Oce Printing Systems Gmbh

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Other

Joseph Knott

Peter Bremmer

Georg Boehmer

Bernhard Schlageter

Reinhold Schmidl

Bernd Schoch

Klaus Ströl

Josef Ranner

Karl-Heinz Jenak

Blasius Wilhelm

Walter Kopp

Peter Thiemann

Markus Stahuber

Albert Eben

Heinrich Schwarz

Andr&eacute; Schwarkopf

Rainer Schroder

Felix Tendler

André Gerd Schwarzkopf

Markus Diezi

André Schwarzkopf

In a method to determine a character width of characters from printed dots in a printing or copying device the printed dots are generated at a location of individual printed elements of a print raster made up of printed elements. In a first raster cell of the print raster a first test pattern is generated that does not cover an entire area from multiple printed dots, and the first raster cell is measured for areal coverage. In a second raster cell of the print raster a second test pattern is generated that does not cover an entire area in which the printed dots are arranged at least in part at different printed element locations in comparison to the first test pattern, and the second test pattern is measured for areal coverage. A ratio of the areal coverages is calculated and the printed dot size is calculated with aid of the ratio. Alternatively instead of measuring areal coverage with respect to the first and second test patterns, toner quantity is measured.

Method for determining the character width of characters constructed from printed dots in a printing or copying device

In a method or device for dosing toner material in an electrophotographic printer or copier, toner material is introduced into at least one bucket chamber rotatably arranged in an opening at a bottom of a toner reservoir. The bucket chamber has a paddle wheel which seals the opening of the toner reservoir. As the paddlewheel rotates, toner material in the bucket chamber is conveyed into a region. The toner material conveyed from the paddlewheel is further conveyed with a screw conveyor. Also a toner reservoir is provided having a toner removal opening shaped to accommodate at least a portion of a paddlewheel.

Device and method for dosing toner material in an electrophotographic printer or copier

In a method and device to separate toner material and air from a toner material-air mixture, and first operating phase at toner material-air mixture is supplied to a filter so that air flows through the filter in a first direction. In a second operating phase, the flow of air through the filter in a first direction is interrupted such that toner material deposited on the filter is loosened. In a second operating phase, air flows through the filter in a direction approximately opposite to the first direction. Also in a method device for dosing toner material in an electrophotographic printer or copier, toner material is introduced into at least one bucket chamber rotatably arranged in an opening at a bottom of a toner reservoir. The bucket chamber has a paddle wheel which seals the opening of the toner reservoir. As the paddlewheel rotates, toner material in the bucket chamber is conveyed into a region. The toner material conveyed from the paddlewheel is further conveyed with a screw conveyor. Also a toner reservoir is provided having a toner removal opening shaped to accommodate at least a portion of a paddlewheel.

In a method to adjust the toner supply to a minimum value in a developer station of an electrographic printing or copying device in which charge images are generated on an intermediate carrier, the charge images being inked with toner at the developer station, a toner concentration is measured in the developer station via a toner marking applied on the intermediate carrier and inked with toner at the developer station. A measurement signal is generated. Dependent on the measurement signal, a supply of the toner to the developer station is regulated. The supply of the toner to the developer station is increased independent of the measured toner concentration upon an under-run of a minimum value of the toner supply per unit time into the developer station so that the transfer of the toner from the developer station to the intermediate carrier is increased.

Method and device for adjusting to a minimum value the toner supply to a developing station of an electrographic printing unit or copying unit

A device and a method are provided for recharging a belt conveyor which is used for transporting a printing medium in the transfer area of an electrophotographic printer or a copying machine. The device includes a blade-like contacting element which is adjacent to the belt conveyor and arranged transversally with respect to the forward motion thereof. The contacting element makes it possible to transfer an electric charge to the belt conveyor and is mounted on a bearing element which can be inserted into a printer or a copying machine and withdrawn therefrom. A method is provided for controlling a printer or copier device by which errors, such as paper jams, can be cleared automatically. A controller commands a module having the error to clear the error automatically. The commands are sent to modules beginning at the output of the printer or copier device and moving in a reverse direction to the paper flow direction of the printer or copier so as to automatically clear errors such as paper jams. Status signals indicating whether the error has successfully been cleared are reported back to the controller. A printer or copier for carrying out the method and a computer program for carrying out the method are also disclosed.

Device and method for charging a media transport belt conveyor in a printer or copier

A device for the electrophotographic production of image patterns has at least one printing unit to which toner is supplied and has an arrangement for transferring used toner from a cleaning station of the printing unit to a used toner container. The arrangement for transferring can be interrupted to enable changing the used toner container without interrupting the printing operation of the device.

Electrophotographic device with an arrangement for transferring used toner from a cleaning station to a used toner container

The invention is directed to a method and to an apparatus for setting a metering gap in a developer station ( ). The developer station ( ) includes a magnetic drum ( ) that comprises a preceding metering device for the acceptance of a developer mix ( ) and for forming a uniformly distributed developer mix ( ), whereby the metering gap ( ) is formed between the magnetic drum ( ) and the metering device and the metering device is formed by a metering profile ( ). The metering profile ( ) is adjustably held such at both axial ends by a respective eccentric ( ) that a setting of the width of the metering gap ( ) ensues by turning the respective eccentric ( ). The eccentrics ( ) are adjustable independently of one another.

Method and apparatus for setting a metering gap in a developer station

The invention relates to an electrographic printing or photocopying device and method. A toner mark ( ) is provided on a photoconductive drum and printed with toner using a developing station. The toner mark ( ) is scanned by a sensor at two points of measurement (a ,a ). The amount of toner in a developing mixture consisting of two components depends upon the difference (&Dgr;U) or the quotient of the amount of the signals of the sensor at both points of measurement. A device which is also disclosed enables the exact length of the toner mark ( ) to be determined.

Printing and photocopying device and method whereby one toner mark is scanned at at least two points of measurement

An apparatus for electrophotographic production of images on a printing medium, such as a printer or copier, has a printing unit fed with toner from a toner storage tank. Toner can be refilled into the tank through a closable opening without interrupting the printing operation.

Electrophotographic apparatus having a device for toner delivery

A printer or copier has a developer station with a toner dispenser in which the toner is fed from a toner box to a transverse transport above a dosing apparatus. The transverse transport includes a helix driven by a drive mechanism. The helix has a pitch H that varies along its length or a thickness D that varies along its length so that the speed of conveyance in the transverse direction decreases over the conveyance path. The rotational speed of the helix is variable by adjustment of the effective length of a drive arm or an extent of an eccentric.

Developer station with cross conveyance

A printer or copier has a developer station which uses a developer mix such as tone and developer. A temperature sensor is provided in the developer station to sense the temperature of the developer mix. The signal of the temperature sensor is fed to a control unit which effects a control of the copier or printer operation, such as by halting operation, effecting cooling, or triggering a warning signal when the temperature reaches an upper boundary.

Processing machine with a temperature sensor

Conveyor for used toner in a cleaning device of an electrographic

In a developing station functioning on the principle of cross-blending in an electrophotographic printing device, two mixing screws running in opposite directions are arranged at a distance from one another. The first mixing screw is situated in a mixing trough provided with a plurality of oblique slots and comprises two mixing strips in the delivery region of the developer mix which are offset by 180.degree. and which neighbor one another. A scraper strip having an actual scraping region and scraping teeth is situated above the two mixing screws. A metering baffle is arranged at an angle relative to this scraper strip, this metering baffle extending through the teeth of the scraper strip and including baffles at its lower end for controlling the flow of the developer mix.

Mixing device for cross-blending of developer mix in developing stations

A device for filling and filtering toner from a supply container which is placed by an operator in communication with a feed container in a photocopier has a cylindrical filling opening for the feed container with a cross section such that the supply container can be inverted therein, and has a filter basket disposed in the region of the filling opening which is closed from the feed container by a filter mesh, and an electric vibrator connected thereto by a linkage which can be automatically triggered at the beginning of a filling operation.

Device for filling and filtering toner from storage container into a

Developer mix is regenerated in a manner which removes toner crust from carrier particles in order to extend the useful time of a developer mix within a developer station of an electrophotographic printing or copying machine. A portion of developer mix is continuously or periodically removed from the main body of developer mix in the developer station and supplied to a regenerator device where the developer particles are exposed to impacts flaking off the toner crust formations. The regenerated developer mix is then recycled back to the main body of mix at the developer station. This regeneration and recycling of developer mix serves to hold substantially constant the efficacy of the developer mixture.

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Tutzing, Germany

Joseph Knott