Electronically conducting segmented hopper construction for toner cartridge
OwnerLester E. Corneliusinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A replacement toner hopper for use with replaceable toner cartridges used in electrostatic copying and printing machines. The hopper provides increased capacity using converging hopper walls more horizontally oriented than those of the original hopper. The tendency of the particulate toner to adhere to the inner surfaces of the hopper walls is reduced by charging at least one of the hopper walls with a semi-conductive or conductive surface to electrostatically discharge the toner, charge normally carried by the toner.
Claims5
An improved hopper for use with a toner cartridge forming part of an electrostatic copier, said hopper comprising:
- a plurality of separable synthetic resinous wall members selectively interconnected in leak-proof relation, said wall members converging to an area of discharge, at least one of said walls being electrostatically conductive and capable of dissipating a static electric charge on an inner surface thereof.
In combination, a toner hopper forming part of an electrostatic copier, said hopper comprising a plurality of synthetic resinous wall members selectively interconnected in leak-proof relation, said walls converging to an area of discharge, at least one of said walls being electrostatically conductive and capable of discharging a static electric charge on at least an inner surface thereof;
- and a quantity of particulate toner having an electro-static charge of opposite plurality, said wall having an electrostatic charge, whereby a portion of said toner in contact with an inner surface of said wall is electrostatically discharged to facilitate flow of said toner.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.