Title of Invention

DEVELOPER CARRYING DEVICE, DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS UNIT, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

Abstract A pressing wall is provided in a part of the entire area of the first carrying chamber in which a first screw member is housed. The area is opposed to a bottom wall of the first carrying chamber on the lower side in the gravity direction of the first screw member and opposed to the side walls of the first carrying chamber on both lateral sides orthogonal to a rotation axis direction of the first screw member. In the area, a toner concentration of a K developer being carried is detected by a K toner concentration sensor. The pressing wall comes into contact with, from above in the gravity direction, the K developer, which moves from a lower side to an upper side in the gravity direction according to the rotation of the first screw member, and presses the K developer downward in the gravity direction.
Full Text DESCRIPTION
DEVELOPER CARRYING DEVICE, DEVELOPING DEVICE,
PROCESS UNIT, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a developer carrying
device for use in an image forming apparatus.
BACKGROUND ART
A developer carrying device is used in an image
forming apparatus. The developer carrying device carries a
developer containing a toner and a magnetic carrier. The
developer carrying device includes an agitating and
carrying member that carries the developer in an axial
direction while agitating the developer according to the
rotation of the agitating and carrying member. The
developer carrying device also includes a toner-
concentration detecting unit that detects a toner
concentration of the developer carried by the agitating and
carrying member.
The agitating and conveying member, which is generally
a screw member, carries the developer to an area opposed to
a latent image bearing member according to the surface
movement of a developer bearing member, which is generally
a sleeve, while bearing the developer on the surface of the
developer bearing member. The developing device transfers
the toner in the developer onto a latent image on the
latent image bearing member to develop the latent image and
obtain a toner image. The developer that has contributed
to the development is returned onto the agitating and
conveying member in the developing device according to the
movement of the developer bearing member. The toner

concentration of the developer is detected by the toner-
concentration detecting unit while the developer is carried
by the agitating and carrying member. The developer is
replenished with an appropriate amount of the toner based
on a result of the detection and supplied to the developer
carrying member again.
Sometimes the volume of the toner in the developer
changes due to environmental fluctuation or fluctuation in
an amount of electric charge on the toner. In this
situation, although the toner concentration has not changed,
the conventional toner-concentration detecting unit
erroneously detects a change in the concentration of the
toner. Such misdetection can be prevented by pressing the
developer strongly in a position of detection by the toner-
concentration detecting unit to adjust the amount of the
toner that affects the toner concentration. For example,
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-308833
discloses (see Fig. 10) a graph indicating that a result of
detection by a permeability sensor as a toner-concentration
detecting unit can be fixed regardless of an amount of
charge of a toner by pressing a developer with a force
equal to or larger than 30 [g/cm2] (9.8x300N/cm2) .
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
According to an aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a developer carrying device including a
developer carrying unit that carries a developer containing
a toner and a carrier in a rotation axis direction while
agitating the developer with a agitating and carrying
member; and a toner-concentration detecting unit that
detects a toner concentration in the developer carried in
the developer carrying unit. A pressing wall is provided
in an area in a part of an entire area in a developer

carrying direction in the developer carrying unit, the
pressing wall coming into contact with, from above in the
gravity direction, the developer that moves from a lower
side to an upper side in the gravity direction according to
the rotation of the agitating and carrying member and
pressing the developer downward in the gravity direction.
The area is opposed to a bottom wall of the developer
carrying unit on a lower side in a gravity direction of the
agitating and carrying member and opposed to side walls of
the developer carrying unit on both lateral sides
orthogonal to the rotation axis direction of the agitating
and carrying member. The toner concentration of the
developer being carried is detected by the toner-
concentration detecting unit in the area.
According to another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a developing device including a developer
carrying device that carries a developer containing a toner
and a carrier; and a developer bearing member that carries
the developer, which is carried by the developer carrying
device, to an area opposed to a latent-image bearing member
according to surface movement of the developer bearing
member while bearing the developer on an endlessly-moving
surface thereof and develops a latent image born on the
latent-image bearing member. The above developer.carrying
device is used as the developer carrying device.
According to still another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a process unit in an image
forming apparatus including a latent-mage bearing member
that bears a latent image, a developing device that
develops the latent image on the latent-image bearing
member, and a transfer unit that transfers a visual image
developed on the image bearing member onto a transfer
member, the process unit holding at least the latent-image

bearing member and the developing device in a common
holding member as one unit and being detachably mounted
integrally on in an image forming apparatus main body. The
above developing device is used as the developing device.
According to still another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus
including a latent-image bearing member that bears a latent
image; and a developing device that develops the latent
image on the latent-image bearing unit. The above
developing device is used as the developing device.
The above and other objects, features, advantages and
technical and industrial significance of this invention
will be better understood by reading the following detailed
description of presently preferred embodiments of the
invention, when considered in connection with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a copying machine
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a partial enlarged diagram of a part of an
internal structure of a printer unit in the copying machine
shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged diagram of process units for
yellow (Y) and cyan (C) shown in Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a schematic view for explaining an
arrangement of an optical sensor unit and the intermediate
transfer belt shown in Fig. 2;
Fig. 5 is a block diagram of the copying machine shown
in Fig. 1;
Fig. 6 is a flowchart of a parameter correction
processing carried out by a control unit shown in Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan view of a patch pattern for

Y concentration gradation detection and the intermediate
transfer belt;
Fig. 8 is a graph of a relation between a toner
deposit amount and potential;
Fig. 9 is a graph for explaining data in a section
where a relation between potential and a toner deposit
amount of a reference latent image is linear;
Fig. 10 depicts an example of contents of a potential
control table;
Fig. 11 is a disassembled perspective view of a
developing device for Y shown in Fig. 3;
Fig. 12 is a disassembled plan view of the developing
device for Y shown in Fig. 11 viewed from above;
Fig. 13 is a graph of a relation between bulk volume
and idle agitation time of a developer;
Fig. 14 is an enlarged schematic diagram of toner
particles in a default state;
Fig. 15 is an enlarged schematic diagram of toner
particles after the developer was idly agitated for 30
minutes;
Fig. 16 is a graph of a relation between toner
concentration sensor output Vt [volt] and idle agitation
time [minute];
Fig. 17 is a graph of a relation between toner
concentration sensor output Vt [volt] and toner
concentration [percentage];
Fig. 18 is an enlarged diagram of a developer carrying
device of a developing device for black (K);
Fig. 19 is an enlarged diagram of another embodiment
of a developer carrying device of a developing device for
black (K) in which a wall is interposed between a K toner
concentration sensor and a K developer in a first carrying
chamber;

Fig. 20 is a cross sectional view of the developer
carrying device for K shown in Fig. 18;
Fig. 21 is an enlarged side view of a part of a first
screw member for K shown in Fig. 20;
Fig. 22 is an enlarged side view for explaining the
flow of the K developer in the first screw member for K
shown in Fig. 20;
Fig. 23 is a graph of a relation between a toner
concentration conversion value [weight percentage] of the
toner concentration sensor output Vt [volt] and an idle
agitation time [minute] at the time when the K developer
having a K toner concentration of 8 [weight percentage] is
idly agitated;
Fig. 24 is a graph of a relation between the toner
concentration sensor output Vt [volt] and the toner
concentration [weight percentage];
Fig. 25 is a graph of characteristics of toner
concentration conversion values [weight percentage] of
sensor outputs [volt] for angle 02 shown in Fig. 21 of 45
degrees, 20 degrees, and 0 degree;
Fig. 26 is an enlarged side view of a part of still
another embodiment of a developer carrying device of a
developing device for black (K) in which only one end side
of the reverse carrying blade is connected to a spiral
blade;
Fig. 27 is an enlarged side view of a part of still
another embodiment of a developer carrying device of a
developing device for black (K) in which only the other end
side of the reverse carrying blade is connected to the
spiral blade;
Fig. 28 is an enlarged side view of a part of still
another embodiment of a developer carrying device of a
developing device for black (K) in which two opposed

surfaces of the spiral blade are bridged by the reverse
carrying blade;
Fig. 29 is a graph of characteristics of toner
concentration conversion values [weight percentage] of
sensor outputs [volt] for three cases: when the reverse
carrying blade is not provided, when both ends of the
reverse carrying blade are bridged in the spiral blade, and
when both the ends of the reverse carrying blade are not
connected to the spiral blade;
Fig. 30 is an enlarged side view of still another
embodiment of a developer carrying device of a developing
device for black (K) in which a flat rectangular blade is
provided as the reverse carrying blade;
Fig. 31 is an enlarged side view of still another
embodiment of a developer carrying device of a developing
device for black (K) in which a twisted blade is provided
as the reverse carrying blade;
Fig. 32 is an enlarged side view of still another
embodiment of a developer carrying device of a developing
device for black (K) in which a hollow blade is provided as
the reverse carrying blade;
Fig. 33 is a cross sectional view of the first screw
member fractured in a section of the reverse carrying
blade;
Fig. 34 is a graph of a relation between the toner
concentration sensor output Vt [volt] and the idle
agitation time [second] during idle agitation;
Fig. 35 is a flowchart of a toner concentration
control processing carried out by the control unit shown in
Fig. 5;
Fig. 36 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a
first agitation chamber in which a toner concentration
sensor is provided in a third quadrant;

Fig. 37 is a sectional view of still another
embodiment of a first agitation chamber in which a
developer is not filled in a clearance between a pressing
wall and the first screw member;
Fig. 38 is a sectional view of still another
embodiment of a first agitation chamber in which a pressing
wall is not provided in a second quadrant;
Fig. 39 is an enlarged side view of a part of a first
example of a first screw member in a developing device for
K;
Fig. 40 is a graph of a relation between a toner
concentration conversion value [weight percentage] of a
toner concentration sensor output Vt [volt] and an idle
agitation time [minute] at the time when a K developer
having a K toner concentration of 8 [weight percentage] is
idly agitated in the first example;
Fig. 41 is a graph of a relation between the toner
concentration sensor output Vt [volt] and a toner
concentration [weight percentage] in the first example;
Fig. 42 is an enlarged side view of a part of a second
example of the first screw member in the developing device;
Fig. 4 3 is an enlarged side view of a part of a third
example of the first screw member in the developing device;
Fig. 44 is an enlarged side view of a part of a fourth
example of the first screw member in the developing device;
Fig. 45 is an enlarged side view of a part of a first
example of a first screw member in a developing device for
K of a copying machine according to a second modification;
Fig. 46 is an enlarged side view of a part of a second
example of the first screw member in the developing device;
Fig. 47 is an enlarged side view of a part of a third
example of the first screw member in the developing device;
and

Fig. 48 is an enlarged side view of a part of a fourth
example of the first screw member in the developing device.
BEST MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The inventors found through experiments that, in
actual use, the permeability sensor does not always show an
output characteristic indicated by the graph shown in Fig.
10 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-308833.
Specifically, the developer disclosed in Japanese Patent
Application Laid-Open No. 6-308833 carries the developer in
a rotation axis direction according to the rotation of a
screw member as an agitating and carrying member disposed
in a developer carrying unit. The toner-concentration
detecting unit fixed to a lower wall of the developer
carrying unit detects a toner concentration of the
developer being carried. Surface roughening is applied to
an inner wall of the developer carrying unit further on a
downstream side in a developer carrying direction than a
position for toner concentration detection by the toner-
concentration detecting unit. Carrying speed of the
developer is reduced in a section of the surface roughening
to press the developer in the toner concentration detection
position, which is further on an upstream side in the
developer carrying direction than the surface roughening
section, in the developer carrying direction. However,
according to the experiments by the inventors, in such a
developing device, a pressing force in the developer
carrying direction applied to the developer and a result of
detection by the toner concentration sensor including the
permeability sensor did not show a satisfactory correlation.
Therefore, the inventors carries out further
experiments and found that a satisfactory correlation was
not obtained between the pressing force in the developer

carrying direction applied to the developer and the result
of detection by the toner concentration sensor because of
the following reasons. A certain degree of clearance is
provided between a wall of the developer carrying unit
including the screw member and a spiral blade of the screw
member. The toner concentration sensor fixed to the wall
of the developer carrying unit has a relatively small
detectable distance range. Thus, the toner concentration
sensor cannot detect a toner concentration of the developer
in the spiral blade in a relatively distant position. The
toner concentration sensor can detect only a toner
concentration of the developer in the clearance near the
sensor. Therefore, the developer in the clearance has to
be sufficiently pressed. However, a pressing force in a
rotation axis direction (a conveying direction) following
the rotation of the screw member mainly acts on the
developer stored in the spiral blade of the screw member.
Even if the developer in the spiral blade is sufficiently
pressed, the developer in the clearance further on the
outer side than the spiral blade may not be sufficiently
pressed. Consequently, a satisfactory correlation is not
obtained between the pressing force in the developer
carrying direction applied to the developer and the result
of detection by the toner concentration sensor.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are
explained in detail below with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a copying machine
according to an embodiment of the present invention. The
copying machine includes a printer unit 1 that forms an
image on a recording sheet P, a sheet feeding device 200
that feeds the recording sheet P to the printer unit 1, a
scanner 300 that scans an original image, and an original

automatic document feeder (hereinafter, "ADF") 400 that
automatically feeds an original (document) to the scanner
300.
In the scanner 300, according to the reciprocating
movement of a first traveling member 303 mounted with a
light source for original illumination, a mirror, and the
like and a second traveling member 304 mounted with a
plurality of reflection mirrors, scanning of an original
(not shown) placed on a contact glass 301 is performed.
Scanning light irradiated from the second traveling member
304 is condensed by a focusing lens 305 on a focusing
surface of a reading sensor 306 set behind the focusing
lens 305. The scanning light is then read as image signal
by the reading sensor 306.
On a side of a housing of the printer unit 1, a manual
feed tray 2 on which the recording sheet P fed into the
housing is manually placed and a sheet discharge tray 3 on
which the recording sheet P after image formation
discharged from the housing is stacked are provided.
Fig. 2 is a partial enlarged diagram of a part of an
internal structure of the printer unit 1. A transfer unit
50 in which an endless intermediate transfer belt 51 as a
transfer member is stretched by a plurality of stretching
rollers is disposed in the housing of the printer unit 1.
The intermediate transfer belt 51 is made of a material
formed by dispersing carbon powder for adjusting electric
resistance in less stretchable polyimide resin. The
intermediate transfer belt 51 is endlessly rotated in a
clockwise direction in the figure by the rotation of a
driving roller 52, which is driven to rotate in the
clockwise direction in the figure by a not-shown driving
unit, while being stretched by the driving roller 52, a
secondary transfer backup roller 53, a driven roller 54,

and four primary transfer rollers 55Y, 55C, 55M, and 55K.
The subscripts Y, C, M, and Y affixed to the ends of the
signs of the primary transfer rollers indicate that the
primary transfer rollers are members for yellow, cyan,
magenta, and black. The same holds true for subscripts Y,
C, M, and Y affixed to the ends of signs in the following
explanation.
The intermediate transfer belt 51 is stretched in a
posture of a reverse triangular shape with a bottom side
thereof faced upward in the vertical direction because the
intermediate transfer belt 51 is substantially curved in
sections where the intermediate transfer belt 51 is laid
over the driving roller 52, the secondary transfer backup
roller 53, and the driven roller 54. A belt upper stretch
surface equivalent to the bottom side of the reverse
triangular shape extends in the horizontal direction.
Above such a belt upper stretch surface, four process units
10Y, 10C, 10M, and 10K are disposed side by side in the
horizontal direction along the extending direction of the
upper stretch surface.
As shown in Fig. 1, an optical writing unit 60 is
disposed above the four process units 10Y, 10C, 10M, and
10K. The optical writing unit 60 drives, based on image
information of an original scanned by the scanner 300, four
semiconductor lasers (not shown) using a not-shown laser
control unit and emits four writing lights L. The optical
writing unit 60 scans drum-like photosensitive members 11Y,
11C, 11M, and UK as latent image bearing members of the
process units 10Y, 10C, 10M, and 10K using the writing
lights L, respectively, in the dark and writes
electrostatic latent images for Y, C, M, and K on the
surfaces of the photosensitive members 11Y, 11C, 11M, and
11K.

The optical writing unit 60 is an optical writing unit
that performs optical scanning by reflecting a laser beam
emitted from a semiconductor laser on a not-shown
reflection mirror or transmitting the laser beam through an
optical lens while deflecting the laser beam with a not-
shown polygon mirror. Instead of such an optical writing
unit, an optical writing unit that performs optical
scanning with an LED array can be used.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged diagram of the process units 10Y
and 10C and the intermediate transfer belt 51. The process
unit 10Y includes, around the drum-like photosensitive
member 11Y, a charging member 12Y, a charge removing device
13Y, a drum cleaning device 14Y, a developing device 20Y,
and a Y-potential sensor 49Y. The process unit 10Y and
these devices are detachably attachable to the printer unit
integrally as one unit with the devices held by a casing as
a common holding member.
The charging member 12Y is a roller-like member
rotatably supported by a not-shown bearing while coming
into contact with the photosensitive member 11Y. The
charging member 12Y rotates in contact with the
photosensitive member 11Y while being applied with a
charging bias by a not-shown bias supplying unit to
uniformly charge the surface of the photosensitive member
11Y in, for example, a polarity same as a charging polarity
of a Y toner. A scorotron charger or the like that applies
uniform charging processing to the photosensitive member
11Y in a non-contact manner can be adopted instead of such
a charging member 12Y.
The developing device 20Y includes a casing 21Y, a
developer carrying device 22Y, and a developing unit 23Y.
The casing 21Y is filled with a Y developer. The Y
developer is a mixture of a magnetic carrier and a

nonmagnetic Y toner. In the developing unit 23Y, a
developing sleeve 24Y as a developer carrying member, which
is driven to rotate by a not-shown driving unit to
endlessly move the surface thereof, exposes a part of a
peripheral surface thereof to the outside from an opening
provided in the casing 21Y. Consequently, a development
area in which the photosensitive member 11 and the
developing sleeve 24Y are opposed to each other via a
predetermined gap is formed.
In the inside of the developing sleeve 24Y made of a
nonmagnetic member of a hollow pipe shape, a magnet roller
(not-shown) including a plurality of magnetic poles
arranged in the peripheral direction is fixed to not rotate
following the developing sleeve 24Y. The developing sleeve
24Y is driven to rotate while attracting the Y developer in
a developer carrying device 22 described later to the
surface thereof with a magnetic force generated by the
magnet roller. In this way, the developing sleeve 24Y
draws up the Y developer from the developer carrying device
22Y. The Y developer carried to the development area
according to the rotation of the developing sleeve 24Y
enters a doctor gap of 0.9 [mm] formed between a doctor
blade 25Y, the tip of which is opposed to the surface of
the developing sleeve 24Y via a predetermined gap, and the
sleeve surface. A layer thickness on the sleeve is
regulated to be equal to or smaller than 0.9 [mm]. When
the Y developer is carried to near the development area
opposed to the photosensitive member 11Y according to the
rotation of the developing sleeve 24Y, the Y developer is
subjected to a magnetic force of a not-shown developing
magnetic pole of the magnet roller and stands like the ears
of rice on the sleeve to become a magnetic brush.
For example, a developing bias having a polarity same

as a charging polarity of a toner is applied to the
developing sleeve 24Y by the not-shown bias supplying unit.
Consequently, in the development area, between the surface
of the developing sleeve 24Y and a non-image section (a
uniformly charged section, i.e., a background section) of
the photosensitive member 11Y, a no-development potential
for electrostatically moving the Y toner from the non-image
section side to the sleeve side acts. Between the surface
of the developing sleeve 24Y and the electrostatic latent
image on the photosensitive member 11Y, a development
potential for electrostatically moving the Y toner from the
sleeve side to the electrostatic latent image acts. When
the Y toner in the Y developer is transferred to the
electrostatic latent image by the action of the development
potential, the electrostatic latent image on the
photosensitive member 11Y is developed by the Y toner.
The Y developer that has passed the development area
according to the rotation of the developing sleeve 24Y is
affected by a repulsion magnetic field formed by repulsion
magnetic poles included in the not-shown magnet roller and
is removed from the developing sleeve 24Y to return to the
inside of the developer carrying device 22.
The developer carrying device 22Y includes a first
screw member 26Y, a second screw member 32Y, a partition
wall interposed between the first and second screw members,
and a toner concentration sensor 45Y including a
permeability sensor. The partition wall partitions a first
carrying chamber as a developer carrying unit in which the
first screw member 26Y is housed and a second carrying
chamber as a developer carrying unit in which the second
screw member 32Y is housed. In areas opposed to both the
ends in axial directions of both the screw members 26Y and
32Y, both the carrying chambers communicate with each other

through not-shown openings, respectively.
The first screw member 26Y and the second screw member
32Y as agitating and carrying members have rod-like
rotation shaft members, both the ends of which are
rotatably supported by not-shown bearings, respectively,
and spiral blades protrudingly provided on peripheral
surfaces of the rotation shaft members. When the first
screw member 26Y and the second screw member 32Y are driven
to rotate by a not-shown driving unit, the first screw
member 26Y and the second screw member 32Y carry the Y
developer in the rotation axis direction with the spiral
blades.
In the first carrying chamber in which the first screw
member 26Y is housed, according to the rotation of the
first screw member 26Y, the Y developer is carried from the
front side to the inner side in a direction orthogonal to
the surface of the figure. When the Y developer is carried
to near the end on the inner side of the casing 21Y, the Y
developer enters the second carrying chamber through a not-
shown opening provided in the partition wall.
The developing unit 23Y is formed above the second
carrying chamber in which the second screw member 32Y is
housed. The second carrying chamber and the developing
unit 23Y communicate with each other in the entire area of
sections thereof opposed to each other. The second screw
member 32Y and the developing sleeve 24Y disposed obliquely
above the second screw member 32Y are opposed to each other
while maintaining a parallel relation. In the second
carrying chamber, the Y developer is conveyed from the
inner side to the front side in the direction orthogonal to
the surface of the figure. In a process of this conveyance,
the Y developer around the rotating direction of the second
screw member 32Y is drawn up to the developing sleeve 24Y

as appropriate and the Y developer after development is
collected from the developing sleeve 24Y as appropriate.
The Y developer carried to near the end on the front side
in the figure of the second carrying chamber returns to the
inside of the first carrying chamber through the not-shown
opening provided in the partition wall.
The toner concentration sensor 45Y as the toner-
concentration detecting unit including the permeability
sensor is fixed to the lower wall of the first carrying
chamber. The toner concentration sensor 45Y detects, from
below the first screw member 26Y, a toner concentration of
the Y developer carried by the first screw member 2 6Y and
outputs a voltage corresponding to a result of the
detection. A not-shown control unit drives a not-shown Y
toner supplying device as required based on an output
voltage value from the toner concentration sensor 45Y to
supply an appropriate quantity of the Y toner into the
first carrying chamber. Consequently, a toner
concentration of the Y developer reduced by the development
is recovered.
A Y toner image formed on the photosensitive member
11Y is primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer
belt 51 in a primary transfer nip for Y described later. A
transfer residual toner not primarily transferred onto the
intermediate transfer belt 51 adheres to the surface of the
photosensitive member 11Y that has undergone this primary
transfer process.
The drum cleaning device 14Y cantilevers a cleaning
blade 15Y made of, for example, polyurethane rubber and
sets a free end side thereof in contact with the surface of
the photosensitive member 11Y. The drum cleaning device
14Y sets a brush tip side of a brush roller 16Y, which
includes rotation shaft members driven to rotate by a not-

shown driving unit and innumerable conductive raisings
vertically provided on peripheral surfaces of the rotation
shaft members, in contact with the photosensitive member
11Y. The drum cleaning device 14Y scrapes off the transfer
residual toner from the surface of the photosensitive
member 11Y with the cleaning blade 15Y and the brush roller
16Y. A cleaning bias is applied to the brush roller 16Y
via an electric field roller 17Y of metal, which comes into
contact with the brush roller 16Y. The tip of a scraper
18Y is pressed against the electric field roller 17Y. The
transfer residual toner scraped off from the photosensitive
member 11Y by the cleaning blade 15Y and the brush roller
16Y passes through the brush roller 16Y and the electric
field roller 17Y and is then scraped off from the electric
field roller 17Y by the scraper 18Y to fall onto a
collection screw 18Y. The transfer residual toner is
discharged to the outside of the casing according to the
rotation of the collection screw 18Y and the returned into
the developer carrying device 22 via a not-shown toner
recycle carrying unit.
The surface of the photosensitive member 11Y, from
which the transfer residual toner is cleaned by the drum
cleaning device 14Y, is subjected to charge removal by the
charge removing device 13Y including a charge removing lamp
and then uniformly charged by the charging member 12Y again.
The potential of the non-image section of the
photosensitive member 11Y, which has passed a position of
optical writing by writing light L, is detected by the Y-
potential sensor 49Y and a result of the detection is sent
to the not-shown control unit.
The photosensitive member 11Y having a diameter of 60
[mm] is driven to rotate at linear speed of 282 [mm/sec].
The developing sleeve 24Y having a diameter of 25 [mm] is

driven to rotate at linear speed of 564 [mm/sec]. An
amount of a toner in a developer supplied to the
development area is in a range of about -10 [μC/g] to -30
[μC/g] . A development gap, which is a gap between the
photosensitive member 11Y and the developing sleeve 24Y, is
set in a range of 0.5 mm to 0.3 mm. The thickness of a
photosensitive layer of the photosensitive member 11Y is 30
[μm] . A beam spot diameter on the photosensitive member
11Y of the writing light L is 50x60 [μm] . A quantity of
light of the writing light L is about 0.47 [mW]. A
uniformly charged potential of the photosensitive member
11Y is, for example, -700 [V] and the potential of an
electrostatic latent image is -120 [V]. Moreover, a
voltage of a developing bias is, for example, -470 [V] and
a development potential of 350 [V] is secured.
The process unit 10Y has been described in detail.
The process units of the other colors (10C, 10M, and 10K)
are the same as the process unit 10Y except that colors of
toners used therein are different.
As shown in Fig. 2, the photosensitive members 11Y,
11C, 11M, and 11K of the process units 10Y, 10C, 10M, and
10K rotate while coming into contact with the upper stretch
surface of the intermediate transfer belt 51 endlessly
moved in the clockwise direction and form primary transfer
nips for Y, C, M, and K. On the rear sides of the primary
transfer nips for Y, C, M, and K, the primary transfer
rollers 55Y, 55C, 55M, and 55K are in contact with the rear
surface of the intermediate transfer belt 51. Primary
transfer biases having a polarity opposite to the charging
polarity of the toner are applied to the primary transfer
rollers 55Y, 55C, 55M, and 55K by not-shown bias supplying
units, respectively. Primary transfer fields for

electrostatically moving the toner from the photosensitive
member side to the belt side are formed in the primary
transfer nips for Y, C, M, and K by the primary transfer
biases. Y, C, M, and K toner images formed on the
photosensitive members 11Y, 11C, 11M, and UK enter the
primary transfer nips for Y, C, M, and K according to the
rotation of the photosensitive members 11Y, 11C, 11M, and
UK. The Y, C, M, and K toner images are sequentially
superimposed one another and primarily transferred onto the
intermediate transfer belt 51 by the primary transfer
fields and an action of a nip pressure. Consequently, a
four-color superimposed toner image (hereinafter, "four-
color toner image") is formed on the front surface (a loop
outer peripheral surface) of the intermediate transfer belt
51. Conductive brushes to which the primary transfer
biases are applied, a no-contact corona charger, or the
like can be adopted instead of the primary transfer rollers
55Y, 55C, 55M, and 55K.
On the right side in the figure of the process unit
10K, an optical sensor unit 61 is disposed to be opposed to
the front surface of the intermediate transfer belt 51 via
a predetermined gap. The optical sensor unit 61 includes,
as shown in Fig. 4, a rear side position sensor 62R, a Y
image concentration sensor 63Y, a C image concentration
sensor 63C, a center position sensor 62c, an M image
concentration sensor 63M, a K image concentration sensor
63K, and a front side position sensor 62F arranged in the
width direction of the intermediate transfer belt 51. All
of these sensors include reflection photosensors. The
sensors reflect light emitted from a not-shown light-
emitting element on the front surface of the intermediate
transfer belt 51 and a toner image on the belt and detects
an amount of reflected light with a not-shown light-

receiving element. The not-shown control unit can detect
the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 51 and
detect a concentration of the image (a toner deposit amount
per unit area) based on output voltage values from the
sensors.
As shown in Fig. 3, a secondary transfer roller 56 is
disposed below the intermediate transfer belt 51. The
secondary transfer roller 56 comes into contact with the
front surface of the intermediate transfer belt 51 and
forms a secondary transfer nip while being driven to rotate
counterclockwise in the figure by a not-shown driving unit.
On the rear side of the secondary transfer nip, the
intermediate transfer belt 51 is wound around the secondary
transfer backup roller 53, which is electrically grounded.
The secondary transfer bias having a polarity opposite
to a charging polarity of a toner is applied to the
secondary transfer roller 56 by the not-shown bias
supplying unit to form a secondary transfer field between
the secondary transfer roller 56 and the grounded secondary
transfer backup roller 53. The four-color toner image
formed on the front surface of the intermediate transfer
belt 51 enters the secondary transfer nip according to the
endless movement of the intermediate transfer belt 51.
In Fig. 1, in the sheet feeding device 200, a
plurality of sheet feeding cassettes 201 that store
recording sheets P, a plurality of sheet feeding rollers
202 that deliver the recording sheets P stored in the sheet
feeding cassettes 201 to the outside of the cassettes, a
plurality of separation roller pairs 203 that separate the
delivered recording sheets P one by one, a plurality of
conveying roller pairs 205 that convey the recording sheet
P after the separation along a delivering path 204, and the
like are disposed. The sheet feeding device 200 is

disposed right below the printer unit 1 as shown in the
figure. The delivering path 204 of the sheet feeding
device 200 is connected to a sheet feeding path 70 of the
printer unit 1. Consequently, the recording sheets P
delivered from the sheet feeding cassettes 201 of the sheet
feeding device 200 are fed into the sheet feeding path 70
of the printer unit 1 through the delivering path 204.
A registration roller pair 71 is disposed near the end
of the sheet feeding path 70 of the printer unit 1. The
registration roller pair 71 delivers the recording sheet P
nipped between the rollers to the secondary transfer nip at
timing when the recording sheet P is synchronized with the
four-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 51.
In the secondary transfer nip, the four-color toner image
on the intermediate transfer belt 51 is secondarily
transferred onto the recording sheet P collectively by the
influence of a secondary transfer field and a nip pressure.
The four-color toner image forms a full color image in
conjunction with the while color of the recording sheet P.
The recording sheet P on which the full color image is
formed in this way is discharged from the secondary nip and
separated from the intermediate transfer belt 51.
On the left side in the figure of the secondary
transfer nip, a conveyor belt unit 75 that endlessly moves
an endless sheet conveyor belt 7 6 in a counterclockwise
direction in the figure while stretching the endless sheet
conveyor belt 76 with a plurality of stretch rollers is
disposed. The recording sheet P separated from the
intermediate transfer belt 51 is passed onto an upper
stretch surface of the endless sheet conveyor belt 76 and
conveyed to a fixing device 80.
The recording sheet P sent into the fixing device 80
is nipped in a fixing nip formed by a heating roller 81

including a not-shown heat generation source such as a
halogen lamp and a pressure roller 82 that is pressed
against the heating roller 81. The recording sheet P is
heated while being pressed and is sent to the outside of
the fixing device 80 while having the full color image
fixed on the surface thereof.
A slight quantity of secondary transfer residual toner
not transferred onto the recording sheet P adheres to the
surface of the intermediate transfer belt 51 after passing
through the secondary transfer nip. The secondary transfer
residual toner is removed from the intermediate transfer
belt 51 by a belt cleaning device 57 that is in contact
with the front surface of the intermediate transfer belt 51.
As shown in Fig. 1, a switch-back device 85 is
disposed below the fixing device 80. When the recording
sheet P discharged from the fixing device 80 comes to a
conveying path switching position for switching by a
swingable switching pawl, the recording sheet P is sent to
a sheet discharge roller pair 87 or the switch-back device
85 according to a swing stop position of the switching pawl
86. When the recording sheet P is sent to the sheet
discharge roller pair 87, after being discharged to the
outside of the apparatus, the recording sheet P is stacked
on the sheet discharge tray 3.
On the other hand, when the recording sheet P is sent
to the switch-back device 85, after being reversed by
switch-back conveyance by the switch-back device 85, the
recording sheet P is conveyed to the registration roller
pair 71 again. The recording sheet P enters the secondary
transfer nip again and a full color image is formed on the
other surface.
The recording sheet P manually fed on the manual feed
tray 2 provided on the side of the housing of the printer

unit 1 is fed to the registration roller pair 71 after
passing through a manual feed roller 72 and a manual feed
separation roller pair 73. The registration roller pair 71
may be grounded or may be applied with a bias to remove
paper powder of the recording sheet P.
When a user takes a copy of an original with the
copying machine according to this embodiment, first, the
user sets the original on an original stand 401 of the
original automatic document feeder 400. Alternatively, the
user opens the original automatic document feeder 400, sets
the original on the contact glass 301 of the scanner 300,
and closes the original automatic document feeder 400 to
press the original. Thereafter, when the user presses a
start switch (not-shown) , when the original is set on the
original automatic document feeder 4 00, the original is fed
to the contact glass 301. The scanner 300 drives to start
scanning by the first traveling member 303 and the second
traveling member 304. At substantially the same time,
driving of the transfer unit 50 and the respective color
process units 10Y, 10C, 10M, and 10K is started. Delivery
of the recording sheet P from the sheet feeding device 200
is also started. When the recording sheet P not set in the
sheet feeding cassettes 201 is used, delivery of the
recording sheet P set on the manual feed tray 2 is
performed.
Fig. 5 is a block diagram of the copying machine shown
in Fig. 1. The copying machine includes a control unit 500
that manages control of various devices. In the control
unit 500, a read only memory (ROM) 503 that stores therein
stationary data such as a computer program in advance and a
random access memory (RAM) 502 that functions as a work
area or the like for rewritably storing various data are
connected via a bus line to a central processing unit (CPU)

501 that executes control of various arithmetic operations
and driving of respective units. The ROM 503 also stores
therein a concentration conversion data table indicating a
relation between output voltage values from image
concentration sensors of the respective colors (63Y, 63C,
63M, and 63K in Fig. 4) in the optical sensor unit 61 and
image densities corresponding to the output voltage values.
The printer unit 1, the sheet feeding device 200, the
scanner 300, and the ADF 400 are connected to the control
unit 500. For convenience of illustration, only a few
sensors and the optical writing unit 60 are shown as
devices in the printer unit 1. In other words, the control
unit 500 controls other devices (e.g., a transfer unit and
various color process units) that are not shown in Fig. 5.
Signals output from each of the sensors are sent to the
control unit 500.
Fig. 6 is a flowchart of a parameter correction
processing carried out by the control unit 500. The
parameter correction processing is carried out at
predetermined timing, such as during start of the copying
machine, every time the number of copies decided in advance
is taken (between a preceding print operation and a flowing
print operation in a continuous print operation), or every
fixed time. In Fig. 6, a processing flow during start of
the copying machine is shown.
When the parameter correction processing is started,
first, to distinguish timing for turning on a power supply
from timing for abnormal processing for jam or the like, a
heating roller surface temperature (hereinafter, "fixing
temperature") in the fixing device 80 is detected as a
condition for executing the processing flow. It is judged
whether the fixing temperature exceeds 100 [°C] . When the
fixing temperature exceeds 100 [°C] (NO at step SI), the

control unit 500 regards that it is not the time for
turning on the power supply and finishes the processing
flow.
When the fixing temperature does not exceed 100 [°C]
(YES at step SI), the control unit 500 performs potential
sensor check (step S2). In this potential sensor check,
the control unit 500 uniformly charges, in the process
units of the respective colors 10Y to 10K, the surfaces of
the photosensitive members 11Y to UK under a predetermined
condition and detects surface potentials of the
photosensitive members 11Y to UK with the potential sensor
(e.g., 49Y in Fig. 3). Thereafter, the control unit 500
performs Vsg adjustment or the optical sensor unit (61 in
Fig. 4) (step S3). In this Vsg adjustment, the control
unit 500 adjusts, for the respective sensors 62R, 62C, 62F,
63Y, 63C, 63M, and 63K, an amount of light emission from a
light-emitting element to fix an output voltage (Vsg) from
a light-receiving element that detects reflected light to
the non-image area of the intermediate transfer belt 51.
At steps S2 to S3, the control unit 500 performs the
potential sensor check and the Vsg adjustment for the
respective colors in parallel.
When the Vsg adjustment is finished, the control unit
500 judges whether there is an error in the potential
sensor check (step S2) and the Vsg adjustment (steps S3 and
S4). When there is an error (NO at S4), after setting an
error code corresponding to the error (step S18), the
control unit 500 finishes the operation. On the other hand,
when there is no error (YES at S4), the control unit 500
judges whether a parameter correction system is
automatically set (step S5). The control unit 500 executes
the processing at steps S3 to S4 regardless of the
parameter correction system.

When the parameter correction system is not
automatically set (parameters are set to fixed values) (NO
at S5), after setting the error code, the control unit 500
finishes the series of control flows. On the other hand,
when the parameter correction system is automatically set
(YES at S5), the control unit 500 executes a flow at steps
S6 to S16 described later.
At step S6, the control unit 500 forms seven sets of
toner patch patterns including a plurality of reference
toner images shown in Fig. 4 on the front surface of the
intermediate transfer belt 51. These toner patch patterns
are formed side by side in the width direction of the
intermediate transfer belt 51 to be detected by any one of
the seven sensors 62R, 62C, 62F, 63Y, 63C, 63M, and 63K
included in the optical sensor unit 61. These seven sets
of toner patch patterns are roughly divided into patch
patterns for concentration gradation detection and patch
patterns for positional deviation detection.
As the patch patterns for concentration gradation
detection, patch patterns for Y, C, M, and K concentration
gradation detection PpY, PpC, PpM, and PpK including a
plurality of same color reference toner images (Y, C, M, or
K reference toner images) having different image densities
are individually formed and detected by the Y, C, M, and K
image concentration sensors 63Y, 63C, 63M, and 63K.
Referring to the patch pattern PpY for Y concentration
gradation detection as an example, as shown in Fig. 7, the
patch pattern PpY includes n Y reference toner images, i.e.,
a first Y reference toner image PpY1, a second Y reference
toner image PpY2, ..., and an nth reference toner image
PpYn, arranged at predetermined intervals G in a belt
moving direction (an arrow direction in the figure). These
reference toner images have different image densities but

have the same shape and posture on the intermediate
transfer belt 51. The reference toner images have a
rectangular shape with the width direction thereof set
along the belt width direction and the length direction
thereof set along the belt moving direction. Width W1
thereof is 15 [mm] and length L1 thereof is 20 [mm]. The
interval G is 10 [mm]. An interval in the belt width
direction in patch patterns of different colors is 5 [mm].
The respective reference toner images in these patch
patterns for concentration gradation detection PpY, PpC,
PpM, and PpK are toner images formed on the photosensitive
members 11Y, 11C, 11M, and UK of the respective process
units 10Y, 10C, 10M, and 10K and transferred onto the
intermediate transfer belt 51. When the reference toner
images pass right below the image concentration sensors 63Y,
63C, 63M, and 63K according to the endless movement of the
intermediate transfer belt 51, the reference toner images
reflect light emitted from the sensors on the surfaces
thereof. Amounts of the reflected light take values
correlated to image densities of the reference toner images.
The control unit 500 stores, for each of the colors, sensor
output voltage values for the respective reference toner
images in the RAM 502 as Vpi (i=l to N) (step S8). After
specifying image densities (toner deposit amounts per unit
area) of the respective reference toner images based on the
sensor output voltage values and the concentration
conversion data table stored in the ROM 503 in advance, the
control unit 500 stores a specified result in the RAM 502
(step S9). Before the patch patterns for concentration
gradation detection for the respective colors are developed
on the photosensitive members of the respective colors,
potentials of respective reference latent images as
precursors of the respective reference toner images are

detected by the potential sensors. The control unit 500
sequentially stores results of the detection in the RAM 502
(step S7).
When the toner deposit amounts for the reference toner
images of the respective colors are specified, the control
unit 500 calculates appropriate development potentials for
the developing devices of the respective colors (step S10).
Specifically, for example, a relation between the
potentials of the respective reference latent images
obtained at S7 and the toner deposit amounts obtained at S9
are plotted on an X-Y plane as shown in Fig. 8. In the
figure, the X axis indicates a potential (a difference
between a development bias VB and a latent image potential)
and the Y axis indicates a toner deposit amount per unit
area [mg/cm2] . As described above, the reflection
photosensors are used as the respective sensors of the
optical sensor unit 61. Output voltage values from the
sensors are saturated when a toner deposit amount on a
reference toner image is considerably large. Therefore,
when a toner deposit amount is calculated using a sensor
output voltage value for a reference toner image having a
relatively large toner deposit amount, an error occurs.
Thus, as shown in Fig. 9, only a data combination in a
section in which a relation between the potential of a
reference latent image and a toner deposit amount is linear
is selected among a plurality of data combinations
including potentials of reference latent images and toner
deposit amounts for reference toner images. Linear
approximation of a development characteristic is obtained
by applying the method of least squares to the data in this
section. A development potential for each of the colors is
calculated based on an approximate linear equation (E)
obtained for each of the colors. Although the reflection

photosensors of the regular reflection type are used in
this copying machine, reflection photosensors of the
diffuse reflection type can be used.
The following equations are used in the calculation by
the method of least squares:
Xave=ΣXn/k (1)
Yave=ΣYn/k (2)
Sx=Σ(Xn-Xave)x(Xn-Xave) (3)
Sy=Σ(Yn-Yave)x(Yn-Yave) (4)
Sxy=Σ(Xn-Xave)x(Yn-Yave) (5)
When the approximate linear equation (E) obtained from
the output values from the potential sensors of the
respective colors (the potentials of the reference latent
images of the respective colors) and the toner deposit
amounts (the image densities) for the respective reference
toner images is Y=A1xX+B1, coefficients A1 and B1 can be
represented as follows:
A1=Sxy/Sx (6)
B1=Yave-AlxXave (7)
A correlation coefficient R of the approximate linear
equation (E) can be represented as follows:
RxR=(SxyxSxy)/(SxxSy) (8)
Among potential data Xn and toner deposit amount data
Yn after visualization obtained from the potentials of the
reference latent images and the toner deposit amounts for
each of the colors, which are calculated up to S9, the
following five sets of data having smaller numerical values
are selected:
(X1 to X5, Y1 to Y5)
(X2 to X6, Y2 to Y6)
(X3 to X7, Y3 to Y7)
(X4 to X8, Y4 to Y8)

(X5 to X9, Y5 to Y9)
(X6 to X10, Y6 to Y10)
Linear approximation calculation is performed
according to Equations (1) to (8) and the correlation
coefficient R is calculated to obtain the following six
sets of approximate linear equations and correlation
coefficients (9) to (14):
Y11=A11xX+B11; R11 (9)
Y12=A12xX+B12; R12 (10)
Y13=A13xX+B13; R13 (11)
Y14=Al4xX+B14; R14 (12)
Y15=A15xX+B15; R15 (13)
Y16=A16xX+B16; R16 (14)
One approximate linear equation corresponding to a
maximum value among the correlation coefficients R11 to R16
is selected as the approximate linear equation (E) out of
the obtained six approximate linear equations.
In the approximate linear equation (E), a value of X
at the time when a value of Y is a necessary maximum toner
deposit amount Max as shown in Fig. 9, i.e., a value Vmax
of a development potential is calculated. A development
bias potential VB in each of the developing devices of the
respective colors and an appropriate latent image potential
(a potential of an exposing unit) VL corresponding to the
development bias potential VB are given by the following
Equations (15) and (16) from the equations described above:
Vmax=(Mmax-Bl)/Al (15)
VB-VL=Vmax=(Mmax-B1)/A1 (16)
A relation between VB and VL can be represented using the
coefficients of the approximate linear equation (E).
Therefore, Equation (16) is represented as follows:
Mmax=A1xVmax+B1 (17)

A relation between a background potential VD, which is
potential before exposure of the photosensitive members,
and the development bias potential VB is given from an X
coordinate VK (a development start voltage of the
developing device) at an intersection point of a linear
equation shown in Fig. 9, i.e.,
Y=A2*X+B2 (18)
and the X axis and a background smear margin voltage Va,
which is experimentally obtained:
VD-VB=VK+Vα (19)
Therefore, a relation among Vmax, VD, VB, and VL
depends on Equations (16) and (19). In this example, with
Vmax as a reference value, a relation between the reference
value and the respective voltages VD, VB, and VL is
obtained by an experiment and the like in advance and
stored in the ROM 503 as a potential control table as shown
in Fig. 10.
The control unit 500 selects Vmax closest to Vmax
calculated for each of the colors from the potential
control table and sets the respective control voltages
(potentials) VB, VD, and VL corresponding to the selected
Vmax as target potentials (step S11).
Thereafter, the control unit 500 controls laser
emission power of the semiconductor lasers of the optical
writing unit 60 to be a maximum amount of light via a
writing control circuit 510 and captures an output value of
the potential sensor to thereby detect a residual potential
on the photosensitive members (step S12). When the
residual potential is not 0 [V], the control unit 500
corrects the target potentials VB, VD, and VL determined at
step Sll by an amount of the residual potential to set
target potentials.
The control unit 500 judges whether there is no error

at steps S5 to S13 (step S14). When there is an error even
in one color (NO at S14), the control unit 500 sets an
error code because image concentration fluctuation is large
and processing after this is useless even if only the other
colors are controlled (step S18) and finishes the series of
control flows. The control unit 500 does not update image
creation conditions and creates an image under image
creation conditions same as those of the last time until
the next parameter correction processing is successful.
When it is judged at S14 that there is no error (Y),
the control unit 500 adjusts a power supply circuit (not
shown) such that the background potential VD of the
photosensitive members of the respective colors reach the
target potential. The control unit 500 adjusts laser light
power in the semiconductor lasers via a laser control unit
(not shown) such that the surface potential VL of the
photosensitive members reaches the target potential. The
control unit 500 adjusts the power supply circuit such that
the development bias potential VB reaches the target
potential in the developing devices of the respective
colors (step S15).
The control unit 500 judges whether there is an error
at S15 (step S16). When there is no error (YES at S16),
after performing positional deviation correction processing
described later, the control unit 500 finishes the series
of control processing. On the other hand, when there is an
error (NO at S16), the control unit 500 finishes the series
of control flows after setting an error code.
As patch patterns for positional deviation detection,
as shown in Fig. 4, the three sets of patch patterns, i.e.,
the patch patterns for rear side positional deviation PcR
formed near one end in the width direction of the
intermediate transfer belt 51, patch patterns for center

positional deviation detection PpC formed in the center in
the width direction, and patch patterns for front side
positional deviation detection formed near the other end in
the width direction are formed. All of the patch patterns
include a plurality of reference toner images arranged in
the belt moving direction. Each of the three sets of patch
patterns has reference toner images of four colors, Y, C, M,
and K. If no positional deviation occurs in the
photosensitive members and an exposure optical system in
each of the rear side, the center, and the front side,
reference toner images of the respective colors are formed
at equal intervals and in equal postures. However, when
positional deviation occurs, formation intervals vary and
postures tilt. Therefore, in the positional deviation
correction processing (step S17), the control unit 500
detects irregularity of the formation intervals and the
postures based on detection time intervals of the
respective reference toner images. The control unit 500
adjusts, based on a result of the detection, the tilt of a
mirror of the exposure optical system using a not-shown
tilt correcting mechanism and corrects exposure start
timing. Consequently, positional deviation of the toner
images of the respective colors is reduced.
Fig. 11 is a disassembled perspective view of the
developing device 20Y for Y. Fig. 12 is a disassembled
plan view of the developing device 20Y viewed from above.
As described above, the developing device 20Y includes the
developing unit 23Y including the developing sleeve 24Y and
the developer carrying device 22Y that agitates and carries
the Y developer. The developer carrying device 22Y
includes a first carrying chamber that houses the first
screw member 2 6Y as the agitating and carrying member and
the second carrying chamber that houses the second screw

member 32Y as the agitating and carrying member. The first
screw member 26Y includes a rotation shaft member 27Y, both
ends in an axial direction of which are rotatably supported
by bearings, and a spiral blade 28Y protrudingly provided
in a spiral shape on a peripheral surface of the rotation
shaft member 27Y. The second screw member 32Y includes a
rotation shaft member 33Y, both ends in an axial direction
of which are rotatably supported by bearings, and a spiral
blade 34Y protrudingly provided in a spiral shape on a
peripheral surface of the rotation shaft member 33Y.
The first screw member 26Y in the first carrying
chamber as the developer carrying unit is surrounded by a
wall of the casing around sides thereof. On two sides
located on both sides in the axial direction of the first
screw member 26Y, a rear side plate 21Y-1 and a front side
plate 21Y-2 of the casing surround the first screw member
26Y from both sides in the axial direction. On one of two
sides located on both sides in a direction orthogonal to
the axial direction of the first screw member 26Y, a left
side plate 21Y-3 of the casing as the sidewall extends in
the rotation axis direction of the first screw member 26Y
while being opposed to the first screw member 26Y via a
predetermined gap. On the other of the two sides, a
partition wall 21Y-5 as a sidewall that partitions the
first carrying chamber and the second carrying chamber
extends in the rotation axis direction of the first screw
member 2 6Y while being opposed to the first screw member
26Y via a predetermined gap.
The second screw member 32Y in the second carrying
chamber as the developer carrying unit is also surrounded
by the wall of the casing around sides thereof. On two
sides located on both sides in the axial direction of the
second screw member 32Y, the rear side plate 21Y-1 and the

front side plate 21Y-2 of the casing surround the second
screw member 32Y from both sides in the axial direction.
On one of two sides located on both sides in a direction
orthogonal to the axial direction of the second screw
member 32Y, a right side plate 21Y-4 of the casing as the
sidewall extends in the rotation axis direction of the
second screw member 32Y while being opposed to the second
screw member 32Y via a predetermined gap. On the other of
the two sides, the partition wall 21Y-5 that partitions the
first carrying chamber and the second carrying chamber
extends in the rotation axis direction of the second screw
member 32Y while being opposed to the second screw member
32Y via a predetermined gap.
The second screw member 32Y, the sides of which are
surrounded by the wall, carries the not-shown Y developer
stored in the spiral blade 34Y in the rotation axis
direction from the left side to the right side in Fig. 12
while agitating the Y developer in the rotating direction
according to the rotation drive. Because the second screw
member 32Y and the developing sleeve 24Y are disposed in
parallel to each other, a carrying direction of the Y
developer is a direction along the rotation axis direction
of the developing sleeve 24Y. The second screw member 32Y
supplies the Y developer to the surface of the developing
sleeve 24Y in the axial direction thereof.
The Y developer carried to near the right side end in
the figure of the second screw member 32Y enters the first
carrying chamber through an opening provided in the
partition wall 21Y-5 and then is stored in the spiral blade
28Y of the first screw member 26Y. According to the
rotation drive of the first screw member 26Y, the Y
developer is carried along the rotation axis direction of
the first screw member 2 6Y from the right side to the left

side in the figure while being agitated in the rotating
direction.
In the first carrying chamber, in a part of an area in
which the first screw member 26Y is surrounded by the left
side plate 21Y-3 and the partition wall 21Y-5 of the casing,
the Y toner concentration sensor 45Y is fixed to the lower
wall of the casing. The Y toner concentration sensor 45Y
detects, from below the first screw member 26Y, the
permeability of the Y developer carried along the rotation
axis direction by the first screw member 26Y and outputs a
voltage of a value corresponding to a result of the
detection to the control unit 500. Because the
permeability of the Y developer has a correlation with the
Y toner concentration of the Y developer, the control unit
500 grasps the Y toner concentration based on the output
voltage value from the Y toner concentration sensor 45Y.
The printer unit 1 includes not-shown Y, C, M, and K
toner supplying units for individually supplying the Y, C,
M, and K toners into the Y, C, M, and K developing devices.
The control unit 500 stores Vtref for Y, C, M, and K, which
indicates target values of output voltage values from the Y,
C, M, and K toner concentration sensors 45Y, 45C, 45M, and
45K, in the RAM 502. When differences between the output
voltage values from the Y, C, M, and K toner concentration
sensors and Vtref for Y, C, M, and K exceed a predetermined
value, the Y, C, M, and K toner supplying units are driven
for times corresponding to the differences. Consequently,
the Y, C, M, and K toners are supplied from a toner supply
port (e.g., A in Fig. 12) provided on a most upstream side
in the first carrying chamber in the Y, C, M, and K
developing devices into the first carrying chamber. Y, C,
M, and K toner densities of the Y, C, M, and K developers
are maintained in a fixed range.

The permeability of a developer shows a satisfactory
correlation with a bulk volume of the developer. The bulk
volume of the developer fluctuates because of an unattended
state of the developer even if a toner concentration of the
developer is fixed. For example, the developer unattended
for a long time in a state in which the developer is not
agitated by the screw members in the first carrying chamber
and the second carrying chamber emits the air among toner
particles and carriers because of an own weight of the
developer. An amount of charge of the toner particles is
reduced. Thus, a bulk volume of the toner is gradually
increased as the unattended time passes. According to the
increase in the bulk volume, the permeability is gradually
increased. When the toner is unattended for a long period,
the increases in the bulk volume and the permeability are
saturated. In such a saturated state, a distance among the
magnetic carriers is small compared with that in the
developer during image creation (during agitation).
Therefore, the fall in a toner concentration from an
original value is misdetected.
On the other hand, when the developer, the increases
in the bulk volume and the permeability of which are
saturated because the developer is left unattended for a
long time, is agitated by the screw members in the first
carrying chamber and the second carrying chamber, the air
is caught between the toner particles and between the
magnetic carriers and a triboelectric charging amount of
the toner particles increases. Therefore, after leaving
the developer in the first carrying chamber and the second
carrying chamber unattended for a long period, when so-
called idle agitation for rotating the screw members
without performing development is started, as shown in Fig.
13, the bulk volume rapidly falls from immediately after

the start of the idle agitation until about three minutes
passes. This is because the air is caught in the developer
and a triboelectric charging amount of the toner particles
suddenly increases. Thereafter, although a rate of the
fall in the bulk volume is reduced, the bulk volume
gradually falls as idle agitation time passes. This is
because the triboelectric charging amount of the toner
particles increases little by little according to the
abrasion of an externally added agent added to the toner
particles. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 14, an
externally added agent H for improving fluidity of toner
powder is added to toner particles T. When the externally
added agent H is gradually abraded according to the idle
agitation of the developer, a frictional force among the
toner particles T gradually increases. The increase in the
triboelectric charging amount of the toner particles is
nearly saturated until about three minutes passes from
immediately after the start of the idle agitation.
Thereafter, when the frictional force among the toner
particles T is gradually increased by the abrasion of the
externally added agent H, the triboelectric charging amount
of the toner particles T gradually increases according to
the increase in the frictional force. Consequently, in a
period after three minutes from the start of the idle
agitation, the bulk volume of the developer gradually falls
as time passes. The toner particles T in a default state
are shown in Fig. 14. When 30 minutes pass from the start
of the idle agitation, the toner particles T are in a state
shown in Fig. 15. The fluidity and the bulk volume can be
measured by the metal powder apparent concentration test
method of JIS Z2504: 2000.
As described above, the bulk volume of the developer
gradually falls over a long time as the idle agitation time

passes. As shown in Fig. 16, the permeability of the
developer (a toner concentration sensor output Vt)
gradually falls and a result of the detection of the toner
concentration gradually worsens. Then, a large difference
shown in Fig. 17 occurs in the toner concentration sensor
output Vt between the time immediately after the start of
the idle agitation and the time 30 minutes after the start,
although the toner concentration of the developer is fixed.
This causes misdetection of a toner concentration.
In the developing device disclosed in Japanese Patent
Application Laid-Open No. 6-308833, for the purpose of
preventing the occurrence of such misdetection, a pressure
of a developer in an area where a toner concentration is
detected by a toner concentration sensor in the entire area
of a developer carrying unit is set higher than pressures
of the developer in the other areas. However, this
pressure indicates a pressure in the conveying direction of
the developer (the rotation axis direction of the screw
members). According to the experiments by the inventors, a
satisfactory correlation is not established between such a
pressure and a degree of occurrence of the misdetection.
Fig. 18 is an enlarged diagram of the developer
carrying device 22K in the developing device for K. In the
figure, in the first carrying chamber including a first
screw member 26K for K, a bottom wall 21K-6 thereof is
opposed to the lower side in the gravity direction of the
first screw member 26K via a predetermined gap. A left
side plate 21K-3 is opposed to one of both lateral sides
orthogonal to the rotation axis direction of the first
screw member 2 6K via a predetermined gap. A partition wall
21K-5 is opposed to the other of both the lateral sides via
a predetermined gap. A K developer 900K is stored not only
in a spiral blade 28K of the first screw member 26K but

also in a clearance between the outer edge of the spiral
blade 28K and the left side plate 21K-3, a clearance
between the outer edge of the spiral blade 28K and the
bottom wall 21K-6, and a clearance between the outer edge
of the spiral blade 28K and the partition wall 21K-5. The
K toner concentration sensor 45K fixed to the casing of the
developing device cannot detect a K toner concentration of
the K developer in the spiral blade 28K at a relatively
long distance because the K toner concentration sensor 45K
has a relatively small detectable distance range. The K
toner concentration sensor 45K can only detect a K toner
concentration of the K developer 900K stored in the
clearance between the spiral blade 28K and the bottom wall
21K-6. Therefore, the K developer 900K in the clearance
has to be sufficiently pressed. However, a pressing force
generated by the rotation of the first screw member 2 6K
mainly acts on the K developer 900K stored in the spiral
blade 28K in the conveying direction (the rotation axis
direction). Even if the K developer 900K in the spiral
blade 28K is sufficiently pressed in the conveying
direction, the K developer 900K in the clearance may not be
sufficiently pressed. Consequently, a satisfactory
correlation is not established between a pressure in the
convention direction applied to the developer and a degree
of occurrence of misdetection of a toner concentration.
The inventors also found the developing device shown
in the figure has a deficiency described below. When the K
developer 900K is not pressed against the surface of the K
toner concentration sensor 45K with a sufficient pressure
according to the rotation of the first screw member 26K,
the replacement of the K developer 900K near the K toner
concentration sensor 45K is not actively performed.
Regardless of the fact that the first screw member 26K

rotates many times, the same K developer 900K stays near
the K toner concentration sensor 4 5K for a long time and
the K toner concentration of the K developer 900K continues
to be detected. Consequently, a substantial change in the
K toner concentration of the K developer 900K is not
quickly detected.
Therefore, it is necessary to increase a pressing
force in the screw rotation direction and press the
developer strongly against a permeability detection surface
of the toner concentration sensor instead of increasing a
pressing force in the screw axis direction (the conveying
direction) on the developer. In Fig. 18, the permeability
detection surface of the K toner concentration sensor 45K
is brought into contact with the K developer 900K in the
first conveying chamber. However, as shown in Fig. 19, a
wall (in the example shown in the figure, the bottom wall
21K-6) of the first carrying chamber can be interposed
between the K developer 900K in the first carrying chamber
and the K toner concentration sensor 45K. Then, it is
necessary to press the K developer 900K strongly against
the wall, which is interposed between the K developer 900K
and the K toner concentration sensor 45K, by a rotation
force of the first screw member 26K.
A characteristic structure of the copying machine
according to this embodiment is explained.
Fig. 20 is a cross sectional view of the developer
carrying device 22K for K. In the figure, the first
carrying chamber including the first screw member 26K has a
pressing wall 39K. The pressing wall 39K is provided at
least in a part of the entire area of the first carrying
chamber as the developer carrying unit. Specifically, the
pressing wall 39K is provided in an area opposed to the
bottom wall 21K-6 of the first carrying chamber on the

lower side in the gravity direction of the first screw
member 26K and opposed to the side walls (the left side
plate 21K-3 and the partition wall 21K-5) of the first
carrying chamber on both lateral sides orthogonal to the
rotation axis direction of the first screw member 26K. In
the area, the K toner concentration of the K developer
being carried is detected by the K toner concentration
sensor 45K (e.g., an area indicated by an alternate long
and short dash line X in Fig. 12).
As shown in Fig. 20, the pressing wall 39K is laid
over between the left side plate 21K-3 and the partition
wall 21k-5 of the first carrying chamber and covers the
first carrying chamber from above. A curved surface along
a curvature of the spiral blade 28K is formed on a surface
of the pressing wall 39K opposed to the first screw member
26K. Such a pressing wall 39K comes into contact with,
from above in the vertical direction, the K developer 900K
moving upward from the lower side in the gravity direction
according to the rotation of the first screw member 26K and
presses the K developer 900K downward in the vertical
direction. The pressing wall 39K pushes out the K
developer 900K present in a spiral space of the first screw
member 26K in a rotation radial direction of the first
screw member 26K while compressing the K developer 900K.
Then, a part of the K developer 900K stored in the spiral
space of the first screw member 26K is pushed out into the
clearance between the outer edge of the spiral blade 28K
and the bottom wall 21K-6 of the first carrying chamber to
press the K developer 900K present near the detection
surface of the K toner concentration sensor 45K strongly to
the sensor. Therefore, misdetection of a toner
concentration due to fluctuation in a volume of the toner
can be further reduced than in the past by pressing the K

developer 900K strongly against the detection surface of
the K toner concentration sensor 45K.
The copying machine includes a reverse carrying blade
29K in the first screw member 26K in addition to the
pressing wall 39K in the first carrying chamber to further
reduce misdetection of a toner concentration due to
fluctuation in a volume of the toner. Specifically, Fig.
21 is an enlarged side view of a part of the first screw
member 26K for K in the copying machine. In the figure, a
rotation shaft member 27K is driven to rotate in an arrow B
direction in the figure. The spiral blade 28K is
protrudingly provided on the peripheral surface of the
rotation shaft member 27K to have a slope with an angle 01
with respect to the rotation axis direction of the rotation
shaft member 27K (an extending direction of a line L1).
There are four angles formed by the line L1 and a line L3
extending in the direction of the spiral blade 28K on the
peripheral surface of the rotation shaft member 27K. Among
the four angles, each two angles are the same angles
because the angles are vertical angles. Thus, there are
two angles formed by crossing of the line L1 and the line
L3. An angle 61 represents a smaller one of these angles
(92 described later is the same).
In the spiral blade 28K of the first screw member 26K,
the reverse carrying blade 29K is protrudingly provided on
the peripheral surface of the rotation shaft member 27K
between two opposed surfaces that face the rotation axis
direction (the extending direction of the line L1). An
extending direction of the reverse carrying blade 2 9K (an
extending direction of a line L4) on the peripheral surface
of the rotation shaft member 27K has the inclination
opposite to that of the spiral blade 28K with respect to

the extending direction of the line L1. An angle of the
inclination is 62.
The spiral blade 28K carries the not-shown K developer
in an arrow D direction in the figure along the rotation
axis direction according to the rotation around the
rotation shaft member 27K. On the other hand, the reverse
carrying blade 2 9K carries the K developer in an arrow C
direction opposite to the carrying direction of the spiral
blade 28K according to the rotation around the rotation
shaft member 27K. The reverse carrying blade 29K is
protrudingly provided in a section of the rotation shaft
member 27K in an area, a lower side in the gravity
direction of which is opposed to the bottom wall of the
first carrying chamber (21K-6 in Fig. 19) as the developer
carrying unit and both lateral sides orthogonal to the
rotation axis direction of which are opposed to the
sidewalls of the first carrying chamber (21K-3 and 21K-5 in
Fig. 19), respectively, in the entire area in the rotation
axis direction in the first screw member 26K. Although the
reverse carrying blade 29K is not shown in Figs. 18 and 19
for convenience of illustration, the K toner concentration
sensor 45K is disposed to detect the K toner concentration
of the K developer carried between the reverse carrying
blade 29K and a spiral blade section (a section extending
along the line L3 in Fig. 21) adjacent to the reverse
carrying blade 29K.
The K developer carried to the reverse carrying blade
29K and the K developer carried to the spiral blade section
adjacent to the reverse carrying blade 29K (a reverse
carrying blade adjacent section) bump into each other
between the reverse carrying blade 29K and the reverse
carrying blade adjacent section. Consequently, the K
developer is pushed out in the normal direction. The K

developer present near the detection surface of the toner
concentration sensor 45K in the clearance between the outer
edge of the first screw member 26K and the bottom wall
(21K-6) of the first carrying chamber is pressed strongly
to the detection surface. According to the increase in the
pressing force by the reverse carrying blade 29K and the
increase in the pressing force by the pressing wall 39,
misdetection of a toner concentration due to fluctuation in
a volume of the toner is further reduced. Further, the
developer near the detection surface is actively replaced
by retracting the developer from the detection surface
while being pressed strongly against the detection surface
according to the rotation of the reverse carrying blade 29K.
Consequently, it is possible to further reduce misdetection
of a toner concentration due to the fluctuation in a volume
of the toner by preventing the developer from staying near
the detection surface and always supplying a new developer
to the detection surface.
Two opposed surfaces in the spiral blade 28K opposed
to each other across the reverse carrying blade 29K are not
connected to the reverse carrying blade 29K. Gaps are
formed between the opposed surfaces and the reverse
carrying blade 29K. Therefore, a part of the K developers
that bump into each other because of the opposite movements
between the reverse carrying blade 29K and the reverse
carrying blade adjacent section of the spiral blade 28K is
carried along the spiral space while passing through the
gaps as shown in Fig. 22.
Fig. 23 is a graph of a relation between a toner
concentration conversion value [wt%] of the toner
concentration sensor output Vt [V] and an idle agitation
time [min] at the time when the K developer having a K
toner concentration of 8 [wt%] is idly agitated. It is

seen from the graph that an amount of misdetection of a
toner concentration is reduced when the first screw member
including the reverse carrying blade is used. It is also
seen that, when the reverse carrying blade is provided, a
lower toner concentration can be detected when a pressing
wall is provided than when the pressing wall is not
provided. Moreover, it is seen that, when the reverse
carrying blade 29K is provided in addition to the pressing
wall 39K, toner densities of substantially the same values
continue to be detected from immediately after the start of
the idle agitation until 120 minutes passes. This is
because misdetection of a toner concentration due to a
change in a bulk volume of the developer is substantially
eliminated. For reference, a relation between the toner
concentration sensor output Vt [V] and the toner
concentration [wt%] is shown in Fig. 24.
In experiments in which the data in Figs. 23 and 24
are acquired, a screw member described below is used as the
first screw member. A disposing pitch in the screw
rotation axis direction of the spiral blade is 25 [mm], an
inclination angle 92 from the axial direction of the
reverse carrying blade is 45 [°] , and a projection height
from a rotation shaft member surface of the reverse
carrying blade is the same as the height of the spiral
blade. The reverse carrying blade of the first screw
member is connected to a blade of the spiral blade, a
downstream end in the developer carrying direction of which
is adjacent to the reverse carrying blade on a downstream
side in the developer carrying direction, between blades of
the spiral blade as shown in Fig. 26. On the other hand, a
gap is provided as shown in the figure between an upstream
end in the developer carrying direction of the reverse
carrying blade and a blade of the spiral blade adjacent to

the reverse carrying blade on an upstream side in the
developer carrying direction. The developer in the first
screw member is carried while passing through this gap. As
the toner concentration sensor, a toner concentration
sensor, a diameter of a detection surface of which is 5
[mm], is used. The toner concentration sensor is disposed
to place the center of the detection surface in a position
opposed to an intersection point of the line L3 and the
line L4 in Fig. 21. As the pressing wall (e.g., 39K), a
pressing wall, a length in the screw axis direction (a
length in the developer carrying direction) of which is 25
[mm], and that covers the entire ceiling of the first
carrying chamber and covers only a part of the area in the
developer carrying direction of the first carrying chamber
as shown in Fig. 20 is used. Experiments were carried out
under the same conditions except the inclination angle 92
when data in Fig. 25 was acquired.
In Fig. 20, as the angle 92 with respect to the line
L2 of the reverse carrying blade 29K is set closer to 45
[°], a developer carrying ability in the arrow C direction
by the reverse carrying blade 2 9K can be improved. When
the angle 92 is set smaller than 45 [°] , as the angle 92 is
set smaller, a developer carrying ability in the rotating
direction is improved at the cost of the low developer
carrying ability in the arrow C direction. When the angle
92 is set to 0 [°] , the developer carrying ability in the
rotating direction is the highest. In the experiments
carried out by the inventors, an amount of misdetection of
a toner concentration could be further reduced when the
reverse carrying blade 29K was provided at the angle 92
larger than 0 [°] than when the angle 92 was set to 0 [°]
(the developer could be pressed more strongly on the

detection surface of the toner concentration sensor). When
the angle 62 was set to 45 [°] , i.e., when the developer
carrying ability in the arrow C direction was the highest,
an amount of misdetection of a toner concentration could be
reduced most. For reference, characteristics of toner
concentration conversion values of sensor outputs at the
angle 62 of 45 [°] , 20 [°] , and 0 [°] are shown in Fig. 25.
As shown in Fig. 22, gaps are provided between the two
opposed surfaces of the spiral blade 28K and the reverse
carrying blade 29K, respectively. The not-shown K
developer stored between the opposed surfaces smoothly
moves along the spiral space while passing through the gap.
It is not always necessary to provide the gaps between the
two opposed surfaces and the reverse carrying blade 29K.
However, it is desirable to at least provide a gap between
one opposed surface and the reverse carrying blade 29K as
shown in Figs. 26 and 27. This is because, when the two
opposed surfaces are bridged by the reverse carrying blade
29K as shown in Fig. 28, the conveyance of the K developer
in the regular direction (the arrow D direction in the
figure) along the rotation axis direction is considerably
hindered by the reverse carrying blade 29K to clog the
section below the pressing wall 39K with the K developer.
For reference, detection characteristics of a toner
concentration at the time when the gaps are provided
between the two opposed surfaces and the reverse carrying
blade 2 9K and at the time when the two opposed surfaces are
bridged by the reverse carrying blade 29K are shown in Fig.
29. Only from the viewpoint of pressing the developer
strongly against the toner concentration sensor to reduce
an amount of misdetection of a toner concentration, it is
preferable to bridge the two opposed surfaces with the
reverse carrying blade 29K as shown in the figure. However,

when the two opposed surfaces were bridged and a continuous
print operation was actually performed, the section below
the pressing wall is clogged with the developer immediately
after the supply of the toner.
In the experiments in which the data in Fig. 29 is
acquired, a screw member described below is used as the
first screw member having the reverse carrying blade. A
disposing pitch in the screw rotation axis direction of the
spiral blade is 25 [mm], an inclination angle G2 from the
axial direction of the reverse carrying blade is 45 [°] ,
and a projection height from a rotation shaft member
surface of the reverse carrying blade is the same as the
height of the spiral blade. The reverse carrying blade of
the first screw member is joined to the spiral blade at
both an upstream end and a downstream end in a slightly
twisted shape as shown in Fig. 31. Alternatively, as shown
in Fig. 26, a gap is formed between the downstream end in
the developer carrying direction and the spiral blade. As
the toner concentration sensor, a toner concentration
sensor, a diameter of a detection surface of which is 5
[mm], is used. The toner concentration sensor is disposed
to place the center of the detection surface in a position
opposed to the intersection point of the line L3 and the
line L4 in Fig. 21. As the pressing wall (e.g., 39K), a
pressing wall, a length in the screw axis direction (a
length in the developer carrying direction) of which is 25
[mm], and that covers the entire ceiling of the first
carrying chamber and covers only a part of the area in the
developer carrying direction of the first carrying chamber
is used.
As the reverse carrying blade 29K, besides the reverse
carrying blade 29K of the shape shown in Fig. 22, the
reverse carrying blade 29K of a flat rectangular shape (a

tabular shape) shown in Fig. 30, the reverse carrying blade
29K of a twisted shape shown in Fig. 31, the reverse
carrying blade 29K of a shape hollowed toward the moving
direction of the K developer (an arrow E direction in the
figure) in the spiral space (a curved shape) shown in Fig.
32, or the like can be adopted. A parallel fin and a
forward direction fin as blade members described later can
also be fins of the tabular shape, the twisted shape, or
the curved shape.
As shown in Figs. 19 and 20, the toner concentration
sensor (e.g., 45K) is disposed to detect a toner
concentration of a developer further below in the gravity
direction than the rotation axis center of the first screw
member 26K as the agitating and carrying member (the center
of the rotation shaft member 27K). In the first carrying
chamber in which the first screw member 26K is housed, a
developer storage quantity in the developer carrying
direction slightly fluctuates over time. Thus, a developer
surface (an upper surface level) of the developer also
fluctuates slightly in a certain degree of range. In such
a first carrying chamber, when the toner concentration
sensor 45K is dispose to detect a toner concentration of a
developer further above in the gravity direction than the
center of the rotation shaft member 27K, it is likely that
timing for locating the developer surface below the sensor
is generated. When the developer surface is located below
the sensor, more significant misdetection occurs because
the toner concentration cannot be detected. On the other
hand, when the toner concentration sensor 45K is disposed
to detect a toner concentration of a developer further
below in the gravity direction than the center of the
rotation shaft member 27K, occurrence of such misdetection
can be prevented. This is because, even if the developer

storage quantity fluctuates in the first carrying chamber,
the developer surface of the developer does not fall below
the center of the rotation shaft member 27K.
In Fig. 20, the first screw member 26K is shown from a
side on which the first screw member 26K looks rotating in
the counterclockwise direction. When the first screw
member 2 6K and a peripheral structure thereof are seen from
such a side, the pressing wall 39K is disposed from a
position of a first quadrant (upper right of the screw) to
a position of a second quadrant (upper left of the screw)
to cover the entire area in the width direction of the
first carrying chamber. The toner concentration sensor 45K
is disposed in a position of a fourth quadrant around the
screw (lower right of the screw).
As shown in Fig. 36, the toner concentration sensor
45K can be disposed in a position of a third quadrant
(lower left of the screw) instead of the fourth quadrant
(lower right of the screw). In the position of the fourth
quadrant, as explained with reference to Fig. 20, the
developer is moved from the lower side to the upper side in
the gravity direction according to the rotation of the
reverse carrying blade 29K. On the other hand, the
developer is pressed downward in the gravity direction by
the pressing wall 39K to be pushed out in the rotation
radius direction (the normal direction) of the first screw
member 26K while being compressed. Consequently, in the
fourth quadrant, the developer present near the detection
surface of the toner concentration sensor 45K in the
clearance between the outer edge of the first screw member
26K and the bottom wall 21K-6 of the first carrying chamber
is pressed strongly to the detection surface. In Fig. 36,
the third quadrant is adjacent to the fourth quadrant on
the upstream side in the developer carrying direction. In

such a third quadrant, a pressing force on the developer
generated in the fourth quadrant is propagated from the
fourth quadrant. Thus, the developer present near the
detection surface of the toner concentration sensor 45K in
the clearance is pressed to the detection surface with a
pressing force weaker than that in the fourth quadrant.
This makes it possible to prevent occurrence of
misdetection of a toner concentration. However, a return
force by the pressing wall 39K acting on the developer is
larger in the third quadrant. Whereas the developer is
about to move downward in the gravity direction with an own
weight thereof, the reverse carrying blade 29K is about to
lift the developer in the opposite direction. As a result,
the pressing force of the developer against the detection
surface becomes larger. Therefore, an amount of
misdetection of a toner concentration can be further
reduced.
As described above, in the form shown in Fig. 20, the
toner concentration sensor 45K is disposed in the fourth
quadrant to detect a toner concentration of the developer
that is given a downward pressing force from above in the
gravity direction by the pressing wall 39 while moving
upward from below in the gravity direction according to the
rotation of the first screw member 26K. Therefore, an
amount of misdetection of a toner concentration can be
further reduced than when the toner concentration sensor
45K is disposed in the third quadrant in which the
developer is moved downward from above in the gravity
direction according to the rotation of the first screw
member 26K.
In the copying machine, the pressing wall 39K is
provided only in a part of the entire area in the developer
carrying direction in the first carrying chamber as the

developer carrying unit. Specifically, the pressing wall
39K is provided only in the area where the reverse carrying
blade 29K is provided in the first screw member 26K in the
entire area of the first carrying chamber. When a pressure
of the developer considerably rises right below the
pressing wall 39K, it is possible to cause the developer
present further on the upstream side in the developer
carrying direction than the pressing wall 39K to flow over
the pressing wall 39 according to the increase in the
pressure and behave to prevent a further increase in the
pressure. This makes it possible to prevent the section
right below the pressing wall 39K from being clogged with
the developer. On the other hand, if the entire area in
the developer carrying direction is covered with the
pressing wall 39K, it is likely that clogging of the
section right below the pressing wall 39K by the developer
occurs.
As shown in Figs. 20 and 36, the entire area around
the first screw member 26K does not always have to be
filled with the developer right below the pressing wall 39K.
As shown in Fig. 37, a developer storage quantity can be
only enough for filling the clearance between the screw and
the pressing wall 39K except the second quadrant (upper
left of the screw) among the four quadrants. Even if the
developer storage quantity is relatively small in this way,
if the clearance in -the first quadrant (upper right of the
screw) is filled with the developer, a return force by the
pressing wall 39K is given to the developer moved upward
from below in the gravity direction in the first quadrant.
This makes it possible to press the developer strongly to
the detection surface of the toner concentration sensor 45K
in the fourth quadrant (lower right of the screw) and the
third quadrant (lower left of the screw).

It is not always necessary to provide the pressing
wall 39K to cover the entire area in the width direction of
the first carrying chamber. This is because, if the
pressing wall 39K is disposed to cover at least the first
quadrant (upper right of the screw) as shown in Fig. 38,
the developer can be pressed strongly to the detection
surface of the toner concentration sensor 45K in the third
quadrant (lower left of the screw) and the fourth quadrant
(lower right of the screw).
An amount of projection L6 of the reverse carrying
blade 29K in the normal direction from the peripheral
surface of the rotation shaft member 27K is set larger than
an amount of projection L5 of the spiral blade 28K in the
normal direction from the peripheral surface of the
rotation shaft member 27K. The tip of the reverse carrying
blade 29K that has moved to the position opposed to the K
toner concentration sensor 45K according to the rotation of
the first screw member 26K is brought closer to the sensor
than the tip of the spiral blade 28K to press the K
developer more strongly to the sensor than when the amount
of projection L6 is set equal to or smaller than the amount
of projection L5. This makes it possible to reduce an
amount of misdetection of a K toner concentration.
Fig. 34 is a graph of a relation between the toner
concentration sensor output Vt [V] during idle agitation
and an idle agitation time [s]. As shown in the figure,
the relation between the toner concentration sensor output
Vt and the idle agitation time is a waveform of a sine
curve shape. This is because a pressing force of the
developer applied to the toner concentration sensor 45K is
the largest when the reverse carrying blade 29K of the
first screw member 26K passes the area opposed to the toner
concentration sensor 45K according to the rotation of the

reverse carrying blade 29K. When a pressure sensor is
attached instead of the K toner concentration detection
sensor 45K in the developer carrying device 22K for K, a
relation between the K toner concentration sensor output Vt
and an elapsed time is also a waveform of a sine curve
shape like the waveform shown in the figure. A period of
the waveform is the same as a period of the waveform in Fig.
34. At timing when the reverse carrying blade 29K passes
the position opposed to the K toner concentration sensor
45K according to the rotation of the first screw member 26K,
the toner concentration sensor output Vt is the highest (a
max point of the sine curve) and a K toner concentration is
accurately detected.
In the copying machine that shows such detection
characteristics, when the toner concentration sensor output
Vt at timing at a lower limit point of the sine curve is
adopted for toner concentration control or the toner
concentration sensor output Vt at timing at an upper limit
point is adopted for toner concentration control, accurate
toner concentration control is difficult because an amount
of misdetection fluctuates. Thus, in the copying machine,
the control unit 500 as the control means acquires the
toner concentration sensor output Vt a plurality of number
of times in a predetermined period and, then, extracts, out
of results of the detection, results having values higher
than an average in a plurality of detection results and
controls driving of the toner supplying unit based on a
result of the extraction. Therefore, a toner concentration
can be more accurately controlled than when the toner
concentration sensor output Vt at an upper limit time or a
lower limit time is adopted at random.
Fig. 35 is a flowchart of a toner concentration
control processing carried out by the control unit 500. In

the figure, a flow of toner concentration control
processing for only one color is shown. However, in actual
use, the same toner concentration control processing is
carried out in parallel for the respective colors of Y, C,
M, and K. In the figure, first, a predetermined number of
toner concentration sensor output Vt are sampled at
predetermined intervals at predetermined timing (step S21).
After calculating an average Vt_ave of sampling data of the
sampling (step S22), the control unit 500 extracts only the
toner concentration sensor outputs Vt larger than the
average Vt_ave among the sampled toner concentration sensor
outputs Vt (step S23). After recalculating an average of
only the extracted data (step S24), the control unit 500
drives the toner supplying unit for a time corresponding to
a recalculation result Vt_ave' to supply the toner (step
S25).
In the example explained above, the left side plate
21K-3 and the partition wall 21K-5 of the first carrying
chamber is bridged by the pressing wall 39K. However, it
is not always necessary to bridge the left side plate 21K-3
and the partition wall 21K-5. If it is possible to bring
the pressing wall 39K into contact with the K developer,
which moves from the lower side to the upper side in the
gravity direction according to the rotation of the first
screw member 26K, from above in the gravity direction, the
pressing wall 39K may be partially provided between the
left side plate 21K-3 and the partition wall 21K-5. The
developer carrying device 22K for K has been explained.
However, the developer carrying devices for the other
colors have structures same as that of the developer
carrying device 22K for K.
Modifications of the copying machine according to the
embodiment are explained below. Unless specifically noted

otherwise, structures of copying machines according to the
modifications are the same as that in the embodiment.
Fig. 39 is an enlarged side view of a part of the
first screw member 26K in a developing device for K of a
copying machine according to a first modification. In the
first screw member 26K, a parallel fin 31K as a blade
member is protrudingly provided on the peripheral surface
of the rotation shaft member 27K instead of the reverse
carrying blade. The parallel fin 31K is protrudingly
provided on the peripheral surface of the rotation shaft
member 27K in a posture extending in the axial direction of
the rotation shaft member 27K. The parallel fin 31K moves
a developer in the normal direction (the rotation radius
direction) of the first screw member 26K according to the
rotation of the parallel fin 31K. This makes it possible
to press the developer strongly to a detection surface of a
not-shown toner concentration sensor. Moreover, the
developer present near the detection surface is actively
replaced by retracting the developer from the detection
surface while being pressed strongly against the detection
surface according to the rotation of the parallel fin 31K.
As a result, misdetection of a toner concentration due to
fluctuation in a volume of the toner can be reduced.
Fig. 40 is a graph of a relation between a toner
concentration conversion value [wt%] of the toner
concentration sensor output Vt [V] and an idle agitation
time [min] at the time when a K developer having a K toner
concentration of 8 [wt%] is idly agitated in the first
screw member 2 6K shown in Fig. 39. As shown in the figure,
it is seen that an amount of error detection of a toner
concentration increases according to an increase in the
idle agitation time when a first screw member including a
parallel fin is used and a pressing wall is not provided,

when the first screw member not including the parallel fin
is used and the pressing wall is not provided, and when the
first screw member not including the parallel fin is used
and the pressing wall is provided. On the other hand, it
is seen that toner densities of substantially the same
values continue to be detected until 120 minutes passes
from immediately after the start of idle agitation when the
first screw member including the parallel fin is used and
the pressing wall is provided. In view of this
experimental result, in the developing device according to
the first modification, the first screw member 26K
including the parallel fin 31K is used and the pressing
wall is provided in the first carrying chamber.
For reference, a relation between the toner
concentration sensor output Vt [V] and a toner
concentration [wt%] is shown in Fig. 41. When the pressing
wall is not provided, the developer moved upward from below
in the gravity direction according to the rotation of the
first screw member is not pushed back downward in the
gravity direction. Therefore, the developer is not pressed
in the clearance and an amount of error detection of a
toner concentration is larger than when the pressing wall
is provided.
In experiments in which the data in Figs. 4 0 and 41
are acquired, a screw member described below is used as the
first screw member. A disposing pitch in the screw
rotation axis direction of the spiral blade is 25 [mm] and
a projection height from the surface of the rotation shaft
member of the parallel fin is the same as that of the
spiral blade. The parallel fin of the first screw member
is connected to a blade of the spiral blade, a downstream
end in the developer carrying direction of which is
adjacent to the parallel fin on a downstream side in the

developer carrying direction, between blades of the spiral
blade as shown in Fig. 39. On the other hand, a gap is
provided as shown in the figure between an upstream end in
the developer carrying direction of the parallel fin and a
blade of the spiral blade adjacent to the parallel fin on
an upstream side in the developer carrying direction. The
developer in the first screw member is carried while
passing through this gap. As the toner concentration
sensor, a toner concentration sensor, a diameter of a
detection surface of which is 5 [mm], is used. The toner
concentration sensor is disposed to place the center of the
detection surface in a position opposed to the center in
the rotation axis direction of the parallel fin. As the
pressing wall (e.g., 39K), a pressing wall, a length in the
screw axis direction (a length in the developer carrying
direction) of which is 25 [mm], and that covers the entire
ceiling of the first carrying chamber and covers only a
part of the area in the developer carrying direction of the
first carrying chamber as shown in Fig. 20 is used.
As described already, the parallel fin can be a flat
rectangular fin, a twisted fin shown in Fig. 30, a hollow
fin, a fin, Mylar, or a fin with Mylar integral with the
rotation shaft member or the spiral blade, and the like.
Fig. 42 is an enlarged side view of a part of a second
example of the first screw member 26K in the developing
device for K of the copying machine according to the first
modification. The parallel fin 31K in the first screw
member 26K in the second example is connected to a blade of
the spiral blade, an upstream end in the developer carrying
direction of which is adjacent to the parallel fin 31K on
an upstream side in the developer carrying direction,
between blades of the parallel fin 31K. On the other hand,
a gap is provided as shown in the figure between a

downstream end in the developer carrying direction of the
parallel fin 31K and a blade of the spiral blade adjacent
to the parallel fin 31K on a downstream side in the
developer carrying direction. The developer in the first
screw member is carried while passing through this gap.
Therefore, the developer can be actively replaced near the
detection surface of the toner concentration sensor while
being pressed strongly to the toner concentration sensor
according to the rotation of the parallel fin 31K.
Fig. 43 is an enlarged side view of a part of a third
example of the first screw member 26K in the developing
device for K of the copying machine according to the first
modification. The parallel fin 31K in the first screw
member 2 6K in the third example is connected to the spiral
blade 28K at both an upstream end and a downstream end in
the developer carrying direction between blades of the
spiral blade 28K and bridges the blades of the spiral blade
28K. Therefore, the developer can be actively replaced
near the detection surface of the toner concentration
sensor while being pressed strongly to the toner
concentration sensor according to the rotation of the
parallel fin 31K.
Fig. 44 is an enlarged side view of a part of a fourth
example of the first screw member 26K in the developing
device for K of the copying machine according to the first
modification. At both an upstream end and a downstream end
in the developer carrying direction of the parallel fin 31K
in the first screw member 26K in the fourth example, gaps
are formed between the upstream end and the downstream end
and the spiral blade. The developer is carried while
passing through the gaps. Therefore, the developer can be
actively replaced near the detection surface of the toner
concentration sensor while being pressed strongly to the

toner concentration sensor according to the rotation of the
parallel fin 31K.
Fig. 45 is an enlarged side view of a part of the
first screw member 26K in a developing device for K of a
copying machine according to a second modification. In the
first screw member 26K, a forward carrying fin 31K' is
protrudingly provided on the peripheral surface of the
rotation shaft member 27K instead of the reverse carrying
blade. The forward carrying fin 31K' bridges blades of the
spiral blade 28K. An inclination angle 03 thereof is
smaller than the inclination angle 91 of the spiral blade
28K (0° at such an inclination angle 03 carries a developer at
speed higher than that of the spiral blade 28K in a
direction relatively the same as that of the spiral blade
28K.
Between the forward carrying fin 31K' and the spiral
blade 28K, the forward carrying fin 31K' superior in the
developer carrying speed presses the developer against the
surface (a surface indicated by S1 in the figure) of the
spiral blade 28K inferior in the developer carrying speed.
A part of the developer pressed against the surface of the
spiral blade 28K moves in the normal direction of the first
screw member 26K along the surface of the spiral blade 28K.
The part of the developer flows to the outside of the first
screw member 26K and is pressed strongly against a
detection surface of a not-shown toner concentration sensor.
Consequently, the developer present near the detection
surface of the toner concentration sensor is pressed
strongly to the detection surface. The developer is
retracted from the detection surface while being pressed
strongly against the detection surface according to the

rotation of the forward carrying fin 31K' to actively
replace the developer present near the detection surface.
As a result, misdetection of a toner concentration due to
fluctuation in a volume of a toner can be further reduced
than in the past.
There are four angles formed by the line L1 extending
in the rotation axis direction of the first screw member
26K and a line L7 extending in an extending direction of
the forward carrying fin 31K' on the peripheral surface of
the rotation shaft member 27K. Among the four angles, each
two angles are the same angles because the angles are
vertical angles. Thus, there are two angles formed by
crossing of the line L1 and the line L7. An angle 63
represents a smaller one of these angles. The angle 63 of
the forward carrying fin 31K' does not always have to
satisfy the condition "0° takes a value with which the developer can be pressed
against the pressing wall.
Fig. 46 is an enlarged side view of a part of a second
example of the first screw member 26K in the developing
device for K of the copying machine according to the second
modification. The forward carrying fin 31K' in the first
screw member 26K in the second example is connected to a
blade of a spiral blade, a downstream end in the developer
carrying direction of which is adjacent to the forward
carrying fin 31K' on a downstream side in the developer
carrying direction, between blades of the spiral blade 28K.
On the other hand, a gap is provided as shown in the figure
between an upstream end in the developer carrying direction
of the forward carrying fin 31K' and a blade of the spiral
blade adjacent to the forward carrying fin 31K' on an
upstream side in the developer carrying direction. The

developer in the first screw member is carried while
passing through this gap. Therefore, the developer can be
actively replaced near the detection surface of the toner
concentration sensor while being pressed strongly to the
toner concentration sensor according to the rotation of the
forward carrying fin 31K'.
Fig. 47 is an enlarged side view of a part of a third
example of the first screw member 26K in the developing
device for K of the copying machine according to the second
modification. The forward carrying fin 31K' in the first
screw member 26K in the third example is connected to a
blade of a spiral blade, a downstream end in the developer
carrying direction of which is adjacent to the forward
carrying fin 31K' on a downstream side in the developer
carrying direction, between blades of the spiral blade 28K.
On the other hand, a gap is provided as shown in the figure
between a downstream end in the developer carrying
direction of the forward carrying fin 31K' and a blade of
the spiral blade adjacent to the forward carrying fin 31K'
on a downstream side in the developer carrying direction.
The developer in the first screw member is carried while
passing through this gap. Therefore, the developer can be
actively replaced near the detection surface of the toner
concentration sensor while being pressed strongly to the
toner concentration sensor according to the rotation of the
forward carrying fin 31K'.
Fig. 48 is an enlarged side view of a part of a fourth
example of the first screw member 26K in the developing
device for K of the copying machine according to the second
modification. At both an upstream end and a downstream end
in the developer carrying direction of the forward carrying
fin 31K' in the first screw member 26K in the fourth
example, gaps are formed between the upstream end and the

downstream end and the spiral blade. The developer is
carried while passing through the gaps. Therefore, the
developer can be actively replaced near the detection
surface of the toner concentration sensor while being
pressed strongly to the toner concentration sensor
according to the rotation of the forward carrying fin 31K'.
As described already, the parallel fin can be a flat
rectangular fin, a twisted fin shown in Fig. 30, a hollow
fin, a fin, Mylar, or a fin with Mylar integral with the
rotation shaft member or the spiral blade, and the like.
The toner concentration sensor 45K is disposed to
detect a toner concentration of a developer further below
in the gravity direction than the rotation center of the
first screw member 26K. Therefore, as explained already,
significant misdetection of a toner concentration, which
occurs because a developer surface is located below the
toner concentration sensor, can be prevented from occurring.
Moreover, the toner concentration sensor 45K is
disposed in the fourth quadrant to detect a toner
concentration of the developer that is given a downward
pressing force from above in the gravity direction by the
pressing wall 39 while moving upward from below in the
gravity direction according to the rotation of the first
screw member 26K. As explained already, an amount of
misdetection of a toner concentration can be further
reduced than when the toner concentration sensor 45K is
disposed in the third quadrant.
The first screw member 26K including the rotatably-
supported rotation shaft member 27K and the spiral blade
28K protrudingly provided in a spiral shape on the
peripheral surface of the rotation shaft member 27K is used
as the agitating and carrying member. The reverse carrying
blade 29K that carries the K developer in the direction

opposite to the carrying direction of the spiral blade 28K
according to the rotation of the rotation shaft member 27K
is protrudingly provided in the area opposed to the
pressing wall 39K of the entire area in the rotation axis
direction in the rotation shaft member 27K. As described
above, the pressing force of the K developer against the K
toner concentration sensor 45K is increased by pressing the
K developer with the pressing wall 39K and is also
increased by carrying the K developer in the opposite
direction in the area opposed to the sensor with the
reverse carrying blade 29K. This makes it possible to
further reduce misdetection of a toner concentration due to
fluctuation in a volume of a toner. Moreover, the
developer is retracted from the detection surface while
being pressed strongly against the detection surface
according to the rotation of the reverse carrying blade 29K
to actively replace the developer present near the
detection surface. As a result, an amount of misdetection
of a toner concentration can also be substantially
eliminated.
The screw member including the rotatably-supported
rotation shaft member 27K and the spiral blade 28K
protrudingly provided in a spiral shape on the peripheral
surface of the rotation shaft member 27K is used. The
parallel fin 31K or the forward carrying fin 31K' as the
blade member that moves the developer in the normal
direction according to the rotation of the rotation shaft
member 27K or moves the developer in the direction same as
the direction of carrying by the spiral blade 28K is
protrudingly provided in the area opposed to the pressing
wall 39K in the entire area in the rotation axis direction
in the rotation shaft member 27K. Therefore, the developer
can be actively replaced near the detection surface of the

toner concentration sensor while being pressed strongly to
the toner concentration sensor according to the rotation of
the parallel fin 31K or the forward carrying fin 31K'.
The reverse carrying blade 29K is disposed between the
two opposed surfaces opposed in the rotation axis direction
in the spiral blade 28K. The gap is provided between at
least one of the two opposed surfaces and the reverse
carrying blade 29K. As described above, clogging of the
section below the pressing wall 39K by the K developer can
be further prevented than when the gap is not provided.
The amount of projection L6 of the reverse carrying
blade 29K in the normal direction from the peripheral
surface of the rotation shaft member 27K is set larger than
the amount of projection L5 of the spiral blade 28K in the
normal direction from the peripheral surface of the
rotation shaft member 27K. Therefore, an amount of
misdetection of a toner concentration can be further
reduced than when the amount of projection L6 is set equal
to or smaller than the amount of projection L5.
The pressing wall 39K is provided only in a part of
the entire area in the developer carrying direction in the
first carrying chamber. Therefore, as explained above,
clogging of the section right below the pressing wall 39K
by the developer can be prevented.
The control unit 500 acquires results of detection by
the toner concentration sensor as the toner concentration
detecting means a plurality of number of times, then,
extracts only results with values higher than an average in
the acquired results, and controls driving of the toner
supplying unit based on a result of the extraction.
Therefore, as described above, a toner concentration can be
more accurately controlled than when a detection result at
a random point in time is directly adopted.

The developer that moves from the lower side to the
upper side in the gravity direction according to the
rotation of the agitating and carrying member is pressed
downward in the gravity direction with the pressing wall to
push out the developer in the agitating and carrying member
in the rotation radius direction of the agitating and
carrying member while compressing the developer. The
developer present near the detection surface of the toner-
concentration detecting unit in the clearance between the
outer edge of the agitating and carrying member and the
wall of the developer carrying unit is pushed strongly to
the detection surface with the developer pushed out in the
rotation radius direction from the inside of the agitating
and carrying member. Misdetection of a toner concentration
due to fluctuation in a volume of a toner can be further
reduced than in the past by pressing the developer strongly
to the detection surface of the toner-concentration
detecting unit in this way.
Although the invention has been described with respect
to specific embodiments for a complete and clear disclosure,
the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to
be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative
constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art that
fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.

CLAIMS
1.(Amended) A developer carrying device comprising:
a developer carrying unit configured to carry a
developer containing a toner and a carrier in a rotation
axis direction while agitating the developer with rotation
of an agitating and carrying member; and
a toner-concentration detecting unit configured to
detect a toner concentration in the developer carried in
the developer carrying unit, wherein
a pressing wall is provided in an area in a part of an
entire area in a developer carrying direction in the
developer carrying unit, the pressing wall coming into
contact with, from above in the gravity direction, the
developer that moves from a lower side to an upper side in
the gravity direction according to the rotation of the
agitating and carrying member and pressing the developer
downward in the gravity direction,
the area is opposed to a bottom wall of the developer
carrying unit on a lower side in a gravity direction of the
agitating and carrying member and opposed to side walls of
the developer carrying unit on both lateral sides
orthogonal to the rotation axis direction of the agitating
and carrying member, and
the toner concentration of the developer being carried
is detected by the toner-concentration detecting unit in
the area, wherein
the agitating and carrying member includes a screw
member including a rotatably-supported rotation shaft
member and a spiral blade protrudingly provided in a spiral
shape on a peripheral surface of the rotation shaft member,
and
a reverse carrying blade that carries the developer in
a direction opposite to a carrying direction of the spiral

blade according to the rotation of the rotation shaft
member is protrudingly provided in an area opposite to the
pressing wall in the entire area in the rotation axis
direction in the rotation shaft member.
2. The developer carrying device according to claim 1,
wherein the toner-concentration detecting unit is arranged
at a location that makes it possible to detect a toner
concentration of the developer present further below in the
gravity direction than a rotation center of the agitating
and carrying member.
3. The developer carrying device according to claim 1 or
2, wherein the toner-concentration detecting unit is
arranged at a location that makes it possible to detect a
toner concentration of the developer that is given a
downward pressing force from above in the gravity direction
by the pressing wall while moving upward from below in the
gravity direction according to the rotation of the
agitating and carrying member.
4.(Amended) The developer carrying device according to
any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
the agitating and carrying member includes plurality
of spiral blades protrudingly provided in the spiral shape
on the peripheral surface of the rotation shaft member,
the reverse carrying blade is protrudingly provided in
area on the rotation shaft member between the spiral blades.

5. The developer carrying device according to any one of
claims 1 to 3, wherein
the agitating and carrying member is a screw member
including a rotatably-supported rotation shaft member and a
spiral blade protrudingly provided in a spiral shape on a
peripheral surface of the rotation shaft member, and
a blade member that moves the developer in a normal
5 direction according to the rotation of the rotation shaft
member or moves the developer in a direction same as a
direction of carrying by the spiral blade is protrudingly
provided in an area opposite to the pressing wall in the
entire area in the rotation axis direction in the rotation
shaft member.
6. The developer carrying device according to claim 4 or
5, wherein
the reverse carrying blade or the blade member is
arranged between two opposed surfaces opposed in the
rotation axis direction each other in the spiral blade, and
a gap is provided between at least one of the two
opposed surfaces and the reverse carrying blade or the
blade member.
7. The developer carrying device according to any one of
claims 4 to 6, wherein an amount of projection of the
reverse carrying blade or the blade member in a normal
direction from the rotation shaft member is set larger than
an amount of projection of the spiral blade in the normal
direction from the rotation shaft member.

8. The developer carrying device according to any one of
claims 1 to 7, wherein the pressing wall is provided only
in a part of the entire area in the developer carrying
direction in the developer carrying unit.
9. A developing device comprising:
a developer carrying device that carries a developer
containing a toner and a carrier; and
a developer bearing member that carries the developer,
which is carried by the developer carrying device, to an
area opposed to a latent-image bearing member according to
surface movement of the developer bearing member while
bearing the developer on an endlessly-moving surface
thereof and develops a latent image born on the latent-
image bearing member, wherein
the developer carrying device according to any one of
claims 1 to 8 is used as the developer carrying device.
10. A process unit in an image forming apparatus including
a latent-mage bearing member that bears a latent image, a
developing device that develops the latent image on the
latent-image bearing member, and a transfer unit that
transfers a visual image developed on the image bearing
member onto a transfer member, the process unit holding at
least the latent-image bearing member and the developing
device in a common holding member as one unit and being
detachably mounted integrally on in an image forming
apparatus main body, wherein
the developing device according to claim 9 is used as
the developing device.
11. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a latent-image bearing member that bears a latent
image; and

a developing device that develops the latent image on
the latent-image bearing unit, wherein
the developing device according to claim 9 is used as
the developing device.
12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11,
further comprising:
a toner supplying unit that supplies a toner into the
developing device, and
a control unit that acquires results of detection by
the toner-concentration detecting unit a plurality of
number of times, then, extracts results with values higher
than an average in the results of the detection, and
controls driving of the toner supplying unit based on a
result of the extraction.

A pressing wall is provided in a part of the entire
area of the first carrying chamber in which a first screw
member is housed. The area is opposed to a bottom wall of
the first carrying chamber on the lower side in the gravity
direction of the first screw member and opposed to the side
walls of the first carrying chamber on both lateral sides
orthogonal to a rotation axis direction of the first screw
member. In the area, a toner concentration of a K
developer being carried is detected by a K toner
concentration sensor. The pressing wall comes into contact
with, from above in the gravity direction, the K developer,
which moves from a lower side to an upper side in the
gravity direction according to the rotation of the first
screw member, and presses the K developer downward in the
gravity direction.

Documents:

01672-kolnp-2008-abstract.pdf

01672-kolnp-2008-claims 1.pdf

01672-kolnp-2008-claims.pdf

01672-kolnp-2008-correspondence others.pdf

01672-kolnp-2008-description complete.pdf

01672-kolnp-2008-drawings.pdf

01672-kolnp-2008-form 1.pdf

01672-kolnp-2008-form 3.pdf

01672-kolnp-2008-form 5.pdf

01672-kolnp-2008-gpa.pdf

01672-kolnp-2008-international publication.pdf

01672-kolnp-2008-international search report.pdf

01672-kolnp-2008-pct priority document notification.pdf

01672-kolnp-2008-pct request form.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-(10-06-2014)-CORRESPONDENCE.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-(10-06-2014)-OTHERS.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-(15-05-2014)-ABSTRACT.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-(15-05-2014)-ANNEXURE TO FORM 3.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-(15-05-2014)-CLAIMS.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-(15-05-2014)-CORRESPONDENCE.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-(15-05-2014)-DRAWINGS.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-(15-05-2014)-EXAMINATION REPORT REPLY RECIEVED.PDF

1672-KOLNP-2008-(15-05-2014)-FORM-2.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-(15-05-2014)-FORM-3.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-(15-05-2014)-FORM-5.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-(15-05-2014)-OTHERS.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-(15-05-2014)-PETITION UNDER RULE 137.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-(17-10-2014)-CLAIMS.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-(17-10-2014)-CORRESPONDENCE.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-(17-10-2014)-OTHERS.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-(27-07-2008)-FORM-13.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-CORRESPONDENCE-1.1.pdf

1672-kolnp-2008-form 18.pdf

1672-KOLNP-2008-OTHERS.pdf

abstract-1672-kolnp-2008.jpg


Patent Number 265317
Indian Patent Application Number 1672/KOLNP/2008
PG Journal Number 08/2015
Publication Date 20-Feb-2015
Grant Date 18-Feb-2015
Date of Filing 25-Apr-2008
Name of Patentee RICOH COMPANY, LTD
Applicant Address 3-6, NAKAMAGOME 1-CHOME, OHTA-KU TOKYO
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 OSHIGE WAKAKO C/O RICOH COMPANY LIMITED 3-6 NAKAMAGOME 1-CHOME, OHTA-KU TOKYO-1438555
2 KATO SHINJI C/O RICOH COMPANY LIMITED 3-6 NAKAMAGOME 1-CHOME, OHTA-KU TOKYO-1438555
PCT International Classification Number G03G 15/08
PCT International Application Number PCT/JP2007/068323
PCT International Filing date 2007-09-13
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 2006-253304 2006-09-19 Japan
2 2007-190766 2007-07-23 Japan