Developing device having a powder conveyor, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9500992-B2
Application number	US-201514675204-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2015
Priority date	Apr 7, 2014
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A developing device includes a housing to store a powder, a developing roller to hold the powder, a supplying roller to supply the powder to the developing roller, a regulator to regulate the powder held by the developing roller, a powder conveyer to convey the powder for image forming, a first powder storing chamber, and a second powder storing chamber. The powder conveyor includes a first conveying part that includes a rotating axis, and a conveying surface inclined with respect to the rotating axis along a direction of the rotating axis. The powder conveyor further includes a second conveying part that includes a conveying surface parallel to the rotating axis along the direction of the rotating axis, and the first conveying part and the second conveying part are disposed alternately along the direction of the rotating axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A developing device comprising:
a housing to store a powder;
a developing roller to hold the powder;
a supplying roller to supply the powder to the developing roller;
a regulator to regulate the powder held by the developing roller;
a powder conveyer to convey the powder for image forming, the powder conveyer including
a first conveying part that includes
a rotating axis, and
a conveying surface inclined with respect to the rotating axis along a direction of the rotating axis; and

a second conveying part that includes
a conveying surface parallel to the rotating axis along the direction of the rotating axis, and

the first conveying part and the second conveying part are disposed alternately along the direction of the rotating axis;

a first powder storing chamber to store the powder separated from the developing roller; and
a second powder storing chamber disposed above the first powder storing chamber to store the powder to be supplied to the developing roller by the supplying roller, wherein
the first powder storing chamber is divided into a first mixing chamber and a second mixing chamber,
the first mixing chamber includes a first rotating member to convey the powder in a first direction,
the second mixing chamber includes the powder conveyer to convey the powder in a second direction different than the first direction,
the developing device is a one-component developing system to develop,
an upstream end part of the first mixing chamber in the first direction and a downstream end part of the second mixing chamber in the second direction are in communication by a first communicating path,
a downstream end part of the first mixing chamber in the first direction and an upstream end part of the second mixing chamber in the second direction are in communication by a second communicating path, and
a toner supplying opening to supply the powder is connected to the first communicating path.

2. The developing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first conveying part is a spiral vane, and the second conveying part is a polygonal part extended along the rotating axis.

3. The developing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first conveying part is a spiral vane, and the second conveying part is a plate-like member protruding from the rotating axis in a radial direction.

4. The developing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a driver to drive the powder conveyer.

5. The developing device according to claim 1 , wherein a carrying capacity of the powder conveyer in an axis direction is greater than a carrying capacity of the first rotating member in the axis direction.

6. The developing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first rotating member is disposed below a regulating area of the regulator in a vertical direction.

7. The developing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a toner detector to detect an amount of the powder,
wherein a control amount of the powder supplied from the toner supplying opening is based on a detection result of the toner detector.

8. A process unit comprising:
a photoreceptor; and
the developing device according to claim 1 .

9. An image forming apparatus comprising:
the developing device according to claim 1 .

10. A developing device, comprising:
a housing to store a powder;
a developing roller to hold the powder;
a supplying roller to supply the powder to the developing roller;
a regulator to regulate the powder held by the developing roller;
a powder conveyer to convey the powder for image forming, the powder conveyer including
a first conveying part that includes
a rotating axis, and
a conveying surface inclined with respect to the rotating axis along a direction of the rotating axis; and

a second conveying part that includes
a conveying surface parallel to the rotating axis along the direction of the rotating axis, and

the first conveying part and the second conveying part are disposed alternately along the direction of the rotating axis;

a first powder storing chamber to store the powder separated from the developing roller, and the first powder storing chamber is divided into a first mixing chamber and a second mixing chamber;
a second powder storing chamber disposed above the first powder storing chamber to store the powder to be supplied to the developing roller by the supplying roller;
a first divider to divide the first powder storing chamber and second powder storing chamber, and the first divider is a part of a pumping path; and
a second divider to divide the first mixing chamber and the second mixing chamber of the first powder storing chamber, wherein
the first mixing chamber includes a first rotating member to convey the powder in a first direction,
the second mixing chamber includes the powder conveyer to convey the powder in a second direction different than the first direction,
the second mixing chamber and the second powder storing chamber are connected via the pumping path,
an upstream end part of the pumping path in a conveyance direction of the powder connects with the second conveying part of the powder conveyer,
a downstream end part of the pumping path in the conveyance direction of the powder connects with the second powder storing chamber, and
the first divider contacts with the powder conveyer in the direction of the rotating axis and elastically deforms with contact from the powder conveyer when the powder conveyer rotates.

11. The developing device according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a first communicating path between an upstream end part of the first mixing chamber in the first direction and a downstream end part of the second mixing chamber in the second direction;
a second communicating path between a downstream end part of the first mixing chamber in the first direction and an upstream end part of the second mixing chamber in the second direction, and
the first communicating path and the second communicating path are provided in a longitudinal direction at both sides of end parts of the second divider.

12. A developing device comprising:
a housing to store a powder;
a developing roller to hold the powder;
a supplying roller to supply the powder to the developing roller;
a regulator to regulate the powder held by the developing roller;
a powder conveyer to convey the powder for image forming, the powder conveyer including
a first conveying structure that includes
a rotating shaft, and
a conveying surface inclined with respect to the rotating shaft along a direction of the rotating shaft; and

a second conveying structure that includes
a conveying surface parallel to the rotating shaft along the direction of the rotating shaft, and

the first conveying structure and the second conveying structure are disposed alternately along the direction of the rotating axis;

a first powder storing chamber to store the powder separated from the developing roller; and
a second powder storing chamber disposed above the first powder storing chamber to store the powder to be supplied to the developing roller by the supplying roller, wherein
the first powder storing chamber is divided into a first mixing chamber and a second mixing chamber,
the first mixing chamber includes a first rotating structure to convey the powder in a first direction,
the second mixing chamber includes the powder conveyer to convey the powder in a second direction different than the first direction,
the developing device is a one-component developing system to develop,
an upstream end part of the first mixing chamber in the first direction and a downstream end part of the second mixing chamb

Assignees

• Yoshida Tomofumi
• Miyazaki Takafumi
• Mitani Rie
• Ohkubo Yasuhide
• Furuichi Yuusuke
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoshida Tomofumi
• Miyazaki Takafumi
• Mitani Rie
• Ohkubo Yasuhide
• Furuichi Yuusuke

Classifications

• G03G15/0891 Primary

  for conveying or circulating developer, e.g. augers · CPC title