Toner dispensing cartridge

Abstract: A toner dispensing cartridge comprises a toner supply cartridge (59) provided with a removable toner supply insert (20).

Description: The present invention relates to a toner dispensing cartridge. In typical electrophotographic type reproduction machines, during the course of each operating cycle, latent electrostatic images of the subject matter being reproduced are generated on a moving recording member. The recording member typically comprises a layer of photoconductive insulating material on a conductive backing, is given a uniform electric charge over its surface and is then exposed to the subject matter to be reproduced, usually by conventional projection techniques. This exposure creates an electrostatic latent image on the coating on the recording member. Following exposure, the latent electrostatic images on the recording member are developed at a developing station through the use of a developer mixture. In electrophotographic type reproduction machines that use dry developers for developing electrostatic images, the typically employed developer mixture includes a toner material and a carrier material. The developed image is then transferred at a transfer station to a support material, such as a sheet of paper. Subsequently, the developed image is fixed by any suitable means to provide a permanent image or reproduction. Conventionally, image forming devices, such as laser printers and facsimile machines, employ an exposure system, a photocopier and a developer. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoreceptor by exposing it to laser light and the latent image is subsequently developed into a visible toner powder image. The visible toner image is then transferred from the photoreceptor onto a physical medium, such as a sheet of paper. The photoreceptor is typically a portable drum having a photosensitive surface. Processing stations are sequentially disposed around the photoreceptor and are fixed in position with respect to each other and to the photoreceptor. Such processing stations generally include a charging station, an exposure station, a developing station and a transfer station. The charging station imparts an electrical charge onto the photosensitive surface of the photoreceptor and typically includes a corona charging wire. The electrical charge enables the toner image to be formed on the photoreceptor. The exposure station stations forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive surface of the photoreceptor through an imaging light source (laser beam). The developing station develops the latent image on the photosensitive surface of the photoreceptor into the visible toner image and typically includes a supply of tone, such as powder, and a developing roller that transfers the toner powder onto the photoreceptor. The transfer station transfers the visible toner powder from the photoreceptor to the paper sheet, generally by use of a transfer wire. In addition, a fixing device is provided which fixes or stabilizes the visible image on the paper sheet and enables the paper sheet to be handled without destroying the image. The fixing device typically works on the principle of heat and pressure rollers. A residual toner removing device, such as a cleaning blade, is also provided for removing toner that remains on the photoreceptor after the toner image has been transferred to the paper sheet. A discharge of pre-exposure station, such as an erase light, may also be provided to remove any residual electrical charge on the photoreceptor after the image has been transferred to the paper sheet. The discharge station is typically positioned between the toner removing device and the corona charging station. During the development of such images, the toner portion of the developer mixture is depleted. In order to maintain the requisite portion of toner, fresh toner must be resupplied periodically. A vessel for a developer is known from JP-A-60-126669. The purpose of this vessel is to prevent a developer contamination accident by constituting so that an inside cylinder for containing a developer and an outside cylinder can be slid relatively, and also can be attached and detached freely to and from a developing device. In order to achieve this purpose the vessel is formed by a double structure consisting of an inside cylinder for containing a developer, and an elastic outside cylinder for covering this inside cylinder. The diameter of the rear portion of the vessel corresponds to the diameter of the front portion of the inlet. A disposable dispenser is known from US-A-3,853,246. This disposable non-refillable dispenser is for carrying a replenishing supply of developer material for use in an electrostatic copier of the type which has dispenser actuating apparatus for angularly disposing and rotating the dispenser to discharge the supply from the dispenser. The dispenser includes an elongated receptacle adapted for angular disposition and rotation. The diameter of the front portion is smaller than the diameter of the rear portion. Object of the invention is to improve the flow of toner out of a toner supply insert. The above-mentioned object is solved by the subject matter of the claim 1. Embodiments of advantage are disclosed in the dependent claims. For a better understanding of the invention reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the toner supply insert of this invention; Fig. 2 is a front view of the toner supply insert as viewed from the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a broken cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, further illustrating the toner supply insert of this invention; Fig. 4 is an isometric view of the present toner supply insert and an empty toner supply cartridge; Fig. 5 is a broken cross-sectional view, taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, illustrating the present toner supply insert disposed within the empty toner supply cartridge; Fig. 6 is an isometric view of a handle; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the handle of Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is an isometric view illustrating the present toner supply insert disposed within the empty toner supply cartridge and further illustrating the handle attached to the toner supply insert. Referring to Figs. 1-3, there is illustrated a toner supply insert 20 comprising a substantially hollow container 22 having a longitudinal axis 24. The container 22 comprises a generally cylindrical wall 23 having an insert rear portion 26 having a closed end 28, an insert front portion 30 having an open end 32, and a transition piece 34 connecting the insert rear portion 26 to the insert front portion 30. The closed end 28 may be provided with a block 36 of resilient material, such as, polyurethane foam, and compressed styrofoam. Other suitable compressible foam materials may also be used. The block 36 is provided to cushion the toner supply insert 20 within an empty toner supply cartridge, such as illustrated at 59 in Fig. 4, 5 and 8. The toner supply insert 20 also presents lugs 38 on the outer surface of the front portion 30 adjacent to the open end 32. The out-to-out dimension between the lugs 38 is indicated by the dimension line 39 in Fig. 3. As will be described, the lugs 38 serve to detachably connect the toner supply insert 20 within the empty toner supply cartridge 59. Referring to Fig. 3, the insert front portion 30 has an outer diameter indicated by the dimension line 52. The insert front portion 30 presents a circumferential lip 33 extending outwardly of the insert front portion 30. The insert rear portion 26 presents an end wall 57 and has an outer diameter indicated by the dimension line 54. As can be seen in Fig. 5 the empty toner supply cartridge 59 has a cartridge rear portion 56 having a minimum inner diameter indicated by the dimension line 58; and a cartridge front portion 60 has a circumferential lip 62 having an inner diameter indicated by the dimension line 64. The arrangement is such that the insert rear portion 26 and the insert front portion 30 of the toner supply insert 20 are sized to fit within the cartridge rear portion 56 and the cartridge front portion 60, respectively, of the empty toner supply cartridge 59. The toner supply insert 20 preferably is formed from plastic material, such as, high density polyethylene or high density polypropylene. The toner supply insert 20 is provided with a seal member 68 which is secured to the circumferential lip 33. The seal member 68 has a tab 70 which is pulled to remove the seal member 68. The seal member 68 may be formed from any suitable materials, including a polyester type film, such as MYLAR (a DuPont trademark) that is heat sealable; a polyester type film reinforced with wood or cotton fibers, such as TYVEK (A DuPont Trademark) that is adhesive applied or heat sealable; and an aluminium foil type material that is adhesive applied or heat sealable. Referring to Fig. 4, the toner supply insert 20 is shown positioned to be introduced into the empty toner supply cartridge 59. The toner supply insert 20 contains a supply of toner 72, which is visible in the area wherein a portion of the generally cylindrical wall 23 that has been removed to show detail. The insert rear portion 26 and the insert front portion 30 are sized to fit within the cartridge rear portion 56 and cartridge front portion 60, respectively as shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 illustrates the toner supply insert 20 inserted into the empty toner supply cartridge 59. As can be seen, the lugs 38 are received behind the circumferential lip 62 of the cartridge front portion 60 thereby detachably locking the toner supply insert 20 within the empty toner supply cartridge 59. As can be seen the block 36 is compressed between the end wall 57 of the cartridge rear portion 56 and the closed end 28 of the insert rear portion 26. The block 36 thus cooperates with the lugs 38 to insure that the toner supply insert 20 rotates with the empty toner supply cartridge 59. The arrangement is such that the resupplied toner dispensing cartridge 74 is introduced into the toner replenishing device of a copier for transporting the toner to a developing device or a toner storage area. At that time, the gear means 66 will engage and be driven by a pinion gear 76 schematically illustrated in dotted outline in Fig. 5. A suitable drive 78 also schematically illustrated in dotted outline in Fig. 5, is provided by the electrophotographic type reproduction machine. The now resupplied supply cartridge 74 has a slight declination such that the open end 32 is slightly lower than the closed end 28. As the now resupplied toner dispensing cartridge 74 is rotated, the slight declination causes the toner 76 contained within the toner supply insert 20 to be displaced toward and out through the open end 32 of the toner supply insert 20 to the developing device or a toner storage area. When the resupplied cartridge 74 is empty, it is removed from the electrophotographic type reproduction machine and the now empty toner supply insert 20 is removed. To accomplish removal of the now empty toner supply insert 20 without soiling the operators hands, a handle 40 such as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 is provided. The handle 40 has opposite first and second ends 42, 44 each provided with an obround opening 46. Means for connecting the handle 40 to the toner supply insert 20 is provided and comprises projections 48 which extend inwardly of the inner surface 50 (Fig. 3) toward one another. That is, the projections 48 are diametrically opposed. As shown in Fig. 8, one of the projections 48 is received in the obround opening 46 of the first end 42. It is to be understood that while not visible in Fig. 8, the obround opening 46 of the opposite or second end 46 receives the other projection 48 thereby connecting the handle 40 to the toner supply insert 20. The now empty toner supply insert 20 may be removed from the empty toner supply cartridge 59 by pulling on the handle 40, and new toner supply insert 20 inserted into the empty toner supply cartridge 59. The empty toner supply insert 20 may be recycled for refilling with fresh toner and then reused.

Claims: A toner dispensing cartridge comprises a toner supply insert (20) and is characterized in that said toner supply insert (20) comprises a cylindrical body (22) having a rear portion (26) having a first diameter and a front portion (30) having a second diameter greater than said first diameter. A toner dispensing cartridge as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a toner supply cartridge (59) which comprises a cylindrical body (22) having a closed end (57) and on open end. A toner dispensing cartridge as claimed in claim 2, wherein one of said toner supply cartridge (59) and said toner supply insert (20) is provided with a recess (62) and the other with a radially extending projection (38) which, after insertion of said toner supply insert (20) into said toner supply cartridge (59), inhibits relative axial movement between said toner supply cartridge (59) and said toner supply insert (20). A toner dispensing cartridge as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein one of said toner supply cartridge (59) and said toner supply insert (20) comprises at least one recess and the other comprises at least one projection (38) so that after insertion of said toner supply insert (20) into said toner supply cartridge (59) said toner supply insert (20) is inhibited from rotation relative to said toner supply cartridge (59). A toner dispensing cartridge as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4, including a block of resilient material (36) between said toner supply insert (20) and said toner supply cartridge (59). A toner dispensing cartridge as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said toner supply cartridge (59) insert contains toner which is retained in said toner supply insert (20) by a removable sealing member (68). A toner dispensing cartridge as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said toner supply insert (20) is provided with means for attaching a handle (40) so that, after use, said handle (40) can be attached to said supply cartridge (59) to facilitate removal of said toner supply insert (20) from said toner dispensing cartridge (59). A toner dispensing cartridge as claimed in claim 7, wherein said means for attaching a handle (40) comprises inwardly extending projections (48) on said toner supply insert (20). A toner supply insert for use in the toner dispensing cartridge of any preceding claim.

Inventors: WEED JOHN MATTHEW, WEED, JOHN MATTHEW
Applicants: RICOH KK, RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: G03G15
IPC codes: G03G15