Developing apparatus and method including grooved developer carrying roller

U.S. Patent Number: 5387966

Abstract: A developing apparatus having an improved construction for a developer carrying roller, particularly the developing roller which applies developer to a photosensitive body which carries a latent image. The developing roller or developer carrying roller includes a dielectric surface having a groove or grooved surface thereon formed, for example, by engraving, with the groove preferably extending along a central portion of the roller corresponding to the width of the latent image forming area of the photosensitive body. Preferably, the groove imparts a surface roughness in the axial direction of the roller in the range of 5-30 .mu.m, with the width of the groove not greater than 400 .mu.m. The roller may be formed such that adjacent grooved portions are immediately adjacent one another, or a smoothed flat portion may be interposed between adjacent grooved portions.

Inventors: Karashima; Kenji (Kanagawa, JP)

Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd. (Tokyo, JP)

Application Number: 08/065,758

Issued: 1995-02-07

Expired: 2007-02-07

Classes: 399/286 ; 430/120

Field of search: 355/259,251 118/653,657,658 430/120,122

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