Toner cartridge with locking toner discharge opening

• US 6,496,671 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2000
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oki Data Corporation (OKI Electric Industry Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Oki Data Corporation (OKI Electric Industry Company Limited)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, HOANG X
• Application Number:
  US09/730,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20010001025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 222/DIG.1, 222/167, 399/102, 399/119, 399/120, 399/358, 399/360, 399/262, 399/263, 399/256
• US Class Current: 399/120
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0855 the concentration being measured by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0865 Arrangements for supplying new developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0875 cartridges having a box like shape
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0886 by mechanical means, e.g. shutter, plug
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/105 Arrangements for conveying toner waste
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/12 Toner waste containers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/068 having a box like shape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 222/01 Xerography

Abstract

A toner cartridge extending in a longitudinal direction thereof has a fresh toner chamber and a water toner chamber. The fresh toner chamber and waste toner chamber extend parallel to each other so that the fresh toner chamber and the waste toner chamber are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The waste toner chamber incorporates a toner-conveying member such as a screw conveyor. The screw conveyor extends between the opposed longitudinal ends, and causes the waste toner to move further into the waste toner chamber. The waste toner chamber has an entrance formed therein through which waste toner is received from a print process cartridge. The entrance opens yieldably when a waste toner exit enters the waste toner chamber through the entrance and closes when the waste toner exit moves out of the enters the waste toner chamber.

Claims

1. A toner cartridge extending generally in a longitudinal direction thereof, comprising:

an opening through which toner is discharged; and

an operating lever movable between a first position and a second position, said operating lever causing said opening to close when said operating lever is at the first position, said operating lever causing said opening to open when said operating lever is at the second position;

wherein when the toner cartridge is out of a print process cartridge, the operating lever is locked at the first position, and when the toner cartridge is in the print process cartridge, the operating lever is unlocked.

2. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, comprising:

a fresh toner chamber extending in the longitudinal direction of the toner cartridge; and

a waste toner chamber extending parallel to said fresh toner chamber such that said waste toner chamber is at least partly horizontally adjacent to the fresh toner chamber when the toner cartridge has been attached to the printer.

3. The toner cartridge according to claim 2, wherein said fresh toner chamber and said waste toner chamber are of substantially the same length in the longitudinal direction.

4. The toner cartridge according to claim 2 further comprising:

an opening formed at a first one of opposed longitudinal ends of said waste toner chamber, said waste toner chamber receiving waste toner through said opening from an external device; and

a toner conveying member provided in said waste toner chamber and extending between the first one of the opposed longitudinal ends and a second one of the opposed longitudinal ends, said toner conveying member becoming higher with increasing distance from the first one of the opposed longitudinal ends and causing the waste toner to move further into said waste toner chamber.

5. The toner cartridge according to claim 4, wherein said toner conveying member includes a shaft having a spiral blade formed thereon.

6. The toner cartridge according to claim 5, wherein said spiral blade is formed substantially across said shaft.

7. The toner cartridge according to claim 2, wherein said waste toner chamber has opposed longitudinal ends and includes a toner conveying member provided therein;

wherein said toner conveying member extends substantially horizontally between a first one of the opposed longitudinal ends and a second one of the opposed longitudinal ends and causes the waste toner to move toward the second one of the opposed longitudinal ends;

wherein said toner conveying member includes a shaft having a spiral blade formed on a part of a length of said shaft.

8. The toner cartridge according to claim 2, wherein said fresh toner chamber has an opening through which the toner is discharged from said fresh toner chamber, a shutter, an operating lever, and a locking mechanism,

wherein the shutter closes the opening when the operating lever is at a first position at which the operating lever is locked by the locking mechanism and opens the opening when the operating lever is at a second position opposite to the first position.

9. The toner cartridge according to claim 2, wherein said waste toner chamber includes an entrance through which a waste toner exit of the print process cartridge enters the waste toner chamber;

wherein said entrance yieldably opens to direct waste toner from the waste toner exit into said waste toner chamber when the waste toner exit enters said entrance,

wherein said entrance closes when the waste toner exit moves out of said entrance.

10. The toner cartridge according to claim 9, wherein said entrance comprises a resilient member fitted thereinto, said resilient member having a slit formed therein,

wherein when the waste toner exit enters the waste toner chamber through said entrance, the slit yieldably opens so that the waste toner exit passes through the slit.

11. The toner cartridge according to claim 10, wherein said resilient member is folded at said slit when said resilient member is fitted into the opening.

12. The toner cartridge according to claim 10, wherein said resilient member is a sleeve having a first end communicating with said entrance and a second end normally resiliently closed,

wherein the second end of the sleeve yieldably opens when the waste toner exit enters into the waste toner chamber through said entrance,

and the second end of the sleeve resiliently closes when the waste toner exit comes out of the waste toner chamber through said entrance.

13. The toner cartridge according to claim 9, wherein said resilient member is urged by a spring against said entrance,

wherein said resilient member is yieldably pushed away from said entrance to open said entrance when the waste toner exit enters the waste toner chamber through said entrance, and is urged toward said entrance to close said entrance when the waste toner exit moves out of the waste toner chamber through said entrance.

14. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism having a movable member (51);

wherein when the toner cartridge is out of the print process cartridge, the movable member is at a locking position where the operating lever is locked at the first position; and

wherein when the toner cartridge is attached in the print process cartridge, the movable member engages a part of the print process cartridge to be guided into an unlocking position where the operating lever is unlocked.

15. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the opening is one of a plurality of openings aligned in a row, the plurality of openings being defined by partitions extending at an angle less than 90 degrees with the row.

16. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the part of the print process cartridge is a groove that is formed in the print process cartridge and slidably receives the movable member therein, the groove varying in depth so that the movable member is moved to the unlocking position as the toner cartridge is inserted into the print process cartridge.

17. A toner cartridge extending generally in a longitudinal direction thereof and a print process cartridge in which the toner cartridge is received, the toner cartridge comprising:

an opening through which the toner is discharged; and

an operating lever movable between a first position and a second position, said operating lever causing said opening to close when said operating lever is at the first position, said operating lever causing said opening to open when said operating lever is at the second position;

wherein when the toner cartridge is out of a print process cartridge, the operating lever is locked at the first position, and when the toner cartridge is in the print process cartridge, the operating lever is unlocked;

wherein the toner cartridge has a corresponding first engagement portion and the print process cartridge has a corresponding second engagement portion,

wherein the toner cartridge is received into the print process cartridge only when the first engagement portion fits to the second engagement portion in mating engagement.

18. A toner cartridge attached to a print process cartridge, the toner cartridge having a waste toner chamber with an entrance through which a waste toner exit of the print process cartridge enters the waste toner chamber;

wherein said entrance yieldably opens to direct waste toner from the waste toner exit into said waste toner chamber when the waste toner exit enters said entrance,

wherein said entrance closes when the waste toner exit moves out of said entrance

wherein said resilient member is urged by a spring against said entrance,

wherein said resilient member is yieldably pushed away from said entrance to open said entrance when the waste toner exit enters the waste toner chamber through said entrance, and is urged toward said entrance to close said entrance when the waste toner exit moves out of the waste toner chamber through said entrance.

19. A toner cartridge extending in a longitudinal direction thereof, comprising:

a fresh toner chamber extending in the longitudinal direction of the toner cartridge; and

a waste toner chamber extending parallel to said fresh toner chamber and being aligned with said fresh toner chamber in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;

wherein said fresh toner chamber has an opening through which the toner is discharged from said fresh toner chamber, a shutter, an operating lever, and a locking mechanism,

wherein the shutter closes the opening when the operating lever is at a first position at which the operating lever is locked by the locking mechanism and opens the opening when the operating lever is at a second position opposite to the first position,

wherein the opening is one of a plurality of openings aligned in a row, the plurality of openings are defined by partitions extending at an angle less than 90 degrees with the row.

20. A print process cartridge to which a toner cartridge is removably attached, the toner cartridge having a fresh toner chamber and a waste toner chamber, the print process cartridge comprising:

an opening through which fresh toner is received from the fresh toner chamber when the fresh toner is discharged from the toner cartridge, said opening being formed in a wall of the print process cartridge on which the toner cartridge sits; and

an exit through which waste toner is collected into the waste toner chamber, said exit being formed in a side wall of the print process cartridge.

21. The print process cartridge according to claim 20, further comprising a transport member provided to the exit on an inner surface of the side wall, the transposting member transporting the waste toner into the waste toner chamber.

22. The print process cartridge according to claim 21, wherein the print process cartridge is removably mounted to a printer and has a grip by which an operator holds the print process cartridge when the print process cartridge is mounted into the printer and dismounted from the printer.

23. The print process cartridge according to claim 22, wherein said exit is formed in one of opposing side walls and the grip is provided on at least one of the opposing side wall.

24. The print process cartridge according to claim 23, wherein the grip is provided on each of the opposing side walls.

30. The print process cartridge according to claim 24, wherein the two pieces are combined so that the print process cartridge receives only a corresponding toner cartridge.

25. A print process cartridge to which a toner cartridge is removably attached, the toner cartridge having an opening through which toner is discharged and an opening-and-closing mechanism that opens and closes the opening, the opening-and-closing mechanism being moveable between a locking position and an unlocking position, the print process cartridge comprising:

an guide section that guides the toner cartridge into the print process cartridge; and

an unlocking section that causes the opening-and-closing mechanism to move to the unlocking position when the toner cartridge is inserted into the print process cartridge, said unlocking section serving as a guide that guides the toner cartridge when the toner cartridge is inserted into the print process cartridge, said unlocking section being provided on an inner side surface of the print process cartridge and extends in a direction of insertion in which the toner cartridge is inserted into the print process cartridge, said unlocking section varying in shape along the direction.

26. The print process cartridge according to claim 25, wherein said unlocking section comprises a groove formed in the inner side surface of the print process cartridge, the groove being shallower toward a downstream end with respect to the direction of insertion.

27. A print process cartridge to which a toner cartridge is removably attached, the toner cartridge having a first fitting portion that is provided on an outer bottom surface of the toner cartridge and indicates a type of a content of the toner cartridge, the print process cartridge comprising:

a second fitting portion that is provided on an inner bottom surface of the print process cartridge opposes the first fitting portion when the toner cartridge is inserted into the print cartridge;

wherein the print process cartridge receives the toner cartridge thereinto only when the first fitting portion fits to said second fitting potion in mating engagement.

28. The print process cartridge according to claim 27, wherein said second fitting portion includes at least one piece that has a plurality of holes further comprising at least one projection selectively inserted into a corresponding one of the plurality of holes.

29. The print process cartridge according to claim 28, wherein said at least one piece is one of two pieces.