초록 ▼

An shutter having an overmolded seal for use in controlling the flow of toner through a port in a toner containing supply items for an imaging apparatus. In one form the shutter is overmolded with a seal comprised of a sleeve and one or more integrally molded angled endless ribs projecting outwardly

An shutter having an overmolded seal for use in controlling the flow of toner through a port in a toner containing supply items for an imaging apparatus. In one form the shutter is overmolded with a seal comprised of a sleeve and one or more integrally molded angled endless ribs projecting outwardly from the sleeve. With the shutter installed in the supply item, the ribs deflect creating an sealing interface with the housing of the supply item to prevent toner leakage between the shutter and the housing of the supply item.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A shutter for mounting in a housing of a supply item for an imaging apparatus, the shutter, when installed, being rotatable between a first position and a second position for closing and opening a port within the housing through which toner can flow, the shutter comprising: a body including a cyl

1. A shutter for mounting in a housing of a supply item for an imaging apparatus, the shutter, when installed, being rotatable between a first position and a second position for closing and opening a port within the housing through which toner can flow, the shutter comprising: a body including a cylindrical hollow portion, the hollow portion sized to be received within a corresponding opening in the housing, the hollow portion having a first opening and a second opening forming a channel therebetween for carrying toner, wherein, when the shutter is in the first position, one of the first and second openings are closed by the housing and, when the shutter in the second position, one of the first and the second openings is in fluid communication with the port allowing toner to pass into the port; anda seal overmolded onto an exterior of the body, the seal comprising: a sleeve molded around the exterior of the body having an opening therethrough aligned with the one of the first and second openings that is in fluid communication with the port; anda pair of endless ribs molded on the surface of the sleeve, the pair of endless ribs extending outwardly from the sleeve at an acute angle and axially positioned about the one of the first and second openings that is in fluid communication with the port,wherein, when the shutter is installed in the corresponding opening in the housing, the pair of endless ribs deflect forming a sealing interface with a surface of the corresponding opening,wherein one of the pair of endless ribs is positioned upstream of the one of the first and second openings that is in fluid communication with the port relative to a direction of toner flow and the other one of the pair of endless ribs is positioned downstream of the one of the first and second openings that is in fluid communication with the port relative to the direction of toner flow,further comprising a pair of spaced transverse ribs molded on the surface of the sleeve, the pair of transverse ribs extending outwardly from the sleeve at an acute angle and having the ends thereof joined to the pair of the endless ribs and surrounding the one of the first and second openings that is in fluid communication with the port, the transverse ribs deflecting and forming a further sealing interface with the housing. 2. The shutter of claim 1, wherein one endless rib of the pair of endless ribs is at an acute angle that is different than the acute angle of the other endless rib. 3. The shutter of claim 1, wherein one endless rib of the pair of endless ribs has a rib height that is different than a rib height of the other endless rib. 4. The shutter of claim 1, wherein a first plurality of gusset ribs is provided between a face of one endless rib of the pair of endless ribs and the sleeve and a second plurality of gusset ribs is provided between a face of the other endless rib of the pair of endless ribs and the sleeve. 5. The shutter of claim 4, wherein a third plurality of gusset ribs is provided between a face of one transverse rib of the pair of transverse ribs and the sleeve and a fourth plurality of gusset ribs is provided between a face of the other transverse rib of the pair of transverse ribs. 6. The shutter of claim 1, wherein the seal is formed from a material selected from a group consisting of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), thermoplastic urethanes, thermoplastic vulcanizates, compression molded rubber, and silicon rubber. 7. The shutter of claim 1, wherein each endless rib has a rib profile selected from the group consisting of a C-shaped profile, an S-shaped profile, and a profile having a first face of the endless rib extending from the sleeve in a linear fashion with a second face of the endless rib extending from the sleeve in a curved fashion with the first and second faces tapering inwardly and forming a bulbous tip. 8. The shutter of claim 1, wherein the body further includes a grid pattern on a portion of the outer surface on which the sleeve is molded. 9. A shutter rotatably mountable in a housing of an imaging apparatus, the shutter rotatable between a first position and a second position for closing and opening a port within the housing through which toner can flow, the shutter comprising: a body including a cylindrical hollow portion, the hollow portion sized to be received within a corresponding opening in the housing, a wall of the hollow portion having a first opening and a second opening connected by a channel therethrough for allowing the toner to flow between the first and second openings and the port when the shutter is in the second position with the second opening being immediately adjacent to the port, a portion of an outer surface of the hollow portion having scoring thereon; anda seal formed of an elastomeric material overmolded onto the portion of the outer surface having the scoring, the seal comprising: a sleeve having an opening therethrough aligned with second opening in the wall of the hollow portion;a pair of endless ribs molded on the surface of the sleeve, the pair of endless ribs extending outwardly from the sleeve and axially positioned about the second opening, one of the pair of endless ribs being positioned upstream of the one of the first and second openings that is in fluid communication with the port relative to a direction of toner flow and the other one of the pair of endless ribs is positioned downstream of the one of the first and second openings relative to the direction of toner flow; anda pair of spaced transverse ribs molded on the surface of the sleeve, the pair of transverse ribs extending outwardly from the sleeve at an acute angle and having the ends thereof joined to the pair of the endless ribs and surrounding the second opening, the pair of transverse ribs and the pair of endless ribs having a height that is greater than a clearance between the hollow portion of the body and the corresponding opening in the housing,wherein, when the shutter is installed in the housing, the pair of endless ribs and pair of transverse ribs deflect forming a sealing interface at their respective tips with the housing. 10. The shutter of claim 9, wherein one endless rib of the pair of endless ribs is at an acute angle that is different than the acute angle of the other endless rib. 11. The shutter of claim 9, wherein one endless rib of the pair of endless ribs has a rib height that is different than a rib height of the other endless rib. 12. The shutter of claim 9, wherein a first plurality of gusset ribs is provided between a face of one endless rib of the pair of endless ribs and the sleeve, a second plurality of gusset ribs is provided between a face of the other endless rib of the pair of endless ribs and the sleeve, a third plurality of gusset ribs is provided between a face of one transverse rib of the pair of transverse ribs and the sleeve and a fourth plurality of gusset ribs is provided between a face of the other transverse rib of the pair of transverse ribs. 13. The shutter of claim 9, wherein the seal is formed from a material selected from a group consisting of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), thermoplastic urethanes, thermoplastic vulcanizates, compression molded rubber, and silicon rubber. 14. The shutter of claim 9, wherein each endless rib and each transverse rib has a rib profile selected from the group consisting of a C-shaped profile, an S-shaped profile, and a profile having a first face of the endless rib extending from the sleeve in a linear fashion with a second face of the endless rib extending from the sleeve in a curved fashion with the first and second faces tapering inwardly and forming a bulbous tip. 15. A rotatable shutter for an imaging apparatus, comprising: a body having a circular cross section and a toner passageway, the toner passageway including an exit opening through an outer circumferential portion of the body and an entrance opening, the body having an axis of rotation; andan elastomeric seal overmolded onto an outer surface of the body, the seal including: a sleeve molded around the outer surface of the body having an opening therethrough aligned with the exit opening of the toner passageway;a pair of deflectable endless ribs molded on the surface of the sleeve, each of the pair of endless ribs extending outward from the sleeve and extending around the circumference of the body, the pair of endless ribs positioned on opposite axial sides of the exit opening; anda pair of deflectable transverse ribs molded on the surface of the sleeve, each of the pair of transverse ribs extending outward from the sleeve and extending from a first of the pair of endless ribs to a second of the pair of endless ribs, the pair of transverse ribs positioned on opposite circumferential sides of the exit opening. 16. The shutter of claim 15, wherein each of the pair of endless ribs extends outward at an acute angle from the sleeve angled away from the exit opening. 17. The shutter of claim 16, wherein each of the pair of transverse ribs extends outward at an acute angle from the sleeve angled away from the exit opening. 18. The shutter of claim 15, wherein the seal includes a plurality of gusset ribs spaced about each of the pair of endless ribs, each gusset rib molded between a face of the endless rib and the sleeve.