Patent ID: 8150297

Claim:
A toner container system for an image forming apparatus comprising: a first reservoir for containing toner; a second reservoir for receiving toner from said first reservoir; and a toner transfer mechanism disposed between said first reservoir and said second reservoir for transferring toner from said first reservoir to said second reservoir; said toner transfer mechanism including: a generally cylindrically shaped rotatable roller member having a plurality of recesses disposed around the circumference thereof at equal angular increments, said roller member being rotatable in said angular increments whereby said recesses are alternately open to said first reservoir in a first position for each of said recesses and open to said second reservoir in a second position for each of said recesses, whereby toner is transferred from said first reservoir to said second reservoir upon rotation of said roller member; a Geneva drive mechanism including a drive gear operatively connected to said roller member for rotatably advancing said roller member in one said angular increment for each complete rotation of said drive gear; and a rotatable member disposed within said second reservoir for removing toner from each of said recesses, said rotatable member being sized and operatively disposed to rotate through each of said recesses at the second position thereof in response to each incremental angular advancement of said roller member.