Toner bin seal and sealing method

A seal for sealing a toner bin or the like having a container with a container opening, a container sealing surface extending around the entire perimeter of the container opening, and a bin cover structure connected to the container so as to form a toner bin slot between the bin cover structure and the container sealing surface having a slot opening extending along one side of the container, the seal comprising:

• (a) a sealing sheet adapted to be inserted through the toner bin slot opening to an inserted position in which the sealing sheet completely covers the container opening and also covers at least a portion of the container sealing surface around the entire perimeter of the container opening, the sealing sheet having an insertion end adapted to be inserted through the slot opening and a trailing end, trailing end of the sealing sheet being adapted to be positioned in the end of the toner bin slot having the slot opening when the sealing sheet is in the inserted position;
• (b) an adhesive coating positioned on a sealing side of the sealing sheet on at least the portion of the sealing sheet adapted to extend over the container sealing surface, the adhesive coating adapted to seal the sealing sheet to the sealing container surface when exposed thereto;
• (c) an adhesive protecting sheet secured over the adhesive coating on the sealing side of the sealing sheet and adapted to be peeled away from the sealing sheet leaving the adhesive coating intact, the adhesive protecting sheet having a first end generally aligned with the insertion end of the sealing sheet and a second end generally aligned with the trailing end of the sealing sheet;
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• (d) adhesive exposing means connected to the first end of the adhesive protecting sheet and having a length greater than the length of the adhesive protecting sheet between the first and second ends thereof so as to permit the adhesive exposing means to be folded back over the adhesive protecting sheet and extend out of the toner bin slot opening when the sealing sheet is in the inserted position, the adhesive exposing means for peeling the adhesive protecting sheet from the sealing sheet to expose the adhesive coating in response to an adhesive exposing force applied at the portion of the adhesive exposing means extending out of the toner bin slot opening.

A method of providing a seal against a sealing surface of a toner bin container which is covered by a container cover structure forming a toner bin slot extending between the container sealing surface and the container cover structure with a slot opening along one side of the container, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) inserting a sealing sheet into the toner bin slot through the slot opening to an inserted position with a sealing side of the sealing sheet facing at least a portion of the toner bin sealing surface along the entire length of the sealing surface, the sealing sheet having an adhesive coating positioned on the sealing side thereof with an adhesive protecting sheet positioned over the adhesive coating, and also having an insertion end adapted to be positioned in the opposite end of the toner bin slot from the slot opening when the sealing sheet is in the inserted position;
• (b) peeling the adhesive protecting sheet back from the insertion end of the sealing sheet with an adhesive exposing member connected to the adhesive protecting sheet at the insertion end thereof and the adhesive exposing member extending out of the toner bin slot through the slot opening;
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• (c) pressing the sealing sheet against the sealing surface along its entire length to cause the adhesive material to form a seal between the toner bin sealing surface and the sealing sheet.