Method and apparatus for cleaning a toner cartridge

Abstract

A method for cleaning a toner cartridge comprises the steps of taking a toner cartridge having a first opening at one end and a second opening at the other; engaging an air blow connector with the first opening; inserting the second end of the toner cartridge into a tubular cylinder equipped with a tube extending axially and an air nozzle connected to the tube; drawing air out of the tubular cylinder to create a vacuum inside the tubular cylinder; and introducing air into the toner cartridge through the air blow connector, tube, and air nozzle to create an airflow, thereby forcing the residual toner in the toner cartridge through the second opening into the tubular cylinder for removal. Accordingly, the method can effectively remove residual toner from the toner cartridge.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates generally to an electronic image generating device and in particular to a method and a device for cleaning a toner cartridge. 2. Description of the related field

[0002] Electronic imaging devices, such as multifunction printers and copiers, are usually equipped with black or another color toner to print grayscale or color documents. When the toner in a toner cartridge is depleted, the used toner cartridge is replaced with a new one. However, since the used toner cartridge often contains residual toner, this residual toner must be removed before the cartridge can be refilled with new toner for reuse.

[0003] In conventional methods for cleaning residual toner, an operator typically manually sprays high-pressure air onto the inner wall of the toner cartridge using a compressed air gun. This causes the toner to detach from the inner wall and be carried away by the airflow. However, this method disperses toner particles into the surrounding air, not only polluting the environment but also posing a health risk to the operator if they inhale the particles. Therefore, the question of how to effectively remove residual toner without polluting the environment or endangering human health has become a key issue for the industry. JP H11-90368A discloses a toner container with air nozzles located at the front ends of air tubes. These nozzles blow air onto the outer surface and sides of the toner container and exhaust it to the outside via a dust extraction duct.The toner container is attached to an extrusion shaft during washing. JP 2003-93993 A discloses a device for generating and applying static pressure to the powder container with a suction mechanism for drawing in the powder. JP 2005-324167 A discloses a movable cleaning element that is movable between a first position, into which it is moved by an elastic force of an elastic element, and a second position, into which it is moved against the elastic force. The movable element is moved to the second position by blowing or drawing gas into it, and the cleaning fluid between the body to be cleaned and the movable element is removed.JP H07-306576A discloses an electrophotographic recording device that produces a toner image in which toner adheres to an electrostatic image generated on a photoreceptor by a developing unit, and the toner image is transferred to recording paper. The toner container has a suction opening formed on an end face of the container to draw in the toner remaining in the container, as well as at least one air supply opening provided near a corner area opposite the suction opening. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention was developed in light of the aforementioned circumstances. One object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for cleaning a toner cartridge, with which residual toner can be effectively removed from the cartridge without polluting the environment or endangering human health.

[0005] To solve the aforementioned problem, the present invention provides a method for cleaning a toner cartridge, comprising the following steps: a) Taking a toner cartridge which has a first opening at a first end and a second end thereof, respectively.a) is provided with a second opening, b) connecting an air blow port to the first opening, c) inserting the second end of the toner cartridge into a tubular cylinder which is provided on its inside with a channel extending along an axial direction and an air nozzle connected to the channel, such that the air nozzle extends into the toner cartridge through the second opening when the toner cartridge is inserted into the tubular cylinder, and d) drawing air from the tubular cylinder to create a vacuum in the tubular cylinder, and introducing air into the toner cartridge through the air blow port, the channel and the air nozzle to create an airflow, whereby the residual toner in the toner cartridge is conveyed through the second opening into the tubular cylinder to be extracted.Accordingly, the method of the present invention can effectively remove residual toner from the toner cartridge without polluting the environment or endangering human health.

[0006] To solve the aforementioned problem, the present invention provides a device for cleaning a toner cartridge with a first opening and a second opening. The device comprises a tubular cylinder and an air blow connection. The tubular cylinder includes a cylinder body for receiving at least a portion of the toner cartridge, a conduit extending along an axial direction of the cylinder body and arranged within the cylinder body, and an air nozzle connected to the conduit and configured to extend through the second opening into the toner cartridge. The air blow connection is designed to be positioned at the first opening of the toner cartridge. Accordingly, the device of the present invention can effectively remove residual toner from the toner cartridge without polluting the environment or endangering human health. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The present invention will be better understood by the detailed description below and the accompanying drawings, which serve only for illustration and thus do not limit the present invention, wherein Fig. 1 a perspective view of a toner cartridge according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 perspective views are shown, which show the toner cartridge and components of a device for cleaning the toner cartridge according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the toner cartridge and the device for cleaning the toner cartridge of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and the Fig. 5 and Fig. Six perspective views of components of the device for cleaning the toner cartridge of the preferred embodiment of the present invention are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An embodiment with accompanying drawings to illustrate the technical features and structure of the present invention is described in detail below. As shown in the Fig. As shown in Figures 1-5, the method for cleaning a toner cartridge provided by a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises the following steps.

[0009] Step a): Take a toner cartridge 1 with a first opening 2 and a second opening 3, as shown in Fig. Figure 1 shows the first opening 2 at the first end 4 of the toner cartridge 1, and the second opening 3 is at the second end 5. The first opening 2 is used for dispensing toner, and the second opening 3 is used for filling or refilling toner. This second opening 3 can also be formed, but is not limited to, by cutting off the second end 5 after the toner has been used up. The toner cartridge 1 is the one that has been recycled after the toner has been used up, although residual toner still adheres to its inner or outer walls. In this embodiment, the first end 4 is referred to as the front end, and the second end 5 as the rear end. However, these designations can also be reversed.

[0010] Step b): Connecting an air blow port 8 to the first opening 2, as shown in the Fig. 2 and Fig. Figure 3 shows the air blow port 8, which is connected to an air compressor (not shown), i.e., it is in fluid communication with it.

[0011] Step c): Inserting the toner cartridge 1 with its second end 5 into a tubular cylinder 10, as shown in Fig. Figure 4 shows that the tubular cylinder 10 is provided on its inner side with a line 13 and an air nozzle 14 connected to the line 13. The line 13 extends along an axial direction A and is connected to the air compressor (not shown). In this arrangement, the line 13 and the air nozzle 14 extend simultaneously into the interior of the toner cartridge 1 through the second opening 3 when the toner cartridge 1 is inserted into the tubular cylinder 10. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, the air nozzle 14 is provided with several outwardly directed air outlets 15 to direct the airflow onto an inner wall of the toner cartridge 1, and with an axial air outlet 16 extending in a direction parallel to the axial direction A of the tubular cylinder 10. To prevent the toner cartridge 1 from being inserted too deeply into the tubular cylinder 10, the tubular cylinder 10 may further have a cross-shaped stop element 18 arranged on the outer wall of the conduit 13 to stop the second end 5 of the toner cartridge 1. In another embodiment, the stop element 18 may be arranged on an inner wall of a cylinder body 11 of the tubular cylinder 10.

[0012] Step d): Extracting air from the tubular cylinder 10 to create a vacuum inside the tubular cylinder 10. In this embodiment, an air extraction line (not shown) is connected to the rear end 12 of the cylinder body 11 to extract air from the cylinder body 11 to the rear. Simultaneously, the air compressor directs air through the air blow port 8, the line 13, and the air nozzle 14 into the toner cartridge 1. In this way, an airflow is generated in the toner cartridge 1, which carries the residual toner in the toner cartridge 1 through the second opening 3 into the tubular cylinder 10 and then extracts it from the tubular cylinder 10.

[0013] The lateral or outward-facing air outlets 15 can direct air to the inner wall of the toner cartridge 1, thereby dislodging the residual toner from the inner wall of the toner cartridge 1. The air blow port 8 can blow air from front to back, thus forcing the residual toner to the rear and out of the toner cartridge 1 through the second opening 3. Meanwhile, the axial air outlet 16 directs air forward, creating turbulence and ensuring air reaches corners inaccessible to other airflows, thus guaranteeing thorough cleaning. The cleaning method of the present invention effectively removes toner residue from the toner cartridge 1. The extracted toner is immediately discharged through the air extraction line, preventing toner particles from entering the ambient air and potentially polluting the environment or being inhaled by the operator.Therefore, the cleaning method provided by the present invention avoids environmental pollution and health risks and solves the problem of the present invention.

[0014] To achieve an even better cleaning effect, an additional step e) can optionally be performed after step d), in which the toner cartridge 1 is moved back and forth inside the tubular cylinder 10 so that the outlet openings 15 can direct air to different points on the inner wall of the toner cartridge 1. Alternatively, the toner cartridge 1 can be rotated about the axial direction A during the back-and-forth movement, so that the outward-facing air outlets 15 can direct air to different points on the inner wall of the toner cartridge 1, thereby loosening residual toner from the inner wall at these points.

[0015] Based on the aforementioned technical characteristics, various modifications can be made to the toner cartridge cleaning process.

[0016] For example, the order of steps b) and c) can be reversed, or steps d) and c) can be performed simultaneously. All such variations, which are easily conceivable, should fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

[0017] As in the Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5 to Fig. As shown in Figure 6, the present invention further provides a cleaning device for cleaning a toner cartridge 1 having a first opening 2 and a second opening 3. The cleaning device comprises a tubular cylinder 10 and an air blow connection 8.

[0018] The tubular cylinder 10 comprises a cylinder body 11 for fully or partially accommodating the toner cartridge 1, a conduit 13 extending along an axial direction A of the cylinder body 11 and provided inside the cylinder body 11, an air nozzle 14 connected to the conduit 13 and extending through the second opening 3 into the toner cartridge 1, a stop element 18 attached to an inner wall of the cylinder body 11 or to an outer wall of the conduit 13 to stop the toner cartridge 1, and an air curtain ring 19 attached to the front end 121 of the cylinder body 11. The inner side surface of the air curtain ring 19 is provided with several inwardly directed air outlets 20 to direct an airflow to the outer wall of the toner cartridge 1.These inward-facing air outlets 20 can spray toner adhering to the outer wall of the toner cartridge 1 and form an air curtain to prevent toner from escaping from the front end 121 of the cylinder body 11.

[0019] The air blow connection 8 is installed at the first opening 2 of the toner cartridge 1. With the aforementioned structural features, the cleaning device of the present invention can effectively remove residual toner from both the inside and the outside of the toner cartridge 1 without polluting the environment or endangering human health. It should be noted that the stop element 18 and the air curtain ring 19 can be omitted. Furthermore, the outlets 15 of the air nozzle 14 can be configured to extend in directions that include or exclude a component parallel to the axial direction A of the tubular cylinder 10. All such modifications, which would be obvious to a person skilled in the art, are to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

[1] Method for cleaning a toner cartridge (1), characterized by that it includes the following steps: a) Taking a toner cartridge (1) which has a first opening (2) at a first end (4) and a second opening (3) at a second end (5); b) Connecting an air blow port (8) to the first opening (2); c) Inserting the second end (5) of the toner cartridge (1) into a tubular cylinder (10) which is provided on its inside with a line (13) extending along an axial direction (A) and an air nozzle (14) connected to the line (13) in such a way that, when the toner cartridge (1) is inserted into the tubular cylinder (10), the air nozzle (14) simultaneously extends through the second opening (3) into the toner cartridge (1); and d) Drawing air from the tubular cylinder (10) to create a vacuum inside the tubular cylinder (10) and introducing air through the air blow port (8), the line (13) and the air nozzle (14) into the toner cartridge (1) to create an airflow, whereby the residual toner inside the toner cartridge (1) is conveyed through the second opening (3) into the tubular cylinder (10) to be extracted. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by , that step b) is performed after step c) has been performed. [3] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that steps d) and c) are carried out simultaneously. [4] Method according to claim 1 or 3, characterized by , that it further includes a step e) in which the toner cartridge (1) is moved back and forth inside the tubular cylinder (10). [5] Method according to claim 4, characterized by, that the toner cartridge (1) rotates about the axial direction (A) in step e) while moving back and forth. [6] Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by , that in step d) the air nozzle (14) directs the air onto an inner wall of the toner cartridge (1). [7] Device for cleaning a toner cartridge (1) having a first opening (2) and a second opening (3), wherein the device characterized by is that it includes: a tubular cylinder (10) comprising a cylinder body (11) for receiving at least a part of the toner cartridge (1), a conduit (13) extending along an axial direction (A) of the cylinder body (11) and arranged within the cylinder body (11), and an air nozzle (14) connected to the conduit (13) and configured to extend through the second opening (3) into the toner cartridge (1); and an air blow connection (8) designed so that it can be arranged at the first opening (2) of the toner cartridge (1). [8] Device according to claim 7, characterized by , that the tubular cylinder (10) further comprises a stop element (18) which is arranged on an inner wall of the cylinder body (11) or on an outer wall of the line (13) to stop the toner cartridge (1). [9] Device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized by , that the tubular cylinder (10) further comprises an air curtain ring (19) arranged inside the cylinder body (11); wherein the air curtain ring (19) is provided on an inner side surface of the same with several inwardly directed air outlets (20) to direct an airflow to an outer wall of the toner cartridge (1). [10] Device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized by, that the air nozzle (14) has several outwardly directed air outlets (15) for directing an airflow to an inner wall of the toner cartridge (1). [11] Device according to claim 10, characterized by , that each of the outwardly directed air outlets (15) runs in a direction which has a component parallel to the axial direction (A) of the tubular cylinder (10). [12] Device according to any one of claims 7 to 11, characterized by , that the air nozzle (14) has an axial air outlet (16) which extends in a direction parallel to the axial direction (A) of the tubular cylinder (10).

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