POWDER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20140270859A1
• Filed: 05/23/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hiroshi Hosokawa, Kaori Mitsuishi
• Inventors: Ikeguchi, Hiroshi, Terazawa, Seiji, Yamabe, Junji, Kikuchi, Kenji, Mitsuishi, Kaori, Tomotaka, Toshihide, Watanabe, Tsunehiro, HOSOKAWA, Hiroshi, Kato, Shunji, Tamaki, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 9,482,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/262
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0863 provided with identifying means or means for storing process- or use parameters, e.g. an electronic memory
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0865 Arrangements for supplying new 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 2215/0668 Toner discharging opening at one axial end
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0697 being an electronically readable memory

Abstract

A powder conveying device includes: a conveying nozzle, provided with a powder receiving opening; an open/close member to open/close the powder receiving opening; a flange provided to the open/close member; a biasing member to bias the open/close member; and a container setting section to which a part of a powder container is to be fit. The powder container includes: a conveyor to convey the powder from a second end of the powder container to a first end; a container opening protruding from the first end; a nozzle receiving opening into which the conveying nozzle is to be inserted; and a butting portion provided in the container opening, to butt against the flange. When the powder container is attached to the powder conveying device, the container opening is fitted to the container setting section, and the flange and the biasing member are housed in an inner space of the container opening.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A powder container, removably attachable to an image forming apparatus, the powder container comprising:

a container body, including a container opening in a first end and containing image forming powder;

a conveyor, arranged inside the container body, to convey the powder from a second end of the container body to the first end along a longitudinal direction of the container body;

a nozzle receiver, arranged in the container opening and including a nozzle receiving opening to receive a powder conveying nozzle of the image forming apparatus, to guide the powder conveying nozzle to the inside of the container body; and

a scooping portion, scooping up the powder received from the conveyor with the rotation of the scooping portion, to move the powder to a powder receiving opening of the powder conveying nozzle, wherein

the nozzle receiving opening is arranged on the inner bottom of the container opening.

15. The powder container according to claim 14, wherein an outer surface of the container opening of the container body is a positioning section with respect to the image forming apparatus.

16. The powder container according to claim 14, wherein

a rotation axis of the container body is corresponding to the longitudinal direction, and

a cylindrical outer surface of the container opening of the container body includes a rotary shaft section to be inserted in a rotary shaft receiving section of the image forming apparatus.

17. The powder container according to claim 16, wherein the outer surface of the container opening of the container body are a positioning section with respect to the image forming apparatus.

18. The powder container according to claim 16, wherein the nozzle receiver includes a fixing portion, which has a screw on the outer circumference thereof, to fix the nozzle receiver to the container opening, wherein

a screwing direction of the screw is the same as a rotation direction of the powder container.

19. The powder container according to claim 16, wherein

the nozzle receiver includes a fixing portion to fix the nozzle receiver to the container opening, and

an outer diameter of the fixing portion is greater than an inner diameter of the container opening,

a protrusion is formed on one of an outer surface of the fixing portion and an inner surface of the container opening while an engaged hole to be engaged with the protrusion is formed on the other one of the outer surface of the fixing portion and the inner surface of the container opening, and

the fixing portion is press fitted to the container opening at a position at which the protrusion and the engaged hole are engaged.

20. The powder container according to claim 16, wherein

the nozzle receiver includes a fixing portion to fix the nozzle receiver to the container opening,

an outer diameter of the fixing portion is smaller than an inner diameter of the container opening,

a protrusion is formed on one of an outer surface of the fixing portion and an inner surface of the container opening while an engaged hole to be engaged with the protrusion is formed on the other one of the outer surface of the fixing portion and the inner surface of the container opening,

a seal is disposed in a gap between the fixing portion and the container body, and

the nozzle receiver is fitted to the container opening so that the seal is sandwiched and compressed between the fixing portion and the container body at a position at which the protrusion and the engaged hole are engaged.

21. The powder container according to claim 16, wherein

the nozzle receiver includes a fixing portion to fix the nozzle receiver to the container opening,

the fixing portion includes a first portion and a second portion,

a first outer diameter of the first portion is smaller than an inner diameter of the container opening, corresponding to the rotary shaft section,

a second outer diameter of the second portion is greater than the inner diameter of the container opening, and

the fixing portion is press fitted to the container opening.

22. The powder container according to claim 21, wherein

a press-fitted portion of the fixing portion is located so as to correspond to a position of a container gear transmitting a rotational force to the container body.

23. The powder container according to claim 21, wherein

a press-fitted portion of the fixing portion is located so as to correspond to a position at which the container opening is thicker than the rotary shaft section.

24. The powder container according to claim 14, wherein

the nozzle receiving opening is a through hole of an annular seal, and

an enclosed space is formed around the conveying nozzle and between the annular seal and the nozzle receiver.

33. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit that forms an image on an image carrier by using image-forming powder;

the powder container according to claim 14;

a powder conveyor that conveys the powder to the image forming unit and includes a powder conveying nozzle that is inserted into the powder container;

a rotary shaft receiving section that holds the powder container; and

a driving gear that gives the powder container a rotational force, wherein

the powder container is configured to be detachably attached to the image forming apparatus so that an outer surface of the container opening is rotatably fitted to an inner surface of a container setting section of the image forming apparatus.

25. A powder container, removably attachable to an image forming apparatus, the powder container comprising:

a container body, including a container opening in a first end, and containing image forming powder;

a conveyor, arranged inside the container body, to convey the powder from a second end of the container body to the first end along a longitudinal direction of the container body;

a nozzle receiver, arranged in the container opening and including a nozzle receiving opening to receive a powder conveying nozzle of the image forming apparatus, to guide the powder conveying nozzle to the inside of the container body; and

a scooping portion, receiving the powder from the conveyor and rotating to scoop up the received powder from bottom to top in the container body so as to move the powder to a powder receiving opening of the powder conveying nozzle, wherein

the nozzle receiver includes

a shutter to open and close the nozzle receiving opening;

a supporting portion to support the shutter so as to move;

an opening, arranged adjacent to the supporting portion, to communicate with the powder receiving opening of the conveying nozzle inserted in the nozzle receiver, wherein

the supporting portion and the opening arranged adjacent to the supporting portion are configured to alternately cross the powder receiving opening.

26. The powder container according to claim 25, wherein one of an inner rim of the opening arranged adjacent to the supporting portion and a combination of the inner rim and an outer surface of the supporting portion serves as a powder bridging that allows the powder to move from the scooping portion to the powder receiving opening.

27. The powder container according to claim 26, wherein the scooping portion and the powder bridging rotate in the same rotation direction and are arranged close to each other such that the inner rim of the opening arranged adjacent to the supporting portion and a convex that rises toward the inside of the container body in the scooping portion are located in this order from downstream to upstream in the rotation direction.

28. The powder container according to claim 25, wherein

the container body is held by the powder conveying device so as to rotate relative to the powder conveying nozzle about a longitudinal direction of the container body as a rotation axis when the powder is conveyed,

the nozzle receiver is fixed to the container body, and

the scooping portion includes a convex that rises inside the container body so as to form a ridge and includes a slope that connects the convex and an inner cylindrical surface of the container body.

29. The powder container according to claim 26, wherein

the container body is held by the powder conveying device so as to rotate relative to the powder conveying nozzle about a longitudinal direction of the container body as a rotation axis when the powder is conveyed,

the nozzle receiver is fixed to the container body,

the scooping portion includes a convex that rises inside the container body so as to form a ridge and includes a slope that connects the convex and an inner cylindrical surface of the container body, and

the convex and the powder bridging are arranged in a contacted state or with a small gap interposed therebetween.

30. The powder container according to claim 25, wherein

the container body is held by the powder conveying device,

the nozzle receiver is held by the container body so as to rotate relative to the conveying nozzle about a longitudinal direction of the container body, and

the scooping portion includes a rib protruding from the nozzle receiver to a vicinity of the inner wall of the container body.

32. The powder container according to claim 25, wherein

an outer surface of the container opening is rotatably fitted to an inner surface of a container setting section of the image forming apparatus.

34. The powder container according to claim 30, wherein

a surface of the rib is bent.

35. The powder container according to claim 25, wherein

the container body is held by the powder conveying device,

the nozzle receiver is held by the container body so as to rotate relative to the conveying nozzle about a longitudinal direction of the container body, and

the scooping portion includes a pair of ribs whose surfaces are bent.

36. The powder container according to claim 30, wherein

the nozzle receiver is integrated with a conveying blade holder of the conveyor to which conveying blades are fixed.

37. The powder container according to claim 30, wherein

a container gear is fixed to the nozzle receiver.

38. The powder container according to claim 30, wherein

an outer surface of the nozzle receiver is rotatably fitted to an inner surface of a container setting section of the image forming apparatus.

39. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit that forms an image on an image carrier by using image-forming powder;

the powder container according to claim 30;

a powder conveyor that conveys the powder to the image forming unit and includes a powder conveying nozzle that is inserted into the powder container;

a container setting section that holds the powder container; and

a driving gear that gives the powder container a rotational force, wherein

the powder container is configured to be detachably attached to the image forming apparatus so that an outer surface of the nozzle receiver is rotatably fitted to an inner surface of the container setting section.

31. A powder container, removably attachable to an image forming apparatus, the powder container comprising:

a container body, including a container opening in a first end and containing image forming powder;

a conveyor, arranged inside the container body, to convey the powder from a second end of the container body to the first end along a longitudinal direction of the container body;

a nozzle receiver, arranged in the container opening and including a nozzle receiving opening to receive a powder conveying nozzle of the image forming apparatus, to guide the powder conveying nozzle to the inside of the container body; and

a scooping portion, protruding to the inside of the container body and including a ridge, wherein

the nozzle receiver includes

a shutter to open and close the nozzle receiving opening;

a supporting portion to support the shutter so as to move;

an opening, arranged adjacent to the supporting portion, to communicate with the powder receiving opening of the conveying nozzle inserted in the nozzle receiver, wherein

the ridge of the scooping portion faces to the supporting portion of the nozzle receiver.