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US 6,834,175 B2Granted
Developer agitating member
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsKazunari Murayama, Masahide Kinoshita, Atsushi Numagami, Seiji Yamaguchi, Takahito Ueno, Masao Uyama
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The developer agitating member has a shaft portion, a spiral rib and an inclined rib protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion and provided in the spiral rib in the axial direction of the shaft portion. As a result, in a developing apparatus, a process cartridge and an image forming apparatus, the developer agitating member can efficiently agitate and convey a developer.
Claims17
An agitating and conveying member for agitating and conveying a developer contained in a developer containing portion, said agitating and conveying member comprising:
- a shaft portion rotatable in a rotation direction;
- a spiral rib protruding from an outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion and having a spiral shape;
- and
- an inclined rib protruding from the outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion, said inclined rib being provided at a position on the outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion other than where said spiral rib is provided on the outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion, and said inclined rib extending in an axial direction of said shaft portion,
- wherein said inclined rib is configured to be inclined toward the rotation direction of said shaft portion with respect to an imaginary line extending in a radial direction of said shaft portion, and
- wherein said inclined rib extends along a direction substantially orthogonal to the spiral angle of said spiral rib.
3 more elements
A developing apparatus detachably mountable on an image forming apparatus main body, said developing apparatus comprising:
- a developing member configured and positioned to develop a latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member;
- a developer containing portion containing therein a developer for developing the latent image on the electrophotographic photosensitive member;
- and
- an agitating and conveying member configured and positioned to agitate and convey the developer contained in said developer containing portion, said agitating and conveying member comprising:
- a shaft portion rotatable in a rotation direction;
- a spiral rib protruding from an outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion and having a spiral shape;
- and
- an inclined rib protruding from the outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion, said inclined rib being provided at a position on the outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion other than where said spiral rib is provided on the outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion, and said inclined rib extending in an axial direction of said shaft portion,
- wherein said inclined rib is configured to be inclined toward the rotation direction of said shaft portion with respect to an imaginary line a radial direction of said shaft portion, and
- wherein said inclined rib extends along a direction substantially orthogonal to the spiral angle of said spiral rib.
7 more elements
A process cartridge detachably mountable on an image forming apparatus main body, said process cartridge comprising:
- an electrophotographic photosensitive member;
- a developing member configured and positioned to develop a latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive member;
- a developer containing portion containing therein a developer for developing the latent image on said electrophotographic photosensitive member;
- and
- an agitating and conveying member configured and positioned to agitate and convey the developer contained in said developer containing portion, said agitating and conveying member comprising:
- a shaft portion rotatable in a rotation direction;
- a spiral rib protruding from an outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion and having a spiral shape;
- and
- an inclined rib protruding from the outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion, said inclined rib being provided at a position on the outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion other than where said spiral rib is provided on the outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion, said inclined rib extending in an axial direction of said shaft portion,
- wherein said inclined rib is configured to be inclined toward the rotation direction of said shaft portion with respect to an imaginary line of a radial direction of said shaft portion, and
- wherein said inclined rib extends along a direction substantially orthogonal to the spiral angle of said spiral rib.
8 more elements
An image forming apparatus on which a developing apparatus is detachably mountable and for forming an image on a recording medium, said image forming apparatus comprising:
- (i) a mounting portion;
- (ii) a developing apparatus detachably mounted on said mounting portion, and comprising:
- a developing member configured and positioned to develop a latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member;
- a developer containing portion containing therein a developer for developing the latent image on the electrophotographic photosensitive member;
- and
- an agitating and conveying member comprising:
- a shaft portion rotatable in a rotation direction;
- a spiral rib protruding from an outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion and having a spiral shape;
- and
- an inclined rib protruding from the outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion, said inclined rib being provided at a position on the outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion other than where said spiral rib is provided on the outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion, said inclined rib extending in an axial direction of said shaft portion,
- wherein said inclined rib is configured to be inclined toward the rotation direction of said shaft portion with respect to an imaginary line of a radial direction of said shaft portion, and
- wherein said inclined rib extends along a direction substantially orthogonal to the spiral angle of said spiral rib;
- and
- (iii) transporting means for transporting the recording medium.
11 more elements
An image forming apparatus on which a process cartridge is detachably mountable and for forming an image on a recording medium, said image forming apparatus comprising:
- (i) a mounting portion;
- (ii) a process cartridge detachably mounted on said mounting portion, and comprising:
- an electrophotographic photosensitive member;
- a developing member configured and positioned to develop a latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive member;
- a developer containing portion containing therein a developer for developing the latent image on said electrophotographic photosensitive member;
- and
- an agitating and conveying member configured and positioned to agitate and convey the developer contained in said developer containing portion, said agitating and conveying member comprising:
- a shaft portion rotatable in a rotation direction;
- a spiral rib protruding from an outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion and having a spiral shape;
- and
- an inclined rib protruding from the outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion, said inclined rib being provided at a position on the outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion other than where said spiral rib is provided on the outer peripheral surface of said shaft portion, said inclined rib extending in an axial direction of said shaft portion,
- wherein said inclined rib is configured to be inclined toward the rotation direction of said shaft portion with respect to an imaginary line of a radial direction of said shaft portion, and
- wherein said inclined rib extends along a direction substantially orthogonal to the spiral angle of said spiral rib;
- and
- (iii) transporting means for transporting the recording medium.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.