JP2003029530A - Developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a developing device using one-component non-magnetic toner, where the variance of the abutting pressure of a regulating member to a toner carrier is reduced, by which image density is kept constant and jitter is reduced and whose handling and assembly are facilitated. SOLUTION: This developing device is provided with the toner carrier 51 carrying the one-component non-magnetic toner 12, the regulating member 55 elastically energized to the toner carrier 51 so as to form a toner thin layer on the toner carrier 51, a holding member 58 holding the regulating member 55, and a supply member 53 supplying the one-component non-magnetic toner 12 to the toner carrier 51. The toner carrier 51, the regulating member 55, the holding member 58 and the supply member 53 are integrally constituted and unitized.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a developing device used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile or a copying machine, and more particularly to an elastic regulating member for regulating a one-component non-magnetic toner. The present invention relates to a developing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a developing device that visualizes an image using powder toner, a regulating member is elastically attached to a toner carrier to form a thin toner layer on the toner carrier. It was arranged so as to be biased. As such an elastic restricting member, a restricting member using a belly pad as disclosed in JP-A-54-43038 or JP-A-62-17 is used.
Various restriction members are known, such as a restriction member that abuts a corner edge as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 774. However, in such a developing device, a leaf spring having a cantilever structure is used in order to make the regulating member have a simple structure. However, since the pressure of the regulating member is proportional to the plate thickness and the cube of the free length, respectively. Depending on the variation in the size of the regulation member itself and the mounting accuracy of the regulation member, the pressure of the regulation member may vary from the minimum value to the maximum value about twice. For this reason, for example, it is necessary to select the regulating member according to the plate thickness or fix the regulating member with high accuracy while performing precise positioning by laser length measurement, resulting in an increase in complicated work and an increase in cost. .

On the other hand, the developing device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-249780 has a developing roller (toner carrying member) positioning portion, a supply roller positioning portion, and a supporting portion for movably guiding and supporting the regulating member on the developing roller. Although the positioning members formed integrally with each other improve the positioning accuracy of each member, an elastic body for urging the regulating member must be provided separately, and the number of parts increases and assembly becomes complicated. In addition, the position of the regulating member and the pressure of the regulating member fluctuate due to the looseness between the regulating member and the guide portion, and the image density fluctuates.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to simplify a developing apparatus using a one-component non-magnetic toner, which is suitable for downsizing. With a restricting member having a different structure, it is possible to reduce the variation in the pressure for urging the restricting member to the toner carrier and to facilitate the handling and assembly of the developing device. Another object of the present invention is to form an image with a constant image density and less fog (toner adhesion to the background portion). Still another object of the present invention is to provide a developing device in which the torque required to rotate the toner carrier is stable. Still another object of the present invention is to stabilize the torque, reduce the noise of the apparatus, and prevent image defects such as jitter.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a developing device according to a first aspect of the invention comprises a toner carrier for carrying a one-component non-magnetic toner, and an elastic member with respect to the toner carrier. In a developing device having a regulating member that is biased to form a thin toner layer on the toner carrier, a holding member that holds the regulating member, and a supply member that supplies the one-component non-magnetic toner to the toner carrier. The toner carrier, the regulating member, the holding member, and the supply member are integrally formed into a unit.

The developing device according to the invention of claim 2 is characterized in that the toner carrying member is positioned by the holding member and is rotatably supported.

Further, in the developing device of the third aspect of the invention, the holding member positions the supply member and rotatably supports the supply member.

[0008]

According to the above-mentioned structure of the present invention, the mounting accuracy of the regulating member can be improved and the urging pressure of the regulating member can be made constant, and even if the mounting accuracy is poor, the allowable bending stress (bending strength) is exceeded. It is possible to forcibly deform an object to generate a bending stress that is substantially equal to the allowable bending stress, and keep the pressure of the regulating member below a certain value. By thus keeping the pressure and position of the regulating member constant, the amount of toner conveyed on the toner carrier can be made constant, and the image density can be made constant. By the way, generally, the fog becomes worse as the toner conveyance amount increases, but since the toner conveyance amount can be made constant, an image with less fog can be formed. Further, it is possible to stabilize the load applied by the restricting member and reduce fluctuations in torque.

Further, by permanently deforming the regulating member during assembling and using it in an allowable bending stress state, the pressure of the regulating member can be made constant by the stress of permanent deformation.

Further, by forming the regulating member with resin, rubber or elastomer, not only can various materials be selected according to the charging polarity of the toner and the required amount of electrification, but also the allowable bending stress is small, so the regulation is restricted. It is possible to reduce the damage given to the toner by weakly controlling the pressure applied by the member.

Furthermore, since the regulating member is formed of a thin metal plate, since the allowable bending stress is large, the pressure by the regulating member can be strongly controlled, and the toner is stably charged without the accumulation of electric charge on the regulating member. be able to.

Further, by positioning the regulating member and the toner carrier with the holding member, it is possible to reduce variations in the amount of bending of the regulating member and reduce pressure fluctuations and variations in the regulating member, thus reducing torque fluctuations and image density. Can be constant.

Further, by integrally forming the holding member, the toner carrying member and the regulating member into a unit, not only the positioning accuracy of each member is improved, but also easy handling and assembly can be performed.

Further, by positioning the supply member with the holding member, the relative positional accuracy between the supply member and the toner carrier can be improved, so that the amount of toner sent from the supply member to the regulating member can be made constant. Not only that, the fluctuation of the torque due to the supply member can be reduced.

Further, in the developing device using the one-component non-magnetic toner, the holding member, the toner carrying member, the regulating member and the supplying member are integrally formed into a unit to improve the positioning accuracy of the main constituent members of the developing device. Thus, not only stable image density can be maintained, but also easy handling and assembly are possible.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a first embodiment of a developing device of the present invention using a one-component magnetic toner.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 is a case for accommodating a set of developing members. Inside the case 11, a toner carrier 13 for carrying the toner 12 is disposed, and on one side thereof, the toner carrier 13 is provided. An elastic regulating member 15 that regulates 12 in a thin layer and is triboelectrically charged is disposed via a holding member 18, and a seal member 16 that collects the toner 12 after development and prevents scattering is provided on the other side. The surface is arranged so as to be in sliding contact with the toner carrier 13. The toner 12 is attracted to the toner carrier 13 by the magnetic force of the magnet roller 14 disposed inside the toner carrier 13, and the toner layer is thinned to one or two layers by the regulation member 15, and at the same time, regulated. By frictional charging between the member 15 and the toner carrier 13, the toner is charged to a predetermined polarity. In this way, the toner 12 which has been thinned to a predetermined toner conveyance amount and charged to a predetermined polarity has a developing bias power supply 17 of −350 to −550 V at a portion facing the electrostatic latent image. 10 for DC voltage
A voltage obtained by superimposing an AC voltage of 00 to 2000 V _PP is applied to the toner carrier 13 to transfer a predetermined amount of toner corresponding to the developing electric field to the image pattern portion for development. The arrow A in the figure indicates the direction of rotation of the toner carrier 13.

In particular, the support structure of the regulating member 15 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view showing a state before the regulation member is attached to the developing device, and the plate-shaped regulation member 15 is formed by adhering to the holding member 18. However, the regulating member 15 does not have the holding member 18, but directly
It is possible to reduce the number of parts by adhering to the case, but the positioning accuracy of the regulating member 15 is higher when it is fixed via the holding member having high rigidity. Figure 2 (b)
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the regulating member is mounted on the developing device, wherein the elastic regulating member 15 having the holding member 18 fixed to a case (not shown) is pressed against a toner carrier (not shown) by a predetermined pressure. To be done. FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the restricting member attached to the developing device is removed, and the restricting member 15 that has been deformed beyond the permissible bending stress is permanently deformed even in the released state. It has occurred. For example, when urethane resin is used as the regulating member 15, the allowable bending stress is about 40 [N / mm ² ],
Assuming that the plate thickness is 2 [mm] and the free length is 10 [mm],
In the state of (b), the bending is 5 [mm] and the maximum bending stress is 75 [N / mm ² ] on the fixed end side, and the regulating member 15 is permanently deformed so as to relax the stress up to the allowable bending stress. It is transformed into the state of FIG. In this way, the regulating member 15
By permanently deforming and using, it is possible to obtain a constant regulation pressure with the allowable bending stress being the upper limit. It is also possible to apply the permanent deformation to the regulation member 15 in advance and use the regulation member 15 within the range of the allowable bending stress or less.

As described above, by mounting the regulating member 15 on the developing device so as to exceed the allowable bending stress, the regulating member 15
Even if the mounting accuracy is poor, if the allowable bending stress is exceeded, the pressure of the regulating member 15 can be maintained below a certain value by forcibly deforming to generate a bending stress substantially equal to the allowable bending stress. it can. Therefore, the regulation member 1
By making the pressure and position of 5 constant, the amount of toner conveyed on the toner carrier can be made constant, and the image density can be made constant. On the other hand, for fog,
Since the toner conveyance amount is constant and the toner is thinned and can be stably charged to a predetermined polarity, an image with less fog can be formed. Further, it is possible to stabilize the pressure exerted by the regulating member 15 and reduce the torque fluctuation. Furthermore, if the regulating member 15 is permanently deformed at the time of assembly, the regulating member 15 can be used in a state of the allowable bending stress or less, so that the pressure of the regulating member 15 can be made constant within the range of the stress of the permanent deformation or less.

Here, the regulating member 15 has a thickness of 1 to 10 g / m in order to make the toner thin and charge it to a predetermined polarity.
toner carrier 1 at a pressure of m, preferably 2 to 6 g / mm
The toner 12 is arranged so as to be in sliding contact with the toner 3, and the toner 12 is thinned into about 1 to 2 layers and uniformly negatively charged. The regulation member 15 not only feeds uncharged toner or an excessive amount of toner to the developing section, but also thins the layer while triboelectrically charging the toner and performs uniform development. An image with less fog can be formed.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the developing device of the present invention in which the one-component non-magnetic toner is used and the toner supply member is arranged adjacent to the toner carrier.

In FIG. 3, a case 31 for accommodating a set of developing members is provided with a toner carrier 21 for carrying the toner 32 therein, and the toner 32 is provided on one side thereof.
Regulating member 2 that regulates the thin layer and frictionally charges
5 is arranged via the holding member 28, and on the other side,
A seal member 26 that collects the toner 32 after development and prevents the toner 32 from scattering is disposed so that the antinode surface is in sliding contact with the toner carrier 21 and the free end faces the inside of the developing device. The toner supply member 23 that supplies the toner carrier 21 is arranged so as to be in sliding contact with the toner carrier 21.
The toner 32 inside the case 31 is the toner supply member 23.
The toner layer is rubbed and supplied onto the toner carrier 21 while being agitated, and then the toner layer is removed by the regulating member 25.
At the same time as being thinned to two layers, the toner 32 is charged to a predetermined polarity by frictional charging between the regulation member 25 and the toner carrying member 21, and the toner 32 migrates at a portion facing the electrostatic latent image and the latent image is transferred. To visualize. When the development is completed, the toner which has not been developed is again removed by the seal member 26 by the toner carrier 21.
Rubbed against the seal member 26 and the toner carrier 21.
It is recharged to a predetermined polarity by the triboelectric charging between and. Thereafter, this is repeated to continuously develop the latent image.

Reference numeral 22 in the figure denotes a toner carrier 21.
The toner carrier 21 is formed by fixing a conductive rubber around the metal shaft 22 and coating a conductive surface layer on the metal shaft 22. Similarly, reference numeral 24 is a metal shaft that supports the toner supply member 23, and the toner supply member 23 is formed by fixing a conductive foam member around the metal shaft 24. Further, arrow A in the figure indicates the rotation direction of the toner carrier 21, and arrow B indicates the rotation direction of the toner supply member 23. Further, reference numeral 27 in the drawing denotes a developing bias power source for applying a developing bias voltage, and the developing bias power source 27 supplies a voltage of -200 to -400V to the toner carrier 2.
The developing bias power supply 27 is also connected to the seal member 26, the toner supply member 23, and the regulating member 25 to accelerate the development of the latent image by the toner 32. The electric charge generated by the triboelectric charging between and does not accumulate in each member.

In particular, the support structure of the regulating member 25 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view showing a state before the regulation member is attached to the developing device, and the flat regulation member 25 is fixed to the holding member 28 by a fastening means such as a screw. However, the restriction member 25 can be directly fixed to the case without using the holding member 28 to reduce the number of parts, but the positioning accuracy of the restriction member 25 is fixed via the highly rigid holding member. Higher accuracy can be obtained. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the regulating member is attached to the developing device, and the regulating member 25 is fixed by the deformation of the elastic regulating member 25 having a cantilever structure with one end fixed. The toner carrier (not shown) is pressed with a predetermined pressure. FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the restricting member mounted on the developing device is removed, and the restricting member 25 that has been deformed beyond the permissible bending stress is permanently deformed even in the released state. It has occurred. For example, the regulation member 25
When a stainless steel plate is used as the material, the allowable bending stress is about 5
Although it is 00 [N / mm ² ], when the plate thickness is 0.1 [mm] and the free length is 15 [mm], the deflection is 5 [mm] and the maximum on the fixed end side in the state of FIG. 2B. Bending stress is 670 [N
/ Mm ² ], the regulating member 25 undergoes permanent deformation so as to relax the stress up to the permissible bending stress, and deforms to the state of FIG. 2C. By thus permanently deforming and using the regulating member 25, it is possible to obtain a constant regulating pressure with the allowable bending stress being the upper limit. It is also possible to apply the permanent deformation to the regulation member 25 in advance and use the regulation member 25 within the range of the allowable bending stress or less.

As described above, by mounting the regulating member 25 on the developing device so as to exceed the allowable bending stress, the regulating member 25
Even if the mounting accuracy is poor, if the bending stress exceeds the permissible bending stress, the pressure of the regulating member 25 may be maintained below a certain value by forcibly deforming to generate a bending stress that is substantially equal to the permissible bending stress. it can. Therefore, the regulation member 2
By making the pressure and position of 5 constant, the amount of toner conveyed on the toner carrier can be made constant, and the image density can be made constant. On the other hand, for fog,
Since the toner conveyance amount is constant and the toner is thinned and can be stably charged to a predetermined polarity, an image with less fog can be formed. Further, it is possible to stabilize the pressure exerted by the regulating member 25 and reduce the fluctuation of the torque. Furthermore, if the regulating member 25 is permanently deformed at the time of assembly, the regulating member 25 can be used in a state of the allowable bending stress or less, so that the pressure of the regulating member 25 can be made constant within the range of the stress of the permanent deformation or less.

Here, the regulating member 25 has a thickness of 1 to 10 in order to reduce the thickness of the non-magnetic toner to a predetermined polarity and to charge it to a predetermined polarity.
The toner 32 is disposed so as to be in sliding contact with the toner carrier 23 at a pressure of g / mm, preferably 4 to 6 g / mm.
It is a thin layer of about two layers and is uniformly negatively charged. The regulation member 25 not only feeds uncharged toner or an excessive amount of toner to the developing unit, but also thins the layer while frictionally charging the toner to perform uniform development.
An image having a constant image density and less fog can be formed.

Including the above-mentioned matters, the regulating member is flexible so as to be slidably contacted with the toner carrier, electrically conductive so as not to accumulate an electric charge, and frictionally electrifying the toner to a predetermined polarity. It is desirable to be made of a material that satisfies the characteristics of the charge train and the adhesiveness and surface roughness for not fixing the toner.

For example, when the toner is negatively charged, the regulating member is a plate-shaped resin such as urethane resin, silicon resin, or polyethylene resin, or conductive fine powder such as carbon black is dispersed in these resins. Plate-shaped conductive resin,
By using a thin metal spring made of stainless steel, phosphor bronze, or the like, or a multi-layered thin spring combining these, appropriate flexibility and conductivity can be obtained, and the toner can be negatively charged by friction.

On the other hand, when the toner is positively charged, the regulating member is a plate-shaped resin such as urethane resin or fluorine resin, or a plate-shaped resin in which conductive fine powder such as carbon black is dispersed. It is possible to use a conductive resin or a multi-layer thin leaf spring in which these are combined.

Further, the surface roughness Rz (JIS ten-point average surface roughness) of the regulating member is constituted so as to be smaller than the volume average particle diameter of the toner so as not to cause clogging of the toner, like a rubber. When a base material having a high adhesiveness is used, the surface of the base material is coated with a substance having a low friction coefficient, so that the toner can be smoothly slid on and the torque can be stabilized.
As the toner, a magnetic or non-magnetic toner containing styrene acrylic resin, polyester resin or the like as a base material can be used.

Therefore, according to these embodiments, the pressing force of the restricting member can be made constant by using the restricting member by permanently deforming it beyond the allowable bending stress.
Further, since the structure is simple, it is suitable for downsizing.

Next, referring to FIG. 5, the holding member, the regulating member, the toner carrier, and the toner supplying member are integrally formed in order to position the regulating member with higher accuracy and to make the assembly compact and easy to assemble. The configuration of the developing unit will be described.

As shown in FIG. 5, the toner carrier 5
1, toner supply member 53, regulation member 55, holding member 58
Is a main component and constitutes a developing unit, and the holding member 58 positions other members.

First, the holding member 58 has side plate portions 58a that are press-bent on both sides and is formed in a U-shape. The side plate portion 58a is provided with a plurality of convex portions and screw hole portions that have been half-pressed and pressed, and the roller holding members 60 and 61 are arranged on both sides by positioning the convex portions and fastening the screw hole portions. Set up. Roller holding members 60, 6
Reference numeral 1 designates a roller-like toner carrier 51 and similarly a roller-like toner supply member 53, which is formed of a resin such as POM having excellent slidability, so as to be rotatably supported and positioned at a predetermined position. A hole is formed. On the other hand, in order to urge the toner carrier 51 to a latent image carrier such as a photoconductor (not shown), swing fulcrums 60a and 61a are formed on the roller holding members 60 and 61, respectively, and are provided on both sides of the holding member 58. A compression coil spring (not shown) is inserted into the spring hook portion 58b.

Next, the regulating member 55 has a plurality of positioning holes and a plurality of fastening holes formed in a portion to be fixed to the holding member 58, and the holding member 58 is positioned by engaging with a convex portion half-pressed. Then, the restricting member 55 is sandwiched between the holding member 58 and the pressing member 57 that is press-bent into an L shape, and is fastened with a screw. In addition, the regulation member 55 has a tip of L
By press-bending into a letter shape, the linearity of the contact portion with the toner carrying member 51 is enhanced and the contact pressure is made uniform. further,
Since the portion for fixing the regulating member 55 to the holding member 58 requires high flatness, it is press-bent into an L shape like the pressing member 57. Here, the regulation member 5
The upper limit of the pressure applied by the regulating member 55 can be limited by setting the flexure amount of No. 5 so as to exceed the allowable bending stress when the mounting accuracy is the worst in at least the predetermined variation range.

Further, since both ends of the toner carrier 51 are axially supported by the roller holding members 60 and 61 as described above, the relative positional accuracy with respect to the regulation member 55 can be ensured and the regulation member 55 is allowed. Together with the permanent deformation with the bending stress as the upper limit, a uniform regulation pressure can be secured. Further, a power transmission member 52 such as an Oldham's joint that transmits a driving force is connected to the shaft end of the toner carrier 51 to minimize vibration and rotational unevenness due to the driving force transmission.

Further, the toner supply member 53 has its both ends pivotally supported by the roller holding members 60 and 61, and the relative positional accuracy with respect to the toner carrier 51 is ensured, so that the toner supply amount to the toner carrier 51 can be increased. Can be kept stable. A power transmission member such as a gear is also arranged at the shaft end of the toner supply member 53, and a driving force is transmitted from the power transmission member 52 via the idler 56 to rotate in the same direction as the toner carrier.

A side seal 59 (only one side is shown) is provided on both inner surfaces of the side plate portion 58a of the holding member 58 to prevent toner from leaking to the outside even if a developing unit is incorporated in a case (not shown). is doing.

By thus positioning the regulating member and the toner carrier with the holding member, variations in the amount of deflection of the regulating member can be reduced and pressure fluctuations and variations in the regulating member can be reduced, thus reducing torque fluctuations. The image density can be kept constant. Further, by integrally forming the holding member, the toner carrier, and the regulating member into a unit, not only the positioning accuracy of each member is improved, but also easy handling and assembly can be performed.

In addition to this, by positioning the supply member with the holding member, the relative positional accuracy between the supply member and the toner carrier can be improved, so that the amount of toner sent from the supply member to the regulation member can be increased. Not only can it be kept constant, but fluctuations in torque due to the supply member can be reduced. Similarly to the above, by integrally forming the holding member, the toner carrier, the regulating member, and the supply member into a unit, the positioning accuracy of the main constituent members of the developing device can be improved and stable image density can be maintained. Can be easily handled and assembled.

[0042]

As described above, according to the present invention, a bending stress substantially equal to the allowable bending stress is generated to keep the pressure of the regulating member at a constant value or less, so that the toner carrying amount on the toner carrier can be reduced. The image density can be kept constant, and an image with less fog can be formed while keeping the image density constant. Further, since the load due to the regulating member can be stabilized and the torque fluctuation can be reduced, it is possible to form an image without density unevenness and jitter. Further, since the positioning accuracy of each member can be improved, stable image density can be maintained, and easy handling and assembly can be performed.

Further, by permanently deforming the regulating member during assembly and using it in an allowable bending stress state, the pressure of the regulating member can be made constant by the stress of permanent deformation, and stable regulation can be performed without special processing or adjustment. The pressure of the member can be secured.

Further, since the regulating member is formed of resin, rubber or elastomer, not only can various materials be selected according to the charging polarity of the toner and the required amount of electrification, but also the allowable bending stress is small, so the regulation is restricted. It is possible to reduce the damage given to the toner by weakly controlling the pressure applied by the member, and to provide a developing device having excellent durability.

Furthermore, since the regulating member is formed of a thin metal plate, since the allowable bending stress is large, the pressure by the regulating member can be controlled strongly, and the toner is stably charged without the accumulation of electric charge on the regulating member. It is possible to maintain stable toner charging and prevent image defects due to charging failure such as fog.

Further, by positioning the regulating member and the toner carrier with the holding member, variations in the amount of deflection of the regulating member can be reduced and pressure fluctuations and variations in the regulating member can be reduced. Can be constant.

Furthermore, by integrally forming the holding member, the toner carrier and the regulating member into a unit,
Not only can the positioning accuracy of each member be improved, but also easy handling and assembly can be performed.

Further, by positioning the supply member with the holding member, the relative positional accuracy between the supply member and the toner carrier can be improved, so that the amount of toner sent from the supply member to the regulation member can be kept constant. Not only that, the fluctuation of the torque due to the supply member can be reduced.

Furthermore, in the developing device using the one-component non-magnetic toner, the holding member, the toner carrier, the regulating member, and the supplying member are integrally formed into a unit to improve the positioning accuracy of the main constituent members of the developing device. Not only can the image density be improved and stable, but it can be easily handled and assembled.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a developing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a deformed state of the regulating member in the developing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a developing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a deformed state of a regulating member in the developing device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a developing unit in the developing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

11, 31 cases 12, 32 toner 13, 21, 51 Toner carrier 15, 25, 55 Control member 16,26 Seal member 17, 27 Development bias power supply 18, 28, 58 Holding member 23, 33, 53 Toner supply member 60, 61 Roller holding member

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Kenichi Kimura             Seiko, 3-3-3 Yamato, Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture             -In Epson Corporation (72) Inventor Hitoshi Igarashi             Seiko, 3-3-3 Yamato, Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture             -In Epson Corporation F term (reference) 2H077 AC04 AC12 AD06 AD13 AD17                       AD23 AD36 AE02 AE03 BA08                       CA12 EA13 EA14 FA13 FA22                       FA27

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A toner carrier that conveys a one-component non-magnetic toner, and a regulating member that is elastically urged against the toner carrier to form a thin toner layer on the toner carrier.
In a developing device having a holding member for holding the regulation member and a supply member for supplying the one-component non-magnetic toner to the toner carrier, the toner carrier, the regulation member, the holding member and the supply member are integrally formed. A developing device that is configured and unitized. 2. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the toner carrying member is positioned and rotatably supported by the holding member. 3. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the holding member positions the supply member and rotatably supports the supply member.