TONER CONTAINER AND MANUFACTURING METHOD FOR TONER CONTAINER

• US 20150293474A1
• Filed: 06/26/2015
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atsushi Inoue, Kaori Mitsuishi, Seiji Terazawa, Tomoji Ishikawa
• Original Assignee: Atsushi Inoue, Seiji Terazawa, Tomoji Ishikawa
• Inventors: MITSUISHI, Kaori, TERAZAWA, Seiji, INOUE, Atsushi, ISHIKAWA, Tomoji
• Granted Patent: US 9,436,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0855 the concentration being measured by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0865 Arrangements for supplying new developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0867 cylindrical developer cartridges, e.g. toner bottles 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 2215/067 Toner discharging opening covered by arcuate shutter

Abstract

A toner container includes a cylindrical container body, having a first opening in a first end thereof and a notch in a circumferential surface thereof continuous with the first opening in the first end, a flange member to engage the first opening and the notch in the container body and having a toner outlet therein through which toner in the container body is discharged, a shutter member disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the container body, a conveyance member, rotatably installed inside the container body to convey the toner from a second end of the container body opposite the first end to the toner outlet in the flange member, and a recessed portion in the container body that projects inward into the interior of the toner container 5 mm or less from an inner surface of the container body.

Claims

1. A toner container, removably attachable to an image forming apparatus, the toner container comprising:

a cylindrical container body, having a first opening in a first end thereof and a notch in a circumferential surface thereof continuous with the first opening in the first end;

a flange member, to engage the first opening and the notch in the container body and having a toner outlet therein through which toner in the container body is discharged;

a shutter member, disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the container body, to open and close the toner outlet by rotating together with the toner container, at installation of the toner container in the image forming apparatus;

a conveyance member, rotatably installed inside the container body and extending substantially along the entire inner length of the container body, to convey the toner from a second end of the container body opposite the first end in which the first opening is formed to the toner outlet in the flange member; and

a recessed portion in the container body that projects inward into the interior of the toner container,

wherein a length by which the recessed portion projects inwardly into the interior of the toner container is 5 mm or less from an inner surface of the container body.