Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7305204?ie=ISO-8859-1
Timestamp: 2014-07-14 01:29:46
Document Index: 41120569

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 5', 'art 5', 'arts 1', 'art 5', 'art 5', 'art 1', 'art 5', 'art 5', 'art 1', 'art 5', 'art 1', 'arts 1']

Patent US7305204 - Two part cartridges with force biasing by printer - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign in<nobr>Advanced Patent Search</nobr>PatentsA two part cartridge having a photoconductor part (1) and a toner part (5) having no force biasing element on either part. The two parts fit together so that a developer roller (7) in the toner part contacts a photoconductor drum (3) in the other part. When the two parts are installed in a printer the...http://www.google.com/patents/US7305204?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7305204 - Two part cartridges with force biasing by printerAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7305204 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 11/535,096Publication dateDec 4, 2007Filing dateSep 26, 2006Priority dateJul 15, 2002Fee statusPaidAlso published asUS6678489, US6879792, US7139510, US20040009007, US20040126133, US20050147430, US20070019986Publication number11535096, 535096, US 7305204 B2, US 7305204B2, US-B2-7305204, US7305204 B2, US7305204B2InventorsPhilip Scot Carter, Julia L. Fain, Mark Duane FosterOriginal AssigneeLexmark International, Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (3), Referenced by (1), Classifications (8), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetTwo part cartridges with force biasing by printerUS 7305204 B2Abstract A two part cartridge having a photoconductor part (1) and a toner part (5) having no force biasing element on either part. The two parts fit together so that a developer roller (7) in the toner part contacts a photoconductor drum (3) in the other part. When the two parts are installed in a printer the cover (50), when closed, brings a spring (62) into contact with one side of the toner part while the frame (F) of the printer blocks movement away from the cover. An advantage of the two part cartridge is that the toner part can be replaced without replacing the photoconductor part. Members on the cartridge for force biasing are avoided and the need for training or skill to latch the parts together is avoided.
1. A toner container for use in combination with a photoconductive unit in an image forming apparatus, the toner container comprising:
a housing including first, second, and third sides, the first side extending between the second and third sides;
a reservoir within the housing that is sized to contain toner;
a developer member rotatably mounted to the housing to receive the toner from the reservoir, the developer member positioned to extend outward from the first side of the housing;
first and second guide members each extending outward from the second side of the housing, the second side being adjacent to the first side; and
a third guide member extending outward from a third side of the housing, the third side being adjacent to the first side;
the reservoir being inlet-free and including an outlet, the developer member being positioned within the outlet.
2. The toner container of claim 1, wherein the second and third sides of the housing are substantially perpendicular to the developer member.
3. The toner container of claim 1, wherein the second and third sides are substantially parallel.
4. The toner container of claim 1, wherein the housing further includes a bottom side that attaches to the first, second, and third sides, wherein one of the first and second guide members and the third guide member are positioned farther from the bottom side than the developer member is positioned from the bottom side.
5. The toner container of claim 1, wherein the first and second guide members extend outward beyond the second side farther than the developer member.
6. The toner container of claim 5, wherein the first side is positioned at ends of the second and third sides.
7. A toner container for use in combination with a photoconductive unit in an image forming apparatus, the toner container comprising:
a toner reservoir positioned within a housing;
a developer roller extending outward from a first side of the housing and being in communication with the toner reservoir to receive toner, the developer roller being substantially cylindrical;
first and second elongated guide members each extending outward from a second side of the housing, the first and second guide members being aligned substantially parallel with the developer roller; and
a third elongated guide member extending outward from a third side of the housing and being substantially parallel with the developer roller;
8. The toner container of claim 7, further comprising a handle extending outward from a fourth side of the housing, the handle being extending from a substantially opposite side of the housing from the developer roller.
9. The toner container of claim 7, further comprising a coupling extending outward from the third side of the housing to engage with the photoconductive unit.
10. The toner container of claim 7, wherein the first and third guide members are distanced a substantially equal distance from the developer roller.
11. The toner container of claim 10, wherein the second guide member is positioned in closer proximity to a bottom of the housing than the first and third guide members are positioned from the bottom of the housing.
12. The toner container of claim 7, wherein the second and third sides of the housing are substantially perpendicular to the developer member.
13. The toner container of claim 7, wherein the first and second guide members extend outward beyond the second side farther than the developer member, and the third guide member extends outward beyond the third side farther than the developer member.
14. A toner container for use in combination with a photoconductive unit in an image forming apparatus, the toner container comprising:
a housing including a first side adjacent to second and third lateral sides;
first and second guide members each extending outward from the second side of the housing;
a coupling extending outward from the third side of the housing; and
a third guide member extending outward from the third side of the housing, the third guide member extending outward a greater distance than the coupling.
15. The toner container of claim 14, wherein the first, second, and third guide members each include an elongated shape that is each aligned substantially parallel with the developer member.
16. The toner container of claim 14, wherein the housing further includes a bottom, the coupling being positioned in closer proximity to the bottom than the third guide member is positioned from the bottom.
17. The toner container of claim 16, wherein the first and third guide members are each positioned a substantially equal distance from the bottom.
18. The toner container of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of gears extending outward from the third side of the housing.
19. The toner container of claim 14, further comprising a handle that extends outward from the housing, the handle being positioned on an opposite side of the housing from the developer member.
20. The toner container of claim 14, wherein the second guide member is positioned a greater distance from the developer member than the first and third guide members are positioned from the developer member.
RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/057,550 filed on Feb. 14, 2005, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/736,355 filed on Dec. 15, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,879,792, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/195,270 filed on Jul. 15, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,678,489.
A disadvantage of such known two part cartridges is that the forcing mechanism must be on one or both of the two parts and therefore adds to supplies costs, as both of the two parts are typically replaceable as they are worn (in the case of the photoconductor and other physical parts) or expended (in the case of the toner). Another disadvantage is that operator involvement requires training or some skill, and requires an overall design which permits the operator to reach the latching mechanism and activate it or deactivate it. A further disadvantage is that the force biasing elements require some space in the body of the imaging device.
FIG. 9 is a side view as in FIG. 8 showing part 5 with the cover pivoted to its final position in which it is applying a force by contacting on the toner part of the cartridge.
The right side of part 5 has an upper guide stud 17 and a lower guide stud 19. FIG. 3 shows the two parts 1 and 5 forced together in accordance with this invention Guide stud 17 fits in channel 9 but does not reach wall 13. Similarly, guide stud 19 fits in channel 15. Channels 9 and 15 direct the guide studs 17 and 19 respectively to bring developer roller 7 in contact with photoconductor drum 3 (FIG. 2).
Guide studs 17, 19 and 36 are external caps of DELRIN 500 polyacetal, a hard plastic, mounted on shafts integral with the body of part 5. The body of part 5 is made of polystyrene. Openings 17 a, 19 a (FIG. 1) and 36 a (FIG. 4) permit flexing of the shafts. The DELRIN polyacetal caps have a circumferential groove which meshes with small, radial tongues (not shown) extending into the grooves of the caps to thereby form studs 17, 19 and 36. The caps are free to rotate, but they may simply slide without loss of important function with respect to this invention. Alternative materials and construction of studs 17, 19 and 36 could be readily employed.
Housing 56 has integral, upward extending arms 57 a-57 d, which contact cover extensions 50 a-50 d. Screws 58 a-58 d are located in lateral, oval slots in housing 56. Integral with housing 56 on the left is a flat, pressing surface or �button� 64. When cover 50 is closed, latching members 60 a and 60 b are pushed leftward by arms 57 a-57 d acting on extensions 50 a-50 d. An operator pushing on button 64 overcomes this force and frees latches 60 a and 60 b to allow cover 50 to open
FIG. 9 omits cartridge part 1 to better illustrate cartridge part 5. Part 5 is also in the installed position as shown in FIG. 8. In this position part 1 has a substantially vertical front wall 70. Upon closing of cover 50, the ends 62 a and 62 b encounter front wall 70 of cartridge part 5 and press it against part 1. As discussed with respect to FIG. 8, the installed cartridge parts 1 and 5 are held against movement away from door 50 by frame members of the printer. Latch members 60 a and 60 b flex past ledges (not shown) in the frame F and then latch over the ledges,
VARIATIONS AND ALTERNATIVES Although spaced spring contacts as in the foregoing embodiment tend to minimize variations between printers from differences within accepted tolerance, clearly a single leaf spring mounted in the center is an alternative. Of course, two spaced coil springs is an alternative Other members can provide resilience, such a urethane rubber pads. Instead of spaced contacts, a wide, resilient pad could provide the force biasing. In sum, this invention is not deemed limited by the details of the biasing member operating from the cover. The cover could provide a linkage to move a separated biasing member with movement of the cover, although this normally would be more expensive than simply mounting the biasing member on the cover.
Although the cover in the foregoing embodiment opens from the bottom, a clear alternative would be to hinge the cover on the bottom so that it opens from the top.
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS5204713 *Jul 6, 1992Apr 20, 1993Tokyo Electric Co., Ltd.Electrophotographic apparatusUS5266998 *Oct 3, 1991Nov 30, 1993Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Electrophotography processor having detachable electrophotographic componentsUS6549737 *Sep 13, 2001Apr 15, 2003Toshiba Tec Kabushiki KaishaProcess unit divided into a plurality of separable units and image forming apparatus using such process unit* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS8010011 *Jul 5, 2006Aug 30, 2011Katun CorporationRemovably mountable frame for an image processsing apparatus, a removably mountable adaptor for an image processing apparatus and cartridges for use with a removably frame and removably mountable adaptor* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification399/113, 399/114, 399/107International ClassificationG03G21/18Cooperative ClassificationG03G2221/1853, G03G2221/1861, G03G21/1821European ClassificationG03G21/18C4CLegal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionJun 6, 2011FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Sep 26, 2006ASAssignmentOwner name: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC., KENTUCKYFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:CARTER, PHILIP SCOT;FAIN, JULIA L.;FOSTER, MARK DUANE;REEL/FRAME:018301/0053Effective date: 20021007RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google