The present application is directed to toner cartridges and, more specifically, to cartridges with a bearing and locating member.
Image forming devices use toner for producing images on a media sheet. The toner may be housed within a cartridge that is removable from the image forming device. Removal and installation of the cartridges may occur during initial start-up of the device, when the toner has been depleted from the cartridge, and miscellaneous other occurrences.
The cartridges may include various elements that rotate about a shaft. The elements may include agitating members to agitate and move the toner, an auger for directing the toner towards an outlet, and drive members for powering the various elements. Each of these elements may be driven by a gear and therefore location of these elements relative to each other is critical to their functionality. The cartridge should include some manner of accurately positioning the shafts.
The cartridge should further be constructed to prevent toner leakage from the interior reservoir. Toner leaks may result in print defects, and toner inadvertently contacting the user or the user workstation. The cartridge should also be constructed to work properly in forming quality images, yet not be constructed in a manner that greatly increases the overall cost of the cartridge. Cost may be a major factor in the purchasing decisions of consumers when selecting a cartridge.
The present application is directed to toner cartridges with a bearing plate to locate and provide a bearing surface to one or more rotational members. The bearing plate may be positioned on an outer wall of a body of a toner cartridge. The bearing plate may include apertures to receive shafts of a series of rotational members. The bearing plate may locate the shafts relative to the body such that each is operatively connected together through a gear train. Bearing plate may also provide a bearing surface for the rotating shafts.
The present application is directed to toner cartridges with a bearing plate to provide location and bearings for one or more rotational shafts.
Bearing plate 70 is attached to the body 20 to locate and provide a bearing surface for the shafts 31, 41, 51, 61.
Cartridge 10 further includes a body 20 that forms an enclosed interior reservoir 91 for holding toner. As illustrated in
One of more extensions 24 may extend outward from the bottom side 57 of the indentation 56. As illustrated in
Body 20 further includes an outlet 23 as illustrated in
In one embodiment, body 20 is formed in a single piece. In another embodiment, body 20 includes a first section 26 and a second section 27.
Cartridge 10 further includes a number of rotating members such as agitating members 40, 50, augers 30, and input members 60 as illustrated in
The auger 30 is attached to the body 20 for moving the toner towards the outlet 23. Auger 30 includes a shaft 31 with an outwardly extending helical blade 32. Rotation of the shaft 31 causes tone to be moved by the blade 32 and directed towards the outlet 23. In one embodiment, shutter 39 within the outlet 23 includes a hollow sleeve that is sized to receive the auger 30.
The input member 60 includes a shaft 61 that extends through the reservoir 91. A first end of the shaft 61 extends outward beyond a first side of the body 20 as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Gears 64 are attached to the ends of the shafts 31, 41, 51, 61 that extend outward from the body 20 and the bearing plate 70 as illustrated in
In one embodiment, gear 64 is attached to the first end of the input shaft 61 (
A first toner transfer area 120 includes one or more imaging units 121 that are aligned horizontally extending from the front 113 to a back 115 of the body 112. Each imaging unit 121 includes a charging roll 122, a developer 123 that includes various paddles and roller for stirring and moving toner and a developer roll 124, and a rotating photoconductive (PC) drum 125. The charging roll 122 forms a nip with the PC drum 125, and charges the surface of the PC drum 25 to a specified voltage such as −1000 volts, for example. A laser beam from a printhead 126 contacts the surface of the PC drum 125 and discharges those areas it contacts to form a latent image. In one embodiment, areas on the PC drum 125 illuminated by the laser beam are discharges to approximately −300 volts. The developer roll 124, which also forms a nip with the PC drum 125, then transfers toner from the cartridge 10 containing a supply of toner to the PC drum 125, to form a toner image. The toner is attracted to the areas of the PC drum 125 surface discharged by the laser beam from the printhead 126.
The cartridges 10 may be operatively connected to each of the developers 123 in toner transfer relationship, when the toner cartridges 10 are inserted into the imaging forming device 100. The toner cartridges 10 may be mounted and removed from the device 100 independently from the imaging units 121. In one embodiment, he toner cartridges 10 each contain one of black, magenta, cyan, or yellow toner. Each of toner cartridges 10 may be substantially the same, or one or more of the toner cartridges 10 may hold different toner capacities. In one specific embodiment, the black toner cartridge 10 has a higher capacity than the others. The toner cartridges 10 may mount from a top 116 of the device 100, in a generally vertical direction, and may detach during removal with the imaging units 121 remaining within the device 100.
An intermediate transfer mechanism (ITM) 130 is disposed adjacent to each of the imaging units 121. In this embodiments, the ITM 130 is formed as an endless belt trained about support roller 131, tension roller 132 and back-up roller 133. During image forming operations, the ITM 130 moves past the imaging units 121 in a clockwise direction as viewed in
The ITM 130 rotates and collects the one or more toner images from the imaging units 121 and then conveys the toner images to a media sheet at a second transfer area. The second transfer area includes a second transfer nip 140 formed between the back-up roller 133 and the second transfer roller 141.
a media path 144 extends through the device 100 for moving the media sheets through the imaging process. Media sheets are initially stored in the input tray 111 or introduced into the body 112 through a manual feed 148. The sheets in the input tray 111 are picked by a pick mechanism 143 and moved into the media path 144. In this embodiment, the pick mechanism 143 includes a roller positioned at the end of a pivoting arm. The roller rotates to move the media sheets from input tray 111 towards the second transfer area. In one embodiment, the pick mechanism 143 is positioned in proximity (i.e., less than a length of a media sheet) to the second transfer area with the pick mechanism 143 moving the media sheets directly from the input tray 111 into the second transfer nip 140. For sheets entering through the manual feed 148, one or ore rollers are positioned to move the sheet into the second transfer nip 140.
The media sheet receives the toner image from the ITM 130 as it moves through the second transfer nip 140. The media sheets with toner images are then moved along the media path 144 and into a fuser area 150. Fuser area 150 includes fusing rollers or belts 151 that form a nip to adhere the toner image to the media sheet. The fused media sheets then pass through exit rollers 145 that are located downstream from the fuser area 150. Exit rollers 145 may be rotated in either forward or reverse directions. In a forward direction, the exit rollers 145 move the media sheet from the media path 144 to an output area 147. In a reverse direction, the exit rollers 145 move the media sheet into a duplex path 146 for image formation on a second side of the media sheet.
The embodiment disclosed above include the bearing plate 70 positioned within an indentation 56 in the body 20. In another embodiment, the body 20 does not include an indentation 56 and the bearing plate 70 is attached to an outer wall.
In one embodiment as illustrated in
Terms such as “first”, “second”, and the like, are also used to describe various elements, regions, sections, etc. and are also not intended to be limiting. Like terms refer to like elements throughout the description.
As used herein, the terms “having”, “containing”, “including”, “comprising” and the like are open ended terms that indicate the presence of stated elements or features, but do not preclude additional elements or features. The articles “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural as well as the singular, unless the context clearly indicate otherwise.
The present invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the scope and essential characteristics of the invention. In one embodiment, the gears 64 are positioned within the indentation 56 in the body 20. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20080145110 A1 | Jun 2008 | US |