Toner cartridge with housing and pin construction

US5802432A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Lexmark International, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Johnnie Coffey · Winchester, US
• Steven Alan Curry · Nicholasville, US
• Larry Steven Foster · Lexington, US
• Paul Douglas Horrall · Lexington, US
• John Randolph McIntyre · Lexington, US
• Richard Alden Ramsdell · Lexington, US
• David Erwin Rennick · Georgetown, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 20, 1996
• Grant date: Sep 1, 1998
• Expiry date: Dec 20, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03G2221/1853
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Toner cartridge (1) has a unitary assembly forming the handle (3a, 3b), the cover (25), side walls (33, 245) and the cleaner chamber (27) and hold the photoconductor drum (43). Each of the side walls has a U-shaped housing (35, 247) which loosely receives a pin (37a, 37b) from the side of the hopper (61). The hopper is part of a unitary assembly holding the toner adder roller (45) and the developer roller (43). Second pins (131a, 131b) from the sides of the hopper carry springs which pull the two assemblies together to press the developer roller against the photoconductor. The hopper also has flat ledges (161a, 133a) on each side for movement on roller in the printer. This further permits the cartridge to have central locating elements (29a, 29b), wing-like guides (9a, 9b) for insertion, links (13a, 13b) to open a lower shutter (7), and unobstructed ends of photoconductor shaft (47) for positively locating on that shaft.