Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Developing unit including developer conveyance system having supply path, recovery path, and agitation path, process cartridge including developing unit, and image forming apparatus including process cartridge
- Patent Title (中): 显影单元,包括具有供应路径,恢复路径和搅拌路径的显影剂输送系统,包括显影单元的处理盒,以及包括处理盒
-
Application No.: US12187015Application Date: 2008-08-06
-
Publication No.: US07991330B2Publication Date: 2011-08-02
- Inventor: Yuki Oshikawa , Koichi Kato , Hiroyuki Okaji , Mugijirou Uno , Kiyonori Tsuda , Emi Kita , Keiko Matsumoto
- Applicant: Yuki Oshikawa , Koichi Kato , Hiroyuki Okaji , Mugijirou Uno , Kiyonori Tsuda , Emi Kita , Keiko Matsumoto
- Applicant Address: JP Tokyo
- Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Current Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Current Assignee Address: JP Tokyo
- Agency: Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, L.L.P.
- Priority: JP2007-205912 20070807; JP2008-171495 20080630
- Main IPC: G03G15/08
- IPC: G03G15/08

Abstract:
A developing unit includes a developer bearing member, a developer transporter, a developer conveyance system for directing the developer, including a supply path, a recovery path, and an agitation path, a developer supply opening through which the developer is supplied to the developer conveyance system, a developer supply device for supplying the developer from the developer supply opening to the developer conveyance system, a developer discharge device for discharging the developer outside the developing unit, a developer level rise detector for detecting increase in a level of the developer between the downstream end of the recovery path facing the developer bearing member in the direction of developer transport and a portion of the agitation path where the agitation path receives the collected developer from the recovery path, and a controller for controlling the developer discharge device based on the detection result provided by the developer level rise detector.
Public/Granted literature
Information query