| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a compact developing device constituted so that toner is prevented from being splashed and spilled and the maintenance thereof is not required by setting a gap between a developer carrier and a developer receiving member to be almost equal to a gap between the developer carrier and a layer thickness regulation means in an area being adjacent to the layer thickness regulation means. SOLUTION: When the gap between a developing sleeve 141 being the developer carrier and a layer thickness member 143 being the layer thickness regulation means is defined as H and the gap between the sleeve 141 and the receiving member 144 at the adjacent area of the receiving member 144 to the regulation member 143 is defined as B, the receiving member 144 is disposed so that the absolute value of difference|B-H|between the gap H and the gap B becomes|B-H|<=H/2 in the case that the positions of the receiving member 144 and the layer thickness member 143 are set. By disposing the receiving member 144 in such a way, the toner in separated developer does not drop down at the sheared part of a developer layer and it is attached to the developer layer again and carried. Thus, the toner is prevented from being splashed and spilled from a developing unit. |
