DEVELOPER SUPPLY CONTAINER AND DEVELOPER SUPPLYING SYSTEM

• US 20120014722A1
• Filed: 09/27/2011
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Okino, Ayatomo, Nagashima, Toshiaki, Murakami, Katsuya, Tazawa, Fumio, Yamada, Yusuke
• Granted Patent: US 9,229,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/262
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0867 cylindrical developer cartridges, e.g. toner bottles for the developer replenishing opening
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0877 Arrangements for metering and dispensing developer from a developer cartridge into the development unit

Abstract

Conventionally, the developer in the developer supply container is discharged by an air-supply pump and a suction pump which are provided in the main assembly side of the image forming apparatus, and therefore, the developer is compacted by the increase of the internal pressure of the developer supply container resulting from the air-supply. Therefore, the proper suction of the developer from the developer supply container becomes difficult with the result of shortage of the developer amount to be supplied.

A bellow-like pump is provided on the side of the developer supply container, and the pump alternately repeats the suction operation and the discharging operation through the discharge opening by a driving force inputted from the image forming apparatus side. By this, the developer can be sufficiently loosened, thus properly discharging the developer.

Claims

1. A developer supply container detachably mountable to a developer replenishing apparatus, said developer supply container comprising:

a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer;

a discharge opening for permitting discharging of the developer from said developer accommodating portion;

a drive inputting portion for receiving a driving force from said the developer replenishing apparatus; and

a pump portion capable of being driven by the driving force received by said drive inputting portion to alternately change an internal pressure of said developer accommodating portion between a pressure lower than an ambient pressure and a pressure higher than the ambient pressure.

2. A developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein the developer in said developer supply container has a fluidity energy of not less than 4.3×

10<sup>−

4</sup> kg·

cm²/s² and not more than 4.14×

10<sup>−

3</sup> kg·

cm²/s², and

wherein said discharge opening has an area not more than 12.6 mm².

3. A developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein said pump portion includes a displacement type pump having a volume changing with reciprocation.

4. A developer supply container according to claim 3, wherein with increase of a volume of a chamber of said pump, the pressure in the developer accommodating portion becomes lower than the ambient pressure to substantially clog said discharge opening with the developer.

5. A developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein said pump portion includes a flexible bellow-like pump.

6. A developer supply container according to claim 3, wherein said drive inputting portion is capable of receiving a rotational force, and

wherein said developer supply container further comprises:

a feeding portion for feeding the developer accommodated in said developer accommodating portion toward said discharge opening by a rotational force received by said drive inputting portion, and

a drive converting portion for converting the rotational force received by said drive inputting portion to a force for operating said pump portion.

7. A developer supplying system comprising:

a developer replenishing apparatus; and

a developer supply container detachably mountable to said developer replenishing apparatus,

wherein said developer replenishing apparatus includes;

a mounting portion for demountably mounting said developer supply container,

a developer receiving portion for receiving the developer from said developer supply container, and

a driver for applying a driving force to said developer supply container, and

wherein said developer supply container includes;

a developer accommodating portion accommodating developer,

a discharge opening for permitting discharging of the developer from said developer accommodating portion toward said developer receiving portion,

a drive inputting portion, engageable with said driver, for receiving the driving force, and

a pump portion for alternately changing an internal pressure of said developer accommodating portion between a pressure higher than an ambient pressure and a pressure lower than the ambient pressure.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the developer in said developer supply container has a fluidity energy of not less than 4.3×

10<sup>−

4</sup> kg·

cm²/s² and not more than 4.14×

10<sup>−

3</sup> kg·

cm²/s², and

wherein said discharge opening has an area not more than 12.6 mm².

9. A system according to claim 7, wherein said pump portion includes a displacement type pump having a volume changing with reciprocation.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein with increase of a volume of a chamber of said pump, the pressure in the developer accommodating portion becomes lower than the ambient pressure to substantially clog said discharge opening with the developer.

11. A system according to claim 7, wherein said pump portion includes a flexible bellow-like pump.

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein said driver applies a rotational force to said drive inputting portion, and

wherein said developer supply container includes:

a feeding portion for feeding the developer accommodated in said developer accommodating portion toward said discharge opening by a rotational force received by said drive inputting portion, and

a drive converting portion for converting the rotational force received by said drive inputting portion to a force for reciprocating said pump portion.

13. A developer supply container detachably mountable to a developer replenishing apparatus, said developer supply container comprising:

a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer;

a discharge opening for permitting discharging of the developer from said developer accommodating portion;

a drive inputting portion for receiving a driving force from said the developer replenishing apparatus; and

a pump portion capable of being driven by the driving force received by said drive inputting portion to alternately repeat suction and delivery actions through said discharge opening.

14. A developer supply container according to claim 13, wherein the developer in said developer supply container has a fluidity energy of not less than 4.3×

10<sup>−

4</sup> kg·

cm²/s² and not more than 4.14×

10<sup>−

3</sup> kg·

cm²/s², and

wherein said discharge opening has an area not more than 12.6 mm².

15. A developer supply container according to claim 13, wherein said pump portion includes a displacement type pump having a volume changing with reciprocation.

16. A developer supply container according to claim 15, wherein with increase of a volume of a chamber of said pump, the pressure in the developer accommodating portion becomes lower than an ambient pressure to substantially clog said discharge opening with the developer.

17. A developer supply container according to claim 13, wherein said pump portion includes a flexible bellow-like pump.

18. A developer supply container according to claim 15, wherein said drive inputting portion is capable of receiving a rotational force, and

wherein said developer supply container further comprises:

a feeding portion for feeding the developer accommodated in said developer accommodating portion toward said discharge opening by the rotational force received by said drive inputting portion, and

a drive converting portion for converting the received force by said drive inputting portion to a force for operating said pump portion.

19. A developer supplying system comprising:

a developer replenishing apparatus; and

a developer supply container detachably mountable to said developer replenishing apparatus,

wherein said developer replenishing apparatus includes;

a mounting portion for demountably mounting said developer supply container,

a developer receiving portion for receiving a developer from said developer supply container, and

a driver for applying a driving force to said developer supply container, and

wherein said developer supply container includes;

a developer accommodating portion for accommodating the developer,

a discharge opening for permitting discharging of the developer from said developer accommodating portion toward said developer receiving portion,

a drive inputting portion for receiving the driving force, and

a pump portion for alternately repeating suction and delivery actions through said discharge opening.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein the developer in said developer supply container has a fluidity energy of not less than 4.3×

10<sup>−

4</sup> kg·

cm²/s² and not more than 4.14×

10<sup>−

3</sup> kg·

cm²/s², and

wherein said discharge opening has an area not more than 12.6 mm².

21. A system according to claim 19, wherein said pump portion includes a displacement type pump having a volume changing with reciprocation.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein with increase of a volume of a chamber of said pump, the pressure in the developer accommodating portion becomes lower than an ambient pressure to substantially clog said discharge opening with the developer.

23. A system according to claim 19, wherein said pump portion includes a flexible bellow-like pump.

24. A system according to claim 21, wherein said driver applies a rotational force to said drive inputting portion, and

wherein said developer supply container includes:

a feeding portion for feeding the developer accommodated in said developer accommodating portion toward said discharge opening by a rotational force received by said drive inputting portion, and

a drive converting portion for converting the rotational force received by said drive inputting portion to a force for reciprocating said pump portion.

25. A developer supply container detachably mountable to a developer replenishing apparatus, said developer supply container comprising:

a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer having a fluidity energy of not less than 4.3×

10<sup>−

4</sup> kg·

cm²/s² and not more than 4.14×

10<sup>−

3</sup> kg·

cm²/s²;

a pin hole for permitting discharge of the developer out of said developer accommodating portion, said pin hole having an area not more than 12.6 mm²;

a drive inputting portion for receiving a driving force from the developer replenishing apparatus; and

an air flow generating mechanism for generating repeated and alternating inward and outward air flow through said pin hole.

26. A developer supplying system comprising:

a developer replenishing apparatus; and

a developer supply container detachably mountable to said developer replenishing apparatus,

wherein said developer replenishing apparatus includes;

a mounting portion for demountably mounting said developer supply container,

a developer receiving portion for receiving a developer from said developer supply container, and

a driver for applying a driving force to said developer supply container, and

wherein said developer supply container includes;

a developer accommodating portion for accommodating the developer having a fluidity energy of not less than 4.3×

10<sup>−

4</sup> kg·

cm²/s² and not more than 4.14×

10<sup>−

3</sup> kg·

cm²/s²;

a pin hole for permitting discharge of the developer out of said developer accommodating portion, said pin hole having an area not more than 12.6 mm²;

a drive inputting portion for receiving the driving force; and

an air flow generating mechanism for generating repeated and alternating inward and outward air flow through said pin hole.