Patents Examined by William A. Noe
  • Patent number: 5890040
    Abstract: A toner container for use in an image forming apparatus having a toner receiving section, includes a cylindrical container body in which toner is stored, the cylindrical container body having a toner discharging end and provided with a spiral rib provided on its inner circumferential surface so that toner is conveyed toward the toner discharging end by the spiral rib when the cylindrical container body is rotated, the cylindrical container body further having a cylindrical portion with a discharging port on the toner discharging end; and a sleeve member mounted around the cylindrical portion so that the discharging port is closed by the sleeve member, the sleeve member movable in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion so that when the toner container is attached to the toner receiving section of the image forming apparatus, the sleeve member is moved so as to open the toner discharging port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Isao Matsuoka, Masahiro Shigetomi
  • Patent number: 5890048
    Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning residual toner on a toner image carrier. The cleaning device includes a blade that comes into contact with the toner image carrier at an acute angle with respect to an immediate downstream portion of the toner image carrier at a toner removal area where the blade scrapes off residual toner from the toner image carrier. A collecting device moves in a direction opposite the direction of movement of the toner image carrier at the toner removal area and collects the residual toner scraped off by the blade member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shingo Hirota
  • Patent number: 5887869
    Abstract: The apparatus for carrying out the method comprises a plurality of delivery trays arranged in the manner of a circulating bucket lift, which on the basis of user inputs can be freely selected and transported to a loading plane in which an inlet opening for the copy or print jobs also is located. An outlet opening is provided opposite the inlet opening, the individual delivery trays can be moved around a passthrough region which joins the inlet opening to the outlet opening, and each of the delivery trays can, in order to receive copy or print jobs, be slid into a loading position in the passthrough region and receives the copy or print job intended for that selected delivery tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Rolf Munz, Jurgen Ries
  • Patent number: 5862438
    Abstract: A color electrophotographic printing system that uses one switched developer power supply for all developers and that enables a reduced size by reducing the interdocument zone. The interdocument zone is reduced by using a developer order in which the last used developers in a development cycle is physically located first. Beneficially, the developer that is used first is physically located last.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey J. Folkins