Abstract:
A toner cartridge includes a housing having a first mouth and a second mouth, a rotator having a first opening and a second opening and being rotatably mounted on the housing in such a manner that the first and second mouths are accessible through the first and second openings respectively, and a sliding cover having a through hole and being slidably disposed on the housing in such a manner that the second mouth is closeable by the sliding cover. When the rotator is erroneously forced to rotate relative to the housing, the first mouth of the housing exposes outside through the first opening of the rotator and the second mouth of the housing will be covered by the sliding cover. Therefore, the leakage of the toner caused by a user&#39;s erroneous operation of the toner cartridge of the present invention can be effectively reduced.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a toner cartridge and more specifically, to a toner cartridge which can reduce the leakage of toner caused by a user&#39;s erroneous operation. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A conventional toner cartridge for an image forming apparatus generally includes a feed outlet for discharging toner from the toner cartridge to the image forming apparatus, and a return inlet for recycling surplus toner from the image forming apparatus to the toner cartridge. 
       FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  illustrate a conventional toner cartridge  10  which comprises a housing  12  for accommodation of toner having a feed outlet  122  and a return inlet  124 , a rotator  14  mounted on one end of the housing  12  and provided with a first opening  142  and a second opening  144 , and a pad  16  disposed between the housing  12  and the rotator  14  and surrounding the feed outlet  122  and the return inlet  124 . The rotator  14  is rotatable relative to the housing  12  between an open position P 1  where the feed outlet  122  and the return inlet  124  are open and a closed position P 2  where the feed outlet  122  and the return inlet  124  are closed. 
     When the conventional toner cartridge  10  isn&#39;t installed in an image forming apparatus, the rotator  14  is located at the closed position P 2 . When the toner cartridge  10  is installed in an image forming apparatus, the installation action will drive the rotator  14  to rotate relative to the housing  12  from the closed position P 2  to the open position P 1 , such that the feed outlet  122  and the return inlet  124  of the toner cartridge  10  are accessible through the first opening  142  and the second opening  144  of the rotator  14  respectively for discharging toner and recycling surplus toner. 
     As stated above, the feed outlet  122  and the return inlet  124  of the toner cartridge  10  will be accessible simultaneously when the rotator  14  is rotated from the closed position P 2  to the open position P 1 . Thus, when the toner cartridge  10  isn&#39;t installed in an image forming apparatus and the rotator  14  is forced by a user&#39;s erroneous operation to rotate from the closed position P 2  to the open position P 1 , the toner will leak from the feed outlet  122  and the return inlet  124  concurrently, resulting in that toner is wasted massively and undesirably. 
     Besides, since the rotator  14  is made by plastic injection molding, the inner wall of the rotator  14  has a certain draft taper, such that the space between the rotator  14  and the housing  12  gradually increases along the axis of the rotator  14 . Because the space between the rotator  14  and the housing  12  cannot be fully filled by the pad  16 , which has a uniform thickness and is disposed between the housing  12  and the rotator  14  of the conventional toner cartridge  10  and surrounds the feed outlet  122  and the return inlet  124 , the toner may leak out of the cartridge  10 . 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is accomplished in view of the above-noted circumstances. The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a toner cartridge, which can reduce the leakage of toner caused by a user&#39;s erroneous operation. 
     It is another objective of the present invention to provide a toner cartridge, which can prevent leak of toner while the toner cartridge is in normal use. 
     In order to achieve the aforesaid objectives, the toner cartridge of the present invention comprises a housing, a rotator rotatably mounted on the housing, and a sliding cover slidably disposed on the housing. The housing has a first mouth and a second mouth. The rotator has a first opening and a second opening and is rotatable relative to the housing between a first position and a second position. When the rotator is rotated to the first position, the first mouth of the housing is closed by the rotator and the second mouth of the housing is accessible through the second opening of the rotator. When the rotator is rotated to the second position, the first mouth of the housing is accessible through the first opening of the rotator and the second mouth of the housing is accessible through the second opening of the rotator. The sliding cover has a through hole and is received in the second opening of the rotator. The sliding cover is slidably moveable relative to the housing between a closed position where the second mouth is closed by the sliding cover, and an open position where the second mouth is accessible through the through hole of the sliding cover and the second opening of the rotator. In addition, when the rotator is located at the first position, the sliding cover is stayed at the closed position, and when the rotator is located at the second position, the sliding cover is moveable from the closed position to the open position by an external force. 
     As a result, when the toner cartridge of the present invention isn&#39;t installed in an image forming apparatus, the first and second mouths of the housing are closed, such that toner will not leak out of the housing. Besides, when the rotator of the toner cartridge of the present invention is forced to rotate relative to the housing by a user&#39;s erroneous operation, only the first mouth of the housing will be accessible through the first opening of the rotator and the second mouth of the housing will still be closed by the sliding cover that is stayed at the closed position, resulting in that toner will leak out of the housing only through the first mouth, thereby effectively reducing the leakage of toner. 
     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 present 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 herein below 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 view of a toner cartridge according to a prior art; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the toner cartridge of the prior art; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a toner cartridge according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing that the rotator is located at the first position; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the toner cartridge according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which the rotator is removed for showing a part of the housing and the first and second pads; 
         FIG. 5A  is a side view of the toner cartridge according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing that the rotator is located at the first position; 
         FIG. 5B  is a side view of the toner cartridge according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing that the rotator is located at the second position and the sliding cover is located at the closed position; 
         FIG. 5C  is a side view of the toner cartridge according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing that the rotator is located at the second position and the sliding cover is located at the open position; and 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 to 4 , a toner cartridge  20  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a hollow housing  30 , a rotator  40 , a first pad  50 , a second pad  60  and a sliding cover  70 . 
     In this embodiment, the hollow housing  30  is made by plastic injection molding for accommodation of toner (not shown) therein. The housing  30  has a head  31  and a body  33  integrally connected with the head  31 . Besides, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the head  31  is provided with a first mouth  311  adjacent to the body  33 , and a second mouth  313  disposed spacedly from the first mouth  311  and far away from the body  33 . The first mouth  311  and the second mouth  313  are served as a toner outlet and a toner recycling inlet respectively, or vice versa. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 6 , the head  31  is provided with two tracks  315 , which have an inverted L-shaped cross section, at both sides of the second mouth  313 . Further, the head  31  is provided with a protruded rotator stopper  317  adjacent to the first mouth  311  and a protruded cover stopper  319  located at a place corresponding to the space between the two tracks  315 . 
     The rotator  40  is made by plastic injection molding. The rotator  40  has a cylinder-like body  41  and an actuation portion  43  integrally connected with the body  41 . Besides, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the body  41  is provided with a first opening  411  and a second opening  413  disposed spacedly from the first opening  411  and larger in size than the first opening  411 . Further, the rotator  40  has an open end  44  and a closed end  45  adjacent to the first opening  411  and the second opening  413  respectively. The inner wall of the rotator  40  has a draft taper increasing gradually from the closed end  45  to the open end  44  since the rotator  40  is made by plastic injection molding. On the other hand, as revealed in  FIGS. 3 and 5A , the first opening  411  and the second opening  413  are provided with a first side wall  411   a ,  413   a  and a second side wall  411   b ,  413   b  respectively. Further, the cylinder-like body  41  has a bump  415  adjacent to the first opening  411 . 
     The first pad  50  and the second pad  60  are sponge pads. As will be appreciated, the first and second pads  50 ,  60  can be made of any material capable of making the first and second mouths  311 ,  313  to tightly fit over the toner inlet/outlet of an image forming apparatus (not shown) respectively. Besides, the first pad  50  is thicker than the second pad  60 . In actual fabrication, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the first and second pads  50 ,  60  are disposed around the first and second mouths  311 ,  313  respectively, and the second pad  60  is located between the two tracks  315 . By this way, the first and second pads  50 ,  60  may fit the actual space between the rotator  40  and the head  31  while the rotator  40  is mounted on the head  31 , such that the first and second mouths  311 ,  313  may tightly fit over the toner inlet/outlet of an image forming apparatus (not shown) respectively, thereby preventing leak of toner. Furthermore, the pad isn&#39;t necessary to cover over the whole head  31 , thus the use of pad can be saved. 
     The sliding cover  70  is made by plastic injection molding. As shown in  FIGS. 5A to 5C , the sliding cover  70  has a first end portion  71  and a second end portion  72  opposite to the first end portion  71 . The sliding cover  70  includes a rectangular through hole  73  adjacent to the first end portion  71 , and a plurality of protrusions  74  integrally protruding from the first end portion  71 . Further, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the sliding cover  70  is provided with two ribs  75 ,  76  extending downward and inward from the left and right side edges respectively. 
     In assembly, as stated above and as shown in  FIG. 3 , the first and second pads  50 ,  60  are disposed around the first and second mouths  311 ,  313  respectively, and the rotator  40  is mounted on and covers the head  31 , such that the rotator  40  is rotatable relative to the head  31  between a first position P 3  as shown in  FIG. 5A , and a second position P 4  as shown in  FIG. 5B . Besides, as shown in  FIGS. 5A to 5C  and  FIG. 6 , the two ribs  75 ,  76  of the sliding cover  70  received in the second opening  413  are slidably engaged in the two tracks  315  respectively, such that the sliding cover  70  is slidable relative to the head  31  between a closed position Pc and an open position Po, as shown in  FIG. 5C . Further, the rotator stopper  317  protrudes into and out of the first opening  411  of the rotator  40 . 
     The features and operation of the toner cartridge  20  provided by the present invention are detailedly described hereinafter. 
     When the toner cartridge  20  of the present invention isn&#39;t installed in an image forming apparatus (not shown), as shown in  FIG. 5A , the rotator  40  is located at the first position P 3  in a normal condition. More specifically speaking, the rotator stopper  317  of the head  31  of the housing  30  is abutted against the second side wall  411   b  of the first opening  411  of the rotator, such that the first opening  411  and the first mouth  311  are staggered to each other, that is, the first mouth  311  is closed by the rotator  40 . At the same time, the protrusions  74  of the sliding cover  70  are abutted against the cover stopper  319  and the second end portion  72  of the sliding cover  70  is abutted against the second side wall  413   b , such that the sliding cover  70  is held at the closed position Pc to close the second mouth  313 . As a result, when the toner cartridge  20  isn&#39;t installed in an image forming apparatus, the first and second mouths  311 ,  313  are closed, thereby preventing the leakage of toner accommodated inside the housing  30 . 
     On the other hand, when the rotator  40 , which is located at a normal, first position P 3  as shown in  FIG. 5A , is forced to rotate relative to the head  31  to the second position P 4  as shown in  FIG. 5B  due to a user&#39;s erroneous operation, the first mouth  311  is now exposed and accessible through the first opening  411  of the body  41 . At this time, the sliding cover  70  will be still stayed at the closed position Pc to close the second mouth  313 . Thus, the toner may only leak out from the first mouth  311  other than from the first and second mouths  311 ,  313  at the same time, thereby reducing the leakage of the toner. 
     Further, when the toner cartridge  20  of the present invention is installed in an image forming apparatus (not shown), the action of installing the toner cartridge  20  will drive the actuation portion  43  of the rotator  40  to force the rotator  40  to rotate relative to the housing  30  from the first position P 3  to the second position P 4 . During the installation process, the bump  415  of the rotator  40  will push a sliding member (not shown), which will be engaged with the sliding cover  70  in the installation process, of the image forming apparatus to rotate, such that the sliding member will lead the sliding cover  70  to move relative to the housing  30  from the closed position Pc to the open position Po. After the installation is completed, the rotator  40  is located at the second position P 4 , and the second end portion  72  of the sliding cover  70  is abutted against the second side wall  413   b  of the second opening  413  and stayed at the open position Po, such that the first and second mouths  311 ,  313  are accessible, as shown in  FIG. 5C , for feeding and recycling toner, that is, the toner cartridge can work normally. 
     In other words, as shown in  FIG. 5B , when the rotator  40  is located at the second position P 4 , or when the rotator  40  is in the process of rotation from the first position P 3  to the second position P 4 , the sliding cover  70  will stay at the closed position Pc to close the second mouth  313  unless the sliding cover  70  is actuated by an external force to move toward the open position Po. 
     As stated above, when the toner cartridge of the present invention isn&#39;t installed in an image forming apparatus and the rotator is forced to rotate due to a user&#39;s erroneous operation, the sliding cover will normally stay at the closed position, such that the first and second mouths will not be exposed at the same time. As such, the toner may only leak out from the first mouth, thereby effectively reducing the leakage of the toner. Further, the first and second pads can fit the actual space between the rotator and the housing of the toner cartridge because they have different thickness, resulting in that the first and second mouths of the toner cartridge can tightly fit over the toner inlet/outlet of an image forming apparatus respectively, preventing the leakage of toner. Further, because the pads aren&#39;t necessary to cover over the whole head of the housing, the manufacturing cost can be reduced. 
     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 within the scope of the following claims.