Electrophotography – Internal machine environment – Particle or contaminant control
Patent
1998-09-01
1999-07-27
Brase, Sandra
Electrophotography
Internal machine environment
Particle or contaminant control
399103, G03G 1508
Patent
active
059305592
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
THE STATE OF THE ART
A cartridge with sealing means is described in EP 0 429 152. The means of this cartridge comprises: foam layer, closing the opening, and an upper surface, opposite to said lower surface.
A sealing means including two strips of foam situated left and right of the opening, whether or not afterwards provided with strips in front and back of the small side. This known means comprises a film that completely covers the surface of the strips.
Sealing means for cartridges consisting of a foam layer and a film and from which a small band can be torn off to form an opening are also known. In said known means, the foam layer is completely covered by the film.
The problems found with the existing sealing means are: a too high pull force required to form the opening and/or a process for the recycling of the cartridge which requires a cleaning of the surface of the cartridge, on which the sealing means has to be located.
To solve the problem concerning the pull force, it has been proposed that the small band to be torn off should not be glued onto the foam layer. With this embodiment, there is a danger for ink leaks or leakage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sealing means for forming a seal of an toner cartridge or a toner container, the said cartridge or container having a surface provided with an opening for the passage of toner, preferably a means, whereby the recycling of said cartridges or containers from printers, laser printers, copy machines, etc. is easy. The sealing means includes a film with a small band to be torn off, the pull force to tear off the band of which is not exaggerated, by means of which the recycling of a cartridge or container is possible, with or without cleaning of the surface on which the new seal has to be located (with or without removing the foam parts still sticking on the surface), and by means of which the ink leaks can be avoided or limited. According to the invention, a part of the foam layer which is not covered by the film contacts the toner cartridge, a part of this foam layer covering, with little or no influence on the film, the unevenness of the surfaces of the toner cartridge. This is advantageous for avoiding the leakage problems.
The means according to the invention comprises: between a first end and a second end, said central strip being intended to be torn off from said first end to said second end so as to define an opening between the said lateral strips, said film having two opposite faces, one of which being intended to be directed towards the surface of the container provided with the opening; film; and intended to be directed towards the surface of the container provided with the opening, and a second face opposite to the said first face, the said first face having a first part covered by the film and a second part not covered by the film.
The lateral strips of the film are glued on the said first part of the first face of the foam layer, while the central strip intended to be torn off from the film is not glued on the said foam layer. The pulling means extends along the face of the film opposite to the face intended to be directed towards the surface of the container provided with the opening, the said pulling means being not glued on the foam layer, and, in the neighbourhood of the first end of the central strip, a means binds the foam layer with the lateral strips and with the central strip of the film so as to prevent toner leakage between the film and the foam at said first end of the central strip.
According to another embodiment, a means binds the foam layer with the lateral strips and with the first end of the central strip of the film so as to prevent toner leakage between the film and the foam at said first end of the central strip.
According to another embodiment, a means binds the foam layer with the face of the film intended to be directed towards the surface of the container provided with the opening so as to prevent toner leakage between the film and the foam at said first end of the cent
REFERENCES:
patent: 4931838 (1990-06-01), Ban et al.
patent: 5177540 (1993-01-01), Honda et al.
patent: 5258814 (1993-11-01), Davies
patent: 5282003 (1994-01-01), Michlin
patent: 5523828 (1996-06-01), DeKesel
patent: 5585895 (1996-12-01), Yashiro et al.
patent: 5621508 (1997-04-01), McNamara
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