Patent Application
20130064573
The present application relates generally to remanufacturing toner cartridges, and more particularly to techniques for replacing a rotatable cylinder in the toner cartridge. One example of a rotating cylinder is a toner cartridge organic photo conductor drum (OPC drum).
The remanufacture of many different types of toner cartridge requires maintaining a large inventory composed of many different types rotating cylinders. Storing multiple rotating cylinders occupies storage space for the different sizes of cylinder, the gears, and hubs necessary in the cartridge remanufacture process. What is needed is a universal rotating cylinder adaptable for use in a large variety of cartridge types. Such a universal rotating cylinder would enable a remanufacturer to maintain an inventory of fewer cylinder types when manufacturing a variety of cartridges.
The present application provides multiple methods to assemble a universal OPC drum sleeve with a standard mounting end affixed to both sides and making a multitude of different OPC drums for use in various printers by interchanging the gears and/or unique features for the intended printer.
The method of design and installation of the gear and OPC drum interface will be discussed in the following embodiments. It is understood that the designs and explanations described in this document shall not be limiting to the overall concept and shall also include any or all extensions and variations of the following embodiments.
In accordance with one aspect of the present application, a universal hub is mounted on both ends of a rotating cylinder, which enables a gear to be easily mounted to it and securely assembled in place.
In accordance with another aspect of the present application, a threaded member, separate fastener is employed to secure the hub and gear together. This may be accomplished by an internal outwards or external inwards fastener.
In accordance with another aspect of the present application, the hub and gear are bonded together using an adhesive or other form of bonding agent to join the two members.
These and other features and objects of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the embodiments, which should be read in light of the accompanying drawings.
In this regard, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be used as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention;
In describing an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be used for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.
In image recording devices, rotating cylinders rotate using gears. For example, the OPC 110, 111 drum rotates using a gear 140, 141 affixed to the cylindrical metallic sleeve. Electrical conductivity is achieved through a contact or 120, 121 mounted internal to the OPC drum. The contact connects to a pin or other conductive agent in the ink or toner cartridge enabling voltage to flow to the OPC drum. The voltage enables the OPC drum to receive the latent image to which the toner will adhere in the electrophotographic process. At least one contact is contained on each side of the drum with a contact 120 on the gear side 140 and another electrical connector 150, 151 on the gear side affixed to the non-gear side 160, 161.
In the laser printing process, each cartridge may have an OPC drum to absorb a latent image of the area to be printed to a media and later to be cleaned for reuse. The length of said OPC drum is typically one length for portrait type printing and a different length for landscape type printing. Other dimensions may also be employed. The diameter of the OPC drum 110, 111 is typically either 24 mm or 30 mm. Each cartridge or cartridge family may have a unique gear 140, 141 and/or hub 160, 161 with two drum contacts affixed at the hub on the gear side 140, 141 and at the non-gear end 160, 161. The OPC drum is an example of a rotating cylinder 110,111 used in a printer.
A remanufacturer must stock a multitude of different OPC drums in inventory to ensure that there is the correct OPC drum is available for each cartridge type that is being remanufactured. In this application, a minimum standard OPC drum sleeve, (24 mm & 30 mm diameter and a length of each for portrait & landscape printing) can be stocked. The gear and hub combination can then be stocked separately and assembled onto the desired OPC drum sleeve at the time of remanufacture.
In a first embodiment, the universal hub is mounted on both ends 140, 141 and 160, 161 of a rotating cylinder and contains either male or female features. The features permit a gear to be easily mounted to it and securely assembled in place. The method of interface may be in the form of a heat weld, snap mechanism, or other suitable methods.
The gear installation 340 is fitted into the hub 330 by means of at least one mounting spike, tab, pins or snap 335. Attached to the opposite side of the hub 330 is the electrical connector 320 which is secured to the inside of the drum 110 when the hub 330 is attached to the end of the drum 110. An opposite view shows the gear 341 attached to the hub 331, where the opposite side of the hub 331 is attached to the electrical connector 321. The electrical connector 321 is secured into the rotating cylinder 111 by the attachment of the gear side 341 onto the end of the rotating cylinder 111.
An opposite view 420 shows the hub 361 contains a plurality of cut off snaps 363, 365, 367 that extend from the hub 361. The snaps 363, 365, 367 may be removed from the hub 361 to facilitate mounting of the drum. This hub 361 may be mounted over the electrical connector 351 thus securing the electrical connector 351 to the inside of the rotating cylinder 111.
A closer view 430 of the drive end, the drive gear 341 is attached to the hub 331, where the opposite side of the hub 331 is attached to the electrical connector 321. The electrical connector 321 is secured into the rotating cylinder 111 by the attachment of the gear side 341 onto the end of the rotating cylinder 111.
The drum 110, 111 may include hubs 730, 760 containing pins. A first end hub 730 may include pins 732, 733, 734. The pins enable the gear 740 to attach to the hub 730 prior to the hub 730 and gear 740 being placed over the electrical connector 720 and inserted onto the drum 110. The opposite end of the drum 111 may also include a hub 761 having a plurality of pins 763, 764, 765 that extend from the hub 761 that is placed over an electrical connector 751 when placed on the end of the drum 111. The hub 731 is shown with the pins 735 oriented toward the gear 741. The gear 741 and hub 731 are held together by the pins 735 when placed over the electrical connector 721 and onto the drum 111.
At a first end of a drum 110 a plurality of screws 970, 971, 972 are placed through holes in a hub 930. The screws 970, 971, 972 are fastened into a gear 940 and hold the hub 930 securely to the gear 940. The screws 970, 971, 972 may be seated into the hub 931 such that the head of the screws 970, 971, 972 fit on the back side of the hub 931 facing away from the gear such that each screw 970, 971, 972 each fits behind a separate wedge shaped section of the back side of the hub. This assembly is placed onto an electrical connector 920 and inserted into the end of the drum. The opposite end of the drum contains an electrical connector 950 and a hub 960. An alternate view shows the screws 932, 933, 934 passing through holes in the hub 931 and attaching into the gear 941. This affixed the hub 931 to the gear 941 and enables the assembly to be placed over the electrical connector 921 and onto the drum 111.
In the preferred embodiment, the screws would not intersect into or come in contact with into the electrical connector 1121. However, an embodiment may be implemented wherein the screws do pass through holes in the electrical contact 921, 951. In another embodiment the screws intersect with or come in to connect with the electrical contact 921, 951.
While a preferred embodiment includes an electrical connector on both ends of the drum 110, 111, an alternative embodiment may have an electrical connector 971 on only one end. Such a one end electrical connector may contain the electrical connector 971 only on the gear end 940. Such a one end electrical connector 951 may also contain the electrical connector only on the hub end 961.
In an alternative embodiment, instead of utilizing a mechanical means to join the universal hub to the gear end, the universal hub is bonded to the gear end using an adhesive or other form of bonding agent to join the two members. A male and female interface feature or multiple features may also be used in order to ensure proper alignment of the gear to the rotating cylinder during assembly.
In many of the embodiments, a universal hub is assembled to both ends of the rotating cylinder sleeve. This universal sleeve would typically be equipped with an electrically conductive contact assembled to it prior to installation into the rotating cylinder such that the rotating cylinder is fully reversible and the location of the drum pin for electrical conductivity may be mounted on either side of the cartridge without negative impact in functionality.
Although the embodiments describe having a universal hub on an OPC drum, the universal hub can be used with any components that have gear structure on one or both ends. For example, printers typically have a mag roller and one or both ends of the mag roller could have a universal hub to allow the mag roller to be used in different model printers.
Additionally, the embodiments describe remanufacturing a print cartridge using a rotating cylinder having a universal hub. Alternatively, a new OPC drum can be made using the universal hub. This may be an OPC drum designed for use in a new cartridge or a new OPC drum used to refurbish a previously used cartridge.
The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification. Thus, the appended claims are intended to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirits and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described. Accordingly, all appropriate modifications and equivalents may be included within the scope of the invention.
Although this invention has been illustrated by reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made which clearly fall within the scope of the invention. The invention is intended to be protected broadly within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
