Developing apparatus, process cartridge, developer cartridge, and image forming apparatus including leakage preventing member

A developing apparatus comprising:

• a developer housing having an opening and accommodating a developing agent;
• a developing agent carrying body arranged in said opening of said developer housing rotatably in such a manner that a rotation axis is parallel to a longitudinal direction of said opening, and that develops an electrostatic latent image into a visible image by making a layer of the developing agent formed thereon oppose an electrostatic latent image;
• a rectangular layer thickness control member for controlling a layer thickness of the developing agent carried on said developing agent carrying body into a predetermined layer thickness;
• and
• a leakage preventing member, for preventing developing agent from leaking between said developer housing and said layer thickness control member, attached between said developer housing and a back side of said layer thickness control member, and extending to both ends of the layer thickness control member along the longitudinal direction of said opening, and having:
• a layer thickness control member opposing face that contacts with said layer thickness control member;
• a housing opposing face that is opposite to said layer thickness control member opposing face;
• and
• side faces each of which connects to each other end portions of said layer thickness control member opposing face and said housing opposing face in the longitudinal directions of said opening;
• wherein
• at least one of said side faces is an inclined side face that is inclined from the layer thickness control member opposing face to the housing opposing face, wherein the width of the leakage prevention member decreases along the inclined side face from the housing opposing face to the layer thickness control member opposing face.

A process cartridge attachable to and detachable from an image forming apparatus, including:

• a latent image carrying body on which an electrostatic latent image is formed;
• and
• a developing apparatus comprising:
• a developer housing having an opening and accommodating a developing agent;
• a developing agent carrying body arranged in said opening of said developer housing rotatably in such a manner that a rotation axis is parallel to a longitudinal direction of said opening, and that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on said latent image carrying body into a visible image by making a layer of the developing agent formed thereon oppose an electrostatic latent image;
• and
• a leakage preventing member, for preventing developing agent from leaking from both side portions of said developing agent carrying body, attached to said developer housing, and having:
• a housing attaching face that contacts with said developer housing;
• a front side face that opposes said housing attaching face;
• and
• side faces each of which connects to each other end portions of said housing attaching face and said front side face in the longitudinal directions of said opening of said developer housing;
• wherein at least one of said side faces is an inclined side face that is inclined from the housing attaching face to the front side face, wherein the width of the leakage prevention member decreases along the inclined side face from the housing attaching face to the front side face.

A process cartridge attachable to and detachable from an image forming apparatus, including:

• a latent image carrying body on which an electrostatic latent image is formed;
• and
• a developing apparatus comprising:
• a developer housing having an opening and accommodating a developing agent;
• a developing agent carrying body arranged in said opening of said developer housing rotatably in such a manner that a rotation axis is parallel to a longitudinal direction of said opening, and that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on said latent image carrying body into a visible image by making a layer of the developing agent formed thereon oppose an electrostatic latent image;
• a rectangular layer thickness control member for controlling a layer thickness of the developing agent carried on said developing agent carrying body into a predetermined layer thickness;
• and
• a leakage preventing member, for preventing developing agent from leaking between said developer housing and said layer thickness control member, attached between said developer housing and a back side of said layer thickness control member, and extending to both ends of the layer thickness control member along the longitudinal direction of said opening, and having:
• a layer thickness control member opposing face that contacts with said layer thickness control member;
• a housing opposing face that is opposite to said layer thickness control member opposing face;
• and
• side faces each of which connects to each other end portions of said layer thickness control member opposing face and said housing opposing face in the longitudinal directions of said opening;
• wherein
• at least one of said side faces is an inclined side face that is inclined from the layer thickness control member opposing face to the housing opposing face, wherein the width of the leakage prevention member decreases along the inclined side face from the housing opposing face to the layer thickness control member opposing face.

A developer cartridge including a developing apparatus attachable to and detachable from an image forming apparatus or a process cartridge,

• said developing apparatus comprising:
• a developer housing having an opening and accommodating a developing agent;
• a developing agent carrying body arranged in said opening of said developer housing rotatably in such a manner that a rotation axis is parallel to a longitudinal direction of said opening, and that develops an electrostatic latent image into a visible image by making a layer of the developing agent formed thereon oppose an electrostatic latent image;
• and
• a leakage preventing member, for preventing developing agent from leaking from both side portions of said developing agent carrying body, attached to said developer housing, and having:
• a housing attaching face that contacts with said developer housing;
• a front side face that opposes said housing attaching face;
• and
• side faces each of which connects to each other end portions of said housing attaching face and said front side face in the longitudinal directions of said opening of said developer housing;
• wherein at least one of said side faces is an inclined side face that is inclined from the housing attaching face to the front side face, wherein the width of the leakage prevention member decreases along the inclined side face from the housing attaching face to the front side face.

A developer cartridge including a developing apparatus attachable to and detachable from an image forming apparatus or a process cartridge,

• said developing apparatus comprising:
• a developer housing having an opening and accommodating a developing agent;
• a developing agent carrying body arranged in said opening of said developer housing rotatably in such a manner that a rotation axis is parallel to a longitudinal direction of said opening, and that develops an electrostatic latent image into a visible image by making a layer of the developing agent formed thereon oppose an electrostatic latent image;
• a rectangular layer thickness control member for controlling a layer thickness of the developing agent carried on said developing agent carrying body into a predetermined layer thickness;
• and
• a leakage preventing member, for preventing developing agent from leaking between said developer housing and said layer thickness control member, attached between said developer housing and a back side of said layer thickness control member, and extending to both ends of the layer thickness control member along the longitudinal direction of said opening, and having:
• a layer thickness control member opposing face that contacts with said layer thickness control member;
• a housing opposing face that is opposite to said layer thickness control member opposing face;
• and
• side faces each of which connects to each other end portions of said layer thickness control member opposing face and said housing opposing face in the longitudinal directions of said opening;
• wherein
• at least one of said side faces is an inclined side face that is inclined from the layer thickness control member opposing face to the housing opposing face, wherein the width of the leakage prevention member decreases along the inclined side face from the housing opposing face to the layer thickness control member opposing face.

An image forming apparatus including a developing apparatus,

• said developing apparatus comprising:
• a developer housing having an opening and accommodating a developing agent;
• a developing agent carrying body arranged in said opening of said developer housing rotatably in such a manner that a rotation axis is parallel to a longitudinal direction of said opening, and that develops an electrostatic latent image into a visible image by making a layer of the developing agent formed thereon oppose an electrostatic latent image;
• and
• a leakage preventing member, for preventing developing agent from leaking from both side portions of said developing agent carrying body, attached to said developer housing, and having:
• a housing attaching face that contacts with said developer housing;
• a front side face that opposes said housing attaching face;
• and
• side faces each of which connects to each other end portions of said housing attaching face and said front side face in the longitudinal directions of said opening of said developer housing;
• wherein at least one of said side faces is an inclined side face that is inclined from the housing attaching face to the front side face, wherein the width of the leakage prevention member decreases along the inclined side face from the housing attaching face to the front side face.

An image forming apparatus including a developing apparatus,

• said developing apparatus comprising:
• a developer housing having an opening and accommodating a developing agent;
• a developing agent carrying body arranged in said opening of said developer housing rotatably in such a manner that a rotation axis is parallel to a longitudinal direction of said opening, and that develops an electrostatic latent image into a visible image by making a layer of the developing agent formed thereon oppose an electrostatic latent image;
• a rectangular layer thickness control member for controlling a layer thickness of the developing agent carried on said developing agent carrying body into a predetermined layer thickness;
• and
• a leakage preventing member, for preventing developing agent from leaking between said developer housing and said layer thickness control member, attached between said developer housing and a back side of said layer thickness control member, and extending to both ends of the layer thickness control member along the longitudinal direction of said opening, and having:
• a layer thickness control member opposing face that contacts with said layer thickness control member;
• a housing opposing face that is opposite to said layer thickness control member opposing face;
• and
• side faces each of which connects to each other end portions of said layer thickness control member opposing face and said housing opposing face in the longitudinal directions of said opening;
• wherein
• at least one of said side faces is an inclined side face that is inclined from the layer thickness control member opposing face to the housing opposing face, wherein the width of the leakage prevention member decreases along the inclined side face from the housing opposing face to the layer thickness control member opposing face.