Lexmark International, Inc.

International Business Machines Corporation

Lenmark International, Inc.

Michael Craig Leemhuis

Charles Alan Bast

Ronald Willard Baker

Jeffrey Alan Abler

James Daniel Anderson, Jr

James Anthany Carter, Ii

Gregory Alan Cavill

David Anthony Schneider

Benjamin Alan Askren

Ligia Aura Bejat

Daniel R Steinberg

Thomas Eugene Pangburn

Brian Scott Carpenter

Robert Watson McAlpine

Donn Duane Bryant

Todd Alan Dutton

James Richard Leemhuis

John Andrew Buchanan

Mark Duane Foster

Daniel Joseph Westhoff

Tyler Frederick Williams

Matthew Lee Rogers

Eric C Stelter

Gary Allen Denton

Benjamin Keith Newman

Mark William Amann

Harald Portig

Jason Paul Hale

Keith Seaman

Philip Jerome Heink

Hrishikesh Pramod Gogate

Peter Alden Bayerle

Raymond Jay Barry

Joshua Carl Poterjoy

Tom E Stickler

Jason Carl True

Bernard L Wilzbach

Steven Wayne Parish

Marc Cousoulis

Claudia Alexandra Marin

Michael Alan Gist

Stephen Andrew Brown

Gerald Lee Fish

Prabuddha Jyotindra Mehta

Billy Joe Jones

Michael Wesley Baskette

Keisha Josephine Thomas

Jeffrey Allen Abler

Brian Lester Boettcher

Bradley Leonard Beach

Gregory Lawrence Ream

Larry Steven Foster

Donald Wayne Stafford

David Lee Merrifield

John Wayne Gassett

Darin Michael Gettelfinger

John William Kietzman

Daniel Paul Cahill

Martin Victor DiGirolamo

David Starling MacMillan

Peter E Wallin

Gina Marie Johns

James Philip Harden

Calvin Dale Murphy

Jean Marie Massie

Stephen Todd Olson

Steven A Silverstein

David Kyle Murray

Alexander D Meade

Stanley Dyer

Bhaskar Gopalanarayanan

Matthew David Heid

Sean David Smith

Nicholas Fenley Gibson

Edward William Yohon, Jr

Benjamin Erich Kant

Earl G Edwards

Christopher David Strack

Mark Stephen Weisman, Jr

Robert Dan Bennett, Iii

Lenci Robert Kappes

David Clay Blaine

Armando V Flores

Daniel L Huber

Gordon Robert Dunning

Kyle Benjamin Freels

Jonathan David Kelley

David Francis Carter

Randall Steven Gall

Jeffrey Lynn Richie

Thomas Wilbur Blanck

Christian Blair Miller

Jason Edward Gordon

Christopher Michael Bennett

Billy Carl Chappel

Charles Jerome Cheek

Michael Earl Kennedy

Kelly Marie Wright

Kevin Agnissey

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 and has an axis of rotation. A first magnet and a second magnet are connected to the shaft and rotatable around the axis of rotation in response to rotation of the shaft. The first magnet and the second magnet are detectable by a magnetic sensor when the replaceable unit is installed in the image forming device. A polarity of the first magnet is oriented opposite a polarity of the second magnet relative to the shaft. An amount of angular offset between the first magnet and the second magnet varies depending on an amount of toner in the reservoir.

Replaceable unit for an image forming device having magnets of varying angular offset for toner level sensing

An imaging device has first image transfer from photoconductive drums to an intermediate transfer member (ITM) and second image transfer from the ITM to media. Transfer rolls oppose the drums from an opposite side of the ITM and electrically ground to a frame of the imaging device by mechanical connection. The rolls may be laterally offset from the drums. The ITM has relatively low surface and volume resistivity. An imaging subassembly may include the frame, the ITM, and the transfer rolls grounded to the frame.

Imaging transfer to intermediate transfer member

A method for estimating an amount of toner in a reservoir of an image forming device according to one example embodiment includes rotating a shaft positioned in the reservoir. By rotating the shaft, a first magnet and a second magnet having a variable angular offset between them are rotated around an axis of rotation of the shaft. The first magnet and the second magnet are continually sensed at a point in their rotational paths. An amount of angular offset between the first magnet and the second magnet is continually determined from the sensing. An estimate of the amount of toner remaining in the reservoir is continually updated based on a predetermined correlation between the determined amount of angular offset between the first magnet and the second magnet and the amount of toner remaining in the reservoir.

Toner level sensing using rotatable magnets having varying angular offset

A toner level detection assembly for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a magnet connected to a rotatable shaft and rotatable with the shaft around an axis of rotation of the shaft. The magnet is pivotable independent of the shaft about a pivot axis that is spaced radially from the axis of rotation. A magnetic sensor is positioned to sense a magnetic field of the magnet at a point in a rotational path of the magnet and is configured to measure an orientation of the magnetic field of the magnet at the point in the rotational path of the magnet. Processing circuitry in communication with the magnetic sensor is configured to determine an estimate of an amount of toner in a toner reservoir correlating with the measured orientation of the magnetic field of the magnet at the point in the rotational path of the magnet.

Toner level detection measuring an orientation of a rotatable magnet having a varying orientation relative to a pivot axis

Toner level detection measuring an orientation of a rotatable magnet having a varying radius

A toner container according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for storing toner. A rotatable shaft is positioned within the reservoir and has an axis of rotation. A first magnet is rotatable with the shaft around the axis of rotation. An arm connected to the shaft leads the first magnet around the axis of rotation in an operative rotational direction of the shaft. A second magnet connected to the shaft trails the first magnet around the axis of rotation in the operative rotational direction. The arm is operatively connected to the second magnet such that an angular offset between the first magnet and the second magnet increases as an angular offset between the first magnet and the arm increases and the angular offset between the first magnet and the second magnet decreases as the angular offset between the first magnet and the arm decreases.

Toner container for an image forming device having magnets of varying angular offset for toner level sensing

A toner level detection assembly for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a rotatable shaft is positioned within a toner reservoir. A magnet is connected to the shaft and is rotatable with the shaft around an axis of rotation of the shaft. The magnet is pivotable independent of the shaft about a pivot axis that is spaced radially from the axis of rotation such that a radial distance of the magnet from the axis of rotation varies as the magnet pivots about the pivot axis. A first magnetic sensor is positioned to sense the magnet within a first range of radial distances from the axis of rotation. A second magnetic sensor is positioned to sense the magnet within a second range of radial distances from the axis of rotation.

Toner level detection measuring a radius of a rotatable magnet

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 toner container according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for storing toner and a drive shaft positioned in the reservoir. The drive shaft is rotatable about a rotational axis in an operative rotational direction. A toner agitator extends from the drive shaft in the reservoir. The toner agitator is rotatable around the rotational axis of the drive shaft as the drive shaft rotates. The toner agitator folds relative to the drive shaft counter to the operative rotational direction if resistance to rotation of the toner agitator provided by toner in the reservoir exceeds a threshold amount. The toner agitator is biased relative to the drive shaft in the operative rotational direction. A radial length of the toner agitator decreases when the toner agitator folds relative to the drive shaft counter to the operative rotational direction.

Toner agitator assembly

A replaceable unit for an image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for storing toner. The replaceable unit includes a rotatable drive coupler and a rotatable shaft that has a cross pin on an axial end of the shaft, generally orthogonal to the shaft. At least a portion of the drive coupler is exposed on an exterior of the housing and unobstructed to receive rotational force when the replaceable unit is installed in the image forming device. A pocket is formed in a first axial side of the drive coupler. The axial end of the shaft and the cross pin are removably positioned in the pocket such that upon rotating the drive coupler in an operative direction rotational force is transferred from surfaces of the drive coupler forming the pocket to the cross pin causing the shaft to rotate with the drive coupler.

Drive coupler

An electrophotographic image forming device includes a replaceable unit having a body with a toner reservoir. A drive element on a rear end of the body is unobstructed to mesh with a corresponding drive element in the image forming device. A toner outlet port is positioned on a bottom of the body near the rear end of the body. A latch catch is positioned on a first side of the body to receive a corresponding latch when the replaceable unit is installed in the image forming device. A latch actuator at the front end of the body is movable between a home position and a releasing position. A release handle at the front end of the body is operatively connected to the latch actuator such that actuation of the release handle causes the latch actuator to move from the home position to the releasing position to unlatch the body.

Image forming device having a replaceable unit that includes a latching mechanism

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.

Growing community of inventors

Nicholasville, KY, United States of America

Michael Craig Leemhuis