Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C.
Vertical biaxial developing device and image forming apparatus and process cartridge incorporating same
A developing device includes a casing to contain developer, a developer bearer, an upper and lower developer conveyors to convey the developer to one side in an axial direction of rotation shafts thereof, a communicating portion disposed on a first end side on which an input gear is disposed, to fall the developer from the upper developer conveyor to the lower developer conveyor, bearings to receive end portions the upper and lower developer conveyors, and first and second end seals to seal gaps in the bearings on the upper and lower developer conveyors, respectively. The first end seals and the second end are disposed on the first end side and a second end side, respectively. A sliding friction between the rotation shaft and at least one of the first end seals is smaller than a sliding friction between the rotation shaft and the second end seal.
RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
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inventional inventional inventional inventional additional
Yuuki Atsushi Toshiki Masayuki Tatsuya Keiichi
Tsuchiya Kurokawa Hayashi Yamane Ohhira Yoshida