IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0617682
(2012-09-14)
|
등록번호 |
US-8923734
(2014-12-30)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Abler, Jeffrey Alan
- Kant, Benjamin Erich
- Hill, Jonathan Murray
- Rajpal, Taig Singh
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Lexmark International, Inc.
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
12 인용 특허 :
14 |
초록
▼
A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic device including a housing having a reservoir that is in fluid communication with an exit port. A first end wall has a recess on an inner surface thereof in fluid communication with the reservoir and the exit port. A partially threaded drive shaft has an
A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic device including a housing having a reservoir that is in fluid communication with an exit port. A first end wall has a recess on an inner surface thereof in fluid communication with the reservoir and the exit port. A partially threaded drive shaft has an end received in a second end wall. An exit paddle having a drive hub is detachably mounted on the drive shaft near an unthreaded portion. Arms on the drive hub are received in the recess. A drive hub axial extension is received in the first end wall. The housing rotatably supports the drive shaft and exit paddle. A translatable toner platform rotatably connects to the drive shaft. When the drive shaft rotates the toner platform translates, moving toner toward the exit port, and the exit paddle rotates, delivering toner from the exit port.
대표청구항
▼
1. A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising: a housing comprising first and second opposed end walls and an elongated body therebetween, the body having an outer wall and an inner wall, the inner wall and the first and second end walls defining a reservoir within the b
1. A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising: a housing comprising first and second opposed end walls and an elongated body therebetween, the body having an outer wall and an inner wall, the inner wall and the first and second end walls defining a reservoir within the body, the reservoir having a volume for containing a quantity of toner and being in fluid communication with an exit port in the housing for delivering toner from the reservoir, the first and second end walls each having an aligned opening, the first end wall having a recess on an inner surface thereof in fluid communication with the reservoir and the exit port;a drive shaft having a threaded portion and an unthreaded portion having a junction therebetween, an end of the drive shaft adjacent the threaded portion received in the opening in the second end wall;an exit paddle having a drive hub detachably mounted on the drive shaft near the unthreaded portion of the drive shaft, the drive hub having a plurality of cantilevered radial arms extending therefrom, a portion of at least one of the radial arms received in the recess on the inner surface of the first end wall, the drive hub having an axial extension received in the opening in the first end wall, the drive shaft and the exit paddle being rotatably supported by the second and first end walls, respectively, one of (1) the end of the drive shaft received in the opening in the second end wall and (2) the axial extension of the drive hub received in the opening in the first end wall extending through the respective end wall for receiving torque;a toner platform for moving toner within the reservoir toward the exit port and shaped to conform to the cross-sectional shape of the reservoir; anda coupling attached to the toner platform and threadably and rotatably connected with the threaded portion of the drive shaft,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 exit paddle rotates for delivering toner out of the exit port. 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 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. 4. The toner cartridge of claim 1 wherein the length of the unthreaded portion is at least equal to the distance from the junction of the drive shaft to the second end wall less the width of the exit paddle. 5. The toner cartridge of claim 1 wherein the drive shaft has a second threaded portion next to the unthreaded portion near the first end wall, the exit paddle being threadably connected to the second threaded portion of the drive shaft. 6. The toner cartridge of claim 1 wherein the portion of the at least one radial arm received in the recess on the inner surface of the first end wall comprises an axially extending finger extending from a free end of the at least one radial arm and the recess on the inner surface of the first end wall is annular in shape and sized to closely receive the axially extending finger. 7. The toner cartridge of claim 6 wherein the axially extending finger has a length substantially the same as the width of the exit port in the axial direction. 8. The toner cartridge of claim 6 wherein the at least one radial arm includes a fan-shaped skirt attached along a portion of the length of the at least one radial arm and extending in the radial plane of the at least one radial arm toward an adjacent radial arm forming a slot therebetween. 9. The toner cartridge of claim 8 wherein an edge of the skirt adjacent the slot is angled toward the first end wall to direct toner from the reservoir into the recess on the inner surface of the first end wall. 10. The toner cartridge of claim 1 further comprising a circumferential edge seal positioned on the toner platform, the edge seal providing a slidable sealing contact between the toner platform and the inner wall of the reservoir. 11. 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 forming a reservoir within the housing, the reservoir having a volume for containing a quantity of toner and being in fluid communication with an exit port in the housing for delivering toner from the reservoir, the first and second end walls having respective first and second aligned openings with the first end wall having a recess on an inner surface thereof, the recess being in fluid communication with the reservoir and the exit port;a drive shaft having a threaded portion of a predetermined length and an unthreaded portion having a junction therebetween, one end of the drive shaft received in the opening in the second end wall;an exit paddle having a drive hub detachably mounted on an end of the drive shaft near the unthreaded portion of the drive shaft, the drive hub having a plurality of cantilevered radial arms extending therefrom, a portion of each arm being received in the recess on the inner surface of the first end wall, the drive hub having an axial extension received in the opening in the first end wall, the drive shaft and the exit paddle being rotatably supported by the second and first end walls, respectively, one of (1) the end of the drive shaft received in the opening in the second end wall and (2) the axial extension of the drive hub received in the opening in the first end wall extending through the respective end wall for receiving torque;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 a circumferential edge seal mounted thereon in slidable sealing contact with the inner wall, the toner platform being nonrotatable relative to the housing and having an opening therethrough for receiving the drive shaft;a drive nut detachably affixed to the front surface of the toner platform and threadably and rotatably engaged with the threaded portion of the drive shaft; anda stop positioned within the reservoir at a predetermined position along the threaded portion of the drive shaft,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 exit paddle rotates for delivering toner out of the exit port,wherein when the toner platform translates from the threaded portion of the drive shaft to the unthreaded portion the drive nut disengages from the threaded portion of the drive shaft. 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 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. 14. The toner cartridge of claim 11 wherein the portion of each arm received in the recess on the inner surface of the first end wall comprises an axially extending finger extending from a free end of the respective arm and the recess on the inner surface of the first end wall is annular in shape and sized to closely receive the axially extending fingers. 15. The toner cartridge of claim 14 wherein each axially extending finger has a length that is substantially the same as the width of the exit port in the axial direction. 16. The toner cartridge of claim 14 wherein each radial arm includes a fan-shaped skirt attached along a portion of the length of the radial arm and extending in the radial plane of the radial arm toward an adjacent radial arm forming a slot therebetween. 17. The toner cartridge of claim 16 wherein an edge of the skirt adjacent the slot is angled toward the first end wall to direct toner from the reservoir into the recess on the inner surface of the first end wall. 18. 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. 19. The toner cartridge of claim 11 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. 20. The toner cartridge of claim 19 wherein the frangible region is formed by a recess in the rear surface of the toner platform. 21. The toner cartridge of claim 19 wherein the frangible region is formed by a recess in the front surface of the toner platform. 22. The toner cartridge of claim 11 wherein the front surface of the toner platform has a recess sized to receive and frictionally engage the drive nut and wherein 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. 23. The toner cartridge of claim 22 further comprising a compressible restraint positioned in the recess to frictionally engage the drive nut. 24. A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising: a housing comprising first and second opposed end walls 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 body, the reservoir having a volume for containing a quantity of toner and being in fluid communication with an exit port in the housing for delivering toner from the reservoir, the first and second end walls each having an aligned opening, the first end wall detachably affixed to the body and having a recess on an inner surface thereof in fluid communication with the reservoir and the exit port, the second end wall integrally formed with the body;a drive shaft having a first threaded portion, an unthreaded portion and a second threaded portion, the first threaded portion and the unthreaded portion having a junction therebetween, the first and second threaded portions being positioned on opposite sides of the unthreaded portion, an end of the drive shaft adjacent the first threaded portion being received in the opening in the second end wall;an exit paddle having a drive hub screwed onto the second threaded portion of the drive shaft, the drive hub having a plurality of cantilevered radial arms extending therefrom with a portion of at least one arm received in the recess on the inner surface of the first end wall, the drive hub having an axial extension received in the opening in the first end wall, the drive shaft and the exit paddle being rotatably supported by the second and first end walls, respectively, one of (1) the end of the drive shaft received in the opening in the second end wall and (2) the axial extension of the drive hub received in the opening in the first end wall extending through the respective end wall for receiving torque;a toner platform for moving toner within the reservoir and shaped to conform to the cross-sectional shape of the reservoir, the thickness of the toner platform being equal to or less than the length of the unthreaded portion of the drive shaft; anda coupling attached to the toner platform and threadably and rotatably connected with the first threaded portion of the drive shaft,wherein when the drive shaft rotates the toner platform translates within the reservoir toward the exit port for moving toner toward the exit port and when the drive shaft rotates the exit paddle rotates for delivering toner out of the exit port. 25. The toner cartridge of claim 24 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. 26. The toner cartridge of claim 25 wherein where the upper and lower reservoir portions are semi-cylindrical and the upper and lower toner platform portions are 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. 27. The toner cartridge of claim 24 wherein the portion of the least one arm received in the recess on the inner surface of the first end wall comprises an axially extending finger extending from a free end of the at least one arm and the recess on the inner surface of the first end wall is annular in shape and sized to closely receive the axially extending finger. 28. The toner cartridge of claim 27 wherein the axially extending finger has a length substantially the same as the width of the exit port in the axial direction. 29. The toner cartridge of claim 27 wherein the at least one radial arm includes a fan-shaped skirt attached along a portion of the length of the at least one radial arm and extending in the radial plane of the at least one radial arm toward an adjacent radial arm forming a slot therebetween. 30. The toner cartridge of claim 29 wherein an edge of the skirt adjacent the slot is angled toward the first end wall to direct toner from the reservoir into the recess on the inner surface of the first end wall. 31. The toner cartridge of claim 24 further comprising a circumferential edge seal positioned on the toner platform, the edge seal providing a slidable sealing contact between the toner platform and the inner wall of the body.
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