Volumetric toner cartridge having toner agitators

摘要

A toner cartridge for an imaging device having a housing having a toner reservoir and an exit port in fluid communication with the toner reservoir. A drive shaft rotatably mounts within the toner reservoir. A toner platform is movably coupled to the drive shaft and is nonrotatable but slidable relative to the housing. A resilient arm is positioned within the reservoir and biased toward an initial position in the path of the toner platform. When the drive shaft rotates, the toner platform translates toward the exit port. When the toner platform contacts the resilient arm, the resilient arm moves to permit the toner platform to pass and when the toner platform moves further toward the exit port the resilient arm returns to the initial position. The resilient arm may mount on the inner surface, the toner to platform or the drive shaft.

主权项

1. A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising:
a housing comprising two opposed end walls, an elongated body therebetween and an exit port, the body having an inner surface defining a toner reservoir for containing a quantity of toner, the toner reservoir in fluid communication with the exit port; a drive shaft rotatably mounted within the toner reservoir; a toner platform having a front surface, a rear surface and an edge surface, the front surface for moving toner within the reservoir toward the exit port, the toner platform in slidable contact with the inner surface and movably coupled to the drive shaft, the toner platform being nonrotatable relative to the housing; and a resilient arm positioned within the reservoir and biased toward an initial position in the path of the toner platform, wherein when the drive shaft rotates the toner platform translates toward the exit port for moving toner within the reservoir toward the exit port, when the toner platform contacts the resilient arm the resilient arm moves out of the path of the toner platform to permit the toner platform to pass and when the toner platform moves further toward the exit port the resilient arm returns to the initial position.