Patents by Inventor BRIAN LEE HAWES
BRIAN LEE HAWES has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11703777Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2022Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventors: Brian Lester Boettcher, Brian Lee Hawes, David Lee Merrifield
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Publication number: 20220236665Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2022Publication date: July 28, 2022Inventors: BRIAN LESTER BOETTCHER, BRIAN LEE HAWES, DAVID LEE MERRIFIELD
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Patent number: 11327417Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2020Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventors: Brian Lester Boettcher, Brian Lee Hawes, David Lee Merrifield
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Patent number: 11249439Abstract: An interface drive coupler for a replaceable unit of an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a first component and a second component coaxial with the first component along a rotational axis of the interface drive coupler. A force receiving portion is positioned on the first component and a force transmitting portion is positioned on the second component. One of the first component and the second component includes a male connector and the other of the first component and the second component includes a female connector that matably receives the male connector. Each of the male connector and the female connector includes a helical thread that extends circumferentially around the rotational axis of the interface drive coupler and that is angled in an operative rotational direction of the interface drive coupler in a direction from the force receiving portion toward the force transmitting portion.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2021Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventor: Brian Lee Hawes
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Patent number: 11150579Abstract: A toner cartridge according to one example embodiment includes a developer roll and a toner adder roll. First and second drive gears are rotatably connected to and coaxial with the developer roll and toner adder roll, respectively. The toner cartridge includes a drive coupler exposed to receive rotational motion when the toner cartridge is installed in an image forming device. Gear teeth of the first drive gear are directly meshed with gear teeth of the drive coupler of the toner cartridge. The second drive gear is rotatably connected to the drive coupler through a pair of idler gears.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2020Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.Inventors: Jeffrey Alan Abler, Brian Lester Boettcher, Brian Lee Hawes
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Patent number: 11126138Abstract: An assembly for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a housing and a rotatable component. A bushing has an opening defined by an inner circumferential surface of the bushing. A shaft of the rotatable component is received in the opening such that the inner circumferential surface rotatably supports the shaft. A first mating feature is positioned on an outer surface of the bushing that is opposite the inner circumferential surface of the bushing. The first mating feature is positioned between an inner axial end of the bushing and an outer axial end of the bushing relative to a rotational axis of the rotatable component. The first mating feature of the bushing is in contact with a second mating feature on the housing. Contact between the first and second mating features defines an axial position of the bushing relative to the housing along the rotational axis of the rotatable component.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2020Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.Inventors: Brian Lester Boettcher, Brian Lee Hawes
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Publication number: 20210132541Abstract: An interface drive coupler for a replaceable unit of an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a first component and a second component coaxial with the first component along a rotational axis of the interface drive coupler. A force receiving portion is positioned on the first component and a force transmitting portion is positioned on the second component. Angled grooves on one of the first and second components matably receive angled ribs on the other of the first and second components to prevent the first and second components from separating from each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 15, 2021Publication date: May 6, 2021Inventor: BRIAN LEE HAWES
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Publication number: 20210063955Abstract: An assembly for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a housing and a rotatable component. A bushing has an opening defined by an inner circumferential surface of the bushing. A shaft of the rotatable component is received in the opening such that the inner circumferential surface rotatably supports the shaft. A first mating feature is positioned on an outer surface of the bushing that is opposite the inner circumferential surface of the bushing. The first mating feature is positioned between an inner axial end of the bushing and an outer axial end of the bushing relative to a rotational axis of the rotatable component. The first mating feature of the bushing is in contact with a second mating feature on the housing. Contact between the first and second mating features defines an axial position of the bushing relative to the housing along the rotational axis of the rotatable component.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2020Publication date: March 4, 2021Inventors: BRIAN LESTER BOETTCHER, BRIAN LEE HAWES
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Patent number: 10935924Abstract: An interface drive coupler for a replaceable unit of an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a first component and a second component coaxial with the first component along a rotational axis of the interface drive coupler. A force receiving portion is positioned on the first component and a force transmitting portion is positioned on the second component. Angled grooves on one of the first and second components matably receive angled ribs on the other of the first and second components to prevent the first and second components from separating from each other.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 2020Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventor: Brian Lee Hawes
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Publication number: 20210018864Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2020Publication date: January 21, 2021Inventors: BRIAN LESTER BOETTCHER, BRIAN LEE HAWES, DAVID LEE MERRIFIELD
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Publication number: 20210011397Abstract: A toner cartridge according to one example embodiment includes a developer roll and a toner adder roll. First and second drive gears are rotatably connected to and coaxial with the developer roll and toner adder roll, respectively. The toner cartridge includes a drive coupler exposed to receive rotational motion when the toner cartridge is installed in an image forming device. Gear teeth of the first drive gear are directly meshed with gear teeth of the drive coupler of the toner cartridge. The second drive gear is rotatably connected to the drive coupler through a pair of idler gears.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2020Publication date: January 14, 2021Inventors: JEFFREY ALAN ABLER, BRIAN LESTER BOETTCHER, BRIAN LEE HAWES
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Publication number: 20210011422Abstract: An interface drive coupler for a replaceable unit of an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a first component and a second component coaxial with the first component along a rotational axis of the interface drive coupler. A force receiving portion is positioned on the first component and a force transmitting portion is positioned on the second component. Angled grooves on one of the first and second components matably receive angled ribs on the other of the first and second components to prevent the first and second components from separating from each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 2, 2020Publication date: January 14, 2021Inventor: BRIAN LEE HAWES
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Patent number: D934340Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2020Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventors: Mark William Amann, Brian Lester Boettcher, James Anthany Carter, II, Brian Lee Hawes, David Lee Merrifield, Jay Scott Siekmann