Patent ID: 9733590
Date: 2017-08-15
CPC Classifications: G03G

Claim:
1. A developing device comprising: a developing housing that contains developer and has an opening that faces an image carrier capable of carrying an electrostatic latent image; a developer carrier that faces the opening in the developing housing, the developer carrier carrying and transporting the developer while rotating in such a manner that the developer carrier faces the image carrier; a layer-thickness regulating member that is provided for an upstream gap, which is one of gaps formed between the developer carrier and the developing housing and which is located upstream of the opening in a rotational direction in which the developer carrier rotates, the layer-thickness regulating member regulating a layer thickness of the developer on the developer carrier; and a sealing member that is provided for a downstream gap, which is another one of the gaps formed between the developer carrier and the developing housing and which is located downstream of the opening in the rotational direction of the developer carrier, the sealing member being formed of an elongated flexible plate that extends in a rotational axis direction of the developer carrier, being fixed to the developing housing at an upstream side in a width direction, which is a direction along the rotational direction of the developer carrier, and being in contact with the developer on the developer carrier at a downstream side in the width direction, thereby sealing the downstream gap, wherein the sealing member has a plurality of cuts arranged in the rotational axis direction of the developer carrier, the cuts extending from a free end of the sealing member in the width direction by a length that is 60% or more of a dimension of the sealing member from the free end to a fixed end in the width direction, and being at an angle of 30° or less with respect to a reference line that extends in the rotational direction of the developer carrier, and wherein the cuts are formed such that a pitch of the cuts is 5 mm or more.