Claims
- 1. A developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a surface of a photosensitive member by using a toner contained in a toner hopper, the developing device comprising:
- agitating means for agitating the toner and for providing the toner to a developing roller, the agitating means including a rod having first and second rod portions and a joining portion where the first rod portion joins the second rod portion, wherein the rod is rotated along an inner surface of the toner hopper;
- a first coil member loosely wound around the first rod portion of the agitating means to the joining portion in a first winding sense; and
- a second coil member joined to the first coil member and loosely wound around the second rod portion of the agitating means from the joining portion in a second winding sense, the second winding sense being opposite to the first winding sense.
- 2. The developing device of claim 1 wherein the rod extends substantially in a same direction as a longitudinal direction of the toner hopper.
- 3. The developing device of claim 2 wherein the first coil member extends to a center portion of the rod and the second coil member extends to the center portion of the rod.
- 4. A developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a surface of a photosensitive member by using a toner contained in a toner hopper the developing device comprising:
- agitating means for agitating the toner and for providing the toner to a developing roller, the agitating means including a rod having first and second rod portions and a joining portion where the first rod portion joins the second rod portion, wherein the rod is rotated along an inner surface of the toner hopper;
- a first coil member loosely wound around the first rod portion of the agitating means to the joining portion in a first winding sense; and
- a second coil member joined to the first coil member and loosely wound around the second rod portion of the agitating means from the joining portion in a second winding sense, the second winding sense being opposite to the first winding sense; and
- detecting means, provided within the toner hopper, for detecting whether toner is present on a surface of the detecting means, the detecting means being swept by the agitating means,
- wherein the joining portion rotates in a path that is axially offset from the detecting means.
- 5. The developing device of claim 4, wherein one of the first coil member and the second coil member further includes a sweeping portion for sweeping the detecting means when the agitating means is rotated in the toner hopper.
- 6. The developing device of claim 4, further comprising an elastic member disposed on the rod between the first and second coil members, the elastic member contacting all of the surface of the detecting means when the agitating means is rotated.
- 7. The developing device of claim 6, wherein the elastic member includes a sponge.
- 8. The developing device of claim 1, wherein the first and second coil members are formed of two separate coil spring members joined together.
- 9. The developing device of claim 1, wherein the first and second coil members are formed from a single coil spring.
- 10. An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a photosensitive member;
- exposing means for exposing the photosensitive member to form a latent image on the photosensitive member;
- developing means for developing the latent image to form a developed image on the photosensitive member, the developing means including:
- a developing roller;
- a toner hopper for containing the toner;
- agitating means for agitating the toner and for providing the toner to the developing roller, the agitating means including a rod having first and second rod portions and a joining portion where the first rod portion joins the second rod portion, wherein the rod is rotated along an inner surface of the toner hopper;
- a first coil member loosely wound around the first rod portion of the agitating means in a first winding sense; and
- a second coil member joined to the first coil member and loosely wound around the second rod portion of the agitating means in a second winding sense, the second winding sense being opposite to the first winding sense.
- 11. The developing device of claim 4, wherein the first and second coil spring members are formed of two separate coil spring members joined together.
- 12. The developing device of claim 4, wherein the first and second coil members are formed from a single coil spring.
- 13. The image forming apparatus of claim 10, wherein the rod extends substantially the same direction as a longitudinal direction of the toner hopper.
- 14. The image forming apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first coil member extends to the center portion of the rod and the second coil member extends to the center portion of the rod.
- 15. The image forming apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first and second coil members are formed of two separate coil spring members joined together.
- 16. The image forming apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first and second coil members are formed from a single coil spring.
- 17. An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a photosensitive member;
- exposing means for exposing the photosensitive member to form a latent image on the photosensitive member;
- developing means for developing the latent image to form a developed image on the photosensitive member, the developing means including:
- agitating means, rotated in a toner hopper containing toner, for agitating the toner and for providing the toner to a developing roller, the agitating means including a rod having first and second rod portions and a joining portion where the first rod portion joins the second rod portion, wherein the rod is rotated along an inner surface of the toner hopper;
- a first coil member wound around the first rod portion of the agitating means to the joining portion in a first winding sense; and
- a second coil member joined to the first coil member and wound around the second rod portion of the agitating means from the joining portion in a second winding sense, the second winding sense being opposite to the first winding sense; and
- detecting means, provided within the toner hopper, for detecting whether toner is present on a surface of the detecting means, the detecting means being swept by the agitating means,
- wherein the joining portion rotates in a path that is axially offset from the detecting means.
- 18. The image forming apparatus of claim 17, further comprising an elastic member disposed on the rod between the first and second coil members, the elastic member contacting all of the surface of the detecting means when the agitating-means is rotated.
- 19. The image forming apparatus of claim 18, wherein the elastic member includes a sponge.
- 20. The image forming apparatus of claim 17, wherein one of the first coil member and the second coil member further includes a sweeping portion for sweeping the detecting means when the agitating means is rotated in the toner hopper.
- 21. The image forming apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first and second coil members are formed of two separate coil spring members joined together.
- 22. The image forming apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first and second coil members are formed from a single coil spring.
- 23. The developing device of claim 6, wherein the elastic member is cylindrically shaped and coaxially disposed on the rod.
- 24. The image forming apparatus of claim 18, wherein the elastic member is cylindrically shaped and coaxially disposed on the rod.
- 25. The developing device of claim 4, wherein the rod extends substantially parallel to a long dimension of the toner hopper.
- 26. The developing device of claim 25, wherein the first rod portion and the second rod portion are equal in length, the joining portion including the center of the rod, and the first coil member and the second coil member each extend to the center of the rod.
- 27. The developing device of claim 4, wherein the first and second coil members comprise respective first and second coil spring members.
- 28. The developing device of claim 4, wherein the first and second coil members are portions of a continuous coil member.
- 29. The image forming apparatus of claim 17, wherein the rod extends substantially parallel to a long dimension of the toner hopper.
- 30. The image forming apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first rod portion and the second rod portion are equal in length, the joining portion including the center of the rod, and the first coil member and the second coil member each extend to the center of the rod.
- 31. The image forming apparatus of claim 17 wherein the first and second coil members comprise respective first and second coil spring members.
- 32. The image forming apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first and second coil members are portions of a continuous coil member.
- 33. The developing device of claim 1, further comprising a toner friction member that charges by friction the toner provided to the developing roller by the agitating means.
- 34. The developing device of claim 4, further comprising a toner friction member that charges by friction the toner provided to the developing roller by the agitating means.
- 35. The developing device of claim 10 further comprising a toner friction member that charges by friction the toner provided to the developing roller by the agitating means.
- 36. The developing device of claim 17, further comprising a toner friction member that charges by friction the toner provided to the developing roller by the agitating means.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
4-340228 |
Dec 1992 |
JPX |
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Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/169,659, filed Dec. 20, 1993, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0506423A2 |
Sep 1992 |
EPX |
0518682A3 |
Dec 1992 |
EPX |
57-196274 |
Feb 1983 |
JPX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
169659 |
Dec 1993 |
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