Abstract:
A method of remanufacturing an imaging cartridge comprising toner hopper not including a toner hopper access port comprises forming an access hole in a surface of the toner hopper, inserting toner into the toner hopper through the access hole, and adhering a hopper cap over the access hole to seal the access hole, the hopper cap comprising apparatus for facilitating removal of the hopper cap.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     The present invention generally relates to manufacturing, remanufacturing or repairing replaceable imaging components, and more particularly to apparatus and techniques for sealing a compartment of a replaceable imaging cartridge holding marking material.  
         [0002]     In the imaging industry, there is a growing market for the remanufacture and refurbishing of various types of replaceable imaging cartridges such as toner cartridges, drum cartridges, inkjet cartridges, and the like. These imaging cartridges are used in imaging devices such as laser printers, xerographic copiers, inkjet printers, facsimile machines and the like, for example. Imaging cartridges, once spent, are unusable for their originally intended purpose. Without a refurbishing process these cartridges would simply be discarded, even though the cartridge itself may still have potential life. As a result, techniques have been developed specifically to address this issue. These processes may entail, for example, the disassembly of the various structures of the cartridge, replacing toner or ink, cleaning, adjusting or replacing any worn components and reassembling the imaging cartridge.  
         [0003]     Imaging cartridges include one or more compartments holding the marking material which is deposited on a surface, such as paper. For a laser toner cartridge, this compartment is referred to as the toner hopper. During the remanufacture of a laser toner cartridge, any remaining residual toner should be removed from the toner hopper and the toner hopper should be cleaned. New toner is then placed in the toner hopper. Typically, this process is performed through a toner hopper access port provided on the toner cartridge by the original manufacturer of the toner cartridge (OEM) who also used this port to initially load the toner hopper with toner. In the case of certain toner cartridges, such as the toner cartridges for use with the HP 3500 and HP 3700 printers, the OEM filled the toner hopper in another fashion and thus the toner hopper does not include a toner hopper access port. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide systems and methods for creating a toner hopper access port and providing a removable toner hopper cap for sealing the toner hopper access port.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     In one aspect of the present invention a method of remanufacturing an imaging cartridge comprising toner hopper not including a toner hopper access port comprises forming an access hole in a surface of the toner hopper, inserting toner into the toner hopper through the access hole, and adhering a hopper cap over the access hole to seal the access hole, the hopper cap comprising means for facilitating removal of the hopper cap.  
         [0005]     In another aspect of the present invention, a hopper cap for covering an access hole formed in a toner hopper comprises a substantially planar hopper seal; an adhesive layer at least partially covering one side of the hopper seal; a release liner covering the adhesive layer, the release liner for removal prior to covering the access hole formed in the toner hopper; and a removal element for facilitating the removal of the hopper seal.  
         [0006]     A more complete understanding of the present invention, as well as further features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an end portion of an HP 3500 toner hopper;  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  shows a side view of an end portion of an HP 3500 toner hopper;  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of an end portion of an HP 3500 toner hopper with an access hole in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  shows a side view of an end portion of an HP 3500 toner hopper with an access hole in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of an end portion of an HP 3500 toner hopper with an access hole sealed in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 6  shows a side view of an end portion of an HP 3500 toner hopper with an access hole sealed in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIGS. 7A, 7B  and  7 C show respectively a top view, side view and perspective view of a first embodiment of a hopper cap in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIGS. 8A, 8B  and  8 C show respectively a top view, side view and perspective view of a second embodiment of a hopper cap in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIGS. 9A, 9B  and  9 C show respectively a top view, side view and perspective view of a third embodiment of a hopper cap in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIGS. 10A, 10B  and  10 C show respectively a top view, side view and perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a hopper cap in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0017]      FIGS. 11A, 11B  and  11 C show respectively a top view, side view and perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a hopper cap in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]     The following detailed description of preferred embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings which illustrate specific embodiments of the invention. In the discussion that follows, specific systems and techniques for repairing, manufacturing or remanufacturing a toner cartridge comprising a toner hopper are disclosed. Other embodiments having different structures and operations for the repair, remanufacture and operation of other types of replaceable imaging components and for various types of imaging devices, such as laser printers, inkjet printers, copiers, facsimile machines and the like, do not depart from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0019]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show respectively a perspective view and a side view of an end portion of a toner hopper assembly  100  for use with a toner cartridge. Certain components such as the developer roller and end plates, for example, are not shown for ease of illustration. The toner hopper assembly  100  comprises a toner hopper body  102  which holds toner to be deposited on a material, such as paper. The toner hopper body  102  includes a generally circular band  104  partially surrounding a generally circular end portion  106 . The end portion  106  may include one or more grooves  105 . In a preferred embodiment, the toner hopper body  102  does not include a toner hopper access port for adding additional toner.  
         [0020]     In order to access the interior of the toner hopper body  102  to remove any residual toner during the remanufacturing of the toner cartridge, an access hole  108  should be made in toner hopper body  102 .  FIGS. 3 and 4  show respectively a perspective view and a side view of an end portion of the toner hopper assembly  100  with the access hole  108  in accordance with the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, the access hole  108  is circular and is formed in the toner hopper body  102  near the center of the circular end portion  106 . In one aspect, the circular end portion is substantially planar. The access hold  108  may be suitably formed by a variety of tools and methods including a hole saw, a drill bit, a utility knife, a Dremel® tool, a RotoZip® tool, laser cutting, and flame cutting, for example.  
         [0021]     After the toner hopper body  102  has been cleaned and filled with toner through the access hole  108 , the surface  106  should be cleaned of any toner and the access hole should be sealed.  FIGS. 5 and 6  show respectively a perspective view and a side view of an end portion of the toner hopper assembly  100  with the access hole  108  sealed in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. As seen in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the access hole  108  is preferably sealed with a hopper cap  700 .  
         [0022]      FIGS. 7A, 7B  and  7 C show respectively a top view, side view and perspective view of the hopper cap  700  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The hopper cap  700  comprises a hopper seal  702  which is utilized to seal the access hole  108 . Preferably, the hopper seal  702  is substantially planar and cylindrical in shape and has a larger diameter than the access hole  108 . The hopper seal  702  may suitably comprise a material such as high impact polystyrene (HIPS). Attached to the hopper seal  702  is an adhesive layer  704  which adheres the hopper seal  702  to the end portion  106  surrounding the access hole  108 . The adhesive layer  704  may suitably comprise Ultra High Adhesion (UHA)  1198  transfer tape from Avery Dennison Corporation. A release liner  706  protects the adhesive layer  704  prior to application and readily separates from the adhesive layer  704 . The release liner  706  may suitably comprise a paper material, a synthetic material, or the like, for example. A removal handle  708  comprising HIPS is preferably thermoformed to one side of the hopper seal  702  to facilitate the removal of the hopper cap  700  during the next remanufacturing cycle to allow access to the access hole  108 . The hopper cap  700  may be formed by diecutting using a dieboard. In a preferred embodiment, the hopper seal  702  is of sufficient size and shape to cover the grooves  105  to ensure that toner does not leak from the toner hopper  102  along the grooves  105  after the hopper cap  700  has been installed.  
         [0023]      FIGS. 8A, 8B  and  8 C show respectively a top view, side view and perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a hopper cap  800  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The hopper cap  800  comprises a hopper seal  802  which is utilized to seal the access hole  108 . Preferably, the hopper seal  802  is substantially planar and generally cylindrical in shape and has a larger diameter than the access hole  108 . The hopper seal  802  further includes a removal tab  810  on an edge of the hopper seal  802  to facilitate the removal of the hopper cap  800  during the next remanufacturing cycle to allow access to the access hole  108 . The hopper seal  802  may suitably comprise a material such as HIPS. Attached to the hopper seal  802  is an adhesive layer  804  which adheres the hopper seal  802  to the end portion  106  surrounding the access hole  108 . The adhesive layer  804  may suitably comprise Ultra High Adhesion (UHA)  1198  transfer tape from Avery Dennison Corporation. A release liner  806  protects the adhesive layer  804  prior to application and readily separates from the adhesive layer  804 . The release liner  806  may suitably comprise a paper material, a synthetic material, or the like, for example. The hopper cap  800  may be formed by diecutting using a dieboard. In a preferred embodiment, the hopper seal  802  is of sufficient size and shape to cover the grooves  105  to ensure that toner does not leak from the toner hopper  102  along the grooves  105  after the hopper cap  800  has been installed.  
         [0024]      FIGS. 9A, 9B  and  9 C show respectively a top view, side view and perspective view of a hopper cap  900  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The hopper cap  900  comprises a hopper seal  902  which is utilized to seal the access hole  108 . Preferably, the hopper seal  902  is substantially planar and cylindrical in shape and has a larger diameter than the access hole  108 . The hopper seal  902  may suitably comprise a material such as HIPS. Attached to the hopper seal  902  is an adhesive layer  904  which adheres the hopper seal  902  to the end portion  106  surrounding the access hole  108 . The adhesive layer  904  may suitably comprise Ultra High Adhesion (UHA)  1198  transfer tape from Avery Dennison Corporation. A release liner  906  protects the adhesive layer  904  prior to application and readily separates from the adhesive layer  904 . The release liner  906  may suitably comprise a paper material, a synthetic material, or the like, for example. A removal handle  912  comprising HIPS is preferably thermoformed to one side of the hopper seal  902  to facilitate the removal of the hopper cap  900  during the next remanufacturing cycle to allow access to the access hole  108 . The hopper cap  900  may be formed by diecutting using a dieboard. In a preferred embodiment, the hopper seal  902  is of sufficient size and shape to cover the grooves  105  to ensure that toner does not leak from the toner hopper  102  along the grooves  105  after the hopper cap  900  has been installed.  
         [0025]      FIGS. 10A, 10B  and  10 C show respectively a top view, side view and perspective view of a hopper cap  1000  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The hopper cap  1000  comprises a hopper seal  1002  which is utilized to seal the access hole  108 . Preferably, the hopper seal  1002  is substantially planar and cylindrical in shape and has a larger diameter than the access hole  108 . The hopper seal  1002  may suitably comprise a material such as HIPS. Attached to the hopper seal  1002  is an adhesive layer  1004  which adheres the hopper seal  1002  to the end portion  106  surrounding the access hole  108 . The adhesive layer  1004  may suitably comprise Ultra High Adhesion (UHA)  1198  transfer tape from Avery Dennison Corporation. A release liner  1006  protects the adhesive layer  1004  prior to application and readily separates from the adhesive layer  1004 . The release liner  1006  may suitably comprise a paper material, a synthetic material, or the like, for example. As shown in  FIGS. 10-10C , a removal tab  1014  comprising HIPS is preferably thermoformed to one side of the hopper seal  1002 . A generally circular arc of perforations  1016  formed in the hopper seal  1002  facilitates the removal of the hopper cap  1000  during the next remanufacturing cycle to allow access to the access hole  108 . A user would pull on the removal tab  1014  and cause the hopper cap  1000  to tear along the perforations  1016 . A perforation  1018  may also be formed along the base of the removal tab  1014 . The hopper cap  1000  may be formed by diecutting using a dieboard. In a preferred embodiment, the hopper seal  1002  is of sufficient size and shape to cover the grooves  105  to ensure that toner does not leak from the toner hopper  102  along the grooves  105  after the hopper cap  1000  has been installed.  
         [0026]      FIGS. 11A, 11B  and  11 C show respectively a top view, side view and perspective view of a hopper cap  1100  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The hopper cap  1100  comprises a hopper seal  1102  which is utilized to seal the access hole  108 . Preferably, the hopper seal  1102  is substantially planar and cylindrical in shape and has a larger diameter than the access hole  108 . The hopper seal  1102  may suitably comprise a material such as HIPS. Attached to the hopper seal  1102  is an adhesive layer  1104  which adheres the hopper seal  1102  to the end portion  106  surrounding the access hole  108 . The adhesive layer  1104  may suitably comprise Ultra High Adhesion (UHA)  1198  transfer tape from Avery Dennison Corporation. A release liner  1106  protects the adhesive layer  1104  prior to application and readily separates from the adhesive layer  1104 . The release liner  1106  may suitably comprise a paper material, a synthetic material, or the like, for example. A cylindrical handle  1120  comprising HIPS is preferably thermoformed to one side of the hopper seal  1102  to facilitate the removal of the hopper cap  1100  during the next remanufacturing cycle to allow access to the access hole  108 . The hopper cap  1100  may be formed by diecutting using a dieboard. In a preferred embodiment, the hopper seal  1102  is of sufficient size and shape to cover the grooves  105  to ensure that toner does not leak from the toner hopper  102  along the grooves  105  after the hopper cap  1100  has been installed.  
         [0027]     Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art appreciate that any arrangement which is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and that the invention has other applications in other environments. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present invention. The following claims are in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention to the specific embodiments described herein.