The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 27, 2019
Filed:
Feb. 09, 2018
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Minato-ku, JP;
Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha, Shinagawa-ku, JP;
Don W. Stafford, Lexington, KY (US);
Donn D. Bryant, Lexington, KY (US);
Michael W. Lawrence, Lexington, KY (US);
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Minato-ku, JP;
Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha, Shinagawa-ku, JP;
Abstract
A system and method for urging stray toner away from sealing areas on rotating shafts in electrostatic process units includes a shaft that is associated with a rotating component of the electrostatic process unit such as a toner mixer, a waste auger, a developer, or a photoconductive drum. The shaft includes sealing areas at either end of the shaft that are configured to prevent toner leakage through the sealing areas, and protruding ridges in the sealing areas that encircle the shaft. The protruding ridges are angled relative to the axis of the shaft such that rotation of the shaft causes the protruding ridges to urge stray toner away from the sealing areas. The protruding ridges substantially reduce toner leakage through the sealing areas of rotating shafts of electrostatic process units.