IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0617603
(2012-09-14)
|
등록번호 |
US-8918031
(2014-12-23)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Abler, Jeffrey Alan
- Hill, Jonathan Murray
- Kant, Benjamin Erich
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Lexmark International, Inc.
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
3 인용 특허 :
13 |
초록
▼
A toner cartridge for an imaging apparatus having a housing including two opposed end walls and an elongated body therebetween and an exit port. An inner surface of the body defines a toner reservoir that is in communication with the exit port. A drive shaft is rotatably mounted within the housing.
A toner cartridge for an imaging apparatus having a housing including two opposed end walls and an elongated body therebetween and an exit port. An inner surface of the body defines a toner reservoir that is in communication with the exit port. A drive shaft is rotatably mounted within the housing. A translatable toner platform is provided in slidable contact with the inner surface of the body and is nonrotatable relative to the housing. A toner platform stop is also provided. A detachable drive shaft coupling couples the toner platform to the drive shaft and upon the toner platform hitting the stop, the coupling detaches from the platform. The detachable coupling may be provided in a frangible portion of the toner platform or be frictionally engaged with a recess therein. Rotation of the drive shaft translates the toner platform toward the exit port and rotates an exit paddle.
대표청구항
▼
1. A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising: a housing comprising two opposed end walls and an elongated body therebetween and an exit port, the body having an inner surface defining a toner reservoir for containing a quantity of toner, the toner reservoir in fluid com
1. A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising: a housing comprising two opposed end walls and an elongated body therebetween and an exit port, the body having an inner surface defining a toner reservoir for containing a quantity of toner, the toner reservoir in fluid communication with the exit port;a drive shaft rotatably mounted within the toner reservoir;a toner platform having a front surface, a rear surface and an edge surface, the front surface for moving toner within the reservoir toward the exit port, the toner platform in slidable contact with the inner surface, the toner platform being nonrotatable relative to the housing;a coupling that movably couples the toner platform to the drive shaft, the coupling detachably affixed to the toner platform; anda stop positioned within the reservoir,wherein when the drive shaft rotates the toner platform translates toward the exit paddle for moving toner within the reservoir toward the exit port,wherein when the toner platform translates to the stop, the coupling detaches from the toner platform. 2. The toner cartridge of claim 1 wherein the reservoir has an upper portion having one of a cuboid shape, a trapezium shape and a semi-cylindrical shape and a lower portion having a semi-cylindrical shape and the toner platform has an upper portion having a rectangular shape, a trapezoidal shape or a semi-circular shape corresponding to the cross section of the upper portion of the reservoir and a lower portion having a semi-circular shape corresponding to the cross section of the lower portion of the reservoir. 3. The toner cartridge of claim 2 wherein where the upper and lower reservoir portions are semi-cylindrical and the upper and lower toner platform portions are semi-circular, the toner platform includes an orienting feature that engages with a corresponding orienting feature on the inner surface of the body to prevent rotation of the toner platform relative to the housing. 4. The toner cartridge of claim 1 wherein the stop is positioned on the inner surface of the body and projects into the reservoir to prevent translation of the toner platform past a predetermined point. 5. The toner cartridge of claim 4 wherein a region of the toner platform surrounding the coupling is frangible such that when the toner platform contacts the stop continued rotation of the drive shaft causes a drive torque to exceed a predetermined magnitude detaching the coupling from the toner platform. 6. The toner cartridge of claim 5 wherein the frangible region is formed by a recess in the rear surface of the toner platform. 7. The toner cartridge of claim 5 wherein the frangible region is formed by a recess in the front surface of the toner platform. 8. The toner cartridge of claim 4 wherein the front surface of the toner platform has a recess sized to receive and frictionally engage the coupling and when the toner platform contacts the stop, further rotation of the drive shaft overcomes the frictional engagement of the coupling with the toner platform to disengage the coupling from the toner platform. 9. The toner cartridge of claim 8 further comprising a compressible restraint positioned in the recess to frictionally engage the coupling. 10. The toner cartridge of claim 1 further comprising a circumferential edge seal positioned on the edge surface of the toner platform, the edge seal providing a slidable sealing contact between the toner platform and the inner surface of the body. 11. A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising: a housing comprising two opposed end walls and an elongated body therebetween, the body having an outer wall and an inner wall, the inner wall defining a reservoir within the body, the reservoir having a volume for containing toner, the reservoir in fluid communication with an exit port in the housing for delivering toner from the reservoir, the exit port positioned adjacent one of the end walls;a drive shaft rotatably supported by the opposed end walls, the drive shaft having a threaded portion extending from one of the end walls a predetermined length toward the other end wall nearest the exit port, one end of the drive shaft extending through one of the end walls for receiving torque;a toner platform for moving toner within the reservoir and shaped to conform to the cross-sectional shape of the reservoir;a threaded coupling detachably affixed to the toner platform and threadably and rotatably connected with the threaded portion of the drive shaft;a stop within the reservoir at a predetermined position along the threaded portion of the drive shaft, andan exit paddle mounted on the drive shaft at the exit port,wherein when the drive shaft rotates the toner platform translates within the reservoir toward the exit port for pushing toner toward the exit port and when the drive shaft rotates the paddle rotates for moving toner into the exit port,wherein when the toner platform translates to and contacts the stop, the threaded coupling detaches from the toner platform. 12. The toner cartridge of claim 11 wherein the reservoir has an upper portion having one of a cuboid shape, a trapezium shape and a semi-cylindrical shape and a lower portion having a semi-cylindrical shape and the toner platform has an upper portion having a rectangular shape, a trapezoidal shape or a semi-circular shape corresponding to the cross section of the upper portion of the reservoir and a lower portion having a semi-circular shape corresponding to the cross section of the lower portion of the reservoir. 13. The toner cartridge of claim 12 wherein where the upper and lower reservoir portions are semi-cylindrical and the upper and lower toner platform portions are semi-circular, the toner platform includes an orienting feature that engages a corresponding orienting feature on the inner wall of the body to prevent rotation of the toner platform relative to the housing. 14. The toner cartridge of claim 11 wherein the stop is positioned on the inner wall of the body and projects into the reservoir to prevent translation of the toner platform past a predetermined point. 15. The toner cartridge of claim 14 wherein a region of the toner platform surrounding the threaded coupling is frangible such that when the toner platform contacts the stop continued rotation of the drive shaft causes a drive torque to exceed a predetermined magnitude detaching the coupling from the toner platform. 16. The toner cartridge of claim 15 wherein the frangible region is formed by a recess in the rear surface of the toner platform. 17. The toner cartridge of claim 15 wherein the frangible region is formed by a recess in the front surface of the toner platform. 18. The toner cartridge of claim 14 wherein the front surface of the toner platform has a recess sized to receive and frictionally engage the threaded coupling and when the toner platform contacts the stop, further rotation of the drive shaft overcomes the frictional engagement of the threaded coupling to disengage the coupling from the toner platform. 19. The toner cartridge of claim 18 further comprising a compressible restraint positioned in the recess to frictionally engage the threaded coupling. 20. The toner cartridge of claim 11 further comprising a circumferential edge seal positioned on an edge surface of the toner platform, the edge seal providing a slidable sealing contact between the toner platform and the inner wall of the body. 21. A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising: a housing comprising a first end wall, a second end wall and an elongated body therebetween, the body having an outer wall and an inner wall, the inner wall and first and second end walls defining a reservoir within the housing, the reservoir having a volume for containing toner, the reservoir in fluid communication with an exit port in the housing for delivering toner from the reservoir, the exit port positioned adjacent one of the end walls, the first and second end walls having respective first and second aligned openings;a drive shaft having opposite ends received in the first and second aligned openings and rotatably supported by the first and second end walls, the drive shaft having a threaded portion of a predetermined length and an unthreaded portion having a junction therebetween, one end of the drive shaft extending through one of the first and second end walls;a drive coupler attached to the one end of the drive shaft extending through one of the first and second end walls, the drive coupler detachably coupleable with the imaging device for receiving torque therefrom;a toner platform having a planar front surface, a rear surface and an edge surface, the front surface for moving toner within the reservoir toward the exit port and oriented substantially parallel to one of the first and second end walls, the edge surface of the toner platform having an circumferential edge seal mounted thereon in slidable sealing contact with the inner surface, the toner platform being nonrotatable relative to the housing and having an opening therethrough for receiving the drive shaft;a drive nut detachably attached to the front surface of the toner platform and threadably and rotatably engaged with the threaded portion of the drive shaft;a stop positioned within the reservoir at a predetermined position along the threaded portion of the drive shaft away from the junction; andan exit paddle mounted on the drive shaft at the exit port,wherein when the drive shaft rotates the toner platform translates within the reservoir toward the exit port for moving toner within the reservoir toward the exit port and when the drive shaft rotates the paddle rotates for moving toner into the exit port,wherein when the toner platform translates toward the exit port, the drive nut disengages from the threaded portion of the drive shaft after the toner platform contacts the stop. 22. The toner cartridge of claim 21 wherein the reservoir has an upper portion having one of a cuboid shape, a trapezium shape and a semi-cylindrical shape and a lower portion having a semi-cylindrical shape and the toner platform has an upper portion having a rectangular shape, a trapezoidal shape or a semi-circular shape corresponding to the cross section of the upper portion of the reservoir and a lower portion having a semi-circular shape corresponding to the cross section of the lower portion of the reservoir. 23. The toner cartridge of claim 22 wherein where the upper and lower reservoir portions are semi-cylindrical and the upper and lower toner platform portions are semi-circular, the toner platform includes an orienting feature that engages a corresponding orienting feature on the inner surface of the body to prevent rotation of the toner platform relative to the housing. 24. The toner cartridge of claim 21 wherein the stop is positioned on the inner wall of the body and projects into the reservoir to prevent translation of the toner platform and is substantially aligned with the junction. 25. The toner cartridge of claim 21 wherein a region of the toner platform surrounding the drive nut is frangible such that when a drive torque exceeds a predetermined magnitude the drive nut detaches from the toner platform. 26. The toner cartridge of claim 25 wherein the frangible region is formed by a recess in the rear surface of the toner platform. 27. The toner cartridge of claim 25 wherein the frangible region is formed by a recess in the front surface of the toner platform. 28. The toner cartridge of claim 25 wherein the front surface of the toner platform has a recess sized to receive and frictionally engage the drive nut and when the toner platform contacts the stop, further rotation of the drive shaft overcomes the frictional engagement of the drive nut to disengage the drive nut from the toner platform. 29. The toner cartridge of claim 28 further comprising a compressible restraint positioned in the recess to frictionally engage the coupling.
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