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:
Feb. 06, 2018
Filed:
Mar. 16, 2016
Konica Minolta, Inc., Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, JP;
Toru Toda, Hyogo, JP;
Katsumi Tashiro, Kobe, JP;
Takeshi Arai, Akashi, JP;
Masaaki Kondo, Hino, JP;
Kiyotaka Naito, Hachioji, JP;
KONICA MINOLTA, INC., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A toner filling apparatus includes a filling tank, a toner filling path forming member, a toner fluidizing unit, a filling path opening/closing unit and a container room sucking unit. The toner filling path forming member is in communication with the filling tank and forms a toner filling path connected to the toner container. The container room sucking unit sucks air from the toner container through a filter member which is impermeable to the toner but permeable to air. When the toner fluidizing unit fluidizes the toner in the filling tank and the filling path opening/closing unit opens the toner filling path so as to load the toner to the toner container, the container room sucking unit reduces a pressure in the toner container to a negative pressure so as to draw in the toner into the toner container.