Back to results
US 8,261,426 B2Granted
Method of constructing a toner dispensing unit
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorJeffrey M Fowler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This is a toner-dispensing unit using a blow-molded, one-piece toner bottle with integral tabs. The tabs are uniquely designed so that they can only be used with specific marking machines. The tabs fit into mating slots in a drive dog so that installation, while usually a blind installation of bottles, is easily accomplished. The one-piece, blow-molded bottle with integral tabs used with mating slots in a drive dog provides an improvement over prior used toner-dispensing units.
Claims14
A method of constructing a toner-dispensing unit which comprises:
- blow molding a one-piece toner bottle container, said bottle having integral therewith at least two molded tabs,
- said tabs integral with a main molded body of said bottle and blow molded into a specific shape with unique tabs for each product machine series,
- providing a drive dog having a plurality of mating slots with lead-in chamfers, said chamfers and slots configured to mate with said unique tabs, and
- mating said toner bottle to slots of said drive dog by engaging said unique tabs into said chamfers.
1 more element
A method of constructing a toner dispensing unit which comprises:
- blow-molding a one-piece toner container bottle, said bottle having integral therewith at least two molded tabs,
- said tabs uniquely molded into a specific shape to be useful only in a specific marking product machine series,
- positioning unique tabs on an insertion end of said bottle where they are placed along a circumference of an adjacent sealing element,
- said sealing element provided to be integral with said one-piece toner bottle and configured to be punctured to permit toner flow therethrough from said bottle,
- providing a drive dog having a plurality of lead-in mating chamfers and mating slots, said slots configured to mate only with said unique tabs to accommodate only said specific marking product series,
- engaging said tabs into said slots of the drive dog in a manner whereby toner will flow from said bottle, through an opening in said drive dog to a drop tube that opens into a developer housing.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.