US 12,346,041 B2
Image forming apparatus and image forming system
Shinjiro Toba, Kanagawa (JP); Hiroshi Takarada, Kanagawa (JP); Hiroyuki Munetsugu, Kanagawa (JP); Goshi Ozaki, Kanagawa (JP); Sohta Sugimoto, Kanagawa (JP); Mitsuhiro Sato, Tokyo (JP); Shinichi Nishida, Kanagawa (JP); Yuichi Fukui, Kanagawa (JP); and Yukio Kubo, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Apr. 8, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/628,926.
Application 18/628,926 is a continuation of application No. 17/897,565, filed on Aug. 29, 2022, granted, now 11,977,344.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-141732 (JP), filed on Aug. 31, 2021; and application No. 2021-205884 (JP), filed on Dec. 20, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0255866 A1, Aug. 1, 2024
Int. Cl. G03G 15/08 (2006.01); G03G 21/16 (2006.01); G03G 21/20 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/0886 (2013.01) [G03G 15/0808 (2013.01); G03G 15/0868 (2013.01); G03G 15/0872 (2013.01); G03G 15/0875 (2013.01); G03G 21/1676 (2013.01); G03G 21/206 (2013.01); G03G 2215/0668 (2013.01); G03G 2215/0692 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A developing apparatus comprising:
(i) a developing roller rotatable about a rotational axis extending in a first direction;
(ii) a frame including an accommodating portion which accommodates toner to be borne on the developing roller, the frame including:
(ii-1) first and second frame end portions disposed opposite to each other with respect to the first direction,
(ii-2) a through-hole through which the accommodating portion communicates with outside of the accommodating portion and which is provided in the first frame end portion, and
(ii-3) a supplying port through which a toner is supplied to the accommodating portion from outside of the developing apparatus, the supplying port being provided on the first frame end portion;
(iii) a filter attached to an outer surface of the accommodating portion so that a first surface of the filter covers the through-hole of the frame;
(iv) a sheet; and
(v) a spacer provided between the sheet and a second surface of the filter opposite to the first surface to form a gap therebetween, the spacer including first and second spacer portions which extend in the first direction and align with a space in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a third spacer portion extending in the second direction to connect the first spacer portion and the second spacer portion,
wherein the spacer is provided with an open portion between an end of the first spacer portion and an end of the second spacer portion which are provided on a first end side of the spacer with respect to the first direction,
wherein the third spacer portion of the spacer is connected to the first spacer portion and to the second spacer portion on a second end side of the spacer opposite to the first end side of the spacer with respect to the first direction, and
wherein an area enclosed by the first, second, and third spacer portions overlaps with the through-hole of the frame when viewed in a third direction perpendicular to first direction and the second direction.