US5101871A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Sealing member on a toner cartridge
Assignee: Kyocera Mita Industrial Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1990-09-21
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Granted: 1992-04-07
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Expires: 2010-09-21
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is a toner cartridge in which not only a first zone is provided for containing a toner therein but also a second zone is formed and a first opening and a second opening are formed adjacent to each other in these zones, respectively, one end of a sealing member being located on the edge, on the side of the second opening, of the first opening while the other end of the sealing member is secured to the confronting edge of the second opening, and the sealing member is peeled in the state where the sealing member is stuffed into the second zone through the second opening. In this toner cartridge, the attachment size of the cartridge is shortened and the attachment operation and the operation of peeling the sealing member are simplified. Furthermore, the carriage which finishes replenishment of the toner is drawn out from the toner supply zone of the developing device by a one-touch operation without touching the sealing member by hands, and even if the toner adheres to the sealing member, an advantage is attained, in that hands of an operator and surroundings are not contaminated with the toner.
Inventors
- 👤 Komaki Susumu
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 23:20
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/06; G03G15/08; G03G15/0822; G03G15/0877; G03G15/0881; G03G15/0882
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
245 words
A toner cartridge for attachment to a toner supply zone of a developing device to replenish toner to the developing device, which comprises a vessel for containing the toner therein, a toner supply opening formed in the vessel and a sealing member covering the toner supply opening, wherein the vessel includes a first zone filled with toner and a second zone not filled with the toner, a first opening from which the toner flows out at the time of attachment of the cartridge being formed in the first zone, a second opening adjoining directly or with a spacing from the first opening being formed in the second zone, said first opening and second opening being formed on a plane traversing a direction of attachment of the cartridge, the sealing member being arranged so that one end portion of the sealing member is located on one edge of the first opening, on the side of the second opening, a part of the sealing member being peelably sealed to the whole peripheral edge of the first opening, a remaining part of the sealing member being folded back on another edge of the first opening to stride over the first opening and second opening and the other end of the sealing member being secured to the confronting edge of the second opening, and synchronously with the attachment of the cartridge, at least a part of the sealing member being peeled being stuffed and contained in the second zone.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
245 words
A toner cartridge for attachment to a toner supply zone of a developing device to replenish toner to the developing device, which comprises a vessel for containing the toner therein, a toner supply opening formed in the vessel and a sealing member covering the toner supply opening, wherein the vessel includes a first zone filled with toner and a second zone not filled with the toner, a first opening from which the toner flows out at the time of attachment of the cartridge being formed in the first zone, a second opening adjoining directly or with a spacing from the first opening being formed in the second zone, said first opening and second opening being formed on a plane traversing a direction of attachment of the cartridge, the sealing member being arranged so that one end portion of the sealing member is located on one edge of the first opening, on the side of the second opening, a part of the sealing member being peelably sealed to the whole peripheral edge of the first opening, a remaining part of the sealing member being folded back on another edge of the first opening to stride over the first opening and second opening and the other end of the sealing member being secured to the confronting edge of the second opening, and synchronously with the attachment of the cartridge, at least a part of the sealing member being peeled being stuffed and contained in the second zone.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
63 words
A toner cartridge as set forth in claim 1, wherein the toner supply zone of the developing device comprises a projection insertable in the second zone, and when the toner cartridge is attached to the toner supply zone, the sealing member is stuffed in the second zone in a U-figured shape by the projection to peel the sealing member from the first opening.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
A toner cartridge as set forth in claim 1, wherein the size of the second zone in the attachment direction is from substantially equal to slightly larger than the width of the first opening.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
258 words
A toner cartridge for attachment to a toner supply zone of a developing device to replenish toner to the developing device, which comprises a vessel for containing the toner therein, a toner supply opening formed in the vessel and a sealing member covering the toner supply opening, wherein the vessel includes a first zone filled with toner and a second zone not filled with the toner, a first opening from which the toner flows out at the time of attachment of the cartridge being formed in the first zone, a second opening adjoining directly or with a spacing from the first opening being formed in the second zone, the first opening being formed on a plane parallel to an attachment direction of the cartridge and the second opening being formed on a plane traversing the attachment direction of the cartridge, the sealing member being arranged so that one end portion of the sealing member is located on one edge of the first opening, on the side of the second opening, a part of the sealing member being peelably sealed to the whole peripheral edge of the first opening, a remaining part of the sealing member being folded back on another edge of the first opening to stride over the first opening and second opening and the other end of the sealing member being secured to the confronting edge of the second opening, and synchronously with the attachment of the cartridge, at least a part of the sealing member being peeled being stuffed and contained in the second zone.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
258 words
A toner cartridge for attachment to a toner supply zone of a developing device to replenish toner to the developing device, which comprises a vessel for containing the toner therein, a toner supply opening formed in the vessel and a sealing member covering the toner supply opening, wherein the vessel includes a first zone filled with toner and a second zone not filled with the toner, a first opening from which the toner flows out at the time of attachment of the cartridge being formed in the first zone, a second opening adjoining directly or with a spacing from the first opening being formed in the second zone, the first opening being formed on a plane parallel to an attachment direction of the cartridge and the second opening being formed on a plane traversing the attachment direction of the cartridge, the sealing member being arranged so that one end portion of the sealing member is located on one edge of the first opening, on the side of the second opening, a part of the sealing member being peelably sealed to the whole peripheral edge of the first opening, a remaining part of the sealing member being folded back on another edge of the first opening to stride over the first opening and second opening and the other end of the sealing member being secured to the confronting edge of the second opening, and synchronously with the attachment of the cartridge, at least a part of the sealing member being peeled being stuffed and contained in the second zone.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
63 words
A toner cartridge as set forth in claim 4, wherein the toner supply zone of the developing device comprises a projection insertable in the second zone, and when the toner cartridge is attached to the toner supply zone, the sealing member is stuffed in the second zone in a U-figured shape by the projection to peel the sealing member from the first opening.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A toner cartridge as set forth in claim 4, wherein the size of the second zone in the attachment direction is from substantially equal to slightly larger than the width of the first opening.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-04-07 | 1995-10-07 | 1996-04-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-04-07 | 1999-10-07 | 2000-04-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-04-07 | 2003-10-07 | 2004-04-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |