Toner cartridge with flexible container

Abstract

A toner cartridge includes a first housing and a second housing coupled to the first housing and including a print material outlet. The toner cartridge includes a flexible container positioned within the first housing to store print material. The toner cartridge further includes a. pump to expel a predetermined amount of the print, material from the print material outlet.

Description

[0001]Atty. Dkt. No.: 86247785 TONER CARTRIDGE WITH FLEXIBLE CONTAINER BACKGROUND An image forming apparatus using electrophotography prints an image on a recording medium by supplying toner to an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor to form a visible toner image on the photoreceptor. The visible toner image is then transferred to and fused on a recording medium. Toner may be supplied in a replaceable or refillable toner cartridge and ejected from the cartridge onto the photoreceptor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1A is a cross-section side view of an example of a toner cartridge. FIG. 1B is a cross-section side view of the toner cartridge of FIG. 1A during a pump compression sequence. FIG. 2A is a cross-section side view of the toner cartridge of FIG. 1A after compression and expansion sequences. FIG. 2B is a cross-section side view of the toner cartridge of FIG. 1A after compression and expansion sequences. FIG. 3A is a cross-section side view of an example of a toner cartridge. FIG. 3B is a cross-section side view of the toner cartridge of FIG. 3A during a pump compression sequence. FIG. 4A is a cross-section side view showing a toner cartridge to be installed in an example of an image forming apparatus . FIG. 4B is a cross-section side view of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 4A with the toner cartridge installed. FIG. 5A is a cross-section side view showing a toner cartridge to be installed in an example of an image forming apparatus including an uninstalled toner cartridge. -1- 4873-9339-7359.1 Atty. Dkt. No.: 86247785 FIG. 5B is a cross-section side view of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 5A with the toner cartridge installed. FIG. 5C is a cross-section side view of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 5B after compression and expansion sequences. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example of an image forming apparatus. It will be recognized that the figures are schematic representations for purposes of illustration. The figures are provided for the purpose of illustrating the implementations with the explicit understanding that the figures will not be used to limit the scope of the meaning of the claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Toner cartridges may include a toner storage area (e.g., reservoir) to store toner therein and a toner outlet to dispense toner from the reservoir to a print engine or print body of an image forming apparatus. An auger may be used to push toner from the reservoir towards the toner outlet. In some cases, the auger may be unable to convey all of the toner to the toner outlet before the amount of toner supplied to the toner outlet is insufficient to produce further images on the recording medium. Thus, the toner cartridge may need to be refilled or replaced before all or substantially all of the toner has been ejected from the cartridge. This may require more frequent refilling or replacing of the toner cartridge, and in the case of a nonrefillable toner cartridge, this may result in toner waste. Further, the auger used to move the toner towards the toner outlet may cause physical stress on the toner, which may cause deterioration of toner charge performance, which may negatively affect print quality. According to the examples described herein, a toner cartridge may be provided which includes a reservoir in the form of flexible container that decreases in size as the toner is ejected from the toner outlet. The example toner cartridges described herein may allow for more of the toner in the storage area to be ejected from the toner outlet before the toner cartridge needs to be refilled or replaced. For example, all or substantially all of the toner may be ejected from cartridge. This may reduce toner waste and may require less frequent -2- 4873-9339-7359.1 Atty. Dkt. No.: 86247785 refilling or replacement of toner cartridges. Further, these example toner cartridges may not require an auger, which may reduce the cost to manufacture the cartridges and reduce or eliminate toner charge degradation due to physical stress on the toner. Referring now to FIG. 1A, an example of a toner cartridge 100 is shown. The toner cartridge 100 may include a first housing 102 and a second housing 104. The first housing 102 and the second housing 104 may collectively contain toner (e.g., print material). The second housing 104 may include a print material outlet 106 (e.g., a toner outlet) from which a predetermined amount of print material may be ejected or expelled. The toner cartridge 100 may include a flexible container 108 to store print material. The flexible container 108 may be positioned in the first housing 102 and coupled at its open end 107 to the second housing 104. Thus, the first housing 102 may be fluidly coupled with an outer surface of the flexible container 108, and the second housing 104 may be fluidly coupled with an inner surface of the flexible container 108. The flexible container 108 may be made from an elastic material, such that the size (e.g., volume) of the flexible container 108 may change (e.g., increase or decrease) based on an amount (e.g., volume) of print material stored therein. For example, when the toner cartridge 100 is manufactured, the flexible container 108 may be filled with print material such that the flexible container 108 occupies substantially the entire volume of the first housing 102. As the material is ejected from the print material outlet 106, the volume of the flexible container 108 may decrease as the volume of print material stored therein decreases. The toner cartridge 100 may include a pump 110. The pump 110 may be arranged to pressurize the first housing 102, applying pressure to an outside surface 109 of the flexible container 108 to expel a predetermined amount of print material from the print material outlet 106. FIG. 1B, shows the toner cartridge 100 of FIG. 1A in a compression sequence of the pump 110. The pump 110 may include a bellows 112 that couples the first housing 102 to the second housing 104. To eject print material from the print material outlet 106, the first housing 102 may be moved towards the second housing 104 (e.g., to the left as shown in FIG. 1A), the movement of the first housing 102 towards the second housing 104 compressing the bellows 112. In some examples, the second housing 104 may be moved towards the first housing 102 to achieve similar functionality. This compressing of the bellows 112 from an -3- 4873-9339-7359.1 Atty. Dkt. No.: 86247785 expanded state to a compressed state may be referred to as a compression sequence. As the bellows 112 compresses, the pressure in the first housing 102, outside the flexible container 108, may increase. The increased pressure in the first housing 102 outside the flexible container 108 may cause a pressure differential between the outside of the flexible container 108 and the inside of the flexible container 108. As illustrated by the arrows 114, the pressure differential creates a force on the outside of the flexible container 108, and as indicated by the larger arrow 116, the print material may be pushed towards the second housing 104 and out of the print material outlet 106. In some examples, the first housing 102 may be threadedly coupled to the second housing 104 such that rotation of the first housing 102 relative to the second housing 12 may cause the first housing 102 to move towards the second housing 104 to compress the bellows 112 and pressurize the first housing 102. Referring again to FIG. 1A, after material is ejected during a compression sequence of the pump 110, the pump 110 may undergo an expansion sequence to refill the pump 110 with air to prepare for a subsequent compression sequence. Each compression sequence may expel a predetermined amount of print material from the print material outlet 106. The first housing 102 move away from the second housing 104 (e.g., to the right as shown in FIG. 1A) and may return to its initial position as shown in FIG. 1A. In some examples, the second housing 104 may be moved towards the first housing 102 to achieve similar functionality. The first housing 102 may include a valve 120 to selectively allow air into the first housing 102 and the pump 110. The volume of the bellows 112 may increase as the first housing 102 moves away from the second housing 104, which may decrease the pressure inside the first housing 102. The valve 120 may selectively allow air into the first housing 102 to increase the pressure in the first housing 102 on the outside of the flexible container 108. The valve 120 may be a passive valve that continues to allow air into the first housing 102 until the pressure inside the first housing 102 is equal to the pressure on the outside of the first housing 102. In other examples, the opening of the valve 120 may be actively controlled, for example, by a controller. The valve 120 may be arranged such that air may flow through the valve 120 into the first housing 102 but not out of the first housing 102. Thus, the valve 120 may remain closed during the compression sequence of the pump 110, as shown in FIG. 1B. -4- 4873-9339-7359.1 Atty. Dkt. No.: 86247785 FIG. 2A shows the toner cartridge 100 of FIG. 1A after compression expansion sequences have caused print material to be ejected from the print material outlet 106. The volume of the flexible container 108 has been reduced. Because the print material is stored in the flexible container 108, the print material may be moved towards the second housing 104 as the volume of the flexible container 108 decreases. FIG. 2B shows the toner cartridge 100 of FIG. 1A after all or substantially all of the print material stored in the flexible container 108 has been moved into the second housing 104. The flexible container 108, may invert or turn “inside out” such that the flexible container 108 continues to compress the print material in the second housing 104 during compression sequences. Because the flexible container 108 contains all of the print material, no print material or substantially no print material may be left behind in the first housing 102 after the flexible container 108 inverts. The inverted flexible container 108 may continue to expand into the second housing 104 during subsequent compression sequences. The inverted flexible container 108 may fill substantially the entire volume of the second housing 104 to the left (as shown in FIG. 2B) of the open end 107 such that substantially all of the print material may be ejected from the toner cartridge 100. Thus, less print material may be wasted, and the toner cartridge 100 may not need to be refilled as frequently. Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, an example of a toner cartridge 300 is shown. Like the toner cartridge 100 of FIG. 1A, the toner cartridge 300 of FIGS. 3A and 3B may include a first housing 302 coupled to a second housing 304. The toner cartridge 300 may include a flexible container 108 to store print material. The flexible container 108 may be made of the elastic material to allow the size of the flexible container 108 to change based on amount print material and flexible container 108. Print material in the flexible container 108 may be ejected from the print material outlet 106. The toner cartridge 300 of FIGS. 3A and 3B may include a pump 310 positioned in and coupled to the second housing 104. The pump 310 may include a bellows 312. As shown in FIG. 3B, during a compression sequence of the pump 310, the bellows 312 may be compressed to apply pressure (e.g., to increase the pressure) on the inside surface 111 of flexible container 108, as indicated by the arrows 115. For example, the pump 310 may include an actuator 314 to compress the bellows 312. Due to the pressure inside the first housing 102 outside the flexible container 108, the size (e.g., the volume) of the flexible container 108 may not substantially increase upon compression of -5- 4873-9339-7359.1 Atty. Dkt. No.: 86247785 the bellows 312. Instead, the increased pressure inside the flexible container 108 may cause print material to be ejected from the print material outlet 106. In some examples of the toner cartridge 300, the first housing 102 and the second housing 12 may form portions of a single integrated housing. After the compression sequence of the pump 310, the bellows 312 may return to the original, expanded position as shown in FIG. 3A. For example, the actuator 314 may cause the bellows 312 to expand. As the bellows 312 expands and the volume and the bellows 312 increases, the pressure inside the bellows 312 may drop. The pump 310 may include a valve 316 (e.g., a first valve, a pump valve, etc.) that may open during the expansion sequence of the pump 310 to allow air into the bellows 312. The valve 316 may be a passive valve that continues to allow air into the bellows 312 until the pressure in the bellows 312 is equal to the pressure in the second housing 104 outside the bellows 312. In examples, the opening of the valve 316 may be actively controlled, for example, by a controller. The valve 316 may not allow air in the bellows 312 to flow out of the bellows 312. The first housing 102 may also include a valve 120 (e.g., a second valve) that may open during the expansion sequence of the pump 310 to allow air into the first housing 102 outside the flexible container 108. The valve 120 may be a passive valve that continues to allow air into the first housing 102 until the pressure in the first housing 102 is equal to the pressure outside the first housing 102. In other examples, the opening of the valve 316 may be actively controlled, for example, by a controller. In some examples., the first housing 102 outside the flexible container 108 may be pressurized to above the pressure outside the first housing, for example, by a second pump. This may ensure that the flexible container 108 does not significantly expand upon compression of the bellows 312, and the print material is expelled. The size of the flexible container 108 may decrease based on the amount of print material inside the flexible container 108, similar to the flexible container 108 as shown in FIG. 2A. In some examples, the flexible container 108 may invert or turn “inside out” when no material remains inside the flexible container 108, similar to the flexible container 108 as shown in FIG. 2B. In some examples, a toner cartridge 100 may not include a pump (e.g., the pump 110, the pump 310) and may instead interface with a pump, for example a pump coupled to the print body of the image forming apparatus. Referring now to FIGS. 4A and 4B, an example -6- 4873-9339-7359.1 Atty. Dkt. No.: 86247785 of an image forming apparatus 10 is shown. The image forming apparatus 10 may include a print body 20 and a toner cartridge 100. The toner cartridge 100 may be installable in the print body 20 and may supply print material to the print body 20, which may form a visible image on a recording medium (e.g., a printing medium) using the print material. The print body 20 may include a pump 22 to interface with the toner cartridge 100. In some examples, (e.g., the toner cartridges 100 of FIGS 1A-3B, the pump may be a component of the cartridge and may be installed in a print body 20 of an image forming apparatus 10. In such examples, the print body 20 may not include a pump 22. Similar to the toner cartridges 100 of FIGS. 1A-3B, the toner cartridge 100 of FIG. 4A may include a first housing 102 and a second housing 104. The second housing 104 may include a print material outlet 106. The toner cartridge 100 may include a flexible container 108 to store print material. The flexible container 108 may be positioned in the first housing 102 and coupled at its open end 107 to the second housing 104. In some examples of the toner cartridge 100, the first housing 102 and the second housing 12 may form portions of a single integrated housing. Unlike the toner cartridges 100, 300 of FIGS. 1A-3B. the toner cartridge 400 of FIG. 4A may not include a pump. Instead, the toner cartridge 400 may include the pump interface 402 to be coupled to a pump (e.g., the pump 22) to expel a predetermined amount of print material from the print material outlet 106. The pump interface 402 may include an opening 404 (e.g., a first opening) that may fluidly couple to an opening 24 of the pump 22. The pump interface 402 may include a lid 406 to seal the opening 404 when the pump interface 402 is not coupled to the pump 22. For example, when the toner cartridge 400 is not installed in the print body 20, the lid 406 may close off the opening 404 such that print material is contained within the flexible container 108 and the second housing 104. When the toner cartridge 400 is installed in the print body 20, lid 406 may be opened such that the pump 22 may be fluidly coupled with the second housing 104. In some examples, the pump 22 or the print body 20 may include a seal-opening feature that opens the lid 406 when the toner cartridge 400 is installed in the print body 20. For example, FIG. 4A shows the toner cartridge 400 before the toner cartridge 400 has been fully installed into the print body 20. The toner cartridge 400 may be installed by sliding the toner cartridge 400 into the print body 20 from the right or left (as shown in FIG. 4A) into the position shown in FIG. 4B. As the toner cartridge 400 slides into the print body 20, the seal-opening feature may contact and -7- 4873-9339-7359.1 Atty. Dkt. No.: 86247785 open the lid 406. When the toner cartridge 400 is removed from the print body 20, the lid 406 may again seal the opening 404. The pump 22 may include a bellows 26 that may compress during a compression sequence of the pump 22 to pressurize the second housing 104 and the inside of the flexible container 108. Similar to the toner cartridge 300 of FIGS. 3A and 3B, the pressure inside the flexible container 108 of FIG. 4A may increase, while the volume of flexible container 108 may not substantially increase due to the pressure in the first housing 102 outside the flexible container 108. Instead, print material may be ejected from the print material outlet 106 during the compression sequence. After the compression sequence, the bellows 26 may expand to its original size. The pump 22 may include a valve 28 (e.g., a first valve, a pump valve, etc.) that may open during the expansion sequence of the pump 22 to allow air into the bellows 26. The valve 28 may be a passive valve that continues to allow air into the bellows 26 until the pressure in the bellows 26 is equal to the outside the bellows 26. In other examples, the opening of the valve 28 may be actively controlled, for example, by a controller. The valve 28 may not allow air in the bellows 26 to flow out of the bellows 26. The first housing 102 may also include a valve 120 (e.g., a second valve) that may open during the expansion sequence of the pump 22 to allow air into the first housing 102 outside the flexible container 108. The valve 120 may be a passive valve that continues to allow air into the first housing 102 until the pressure in the first housing 102 is equal to the pressure outside the first housing 102. In other examples, the opening of the valve 120 may be actively controlled, for example, by a controller. Thus, once the toner cartridge 400 is installed in the print body 20, the toner cartridge 400 of FIG. 4A may function in substantially the same manner as the toner cartridge 300 of FIGS. 3A and 3B, with the pump 22 functioning in substantially the same manner as the pump 310. In some examples, the pump 22 may be arranged to compress air in the compress air storage tank. A controller may open a valve to fluidly couple the compressed air storage tank to the opening 404 in the pump interface 402. In such examples, the pump 22 may not include a bellows and may not undergo an expansion sequence as described with regard to the examples above. The valve may be opened for a predetermined amount of time in order to expel a predetermined amount of print material from the print material outlet 106. As print -8- 4873-9339-7359.1 Atty. Dkt. No.: 86247785 material is expelled from the print material outlet 106, the size of the flexible container 108 may be reduced, which may lower the pressure in the first housing 102 outside the flexible container 108. When the valve closes and compressed air is no longer being supplied to the pump interface 402, air may flow into the first housing 102 through the valve 120 until the pressure in the first housing 102 equalizes with the pressure outside the first housing 102. Referring now to FIGS. 5A-5C, an example of an image forming apparatus 10 is shown. The image forming apparatus 10 may include a print body 20 and a toner cartridge 500. The toner cartridge 500 may be installable in the print body 20 and may supply print material to the print body 20, which may form a visible image on a recording medium (e.g., a printing medium) using the print material. The print body 20 may include a pump 22 to interface with the toner cartridge 100. Similar to the toner cartridges 100, 300, 400 of FIGS. 1A-4B, the toner cartridge 500 of FIG. 5A may include a first housing 102 and a second housing 104. The second housing 104 may include a print material outlet 106. The toner cartridge 100 may include a flexible container 508 to store print material. The flexible container 508 may include a movable partition 502 to allow the size of the flexible container 108 to change based on amount print material in the flexible container 508. As the amount of print material and the flexible container 508 decreases, movable partition 502 may move towards the second housing 104 and the print material outlet 106. In some examples of the toner cartridge 500, the first housing 102 and the second housing 104 may form portions of a single integrated housing. It should be understood that the flexible container 508 in the example toner cartridge 500 of FIGS. 5A-5C includes the internal volume of the first housing 102 to the left (as shown) of the movable partition 502. Because the movable partition 502 moves to adjust the size of the inner volume, no additional or separate flexible container (e.g., no flexible container made of elastic material) may be included in these examples. In some examples, image forming apparatus 10 may include a pump 22. The pump 22 may be a component of the toner cartridge 500 or may couple with the toner cartridge 100 upon installation of the toner cartridge 500 into the print body 20. For example, the toner cartridge 100 may include a pump interface 402 including opening 404. Upon installation of the toner cartridge 100 and the print body 20, and the opening 24 in the pump 22 may fluidly couple with the opening 404. As shown in FIGS. 5A-5C the pump 22 may be coupled to or a -9- 4873-9339-7359.1 Atty. Dkt. No.: 86247785 component of the print body 20. FIG. 5A shows the image forming apparatus 10 before the toner cartridge 100 is fully installed. To install the toner cartridge 500, the toner cartridge 100 may be slid to the right (as shown in FIG. 5A) until the pump interface 402 couples with the pump 22. In other examples, the toner cartridge 500 may slide into the print body 20 from the right to the left. As discussed above with respect to FIG. 4A, the pump interface 402 may include a lid 406 to seal the opening 404 when the pump interface 402 is not coupled to the pump 22. For example, when the toner cartridge 500 is not installed in the print body 20, the lid 406 may close off opening 404. When the toner cartridge 500 is installed in the print body 20 lid 406 may be opened such that the pump 22 may be fluidly coupled with the first housing 102. In some examples, the pump 22 or the print body 20 may include a seal-opening feature that opens the lid 406 when the toner cartridge 500 is installed in the print body 20. For example, the toner cartridge 500 may be installed by sliding the toner cartridge 500 into the print body 20 from the right or left (as shown in FIG. 4A). As the toner cartridge 500 slides into the print body 20, the seal-opening feature may contact and open the seal. When the toner cartridge 500 is removed from the print body 20, the lid 406 may again seal the opening 404. FIG. 5B shows the image forming apparatus 10 with the toner cartridge 500 coupled to the print body 40. During a compression sequence of the pump 22, the pump 22 may pressurize the first housing 102 to the right (e.g., as shown in FIG. 5B) of the movable partition 502. The increased pressure on the right side of the movable partition 502 may move the movable partition 502 towards second housing 104 and push the print material outlet of the print material outlet 106. Following the compression sequence, the pump 22 may undergo an expansion sequence. The first housing 102 may include a valve 120 to the right of the movable partition 502 to selectively allow air into the first housing 102 and the bellows 26 during the expansion sequence to increase the pressure in the first housing 102 on the right side of the movable partition 502. The valve 120 may be a passive valve that continues to allow air into the first housing 102 until the pressure inside the first housing 102 on the right side of the movable partition 502 is equal to the pressure on the outside of the first housing 102. In other examples, the opening of the valve 120 may be actively controlled, for example, by a controller. The valve 120 may be arranged such that air may flow through the valve 120 into the first housing 102 but not out of the first housing 102. -10- 4873-9339-7359.1 Atty. Dkt. No.: 86247785 Thus, the valve 120 may remain closed during the compression sequence of the pump 110, as shown in FIG. 1B. FIG. 5C shows the image forming apparatus 10 after compression expansion sequences of the pump 22. The movable partition 502 may continue to move towards the second housing 104, thus reducing the size of the flexible container 108 based on the amount of print material in the flexible container 108. The movable partition 502 may continue to move to the left until substantially all of the print material has been expelled from the print material outlet 106. FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of an example of an image forming apparatus 10 (e.g., the image forming apparatus 10 of any of FIGS. 4A-5C or an image forming apparatus 10 in which the cartridges of FIG. 1A-3B may be installed). The image forming apparatus 10 may include a print body 20 (e.g., the print body 20 of any of FIGS. 4-5C). A toner cartridge 100 (or the toner cartridge 300, 400, or 500) may be installed in or coupled to the print body 20. The print body 20 may include a controller 602 to control the components of the print body 20 and / or the toner cartridge 100. For example, the controller 602 may control an actuator to selectively move the first housing 102 of the toner cartridge 100 of FIGS. 1A-2B towards and away from the second housing 104 to compress and expand the bellows 112. The controller 602 may control the actuator 314 to compress and expand the pump 310 of FIGS. 3A and 3B. Similarly, the controller 602 may control an actuator to compress and expand the pumps 22 of FIGS 4A-5C. As discussed above, the controller 602 may control the opening and closing of various valves (e.g., valves 120, 316, 28, etc.). The controller 602 may control the components of the print body 20 and / or the toner cartridge 100 such that the toner cartridge 100 expelled the predetermined amount of print material from the print material outlet 106. For example, the controller 602 may control an actuator to fully compress the pump 110 to expel a predetermined amount of print material and may control the actuator to partially compress the pump 110 to expel a smaller predetermined amount of print material. The controller 602 may include a processing circuit 604 and memory 606. The memory 606 may start instructions that when executed by the processing circuit 604, cause the controller 602 to control the components of the print body 20 and / or the toner cartridge 100 as described above. In some examples, the controller 602 may be a component -11- 4873-9339-7359.1 Atty. Dkt. No.: 86247785 of the toner cartridge 100, or the toner cartridge 100 may have a controller in addition to a controller 602 of the print body 20. It should be noted that certain passages of this disclosure may reference terms such as “first” and “second” in connection with devices, surfaces or sides of devices, modes of operation, transmit chains, antennas, etc., for purposes of identifying or differentiating one from another or from others. These terms are not intended to merely relate entities (e.g., a first device and a second device) temporally or according to a sequence, although in some cases, these entities may include such a relationship. Nor do these terms limit the number of possible entities (e.g., devices) that may operate within a system or environment. While this specification contains specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what may be claimed but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular implementations. Certain features described in this specification in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable sub-combination. Moreover, although features may be described as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, features from a claimed combination can, in some cases, be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination or variation of a sub-combination. As utilized herein with respect to structural features (e.g., to describe shape, size, orientation, direction, relative position, etc.), the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and similar terms are meant to cover minor variations in structure that may result from, for example, the manufacturing or assembly process and are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. Accordingly, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the disclosure as recited in the appended claims. -12- 4873-9339-7359.1 Atty. Dkt. No.: 86247785 The term “coupled” and variations thereof, as used herein, means the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary (e.g., permanent or fixed) or moveable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such joining may be achieved with the two members coupled directly to each other, with the two members coupled to each other using a separate intervening member and any additional intermediate members coupled with one another, or with the two members coupled to each other using an intervening member that is integrally formed as a single unitary body with one of the two members. If “coupled” or variations thereof are modified by an additional term (e.g., directly coupled), the generic definition of “coupled” provided above is modified by the plain language meaning of the additional term (e.g., “directly coupled” means the joining of two members without any separate intervening member), resulting in a narrower definition than the generic definition of “coupled” provided above. Such coupling may be mechanical, electrical, or fluidic. References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below”) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the FIGURES. It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according to other examples, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure. With respect to the use of substantially any plural and / or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and / or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and / or application. The various singular / plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity. The foregoing description of illustrative examples has been presented for purposes of illustration and of description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting with respect to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible considering the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the disclosed examples. It is intended that the scope of the claimed subject matter be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents. -13- 4873-9339-7359.1

Claims

Atty. Dkt. No.: 86247785 WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A toner cartridge comprising: a first housing; a second housing coupled to the first housing and including a print material outlet; a flexible container positioned within the first housing to store print material; and a pump to expel a predetermined amount of the print material from the print material outlet.

2. The toner cartridge of claim 1, wherein the pump is coupled to the first housing to apply pressure on an outside surface of the flexible container to expel the predetermined amount of the print material from the print material outlet.

3. The toner cartridge of claim 2, wherein the pump comprises a bellows to couple the first housing to the second housing, and wherein movement of the first housing toward the second housing causes the bellows to compress and increase the pressure on the outside surface of the flexible container in the first housing.

4. The toner cartridge of claim 2, wherein the first housing comprises a valve to selectively allow air into the pump to increase the pressure on the outside surface of the flexible container in the first housing.

5. The toner cartridge of claim 1, wherein the flexible container comprises an elastic material to allow a size of the flexible container to change based on an amount of print material in the flexible container.

6. The toner cartridge of claim 1, wherein the flexible container comprises a movable partition to allow a size of the flexible container to change based on an amount of print material in the flexible container. -14--9339-7359.1Atty. Dkt. No.: 86247785 7. The toner cartridge of claim 1, wherein the pump is coupled to the second housing to apply pressure on an inside surface of the flexible container.

8. The toner cartridge of claim 7, further comprising: a first valve to allow air into the pump when the pump expands to fill the pump for a subsequent compression, the subsequent compression expelling a predetermined amount of the print material from the print material outlet; and a second valve to allow air into the first housing when the pump expands.

9. The toner cartridge of claim 1, wherein the first housing is fluidly coupled with an outer surface of the flexible container, and the second housing is fluidly coupled with an inner surface of the flexible container.

10. A toner cartridge comprising: a first housing; a second housing coupled to the first housing and including a print material outlet; a flexible container positioned within the first housing to store print material; and a pump interface to be coupled to a pump to expel a predetermined amount of the print material from the print material outlet.

11. The toner cartridge of claim 10, wherein the pump interface comprises a first opening to fluidly couple to a second opening of the pump.

12. The toner cartridge of claim 11, wherein the pump interface comprises a lid to seal the first opening when the pump interface is not coupled to the pump.

13. An image forming apparatus comprising: a print body for image forming on a printing medium; a toner cartridge comprising: a first housing; a second housing coupled to the first housing and including a print material outlet; -15--9339-7359.1Atty. Dkt. No.: 86247785 a flexible container positioned within the first housing to store print material; and a pump to expel a predetermined amount of the print material from the print material outlet.

14. The image forming apparatus of claim 13, wherein the toner cartridge comprises the pump.

15. The image forming apparatus of claim 13, wherein the print body comprises the pump, the pump comprising a first opening, and the toner cartridge comprising a second opening to fluidly couple with the first opening. -16--9339-7359.1

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