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:
Mar. 25, 2014
Filed:
Aug. 31, 2011
Nobuyuki Taguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Katsumi Masuda, Kanagawa, JP;
Takamasa Ozeki, Kanagawa, JP;
Yuuki Satoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshiki Hayashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Kyohta Koetsuka, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshio Kojima, Kanagawa, JP;
Masayuki Ohsawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Noriyuki Kamiya, Kanagawa, JP;
Takumi Terasaka, Kanagawa, JP;
Nobuyuki Taguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Katsumi Masuda, Kanagawa, JP;
Takamasa Ozeki, Kanagawa, JP;
Yuuki Satoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshiki Hayashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Kyohta Koetsuka, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshio Kojima, Kanagawa, JP;
Masayuki Ohsawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Noriyuki Kamiya, Kanagawa, JP;
Takumi Terasaka, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A development device including a developer container, a developer bearer, a magnetic field generator, a developer agitator to supply the developer to the developer bearer, and a developer regulator to adjust a layer thickness of the developer carried on the developer bearer. Multiple oval recesses oblique to the axial direction of the developer bearer are formed in the outer circumferential surface of the developer bearer and arranged in a circumferential direction and the axial direction thereof. An upstream inner wall of the recess in the rotational direction of the developer bearer applies a force to the developer as the developer bearer rotates, and an angle between a long axis of the recess and the axial direction is set so that the force applied by the upstream inner wall of the recess has a component in a direction substantially identical to the developer conveyance direction of the developer agitator.