Abstract: A mounting assembly for mounting a mirror to a frame in a laser scanning unit of an electrophotographic image forming device includes a bracket attached between the frame and the mirror. The bracket includes a body having a first surface and a second surface transverse to the first surface. A first set of protrusions extends from the first surface for defining a first gap between the frame and the bracket that limits adhesive thickness therebetween when the first surface of the bracket is adhesively attached to the frame. A second set of protrusions extends form the second surface for defining a second gap between the mirror and the bracket that limits adhesive thickness therebetween when the second surface of the bracket is adhesively attached to the mirror.

Abstract: A replaceable unit is removably installable in an image forming device. The replaceable unit includes a rotatable input gear that is positioned to mate with an output gear of the image forming device. The replaceable unit includes an encoded member that is encoded with identifying information of the replaceable unit and that is operatively connected to the input gear such that rotation of the input gear causes movement of the encoded member. The replaceable unit includes an alignment guide on the exterior of the replaceable unit. The image forming device includes a sensor supported by a sensor housing. The alignment guide is positioned to contact and move the sensor housing during insertion of the replaceable unit into the image forming device to align the sensor with an exposed portion of the encoded member for reading the identifying information from the encoded member by the sensor.

Abstract: A physical unclonable function is disclosed. A highly random distribution of magnetic particles within a thermoplastic polymer is created by magnetizing magnetizable particles in solid pellet feed material before feeding the solid pellets into an injection molding machine. Other devices and processes are disclosed.

Abstract: A toner container includes an encoded member that is encoded with identifying information of the toner container and that is operatively connected to an input gear of the toner container such that rotation of the input gear causes movement of the encoded member for communicating the identifying information to a sensor. A first alignment guide on the first side of the toner container includes a top surface that is unobstructed to contact a sensor housing from below when the toner container is installed in an image forming device. At least a portion of the top surface of the first alignment guide inclines upward and rearward for contacting and lifting the sensor housing upward during insertion of the toner container into the image forming device for aligning the sensor with an exposed portion of the encoded member.

Abstract: A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a housing having a reservoir for holding toner. An electrical connector is positioned on a first side of the housing. The electrical connector includes an electrical contact for contacting a corresponding electrical contact in the image forming device and a magnetic sensor electrically connected to the electrical contact. The electrical connector is movable between a first position and a second position. When the electrical connector moves from the first position to the second position, the electrical contact of the replaceable unit moves from a retracted position to an operative position. When the electrical connector moves from the first position to the second position, the magnetic sensor moves from a misaligned position to an aligned position with a point in a path of movement of a magnet for sensing a magnetic field of the magnet.

Abstract: A physical unclonable function is disclosed. A highly random distribution of magnetic particles within a thermoplastic polymer is created by magnetizing magnetizable particles in solid pellet feed material before feeding the solid pellets into an injection molding machine. Other devices and processes are disclosed.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor array device is described that is constructed with multiple single sensor die, diced out of a wafer as a group and packaged in a wafer level package (WLP). The device comprises an array of multi-axis magnetic sensors that can measure the multi-dimensional magnetic field of an arbitrary sized two-dimensional region with high spatial resolution, reduced sensing distance, higher measurement throughput, tolerance to motion, improved temperature measurement, and improved yield when placed on a circuit card comprises part of an authentication system including a physical unclonable function (“PUF”), a substrate, a plurality of magnetized particles randomly dispersed in the substrate, and a PUF reader constructed using one or more of the magnetic sensor array devices wherein the PUF reader measures the magnetic field at multiple locations in close proximity to the magnetized particles. The measured magnetic field data may be compared to previously enrolled data to assess authenticity.

Abstract: A component separator system for use with an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a first replaceable unit and a second replaceable unit for use in the image forming device. The second replaceable unit is manually separable from the first replaceable unit. The first replaceable unit is mateable with the second replaceable unit in an operative position of the first replaceable unit relative to the second replaceable unit with a first imaging component of the first replaceable unit in operative contact with a second imaging component of the second replaceable unit. Engagement of a first engagement member of the first replaceable unit with a second engagement member of the second replaceable unit retains the first replaceable unit in a storage position relative to the second replaceable unit with the first imaging component spaced away from the second imaging component.

Abstract: A method for detecting a non-authentic slave component in an electronic printer device which includes receiving a command from a master component in the device, identifying a response to the command based upon a frequency of a plurality of clock pulses used by the master component while sending the command, and sending the response to the master component for use as a basis in determining whether the slave component is one of an authentic slave component and a non-authentic slave component. The disclosed method may be performed by a replaceable slave component in an imaging device including a slave circuit communicating with a master circuit of the master component along a serial communications interface. The master circuit includes an instruction to change a clock frequency when sending a command to the slave circuit to trigger a unique response from slave circuits of authentic slave components.

Abstract: A toner cartridge according to one example includes first and second alignment guides that extend outward from a first side and a second side of the toner cartridge, respectively, for positioning the toner cartridge. The first and second alignment guides define a pivot axis about which the toner cartridge is pivotable relative to an imaging unit when the toner cartridge is installed on the imaging unit. An engagement member is positioned on a rear of the toner cartridge for receiving a bias force for biasing the toner cartridge about the pivot axis when the toner cartridge is installed on the imaging unit. The engagement member is positioned next to the bottom of the housing. The engagement member includes an angled contact surface that faces upward and rearward for contacting a corresponding hold-down on the imaging unit when the toner cartridge is installed on the imaging unit.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor array device is described that is constructed with multiple sensors integrated on a common silicon die, diced and packaged in a wafer level package (WLP). The device comprises an array of multi-axis magnetic sensors that can measure the multi-dimensional magnetic field of an arbitrary sized two-dimensional region with high spatial resolution, reduced sensing distance, higher measurement throughput, tolerance to motion, improved temperature measurement, and improved yield when placed on a circuit card comprises part of an authentication system including a physical unclonable function (“PUF”), a substrate, a plurality of magnetized particles randomly dispersed in the substrate, and a PUF reader constructed using one or more of the magnetic sensor array devices wherein the PUF reader measures the magnetic field at multiple locations in close proximity to the magnetized particles. The measured magnetic field data may be compared to previously enrolled data to assess authenticity.

Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a photoconductive drum and a boss that protrudes outward from a first longitudinal end of the toner cartridge at a rotational axis of the photoconductive drum. An outermost axial segment of the boss along the rotational axis includes a partial cylinder having a cross-sectional shape of a circular segment. An outer circumferential surface of the partial cylinder is convex to a bottom of the toner cartridge and forms a bottom contact surface of the boss that is unobstructed to contact and sit in a corresponding V-block in an image forming device when the toner cartridge is installed in the image forming device. The outermost axial segment of the boss includes clearance above a topmost portion of the partial cylinder and within the radius of the outer circumferential surface of the partial cylinder permitting the clearance to accommodate one or more features in the image forming device.

Abstract: An assembly for use in an electrophotographic image forming device includes a housing having a reservoir for holding toner. The housing includes a wall having an inner surface forming a boundary of the reservoir and an outer surface opposite the inner surface. A toner agitator is positioned in the reservoir and has a rotatable shaft. The shaft includes an end portion that passes through an opening in the wall. A gear is mounted on the end portion of the shaft outside of the reservoir and is rotatably coupled to the shaft. An annular seal encircles and is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the shaft. The annular seal is positioned between an inner axial face of the gear and the outer surface of the wall. The inner axial face of the gear contacts the annular seal and presses the annular seal against the outer surface of the wall.

Abstract: A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes an electrical contact positioned on a first side of a housing of the replaceable unit for contacting an electrical contact in the image forming device. A guide on the first side of the housing is positioned closer to a front of the housing than the electrical contact and leads rearward toward the electrical contact. The guide includes an inside surface that faces inward sideways toward a second side of the housing. At least a portion of the inside surface is angled inward sideways from front to rear permitting contact between the inside surface and an electrical connector in the image forming device to draw the electrical connector in the image forming device inward sideways relative to the replaceable unit during insertion of the replaceable unit into the image forming device.