Abstract:
A toner refill device includes first and second adapter units defining first and second refill openings, and first and second closure members movable between closed positions open and closed positions to respectively close and open the refill openings. The second closure member has a passage forming element connecting the refill openings when the second closure member is in the open position. The second adapter unit defines an accommodation space for accommodating the passage forming element when the second closure member is in the closed position. The closure members are adapted to be coupled to one another for a joint movement relative to the adapter units. The closure members are rotatably supported in their respective adapter units so as to be jointly rotatable about a common axis of rotation. The second refill opening and the accommodation space are angularly offset from one another about said common axis of rotation.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2012/069915, filed on Oct. 9, 2012, and for which priority is claimed under 35 U.S.C. §120. PCT/EP2012/069915 claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to Application No. 11185718.1, filed in Europe on Oct. 19, 2011. The entire contents of each of the above-identified applications are hereby incorporated by reference into the present application. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a toner refill device comprising: a first adapter unit defining a first refill opening; a first closure member attached to the first adapter unit and movable between a closed position in which it closes the first refill opening, and a second position; a second adapter unit defining a second refill opening; and a second closure member attached to the second adapter unit and movable between a closed position in which it closes the second refill opening, and an open position, said second closure member having a passage forming element that connects the first and second refill openings when the second closure member is in the open position, wherein the second adapter unit defines an accommodation space for accommodating the passage forming element when the second closure member is in the closed position, and wherein the first and second closure members are adapted to be coupled to one another for a joint movement relative to the first and second adapter units. 
     2. Description of Background Art 
     Toner refill devices are used for refilling toner powder in copying or printing machines. Since the toner powder is very fine and easily dispersed, the refill device should be designed such that it prevents objects in environment and/or the hands of a user using the refill device from becoming stained with toner powder. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,243 B1 discloses a toner refill device of the type described above. The first adapter unit is permanently attached to a toner bottle, whereas the second adapter unit is permanently attached to a toner reservoir of the printer or copier. In order to refill toner from the bottle into the toner reservoir, the bottle is placed in an inverted position on top of the second adapter unit, so that the two adapter units can be coupled to one another. Then, the closure members are jointly moved into their respective open positions, whereby the passage forming element is brought into a position in which it connects the first and second refill openings, so that toner powder may drop from the bottle into the toner reservoir under the action of gravity. Inevitably, the internal walls of the passage forming element become stained with toner powder in this process. However, when the closure members are moved back into the closed position, the passage forming element will be moved into the accommodating space which then shields the environment against the toner powder that adheres to the walls of the passage forming element. Thus, the risk of polluting the environment can largely be eliminated. 
     In the known device, the second closure member and the passage forming element are configured as a drawer that is linearly slideable in the second adapter unit. In an inactive position, the closure member closes the second refill opening, and the passage forming element is accommodated in the accommodating space in a position laterally offset from the second refill opening. When the drawer is slid into a refill position, the passage forming element is brought into a position in which it is flush with the second refill opening, whereas the closure member assumes a laterally offset position on the side of the second refill opening opposite to the accommodation space. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a toner refill device that has a more compact construction. In order to achieve this object, according to the present invention, the toner refill device of the type indicated above includes the first and second closure members being rotatably supported in their respective adapter units so as to be jointly rotatable about a common axis of rotation, and the second refill opening and the accommodation space are angularly offset from one another about said common axis of rotation. 
     Thus, the closure members and the passage forming element perform a rotary movement rather than a linear movement. In the conventional device, where they perform a linear movement, the overall dimension of the device in the pull-out direction of the drawer has to be at least three times the dimension of the second refill opening in that direction. In contrast, in the present invention, the second refill opening, the accommodation space for the passage forming element and a third space for accommodating the closure member in the open position may be arranged in three different sectors of a circle, so that the dimension of the device will essentially correspond to the diameter of that circle and does not have to be larger than approximately twice the dimension of the refill opening. As a result, for a given cross-sectional area of the refill opening or openings, the space requirement for the refill device can be reduced significantly. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, each of the first and second adapter units has two refill openings that are angularly offset from one another by 180°, so that the arrangement is symmetric with respect to the axis of rotation. 
     In a further embodiment, the first adapter unit is arranged to be coupled to the second adapter unit such that they are prevented from rotation relative to one another, while their closure members are coupled for joint rotation. 
     In another embodiment, a motor drive unit is provided for effecting the joint rotation of the closure members. This has the advantage that the rotation speed can be controlled such that the frictional heat at the sliding surfaces of the closure members is limited to a value where the toner powder does not yet tend to cake. 
     One of the adapter units, e.g. the second adapter unit, may be connected to the toner reservoir of the printer or copier via elastic fixtures and an elastic joint, and a wobbling device may be provided for wobbling the entire assembly formed by the coupled first and second adapter units and the toner bottle so as to promote the discharge of toner powder from the bottle. 
     Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view of a toner refill device according to the present invention; 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  are enlarged views of parts of the device shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of a first adapter unit of the device shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken along the line V-V in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view similar to  FIG. 5  for a closed position of the device; and 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the device in a state where first and second adapter units are detached from one another. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar elements are identified with the same reference numerals throughout the several views. 
     The toner refill device shown in  FIG. 1  comprises a first adapter unit  10  and a second adapter unit  12  that are configured to be coupled to one another. The first adapter unit  10 , which has been shown on an enlarged scale in  FIG. 2 , is to be attached to an open end of a toner bottle  14  and has a tubular body or cap member  16  with an internal screw-thread  18  for being threaded onto an external screw-thread  20  formed on a neck of the toner bottle  14 . 
     At the bottom end, the cap member  16  has a bottom wall  21  ( FIG. 5 ), which defines a first refill opening  22 . A seal plate  24 , which may be made of an elastic foam material, is attached to a bottom face of the cap member  16 . A circular area covered by the seal  24  plate is divided into six equi-angular sectors. Two of these sectors that are diametrically opposite to one another have been cut-out from the seal plate, and two other sectors which are also opposite to one another are formed with openings  26  which, together, define a butterfly-shaped open area that is congruent with the first refill opening  22  in the cap member  16 . 
     The first adapter unit  10  further comprises a sleeve-like first closure member  28  that surrounds a lower end portion of the tubular cap member  16 . The first closure member  28  is rotatable on the cap member  16  and is axially held in position thereon by inter-engaging locking cams and grooves that are not visible in  FIG. 1 . The circular footprint of the first closure member  28  is also subdivided into six equi-angular sectors, and a bottom wall  30  is formed only in two of these sectors that are diametrically opposite to one another. A slide foil  32  is placed on the top face of each sector of the bottom wall  30 . In the sectors having the bottom wall  30 , the height of the first closure member  28  is increased, so that the wall portions interconnected by the bottom wall  30  project downwardly. 
     The outer peripheral surface of the cap member  16  is formed with three cams  34  arranged in angular intervals of 120°, and the outer peripheral surface of the first closure member  28  is formed with three cams  36  in corresponding angular positions. Alternatively, any other distribution of the cams can be used to obtain a keying functionality to mechanically distinguish several types of toner bottles. 
     The second adapter unit  12  comprises a drive ring  38  having a top part that is configured as an externally toothed gear  40  meshing with a pinion  42  that is driven by a motor drive unit  44 . The lower part of the drive ring  38  forms an inwardly projecting boss  46 , the internal peripheral wall of which is formed with vertical grooves  48  that can accommodate the cams  36  of the first closure member  28 . 
     The second adapter unit  12 , most parts of which are shown on an enlarged scale in  FIG. 3 , further comprises a tubular casing  48  and a square base plate  50 . Four mounting lugs  52  project from the outer peripheral surface of the casing  48  at the bottom end thereof and are accommodated in mounting sockets  54  formed on the top surface of the base plate  50  in the four corners thereof. Each mounting lug  52  accommodates a fastening screw (not shown), with which the casing  48  is firmly secured to the base plate  50 . 
     The casing  48  is further formed with a radially and upwardly projecting mounting socket  56  for the motor drive unit  44 . The tubular body of the casing  48  is divided into a top part and a bottom part by three circumferential slots  58 . At one end of each of these slots  58 , the top part is formed with outwardly projecting embossments  60 , which may pass through some of the grooves  48  when the drive ring  38  is thrust over the tubular body of the casing  48 . Then, when the drive ring  38  is rotated, it will be straddled by the embossments  60  and by the mounting lugs  52  so that it is held in a defined axial position on the casing  48 , but is still rotatable relative to that casing. The angle of rotation may be limited by stops formed at the inner peripheral surface of the boss  46  and engaging into the slots  58 . When the drive ring  38  is thrust over the tubular body of the casing  48 , the top wall portions of that casing, delimited by the slots  58 , may flex inwardly until the stops engage in the slots  58 . 
     The casing  48  has a partition wall  62  ( FIG. 4 ) that covers only two opposite 60°-sectors. Pressure plates  64  and seal plates  66  (made of foamed elastic material) are disposed at the bottom face of the bottom wall  62 . A second closure member  68  is disposed underneath the seal plates  66 . 
     As is best shown in  FIG. 4 , the second closure member  68  has a circular footprint which is again divided into six equi-angular sectors. Two diametrically opposite sectors (hidden behind the partition wall  62  in  FIG. 4 ) are cut away. Two other sectors, which are also diametrically opposite to one another, serve as closure plates  70 . Each of these closure plates carries an annular catch  72  on its top surface. Each of the remaining two sectors of the second closure member  68  is configured as a passage forming member  74 . A vertical shaft  76  projects downwardly from the center of the closure member. 
     T base plate  50  ( FIG. 3 ) has a central bore  78  which serves as a bearing for the shaft  76 . Further, the base plate  50  defines a second refill opening  80  formed by two sector-shaped through-holes that are arranged symmetrically with respect to the bore  78 . 
     A seal plate  82  is sandwiched between the second closure member  68  and the base plate  50  and is surrounded by a circular wall  84  that projects upwardly from the base plate  50 . The seal plate  82  has openings congruent with the bore  78  and the second refill opening  80  in the base plate  50 . The top surface of the seal plate  82  is covered by a slide foil, which reduces friction of the second closure member  68  when the closure plates  70  and passage forming elements  74  thereof slide over the seal. 
     The second refill opening  80  of the base plate  50  is surrounded by an elastic seal ring  86  that engages the bottom surface of the base plate  50 . An elastic mounting fixture  88  projects downwardly from each corner of the base plate  54  and serves for elastically mounting the base plate  50  on a toner reservoir (not shown) of a printer or copier. The seal ring  86  is provided for sealing the gap between the base plate  50  and an inlet opening of the toner reservoir. 
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the second adapter unit  12 . The second closure member  68  has been shown in an open position in which the passage defining members  74 , each of which defines a sector-shaped passage  90 , are flush with the first and second refill openings  22 ,  80  (not visible in  FIG. 4 ). In this state, toner powder from the bottle  14  may drop through the first refill opening  22  in the bottom of the cap member  16 , the openings  26  of the seal plate  24 , the passages  90  of the passage forming elements  74  of the second closure member  68 , the second refill opening  80  in the base plate  50 , and the seal ring  86  into the toner reservoir.  FIG. 4  further shows a wobbling device  92  which may be formed by a mass body driven for eccentric rotation by a motor. The wobbling device is attached to the mounting socket  56  for the motor drive  44 . Thanks to the elastic mounting of the base plate  50  on the toner reservoir, the entire assembly of the second adapter unit  12 , the first adapter unit  10  and the toner bottle  14  coupled together may be oscillated by means of the wobbling device  92  in order to promote complete discharge of the toner powder from the bottle  14 . 
     The open condition of the refill device has also been shown in a sectional view in  FIG. 5 . As can be seen in this sectional view, the bottom wall  21  of the cap member  16  is configured to form two funnels, which converge downwardly to the openings  26  in the seal plate  24  and delimit the first refill opening  22  (composed of two separate openings only one of which is visible in  FIG. 5 ). 
       FIG. 5  also shows the cams  34  of the cap member  16  in engagement with grooves on the internal sides of the embossments  60  of the casing  48 . The cams  34  prevent the cap member  16  from rotating. 
     When the toner bottle  14  has been emptied and is to be detached from the second adapter unit  12 , the drive motor  44  is activated so that the pinion  42  drives the drive ring  38  to rotate by an angle of 60° in the clock-wise direction in  FIG. 4 . Since the cams  36  of the first closure member  28  engage the vertical grooves  48  of the drive ring  38 , the sleeve first closure member participates in that rotation. 
     As is shown in  FIG. 6 , the bottom wall  30  of the first closure member  28  has annular bosses  96 , which project from the bottom surface of the bottom wall and engage in the annular catches  72  on the top surface of the second closure member  68 . Thus, the first closure member  28  and the second closure member  68  are driven for joint rotation about a common axis of rotation A. As a result, the second closure member  68  is rotated into a position in which the passage forming elements  74  are angularly offset from the first and second refill openings  22  and  80  and the passages  90  are closed off by the sector-shaped partition wall  62  of the casing  48 , as has been shown in phantom lines in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 4  also shows that the passage forming element  74  has wall extensions  98 , which project underneath the partition wall  62  already in the open position shown in  FIG. 4 , so that the passage forming elements will be smoothly guided into the position underneath the partition wall  62 . During the rotation, the top edge of the peripheral walls of the passage forming elements  74  will slide along the seal plates  66  ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ). In the position shown in  FIG. 6 , the passage  90  is completely sealed by the seal plate  66  at the top end and by the seal plate  82  at the bottom end, so that no toner dust may escape from the internal walls of the passage  90 . Thus, the seal plates  66  and  82 , together, define an accommodation space for the passage forming element  74 . 
       FIG. 6  further shows the bottom wall  30  of the first closure member  28  with the slide foil  32  attached to the top surface thereof in a position in which it blocks the first refill opening  22  of the cap member  16 . The drive ring  38  has reached a position in which the section taken along the line V-V in  FIG. 4  passes through the cams  36  that project outwardly from the first closure member  28  and engage in the vertical grooves  48  at the inner periphery of the drive ring  38 . In this position, the cams  36  are flush with the cams  34  of the cap member  16  and the vertical grooves  48  of the drive ring  38  are flush with the embossments  60  of the casing  48 , so that the first adapter unit  10  comprising the cap member  16  and the first closure member  28  can be withdrawn upwardly from the second adapter unit  12  comprising the drive ring  38  and the casing  48 . 
       FIG. 7  shows the first and second adapter units  10 ,  12  separated from one another. The bottom wall  30  of the first closure member  28  engages the seal plate  24  and tightly closes the first refill opening  22  so that any toner powder remaining in the bottle  14  cannot escape from the bottle. 
     The closure plates  70  of the second closure member  68  engage the seal plate  82  and tightly seal the second refill opening  80  in the base plate  50 , so that the base plate  50  and the seal ring  86  reliably prevent toner from escaping from the toner reservoir. 
     The passage forming element  74  is tightly sandwiched between the seal plates  66  and  82 , so that no toner powder may escape from the interior of the passage  90 . 
     When a toner reservoir needs to be refilled another time, a new toner bottle with its first adapter unit  10  is mounted on the second adapter unit  12  by inserting the cams  36  and  34  into the embossments  60  and the grooves  48 . Then, as soon as the drive ring  38  is rotated, it locks the sleeve  28  and therewith the entire first adapter unit  10  against vertical displacement relative to the second adapter unit  12 . When the drive ring  38  is rotated further, the passage  90  of the passage forming element  74  again reaches a position where it connects the first and second refill openings  22  and  80 , so that a toner refill path is established that is safely shielded against the environment. 
     The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.