Volumetric toner cartridge having toner agitators
View Patent ↗A toner cartridge for an imaging device having a housing having a toner reservoir and an exit port in fluid communication with the toner reservoir. A drive shaft rotatably mounts within the toner reservoir. A toner platform is movably coupled to the drive shaft and is nonrotatable but slidable relative to the housing. A resilient arm is positioned within the reservoir and biased toward an initial position in the path of the toner platform. When the drive shaft rotates, the toner platform translates toward the exit port. When the toner platform contacts the resilient arm, the resilient arm moves to permit the toner platform to pass and when the toner platform moves further toward the exit port the resilient arm returns to the initial position. The resilient arm may mount on the inner surface, the toner to platform or the drive shaft.
1. A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising:
a housing comprising two opposed end walls, an elongated body therebetween and an exit port, the body having an inner surface defining a toner reservoir for containing a quantity of toner, the toner reservoir in fluid communication with the exit port;
a drive shaft rotatably mounted within the toner reservoir;
a toner platform having a front surface, a rear surface and an edge surface, the front surface for moving toner within the reservoir toward the exit port, the toner platform in slidable contact with the inner surface and movably coupled to the drive shaft, the toner platform being nonrotatable relative to the housing; and
a resilient arm positioned within the reservoir and biased toward an initial position in the path of the toner platform,
wherein when the drive shaft rotates the toner platform translates toward the exit port for moving toner within the reservoir toward the exit port, when the toner platform contacts the resilient arm the resilient arm moves out of the path of the toner platform to permit the toner platform to pass and when the toner platform moves further toward the exit port the resilient arm returns to the initial position.
2. The toner cartridge of claim 1 wherein the resilient arm is mounted on the inner surface and the inner surface has a recess positioned to receive the resilient arm when the toner platform contacts the resilient arm.
3. The toner cartridge of claim 1 wherein the resilient arm is mounted on the toner platform and the inner surface has a recess positioned to receive the resilient arm when the toner platform contacts the resilient arm.
4. The toner cartridge of claim 1 wherein the resilient arm is mounted on the drive shaft and the drive shaft includes a recess positioned to receive the resilient arm when the toner platform contacts the resilient arm.
5. The toner cartridge of claim 4 wherein the resilient arm is pivotally mounted in the recess of the drive shaft and cantilevered outward from the drive shaft in the initial position.
6. The toner cartridge of claim 1 wherein the resilient arm is cantilevered into the path of the toner platform.
7. A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising:
a housing comprising two opposed end walls and an elongated body therebetween, the body having an outer wall and an inner wall, the inner wall and the two opposed end walls defining a reservoir within the body, the reservoir having a volume for containing toner, the reservoir in fluid communication with an exit port in the housing for delivering toner from the reservoir, the exit port positioned adjacent to an end of the housing;
a drive shaft rotatably supported by the opposed end walls, the drive shaft having a threaded portion and an unthreaded portion having a junction therebetween, one end of the drive shaft extending through one of the end walls for receiving torque;
a toner platform for moving toner within the reservoir and shaped to conform to the cross-sectional shape of the reservoir;
a coupling attached to the toner platform and threadably and rotatably connected with the threaded portion of the drive shaft;
an exit paddle mounted on the drive shaft at the exit port; and
a resilient arm positioned within the reservoir and biased toward an initial position in the path of the toner platform,
wherein when the drive shaft rotates the toner platform translates within the reservoir toward the exit port for moving toner within the reservoir toward the exit port and when the drive shaft rotates the exit paddle rotates for delivering toner out of the exit port,
wherein when the toner platform contacts the resilient arm the resilient arm moves out of the path of the toner platform to permit the toner platform to pass and when the toner platform moves further toward the exit port the resilient arm returns to the initial position.
8. The toner cartridge of claim 7 wherein the resilient arm is mounted on the inner wall and the inner wall has a recess positioned to receive the resilient arm when the toner platform contacts the resilient arm.
9. The toner cartridge of claim 7 wherein the resilient arm is mounted on the toner platform and the inner wall has a recess positioned to receive the resilient arm when the toner platform contacts the resilient arm.
10. The toner cartridge of claim 7 wherein the resilient arm is mounted on the drive shaft and the drive shaft includes a recess positioned to receive the resilient arm when the toner platform contacts the resilient arm.
11. The toner cartridge of claim 10 wherein the resilient arm is pivotally mounted in the recess of the drive shaft and cantilevered outward from the drive shaft in the initial position.
12. The toner cartridge of claim 7 wherein the resilient arm is cantilevered into the path of the toner platform.
13. A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising:
a housing comprising two opposed end walls, an elongated body therebetween and an exit port, the body having an inner surface defining a toner reservoir for containing a quantity of toner, the toner reservoir in fluid communication with the exit port; the inner surface having a recess therein at a predetermined position with the reservoir, the recess sized to receive a portion of the toner platform;
a drive shaft rotatably mounted within the toner reservoir, the drive shaft rotatable in a first direction and a second direction that is opposite the first direction; and
a toner platform having a front surface, a rear surface and an edge surface, the front surface for moving toner within the reservoir toward the exit port, the toner platform in slidable contact with the inner surface and movably coupled to the drive shaft, the toner platform being nonrotatable relative to the housing;
wherein when the drive shaft rotates in the first direction the toner platform translates toward the exit paddle for moving toner within the reservoir toward the exit port and when the toner platform is aligned with the recess and the drive shaft rotates in the second direction, the toner platform rotates into the recess.
14. The toner cartridge of claim 13 wherein the reservoir has an upper portion having a cuboid shape and a lower portion having a semi-cylindrical shape and the toner platform has an upper portion having a rectangular shape corresponding to the cross section of the upper portion of the reservoir and a lower portion having a semi-circular shape corresponding to the cross section of the lower portion of the reservoir.
15. The toner cartridge of claim 13 wherein the reservoir has an upper portion having a trapezium shape and a lower portion having a semi-cylindrical shape and the toner platform has an upper portion having a trapezoidal shape corresponding to the cross section of the upper portion of the reservoir and a lower portion having a semi-circular shape corresponding to the cross section of the lower portion of the reservoir.
16. The toner cartridge of claim 13 further comprising a circumferential edge seal positioned on the edge surface of the toner platform, the edge seal providing a slidable sealing contact between the toner platform and the inner surface of the body.
17. The toner cartridge of claim 13 further comprising an exit paddle positioned in the reservoir adjacent the exit port and rotatable by the drive shaft, wherein the drive shaft has a threaded portion and an unthreaded portion having a junction therebetween wherein the length of the unthreaded portion is at least equal to the distance from the junction of the drive shaft to the end wall closest to the exit paddle less the width of the exit paddle with the predetermined position of the recess in the inner surface being aligned with the junction.
18. The toner cartridge of claim 17 wherein the toner platform further comprises a planar front surface and oriented substantially parallel to one of the first and second end walls, the edge surface of the toner platform having a circumferential edge seal mounted thereon in slidable sealing contact with the inner surface of the body, the toner platform being nonrotatable relative to the housing and having an opening therethrough for receiving the drive shaft, the thickness of the toner platform being equal to or less than the length of the unthreaded portion of the drive shaft.