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. 05, 2003
Filed:
Oct. 15, 2001
Shinichi Itoh, Yokohama, JP;
Tetsuo Katoh, Kunitachi, JP;
Tatsuyuki Miura, Yokohama, JP;
Seiji Tsuzuki, Kawaguchi, JP;
Other;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus and method causes a connecting/conveying device to convey a recovered toner from a cleaner part to a recovered toner housing unit to house therein the recovered toner. A controller controls a recovered toner supply unit and new toner supply unit in accordance with a toner concentration ratio in a developing device, which is detected by toner concentration ratio detecting unit, to supply the recovered toner, which is stored in the recovered toner housing unit, and a new toner, which is stored in new toner housing unit, to the developing device. The controller causes the amount of the recovered toner to be supplied to be less than the amount of the recovered toner during a usual operation, which is determined in accordance with the contents detected by the toner concentration ratio detecting unit, or stops the supply of the recovered toner, while a predetermined period condition is satisfied after the occurrence of a predetermined event in which the amount of the recovered toner stored in the recovered toner housing unit is temporarily excessive.