Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
330 words
A developing device comprising: (a) a casing enclosed but for a single opening; (b) a developing roller mounted in said casing and protruding through the single opening in said casing; (c) a developer bearing roller mounted in said casing in operative association with said developing roller; (d) first means for rotating said developing roller in a first direction; (e) second means for rotating said developer bearing roller in a second direction, opposite to said first direction; (f) third means for creating a difference in electrical potential between the surface of said developing roller and the surface of said developer bearing roller; (g) a first elastic blade having a fixed end and a free end, said first elastic blade being mounted on said casing above said developing roller and, during use of the device, making resilient sliding contact with toner particles on the surface of said developing roller intermediate its fixed end and its free end and across at least substantially the entire width of the single opening in said casing, whereby said first elastic blade extends both forwardly of and rearwardly of the line of contact between said first elastic blade and the toner particles and thereby prevents scattering of the toner particles outside said casing; (h) a second elastic blade having a fixed end and a free end, said second elastic blade being mounted on said casing beneath said developing roller and, during use of the device, making resilient sliding contact with toner particles on the surface of said developing roller intermediate its fixed end and its free end and across at least substantially the entire width of the single opening in said casing, whereby said second elastic blade extends both forwardly of and rearwardly of the line of contact between said second elastic blade and the toner particles and thereby prevents scattering of toner particles outside said casing; and (i) a thickness regulating plate projecting from said casing and extending toward but not contacting said developer bearing roller.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
330 words
A developing device comprising: (a) a casing enclosed but for a single opening; (b) a developing roller mounted in said casing and protruding through the single opening in said casing; (c) a developer bearing roller mounted in said casing in operative association with said developing roller; (d) first means for rotating said developing roller in a first direction; (e) second means for rotating said developer bearing roller in a second direction, opposite to said first direction; (f) third means for creating a difference in electrical potential between the surface of said developing roller and the surface of said developer bearing roller; (g) a first elastic blade having a fixed end and a free end, said first elastic blade being mounted on said casing above said developing roller and, during use of the device, making resilient sliding contact with toner particles on the surface of said developing roller intermediate its fixed end and its free end and across at least substantially the entire width of the single opening in said casing, whereby said first elastic blade extends both forwardly of and rearwardly of the line of contact between said first elastic blade and the toner particles and thereby prevents scattering of the toner particles outside said casing; (h) a second elastic blade having a fixed end and a free end, said second elastic blade being mounted on said casing beneath said developing roller and, during use of the device, making resilient sliding contact with toner particles on the surface of said developing roller intermediate its fixed end and its free end and across at least substantially the entire width of the single opening in said casing, whereby said second elastic blade extends both forwardly of and rearwardly of the line of contact between said second elastic blade and the toner particles and thereby prevents scattering of toner particles outside said casing; and (i) a thickness regulating plate projecting from said casing and extending toward but not contacting said developer bearing roller.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
A developing device as recited in claim 1 and further comprising a toner hopper mounted in said casing above said developer bearing roller in position to drop toner particles onto said developer bearing roller.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A developing device as recited in claim 1 wherein said developer bearing roller comprises a non-magnetic sleeve and a magnet disposed inside said non-magnetic sleeve.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A developing device as recited in claim 1 wherein said developing roller comprises a conductive member and an insulative or resistive layer of 5-60 μm. thickness formed on the surface of said conductive member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
A developing device as recited in claim 1 wherein: (a) said developing roller comprises a conductive roller; (b) the electrostatic image is formed on a photosensitive drum; and (c) said conductive roller is rotated at substantially the same speed as the peripheral speed of the photosensitive drum.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
A developing device as recited in claim 1 wherein said third means include a DC voltage source.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
A developing device as recited in claim 1 wherein said developer bearing roller is a non-magnetic cylindrical sleeve roller.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
A developing device as recited in claim 1 wherein said thickness regulating plate projects from said casing beneath said developing roller.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
A developing device as recited in claim 1 wherein the free end of said first elastic blade is away from the line of contact between said first elastic blade and said developing roller in the direction of rotation of said developing roller.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
A developing device as recited in claim 1 wherein the free end of said first elastic blade is away from the line of contact between said first elastic blade and said developing roller in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said developing roller.