Oblon, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, L.L.P.
Developing device with casing having upper and lower compartments
A developing device includes a developer bearer, a casing defining an upper compartment to contain the developer and a lower compartment disposed lower than the upper compartment, to contain the developer, and a first conveyor and a second conveyor disposed in the upper compartment and the lower compartment, respectively, to convey the developer in a longitudinal direction of the developer bearer and circulate the developer between the upper compartment and the lower compartment through a first communicating opening, through which the developer is conveyed upward, and a second communicating opening. A developer-lifting range of the upper compartment, which opposes the first communicating opening, is larger in volume than a developer-lifting range of the lower compartment. One of the upper compartment and the lower compartment is disposed adjacent to the developer bearer to supply the developer to the developer bearer.
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
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inventional inventional inventional inventional additional
Keiichi Yuuki Atsushi Masayuki Toshiki Tatsuya
Yoshida Tsuchiya Kurokawa Yamane Hayashi Ohhira