Method of and apparatus for collecting dust, development apparatus, and image formation apparatus
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorYoshiyuki Tanimoto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dust collection apparatus includes a container and a suction pump that sucks dust and transports it into the container. A filter is provided on a side surface of the container. This filter passes air but prevents passage of the dust in the container. A pressure detector detects an internal pressure of the container. The internal pressure of the container fluctuates due to a variation in an effective area of the filter for allowing the air to pass according to the dust collected and accumulated in the container. A dust accumulating quantity calculator which determines a quantity of the dust in the container based on the pressure detected.
Claims16
A dust collection apparatus comprising:
- a container for dust, the container having a side surface;
- a suction pump that suck the dust and transports the dust into the container;
- a filter provided on the side surface of the container, the filter having a structure so as to pass air but prevent passage of the dust in the container;
- a pressure detector which detects internal pressure of the container, wherein the internal pressure of the container fluctuates due to a variation in an effective area of the filter for allowing the air to pass according to the dust collected and accumulated in the container;
- and
- a dust accumulating quantity calculator which determines a quantity of the dust in the container based on the pressure detected.
A development apparatus comprising:
- a container for dust, the container having a side surface;
- a suction pump that suck the dust and transports the dust into the container;
- a filter provided on the side surface of the container, the filter having a structure so as to pass air but prevent passage of the dust in the container;
- a pressure detector which detects internal pressure of the container, wherein the internal pressure of the container fluctuates due to a variation in an effective area of the filter for allowing the air to pass according to the dust collected and accumulated in the container;
- and
- a dust accumulating quantity calculator which determines a quantity of the dust in the container based on the pressure detected.
An image formation apparatus comprising:
- a container for dust, the container having a side surface;
- a suction pump that suck the dust and transports the dust into the container;
- a filter provided on the side surface of the container, the filter having a structure so as to pass air but prevent passage of the dust in the container;
- a pressure detector which detects internal pressure of the container, wherein the internal pressure of the container fluctuates due to a variation in an effective area of the filter for allowing the air to pass according to the dust collected and accumulated in the container;
- and
- a dust accumulating quantity calculator which determines a quantity of the dust in the container based on the pressure detected.
A method of collecting dust, comprising:
- sucking and collecting the dust into a container, the container having a side surface on which a filter with a structure that allows to pass air but prevent passage of the dust in the container is provided;
- detecting internal pressure of the container, wherein the internal pressure of the container fluctuates due to a variation in an effective area of the filter for allowing the air to pass according to the dust collected and accumulated in the container;
- and
- judging a quantity of the dust in the container based on the pressure detected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.