WASTE TONER RECOVERY SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090232548A1
• Filed: 03/17/2008
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: d'Entrecasteaux, Daryl Joel
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/120
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0868 Toner cartridges fulfilling a continuous function within the electrographic apparatus during the use of the supplied developer material, e.g. toner discharge on demand, storing residual toner, acting as an active closure for the developer replenishing opening
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0881 Sealing of developer cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0894 Reconditioning of the developer unit, i.e. reusing or recycling parts of the unit, e.g. resealing of the unit before refilling with toner
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/12 Toner waste containers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0827 Augers

Abstract

A toner bottle for use in a marking device with a feed mechanism. The toner bottle includes first and second compartments for holding fresh and waste toner, respectively. The feed mechanism allows fresh toner to be delivered to the marking engine from the bottle and waste toner to be returned to the bottle from the marking engine.

Claims

1. A toner bottle for use in a marking device comprising:

a first compartment;

an amount of fresh toner sealed within the first compartment; and

a second compartment spaced from the first compartment, which is configured for receiving waste toner.

2. The toner bottle of claim 1, wherein the toner bottle comprises a casing closed at one end and an interior wall which spaces the first compartment from the second compartment.

3. The toner bottle of claim 1, wherein the interior wall defines a first opening which is sealed with a frangible closure to retain the toner in the first compartment prior to use.

4. The toner bottle of claim 3, wherein the casing defines a neck at a second end with a second opening axially aligned with the first opening.

5. The toner bottle of claim 4, wherein the second compartment is intermediate the second opening and the first opening.

6. The toner bottle of claim 1, wherein the second compartment is of smaller interior volume than the first compartment.

7. In combination, the toner bottle of claim 1 and a feed mechanism which feeds fresh toner from the first compartment to an associated marking device and delivers waste toner from the marking device to the second compartment.

8. The combination of claim 7, wherein the feed mechanism includes a first delivery device which feeds fresh toner from the first compartment to the associated marking device and a second delivery device which delivers waste toner from the marking device to the second compartment.

9. The combination of claim 8, wherein the first and second delivery devices are driven by a common drive mechanism.

10. The combination of claim 8, wherein the first and second delivery devices comprise augers.

11. The combination of claim 8, wherein the augers are axially aligned.

12. The combination of claim 10, wherein the first and second augers are received through the second opening.

13. The combination of claim 10, wherein the one of the first and second augers is hollow and receives the other of the first and second augers.

14. The combination of claim 10, wherein the first auger is longer than the second auger and extends through the second compartment into the first compartment.

15. The combination of claim 14, wherein the second auger extends only into the second compartment.

16. The combination of claim 10, wherein the second auger is mounted to the first auger for rotation therewith.

17. The combination of claim 10, further comprising a tube which spaces the first and second augers.

18. The combination of claim 17, wherein the tube has a first end which is received in the first opening.

19. A marking device configured for selectively receiving the replaceable toner bottle of claim 1.

20. The marking device of claim 19, wherein the marking device comprises:

a developer housing;

a first auger which delivers fresh toner from the first compartment to the developer housing;

a waste toner vessel which receives waste toner from the marking device; and

a second auger which delivers waste toner from the waste toner vessel to the second compartment.

21. A toner recycling method comprising:

feeding toner from a first compartment of a replaceable toner bottle to a marking device; and

delivering some of the fed toner as waste toner from the marking device to a second compartment of the same replaceable toner bottle.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the feeding and delivering are performed contemporaneously.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the feeding includes rotating a first auger having threads oriented in a first direction and the delivering includes rotating a second auger having threads oriented in a second direction.

24. A marking device comprising:

a developer housing;

a waste toner vessel; and

a feed mechanism connected with the developer housing and waste toner vessel and configured for feeding toner from an associated replaceable toner bottle to the developer housing and delivering waste toner from the waste toner vessel to the same toner bottle.