyed to the surface of the photoreceptor between 5 and 40 mg/cm.sup.2 at the location, where the rotatable surface member is closest to the surface of the photoreceptor.