METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING RESIDUAL TONER IN ROTATING CONTAINER

• Main Author: WEGMAN PAUL M
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 22.09.2014
• Subjects: CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHYSICS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an approach for reducing the amount of residual toner remaining in a rotating container.SOLUTION: The approach involves rotating a rotatable vessel configured to contain a toner. The rotatable vessel includes a body section 110 having a substantially round cross-section, a first end at one axial end of the body section 110, a second end axially distal from the first end, and helical features 115 on an internal surface of the body section 110 configured to transport the toner in an axial direction between the first end and the second end as the vessel is rotated. The approach also involves causing, at least in part, at least a portion of the toner to be agitated by an insert 140 configured to tumble and rotate within an inside portion of the rotatable vessel as the rotatable vessel rotates.