Agitator of developing device
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorKi-Hyun Jeong
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved agitator containing toner box for an electrophotographic device that is easier to manufacture and assemble than conventional agitator containing toner boxes. The first of two improvements is that one, instead of two apertures are formed in the toner box to accommodate the agitator shaft. The second improvement is that instead of using bushings inserted into an aperture to prevent toner leakage from the toner box, a cone-shaped seal is placed on the shaft of the agitator and over the aperture to prevent toner leakage through the aperture. These two improvements result in a much simpler and less expensive manufacturing and assembly process.
Claims11
A developing device, comprising:
- a hopper;
- a housing having a first interior sidewall and a second interior sidewall opposite to said first interior sidewall;
- an agitator positioned to move toner within said hopper;
- a shaft for driving said agitator, said shaft having a first end and a second end;
- said first interior sidewall of said housing containing an aperture for accommodating said first end of said shaft;
- a seal formed around said shaft of said agitator, said seal located adjacent to said first interior sidewall of said housing and covering said aperture, blocking passage of the toner from said housing via said aperture;
- a slot formed on said second interior sidewall of said housing opposite to said first interior sidewall, accommodating radial movement of said second end of said shaft of said agitator into said housing of said developing device;
- and
- a rib obstructing movement of said second end of said shaft along said slot during rotation of said agitator.
A method for assembling a toner box for a developing device, comprising:
- placing a seal around a shaft of a toner agitator with said seal being oriented towards a first end of said shaft of said toner agitator;
- inserting said first end of said shaft of said toner agitator into an aperture formed in a first interior sidewall of said toner box;
- placing said second end of said shaft of said toner agitator at an end of a slot formed in a second interior sidewall of said toner box opposite from said first interior sidewall;
- guiding said second end of said shaft of said toner agitator down said slot while sliding said first end of said shaft of said toner agitator through said aperture in said first interior sidewall, until said second end of said shaft of said toner agitator rests on a bottom of said vertical slot in said second interior sidewall of said toner box and causing:
- said first end of said shaft of said agitator to protrude from said aperture in said first interior sidewall of said toner box, and
- said seal, while placed around said shaft of said toner agitator, to be pressed against said first interior sidewall of said toner box covering said aperture in said first interior sidewall of said toner box;
- and
- covering said toner box with a hopper, causing a rib to be inserted down into said slot until said rib makes contact with said second end of said shaft, preventing said second end of said shaft of said toner agitator from moving up and down along said vertical slot when said shaft of said toner agitator is rotating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.