Developer bearing member and developing device with outer electrode including separated portions, and inner electrode for creating electric field

• US 8,374,531 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Yoshinori, Kosugi, Hideki, Yamada, Masaaki, Ishii, Yasuyuki, Kurokawa, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lindsay, Jr., Walter L
• Assistant Examiner(s): LACTAOEN, BILLY JAMES M
• Application Number:
  US12/633,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20100150615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 399/265, 399/258, 399/270, 399/271, 399/281, 399/285, 399/286, 399/291, 399/293, 399/295, 399/266
• US Class Current: 399/266
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0808 characterised by the developer supplying means, e.g. structure of developer supply roller

Abstract

An developer bearer conveys developer to a developing station under influence of an electric field created by an electric flux line. The developer bearer includes plural kinds of electrodes that receive different voltages from each other and collectively creates the electric flux line. The plural kinds of electrodes are arranged on different layers in a normal line of the developer bearer. The developer bearer includes an insulation layer that insulates the plural kinds of electrodes.

Claims

1. A developer bearer for conveying a developer to a developing station under an influence of an electric field created by an electric flux line, said developer bearer comprising:

an outer electrode and an inner electrode configured to receive voltages different from each other and collectively create the electric flux line, said outer electrode and said inner electrode being arranged on different layers in a normal line direction of the developer bearer, wherein the outer electrode is located at an outer side of the developer bearer and configured to include at least two electrode portions separated at a prescribed interval on a same circumference of the developer bearer, the inner electrode opposing at least two intervals between the at least two electrode portions of the outer electrode, and at least two electric fields are created side by side outside an outer circumferential surface of the developer bearer by a neighboring pair of the at least two electrode portions, said at least two electric fields having different intensities from each other; and

an insulation layer sandwiched between the outer electrode and the inner electrode in the normal line direction and configured to insulate the outer electrode and the inner electrode.

2. The developer bearer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner electrode is located at an inner side of the developer bearer and has a prescribed thickness opposing both the at least two electrode portions and the at least two intervals between the at least two electrode portions.

3. The developer bearer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the inner electrode includes portions opposing the at least two intervals between the at least two electrode portions, arranged over a portion of the length of the inner electrode, and closer to the outer circumferential surface of the developer bearer than portions of the inner electrode opposing the at least two electrode portions.

5. The developer bearer as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the at least two intervals between the at least two electrode portions is different from an other one of the at least two intervals.

6. The developer bearer as claimed in claim 5, wherein said one of the at least two intervals neighbors to the other one of the at least two intervals.

7. The developer bearer as claimed in claim 5, wherein said at least two electrode portions are made of a conductive material in a layer, and the at least two intervals are formed by dispersing insulation particles in the conductive material.

8. The developer bearer as claimed in claim 7, wherein an average particle diameter of the insulation particles is larger than a thickness of the conductive material.

9. The developer bearer as claimed in claim 5, wherein said at least two intervals are formed by an insulation material in a layer, and said at least two electrode portions are formed by dispersing conductive particles in the insulation material.

10. The developer bearer as claimed in claim 5, wherein said outer electrode includes

a conductive foam material serving as an electrode portion;

and

an insulation material serving as an interval between electrode portions of the conductive foam, said insulation material being filled up in foam cells included in prescribed positions in the conductive foam material.

11. The developer bearer as claimed in claim 5, wherein

said outer electrode includes

an insulation foam material serving as the at least two intervals between the at least two electrode portions, and

a conductive material serving as the at least two electrode portions, said conductive material being filled up in foam cells included in the insulation foam material.

12. The developer bearer as claimed in claim 5, wherein said at least two electrode portions are produced by spraying a conductive paste onto an insulation layer.

4. A developing device, comprising:

an outer electrode and an inner electrode configured to receive voltages different from each other and collectively create an electric flux line, said outer electrode and said inner electrode being arranged at different layers in a normal line direction of a developer bearer, said outer electrode is located at an outer side of the developer bearer and configured to include at least two electrode portions separated at a prescribed interval on a same circumference of the developer bearer, the inner electrode is located at an inner side of the developer bearer opposing at least two intervals between the at least two electrode portions of the outer electrode;

an insulation layer sandwiched between the outer electrode and the inner electrode in the normal line direction and configured to insulate the outer electrode and the inner electrode; and

at least one power distribution device configured to distribute different powers to the outer electrode and the inner electrode, respectively, wherein said at least one power distribution device distributes powers to form an electric field outside an outer circumferential surface of the developer bearer, said electric field causing a toner to hop on the outermost circumferential surface between one of the at least two electrode portions and one of the at least two intervals neighboring thereto, and said at least one power distribution device includes at least two power distribution devices configured to respectively distribute different powers to outer side electrodes arranged in at least two different regions around the developer bearer to form different electric fields.

13. An developing device, comprising:

an outer electrode and an inner electrode configured to receive voltages different from each other and collectively create an electric flux line, said outer electrode and said inner electrode being arranged at different layers in a normal line direction of a developer bearer, said outer electrode is located at an outer side of the developer bearer and configured to include at least two electrode portions separated at a prescribed interval on a same circumference of the developer bearer, the inner electrode is located inside the outer electrode opposing at least two intervals between the at least two electrode portions of the outer electrode;

an insulation layer sandwiched between the outer electrode and the inner electrode in the normal line direction and configured to insulate the outer electrode and the inner electrode; and

at least one power distribution device configured to distribute different powers to the outer electrode and the inner electrode, respectively, wherein said at least one power distribution device distributes powers to form an electric field outside an outer circumferential surface of the developer bearer, said electric field causing a toner to hop on the outermost circumferential surface between one of the at least two electrode portions and one of the at least two intervals neighboring thereto, and said at least one power distribution device includes at least two power distribution devices configured to respectively distribute different powers to outer side electrodes arranged in at least two different regions around the developer bearer to form different electric fields.

14. The developing device as claimed in claim 13, wherein a developing region of said at least two different regions includes a developing station for a developing, and an electric field formed in the developing station is more intensive than that formed in an other region of said at least two different regions.

15. The developing device as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

a first power control device configured to change a power distributed to the outer side electrodes arranged in the developing region.

16. The developing device as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

a second power control device configured to change a power distributed to the outer side electrodes arranged in regions other than the developing region.

17. The developing device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a protection layer arranged on the outer electrode other than at both side ends of the developer bearer.

18. The developing device as claimed in claim 13, wherein power is distributed to one of the outer electrode and the inner electrode by plural routes.

19. A developer bearer for conveying a developer to a developing station under an influence of an electric field created by an electric flux line, said developer bearer comprising:

an outer electrode and an inner electrode configured to receive voltages different from each other and collectively create the electric flux line, said outer electrode and said inner electrode being arranged on different layers in a normal line direction of the developer bearer, wherein the outer electrode is located at an outer side of the developer bearer and configured to include at least two electrode portions separated at a prescribed interval on a same circumference of the developer bearer, the inner electrode is located at an inner side of the developer bearer, and the inner electrode includes portions opposing at least two intervals between the at least two electrode portions of the outer electrode, arranged over a portion of the length of the inner electrode, and closer to an outer circumferential surface of the developer bearer than portions of the inner electrode opposing the at least two electrode portions; and

an insulation layer sandwiched between the outer electrode and the inner electrode in the normal line direction and configured to insulate the outer electrode and the inner electrode.

20. The developer bearer as claimed in claim 19, wherein the portions of the inner electrode opposing the at least two intervals between the at least two electrode portions are arranged over an entirety of the length of the inner electrode.