Developing Unit Having Guide That Stably Supports Toner Cartridge

• US 20100329734A1
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: HAYAKAWA, Masahiko, SATO, Shougo, IMAI, Masashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,254,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/119
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0844 Arrangements for purging used developer from the developing unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0865 Arrangements for supplying new developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0868 Toner cartridges fulfilling a continuous function within the electrographic apparatus during the use of the supplied developer material, e.g. toner discharge on demand, storing residual toner, acting as an active closure for the developer replenishing opening
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0872 the developer cartridges being generally horizontally mounted parallel to its longitudinal rotational axis
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0875 cartridges having a box like shape
• 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 15/0889 for agitation or stirring
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0896 Arrangements or disposition of the complete developer unit or parts thereof not provided for by groups G03G15/08 - G03G15/0894
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1647 Mechanical connection means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1676 for the developer unit

Abstract

A developing device includes a developer cartridge and a developing unit. The developing unit includes a first guide and a second guide. The second is movable with respect to the developing frame between a first position where the second guide is in continuous with the first guide and a second position where a continuous state of the second guide with the first guide is interrupted. The developer cartridge includes a developer frame that accommodates a developer and a first guided member movable with respect to the developer frame. The first guide and the second guide at the first position guide the first guided member in the course of attaching the developer cartridge to the developing unit. When an attachment of the developer cartridge to the developing unit completes, the first guide receives the first guided member, and the second guide is at the second position.

Claims

1. A developing device comprising:

a developer cartridge that accommodates a developer; and

a developing unit to which the developer cartridge is detachably attached, wherein;

the developing unit includes;

a developing frame;

a developer bearing member supported to the developing frame and being configured to bear the developer;

a first guide fixed to the developing frame; and

a second guide supported to the developing frame so as to be movable with respect to the developing frame between a first position where the second guide is in continuous with the first guide and a second position where a continuous state of the second guide with the first guide is interrupted;

the developer cartridge includes;

a developer frame that accommodates the developer; and

a first guided member supported to the developer frame so as to be movable with respect to the developer frame;

the first guide and the second guide at the first position guide the first guided member of the developer cartridge in the course of attaching the developer cartridge to or detaching the developer cartridge from the developing unit; and

when an attachment of the developer cartridge to the developing unit completes, the first guide receives the first guided member, and the second guide is at the second position.

2. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein:

the developer frame is formed with a supply hole through which the developer is supplied from the developer cartridge to the developing unit;

the developer cartridge further includes a shutter that is configured to selectively open and close the supply hole;

the first guided member is formed at the shutter; and

operations for attaching the developer cartridge to and detaching the developer cartridge from the developing unit are associated with opening and closing of the supply hole with the shutter.

3. The developing device according to claim 2, wherein the developer frame is formed with a recovery hole through which the developer is collected from the developing unit into the developer cartridge.

4. The developing device according to claim 2, wherein the first guide is in a middle of the second guide when the second guide is at the first position.

5. The developing device according to claim 4, wherein:

the developer cartridge further includes a pair of second guided members fixed to the developer frame at positions interposing the first guided member in an attaching direction in which the developer cartridge is attached to the developing unit;

the first guide and the second guide at the first position guide the second guided members in the course of attaching the developer cartridge to or detaching the developer cartridge from the developing unit; and

the second guide receives the second guided members when the attachment of the developer cartridge to the developing unit completes.

6. The developing device according to claim 5, wherein the first guide and the second guide are grooves, and the first guided member and the second guided members are protrusions projecting from an outer surface of the developer frame.

7. The developing device according to claim 2, wherein the developer frame defines therein a plurality of chambers that accommodate the developer, the plurality of chambers being aligned in a line along an attaching direction in which the developer cartridge is attached to the developing unit, from a side nearest the supply hole toward an upstream side in the attaching direction.

8. The developing device according to claim 7, wherein;

the developer cartridge further includes a plurality of agitators one disposed in each of the plurality of chambers, the agitators being configured to rotate to agitate the developer; and

each of the chambers is formed in a substantially column shape extending in a direction in which rotation axes of the agitators extend.

9. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein:

the developer cartridge further includes a plurality of input parts disposed at the developer frame, the input parts being configured to receive driving force; and

the developing unit further includes an input unit that is movable between an advanced position and a retracted position both outside of the developer cartridge, the input unit being configured to input the driving force to the plurality of input parts.

10. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein:

the developing unit further includes an image bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, the image bearing member being supported to the developing frame;

the developer bearing member supplies the developer to the image bearing member;

the developer frame is formed with an operating part that a user grips when attaching the developer cartridge to or detaching the developer cartridge from the developing unit, the operating part being formed on an upstream side of the first guided member in an attaching direction in which the developer cartridge is attached to the developing unit; and

the operating part has a receiving part that receives a pressing force that presses the developer bearing member against the image bearing member.

11. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the first guided member is formed on each side of the developer cartridge in a longitudinal direction of the developer cartridge.

12. A developer cartridge detachably attachable to a body of one of an image forming device and a developing device that is detachably mounted on the image forming device, comprising:

a developer frame that accommodates a developer; and

a first guided member that is movably supported to the developer frame and that is guided by a guide formed on the body in the course of attaching the developer cartridge to or detaching the developer cartridge from the body.

13. The developer cartridge according to claim 12, further comprising a shutter, wherein:

the developer frame is formed with a supply hole through which the developer is supplied to the body;

the first guided member is formed on the shutter; and

the shutter is configured to selectively open and close the supply hole.

14. The developer cartridge according to claim 13, wherein the developer frame is formed with a recovery hole through which the developer is collected from the body into the developer cartridge.

15. The developer cartridge according to claim 13, further comprising a pair of second guided members fixed to the developer frame at positions interposing the first guided member in an attaching direction in which the developer cartridge is attached to the body, wherein the second guided members are guided by the guide in the course of attaching the developer cartridge to or detaching the developer cartridge from the body.

16. The developer cartridge according to claim 15, wherein the first guided member and the second guided members are protrusions protruding from an outer surface of the developer frame.

17. The developer cartridge according to claim 13, wherein:

the developer frame defines a plurality of chambers that accommodate the developer, the chambers being aligned in a line along an attaching direction in which the developer cartridge is attached to the body, from a side nearest the supply hole toward an upstream side in the attaching direction.

18. The developer cartridge according to claim 17, further comprising a plurality of agitators one disposed in each of the chambers, the plurality of agitators being configured to rotate to agitate the developer, wherein each of the chambers is formed in a substantially column shape extending in a direction in which rotation axes of the agitators extend.

19. The developer cartridge according to claim 12, further comprising a plurality of input parts disposed at the developer frame, the input parts being configured to receive driving force.

20. A developer cartridge comprising:

a casing accommodating a developer and formed with an opening;

a shutter that is configured to move between a first position to close the opening and a second position to open the opening;

a first protrusion protruding from an outer surface of the casing and extending in a predetermined direction; and

a pair of second protrusions protruding from the outer surface of the casing at positions interposing the first protrusion therebetween and capable of moving relative to the first protrusion, wherein the pair of second protrusions align with each other in the predetermined direction when the shutter is at the first position and align with each other in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction when the shutter is at the second position.

21. The developer cartridge according to claim 20, wherein the casing defines an internal space and includes a partitioning wall formed with a communication hole, the partitioning wall partitioning the internal space into a first chamber and a second chamber, the first chamber being in direct communication with the opening, the second chamber being in communication with the first chamber through the communication hole and accommodating the developer;

the shutter at the first position closes both the opening and the communication hole; and

the shutter at the second position opens both the opening and the communication hole.

22. The developer cartridge according to claim 21, wherein the casing further defines a third chamber in communication with the second chamber.

23. The developer cartridge according to claim 22, wherein each of the first chamber, the second chamber, and the third chamber has a cylindrical shape.