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. 12, 2013
Filed:
Oct. 24, 2011
Tatsuya Kubo, Tokyo, JP;
Yoshitaka Fujinuma, Tokyo, JP;
Susumu Tateyama, Tokyo, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A developing device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus, include at least one developing roller. A plurality of transport members with screw and shaft portions, transport developing agent housed within the device in a longitudinal direction, and form a circulation path. A discharge aperture, formed in a transport path wall of one transport member, discharges developing agent to the outside when a surface of the developing agent transported by one of the plurality of transport members exceeds a predetermined height. The one transport member is adjacent to the developing roller that supplies the developing agent and includes, in a part in the longitudinal direction, an area on which the screw portion is not formed. The discharge aperture is disposed opposite to the area on which the screw portion is not formed, and the length of the discharge aperture is formed smaller than that of the area in the longitudinal direction.