Toner container and toner dispensing apparatus
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsAllison H. Caudill, Lowell M. Simson, James W. Stanley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A magnetic brush developer having a toner dispenser cooperable with a removable toner container of the bottle type so that transfer of toner to the dispenser occurs without spillage or exposure of the toner to the external environment. The bottle and dispenser have mating interfaces which must be properly located, and then rotated, before dumping of toner from the bottle to the dispenser can occur. The dispenser interface is positioned in a slidable cover so that the bottle's toner content can be evenly distributed along the length of the dispenser, this length corresponding substantially to the length of the developer's development zone.
Claims25
Apparatus for facilitating the transfer of flowable xerographic toner from a storage container to a copier's toner dispenser, comprising:
- a toner container including a nozzle having first releasable shutter means and means normally maintaining said first shutter in a closed position;
- a toner dispenser for holding a supply of toner in a compartment which has a dimension greater than that of said nozzle, and having a slidable, elongated cover which is slidable over said greater dimension, said cover including means for receiving said nozzle, said receiving means having second releasable shutter means normally maintained in a closed position;
- and
- means for opening said first and second shutter means upon attachment of said nozzle to said receiving means;
- whereby attachment of said nozzle to said receiving means permits communication between said container and said dispenser, movement of said slidable cover thereafter allowing distribution of toner throughout said greater dimension of said compartment.
Apparatus for facilitating the transfer of flowable xerographic toner from a storage container to the elongated toner dispenser portion of a xerographic developer, comprising:
- an elongated toner dispenser spanning a length of the developer, and having a slidable, elongated cover spanning substantially the length of said dispenser, said cover including at one point thereon means for receiving the storage container, said receiving means spanning a length of the developer which is shorter than the corresponding length spanned by said dispenser;
- whereby attachment of the storage container to said receiving means permits communication between the storage container and said dispenser, movement of said slidable cover thereafter allowing distribution of toner throughout the length of said dispenser.
A toner dispenser for use in supplying toner to a xerographic developer, comprising:
- an elongated dispenser bin having bottom-disposed means operable to meter toner to the developer;
- a top-disposed elongated opening;
- a band of flexible material closing said opening, said band having coiled spring portions disposed at opposite longitudinal ends of said opening;
- coupling means adapted to removably receive a toner container to resupply toner only to that portion of said bin which is immediately under said coupling means, said portion being less than the entire elongated bin;
- and
- means mounting said coupling means to said band in a manner to facilitate gravity-dump of toner to said bin, said coupling means being movable along the length of said bin to distribute the toner throughout the length of said bin, said spring portions providing force equilibrium at substantially all positions of said coupling means.
The toner dispenser defined in clain 19 including a toner container having openable valve means, said coupling means including means to open the container's valve means and to lock an open container to said coupling means.
Apparatus for facilitating the transfer of flowable xerographic toner from a storage container to a toner dispenser, comprising:
- a toner container including a nozzle having first releasable closure means including first means normally maintaining said first closure means in a closed position;
- a dispenser having upward-facing means for receiving said nozzle as said nozzle faces downward, said receiving means having second releasable closure means including second means normally maintaining said second closure means in a close position;
- means including cooperating portions carried by said toner container and said receiving means operable to insure proper location of said toner container on the dispenser's receiving means;
- and
- means thereafter operable as a result of rotation of said toner container for mechanically locking said container to said dispenser to permit simultaneous operation of their respective closure means, and thereby clean-load communication between said container and dispenser with gravity assisted transfer of toner to said dispenser.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.