The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 14, 1997
Filed:
Dec. 09, 1994
John M Bonislawski, Jr, Ontario, NY (US);
Bruce E Thayer, Webster, NY (US);
Dennis G Gerbasi, Webster, NY (US);
Xerox Corporation, Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method that uses a toner valve to seal the interface between a cleaner housing and waste container. The toner valve incorporates a two piece valve of which the larger, called the main valve, is housed in the cleaner housing, and the smaller, called the lid, is housed in the top of the waste container. When the waste container is inserted onto the cleaner housing, the main valve of the cleaner housing is coupled to the lid of the waste container. A handle extending from a shaft in the main valve enables movement of the complete toner valve. The coupling of the two piece toner valve enables the toner valve to work as a single unit when the handle is rotated, opening the waste container and the cleaner housing and providing a totally sealed open path for the toner to fall from the cleaner housing to the waste container. Further rotation of the two piece toner valve closes both the cleaner housing and the waste container. The main valve seals the cleaner housing preventing toner from escaping and the lid seals the waste container preventing toner from spilling upon removal from the cleaner housing.