Toner case, image forming apparatus and toner kit

• US 10,579,010 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2019
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogawa, Naozumi, Wada, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Susan S
• Application Number:
  US16/384,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20190317447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0889 for agitation or stirring
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1647 Mechanical connection means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1676 for the developer unit

Abstract

A toner case includes a case main body, a rotator, a transmitter and a lock member. The case main body is configured to store a toner. The rotator is stored in the case main body and configured to rotate around a rotation axis. The transmitter is configured to transmit rotation to the rotator. The lock member is attached to the transmitter and configured to rotate integrally with the transmitter. The lock member is movable between a lock position where rotation of the lock member with respect to the case main body is restricted and a lock release position where the rotation of the lock member with respect to the case main body is allowed.

Claims

1. A toner case comprising:

a case main body configured to store a toner;

a rotator stored in the case main body and configured to rotate around a rotation axis;

a transmitter configured to transmit rotation to the rotator; and

a lock member attached to the transmitter and configured to rotate integrally with the transmitter,

wherein the lock member is movable between a lock position where rotation of the lock member with respect to the case main body is restricted and a lock release position where the rotation of the lock member with respect to the case main body is allowed.

2. The toner case according to claim 1,

wherein the rotator is an agitating paddle configured to agitate the toner in the case main body,

the agitating paddle includes:

an agitating shaft configured to extend along the rotation axis; and

an agitating blade fixed to the agitating shaft and configured to come into contact with and separate from an inner face of the case main body, and

in a state where the lock member is in the lock position, the agitating blade separates from the inner face of the case main body.

3. The toner case according to claim 1,

wherein the case main body includes one of a recess and a projection,

the lock member includes another of the recess and the projection,

in a state where the lock member is in the lock position, the projection is fitted into the recess to restrict the rotation of the lock member with respect to the case main body, and

in a state where the lock member is in the lock release position, fitting of the projection into the recess is released to allow the rotation of the lock member with respect to the case main body.

4. The toner case according to claim 1,

wherein the lock member is movable along a rotation axis direction of the rotator with respect to the case main body between the lock position and the lock release position.

5. The toner case according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing member configured to bias the lock member to the lock release position,

wherein the lock member is arranged outside the case main body,

a pressed part is provided on an outer face of the lock member, and

when the pressed part is pressed, the lock member is moved from the lock release position to the lock position against biasing force of the biasing member.

6. The toner case according to claim 5,

wherein the biasing member is a coil spring arranged between the case main body and the lock member.

7. The toner case according to claim 5,

wherein the transmitter includes an outer wall part provided perpendicularly to a rotation axis direction of the rotator,

the outer wall part has a through hole, and

the pressed part is inserted into the through hole so that relative rotation of the lock member with respect to the transmitter is restricted.

8. The toner case according to claim 5,

wherein an outer face of the pressed part is inclined to an outside in a rotation axis direction of the rotator from an upstream side toward a downstream side in a rotation direction of the lock member.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising:

the toner case according to claim 1; and

an attachment part to which the toner case is attached.

10. An image forming apparatus comprising:

the toner case according to claim 5; and

an attachment part to which the toner case is attached,

wherein the attachment part includes a drive coupling configured to rotate by rotational drive force from a drive source,

the pressed part is a driven coupling configured to engage with the drive coupling, and

when the drive coupling is rotated in a state where the toner case is attached to the attachment part, the drive coupling presses the driven coupling to rotate the lock member.

11. A toner kit comprising:

the toner case according to claim 1; and

a packaging box configured to store the toner case.

12. A toner kit comprising:

the toner case according to claim 5; and

a packaging box configured to store the toner case,

wherein a pressing part is provided on an inner face of the packaging box, and

the pressing part presses the pressed part in a state where the toner case is stored in the packaging box so that the lock member is kept at the lock position against the biasing force of the biasing member.

13. The toner kit according to claim 12,

when the toner case is tried to be stored in the packaging box in a state where the lock member is in the lock release position, the pressing part interferes with the pressed part to restrict the toner case from being stored in the packaging box.