Did You Know...
...that the video game, Pong, was invented by a guy who graduated at the bottom of his engineering class? Nolan Bushnell spent more time running the games at a local amusement park than he did on his studies at the University of Utah. His dreams of working for Disney's amusement empire were dashed when the company wouldn't hire him. Taking a boring job, Nolan daydreamed about electronic versions of popular games. He invented Pong, the first video game, and went on to found Atari Co.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Application No. | Application Title | Issue Date |
| 20120027438 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS An image forming apparatus includes: a storage container which horizontally stores a waste toner; a full detection sensor which detects whether the waste toner reaches a full position; a near detection sensor which detects whether the waste toner reaches a near position... | 02/02/2012 |
| 20110318026 | DEVELOPER RECOVERY DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME A developer recovery device is provided with a recovery container that receives and accommodates a developer recovered from an image carrier, an agitator member that agitates the developer inside the recovery container, two shafts to which mutually engageable cams are r... | 12/29/2011 |
| 20110311247 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS An image forming apparatus includes a weight detection sensor and a CPU (notification control section, weight calculation section and full-capacity amount correction section). The CPU calculates weight of toner in a waste toner container based on image formation history... | 12/22/2011 |
| 20110274447 | PROCESS UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME A process unit including a first housing detachably attachable to an image forming apparatus, an image carrier to carry an image on a surface thereof, a charger to charge the surface of the image carrier, a developing device to form the image on the surface of the image... | 11/10/2011 |
| 20110243585 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS This image forming apparatus includes: a waste toner recovery bottle that recovers waste toner; a detection member that is flexible and is loaded in the waste toner recovery bottle, and that bulges upwards in accordance with the recovered amount of waste toner collected... | 10/06/2011 |
| 20110123207 | DEVELOPER RECOVERY CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS A developer recovery container includes a first room that stores a recovered developer; a plurality of linearly obliquely arranged recovery ports facing the first room, a developer removed by a cleaning unit for an intermediate transfer unit and a developer removed by a... | 05/26/2011 |
| 20110091227 | Waste toner container and image forming apparatus incorporating same A waste toner container that collects waste toner that is not used to form an image in an image forming unit of an image forming apparatus, and includes a waste toner collection opening to receive the waste toner output from the image forming unit, a toner amount detect... | 04/21/2011 |
| 20110052225 | Image forming device An image forming device includes: a collecting container that collects a waste toner; a rotation member that rotates and spreads a waste toner inside the collecting container; a torque detection unit that detects torque applied to the rotation member by a waste toner in... | 03/03/2011 |
| 20110026948 | APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING AN IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS An image processing apparatus having a collected toner container in which residual toner is accumulated is controlled by: obtaining a supplied toner amount, obtaining a total number of printed sheets, calculating an average number of printed sheets per image forming job... | 02/03/2011 |
| 20100322645 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING LEVEL OF MARKING MATERIAL IN A WASTE SUMP Disclosed is a printing apparatus and corresponding methods. The printing apparatus includes a photoreceptor, a cleaning blade for cleaning marking material from the photoreceptor, a waste sump containing the marking material cleaned from the photoreceptor by the cleane... | 12/23/2010 |
| 20100303484 | Capacitive Sensor for Sensing State of Waste Toner Box in an Imaging Apparatus A capacitive sensor for sensing amount of waste toner in a waste toner box of an imaging apparatus includes a capacitor that has a pair of separated plates disposed within the interior of the waste toner box. The capacitance of the capacitor changes with the amount of t... | 12/02/2010 |
| 20100247119 | Image Forming Apparatus A first moving member is provided in conjunction with a toner container collecting toner not transferred on the recording medium and moves in accordance with the movement of a toner conveying unit. A second moving member is provided in conjunction with the toner contain... | 09/30/2010 |
| 20100196021 | POWDER CONTAINER APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS A powder container apparatus for containing a powder material removed from a cleaned body using a cleaning unit includes a casing having an opening at the top; a collecting bag made of a soft and freely deformable material detachably disposed within the casing, the coll... | 08/05/2010 |
| 20100166441 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING THE FULLNESS OF WASTE-TONER CONTAINER An image forming apparatus includes a waste-toner container, a light sensor having a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion, a light-blocking member for covering the light sensor to detect the attachment of the container, and a control unit. When the waste... | 07/01/2010 |
| 20100104299 | WASTE TONER AMOUNT DETECTING APPARATUS AND METHOD, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS EMPLOYING THE SAME Disclosed are a waste toner amount detecting apparatus and method which can detect whether a waste toner bottle is full of a waste toner using a change in a current of a motor which drives an auger, and an image forming apparatus employing the same. The waste toner amou... | 04/29/2010 |
| 20100098442 | WASTE DEVELOPER COLLECTING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME Disclosed is a waste developer collecting unit of an image forming apparatus that can include a casing configured to store waste developer, an auger rotatably disposed inside the casing and configured to move the waste developer around inside the casing, a detection uni... | 04/22/2010 |
| 20100080580 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS The image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section forming an image on a recording medium; first and second storing containers attachably and detachably provided and storing waste powder discarded from the image forming section; a first discharging part allo... | 04/01/2010 |
| 20100080579 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND APPARATUS The image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section forming an image on a recording medium; an attachable and detachable storing container storing waste powder discarded and transported from the image forming section; a transport path for transporting the was... | 04/01/2010 |
| 20100061742 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS An image forming apparatus including cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) developing units using a C developer, a M developer, a Y developer, and a K developer, respectively; at least one auxiliary developing unit using a developer other than the C, M, Y, an... | 03/11/2010 |
| 20100003039 | WASTE TONER COLLECTING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS A tandem type image forming apparatus drives an agitation paddle when the waste toner defecated from a plurality of image forming units and flowed and collected in a single waste toner containing member by way of the first collection port thereof gets to a predetermined... | 01/07/2010 |
| 20090263147 | Waste toner collector, image forming apparatus, and waste toner collection container An image forming apparatus, including an image former forming a toner image on an image bearer; a transferer transferring the toner image onto a recoding medium; a cleaner collecting a waste toner remaining on an image bearer after transferred; a waste toner collection ... | 10/22/2009 |
| 20090220257 | Waste Collection Device and Image Forming Apparatus A waste collecting device includes a first box including a top surface having a first opening, a bottom surface opposed to the top surface, and side surfaces connecting the top surface and the bottom surface and having a second opening, wherein the top surface, the bott... | 09/03/2009 |
| 20090116853 | IMAGE-FORMING DEVICE HAVING BELT CLEANING UNIT An image-forming device includes an electrophotographic image-forming section, a receptacle, a detecting unit, a shielding member, a drive mechanism. The electrophotographic image-forming section transfers developer onto a recording sheet to form developer image thereon... | 05/07/2009 |
| 20090074433 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS An embodiment according to the invention is characterized in that a result of a fill-up detection of a waste toner in a housing container which is detected by a toner sensor is compensated for based on total image formation or a period in which an image forming apparatu... | 03/19/2009 |
| 20090074434 | WASTE TONER COLLECTING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS A waste toner collecting device includes a box that stores a waste toner unnecessary in image formation, a collection port that is provided in an upper part of a main body of the box, receives the waste toner, and drops the waste toner into the box, a triangular obstacl... | 03/19/2009 |
| 20090060536 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS In the image forming apparatus, a control unit, upon detecting that an amount of waste toner reaches a predetermined amount by a waste-toner-amount detecting unit, calculates an amount of used toner after detection through a pixel calculating unit and a printed-sheet ca... | 03/05/2009 |
| 20080317484 | Image formation apparatus utilizing density of waste toner to detect amount thereof An image formation apparatus has a waste toner accommodation unit including a toner transporting rotation member covered with a fixed pipe. As the member rotates, waste toner in the pipe is transported downstream A fin involved in detecting an amount of toner moves upwa... | 12/25/2008 |
| 20080317483 | Image formation apparatus utilizing density of waste toner to detect amount thereof An image formation apparatus has a waste toner accommodation unit including a toner transporting rotation member covered with a fixed pipe. As the member rotates, waste toner in the pipe is transported downstream. The toner transporting rotation member has an upstream p... | 12/25/2008 |
| 20080181633 | WASTE TONER DETECTING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME, AND METHOD THEREOF An image forming apparatus to check an amount of waste toner stored in a waste toner container in stages. The image forming apparatus includes a main body, a waste toner container which is installed in the main body to store waste toner, a light emitting part which emit... | 07/31/2008 |
| 20080159760 | Image Forming Apparatus An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit; a containing unit; two detecting units; a counting unit; and a determining unit. The image forming unit is configured to form a toner image. The containing unit is configured to contain waste that is generated ... | 07/03/2008 |
| 20080131149 | Image Forming Apparatus The image forming apparatus includes image forming device for forming a toner image on a recording material, a residual toner collecting container detachably provided on a main body of said image forming apparatus and adapted to collect residual toner discharged from sa... | 06/05/2008 |
| 20080095547 | APPARATUS FOR IMAGE FORMATION An apparatus for image formation includes a slider, rotatable members, elastic members, and a waste toner box. The slider is supported by the main body of the apparatus and can reciprocate in the outward direction from the inside of the body to one side of the body and ... | 04/24/2008 |
| 20080075483 | Developer recovering device and image forming apparatus having the same The toner transporting section is provided with a plurality of toner discharge portions, selectively discharges a waste toner from any one of the plurality of toner discharge portions, and stores the waste toner in a waste toner container to which the waste toner discha... | 03/27/2008 |
| 20080069576 | Capacitive Toner Level Sensor and Methods of Use A capacitive sensor to detect toner volume levels in a toner container within an image forming device includes opposed electrodes disposed within the interior of the toner container. The opposed electrodes form a capacitor characterized by an inherent capacitance that v... | 03/20/2008 |
| 20080056739 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS One aspect of the present invention can include an image forming apparatus having an image forming portion configured to form an image using developer, a recovery portion configured to recover the developer, a accommodating portion having a first chamber for accommodati... | 03/06/2008 |
| 20080002997 | Image forming apparatus In an image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a sheet of paper, a technique for achieving adequate toner collection from the photoconductive surface of the photoconductor to suit the situation is provided. An image forming appar... | 01/03/2008 |
| 20070264036 | A Method and Apparatus to Detect Loads Associated with One of a Plurality of Components Driven by a Shared Motor in an Image Forming Apparatus An image forming apparatus includes a waste toner system that collects waste toner in a waste toner container. An amount of waste toner collected in the container is increased by using a driven toner distributing member that distributes accumulated toner within the cont... | 11/15/2007 |
| 20070230976 | Image Forming Apparatus An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a cleaning unit that collects a waste toner that remains on the image carrier, a toner container that stores the waste toner collected by the cleaning unit, a determination unit that determines whether the waste tone... | 10/04/2007 |
| 20070201887 | Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductive drum on which an electrostatic latent image is formed. A developer develops the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image on the photoconductive drum. A transfer-fixer transfers the toner image from the photo... | 08/30/2007 |
| 20070196117 | WASTE TONER COLLECTION APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS The waste toner flown into a waste toner box by way of a plurality of collection ports is leveled by means of a paddle. The waste toner collected in the waste toner box is supplied to a full condition sensing section arranged at a higher position so as to be piled up by... | 08/23/2007 |
