A developing apparatus includes a developer carrying member, a developer container, and a regulating member to regulate the thickness of the developer. The regulating member includes a support member having one end fixed to the developer container and the other end free, with the support member extending in a direction opposite to the rotating direction of the developer carrying member, and a contact member to be fixed to the other end of the support member and to contact the developer carrying member. The contact member includes a contact curved surface along a peripheral surface of the developer carrying member, and an opposite surface to face the developer carrying member. The contact pressure of the contact curved surface applied to the developer carrying member decreases as a location on the developer carrying member approaches a downstream side in the rotating direction.

At the time of an end of an image forming job (YES of S1), a controller causes a blade and a developing roller to be separated from a photosensitive drum (S2). At that time, the controller controls separation timing of the belt and the developing roller so that the developing roller is separated from the photosensitive drum before a surface position of the photosensitive drum contacted to the developing roller at a contact position at the time of a start of separation of the blade from the photosensitive drum reaches a developing position with the separation of the blade. According to this, even when a liquid accumulation reaches the developing position depending on the separation of the blade, the developing roller has already been separated from the photosensitive drum before the liquid accumulation reaches the developing position and therefore, the liquid accumulation is not collected by the developing roller. When the liquid accumulation is not collected by the developing roller, color mixture due to the liquid accumulation does not occur.

A wiper holder comprises a body part and a first slot formed in the body part, the first slot for holding a first wiper element, where the first slot is bent to form-lock the first wiper element, and a second slot formed in the body part adjacent to the first slot, the second slot for holding a second wiper element, where the second slot is bent to form-lock the second wiper element.

Provided is a developing apparatus including a developer carrying member, a developer container, and a regulating member to regulate the thickness of the developer. The regulating member includes a support member such that one end is fixed to the developer container, the other end is a free end, and the support member extends in a direction opposite to the rotating direction of the developer carrying member, and a contact member to be fixed to the other end of the support member and to contact the developer carrying member. The contact member includes a contact curved surface along a peripheral surface of the developer carrying member, and an opposite surface to face the developer carrying member. The contact pressure of the contact curved surface applied to the developer carrying member decreases as a location on the developer carrying member approaches downstream side in the rotating direction.

A developing apparatus includes a developer bearing member configured to bear and convey a developer containing toner and carrier, a first conveyance screw arranged in a first chamber to convey the developer, a second conveyance screw arranged in the second chamber to convey the developer, and a permeability sensor configured to detect a permeability of the developer. A detection portion of the sensor is arranged below a rotational axis of the second conveyance screw, and a rib portion is formed so as to protrude in a radial direction from a rotation shaft of the second conveyance screw for supplying the developer toward the detection portion.

A developing device includes a developing roller, a toner supply roller, a casing, a film member, a biasing member, a link member, a link member drive mechanism, and an oscillation mechanism. The film member is disposed on an upper surface of an inner wall portion of the casing, with the biasing member coupled to one longitudinal end of the film member. The link member is coupled to the other longitudinal end of the film member. The link member drive mechanism drives the link member. The link member drive mechanism makes the link member intermittently pull the film member to thereby cause reciprocation of the film member in a longitudinal direction. The oscillation mechanism causes an upper end portion of the film member to oscillate in a direction orthogonal to the upper surface of the inner wall portion along with the reciprocation of the film member.

An example apparatus includes a conveyor. The apparatus also includes a first developer unit. The first developer unit is to concentrate first printing liquid. The first developer unit also is to deliver the first printing liquid to the conveyor. The apparatus also includes a second developer unit. The second developer unit is to concentrate second printing liquid. The second developer also is to deliver the second printing liquid to the conveyor to form a thick layer of printing liquid comprising the first and second printing liquid.

According to an aspect of the invention, a developing device includes a developing container that accommodates a two-component developer, a toner concentration detecting unit that detects a toner concentration of the developer by a detecting unit exposed to an inner wall of the developing container, a transport member that is disposed within the developing container and stirs and transport the developer with a transport blade having a pitch that is equal to or less than a size of the detecting unit of the toner concentration detecting unit, and a plurality of gap holding members that is provided at a position facing the toner concentration detecting unit of the transport member and holds a gap such that a tip thereof is abutted against the inner wall of the developing container.

A wiper holder comprises a body part and a first slot formed in the body part, the first slot for holding a first wiper element, wherein the first slot is bent to form-lock the first wiper element, and a second slot formed in the body part adjacent to the first slot, the second slot for holding a second wiper element, wherein the second slot is bent to form-lock the second wiper element.

A developing device includes a supply member, a developing device body, and a closing member. The supply member supplies a developer to an image holding element that holds a developer image. The developing device body rotatably supports the supply member. The closing member closes a clearance formed between the developing device body and the supply member with one end of the closing member fixed to the developing device body and the other end, which is a free end, contacting the supply member. The closing member has plural grooves formed to extend from the other end toward the one end.