# US 2014/0153970 A1 · Systems and methods for facilitating advanced toner dispensing from rotating toner cartridge components > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0153970 A1 - Document ID: US20140153970A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/691,693 - Filed: 2012-11-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Xerox Corporation - Applicants: Xerox Corporation - Inventors: Gerardo LEUTE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153970A1 ## CPC - G03G 15/087: {Developer cartridges having a longitudinal rotational axis, around which at least one part is rotated when mounting or using the cartridge} - B01F 29/31: the containers being supported by driving means, e.g. by rotating rollers - B01F 29/62: without bars, i.e. without mixing elements; characterised by the shape or cross section of the receptacle, e.g. of Y-, Z-, S- or X- shape; with cylindrical receptacles rotating about an axis at an angle to their longitudinal axis - B01F 31/861: {caused by hitting or striking the receptacle} - G03G 15/0872: {the developer cartridges being generally horizontally mounted parallel to its longitudinal rotational axis} - B01F 29/402: {characterised by the relative disposition or configuration of the interior of the receptacles} - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY - B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06) ## Abstract A system and method are provided for improving powder material dispensing from containers, including toner dispensing from rotating toner cartridge components. The disclosed systems and methods separately agitate a rotating toner bottle, including an apparently, or indicated, expended toner bottle, in an image forming device to dislodge residual toner in the toner bottle without the need to remove the toner bottle from the image forming device to perform manual agitation by modifying a physical configuration of the rotating toner bottle in a manner that improves the performance of the rotating toner bottle by improving the flow of the toner material within the toner bottle. The disclosed physical configurations of the rotating toner bottle impart agitating pulses or disturbances onto rotating toner bottles to disturb any layers of residual toner material formed within the rotating toner bottle that may inhibit flow of the toner material in the rotating toner bottle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A container for a powdered material, comprising: a body section with a substantially round cross-section facilitating rotating of the container; an end cap section at one axial end of the body section through which the powdered material passes to exit the container; and at least one physical feature on an outer profile of the container to induce agitation of the container as the container is rotated. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, further comprising helical features on an internal surface of the body section that transport at least a portion of the powdered material in an axial direction in the body section to the one end of the body section as the container is rotated. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, the at least one physical feature comprising a flattening of a portion of the substantially round cross-section of the body section of the container. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The container of claim 3, the flattening of the portion of the substantially round cross-section being formed in the body section of the container during a forming process for the body section. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, the at least one physical feature comprising one or more protrusions formed on an outer surface of the body section. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The container of claim 5, the one or more protrusions being positioned at one or more discrete positions around a circumference of and along an axial length of the body section. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The container of claim 5, the one or more protrusions extending substantially axially along at least a portion of the body section ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The container of claim 5, the one or more protrusions being positioned to interact with one or more cooperating protruding devices on a surface opposing the body section, the interaction exaggerating the agitation effect provided by the one or more protrusions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The container of claim 5, the one or more protrusions being formed on the body section in a body section forming process. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The container of claim 5, the one or more protrusions being at least one of mechanically or adhesively affixed to a formed body section in a post processing step. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, the at least one physical feature comprising at least one of a protrusion formed on or an indentation formed in an outer surface of a portion of the end cap section. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The container of claim 11, the end cap section being configured to interact with a holding mechanism that holds the container in a device within which the container is inserted for use, the at least one of the protrusion formed on or the indentation in the outer surface of the portion of the end cap being configured to engage the holding mechanism in a manner that creates axial movement in the container as the container is rotated. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The container of claim 11, the end cap section being configured to interact with a holding mechanism that holds the container in a device within which the container is inserted for use, the holding mechanism being biased against the outer surface of the end cap section, and the at least one of the protrusion formed on or the indentation in the outer surface of the portion of the end cap being configured to engage the holding mechanism in a manner that creates a tapping physical disturbance on the container as the container is rotated. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The container of claim 11, the protrusion being at least one of a ramp or a bump. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, the container being a rotating toner bottle for use in an image forming device and the powdered material being image forming toner material. ### Claim 16 An image forming device, comprising: an image marking device; and at least one rotating toner delivery container, the at least one rotating toner delivery container, comprising: a body section with a substantially round cross-section facilitating rotating of the at least one rotating toner delivery container, an end cap section at one axial end of the body section through which toner passes to exit the at least one rotating toner delivery container, and at least one physical feature on an outer profile of the at least one rotating toner delivery container to induce agitation of the at least one rotating toner delivery container as the at least one rotating toner delivery container is rotated in the image forming device; a toner transport conduit on which the at least one rotating toner delivery container is mounted and about which the at least one rotating toner delivery container rotates in the image forming device; and a holding mechanism that is biased to holds the at least one rotating toner delivery container in place with respect to the toner transport conduit, the end cap section of the at least one rotating toner delivery container being configured to interact with the holding mechanism to hold the at least one rotating toner delivery container in the image forming device as the at least one rotating toner delivery container is rotated. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The image forming device of claim 16, the at least one physical feature comprising a flattening of a portion of the substantially round cross-section of the body section of the at least one rotating toner delivery container. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The image forming device of claim 16, the at least one physical feature comprising one or more protrusions formed on an outer surface of the body section of the at least one rotating toner delivery container. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The image forming device of claim 18, further comprising one or more cooperating protruding devices on an internal surface of the image forming device, the internal surface opposing the body section and upon which the body section rotates, an interaction of the one or more protrusions formed on the outer surface of the body section of the at least one rotating toner delivery container exaggerating the induced agitation effect of the at least one rotating toner delivery container as the at least one rotating toner delivery container is rotated in the image forming device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The image forming device of claim 19, the one or more cooperating protruding devices being fixed on the internal surface of the image forming device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The image forming device of claim 19, the one or more cooperating protruding devices being extendible and retractable with regard to the internal surface of the image forming device. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The image forming device of claim 21, the one or more cooperating protruding devices being automatically extended and retracted with regard to the internal surface of the image forming device based on an actuating signal generated by the image forming device. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The image forming device of claim 16, the at least one physical feature comprising at least one of a protrusion formed on or an indentation formed in an outer surface of a portion of the end cap section. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The image forming device of claim 23, the at least one of the protrusion formed on or the indentation in the outer surface of the portion of the end cap being configured to engage the holding mechanism in a manner that creates axial movement in the at least one rotating toner delivery container as the at least one rotating toner delivery container is rotated in the image forming device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The image forming device of claim 23, the at least one of the protrusion formed on or the indentation in the outer surface of the portion of the end cap being configured to engage the holding mechanism in a manner that creates a tapping physical disturbance on the at least one rotating toner delivery container as the at least one rotating toner delivery container is rotated in the image forming device. ### Claim 26 A method for transporting a powdered material in a rotating powdered material container, comprising: providing a rotating powdered material container having: (1) a body section with a substantially round cross-section facilitating rotating of the powdered material container; (2) an end cap section at one axial end of the body section through which the powdered material passes to exit the powdered material container; and (3) at least one physical feature on an outer profile of the powdered material container to induce agitation of the powdered material container as the powdered material container is rotated; rotating the powdered material container in a manner that causes helical features on an internal surface of the body section of the powdered material container to transport at least a portion of the powdered material in an axial direction in the body section to the one end of the body section as the powdered material container is rotated; and inducing agitation of the powdered material in the powdered material container as the powdered material container is rotated by causing the at least one physical feature on the outer surface of the powdered material container to interact with other elements of a device in which the powdered material container rotates.