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:
Sep. 29, 1998
Filed:
Jan. 21, 1997
Jan Bares, Webster, NY (US);
Nero R Lindblad, Ontario, NY (US);
Xerox Corporation, Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
Apparatus and method for separating and recovering separately toner particles of one matchable characteristic different color toner contained in a mixture of a plurality of such different color toners. The apparatus and method include a holder for holding a quantity of the mixture of a plurality of such different color toners, and a selected particular type of carrier beads characteristically matching, and being more likely to charge, attract and triboelectrically bind with, toner particles of a matching color toner in the mixture of the different color toners than with toner particles of any other color toner therein. The apparatus and method also include a blending device for forming, in the holder an admixture of a quantity of the mixture of the different color toners and a quantity of the selected particular type of carrier beads such that the admixture has a toner coated carrier phase and a loose toner particles phase, and such that the toner coated carrier phase consists of the selected particular type of carrier beads coated with toner particles of the matching one color toner of the different color toners of the admixture. The apparatus and method further include separating mechanisms for separating the toner coated phase from the loose toner particles phase, and a recovery mechanism for separating and removing, from the coated selected particular type of carrier beads of the toner coated phase, the toner particles of the matching one color toner.