DYNAMIC END-SEAL FOR TONER DEVELOPMENT UNIT

US 20020150402A1
Filed: 04/12/2001
Published: 10/17/2002
Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2001
Status: Active Grant

First Claim

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1. A sealing member for an image forming apparatus including a frame member, a rotary member and a blade member, said sealing member comprising:

a rotary seal portion for sealing a space formed between the frame member and the rotary member, said rotary seal portion incorporating ridges set at an angle across its face adjacent to the surface of said rotary member;

a blade seal portion for sealing a space formed between the frame member and the blade member; and

a means for biasing said sealing member toward the surface of said rotary member and said blade member.

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Abstract

An article used to seal the interface between the developer roll, doctor blade and developer housing in a laser printer toner cartridge is described. The sealing member described in the present application performs static sealing between the components while the cartridge is idle and performs dynamic sealing while the toner cartridge is used for printing, keeping the sealing surfaces free from toner by actively pushing the toner back into the developer sump. The seal comprises a rotary seal portion which seals between the frame of the cartridge and the developer roll, and a blade seal portion which seals between the frame of the cartridge and the doctor blade. The rotary seal portion is biased toward the surface of the developer roll and incorporates, on its face adjacent to the developer roll, ridges which act to push the toner away from the edge of the developer roll in use. The blade seal portion is biased toward the doctor blade.

9 Citations

31 Claims

1. A sealing member for an image forming apparatus including a frame member, a rotary member and a blade member, said sealing member comprising:
- a rotary seal portion for sealing a space formed between the frame member and the rotary member, said rotary seal portion incorporating ridges set at an angle across its face adjacent to the surface of said rotary member;
  
  a blade seal portion for sealing a space formed between the frame member and the blade member; and
  
  a means for biasing said sealing member toward the surface of said rotary member and said blade member.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
- - 2. A sealing member according to claim 1 which is structured so as to prevent leakage of toner in the image forming apparatus.
  - 3. The seal member according to claim 2 wherein the rotary member is a developer roll.
  - 4. The sealing member according to claim 3 wherein the ridges are formed so as to push toner away from the edge of the rotary member as said rotary member rotates.
  - 5. The sealing member according to claim 4 made from a flexible, low modulus material.
  - 6. The sealing member according to claim 5 wherein the means for biasing is selected from cantilever beams, cantilever springs, foam strips, and combinations thereof.
  - 7. The sealing member according to claim 5 made from a material having a Shore A hardness of from about 55 to about 74 selected from the group consisting of urethane, artificial rubber, and combinations thereof.
  - 8. The sealing member according to claim 7 made from artificial rubber.
  - 9. The sealing member according to claim 6 wherein the means for biasing are cantilever springs.
  - 10. The sealing member according to claim 5 wherein the ridges on said rotary seal portion run at an angle to the developer roll process direction.
  - 11. The sealing member according to claim 10 wherein the height of the ridges is from about 0.05 to about 0.5 millimeters.
  - 12. The sealing member according to claim 11 wherein the width of the ridges at their base is from about 0.01 to about 0.5 millimeters.
  - 13. The sealing member according to claim 12 wherein the ridges form an approximate right angle to the rotating surface at their peak.
  - 14. The sealing member according to claim 13 wherein the height of the ridges is about 0.1 millimeter, the width of the ridges at their base is about 0.2 millimeters, the means for biasing are cantilever springs, and the seal is made from an artificial rubber having a Shore A hardness of from about 55 to about 74.
  - 15. The sealing member according to claim 5 wherein the blade end portion is structured so as to be held in place between the blade member and frame member in use.
  - 17. The process cartridge according to claim 16 wherein said seal member prevents the leakage of toner from the cartridge.
  - 18. The process cartridge according to claim 17 wherein the rotary member is a developer roll.
  - 19. The process cartridge according to claim 18 wherein the ridges on the rotary seal portion are formed so as to push toner away from the edge of the rotary member in use.
  - 20. The process cartridge according to claim 19 wherein the seal is made from a flexible, low modulus material.
  - 21. The process cartridge according to claim 20 wherein the biasing means on the seal is selected from cantilever beams, cantilever springs, foam strips, and combinations thereof.
  - 22. The process cartridge according to claim 21 wherein the seal member is made from a material having a Shore A hardness of from about 55 to about 74 selected from urethane, artificial rubber, and combinations thereof.
  - 23. The process cartridge according to claim 22 wherein the seal member is made from an artificial rubber.
  - 24. The process cartridge according to claim 22 wherein the means for biasing on the seal member are cantilever springs.
  - 25. The process cartridge according to claim 20 wherein the ridges on the rotary seal portion run at an angle to the rotary member process direction.
  - 26. The process cartridge according to claim 25 wherein the height of the ridges on the sealing member is from about 0.05 to about 0.5 millimeters.
  - 27. The process cartridge according to claim 26 wherein the width of the ridges at their base on the sealing member is from about 0.01 to about 0.5 millimeters.
  - 28. The process cartridge according to claim 27 wherein the ridges on the sealing member form an approximate right angle at their peak.
  - 29. The process cartridge according to claim 28 wherein, in the sealing member, the height of the ridges is about 0.1 millimeter, the width of the ridges at their base is about 0.2 millimeters, the means for biasing are cantilever springs, and the sealing member is made from artificial rubber having a Shore A hardness of from about 55 to about 74.
  - 30. The process cartridge according to claim 20 wherein the blade end portion of the sealing member is structured so as to be held in place between the blade member and the frame member in use.
  - 31. The process cartridge according to claim 25 wherein the ridges on the rotary seal portion run at an angle of about 10°
    - to the rotary member process direction.

16. A process cartridge detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising:
- a frame member;
  
  a rotary member mounted on said frame member;
  
  said rotary member constituting process means;
  
  a blade member elastically contacting said rotary member; and
  
  a sealing member comprising;
  
  a rotary seal portion for sealing a space formed between the frame member and the rotary member, said rotary seal portion incorporating ridges set at an angle across its face adjacent to the surface of said rotary member;
  
  a blade seal portion for sealing a space formed between the frame member and the blade member; and
  
  a means for biasing said sealing member toward the surface of said rotary member and said blade member.

Specification

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Current Assignee
Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
Original Assignee
Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
Inventors
Hale, Jason Paul, Newman, Benjamin Keith, Gayne, Jarrett Clark, Buchanan, John Andrew, Stickler, Tom E

Granted Patent

US 6,487,383 B2
Time in Patent Office

Days
Field of Search
US Class Current

399/103
CPC Class Codes

G03G 15/0817   characterised by the latera...

G03G 2221/1648   using seals, e.g. to preven...

G03G 2221/183   Process cartridge

DYNAMIC END-SEAL FOR TONER DEVELOPMENT UNIT

First Claim

4 Assignments

0 Petitions

Accused Products

Abstract

9 Citations

31 Claims

Specification

Solutions

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DYNAMIC END-SEAL FOR TONER DEVELOPMENT UNIT

First Claim

4 Assignments

Subscription Required

Subscription Required

0 Petitions

Subscription Required

Accused Products

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Abstract

9 Citations

31 Claims

Specification

Subscription Required

Solutions

Use Cases

Quick Links