Patent ID: 6560429
Filing Date: 2003-05-06
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
Apparatus for dispensing toner in an electrostatographic printer, said apparatus comprising:(a) a vertically oriented container for containing a fresh supply of toner, said container being adapted to be permanently mounted within a housing of said electrostatographic printer and having a lower portion defined by walls that converge towards a toner-outlet port located at the container's lowest-most point, said container having formed in said converging walls in the vicinity of said toner-outlet port at least one toner-impervious air-inlet port through which air can enter adjacent to said lowest-most point of said container; (b) a selectively energizable toner transport device positioned directly below said toner-outlet port, said toner transport device operating, when energized, to transport toner that has passed through said toner-outlet port to an image-development station of said electrostatographic printer; and (c) a selectively energizable vacuum source, operatively connected to said container at a location vertically displaced from said toner outlet-port, said vacuum source operating, when energized, to evacuate air from the container that has entered the container through said at least one toner imprevious air-inlet port, whereby air entering the container through said at least one toner impervious air-inlet port rises upwardly towards the vacuum source and thereby fluidizes the entire toner mass within the container, allowing toner to flow uninterrupted through the container's toner-outlet port and into said toner transport device.