Claims
- 1. A toner cartridge seal for a toner cartridge having a toner metering roller that defines a predetermined width, and closely spaced surfaces adjacent the metering roller, the seal comprising:
- a thin sheet material having two plies sized and arranged to wrap around the metering roller with opposing side edges that, along at least a portion thereof, are spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the predetermined width of the metering roller and having a thickness that, when wrapped around the metering roller in a predetermined orientation, spans a plurality of gaps formed between a surface of the metering roller and the closely spaced surfaces respectively to seal each of the gaps against passage of toner therethrough with each of the two plies engaging respectively each of the metering roller and the closely spaced surfaces; and
- a compressible strip positioned between the two plies adjacent one of the closely spaced surfaces.
- 2. The seal as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of the closely spaced surfaces comprises a doctor blade.
- 3. The seal as set forth in claim 2 wherein another of the closely spaced surfaces comprises a resilient toner application roller.
- 4. The seal as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a pull tab, extending from an edge of the thin sheet material, constructed and arranged to extend outwardly from the toner cartridge.
- 5. The seal as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a pair of soft, pliable projections that extend outwardly beyond the side edges to seal against walls of the toner cartridge.
- 6. The seal as set forth in claim 5 wherein the projections comprise foam projections.
- 7. The seal as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a layer attached to an end of the two plies outwardly of the metering roller and extending between a gap formed between a pair of rollers of the cartridge.
- 8. The seal as set forth in claim 7 wherein the pair of rollers comprise a photosensitive drum and a primary charge roller.
- 9. The seal as set forth in claim 1 wherein the metering roller comprises a developer roller.
- 10. In combination, a toner cartridge and a removable seal comprising:
- a toner tank having a toner feed slot;
- a photosensitive drum for delivering toner in patterns to a predetermined surface;
- a toner metering system that transfers toner from the toner tank to the photosensitive drum in predetermined metered quantities, the metering system including metering components and fixed components with gaps defined between at least some of the metering components;
- a flexible thin sheet material wrapped around at least one of the metering components and having two plies spaced at a thickness that substantially fills at least some of the gaps to block exit of toner through the gaps, the sheet having a free end located outwardly of the photosensitive drum at a location along an exterior of the toner cartridge whereby the thin sheet material is constructed and arranged to be removed from the metering component by pulling on the free end to slidably move the thin sheet material relative to the gaps; and
- a compressible material strip located between each of the two plies with respect to one of the gaps.
- 11. The combination as set forth in claim 10 wherein the metering system includes a developer roller and wherein the thin sheet material is wrapped around the developer roller.
- 12. The combination as set forth in claim 11 wherein the metering components include a doctor blade.
- 13. The combination as set forth in claim 12 further comprising a resilient toner application roller and wherein the thin sheet material is located between the developer roller and the toner application roller.
- 14. The combination as set forth in claim 10 further comprising a primary charge roller and wherein a gap is defined between the photosensitive drum and the primary charge roller and comprising a layer joined to the seal adjacent the free end and extending into the gap between the photosensitive drum and the primary charge roller.
- 15. The combination as set forth in claim 10 wherein the toner cartridge includes respective side walls and further comprising a pair of crushable projections that extend outwardly away from the thin sheet material in engagement with the respective side walls the projections being located between each of the two plies.
- 16. The combination as set forth in claim 10 further comprising a projecting pull tab located along the free end.
- 17. A method for removably sealing a toner cartridge having a photosensitive drum, a toner metering system that delivers toner to the photosensitive drum and side walls that rotatable support the photosensitive drum and toner metering system, comprising the steps of:
- locating a thin seal having two plies and a front fold therebetween in engagement with gaps defined in the metering system including positioning the thin sheet material so that a free end of the thin sheet material is located outwardly of the photosensitive drum including directing a shim having a curved end around a metering roller with two plies of the material over the shim and an end of the shim engaging the front fold; and
- positioning the front fold with respect to the side walls so that a pair of opposing pliable projections, that are located between the two plies at the front fold and that extend beyond side edges of the two plies and that also define a ballooned area between the two plies at the front fold, crushably engage the side walls and locating the front fold adjacent to one of the gaps so that the ballooned area engages one of the gaps to thereby further seal the one of the gaps.
- 18. The method as set forth in claim 17 further comprising providing a sheet layer joined to the seal between a photosensitive drum and a primary charge drum of the cartridge.
- 19. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein the step of positioning the thin sheet material includes locating the thin sheet material so that a compressible strip positioned between the two plies remote from the front fold is located adjacent another of the gaps to further seal the other of the gaps.
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/601,952 filed Feb. 13, 1996 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,026.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 261 643 |
Mar 1988 |
EPX |
04034467 |
Feb 1992 |
JPX |
08062976 |
Mar 1996 |
JPX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
601952 |
Feb 1996 |
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