Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
399058000 | Concentration control | 51 |
20080273889 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD USING LIQUID DEVELOPMENT IN WHICH TONER DENSITY IS DETERMINED BASED ON PATCH IMAGE DENSITY | 11-06-2008 |
20080285993 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An apparatus is configured to charge an image bearing member in a charging section, develop an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member, and transfer a toner image formed on the image bearing member to a transfer medium in a transfer section. The apparatus includes a charging auxiliary apparatus for changing a charge amount of toner on the image bearing member. The charging auxiliary apparatus includes a charging auxiliary member contacting with the image bearing member downstream of the transfer section and upstream of the charging section and a voltage applying device to apply a voltage to the charging auxiliary member. The apparatus includes a first detector to detect a current flowing in the charging auxiliary member during a period of non-image formation when the voltage is applied to the charging auxiliary member, a second detector to detect information regarding a toner density in the developing apparatus, and a control device to control toner supply to the developing apparatus based on detection results of both the detectors. | 11-20-2008 |
20080317490 | Apparatus and method for adjusting concentration of liquid developer - Provided is a liquid developer concentration adjusting apparatus and a method thereof, wherein the concentration can be adjusted easily and efficiently without using time and effort in liquid volume control. Further, the apparatus and method enable the concentration adjustment to be efficiently accomplished in a short period of time with reduced volume of required supply developer to be added for the adjustment independently of the initial concentration of the developer by concurrently measuring the concentration of developer, even if the concentration thereof is high. In the control of the concentration adjustment, the developer is allowed to overflow through an opening of the concentration adjusting container, and the concentration adjustment by using supply developer or the supply speed thereof is started before the start of the overflow. | 12-25-2008 |
20090003863 | DEVELOPING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing apparatus in which a toner has a volume-average particle diameter R that is in a range of 4.0 μm≦R≦6.2 μm, a developing roller has an arithmetic mean roughness Ra (μm) that is not more than 0.10 times the volume-average particle diameter R of the toner, a voltage applied to a supply roller is of negative polarity, that is, a normal charging polarity of the toner, triboelectrification polarity of the supply roller with respect to the toner is negative, that is, of the normal charging polarity of the toner, and an abutment width S in which the developing roller and the supply roller abut each other is in a range of 2.5 mm≦S≦5.5 mm. | 01-01-2009 |
20090016757 | PRINTING OF OPTICAL ELEMENTS BY ELECTOGRAPHY - Electrographic printing of one or more optical elements having a particular profile by electrographic techniques. Such electrographic printing comprises the steps of forming a desired print image, electrographically, on a receiver member utilizing predetermined sized marking particles; and, where desired, forming one or more final optical elements utilizing marking particles of a predetermined size or size distribution. | 01-15-2009 |
20090041493 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including a patch detection sensor for detecting an intermediate transfer belt and image information of toner images transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt, a distance measurement sensor for detecting the distance between a light emitting portion of the patch detection sensor and the surface of the intermediate transfer belt facing the patch detection sensor, and a control unit for correcting the image information detected by the patch detection sensor based on the distance information detected by the distance measurement sensor and controlling image forming conditions so as to correct at least one of density and color misregistration of toner images based on the corrected image information. | 02-12-2009 |
20090220266 | DEVELOPING UNIT, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING AMOUNTS OF TONER - A developing unit, which is incorporated in an image forming apparatus, includes a developer case to accommodate a two-component developer including toner and carrier, a developer bearing member bearing the two-component developer to supply the developer to an image, a developer supply path formed inside the developer case to supply the developer along the developer bearing member, an agitation and conveyance member disposed in the developer supply path, a toner collecting mechanism to collect toner after development, and a collected toner conveyance path formed inside the developer case and including a collected toner conveying member. The collected toner conveyance path and the developer supply path are arranged in communication with each other in the vicinity of one end portion of the collected toner conveyance path in a direction of conveyance of collected toner so as to circulate toner unused for development. | 09-03-2009 |
20100014879 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A developing device includes a container storing a two-component developer including a toner and a carrier, a toner carrying body carrying the toner in the container and supplying the toner to a predetermined image carrying body by rotation, a restricting member held in press contact with the toner carrying body, and a restricting nip section formed between the toner carrying body and the restricting member. The restricting nip section selects only the toner in the two-component developer to form a uniform toner layer on the toner carrying body. | 01-21-2010 |
20100104305 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing device conveys a two-component developer on a first route of circulation and a second route of circulation, and includes a guide plate and an electromagnet that are used for choosing, in accordance with toner densities detected by two toner density detecting sensors respectively provided in the two routes, whether toner supplied from a toner supply device is guided into the first or second route of circulation. This makes it possible to provide an image forming apparatus that, even in cases where a large amount of toner is consumed at one end of a developing roller along the axial direction in a developing device provided with one toner supply opening, can form an image free from nonuniformity in image density or photographic fogs that are caused by nonuniformity in toner density of a two-component developer. | 04-29-2010 |
20110064435 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a supply device that supplies developer includes toner and carrier, a developing device configured to accommodate the developer includes toner and carrier in a manner that the developer is stirred and transported therein, and configured to discharge the developer in an overflow manner through a discharge opening, a screw that stirs and transports the developer in the developing device, and a control unit configured to change the rotation speed of the screw based on a predetermined index which varies in accordance with supply and consumption of the developer or an environmental condition when development is performed. | 03-17-2011 |
20110170889 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In the image forming apparatus including a developing device that develops an electrostatic latent image on an image carrying member by using toner, a first toner empty stop condition and a second toner empty stop condition for prohibiting printing because of a lack of the remaining amount in the toner are provided. The first toner empty stop condition and the second toner empty stop condition are switched in response to the state of the device. | 07-14-2011 |
20120251147 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In order to provide a developer reservoir that allows the liquid level to be accurately detected and with which the device does not end up being bulkier, the developer reservoir of the present invention includes a holder for holding a liquid developer containing toner and a carrier, an electrostatic capacitance type of liquid level sensor that detects electrostatic capacitance and has a first sensor electrode provided to the holder and a second sensor electrode that is opposite the first sensor electrode with liquid developer in between, and a calculator for calculating the level of the liquid developer held in the holder on the basis of the electrostatic capacitance detected by the electrostatic capacitance type of liquid level sensor. | 10-04-2012 |
20120275807 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an image forming apparatus, to provide a lubrication effect for an abutment portion of a transfer belt and a belt cleaning blade, when a control toner image is supplied, the control toner image is supplied to the abutment portion even when it is not necessary, thereby consuming a large amount of toner. In the image forming apparatus, the control unit changes a toner amount of the control toner image reaching the abutment portion of a photosensitive member and a photosensitive member cleaning blade and the toner amount thereof reaching the abutment portion of a transfer belt and a belt cleaning blade, based on a detection result of an environment detection unit. | 11-01-2012 |
20130011154 | RESONANT-FREQUENCY MEASUREMENT OF ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPER DENSITY - Developer density in an electrophotographic system is measured. The developer includes toner particles and magnetic carrier particles. First and second mutually-insulated electrodes define a working volume between them through which developer passes without contacting the first electrode. An AC voltage or current source is connected to the electrodes. An inductor is connected in series with a voltage source, or an inductor is provided in parallel with a current source. The voltage or current is applied and corresponding current or voltage across the electrodes is measured. The density of the developer in the working volume is automatically determined using a processor responsive to the measured current or voltage and the applied bias. | 01-10-2013 |
20130016988 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOFAANM Tanaka; SumitoAACI TokyoAACO JPAAGP Tanaka; Sumito Tokyo JP - An image forming apparatus and a control method thereof are provided that determine a final contrast potential taking into consideration not only the relationship between the contrast potential of an electrostatic latent image and the density value of a developed image but also a toner charge amount for developing the electrostatic latent image. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus of the present invention predicts, in advance, the contrast potential of the electrostatic latent image and the density of the toner image at the contrast potential for a predetermined toner charge amount. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus forms an image by adjusting the relationship between the contrast potential and density measured in advance based on a current toner charge amount and a saturation toner charge amount when forming the image. | 01-17-2013 |
20150355573 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, TONER CARTRIDGE FOR THE SAME, IMAGING CARTRIDGE FOR THE SAME, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING TONER LEVEL IN DEVELOPING CHAMBER OF THE SAME - An electrophotographic image forming apparatus may include an imaging cartridge and a toner cartridge that are detachably attached to a main body, a first optical sensor that is mounted in the imaging cartridge and detects a toner level in a development chamber, and a second optical sensor that is mounted in the toner cartridge and detects a toner level in the development chamber. | 12-10-2015 |
20160041496 | Toner Supply Regulation - An electro-photographic print system or method for regulating a supply of toner based on a required toner amount. | 02-11-2016 |
20160124343 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM AND CONCENTRATION UNEVENNESS DETECTING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes: a rotatable image carrier; an image forming unit configured to form a plurality of divided patch images, which is obtained by dividing a patch image for detecting a concentration of an image in a rotation direction of the image carrier, on the image carrier at regular intervals and form an image to be formed on a paper sheet on the image carrier; a concentration detecting unit configured to detect the concentration of the plurality of divided patch images formed by the image forming unit; and a controller configured to combine the concentration of divided patch images detected by the concentration detecting unit in chronological order and detect concentration unevenness of the image in the vertical scanning direction which is a paper sheet conveying direction of the paper sheet. | 05-05-2016 |
20160154338 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, TONER CARTRIDGE FOR THE SAME, IMAGING CARTRIDGE FOR THE SAME, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING TONER LEVEL IN DEVELOPING CHAMBER OF THE SAME | 06-02-2016 |
399059000 | Setting of reference value | 2 |
20090136249 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH CALIBRATION FUNCTION - An image forming apparatus is provided with an image bearing member, a line test image forming section for forming a line test image made up of a plurality of line images arranged side by side on the image bearing member, an image density detecting section for detecting the density of the line test image formed on the image bearing member or the line test image transferred from the image bearing member to a transfer member, and a setting section for setting an image forming condition based on the density of the line test image. | 05-28-2009 |
20110262161 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a developing container for containing a developer including toner and a carrier; a feeding member for feeding the developer contained in the developing container; a drive control portion, capable of selectively executing at least operations in a first mode in which the developer is fed at a first feeding speed by the feeding member to form an image and a second mode in which the developer is fed at a second feeding speed, different from the first feeding speed, by the feeding member to form an image, for controlling the feeding speed of the developer by the feeding member depending on the operation in the mode to be executed; a toner content detection sensor for detecting toner content by using magnetic permeability of the developer contained in the developing container; and a voltage control portion for controlling a control voltage to be inputted into the toner content detection sensor. When the operation in the second mode is executed after the operation in the first mode is executed, the voltage control portion controls the control voltage in the second mode on the basis of a latest output value outputted by the toner content detection sensor in a preceding first mode. | 10-27-2011 |
399060000 | Detection of developed image | 8 |
20080219687 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image forming apparatus and a control method thereof. The image forming apparatus includes an image input part, a development unit which is supplied with a toner and forms a developer to develop an input image inputted from the image input part, a transfer member to form a patch image, a density sensor which detects density of the patch image, and a toner supply amount control unit which sets a toner supply amount of the development unit according to changed density of the patch image which is detected by the density sensor with a predetermined detecting cycle and applies the set toner supply amount to operation of printing the input image. Accordingly, a cycle of test printing the patch image can be extended to a longer period, unnecessary consumption of the toner is prevented, and the density of the printed image can be maintained stably. | 09-11-2008 |
20080232836 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including an exposure device, a development device, an image density detection device, a supply device for supplying a toner to the development device, a cleaning device for cleaning the surface of an image bearing member, a driving torque detection device for detecting a driving torque of the image bearing member, and a controller which drives the image bearing member while providing a predetermined electric potential difference between a region charged in the image bearing member and a developer support in case of non-image formation conducts a driving torque detecting operation with respect to the image bearing member by means of the driving torque detection device, and changes a reference value in response to the value of the driving torque detected. | 09-25-2008 |
20090016758 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes data conversion, charging, exposure, developer supply, image density calculation, determination and voltage change mechanisms. The data conversion mechanism converts image data into printing data. The charging mechanism charges an image carrier. The exposure mechanism forms an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier based on the printing data. The developer supply mechanism supplies a developer to the image carrier having the electrostatic latent image with an electrostatic force. The image density calculation mechanism calculates an image density of an image having a predetermined number of lines in the printing data. The determination mechanism determines whether a voltage to be applied to the developer supply mechanism is changed based on a calculation result by the image density calculation mechanism. The voltage change mechanism changes the voltage to be applied to the developer supply mechanism based on a determination result by the determination mechanism. | 01-15-2009 |
20090208232 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor drum, a developing roller, and a control section. The photoreceptor drum is configured to form an electrostatic latent image on a surface thereof in accordance with image data. The developing roller has a surface for bearing a two-component developer at least a partial region of which faces the photoreceptor drum and is configured to be driven so as to feed the developer to the photoreceptor drum. The control section is configured to detect a print coverage for image data to be used during continuous formation of images in accordance with plural image data items and then set a relative velocity of the developing roller to the photoreceptor drum to a higher value when the print coverage is relatively high and set the relative velocity to a lower value when the print coverage is relatively low. | 08-20-2009 |
20090208233 | Image forming apparatus, control method thereof, program and recording medium - An image forming apparatus is provided which is of an electrophotographic type, and is capable of setting a gradation number of a patch pattern to be formed corresponding to various factor information, and to perform a process control. The image forming apparatus includes a patch pattern forming part to form a toner image of a patch pattern on an image carrier; a developing part to develop the patch pattern; a toner image density detecting part to measure a toner image density of the patch pattern; and a process control performing part to vary an image forming process condition based on detection results obtained from the toner image density detecting part, and to stabilize an image density. | 08-20-2009 |
20090245833 | Development Device, Image Forming Apparatus and Image Forming Method - A development device includes a developer carrier | 10-01-2009 |
20130183054 | METHOD FOR REDUCING WEAR ON AN ELECTRO-PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTER DRUM - A method for reducing wear upon an electro-photographic printer drum includes the steps of determining a non-image region of a page to be printed, applying a halftone pattern of toner to a portion of the printer drum corresponding to the non-image region, and rotating the printer drum against a cleaning blade, the halftone pattern of toner providing lubrication between the drum and the cleaning blade. | 07-18-2013 |
20150071665 | TECHNIQUES TO DETERMINE CONCENTRATION PARAMETERS OF CONDUCTIVE LIQUID ELECTROPHORETIC (LEP) INKS - Techniques to determine concentration parameters of conductive liquid electrophoretic (LEP) inks are illustrated herein. In an example, a layer of conductive LEP ink is formed on a developer roller using electrostatic forces acting on the conductive LEP ink. A current is generated in response to a voltage between a measurement electrode and a developer roller. The current flows through the conductive LEP ink layer. | 03-12-2015 |
399061000 | Detection of toner in developing unit | 22 |
20080205922 | Image forming apparatus having a toner concentration sensor - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a rotary developing device having N developer carriers on a rotation orbit and moving the N developer carriers to a development position opposite to the image carrier, and a toner concentration sensor that measures toner concentrations of the developers. A measurement position of the toner concentration sensor is set on a second virtual straight line having a first angle toward a first virtual straight line that connects a rotation center of the rotary developing device and the development position. The N developer carriers are placed in turn in an order at the same angular interval as the first angle, and an angular interval between the N-th and first developer carriers is set to a second angle greater than the first angle. | 08-28-2008 |
20080212989 | Control method of driving toner containers and image forming apparatus - The purpose is to provide a control method of driving toner containers for use in an apparatus including a plurality of toner containers each filled with toner and detachably mounted thereinto from a toner container covering structure; and a toner supply device for supplying toner to a developing unit while rotating the plurality of toner container. This method includes the step of detecting a first toner container whose toner has run out, among the plurality of toner containers. When the first toner container has been detected, this method makes a control including the steps of: opening the toner container covering structure; stopping the rotational motion of the first toner container; and continuing the rotational motion of a second toner container or containers other than the first toner container. | 09-04-2008 |
20090110425 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND DEVELOPER REPLENISHING METHOD - A switching controller is provided to switch from a developer replenishment prohibition mode to a developer replenishment permission mode when the replenishment detection device detects that the developer containing section does not store the developer, and from the developer replenishment permission mode to the developer replenishment prohibition mode when a prescribed operation is executed upon completion of replenishment of the developer from the developer containing bottle to the developer containing section. The developer replenishment prohibition mode prohibits the developer replenishment device from replenishing the developer to the developer containing section, while the developer replenishment permission mode permits the developer replenishment device to replenish the developer to the developer containing section. | 04-30-2009 |
20110044709 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus include an image bearing member, a developing container receiving a developer, a developer carrying member for carrying and conveying the developer, a developer feed member for supplying the developer to the developer carrying member, a detection device for detecting an amount of developer in the developing container by detecting an electrostatic capacitance between the developer carrying member and the developer feed member, and a control device for changing a rotational speed of the developer feed member into a plurality of speeds corresponding to the plurality of image forming speeds. The control unit controls the rotational speed of the developer feed member prior to the execution of a detection operation of the detection device so as to be faster than the slowest speed of said plurality of speeds. | 02-24-2011 |
20110058838 | METHOD TO DETERMINE THE CONCENTRATION OF TONER PARTICLES FOR A LIQUID DEVELOPER SYSTEM - In a method to determine concentration of toner particles in a carrier fluid in a liquid developer system for a printer or carrier, a suspension of the carrier fluid in the toner particles is charged with an ultrasonic wave. A delay of the ultrasonic wave in the suspension is determined. A concentration of the toner particles in the suspension is determined from the delay. A system is also provided employing the above steps. | 03-10-2011 |
20110123211 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE AND METHOD - An image forming apparatus including: an image forming unit including an image carrier for carrying a toner image to be transferred onto a sheet and a correcting toner image to be used for adjusting a density of the toner image, a detection sensor for detecting density information of the correcting toner image formed in a non-image area by the image forming unit, and a controller for causing the image forming unit to correct an image forming condition based on the density information to execute a stabilization control, wherein, when receiving at least one information of interruption information, mode switching information and job switching information during execution of the stabilization control, the controller causes the image forming unit continuously form non-formed residual correcting toner images different in density on the image carrier before finishing a processing operation in the stabilization control under execution. | 05-26-2011 |
20110243593 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD - Certain embodiments provide an image forming apparatus, includes: a photoconductive drum; a developing container having a first chamber that contains a developer made of toner and a toner additive therein, and a receive port that communicates with the first chamber; a developing roller that develops the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive drum with toner in the developing container; a toner cartridge having a second chamber that contains a supply of toner to the developing container therein, and a discharge port that communicates with the second chamber and transports the supply of toner to the receive port; a storage medium fixed to the toner cartridge, and is rewritable and stores specific data therein; a sensor that detects a toner concentration in the toner cartridge; and a controller that rewrites specific data stored in the storage medium by random data upon detecting the toner empty by the sensor. | 10-06-2011 |
20120237238 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, STORAGE UNIT CONTROLLING METHOD, AND STORAGE UNIT CONTROLLING PROGRAM PRODUCT - An image forming apparatus includes a control unit that controls each component, a first storage unit that is a non-volatile and rewritable storage unit mounted on the control unit, a toner containing unit that contains toner to be used for an image forming, a second storage unit that is a non-volatile and rewritable storage unit mounted on the toner containing unit, and a detecting unit that detects an amount of the toner remained in the toner containing unit. The control unit stores count information into the second storage unit, the count information is copied from the second storage unit to the first storage unit, when the detecting unit detects that the amount of the toner remained in the toner containing unit is not enough, and the count information is kept on being stored into the first storage unit, until the toner containing unit is replaced with a new one. | 09-20-2012 |
20160041495 | MAGNETIC PERMEABILITY DETECTOR, DEVELOPING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND OSCILLATION SIGNAL FREQUENCY CALCULATION METHOD THEREFOR - A magnetic permeability detector includes an LC oscillator circuit including a coil and a capacitor; and a resistor connected in series with the coil. | 02-11-2016 |
20160109825 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING A LEVEL OF TONER IN A REPLACEMENT TONER CARTRIDGE - An electronic device for determining a level of toner volume in a replacement toner cartridge used in a printing device comprises a communication element, a memory element, and a processing element. The communication element transmits a request to the printing device to provide data regarding the replacement toner cartridge and receives the data. The data includes a current level of toner volume and a current printed page count. The memory element stores the data received from the printing device. The processing element is in communication with the communication element and the memory element. The processing element is configured to determine one of a plurality of sequential phases of a usage cycle of the replacement toner cartridge corresponding to a value of the current level of toner volume and determine a corrected level of toner volume using one of a plurality of equations selected according to the phase. | 04-21-2016 |
20220137529 | TONER CONTAINER INFORMATION ACQUIRING METHOD, TONER CONTAINER SORTING METHOD, TONER CONTAINER PULVERIZING METHOD, TONER CONTAINER PROCESSING METHOD, AND TONER CONTAINER MANUFACTURING METHOD - A toner container information acquiring method includes: measuring a toner amount contained in a resin forming a toner container; and acquiring information regarding mechanical strength of the toner container based on the measured toner amount. | 05-05-2022 |
399062000 | Concentration detection | 11 |
20080205923 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE DENSITY CONTROL METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier configured to carry an electrostatic latent image, a developing device configured to develop the electrostatic latent image with a two-component developer including toner and magnetic carrier, a toner supplier configured to supply the toner to the developing device, a toner concentration detector configured to detect toner concentration in the two-component developer inside the developing device, and a controller. The controller is configured to detect first information to determine toner replacement amount in the developing device during a predetermined time period and second information to determine a charge characteristic of the toner in the developing device, change a toner concentration control reference value based on the first information and the second information, and control the toner concentration based on an output from the toner concentration detector and the toner concentration control reference value. | 08-28-2008 |
20080240760 | Image forming apparatus and toner replenishment control method - An image forming apparatus and a toner replenishment control method according to the present invention are configured such that a concentration of toner in a developer detected by a toner concentration detection sensor is measured and the measured toner concentration value is stored. These are configured such that regions of image data corresponding to an electrostatic latent image on an image bearing member to be developed by the developer are specified and an amount of toner to be consumed in the developer is predicted based on the image data of the specified regions, then a post-development concentration value of toner in the developer is estimated based on the measured toner concentration value and the predicted toner consumption amount, and control of replenishment of toner to the developer is carried out based on the estimated post-development toner concentration value and a toner setting concentration value that has been set in advance. | 10-02-2008 |
20090202264 | TONER CONCENTRATION FIELD MEASUREMENT TOOL - A tool used in the TC measurement in the field includes a venturi shaped container that when connected to vacuum pressure from a portable vacuum cleaner takes advantage of cyclone separator functionality to assist in separation of fine toner from carrier beads with the toner being caught in the vacuum cleaner and the carrier beads being caught by a plurality of screens covering an opening in the bottom of the container. | 08-13-2009 |
20100034545 | DEVELOPER SUPPLY CARTRIDGE, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer supply cartridge including toner, carrier for charging the toner, a case housing the toner and the carrier, an openable partition dividing an inside of the case into a first area filled with the toner and a second area filled with the carrier, and a supply port provided in the first area, the supply port for discharging the developer including the toner and the carrier from the case. | 02-11-2010 |
20110170890 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE AND DEVELOPER SUPPLY METHOD - There are provided a powder supply means | 07-14-2011 |
20120201557 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section including a developing device; a toner-cartridge holding section configured to detachably house a toner cartridge that stores a toner supplied to the developing device and includes a storage medium which stores information concerning the toner; a reading device configured to read the information stored in the storage medium; a toner detecting section configured to detect that the toner is supplied to the developing device; a toner-density comparing section configured to compare densities of the toner and a carrier after the detection by the toner detecting section; and a storage device configured to store information concerning use in the reading device and the storage medium if the toner-density comparing section determines that the toner density reaches a predetermined value. | 08-09-2012 |
20130287419 | METHOD FOR SELECTING DEVELOPER, DEVELOPER, AND IMAGE FORMATION DEVICE - A developer to develop an electrostatic latent image satisfying the requirements of 0.85≦Q60/Q600 and 10≦Q600≦20, where Q60 (−μC/g) represents a charge amount of the developer when a sample, made by adding the developer to a carrier such that the concentration of the developer is 5%, is shaken for 60 seconds, and Q600 (−μC/g) represents a charge amount of the developer when shaken for 600 seconds under the same conditions. | 10-31-2013 |
399063000 | Magnetic detector | 3 |
20090208234 | MAGNETIC MATERIAL DETECTING DEVICE - A magnetic material detecting device, in which a concentration of magnetic material can be correctly detected, even when the magnetic material with unevenness in its density distribution flows. A magnetic field generating device is arranged in a two-component developer composed of magnetic carrier and non-magnetic toner and generates a magnetic field. A signal output device is arranged in the developer and outputs a signal depending on a magnetic permeability of the developer due to the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating device. An agitating unit agitates the developer and makes the developer flow between the magnetic field generating device and the signal output device. A detecting unit detects a proportion of the toner in the developer based on a result of multiple times sampling of the signal outputted from the signal output device after the agitating unit starts to operate. | 08-20-2009 |
20140099134 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an image forming apparatus, the magnetic sensor obtains an output value varying with a magnetic toner amount in a development device. The correlative data storing part prestores correlative data relating to the output value when there is no magnetic toner in the development device and the output value when the magnetic toner amount is a predetermined setting value. The standard value storing part prestores an initial value of a standard value being the output value when the magnetic toner amount is the setting value. The standard value setting part makes the standard value storing part store the output value corresponding to the magnetic toner amount being the setting value, as new standard value, by the output value when there is no magnetic toner in the development device and the correlative data. The toner amount deciding part decides the magnetic toner amount by the output value and the standard value. | 04-10-2014 |
20150346632 | Toner Level Sensing Using Rotatable Magnets Having Varying Angular Offset - An electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a replaceable unit having a reservoir for storing toner and a rotatable shaft positioned within the reservoir. The replaceable unit has a first magnet and a second magnet connected to the shaft and rotatable around an axis of rotation of the shaft in response to rotation of the shaft. An amount of angular offset between the first magnet and the second magnet varies depending on an amount of toner in the reservoir. A sensor is positioned to sense the first magnet and the second magnet at a point in their rotational paths. A processor is in electronic communication with the sensor and configured to determine an angular offset between the first magnet and the second magnet and to adjust an estimate of the amount of toner remaining in the reservoir based on the determined angular. | 12-03-2015 |
399064000 | Optical detector | 1 |
20090074439 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE DEVELOPER USED THEREIN - An image forming apparatus, including a surface-traveling latent image bearer bearing a latent image on the surface thereof; an image developer feeding a toner in a two-component developer including the toner and a carrier to the latent image in a developing area facing the latent image bearer to develop the latent image to form a toner image, including a developer stirrer and feeder circulating the two-component developer in circulation paths while stirring the two-component developer, including a driver independently driving the first and the second stirring and feeding members; a transferer transferring the toner image onto a recording material; and a controller controlling the driver such that an amount of the two-component developer fed by the second stirring and feeding member per unit time is relatively larger than that of the two-component developer fed by the first stirring and feeding member when a predetermined increase condition of stirring is satisfied. | 03-19-2009 |