Electrophotography – Image formation – Development
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-21
2001-10-09
Chen, Sophia S. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Image formation
Development
C399S119000, C399S227000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301460
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to toner cartridges, and specifically to color laser printer toner cartridges.
BACKGROUND
Color laser printers are typically designed and operated with four separate color toner cartridges, one each for the colors cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Conventionally, the toner cartridges are installed into, or removed from, a printer one at a time. Additionally, each individual toner cartridge is typically a single use item that is disposed of when the toner is depleted.
When installed in a printer, the color toner cartridges are engaged in a toner cartridge carousel that rotates to deploy a specific toner cartridge within the printer as needed during a print job. Examples of such color printers having a toner cartridge carousel system include the Color LaserJet 8550 Printer manufactured by Hewlett Packard, and the Color Laser Printer, Phaser 780, manufactured by Tektronix (color printers by Xerox).
A laser printer has a microprocessor that controls a laser light beam, and directs the laser beam to electrically charge a surface material on the surface of a toner transfer drum. Each surface area of the drum that is electrically charged by the laser beam is a single dot that will facilitate printing toner on a print medium. The areas of the drum that are not electrically charged by the laser beam will not print toner on the print medium.
The printer rotates the toner cartridge carousel to position one of the four color toner cartridges next to the drum. As the drum rotates and passes next to the toner cartridge, the electrical charge on the surface of the drum attracts the toner which has an opposite static charge from that of the charge on the drum. The toner adheres to the drum in a pattern of small dots wherever the laser beam created an electrical charge on the surface of the drum.
The printer also passes a static electrical charge to a print medium as the medium passes through the printer. Typically the electrical charge applied to the print medium is the same (positive or negative) as the electrical charge on the surface of the toner transfer drum, except that the electrical charge on the print medium is stronger. The drum with the adhered toner turns and presses against the print medium as the medium is passed through the printer. The stronger electrical charge of the print medium pulls the toner off of the drum and onto the print medium. The print medium then passes through a fusing system where pressure and heat permanently bind the toner to produce a printed page.
FIG. 1
shows a color laser printer
10
with a conventional toner cartridge carousel configuration
20
. The carousel configuration
20
includes four separate toner cartridges
22
(two toner cartridges are not shown), a carousel central component
24
, and a toner cartridge engaging mechanism
26
to secure the toner cartridges
22
within the printer
10
. The carousel central component
24
is integrated and mechanized with the color printer
10
and is not removable from the printer in the ordinary course of printer operation (e.g., removing and installing toner cartridges).
The carousel configuration
20
rotates the toner cartridges
22
as needed by the printer
10
during a print job. As illustrated in
FIG. 1
, only two of the four separate and individual toner cartridges
22
(
a
) and
22
(
b
) are visible from outside the printer, and only one toner cartridge
22
(
a
) can be removed or inserted at any one time. Two of the toner cartridges
22
are inaccessible and not visible due to their location on the carousel
20
which rotates the cartridges behind the framework of the printer
10
during operation.
There remains the ever-present need to reduce the expenses incurred during the manufacture and operation of printing devices. In light of conventional color printing devices having four separate toner cartridges that require an independent carousel mechanism for operation, manufacturing expenses can be reduced with an improved toner cartridge assembly. Furthermore, in light of the toner cartridges being single use, disposable items, operating expenses can be reduced with an improved toner cartridge.
SUMMARY
An all-in-one toner cartridge for a printing device is designed as a single unit for installation and removal from the device. The toner cartridge includes multiple toner containers configured to store one or more toners, such as the color toners used in a color laser printer. The toner containers are optionally replaceable, independent sub-cartridges that are designed to fit together in such a manner that they form the toner cartridge into the shape of a cylinder. In addition, each toner container is optionally reusable—it can be independently refilled with toner via fill holes in each toner container.
The toner containers can be interconnected or interlocked along their adjacent edges, or at the point where the toner containers fit together to form the central axis of the cylinder. In the described embodiment, the toner cartridges are pie-shaped subcartridges that extend radially outward from the cylinder axis.
Alternatively, the toner cartridge can be embodied as a single unit having individual toner containers installed or formed within a housing to form a cylinder. The toner containers are pie-shaped and integrated or molded into the housing. Alternatively, the toner containers can also be independent subcartridges made to slide in and out of the housing for replacement purposes.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5557381 (1996-09-01), Sakamoto et al.
patent: 5768662 (1998-06-01), Sugihara et al.
patent: 6192211 (2001-02-01), Kimura
patent: 06-148968 (1994-05-01), None
patent: 09-034208 (1997-02-01), None
patent: 10-254229 (1998-09-01), None
Chen Sophia S.
Hewlett--Packard Company
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