Patent ID: 7085521

Claim:
A developing unit of a wet electrophotographic printer, comprising: a photoconductive drum; a developing roller for attaching a developer onto the photoconductive drum; a cartridge for storing a developer therein; a deposit roller for transferring the developer onto the developing roller, a deposit nip being defined between the developing roller and the deposit roller; a developer guide disposed at a predetermined distance away from an inner wall of the cartridge, and having a developer supplying path defined therein to guide the developer in the cartridge to the developing roller, the developer guide comprising: a first partition contacting an upper wall thereof with the deposit roller, the upper part of the first partition being positioned lower than the deposit nip; and a second partition disposed near to the inner wall of the cartridge, the second partition forming the developer supplying path in cooperation with the first partition and defining a developer collection path between the second partition and the inner wall of the cartridge, the upper part of the second partition being positioned higher than the deposit nip; and a developer pump disposed in the cartridge to pump up the developer in the cartridge toward the developing roller along the developer supplying path, the developer which flows along the developer supplying path being moved in part to the deposit nip and overflowing in part to the upper part of the second partition to be moved to the developer collecting path.