Granted Patent B2

US 9,588,462 · App. 15/202,639 · Granted Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

Claims (36)

1. A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic image forming device, comprising:

a housing having a top, a bottom, a front, and a rear positioned between a first side and a second side of the housing, the housing having a reservoir for storing toner;

an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir and positioned on the front of the housing near the first side of the housing for exiting toner from the toner cartridge;

an interface gear exposed on the front of the housing near the top of the second side of the housing for engaging with a corresponding drive gear in the image forming device;

a magnet movable in response to rotation of the interface gear; and

an engagement member positioned on an exterior of the top of the housing proximate the second side of the housing, the engagement member is aligned with a point in a path of movement of the magnet, the engagement member has a front surface that is unobstructed to contact and push a sensor housing in the image forming device supporting a magnetic sensor to an operating position of the magnetic sensor during insertion of the toner cartridge into the image forming device.

2. The toner cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the magnet passes in close proximity to an inner surface of the housing forming the reservoir at a location where the engagement member is positioned on the exterior of the housing during rotation of the interface gear.

3. The toner cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the engagement member projects upward from the top of the housing.

4. The toner cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the front surface of the engagement member includes a pair of front engagement surfaces spaced apart from each other along a side-to-side dimension of the housing and aligned with each other along a front-to-rear dimension of the housing.

5. The toner cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the engagement member includes a pair of side engagement surfaces that face each other, the side engagement surfaces are spaced apart from each other along a side-to-side dimension of the housing and are aligned with each other along a front-to-rear dimension of the housing.

6. The toner cartridge of claim 1 , further comprising a ramp positioned on the exterior of the housing in front of the engagement member and leading toward the engagement member, a top surface of the ramp inclines upward as the ramp extends toward the engagement member.

7. The toner cartridge of claim 6 , further comprising a planar top surface that extends rearward from a rear end of the ramp to the engagement member, the planar top surface is substantially horizontal when the toner cartridge is in its operative orientation.

8. A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic image forming device, comprising:

a housing having a top, a bottom, a front, and a rear positioned between a first side and a second side of the housing, the housing having a reservoir for storing toner;

an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir and positioned on the front of the housing near the first side of the housing for exiting toner from the toner cartridge;

an interface gear exposed on the front of the housing near the top of the second side of the housing for engaging with a corresponding drive gear in the image forming device;

a magnet movable in response to rotation of the interface gear; and

a projection on an exterior of the top of the housing proximate the second side of the housing, the projection is aligned with a point in a path of movement of the magnet, the projection has a front surface that is unobstructed to contact and push a sensor housing in the image forming device supporting a magnetic sensor to an operating position of the magnetic sensor during insertion of the toner cartridge into the image forming device.

9. The toner cartridge of claim 8 , wherein the magnet passes in close proximity to an inner surface of the housing forming the reservoir at a location where the projection is positioned on the exterior of the housing during rotation of the interface gear.

10. The toner cartridge of claim 8 , wherein the front surface of the projection includes a pair of front engagement surfaces spaced apart from each other along a side-to-side dimension of the housing and aligned with each other along a front-to-rear dimension of the housing.

11. The toner cartridge of claim 8 , wherein the projection includes a pair of side engagement surfaces that face each other, the side engagement surfaces are spaced apart from each other along a side-to-side dimension of the housing and are aligned with each other along a front-to-rear dimension of the housing.

12. The toner cartridge of claim 8 , further comprising a ramp positioned on the exterior of the housing in front of the projection and leading toward the projection, a top surface of the ramp inclines upward as the ramp extends toward the projection.

13. The toner cartridge of claim 12 , further comprising a planar top surface that extends rearward from a rear end of the ramp to the projection, the planar top surface is substantially horizontal when the toner cartridge is in its operative orientation.

14. A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic image forming device, comprising:

a housing having a top, a bottom, a front, and a rear positioned between a first side and a second side of the housing, the housing having a reservoir for storing toner;

an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir and positioned on the front of the housing near the first side of the housing for exiting toner from the toner cartridge;

a rotatable shaft positioned within the reservoir and having an axis of rotation;

an interface gear operatively connected to the rotatable shaft for providing rotational motion to the rotatable shaft, a portion of the interface gear being exposed on the front of the housing near the top of the second side of the housing and engagable with a corresponding drive gear in the image forming device;

a magnet in the reservoir movable in response to rotation of the shaft; and

a U-shaped projection on an exterior of the top of the housing proximate the second side of the housing, the U-shaped projection is aligned with a point in a path of movement of the magnet in the reservoir, the U-shaped projection includes a pair of front engagement surfaces that are spaced axially apart from each other and aligned with each other along a front-to-rear dimension of the housing, the front engagement surfaces are unobstructed to contact and push a sensor housing in the image forming device supporting a magnetic sensor to an operating position of the magnetic sensor during insertion of the toner cartridge into the image forming device.

15. The toner cartridge of claim 14 , wherein the magnet is rotatable around the axis of rotation of the shaft in response to rotation of the shaft.

16. The toner cartridge of claim 14 , wherein the U-shaped projection is axially aligned with the magnet relative to the axis of rotation of the shaft.

17. The toner cartridge of claim 14 , wherein the magnet passes in close proximity to an inner surface of the housing forming the reservoir at a location where the U-shaped projection is positioned on the exterior of the housing.

18. The toner cartridge of claim 14 , wherein the U-shaped projection includes a pair of side engagement surfaces that face each other, the side engagement surfaces are spaced axially apart from each other and aligned with each other along a front-to-rear dimension of the housing.

19. The toner cartridge of claim 14 , further comprising a ramp positioned on the exterior of the housing in front of the U-shaped projection and leading toward the U-shaped projection, a top surface of the ramp inclines upward as the ramp extends toward the U-shaped projection.

20. The toner cartridge of claim 19 , further comprising a planar top surface that extends rearward from a rear end of the ramp to the U-shaped projection, the planar top surface is substantially horizontal when the toner cartridge is in its operative orientation.

Assignments (8)