US 11,921,443 B2
Toner refill apparatus
Seung il Kim, Vancouver, WA (US)
Assigned to Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., Spring, TX (US)
Appl. No. 17/777,254
Filed by Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., Spring, TX (US)
PCT Filed Nov. 18, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/062023
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 16, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/101509, PCT Pub. Date May 27, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0390879 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. G03G 15/08 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/0894 (2013.01) [G03G 15/0863 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A toner refill apparatus comprising:
a chamber to house a toner, the chamber including an insertion section, the insertion section to be inserted into a refill port of a toner cartridge and including a discharge opening, the refill port including an electrical circuit component;
a valve mechanism positioned at the discharge opening to control output of the toner from the chamber through the discharge opening, wherein an actuator is to engage the valve mechanism and to controllably open the valve mechanism when the chamber is inserted into the refill port of the toner cartridge; and
an electronic chip to be in electrical communication with the electrical circuit component, wherein a controller is to activate the actuator based on a detection that the electronic chip is in contact with the electrical circuit component.