TONER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH A MECHANISM TO SECURE THE TONER CONTAINER

• US 20140294435A1
• Filed: 06/17/2014
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eisuke Hori, Hideki Kimura, Kenji Kikuchi, Nobuo Takami, Noriyuki Kimura, Yuji Suzuki
• Original Assignee: Eisuke Hori, Hideki Kimura, Kenji Kikuchi, Nobuo Takami, Noriyuki Kimura, Yuji Suzuki
• Inventors: KIKUCHI, Kenji, HORI, Eisuke, SUZUKI, Yuji, KIMURA, Hideki, TAKAMI, Nobuo, KIMURA, Noriyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,146,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/106
• 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 15/0886 by mechanical means, e.g. shutter, plug
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0889 for agitation or stirring
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0692 using a slidable sealing member, e.g. shutter

Abstract

A toner container and system for mounting and/or securing the toner container includes a toner container having a toner dispensing hole, a shutter, a protrusion. The shutter is movable relative to the toner dispensing hole, and is to selectively close the toner dispensing hole. The protrusion is connected to the shutter and movement of the protrusion causes the shutter to move relative to the toner dispensing hole to cover the toner dispensing hole. There is a receiver including a movable catch, the movable catch being in a first position when the toner container is initially inserted into the receiver, and the moveable catch moving to a second position upon insertion of the toner container into the receiver. The moveable catch interacts with the protrusion of the toner container when the toner container is being removed from the receiver such that the moveable catch in the second position restricts movement of the protrusion of the toner container which closes the shutter as the toner container is withdrawn from the receiver.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A toner container to be attached to an image forming apparatus, the toner container comprising:

a toner storage section having a length parallel to a longitudinal direction of the toner container, the longitudinal direction being horizontal when the toner container is attached to the image forming apparatus;

a toner outlet for discharging toner to outside of the toner container, the toner outlet for discharging the toner in a vertically downward direction when the toner container is attached to the image forming apparatus, the toner outlet including an edge which protrudes downwardly when the toner container is attached to the image forming apparatus, a portion of the edge which is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction including a tip that points in the longitudinal direction and is directed away from a center of the toner outlet;

a shutter, slidably attached to the toner container, that is movable along the longitudinal direction of the toner container to open and close the toner outlet; and

a seal on a surface of the shutter which faces the toner outlet.

3. The toner container according to claim 2, wherein:

the edge comprises a hexagonal shape with parallel portions opposing each other along the longitudinal direction, the parallel portions being two sides of the hexagonal shape,

said portion of the edge which is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction being another two sides of the hexagon shape,

the edge further comprises another portion which is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction including another tip that points in the longitudinal direction in a direction opposite to a direction said tip points, and is directed away from the center of the toner outlet, the another portion being another two sides of the hexagon shape.

4. The toner container according to claim 3, wherein the toner outlet comprises a hexagonal shape that corresponds to the hexagonal shape of the edge.

5. The toner container according to claim 2, wherein the tips of the edge have tapered shapes such that an amount of downward protrusion when the toner container is attached to the image forming apparatus gradually decreases with an increase in a distance from the center of the toner outlet.

6. The toner container according to claim 2, wherein the edge includes sides generally facing in the longitudinal direction, the sides having tapered shapes each protruding downwardly such that an amount of downward protrusion gradually decreases with an increase in a distance from the center of the toner outlet.

7. The toner container according to claim 2, wherein the seal is disposed so as to protrude in the longitudinal direction from an end of the shutter in a closing direction of the shutter.

8. The toner container according to claim 2, wherein:

the toner storage section includes a cylindrical cavity which extend in the longitudinal direction, and

a toner fall path that has a columnar shape with a flow passage area from a lower circumferential surface of the cylindrical cavity to the toner outlet.

9. The toner container according to claim 2, further comprising:

toner within toner storage section.

10. An image forming apparatus comprising the toner container according to claim 2, the toner container being set in and attached to a body of the image forming apparatus.

11. A toner container to be attached to an image forming apparatus, the toner container comprising:

a toner storage section having a length parallel to a longitudinal direction of the toner container, the longitudinal direction being horizontal when the toner container is attached to the image forming apparatus;

a toner outlet for discharging toner to outside of the toner container, the toner outlet for discharging the toner in a vertically downward direction when the toner container is attached to the image forming apparatus, the toner outlet including a lip which protrudes downwardly when the toner container is attached to the image forming apparatus, a portion of the lip which is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction including a corner that points in the longitudinal direction and is directed away from a center of the toner outlet;

a shutter, slidably attached to the toner container, that is movable along the longitudinal direction of the toner container to open and close the toner outlet; and

a seal on a surface of the shutter which faces the toner outlet.

12. The toner container according to claim 11, wherein:

the lip comprises a hexagonal shape with parallel portions opposing each other along the longitudinal direction, the parallel portions being two sides of the hexagonal shape,

said portion of the lip which is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction being another two sides of the hexagon shape,

the lip further comprises another portion which is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction including another corner that points in the longitudinal direction in a direction opposite to a direction said corner points, and is directed away from the center of the toner outlet, the another portion being another two sides of the hexagon shape.

13. The toner container according to claim 12, wherein the toner outlet comprises a hexagonal shape that corresponds to the hexagonal shape of the lip.

14. The toner container according to claim 13, wherein the corners of the lip have tapered shapes such that an amount of downward protrusion when the toner container is attached to the image forming apparatus gradually decreases with an increase in a distance from the center of the toner outlet.

15. The toner container according to claim 11, wherein the lip includes sides generally facing in the longitudinal direction, the sides having tapered shapes each protruding downwardly such that an amount of downward protrusion gradually decreases with an increase in a distance from the center of the toner outlet.

16. The toner container according to claim 11, wherein the seal is disposed so as to protrude in the longitudinal direction from an end of the shutter in a closing direction of the shutter.

17. The toner container according to claim 11, wherein:

the toner storage section includes a cylindrical cavity which extend in the longitudinal direction, and

a toner fall path that has a columnar shape with a flow passage area from a lower circumferential surface of the cylindrical cavity to the toner outlet.

18. The toner container according to claim 11, further comprising:

toner within toner storage section.

19. An image forming apparatus comprising the toner container according to claim 11, the toner container being set in and attached to a body of the image forming apparatus.

20. A toner container to be attached to an image forming apparatus, the toner container comprising:

a toner storage section having a length parallel to a longitudinal direction of the toner container, the longitudinal direction being horizontal when the toner container is attached to the image forming apparatus;

a toner outlet for discharging toner to outside of the toner container, the toner outlet for discharging the toner in a vertically downward direction when the toner container is attached to the image forming apparatus, an outer portion of the toner outlet defined by a lip which protrudes downwardly when the toner container is attached to the image forming apparatus, a portion of the lip which is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction including a corner that points in the longitudinal direction and is directed away from a center of the toner outlet;

a shutter, slidably attached to the toner container, that is movable along the longitudinal direction of the toner container to open and close the toner outlet; and

a seal on a surface of the shutter which faces the toner outlet.

21. The toner container according to claim 20, wherein:

the lip comprises a hexagonal shape with parallel portions opposing each other along the longitudinal direction, the parallel portions being two sides of the hexagonal shape,

said portion of the lip which is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction being another two sides of the hexagon shape,

the lip further comprises another portion which is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction including another corner that points in the longitudinal direction in a direction opposite to a direction said corner points, and is directed away from the center of the toner outlet, the another portion being another two sides of the hexagon shape.