| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the useless consumption of developer and toner, and also, to prevent a usual copying operation from being interrupted at the time of replenishing the toner, by installing a new developer supply mechanism on the downstream side from a recovery mechanism in a developer recirculation path. SOLUTION: The developer to be supplied and the toner to be replenished are stored in a developer/toner container, and at the replacing operation, a developer supplying shutter is opened and the developer to be supplied drops in an area C of a carrying path 50 by gravity. At the same time of the supplying operation, a shutter installed at a developer recovery port 45 is opened so as to recover the circulating developer into the developer recovery container. In this case, the developer is recovered in an area B and the developer is supplied in the area C, then, such trouble is eliminated that the new developer is recovered before being used. And, by making the carrying speed of a take-in means 44 equal to that of a returning means 39, the increase/decrease of the developer amount in the developing device 13 is eliminated at the replacing operation, besides, the toner concentration is kept within a developing enabling extent. |
