Volumetric toner cartridge having removable exit paddle

摘要

A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic device including a housing having a reservoir that is in fluid communication with an exit port. A first end wall has a recess on an inner surface thereof in fluid communication with the reservoir and the exit port. A partially threaded drive shaft has an end received in a second end wall. An exit paddle having a drive hub is detachably mounted on the drive shaft near an unthreaded portion. Arms on the drive hub are received in the recess. A drive hub axial extension is received in the first end wall. The housing rotatably supports the drive shaft and exit paddle. A translatable toner platform rotatably connects to the drive shaft. When the drive shaft rotates the toner platform translates, moving toner toward the exit port, and the exit paddle rotates, delivering toner from the exit port.

主权项

1. A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising:
a housing comprising first and second opposed end walls and an elongated body therebetween, the body having an outer wall and an inner wall, the inner wall and the first and second end walls defining a reservoir within the body, the reservoir having a volume for containing a quantity of toner and being in fluid communication with an exit port in the housing for delivering toner from the reservoir, the first and second end walls each having an aligned opening, the first end wall having a recess on an inner surface thereof in fluid communication with the reservoir and the exit port; a drive shaft having a threaded portion and an unthreaded portion having a junction therebetween, an end of the drive shaft adjacent the threaded portion received in the opening in the second end wall; an exit paddle having a drive hub detachably mounted on the drive shaft near the unthreaded portion of the drive shaft, the drive hub having a plurality of cantilevered radial arms extending therefrom, a portion of at least one of the radial arms received in the recess on the inner surface of the first end wall, the drive hub having an axial extension received in the opening in the first end wall, the drive shaft and the exit paddle being rotatably supported by the second and first end walls, respectively, one of (1) the end of the drive shaft received in the opening in the second end wall and (2) the axial extension of the drive hub received in the opening in the first end wall extending through the respective end wall for receiving torque; a toner platform for moving toner within the reservoir toward the exit port and shaped to conform to the cross-sectional shape of the reservoir; and a coupling attached to the toner platform and threadably and rotatably connected with the threaded portion of the drive shaft, wherein when the drive shaft rotates the toner platform translates within the reservoir toward the exit port for moving toner within the reservoir toward the exit port and when the drive shaft rotates the exit paddle rotates for delivering toner out of the exit port.