Patent ID: 9360796
Filing Date: 2016-06-07
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device, comprising: a housing having a reservoir for storing toner and an outlet for exiting toner from the housing, the reservoir has a first end and an opposed second end along a length of the housing; a channel in the housing along at least a portion of the length of the housing, the channel has an inlet positioned between the first end and the second end of the reservoir, the inlet is in fluid communication with the reservoir for receiving toner from the reservoir and the channel is in fluid communication with the outlet for exiting toner from the channel; a rotatable auger positioned along the channel for moving toner in the channel toward the outlet; a rotatable shaft having a first end at the first end of the reservoir and a second end at the second end of the reservoir; and a plurality of paddles extending from the shaft and rotatable with the shaft, the plurality of paddles includes a first set of one or more paddles positioned between the first end of the reservoir and the inlet of the channel and a second set of one or more paddles positioned between the second end of the reservoir and the inlet of the channel, the first set of one or more paddles are angled to direct toner away from the first end of the reservoir and toward the inlet of the channel and the second set of one or more paddles are angled to direct toner away from the second end of the reservoir and toward the inlet of the channel, wherein each of the plurality of paddles includes a rigid and substantially straight segment that extends along a length of the shaft and a flexible member on a distal end of the substantially straight segment that extends radially outward past the distal end of the substantially straight segment, a first axial end of the substantially straight segment is angularly offset from a second axial end of the substantially straight segment relative to a longitudinal axis of the shaft such that the substantially straight segment is angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, wherein each of the plurality of paddles includes a plurality of ribs extending outward from the distal end of the substantially straight segment, the ribs are angled away from the flexible member trailing the flexible member in an operative rotational direction of the shaft and positioned to limit by contacting the flexible member how far the flexible member flexes counter to the operative rotational direction of the shaft.