Toner unit drive element for improved insertion

摘要

A replaceable toner cartridge for a printing apparatus includes a waste toner auger rotationally driven by a printer drive gear. The auger includes a drive element for engaging the printer drive gear. The auger drive element includes drive paddles extending radially from the auger shaft. Each drive paddle has a radial edge adjacent an inclined radial face surface, so that the as the auger drive element and the printer drive gear axially engage one another, the drive paddles of the auger drive element and the gear lobes of the printer drive gear slide along one another until the auger drive element and the printer drive gear solidly engage one another. Each drive paddle also has an extension perpendicular to the radial direction of the paddle to increase the spacing between the axial engagement surface of the printer drive gear and the radial edge of the drive element paddle.