A developing unit includes an elastic member that is disposed nearer a middle portion in a rotational axis direction in relation to an edge portion seal member disposed between a developing roller and a developer container, in an edge portion of a regulation member in a rotational axis direction, and contacts a confronting surface at a side opposite to a contact portion in a developing blade, wherein the developing roller, the developing blade, and the elastic member are arranged so as to make contact with one another in sequence in a normal direction in the contact portion of the developing roller.

A developing device includes a developer bearing member, a developer container, a regulating blade including a plate-like elastic portion, and an elastic seal sealing, and a pressing member pressing the elastic seal, wherein the plate-like elastic portion includes a metal plate, a second projection projecting from a second surface of the metal plate facing the developer bearing member, and a first projection projecting from a first surface opposite to the second surface of the metal plate, and wherein a projecting amount of the first projection is greater than a projecting amount of the second projection, wherein a top surface of the second projection contacts the surface of the developer bearing member, and an end surface of the first projection contacts an end surface of the elastic seal in the rotation axis direction.

A developing apparatus includes a developer bearing member bearing and feeding developer including toner and carrier, a first feeding screw arranged in a first chamber and feeding the developer in a first direction, and a second feeding screw arranged in a second chamber and including a first blade portion feeding the developer in a second direction, a second blade portion arranged downstream of the first blade portion and feeding the developer in the first direction, and a third blade portion arranged downstream of the second blade portion. A sealing sheet is arranged upstream of a developer discharging portion and seals initial developer contained in a developing container; and an unsealing mechanism unseals the sealing sheet sealing the initial developer, wherein the sealing sheet is arranged downstream of the second blade portion and upstream of the third blade portion in the second direction.

A method for manufacturing a cartridge attachable to and detachable from a main body of an image forming apparatus, includes preparing a unit that includes a frame including a developer storage unit storing developer and an opening connecting to the outside from the developer storage unit, and a first sheet member, one edge of which is attached to the frame, arranging a connecting member on the first sheet member, fixing a second sheet member to the first sheet member via the connecting member, and attaching a rotation member onto the opening so that the rotation member abuts on the second sheet member.

A cleaning unit includes a cleaning frame, a drum, a sheet member coming in contact with a surface of the drum, and an adhesive sealing member compressed between the cleaning frame, the drum, and the sheet member. The cleaning unit includes an end seal portion that is integrally molded with the cleaning frame by injection molding of a resin material, and the end seal portion is compressed and deformed between the cleaning frame and the adhesive sealing member and between the cleaning frame and the sheet member.

A developer unit for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a developer roll rotatably mounted on a housing. The developer roll includes a roll body cylindrically disposed around a shaft and forming an outer circumferential surface of the developer roll. An axial end of the roll body includes an undercut forming a hollow region in the axial end of the roll body. An elastomeric end seal has a curved rotary seal portion that is sandwiched between a portion of the housing and the outer circumferential surface of the developer roll at the axial end of the developer roll. An interference between the curved rotary seal portion of the end seal and the outer circumferential surface of the developer roll decreases along an axial dimension of the developer roll in a direction from an axially outboard edge of the end seal toward an axially inboard edge of the end seal.

A process cartridge of an image forming apparatus includes a seal member to seal a first gap between an end portion of a developer bearing member and a frame, and a sealing portion that seals a second gap between the frame and an end portion of the seal member. The frame includes an injection inlet through which elastomer has been injected into the second gap for forming the sealing portion, a storage portion that is a space surrounded by a second surface of the frame and a wall protruding from the second surface and in which elastomer spilling out of the second gap is stored, and a protruding portion that protrudes, from the second surface of the frame, further than the wall of the storage portion. The protruding portion contacts a conveyed recording medium when the process cartridge is mounted in an apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus.

An inner resistive film is applied to a conductive substrate. Ductile particles are disposed substantially uniformly throughout the inner resistive film. An outer resistive film is applied to the inner resistive film.

A sealing material reduces heat due to friction produced by contact with a rotating body. The sealing material 1 has cut pile woven fabric 3c having stripes. The sealing material 1 prevents leakage of powder 8 from rotating body or straight body 7b. The woven pile fabric 3b constituting sealing material 1 is woven pattern 3a having stripes which is woven from pile yarn 6 comprising a plurality of filaments 9, woven pattern 3a being cut pile woven fabric 3c having cut pile 4 at which pile 4 is of prescribed length, cut pile woven fabric 3c having steps 7e produced by differences in thickness of cut pile 4 including woven pattern 3e having stripes. The length of cut pile 4 of prescribed length has cut pile length 4d which is greater than the spacing of a pitch between pile supporting yarns 5 that support pile 4.

A seal member 14 which seals a gap among a rotating body 9 provided in an opening of a frame body 13, a blade 18a, and the frame body 13 in an end region in an axial direction of the rotating body 9, the seal member 14 including: a first seal portion 14b which comes into contact with the rotating body 9; a second seal portion 14e which comes into contact with the blade 18a; and a third seal portion 14f which is constituted by a surface formed in a stair shape and sequentially arranged between the first seal portion 14b and the second seal portion 14e and which is capable of reducing a gap formed between the rotating body 9 and the blade 18a due to rotation of the rotating body 9.