Abstract:
A toner transport apparatus for a printing system in which toner is moved from a toner container to a developer housing. The toner transport apparatus can accommodate different lengths and orientations between the toner container and the developer housing. The apparatus discloses a variable length component that expands or contracts to extend the toner transport apparatus to a desired length. The toner transport apparatus can assume unique angles per station with a gear mechanism. A flexible auger can be associated with the toner transport apparatus to move material in non-vertical positions. The toner transport apparatus with the variable length component and flexible auger would provide the ability to reuse components at a variety of positions and angles.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The disclosure is directed to a dispensing apparatus having adjustable component, and more particularly, to apparatus for transporting toner material to a development housing. 
         [0002]    Apparatuses that form images on a sheet, such as electro-photographic reproduction machine and printers are equipped with mechanisms to rotate a continuous belt at various locations inside the apparatus. The electro-photographic process, and particularly the xerographic process, is well known. This process involves the formation of an electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor, followed by development of the image with a developer, and subsequent transfer of the image to a suitable substrate. Numerous different types of xerographic imaging processes are known wherein, for example, insulative developer materials or conductive developer particles are selected depending on the development systems used. The materials, compositions and processing for toners, which are particulate materials with colorant and fixing resin and charge control agents in dry form or in a liquid vehicle for development onto a photoreceptor, and for developers, which are materials packages containing toner particles with dry carrier or a liquid vehicle. 
         [0003]    A development system consumes toner material in a development process and must be periodically replaced within the development system to sustain continuous operation of the electro-photographic reproduction machine. Various techniques and strategies have been used in the past to replenish such toner material. These techniques rely on the ability to manufacture customized parts, manufacture transport components to unique length, and manufacture of various mechanisms to augment the flow of the toner material from a supplier housing to the development system. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    A toner transport apparatus for a printing system in which toner is moved from a toner container to a developer housing. The toner transport apparatus can accommodate different lengths and orientations between the toner container and the developer housing. The apparatus discloses a telescopic component that expands or contracts to extend the toner transport apparatus to a desired length. The toner transport apparatus can assume unique angles per station with a gear mechanism. A flexible auger can be associated with the toner transport apparatus to move material in non-vertical positions. The toner transport apparatus with the telescopic component and flexible auger would provide the ability to reuse components at a variety of positions and angles. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a variable length component in a dispenser unit in accordance to a possible embodiment; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a variable length component using an accordion tube in accordance to a possible embodiment; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of transfer component, gear train assembly which is illustrated in  FIG. 4 , and telescopic drop tube in accordance to a possible embodiment; 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is an illustration of gear train assembly in accordance to a possible embodiment; 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a flexible auger in accordance with a possible embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    Aspects of the disclosed embodiments relate to dispensing of toner material through a telescopic drop tube with a flexible auger that expands and contracts to the sizes and orientation needed. 
         [0011]    The disclosed embodiments include a supplier and receptacle housing for receiving a material. A variable length component couples the respective housings so as to transport and deliver the material. A motor driven flexible auger positioned in the variable length component is used to transport the material when the variable length component is not vertically oriented. 
         [0012]    The disclosed embodiments further include a transfer component, telescopic drop tube with rotatable member, and a gear assembly to dispense a material from a supplier to receptacle housing. The telescopic drop tube can expand and contract to a desired length so as to couple supply housing to receptacle housing. The rotatable member is a motor driven flexible auger that transports the material when the telescopic drop tube is not vertically oriented. The rotation of the flexible auger is through the gear assembly. The disclosed embodiment further includes an auger disposed in the transfer component for transporting the material when the component is not in a vertical position. 
         [0013]    The disclosed embodiments further include a toner transport apparatus for a printing system comprising a toner container, a developer housing, a dispenser, a variable length component, and gear train assembly. The variable length component can be extended away from the toner container to meet design constraints. The dispenser through the gear train assembly provides different orientations resulting in developer housing placement flexibility. 
         [0014]    The term “variable length component”, in the disclosed embodiments, refers to a telescopic component that is extensible or compressible by the sliding of overlapping sections. A “variable length component” may also refer to an accordion tube, malleable tube, or the like that is extensible or compressible to a range of lengths. 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a variable length component in a dispenser unit  100  in accordance to possible embodiment. In particular, dispenser unit  100  comprises a variable length component  110 , a gear assembly such as pivot mechanism  145 , an entry port  140  for receiving developer material or toner form a container, and an exit port  130  for delivering the dispensed develop material. The variable length component  110  comprises substantially cylindrical members that move relative to each other. A pivot mechanism  145  such as a gear train and bevel gear set provide the variable length component  110  with rotation  150  defined relative to entry port  140 . The length of the variable length component  110  may be adjusted to compensate for differences in dimensions and positioning of the housings relative to each other. The variable length component defines a predetermined length  125  and a predetermined angle  120  relative to entry port  140  and exit port  130 . The predetermined angle  120  and predetermined length  125  affect the dispensing key elements outlined above. For example, when variable length component  110  is in a non-vertical position, predetermined angle  120  is greater than zero degrees, a rotatable member is needed to transport the toner and to prevent built up on the inside of the variable length component  110 . Predetermined length  125  illustrates a scenario where the variable length component is contracted inward or when the variable length component is not extended to its maximum length. In operation, the length of variable length component  110  can be extended  160  to achieve a desired length. Likewise, the variable length component  110  could be rotated  150 , oriented or pivoted to a desired angle  120  with the toner container or supplier housing  105  and with the receptacle or developer housing  115  tethered to each end. 
         [0016]    In a printing apparatus, such as a printer or copier, and a plurality of developer units. The overall function of a developer unit is to apply marking material, such as toner, onto suitably charged areas forming a latent image on an image receptor such as photoreceptor generally found in a printing system (not shown), in a manner generally known in the art. In various types of printers, there may be multiple such developer units, such as one for each primary color or other purpose. However, those skilled in the art would appreciate that the marking material may be in any color, such as cyan, red, magenta and yellow. If more than one color is processed in the exemplary printing system, a developer for each color may be provided in a universal developer housing. 
         [0017]    The main elements of a developer unit are a toner container or supplier housing  105 , which functions generally to hold a supply of developer material, a dispenser unit  100 , which can variously mix and transports the marking material, and receptacle or developer housing  115 , which in this embodiment form to apply developer material to a media to form a latent image. Other types of features for development of latent images, such as donor rolls, paddles, scavengeless-evelopment electrodes, commutators, and the like, are known in the art and could be used in conjunction with the to be described tone transport apparatus. Refilling each developer housing  115  from the associated supplier housing or toner container  105  can include a distribution mechanism, dispenser unit, flexible tube, or toner transport tube or pipe there between having, for example, an auger or spiral member including a spring rotatable within the tube for transporting the toner from each supplier housing to the respective developer housing. Each supplier housing is thus in fluid communication with the respective developer housing. The developer material or toner may then be dispensed into the developer housing  115  during an initial tone up and then during all printing to maintain the proper toner concentration (TC). The quantity, level, or toner concentration may be detected by a TC sensor (not shown). The concentration amount of the toner supplied to developer housing  115  may be controlled to adjust the concentration. Such amount may be determined by the toner concentration detected by the TC sensor to reach a predetermined concentration level based on time interval, specific model type of the printing machine, specific color, and the like, and may be controlled by small increments manually or automatically using a toner dispense motor (not shown). 
         [0018]    The effective length, size, and orientation of dispenser unit  100  are key elements. These elements must be selected with regard to concentration and intended running speed, in pages per minute, of the printing system. Typically, but not necessarily, operating a developer unit in accordance with a desired running speed involves rotating one or more of the various rotating members within the developer unit (augers, magnetic rolls, paddles, etc.) at predetermined feed rates or speeds. However, it should be noted that the use of a rotating member to transport the toner is only needed in non-vertical scenarios. Additionally, rotating a rotatable member such as auger at a particular rotational velocity will affect the amount of marking material in the respective housings. Therefore, the length, orientation, and other attributes will have an effect on the overall performance of the developer unit  100  when it is run at a given speed. 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a dispenser  200  having a variable length component using an accordion tube in accordance to a possible embodiment. In particular, dispenser unit  200  comprises a variable length component  110 , a gear assembly  145 , an entry port  140  for receiving a material form a container, and an exit port for delivering the dispensed material. The variable length component  110  and the receptacle  115  may be secured by an appropriate engagement method, securing device, or bond. Communication between the entry port and the exit port is provided by an accordion tube  110  that extends into receptacle  115 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a dispensing apparatus  300  having transfer component, gear assembly illustrated in  FIG. 4 , and telescopic drop tube in accordance to a possible embodiment. In particular, the dispensing apparatus comprises an entry port  310 , an exit port  350 , a dispenser or telescopic drop tube  340 , a variable length component  110 , and a gear assembly  360 . Gear train assembly  360  connects the telescopic drop tube  340  and variable length component  110 . A material is introduced into variable length component  110  in a direction  330  away from entry port  310  or in a direction  330  towards gear assembly  360  and exit port  350 . A rotating member having a plurality of apertures therein or an auger made from a helical spring can be mounted in either telescopic drop tube  330  or variable length component  110  to transport and deliver the material to its destination. A flexible auger is used when telescopic capabilities and transportation of material is needed for a particular job. A motor rotates  315  the helical spring or member to advance the toner particles through the tube so that toner particles are dispensed from the apertures therein. Actuation of the motor can be controlled by a CPU (not shown) or a suitably programmed computer (not shown). A gear train assembly  360  is a gear train and bevel gear set that enable transmission of power into a rotating member and also rotation  370  of the dispenser about gear train assembly  360 . Telescopic Drop tube  340  and variable length component  110  could both have telescopic capabilities and both could be equipped with a rotatable member such as auger for transporting the material. The tube would utilize a telescopic tube that can be extended or contracted to variety of fixed ranges to achieve a desired length. The wider of the tubes such as telescopic drop tube  340  would be at the bottom to prevent the build up of material at gear train assembly  360  where the two tubes meet. The tube would contain a flexible auger that expands and contracts corresponding with the length of the tube. The auger is required for non-vertical drop tubes, so that toner material does not build up on the inside of the tubes. Rotating coupling mechanism such as gear train assembly  360  would have to be used at the connection between telescopic drop tube  340  and the transfer tube such as variable length component  110 , so that the connection of the drop tube would work regardless of the angles. 
         [0021]      FIG. 4  is an illustration of gear train assembly  360  in accordance to a possible embodiment. Gear train assembly  360  shows an example of a gear construction to which the rotative driving of the rotatable member such as a flexible auger is inputted, reference numeral  410  and  412  designates a first set of gears facing a first axis. Reference numeral  414  denotes a second gear facing a second axis. The first set of gears  410  and the second gear  414  work together to generate power and speed to an attached device such as a rotatable member. The gears in the first axis ( 410 ,  412 ) are parallel to each other, the gears on the end portions of telescopic drop tube  340  and telescopic component  110  transmit drive from the rotatable member within the tubes. The use of a helical gear or a bevel gear or the like as one of the gears as shown makes it possible to directly bring the gears into meshing engagement. The first gear  410  interposes a gear between the top gear and the bottom gear to thereby construct a gear train, and provide a bevel gear in the gear train to thereby change the inclination of the rotary central shaft. In operation a rotation from a driving member such as a motor at one end of telescopic component  110  causes the top gear of the first gear to rotate in the direction shown by arrow  370 . The rotation of the top gear is translated to the other gears so that second gear  414  rotates and the generated motion is used to rotate the rotatable member. 
         [0022]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a flexible auger  500  in accordance with a possible embodiment. Flexible auger  500  has a plurality of blades  510  attached at each end of the telescoping core or variable length component. The flexible auger is disposed within the dispenser unit as shown in  FIG. 1 . The rotational core size of the flexible auger is varied to maintain a uniform constant cross sectional filling factor within the dispenser unit. Preferably the core is round and the root diameter is varied in a fashion so as to compensate for the volume of developer material that has been picked up at an entry port and used for development at point beyond the exit port. As a general rule the volume discharged by the flexible auger is a function of the diameter (D) of the rotational core, flexible auger pitch (P), and flexible auger rotational period T). The pitch of the flexible auger is a variable component that changes with the length. Flexible auger  500  expands and contrasts in proportion to length adjustment of the tubing where the flexible auger is disposed within. An expansion and contrasting of the flexible auger causes the pitch to varied. The motor rate or the rotational period needs to be adjusted to maintain a constant flow to compensate for pitch variability. In a first position  505  the flexible auger has a first length  550  and the blades of the flexible auger are a first pitch  520 . In a second position  507  the flexible auger is expanded by an incremental length  540 . The expanded length  560  causes the blades of the flexible auger to a second pitch. 
         [0023]    Although the illustrated embodiments disclose a monochrome xerographic printer where a toner image is transferred from a photoreceptor directly to a print sheet, a “charge receptor” can also be an intermediate member or belt that accumulates a set of primary-color toner images from a set of photoreceptors in a color printing apparatus. Thus, transfer stations such as generally described and indicated as in the Figures can be used to transfer toner images from such an intermediate member to a print sheet. As used herein, the term “printing apparatus” may refer to a developer unit installable in a printer; to a customer-replaceable unit installable in a printer, including or not including a photoreceptor  10  or a developer supply; to a printer itself; or to a printing module in a larger, multi-engine printer. 
         [0024]    It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.