Apparatus for developing electrostatic latent images

Claim 2

An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus comprising: a developing sleeve drivingly rotatable for transporting a developer mixture in a direction along a path to an electrostatic latent image bearing surface opposite a developing side of said sleeve; magnetic means fixedly positioned in said developing sleeve and having a plurality of N and S poles; means for mixing and agitating a fresh supply of developer with said developer mixture, said means for mixing and agitating including at least two auxiliary poles having a common polarity and being provided adjacent one another at a side of the sleeve facing away from an associated latent image, one pole of said plurality of N and S poles which is of a polarity opposite to the polarity of the auxiliary poles being located adjacent one of the auxiliary poles at a position downstream thereof in the rotating direction of the developing sleeve; and a bristle height restricting plate positioned between said one pole and the auxiliary pole which is adjacent the one pole, an attractive magnetic force being exerted on the developer mixture downstream of the auxiliary poles and upstream of the bristle height restricting plate to capture the developer mixture and attract the mixture to the developing sleeve at a position adjacent the bristle height restricting plate.

Claim 3

An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said auxiliary poles are opposed to an intermediate portion of the path of transport of the developer.

Claim 4

An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said auxiliary poles have weaker magnetic force than other poles, said weaker force being about 100 Gauss.

Claim 5

An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said apparatus further comprises means for supplying the fresh supply of developer to the path of transport of the developer at a position upstream from said auxiliary poles with respect to the developer transport direction.

Claim 6

An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus comprising: a developing sleeve drivingly rotatable for transporting a developer mixture in a direction along a path to an electrostatic latent image bearing surface; magnetic means fixedly positioned in said developing sleeve and having a plurality of N and S poles arranged circumferentially within the sleeve; means for mixing and agitating a fresh supply of developer with said developer mixture, said means for mixing and agitating including at least two auxiliary poles having a common polarity and being provided adjacent one another at a side of the sleeve facing away from an associated latent image, one pole of said plurality of N and S poles which is of a polarity opposite to the polarity of the auxiliary poles being located adjacent one of the auxiliary poles at a position downstream thereof in the rotating direction of the developing sleeve; a bristle height restricting plate positioned between said one pole and the auxiliary pole which is adjacent the one pole, an attractive magnetic force being exerted on the developer mixture downstream of the auxiliary poles and upstream of the bristle height restricting plate to capture the developer mixture and attract the mixture to the developing sleeve at a position adjacent the bristle height restricting plate; and means for supplying the fresh developer to the developer mixture at a position upstream from said auxiliary poles with respect to the direction of transporting the developer mixture.

Claim 7

An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus comprising: a developing sleeve drivingly rotatable for transporting a developer mixture in a direction along a path to an electrostatic latent image bearing surface; magnetic means fixedly positioned in said developing sleeve and having a plurality of N and S poles arranged circumferentially within the sleeve; means for mixing and agitating a fresh supply of developer with said developer mixture, said means for mixing and agitating including at least two auxiliary poles having a common polarity and being provided adjacent one another at a side of the sleeve facing away from an associated latent image, one pole of said plurality of N and S poles which is of a polarity opposite to the polarity of the auxiliary poles being located adjacent one of the auxiliary poles at a position downstream thereof in the rotating direction of the developing sleeve; a bristle height restricting plate positioned between said one pole and the auxiliary pole which is adjacent the one pole, an attractive magnetic force being exerted on the developer mixture downstream of the auxiliary poles and upstream of the bristle height restricting plate to capture the developer mixture and attract the mixture to the developing sleeve at a position adjacent the bristle height restricting plate; and means for supplying the fresh developer to the developer mixture at a position upstream from said auxiliary poles with respect to the direction of transporting the developer mixture.

Claim 8

An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said bristle height restricting plate is set to such an angle that the developer scattered by a repellent magnetic field formed by said auxiliary poles is allowed to spontaneously fall.

Claim 9

An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said bristle height restricting plate is provided at an angle within a range of about 30° to 90° with respect to a horizontal surface.

Claim 10

An electrostatic latent image developing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said auxiliary poles have magnetic force of about 100 G.