Method and apparatus for filling a toner container useful in printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9250571-B2
Application number	US-201313797542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2013
Priority date	Mar 12, 2013
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

An approach is provided for filling a toner container useful in printing. The approach involves causing, at least in part, a toner container to be coupled to a base member, the base member being configured to contact a lift mechanism. The approach further involves causing, at least in part, the toner container to be moved to a filling position by the lift mechanism. The approach also involves causing, at least in part, a predetermined amount of a toner to be input into the toner container by a filling process when the toner container is in the filling position. The approach additionally involves causing, at least in part, at least the toner inside the toner container to be agitated by way of the base member during the filling process, at least until the toner container is filled with the predetermined amount of toner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for filling a toner container useful in printing comprising:
causing, at least in part, a toner container to be coupled to a base member, the base member being configured to contact a lift mechanism;
causing, at least in part, the toner container to be moved to a filling position by the lift mechanism;
causing, at least in part, a predetermined amount of a toner to be input into the toner container by a filling process when the toner container is in the filling position;
causing, at least in part, at least the toner inside the toner container to be agitated by way of the base member during the filling process, at least until the toner container is filled with the predetermined amount of toner, the toner being agitated by way of a vibration inducing device external to the toner container, the vibration inducing device configured to vibrate at least the base member during the filling process to indirectly agitate the toner, the toner container including a body section having a mixer therein and a container coupling, the base member coupled to the mixer via engagement between the container coupling and a drive coupling associated with a motor via the base member such that the motor rotates the mixer of the toner container, the base member coupled to the motor and drive coupling associated with the lift mechanism; and
causing, at least in part, the toner inside the toner container to be further agitated by way of the mixer, motor and drive coupling associated with the lift mechanism, the vibration inducing device being configured to transmit a vibration through at least the mixer to directly agitate the toner.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vibration inducing device is mounted to a portion of the lift mechanism such that the vibration inducing device horizontally vibrates the lift mechanism with respect to a vertical direction of movement of the toner container as caused by the lift mechanism when the toner container is moved to the filling position, the vibration inducing device thereby being configured to indirectly agitate the toner inside the toner container during the filling process by way of vibrations transmitted through at least the lift mechanism and the base member.

3. The method of claim 1 ,
the motor and drive coupling being configured to cause the mixer to rotate in a first direction during a portion of the filling process and a second direction during another portion of the filling process so as to directly agitate the toner during the filling process.

4. The method of claim 3 ,
the vibration inducing device being configured to transmit a vibration through at least the mixer.

5. The method of claim 3 ,
the vibration inducing device being mounted to a portion of the lift mechanism such that the vibration inducing device horizontally vibrates the lift mechanism with respect to a vertical direction of movement of the toner container as caused by the lift mechanism when the toner container is moved to the filling position, the vibration inducing device thereby being configured to indirectly agitate the toner inside the toner container during the filling process by way of vibrations transmitted through at least the lift mechanism and the base member.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the mixer is an auger.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the mixer is a paddle.

8. An apparatus for filling a toner container useful in printing comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,
the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
cause, at least in part, a toner container to be coupled to a base member, the base member being configured to contact a lift mechanism;
cause, at least in part, the toner container to be moved to a filling position by the lift mechanism;
cause, at least in part, a predetermined amount of a toner to be input into the toner container by a filling process when the toner container is in the filling position;
cause, at least in part, at least the toner inside the toner container to be agitated by way of the base member during the filling process, at least until the toner container is filled with the predetermined amount of toner, the toner being agitated by way of a vibration inducing device external to the toner container, the vibration inducing device configured to vibrate at least the base member during the filling process to indirectly agitate the toner, the toner container including a body section having a mixer therein and a container coupling, the base member coupled to the mixer via engagement between the container coupling and a drive coupling associated with a motor via the base member such that the motor rotates the mixer of the toner container, the base member coupled to the motor and drive coupling associated with the lift mechanism; and
cause, at least in part, the toner inside the toner container to be further agitated by way of the mixer, motor and drive coupling associated with the lift mechanism, the vibration inducing device being configured to transmit a vibration through at least the mixer to directly agitate the toner.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the vibration inducing device is mounted to a portion of the lift mechanism such that the vibration inducing device horizontally vibrates the lift mechanism with respect to a vertical direction of movement of the toner container as caused by the lift mechanism when the toner container is moved to the filling position, the vibration inducing device thereby being configured to indirectly agitate the toner inside the toner container during the filling process by way of vibrations transmitted through at least the lift mechanism and the base member.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 ,
the motor and drive coupling being configured to cause the mixer to rotate in a first direction during a portion of the filling process and a second direction during another portion of the filling process so as to directly agitate the toner during the filling process.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 ,
the vibration inducing device being mounted to a portion of the lift mechanism such that the vibration inducing device horizontally vibrates the lift mechanism with respect to a vertical direction of movement of the toner container as caused by the lift mechanism when the toner container is moved to the filling position, the vibration inducing device thereby being configured to indirectly agitate the toner inside the toner container during the filling process by way of vibrations transmitted through at least the lift mechanism and the base member.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 ,
the oscillator mounted to the lift mechanism such that the oscillator horizontally vibrates the lift mechanism with respect to a vertical direction of movement of the toner container caused by the lift mechanism, the lift mechanism being configured to lift the toner container to facilitate the filling process, the oscillator thereby being configured to indirectly agitate the toner inside the toner container during the filling process by way of vibrations transmitted through the lift mechanism and the base member.

13. A system for filling a toner container useful in printing comprising:
a base member configured to receive a toner container such that the toner container is coupled to the base member;
a lift mechanism configured to contact the base member and cause the toner container to be moved to a filling position;
a filling device configured to cause, at least in part, a predetermined amount of a toner to be input into

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Acquaviva Paul
• Wegman Paul M
• Barbisan Joseph
• Higuchi Fumii

Classifications

• G03G15/0894 Primary

  Reconditioning of the developer unit, i.e. reusing or recycling parts of the unit, e.g. resealing of the unit before refilling with toner · CPC title

• G03G2215/0802

  Arrangements for agitating or circulating developer material · CPC title

• B65B1/22

  by vibration · CPC title