DEVELOPMENT APPARATUS, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
First Claim
1. A development apparatus for developing and visualizing a latent image formed on a latent image supporting body, by using a two-component developer composed of toner and carrier, the development apparatus comprising a phase control mechanism, which forms a dividing point at a predetermined point in a flow of a developer within the development apparatus in which a toner density fluctuates spatially due to toner replenishment or toner consumption caused by development, causes the developer divided at the dividing point to pass through different paths, thereby shifts a phase of the fluctuation of the toner density within the developer, and thereafter causes thus obtained developers having shifted phases to merge with each other, to perform phase control.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A development apparatus can uniform a toner density by controlling the phase of a toner density fluctuation, and can inhibit fluctuation of the toner density and variation of the toner charge amount. The development apparatus is configured to have a phase control mechanism, which forms a dividing point at a predetermined point (e.g., an opening section provided on a partition plate between two screws) in a flow of a developer within the development apparatus in which a toner density fluctuates spatially due to toner replenishment or toner consumption caused by development, causes the developer divided at the dividing point to pass through different paths (path 1, path 2), thereby shifts a phase of the fluctuation of the toner density within the developer, and thereafter causes thus obtained developers having shifted phases to merge with each other, to perform phase control. The developers spatially having toner density fluctuations are superimposed with shifted phases, thereby a high toner density and a low toner density are averaged so that the toner density is uniformed.
36 Citations
26 Claims
- 1. A development apparatus for developing and visualizing a latent image formed on a latent image supporting body, by using a two-component developer composed of toner and carrier, the development apparatus comprising a phase control mechanism, which forms a dividing point at a predetermined point in a flow of a developer within the development apparatus in which a toner density fluctuates spatially due to toner replenishment or toner consumption caused by development, causes the developer divided at the dividing point to pass through different paths, thereby shifts a phase of the fluctuation of the toner density within the developer, and thereafter causes thus obtained developers having shifted phases to merge with each other, to perform phase control.
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18. A carrier that is used in a development apparatus for developing and visualizing a latent image formed on a latent image supporting body, by using a two-component developer composed of toner and the carrier, wherein a volume average particle diameter of the carrier is 20 through 60 μ
- m, and the development apparatus has a phase control mechanism, which forms a dividing point at a predetermined point in a flow of a developer within the development apparatus in which a toner density fluctuates spatially due to toner replenishment or toner consumption caused by development, causes the developer divided at the dividing point to pass through different paths, thereby shifts a phase of the fluctuation of the toner density within the developer, and thereafter causes thus obtained developers having shifted phases to merge with each other, to perform phase control.
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19. A toner that is used in a development apparatus for developing and visualizing a latent image formed on a latent image supporting body, by using a two-component developer composed of toner and the carrier, wherein a volume average particle diameter of the toner is 3 through 8 μ
- m, the ratio between the volume average particle diameter and a number average particle diameter is in a range of 1.00 through 1.40, and the development apparatus has a phase control mechanism, which forms a dividing point at a predetermined point in a flow of a developer within the development apparatus in which a toner density fluctuates spatially due to toner replenishment or toner consumption caused by development, causes the developer divided at the dividing point to pass through different paths, thereby shifts a phase of the fluctuation of the toner density within the developer, and thereafter causes thus obtained developers having shifted phases to merge with each other, to perform phase control.
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20. A toner that is used in a development apparatus for developing and visualizing a latent image formed on a latent image supporting body, by using a two-component developer composed of toner and the carrier, wherein a shape factor SF-1 is within a range of 100 through 180, a shape factor SF-2 is within a range of 100 through 180, and the development apparatus has a phase control mechanism, which forms a dividing point at a predetermined point in a flow of a developer within the development apparatus in which a toner density fluctuates spatially due to toner replenishment or toner consumption caused by development, causes the developer divided at the dividing point to pass through different paths, thereby shifts a phase of the fluctuation of the toner density within the developer, and thereafter causes thus obtained developers having shifted phases to merge with each other, to perform phase control.
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21. A toner that is used in a development apparatus for developing and visualizing a latent image formed on a latent image supporting body, by using a two-component developer composed of toner and the carrier, wherein fine particles having an average primary particle diameter of 50 through 500 nm and a bulk density of at least 0.3 g/cm3 are externally adhered to a toner host particle surface, and the development apparatus has a phase control mechanism, which forms a dividing point at a predetermined point in a flow of a developer within the development apparatus in which a toner density fluctuates spatially due to toner replenishment or toner consumption caused by development, causes the developer divided at the dividing point to pass through different paths, thereby shifts a phase of the fluctuation of the toner density within the developer, and thereafter causes thus obtained developers having shifted phases to merge with each other, to perform phase control.
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22. A process cartridge, which integrally has a latent image supporting body, a surface of which is formed with an electrostatic latent image, and a development apparatus that develops and visualizes the electrostatic latent image formed on the latent image supporting body, by using a two-component developer composed of toner and carrier, wherein the development apparatus has a phase control mechanism, which forms a dividing point at a predetermined point in a flow of a developer within the development apparatus in which a toner density fluctuates spatially due to toner replenishment or toner consumption caused by development, causes the developer divided at the dividing point to pass through different paths, thereby shifts a phase of the fluctuation of the toner density within the developer, and thereafter causes thus obtained developers having shifted phases to merge with each other, to perform phase control.
- 23. An image forming apparatus having a latent image supporting body, a surface of which is formed with an electrostatic latent image, a development apparatus that develops and visualizes the electrostatic latent image formed on the latent image supporting body, by using a two-component developer composed of toner and carrier, or a process cartridge that integrally has the latent image supporting body and the development apparatus, wherein the development apparatus has a phase control mechanism, which forms a dividing point at a predetermined point in a flow of a developer within the development apparatus in which a toner density fluctuates spatially due to toner replenishment or toner consumption caused by development, causes the developer divided at the dividing point to pass through different paths, thereby shifts a phase of the fluctuation of the toner density within the developer, and thereafter causes thus obtained developers having shifted phases to merge with each other, to perform phase control.
Specification