Toner container, toner feed device and image forming apparatus

• US 20080013983A1
• Filed: 06/01/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mihara, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,596,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/106
• 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 15/0882 by a peelable sealing film resealing used developer units before refilling: G03G15/0894
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0886 by mechanical means, e.g. shutter, plug
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0665 Generally horizontally mounting of said toner cartridge parallel to its longitudinal rotational axis
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0687 using a peelable sealing film

Abstract

A toner container that is removably attached to a toner feed device for feeding toner to a developing unit provided for an image forming apparatus, includes: a container body filled with toner; a supporting structure which supports the container body in a rotatable manner and has a toner feed aperture for feeding the toner from the container body to the outside. The toner container is constructed such that the supporting structure includes a shutter opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the toner feed aperture; the container body is applied with a sealing element for sealing the toner discharge aperture of the container body; the sealing element is engaged with the supporting structure at one end opposite to the other end thereof which seals the toner discharge aperture of the container body when the container body is held by the supporting structure; and, the side surface of the container body against which the shutter opening and closing mechanism provided for the supporting structure abuts is formed with an engaging projection for engaging the shutter opening and closing mechanism when the shutter element confines the toner feed aperture.

Claims

1. A toner container that is removably attached to a toner feed device for feeding toner to a developing unit provided for an image forming apparatus, comprising:

a container body including a toner storing portion filled with toner, and a toner discharge aperture arranged in a toner feed recess formed on the outer peripheral surface of the toner storing portion for discharging toner from the toner storing portion by rotationally driving the toner storing portion about the axis thereof as a rotary axis; and

a supporting structure, which supports the container body in a rotatable manner by enclosing the outer peripheral surface along the rotational direction of the container body so as to include the area where the toner feed recess is formed, and has a toner feed aperture for feeding the toner discharged from the toner discharge aperture into the toner feed recess, to the outside, characterized in that

the supporting structure includes a shutter opening and closing mechanism having an approximately plate-like shutter element that is movable along a fixed direction for opening and closing the toner feed aperture;

the container body is applied with a sealing element for sealing the toner discharge aperture;

the sealing element is engaged with the supporting structure at one end opposite to the other end thereof which seals the toner discharge aperture when the container body is held by the supporting structure; and

,

the side surface of the container body against which the shutter opening and closing mechanism provided for the supporting structure abuts is formed with an engaging projection for engaging the shutter opening and closing mechanism when the shutter element confines the toner feed aperture.

2. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element is formed of a material having air permeability and hygroscopicity.

3. A toner feed device comprising:

a toner container including a container body filled with toner and a supporting structure for supporting the container body in a rotatable manner; and

an intermediate hopper which has the toner container attached thereto, temporarily stores the toner discharged from the toner feed aperture of the toner container as the container body is rotationally driven about the axis thereof as a rotational axis and supplies the toner to a developing unit provided for an image forming apparatus, characterized in that the toner container comprises;

a container body including a toner storing portion filled with toner, and a toner discharge aperture arranged in a toner feed recess formed on the outer peripheral surface of the toner storing portion for discharging toner from the toner storing portion by rotationally driving the toner storing portion about the axis thereof as a rotary axis; and

a supporting structure, which supports the container body in a rotatable manner by enclosing the outer peripheral surface along the rotational direction of the container body so as to include the area where the toner feed recess is formed, and has a toner feed aperture for feeding the toner discharged from the toner discharge aperture into the toner feed recess, to the outside, and that

the supporting structure includes a shutter opening and closing mechanism having an approximately plate-like shutter element that is movable along a fixed direction for opening and closing the toner feed aperture;

the container body is applied with a sealing element for sealing the toner discharge aperture;

the sealing element is engaged with the supporting structure at one end opposite to the other end thereof which seals the toner discharge aperture when the container body is held by the supporting structure; and

,

the side surface of the container body against which the shutter opening and closing mechanism provided for the supporting structure abuts is formed with an engaging projection for engaging the shutter opening and closing mechanism when the shutter element confines the toner feed aperture; and

the toner container is removably mounted.

4. The toner feed device according to claim 3, wherein the sealing element is formed of a material having air permeability and hygroscopicity.

5. The toner feed device according to claim 3, wherein when the container body is rotated to supply toner by releasing the shutter element, retracting the engaging projection from the shutter opening and closing mechanism, a rotational load is applied to the container body.

6. The toner feed device according to claim 4, wherein when the container body is rotated to supply toner by releasing the shutter element, retracting the engaging projection from the shutter opening and closing mechanism, a rotational load is applied to the container body.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising a toner feed device according to claim 3.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising a toner feed device according to claim 4.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising a toner feed device according to claim 5.

10. An image forming apparatus comprising a toner feed device according to claim 6.