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:
May. 01, 2001
Filed:
Jul. 23, 1999
Syouichi Fujita, Kashiba, JP;
Itaru Kawabata, Kashiba, JP;
Hideji Saiko, Kitakatsuragi-gun, JP;
Hirofumi Sakita, Tenri, JP;
Masato Asanuma, Nara, JP;
Kouichi Takenouchi, Nabari, JP;
Yoshiaki Sanada, Ikoma, JP;
Yasuyuki Ishiguro, Higashiosaka, JP;
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
To solve problems that the amount of reuse toner increases with time recovery of reuse toner is efficiently achieved while forming an image of high quality. In a toner replenishing apparatus, toner recovered by a cleaning unit is conveyed via conveying device and contained in a recovery toner container. When an amount of the recovery toner exceeds a predetermined capacity of the recovery toner container, the recovery toner flows into a fresh toner container over an upper edge of a partition wall. Fresh toner and recovery toner are replenished to a developing unit via a fresh toner replenishing roller and a recovery toner replenishing roller, respectively, and the ratio between fresh toner and recovery toner is selected so that the fresh toner occupies a larger part than the recovery toner. This ratio is controlled on the basis of the cumulative rotation time of a photoconductor drum counted by a counting device.