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:
Feb. 17, 2009
Filed:
Apr. 27, 2006
Eiji Tatsumi, Osaka, JP;
Takahisa Nakaue, Osaka, JP;
Eiji Tatsumi, Osaka, JP;
Takahisa Nakaue, Osaka, JP;
Kyocera Mita Corporation, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A developing unit is disclosed in which replenished toner is smoothly transported and efficiently agitated into the developing unit by an agitation transport member provided therein having a supply region formed upstream from a transport region. A first agitation transport screw installed in a developing unit includes a developer transport region to transport developer downstream thereof, and a toner supply region that is formed coaxially with the developer transport region and upstream of the developer transport region, and supplies the externally replenished toner to the developer transport region. Moreover, a gap formed between the toner supply region and a region of the housing in the toner supply region is smaller than a gap formed between the developer transport region and a region of the housing in the developer transport region.