Toner agitator system for a developer unit for an image forming device

A developer unit for use in an image forming device, comprising:

• a housing having an inlet port for receiving toner, a sump for holding received toner, a developer roll rotatably mounted in the housing for transferring toner from the sump to a photoconductive drum when the developer unit is mated with a cleaner unit and a toner adder roll rotatably mounted in the housing for supplying toner from the sump to the developer roll;
• a rotatable agitator positioned in the sump to present toner from the sump to the toner adder roll, the rotatable agitator having a rotational path;
• a pivotable agitator positioned in the sump to move toner within the sump that is outside the reach of the rotatable agitator, the pivotable agitator having a pivot path;
• and
• a biasing member biasing the pivotable agitator toward a stop in the pivot path of the pivotable agitator, the stop defining a home position of the pivotable agitator;
• wherein the pivotable agitator includes a tab positioned in the rotational path of the rotatable agitator when the pivotable agitator is in the home position,
• wherein as the rotatable agitator rotates, the rotatable agitator engages the tab causing the pivotable agitator to pivot away from the home position and as the rotatable agitator rotates further, the rotatable agitator disengages the tab causing the pivotable agitator to return to the home position as a result of the bias applied to the pivotable agitator by the biasing member.

A developer unit for use in an image forming device, comprising:

• a housing having an inlet port for receiving toner, a sump for holding received toner, a developer roll rotatably mounted in the housing for transferring toner from the sump to a photoconductive drum when the developer unit is mated with a cleaner unit and a toner adder roll rotatably mounted in the housing for supplying toner from the sump to the developer roll;
• a rotatable agitator and a pivotable agitator positioned in the sump, the rotatable agitator having a rotational path and the pivotable agitator having a pivot path, the rotatable agitator being positioned closer to the toner adder roll than the pivotable agitator;
• a biasing member biasing the pivotable agitator toward a stop in the pivot path of the pivotable agitator, the stop defining a home position of the pivotable agitator;
• wherein the pivotable agitator includes an engagement feature positioned in the rotational path of the rotatable agitator when the pivotable agitator is in the home position,
• wherein as the rotatable agitator rotates, the rotatable agitator engages the engagement feature causing the pivotable agitator to pivot away from the home position and as the rotatable agitator rotates further, the rotatable agitator disengages the engagement feature causing the pivotable agitator to return to the home position as a result of the bias applied to the pivotable agitator by the biasing member.

A replaceable unit for use in an image forming device, comprising:

• a housing having reservoir for storing toner;
• a rotatable agitator positioned in the reservoir, the rotatable agitator having a rotational path;
• a pivotable agitator positioned in an upper portion of the reservoir above the rotatable agitator, the pivotable agitator having a pivot path;
• and
• a biasing member biasing the pivotable agitator toward a stop in the pivot path of the pivotable agitator, the stop defining a home position of the pivotable agitator;
• wherein the pivotable agitator includes an engagement feature positioned in the rotational path of the rotatable agitator when the pivotable agitator is in the home position,
• wherein as the rotatable agitator rotates, the rotatable agitator engages the engagement feature causing the pivotable agitator to pivot away from the home position and as the rotatable agitator rotates further, the rotatable agitator disengages the engagement feature causing the pivotable agitator to return to the home position as a result of the bias applied to the pivotable agitator by the biasing member.