US 8,478,169 B2Granted

Development station with dual drive

AssigneeEastman Kodak Company

InventorsAlan E. Rapkin, Eric C. Stelter, Rodney R. Bucks, Donald S. Rimai

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Abstract

Development stations are provided. A development station has a housing having a recirculation path an auger being rotatable to move the developer along at least part of the recirculation path. A drive transmission has a first output mechanically linked for movement with a first end of the auger and a second output mechanically linked for movement with a second end of the auger and distributes a force at an input end between a first force provided at the first output and at a second force provided at the second output to rotate the auger against a drag. The first force and the second force are less than a third force to drive an alternative auger from a driven end. The auger has a first end yield strength and a second end yield strength that are each less than a driven end yield strength of the alternative auger.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A development station comprising;

a housing having an opening to receive toner and a development window through which a developer can be exposed to an electrostatically charged member such that toner will transfer to the electrostatically charged member according to the electrostatic charge thereon and providing a recirculation path from the development window through an area where toner from the opening can be added to developer in the housing including developer from the development window and returning to the development window;
and
a drive transmission having an input end to receive an input force, a first output mechanically linked for movement with a first end of the auger and a second output mechanically linked for movement with a second end of the auger with the drive transmission mechanically linking the input end to the first output and to second output and distributing an amount of force supplied at the input end between a first force provided at the first output and at a second force provided at the second output such that the first force and second force can, in combination, rotate the auger against a drag exerted by the developer;
wherein both the first force and the second force are less than a third force that is sufficient to drive an alternative auger against the drag from one driven end and wherein the auger has a first yield strength at the first end and a second yield strength at the second end that are each less than a third yield strength that is required to receive the third force at the driven end of the alternative auger.

1 more element

A development station comprising:

a housing having an opening to receive toner for replenishing a developer, and a development window through which replenished toner can be exposed to an electrostatically charged member such that toner in the developer will transfer to the electrostatically charged member according to the electrostatic charge thereon;
an auger positioned within the housing and being rotatable to at least in part mix the developer and the replenishment toner while moving the developer and replenishment toner along at least part of a recirculation path from the development window through an area where developer and replenishment toner are mixed and returned to the development window;
and
a drive transmission having an input mechanically linked to a first output and a second output so that the input end can receive an input force and distribute the input force to the first output to drive a first end of the auger and to the second output to drive a second end of the auger;
wherein the first output urges the first end of the auger away from the second end and the second output urges the second end of the auger away from the first end to induce a tension in the auger and wherein both the first force and the second force are less than a third force that is sufficient to drive an alternative auger against the drag from one driven end and wherein the auger has a first yield strength at the first end and a second yield strength at the second end that are each less than a third yield strength that is required to receive the third force a driven end of the alternative auger.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.