Patent US3986217A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0476716A2
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Image forming machine
Assignee: Kyocera Mita Industrial Co Ltd
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Filing: 1987-06-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-06-16
Abstract
Abstract An image forming machine provided with an image bearing member (28) having a photosensitive material on its surface, a developing device (34) for developing a latent electrostatic image formed on the surface of the photosensitive material, a cleaning device (36) for removing toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive material, and toner feed means for feeding the toner recovered in the cleaning device (36) to the developing device(34). The image bearing member (28), the developing device (34) and the cleaning device (36) are mounted on a detachable unit frame (22), and the unit frame (22) is adapted to be mounted and detached by means of a simple structure.
Inventors
- 👤 Junichi Takamatsu
- 👤 Kazunori Akiyama
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 12:22
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G21/00; G03G21/16; G03G21/18; G03G21/1803; G03G21/1814; G03G15/06; G03G15/08; G03G15/0822; G03G15/0848; G03G15/0849; G03G15/0855; G03G15/0865; G03G15/0877; G03G21/10; G03G21/105; G03G21/1604; G03G21/1623; G03G21/1628; G03G21/1661; G03G21/1676; G03G21/169; G03G21/1839; G03G21/1842; G03G21/1846; G03G2221/00; G03G2221/16; G03G2221/1618; G03G2221/1621; G03G2221/1627; G03G2221/163; G03G2221/1648; G03G2221/18; G03G2221/183; G03G2221/1846
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
An image forming machine comprising a supporting structure and a process unit (302) adapted to be detachably mounted on the supporting structure, said process unit (302) including an image bearing member (354) having a photosensitive material on its surface, a developing device (304) for developing a latent electrostatic image formed on the surface of the photosensitive material, a cleaning device (348) for removing toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive material, and a unit frame (306) on which the image bearing member, the developing device (304) and the cleaning device are mounted, said developing device (304) having a developing chamber (322) and applicator means disposed in the developing chamber (322) for applying toner to the latent electrostatic image to be developed, wherein the toner removed from the surface of the photosensitive material by the action of the cleaning (348) device is mixed with the unused toner, and the mixed toner is fed to the developing chamber (322). (Fig. 9)
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
174 words
The image forming machine of claim 1 wherein the developing device (304) is provided with a toner holding chamber (326) holding unused toner and communicating with the developing chamber (322) through a toner discharge opening (342), the cleaning device (348) has toner removing means which acts on the surface of the photosensitive material and removing the residual toner from it and a toner recovery chamber (352) for recovering the toner removed by the toner removing means, toner feed means (350) for feeding the toner recovered in the toner recovery chamber (352) to the developing device (304) is further provided in the process unit (302), and the toner feed means re-feeds the toner recovered in the toner recovery chamber (352) to the vicinity of the toner discharge opening of the toner holding chamber (326), whereby the toner from the toner recovery chamber (352) is mixed with toner in the toner holding chamber (352) near the toner discharge opening and the mixed toner is fed to the developing chamber (322) through the toner discharge opening (342).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
109 words
The image forming machine of claim 2 wherein the toner holding chamber (352) includes a mixing chamber (332) defined in its lower portion and a first holding chamber (328) and a second holding chamber (330) defined above the mixing chamber (332); the first holding chamber (328) holds fresh unused toner; the second holding chamber (330) holds the toner fed from the toner recovery chamber (352); and the toner fed from the first holding chamber (328) and the toner fed from the second holding chamber (330) are mixed in the mixing chamber (332), and the mixed toner is fed to the developing chamber (322) through the toner discharge opening (342).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
The image forming machine of claim 3 wherein the first and second holding chambers (328, 330) are juxtaposed, and the toner from the first holding chamber (328) and the toner from the second holding chamber (330) are fed to the mixing chamber (332) substantially uniformly in the widthwise direction of the mixing chamber (332).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
84 words
The image forming machine of claim 4 wherein the second holding chamber (330) is defined by a nearly U-shaped wall portion (316a); the toner feed means includes a helical member (350) extending from the toner recovery chamber (352) into the second holding chamber (330); and the toner fed to the second holding chamber (330) advances beyond the upper edge of one side end of said wall portion (316a) and is fed to the mixing chamber (332) by the action of the helical member (350).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
The image forming machine of claim 5 wherein said upper edge of one side end of the wall portion (316) defining the second holding chamber (330) has a progressively decreasing height from one end toward the other end of the mixing chamber (332) in its widthwise direction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
The image forming machine of claim 5 wherein the bottom of the wall portion defining the second holding chamber (330) is progressively elevated from one end toward the other end of the mixing chamber (332) in the widthwise direction.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
94 words
The image forming machine of claim 2 wherein a hollow guide member is disposed near the toner discharge opening (342) of the toner holding chamber (326); the toner feed means includes a helical member (350) extending from the inside of the toner recovery chamber (352) into the hollow guide member; and the toner recovered in the toner recovery chamber (352) is fed into the hollow guide member, and fed to the vicinity of the toner discharge opening through an opening formed in the hollow guide member, by the action of the helical member (350).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
111 words
The image forming machine of claim 8 wherein a mixing chamber (332) is defined in the lower portion of the toner holding chamber (326); a first holding chamber (328) is defined above the mixing chamber (332); a second holding chamber (330) is defined in the upper portion of the mixing chamber (332) by the hollow guide member; fresh unused toner is held in the first holding chamber (328); the toner fed from the first holding chamber (328) and the toner fed from the second holding chamber (330) are mixed in the mixing chamber (332); and the mixed toner is fed to the developing chamber (322) through the toner discharge opening (342).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
The image forming machine of claim 9 wherein the toner from the first holding chamber (328) and the toner from the second holding chamber (330) are fed to the mixing chamber (332) substantially uniformly in the widthwise direction of the mixing chamber (332).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
71 words
The image forming machine of claim 10 wherein a plurality of openings (572) spaced from each other in the widthwise direction of the mixing chamber (332) are formed in the lower portion of the hollow guide member; and the plurality of openings are progressively larger toward one end in the widthwise direction of the mixing chamber and progressively smaller toward the other end in the widthwise direction of the mixing chamber.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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