Toner replenishing device, for use in an electrophotographic apparatus for developing toner, which stores toner and supplies the stored toner to a development device
US5918094A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 7, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jun 29, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 7, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03G15/0856
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A toner replenishing device has a hopper for storing toner. The hopper has an L-shaped so as to have a large volume in a lateral direction, thereby ensuring that the hopper has the volume corresponding to several toner containers. The toner stored in a lower portion of the hopper is transported by toner transport devices to the vicinity of a toner supply opening provided on the tip of the hopper. The remaining amount of toner is detected by sensors that detect the amount of toner remaining in the toner replenishing device step-by-step. This results in a toner replenishing device having a large toner storage section (1) in which the aggregation of toner due to dead weight can be prevented and (2) in which the amount of toner remaining can be displayed step-by-step and the supply of toner can be carried out in advance before a shortage of toner occurs.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.