Developer unit architecture for an imaging device

摘要

A removable unit for an electrophotographic imaging device includes a housing having an opening, a rotatable roll disposed near the opening and adjacent to a bottom of the housing and a blade assembly coupled to the housing. The blade assembly includes a support bracket secured to a wall defining at least a part of the opening of the housing, and a blade member coupled to the support bracket and being positioned in the removable unit so that a distal end portion of the blade member engages with the rotatable roll. The housing, the blade assembly, and a portion of a surface of the rotatable roll define a substantially sealed enclosure for containing toner therein.

主权项

1. A removable unit for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising:
a housing having an opening; a rotatable roll disposed near the opening and adjacent to a bottom of the housing; and a blade assembly coupled to the housing, comprising a support bracket secured to a wall defining at least a part of the opening of the housing, and a blade member coupled to the support bracket and being positioned in the removable unit so that a distal end portion of the blade member engages with the rotatable roll; wherein the housing, the blade assembly, and a portion of a surface of the rotatable roll define a substantially sealed enclosure for containing toner therein, wherein the support bracket includes a first surface against which the blade member is coupled, the first surface having an upper portion, a central portion and a lower portion, the blade member being coupled to the central portion of the first surface and wherein the blade member bends away from the lower portion of the first surface of the support bracket due to engagement with the rotatable roll so as to form a gap between the lower portion of the first surface of the support bracket and the blade member such that the lower portion of the first surface of the support bracket does not contact the blade member, the upper portion, central portion and lower portion of the first surface are a single planar or substantially planar surface, and wherein the blade member is attached to the support bracket at a plurality of attachment points along a width of the blade member, and a distance between the attachment points and a lower portion of the first surface of the support bracket is greater near first and second ends of the blade member than at the central portion thereof along the width of the blade member.