# US 8,787,790 B2 · Developing apparatus having a spacer and a leakage preventer

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- Number: US 8,787,790 B2
- Document ID: US8787790B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/875,521
- Filed: 2013-05-02
- Published: 2013-11-14
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2004-12-14
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hyung-jin Kim; Ji-won Moon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787790B2

## CPC

- G03G 21/1642: {for connecting the different parts of the apparatus}
- G03G 21/181: {Manufacturing or assembling, recycling, reuse, transportation, packaging or storage}
- G03G 21/1832: {Shielding members, shutter, e.g. light, heat shielding, prevention of toner scattering}
- G03G 2215/0875: Arrangements for shipping or transporting of the developing device to or from the user
- G03G 2215/088: Peelable sealing film
- G03G 2221/1609: protective arrangements for preventing damage
- G03G 2221/1648: using seals, e.g. to prevent scattering of toner
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

A developing apparatus includes an organic photo conductor, an OPC frame part to support the organic photo conductor, a developing roller to develop a latent image formed on the organic photo conductor by supplying a developer, a developing roller frame part to support the developing roller, a developer storing part to store the developer and provided with a supplying opening through which the developer is supplied to the developing roller, a spacer removably interposed between the OPC frame part and the developing roller frame part and spacing the OPC frame part from the developing roller frame part such that the organic photo conductor and the developing roller do not contact each other, a leakage preventer removably attached to and sealing the supplying opening, and a connecting part to connect the spacer with the leakage preventer. Thus, the spacer and the leakage preventer are capable of being removed simultaneously.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A developing apparatus comprising:
a photoconductor;
a photoconductor frame part to support the photoconductor;
a developing roller to develop a latent image formed on the photoconductor by supplying a developer;
a developing roller frame part to support the developing roller, wherein the developing roller frame part is rotatably coupled to the photoconductor frame part via a hinge part;
a developer storing part to store the developer and provided with a supplying opening through which the developer is supplied to the developing roller;
a leakage preventer removably attached to and sealing the supplying opening;
an insertion opening defined by a portion of the photoconductor frame part and a portion of the developing roller frame part;
a spacer removably inserted in the insertion opening to maintain the photoconductor and the developing roller in a non-operational separated state; and
a connection part to connect the spacer with the leakage preventer,
wherein the insertion opening is configured to change in size according to rotation of the hinge part corresponding to insertion or removal of the spacer, and
wherein the insertion opening is disposed in a first plane, and the supplying opening is disposed in a second plane.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The developing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the insertion opening decreases in size from a larger size, when the spacer is inserted in the insertion opening, to a smaller size, when the spacer is removed from the insertion opening.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The developing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the insertion opening for accommodating a complete insertion of the spacer is formed when the photoconductor and the developing roller are in the non-operational separated state.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The developing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the insertion opening is located nonadjacent to the developing roller and the photoconductor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The developing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacer is first removed from the insertion opening and the leakage preventer is then removed from the supplying opening after the non-operational separated state is changed to an operational state.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The developing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the insertion opening comprises a first insertion opening and a second insertion opening located opposite sides of the developing apparatus.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The developing apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the spacer and the leakage preventer serves as a stopper to prevent a user from mounting the developing apparatus in a main assembly of an image forming apparatus without removing the stopper from the developing apparatus.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The developing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacer is configured to contact with the portion of the photoconductor frame part and the portion of the developing roller frame part which define the insertion opening in the non-operational separated state.