Developer unit of electrophotographic image forming apparatus
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsSeung-young Byun, Jun-hee Cho
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A developer unit of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a blocking blade having a magnetic fluid and a magnet. The magnetic fluid contacts a developer roller and the metering blade to prevent a developer from flowing to both ends of the metering blade. The magnetic fluid is fixed to the magnet which applies a pressure to the magnetic fluid so that the magnetic fluid contacts the developer roller and the metering blade. Since the magnetic fluid contacts the developer, wear of elements of the developer unit can be reduced, thereby securing durability of the developer unit. Also, a wrap-around phenomenon of the developer can be prevented.
Claims20
A developer unit of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus having a developer container and a photosensitive medium, comprising:
- a developer roller installed to be partially dipped into a developer contained in the developer container and to rotate to supply the developer to a latent electrostatic image formed on the photosensitive medium;
- a metering blade installed to contact the developer attached to an outer circumference of the developer roller so as to control the developer attached to the outer circumference of the developer roller to a thickness;
- and
- a blocking blade installed between the developer roller and the metering blade to prevent a wrap-around phenomenon of the developer when the metering blade controls the thickness of the developer attached to the developer roller.
A developer unit of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus having a developer container and a photosensitive medium having a latent electrostatic image, comprising:
- a developer roller disposed to supply the developer to the photosensitive medium to develop the latent electrostatic image with a developer contained in the developer;
- a metering blade disposed along an outer circumferential surface of the developer in an axial direction of the developer roller to remove an excessive amount of the developer from the developer roller to control a thickness of the developer attached to the outer circumference of the developer roller;
- and
- a blocking blade disposed adjacent to the metering blade to separate the removed developer from the metering blade to prevent a wrap-around phenomenon of the developer and a cross-contamination of the photosensitive drum occurring when the removed developer flows to an end of the metering blade from the developer roller and is transferred to the photosensitive drum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.