POWDER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
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Accused Products
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.
8 Citations
16 Claims
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1. (canceled)
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2. A powder container, removably attachable to an image forming apparatus, the powder container to contain image forming powder comprising:
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a container opening in a first end; a conveyor, within the powder container, to convey the powder from a second end of the powder container to the first end along a longitudinal direction of the powder container; a nozzle receiving opening at the container opening, to receive a powder conveying nozzle of the image forming apparatus; a scooping portion, to receive the powder from the conveyor and to scoop up the received powder from bottom to an upper portion of the powder container so as to move the powder to a powder receiving opening of the powder conveying nozzle; a shutter to open and close the nozzle receiving opening; a supporting portion to movably support the shutter; and an opening, adjacent to the supporting portion, to communicate with the powder receiving opening of the conveying nozzle, wherein the supporting portion and the opening adjacent to the supporting portion alternately cross the powder receiving opening when the supporting portion rotates. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification