Staggered doctor blades for printers and multifunction peripherals
AssigneesKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsDon W. STAFFORD, Donn D. BRYANT, Gary L. NOE, Michael W. LAWRENCE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for producing a uniform layer of toner on a developer roller of a toner-based printer includes two or more doctor blades that are configured to reduce the amount of toner deposited on the developer roller in successive steps. A first doctor blade reduces the layer of toner to a first depth, and a second doctor blade further reduces the layer of toner to a second depth. A third or subsequent doctor blade can further reduce the layer of toner to a third depth. An electrical charge applied to one or more of the doctor blades produces a substantially uniform charge to the layer of toner on the developer roller.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of doctor blades configured to distribute a substantially uniform layer of toner onto a developer roller of a toner-based printer,
- wherein a first doctor blade is configured to reduce the layer of toner on the developer roller to a first depth,
- wherein a second doctor blade is configured to further reduce the layer of toner on the developer roller to a second depth,
- wherein a third doctor blade is configured to further reduce the layer of toner on the developer roller to a third depth, and
- wherein the first doctor blade is oriented so as to extend radially from an axis of the developer roller,
- wherein the second doctor blade is oriented so as to extend radially from the axis of the developer roller, and
- wherein the third doctor blade is oriented so as to extend radially from the axis of the developer roller.
(canceled)
An electrostatic process unit, comprising:
- a developer roller configured to attract an initial layer of toner from a toner hopper;
- and
- a plurality of three or more doctor blades configured to reduce the initial layer of toner on the developer roller to a substantially uniform desired depth,
- wherein each of the plurality of doctor blades is oriented so as to extend radially from an axis of the developer roller.
A method of generating a substantially uniform layer of toner on a developer roller, comprising:
- attracting toner from a toner hopper onto the developer roller;
- and
- removing, by three or more doctor blades each of which is oriented so as to extend radially from an axis of the developer roller, toner to a desired depth on the developer roller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.