Development system seal

Claim 3

An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said sealing means includes: a support member mounted in at least the region of one end of the periphery of said housing; a brush secured to said support member, said brush having a plurality of flexible fibers extending in a substantially outwardly direction from said support member and being adapted to contact the image bearing member when said housing pivots to the operative position; and a pair of resilient strips mounted in the region of either side of the periphery of said housing, said resilient strips being adapted to contact the image bearing member when said housing pivots to the operative position, thereby preventing, in combination with said brush, charge particles from being distributed externally of said developer means and the electrostatic latent image recorded on the image bearing member.

Claim 4

An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said advancing means includes: conveyor means mounted for movement within the chamber of said housing and arranged to move the charged particles from a first region to an intermediate region; and rotary driven transport means mounted within the chamber of said housing and arranged to move the charged particles from the intermediate region of the second region for discharge thereat.

Claim 5

An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein: said transport means includes a first tubular member of non-magnetic material and first magnetic means fixedly disposed within said first tubular member for creating a magnetic field in the path of the periphery of said first tubular member; and said developer means includes a second tubular member of non-magnetic material and second magnetic means fixedly disposed within said second tubular member for creating a magnetic field in the path of the periphery of said second tubular member.

Claim 6

An electrophotographic printing machine of the type having a photoconductive member, a corona generating device adapted to charge the photoconductive member to a substantially uniform level, and an exposure mechanism for projecting a light image of an original document onto the charged photoconductive member to record an electrostatic latent image thereof, wherein the improvement includes: means for depositing toner particles onto the electrostatic latent image recorded on the photoconductive member, said depositing means comprising a developer housing defining a chamber storing a developer mix comprising carrier granules and toner particles, means for advancing the developer mix from a first region to a second region for discharge thereat, rotary driven developer means mounted within the chamber of said developer housing closely proximate to said advancing means for receiving the developer mix therefrom, said developer means being arranged to deposit toner particles onto the latent image when in operative communication therewith, means for driving said advancing means such that the reaction torque to the driving moment applied to said advancing means pivots said developer housing disposing said developer means adjacent the electrostatic latent image in operative communication therewith; means for actuating said toner depositing means in response to the photoconductive member being disposed at a preselected position, said toner depositing means moving from an inoperative position spaced from the photoconductive member to an operative position adjacent to the electrostatic latent image; biasing means for resiliently urging said toner depositing means from the operative position adjacent the electrostatic latent image to the inoperative position spaced from the photoconductive member; and sealing means, operatively associated with said toner depositing means, for preventing toner particles from being distributed external to said toner depositing means and the photoconductive member when said toner depositing means is located in the operative position.

Claim 7

An electrophotographic printing machine of the type having a photoconductive member, a corona generating device adapted to charge the photoconductive member to a substantially uniform level, and an exposure mechanism for projecting a light image of an original document onto the charged photoconductive member to record an electrostatic latent image thereof, wherein the improvement includes: means for depositing toner particles onto the electrostatic latent image recorded on the photoconductive member, said depositing means comprising a developer housing defining a chamber storing a developer mix comprising carrier granules and toner particles, means for advancing the developer mix from a first region to a second region for discharge thereat, rotary driven developer means mounted within the chamber of said developer housing closely proximate to said advancing means for receiving the developer mix therefrom, said developer means being arranged to deposit toner particles onto the latent image when in operative communication therewith, means for driving said advancing means such that the reaction torque to the driving moment applied to said advancing means pivots said developer housing disposing said developer means adjacent the electrostatic latent image in operative communication therewith; means for actuating said toner depositing means in response to the photoconductive member being disposed at a preselected position, said toner depositing means moving from an inoperative position spaced from the photoconductive member to an operative position adjacent to the electrostatic latent image; biasing means for resiliently urging said toner depositing means from the operative position adjacent the electrostatic latent image to the inoperative position spaced from the photoconductive member; and sealing means, operatively associated with said toner depositing means, for preventing toner particles from being distributed external to said toner depositing means and the photoconductive member when said toner depositing means is located in the operative position.

Claim 8

A printing machine as recited in claim 5, wherein said sealing means includes: a support member mounted in at least the region of one end of the periphery of said developer housing; a brush secured to said support member, said brush having a plurality of flexible fibers extending in a substantially outwardly direction from said support member and being adapted to contact the photoconductive member when said developer housing pivots to the operative position; and a pair of resilient strips mounted in the region of either side of the periphery of said housing, said resilient strips being adapted to contact the photoconductive member when said developer housing pivots to the operative position, thereby preventing, in combination with said brush, toner particles from being distributed externally of said developer means and the electrostatic latent image recorded on the photoconductive member.

Claim 9

A printing machine as recited in claim 6, wherein said advancing means includes: conveyor means mounted for movement within the chamber of said developer housing and arranged to move the developer mix from a first region to an intermediate region; and rotary driven transport means mounted within the chamber of said developer housing and arranged to move the developer mix from the intermediate region to the second region for discharge thereat.

Claim 10

A printing machine as recited in claim 7, wherein: said transport means includes a first tubular member of non-magnetic material and first magnetic means fixedly disposed within said first tubular member for creating a magnetic field in the path of the periphery of said first tubular member; and said developer means includes a second tubular member of non-magnetic material and second magnetic means fixedly disposed within said tubular member for creating a magnetic field in the path of the periphery of said second tubular member.