Electrophotographic printer with stateful toner bottles
US8548356B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 28, 2011 |
| Grant date | Oct 1, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 17, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03G21/105
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An electrophotographic (EP) printer has two toner bottles. Each has a supply volume and a waste volume separated so that toner can pass from the waste volume to the supply volume, and has a status recorder with waste and supply states. An imaging member receives toner from the supply volume of a second toner bottle in a supply receptacle, and an imaging member applies the toner to a receiver to form a print image. A cleaning device removes toner from an imaging members and transporting the removed toner to the waste volume of a first toner bottle in a waste receptacle. A toggle changes the state of the status recorder of the first toner bottle in the waste receptacle to the supply state, so that the waste toner in the waste volume of the first toner bottle is made available to be used as supply toner in the supply receptacle.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.