TONER HOUSING CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20140348551A1
• Filed: 05/14/2014
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamabe, Junji, Terazawa, Seiji, Tamaki, Shinji, Kikuchi, Kenji, Hosokawa, Hiroshi, Katoh, Shunji, Ikeguchi, Hiroshi, Suzuki, Michiharu, Teranishi, Ryoichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,141,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/263
• 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 9/0821 characterised by physical parameters magnetic parameters G03G9/083

Abstract

A toner housing container includes: container body; conveying portion; pipe receiving port; and uplifting portion. Container body includes; protruding portion protruding from container body interior side of container opening portion to one end of container body; and shutter member moving between closing and opening positions to close and open container opening portion. Uplifting portion includes: uplifting wall surface extending from container body internal wall surface toward protruding portion; and curving portion curving to conform to protruding portion. Shutter member moves from closing to opening position upon push by conveying pipe. When toner housing container is mounted on toner conveying device, protruding portion is present between curving portion and toner receiving port of conveying pipe inserted and extends along shutter member moving region. Toner has bulk density of ≦0.399 g/cm³ when toner housing container is shaken up-and-down 10 times at 25° C., 50% RH, and put such that container opening portion faces downward.

Claims

1. A toner housing container, comprising:

a container body mountable on a toner conveying device and housing a toner to be supplied into the toner conveying device;

a conveying portion provided in the container body and configured to convey the toner from one end of the container body in a longer direction thereof to the other end thereof at which a container opening portion is provided;

a pipe receiving port provided at the container opening portion and capable of receiving a conveying pipe fixed to the toner conveying device; and

an uplifting portion configured to uplift the toner conveyed by the conveying portion from a lower side of the container body to an upper side thereof and move the toner into a toner receiving port of the conveying pipe,

wherein the container body comprises a protruding portion protruding from a container body interior side of the container opening portion toward the one end, and a shutter member capable of moving between a closing position to close the container opening portion and an opening portion to open the container opening portion,

wherein the uplifting portion comprises an uplifting wall surface extending from an internal wall surface of the container body toward the protruding portion, and a curving portion curving so as to conform to the protruding portion,

wherein the shutter member moves from the closing position to the opening position by being pushed by the conveying pipe,

wherein the protruding portion is provided such that when the toner housing container is mounted on the toner conveying device, the protruding portion is present between the curving portion and the toner receiving port of the conveying pipe being inserted, and extends along a region in which the shutter member moves, and

wherein the toner has a bulk density of 0.399 g/cm³ or less when the toner housing container is shaken up and down 10 times under conditions of a temperature of 25°

C. and a humidity of 50% RH and put such that the container opening portion faces downward.

3. The toner housing container according to claim 1,

wherein the protruding portion is a plate-shaped member, and

wherein a flat side surface of the plate-shaped member is provided so as to be present between the curving portion and the toner receiving port of the conveying pipe being inserted.

4. The toner housing container according to claim 1,

wherein the toner housing container comprises two uplifting portions, and

wherein when the toner housing container is mounted on the toner conveying device, the protruding portion is present between the curving portions of respective ones of the two uplifting portions and the toner receiving port of the conveying pipe being inserted.

5. The toner housing container according to claim 1,

wherein the uplifting portion and the protruding portion are fixed to the container body or formed integrally with the container body, and

wherein the uplifting portion uplifts the toner from the lower side to the upper side by rotation of the container body.

9. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image forming apparatus body in which the toner housing container according to claim 1 is set demountably.

2. A toner housing container, comprising:

a container body mountable on a toner conveying device and housing a toner to be supplied into the toner conveying device;

a conveying portion provided in the container body and configured to convey the toner from one end of the container body in a longer direction thereof to the other end thereof at which a container opening portion is provided;

a pipe receiving port provided at the container opening portion and capable of receiving a conveying pipe fixed to the toner conveying device; and

an uplifting portion configured to uplift the toner conveyed by the conveying portion from a lower side of the container body to an upper side thereof and move the toner into a toner receiving port of the conveying pipe,

wherein the container body comprises a protruding portion protruding from a container body interior side of the container opening portion toward the one end, and a shutter member capable of moving between a closing position to close the container opening portion to an opening portion to open the container opening portion,

wherein the uplifting portion comprises a rising portion rising from an internal wall surface of the container body toward the protruding portion,

wherein the rising portion comprises a curving portion curving so as to conform to the protruding portion,

wherein the protruding portion is provided such that when the toner housing container is mounted on the toner conveying device, the protruding portion is present between the curving portion and the toner receiving port of the conveying pipe being inserted, and extends along a region in which the shutter member move, and

wherein the toner has a bulk density of 0.399 g/cm³ or less when the toner housing container is shaken up and down 10 times under conditions of a temperature of 25°

C. and a humidity of 50% RH, and put such that the container opening portion faces downward.

6. The toner housing container according to claim 2,

wherein the protruding portion is a plate-shaped member, and

wherein a flat side surface of the plate-shaped member is provided so as to be present between the curving portion and the toner receiving port of the conveying pipe being inserted.

7. The toner housing container according to claim 2,

wherein the toner housing container comprises two uplifting portions, and

wherein when the toner housing container is mounted on the toner conveying device, the protruding portion is present between the curving portions of respective ones of the two uplifting portions and the toner receiving port of the conveying pipe being inserted.

8. The toner housing container according to claim 2,

wherein the uplifting portion and the protruding portion are fixed to the container body or formed integrally with the container body, and

wherein the uplifting portion uplifts the toner from the lower side to the upper side by rotation of the container body.

10. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image forming apparatus body in which the toner housing container according to claim 2 is set demountably.