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An assembly in an imaging apparatus including a developer unit and a toner cartridge having a pressure equalization system for equalizing a pressure differential between a toner reservoir in the toner cartridge and a toner sump of a developer unit containing ingested air. A ducted shutter that opens

An assembly in an imaging apparatus including a developer unit and a toner cartridge having a pressure equalization system for equalizing a pressure differential between a toner reservoir in the toner cartridge and a toner sump of a developer unit containing ingested air. A ducted shutter that opens and closes an exit port on the housing of the toner cartridge in combination with a passageway in fluid communication with a duct in the shutter and the toner reservoir forms an airway, and when the toner cartridge is mated with a developer unit of the imaging apparatus and the shutter is in the open position, exiting toner leaves the cartridge through the exit port and enters the developer unit while air entrained within the developer unit enters the toner reservoir via the exit port and airway equalizing pressure between the toner cartridge and the developer unit.

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1. An assembly for an imaging device, the assembly comprising: a developer unit and a toner cartridge, the developer unit and the toner cartridge being positionable so as to be in fluid communication with one another;the developer unit comprising: a developer housing having a toner sump therein for

1. An assembly for an imaging device, the assembly comprising: a developer unit and a toner cartridge, the developer unit and the toner cartridge being positionable so as to be in fluid communication with one another;the developer unit comprising: a developer housing having a toner sump therein for holding a first quantity of toner, the developer housing having an entry port for receiving toner exiting the toner cartridge; anda developer shutter mounted on the developer housing and moveable between a first position where the entry port is closed and a second position where the entry port is in fluid communication with the toner sump;andthe toner cartridge comprising: a cartridge housing having a reservoir enclosed therein for holding a second quantity of toner, the cartridge housing having an exit port in communication with the reservoir for receiving toner exiting the toner cartridge;a cartridge shutter mounted on the cartridge housing and having a toner path through the cartridge shutter, the cartridge shutter moveable between a first position where the toner path is closed to the exit port preventing toner from exiting and a second position where the toner path is open to the exit port allowing toner to exit, the cartridge shutter having an air duct therethrough separated from the toner path, the air duct having a first end in fluid communication with the exit port when the cartridge shutter is in the second position; anda passageway in the cartridge housing having a first end in fluid communication with a second end of the air duct when the cartridge shutter is in the second position and a second end in fluid communication with the reservoir;wherein, when the exit port of the toner cartridge is aligned with the entry port of the developer unit and the developer and cartridge shutters are in their respective second positions, toner leaves the toner cartridge through the toner path through the cartridge shutter and the exit port and enters the developer unit through the entry port while air entrained within the toner sump of the developer unit exits via the entry port and enters the reservoir of the toner cartridge via the exit port, the air duct and the passageway thereby equalizing pressure between the toner cartridge and the developer unit. 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a moveable cover is provided on the second end of the passageway and biased to close the second end of the passageway to prevent toner within the reservoir from entering the passageway, the moveable cover being openable by the air entering the reservoir from the developer unit. 3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the moveable cover comprises a reed valve. 4. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the passageway further comprises: an open-sided channel formed in the cartridge housing; anda resilient film strip enclosing the open-sided channel, the film strip having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having an adhesive adhering the film strip to the cartridge housing and the second portion at the second end of the passageway forming the moveable cover. 5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the passageway is provided in a top of the cartridge housing with the second end positioned above the second quantity of toner within the reservoir. 6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the cartridge shutter includes: a drive portion and a hollow portion, the drive portion connectable to a lever for rotating the cartridge shutter between the first and second positions;the hollow portion extending from an inner end of the cartridge shutter toward an outer end of the cartridge shutter, the hollow portion having a first open end and a second closed end and an exit opening through a wall of the hollow portion adjacent the second closed end wherein exiting toner enters the first open end of the hollow portion and exits through the exit opening when the cartridge shutter is in the second position such that the first open end, the hollow portion and the exit opening form the toner path through the cartridge shutter. 7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the air duct is positioned between the second closed end of the hollow portion and the outer end of the cartridge shutter. 8. The assembly of claim 6, further comprising a deflector rib at the second closed end of the hollow portion, a portion of the deflector rib extending radially outward from the cartridge shutter to direct the exiting toner into the exit port and away from the first end of the air duct. 9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the developer shutter includes: a drive portion and a hollow portion, the drive portion connectable to a lever for rotating the developer shutter between the first and second positions; andthe hollow portion extending from an inner end of the developer shutter toward an outer end of the developer shutter, the hollow portion having a first open end and a second closed end and an entry opening through a wall of the hollow portion wherein toner enters the entry opening passing through the hollow portion and the first open end and into the toner sump when the developer shutter is in the second position. 10. A toner cartridge for use in an imaging device, comprising: a housing having a reservoir enclosed therein for holding a quantity of toner, the housing having an exit port in communication with the reservoir for exiting toner from the toner cartridge;a shutter mounted on the housing and having a toner path through the shutter, the shutter moveable between a first position where the toner path is closed to the exit port preventing toner from exiting and a second position where the toner path is open to the exit port allowing toner to exit, the shutter having an air duct therethrough separated from the toner path, the air duct having a first end in fluid communication with the exit port when the shutter is in the second position; anda passageway in the housing having a first end in fluid communication with a second end of the air duct when the shutter is in the second position and a second end in fluid communication with the reservoir such that air received through the exit port from outside the toner cartridge when the shutter is in the second position enters the reservoir of the toner cartridge via the air duct and the passageway. 11. The toner cartridge of claim 10, wherein a moveable cover is provided on the second end of the passageway and biased to close the second end of the passageway to prevent toner within the reservoir from entering the passageway, the moveable cover being openable by the air entering the reservoir. 12. The toner cartridge of claim 11, wherein the moveable cover comprises a reed valve. 13. The toner cartridge of claim 11, wherein the passageway further comprises: an open-sided channel formed in the housing; anda resilient film strip enclosing the open-sided channel, the film strip having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having an adhesive adhering the film strip to the housing and the second portion at the second end of the passageway forming the moveable cover. 14. The toner cartridge of claim 10, wherein the passageway is provided in a top of the housing with the second end positioned above the quantity of toner within the reservoir. 15. The toner cartridge of claim 10, wherein the shutter includes: a drive portion and a hollow portion, the drive portion connectable to a lever for rotating the shutter between the first and second positions;the hollow portion extending from an inner end of the shutter toward an outer end of the shutter, the hollow portion having a first open end and a second closed end and an exit opening through a wall of the hollow portion adjacent the second closed end wherein exiting toner enters the first open end of the hollow portion and exits through the exit opening when the shutter is in the second position such that the first open end, the hollow portion and the exit opening form the toner path through the shutter. 16. The toner cartridge of claim 15, wherein the air duct is positioned between the second closed end of the hollow portion and the outer end of the shutter. 17. The toner cartridge of claim 15, further comprising a deflector rib at the second closed end of the hollow portion, a portion of the deflector rib extending radially outward from the shutter to direct the exiting toner into the exit port and away from the first end of the air duct.