Patent ID: 8059993

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; 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 roller member rotatably mounted within an opening in said toner transfer mechanism and having a curved surface and a recess in said curved surface, said recess formed by a concave surface having a radius of curvature and a length extending axially along a portion of said roller member surface and having a volume defined by the radius of curvature of the concave surface of the recess, the length of the recess and a radius of curvature of the roller member, said roller member being rotatable between a first position and a second position wherein when in said first position said recess is closed to said second reservoir and open to said first reservoir for receiving a known volume of toner from said first reservoir and when in said second position said recess is closed to said first reservoir and open to said second reservoir for delivering said known volume of toner into said second reservoir for each rotation of said roller member; and a rotatable wiper member disposed within said second reservoir for removing said known volume of toner from said recess, said rotatable wiper member having a length corresponding to said length of said recess and having a distal end rotatable through said radius of curvature of said recess and operatively disposed to rotate through said recess in contact with said concave surface thereof when said roller member is in said second position, whereby substantially all of said known volume of toner is removed from said recess.