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:
May. 11, 2010
Filed:
Jul. 11, 2007
Takeshi Takayama, Tenri, JP;
Takeshi Takayama, Tenri, JP;
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
In the developing apparatus of the present invention, a first agitating and carrying screw has in its vicinity a toner supply opening, through which toner is supplied, on an upstream side in a direction to which developer is carried, the first agitating and carrying member being provided farther from the developer holder than the second agitating and carrying member. A partition plate which partitions an inside of the developer containing tank so as to form first and second carrying paths includes one or more cuts provided from a center section in a longitudinal direction to an end section on a side where the toner supply opening is provided. Therefore, the developer can be returned from the second carrying path to the first carrying path through a second communicating path and the one or more cuts. Consequently, it becomes possible to shorten a time for uniformly mixing the developer and to improve (i) a developer agitating performance and (ii) a toner charging performance of the developing apparatus. This allows to supply stable toner excellent in electrostatic property.