Patent Application
20090245853
The present invention relates to remanufacturing of imaging process cartridges, such as printer toner cartridges, and more particularly to a universal cartridge seal for use in a remanufactured imaging process cartridge.
Printer cartridges are typically designed to provide the consumer a certain number of print copies before the toner or ink is exhausted. The total number of prints varies depending on the type, quality and density of the print provided by the printer. After all of the toner or ink is spent, the cartridges are either thrown away or recycled.
An emerging industry has developed that deals with the recycling of printer cartridges. Typically, the OEM (Original Equipment Manufactured) cartridge is recycled by a cartridge remanufacturer, who receives spent printer cartridges and refurbishes them. The toner cartridge remanufacturing process typically entails disassembling, cleaning, refurbishing and reassembling the cartridge.
A typical OEM toner cartridge consists of an assembled plastic housing which may have several sections. During the remanufacturing process, the different sections of the toner cartridge may be separated allowing the remanufacturer to access the various internal components that may need to be replaced. Some exemplary components that may need to be replaced include but are not limited to a developer roller, fuser wand, wiper blades, OPC (organic photo conductor) drum and the like. After the components are replaced, a seal may be placed over a toner reservoir prior to reassembling the toner cartridge. After toner is placed into the reassembled toner cartridge, the seal keeps the toner from escaping the toner reservoir during the shipment of the toner cartridge. The seal may be broken by the end consumer prior to placing the toner cartridge into the printer. Breaking the seal allows toner to leave the toner reservoir and be presented to the various components within the toner cartridge. As part of the printing process, toner is transferred from the toner reservoir to the developer roller, onto the OPC drum, onto the print media and is melted onto the media.
Commonly, seals currently used by OEM toner cartridge manufacturers and toner cartridge remanufacturers may be comprised of separate items that have to be assembled. Typically, these seals may pull strips that extend away from the toner cartridge and include a separate pull tab. The pull tab allows the consumer greater leverage when pulling the pull strip thus breaking the seal. However, it may be advantageous to have a unitarily constructed seal that includes an integrated pull tab.
The present disclosure recognizes this need and discloses a unitarily constructed toner hopper seal assembly having an integrated pull tab. The toner hopper seal assembly has a gasket which has a gasket opening, a pull strip having a first and second end, the pull strip attached to a first side of the gasket and covering the gasket opening. The first end of the pull strip is positioned near the gasket opening. The toner hopper seal assembly also having an integrated pull tab disposed at an end of the gasket, the integrated pull tab has a first side and a second side, the integrated pull tab is formed from a same material as the gasket and separated from the gasket by a cut in the material. The toner hopper seal assembly also has an adhesive layer covering a second side of the gasket and the second side of the integrated pull tab as well as a release liner covering the adhesive layer on the second side of the gasket and the second side of the integrated pull tab. The release liner secures the integrated pull tab in place adjacent to the end of the gasket.
A remanufactured toner cartridge is disclosed. The remanufactured toner cartridge has a toner hopper assembly connected to a waste bin assembly; the toner hopper assembly also has a toner hopper reservoir which has an opening. Attached to the toner hopper assembly is a toner hopper seal assembly. The toner hopper seal assembly has a gasket which has a gasket opening, a pull strip which has a first and second end, the pull strip attached to a first side of the gasket and covering the gasket opening, the first end of the pull strip positioned near the gasket opening. The toner hopper seal assembly also has a integrated pull tab disposed at an end of the gasket, the integrated pull tab has a first side and a second side, the integrated pull tab is formed from a same material as the gasket and is separated from the gasket by a cut in the material. The toner hopper seal assembly also has an adhesive layer covering a second side of the gasket and the second side of the integrated pull tab as well as a removable film covering the adhesive layer on the second side of the gasket and the second side of the integrated pull tab. The release liner secures the integrated pull tab in place adjacent to the end of the gasket.
A method of affixing a toner hopper seal assembly to a toner cartridge is disclosed. The method provides the toner cartridge, the toner cartridge having a toner hopper assembly and a waste bin assembly, the toner hopper assembly having an opening above a toner hopper reservoir. The method separates the toner hopper assembly from the waste bin assembly. The method further affixes a toner hopper seal assembly over the opening of the toner hopper reservoir. The toner hopper seal assembly has a gasket which has a gasket opening, a pull strip which has a first and second end, the pull strip attached to a first side of the gasket and covering the gasket opening, the first end of the pull strip positioned near the gasket opening. The toner hopper seal assembly also has a integrated pull tab disposed at an end of the gasket, the integrated pull tab has a first side and a second side, the integrated pull tab is formed from a same material as the gasket and is separated from the gasket by a cut in the material. The toner hopper seal assembly also has an adhesive layer covering a second side of the gasket and the second side of the integrated pull tab as well as a removable film covering the adhesive layer on the second side of the gasket and the second side of the integrated pull tab. The release liner secures the integrated pull tab in place adjacent to the end of the gasket.
A more complete understanding of the present invention, as well as further features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.
The following detailed description of preferred embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate specific embodiments of the invention. In the discussion that follows, specific systems and techniques for repairing, manufacturing or remanufacturing an imaging cartridge, such as a toner cartridge are used as examples. Other embodiments having different structures and operations for the repair, remanufacture and operation of other types of replaceable imaging components and for various types of imaging devices, such as laser printers, inkjet printers, copiers, facsimile machines and the like, do not depart from the scope of the present invention.
In the toner cartridge refurbishment industry, the used toner cartridges are collected and serviced by toner cartridge remanufacturers. The first step in the refurbishment process is the disassembling of the spent cartridges. Next, the internal components are separated. Non-functioning components are replaced, and the remaining components, as well as the body of the device undergo a cleaning process. In the final step the device is reassembled and new toner is added to the toner cartridge. The refurbished device is then packaged and distributed to the consumer.
The inventive concepts of the present invention are more clearly understood in reference to the toner cartridge 100 displayed in
As displayed in
Typically, a gasket of a prior seal assembly (not shown) may be in place around the opening 230. The gasket of the prior seal assembly may be from an OEM seal assembly if the cartridge has not been previously refurbished. Alternatively, the gasket may be from a non-OEM seal assembly installed by a remanufacturer. In order to refurbish the toner cartridge 100, the old gasket is removed. This step may take place after the toner hopper 120 is separated from the waste bin assembly 130 and the developer roller is removed. Once the old gasket is removed, a new seal may be installed over the opening 230. Similar to the old seal, the new seal is used to keep toner confined within the toner reservoir 215 during shipment of the refurbished toner cartridge 100 to the end user. After the end user receives the toner cartridge 100, and prior to installing the toner cartridge 100 into the printer, the end user may break the seal by pulling on a pull strip attached to the gasket of the new seal. Pulling the pull strip breaks the integrity of the seal and allows toner to flow from the toner reservoir 125 to the developer roller.
A cross sectional view of a toner hopper seal assembly 300 in accordance with one embodiment of the present is shown in
In one embodiment, the gasket 330 may be made of polycarbonate material. In an alternative embodiment, the gasket 330 may be formed from high impact polystyrene. In yet another embodiment, the gasket 330 may be manufactured from a PVC (poly vinyl chloride) material. Gaskets made from these materials may be flexible enough to be positioned into place on the toner hopper assembly 120. Alternatively, the gasket 330 may be formed from relatively stiff materials. In addition, the pull strip 350 may be made of an aluminum film coated with polyester. In yet another embodiment, the pull strip may be made of a clear plastic polyester film. The polyester film may provide additional strength to the pull strip 350 keeping it from separating when pulled. Similar to the adhesive layers 320 and 325, the pull strip 350 may also have an adhesive (not shown for ease of illustration) to keep the pull strip 350 attached to the gasket 330. In one embodiment, the pull strip adhesive may be heat activated. Alternatively, the pull strip 350 may be a ribbon material that is bonded to the gasket 330 with an adhesive material.
In the embodiment as shown in
As is displayed in
Referring to
In an exemplary embodiment, when the release liner 310 is removed from the adhesive layer 320, the integrated pull tab 340 may also be pulled away from the gasket 330. In this embodiment, the integrated pull tab 340, still affixed to the release liner 310, may be set aside while the toner hopper seal assembly 300 is placed into position over the opening 230 of the toner cartridge 100. As is explained in the discussion of
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art appreciate that any arrangement, which is calculated to achieve the same purpose, may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and that the invention has other applications in other environments. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present invention. The following claims are in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention to the specific embodiments described herein.
