Did You Know...
...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7970336 | Powder housing unit and image forming apparatus with powder housing unit A powder housing unit includes a plate-shaped agitating unit that is horizontally arranged inside of a casing to accommodate a powder, a rotating shaft that causes the agitating unit to slide back and forth, and a powder conveying unit that conveys the powder in a h... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7890044 | Powder conveyance device, toner conveyance device, process cartridge and image forming apparatus A powder conveyance device capable of removing toner (powder) stuck to a conveyor belt easily and reliably comprises a powder conveyor belt having a plurality of concavo-convex portions formed continuously on a conveyance surface thereof, driving means for driving t... | 02/15/2011 |
| 7809322 | Image forming apparatus and process cartridge therefore having a cleaner section which stores unused developer An image forming apparatus, using a developer including toner particles and carrier particles, includes a developing unit, a cleaning unit, and a conveying unit. The developing unit contains the developer and develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image... | 10/05/2010 |
| 7689157 | Toner container having screw for conveying toner and image forming apparatus having toner container The invention is to improve a toner diffusing efficiency in a toner container, thereby increasing a toner containing capacity. The toner container includes plural screws which diffuse the toner in plural directions and diffuse the toner in different positions. A ton... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7555256 | Development unit with toner recovery for an image forming apparatus and process An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a development unit for forming a toner image on the image carrier by supplying a toner contained in a developer reservoir to a latent image formed on the image carrier by means of a developer carrier; a transfer... | 06/30/2009 |
| 7444107 | Image forming method and apparatus having a unit for conveying toner and carrier particles from a cleaning unit to a developing unit An image forming apparatus, using a developer including toner particles and carrier particles, includes a developing unit, a cleaning unit, and a conveying unit. The developing unit contains the developer and develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7437116 | Developing apparatus and image forming apparatus using the same A developing apparatus includes a toner collection apparatus having a waste toner accommodation chamber that temporarily accommodates waste toner removed from a photosensitive medium. A screw to transfer the waste toner is installed in the chamber. A collection path... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7424263 | Toner recovery belt conveyor, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus using the same A toner recovery device, capable of preventing toner from spilling out of the space between protruding sections and an inner wall of a toner-conveying pipe, and process cartridge and image forming apparatus having this device. Residual toner after transfer, which is... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7398041 | Color image forming apparatus using base-layer A color image forming apparatus 1 includes: a multiple number of process printing units 20, each having an photoreceptor drum 21 for bearing a developer image formed with a toner corresponding to a different color of color-separated image inform... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7395022 | Image forming apparatus with toner recovery system An image forming apparatus has an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image using a toner to form a toner image, and a cleaning unit that removes the toner remaining on the image ca... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7383014 | Auger for use within an image forming device Embodiments for a toner auger for use in an image forming device. The image forming device includes a channel through which toner is moved. The auger is positioned within the channel and has an axis of rotation and at least one offset section extending radially outw... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7369796 | Developer apparatus, image forming apparatus and toner supplying method An image forming apparatus includes a first mixer 24a that conveys developer in the first direction while stirring the developer. Recycled toner delivered from a delivery opening 116b of a photosensitive drum cleaner 116 is supplie... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7366458 | Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus for forming a toner image on an image carrier and transferring the toner image to a recording medium including a developing device, cleaning device, first toner conveyer, second toner conveyer, third toner conveyer, and a controller for co... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7366457 | Color image forming apparatus having toner recycling The image forming apparatus having a plurality of developing devices corresponding to a plurality of colors includes at least a predetermined color for developing an electrostatic image as toner images, an image bearing member bearing thereon the toner images develo... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7356160 | Method of and apparatus for image processing An image processing apparatus embeds decision information that is information about a specific parameter, such as degree of alteration, of an image, into an image signal, and sends the image signal to an external device, such as personal computer, for storage etc. W... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7356268 | Developing device A controller determines the degree of acuteness of the resonant oscillation of a piezoelectric oscillator, based on the developer's fluidity detection data detected by the piezoelectric oscillator. The toner density output data detected by a toner density sensor is ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7346296 | Rotating member for generating air current in a developing device and image forming apparatus having the same A developing device of an image forming apparatus has an image carrier rotating in confrontation with a developer conveyer and developing the surface of the image carrier with a developer moved by the developer conveyer. A rotating member is rotatably formed adjacen... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7333763 | Developer collecting apparatus and an image forming apparatus having the same Disclosed is a developer collecting apparatus capable of preventing a developer collected from a photoconductive medium from clotting while being supplied to a developing unit. The developer collecting apparatus includes a developer collecting container including an... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7330690 | Image forming apparatus, developer recycle apparatus and developer recycle method An image forming apparatus of the present invention has a developer recycle apparatus. The developer recycle apparatus reuses a developer, which has been used once for a developer image formed on a surface of an image carrier and is recovered when the image carrier ... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7324764 | Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus includes a developing device that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier with a toner, and a toner cartridge that replenishes the developing device with the toner. Excess toner on the image carrier is collected i... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7324776 | Image forming apparatus, charge controlling apparatus, and image forming method A color printer including, a conductive brush roller to contact a photosensitive drum at a position downstream of a transferring apparatus and upstream of a charging apparatus, wherein at least part of residual toner is collected after temporarily transferring on th... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7324780 | Image forming apparatus, waste toner tank, and a method of moving waste toner An image forming apparatus includes a waste toner collecting unit, a moving device, a sheet conveying roller, a driving unit, and a drive force transmitting unit. The waste toner collecting unit receives waste toner. The moving device moves the waste toner in the wa... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7313336 | Method and apparatus for image forming capable of effectively recycling toner An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of color toner development devices, a recycled toner development device, at least one cleaning device, a toner collecting and supplying device, and an image pattern generation device. The plurality of color toner devel... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7286777 | Image forming device with cleaning sequence process for returning toner adhered on transfer roller back to photoconductive drum An image forming device includes an image forming unit that includes an image carrier which carries an electrostatic latent image, a developing unit which forms a developing nip by contacting with the image carrier and develops the latent image by using toner, a tra... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7286784 | Image forming apparatus and process cartridge Between a cleaner frame and a reinforced frame of an image forming unit, a junction duct is formed to flow a airflow from a inlet port to a exhaust port of a main body of an apparatus, a space between a fixing unit and the image forming unit is blocked by the airflo... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7280796 | Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus including: a cleaning member for cleaning an image carrier after a toner image on the image carrier has been transferred; a toner recycling device for conveying toner removed by the cleaning member to a developing device; a collection sect... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7263325 | Auger for use in an image forming device A helical auger member for transporting toner in an image forming apparatus. The auger member may be implemented as part of a waste toner removal system for removing toner from a photoconductive member of a toner cartridge. Toner that is removed by a cleaner member ... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7257363 | Device for moving toner within an image forming device Embodiments of a device to move waste toner within an image forming device. In one embodiment, waste toner is formed during the image formation process. The waste toner is captured and moved through a first conduit. The conduit includes an outlet for passing the was... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7251440 | Development apparatus and image formation apparatus A development apparatus has: a housing in which a developer supplying/collecting unit and a developer stirring unit are arranged with a circular passage for carrying developer; a developer carrying member placed at a front side of the developer supplying/collecting ... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7251434 | Color image forming apparatus A color image forming apparatus includes image forming units, an intermediate transfer body, and cleaning units. The image forming units form toner images of different colors. Each image forming units includes a developing unit supplying toner of each color. The ton... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7248825 | Developer replenishing apparatus A developer replenishing apparatus including a first developer container for containing a developer to be replenished to a developing apparatus, a second developer container for containing the developer to be replenished to the first developer container, a first rep... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7248824 | Conveyor device and image forming apparatus A toner-conveying device includes a movable plate. The movable plate is movable between a holding position such as to couple a cap of a toner container to a nozzle when the toner container is supported by a container holder, and a retreating position such as not to ... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7236726 | Reusable developer cartridge and image forming apparatus for facilitating the removal of toner during refilling A developer cartridge includes a casing, an agitator, and a developing roller. The casing has a first inner space serving as a developer accommodating chamber that accommodates developer and a second inner space serving as a developing chamber in communication with ... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7233766 | Screw conveyor and developer conveying mechanism An embodiment of a screw conveyor includes a rotating shaft and a conveying blade helically formed around and loosely coupled with the rotating shaft. One or both of two edges of the conveying blade is/are only fixed to the rotating shaft, and a gap is provided betw... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7224930 | Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus includes a latent-image carrier, a developing unit, a transfer unit, a cleaning unit, a recovered-toner supply unit, and a foreign-matter collecting unit. The developing unit carries a developer containing a toner and develops an electrost... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7215912 | Intermediate transfer medium and image forming apparatus using the intermediate transfer medium An intermediate transfer medium on which a toner image is to be transferred, having a property such that a surface potential thereon decays with time t according to an equation V=A exp(−t/τ) wherein V represents the surface potential of the intermediate transfer ... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7209687 | Toner container and image forming apparatus using the same A toner container of the present invention stores powdery toner to be replenished via a toner outlet thereof and includes a container body. A shutter device is positioned in the toner outlet for selectively opening or closing the toner outlet. The shutter device inc... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7197266 | Ink disposal in cartridges An apparatus for assisting in the removal or waste or excess ink and a method for disposal of ink from electrophotographic printers comprises providing electrophotographic ink from a source, combining the ink with an absorbable material in a container to form a soli... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7197264 | Image forming apparatus It is intended to provide an image forming apparatus capable of conducting charge adjustment of post-transfer residual toner appropriately by securing a contact area of a temporarily-collecting member and an electrode, without applying excessive deformation load to ... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7190924 | Image forming apparatus that eliminates the inadvertence of mixed color toners and image forming method In an image forming apparatus using the cleaner-less processing, a developer vent is provided to a developing device so as to discharge paper dust mixing in the developing device together with developer comprising carrier and toner or carrier only through the develo... | 03/13/2007 |
