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:
Sep. 09, 1997
Filed:
Nov. 20, 1995
Satoru Komatsubara, Atsugi, JP;
Kazuhiro Yuasa, Zama, JP;
Shuichi Endoh, Isehara, JP;
Iwao Matsumae, Tokyo, JP;
Yoshiaki Tanaka, Kawasaki, JP;
Hiroshi Hosokawa, Yokohama, JP;
Mugijiro Uno, Isehara, JP;
Hiroshi Saitoh, Ayase, JP;
Eiji Takenaka, Isehara, JP;
Toshihiro Sugiyama, Atsugi, JP;
Tetsuo Yamanaka, Tokyo, JP;
Eisaku Murakami, Hiratsuka, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
In an image forming apparatus, a developing device has a first developer carrier for depositing a developer thereon, a regulating member for regulating the amount of the developer deposited on the first developer carrier, and a second developer carrier having an elastic surface, and contacting the first developer carrier while biting into it by a predetermined amount. The developer is provided with a preselected degree of fluidity. Hence, even when the same portion of the surface of the second developer carrier runs a plurality of times past a position where the two developer carriers contact each other without any developer being fed from the second developer carrier to an image carrier, the first developer carrier can surely strip the developer from the second developer carrier. As a result, a developer on which a predetermined amount of charge is deposited is transferred from the first developer carrier to the second developer carrier. This successfully protects images from defects. Particularly, when the developer has a zinc stearate content of greater than 0.1 wt %, it is possible to prevent the developer from melting and adhering to a member which regulates the developer.