Systems and methods for in-situ replenishment of consumable items
AssigneePalo Alto Research Center Incorporated
InventorDavid Biegelsen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A self-replenishing image forming apparatus replenishes reservoirs of consumable materials using packages of the consumable materials transported in the marking media path of the image forming apparatus. The packages are separated from the regular marking media at a sheet diverter, the consumable material is unpackaged, and transformed into a form suitable for storing in the consumable reservoir.
Claims20
A non-marking media consumable material for use in a self-replenishing image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a packaging that contains a consumable material for marking a marking media that is used in an image forming apparatus, the packaging being formed so as to be transported with the consumable material by a marking media transport mechanism of the self-replenishing image forming apparatus.
A self-replenishing system for an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a sheet diverter that separates packages of consumable material from sheets of marking media;
- and
- at least one of a consumable transformer that transforms the consumable material from a form transportable in the packages to a form storable in a consumable reservoir, and a consumable packager which packages the consumable material in a form transportable by a marking media transport mechanism of the self-replenishing image forming apparatus.
A method of replenishing a consumable reservoir in an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- diverting a consumable package from a marking media path of the image forming apparatus;
- delivering a consumable material from the consumable package to a consumable reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.