Paddle assembly for a shake-free toner cartridge
AssigneeLexmark International, Inc.
InventorsJAMES ANTHANY CARTER, II, Gary Neal Hackney, James Richard Leemhuis, Rodney Evan Sproul
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A paddle assembly for a shake-free toner cartridge comprises a toner paddle having a plurality of scrapers. When installed in a toner cartridge, a main scraper scrapes toner adhering to interior surfaces and directs toner from a first region of the toner reservoir into the opening in a first portion of the front of the housing. A secondary scraper positioned adjacent with the main scraper scrapes and directs toner from a second region of the toner reservoir into the first region. A side scraper scrapes toner adhering to interior surfaces of respective side walls of the housing.
Claims26
A paddle assembly for a toner cartridge of an imaging device, the paddle assembly comprising:
- a drive shaft rotatably mountable within a reservoir of the toner cartridge, the drive shaft having first and second ends;
- a frame mounted on the drive shaft having a first pair of aligned arms radially extending from the drive shaft, one of the first pair of arms positioned near each of the first and second ends, and the frame having a cross member connected to distal ends of the first pair of aligned arms;
- a main scraper mounted in a cantilevered manner from a first segment of the cross member;
- and
- a secondary scraper mounted in a cantilevered manner from a second segment of the cross member;
- wherein, with the paddle assembly rotatably mountable within the reservoir, the main scraper and the secondary scraper each have an interference contact with an interior circumferential wall of the reservoir with a portion of the main scraper positioned outwardly in front of a portion of the secondary scraper in an overlapping manner, and, during rotation of the paddle assembly in the toner cartridge, the main scraper and the secondary scraper scrape toner adhering to the interior circumferential wall, a distal portion of the main scraper directing toner from a first region of the reservoir into a trough for receiving toner from the reservoir, and a distal portion of the secondary scraper directing toner from a second region of the reservoir into the first region of the reservoir.
A paddle assembly for a toner cartridge of an imaging device, the paddle assembly comprising:
- a drive shaft rotatably mountable within a reservoir of the toner cartridge, the drive shaft having first and second ends;
- a frame formed on the drive shaft comprising:
- a first pair of aligned arms radially extending from the drive shaft, one of the first pair of aligned arms positioned near each of the first and second ends;
- a second pair of aligned arms extending radially from the drive shaft, each arm of the second pair of aligned arms positioned near a respective arm of the first pair of aligned arms and extending opposite the first pair of aligned arms;
- a first cross member connected to distal ends of the first pair of aligned arms;
- and
- a second cross member connected to distal ends of the second pair of aligned arms;
- a first main scraper mounted in a cantilevered manner from a first segment of the first cross member;
- a first secondary scraper mounted in a cantilevered manner from a second segment of the first cross member;
- a second main scraper mounted in a cantilevered manner from a first segment of the second cross member;
- and
- a second secondary scraper mounted in a cantilevered manner from a second segment of the second cross member, the second secondary scraper mounted opposite the first secondary scraper;
- wherein, with the paddle assembly rotatably mounted within the reservoir, the first and second main scrapers and the first and second secondary scrapers each have an interference contact with an interior circumferential wall of the reservoir with a portion of the first main scraper positioned outwardly in front of a portion of the first secondary scraper in an overlapping manner, and a portion of the second main scraper positioned outwardly in front of a portion of the second secondary scraper in an overlapping manner, and during rotation of the paddle in the toner cartridge, the first and second main scrapers and the first and second secondary scrapers scrape toner adhering to the interior circumferential wall, a distal portion of each of the first and second main scrapers directing toner from a first region of the reservoir into a trough for receiving toner from the reservoir, and a distal portion of each of the first and second secondary scrapers directing toner from a second region of the reservoir into the first region of the reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.