Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.
Image forming apparatus having a developer conveying system and associated methodology
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier configured to form a latent image and a development unit including a development member configured to develop the latent image forming on the image carrier with a developer, and a plurality of conveying members each including at least one spiral vane and configured to rotate around a spiral axis of the spiral vane to revolve and transfer the developer around the spiral axis in a direction along the spiral axis, the plurality of conveying members configured to transfer the developer sequentially from a conveying member to an adjacent conveying member and including a first conveying member arranged at a position closest to the development member to supply developer to the development member, wherein a number of the spiral vanes of the first conveying member are at least two and is also greater than the number of spiral vanes in the remaining conveying members.
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
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inventional additional additional
Takatsugu Yoshio Shuji Shinichi Keiichi
Fujishiro Hattori Tanaka Kawahara Yoshida