Patent ID: 7054576

Claim:
A seal-assembly for sealing a toner passage in a toner hopper used in an image forming apparatus, said seal-assembly comprising: a seal-insert cut from a sheet of material including a middle layer sandwiched between a top adherent layer and a bottom adherent layer; and a bottom release liner layer is removably adhered to at least a portion of said bottom adherent layer to protect said bottom adherent layer; and a top release liner layer is removably adhered to at least a portion of said top adherent layer to protect said top adherent layer; and whereby the outer perimeter of said seal-insert is formed with a cut cutting all the way through all layers; and whereby said top release liner layer is removed at least over a portion of said seal-insert; and whereby said seal-insert includes a main body portion and a handle that includes said middle layer, said top adherent layer, said bottom adherent layer, said top release liner layer and said bottom release liner layer, all corresponding to layers of said main body portion of said seal-insert; and whereby there is a kiss-cut that divides said main body portion of said seal-insert from said handle of said seal-insert; and whereby said kiss-cut goes through all layers of said seal-insert except for said bottom release liner layer so that pulling on said handle will pull on said bottom release liner layer to remove said bottom release liner layer and thus expose said bottom adherent layer; and whereby a tear-able material which tears relatively straight in one direction is attached to said top adherent layer over said main body portion of said seal-insert; and a pull-means is attached to said tear-able material for tearing said tearing layer; and whereby the seal-assembly installer pulls on said handle; and whereby said bottom adherent layer can thus attach to a toner hopper of a toner cartridge so that said seal-assembly will seal the toner cartridge which will thus remove said bottom release liner layer, thus exposing said bottom adherent layer; and whereby pulling on said pull-means by the toner cartridge installer will cause a tear in said tear-able material and create an opening over said open central region to allow toner to flow through said open central region of said seal-insert to begin use of the toner cartridge.