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AssigneeNone recorded
InventorSteven B. Michlin
Estimating the term…
An apparatus and method for providing a removable closure seal between the toner hopper and the toner feed roller compartment of a toner cartridge assembly used in printers, copy machines and facsimile machines. The seal prevents toner from leaking from the toner hopper into the feed roller compartment during shipping and handling. In one embodiment, the seal has a slotted seal insert placed over the passage between the hopper and roller compartment. A removable tape closes the slot. In another embodiment, a slotted seal insert is slid between grooves in the toner cartridge assembly into position between the hopper and feed roller compartment. The insert is attached to the cartridge assembly by glue, tape, or other adhesive. An insert tool is used to facillitate this attachment. A reusable, removable closure seal is slid between the grooves to close the slot. The closure seal may have a metal spine to increase its rigidity. A crush-resistant velvet material with a foam backing is used to improve the seals at the ends of the feed roller compartment.
A seal used to permit the re-charging of a toner cartridge assembly used in printers, copy machines, and facsimile machines and prevent the loss of toner from said cartridge assembly during handling and shipment, said cartridge assembly including a toner hopper and a feed roller compartment, said seal comprising a slotted seal insert semi-permanently attached to the toner hopper by joining means, said joining means comprising grooves or a ledge on the cartridge assembly between said toner hopper and said feed roller compartment for receiving said slotted seal insert, said slotted seal insert is semi-permanently affixed to said grooves of said ledge of said assembly into a position between said toner hopper and said feed roller compartment, said seal further including a removable closure sealing means for covering the slot in the slotted seal insert.
A seal as in claim 8 wherein said piece comprises a flat, plastic seal with a flat metal spine for rigidity.
A seal for preventing toner leakage from a feed roller compartment in a toner cartridge assembly, said feed roller compartment having two ends, said seal comprising a velvet material attached at each end of said feed roller compartment for preventing leakage of toner from said ends of said feed roller compartment.
A seal for preventing toner leakage from a feed roller compartment in a toner cartridge assembly, said feed roller compartment having two ends, said seal comprising a crush-resistant material attached at each end of said feed roller compartment for preventing leakage of toner from said ends of said feed roller compartment, said crush-resistant material having sides sewn to prevent unraveling.
A method of placing a seal between a toner hopper and a toner feed roller compartment in a toner cartridge assembly for permitting the recharging of toner used in printers, copy machines and facsimile machines for preventing leakage of toner from said hopper to said feed roller compartment during shipping and handling, said toner cartridge assembly having grooves located between said toner hopper and said toner feed roller compartment, said grooves each having upper and lower ridges, said method comprising the steps of sliding a slotted seal insert and a removable closure sealing means between said upper and lower ridges of said grooves in said cartridge assembly into position between said hopper and said feed roller compartment, permanently affixing said slotted seal insert to said grooves, and using said removable closure sealing means to cover the slot in said slotted seal insert and close off the toner passage between said hopper and said feed roller compartment.
A seal used to permit the re-charging of a toner cartridge assembly used in printers, copy machines, and facsimile machines and prevent the loss of toner from said cartridge assembly during handling and shipment, said cartridge assembly including a toner hopper and a feed roller compartment, said seal comprising a slotted seal insert attached to the toner hopper by joining means, said joining means comprising grooves on the cartridge assembly between said toner hopper and said feed roller compartment for receiving said slotted seal insert, said grooves having upper and lower ridges, wherein both of said ridges provide support for the slotted seal insert, whereby said slotted seal insert is slid between said upper and lower ridges of said grooves into position between said toner hopper and said feed roller compartment, said seal further including a removable closure sealing means for covering the slot int he slotted seal insert.
A seal for preventing toner leakage from a feed roller compartment in a toner cartridge assembly, said feed roller compartment having two ends, said seal comprising a crush-resistant material attached at each end of said feed roller compartment for preventing leakage of toner from said ends of said feed roller compartment, said crush-resistant material including a two-sided foam tape backing to increase the resiliency of said seal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO
No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.
Using a solid developer, e.g. powder developer: reconditioning of the developer unit, i.e. reusing or recycling parts of the unit, e.g. resealing…
Detection or control means for the developer concentration: the concentration being measured by optical means
Arrangements for preparing, mixing, supplying or dispensing developer: arrangements for supplying new developer
Sealing of developer cartridges: by a peelable sealing film
Term ended 6 Jul 2012 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
This invention relates to an apparatus for providing means for re-charging and re-sealing a hollow toner hopper, which is a component of an expensive toner cartridge assembly, used in a dry toner printer, copying machine, or facsimile
machine, which will permit the hopper, re-charged with dry toner, and shipped from one location to another, to avoid spilling the dry toner powder (which behaves similar to a liquid).
It has been the practice for a manufacturer of printers, copying machines, and facsimile machines to fill the toner hopper, located in the toner cartridge assembly, with dry toner, and seal closed the top of the toner hopper with a plastic sheet, attached to, and sealed on both sides and ends of the hopper, prior to assembling the toner hopper with the other components of the toner cartridge. When the toner cartridge assembly is received at the user's location, the seal is removed from the cartridge, and the printer, copier, or facsimile machine is ready for use, with the toner being exposed to the feed roller device for making copies.
This invention, together with other objects, features, aspects, and advantages thereof, will be more clearly understood from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a prior art toner hopper assembly.
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the slotted seal insert.
Referring to FIG. 1, a prior art toner cartridge assembly is shown. For clarity in this description, the part defined as toner cartridge assembly is actually a component of the complete assembly sold to endusers. This could be, for example, the Canon LX engine cartridge. The reference numeral 1 generally refers to a dry toner hopper. There is a compartment 2 for a feed roller (not shown). A passage 3 is shown between the feed roller compartment 2 and the hopper 1. The feed roller dispenses the dry toner after it receives it from the hopper 1. Felt-like sealant material 4 is used to prevent toner leakage from the ends of the feed roller.
If the dry toner hopper 1 was rotated from the upright position shown, the toner would spill from the hopper through the passage 3 into the feed roller compartment 2. FIG. 2 shows a flat, rectangular seal insert 5 with a longitudinal slot The insert could be plastic, metal, or any other suitable material. FIG. 3 shows a removable closure seal Different types of adhesive tapes may be used for the closure seal, such as general adhesive tape or a sticky-when-hot tape (which requires a heating device to apply, forming a heat-seal).
FIG. 4 demonstrates the slotted seal insert 5 being attached to the hopper 1 over the passage 3, such that the slot and passage generally align. As shown in FIG. 4, the perimeter of surrounding area of the passage 3 forms a ledge between the hopper 1 and the feed roller compartment 2. The seal insert 5 could be attached to this ledge by tape, glue, caulk, etc. This makes the attachment semi-permanent. In Figure 5, the removable closure seal 7 is placed over the slotted seal insert 5 and stuck to it. The removable closure seal 7 is slightly larger than the slot 6 in the seal insert 5. The slotted seal insert 5 in this embodiment would be located between the removable closure seal 7 and the toner hopper 1. A re-charged cartridge assembly may now be handled and shipped without fear of leakage from the toner hopper.