Developer supply system, developer supply container mounting method and developer supply unit

• US 10,642,217 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Makino, Yusaku, Yomoda, Nobuyuki, Gamo, Yohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Curran, Gregory H
• Application Number:
  US16/354,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20190212695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/08 using a solid developer, e.g. powder developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0872 the developer cartridges being generally horizontally mounted parallel to its longitudinal rotational axis
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0877 Arrangements for metering and dispensing developer from a developer cartridge into the development unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0886 by mechanical means, e.g. shutter, plug
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/16 Mechanical means for facilitating the maintenance of the apparatus, e.g. modular arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1647 Mechanical connection means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1676 for the developer unit

Abstract

A developer supply container is detachably mountable to a developer receiving apparatus including a developer receiving portion provided with a receiving opening for receiving a developer, and a portion-to-be-engaged 11b integrally displaceable with the developer receiving portion. The developer supply container includes a discharging portion provided with a shutter opening for discharging the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion. An operation portion 21 displaces the developer receiving portion to bring the receiving opening into communication with the shutter opening by engagement between the engaging portion 21d and the portion-to-be-engaged 11b by a predetermined operation executed after the developer supply container is mounted to a predetermined position of the developer receiving apparatus.

Claims

1. A developer supplying system comprising:

a developer receiving apparatus including a developer receiving portion provided with a receiving opening for receiving developer; and

a developer supply container detachably mountable to the developer receiving apparatus, the developer supply container including;

a developer accommodating portion for accommodating the developer, and

a discharging portion provided with a discharge opening for discharging the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion,

wherein the developer receiving portion is provided with a force receiving portion for receiving a force for moving the developer receiving portion toward the developer supply container to bring the receiving opening into communication with the discharge opening by a manual operation after the developer supply container is mounted to the developer receiving apparatus.

2. A developer supplying system according to claim 1, wherein the force for moving the developer receiving portion toward the developer supply container to bring the receiving opening into communication with the discharge opening is applied to the developer receiving portion by an engaging part engaged with the force receiving portion by manipulating the engaging part.

3. A developer supplying system according to claim 2, wherein the engaging part is mounted to so as to maintain a communication state between the receiving opening and the discharge opening.

4. A mounting method for mounting a developer supply container to a developer receiving apparatus, the method comprising:

a first step mounting the developer supply container to the developer receiving apparatus, wherein the developer receiving apparatus includes (i) a developer receiving portion provided with a receiving opening for receiving developer, and (ii) a portion-to-be-engaged integrally displaceable with developer receiving portion, and the developer supply container includes (i) a developer accommodating portion for accommodating the developer, and (ii) a discharging portion provided with a discharge opening for discharging the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion; and

a second step of moving the developer receiving portion toward the developer supply container to bring the receiving opening into communication with the discharge opening, after the first step.