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US 7,024,151 B2Granted
Image forming apparatus and toner stirring method
AssigneesKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsTetsuo Katoh, Takafumi Amano
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The image forming apparatus has a communicating portion from the first chamber 24 to the second chamber 25, and a communicating portion from the first chamber 24 to the third chamber 26, which are separated from each other. With this structure, an active flow of fresh toner into the third chamber 26, where a developer having a low toner ratio and low toner concentration is stirred together with recycle toner during an image forming operation is suppressed.
Claims9
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a first chamber including a first mixer and configured to convey a developer containing at least toner in a first direction while stirring the developer and supply the toner to an image carrier;
- a second chamber including a second mixer and configured to convey at least the developer supplied from the first chamber in a second direction different from the first direction while stirring the developer;
- a third chamber including a third mixer and configured to convey at least the developer supplied from the first chamber in the second direction while stirring the developer;
- a fresh toner supply portion located on an upstream side of the second chamber and configured to receive fresh toner;
- and
- a recycle toner supply portion located on an upstream side of the third chamber and configured to receive recycle toner collected from a surface of the image carrier.
3 more elements
A toner stirring method comprising:
- supplying recycle toner collected from a surface of an image carrier to a recycle toner supply portion;
- conveying the supplied recycle toner to a merging portion at a first speed while stirring, thereby charging to have a predetermined potential;
- conveying refresh toner supplied to a fresh toner supply portion at a predetermined timing to the merging portion at a second speed which is slower than the first speed while stirring, thereby charging to have a predetermined potential;
- and
- supplying the recycle toner and the fresh toner that have been conveyed to the merging portion to the surface of the image carrier.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.