# US 2019/0171130 A1 · Developing device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0171130 A1 - Document ID: US20190171130A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/202,261 - Filed: 2018-11-28 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-05 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Shunichi Koga; Teruaki Tsurusaki; Tomohiro Shiomi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190171130A1 ## CPC - G03G 15/0812: {characterised by the developer regulating means, e.g. structure of doctor blade} - G03G 15/0881: {Sealing of developer cartridges} - G03G 15/0898: {for preventing toner scattering during operation, e.g. seals (sealing the donor member G03G15/0817; sealing the magnetic brush G03G15/0942)} - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract In a state that a developing device is placed in a position for developing an electostatic latent image formed on an image bearing member when the regulation blade has a mount portion for mounting a seal member, the regulation blade is fixed to a mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade, and a seal member is fixed to a mount portion of the regulation blade for mounting the seal member, the seal member is arranged to make contact with the image bearing member vertically under a position where the developer bearing member is closest to the image bearing member to seal at least a part of a space formed between the developing device and the image bearing member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A developing device comprising: a developer bearing member rotatably provided to bear a developer including a toner and a carrier for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a rotatable image bearing member; a regulation blade made of resin and arranged to face the developer bearing member vertically under a position where the developer bearing member is closest to the image bearing member without making contact with the developer bearing member for regulating the amount of the developer borne on the developer bearing member in a state that the developing device is placed in a position for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member; a development frame made of resin and configured separately from the regulation blade to accommodate the developer, the development frame having a mount portion for mounting the regulation blade; and a seal member, wherein the regulation blade has a mount portion for mounting the seal member, and in a state that the developing device is placed in the position for developing the electrostatic latent image formed in the image bearing member when the regulation blade is fixed to the mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade, and the seal member is fixed to the mount portion of the regulation blade for mounting the seal member, the seal member is arranged to make contact with the image bearing member vertically under the position where the developer bearing member is closest to the image bearing member to seal at least a part of a space formed between the developing device and the image bearing member. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The developing device according to claim 1, further comprising a second seal member, wherein the regulation blade further has a mount portion for mounting the second seal member, and in a state that the developing device is placed in the position for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member when the regulation blade is fixed to the mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade, and the second seal member is fixed to the mount portion of the regulation blade for mounting the second seal member, the second seal member is arranged to face the developer bearing member without making contact with the developer bearing member in a downstream side of the rotational direction from a position where the developer bearing member is closest to the regulation blade and in an upstream side of the rotational direction from the position where the developer bearing member is closest to the image bearing member in a rotational direction of the developer bearing member to seal at least a part of a space formed between the developing device and the image bearing member. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The developing device according to claim 1, further comprising a second seal member, wherein the regulation blade further has a mount portion for mounting the second seal member, and in a state that the developing device is placed in the position for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member when the regulation blade is fixed to the mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade, and the second seal member is fixed to the mount portion of the regulation blade for mounting the second seal member, the second seal member is arranged to make contact with the developer bearing member in a downstream side of the rotational direction from a position where the developer bearing member is closest to the regulation blade and in an upstream side of the rotational direction from the position where the developer bearing member is closest to the image bearing member in a rotational direction of the developer bearing member to seal at least a part of a space formed between the developing device and the image bearing member. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade is provided in a maximum image region of the image bearing member in which an image is capable of forming in a rotational axis direction of the developer bearing member, and in a state that the regulation blade is flexed so that a gap between the developer bearing member supported by the development frame and the regulation blade mounted to the mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade is within a predetermined range in a rotational axis direction of the developer bearing member, the regulation blade is fixed to a region corresponding to the maximum image region of the image bearing member in the mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The developing device according to claim 4, wherein, in a state that the regulation blade is flexed so that the gap is within a predetermined range in a rotational axis direction of the developer bearing member, the regulation blade is fixed across the entire area of a region corresponding to the maximum image region of the image bearing member in the mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The developing device according to claim 4, wherein, within the predetermined range, an absolute value of a difference between a maximum value of the gap and a median value of the gap is equal to or smaller than 10% of the median value of the gap, and an absolute value of a difference between a minimum value of the gap and a median value of the gap is equal to or smaller than 10% of the median value of the gap. ### Claim 7 A developing device comprising: a developer bearing member rotatably provided to bear a developer including a toner and a carrier for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a rotatable image bearing member; a regulation blade made of resin and arranged to face the developer bearing member vertically under a position where the developer bearing member is closest to the image bearing member without making contact with the developer bearing member for regulating the amount of the developer borne on the developer bearing member in a state that the developing device is placed in a position for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member; a development frame made of resin and configured separately from the regulation blade to accommodate the developer, the development frame having a mount portion for mounting the regulation blade; and a seal member, wherein the regulation blade has a mount portion for mounting the seal member, and in a state that the developing device is placed in the position for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member when the regulation blade is fixed to the mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade, and the seal member is fixed to the mount portion of the regulation blade for mounting the seal member, the seal member is arranged to make contact with the developer bearing member in a downstream side of the rotational direction from a position where the developer bearing member is closest to the regulation blade and in an upstream side of the rotational direction from the position where the developer bearing member is closest to the image bearing member in a rotational direction of the developer bearing member to seal at least a part of a space formed between the developing device and the image bearing member. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The developing device according to claim 7, wherein the mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade is provided in a maximum image region of the image bearing member in which an image is capable of forming in a rotational axis direction of the developer bearing member, and in a state that the regulation blade is flexed so that a gap between the developer bearing member supported by the development frame and the regulation blade mounted to the mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade is within a predetermined range in a rotational axis direction of the developer bearing member, the regulation blade is fixed to a region corresponding to the maximum image region of the image bearing member in the mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The developing device according to claim 8, wherein the regulation blade is fixed across the entire area of a region corresponding to the maximum image region of the image bearing member in the mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade in a state that the regulation blade is flexed so that the gap is within a predetermined range in a rotational axis direction of the developer bearing member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The developing device according to claim 8, wherein, within the predetermined range, an absolute value of a difference between a maximum value of the gap and a median value of the gap is equal to or smaller than 10% of the median value of the gap, and an absolute value of a difference between a minimum value of the gap and a median value of the gap is equal to or smaller than 10% of the median value of the gap. ### Claim 11 A developing device comprising: a developer bearing member rotatably provided to bear a developer including a toner and a carrier for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a rotatable image bearing member; a regulation blade made of resin and arranged to face the developer bearing member vertically under a position where the developer bearing member is closest to the image bearing member without making contact with the developer bearing member for regulating the amount of the developer borne on the developer bearing member in a state that the developing device is placed in a position for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member; a development frame made of resin and configured separately from the regulation blade to accommodate the developer, the development frame having a mount portion for mounting the regulation blade; and a seal member, wherein the regulation blade has a mount portion for mounting the seal member, and in a state that the developing device is placed in the position for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member when the regulation blade is fixed to the mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade, and the seal member is fixed to the mount portion of the regulation blade for mounting the seal member, the seal member is arranged to face the developer bearing member without making contact with the developer bearing member in a downstream side of the rotational direction from a position where the developer bearing member is closest to the regulation blade and in an upstream side of the rotational direction from the position where the developer bearing member is closest to the image bearing member in a rotational direction of the developer bearing member to seal at least a part of a space formed between the developing device and the image bearing member. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The developing device according to claim 11, wherein the mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade is provided in a maximum image region of the image bearing member in which an image is capable of forming in a rotational axis direction of the developer bearing member, and in a state that the regulation blade is flexed so that a gap between the developer bearing member supported by the development frame and the regulation blade mounted to the mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade is within a predetermined range in a rotational axis direction of the developer bearing member, the regulation blade is fixed to a region corresponding to the maximum image region of the image bearing member in the mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The developing device according to claim 12, wherein the regulation blade is fixed across the entire area of a region corresponding to the maximum image region of the image bearing member in the mount portion of the development frame for mounting the regulation blade using an adhesive in a state that the regulation blade is flexed so that the gap is within a predetermined range in a rotational axis direction of the developer bearing member. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The developing device according to claim 12, wherein within the predetermined range, an absolute value of a difference between a maximum value of the gap and a median value of the gap is equal to or smaller than 10% of the median value of the gap, and an absolute value of a difference between a minimum value of the gap and a median value of the gap is equal to or smaller than 10% of the median value of the gap.