DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• Main Authors: SUGANUMA TAKUYA, HASHIKAWA HOTARU, KUBOTA TOMOHIRO, YABUTA YUTA
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 24.03.2023
• Subjects: CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHYSICS

To reduce the likelihood of the occurrence of a trouble that developer enters between a developing case and a flexible sheet member.SOLUTION: A developing device is provided with: a developing roller 26a (developer carrier) that is opposite to (or in contact with) a photoreceptor drum 21 (image carrier) to form a developing area, and develops a latent image formed on a surface of the photoreceptor drum 21 in the developing area while rotating in a predetermined rotation direction; and a developing case 26k (developing upper case) that is opposite to the developing roller 26a with a gap therebetween on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the developing area. The developing device is also provided with a flexible sheet member 26r that is held by the developing case 26k at one end as a fixed end on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the developing area, and is arranged in the gap between the developing roller 26a and the developing case 26k to extend along the rotation direction. The developing device is further provided with a holding part 26m that holds the flexible sheet member 26r while regarding its other end side as a free end and not fixing it.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4 【課題】現像ケースと可撓性シート部材との間に現像剤が入り込んでしまう不具合を生じにくくする。【解決手段】感光体ドラム２１（像担持体）に対向（又は、接触）して現像領域を形成して、所定の回転方向に回転しながら感光体ドラム２１の表面に形成される潜像を現像領域で現像する現像ローラ２６ａ（現像剤担持体）と、現像領域に対して回転方向の下流側で現像ローラ２６ａに対して隙間をあけて対向する現像ケース２６ｋ（現像上ケース）と、が設けられている。また、現像領域に対して回転方向の下流側で現像ケース２６ｋに一端側が固定端として保持されて、回転方向に沿うように現像ローラ２６ａと現像ケース２６ｋとの隙間に配置された可撓性シート部材２６ｒが設けられている。さらに、可撓性シート部材２６ｒの他端側を自由端としたまま固定せずに保持する保持部２６ｍが設けられている。【選択図】図４