Abstract:
A gasket seal is disclosed. The gasket seal containing a gasket defining an opening containing a first gasket longitudinal edge, a second gasket longitudinal edge, a gasket transverse edge, wherein the gasket transverse edge forms a 90 degree angle with the first gasket longitudinal edge and the second gasket longitudinal edge, a seal strip containing a first seal longitudinal edge, a second seal longitudinal edge, and a seal transverse edge, wherein the seal transverse edge forms an acute angle with the first seal longitudinal edge wherein the seal transverse edge forms an obtuse angle with the second seal longitudinal edge, wherein the seal strip is removably coupled with the gasket.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 7,693,448, filed on Jun. 5, 2009 and granted on Apr. 6, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 7,903,996, filed on Mar. 10, 2010 and granted on Mar. 8, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/785,635, filed on Mar. 14, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to the field of toner cartridges. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    One problem with aftermarket laser printer toner cartridges sometimes occurs as the aftermarket cartridge is installed in the printer and made ready for printing by removing a strip seal that retains toner inside of the cartridge hopper during transportation from the manufacturer to the end user. The general problem is that the seal can jam and when it is jammed, it will not pull out of the cartridge. This seal, also known as the hopper gasket pull seal, has as its only purpose the sealing of the opening of the hopper tank for transporting to the end user without leaking toner into the shipping container. Once the seal is pulled out of the cartridge by the end user, the opening at the top of the toner hopper tank is uncovered, thus allowing toner to be transferred to the other components of the laser cartridge for printing. 
         [0004]    An original equipment manufactured (OEM) cartridge will typical not have a jamming problem because the pull seal is directly adhered to the toner hopper tank in the OEM manufacturing process. However, in rebuilding or remanufacturing aftermarket toner cartridges, the hopper tank is split into two sections, and then, during the remanufacturing process, the two sections are pressed and held together, typically by welding, or by a manual means, such as by clips, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,577,830 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. During the remanufacturing process the laser printer toner cartridge is cleaned and re-assembled, with new components and new toner charged into the hopper tank. As is known, the resulting remanufactured cartridge can have slight differences in dimensions as related to OEM specifications, and differences exist in aftermarket toner cartridge hopper tank gasket seals and pull strips. To account for some of these differences and in-order to maintain a good seal at the toner cartridge hopper opening, a remanufactured toner cartridge may incorporate a gasket seal, and the hopper tank gasket seal may be made from foam, so that a good seal of the hopper can be formed by the gasket and the pull strip. Once the remanufactured cartridge has been sent to an end user and is installed in the printer, ready for use, the pull strip is pulled off of the gasket and out of the toner cartridge to activate the laser toner cartridge for printing. This pulling of the pull seal is when there is a chance that the hopper pull strip will not always release from the hopper tank gasket seal as planned. 
         [0005]    It has been discovered that in many instances the reason the hopper tank gasket pull strip does not release from the gasket and thus causes jamming, is due to mechanical reasons. One of the most common reasons for jamming is that the foam gasket is pulled up along with the pull strip and then the gasket and/or the pull strip jam the pull strip exit slot as the pull strip is being pulled out of the laser printer toner cartridge. Another common reason is that “post test toner” that remains after testing the re-manufactured cartridge upon assembly in the factory, curls up with the pull strip as the pull strip is moving along toward the exit slot, and forms a roll or plug of toner that causes jamming at the pull seal exit slot. As this excess toner curls up it forms into a log shape on the top of the pull strip, and it will then lock up along with the pull seal at the beginning of the pull seal exit slot, thus preventing any further pulling of the pull strip and causing the cartridge to be unusable. This phenomenon is known in the industry as the “cigar effect”, due to the fact that the excess toner literally looks like a tiny cigar when is it is curled up and is at the pull seal exit slot. The cigar effect causes jamming due to a lack of clearance through the exit slot. In this situation the diameter of the combined cigar shaped toner plug and the surrounding pull seal strip is greater than the width of the pull seal exit slot. As a result the pull seal strip cannot be pulled through the slot and removed from the cartridge. 
         [0006]    In view of this, a need exists for a device and/or method to reduce the jamming of the pull strip. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    To be added later 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of a conventional remanufactured toner cartridge. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  depicts a perspective view of a gasket seal known in the art. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  depicts a perspective view of the gasket seal of  FIG. 2  showing a roll of toner blocking removal of the pull strip from the cartridge. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 4   a - c  depict an embodiment of a gasket seal according to the present disclosure. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  depicts a top view of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 4   a - c.    
           [0013]      FIGS. 6-8  depict a perspective view of the  FIG. 4  embodiment showing the seal strip being partially removed from the gasket. 
           [0014]      FIGS. 9   a - c  depict another embodiment of a gasket seal according to the present disclosure. 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  depicts a top view of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 9   a - c.    
           [0016]      FIGS. 11   a - c  depict another embodiment of a gasket seal according to the present disclosure. 
           [0017]      FIG. 12  depicts a top view of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 11   a - c.    
           [0018]      FIGS. 13   a - c  depict another embodiment of a gasket seal according to the present disclosure. 
           [0019]      FIG. 14  depicts a top view of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 13   a - c.    
       
    
    
       [0020]    In the following description, like reference numbers are used to identify like elements. Furthermore, the drawings are intended to illustrate major features of embodiments in a diagrammatic manner. The drawings are not intended to depict every feature of every implementation nor relative dimensions of the depicted elements, and are not drawn to scale. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to clearly describe various specific embodiments disclosed herein. One skilled in the art, however, will understand that the presently claimed invention may be practiced without all of the specific details discussed below. In other instances, well known features have not been described so as not to obscure the invention. 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  depicts a typical, conventional laser printer toner cartridge  20 , as its toner hopper pull seal strip  22  is partially pulled out of the cartridge  20  for operation. The pull seal strip  22  exits at the end of the cartridge that has cartridge exit slot  24 . Pulling the pull seal strip  22  out of the cartridge allows toner to be released from the toner hopper tank, as known in the art. 
         [0023]      FIG. 2  depicts a conventional rectangular shaped pull seal  26  used for remanufactured toner cartridges. Seal  26  may comprise a foam gasket  28  that has a rectangular outer periphery and a rectangular inner periphery with an opening  30  in its center, to permit transport of toner from the hopper to the cartridge roller section during printing operations. With reference to the axis shown in  FIG. 2 , the gasket  28  length extends in a longitudinal direction Y, its width extends in transverse direction X and it has a thickness extending in direction Z. The inner peripheral edges are shown as first longitudinal edge  32 , second longitudinal edge  34 , first transverse edge  36  and second transverse edge  38 . The four inner peripheral edges are at right angles at their joining corners. Overlying the gasket  28  is pull seal strip  40 , made of, for example, a polyester film or metalized polyester film, often referred to as Mylar film. One end  42  of the seal  26  is near the toner cartridge pull seal exit port or slot. The pull strip  40  is hot melted to the foam gasket  28  at or near the inner periphery of the gasket, with a first longitudinal hot melt border shown at  44  and a second longitudinal hot melt border shown at  46 . At the end  42  of the gasket hot melt border  48  is shown. At the end of the gasket opposite the cartridge pull seal exit port the pull seal is hot melted in the form of a relatively blunt point or arrowhead, as shown at  50  in  FIG. 2 . The hot melt adheres the pull strip to the gasket, forms a sealing border around the rectangular opening in the gasket and functions to seal the toner inside of the hopper during transport from the manufacturer to the end user. The hot melt border at the end  42  of the gasket has a shape generally conforming to the right angled edges of the inner periphery of the gasket. At the opposite end of the seal, the pointed hot melt pattern  50  facilitates the initial tearing away of the pull seal strip  40  from the gasket  28 . The pull seal strip  40  is shown folded over on itself, in a position to be pulled. 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , conventional seal  26  of  FIG. 2  is shown at a point during removal of the pull seal strip  40  when the pull seal strip  40  has been almost completely pulled out of the cartridge, about to be jammed due to the presence of the cigar effect, i.e., a tiny roll of toner  52  that has formed on the top surface of the pull seal strip  40  as its unattached end is pulled out of the cartridge through the exit port  54  in the direction of arrow  56 . In this instance jamming occurs due to the roll of toner  52  that prevents the pull seal strip  40  from exiting the cartridge through the seal strip exit port  54 . The purpose of the seal strip exit port  54  is to keep the toner cartridge sealed after the toner hopper pull seal  40  has been peeled away from the toner hopper foam gasket  28 . While the toner cartridge is in use inside of the printer, toner will be drawn from the toner hopper  20  through the opening shown at  30  of the foam gasket  28  and eventually to the paper from the laser printer. This opening at the interface of the hopper section and the roller section of the cartridge must remain sealed in order to prevent toner from leaking out of the cartridge. 
         [0025]    The seal strip exit port  54  has a slot  60  that in turn has enough clearance to allow the pull strip  40 , usually 2 to 5 mils in thickness to be removed by pulling it in the direction shown by arrow  56 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , excess toner from the post testing that has developed into the roll or cigar shape  52 , inside of the pull strip  40 , will not be able to pass through the exit seal port slot  60 . The pull seal  40  will jam at the opening or slot of the exit port  54 , thus making the toner cartridge defective. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the cigar shaped roll  52  of the toner has built up at the right-angled corners where the first and second longitudinal edges  32 ,  34  meet the second transverse edge  38  of the conventional gasket  28 , adjacent the hot seal border shown at  62 . The thickness of this roll, together with the thickness of the two layers of pull seal  40  at location  64  has a combined thickness sufficient to jam at the opening  60  of the exit port  54 . 
         [0026]      FIGS. 4   a - c  depict a perspective view of a gasket seal  66  according to an embodiment presently disclosed. The gasket seal  66  may comprise a gasket  68  (shown in  FIGS. 4   a - b ) and a pull seal strip  70  (shown in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   c ). In one embodiment, the gasket  68  may comprise foam material. The gasket  68  may define a substantially rectangular opening  72  (shown in  FIGS. 4   a - b ) to permit through flow of toner during printer operation. Gasket  68 &#39;s sides or edges of the inner periphery include a first longitudinal edge  74 , a second longitudinal edge  76 , a first transverse edge  78  and a second transverse edge  80 . The angles formed by the longitudinal edges  74  and  76  of the inner periphery with the second transverse edge  80  may be about  90  degrees. The pull seal strip  70  may comprise a first longitudinal edge  101 , a second longitudinal edge  102 , and a transverse edge  103 . In one embodiment, the pull seal strip  70  may comprise a polyester film or metalized polyester film, often referred to as Mylar film. 
         [0027]    In one embodiment, an angle  1  formed by the first longitudinal edge  101  with the traverse edge  103  may be an acute angle (an angle that is less than 90 degrees). While any acute angle is believed to be useful to address the problems identified above, in one embodiment, the angle  1  may be about 22 degrees between the first longitudinal edge  101  and the transverse edge  103 . In this embodiment, an angle  12  formed by the second longitudinal edge  102  with the traverse edge  103  may be an obtuse angle (an angle that is greater than 90 degrees). 
         [0028]    In another embodiment, an angle  12  formed by the second longitudinal edge  102  with the traverse edge  103  may be an acute angle (not shown) and an angle  1  formed by the first longitudinal edge  101  with the traverse edge  103  may be an obtuse angle (not shown). 
         [0029]    The pull seal strip  70  may be heat melted/sealed to the gasket  68  over the opening  72 , thereby forming a border seal  81  comprising a pointed shape  84  adjacent the first transverse edge  78  and comprising an angled shape  82  adjacent to the second traverse edge  80  as shown in  FIGS. 4   a  and  5 . The hot melt adheres the pull strip  70  to the gasket  68 , forms the border seal  81  around the opening  72  and may function to seal the toner inside of the hopper during transport from the manufacturer to the end user. The pointed shape  84  facilitates the initial tearing away of the pull seal strip  70  from the gasket  68 . Although the gasket  68 &#39;s second transverse edge  80  is substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal edge  74  and the second longitudinal edge  76 , the border seal  81  adjacent to the second transverse edge  80  is angled shape  82  and may follow the traverse edge  103  of the pull seal strip  70  as shown in  FIGS. 4   a  and  5 . 
         [0030]      FIGS. 6-7  depicts how the pull strip  70  may be pulled in the direction of arrow  86  and thus off of the gasket  68 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the toner begins to build up along the top surface of the pull strip  70 . The toner build up is shown at  88  and a loop of the pull strip  70  is shown at  90 . 
         [0031]    As the pull strip  70  get close to being removed from the gasket  68  (as shown in  FIG. 7 ), the excess toner build up  92  has increased in comparison to that shown in  FIG. 6 , and positioned to jam the exit port  54  at opening  60 . During pulling, the pull seal strip  70  forms a loop, shown at  94 , above the gathering toner that has reached or is about to reach the position of the second transverse edge  80  of the gasket  68 . The toner gathered as shown in  FIG. 7  would likely cause a jam at the exit port  54 , except for the presence and functioning of the boarder seal  81  that has an angled shape  82  that follows the traverse edge  103  of the pull strip  70 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 8  illustrates the angled traverse edge  103  of the pull strip  70  providing a way for the excess toner to by-pass the exit port as the pull strip  70  is pulled off of the gasket  68 . In this context the term “by-pass” means that the toner is permitted to be pushed to the side in the direction of arrow  105 . In presently disclosed embodiment, the toner is not formed into a plug or roll at the end of the gasket  68 . After the pull strip  70  has been removed through the exit port  54 , the toner build up  92  would be free to fall through the opening  72  into the hopper as shown by arrow  96 . 
         [0033]    In one embodiment, gasket seal  66  described above may also reduce jamming due to the gasket  68  lifting up off of the toner cartridge in some instances. The pull seal  70  as described and shown herein may work for its intended purpose for at least two reasons. The first reason relates to the gasket  68  lifting problem. That is the lifting force applied at any given instant to the gasket  68  as the pull seal  70  advance over the angled shape  82  is much less than is the lifting force applied to the edge  48  of the conventional gasket during removal of the pull seal in the conventional gasket seal. At any given instant when the lifting force is applied to lift the pull seal  70  and break the boarder seal  81  along the angled shape  82 , the force applied is split into two directions or into two force vectors, one component in the direction opposite of arrow  105  and the other component perpendicular to that direction represented by arrow  86 . Furthermore, the force applied is applied to a much smaller surface area of the seal strip and thus the total applied force is also less. Thus, at any instant significantly less force pulls the boarder seal  81  along the angled shape  82  at the end near the exit port than the pulling force applied when a conventional, right-angled gasket is used. The lifting force applied at any instant along this edge is minimized, thus, reducing the chance that the gasket can be pulled up and jammed at the exit port slot  54 . The second reason is that as the pull strip is removed from the angled gasket, it provides a path for the excess toner on the top of the pull seal to be pushed in the direction represented by arrow  150 , thus, reducing jamming at the exit port slot  54  due to the cigar effect. 
         [0034]      FIGS. 9   a - c  depict a perspective view of a gasket seal  166  according to another embodiment presently disclosed. The gasket seal  166  may comprise a gasket  168  (shown in  FIGS. 9   a - b ) and a pull seal strip  170  (shown in  FIGS. 9   a  and  9   c ). In one embodiment, the gasket  168  may comprise foam material. The gasket  168  may define a substantially rectangular opening  172  (shown in  FIGS. 9   a - b ) to permit through flow of toner during printer operation. Gasket  168 &#39;s sides or edges of the inner periphery include a first longitudinal edge  174 , a second longitudinal edge  176 , a first transverse edge  178  and a second transverse edge  180 . The angles formed by the longitudinal edges  174  and  176  of the inner periphery with the second transverse edge  180  may be about  90  degrees. The pull seal strip  170  may comprise a first longitudinal edge  201 , a second longitudinal edge  202 , and a transverse edge  203 . In one embodiment, the pull seal strip  170  may comprise a polyester film or metalized polyester film, often referred to as Mylar film. 
         [0035]    In one embodiment, an angle  2  formed by the first longitudinal edge  201  with the traverse edge  203  may be about 90 degrees. An angle  3  formed by the second longitudinal edge  202  with the traverse edge  203  may also be about 90 degrees. 
         [0036]    The pull seal strip  170  may be heat melted/sealed to the gasket  168  over the opening  172 , thereby forming a border seal  204  comprising a pointed shape  184  adjacent the first transverse edge  178  and comprising an angled shape  182  adjacent to the second traverse edge  180  as shown in  FIGS. 9   a  and  10 . The hot melt adheres the pull strip  170  to the gasket  168 , forms the border seal  204  around the opening  172  and may function to seal the toner inside of the hopper during transport from the manufacturer to the end user. The pointed shape  184  facilitates the initial tearing away of the pull seal strip  170  from the gasket  168 . Although the gasket  168 ′s second transverse edge  80  is substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal edge  174  and the second longitudinal edge  176 , the border seal  84  adjacent to the second transverse edge  180  may have an angled shape  182  with respect to the second transverse edge  180  as shown in  FIGS. 9   a  and  10 . Furthermore, the border seal  84  adjacent to the second transverse edge  180  may also have an angled shape  182  with respect to the traverse edge  203  of the pull seal strip  170  as shown in  FIGS. 9   a  and  10 . The angled shape  182  facilitates the final tearing away of the pull seal strip  170  from the gasket  168 . 
         [0037]    In one embodiment, gasket seal  166  described above may reduce jamming due to the gasket  168  lifting up off of the toner cartridge in some instances. The lifting force applied at any given instant to the gasket  168  as the pull seal  170  advance over the angled shape  182  is much less than is the lifting force applied to the edge  48  of the conventional gasket during removal of the pull seal in the conventional gasket seal. At any given instant when the lifting force is applied to lift the pull seal  170  and break the boarder seal  204  along the angled shape  182 , the force applied is split into two directions or into two force vectors. Furthermore, the force applied is applied to a much smaller surface area of the seal strip and thus the total applied force is also less. Thus, at any instant significantly less force pulls the boarder seal  204  along the angled shape  182  at the end near the exit port than the pulling force applied when a conventional gasket is used. The lifting force applied at any instant along this edge is minimized, thus, reducing the chance that the gasket  168  can be pulled up and jammed at the exit port slot. 
         [0038]      FIGS. 11   a - c  depict a perspective view of a gasket seal  266  according to another embodiment presently disclosed. The gasket seal  266  may comprise a gasket  268  (shown in  FIGS. 11   a - b ) and a pull seal strip  270  (shown in  FIG. 11   a  and  11   c ). In one embodiment, the gasket  268  may comprise foam material. The gasket  268  may define a substantially rectangular opening  272  (shown in  FIGS. 11   a - b ) to permit through flow of toner during printer operation. Gasket  268 &#39;s sides or edges of the inner periphery comprise a first longitudinal edge  274 , a second longitudinal edge  276 , a first transverse edge  278  and a second transverse edge  280 . The angles formed by the longitudinal edges  274  and  276  of the inner periphery with the second transverse edge  280  may be about  90  degrees. The pull seal strip  270  may comprise a first longitudinal edge  301 , a second longitudinal edge  302 , and a transverse edge  303 . In one embodiment, the pull seal strip  270  may comprise a polyester film or metalized polyester film, often referred to as Mylar film. 
         [0039]    In one embodiment, an angle  4  formed by the first longitudinal edge  301  with the traverse edge  303  may be about 90 degrees. An angle  5  formed by the second longitudinal edge  302  with the traverse edge  303  may be about 90 degrees. 
         [0040]    The pull seal strip  270  may be heat melted/sealed to the gasket  268  over the opening  272 , thereby forming a border seal  304  having a pointed shape  284  adjacent the first transverse edge  278  and having another pointed shape  282  adjacent to the second traverse edge  280  as shown in  FIGS. 11   a  and  12 . The hot melt adheres the pull strip  270  to the gasket  268 , forms the border seal  304  around the opening  272  and may function to seal the toner inside of the hopper during transport from the manufacturer to the end user. The pointed shape  284  facilitates the initial tearing away of the pull seal strip  270  from the gasket  268 . Although the gasket  268 &#39;s second transverse edge  280  is substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal edge  274  and the second longitudinal edge  276 , the border seal  304  adjacent to the second transverse edge  280  may have a pointed shape  282  with respect to the second transverse edge  280  as shown in  FIGS. 11   a  and  12 . Furthermore, the border seal  304  adjacent to the second transverse edge  280  may also have a pointed shape  282  with respect to the traverse edge  303  of the pull seal strip  270  as shown in  FIGS. 11   a  and  12 . The pointed shape  282  of the border seal  304  facilitates the final tearing away of the pull seal strip  270  from the gasket  268 . 
         [0041]    In one embodiment, gasket seal  266  described above may reduce jamming due to the gasket  268  lifting up off of the toner cartridge in some instances. The lifting force applied at any given instant to the gasket  268  as the pull seal  270  advance over the angled shape  282  is much less than is the lifting force applied to the edge  48  of the conventional gasket during removal of the pull seal in the conventional gasket seal. At any given instant when the lifting force is applied to lift the pull seal  270  and break the boarder seal  304  along the pointed shape  282 , the force applied is split into multiple directions or into multiple force vectors. Furthermore, the force applied is applied to a much smaller surface area of the seal strip and thus the total applied force is also less. Thus, at any instant significantly less force pulls the boarder seal  304  along the pointed shape  282  at the end near the exit port than the pulling force applied when a conventional gasket is used. The lifting force applied at any instant along this edge is minimized, thus, reducing the chance that the gasket  268  can be pulled up and jammed at the exit port slot. 
         [0042]      FIGS. 13   a - c  depict a perspective view of a gasket seal  366  according to another embodiment presently disclosed. The gasket seal  366  may comprise a gasket  368  (shown in  FIGS. 13   a - b ) and a pull seal strip  370  (shown in  FIGS. 13   a  and  13   c ). In one embodiment, the gasket  368  may comprise foam material. The gasket  368  may define an opening  272  (shown in  FIGS. 11   a - b ) to permit through flow of toner during printer operation. Gasket  368 &#39;s sides or edges of the inner periphery comprise a first longitudinal edge  374 , a second longitudinal edge  376 , a first transverse edge  378 , a second transverse edge  380  and a third transverse edge  480 . In an embodiment, the angle  6  formed by the longitudinal edge  376  with the second transverse edge  380  may be an obtuse angle (an angle that is greater than 90 degrees). In an embodiment, the angle  7  formed by the longitudinal edge  374  with the third transverse edge  480  may also be an obtuse angle. In another embodiment, the angle  8  formed by the second transverse edge  380  with the third transverse edge  480  may be less than  90  degrees. In another embodiment, the angle  8  formed by the second transverse edge  380  with the third transverse edge  480  may be an acute angel. The pull seal strip  370  may comprise a first longitudinal edge  401 , a second longitudinal edge  402 , a first transverse edge  403  and a second transverse edge  404 . In one embodiment, the pull seal strip  370  may comprise a polyester film or metalized polyester film, often referred to as Mylar film. 
         [0043]    In an embodiment, an angle  9  formed by the first longitudinal edge  401  with the first traverse edge  403  may be an obtuse angle. In an embodiment, an angle  10  formed by the second longitudinal edge  402  with the second traverse edge  404  may be an obtuse angle. In an embodiment, an angle  11  formed by the first traverse edge  403  with the second traverse edge  404  may be less than 90 degrees. In another embodiment, the angle  11  formed by the first traverse edge  403  with the second traverse edge  404  may be an acute angle. 
         [0044]    The pull seal strip  370  may be heat melted/sealed over the opening  372 , thereby forming a border seal  405  having a pointed shape  384  adjacent the first transverse edge  378  and having another pointed shape  382  adjacent to the second traverse edge  380  as shown in  FIGS. 13   a  and  14 . The hot melt adheres the pull strip  370  to the gasket  368 , forms the border seal  405  around the opening  372  and may function to seal the toner inside of the hopper during transport from the manufacturer to the end user. The pointed shape  384  facilitates the initial tearing away of the pull seal strip  370  from the gasket  368 . The pointed shape  382  facilitates the final tearing away of the pull seal strip  370  from the gasket  368 . 
         [0045]    In one embodiment, gasket seal  366  described above may also reduce jamming due to the gasket  368  lifting up off of the toner cartridge in some instances. The pull seal  370  as described and shown herein may work for its intended purpose for at least two reasons. The first reason relates to the gasket  368  lifting problem. That is the lifting force applied at any given instant to the gasket  368  as the pull seal  370  advance over the angled shape  382  is much less than is the lifting force applied to the edge  48  of the conventional gasket during removal of the pull seal in the conventional gasket seal. At any given instant when the lifting force is applied to lift the pull seal  370  and break the boarder seal  405  along the pointed shape  382 , the force applied is split into multiple directions or into multiple force vectors. Furthermore, the force applied is applied to a much small surface area of the seal strip and thus the total applied force is also less. Thus, at any instant significantly less force pulls the boarder seal  405  along the pointed shape  382  at the end near the exit port than the pulling force applied when a conventional, right-angled gasket is used. The lifting force applied at any instant along this edge is minimized, thus, reducing the chance that the gasket  368  can be pulled up and jammed at the exit port slot. The second reason is that as the pull seal  370  is removed from the gasket  368 , it provides a path for the excess toner on the top of the pull seal to be pushed to the sides, thus, reducing jamming at the exit port slot due to the cigar effect. 
         [0046]    Although the above embodiments reference a remanufactured printer cartridges, it is to be understood that presently disclosed embodiments should not be limited to the remanufactured printer cartridges. Presently disclosed embodiments may also be applied to seal OEM cartirdges. 
         [0047]    Although the above embodiments reference printer cartridges, it is to be understood that presently disclosed embodiments should not be limited to printer cartridges. Presently disclosed embodiments may be applied to seal any opening defined by a housing. 
         [0048]    Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described, various modifications, alterations, alternative constructions, and equivalents are also encompassed within the scope of the invention. 
         [0049]    The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It will, however, be evident that additions, subtractions, deletions, and other modifications and changes may be made thereunto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims. 
         [0050]    Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” and “mounted,” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. In addition, the terms “connected” and “coupled” and variations thereof are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings. 
         [0051]    While several illustrative embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, numerous variations and alternative embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. Such variations and alternative embodiments are contemplated, and can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 
         [0052]    As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. The term “plurality” includes two or more referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the disclosure pertains. 
         [0053]    The foregoing detailed description of and preferred embodiments is presented for purposes of illustration and disclosure in accordance with the requirements of the law. It is not intended to be exhaustive nor to limit the invention to the precise form(s) described, but only to enable others skilled in the art to understand how the invention may be suited for a particular use or implementation. The possibility of modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. No limitation is intended by the description of embodiments which may have included tolerances, feature dimensions, specific operating conditions, engineering specifications, or the like, and which may vary between implementations or with changes to the state of the art, and no limitation should be implied therefrom. Applicant has made this disclosure with respect to the current state of the art, but also contemplates advancements and that adaptations in the future may take into consideration of those advancements, namely in accordance with the then current state of the art. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims as written and equivalents as applicable. Reference to a claim element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated. Moreover, no element, component, nor method or process step in this disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. Sec. 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for . . . ” and no method or process step herein is to be construed under those provisions unless the step, or steps, are expressly recited using the phrase “step(s) for . . . ”