EP0627673A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Refurbished toner cartridge and method
Assignee: HP Inc
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Filing: 1993-12-20
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-12-20
Abstract
Abstract A refurbished toner cartridge (10) includes a cover (12) having elongated side dimensions with integral flanges and a mating bottle (14) also having elongated side flanges, the flanges bonded to create an interior volume (23) for holding a print toner. At one end of the cartridge is a toner fill opening (22) which enables access into the interior volume (23). The refurbished cartridge (10) further comprises a flexible bladder (24) that is inserted through the fill opening (22) and is positioned within the interior volume (23) of the cartridge (10). Toner is contained in the bladder (24) and is released upon the bladder (24) being ruptured by user actuation of either an internal knife blade (72) or a pull string (30) attached to the bladder (24).
Inventors
- 👤 Gar P. Kelly
- 👤 Brian J. Renstrom
- 👤 Trent K. Christensen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 04:07
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/06; G03G15/08; G03G15/0894; G03G15/0822; G03G15/0865; G03G15/0874; G03G15/0877; G03G15/0881; G03G15/0884; G03G2215/00; G03G2215/00987; G03G2215/06; G03G2215/066; G03G2215/0682; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S222/00; Y10S222/01
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
86 words
A refurbished toner cartridge (10) including a mating cover (12) and bottle (14) which, together, define an interior volume (23) for said toner cartridge (10), said toner cartridge further comprising: a flexible bladder (24) positioned within said interior volume (23) and containing toner; and opening means (30, 32, 36) cooperating with said flexible bladder (24) and operable by a user from outside said toner cartridge (10) to create an opening in said flexible bladder (24) to enable escape of said toner into said interior volume (23).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
31 words
The refurbished toner cartridge (10) as recited in claim 1 further comprising: frame means (40) positioned within said flexible bladder (24) for maintaining said flexible bladder (24) in a non-collapsed configuration.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
76 words
A refurbished toner cartridge as recited in claim 2 wherein said frame means (40) includes flexible elongated frame struts (42,44,46) positioned between ring-shaped ends (48), and wherein an elongated dimension of said frame means (40) exceeds an elongated dimension of said interior volume (23), said frame means (40) being compressed when inserted into said interior volume (23) and causing said flexible elongated frame struts (42,44,46) to bow outwardly towards bounding sides of said interior volume (23).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
98 words
The refurbished toner cartridge (10) as recited in claim 3 wherein a flanged aperture (22) is formed into an end of said bottle (14), said flexible bladder (24) and frame means (40) being insertable through said flanged aperture (22) into said interior volume (23), an open end (26) of said flexible bladder (24) being folded over an opening (52) in a ring-shaped end (48) of said frame means (40) and held in place against said ring-shaped end (48) by ring clip means (50) which fits within said opening (52) and bears against said folded over flexible bladder (24).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
103 words
The refurbished toner cartridge (10) as recited in claim 4 wherein, when said frame means (40) is positioned within said interior volume (23), an end of said frame means (40) bears against a wall of said interior volume (23) that opposes said flanged aperture (22) and positions a ring-shaped end (48) of said frame means in registration with said flanged aperture (22) when said frame means (40) is held in compression, said ring clip means (50) further forcing said ring-shaped end (48) of said frame means (40) against said flanged aperture (22) so as to maintain said compression of said frame means (40).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
The refurbished toner cartridge (10) as recited in claim 1 wherein said opening means comprises a string (30) bonded to a weakened portion (36) of said flexible bladder (24), said string (30) being accessible to a user outside said toner cartridge (10) and, when pulled, causing a rupture of said weakened portion (36) of said flexible bladder (24).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
87 words
The refurbished toner cartridge as recited in claim 1 wherein said opening means comprises a cutter blade (72) that is slideably positioned on a rod (70) within said interior volume, said cutter blade (72) further connected to a handle (74) that is positioned external to said toner cartridge (10), actuation of said handle (74) by a user causing translation of said cutter blade (72) along said rod (70) and a resultant cutting of an opening into said flexible bladder (88) by action of said cutter blade (72).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
74 words
The refurbished toner cartridge as recited in claim 1 wherein said flexible bladder (100) is preformed to a shape of said interior volume, so that when inserted into said interior volume and expanded, said preformed bladder (100) fills said interior volume, said preformed bladder (100) further provided with a weakened section that is attached to a pull strip (102), said pull strip (102) being accessible by a user from outside said toner cartridge (10).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
The refurbished toner cartridge as recited in claim 1, wherein said flexible bladder (120) has shape retainer means (122) positioned within said flexible bladder (120) to cause said bladder (120) to remain in an extended configuration as said toner (124) is utilized.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
61 words
The method of refurbishing a toner cartridge comprising the steps of: (a) inserting a flexible bladder (120) into an interior volume of said toner cartridge (126), said inserting occurring through a toner fill opening; (b) sealing said toner fill opening; and (c) rupturing said flexible bladder (120) to enable escape of toner from within said flexible bladder into said interior volume.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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