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US 4,397,546 AGranted
Particle dispensing system
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorLowrie W. Burdette
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus which discharges particles into the chamber of a housing storing a supply of developer material therein. Particles are dispensed from a storage container substantially uniformly to a region located therebeneath in the chamber of the housing and to a region displaced therefrom.
Claims6
An apparatus for discharging particles into the chamber of a housing storing a supply of developer material therein, including:
- means for storing a supply of particles therein;
- an enclosure having an entrance port in communication with said storing means for receiving particles therefrom and a plurality of substantially equally spaced apertures therein for dispensing particles therefrom;
- a trough having an entrance port coupled to said enclosure and a sloping, edge located remotely from the apertures in said enclosure, for discharging the received particles into the chamber of the housing;
- a helical member mounted rotatably in said trough;
- and
- means for rotating said helical member relative to said trough to move the received particles therealong for discharge over the sloping edge thereof to the remaining developer material in the chamber of the housing.
3 more elements
An apparatus for developing an electrostatic latent image recorded on a photoconductive member used in an electrophotographic printing machine, including:
- a housing storing a supply of developer material comprising carrier granules and toner particles in the chamber thereof;
- means for advancing the developer material into contact with the electrostatic latent image so that a portion of the toner particles are attracted from the carrier granules to the electrostatic latent image forming a toner powder image on the photoconductive member;
- means for storing a supply of toner particles therein;
- an enclosure having an entrance port in communication with said storing means for receiving toner particles therefrom and a plurality of substantially equally spaced apertures therein for dispensing toner particles therefrom;
- a trough having an entrance port coupled to said enclosure and a sloping, edge located remotely from the apertures in said enclosure, for discharging the received toner particles into the chamber of said housing;
- a helical member mounted rotatably in said trough;
- and
- means for rotating said helical member relative to said trough to move the received toner particles therealong for discharge over the sloping edge thereof to the remaining developer material in the chamber of said housing.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.