US4755847A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrostatic latent image developing apparatus
Assignee: Ricoh Co Ltd
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Filing: 1986-08-22
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Granted: 1988-07-05
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Expires: 2006-08-22
Abstract
Abstract An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus supplies toner to a latent image carrier such as a drum-shaped photosensitive body to visualize a latent image formed thereon. The toner is supplied by a rotating drum-shaped toner carrier having a portion confronting the photosensitive body adjacent thereto and another portion held in contact with toner contained in a toner container. The toner is electrostatically attracted to the toner carrier and transferred therefrom to the photosensitive body. The toner on the toner carrier is regulated into a thin toner layer by a toner layer regulating member that is resiliently held in sliding contact with the toner carrier. To prevent toner deposits from being attached to the toner layer regulating member, the toner layer regulating member is made of a material adapted to wear with the attached toner. In order to provide the toner layer regulating member with an ability to triboelectrically charge toner, whether chargeable to a polarity (-) or (+), or to control the amount of electricity on toner chargeable to a polarity (-) or (+) and prevent toner deposits from being attached to the toner layer regulating member, another material to control the amount of electricity on toner is mixed in the material which can be worn with the attached toner.
Inventors
- 👤 Hiroyuki Matsushiro
- 👤 Toshio Kaneko
- 👤 Fuchio Takeda
- 👤 Yoshihiro Ogata
- 👤 Toshihiko Takaya
- 👤 Atsushi Shinozaki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 00:27
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/06; G03G15/08; G03G15/0806; G03G15/0812; G03G2215/00; G03G2215/06; G03G2215/0602; G03G2215/0604; G03G2215/0614; G03G2215/0634; G03G2215/0636
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
137 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus comprising: a latent image carrier; a toner container for containing toner; a toner carrier disposed between said latent image carrier and said toner container; a toner layer regulating member held in slidable contact with said toner carrier for forming a thin toner layer on said toner carrier while the toner layer is being supplied to said latent image carrier in response to movement of the toner carrier; said toner layer regulating member having a contact portion held in slidable contact with said toner carrier and made of a mixture of a wearable adapted to wear material and a material to control the amount of electricity to which the toner can be electrically charged, said contact portion having a width across which it is held in slidable contact with said toner carrier.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
137 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus comprising: a latent image carrier; a toner container for containing toner; a toner carrier disposed between said latent image carrier and said toner container; a toner layer regulating member held in slidable contact with said toner carrier for forming a thin toner layer on said toner carrier while the toner layer is being supplied to said latent image carrier in response to movement of the toner carrier; said toner layer regulating member having a contact portion held in slidable contact with said toner carrier and made of a mixture of a wearable adapted to wear material and a material to control the amount of electricity to which the toner can be electrically charged, said contact portion having a width across which it is held in slidable contact with said toner carrier.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim l, wherein said latent image carrier is photoconductive.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim l, wherein said latent image carrier is dielectric.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim l, wherein said latent image carrier is in the form of a drum.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim l, wherein said latent image carrier is in the form of a belt.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim l, wherein said toner container includes an agitator disposed therein for agitating the toner contained therein.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said toner carrier is rotatable.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus 7, wherein said toner carrier is in the form of a roller.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus 7, wherein said toner carrier is in the form of a roller.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said toner carrier is in the form of a drum.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said toner carrier is in the form of a belt.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said toner carrier comprises a metallic roller having a circumferential surface covered with synthetic rubber.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said toner carrier comprises a metallic roller having a circumferential surface covered with a layer of synthetic rubber covered with a layer of urethane resin.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said toner carrier comprises a metallic roller having a circumferential surface covered with a layer of synthetic rubber covered with an acrylic layer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said toner comprises dry one-component toner.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim l4, wherein said dry one-component toner comprises magnetic toner without any carrier particles contained.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said dry one-component toner comprises nonmagnetic toner without any carrier particles contained.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further including a pressing mechanism comprising a coil spring for nornally urging said toner layer regulating member to directly contact said toner carrier.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
50 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said pressing mechanism includes a support, said toner layer regulating member being mounted on said support, said support being normally urged by said coil spring to hold said toner layer regulating member in contact with said toner carrier.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
60 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further including a resilient support plate having a fixed edge, said toner layer regulating member being mounted on an opposite free edge of said resilient support plate, said resilient support plate being resiliently flexed to keep said toner layer regulating member in resiliently pressing contact with said toner carrier.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
39 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said toner layer regulating member has a width across which it is held in slidable contact with said toner carrier, said width being at most 1.2 mm.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wearable material is synthetic resin.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
37 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein said material to control the amount of electricity to which the toner can be electrically charged is electrically conductive resin with carbon fiber mixed therein.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
22 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said electrically conductive resin comprises nylon 6 containing carbon fiber.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
59 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said latent image carrier comprises a photosensitive body, said photosensitive body being electrically chargeable to a polarity (+), said toner being electrically chargeable to a polarity (-), the arrangement being such that a bias voltage of -300 V will be applied to said toner layer regulating member.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
57 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said latent image carrier comprises a photosensitive body, said photosensitive body being electrically chargeable to a polarity (-), said toner being electrically chargeable to a polarity (+), the arrangement being such that a bias voltage of +300 V will be applied to said toner carrier.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
39 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein said material to control the amount of electricity to which the toner can be electrically charged is fine metallic powder having a Briness hardness up to 50.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
74 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein said toner layer regulating member has a contact portion slidably contacting said toner carrier, said contact portion being made of a (perfluoroalkoxy side chain 4-ethylene fluoride, with copper particles of a particle size in the range of from 1 to 10 micrometers being dispersed therein as said material to control the amount of electricity to which the toner can be electrically charged.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
31 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 2l, wherein said material to control the amount of electricity to which the toner can be electrically charged is wet silica.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
34 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein said toner layer regulating member has a contact portion slidably contacting said toner carrier, said contact portion being made of silicone resin.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
20 words
An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said toner layer regulating member comprises a plate.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4373798A
Cited
US4566776A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-07-05 | 1992-01-04 | 1992-07-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-07-05 | 1996-01-04 | 1996-07-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-07-05 | 2000-01-04 | 2000-07-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |