Patent Publication Number: US-11048190-B1

Title: Leak-prohibiting device of toner cartridge

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to an electronic image-forming apparatus and more particularly, to a leak-prohibiting device of a toner cartridge for being used in an electronic image-forming apparatus. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A conventional electronic image-forming apparatus, such as photocopier or printer, is equipped with a toner cartridge for supplying toners. To prevent toners contained in a toner cartridge that has not been installed in the electronic image-forming apparatus from leak, a plug, which receives a great biasing force from a compression spring, is usually used to seal the toner outlet. To install the toner cartridge of such design into the electronic image-forming apparatus, the user must apply a greater force to overcome the biasing force of the spring. In certain cases, the user may need to dismantle and then re-install the toner cartridge for many times. This repetitive operation is manual force consuming for the user and thus inconvenient. If a spring having a small biasing force is chosen in order to save manual force of the user upon installation or reinstallation of the toner cartridge, the problem of toner leak may happen easily. Therefore, how to positively block the toner outlet of the toner cartridge to ensure that the toner cartridge won&#39;t leak before it is installed and to provide a toner cartridge which is manual force-saving for a user repeatedly installing the toner cartridge due to, in particular, the cause of replacement is an issue that the manufacturers in this industry field need to solve. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above-noted circumstances. It is an objective of the present invention to provide a leak-prohibiting device, which can positively avoid toners contained in a toner cartridge from leak before the toner cartridge is installed into the electronic image-forming apparatus and enables a user to dismantle and then re-install the toner cartridge in a manual force-saving manner. 
     To attain the above objective, the present invention provides a leak-prohibiting device of a toner cartridge, which comprises a fixation mount, a valve member, a first resilient member, a push member, and a second resilient member. The toner cartridge includes a housing for storage of toners and a toner outlet provided at the housing. The fixation mount is adapted for being disposed in the toner outlet of the housing and includes a position-limiting portion and an opening to be communicated with an inside and an outside of the housing. The valve member is moveably mounted in the fixation mount and located by an inner side of the opening. The first resilient member is mounted in the fixation mount and imparts a biasing force on the valve member toward the opening to enable the valve member to seal the opening. The push member is provided with an engagement portion and mounted in the fixation mount in a way that the push member is located by an inner side of the valve member and moveable between an extended position where the push member is abutted against the valve member and a retracted position. The second resilient member is mounted in the fixation mount and imparts a biasing force on the push member toward the extended position. When the push member is located at the retracted position, the engagement portion of the push member is engaged with the position-limiting portion of the fixation mount such that the push member, which receives the biasing force of the second resilient member, is prohibited from moving from the retracted position to the extended position. As a result, the leak-prohibiting device can positively seal the toner cartridge and enables a user to dismantle and then re-install the toner cartridge in a manual force-saving manner. 
    
    
     
       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 an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partially exploded view of the toner cartridge of the embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a leak-prohibiting device of the toner cartridge of the embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of a fixation mount of the leak-prohibiting device of the embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4B  is a lateral side view of the fixation mount of the leak-prohibiting device of the embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of a push member of the leak-prohibiting device of the embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the toner cartridge of the embodiment of the present invention, showing that a valve member seals an opening of the fixation mount and the push member is located at an extended position; 
         FIG. 7  is another section view of the toner cartridge of the embodiment of the present invention, showing that the valve member and the push member are forced to move inwardly, such that the opening of the fixation mount is not sealed by the valve member and the push member is located at a retracted position; and 
         FIG. 8  is still another section view of the toner cartridge of the embodiment of the present invention, showing that the valve member again seals the opening of the fixation mount and the push member is still located at the retracted position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Hereunder one embodiment will be detailedly described with accompanying drawings for illustrating technical features and structure of the present invention.  FIGS. 1 and 2  are perspective views showing a toner cartridge  1  that is equipped with a leak-prohibiting device  10  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The toner cartridge  1  is adapted to be installed in an electronic image-forming apparatus (not shown), such as photocopies, printer, etc. The electronic image-forming apparatus comprises a connecting member  7  with a toner inlet  8 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . The toner cartridge  1  includes a housing  3  for storage of toners, a toner outlet  5  provided at an end of the housing  3 , and the leak-prohibiting device  10 . When the toner cartridge  1  is installed into the electronic image-forming apparatus, the connecting member  7  is extended into the leak-prohibiting device  10 . Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the leak-prohibiting device  10  comprises a fixation mount  20 , a valve member  30 , a first resilient member  40 , a push member  50 , a second resilient member  60 , and a seal member  70 . It is to be first mentioned that the direction along the axis of the housing  3  of the toner cartridge  1  toward an inside of the housing  3  is defined in the present embodiment as an inside direction, i.e. an inner side, and the direction reverse to the inside direction is an outside direction, i.e. an outer side. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the fixation mount  20  is disposed in the toner outlet  5  of the housing  3  and includes a tube portion  21  extending into an inside of the housing  3  of the toner cartridge  1 , an opening  22  provided at an end, namely a first end, of the tube portion  21 , two open grooves  23  provided at the periphery wall of the tube portion  21 , a bottom wall  27  provided at the other end, namely a second end or inner end that is remote from the opening  22 , of the tube portion  21 , a position-limiting portion  28  provided at the bottom wall  27 . The tube portion  21  includes a shoulder  24 , a big-diameter section  25  adjacent to the opening  22 , and a small-diameter section  26  adjacent to the position-limiting portion  28 . The small-diameter section  26  extends from the big-diameter section  25  in a way that the shoulder  24  is formed at an interface between the small-diameter section  26  and the big-diameter section  25 . The opening  22  is communicated with the inside of the housing  3 , the outside of the housing  3 , and the open grooves  23 . As such, toners can reach at the opening  22  from the inside of the housing  3  through the open grooves  23 . The position-limiting portion  28  includes or is realized as a through hole  29 . 
     It is to be mentioned that the big-diameter section  25  and the small-diameter section  26  are two independent members in this embodiment. That is, the tube portion  21  is formed by two elements connected with each other. The shoulder portion  24  is located at an end of the big-diameter section  25 , namely an inner end of the big-diameter section  25  that is adjacent to the small-diameter section  26 . In another embodiment, the big-diameter section  25  and the small-diameter section  26  may be monolithically formed as one unity member. 
     The valve member  30  is moveably mounted in big-diameter section  25  of the tube portion  21  and located by an inner side of the opening  22 . The valve member  30  is moveable between a sealed position P 1 , as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 8 , and an open position P 2 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . The valve member  30  includes a disc body  31  in alignment with the opening  22  of the fixation mount  20 , and a retaining ring  35  extending from the disc body  31  toward the inner direction. The disc body  31  of the valve member  30  has a diameter larger than a diameter of the opening  22  of the fixation mount  20 , such that the valve member  30  is capable of sealing the opening  22  of the fixation mount  20 . When the valve member  30  seals the opening  22  of the fixation mount  20 , the opening  22  is prohibited from communication with the open grooves  23 . 
     The first resilient member  40  is realized as a compression coil spring in this embodiment. The first resilient member  40  is mounted in the big-diameter section  25  of the tube portion  21  of the fixation mount  20  and located between the shoulder  24  and the disc body  31  of the valve member  30 . The first resilient member  40  has an end sleeved onto the retaining ring  35  of the valve member  30  and abutted against the disc body  31 , such that the first resilient member  40  imparts a biasing force exerting on the valve member  30  toward the opening  22  of the tube portion  21 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the push member  50  is disposed inside the tube portion  21  of the fixation mount  20  and located by an inner side of the valve member  30 . The push member  50  is moveable between an extended position P 3 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , and a retracted position P 4 , as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . The push member  50  includes a head  51 , a shaft  53  extending from the head  51 , and two engagement portions  55  at a periphery of the shaft  53 . The head  51  is located in the big-diameter section  25 , and the shaft  53  is extended into the small-diameter section  26  and inserted through the through hole  29 . The shaft  53  of the push member  50  is provided with an axially-extending elongated groove  54  adjacent to the two engagement portions  55  in such a way that the two engagement portions  55  are located within the range of the longitudinal length of the axially-extending elongated groove  54 . The axially-extending elongated groove  54  radially penetrates through the shaft  53 , such that the shaft  53  is elastically deformable when receiving a radial force. The two engagement portions  55  are opposite to each other. Further, the free end of the shaft  53  is terminated as a stopper stopped at the position-limiting portion  28 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     The second resilient member  60  is realized in this embodiment as a compression coil spring. The second resilient member  60  is disposed in the tube portion  21  of the fixation mount  20 , located between the bottom wall  27  and the head  51  of the push member  50 , and extended into the small-diameter section  26 . As such, the second resilient member  60  imparts a biasing force exerting on the push member  50  toward the extended position P 3 . 
     The seal member  70  is a ring-shaped member, and mounted to a lateral side of the disc body  31  of the valve member  30 , namely the outer side of the disc body  31  that is close to the opening  22  of the fixation mount  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , when the toner cartridge  1  has not been installed into an electronic image-forming apparatus, the disc body  31  of the valve member  30  is forced by the biasing force of the first resilient member  40  toward the opening  22 . At this status, the push member  50  is located at the extended position P 3  in a way that the head  51  of the push member  50  is extended into the retaining ring  35  of the valve member  30  and firmly abutted against the disc body  31  of the valve member  30 , and the engagement portions  55  of the push member  50  is located inside the tube portion  21 . Further, the push member  50 , which is forced by the biasing force of the second resilient member  60 , exerts a force on the valve member  30  toward the opening  22 . In other words, the valve member  30  is pushed by the first, resilient member  40  and the push member  50  simultaneously, such that the seal member  70  is forced to be firmly and positively abutted against a surrounding wall of the opening  22  in a compressed and deformed manner. As such, the opening  22  of the tube portion  21  of the fixation mount  20  can be positively and firmly sealed without toner leaking. Further, because the disc body  31  of the valve member  30  has a diameter D 1  greater than the diameter D 2  of the opening  22 , the valve member  30  will not escape from the opening  22 . 
     When the toner cartridge  1  is installed into the electronic image-forming apparatus, the connecting member  7  extends through the opening  22  and pushes on the valve member  30  with a pushing force exceeding over the biasing forces of the first and second resilient members  40  and  60 , such that the valve member  30  and the push member  50  are forced to move inwardly, i.e. the valve member  30  and the push member  50  are forced to move to the open position P 2  and the retracted position P 4 , respectively. As shown in  FIG. 5 , each of the two engagement portions  55  of the push member  50  is provided with an inclined surface  56 . In the process that the engagement portions  55  are forced to insert through the through hole  29 , the inclined surfaces  56  of the engagement portions  55  will be contacted with and then squeezed by the hole wall of the through hole  29 , resulting in compression and deformation of the shaft  53 , thereby facilitating passing of engagement portions  55  of the shaft  53  through the through hole  29 . After the engagement portions  55  pass through the through hole  29 , the engagement portions  55  of the shaft  53  rebound to their initial shape, as shown in  FIG. 7 , such that the push member  50  is retained at the retracted position P 4  due to the grounds that the engagement portions  55  are restricted by the position-limiting portion  28 , i.e. the outer surface of the bottom wall  27  that surrounds around the through hole  29 . At this status, the engagement portions  55  are located outside the tube portion  21 , the valve member  30  is held by the connecting member  7  at the open position P 2 , and the two open grooves  23  are in communication with opening  22 , such that the toners contained inside the housing  3  are able to move into the toner inlet  8  through the two open grooves  23 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , when the push member  50  is located at the retracted position P 4 , the engagement portions  55  are located outside the tube portion  21  and engaged with the position-limiting portion  28  of the fixation mount  20  such that the push member  50 , which though receives continuously the biasing force of the second resilient member  60 , is prohibited from moving from the retracted position P 4  to the extended position P 3 . 
     When the user dismantles the toner cartridge  1  from the electronic image-forming apparatus due to certain reasons, the valve member  30  will be forced by the biasing force of the first resilient member  40  to move from the open position P 2  back to the sealed position P 1 , such that the valve member  30  will again seal the opening  22 . At this status, the push member  50  is still retained at the retracted position P 4 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     With the above-disclosed structural features, the leak-prohibiting device  10  can accurately and positively seal the toner cartridge  1  to avoid leak of toners before the toner cartridge  1  is installed into an electronic image-forming apparatus thanks to the feature that the first and second resilient members  40  and  60  impart biasing forces exerting on the valve member  30  toward the opening  22 . Further, after the toner cartridge  1  has been installed into and thereafter taken out of the electronic image-forming apparatus, the push member  50  will be retained at the retracted position P 4 . As such, when the toner cartridge  1  is reinstalled into the electronic image-forming apparatus, the user only needs to apply a sufficient force that can overcome the biasing force of the first resilient member  40  to complete the reinstallation of the toner cartridge  1 . That is, reinstallation of the toner cartridge  1  can be completed by the user with less manual force, thereby achieving the objective of the present invention. 
     Based on the above-mentioned technical features, various modifications to the structure of the toner cartridge  1  may be made. For example, the position-limiting position  28  of the fixation mount  20  can be configured to be engaged with the engagement portions of the push member  50  by magnetic attraction or other way as long as the push member  50  can be retained by the position-limiting portion  28  at the retracted position P 4 . Further, the head  51  of the push member  50  can be omitted as long as the push member  50  can be abutted against the valve member  30  when the push member  50  is located at the extended position P 3 . Furthermore, the seal member  70  may be not a ring-shaped member but a disc-like member. 
     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.