Toner replenishing apparatus and image forming apparatus equipped with same
US6226490A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 23, 1999 |
| Grant date | May 1, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 23, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03G21/105
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
To solve problems that the amount of reuse toner increases with time recovery of reuse toner is efficiently achieved while forming an image of high quality. In a toner replenishing apparatus, toner recovered by a cleaning unit is conveyed via conveying device and contained in a recovery toner container. When an amount of the recovery toner exceeds a predetermined capacity of the recovery toner container, the recovery toner flows into a fresh toner container over an upper edge of a partition wall. Fresh toner and recovery toner are replenished to a developing unit via a fresh toner replenishing roller and a recovery toner replenishing roller, respectively, and the ratio between fresh toner and recovery toner is selected so that the fresh toner occupies a larger part than the recovery toner. This ratio is controlled on the basis of the cumulative rotation time of a photoconductor drum counted by a counting device.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.