US3707947A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cross-channel mixer
Assignee: Xerox Corp
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Filing: 1970-12-29
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Granted: 1973-01-02
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Expires: 1990-12-29
Abstract
Abstract A developer circulating system, part of an electrostatic printing device, includes apparatus for mixing, agitating and distributing developer cyclically by diverting the normal gravitational flow of the developer in its circulating cycle. The mixing, agitating and distributing device includes at least two banks of channels, with the channels common to one bank slanted in one direction and the channels common to the other bank slanted in the opposite direction. The channels of one bank are so slanted or offset so as to efficiently walk the circulating developer, in cyclic steps, along the bank, channel by channel to the last channel in the bank and the last channel causes the circulating developer to switch banks thereby cyclically walking the developer back and forth along the banks effectively mixing, agitating and distributing the developer.
Inventors
- 👤 L Reichart
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 07:26
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/06; G03G15/08; G03G15/0822; B; B01; B01F; B01F25/00; B01F25/80; B01F25/83
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
368 words
In an electrostatic recording device for generating a latent image on an electrostatic plate of a predetermined pattern and for developing the latent image into a visible image by applying a developer to the surface of the electrostatic plate by use of a developer circulating device, an improved developer circulating device including; a developer housing including a sump for collecting developer, means for removing developer from said sump and applying the developer so removed to the surface of the electrostatic plate for developing the latent image with a portion of the developer so applied to the surface of the plate, means for returning the remainder of the developer so applied to the electrostatic plate to the sump through a developer mixing and distributing means, said last mentioned means including; a first plurality of adjacently spaced and parallel aligned enclosed channels extending transverse to the flow of developer returning to the sump with each channel being capable of supporting a portion of the entire developer flow returning to said sump, each enclosed channel being offset in a first direction for carrying a portion of the developer returning to the sump in a first direction so that the developer exiting from one of said first spaced channels is offset in position in said first direction to be directly under the entrance of the adjacent channel in the first direction of offset, a second plurality of adjacently spaced parallel aligned enclosed channels being independent of said first channels and extending transverse to the direction of developer flow returning to said sump and being capable of supporting a portion of the entire developer flow returning to said sump, each enclosed channel being offset in a second direction being opposite said first direction for carrying a portion of the developer returning to the sump in said second direction so that the developer exiting from one of said second spaced channels of said second plurality is offset in position in said second direction to be directly under the entrance of the adjacent channel in the second direction of offset for interferring with the normal gravitational flow of the developer causing the developer to be mixed and to be uniformly distributed within the developer housing.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
368 words
In an electrostatic recording device for generating a latent image on an electrostatic plate of a predetermined pattern and for developing the latent image into a visible image by applying a developer to the surface of the electrostatic plate by use of a developer circulating device, an improved developer circulating device including; a developer housing including a sump for collecting developer, means for removing developer from said sump and applying the developer so removed to the surface of the electrostatic plate for developing the latent image with a portion of the developer so applied to the surface of the plate, means for returning the remainder of the developer so applied to the electrostatic plate to the sump through a developer mixing and distributing means, said last mentioned means including; a first plurality of adjacently spaced and parallel aligned enclosed channels extending transverse to the flow of developer returning to the sump with each channel being capable of supporting a portion of the entire developer flow returning to said sump, each enclosed channel being offset in a first direction for carrying a portion of the developer returning to the sump in a first direction so that the developer exiting from one of said first spaced channels is offset in position in said first direction to be directly under the entrance of the adjacent channel in the first direction of offset, a second plurality of adjacently spaced parallel aligned enclosed channels being independent of said first channels and extending transverse to the direction of developer flow returning to said sump and being capable of supporting a portion of the entire developer flow returning to said sump, each enclosed channel being offset in a second direction being opposite said first direction for carrying a portion of the developer returning to the sump in said second direction so that the developer exiting from one of said second spaced channels of said second plurality is offset in position in said second direction to be directly under the entrance of the adjacent channel in the second direction of offset for interferring with the normal gravitational flow of the developer causing the developer to be mixed and to be uniformly distributed within the developer housing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
81 words
In an electrostatic recording device for generating a latent image on an electrostatic drum of a predetermined pattern and for developing the latent image into a visible image by applying developer to the surface of the electrostatic drum as in claim 1 and further including; means between said developer returning means and the developer mixing and distributing means for conveying said developer in sliding conveyance along the gravitational flow path to the entrance of the channels positioned in the flow path.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
357 words
A static mixing device for interrupting the normal flow of particulate developer material in a system for circulating electrostatic developer material for cyclically walking the developer material back and forth along the mixing device in response to repeated circulations of the developer material, said static mixing device being positioned in the normal gravitational flow of the developer as the developer is returned to a sump for collecting developer including; a sump for collecting developer after having passed through said static mixing device, means for removing developer from said sump for initiating the circulating system during which development of an electrostatic image takes place, means for returning developer to the sump after developmeans of the electrostaTic image has taken place by passing the developer through the static mixing device, said static mixing device including, a first bank of spaced parallel channels each having an inlet end and an outlet end, with the position of the outlet end offset in one direction from the position of the associated inlet end and said outlet end being substantially in gravitational alignment with the inlet end of the adjacent spaced channel, in the direction of offset except for the last channel in the said first bank, in the direction of offset, a second bank of spaced parallel channels each having an inlet end and an outlet end, with the position of the outlet end offset in another direction from the position of the associated inlet end and said outlet end being substantially in gravitational alignment with the inlet end of the adjacent spaced channel, in the said another direction of offset except for the last channel in said second bank in the said another direction of offset, the said last channel in the said first bank being offset in the said one direction and having its outlet end in alignment with the inlet end of the first channel of said second bank of channels, and the said last channel in the said second bank being offset in the said another direction and having its outlet end in alignment with the inlet end of the first channel of said first bank of channels.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
357 words
A static mixing device for interrupting the normal flow of particulate developer material in a system for circulating electrostatic developer material for cyclically walking the developer material back and forth along the mixing device in response to repeated circulations of the developer material, said static mixing device being positioned in the normal gravitational flow of the developer as the developer is returned to a sump for collecting developer including; a sump for collecting developer after having passed through said static mixing device, means for removing developer from said sump for initiating the circulating system during which development of an electrostatic image takes place, means for returning developer to the sump after developmeans of the electrostaTic image has taken place by passing the developer through the static mixing device, said static mixing device including, a first bank of spaced parallel channels each having an inlet end and an outlet end, with the position of the outlet end offset in one direction from the position of the associated inlet end and said outlet end being substantially in gravitational alignment with the inlet end of the adjacent spaced channel, in the direction of offset except for the last channel in the said first bank, in the direction of offset, a second bank of spaced parallel channels each having an inlet end and an outlet end, with the position of the outlet end offset in another direction from the position of the associated inlet end and said outlet end being substantially in gravitational alignment with the inlet end of the adjacent spaced channel, in the said another direction of offset except for the last channel in said second bank in the said another direction of offset, the said last channel in the said first bank being offset in the said one direction and having its outlet end in alignment with the inlet end of the first channel of said second bank of channels, and the said last channel in the said second bank being offset in the said another direction and having its outlet end in alignment with the inlet end of the first channel of said first bank of channels.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
283 words
A static mixing device for interrupting the normal flow of powdery developer material in a system for circulating electrostatic developer material for cyclically walking the developer material back and forth along the mixing device in response to repeated circulations of the developer material, said static mixing device being positioned in the normal gravitational flow of the developer as the developer is returned to a sump for collecting developer including; a sump for collecting developer after having passed through said static mixing device, means for removing developer from said sump for initiating the circulating system during which development of an electrostatic image takes place, means for returning developer to the sump after development of the electrostatic image has taken place by passing the developer through the static mixing device, said static mixing device including, a first plurality of spaced chutes, each slanted in a first direction and substantially parallel with each other, the outlet end of each chute of said first plurality of spaced chutes positioned substantially directly under the inlet end of the adjacent chute of said first plurality of spaced chutes in said first direction, a second plurality of spaced chutes, each slanted in a second direction and substantially parallel with each other, the outlet end of each chute of said second plurality of spaced chutes positioned substantially directly under the inlet end of the adjacent chute of said second plurality of spaced chutes in said second direction, and said first plurality of spaced chutes and said second plurality of spaced chutes in juxtaposition with respect to each other with the inlet end of each chute of said first plurality offset from the inlet end of each chute of said second plurality.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
283 words
A static mixing device for interrupting the normal flow of powdery developer material in a system for circulating electrostatic developer material for cyclically walking the developer material back and forth along the mixing device in response to repeated circulations of the developer material, said static mixing device being positioned in the normal gravitational flow of the developer as the developer is returned to a sump for collecting developer including; a sump for collecting developer after having passed through said static mixing device, means for removing developer from said sump for initiating the circulating system during which development of an electrostatic image takes place, means for returning developer to the sump after development of the electrostatic image has taken place by passing the developer through the static mixing device, said static mixing device including, a first plurality of spaced chutes, each slanted in a first direction and substantially parallel with each other, the outlet end of each chute of said first plurality of spaced chutes positioned substantially directly under the inlet end of the adjacent chute of said first plurality of spaced chutes in said first direction, a second plurality of spaced chutes, each slanted in a second direction and substantially parallel with each other, the outlet end of each chute of said second plurality of spaced chutes positioned substantially directly under the inlet end of the adjacent chute of said second plurality of spaced chutes in said second direction, and said first plurality of spaced chutes and said second plurality of spaced chutes in juxtaposition with respect to each other with the inlet end of each chute of said first plurality offset from the inlet end of each chute of said second plurality.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
109 words
A static mixing device for interrupting the normal flow of powdery developer material in a system for circulating electrostatic developer material as in claim 4 and in which the last chute of said first plurality of spaced chutes, in the said first direction is slanted so that its outlet end is positioned directly under the inlet end of the first chute of said second plurality of spaced chutes, and the last chute of said second plurality of spaced chutes in the said second direction is slanted so that the outlet of such last chute is positioned directly under the inlet end of the first chute of said first plurality.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2927554A
Cited
US3572289A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-01-02 | 1976-07-03 | 1977-01-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-02 | 1980-07-03 | 1981-01-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-02 | 1984-07-03 | 1985-01-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |