Patent Publication Number: US-2007104506-A1

Title: Toner cartridge and method of making it and method of remanufacturing a toner cartridge

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application claims the benefit of U.S. Ser. No. 60/704,499, filed Aug. 1, 2005. 
    
    
     FIELD  
      The present disclosure relates to toner cartridges, their manufacture and remanufacture.  
     BACKGROUND  
      The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.  
      Toner cartridges typically include a hopper section, that is charged with toner, and a roller section affixed to the hopper section. The hopper section and roller sections are often secured together such as with clips or by ultrasonic welding or by friction welding.  
      A model of a typical ultrasonic welding apparatus  100  such as is available from Branson Ultrasonics is shown in  FIG. 1 . Typical components of ultrasonic plastic welding apparatus  100  include an ultrasonic transducer  102 , a booster  104 , and a horn  106 . Booster  104  is mechanically coupled to transducer  102  and horn  106  and is mounted inside a carriage (actuator) that consists of a pneumatic cylinder. Electrical energy from a power supply  101  at a frequency is converted to mechanical energy by the transducer  102 . The transducer  102 , booster  104 , and horn  106  are all mechanically tuned to match the power supply electrical input frequency. The mechanical energy converted in the transducer  102  is transmitted to a welding load (plastic parts such as the hopper and roller section of a toner cartridge) through the booster  104  and the horn  106 . The booster  104  and the horn  106  perform the functions of transmitting the mechanical energy as well as transforming mechanical vibrations from the transducer  102  by a gain factor. Booster and horn gains take an output amplitude (from the transducer  102 ) and factor this amplitude up or down.  
      The mechanical vibration that results on the surface of the horn is the motion that performs the task of welding the parts together. Essentially an axial displacement is produced by the transducer  102 , modified in gain by the booster  104 , and again modified in gain by the horn  106 . The carriage/actuator brings down the stack (consisting of the converter, booster and horn) to bear upon the plastic parts being welded and applies a preset amount of pressure on the parts. As the weld clamp force reaches a set value, the vibrations will increasingly be transmitted to the top plastic piece, causing it to move up and down in consonance with the horn and hit the bottom plastic piece, which is held stationary in a fixture. The resultant molecular friction causes the plastic parts to melt at the interface. The parts are held together under pressure after the vibration ceases and the plastic is allowed to re-solidify and form a bond.  
     SUMMARY  
      A toner cartridge and method of manufacturing it in accordance with an aspect includes applying heat activated adhesive to one or both of the hopper section and the roller section of the toner cartridge and applying energy to heat the heat activated adhesive to activate it and seal the hopper section and roller section together.  
      In an aspect, the heat activated adhesive is a thermo-bond film adhesive.  
      In an aspect, ultrasonic energy is applied to the heat activated adhesive to heat it. In an aspect, the ultrasonic energy is applied by using an ultrasonic welder.  
      A method of remanufacturing a toner cartridge in accordance with an aspect includes separating a roller section from a toner section of the toner cartridge, replacing/reconditioning/cleaning those parts of the toner cartridges that require replacement/reconditioning/cleaning, charging the hopper section with toner, applying a heat activated adhesive to one or both of the hopper section and the roller section of the toner cartridge and applying energy to heat the heat activated adhesive to activate it and seal the hopper section and roller section together. In an aspect, a second hopper section is used in lieu of the hopper section separated from the roller section.  
      In an aspect, the heat activated adhesive is a thermo-bond film adhesive.  
      In an aspect, ultrasonic energy is applied to the heat activated adhesive to heat it. In an aspect, ultrasonic energy is applied by using an ultrasonic welder.  
      Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a prior art ultrasonic welding apparatus;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a toner cartridge manufactured in accordance an aspect; and  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective exploded view of the toner cartridge of  FIG. 2 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.  
      Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a toner cartridge  200  in accordance with an aspect is shown. Toner cartridge  200  includes a hopper section  202  and a roller section  204 . Hopper section  202  has a mating surface  206  that abuts a corresponding mating surface  208  of roller section  204  when hopper section  202  and roller section  204  are secured together. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , hopper section  202  and roller section  204  are rectangular as are their respecting mating surfaces  206 ,  208 .  
      With reference to  FIG. 3 , in manufacturing toner cartridge  200 , heat activated adhesive, such as a thermo-bond film adhesive  210 , is applied to one or both of mating surface  206  of hopper section  202  and mating surface  208  of roller section  204 . Thermo-bond film adhesive  210  may illustratively be a thermoplastic adhesive bonding film. One such thermoplastic adhesive bonding film is Bonding Film  615  made by 3M. It should be understood that thermo-bond film  210  may be any type of film that is heat activated to provide a bond. Illustratively thermo-bond film  210  is die cut to conform to mating surface  206  of hopper section  202 .  
      Hopper section  202  and roller section  204  are brought together so that mating surface  206  of hopper section  202  and mating surface  208  of roller section  204  butt against each other with thermo-bond film  210  disposed therebetween. Energy is then applied to heat thermo-bond film  210  to seal hopper section  202  to roller section  204 . Toner cartridge  200  thus has hopper section  202  and roller section  204  sealed together by activated heat activated adhesive, such as thermo-bond film  210 . By activated, it is meant that energy was applied to the heat activated adhesive to activate it.  
      In an aspect, the source of energy is a source of ultrasonic energy, such as ultrasonic welder ultrasonic welder  100 . In this aspect, hopper section  202  is illustratively mounted in a fixture to clamp it during the bonding process and the fixture is mounted on a base plate of ultrasonic welder  100 . Hopper section  202  and roller section  204  are then brought together, such as by placing roller section  204  on hopper section  202 . A cycle of ultrasonic welder  100  is then initiated. When the cycle is initiated, horn  106  bears down on roller section  204  and horn  206  passes high frequency vibrations to roller section  204  causing ultrasonic vibrations to occur at an interface of mating surfaces  206 ,  208  of hopper section  202  and roller section  204 . These ultrasonic vibrations heat thermo-bond film adhesive  210  to activate it and seal hopper section  202  and roller section  204  together. The cycle of ultrasonic welder  100  is then terminated and toner cartridge  200  allowed to stand for a sufficient time to allow any molten material at the interface of mating surfaces  206 ,  208  of hopper section  202  and roller section  204  to solidify. Horn  106  is then retracted and toner cartridge  200  removed from ultrasonic welder  100 .  
      In an aspect, thermo-bond film adhesive  210  may illustratively have a protective liner over a contact adhesive surface. When thermo-bond film adhesive  210  is placed on hopper section  202 , this liner is first removed and the thermo-bond film adhesive  210  applied to hopper section  202  with the contact adhesive surface of thermo-bond film  210  contacting mating surface  206  of hopper section  202 . It should be understood that a thermo-bond film adhesive  210  can alternatively be applied to roller section  204  with the contact adhesive surface of thermo-bond film adhesive  210  contacting mating surface  208  of roller section  204 . It should be understood that two thermo-bond film adhesive  210  can be applied, with one applied to hopper section  202  and the other applied to roller section  204 . In which case, the contact adhesive surface of each of the thermo-bond film adhesives  210  are applied to the respective mating surfaces  206 ,  208  of hopper section  202  and roller section  204 .  
      The foregoing process can also be used in remanufacturing a toner cartridge. Referring to toner cartridge  200  in its assembled state, hopper section  202  and roller section  204  are separated. Parts of toner cartridge  200  are replaced/reconditioned/cleaned in conventional fashion as appropriate. Hopper section  202  and roller section  204  are then sealed together in the manner described above by using a heat activated adhesive, such as thermo-bond film adhesive  210 , disposed between the hopper section  202  and roller section  204  and energy is applied to the heat activated adhesive to activate it. In an illustrative aspect, ultrasonic energy is applied to the heat activated adhesive, such as to the thermo-bond film adhesive  210 , to activate it, such as by using ultrasonic welder  100 .  
      In a variation, instead of reusing the existing hopper section  202  when remanufacturing toner cartridge  200 , a second hopper section, such as a new hopper section, is used.  
      The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.