WO2008153507A1

WO2008153507A1 - Seal of a toner container

Info

Publication number: WO2008153507A1
Application number: PCT/SK2008/050006
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dusan Hanula
Original assignee: Goset, S.R.O.
Priority date: 2007-06-13
Filing date: 2008-05-25
Publication date: 2008-12-18
Also published as: SK812007A3

Abstract

Seal of a toner container for laser printers, copying machines and fax machines, consisting of a body (1) overlapping the discharge aperture (7) of a toner container, and the continuing tapered separator tail (2) intended for its opening by removal of central stripe (4). On the upper part of the body (1) there are longitudinally situated upper cutting means (9), which are firm and their cutting edge (19) is situated along the line (3) of opening, and on the lower part of the body (1), on the line (3) of opening opposite the upper cutting means (9), there are lower cutting means (10), which are movable. The lower cutting means (10) are conjugated, and the lower ones have the same width as the central stripe (4), the body (1) and tail (2) of the seal are made as a whole from plastic foil, the upper cutting means (9) are from plastic material or metal.

Description

Seal of a toner container

Technical Field

The invention concerns a seal of a toner container for toner cartridges, which is used for laser printers, copying machines, fax machines, or other printing machines. The machines work on a principle of electrostatic transmission of colouring powder material (toner) on the printing medium, most commonly paper.

Background Art

The seal is attached to the neck of the discharge aperture of toner container by means of adhesion or welding and it closes this discharge aperture. Its purpose is to prevent leakage of toner during manipulation with the carttridge, e.g. during its transport and storage before its installation into the printer. Another important feature of the seal is a possibility of its opening and allowing the toner fluently flow from the container into working parts of the cartridge, preparing the printing image, up to its transfer onto the paper, before inserting the cartridge into the printing apparatus.

Fig. 1 shows a basic shape of the seal. A typical seal consists of a part ovelapping the discharge aperture of toner container, the seal body, and the continuing tapered part - a tail intended for opening the container. After installation in the cartridge, the tapered part is bent at the contact place with the seal body and moved through 180° so as to return over the seal body back to its beginning, where it is led out of the cartridge through its own assigned opening (Fig. 2). The seal is opened by pulling the end of the tail on the outer part of the cartridge.

In some cartridges the opening is possible by releasing the whole seal body and its pulling out of the cartridge. However, a destructive separation of the central part of the body seal in the shape of a longitudinal strip having the width identical with or similar to the width of the tail is more common (Fig. 3).

The issue of separation of the longitudinal part from the seal body is solved for example by using the material with all fibres placed in parallel to the longer sides of the seal, eventually perforations, notches, cuts, grooves, and by creating longitudinal cavities in the material of the seal.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides for opening of the seal and a precise geometry of the created aperture by using the cutting means integrated into the construction of the seal.

The seal of toner container of laser printers, copying machines and fax machines consists of the body for ovelapping the discharge aperture and its continuing tapered part - a tail intended for opening the container by removing the central strip. The technical solution is based on the fact that on the upper part of the body there are longitudinally situated upper cutting means, which are firm and are made from hard cardboard or plastic material or from metal having a thickness of 0,05 to 5 mm. Their edge is situated along the line of opening. On the lower part of the body, on the line of opening opposite the upper cutting means, there are lower cutting means, which are movable and are made from metal foil or a foil of firm plastic material having a thickness of 0,02 to 0,3 mm. The lower cutting means can be conjugated. The width of the conjugated lower cutting means is identical to the width of the tail, or it is identical to the width of the central strip.

Preferably, the body and tail of the seal of the toner container are made as a whole from plastic foil having a thickness of 10 to 30 μm.

The length of the lower cutting means can be identical to the body of the seal of the toner container, plus the bend of the tail into the opposite direction or plus the free end of the tail.

For compensating the uneven bottom surface, from the edge of the seal body of the toner container to the lower cutting means or to the conjugated lower cutting means, there are situated strips having the thickness identical to the lower cutting means or the conjugated lower cutting means. The strips are preferably made from the same material as the lower cutting means or the conjugated lower cutting means.

For reducing the initial strength needed to start cutting the material of the seal body, the ends in the upper cutting means on the side of transition of the body into the tail are ended by a flat cutting edge or a sharp tip. In this case the seal body can have 1 to 5 mm more.

On the installed seal the lower cutting means together with the tail are bent up and return to the opposite direction. The forces in the end of the tail, activated by pulling the tail, cause the lower cutting means to raise at the bend site, and there appears a shear stress in the seal body, at the site embraced between the firm upper cutting means and the movable lower cutting means. This stress increases with the increasing angle of rotation up to overcoming the shear firmness of the basic material of the seal. By continued pulling the tail from the cartridge, the central strip is being separated from the body, along the cutting means situated on the line of opening the seal, and there appears an opening in the seal, along its whole lenght and having a prescribed width, so as it is necessary for a proper opening of a passage for the toner from the cartridge to the working parts of the toner cartridge, and thereafter also the cut released central strip is pulled out from the toner cartridge. Now the cartridge is ready to be inserted to the intended printing apparatus.

An Overview of Figures in the Drawings

The invention will be further explained in more detail by means of specific examples of embodiments and drawings, in which the Figures show:

Fig. 1 a basic shape of a common seal to be opened by destruction of the body seal,

Fig. 2 modification of the common seal after installation,

Fig. 3 opening the common seal by separating the strip-shaped longitudinal part from the body seal,

Fig. 4 a toner container,

Fig. 5 a toner container with the installed common seal,

Fig. 6 a seal according to the present solution with two integrated cutting means on the upper part of the seal,

Fig. 7 a seal according to the present solution with a pair of integrated cutting means on the upper part and a pair of opposite-acting cutting means on the lower part,

Fig. 8 a seal from Fig 7 after installation, top view, - A -

Fig. 9 a seal from Fig. 7 after installation, bottom view,

Fig. 10 explanation of the activity of cutting means during opening of the seal,

Fig. 10a section A-A from Fig. 10,

Fig. 10b section B-B from Fig. 10,

Fig. 11 seal from Fig. 7 after opening,

Fig . 11a section A-A from Fig . 11 ,

Fig. 12 a seal with two bottom cutting means conjugated into one,

Fig. 12a section A-A from Fig. 12,

Fig. 13 a seal in which the conjugated lower cutting means are created by longitudinal cutting up of the additional layer with a section,

Fig. 13a section A-A from Fig. 13,

Fig. 14 an example of a seal with the upper cutting means having sharp edges (blades) with a detail,

Fig. 15 an example of a seal with the upper cutting means having tips with a detail,

Fig. 16 an example of a seal with a pair of upper cutting means with tips and a pair of lower cutting means ending in the bend of the tail, in the shape after installation,

Fig. 16a section A-A from Fig. 16,

Fig. 16b section B-B from Fig. 16,

Fig. 17 opening of the seal from Fig. 16,

Fig. 17a section A-A from Fig. 17,

Fig. 17b section B-B from Fig. 17,

Fig. 18 an example of a seal with a pair of upper cutting means with tips and a pair of lower cutting means along the whole length of the seal, in the shape after installation,

Fig. 18a section A-A from Fig. 18,

Fig. 18b section B-B from Fig. 18,

Fig. 19 opening of the seal from Fig. 18,

Fig. 19a section A-A from Fig. 19,

Fig. 19b section B-B from Fig. 19, Fig. 20 an example of a seal with a pair of upper cutting means with tips and one conjugated cutting means along the whole length of the seal, in the shape after installation,

Fig. 20a section A-A from Fig. 20,

Fig. 20b section B-B from Fig. 20,

Fig. 20c section C-C from Fig. 20,

Fig. 21 opening of the seal from Fig. 20,

Fig. 21a section A-A from Fig. 21 ,

Fig. 21 b section B-B from Fig. 21 ,

Fig. 22 an example of a seal with a pair of upper cutting means with tips and one conjugated cutting means along the whole length of the seal created by longitudinal cutting up of the layer, in the shape after installation,

Fig. 22a section A-A from Fig. 22,

Fig. 22b section B-B from Fig. 22,

Fig. 23 opening of the seal from Fig. 22,

Fig. 23a section A-A from Fig. 23,

Fig. 23b section B-B from Fig. 23,

Examples of Embodiments

The invention solves the seal of toner container 6 for toner cartridges, which are used mainly in laser printers, copying machines and fax machines. The seal protects the toner in toner container 6 against moisture during the cartridge storage and prevents its losses during the cartridge transport and manipulation with it before its installation. The shape of the body 1_ of the seal is given by dimensions of the neck 8 of the discharge aperture 7 of the toner container 6. The width of the tail 2 is typically identical or nearly identical with the width of the aperture 5, which is to be created in the seal after its opening. The length of the tail 2 is given by the length of the body 1. of the seal, plus the length needed for leading the tail 2 out of the cartridge through an assigned opening and plus the length needed for catching the tail 2 during its pulling. The seal must be openable before its using in the printing apparatus. The present solution deals with seals, which are to be opened in a destructive way, by removing the central strip 4 from the body 1_ of the seal. For removing the central strip 4 from the body 1_ of the seal, there are the cutting means integrated in the seal according to the present solution. During manual pulling the end of the tail 2_± gradually from the bend site of the tail 2 to the opposite end of the seal, the upper cutting means 9, which are firm, and the lower cutting means 10, which are movable, separate the central strip 4 from the body 1 exactly in the required line of opening. The body 1 and the tail 2 are preferably made as a whole from plastic foil with low elasticity. A low dilatability of a plastic foil allows its easy cutting. A minimal thickness of the foil is limited by the necessary firmness for keeping the toner in the container, and its maximal thickness is limited by the strength necessary for its cutting up, or the strength not exceeding the abilities and comfort of an average user, who has to manually open the seal during installation of the cartridge into the printing apparatus.

Example 1

The seal body 1_ and tail 2 are made as a whole from plastic foil having thickness of 10 to 150 μm. A suitable material is, for example, a foil from biaxially oriented polypropylene (BO PP) with thickness of 10 to 30 μm. On the upper side of the seal, on central strips 4, which are left on the neck 8 of the toner container 6 after opening the seal, i.e. beside the central stripe 4, which is to be removed from the seal body 1. during its opening, there are longitudinally situated two firm upper cutting means 9 (Fig. 6). Their cutting edge 19 is situated along the line 3 of opening the seal. A suitable material for upper cutting means 9 is plastic material or metal with thickness of 0,05 to 5 mm. On the lower side of the seal, on the central stripe 4 of body 1, opposite the upper cutting means 9, there are two lower cutting means 10, which are movable (Fig. 7). The lower cutting means 10 are made from firm flexible material, which allows for a fluent bending, together with separating the central stripe 4 of the seal, with thickness 0,02 to 0,3 mm. A suitable material can be a metal foil or a foil of firm plastic material, for example polyesther (PET), polypropylene (PP) or High Density Polyetylene (HD PE). The upper cutting means 9 and lower cutting means 10 are positioned on the seal body 1 in such a way that their cutting edge 19 passes through the required line 3 of opening the seal. The shape of seal from Fig. 7 after its installation on the toner container 6 is on Fig. 8 (top view) and on Fig. 9 (bottom view). By pulling the free end of the tail 2 (Fig. 10), the tail 2 together with lower cutting means is bending by 180° on the opposite end. Where the tail 2 is connected to the body 1 (Fig. 10b), in the first phase of bending, the lower cutting means 10 are raised and due to their movement there appears a shear stress in the seal body 1, embraced between the lower cutting means 10 and upper cutting means 9. Fig. 10a shows direction 14 of shear forces of upper cutting means 9 and direction 15 of shear forces of lower cutting means 10. By shifting in direction 16 of rotation of tail 2 and lower cutting means 10 by angle α, the firmness of material of the seal body 1 is overcome, and during opening the cut up central strip 4 starts to be released from its body 1 in direction 12 of the movemement of tail 2, from the site λl_ of cutting up the material of the seal body 1. The opened seal with the released and removed central stripe 4 is shown in Fig 11.

Example 2

Fig. 12 shows an example of a seal having its upper cutting means 9 identical with the seal from Example 1. The original two lower cutting means 10 are conjugated into the conjugated lower cutting means 10. Their width is identical with the width of tail 2, or it is identical with the width of the central stripe 4 of the seal, which is to be separated from the seal body during opening the seal. The material of the conjugated lower cutting means 10 is identical with the material used for lower cutting means IQ according to Example 1.

Example 3

The bottom surface of constructions of seals according to Example 1 and Example 2 is not plane. During application of such a seal by adhesion or by welding onto the neck 8 of the toner container 6 with discharge aperture 7 of the toner container, the asperities of the seal bottom surface may cause leakage between the seal and the neck 8 of toner container 6. The construction of seal in Fig. 13, based on the construction of seal described in Example 2, is supplemented with two stripes 22 having the same thickness as the conjugated lower cutting means 10. These stripes 22 are situated from the edges of the seal body 1 to the conjugated lower cutting means. Preferably, these stripes 22 are made from the same material as the conjugated lower cutting means 10. Obtaining the plane bottom surface of the seal is conditioned by the same thickness of stripes 22 and the lower cutting means 10.

Example 4

For reducing the initial strength needed to start cutting the material of the seal body 1, the ends in the upper cutting means 9 are sharpened, for example they are ended by a flat cutting edge 24 (blade) (Fig. 14) or they are ended by sharp tips 25 (Fig. 15). The ends of upper cutting means 9 are sharpened on the side of transition of body 1. into tail 2. When compared to the construction of seal in Examples 1 to 3, the seal body 1 has 1 to 5 mm more, and the upper cutting means are positioned in such a way that during installation of the seal the end of the seal body 1. can be bent in the angle of 45 to 135° in direction 16 of rotation of tail 2 and lower cutting means (Fig. 10). By pulling the end of the tail 2, the bent ends of body 1 lean against the sharpened ends of the cutting means are are cut up. Further opening of the seal continues in the same way as in the previous examples by cutting up the seal body 1_ in line 3 of opening the seal by the upper cutting means 9_and lower cutting means 10 (Fig. 17).

Example 5

The length of the lower cutting means 10 can be identical to the seal body 1 of the toner container, plus the bend of the tail 2 into the opposite direction (Fig. 8, Fig. 9, Fig. 10, Fig. 16, Fig. 17) or this length can be prolonged up to the free end of the tail 2 (Fig. 18). Fig. 19 shows the seal modified in this way during its opening. The seal works in the same way as in the previous examples.

Example 6

Fig. 20 shows construction of a seal with conjugated lower cutting means 10, wherein its length is identical with the overall length of the seal body 1 together with tail 2. The upper cutting means 9 are ended by tips 25. The figure shows the seal in the shape as it is installed. Fig. 21 shows this seal during its opening. Example 7

Fig. 22 shows construction of a seal with conjugated lower cutting means 1O₁ wherein its length is identical with the overall length of the seal body 1. together with tail 2. The bottom side of the seal is supplemented with stripes 22 for obtaining the plane surface. The stripes 22 and the conjugated lower cutting means .10 can be made from one layer by its cutting up by two longitudinal sections. The upper cutting means 9 are ended by tips 25. The figure shows the seal in the shape as it is installed. Fig. 21 shows this seal during its opening.

Claims

P A T E N T C L A I M S

1. Seal of a toner container for laser printers, copying machines and fax machines, consisting of a body (1) ovelapping the discharge aperture (7) of toner container, and the continuing tapered part - a tail (2) intended for its opening by removal of central stripe (4), characterized in that on the upper part of the body (1) there are longitudinally situated upper cutting means (9), which are firm and their cutting edge (19) is situated along the line (3) of opening, and on the lower part of the body (1), on the line (3) of opening opposite the upper cutting means (9), there are lower cutting means (10), which are movable.

2. Seal of a toner container according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower cutting means (10) are conjugated and they have the same width as the central stripe (4).

3. Seal of a toner container according to claim 1 and 2, characteri - zed in that the body (1 ) and tail (2) are made as a whole from plastic foil having the thickness of 10 to 30 μm.

4. Seal of a toner container according to claims 1 to3, characteri - zed in t h a t the upper cutting means (9) are from plastic material or metal having thickness of 0,05 to 5 mm.

5. Seal of a toner container according to claims 1 to4, characteri - zed in that the lower cutting means are from metal foil or from a foil of firm plastic material having thickness of 0,02 to 0,3 mm.

6. Seal of a toner container according to claims 1 to5, characteri - zed in that the length of the lower cutting means (10) is identical with the length of the body (1) plus the bend of the tail (2) into the opposite direction.

7. Seal of a toner container according to claims 1 to5, characteri - zed in that the length of the lower cutting means (10) is identical with the length of the body (1) plus the free end of the tail (2).

8. Seal of a toner container according to claims 1 to5, characteri - zed in that from the edges of the seal body (1 ) to the conjugated lower cutting means (10) there are situated stripes (22) having the same thickness as the lower cutting means (10) or the conjugated lower cutting means (10).

9. Seal of a toner container according to claim 8, characterized in that the stripes (22) are from the same material as the lower cutting means (10) or the conjugated lower cutting means (10).

10. Seal of a toner container according to claims 1 to9, characteri zed in t h a t the ends of the upper cutting means (9) on the side of transition of body (1) into tail (2) are ended by a flat cutting edge (24) or a sharp tip (25) and that the body (1) has 1 to 5 mm more.