Patent ID: 9442417
Filing Date: 2016-09-13
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. A developing device comprising: a developer bearing member configured to bear a developer; a developer regulating member configured to have a regulation portion comprised of an elastic member that is brought into contact with the developer bearing member, and a supporting portion that supports the regulation portion, wherein a longitudinal direction of the regulation portion is along a longitudinal direction of the developer bearing member, wherein the regulation portion has a base portion and a tip portion, wherein the base portion is an end portion on a side of a portion connected with the supporting portion in a transverse direction, and the base portion is opposite to the tip portion, wherein the tip portion is disposed on an upstream side in a moving direction of the developer bearing member, and wherein the developer regulating member regulates a developer borne by the developer bearing member; and a sealing member configured to be brought into contact with a surface of the regulation portion, wherein the surface is on an opposite side of the regulation portion to the developer bearing member, wherein the regulation portion has a first region and a second region, wherein the second region is adjacent to the first region on a side of an end portion in the longitudinal direction of the regulation portion, and the second region is disposed outside a region corresponding to an image forming region on an image bearing member on which an electrostatic image to be developed by the developing device is formed, in a longitudinal direction of the developer bearing member, wherein a thickness of an escaped portion is smaller than a thickness of a contact portion so that at least a part of a region from the tip portion to the contact portion that is brought into contact with the developer bearing member escapes on a side opposite to the developer bearing member in the first region of the regulation portion, wherein a thickness of the region from the tip portion to the contact portion that is brought into contact with the developer bearing member is nearly the same in the second region of the regulation portion, and wherein the sealing member is brought into contact with only the second region of the regulation portion rather than the first region.