Patent ID: 6512902
Filing Date: 2003-01-28
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
A magnetic brush development station for a reproduction apparatus, said magnetic brush development station comprises:a housing forming, at least in part, a reservoir for developer material; a plurality of augers located in said housing for mixing developer material within said reservoir; a development roller mounted within said housing for delivering developer material from said reservoir to a development zone, said development roller including a core magnet inside a shell, said core magnet and said shell having relative rotation, said core magnet extending less than the entire length of said development roller such that a developer nap on said shell does not extend to the respective ends of said development roller; a metering skive, extending the length of said development roller, for controlling the quantity of developer material delivered from said reservoir of said housing to said development zone, said metering skive positioned parallel to a longitudinal axis of said development roller at a location upstream in the direction of shell rotation prior to the development zone; and a magnetic seal located in association with said skive at each end of said development roller, said magnetic seal including a single pole permanent ceramic magnet having a magnetic field with a strength in the range of 400 to 1200 gauss, such magnetic field being sufficient to substantially prevent leakage of developer material from the ends of said development roller.