Patent · US Expired

Image forming apparatus

US4786942A · kind A · utility

11Cited by
4References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 7, 1987
Grant dateNov 22, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 7, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03G15/0853
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An electrostatic latent image formed on a surface of a photoconductor drum 61 of a copying apparatus is caused to be visible by a developing device 4. The developing device 4 comprises a toner tank 43 and a toner supply roller 44 for supplying toner to a developer container 45. A toner density in the developer container 45 is detected by a sensor 11 and a detecting circuit 1. When irregular supply of toner is requested through a switch 91, a control circuit 2 compares the detected toner density with a prescribed density and drives the roller 44 to supply toner till the detected density attains the prescribed density. If copy operation is instructed through a switch 92 during the supply of toner, the control circuit 2 permits the copy operation and the supply of toner is continued during the copy operation.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.