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:
Nov. 10, 1998
Filed:
Jul. 11, 1996
Yoshiki Nagasaki, Kawasaki, JP;
Michio Shimura, Kawasaki, JP;
Tetsuya Takei, Kawasaki, JP;
Kiyoshi Taninaka, Kawasaki, JP;
Nobuo Kuwabara, Kawasaki, JP;
Morihisa Kawahara, Kawasaki, JP;
Minoru Takano, Kawasaki, JP;
Hiroyuki Kawai, Kawasaki, JP;
Kunihiro Kitsu, Inagi, JP;
Junji Wakihara, Kato-gun, JP;
Fujitsu Limited, Kanagawa, JP;
Abstract
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an electrostatic latent image carrying body, an electric charger for uniformly electrifying the carrying body, an optical exposure unit to form an electrostatic latent image on the carrying body, a developer for developing the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image on the carrying body, a transfer unit for transferring the toner image from the carrying body onto a printing sheet, a fixing unit for fixing the toner image to the printing sheet, a cleaner for cleaning to remove residual toner from the carrying body and a toner returning mechanism for returning the residual toner removed by the cleaner to the developer. The developer includes a housing in which a toner chamber is defined, a developing roller rotatably mounted in the housing, an agitator rotatably mounted in the housing so as to be positioned in the toner chamber, a partitioning member provided in the housing for defining a carrier chamber adjacent to the developing roller. The toner returning mechanism includes a toner recirculator for recirculating the residual toner removed from the carrying body to the toner chamber.