Patent · US Expired

Device for electrostatically developing a latent image on an image carrier

US5666625A · kind A · utility

38Cited by
10References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 20, 1995
Grant dateSep 9, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 20, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03G15/0808
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

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.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.