Toner applicator and removal apparatus
AssigneeAM International, Inc.
InventorsAlfred M. Nelson, David L. Davis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for applying toner to a tape which has toner-attracting images thereon, including a chamber containing toner, a chamber inlet located below the top of the toner, a chamber outlet above the top of the toner, and a tape guide which is convex along the tape path which leads through the toner to minimize toner pickup on the rear face of the tape. A vacuum is maintained at the top of the chamber to create an inflow of air at the tape outlet, to sweep back loose toner.
Claims3
In a toner-applying apparatus for applying toner to a tape along a tape path, the tape having a front face and a rear face, a tape cleaning device comprising:
- a tape-holding means having a base portion and paired guide members forming a tape-holding channel region therebetween, the base portion forming a bottom wall and the paired guide members forming cutaway side walls, said region extending along a portion of the length of said tape path for guiding said tape, said channel region having the cutaway side walls disposed at a predetermined location to form a widened channel location;
- a pair of covers covering the sides of said channel region at said cutaway side walls thereof, each of said covers extending over respective side portions of the front face of said tape;
- and
- means for applying a vacuum to the region under said covers, whereby to draw off excess toner particles at opposite sides of the front face of said tape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.