Apparatus and method for characterizing the toner concentration in a developer of a printing device
US6774999B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 27, 2001 |
| Grant date | Aug 10, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 1, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03G15/0855
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus (100) for measuring toner concentration in a developer contained in a developer housing (10) includes a developer sample container (102) that receives a portion of developer extracted from the developer housing (10). A spectrophotometer (112) measures spectrophotometric data for the portion of the developer in the developer sample container (102). A processor (116) estimates the toner concentration based on the measured spectrophotometric data and a pre-determined relationship (118) between the spectrophotometric data and the toner concentration. A method (200) for estimating the toner concentration in a developer comprising a toner and a carrier includes measuring (220) a color characteristic of the developer, comparing (222) the measured color characteristic with a pre-determined relationship between the color characteristic and the toner concentration, and estimating (226) the toner concentration based on the comparing.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.