Patent ID: 6873816
Filing Date: 2005-03-29
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A developing assembly comprising: a developing container holding a developer therein; a developer-carrying member for holding thereon said developer held in said developing container and transporting said developer to a developing zone; and a developer layer thickness regulation member for regulating a layer thickness of said developer to be held on said developer-carrying member, said developer including toner particles containing at least a binder resin and a colorant, and conductive fine particles; and said developer-carrying member including a substrate and a surface layer formed on said substrate, said surface layer being formed of a material selected from a group consisting of electroless Ni—P plating, electroless Ni—B plating, electroless Pd plating, electroless Pd—P plating, and electroless Cr plating, wherein said surface layer has a thickness in a range of 3 μm to 15 μm, wherein said developer has a weight-average particle diameter in a range of 4 μm to 10 μm, and contains from 10% by number to 50% by number of particles having a particle diameter in a range of 1.00 μm to less than 2.00 μm, and from 20% by number to 65% by number of particles having a particle diameter in a range of 3.00 μm to less than 8.96 μm, in a number-based particle size distribution concerning particles having a particle diameter in a range from 0.60 μm to less than 159.21 μm, wherein said conductive fine particles have a volume-average particle diameter in a range of 0.5 μm to 2.1 μm, a volume resistivity ranging in a range of 10 wherein said developer layer thickness regulation member includes an elastic blade.