Developer apparatus having toner concentration control
US5634174A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 1, 1996 |
| Grant date | May 27, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 1, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03G15/0889
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A developer unit of the present invention has an agitating paddle which agitates a developer containing a magnetic carrier and a non-magnetic toner, and a toner is supplied from the toner hopper according to an output of a toner concentration sensor. After an agitation is finished which is performed when the power is turned on, the agitating paddle is periodically operated to agitate the developer. During the agitation, a toner concentration controller shifts a reference level with which the output of the toner concentration sensor is compared from a predetermined level to a higher level and then stepwisely returns it to the predetermined level.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.