US 2012/0269544 A1Published application

Development device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus incorporating same

AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.

InventorsKiyonori TSUDA, Hideo YOSHIZAWA, Kohichi UTSUNOMIYA, Takuzi YONEDA, Yutaka TAKAHASHI, Emi KITA, Yuki OSHIKAWA

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Abstract

A development device includes a development casing, a developer bearer disposed facing a latent image bearer through an opening formed in the development casing, a magnetic field generator, a developer regulator disposed facing the developer bearer, a first seal member to cover a clearance between the latent image bearer and a rim of the development casing upstream from the opening, and a second seal member. The first seal member includes a first end portion fixed to the rim of the development casing and a second end portion in contact with the latent image bearer, and the second seal member includes a first end portion fixed to an inner face of the development casing farther from the latent image bearer than the first seal member, and a second end portion hanging to contact the developer carried on the developer bearer downstream from the developer regulator.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A development device comprising:

a development casing;
a developer bearer to carry by rotation two-component developer including toner and carrier, the developer bearer disposed facing a latent image bearer through an opening formed in the development casing;
a magnetic field generator disposed inside the developer bearer;
a developer regulator to adjust an amount of developer carried on the developer bearer, the developer regulator disposed upstream from a development range in a direction of rotation of the developer bearer and facing the developer bearer across a predetermined gap;
a first seal member to cover a clearance between the latent image bearer and a rim of the development casing adjacent to and upstream from the opening, the first seal member including
a first end portion fixed to the rim of the development casing upstream from the development range in the direction of rotation of the developer bearer, and
a second end portion in contact with the latent image bearer;
and
a second seal member including
a first end portion fixed to an inner face of the development casing farther from the latent image bearer than the first end portion of the first seal member, and
a second end portion hanging under its own weight to contact the developer carried on the developer bearer downstream from the developer regulator in the direction of rotation of the developer bearer.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.