Lexmark International, Inc.

Jeffrey Alan Abler

Michael Craig Leemhuis

Brian Lester Boettcher

Paul Douglas Horrall

Michael David Maul

Charles Alan Bast

Joshua Carl Poterjoy

Daniel R Steinberg

Benjamin Erich Kant

Jennifer Marie Murphy

Jonathan Murray Hill

Donn Duane Bryant

Mark William Amann

Robert Watson McAlpine

Todd Alan Dutton

Geoffrey Kirk Carlson

Daniel Thomas Steinberg

Larry Steven Foster

David Anthony Schneider

Jeffrey Lawrence Tonges

David Erwin Rennick

Brian Lee Hawes

Steven Wayne Parish

Matthew Thomas Martinkovic

Phill Douglas Cole

Taig Singh Rajpal

A toner cartridge according to one example embodiment includes a developer roll and a toner adder roll. First and second drive gears are rotatably connected to and coaxial with the developer roll and toner adder roll, respectively. The toner cartridge includes a drive coupler exposed to receive rotational motion when the toner cartridge is installed in an image forming device. Gear teeth of the first drive gear are directly meshed with gear teeth of the drive coupler of the toner cartridge. The second drive gear is rotatably connected to the drive coupler through a pair of idler gears.

Gear assembly for a replaceable unit of an electrophotographic image forming device

An imaging unit for an electrophotographic image forming device having positional control features for aligning the imaging unit in a supporting frame in the image forming device. The positional control features include on each end wall, first and second bullet noses and a stop arm positioned between the two bullet noses. The first and second bullet noses engage support or datum surfaces provided in corresponding openings in the frame. The stop arm receives a biasing force that rotates the imaging unit into its final operating position. A latching assembly is provided on one end wall to prevent the imaging unit from ejecting from the frame.

Positional control features for an imaging unit in 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.

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

A replaceable unit for an image forming device having features for aligning the replaceable unit when installed in the image forming device and to ensure alignment between the replaceable unit and a detachable unit attachable to the replaceable unit. End walls support a photoconductive drum and have a first bullet nose, second bullet nose and stop arm used for alignment of the replaceable unit in a frame of the image forming device. Support members are on a top surface of the bottom plate with a top planar surface of one of the support members forming a rotational stop and a datum surface for the detachable unit when attached. A mounting channel in one end wall provides a second datum surface for the detachable unit and a mounting channel in the other provides a deskewing plug to adjust axial alignment between the photoconductive drum and a roll in the detachable unit.

Positional control features between replaceable units 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

A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing having an inner volume forming a reservoir for storing toner. A rotatable shaft is positioned within the reservoir. A paddle is mounted to the shaft. The paddle includes a magnet that has a magnetic field detectable by a magnetic sensor for detecting the motion of the paddle.

Replaceable unit for an image forming device having a toner agitator that includes a magnet for rotational sensing

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 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.

A toner cartridge for an imaging apparatus having a housing including two opposed end walls and an elongated body therebetween and an exit port. An inner surface of the body defines a toner reservoir that is communication with the exit port. A drive shaft is rotatably mounted within the housing. A toner platform is provided in slidable contact with the inner surface of the body and is nonrotatable relative to the housing. A drive shaft coupling couples the toner platform to the drive shaft. An exit paddle is positioned adjacent the exit port and is rotatable by the drive shaft. Rotation of the drive shaft translates the toner platform toward the exit port and rotates the exit paddle. As the toner platform moves, toner within the reservoir moves toward the exit paddle and exit port and rotation of the exit paddle moves toner through the exit port.

Volumetric toner cartridge having driven toner platform

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 paddle is mounted on the shaft. A sensor is positioned on the housing outside of the reservoir and positioned to sense a rotational motion of the paddle when the shaft rotates. A processor is mounted on the housing and in electric communication with the sensor. An electrical contact is in electric communication with the processor and exposed on an exterior of the housing unobstructed to mate with a corresponding electrical contact when the replaceable unit is installed in the image forming device.

Replaceable unit for an image forming device having a sensor for sensing rotational motion of a paddle in a toner reservoir of the replaceable unit

A system for measuring a particulate material according to one example embodiment includes a container having a reservoir for storing the particulate material. A rotatable shaft is positioned within the reservoir. A paddle is mounted on the shaft and rotatable independent of the shaft. A driving member is rotatable with the shaft and positioned to push the paddle when the shaft rotates. The paddle is free to fall ahead of the driving member. At least one sensor is positioned to sense a rotational motion of the paddle as the shaft rotates. A processor in electronic communication with the at least one sensor is configured to determine an amount of the particulate material remaining in the reservoir based on the sensed rotational motion of the paddle.

Systems and methods for measuring a particulate material

A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing having an inner volume forming a reservoir for storing toner. A rotatable shaft is positioned within the reservoir. A paddle is mounted on the shaft and rotatable independent of the shaft. A driving member is rotatable with the shaft and positioned to push the paddle when the shaft rotates. The paddle is free to fall ahead of the driving member. The paddle includes a magnetic element rotatable with the paddle and detectable by a magnetic sensor when the replaceable unit is installed in the image forming device for detecting the motion of the paddle.

Replaceable unit for an image forming device having a falling paddle for toner level sensing

A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic device including a housing having a reservoir that is in fluid communication with an exit port. A first end wall has a recess on an inner surface thereof in fluid communication with the reservoir and the exit port. A partially threaded drive shaft has an end received in a second end wall. An exit paddle having a drive hub is detachably mounted on the drive shaft near an unthreaded portion. Arms on the drive hub are received in the recess. A drive hub axial extension is received in the first end wall. The housing rotatably supports the drive shaft and exit paddle. A translatable toner platform rotatably connects to the drive shaft. When the drive shaft rotates the toner platform translates, moving toner toward the exit port, and the exit paddle rotates, delivering toner from the exit port.

Growing community of inventors

Georgetown, KY, United States of America

Jeffrey Alan Abler