Patent ID: 8095050

Claim:
A process for manufacturing a developer level control blade having at least a support member and a blade member, which controls the level of a developer carried by a developer carrying member out of a developer container, the process comprising the steps of: placing in an extruder die for giving a blade edge shape a continuous thin-sheet metal member for forming the support member, at a position where the metal member is to be provided with a liquid blade member material for forming the blade member; extruding the blade member material, having been melted to liquefy, into the extruder die; covering the metal member at an edge portion thereof with the liquid blade member material to join the both together, thereby covering the metal member with the liquid blade member material at least in a region extending from a contact support face of the metal member to an edge face of the metal member, the region corresponding to a portion of the support member where the blade member is to come into contact with the developer carrying member; cooling the liquid blade member material on the metal member to solidify to form a continuous blade; and cutting the continuous blade in a preset length.