MXPA97010426A - Toner cartridge with localization on the fotoconduc flechadel - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a toner cartridge for an image forming apparatus, comprising: a toner hopper and a rotating developer roller that receives toner in controlled quantities from the toner hopper, both mounted together as a first unit: a rotating photosensitive roller having a central arrow, a cleaning chamber for cleaning the non-transferred toner from the photosensitive roller, and a cover member extending around and above the hopper, all assembled together as a second unit; a resilient member connected between the first unit and the second unit, for pulling the developer roller and the photosensitive roller and bringing them into contact; locator surfaces on opposite sides of the cartridge, the locator surfaces each comprising: the central arrow of the photosensitive roller that it extends so that the central arrow remains unobstructed in order to serve as a vertical and frontal locator after e., an elongated surface in the center of the cartridge having an unobstructed top surface for receiving downward pressure members from the imaging apparatus, and an edge on one side of the unobstructed hopper to rest on a limb. roller in the image forming device

Description

TONER CARTRIDGE WITH LOCALIZATION ON THE ARROW OF THE PHOTOCONDUCTOR CROSS REFERENCE WITH RELATED APPLICATIONS The following patent applications of the The United States addresses the subject matter disclosed and incorporated in the disclosure of Application Serial No. 08 / 902,648, filed on February 16, 1996, now United States Patent No. 5,654,164, entitled "Multi-Functional Coding Wheel". for cartridges used in an electrophotographic output device ", • five utility applications filed on the same day as this application and entitled" Toner cartridges with flat external installation guides ", with serial number 08 / 770,327; "Toner cartridge with hopper output agitator" with serial number 08 / 770,328; "Toner cartridge with pin and housing construction", serial number 08 / 770,330; "Toner cartridge with thermal field shutter" serial number 08 / 770,334; and "Venting plug in toner cartridge" serial number 08 / 770,329 and an ornamental design application filed the same day as the previous applications entitled "Toner cartridge for laser printer" serial number 29 / 066,775.

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an electrophotographic development and, more particularly, relates to a toner cartridge that does not have a toner pump or associated structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The assignee of this invention has manufactured and sold commercially toner cartridges of two different general designs. For its larger laser printers the cartridge contains a pump for measuring the toner, of the kind disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,012,289 to Aldrich et al. and 5,101,237 from Malloy, while the external structure in the cartridge is as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,136,333 to Craft et al. The details of other cartridge elements have varied. For a smaller light emitting diode printer, the cartridge is also disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,337,032 to Baker et al., Which has a toner hopper that extends well below a level that has the toner addition roller, and having independent driven systems for the photoconductive roller and for the developer roller system, as mentioned in the United States' Patent. 5,331,378 to Baker et al. Cartridges are typically placed by elements in their covers or racks, which are not directly supported on the location of the photoconductor. This invention also employs the arrow of the photoconductive drum as the primary locator and an opposite flat edge for resting on a roller member in the printer. The previous cartridges had at least three wheels that tested on tracks connecting the hopper unit with the housing and the photoconductor unit. These wheels define a plane where two units move to adjust the contact force between the developer roller and the hopper unit and the photoconducting roller in the housing unit. By having all these wheels in the cartridge, it is detrimental that positional variations in the developing unit are added with respect to the paper path. Also, during rough handling, the front wheels of the cartridge tend to break due to the weight of the toner.

EXHIBITING THE INVENTION The invention relates to a toner cartridge containing a photosensitive roller, the central arrow of which is extended in an unobstructed manner so as to be brought into contact by the printer, like a vertical locator facing the rear. A hopper and a developer roller unit are attached to the cover unit by a spring force. The cover unit has elongated surfaces in its central area to receive an oppressive member downward, from the printer. The developer roller and hopper unit has flat edges for rolling on rollers in the printer, thus allowing contact adjustment between the photosensitive roller and the developer roller. An integral cover unit with the photoconductive roller has a locator surface near the hopper, which rests on the printer frame, in a way that positively places the photoconducting roller. The two front support wheels that define the plane of lateral movement between the two units are in the printer, with a flat surface on the hopper to receive these rollers. Since the lower area of the developing unit is part of the path of the medium, by relating the hopper unit to the printer, the positioning accuracy of the path of the insertion means is improved. The cartridge is resistant to rough handling since the corresponding front wheels in the previous cartridge would tend to break. A minor advantage is that the cost of the wheels and their installation is eliminated from the cartridge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS OR FIGURES The details of this invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the toner cartridge from above and the left rear, where to the left the orientation of the printer is determined from its front side, where the insertion of the cartridge is made; Figure 2 is a perspective view from above and the left front of the cartridge, sectioned near the top, - Figure 3 is a top right front view of the cartridge with more removable cover elements; Figure 4 is a right rear, top view of the cartridge, with removable cover elements, Figure 5 is a left rear top view of the cartridge with cover elements removed; Figure 6 is a right rear top view of the cartridge, sectioned similarly to the section of Figure 2; Figure 7 is a top right front view of the cartridge; Figure 8 is a right rear bottom view of the cartridge, - Figure 9 is a right perspective front view of the hopper housing member, - Figure 10 is a left front view of the interior of a printer wherein the cartridge 1 is installed; Figure 11 is a right side view, partly in section, showing more details of the parts of Figure 10, with the cartridge installed; Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the inside of an end member of the hopper, - Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the inside of the other end member of the hopper, - Figure 14 is a view in perspective of a gear plate, - Figure 15 is a perspective view of an easily removable bushing; Figure 16 is a perspective view showing the removable bushing in its installed position, - Figure 17 is a right rear view showing the details of a shutter; Figure 18 is a perspective view of an extended hub inserted in the photoconducting drum; Figure 19 is a right perspective view showing the elements inside the cover, of the cartridge, - Figure 20 is a bottom left perspective view showing the elements inside the cartridge cover, - Figure 21 is a right perspective view showing the parts of the cartridge installed in the printer, - and Figure 22 shows the inside of the cartridge cover where it receives an extension of the hopper, - Figure 23 shows elements of the hopper plug before of the Union; Figure 24 shows the assembled hopper plug only, - and Figure 25 shows a stepped cross section of the hopper plug to illustrate the air flow.

BEST WAY TO CARRY OUT THE INVENTION The removable, self-contained printer cartridge 1 is shown in Figure 1 in a perspective view from above and from the left side (the handles 3a and 3b are considered the front and the side having the upper pivoted plug 5 is the upper side). For purposes of illustration, Figure 1 shows the upper shutter 5 pivoted down to its open position and the lower shutter 7 pivoted back and up towards its open position. In operation, these positions are achieved by interaction with the printer or other device where the cartridge 1 is installed, as will be explained later. To facilitate and guide the insertion of the cartridge 1 inside the printer, the cartridge 1 has a left guide wing 9a and a right guide wing 9b. The guide wings 9a and 9b are thin planes formed as arcs of a relatively large circle, except near the front, where the bottom 9aa is enlarged downward. The guide wings 9a and 9b are mirror images of each other, except that, in this particular embodiment described, the left guide wing 9a is wider (extends more laterally), that the right guide wing 9b, simply to adjust the width provided by a particular printer, is the one to be installed in cartridge 1 eg. In the embodiment described herein, the bottom shutter 7 is pivoted from the left cover 31 a on the upper link actuator arm Ha, and from the rear cover (not shown), on an actuator link arm 11b , upper right, placed on opposite sides of the shutter 7. Each link arm Ha and llb is integrated to an actuator 13a, and 13b, respectively, each of which has a rectangular actuating surface 13aa, and I3bb, respectively, which is extends over the respective guide wings 9a, 9b. A lower, pivoted obturator link 15a and a side of the lower obturator 17a, pivoted towards the lower link 15a and the link of the upper actuator Ha, complete a conventional four-bar linkage to provide rotation of the obturator 7 in response to rotation of the actuator 13a. A rear end of the spiral spring 19a connects to a flat lower hook on the link arm Ha for pushing the shutter 7 and closing it when the cartridge is to be inserted into a printer or other device. The front end of the spiral spring 19a is connected to a flat outer hook on the link arm Ha for pushing the shutter 7 towards the closed position, when the cartridge is not inserted into a printer or other device. The front end of the spiral spring 19a is connected to an upper hole 31aa which is under the actuator 13a. A mirror image of these pieces (see Figure 3) exists on the opposite side, the corresponding part of which will be designated with the same number but with a literal "b". When the cartridge l is installed in the printer, the surface 13aa and 13bb of the actuator are pushed down by mating surfaces of the printer towards the positions that are above the wings 9a, 9b, respectively, as shown in Figure 1 The cartridge 1 is inserted by a human operator holding the handles 3a, 3b through the holes 3aa, 3bb and movement to the cartridge 1 in the direction of the shutter 5 and towards the rear of the printer (291, Figure 10) in where a series of ribs 21 extending upward are being installed, and which are spaced along the width of the cartridge 1 under the handles 3a, 3b, except in the holes 3aa and 3bb, providing strength while the holes 3aa and 3bb provide space for the fingers of a person holding the handles 3a, 3b. On the left side there is a tab 23 that extends upwards and is relatively wide. In a preferred combination of the embodiment of the invention described herein and an example printer, the upper part of the tab 23 interacts with a physical detection switch in the printer to detect a cartridge 1 in which it has been installed. The front cover 25, on which the handles 3a, 3b, the ribs 21 and the tongue 23 are integrally formed, are located above a separate toner hopper, as will be described below. The upper cover of the cleaning chamber 27 is towards the rear of the shutter 5. Immediately inside the wings 9a and 9b are the elongated and raised locator surfaces 29a, 29b, to which pressure is applied by a printer to firmly place the cartridge toner mechanisms 1, when it is installed. The locating surfaces 29a and 29a, the wings 9a and 9b, as well as the rear cover 31 under the wing 9a, are formed integrally with the cleaning housing 27. Also integral with these elements is the front cover 25, which has the lugs 3a, 3b and an outer cover 33 on the left side and which generally extend together along the length of the front cover 25. The cover 33 has a U-shaped housing 35 at its top. The housing 35 catches the separate buttons 37a, as will be explained below and an assembly hole 39a near the upper front part of the cover 33 and a spring holding hole 39b near the lower front part of the cover 33. A coupler 41 receives a driving element of a printer containing an Oldam coupler for rotationally driving the developing roller 43 (not shown in Figure 1) and the toner adding roller 45 (not shown in Figure 1). In the rear 1 of the coupler 41 is the arrow 47 of the photoconductive drum 49 (drum not shown in Figure 1). Figure 2 is a perspective view from above and the left front part of the cartridge 1 sectioned near the top to show the internal elements. In the intermediate front part there is a cylindrical toner hopper 61, large, having a pallet 63 that during the operation rotates in the clockwise direction as seen in Figure 2. The pallet 63 has an external bar 63a toner mover, which extend across the width of the hopper 61, except for a remote left section 63aa that is embedded, as will be explained. The outer wall 61a of the hopper 61, when the cartridge 1 is installed to operate in a printer, ends in about one third of the total height of the hopper 61 in the form of a flat surface 61aa (specifically, the hopper 61 has a diameter 106 mm and the distance vertically from the lowest point of the hopper 61 towards the horizontal plane coincides with the surface 61aa of the highest point of the rear wall 61a being 35.3 mm). The upper surface 6la of the rear wall 6la is thin and flat at an angle slightly downward from the hopper 61 to facilitate removal of the molded part, from the mold. An extension 65a that comes from a stir bar 65, has a hanging tab 65b (see Figure 9) that rests on the top wall 6la, thereby placing the bar 65 above the top wall 61aa. The extension 65a extends beyond the top wall 61aa to a location where the bar 63a of the pallet 63 meets the extension 65a as it closes. The surface 61aaa opposite the surface 61aa from which the toner exits is flat and is approximately 50 degrees from the vertical (best seen in Figure 9) when the cartridge 1 is installed to operate in a printer. The vertical rib 67 placed immediately behind the rear wall 61a has stiffeners for the upper wall 69 formed in approximately one third down from the top of the hopper 61. The toner moving bar 63a of the pallet 63 is placed closely adjacent at the sides of the hopper 61, except where the upper part of the rear wall 61a and the beginning of the upper wall 69 form an opening for toner, which are to be delivered backwards from the hopper 61 towards the toner mechanisms of the toner. cartridge 1. This is best seen in Figure 9. In Figure 2, a small portion of the roller developing the roller 43 to which it is attached directly to the coupler 41 is seen beyond the ribs 67. The developing roller 43 is parallel to the photoconductor drum 49 of contact with it. The cleaning chamber 27 has internal deflectors 71, vertical and separate, which are stiffening members, as well as limiting members for the unbalanced accumulation of toner in the chamber 27. The toner that is not transferred during the development is scraped and separated from the photoconductive drum 49 by the cleaning blade 73, which is mounted on a vertical panel 73a having a horizontal gusset 73aa to increase the strength. As best seen in Figure 3, panel 73a is mounted to support member 75 having vertical columns 75a (Figure 2), 75b on opposite sides. The panel 73a is mounted to the vertical columns 75a, 75b by a screw 77a to column 75a and a screw 77b to column 75b. Figure 3 is a top side view with 1 other removed cover elements and a part of the cleaner removed to illustrate the internal configuration of the cartridge 1. A solid steel bar scraper blade 91 extends parallel to the developer roller 43 and is brought into press contact therewith. The blade 91 is brought into contact with the roller 43 at about 20 from the vertical, towards the toner adding roll 45. As also shown in Figure 3 there is also the metal electrical contact 93 with the scraper blade 91. , to the metal electrical contact 95 with the toner addition roller 45 and to the metal electrical contact 97 with the developer roller 43. The outer ends 93a, 95a, 97a of the contacts are supported against metal contacts in the printer when the cartridge 1 is installed and in this way it makes electrical contact to receive electrical potentials from the printer. The developer system of the cartridge 1 is essentially very similar to that of the Optra brand family of printers sold by the assignee of the invention. In view of the fact that in that family of printers the toner-adding roller 45 is a conductive sponge material attached to a steel arrow and a developing roller 43 is a semiconductor material attached to a steel arrow. When the cartridge 1 is installed to operate in a printer, the cartridge 1 is generally oriented as shown in Figure 3 and in the horizontal plane containing the lowest surface of the toner addition roller 45 in 22.6 mm above the dot lower of the hopper 61. The toner addition roller 45 and the developer roller 43 are articulated in the rearwardly positioned extensions 99a and 101a (Figure 4) of the end members 99 and 101 (Figure 4) of the hopper 61. The agitator 65 has a bent portion 65aa to be parallel with the extension 99a where it is pivoted towards an extension 99a on the pin 103a. As the paddle 63 rotates, the bar 63a comes into contact with the extension 65a, thereby causing the agitator 65 to rotate about the pin 103a upwards. The agitator 65 then returns to the position near the back wall 61a, under the force of gravity to dislodge the toner, otherwise it would tend to accumulate on the exit surface 61aaa (see Figure 9). Figure 4 is a top right rear view with some cover elements removed, and where the end elements 99 and 101 of the hopper 61 and its extensions 99a and 101a are more fully shown. In an integrated manner with the end member 101 is a separator button 37b. Under the separator button 37b and in front of this is a spring mounting post 131b that mounts one end of the spring 132b, the other end is mounted on the hole 242 (better seen in the Figure twenty) . Also integrated with the end member 101 is a perpendicular shield wall 133, which extends downwardly and rearwardly to present a barrier in order to physically protect the coding wheel 135. The bottom portion of the wall 133 forms a surface of flat contact 133a to receive a locating roller from the printer, when the cartridge 1 is installed. The coding wheel 135 is linked to the pallet 63 through a pallet gear unit 163 having a torsional deformation member (Figure 5) in order to provide information as to the amount of toner in the hopper 61 for the printer wherein the cartridge 1 is installed, by detecting the location of the window 135a. Additionally, another window 135b provides other information, while the wider window 135c provides a source location reference. Light blocking select tags 136 are positioned between the windows 135b and 135c and block the windows of a series of windows 135b to thereby customize the information on the wheel 135. The details of operations of the coding wheel 135 are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 08/602, 648, filed on February 16, 1996, now United States Patent 5,634,169, entitled "Multiple Function Coding Wheel for Cartridges Used in an Electrophotographic Output Device", and does not constitute a contribution to the invention of this specification. Figure 4 also shows electrical contacts 93, 95 and 97, are supported by the floor 137 extending perpendicularly from the hopper extension 101a. The vertical ribs 139 extend from the floor 137 between the contacts 93, 95 and 97 to strengthen the floor 137. The mounting roller 141a is hinged to the hopper extension 99a and the symmetrical mounting roller 141b is mounted to the extension hopper 101a. The rollers 14la and 141b are brought into contact with inner surfaces of the cartridge cover 1, as will be described. The surfaces 133a and 161a (Figure 5) of the hopper 61 rest on rollers in the printer, as will be described later. The hopper and the member 101 have an opening that receives a cylindrical plug 143, elastic, tight fit. Before installing the plug 143, the toner is loaded into the hopper 61 through the open hole, then the plug 143 seals the hole. The photoconductive roller 49 has at its right end a drive gear 145 for the transfer roller, which drives a roller in the printer when the cartridge 1 is installed in the printer. Figure 5 is a top left rear view covering the removed elements, showing more fully the outside of the members 99 and 99a of the hopper 61. Integrated with the end member 99 is a separator button 37a. Below and in front of the button 37a is a spring mounting post 131a, which mounts a spring end 132a, the other end is mounted in a hole in the member 431 (Figure 19), which is an internal extension of the cover 33 (Figure 2). Also integrated with the member 99 is a perpendicular shield or shield 161, which extends downwardly and rearwardly towards a barrier in order to physically protect the torsional gear unit 163. The lower wall portion 161 forms a flat contact surface 161a for receiving a locating roller from the printer, when it is in the cartridge 1. The details of the pallet gear unit 163 are not part of this invention and will be more fully disclosed in the Application Patent aforementioned Serial No. 08 / 602,048, nowadays United States Patent No. 634,169. The gear 49a, integrated with the end of the photoconductive drum 49, receives power from a coupling gear in the printer when the cartridge 1 is installed therein. The coupler 41 is integrated with the developer roller 43 and drives the idler gear 165, which in turn drives the toner adding roller 45 (Figure 3) into engagement with the gear 167, which is integrated to the toner adding roller 45. The coupler 41 receives power from some impeller in the printer that is separate from the impeller of the drum 49, but preferably from a single motor in the printer. The gear 167 drives the large gear of the compound gear 169. The gear 169 drives the large gear of the compound gear 171 and the gear 171 drives the blade gear 163. A gear plate 173, the mounting plates 165 and 169, are mounted on the hopper extension 99a by mounting screws 175. Figure 5 shows the end of the agitator 65 opposite to that shown in Figure 3. That end has a bent portion 65bb to be parallel to an extension 101a of the end member. 101 when pivoted to the extension 101a of a pin 103b. Continuing the detailed description of the cartridge incorporating a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 is a top right rear view sectioned near the top similar to the sectioning of Figure 2. Figure 6 illustrates more clearly the blade assembly scraper 91, mounted to press the developer roller 43, under the thrust of a leaf spring 191. The blade 91 is placed on the left rear part, by the tongue 361 (observe it in Figure 14), and in the rear part by the extension 196a (Figure 12) of the hopper end member 99, forming front and rear barriers to support the left side of the scraper blade 91. Similarly, on the right side, two surfaces 101a, including a rear extension 365 ( which is best seen in Figure 13) and a front extension 366 (Figure 13) form the front and back of the support of the right side of the scraper blade 91, symmetrically to the cage holding the left side of the blade 91 The upper part of the blade 91 is supported by a spring 191. An adhesive tape 192 through the top of the blade 91 bridges the adjacent horizontal edge of the wall 69 (Figure 2) to be sealed in a conventional way The spring 191 has blunt ends 191a and 191b, spaced from the center, which come into contact with the blade 91 to push it down on the developer roller 43. A central edge 197, integrated into the ribs 67, forms a cavity that receives the center of the spring 191. The horizontal edges 199a and 199b, opposite the central parts of the spring 191, are formed integrally with the ribs 67, and serve as horizontal barriers to prevent the spring 191 from moving forward. Preferably, in order to allow handling of the cartridge 1, which could occur during shipping, the solid top stop members (not shown) are bonded by adhesive on both sides, on each side between the edges 199a and 199b and sides 99a and 101a, respectively. These are separated by 0.18 mm above the top of the blade 91 and therefore come into contact with the blade 91 only during rough handling. Figure 6 also illustrates the posts 14laa and 141bb, which are molded as extensions of the members 99a and 101a, respectively, and which support the mounting rollers 141a and 141b, respectively (Figure 5). Figure 7 is a lower left front view illustrating the externally observed cartridge 1. A series of horizontal depressions 221 along the rear of the hopper 61 provide a roughened surface for the big toes, when the cartridge is clamped, through the openings 3aa and 3bb.

A series of relatively long vertical ribs 223, integrated to the bottom of the hopper 61, serve as paper or other media guide, while a series of shorter ribs 225, located rearwardly of the start of the ribs 223 and between the ribs 223 , prevents the medium from being attacked as it encounters the photoconductive drum 49, located immediately after the ribs 223 and 225. Beyond the barrel 49, the medium is furthermore located with the middle guide ribs 227 located at the bottom of the shutter 7. Figure 7 also provides a very clear view of the idle gear 165 and gear 167. Figure 8 is an illustration of the right back, seen from below, of the cartridge 1, observed externally. The complete right guide wing 9b is shown with an enlarged front 9bb. Figure 8 shows the right cover elements that were canceled in Figure 6. A front lower cover section 241 is over most of the coding wheel 135 and has an access hole 243 for easy assembly and has an opening access 244 (best seen in Figure 20). The cover section 241 is hidden outwardly in a small amount to provide space for the spring 132b (Figure 20) so as to extend between the post 131b (Figure. 4) and hole 242 (best seen in Figure 20). Generally, above and forward of a cover section 241 and integrated therewith, there is a cover section 245, which is on the remainder of the upper front part of the cartridge 1. The section 245 has a housing in the shape of U 247 on its upper part, which catches the separator button 37b. At the rear of the section 245 opposite the area above the photoconductive drum 49, rectangular channels 249 are placed with the second rectangular channel 249a and the last rectangular channel 249b opening to pass air to cool the photoconductive drum 49 during cartridge operation 1. The remote rear portion 251 of this particular embodiment of the invention described herein assembles the links 11b and 17b with the shutter 7. The bottom section 253 of the cover located below and forward of the passages 249a and 249b mounts to the arrow 47 of the photoconductive drum 49 and has two symmetrical upper vents 255a and 255b for passing air for cooling the drum 49. Figure 9 is a front right perspective view of the housing of the molded plastic member 271 which forms the central portion and the central extension of the hopper 61, with the end member 99 attached and the agitator 65 installed. It is observed that it forms a cylindrical chamber with an outlet opening formed between wall 69 and wall 61a. An inlay or insert 273 in the lower rear part of the hopper 61 provides space for the rollers in the printer. As best seen in Figure 2, the vane bar 63a has an inlay for the left section 63aa in order to make room for the insert or inlay 273. The member 271 has a slot 275 around its right side. A similar slot is directly near the left side. The end member 101 has a coupling rim 321 (Figure 13). During manufacture the slot 275 engages the flange 321 in end member 101 and the two are joined by ultrasonically created heat welding. The member 99 is welded to the left side of the member 271 in the same manner as the flange 322 (Figure 12) is inserted into a coupling slot (not shown) on the left side of the member 271. A sample 277 above the extension 65a of the agitator allows sufficient rotation of the agitator 65 to allow the vane arm 63a to pass beyond the extension 65a while preventing the agitator 65 from completely turning over.

DEVELOPER UNIT The housing 271 and its joined end members 99 and 101, form the toner hopper 61. The extension 101a is articulating the toner adding roller 45 and the developing roller 43. The engagement plate 173, which is attached to the extension 99a by the screw 175, articulates the opposite ends of the toner adding roller 45 and the developing roller 43. Consequently , a single unit of the hopper 65 is formed backwards to the developer roller 43, inclusive.

PHOTOCONDUCTOR UNIT AND COVER The handles 3a, 3b of the front cover 25, the left outer cover 33, the rear wall 31, (Figure 1) the right cover sections 241, 245 and 251, (Figure 8) the wings 9a, 9b and cleaning chamber 27 are a single molded part. The photoconductor 49 is articulated in this part with its arrow 47 extending beyond the covers on opposite sides. The plug 7 is movably supported with the left cover 31 and the right rear cover 251. Consequently, a single unit of the cover members, the photoconductive drum 49 and the shutter 7 are formed. In use, the spring 132a and 132b pull the developer roller 43 against the photoconductive drum 49 at a predetermined tension. When the cartridge 1 is picked up, the developing unit and the photoconductor and cover unit rotate under gravity until the button 37a (Figure 1) is brought into contact with the housing 35 and the button 37b (Figure 8) is brought into contact with the housing 247, holding the two units together in this way.

LOWER SHUTTER AS THERMAL BARRIER The lower shutter 7, when open, covers the entire lower surface of the cleaning chamber. The material of the plug 7 is polycarbonate, or material that deflects the heat from the fixing operation that occurs after the paper is pulled back from the contact with the photoconductive drum 49. The material of the body of the photoconductor unit and cover, hopper 61, end members 99 and 101 and plug 5 are made of polystyrene, which is lower cost than polycarbonate. The additional cost of the plug 7 being polycarbonate is justified since the plug 7 provides thermal protection to the cleaner 27, which allows the member to be made of polystyrene.

AGITATOR BAR SYSTEM The cartridge toner 1 is monocomponent, which can get stuck and become cohesive when left without movement for a certain time. This jamming and settling of the toner can be aggravated by slight vibrations generated by the printer motor and the gear train in the laser printer. Failure to supply the toner from the wall 61a by the inclined exit surface 61aaa is a consequence of the settling, clogging and cohesive nature of the monocomponent toner in the hopper 61. The resting angle of the seated toner (i.e. a surface on which the seated toner rests before it "falls" below its own weight) can reach or exceed 90 degrees. The exit surface 61aaa is tilted upwards by approximately 50 degrees from the vertical, during operation (angle A, Figure 9), allowing the toner to get stuck in a pile that does not reach the toner 45 adding roller. leads to premature failure of the printer, called "deprivation", as if it were an empty cartridge. Experimentally, up to 230 grams of the 465 gram capacity of the toner hopper 61 have been found in the hopper 61 of the cartridge 1 when the deprivation occurs due to the existence of a stagnant toner stack, which prevents the administration of toner. toner to the toner 45 toner roller.

Stirring bar 65 solves toner deprivation problems and toner management failure towards toner adding roll 45. The primary function of stir bar 65 is to prevent toner deprivation to deliver toner from the developer sump inlet towards the toner additive roller, thus avoiding premature failure in printing. As the pallet 63 of the hopper rotates counterclockwise (Figure 3) it reaches a point in its envelope, where it begins to contact the extension 65a and the lifting shaker bar 65. The vane 63 continues to raise the shaking bar 65 until it loses its engagement with the extension 65a. At this point, the stirring bar 65 falls backwards by gravity towards the rest position, carrying the toner from the entrance of the development chamber to the toner addition roller (although it is not useful for the embodiment described here, a alternative is a pad over the extension 65a or over the upper wall 65aa, which will cushion the fall.This pad can also serve as a spacer to control the position of the agitator in the low position and remove the tab 65b). At the top of its travel, the stir bar 65 is out of the path of the main vane 63 of the sump and approaches a notch 277 in the hopper housing 271 (Figure 9). The notch 277 provides space for the stir bar 65 to clear the end of the hopper blade 634, and prevents overrunning of the stirring arm 65, which could cause locking in an upward position when the cartridge is transported, stored or stored. Handles on the outside of the machine. In the upward position, the stir bar 65 forms a substantially vertical wall on the hopper wall 61a. The initial opening above the wall 61a is approximately 26.7 mm, while the height of the bar 65 that faces this opening is 7 mm. This leaves room for the toner coming from the main drain to flow between the agitator 65 and the sloping wall 61aaa. It also serves as a temporary barrier to prevent the administration of excessive amounts of toner from the hopper 61 to the toner-adding roller 45. As the stirring bar 65 falls into the resting position, the toner recently administered as well as the toner stationary that rests on the wall 65aaa are pushed towards the toner addition roller 45. The movement of the agitator 65 also agitates the toner in the area above and towards the developer roller towards the contact point of the scraper blade 91, helping to avoid 'the packing and stagnating of toner in this volume.

The agitator 65 can preferably be implemented by stamping (or laser cutting) and can be formed from a metal sheet with spring characteristics, which maintains the shape of the agitator during assembly and operation. The complete part comprising the bar 65, the extension 65a and the folded portions 65aa and 65bb, can preferably be made by stamping all the features in one operation. As shown for the preferred embodiment, illustrated herein, the bar 65 may have a length approximately equal to the length of the toner adding roller, which may be, for example, 220 mm; and have an example height of approximately 7 mm; a thickness of 1.3 mm, which is selected to give an agitator mass of the whole stamped piece, for example about 20 grams. As the stir bar 65 is driven by gravity, it is selected that the mass or weight provides a sufficient driving force to push the toner stagnant along the wall 65aaa towards the toner-adding roller 45, but the mass or weight is limited so that it does not affect the torque detection function of the hopper blade 6. The articulation segments 65aa and 65bb and the associated distance from the pins 103a and 103b towards the stirring bar 65, determine the arc sweep of the bar 65, as it falls from the upward position to the downward position. . In the present preferred embodiment, the pivot distance of 13.5 mm, for example, allows the pallet to be swept from an upward position, which leaves a space of 3 mm between the bottom of the bar 65 and the wall 61aa, towards a 3 mm position above the toner 45 add roller. With this design the weight of the pallet is effectively applied to move the toner over the distance swept by the arc. A shorter pivot distance would result in an insufficient trip to capture and manage toner, and would require a heavier paddle to exert the same force on the toner, at the distance swept across the arc. The pins 103a and 103b are smaller diameter (e.g. 1 mm) than their holes in which they fit in the portions 65aa and 65bb to prevent adhesion due to toner buildup. The extension 65a is long enough to engage the active segment of the pallet 63. Additionally, the length of the extension 65a is long enough to overlap the active segment of pallet 63 when the extension 65a first engages with the pallet 63 to avoid the scraping of the pallet surface. A small radius (0.5 mm, for example) is placed on the lower tip of the extension 65a to avoid scraping the blade 63 as it releases the extension 65a. The overall length and elasticity of the agitator 65 allows it to be assembled on the pins 103a and 103b simply by separating the pieces. Accordingly, the design of the agitator functions to resolve stalling or deprivation of toner and to deliver toner from the entrance of the hopper 61 to the toner adding roller 45, in the active area. The agitator 65 and its extensions 65a, 65aa and 65bb are one piece. The bar 65 of the agitator is internally driven, without gears, cams or external seals as would be required by an externally driven agitator. Therefore the cost of the gears and the complexity, the seals, the friction and the toner leaks are eliminated in the problem areas. The agitator 65 is frequently activated enough to move the toner and prevent deprivation, without adding excessive agitation or damaging the toner. This design improves the first-in, first-out, toner management from hopper 61 to the smaller area containing the toner 45 adding roller, avoiding excessive toner management in the raised position and discouraging return of toner from the area of the toner adding roller 45 to the hopper 61.

DIMENSIONS With the cartridge installed for operation, the location of the contact point of the toner adding roller 45 with the developer roller 43 is 105 degrees from the vertical. The contact point angle of the photoconductive drum 49 relative to the developing roller 43 is 95 degrees from the vertical. As noted earlier, the point of contact of the scraper blade is 20 degrees from the vertical. The length that comes from the bottom of the hopper 61 towards the horizontal plane that coincides with the edge of the upper surface 69 near the hopper 61 is 61.96 mm, creating an initial opening of approximately 26.7 mm (as indicated previously, the bottom surface 61aa is 35.3 mm). The upper surface 69 has a slightly upward angle to a higher point at 64.34 mm. The diameter of the toner adding roller 45 is 14 mm and is located with its circumference of 1 mm above the bottom of the hopper body 271 immediately below it. The diameter of the developer roller 43 is 20.11 mm and is located on its circumference 2 mm above the bottom of the hopper body 271, immediately below it. The length from the bottom of the hopper 61 to the horizontal plane that coincides with the bottom of the developer roller 43 is 23.7 mm, and the length corresponding to the bottom of the toner addition roller 45 is 22.6 mm. The diameter of the photoconductive drum 49 is 30 mm. The bottom of the body 271 under the rollers 43 and 45 is at 6 degrees, at an upward angle to provide sufficient space to guide the ribs 225 on the outside of the body 271.

INSTALLATION OF THE CARTRIDGE Figure 10 is a left front view of the interior of a printer with which the cartridge of the invention described herein can be used as a preferred embodiment. The cartridge 1 is installed in the printer 291 (Figure 10) from the front to the end position that remains inside the printer 291. To achieve this, the guide wings 9a and 9b are initially guided by a lower track 293 on a track curved, which guide the cartridge 1 under the laser print head (not shown) and on the paper feeder elements 295. The path is downward, which uses gravity while the cartridge 1 is inserted, thus facilitating insertion. The guide 293 (and a guide not shown, which is a mirror image of the guide 293 on the opposite side of the printer 291) has the same curvature as the wings 9a, 9b so that the wings 9a, 9b can follow guide 293 and its opposite guide. The upper guide 297 is parallel to the guide 293. The guide 297 extends further into the printer than the guide 293. A guide (not shown), which is a mirror image of the guide 297, is on the opposite side of the guide 297. the printer 291. The guide 297 encounters a driving surface 13bb much earlier during the insertion of the cartridge 1. As the cartridge 1 moves backward, the operating surface 13bb is rotated to open the shutter 7 (as surface 13aa rotates upon encountering a mirror image of guide 297 on the left side of the printer). This early movement of the shutter 7 is very advantageous as it eliminates the need for space and mechanisms that would be required if the drive were to occur at the end of the insertion of the cartridge 1. Also shown in Figure 10 is the right reference position roller 299 over which the contact surface 133a rests when the cartridge is inserted. The contact surface 161a will rest on an identical roller (not shown) on the opposite side of the printer 291. Back of the roller 299 is the V-block 301, which is shown more clearly in Figure 11, and uh electrical contact associated 302. Further back is a vertical tab 303 which will contact the shutter 7 to keep it open, as will be described. As cartridge 1 is inserted, the fins 9a, 9b are guided by the guides 293 and 297 and the mirror image guide (not shown) on the opposite side of the printer 291. A continuous insertion, the fins 9a, 9b fit out of the lower guide 293 (and its mirror image guide) and the arrow 47 of the photoconductive drum 49 falls within the V block 301 and a mirror image of the V block (not shown) on the opposite side of the printer 291. A thin metal sheet hanging 302 (Figure 11, shown in the side view) is brought into contact and bent a little by the arrow 47 as it is guided by the block in V 301. This creates a connection to operate the potential towards the arrow 47. When the cartridge 1 falls towards the V-block 301, the tongue 303 comes into contact with the plug 7 to keep it open. Prior to this, the longer length of the upper guide 297 was sufficient to keep the shutter 7 open. In this final position of the cartridge 1, this is located more precisely with respect to the functional elements. The cartridge 1 is held in the printer 291 as described below, in the heading "Reference Surfaces".

To remove the cartridge, it is held by the handles 3a, 3b and pulled rapidly downwards and outwards. The fins 9a and 9b enter again between the guides 293 and 297 and the cartridge can be pulled and released.

MANUFACTURING THE CARTRIDGE All molded parts follow the technical requirements (to avoid distortion during cooling) to maintain adjacent surfaces with the same thickness. Consequently, the molded buttons seen from the rear (shown for example in Figure 13) appear as holes seen from that part. The circles in the drawings with curved lines that cross, indicate the gate where the molten resin will be received, towards the interior of the mold (shown for example in Figure 13). The cartridge unit 1 begins with the attachment of the hopper body 271 to its end members 99 and 101, with the pallet 63 installed. The interior of the end member 99 is shown in Figure 12 and the interior of the member 101 is shown in Figure 1. The two pieces are molded of polystyrene resin. Each of the members 99 and 101 is coupled to its corresponding body side 271 (Figure 9). The flanges 321 of the member 101 enter the slot 275 on the right edge of the member 271. The flange 322 of the member 99 enters the slot (not shown) on the left edge of the member 271 that coincides with the flange 322. These portions are they hold tightly in a fixation and are ultrasonically joined, with the paddle 63 inserted before the last of the two end members is welded together. A bushing (not shown) then snaps into the central hole 325 of the member 101 about the arrow on the blade 63 and a second bushing (not shown) similarly presses about the arrow on the blade 63 in the central hole 329. The stir bar 65 (Figure 9) is then flexed and installed by mounting the end portion 65aa of the pin 103a and the end portion 65bb on the pin 103b. The toner additive roller 45 with low friction washers at each end is then installed by angling its arrow through hole 333 (Figure 12) in member 99, straightening and then moving roller 45 laterally to make that its arrow passes through a snap-fit bushing (not shown) into the receptacle 335 of member 101. Before installing the toner-adding roller 45 and the mesh plate 173, a sickle-shaped seal is installed which it has a semicircular central body (not shown), on each side of the location of the developer roller 43. This seal is illustrated in the Bulletin IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 33, No. 3B, August 1990, pp. 29-30, entitled "Toner Seal for Printer." The location of this seal on the right side of the surface labeled 383 is shown in Figure 13. This is what typically happens as a putty is first applied at each end of the location so that the seal and seal ends Flexible elongate is pressed into the putty. The seal has ridges directed slightly towards the center. A seal system like this is the one used essentially in the previous cartridges. The scraper blade 91 (best seen in Figure 6) is then installed by pulling it vertically upwardly behind the flange 365 (Figure 13) to the right. In the complete cartridge 1, the blade 91 is held at the bottom, by contact with the developer roller 43. The developer roller 43 with the low friction washers at each end, is installed by placing the left end of its arrow beyond the member of end 99 (Figure 12) and by threading the right end of its arrow through the central hole of hub 375, shown in Figure 15. The meshing plate 173 is shown alone in Figure 14. It has a hole 351 to receive the arrow of the toner addition roller 45 and the hole 359 for the arrow of the developer roller 43. A central hole 353 will receive the screw 175 but the hole 353 is considerably larger than the arrow of the screw 175. The engagement plate 173 has an arrow 355, an arrow 357 and a tongue 361 extending to the right. The engagement plate 173 is brought to the member 99 while the arrows of the toner adding roller 45 and the developing roller 43 are placed through the holes 351 and 359, respectively. The engagement plate 173 is rotated until the tongue 361 abuts the edge of the scraper blade 91. This serves as a locator for the engaging plate 173 and the scraper blade 91. The screw 175 is then tightened in the hole 353. to fix plate 173 in that position. Gears 169, 165 and 171 are pressed on arrows 355, 357 and 363 (Figure 5, on member 99). (As shown in Figure 14, these arrows have an enlarged head with a space so that it can be flexible when a force of pressure is received). The gear 167 is also pressed onto the arrow of the toner adding roll 45. The paddle gear unit 163 is pressed onto the paddle arrow 63. These gears and the drive coupling 41 are keyed on their arrows by two matching cross sections on the arrow. "D" shape. The bushing 375 has a flat outer segment 377 which allows the bushing 375 to enter the opening 379 (FIG. 13) in the member 101, since the opening 379 is circular with an open segment in less than half a circle, where the 375 bushing can adjust in one orientation. The bushing 375 is then rotated in a direction to rotate the lower tab 381 downward, which removes the orientation in which the bushing 375 can fit through the incomplete segment 379 and locks the bushing 375 in place. The installed bushing 375 is shown in Figure 16. In operation, the developer roller 43 rotates in a direction that causes the tab 381 to rotate downwardly. The advantage of the bushing 375 is that it provides a relatively easy installation and easy change of the developer roller 43 in case a member requires to be replaced during the subsequent tests. The impeller copy 41 is then pressed on the left end of the arrow of the developing roller 43, using a locating wedge to separate the copy 41 slightly from the cover 31. The mounting rollers 141a and 141b are pre-applied by press fit during the end of the hopper 61. An adhesive tape is applied through the top of the scraper blade 91. A spring or spring 191 then flexes in place to urge the scraper blade 91 downwardly. After the toner is installed and tested for leaks, the aforementioned upper stop members on each side of the edges 199a and 199b are applied individually and remain in place, held by their adhesive layer at the rear. The coding wheel 135 is also installed by snap fit. With the rollers 43 and 45 and the scraper blade 91 in place, the metal contact 93 is inserted between the ribs 139. The contact 93 has sides in the shape of an arrow head for joining the ribs 139 and extends upwards and over the two posts 385 (Figure 4) in the member 101a and extending towards a bent end which is pressed against the scraper blade 91. The contacts 95 and 97 similarly have arrowhead-shaped sides that are buried in the ribs 139 and they end in short bent ends 387, 389, respectively, which are pressed against the arrows of the roller 45 and 43, respectively. Contact grease is added to the contacts and arrows. All of the above is part of the revelatory unit. The photoconductor and cover unit is assembled separately. The wiper blade panel 73a (see Figure 3) is installed using screws 77a and 77b. Link arms 11, 17b, 17b and 15a, 15b are assembled in a known manner by buttons having extensions that enter coupling holes in adjacent arms. The arms are then rotated towards operating positions where the extensions do not find openings and therefore lock the members together while leaving them free to rotate. Links 13a to Ha and 13b to llb are held by a pin 401 with the hitch, as shown in Figure 17. The pin 401 has a circular flexible arm 403 and the arms Ha and llb have a engaging edge 405b (the edge of the opposite side is not shown). The pin 401 is inserted through the holes of the member 13a and Ha and another pin 401 is inserted through the holes of the members 13b and llb. The pins 401 are then rotated until their arms 403 flex around the flanges 405b and the flange on the opposite side, respectively, and then recover, to engage under the flange 405b and the flange on the opposite side, respectively. This keeps the four-bar linkage in place. The pin 401 has an arrow 407 (best seen in Figure 4), which extends into the slot (not shown), on each side of the cleaner 27 to add stability to each of the four-bar linkages. The plug 7 is installed by flexing the plug 7 and placing the pin 431b and the pin on the opposite side (Figure 1) and inserting a pin 431b and the pin on the opposite side, into the holes in the sides of the locating surface 29a, 29b, respectively. The pin 431b has a spiral compression spring 433 wound around it, which is tensioned to push the cover 7 upwards. As best seen in Figure 19, one end of the spring 132a is connected through a hole in the connector tongue 431 of the cover 33, on one side, and the opposite end of the spring 132a is temporarily attached to the hole 39a of the cover 33. As seen in Figure 20, the spring 132b is connected through a hole in the connector tongue 242 of the cover 241, on one side and the opposite end of the spring 132b is temporarily attached to the hole 243 of the cover. the cover 241. The photoconductive drum 49 is installed inside the cleaner housing unit, placing the drum and the two gears 49a and 145 (see Figures 4 and 5) in position to the thin washer (not shown) on the left side , and inserting the arrow 47 through that unit and the accommodations 31 (Figure 2) and 253 (Figure 8). Typical E-shaped fasteners are installed at each end of the eyebrow 47 to keep the drum and the arrow preventing lateral movement. As shown in Figure 18, an extension hub 145a of the gear 145 has an internal copper blade 421 with three sharp points 421a. The copper sheet 421 has an elongated member 421b that extends over the central hole. The hub 145a is inserted into the drum 49. The points 421a are buried within the aluminum cylinder that forms the interior of the drum 49, creating a physical as well as electrical connection. The arrow 47 is then screwed through the gear 145, the drum 49 and then through the gear 49a. This bends the elongated member 421b so that it is pressed against the arrow 47 and makes electrical contact. The developer unit is then placed before the photoconductor unit and cover and the two are removed together. The covers 33 and 241, 245 flex outwards and then close in their final position. The springs 132a and 132b are removed from the holes 39a and 243 and manually attached to the buttons 131a and 131b, respectively. This completes the cartridge 1. It will be easily understood that any gasket where the toner is contained should be sealed. Immediately inside the bearings of the toner blade 63 and the toner adding roll 45, synthetic rubber end seals are placed. Figure 13 shows a receptacle 335 having upper and lower tabs, which receive the seal, the seal has engaging extensions that fit into the tabs to prevent rotation thereof. The ends of the cleaning chamber 27 have foam walls with exterior adhesive to ensure their positioning. As you know, other extended joints have a plastic tape (polyethylene terephthalate) where one side has pressure sensitive adhesive applied along this, through the adhesive. As is well known, the developer roller 43 is sealed with a tape that is cantilevered from the bottom of the body 271 that is to be placed in front of the roller 43. A second adhesive strip seals the trailing edge away from the body 271. This seal It is basically typical and is not part of the invention.

TONER In a cartridge of the preferred embodiment 1, monocomponent electrophotographic toner is used, which may be basically of the conventional type. The amount of toner in the hopper 61 is limited by the pressure that deteriorates the print quality and the toner level detection • by the toner resistance in the pallet 63. When the cartridge 1 is in the installed position, a higher level Typical toner will be 10 mm above the upper barrier wall 61aa. The presence of toner at that higher typical level is indicated in Figure 9 by 425 surface toner lines, but the toner is shown as transparent, to facilitate understanding of the drawing. The real toner is, of course, a dry and opaque powder.

During use, the toner is depleted to lower levels and moved by the pallet 63. As is conventional, the developer roller 43 applies toner 425 to the photoconductive drum 49 to reveal electrostatic images on the photoconductive drum 49.

REFERENCE SURFACES Figure 19 shows only the roller 141a of the hopper unit, as it is finally installed and, for example, placed on a flat surface 441 which is an extension of the cover 33. Similarly, Figure 20 shows only the roller 141b of the hopper unit, in the form finally installed and, therefore, located on a flat surface 443 which is an extension of the cover 241. This placement of a unit with the photoconductive roller and a unit with the roller developer for lateral adjustment of the rollers, is essentially the same as the cartridges of the prior art.

However, in the described embodiment of the cartridge of this invention, the cartridge 1 has the flat surfaces 133a and 161a and the printer 291 has the second set of rollers (roller 299, Figure 10 and its mirror image) on which the surfaces flat 133a and làla, respectively, rest. In the previous cartridges, a second set of rollers was part of the cartridge. Like the previous cartridges, the two sets of rollers 14la, 141b, 299, and the mirror roller, image of 299, define a plane of movement to guide the developer roller 43 towards the intended contact with the photoconductive drum 49. The Figure 19 shows the tab 23 which is an extension of the cover 33 and, when the cartridge 1 is installed in a printer as shown in Figure 19, it generally remains above a flat surface 445 of the printer frame. Similarly, as shown in Figure 20, a flat top flange 447 is a cover extension 241, and when the cartridge 1 is installed in a printer, it is above a flat surface (448 of Figure 10) of the frame of the printer. the printer. A flat bottom surface 449 (Figure 19) is under a tab 23 of the cover 33 and a flat bottom surface 451 (Figure 20) of the cover 245 is the edge 447. The bottom surfaces 449 and 451 are locator surfaces resting on the surfaces of frame 445 and 448, respectively. Figure 21 shows the right side of the cartridge 1 installed in a printer, with emphasis on the cantilevered roller 461 pressing on the locator surface 29b. A second cantilevered roller (not shown) that is a mirror image of the roller 461 exits and presses down the locator surface 29a. The roller 461 and its mirror image roller are attached to the frame of the printer. They are firmly pushed downward by a spiral spring 463 for the roller 461 and a mirror image spiral spring for the mirror image roller. As the cartridge 1 is inserted into the printer by the movement of the wings 9a in the guides 293 and 297 and the wing 9b in the corresponding mirror image guides, the locator surface 29b encounters the cantilevered roller 461 and the surface locator 29a finds a cantilevered mirror image roller, corresponding, and the locator surfaces 29a, 29b rotate those rollers upwardly as the cartridge 1 continues to move. When the wing 9a comes out of the guide 293 and is finally placed by the arrow 47, remaining in the V block 301, the cantilevered roller 461 comes into full contact with the surface 29b, as shown in Figure 21. When the top cover of the printer is closed, a leaf spring placed downwardly on the printer covers the contact tabs 23 on the left front of the cover 33 and a second spring placed down on the printer covers the surfaces of the printer. contact 447 on the right cover 241. This interaction of a cartridge with a printer cover is generally conventional, as illustrated by U.S. Patent No. 5,365,315 to Baker et al. As the printer cover closes, a loading roller mechanism moves to the shutter 5 and then continues downward movement to open the shutter 5 by pushing it down and bringing a loading roller in contact with the photoconductor 49. A laser beam for discharging the drum 49 is also directed through the left opening after the shutter 5 is pivoted downward, as shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,526,097 to Ream. In summary, the photoconductor unit and cover is placed downward by the front surfaces 449 and 451, is placed downwards by the arrow 47 in the block in V 301 and in the V-block mirror image and the location is maintained downwards by the cantilevered roller 461 on the surface 29b and the cantilevered mirror image roller on the surface 29a. The developing unit is positioned laterally by springs or springs 132a and 132b that move the unit so that the developing roller 43 contacts the photoconductor 49, and is placed downwardly by the rim 133a resting on the roller 299 and the flange 161a resting on the mirror image roller towards the roller 299. The developing unit does not require an upward locator that has sufficient weight so as not to move upwards. The edges 133a and 161a resting on the roller 299 and the mirror image roller, respectively, allow the developing unit to be adjusted laterally. In previous cartridges, both sets of rollers were on tracks in the cartridge. This required difficult tolerances to locate the bottom of the cartridge inside the printer. In the cartridge of the invention, the edges 133a and 161a have no parts linked to the media guide ribs 223 and 225, which are the same molded parts as the flanges 133a and 161a. Figure 22 shows an extension of the side member 99 held in a slot 471 at the bottom of the cover 25. This provides the lateral location between the hopper unit and the cover 25. A generally similar side location structure is found in the previous cartridges. If desired, the tops of the end members 99 and 101 may have an upper flange or stop, which will strike the cover 25 during rough handling and thus limit relative upward movement of the hopper unit relative to the cover 25. When installed in the printer, the frame members come into contact with the left cover 31 and the right cover 241 to ensure they do not contact the hopper unit and interfere with its free movement on the roller 299 and its mirror image roller at edges 133a and 161a, respectively.

VENTING THROUGH THE PLUG The plug 143 (Figure 24) in a preferred form, is a venting element that allows air to escape from the cartridge 1 while the toner is blocked. The cartridge 1 in the developed mode is designed to operate at high printing speed, from 8 to 24 or more sheets per minute. This operation generates a potentially damaging internal pressure level during the operation, which contributes to the presence of toner leaks from the cartridge 1. To release this pressure, the plug 143 has 5 a labyrinth design that ends in a felt filter. Normally leaks, although not only in this way, occur immediately after the cartridge is inactive. The internal pressure in the hopper 61 is created by the introduction of air with toner 425 carried by the developer roller 43 beyond the seal (not shown) under the developer roller 43. The toner addition roller 45 sucks this air / toner mixture moving it away from the developer roller, which creates an increase in pressure in the hopper 61, until an equilibrium pressure is reached. As shown in Figure 23, the cap 143 is formed as a single molded part 481 having a circular base member 483 and a circular cap member 485, separated by a thin connector arm 487, having a central notch 489 for allow bending like a solid joint. The base 483 has a series of external holes 491 equally spaced around the entire bottom circumference of the base 483. Extending from the bottom of the base 483 and placed inwardly is a circular wall 493 having separate rectangular openings 495 at the outer end of the wall 493, equally spaced around the entire circumference of the wall 493. Similarly, the lid 485 has a circular wall 497 extending from the top of the lid 485 and having openings rectangular pieces 499 at the outer end of the wall 497, equally spaced around the circumference of the wall 497. A standard fleece disc 501 F3 is pressed into the center of the cover 485, where it is brought into contact with the inside of the holes 503 (Figure 24) in the center of the cover 485. To complete the plug 143 as shown in Figure 24, the cover 485 and the base 483 are inter-meshed by the bra fold 487 at the point of articulation 489. In this position no part of the openings 499 is opposite the outer holes 491 and no part of the openings 495 is opposite the holes 499. Figure 25 is a cross-sectional view , stepped, of Figure 24, showing all holes 495 and 499, and indicating the stepped path by angles 505a and 505b on arrow 505. As shown in Figure 25, the plug is supported by a press fit wherein the lower circumference of the base 483 is slightly smaller than the circumference of the lid 485. In operation, when the pressure increases in the cartridge 1, the air, potentially containing toner particles, enters the openings 491 that are inside the hopper 61.

This air enters the circular chamber 507, which is illustrated by the arrow 505, and is blocked by the wall 497 immediately opposite the hole 491 and, therefore, must move to the right or to the left, as illustrated by the arrow bent 505a, to reach the openings 499. The air then enters the chamber 509. That air is blocked by the wall 493 and must also move to the right or to the left, as illustrated by the bent arrow 505b, to reach the openings 495, which are at the opposite end of the chamber 509. When passing through the openings 495, as shown by the arrow 505, the air enters the central chamber 511 and passes through the felt filter 501 and it then leaves the cartridge 1 through the holes 503. (Figure 23 shows four central tabs 513a, 513b, which divide the chamber 511 into four equal parts, however, the tabs 513a-513d are for the structural support of the felt disk 501 and as functionally, the c camera 511 may be a single chamber). The labyrinth configuration of this plug construction 143 results in continuous operation as an air vent, with only the minor accumulation of toner inside the plug 14. The internal chambers 507, 509 and 511 are concentric circles.

Claims (4)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and, therefore, the content of the following CLAIMS is claimed as property; l. A toner cartridge for an image forming apparatus, comprising: a toner hopper and a rotating developer roller that receives toner in controlled quantities from the toner hopper, both mounted together as a first unit; a rotating photosensitive roller having a central arrow, a cleaning chamber for cleaning the non-transferred toner from the photosensitive roller, and a cover member extending around and above the hopper, all assembled together as a second unit; a resilient member connected between the first unit and the second unit, for pulling the developing roller and the photosensitive roller and bringing them into contact; locator surfaces on opposite sides of the cartridge, the locator surfaces each comprising: the central arrow of the photosensitive roller extending so that the central arrow remains unobstructed so as to serve as a vertical locator and front to rear; an elongated surface in the center of the cartridge having an unobstructed top surface for receiving downward pressure members from the imaging apparatus, and an edge on an unobstructed side of the hopper for resting on a roller member in the image forming apparatus. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the locator surfaces also comprise a flat bottom surface of the cover, close to the hopper, so that it rests on the frame of the image forming apparatus. The toner cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the hopper contains electrophotographic toner to reveal electrostatic images. 4. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the hopper contains electrophotographic toner to reveal electrostatic images.