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US 2006/0233571 A1Published application
Toner feed assembly
AssigneeLexmark International, Inc.
InventorsBenjamin Askren, Ronald Baker, Lenci Kappes, Sean Smith, Kirk Stechschulte
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A toner feeding device and method to supply toner from a toner reservoir to a selected location in the printer such as a toner supply roll. The toner feeding device may contact with a portion of an inner wall of a toner reservoir and may flex and may subsequently recover to convey toner particles.
Claims17
A toner assembly for supplying toner to a selected location in a printer comprising:
- (a) a toner feeding member;
- (b) a toner reservoir capable of storing toner wherein the reservoir includes an inner wall and a protruding feature;
- (c) wherein said toner feeding member is capable of engaging with said protruding feature on said wall of said reservoir and capable of disengaging with said protruding feature on said wall of said reservoir to supply toner to a selected location in a printer.
A toner cartridge comprising:
- a cylindrical reservoir capable of storing toner, said reservoir having a cylindrical wall including a protruding feature;
- a toner feeding member in said reservoir capable of moving toner towards a toner roll, said toner feeding member including a first end and a second end;
- wherein said first end of said toner feeding member is coupled to a driven shaft and said second end is capable of being rotated by said shaft and into contact with said protruding feature in said cylindrical wall of said reservoir to cause said feeding member to flex.
A method of conveying toner from a reservoir to a selected location in a printer comprising:
- (a) providing a toner feeding member;
- (b) providing a reservoir capable of storing toner wherein the reservoir includes an inner wall and a protruding feature;
- (c) engaging said toner feeding member with toner and said protruding feature on said wall of said reservoir and flexing said toner feeding member;
- and
- (d) disengaging said feeding member with said protruding feature on said wall of said reservoir and supplying toner to a selected location in a printer.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.