Patent ID: 6510304
Filing Date: 2003-01-21
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
In a development system including a housing, a developer roll mounted in said housing, for depositing marking particles on an imaging surface having an electrostatic latent image thereon, an auger, for mixing the marking particles and magnetic carrier constituents of the developing material and; transferring mixed developer material to said developer roll, said auger comprising:an elongate strip of magnetic material having a helix structure; said helix has a predefined pitch wherein said predefine pitch of the helix can be adjusted to set the ratio of the mixing function and transporting function of the auger; a nonmagnetic sleeve enclosing said elongate strip of magnetic material; and means for rotating said elongate strip of magnetic material relative to said nonmagnetic sleeve, said elongate strip of magnetic material generates a magnetic field for transporting said developer material axially along an outer surface of said nonmagnetic sleeve when rotated by said rotating means.