Abstract: A component mounting structure mounting a press component with the press component in a condition of elastic pressing against a pressed article, and comprising an intermediate fixing member mounted on a fixing frame supporting the pressed article and capable of position adjustment in a direction of pressing of the press component against the pressed article; a fixing connection part, supporting the press component, mounted on the intermediate fixing member, and capable of position adjustment in the same direction as the direction of pressing; a setting part setting a distance of separation between the fixing connection part and the pressed article within a prescribed range; a first fixing mechanism fixing a position of the intermediate fixing member with respect to the fixing frame; and a second fixing mechanism fixing a position of the fixing connection part with respect to the intermediate fixing member.

Abstract: A development device includes a housing having toner housed therein; a toner carrying roller that has a plurality of convex portions and concave portions surrounding the convex portions, formed on a surface thereof; and a conductive restriction blade in which a free end or an adjoining region adjacent to the free end abuts the surface of the toner carrying roller, thereby restricting the amount of the toner carried on surface of the toner carrying roller, wherein the toner has an external additive including a metal oxide, the restriction blade is applied with a restriction bias voltage of the same polarity as the regular electrification polarity of the toner, and a gap between the front end of the free end and the convex portion of the toner carrying roller is smaller than a volume average particle diameter of the toner.

Abstract: A developer accommodating container is structured such as to be provided with a first accommodating portion in which the first feeding member is arranged, a second accommodating portion in which the second feeding member is arranged, a first communication portion communicating the first accommodating portion and the second accommodating portion in one end side, a second communication portion communicating the first accommodating portion and the second accommodating portion at the other end side, a developer replenishing portion arranged in the other end side rather than the second communication portion, in the other end side of the first accommodating portion, a developer discharge portion arranged in the other end side rather than the second communication portion, in the other end side of the second accommodating portion, and a flow rate regulating portion arranged between the second communication portion and the developer discharge portion, and regulating an amount of the passing developer.

Abstract: A developing device, an image forming apparatus and an image forming method are disclosed. The developing device includes a housing that stores toner therein; a toner carrying roller that has a plurality of convex portions and concave portions surrounding the convex portions are formed on the surface of the toner carrying roller; and a conductive regulation blade having a free end comes in contact with the surface of the toner carrying roller. The toner includes a conductive external additive as an external additive. The toner carrying roller carries both contact toner which is in direct contact with the surface of the toner carrying roller and non-contact toner which is not in direct contact with the surface of the toner carrying roller, on the concave portion. The regulation blade is applied with a regulation bias voltage of the same polarity as a normal charge polarity of the toner.

Abstract: A developing apparatus is provided which can suppress a fluctuation in image density in a discontinuous printing mode provided with a pause period. The developing apparatus includes a developer for developing an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum, a developer bearing member for carrying and conveying the developer and a developer layer thickness-regulating unit placed close to the developer bearing member for regulating the amount of the developer carried and conveyed by the developer bearing member, the developer layer thickness-regulating unit being. As the developer, a negatively chargeable, one-component, magnetic toner is used having magnetic toner particles containing a binder resin and a magnetic iron oxide particle, and has a specific saturation magnetization, specific weight-average particle diameter and specific composition.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning blade for removing toner remaining on a surface of an image bearing member for carrying a toner image; a supporting member for supporting the cleaning blade; a mounting hole provided in one of the cleaning blade and the supporting member; a projection which is provided on the other of the cleaning blade and the supporting member and which is inserted in the mounting hole; and a recess provided in the projection and extended from a free end portion of the projection toward a base portion of the projection, wherein the cleaning blade and the supporting member are secured to each other by the projection deformed such that the recess expands outwardly of the mounting hole by resin material in the recess.

Abstract: A developing device is provided having a simple configuration by which a desired amount of developer can be delivered to an image bearing member, and there is provided an image forming apparatus having the developing device. A developing device includes a developing roller by which two-component developer is borne and delivered to a photoreceptor drum, a layer thickness-regulating member for regulating a layer thickness of the developer, and a magnetism-generating member for generating magnetism, and a control unit for controlling an amount of displacement of the magnetism-generating member. The control unit 23 controls an amount of displacement of the magnetism-generating member relative to the development sleeve.

Abstract: A developer regulating member regulates a thickness of a layer of a developer on a surface of a developer bearing body. The developer has a degree of circularity in a range from 0.94 to 0.97. The developer regulating member includes a resilient plate member composed of a metal material and having a bent portion. An outer surface of the bent portion contacts the surface of the developer bearing body so that a ridge line of the outer surface of the bent portion crosses a moving direction of the surface of the developer bearing body. A curvature radius R (?m) of the outer surface of the bent portion and a mean crystal grain diameter D (?m) of the metal material satisfy the relationship: 60×10?3×R?11?D?93.75×10?3×R?6.875.

Abstract: The blade member of the invention is composed mainly of silicone rubber and contains as an additive component at least one selected from the group consisting of ultra-high molecular-weight-polyethylene, carbon nanotube, and fullerene. It is thus possible to decrease the coefficient of friction of silicone rubber in a practical range and without detrimental to its flexibility or other physical properties to let the developing blade slip off more, thereby diminishing the amount of abrasion of the rubber and improving on the robustness of the developing blade without detrimental to image quality. Decreasing the coefficient of friction to let the developing blade slip off more has additional advantages: a decrease in the force of contact of the developing blade with a developing roll, which contributes more to energy savings resulting from the size reductions of a driving motor, and making the developer equipment compact.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a developer carrying member, contactable to the image bearing member, for carrying a developer to a developing position to develop an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member with the developer; a supplying member for supplying the developer to the developer carrying member, wherein a peripheral speed of the developer carrying member is not less than 1.05 times and not more than 1.20 times a peripheral speed of the image bearing member, and an arithmetic average roughness Ra is not less than 0.20 times and not more than 0.33 times a volume average particle size of the developer, wherein a potential applied to the supplying member is different from a potential applied to the developer carrying member toward a larger potential of a regular charge polarity of the developer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for developing an electrostatic image formed on a photosensitive drum 1 with a developer, so as to form an image includes: a rotatable developing sleeve 44; a developing blade 46 for restricting a layer of a developer borne on the developing sleeve 44; developing member for developing the electrostatic image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 with the developer; vibrating member 50 for vibrating the developing blade 46; and control member for controlling a drive condition of the vibrating means 50 according to a printing ratio of the image formed.

Abstract: A developing unit for developing a latent image formed on an image carrier includes a developer carrier, a developer regulator, and a sealing member. The developer carrier bears a developer, and is disposed facing the image carrier at a first position. The developer regulator regulates an amount of the developer, and is disposed facing the developer carrier at a second position upstream of the developer carrier in a moving direction thereof relative to the first position. The sealing member comes into contact with the image carrier at a third position upstream of the image carrier in a moving direction thereof relative to the first position. Therefore, gas is prevented from flowing from an outside area of the developing unit into an area defined by the second position to the third position.

Abstract: A developing device include: a case; a developing roller supported by the case to be rotatable in a rotational direction; and a blade including a base end supported by the case and a tip end provided upstream of the base end in the rotational direction and contacting the surface of the developing roller at a contact portion to regulate a thickness of the toner on the developing roller. The blade further includes a bent portion that is bent from the contact portion at a radius of curvature from 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm to be separated from the developing roller as extending toward the tip end. An angle defined between a segment connecting the contact portion with a center of curvature of the bent portion and a segment connecting the tip end with the center of curvature of the bent portion is in the range from 45° to 90°.

Abstract: A developer amount regulation blade structure that effectively reduces assembly cost and improves image quality configured to form a layer of a developer on a developer bearer includes a regulation blade configured to regulate a thickness of the developer on the developer bearer, a first supporting member configured to support the regulation blade maintaining a gap between the regulation blade and the developer bearer, and a second supporting member configured to sandwich the regulation blade tightly with the first supporting member, wherein at least one of the first supporting member and the second supporting member is made of a plastically deformable material, and the second supporting member and the first supporting member sandwich the regulation blade by at least two plastically deformed portions separated from each other in a longitudinal direction of the first supporting member and connecting the first supporting member and the second supporting member.

Abstract: A layer-thickness regulating member may include a thin plate member and a projection member. The projection member includes a first pressure contact portion that comes into pressure-contact with each of seal areas, a second pressure contact portion that comes into pressure-contact with each of side end areas, and a third pressure contact portion that comes into pressure-contact with a central area. A notched portion is formed at a position of the distal end of the thin plate member where each of the second pressure contact portions is formed, by cutting the thin plate member from an end edge of the distal end toward a downstream side of the rotation direction of the developing agent carrier.

Abstract: A developing device supplies developer to an electrostatic latent image bearing body of an image forming apparatus. The developing device includes a container housing with an opening in a position opposite to the electrostatic latent image bearing body and stores developer to be supplied to the electrostatic latent image bearing body. A developing roller is rotatably disposed so that a part of the developing roller is exposed from the opening. A regulator is disposed along an axial direction of the developing roller and has a leading end facing the developing roller to regulate the thickness of developer layer on the developing roller. Two holders support the developing roller and the regulator on the container housing. Each holder includes a developing roller support for supporting an end part of the developing roller and a regulator retainer for retaining the regulator on the container housing.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing unit having a developing frame defining therein a developing chamber and a developing roller rotatably disposed in the developing chamber, and a developing agent unit including a developing agent container that accommodates therein a developing agent, and an agitator disposed in the developing agent container and rotatable about a rotation axis in a rotational direction to agitate the developing agent. The developing agent container includes an arcuate bottom wall whose center of radius of a curvature is coincident with the rotation axis, and an arcuate protruding wall protruding from the bottom wall toward the developing chamber and positioned downstream of the bottom wall in the rotational direction. The protruding wall is formed with an opening providing a fluid communication between an interior of the developing agent container and the developing chamber. The opening has a downstream end in the rotational direction in an operational state.

Abstract: A developing blade (1) comprises a support member (2) having a coefficient of elasticity in the range of 0.5×104 to 4.0×104 kg/mm2 and a moment of inertia of area (Iz) in the range of 6.5E-04 to 1.2E-02, and a blade member (4) located on one surface of the support member (2) along one side edge (2A). The blade member (4) is made of a rubber material having a 25% modulus of no greater than 0.85 MPa, and has a moment of inertia of area (Iz) in the range of 8E-02 to 1.2E+01, and the blade member (4) has a warping of no greater than 10 mm in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: The developing device includes a developing roller, a layer thickness regulating blade, a first supporting member, a second supporting member, and a securing member. The developing roller has a surface on which a developing agent is deposited. The layer thickness regulates blade that slidingly contacts the surface of the developing roller to regulate a thickness of the developing agent thereon. The first supporting member has a first pinching part and a first securing part oriented in different directions to have a first angle formed therebetween. The second supporting member having a second pinching part and a second securing part oriented in different directions to have a second angle formed therebetween, the second pinching part being urged against the first pinching part. The securing member secures the first securing part and the second securing part while pinching the layer thickness regulating blade between the first pinching part and the second pinching part.

Abstract: A metering skive for a developer roller which is adapted to shear and/or meter developer at a developer-skive interface while minimizing compression of the metered developer. The metering skive is adjustable to various shear angles and has a geometry which enables a portion of the developer flow to be sheared away toward a curved second surface of the metering skive while metering the developer flow in a manner which minimizes or reduces compression of the developer.

Abstract: Flat field uniformity can be improved in images produced by an image development system having a development roller interposed between a supply of developer and an imaging element. A raw feed of developer is supplied from the developer supply to the development roller to produce both a metered feed of developer and an overfeed of developer, which is returned to the supply, from the raw feed. A plurality of mass densities of developer used in the system and a plurality of developer velocities through the system are determined, and respective product values of those developer mass densities and those developer velocities are thereafter calculated or otherwise determined. A maximum value of the respective product values is identified, and the image development system is then operated so that the maximum product value is produced.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a developing roller, including: a first rolling process for forming a first inclined groove which is continuous in a helical shape, by rotating a first die having blades inclined with respect to an axial direction and a circumferential direction, and a non-bladed die, and feeding an unprocessed developing roller between the first die and the non-bladed die; and a second rolling process for forming a second inclined groove which is continuous in a helical shape and intersects with the first inclined groove, by rotating a second die having blades inclined with respect to an axial direction and a circumferential direction in the direction opposite to that of the first die, and the non-bladed die in the same direction opposite to that in the first rolling process, and feeding the developing roller between the second die and the non-bladed die.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided, which controls an appropriate developer amount for a desired image so that an image defect such as an unclear font or a white area is prevented, resulting in a stable image formation for a long term. A developer regulating member has a resistance value varying depending on a voltage to be applied. A control device changes over the voltage to be applied to the developer regulating member during the image formation according to image information and changes a potential difference between the developer carrying member and the developer regulating member.

Abstract: A disclosed development device includes: a latent image carrier; a conveying member disposed so as to face the latent image carrier, the conveying member having plural electrodes insulated from one another and arranged at predetermined intervals so as to generate an electric field for moving toner on the conveying member; a voltage application unit applying a voltage of n phases (n is a positive integer not less than one) to the electrodes so as to form a cloud of the toner and the toner is adhered to the latent image carrier so as to form a visualized toner image; a toner supply unit supplying the toner to the conveying member; and a height adjusting member adjusting a uniform height for a toner layer of the toner immediately before a development area on the conveying member in which development is performed.

Abstract: A developing unit provided in an image forming apparatus includes a regulating member that improves developer layer regulation performance. The developing unit is configured to feed developer to a photoconductor, on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, to form an image. The regulating member of the developing unit includes a bending portion contacting an outer peripheral surface of a developing device provided in a frame of the developing unit. The width of the regulating member is variable to increase rearward from the bending portion. The regulating member may further include an extension portion extending from the bending portion. Sealing members may be attached to both ends of the frame of the developing unit so as to contact the respective ends of the bending portion.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming method comprising developing a latent electrostatic image formed on the surface of a latent electrostatic image bearing body by a developer borne and conveyed by a developer bearing body which is brought into contact with a developer layer control member to control an amount of the developer on the surface of the developer bearing body through a nonmagnetic single-component development system, wherein an acid value (SAV) of the surface of the developer and a total acid value (TAV) of the developer meet the following requirements: 1<SAV/TAV?5 and 5?TAV?25, and a ratio of a mass average particle size (d50, ?m) of the developer to a surface roughness (Ra, ?m), d50/Ra being in a range of 0.5 to 3.0 and an average spacing (Sm) between protruding peaks of the developer bearing body being in a range of 20 to 200 ?m.

Abstract: A blade engagement apparatus for metering release agent onto an image forming device associated moving surface, such as a Solid Ink Jet drum. The blade engagement apparatus includes a blade positioning mechanism having a blade holder rotated about a fixed pivot point disposed a distance LD from the moving surface. A plurality of metering blades extending from the blade holder each include a blade tip disposed a distance LB from the pivot point such that LB is greater than LD. A replacement blade is brought into a working position in deflected engagement with the moving surface for metering a release agent onto the surface while the used blade is moved into a non-operational suspended position. Various blade replacement strategies are used to initiate a blade replacement operation.

Abstract: One embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an image forming apparatus provided with a one-component development apparatus having a toner layer regulating blade for regulating a thickness of a toner layer on a surface of a developer bearing member that contacts a photosensitive body, wherein at a non-development time after completion of operation of the developer bearing member, the developer bearing member is caused to rotate slightly in a direction reverse to that during development.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a main body, a photosensitive body spreading developer on a printing paper, a developing roller supplying the photosensitive body with the developer, a developer regulating member regulating the amount of the developer supplied for the photosensitive body by the developing roller, the developer regulating member comprising a supporting member coupled to the main body and an elastic metal board having a bent part extended from the supporting member and contacting with the photosensitive body, and a free length of the elastic metal board being adjusted shorter as a draw rate of the elastic metal board material increases. Accordingly, a developing cartridge and an image forming apparatus has a free length of a developer regulating member that is adjustable to keep the density of developer uniform according to material characteristics of the developer regulating member.

Abstract: A blade cleaning jig includes a cleaning portion and a gripping portion. The cleaning portion includes a support body of stainless steel or the like and polishing tape provided on the upper face of this support body, and moreover a cushioning material is inserted between the support body and the polishing tape. A protective member for preventing damage to the surface of a developer roller is attached to the entire lower face of the support body. This protective member is attached bent at a circumferential end portion such that the protective member covers from the lower face of the support body via a circumferential edge portion to an upper face circumferential edge portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer bearing member configured to bear a developer to develop a latent image, a developer regulating member configured to regulate an amount of the developer carried on the bearing member, a voltage application unit that can apply a plurality of direct current voltages of different values between the bearing member and the regulating member, and a current detection unit that can detect a plurality of direct currents of different values flowing in the regulating member when the voltage application unit applies the plurality of direct current voltages, wherein the image forming apparatus sets a direct current voltage value Vb applied by the voltage application unit when developing the latent image, so that the following expression is satisfied: |Vb|>|Vbmin|, where Vbmin indicates a direct current voltage value when the direct current detected by the current detection unit is a minimum value.

Abstract: A developing device develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier with toner. The developing device includes a developer carrier, a developer supplying unit that supplies a developer on the developer carrier, a layer shaping member that shapes the developer supplied on the developer carrier into a thin layer, and an electric-field control member that is arranged downstream of a shaping nip formed between the developer carrier and the layer shaping member and that controls an intensity of an electric field generated between the developer carrier and the layer shaping member.

Abstract: A developer bearing member is provided which can charge a toner stably and uniformly during the period from the initial stage to the terminal stage of extensive operation even in various environments. The developer bearing member includes a substrate and an electrically conductive resin coating layer formed on the surface thereof. The electrically conductive resin coating layer is formed from a resin composition containing a phenolic resin having in its structure at least one of an —NH2 group, an ?NH group and an —NH— linkage, a quaternary phosphonium salt and electrically conductive fine particles and the resin composition contains 1 part by mass or more and 60 parts by mass or less of the quaternary phosphonium salt with respect to 100 parts by mass of the phenolic resin.

Abstract: A doctor blade for a printer may include a cantilever spring. The free end of the cantilever spring includes a section with a first bend in one direction and a second bend in the opposite direction. Thus, a bump end may be formed which has a surface which is generally tangential to the surface of a developer roll against which the doctor blade is biased.

Abstract: A developer carrier is provided in a rotatable manner. A layer-thickness control member makes a layer thickness of a developer carried on the developer carrier uniform. An accelerated agglomeration degree of the developer is equal to or less than 40%. The layer-thickness control member is formed with a blade. An angle between a rolling direction of the blade and a rotating direction of the developer carrier is set to 5 degrees to 80 degrees.

Abstract: An image forming unit includes a developer bearing body that supplies a developer to an image bearing body that bears a latent image, and a developer layer forming member that forms a layer of the developer on the developer bearing body. The developer has a mean volume diameter in a range from 3.0 to 5.0 ?m, and a bulk density in a range from 0.26 to 0.32 g/cm3. The developer layer forming member has a curved portion having a radius of curvature smaller than or equal to 0.18 mm and constituting a developer layer forming portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a pair of regulating members, for regulating movement of a recording material conveyed from a secondary transfer portion toward an intermediary transfer belt side, configured to be contactable to the recording material at both end portions with respect to a width direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the recording material; a moving mechanism capable of moving a position of the pair of regulating members with respect to the width direction; a recording material size detecting portion for obtaining width information of the recording material with respect to the width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction; and a width control portion for controlling the moving mechanism so that the pair of regulating members to a position correspondingly to the width information obtained by the recording material size detecting portion.

Abstract: A layer-thickness restriction member, including: an abutting surface that is for abutting against a developer-bearing body in order to restrict a layer thickness of developer borne by the developer-bearing body; and a flash that is located on a side close to a non-abutting surface that is located on an opposite side from the abutting surface in a thickness direction of the layer-thickness restriction member.

Abstract: There is provided a developing device including: a casing; a developing roller held by the casing and carrying a developing agent; and a layer-thickness regulating blade for regulating a layer thickness of the developing agent carried on the developing roller, in which in the state where the developing roller is held by the casing, the tip end portion of the layer-thickness regulating blade abuts against the developing roller at a uniform pressure in the axial direction of the developing roller, and in the state where the developing roller is not held by the casing, the layer-thickness regulating blade is bent toward a disposed position of the developing roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a developer thereof includes a developer frame to store a developing agent, a developing device rotatably mounted to the developer frame, a support member mounted to the developer frame, and a regulating member having a first end fixed to the support member, and a second end opposite to the first end, the second end installed in a trail-type manner. The support member includes a plurality of bending portions bent to reinforce a strength of the support member. A trail-type regulating device improved to maintain a sufficient strength and a sufficient elasticity is also disclosed. The regulating device allows the developing agent layer attached to the developing device can be uniform.

Abstract: A development roller includes a base unit having a base recess and a base projection that are formed in a predetermined area of a circumference surface of the base unit, and a surface layer formed on the circumference surface of the base unit and having on the circumference thereof a recess and a projection formed respectively in accordance with the base recess and the base projection of the base unit. Surface hardness of the projection is higher than surface hardness of the recess.

Abstract: An developing device in which a developing roller develops an electrostatic latent image on a photo conductor; a developing roller driving unit rotates the developing roller in a forward direction and in a backward direction respectively while development is performed and not performed; a thickness regulating member, which is pressed against a surface of the developing roller, regulates a thickness of developer adhered to the surface of the developing roller; and a suppression unit suppresses a pressing force of the thickness regulating member when the developing roller is rotating in the backward direction.

Abstract: A non-magnetic toner including a binder resin including a first resin, a second resin, a third resin; a colorant; and a wax, wherein the first resin is a hybrid resin including an amorphous condensation polymerization unit and a radical polymerization unit in its molecular frame, and the second and third resins are non-hybrid resins including condensation polymerization units, wherein each of the first, second and third resins has a glass transition temperature (Tg) and a softening point (Tm) satisfying the following relationships: Tg of first resin<Tg of second resin<Tg of third resin, which is from 70 to 80° C., and Tm of second resin<Tm of third resin<Tm of first resin, and wherein the binder resin includes the first resin in an amount of from 10 to 20% and the third resin of from 25 to 45% by weight.

Abstract: A developing device, includes: a housing that stores toner inside; a toner carrier roller that is shaped approximately like a cylinder, is mounted to the housing rotatably about a rotational axis, rotates while carrying the toner on a surface thereof to convey the toner to outside of the housing, and is provided, on the surface thereof, with a plurality of convex sections which are regularly arranged and a concave section which surrounds the convex sections, the convex sections including top surfaces that coincide with a part of a curved surface of single cylinder and have electrical conductivity; and a seal member that is arranged in abutting contact with the surface of the toner carrier roller moving from the outside the housing toward the inside the housing at a position downstream of the opposed position in a rotation direction of the toner carrier roller to prevent toner leakage from the housing, a contact surface of the seal member being made of a material located at a position to charge the toner with

Abstract: Developer includes toner formed of base particles containing at least a binder resin. The base particles have surfaces coated with an additive agent, and the toner has a volume average particle size between 3.9 ?m and 6.1 ?m. The developer further includes agglomerates in an amount between 0.01 wt % and 0.10 wt %. The agglomerates have a volume average particle size between 75 ?m and 100 ?m.

Abstract: The present invention relates to seals which may be used in an image forming apparatus. The seals may prevent the leakage of image forming materials, e.g. as between a blade and an image forming apparatus housing.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a surface energy reduction material in the form of a topcoat or additive to a coating that may be applied to a toner regulating member such as a doctor blade which may reduce toner build-up about a nip region, pre-nip region, and/or post-nip region. The surface energy reduction material may be include any material having a surface energy of less than or equal to 35 dynes/cm, for example, between 15-30 dynes/cm, including all values and ranges therein. The surface energy reducing materials may include any material that provides a 25% or more reduction of the surface energy of the doctor blade compared to an untreated doctor blade, for example, greater than or equal to 50% reduction or greater than or equal to 75% reduction, including all values and ranges therein.

Abstract: A developing device includes: a developing roller, a casing which rotatably supports the developing roller; a thickness regulation blade; and first and second holding members which fix the thickness regulation blade on the casing. The first holding member includes: a first nipping surface which contacts the thickness regulation blade; and a first fixing surface. The second holding member includes: a second nipping surface which opposes the first nipping surface; and a second fixing surface contacting the first fixing surface. The thickness regulation blade includes a positioning opening and is sandwiched between the first nipping surface and the second nipping surface. The first nipping surface includes a projection which is fitted into the positioning opening of the thickness regulation blade.

Abstract: A developer apparatus, includes: a toner carrier roller that is shaped approximately like a cylinder, rotates while carrying a toner layer of charged toner on a surface thereof, and is provided, on the surface thereof, with plural convex section rows, each of which has plural convex sections arranged in a row in a width direction parallel to a rotational axis of the toner carrier roller and which are arranged in a circumferential direction orthogonal to the width direction and parallel to a circumferential surface of the toner carrier roller, the convex sections being so constructed and arranged that top surfaces of the convex sections coincide with a part of a curved surface of a single cylinder; and a restriction member that abuts on the surface of the toner carrier roller to restrict the toner layer carried on the surface of the toner carrier roller, includes an elastic abutting member which is made of an elastic material and has an edge part which extends in the width direction, the edge part being presse

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer tank, a developing roller, a supply roller, a stirring member, and a doctor blade. The developing device is provided with: a cleaning member detachably provided on a contact portion of the doctor blade with the developing roller, which slides to rub a surface of the doctor blade upon contacting; a supporting section for supporting the cleaning member so as to be capable of being attached to and detached from the contact portion of the doctor blade with the developing roller; and a driving mechanism for moving the cleaning member so as to be attached to and detached from the contact portion of the doctor blade with the developing roller.