Trickle collection system and method, and electrophotographic system using the same

• Main Authors: Preston, Todd K, Kalb, Richard A, Spence, James J, Pictor, Robert A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 23.10.2007

A trickle collection system including a trickle port formed in a developer housing and communicating with the interior of the developer housing, and a trickle port housing communicating the trickle port with an external vacuum collection source. The trickle port may include an aperture having a variable cross-section, for controlling an amount of flow of trickle through the trickle port. The trickle collection system also may include an air infusion port communicating the interior of the trickle port housing with external air and providing infusion of an amount of external air into the trickle port housing sufficient to facilitate flow of trickle from the trickle port to the external vacuum collection system. An aperture of the air infusion port may be variable, such that the amount of air infusion may be varied in accordance with internal and/or external conditions. The trickle collection system further may include a toner emission manifold disposed below the developer housing, where the toner emission manifold includes a toner collection port that collects toner adjacent a developer transfer region of the developer housing, and where the trickle port housing communicates with the toner emission manifold at a location remote from the developer transfer region. The trickle collection system may include the vacuum collection system and/or the toner emission manifold. An electrophotographic system of the present disclosure includes a developer housing, a vacuum collection source, and a trickle collection system including a trickle port and a trickle port housing, where the trickle port communicates the interior of the developer housing with the trickle port housing, and the trickle port housing communicates the trickle port with the vacuum collection source.