# US 12,529,978 B2 · Developing and fur-brush type rollers of cartridge

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- Number: US 12,529,978 B2
- Document ID: US12529978B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/703,614
- Filed: 2021-10-27
- Published: 2025-07-24
- Granted: 2026-01-20
- Earliest claimed: 2021-10-27
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Taehyun Kim; Yunhyung Bae; Ara Kim; Youngphil Ji; Yongsang Ryu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12529978B2

## CPC

- G03G 15/0808: {characterised by the developer supplying means, e.g. structure of developer supply roller}
- G03G 15/0818: {characterised by the structure of the donor member, e.g. surface properties}
- G03G 2215/0614: one-component
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

A cartridge to contain a developer includes a developing roller to carry the developer and a fur-brush type supplying roller to form a nip region with the developing roller to supply the developer to the developing roller. A surface layer of the developing roller includes a groove formed on the surface layer to come into contact with the fur-brush type supplying roller.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cartridge to contain a developer, comprising:
a developing roller to carry the developer, a surface layer of the developing roller including a groove formed on the surface layer; and
a fur-brush type supplying roller to form a nip region with the surface layer of the developing roller and to come into contact with the groove, to supply the developer to the developing roller, wherein a depth of the nip region of formed between the developing roller and the fur-brush type supplying roller is in a range of 100 μm to 350 μm.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein a depth of the groove is in a range of 0.5 μm to 10 μm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the depth of the groove is less than 5 μm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein a density of fur brushes of the fur-brush type supplying roller is in a range of 83% to 100%.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein an average depth of the groove over a length is in a range of 0.5 μm to 10 μm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein a percentage (%) of a ratio between a depth of the groove and a depth of the nip region formed between the developing roller and the fur-brush type supplying roller is from in a range of 0.5% to 3.0%.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein at least one condition among conditions includes a condition of a depth of the groove is in a range of 0.5 μm to 10 μm; a depth of the nip region of the nip formed between the developing roller and the fur-brush type supplying roller is in a range of 100 μm to 350 μm; and a density of fur brushes of the fur-brush type supplying roller is in a range of 83% to 100%.

### Claim 8

A cartridge to contain a developer, comprising:
a developing roller to carry a developer, and
a fur-brush type supplying roller to form a nip region with the developing roller to supply the developer to the developing roller,
wherein
a surface layer of the developing roller includes a groove formed on the surface layer, and
a depth of the nip region formed between the fur-brush type supplying roller and the developing roller is set in a range of 100 um to 350 um according to a ratio between a depth of the groove and the depth of the nip region.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The cartridge according to claim 8, wherein,
the depth of the groove on a surface layer of the developing roller is in a range of 0.5 μm to 10 μm, and
a density of fur brushes of the fur-brush type supplying roller is set to be in a range of 83% to 100%.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The cartridge according to claim 9, wherein a percentage (%) of a ratio between the groove depth and the depth of the nip region is in a range of 0.5% to 3.0%.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the depth of the groove is in a range of 0.5 μm to 10 μm.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The cartridge according to claim 11, wherein the depth of the groove is less than 5 μm.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the depth of the nip region formed between the developing roller and the fur-brush type supplying roller is in a range of 100 μm to 350 μm.

### Claim 14

An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a cartridge including,
a developing roller to carry a developer, and
a fur-brush type supplying roller to form a nip region with the developing roller to supply the developer to the developing roller,
wherein
a surface layer of the developing roller includes a groove formed on the surface layer, and
a depth of the nip region formed between the fur-brush type supplying roller and the developing roller is set in a range of 100 μm to 350 μm according to a ratio between a depth of the groove and the depth of the nip region, where a percentage (%) of a ratio between the groove depth and the depth of the nip region is in a range of 0.5% to 3.0%.