Lexmark International, Inc.

Robert Dan Bennett, Iii

Matthew Lee Rogers

Gary Allen Denton

Katherine Marie Gilliam

Elliott Vincent Jernigan

Dominique Renee Rowe

Courtney Harrison Soale

Michael Brian Bacelieri

Royden Thomas Kern

Mark Doerre

Daniel Enrique Alonzo

Michael Craig Leemhuis

Keith Seaman

Michael David Maul

David Kyle Murray

Jenny Marie Berens

Robert Christopher Sbert

A developer unit according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for storing a developer mix that includes toner and magnetic carrier beads. A magnetic roll is mounted on the housing. An outer surface of a sleeve of the magnetic roll is positioned to carry the developer mix from the reservoir through a front portion of the magnetic roll that is exposed from the reservoir to permit transfer of toner from the outer surface of the sleeve to a photoconductive drum and back to the reservoir as the sleeve rotates in an operative rotational direction. An air vent is positioned along a rear portion of the magnetic roll for exiting air in the reservoir from the housing. An entire opening of the air vent is positioned vertically higher than the rotational axis of the sleeve when the developer unit is in an operative orientation.

Developer unit air venting in a dual component development electrophotographic image forming device

A developer unit according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for storing a developer mix that includes toner and magnetic carrier beads. A magnetic roll includes a stationary core and a sleeve positioned around the core that is rotatable relative to the core. The stationary core includes at least one permanent magnet having circumferentially spaced magnetic poles. An upper and a lower magnetically permeable metal shunt are positioned at each axial end of the magnetic roll. Each upper shunt and each lower shunt is positioned axially outboard of the core and in close proximity to the outer surface of the sleeve.

End sealing and magnetic field truncation of a magnetic roll of a dual component development electrophotographic image forming device

A developer unit for a dual component development electrophotographic image forming device includes a housing having a reservoir for storing a developer mix that includes toner and magnetic carrier beads. An axial sealing rib projects from an inner side of the housing toward the outer surface of a sleeve of a magnetic roll. The axial sealing rib extends along an axial length of the sleeve. A distal end of the axial sealing rib is positioned in close proximity to and spaced from the outer surface of the sleeve. The axial sealing rib is positioned to impede the flow of developer mix in the reservoir in a direction counter to an operative rotational direction of the sleeve.

Sealing ribs for a developer unit of a dual component development electrophotographic image forming device

A developer unit for a dual component development electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for storing a developer mix that includes toner and magnetic carrier beads. An auger is positioned to convey developer mix in the reservoir toward the outer surface of a magnetic roll on a front of the housing. A ledge on an inner surface of the housing extends axially with respect to the magnetic roll along a front of the reservoir. The ledge is positioned upstream from a trim bar and downstream from a pickup pole of the magnetic roll with respect to the operative rotational direction of the magnetic roll. The ledge has a concave curved inner surface that is open to the reservoir and extends from near the trim bar to near a front side of the auger.

Trim bar entry geometry for a dual component development electrophotographic image forming device

A developer unit according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for storing a developer mix that includes toner and magnetic carrier beads. A magnetic roll includes a stationary core and a sleeve positioned around the core that is rotatable relative to the core. The stationary core includes at least one permanent magnet having circumferentially spaced magnetic poles. An upper and a lower magnetically permeable metal shunt are positioned at each axial end of the magnetic roll. Each upper shunt and each lower shunt is positioned axially outboard of the core and in close proximity to the outer surface of the sleeve. A combination of the upper shunt and the lower shunt at each axial end of the magnetic roll surrounds greater than 180 degrees of the outer surface of the sleeve.

End sealing and magnetic field truncation of a magnetic roll of a dual electrophotographic image forming device

A print media handling system for an imaging apparatus having a media feed path includes a pair of media support members, each have a first wall defining a media contact surface and a support portion defining a media support surface. The pair of media support members are pivotally mounted to the imaging apparatus for symmetrical operation with respect to a centerline of the media feed path. The pair of media support members define a media bin for receiving printed media. The print media handling system further includes a drive system for operating the pair of media support members between a first position wherein the media support surface of the pair of support members carries a printed media sheet and a second position wherein the printed media sheet is released to fall into the media bin. The drive system further controls the pair of media support members such that the contact surface of each of the pair of media support members contacts opposing edges of the printed media to align the printed media in the media bin.

Print media handling system and method of using same

Growing community of inventors

Paris, KY, United States of America

Robert Dan Bennett, Iii