Patent ID: 9256162
Filing Date: 2016-02-09
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. A developer apparatus for an electrophotographic system, comprising: a housing containing carrier beads; a magnetic structure at least partly disposed within the housing and generating a magnetic field; an endless sleeve disposed around and rotatable about the magnetic structure, the endless sleeve extends from the housing, a portion of the endless sleeve extending from the housing forms a developer nip with a photoconductive member when the developer apparatus is operably associated therewith; and a positioning mechanism coupled to the magnetic structure for limiting an angular position of the magnetic structure between a first position in which the magnetic field causes carrier bead chains to stand up and extend outwardly from the portion of the endless sleeve and a second position in which the magnetic field causes the carrier bead chains to lay down and be positioned substantially against the portion of the endless sleeve; wherein the magnetic structure follows rotation of the endless sleeve from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the first position via attractive forces between the carrier beads disposed on the endless sleeve and the magnetic structure.