TONER CASE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20140140736A1
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: MIYAMOTO, Teruyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,164,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/258
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0877 Arrangements for metering and dispensing developer from a developer cartridge into the development unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0879 for dispensing developer from a developer cartridge not directly attached to the development unit

Abstract

A toner case includes a case main body, an attachment member and a conveying member. The case main body has a discharge port configured to discharge a toner. The attachment member is provided at the case main body to be rotatable in normal and reverse rotation directions around a rotation axis. The conveying member is rotatable in the normal and reverse rotation direction around the rotation axis to convey the toner from/to the inside of the case main body to/from a side of the discharge port. When the attachment member is reversely rotated, the conveying member is moved in a direction of the rotation axis between a first position in which the conveying member is reversely rotated together with the attachment member and a second position in which the attachment member runs idle.

Claims

1. A toner case comprising:

a case main body having a discharge port configured to discharge a toner;

an attachment member provided at the case main body to be rotatable in normal and reverse rotation directions around a rotation axis; and

a conveying member provided at the case main body to be rotatable in the normal and reverse rotation directions around the rotation axis and connected to the attachment member, wherein the conveying member conveys the toner from the inside of the case main body to a side of the discharge port when the conveying member is normally rotated and the conveying member conveys the toner from the side of the discharge port to the inside of the case main body when the conveying member is reversely rotated, and the conveying member is movable in a direction of the rotation axis between a first position in which the conveying member is reversely rotated together with the attachment member when the attachment member is reversely rotated and a second position in which the conveying member makes the attachment member run idle when the attachment member is reversely rotated.

2. The toner case according to claim 1, further comprising:

a biasing member configured to bias the conveying member to the second position; and

a coupling piece coupling the attachment member to the conveying member and holding the conveying member at the first position against the biasing force of the biasing member,

wherein, when the conveying member is normally rotated under a condition in which the conveying member is held at the first position, the conveying member is moved from the first position side to the second position side to break the coupling piece so that the conveying member is held at the second position by the biasing force of the biasing member.

3. The toner case according to claim 2, wherein, on the inner circumference face of the case main body, a guiding rib is projected so as to be inclined from the first position side to the second position side toward a direction in which the conveying member is normally rotated,

on the outer circumference face of the conveying member, a guided piece is projected,

when the conveying member is normally rotated under a condition in which the conveying member is held at the first position, the guided piece is moved along the guiding rib so that the conveying member is moved from the first position side to the second position side.

4. The toner case according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of coupling pieces are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction and the coupling pieces extend in the rotation axial direction.

5. The toner case according to claim 1, wherein the attachment member includes

a first attachment body restricted from the movement in the rotation axial direction;

and

a second attachment body arranged between the first attachment body and the conveying member under a movable condition in the rotation axial direction and biased toward the conveying member side by a biasing body,

the second attachment body has

a pressing portion provided along the rotation axial direction; and

an inclined portion provided contiguously to the pressing portion and inclined relative to the rotation axial direction,

the conveying member has a pressed portion provided along the rotation axial direction,

when the attachment member is reversely rotated under a condition in which the conveying member is positioned at the first position, the pressing portion presses the pressed portion so that the conveying member is reversely rotated together with the attachment member, and

when the attachment member is reversely rotated under a condition in which the conveying member is positioned at the second position, the inclined portion presses the pressed portion so that the second attachment body is moved to a side spaced away from the conveying member against the biasing force of the biasing body and the attachment member runs idle.

6. The toner case according to claim 5, wherein the first attachment body has a projection portion, and

the second attachment body has a hole portion,

the projection portion is engaged with the hole portion so that the relative rotation of the second attachment member to the first attachment body is restricted.

7. The toner case according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of projection portions and hole portions are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction.

8. The toner case according to claim 1, wherein the conveying member includes

a conveying member main body extending in the rotation axial direction;

and

a connecting body provided at one end of the conveying member main body in the rotation axial direction and connected to the attachment member.

9. The toner case according to claim 1, wherein the case main body includes

a container part containing the toner;

and

a duct part projecting from one end of the container part in the rotation axial direction,

the discharge port is provided at the duct part or across the container part and the duct part.

10. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a toner case which includes;

a case main body having a discharge port configured to discharge a toner;

an attachment member provided at the case main body to be rotatable in normal and reverse rotation directions around a rotation axis; and

a conveying member provided at the case main body to be rotatable in the normal and reverse rotation directions around the rotation axis and connected to the attachment member, wherein the conveying member conveys the toner from the inside of the case main body to a side of the discharge port when the conveying member is normally rotated and the conveying member conveys the toner from the side of the discharge port to the inside of the case main body when the conveying member is reversely rotated, and the conveying member is movable in a direction of the rotation axis between a first position in which the conveying member is reversely rotated together with the attachment member when the attachment member is reversely rotated and a second position in which the conveying member makes the attachment member run idle when the attachment member is reversely rotated.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the toner case further includes

a biasing member configured to bias the conveying member to the second position;

and

a coupling piece coupling the attachment member to the conveying member and holding the conveying member at the first position against the biasing force of the biasing member,

when the conveying member is normally rotated under a condition in which the conveying member is held at the first position, the conveying member is moved from the first position side to the second position side to break the coupling piece so that the conveying member is held at the second position by the biasing force of the biasing member.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, on the inner circumference face of the case main body, a guiding rib is projected so as to be inclined from the first position side to the second position side toward a direction in which the conveying member is normally rotated,

on the outer circumference face of the conveying member, a guided piece is projected,

when the conveying member is normally rotated under a condition in which the conveying member is held at the first position, the guided piece is moved along the guiding rib so that the conveying member is moved from the first position side to the second position side.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of coupling pieces are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction and the coupling pieces extend in the rotation axial direction.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the attachment member includes

a first attachment body restricted from the movement in the rotation axial direction;

and

a second attachment body arranged between the first attachment body and the conveying member under a movable condition in the rotation axial direction and biased toward the conveying member side by a biasing body,

the second attachment body has

a pressing portion provided along the rotation axial direction; and

an inclined portion provided contiguously to the pressing portion and inclined relative to the rotation axial direction,

the conveying member has a pressed portion provided along the rotation axial direction,

when the attachment member is reversely rotated under a condition in which the conveying member is positioned at the first position, the pressing portion presses the pressed portion so that the conveying member is reversely rotated together with the attachment member, and

when the attachment member is reversely rotated under a condition in which the conveying member is positioned at the second position, the inclined portion presses the pressed portion so that the second attachment body is moved to a side spaced away from the conveying member against the biasing force of the biasing body and the attachment member runs idle.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first attachment body has a projection portion, and

the second attachment body has a hole portion,

the projection portion is engaged with the hole portion so that the relative rotation of the second attachment member to the first attachment body is restricted.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of projection portions and hole portions are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the conveying member includes

a conveying member main body extending in the rotation axial direction;

and

a connecting body provided at one end of the conveying member main body in the rotation axial direction and connected to the attachment member.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the case main body includes

a container part containing the toner;

and

a duct part projecting from one end of the container part in the rotation axial direction,

the discharge port is provided at the duct part or across the container part and the duct part.