Sleeve Patents (Class 399/276)
  • Patent number: 8155571
    Abstract: A developing roller for providing a magnetic brush for a printer or copier has a substantially cylindrical outer surface. The outer surface includes a regular or irregular array of a number of isolated areas, each isolated area being provided by a recess in the outer surface. Each recess is completely surrounded on all sides and isolated from any neighbouring isolated area by separation zones being part of the substantially cylindrical outer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Xeikon Manufacturing N.V.
    Inventor: Bart Van Dessel
  • Patent number: 8135316
    Abstract: An image forming device comprises a process cartridge. The process cartridge comprises a development roller. The development roller comprises a magnet roller and a developing sleeve 132. The magnet roller is fixed. The depressions 139 each having an oval shape are formed on the external surface of the developing sleeve 132. Both ends of the depressions 139 which are adjacent with each other along the longitudinal direction of the developing sleeve 132 are overlapped with each other and both ends of the depressions 139 which are adjacent with each other along the circumferential direction of the developing sleeve 132 are spaced with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Kojima, Kyohta Koetsuka, Noriyuki Kamiya, Rei Suzuki, Tadaaki Hattori, Yoshiyuki Takano, Masayuki Ohsawa, Hiroya Abe, Takashi Innami
  • Publication number: 20120057907
    Abstract: A development device including a developer container, a developer bearer, a magnetic field generator, a developer agitator to supply the developer to the developer bearer, and a developer regulator to adjust a layer thickness of the developer carried on the developer bearer. Multiple oval recesses oblique to the axial direction of the developer bearer are formed in the outer circumferential surface of the developer bearer and arranged in a circumferential direction and the axial direction thereof. An upstream inner wall of the recess in the rotational direction of the developer bearer applies a force to the developer as the developer bearer rotates, and an angle between a long axis of the recess and the axial direction is set so that the force applied by the upstream inner wall of the recess has a component in a direction substantially identical to the developer conveyance direction of the developer agitator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Inventors: Nobuyuki TAGUCHI, Katsumi Masuda, Takamasa Ozeki, Yuuki Satoh, Toshiki Hayashi, Kyohta Koetsuka, Toshio Kojima, Masayuki Ohsawa, Noriyuki Kamiya, Takumi Terasaka
  • Patent number: 8131190
    Abstract: A development device configured to develop a latent image with developer including toner and carrier includes a development roller configured to carry the developer. The development roller includes a stationary magnet-fixing member, a plurality of magnets fixed to an interior of the stationary magnet-fixing member to form a plurality of magnetic poles, and a cylindrical rotatable sleeve roller configured to revolve coaxially around the exterior of the magnet-fixing member. Magnetic force distribution of a portion of the plurality of magnetic poles is varied in an axial direction of the development roller at positions corresponding to an image forming area in the axial direction of the development roller, enabling the development device to transport and agitate the developer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventor: Fumihito Masubuchi
  • Publication number: 20120051798
    Abstract: A developing device 2 includes a control member 116 for controlling an amount of a developer supplied to an image bearing member 3 by causing a developer captured on a surface of a developing sleeve 119 to be uniform in layer thickness. The control member 116 is arranged to face, via the developing sleeve 119, one (120b) of a plurality of magnetic poles provided inside the developing sleeve 119. Further, the control member 116 is arranged to be in parallel with a developing roller 114 in an axial direction of a magnet fixing shaft 126. The control member 116 is such a non-magnetic member that the nearest part of the non-magnetic member from the developing roller 114 has been caused to be ferromagnetic and has been magnetic-field oriented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventor: Hisashi KUNIHIRO
  • Publication number: 20110311267
    Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a developing device including: a case; a cylindrical sleeve having a development region on the outer circumferential surface and a pair of non-development regions respectively in regions at both ends in an axis direction on the outer circumferential surface; a magnet on the inside of the sleeve; plural grooves each formed between both the ends along the axis direction; a pair of magnetic sheet metals provided spaced apart from the sleeve; and a pair of magnetic seal members provided spaced apart from the sleeve. When average groove depth of the plural grooves in the development region is represented as P, thicknesses t of the magnetic sheet metals are substantially t?10×P (mm) and groove depths d of the plural grooves in the non-development regions of the sleeve are P/10?d?4P/5(mm).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicants: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Kei Onishi
  • Publication number: 20110274471
    Abstract: A develop roller includes a magnet roller, and a develop sleeve containing the magnet roller and comprising a plurality of depressions in an elliptic shape regularly arranged with an interval in a longitudinal direction on a surface onto which developer is attracted by a magnetic force of the magnet roller, wherein the depressions are arranged such that a longitudinal direction of the depressions is intersected with the longitudinal direction of the develop sleeve, and a downstream side of the depressions are formed to be deeper than an upstream side in a rotary direction of the develop sleeve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki OHSAWA, Toshio Kojima, Kyohta Koetsuka, Yoshiyuki Takano, Noriyuki Kamiya, Takashi Innami, Takumi Terasaka
  • Publication number: 20110171573
    Abstract: A carrier for use in a two component developer for developing an electrostatic latent image is provided. The carrier includes a particulate core material; and a cover layer located on a surface of the core material and including a silicone resin and barium sulfate. The cover layer includes Ba and Si at an atomic ratio of from 0.01 to 0.08 as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Inventors: Koichi SAKATA, Minoru Masuda, Hisashi Nakajima, Kimitoshi Yamaguchi, Yutaka Takahashi, Hitoshi Iwatsuki, Saori Yamada, Toyoaki Tano
  • Patent number: 7970322
    Abstract: A developing roller includes a cylindrical sleeve that holds developer on a peripheral surface thereof, and a magnet roller being provided in the sleeve and having a plurality of magnetic poles. The sleeve includes a plurality of micro-recesses formed on the peripheral surface thereof, and the plurality of micro-recesses are arranged dispersedly in the axial direction and the circumferential direction of the sleeve. The densities of the micro-recesses in both end portions of the sleeve are larger than the density of the micro-recesses in a central portion of the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Norikazu Ochiai
  • Publication number: 20110150538
    Abstract: Provided is a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier, the developing device comprising: a housing having an opening; a developing sleeve facing the image carrier through the opening; a magnet roller encased in the developing sleeve and having magnetic poles including (i) a first magnetic pole having a strongest magnetic force of all the magnetic poles and (ii) a second magnetic pole having a magnetic force equal to or larger than a predetermined value and being different from the first magnetic pole; and a positioning member operable to allow the magnet roller to rotate together with the developing sleeve when the magnet roller is in a first rotational position where the first or the second magnetic pole faces an edge of the opening located downstream in a transfer direction of a two-component developer, and to inhibit the rotation of the magnet roller when the magnet roller is in a second rotational position where the first magnetic pole is closest to the image car
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Hideto SAKURAI
  • Patent number: 7965964
    Abstract: A developing roller according to the invention includes a columnar magnet roller, and a cylindrical sleeve that houses the magnet roller. A plurality of fragmented micro recesses is formed on the surface of the sleeve. The micro recesses are arranged dispersively both in an axial direction and in a circumferential direction of the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norikazu Ochiai, Mitsuhisa Kato
  • Publication number: 20110142501
    Abstract: A development roller, including a development sleeve disposed near a photo conductive drum, a magnetic roller disposed in the development sleeve, and a supplying device configured to supply a developer including a toner and a magnetic carrier to the photo conductive drum uniformly, the development sleeve having an outer surface on which the developer including the toner and the magnetic carrier is adsorbed by a magnetic force of the magnetic roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kamiya, Tsuyoshi Imamura, Sumio Kamoi, Kyohta Koetsuka, Yoshiyuki Takano, Mieko Terashima, Satoshi Terashima, Hiroya Abe, Shigeharu Nakamura, Masaki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7929888
    Abstract: A developing unit which forms an image on a photosensitive medium, includes a housing which accommodates a developer, a magnetic cylinder having a catch pole which picks up the developer in the housing by a magnetic force, and a main pole which couples a carrier among the picked-up developer, a sleeve rotatably installed on a circumference of the magnetic cylinder to form a magnetic brush having a predetermined width on the circumference by the developer picked up by the catch pole, and a sealing member provided at opposite end parts in an axial direction of the sleeve to prevent a leak of the developer, wherein a width Ws of the sleeve, a magnetized width WM of the main pole, a magnetized width Wc of the catch pole, and a width WB of the magnetic brush satisfy WS>WM>WB>WC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyu-cheol Shin
  • Patent number: 7925192
    Abstract: A developing roller includes a developing sleeve and a magnet roller disposed within the developing sleeve to attract developer to an outer surface of the developing sleeve by magnetic force. The outer surface of the developing sleeve has a plurality of recesses of circular or elliptic shape in plan view regularly or irregularly arranged therein so as not to overlap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Kojima, Kyohta Koetsuka, Rei Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7899374
    Abstract: A magnetic particle carrying device includes a magnetic field generator and a hollow cylindrical structure. The magnetic field generator generates a magnetic field. The hollow cylindrical structure encases the magnetic field generator and attracts magnetic particles on an external surface of the hollow structure using the magnetic field. The external surface of the hollow cylindrical structure is provided with a plurality of elliptical depressions. The depressions include first type depressions and second type depressions. A long axis of a first type of elliptical depression is substantially extending in an axial direction of the hollow cylindrical structure, and a long axis of a second type of elliptical depression is substantially extending in a circumferential direction of the hollow cylindrical structure. The external surface of the hollow cylindrical structure has more elliptical depressions of the second type than elliptical depressions of the first type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroya Abe, Tsuyoshi Imamura, Kyohta Koetsuka, Tadaaki Hattori, Yoshiyuki Takano, Noriyuki Kamiya, Masayuki Ohsawa, Mieko Terashima, Takashi Innami
  • Publication number: 20110044729
    Abstract: A method for reducing high-frequency banding in an electrophotographic development station having a rotating shell and a rotating magnetic core is disclosed. A rotating angular velocity of the rotating shell is adjusted relative to a angular velocity of a photoconductor such that a ratio of these angular velocities is not a ratio of whole numbers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventor: Eric C. Stelter
  • Publication number: 20110044728
    Abstract: A method for reducing high-frequency banding in an electrophotographic development station having a rotating shell and a photoconductor is disclosed. A rotating speed of the rotating shell is adjusted relative to a photoconductor such that a banding reduction ratio is not a ratio of differing low whole numbers. Another method for reducing high-frequency banding in an electrophotographic development station having a rotating shell and a rotating magnetic core is also disclosed. A rotating speed of the rotating shell is adjusted relative to a rotating speed of the rotating magnetic core such that from the point of view of a spot on a dielectric support member (DSM) in a nip region of the DSM, a similar point on the rotating shell is substantially in alignment with the DSM spot in the nip region when a pole flip occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventor: Eric C. Stelter
  • Patent number: 7856199
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic latent image; a rotatable developer carrying member, provided opposed to the image bearing member, for carrying a developer including toner and a carrier to a position where the developer carrying member is opposed to the image bearing member; a regulating member for regulating the amount of the developer to be carried on the developer carrying member; a driving device for rotating the developer carrying member; a controller for controlling the driving device to execute, at the time of end of image formation, a plurality of continuous operations each including acceleration of a rotational speed of the developer carrying member and deceleration thereof following the acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Tomizawa
  • Patent number: 7853186
    Abstract: A developing apparatus in which a first magnet of a first developing sleeve includes a first magnetic pole near a potion opposing to an image bearing member, and a second magnetic pole being downstream of the first magnetic pole; and a second magnet of a second developing sleeve includes a third magnetic pole near a portion opposing to the first sleeve. Assuming that a magnetic force obtained by combining normal direction forces Fr1 and Fr2 of magnetic forces generated by the first and second magnets, respectively, near the first sleeve is Fr, a center direction component of the first sleeve of the force Fr becomes positive between the first magnetic pole and a peak value position of the second magnetic pole, and a center direction component of the force Fr becomes negative between the peak value position and the closest position between both sleeves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazukiyo Akashi, Tomoyuki Sakamaki
  • Patent number: 7848686
    Abstract: A developing device uses a two-component developer including at least carriers and toners. The toners are supplied to an image bearing member bearing an electrostatic latent image so that a toner image is developed from the electrostatic latent image. The developing device has a developing roller arranged to oppose the image bearing member; and a magnetic roller arranged to oppose the developing roller. The magnetic roller retains the two-component developer to supply toners to the developing roller. The developing roller and the magnetic roller are rotationally driven in directions to be opposite from one another at an opposed position, and a magnetic pole of the magnetic roller and a magnetic pole of the developing roller have magnetic polarities different from one another at the opposed position. A surface roughness of the magnetic roller is greater than a surface roughness of the developing roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Toyotsune Inoue, Takahisa Nakaue, Akihiro Watanabe, Masashi Fujishima, Shoichi Sakata, Yukihiro Mori
  • Patent number: 7835677
    Abstract: Provided is a developing device containing a two-component developer including a magnetic carrier and a toner; a developer bearing member containing a nonmagnetic developing sleeve configured to bear the two-component developer on a surface thereof while rotating; a magnetic field generating unit fixed inside of the nonmagnetic developing sleeve; and a developer amount control member configured to control an amount of the two-component developer borne on the developer bearing member. The magnetic carrier contains a core material and a coating layer coated on the core material, and the coating layer containing a binder resin and conductive particles. The magnetic carrier satisfy a ratio D/h of 1.00<[D/h]?1.95, where D denotes an average primary particle diameter of the conductive fine particles, and h denotes a thickness of the coating layer, and a ratio Ra/D of 1.0<[Ra/D]<10.0, where Ra denotes a surface roughness of the developing sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Sakata, Tomio Kondou, Shinichiro Yagi
  • Patent number: 7826782
    Abstract: A developing device is provided for visualizing an electrostatic latent image previously formed on the surface of an image carrier as a toner image. The developing device has a developing roller placed at a position facing the image carrier, carrying a toner on the surface thereof, conveying the toner and flying the conveyed toner onto the surface of the image carrier; and a resin layer coated on the surface of the developing roller. The absolute value of the difference in charge between the toners in the upper and lower layers of the toner layer formed on the developing roller as the toner carried on the developing roller is 6 ?C/g or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Asami Kotera, Hiroyuki Hamakawa, Akihiro Watanabe, Masashi Fujishima, Hiroshi Yamazaki, Sayo Uemura
  • Patent number: 7813680
    Abstract: To downsize a developing device in the developing carrier axial direction without generating image concentration irregularities from recirculation of developer in the magnetic roller end regions, an N2 pole and an N3 pole, which are mutually adjacent having the same polarity (N polarity), and which are for generating a magnetic force for removing from a developing sleeve a developer that has passed through a developing region, are provided on a magnetic roller. Magnets of this developing device, which are for generating a magnetic field to displace to the inside in the axial direction magnetic force lines that cause peeling force in the direction of separation from the developing sleeve to act on developer on the developing sleeve, based on the magnetic force of the N2 pole and the N3 pole, and that pass through the axial direction end regions within a developer separation region on the developing sleeve, are provided on the outside of the magnetic roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsumi Masuda, Yoshio Hattori, Hiroyuki Uenishi, Yuji Suzuki, Takamasa Ozeki
  • Publication number: 20100247165
    Abstract: A developing device includes a magnet roll magnetized with plural magnetic poles including a main magnetic pole, a sleeve in a cylindrical shape which is arranged so as to be opposed to an image holding body, and a supporting frame that stably supports the magnet roll in a manner of restraining the magnet roll from rotating in the tangential direction, and supports the sleeve so as to rotate in the tangential direction around the magnet roll. The magnet roll is so arranged that the main magnetic pole is opposed to the image holding body, and a point on the peripheral face where magnetic flux density of the main magnetic pole in the tangential direction at a position along the peripheral face of the magnet roll is zero is set at a position predetermined with respect to a position where the magnet roll comes most closely to the image holding body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Nobumasa FURUYA, Toshio HINO
  • Patent number: 7787807
    Abstract: A developing unit includes a development roller and a magnetic roller. Sleeves of the development roller and the magnetic roller are driven to rotate in the same circumferential direction. A first magnet is provided on the roller shaft in the sleeve of the development roller and a second magnet is provided on the roller shaft in the sleeve of the magnetic roller. The first and second magnets are opposed to each other so that opposite polarities face each other, and are supported non-rotatably in circumferential directions. The first magnet is supported so that the peak of the magnetic force of the first magnet is positioned upstream in the direction of rotation of the sleeve of the development roller from the straight line connecting the center of the roller shaft of the development roller to the center of the roller shaft of the magnetic roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Takahisa Nakaue, Shoichi Sakata
  • Patent number: 7769327
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing roller and a blade. The developing roller includes: a developing sleeve which rotates while holding two-component developer composed of toner and magnetic carrier on the outer surface having a plurality of grooves extending in parallel to an axis of the rotation; and a magnetic member, provided inside the developing sleeve in such a manner as to be unrotatable, for attracting the two-component developer onto the outer surface of the developing sleeve. The blade is provided outside the rotating sleeve with a gap from the outer surface of the developing sleeve for scraping off a part of the two-component developer on the outer surface of the developing sleeve. Also, the magnetic member includes a magnet for controlling magnetic flux density in the gap to range from 70 mT to 150 mT. This allows preventing image degradation caused by generation of development memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyofumi Morimoto, Kohichi Takenouchi, Mitsuru Tokuyama, Hiroo Naoi, Kazuma Hinoue
  • Publication number: 20100183343
    Abstract: Provided is a development device and an image forming apparatus that realize high image quality with improved decrease in density at high speed development and with reduced occurrence of development hysteresis (ghost) in the hybrid developing method having a plurality of toner carriers, by reducing the decrease in the toner supplying ability to the downstream-side toner carrier, which decrease is caused by the supply of toner to the toner carrier on the upstream side in the rotating direction of the developer carrier. By providing a magnetic pole between main magnetic poles, of the developer carrier, facing the toner carriers, a magnetically raised bristle of developer is moved by a magnetic force, while the developer in which development hysteresis due to supplying toner to the upstream-side toner carrier occurred is conveyed to supply toner to the downstream-side toner carrier, whereby the developer layer is stirred.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventors: SHIGEO UETAKE, Toshiya Natsuhara, Junya Hirayama, Takeshi Maeyama, Makiko Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20100158578
    Abstract: An image forming device comprises a process cartridge. The process cartridge comprises a development roller. The development roller comprises a magnet roller and a developing sleeve 132. The magnet roller is fixed. The depressions 139 each having an oval shape are formed on the external surface of the developing sleeve 132. Both ends of the depressions 139 which are adjacent with each other along the longitudinal direction of the developing sleeve 132 are overlapped with each other and both ends of the depressions 139 which are adjacent with each other along the circumferential direction of the developing sleeve 132 are spaced with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshio Kojima, Kyohta Koetsuka, Noriyuki Kamiya, Rei Suzuki, Tadaaki Hattori, Yoshiyuki Takano, Masayuki Ohsawa, Hiroya Abe, Takeshi Innami
  • Patent number: 7725057
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming method, containing a development step of developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrostatic image supporting material using a toner formed on a development sleeve in the from of a thin layer to form a toner image, wherein a ten-point average roughness Rz on the surface of the development sleeve is from 3.0 to 5.7 ?m, a volume average particle size of toner particles is from 6.0 to 8.0 ?m, the content of a volume average particle size of the toner particles of 5.0 ?m or less is from 2.2 to 11.0% by volume, a shape coefficient SF-1 of the toner particles that is measured by an image-analyzing apparatus satisfies the relation: 115?SF-1?155, and a shape coefficient SF-2 of the toner particles that is measured by an image-analyzing apparatus satisfies the relation: 112?SF-2?150.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Nagai
  • Patent number: 7664440
    Abstract: A developing device and an image forming apparatus capable of restraining density irregularity and restraining a decline in image quality caused by adherence of carrier to a photoreceptor, are provided. An angle ? is in a range of no less than 45 degrees nor more than 57 degrees, which is formed between a plane comprising a central line of magnetic pole formed by a regulating pole in a magnet roller and a rotating central axis of a developing sleeve and a plane comprising a central line of magnetic pole formed by a pumping pole and a rotating central axis of the developing sleeve. Further, an absolute value of the maximum value of strength of the magnetic pole formed by a main pole is in a range of no less than 120 mT nor more than 140 mT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Maezawa, Toshimasa Hamada
  • Patent number: 7650104
    Abstract: A developing apparatus includes: a developing sleeve that carries a mono-component developer; and a developing blade that abuts on the sleeve to regulate a layer thickness of the developer on the sleeve, wherein surface roughness parameters of the sleeve satisfy: 3.0?Rpk?9.0; and 2?Pc2?10. At an abutment portion between the sleeve and the blade, surface roughness parameters of the blade satisfy: 0.030?Sm?0.170; and 0.10?Rvk×(100?Mr2)/100?1.30, where Sm is a mean spacing of profile irregularities [mm]; Rpk is an initial wear height [?m]; Rvk is an oil retaining depth [?m]; Mr2 is a profile bearing length ratio 2 [%]; and Pc2 denotes the number of profile peaks having a height larger than a count level from a center line per the evaluation length of 1 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisuke Baba, Masahiro Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20090245887
    Abstract: To downsize a developing device in the developing carrier axial direction without generating image concentration irregularities from recirculation of developer in the magnetic roller end regions, an N2 pole and an N3 pole, which are mutually adjacent having the same polarity (N polarity), and which are for generating a magnetic force for removing from a developing sleeve a developer that has passed through a developing region, are provided on a magnetic roller. Magnets of this developing device, which are for generating a magnetic field to displace to the inside in the axial direction magnetic force lines that cause peeling force in the direction of separation from the developing sleeve to act on developer on the developing sleeve, based on the magnetic force of the N2 pole and the N3 pole, and that pass through the axial direction end regions within a developer separation region on the developing sleeve, are provided on the outside of the magnetic roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventors: Katsumi Masuda, Yoshio Hattori, Hiroyuki Uenishi, Yuji Suzuki, Takamasa Ozeki
  • Publication number: 20090245888
    Abstract: A sleeve constituting a developing roller of a developing device has a cylindrical body with three layers composed of a base layer having rigidity and formed in a mesh-like shape, a filter layer for blocking toner passage, and a conductive layer to which a developing bias voltage is applied, which are arranged in this order from the inside. When a sucking device sucks from an open end of one end portion of the sleeve, an air flow going from the inside of the developing roller through the open end to outside is generated so that a pressure of the internal space of the developing roller becomes smaller compared with the outside. As the peripheral wall has air permeability in its thickness direction, air flows from the outer circumferential portion of the developing roller through the peripheral wall to the inside of the developing roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventor: Shuichi Akedo
  • Patent number: 7565098
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer carrier opposed to an image carrier for carrying an electrostatic latent image, and a rotatable developer transferring screw for transferring developer to the developer carrier while agitating; the developer carrier includes a magnet roller and a developing sleeve including a rotatable non-electromagnetic cylinder body disposed coaxially with an axis of the magnet roller to contain the magnet roller, and an axis diameter of a center portion of the developer transferring screw is set larger than an axis diameter of each of both end portions of the developer transferring screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masayuki Ohsawa
  • Patent number: 7561837
    Abstract: The invention relates generally to processes for electrographic image development. An electrographic development apparatus is provided wherein a film is adjacent a cylindrical toning shell and a mixture of toner and carrier is particles disposed on the cylindrical toning shell in contact with the film. The cylindrical toning shell is closest to the film at a first location, the mixture of toner and carrier particles being movable through the first location with a flow direction. A magnetic core disposed within the cylindrical toning shell offset toward the cylindrical shell such that a magnetic field strength is greater at the second location than the first location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Edward Michael Eck, Thomas Joseph Foster
  • Publication number: 20090154962
    Abstract: A developing device visualizing an electrostatic latent image previously formed on the surface of an image carrier as toner image, comprising: a developing roller placed at a position facing the image carrier, carrying a toner on the surface thereof, conveying the toner and flying the conveyed toner onto the surface of the image carrier; and a resin layer coated on the surface of the developing roller, wherein the absolute value of the difference in charge between the toners in the upper and lower layers of the toner layer formed on the developing roller as the toner carried on the developing roller is 6 ?C/g or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: KYOCERA MITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Asami Kotera, Hiroyuki Hamakawa, Akihiro Watanabe, Masashi Fujishima, Hiroshi Yamazaki, Sayo Uemura
  • Publication number: 20090148195
    Abstract: A developing roller includes a cylindrical sleeve that holds developer on a peripheral surface thereof, and a magnet roller being provided in the sleeve and having a plurality of magnetic poles. The sleeve includes a plurality of micro-recesses formed on the peripheral surface thereof, and the plurality of micro-recesses are arranged dispersedly in the axial direction and the circumferential direction of the sleeve. The densities of the micro-recesses in both end portions of the sleeve are larger than the density of the micro-recesses in a central portion of the sleeve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Norikazu Ochiai
  • Patent number: 7546070
    Abstract: In a method or system where inking in an electrophotographic printer or copier, a magnetic roller is provided having a rotatable magnetic roller sleeve having a circumferential surface to which a two-component mixture comprising toner particles and ferro-magnetic carrier particles adheres. An applicator element has a circumferential surface to be inked with toner particles and past which the two-component mixture adhering to the circumferential surface of the magnetic roller is guided to produce a toner layer on the applicator element. The magnetic roller has a magnetic rotor which comprises magnetic elements and arranged inside the magnetic roller sleeve. A magnetic rotor and the magnetic roller sleeve are moveable relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Oce Printing Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Schleusener, Uwe Höllig
  • Patent number: 7546069
    Abstract: A magnetic roll having longitudinal grooves machined in its rotating sleeve enables a pair of rolls to be rotated in a direction opposite to the direction of a photoreceptor moving through a development zone and a trim blade to be mounted proximate one of the rolls at a trim gap of approximately 0.5 to 0.7 mm. The magnetic roll includes a stationary core with at least one magnet, and a sleeve having longitudinal grooves that is mounted about the stationary core so that the sleeve rotates about the stationary core. The sleeve has a relatively smooth surface area between the grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Ajay Kumar, Keith A. Nau, Jonathan D. Sadik, David A. Reed, Cory J. Winters
  • Patent number: 7536140
    Abstract: The present invention provides a developer holding member having a surface layer composed of metal on or above a roughened hollow cylindrical substrate, wherein the specular gloss at 60°, Gs (60°), of the surface layer is in the range of approximately 10 to 40 gloss units, a developing apparatus and image-forming apparatus having the developer holding member, and a method of producing the developer holding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Andoh, Akihiko Noda, Yoshifumi Ozaki, Shota Oba
  • Publication number: 20090110441
    Abstract: A development device configured to develop a latent image with developer including toner and carrier includes a development roller configured to carry the developer. The development roller includes a stationary magnet-fixing member, a plurality of magnets fixed to an interior of the stationary magnet-fixing member to form a plurality of magnetic poles, and a cylindrical rotatable sleeve roller configured to revolve coaxially around the exterior of the magnet-fixing member. Magnetic force distribution of a portion of the plurality of magnetic poles is varied in an axial direction of the development roller at positions corresponding to an image forming area in the axial direction of the development roller, enabling the development device to transport and agitate the developer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventor: Fumihito MASUBUCHI
  • Patent number: 7514196
    Abstract: The present invention provides a developing method and a developing unit which can obtain a favorable image quality and the like even when a surface roughness Rz of a developing sleeve is changed or when an amorphous-silicon photoconductor is used by allowing the magnetic monocomponent toner to effectively jump to a photoconductor from a developing sleeve. To attain such an object, the present invention provides a magnetic monocomponent jumping developing system and a developing unit which uses the method, wherein as the magnetic monocomponent toner, a toner having a volume center particle size which is calculated from the particle size distribution based on volume and falls within a range from 6.0 to 7.8 ?m, having the sphericity which falls within a range from 0.92 to 0.98, and setting a toner quantity having a volume particle size of 5.04 ?m or less to a value which falls within a range from 2.5 to 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Nagai
  • Patent number: 7502579
    Abstract: A developing device is provided with a developer accommodating vessel accommodating developer having as primary components a nonmagnetic toner and magnetic particles referred to as a carrier. The carrier is composed of a magnetic material as a core material that is uniformly covered with an insulating synthetic resin. The toner is mixed with the carrier at a weight ratio to the overall weight of the developer of 3-10%. The carrier has an average particle size of 65 ?m or less and a saturation magnetization of at least 70 emu/g. The developing device includes a developing roller and a sleeve roller that rotates about the developing roller. The surface of the sleeve roller is processed with metal shot to achieve a surface roughness of 0.45-1.08 times the average particle size of the carrier, or more specifically a roughness Rz of about 30 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Mabuchi, Masayoshi Nakayama, Hirobumi Ooyoshi
  • Publication number: 20090060591
    Abstract: A developing roller includes a developing sleeve and a magnet roller disposed within the developing sleeve to attract developer to an outer surface of the developing sleeve by magnetic force. The outer surface of the developing sleeve has a plurality of recesses of circular or elliptic shape in plan view regularly or irregularly arranged therein so as not to overlap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshio Kojima, Kyohta Koetsuka, Rei Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20090052951
    Abstract: A developing roller according to the invention includes a columnar magnet roller, and a cylindrical sleeve that houses the magnet roller. A plurality of fragmented micro recesses is formed on the surface of the sleeve. The micro recesses are arranged dispersively both in an axial direction and in a circumferential direction of the sleeve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norikazu Ochiai, Mitsuhisa Kato
  • Publication number: 20090010683
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing roller and a blade. The developing roller includes: a developing sleeve which rotates while holding two-component developer composed of toner and magnetic carrier on the outer surface having a plurality of grooves extending in parallel to an axis of the rotation; and a magnetic member, provided inside the developing sleeve in such a manner as to be unrotatable, for attracting the two-component developer onto the outer surface of the developing sleeve. The blade is provided outside the rotating sleeve with a gap from the outer surface of the developing sleeve for scraping off a part of the two-component developer on the outer surface of the developing sleeve. Also, the magnetic member includes a magnet for controlling magnetic flux density in the gap to range from 70 mT to 150 mT. This allows preventing image degradation caused by generation of development memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Inventors: Kiyofumi Morimoto, Kohichi Takenouchi, Mitsuru Tokuyama, Hiroo Naoi, Kazuma Hinoue
  • Patent number: 7466947
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a container configured to contain two-component developer including toner particles and carrier beads. The image forming apparatus further includes a developer carrying member configured to carry thereon the two-component developer and having a magnetic field generating member and a plurality of grooves having a generally V-like shape satisfying h?50+R/2+{(R/2)/sin(?/2)}, in which h represents a depth of the grooves, ? represents an opening angle of the grooves, and R represents a volume-average diameter of the carrier beads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideki Zemba
  • Publication number: 20080298847
    Abstract: A developing device uses a two-component developer including at least carriers and toners. The toners are supplied to an image bearing member bearing an electrostatic latent image so that a toner image is developed from the electrostatic latent image. The developing device has a developing roller arranged to oppose the image bearing member; and a magnetic roller arranged to oppose the developing roller. The magnetic roller retains the two-component developer to supply toners to the developing roller. The developing roller and the magnetic roller are rotationally driven in directions to be opposite from one another at an opposed position, and a magnetic pole of the magnetic roller and a magnetic pole of the developing roller have magnetic polarities different from one another at the opposed position. A surface roughness of the magnetic roller is greater than a surface roughness of the developing roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Toyotsune Inoue, Takahisa Nakaue, Akihiro Watanabe, Masashi Fujishima, Shoichi Sakata, Yukihiro Mori
  • Publication number: 20080267672
    Abstract: A developing device includes: a developer supporter that includes: a magnet member that has a plurality of magnetic poles; and a cylinder member; and a thickness regulation member wherein, of the plurality of the magnetic poles, a magnetic pole, which is placed at a position nearest to the thickness regulation member downstream in a rotation direction of the cylinder member from the thickness regulation member, has a maximum position of a normal magnetic flux density distribution, and the maximum position is placed outside the area of angle ? downstream in the rotation direction of the cylinder member from the thickness regulation member, and wherein the diameter of the cylinder member is D, the projection width is W in a case where the thickness regulation member is projected onto the surface of the cylinder member, and the angle ? is 180×W/(D×?).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuji Matsumoto, Kiyoshi Sakoh, Toyohiko Awano
  • Publication number: 20080260434
    Abstract: In a method or system where inking in an electrophotographic printer or copier, a magnetic roller is provided having a rotatable magnetic roller sleeve having a circumferential surface to which a two-component mixture comprising toner particles and ferro-magnetic carrier particles adheres. An applicator element has a circumferential surface to be inked with toner particles and past which the two-component mixture adhering to the circumferential surface of the magnetic roller is guided to produce a toner layer on the applicator element. The magnetic roller has a magnetic rotor which comprises magnetic elements and arranged inside the magnetic roller sleeve. A magnetic rotor and the magnetic roller sleeve are moveable relative to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: OCE PRINTING SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventors: Martin Schleusener, Uwe Hollig