Lexmark International, Inc.

Charles Alan Bast

Michael Craig Leemhuis

James Daniel Anderson, Jr

David Anthony Schneider

Jeffrey Alan Abler

Todd Alan Dutton

Thomas Eugene Pangburn

Brian Scott Carpenter

Mark William Amann

Billy Joe Jones

Jeffrey Allen Abler

Michael Anthony Marra, Iii

James Richard Leemhuis

Daniel R Steinberg

Charles Jarratt Simpson

Kyle Benjamin Freels

A method for estimating an amount of toner remaining in a reservoir of a replaceable unit for an image forming device according to one example embodiment includes receiving by processing circuitry pulses from a magnetic sensor. Each pulse is indicative that the magnetic sensor detected a magnet on a moving paddle positioned in the reservoir. The processing circuitry counts the number of the pulses received from the magnetic sensor. Upon receiving a request from a controller of the image forming device, the processing circuitry sends to the controller of the image forming device the count of the pulses received from the magnetic sensor and resets the count of the pulses received from the magnetic sensor.

Toner level sensing for a replaceable unit of an image forming device

A method for estimating an amount of toner remaining in a reservoir of a replaceable unit for an image forming device according to one example embodiment includes receiving by processing circuitry pulses from a sensor. The processing circuitry counts the number of the pulses received from the sensor. Upon receiving a request from a controller of the image forming device, the processing circuitry sends to the controller of the image forming device the count of the pulses received from the sensor and resets the count of the pulses received from the sensor.

An electrophotographic image forming device includes a toner channel having an outlet port positioned on a housing that includes a flexible member that allows the housing and the outlet port to move within the image forming device. A shutter is positioned on the housing and is movable between a closed position and an open position. A replaceable unit includes a toner reservoir and an inlet port. The inlet port is formed on an extension from the replaceable unit. Upon insertion of the replaceable unit into the image forming device, the extension is closely and matably received by the housing and the outlet port aligns with the inlet port permitting toner transfer from the toner channel to the replaceable unit. Insertion of the replaceable unit into the image forming device causes the shutter to open and removal of the replaceable unit from the image forming device causes the shutter to close.

Floating toner port interface with a replaceable unit of an electrophotographic image forming device

A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes an elongated body extending along a lengthwise dimension between a front and a rear of the body. The body has a reservoir for holding toner. The body includes an extension downward from the bottom of the body near the rear of the body. The extension has a downward chute formed therein in fluid communication with the reservoir. A rear face of the extension is unobstructed to receive a bias force in a forward direction toward the front of the body along the lengthwise dimension. An outlet port on the bottom of the extension is in fluid communication with the chute for transferring toner out of the reservoir. The replaceable unit may include a positioning bump on the bottom of the body at a rearmost position on the bottom of the body.

Positional control features of a replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device

A method for programming memory of a replaceable unit of an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes determining an amount of toner in a reservoir of the replaceable unit. The amount of toner determined is converted to an estimate of an amount of rotation of a shaft that will be sensed before the reservoir of the replaceable unit runs out of usable toner. The estimate of the amount of rotation of the shaft that will be sensed before the reservoir of the replaceable unit runs out of usable toner is stored in the memory of the replaceable unit.

A developer unit for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a housing having a roll mounted thereon that is configured to supply toner from a reservoir in the housing to a photoconductive drum. The housing extends along an axial dimension of the roll from a front end to a rear end of the housing. A toner inlet port is in fluid communication with the reservoir and formed in an extension from the top of the housing near the front end of the housing. A ramp is positioned on the top of the front end of the housing. The ramp is positioned in front of the extension and vertically below the toner inlet port and is aligned in a side-to-side dimension of the housing with the toner inlet port. The ramp includes an inclined surface that inclines upward as the inclined surface extends rearward relative to the housing.

Toner inlet port alignment features for a developer unit of an electrophotographic image forming device

A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one embodiment includes a body having a toner reservoir containing toner and a non-volatile memory device containing a table having a plurality of toner feed rates, each toner feed rate corresponds to the number of 1/1652 of a rotation a drive element turns to move one gram of toner out the outlet port at a predetermined amount of toner in the reservoir.

Toner feed profile

An electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a tray having a storage area extending between a front end and a rear end of the tray. The tray has an opening at the front end permitting insertion and removal of a replaceable unit into and out of the storage area. A biasing member biases the replaceable unit toward the front end of the tray. A latch on the tray is movable between a latched position restraining the replaceable unit from moving toward the front end of the tray and an unlatched position freeing the replaceable unit to move toward the front end of the tray permitting removal of the replaceable unit from the storage area. A latch releasing mechanism on the replaceable unit unlatches the latch on the tray for removing the replaceable unit from the storage area.

Electrophotographic image forming device latching system for retaining a replaceable unit

A method for estimating an amount of toner remaining in a reservoir of a replaceable unit for an image forming device according to one example embodiment includes measuring an amount of revolution of a shaft in the reservoir of the replaceable unit, decreasing an estimate of the amount of toner remaining in the reservoir based on the measured amount of revolution of the shaft, monitoring whether a pattern of widths of digital pulses generated from a magnetic sensor when the magnetic sensor senses a magnetic field of a magnet connected to a paddle mounted on the shaft in the reservoir when the paddle is near a lowest center of gravity of the paddle changes, and adjusting the estimate of the amount of toner remaining in the reservoir when the pattern of widths of digital pulses generated from the magnetic sensor changes.

Toner level sensing for a replaceable unit of an image forming device using pulse width patterns from a magnetic sensor

A method for estimating an amount of toner remaining in a reservoir of a replaceable unit for an image forming device according to one example embodiment includes rotating a shaft positioned in the reservoir and measuring an amount of revolution of the shaft. A paddle mounted on the shaft and free to fall ahead of the rotation of the shaft is pushed by the rotation of the shaft. An estimate of the amount of toner remaining in the reservoir is decreased based on the measured amount of revolution of the shaft. The paddle is sensed near a lowest center of gravity of the paddle. The estimate of the amount of toner remaining in the reservoir is adjusted when the number of times the paddle is sensed near the lowest center of gravity of the paddle per revolution of the shaft increases.

Toner level sensing for replaceable unit of an image forming device

A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for storing toner. The toner cartridge includes a first vent having an inlet opening positioned to receive air from outside the housing, an outlet opening positioned to exit the received air into the reservoir, and a one-way valve that permits airflow through the first vent from the inlet opening to the outlet opening and prevents airflow through the first vent from the outlet opening to the inlet opening. A check valve limits airflow through the first vent from the inlet opening to the outlet opening.

Venting system for a toner cartridge for use with an image forming device

A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for storing toner. A rotatable shaft is positioned within the reservoir. A drive element is exposed on an exterior of the housing unobstructed to receive rotational force. The drive element is operatively connected to the shaft to rotate the shaft upon receiving the rotational force. A sensor is positioned to sense a rotational motion of the shaft. A processor is mounted on the housing and in electrical communication with the sensor. An electrical contact in electrical communication with the processor is exposed on the exterior of the housing unobstructed to mate with a corresponding electrical contact in the image forming device. The processor is programmed to send information related to the rotational motion sensed by the sensor to a controller in the image forming device.

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Winchester, KY, United States of America

Charles Alan Bast