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. 01, 2023
Filed:
Jul. 12, 2022
Kyocera Document Solutions Inc., Osaka, JP;
Masashi Fujishima, Osaka, JP;
Norio Kubo, Osaka, JP;
KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an image supporter, a development unit, a cleaning unit, a collection unit, and a controller. The collection unit includes a collection path where a developer discharge path for transport of a waste developer from a discharger of the development unit and a toner discharge path for transport of waste toner from the cleaning unit merge with each other, and collects the waste developer including the waste toner and waste carrier. A place of a high flow resistance is formed at least partially at the collection path. If the weight ratio of the waste carrier to the waste toner included in the waste developer in the collection path is less than a predetermined value, the controller performs carrier discharge process of moving the carrier from the development unit to the image supporter and removing and discharging the carrier using the cleaning unit during non-image formation.