| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 399256000 | Auger | 34 |
| 20080260431 | POWDER DELIVERY MEMBER, AND POWDER DELIVERY APPARATUS, FRAME APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME, AND MANUFACTURING APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING POWDER DELIVERY MEMBER - A powder delivery member includes: a flexible axial core portion; and a powder delivering flexible vane portion formed on an outer periphery of the axial core portion. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20090074469 | DUAL CHANNEL APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING POWDER IN AN ELECTROSTATOGRAPHIC PRINTER - An apparatus and method for distributed mixing and transport of toner and powders in an electrostatographic printer containing at least powder and magnetic carrier. The apparatus includes a powder conveying apparatus for transporting powder in a developer station including a development station housing having two or more auger assemblies, each auger assembly including two or more screw augers supported in a channel profile. The two or more screw augers having multiple intermeshed screw blades and controlled by a conveyance controller. The conveyance controller is in communication with the powder the one or more augers, such that each auger preferentially mixes and transports in a first or second direction as the powder conveying device conveys the powder in the developer sump of a print engine. | 03-19-2009 |
| 20090080943 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing device includes a rotator that rotates around a shaft, and a bearing element that supports the shaft to a housing. A sliding element formed of a composite material that contains self-lubricating thermoplastic olefin resin as a base material is used as the bearing element. The sliding element formed of the composite material has at least a ratio of numerical values of “Rockwell hardness”/“bending elastic modulus” in a range from 25 to 45, and provides a sliding surface of which a frictional coefficient is lower than that of the sliding element formed of the base material. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090169265 | POWDER TRANSPORT SCREW, AND DEVELOPMENT DEVICE, PROCESS UNIT AND IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS COMPRISING THIS POWDER TRANSPORT SCREW - A toner transport screw that is capable of maintaining a smooth and stable transport function. The toner transport screw, in which a helical blade is disposed on the circumference of a rotating shaft, has at least one spiral direction reversal part formed by connecting the respective ends of a first blade part and a second blade part, the directions of spiral of the first blade part and the second blade part being in opposite directions. A passage, which allows the toner to pass through the blades in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft, is formed in the spiral direction reversal part. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090175659 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH THE SAME - A developing device to simplify a magnet of a developer delivery unit, and an image forming apparatus with the same. In the image forming apparatus comprising a photosensitive member and a developing device that includes a developing roller to supply a developer to the photosensitive member, the developing device includes a casing defining an external appearance of the developing device, a first auger section defined in the casing for agitation and conveyance of the developer, a second auger section defined in the casing and divided from the first auger section, and a developer delivery unit provided on the outside of the casing, to deliver the developer from the first auger section to the second auger section. | 07-09-2009 |
| 20090190960 | PROCESS CARTRIDGE INCLUDING DEVELOPING UNIT AND INCORPORATED IN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A process cartridge for use in an image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a developing unit. The developing unit includes a developer bearing member to bear developer including toner and carrier, a casing forming a developer container containing the developer, a screw having a shaft with a spiral screw blade, a toner density sensor to detect a density of the toner on a detection surface, and a detection surface agitating member fixedly mounted on the shaft of the screw at a position facing a detection surface to scrape away the developer accumulated on the detection surface as the screw rotates. The detection surface agitating member includes an elastic sheet elastically deformable to scrape away the developer accumulated on the detection surface and disposed at a substantially same angle to an axial direction of the shaft of the screw as the spiral screw blade. | 07-30-2009 |
| 20090257783 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND DEVELOPING DEVICE - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, an electrostatic latent image forming portion configured to form an electrostatic latent image on the image carrying member, and a developing device configured to develop the electrostatic latent image to form a developer image and the developing device is comprised a developer case to store a developer comprising toner and a carrier, a discharge spout provided on a wall surface in the developer case to overflow and discharge the developer increased excessively, a divider member configured to divide an inside of the developer case into a plurality of spaces, and a passing hole which is formed in the dividing member opposite to the discharge spout and is formed so as to permit the developer to pass through. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090285603 | Toner Distribution Device For An Image Forming Apparatus - The present application is directed to devices to move toner within a toner reservoir of an image forming apparatus. The devices may include an elongated auger with a helical blade to move the toner. A gutter may be positioned adjacent to the auger and include a bottom section positioned vertically below the auger and a sidewall that extends upward along a lateral side of the auger. Apertures may be positioned along the bottom section of the gutter. The apertures may be sized to allow toner that is moved by the auger to fall through the gutter and into the reservoir | 11-19-2009 |
| 20100129117 | DEVELOPING APPARATUS, IMAGING UNIT, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing apparatus includes a first rotation member having a rotation shaft to transfer developer in a first direction and a mixing and transfer member having a spiral wing shape to mix and transfer the developer to the center portion of the rotation shaft, a second rotation member having a rotation shaft including a mixing and transfer member to transfer the developer in a direction opposite to the first direction by the first rotation member and a circulation auxiliary member to transfer the developer to the center portion of the rotation shaft, two end portion partition walls formed along the circulation auxiliary member, and a center partition wall formed along the mixing and transfer member at a position separated from the end portion partitions wall. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100196058 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - In a developing device including a developing vessel for storing a developer, a first conveying passage, a second conveying passage, a first conveying member, a second conveying member and a developing roller, the first conveying member has a first rotary shaft and a first conveying blade formed on the periphery of the first rotary shaft, the first conveying blade has a first inner helical blade formed on the periphery of the first rotary shaft and a first outer helical blade arranged along the axis of the first rotary shaft and radially outside the outer periphery of the first inner helical blade, and the helical pitch of the first outer helical blade is specified to be shorter than the helical pitch of the first inner helical blade. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100247154 | DEVELOPER STATION WITH AUGER SYSTEM - A developer station and method for an electrophotographic printer is provided that reduces developer agitation. The developer station includes a sump of magnetic developer, and a magnetic brush roller mounted above said sump and having a rotatable magnetic core surrounded by a substantially cylindrical toning shell rotatably mounted with respect to the core. The toning shell defines a nip at its closest point to the photoconductor element. A tangent line tangent to the cylindrical toning shell at the nip is oriented substantially vertically, and the magnetic developer is applied to the toning shell at an angular distance of no more than about 120° from said nip. The toning shell may be eccentrically mounted with respect to the magnetic core and is substantially closest to the rotatable magnetic core within about +30° and −30° from said nip. Such a configuration advantageously reduces the residence time of the developer on the toning shell. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100247155 | DEVELOPER STATION WITH TAPERED AUGER SYSTEM - A developer station and method for an electrographic printer is provided that reduces developer agitation. The developer station includes a sump for holding a reservoir of magnetic developer comprising toner and carrier and a magnetic auger mounted above said sump and including a rotatable magnetic core surrounded by a substantially cylindrical rotatable toning shell rotatably mounted with respect to the core, said shell being adjacent to the photoconductor drum and defining a nip and a conveyance device for transporting developer in the developer station in a flow direction. The conveyance device has a tapered auger including a shaft and one or more blades such that the developer volume in the flow direction is controlled to maintain a uniform developer level in the sump as well as a conveyance controller for controlling the conveying device, including the tapered auger such that the tapered auger preferentially creates an uniform layer of developer on the toning shell. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100290816 | Developing Unit and an Image Forming Apparatus - A developing unit includes a developing unit body having a toner inlet and a developing roller mounted in the developing unit body. A toner feeding unit for feeding is provided to feed the toner from the toner inlet to the developing roller. A doctor blade is integrally formed with the developing unit body for controlling the thickness of the toner supplied to the developing roller. | 11-18-2010 |
| 20110020038 | DEVELOPING DEVICE - In an embodiment, a reducing plate that dams up a part of a developer scraped up by a blade is provided. The reducing plate suppresses swell of the developer held up by a discharge mixer from fluctuating according to the rotation of the blade. Fluctuation in an excess developer discharged from a discharge port is suppressed and replace a deteriorated carrier in a development container with a new carrier little by little. | 01-27-2011 |
| 20110150537 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PROVIDED THEREWITH - Provided is a developing device including: a developing container including a developer replenishing port from which the developer is replenished, and a developer discharge port which is provided on a downstream side of one of the conveyance paths and from which surplus developer is discharged; and a discharge regulating portion provided to one of the plurality of stirring members which is arranged in the one of the conveyance paths, in which the discharge regulating portion includes a regulating member arranged so as to face the developer discharge port, for regulating movement of the developer to the developer discharge port side, and a decelerating conveyance member arranged between the helical blade and the regulating member, for partially reducing a conveying speed of the developer in the one of the conveyance paths. | 06-23-2011 |
| 20110170911 | DEVELOPER CONVEYANCE DEVICE, DEVELOPING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - There is provided a developer conveyance member that conveys a contained developer from one end side of a delivery region to other end of the delivery region while agitating the contained developer in a developer container, in which the developer is contained. Around a rotation shaft of the developer conveyance member, a spiral wing toward from one end side to other end side is formed. A plurality of paddle parts for conveying the developer in a direction that is perpendicular to a shaft core are formed around the rotation shaft in a delivery region. The paddle parts are arranged with their positions deviated in a circumferential direction. | 07-14-2011 |
| 20110188894 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing device and an image forming apparatus which suppress unevenness of image density are provided. A developing device includes a developer tank storing a developer, a first conveying member and a second conveying member conveying the developer, and a developing roller bearing the developer thereon. In the developing device, the first conveying member is constituted by a first rotating shaft and a plurality of first conveying blades provided along a first imaginary spiral surrounding the outer periphery of the first rotating shaft and advancing in the axial direction of the first rotating shaft at a predetermined lead angle θ | 08-04-2011 |
| 20110311280 | TONER CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING TONER CARTRIDGE - A toner cartridge includes a toner receptacle that houses toner, a plurality of stirring members housed in the toner receptacle, a plurality of gears meshing with each other on outside of the toner receptacle, and a phase display section. The stirring members are arranged next to each other in the toner receptacle and rotate to stir the toner. Each of the stirring members has a scraper that scrapes off the toner adhering to an inner surface of the toner receptacle. The gears rotate to rotate the stirring members in an interlocked manner with each other. The phase display section shows a meshing position of the gears so that the gears mesh with each other at a position where a phase difference along a rotating direction of the stirring members occurs between the scrapers of the stirring members that are next to each other. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20120027466 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing device that can suitably discharge developer from the developing device by the amount of developer in the developing device increased by carrier supplemented into the developing device, including: a supply transport screw and a receiving transport screw, the rotational axes of which are mutually parallel in relation to an image support member and which are arranged in a top and bottom positional relationship, and an inclined transport screw which is arranged at an incline between one end of the supply transport screw and the other end of the receiving transport screw; supply means for supplying new carrier into a casing; and a discharge port and discharge means for discharging part of the developer housed in the casing to the outside, the discharge port being provided on the part of the casing corresponding to the upper part of the inclined transport screw. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120076541 | METHODS FOR OPERATING AN AUGER IN A DEVELOPMENT STATION - Methods for operating a development station are provided. In one aspect a method comprises the steps of: applying a first force at a first end of an auger and a second force at a second end of the auger with the first force and the second force being sufficient to rotate the auger against a drag exerted by the developer and the replenishment toner. Both the first force and the second force are less than a third force applied to a single driven end of an alternative auger to rotate the alternative auger against the drag and wherein the auger has a first yield strength at the first end and a second yield strength at the second end that are less than a third yield strength required to receive the third force at the driven end of the alternative auger. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120076542 | DEVELOPMENT STATION WITH DUAL ACTUATOR DRIVE - Development stations are provided. In one aspect a development station has a housing having a recirculation path and an auger being rotatable to move the developer along at least part of the recirculation path. A first actuator drives a first end of the auger and a second actuator drives a second end. A first sensor senses a rotational position of the first end while a second sensor senses a rotational position of the second end of the auger. An auger controller causes the actuators to act so that a first force and a second force rotate the auger against a drag. The first force and the second force are less than a third force to drive an alternative auger from a driven end. The auger has a first end yield strength and a second end yield strength that are less than a driven end yield strength of the alternative auger. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120076543 | DEVELOPMENT STATION WITH DUAL DRIVE - Development stations are provided. In one aspect, a development station has a housing having a recirculation path an auger being rotatable to move the developer along at least part of the recirculation path. A drive transmission has a first output mechanically linked for movement with a first end of the auger and a second output mechanically linked for movement with a second end of the auger and distributes a force at an input end between a first force provided at the first output and at a second force provided at the second output to rotate the auger against a drag. The first force and the second force are less than a third force to drive an alternative auger from a driven end. The auger has a first end yield strength and a second end yield strength that are each less than a driven end yield strength of the alternative auger. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120076544 | METHODS FOR OPERATING DEVELOPMENT STATION AUGER - In one aspect, methods are provided for operating a development station. In one aspect a method comprises the steps of applying a first force at a first end of an auger and applying a second force at a second end of the auger with the first force and the second force being sufficient to rotate the auger against a drag exerted by a developer and a replenishment toner being moved by rotation of the auger; and, tensioning the auger along a length of the auger by urging the first end of the auger away from the second end and by urging the second end of the auger away from the first end. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120076545 | DEVELOPMENT STATION WITH AUGER TENSIONING - Development stations are provided. In one aspect a development station has a housing having a recirculation path and an auger being rotatable to move the developer along part of the recirculation path. A first output is at a first end of the auger through which a first urging force urging the first end of the auger away from the second end can be applied and a second output at a second end of the auger through which a second urging force urging the second end away from the first end can be applied. At least one actuator generates an input force from which at least one of the first force and the second force can be provided; and a separator provides the first urging force and the second urging force to create a tension in the auger. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120155924 | TONER SUPPLYING APPARATUS AND TONER SUPPLYING METHOD FOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes plural developing devices arranged at a fixed interval, plural toner cartridges arranged at an interval smaller than the interval among the developing devices, and plural sub-hoppers that receive toners stored in the toner cartridges and feed the toners to plural developing devices. The plural sub-hoppers respectively have toner receiving ports formed in positions opposed to toner discharging ports of the toner cartridges and have toner supply ports for feeding toners to the developing devices. The plural sub-hoppers are arranged at an interval same as an arrangement pitch of the developing devices. | 06-21-2012 |
| 20120177412 | Developing Apparatus and Image Forming Apparatus Including the Same - A developing apparatus according to the present disclosure is partitioned into a plurality of convey chambers which include a first convey chamber and a second convey chamber which are disposed substantially in parallel with each other, the second convey chamber has a U shape in section, a sensor disposition portion, where a toner concentration sensor is disposed on a bottom surface, is formed in an upstream with respect to a restriction portion in a developer convey direction, across a predetermined width in the developer convey direction including a detection surface of the toner concentration sensor, a distance between curved surface portions on both sides of a U-shaped inner wall surface and the second stir member is wider than another portion of the second stir chamber. | 07-12-2012 |
| 20120177413 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND DEVELOPER CONTAINER THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of developing units respectively including developer inlets, the developing units are arranged side by side in a first direction, a plurality of developer containers to contain developers to be supplied to the plurality of developing units and respectively including developer outlets, the developer units are arranged side by side in the first direction to face the plurality of developing units, and a plurality of developer supplying paths respectively to connect the developer inlets to the developer outlets, wherein the plurality of developer containers include first and second developer containers, and a position of the developer outlet of the second developer container is different from position of the developer outlet of the first developer container. | 07-12-2012 |
| 20120201573 | STIR-TRANSPORT MEMBER, DEVELOPMENT DEVICE PROVIDED THEREWITH, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A stir-transport member is formed on a circumferential surface of a rotation shaft with a first spiral blade, and a second spiral blade formed to overlap the region of the first spiral blade and is opposite the first spiral blade in phase and having a smaller radial-direction height than the first spiral blade. Sections of the spiral blades along the cross longitudinal direction thereof have trapezoidal shapes. The first spiral blade have a plurality of first swell portions, a part of each corresponding to a bottom of the trapezoidal shape and is more swollen than the other portions. The second spiral blade have a plurality of second swell portions, a part of each corresponding to the bottom of the trapezoidal shape and is more swollen than the other portions. The first spiral blade cross the second spiral blade at least at one of the first swell portions per turn. | 08-09-2012 |
| 20130022373 | METHOD OF USING FEED AUGER WITH PADDLES - A development system ( | 01-24-2013 |
| 20130101316 | METHOD FOR TRANSFERRING DEVELOPER - A method for transferring developer ( | 04-25-2013 |
| 20130156469 | Toner Cartridge Having Linearly Movable Shutter Member - A developer cartridge includes a casing, a shutter member and a screw auger. The casing is configured to accommodate developer therein, the casing extending in a first direction and being formed with an opening. The shutter member is configured to be linearly movable between an open position and a closed position in the first direction, the shutter member opening the opening at the open position to permit the developer to flow out from the casing and closing the opening at the closed position to prevent the developer from flowing out from the casing. The screw auger extends in the first direction and is configured to convey the developer toward the opening, the screw auger being linearly movable in the first direction in conjunction with the movement of the shutter member. | 06-20-2013 |
| 20130266344 | TONER ANTI-BRIDGING AGITATOR FOR AN IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - A removable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing having an inner volume forming a toner reservoir and a channel for accumulating toner. An auger advances toner within the channel and has a rotational axis and a flight. An agitator is mounted on an inner surface of the housing and is positioned to extend toward the auger. The agitator has a first segment and a second distal segment connected to the first segment. When the auger rotates, the flight of the auger engages the agitator causing movement of the second distal segment to push toner accumulated in the channel into the auger. | 10-10-2013 |
| 20150309442 | Developing Device - A developing device and image forming apparatus are provided. The developing device includes a chassis; a developer carrying member; a thickness regulating member; a supply member; and a conveying member. In a state in which the developing device is attached to a main body an opening of the chassis faces upward; the thickness regulating member pressure-contacts the developer carrying member from below the developer carrying member; the conveying member is disposed below the developer carrying member; the supply member overlaps a portion of the conveying member in a horizontal direction; and a portion of the conveying member is disposed within a vertical projection plane between a pressure-contact position of the thickness regulating member to the developer carrying member, and a contact position of the supply member to the developer carrying member. The image forming apparatus includes a main body; a plurality of photosensitive members; and a plurality of developing devices. | 10-29-2015 |
| 20160139542 | TONER CONVEYANCE MEMBER, DEVELOPING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner conveyance member includes a shaft, a first blade member, at least one paddle member, and a pressure relief path. The shaft extends in a first direction and rotates in a second direction. The first blade member winds around the shaft and continues to extend helically in the first direction. The paddle member is in the form of a plate protruding from a surface of the shaft and having a first principal face and a second principal face positioned opposite to and forward from the first principal face in the second direction. The pressure relief path has an opening. The opening is provided within a predetermined distance range from an intersection point of the shaft, the first blade member, and the second principal face of the paddle member. | 05-19-2016 |
