Patent · US Expired

Sorting technique for recycle of device units

US7156234B2 · kind B2 · utility

13Cited by
7References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 12, 2004
Grant dateJan 2, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 15, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03G2221/1823
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The sorting apparatus receives the electromagnetic wave from a storage element of a collected toner cartridge, and specifies the recyclability of the toner cartridge based on information extracted from the received electromagnetic wave. The sorting system then sorts out the toner cartridge, in order to send the toner cartridge to a selected one of the sorting areas, based on the results of the specification of recyclability of the toner cartridge, the feed roller, and the development roller. Subsequently, the sorting system controls one of sorting units to guide the toner cartridge to the selected sorting area and registers the results of sorting into a sorting database.

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