DEVELOPER SUPPLY CONTAINER AND DEVELOPER SUPPLYING SYSTEM

• US 20190212672A1
• Filed: 03/15/2019
• Published: 07/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Gamo, Yohei, Mine, Tsukasa, Kamura, Akihito, Katayama, Koji, Yamaoka, Masato, Oizumi, Yusuke, Jimba, Manabu, Okino, Ayatomo, Yomoda, Nobuyuki, Isobe, Keisuke
• Granted Patent: US 10,725,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 15/0879 for dispensing developer from a developer cartridge not directly attached to the development unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0886 by mechanical means, e.g. shutter, plug
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1647 Mechanical connection means

Abstract

With a mounting operation of a supply container, a supported portion 11b of a developer receiving portion 11 is supported by a receipt supporting portion 30c of a lifting portion 30. With further mounting operation, a shutter sliding portion 30b of the lifting portion 30 slides on a shutter inclined portion 4f of a shutter 4. The developer receiving portion 11 is displaced so as to bring a receiving opening into communication with a discharge opening by operating, using the shutter 4, the lifting portion 30 supporting the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11. By this, a load required for movement of the developer receiving portion 11 is reduced to achieve smooth mounting of the supply container.

Claims

1. A developer supply container detachably mountable a developer receiving apparatus including a developer receiving portion provided with an receiving opening for receiving a developer, and a supported portion integrally displaceable with the developer receiving portion, said developer supply container comprising:

a developer accommodating portion accommodating the developer;

a discharging portion provided in a bottom side thereof with a discharge opening for discharging the developer accommodated in said developer accommodating portion;

a supporting portion provided at said discharging portion and capable of supporting the supported portion, said supporting portion being movable relative to said discharging portion; and

a moving mechanism for moving said supporting portion upwardly relative to said discharging portion while supporting said supported portion to move the developer receiving portion toward said developer supply container so as to bring said receiving opening into communication with said discharge opening with a mounting operation of said developer supply container to the developer receiving apparatus.

2. A developer supply container according to claim 1, further comprising a shutter movable relative to said supporting portion with the mounting operation, wherein said moving mechanism including a sliding portion provided on said supporting portion and an inclined portion which is provided on said shutter so as to be contactable to said sliding portion with relative movement of said shutter and which is inclined so as to move said supporting portion upwardly.

3. A developer supply container according to claim 1, further comprising a shutter movable relative to said supporting portion with the mounting operation, wherein said moving mechanism including a rotatable member provided on said discharging portion, a rotating operation portion for rotating said rotatable member with relative movement of said shutter, and a conversion transmitting mechanism for converting a rotational motion into a linear motion and transmitting the linear motion to said supporting portion.

4. A developer supply container according to claim 3, wherein said rotatable member includes a pinion gear provided on said supporting portion, and said rotation operating portion includes a first rack gear provided extended in the mounting direction, and said conversion transmitting mechanism includes a second rack gear engaging with said pinion gear.

5. A developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein said moving mechanism includes a guiding means for guiding said supporting portion in a direction of bringing the receiving opening into communication with said discharge opening, and a sliding operation portion for moving said supporting portion along said guiding means with the mounting operation.

6. A developer supply container according to claim 5, wherein said guiding means includes a rib provided on one of said discharging portion and said supporting portion, a holding portion provided on the other end engaged with said rib to slidably support said supporting portion.

7. A developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein said developer receiving apparatus includes a pulling member for pulling said developer supply container toward a downstream side in the mounting direction with the mounting operation, and wherein said moving mechanism includes a rotational shaft rotatably supporting said supporting portion, and a rotation operating portion rotatable about an axis of said rotational shaft to operation said supporting portion with a pulling operation of said pulling member.

8. A developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein said moving mechanism includes urging means for urging in a direction of bringing the receiving opening into communication with said discharge opening, and a restricting member contactable with said supporting portion to restrict movement of said supporting portion by said urging means, and wherein said restricting member is movable relative to said supporting portion to release said supporting portion from said restricting member with the mounting operation.

9. A developer supply container according to claim 8, further comprising a shutter movable relative to said supporting portion with the mounting operation, wherein said restricting member is provided integrally with said shutter and moves relative to said supporting portion with relative movement of said shutter.

10. A developer supply container according to claim 1, further comprising a shutter movable relative to said supporting portion with the mounting operation, wherein said moving mechanism includes a first magnet provided on said shutter and having a predetermined polarity at a side closer to said supporting portion, and a second magnet provided on said supporting portion and having the predetermined polarity at a side closer to said shutter, wherein said supporting portion is operated by a repelling force produced between said first magnet and said second magnet with a relative movement of said shutter.

11. A developer supply container according to claim 10, wherein said first magnet is provided on a mounting member mountable to said shutter.

12. A developer supply container according to claim 1, further comprising a shutter movable relative to said supporting portion with the mounting operation, wherein said moving mechanism including a weight supported by said shutter and movable by gravity with the relative movement of said shutter, and a movable member for moving said supporting portion by the movement of said weight in a direction of bringing the receiving opening into communication with said discharge opening.

13. A developer supply container according to claim 12, wherein said movable member is a string connecting said weight and said supporting portion with each other.

14. A developer supply container detachably mountable a developer receiving apparatus including a developer receiving portion provided with an receiving opening for receiving a developer, and a supported portion integrally displaceable with the developer receiving portion, said developer supply container comprising:

a developer accommodating portion accommodating the developer;

a discharging portion provided in a bottom side thereof with a discharge opening for discharging the developer accommodated in said developer accommodating portion;

a supporting portion provided at said discharging portion and capable of supporting the supported portion, said supporting portion being movable relative to said discharging portion; and

a moving mechanism for moving said supporting portion upwardly relative to said discharging portion while supporting said supported portion to move the developer receiving portion toward said developer supply container so as to bring said receiving opening into communication with said discharge opening after mounting said developer supply container to the developer receiving apparatus.

15. A developer supply container according to claim 14, wherein said moving mechanism includes driving means for driving said supporting portion by energization started by supply of electric power.

16. A developer supply container according to claim 15, wherein said driving means starts the supply of electric power with a mounting operation to the developer receiving apparatus, and the supply of the electric power is stopped in response to displacement of said developer receiving portion to a position in which the receiving opening communicates with said discharge opening.

17. A developer supplying system comprising:

a developer receiving apparatus including a developer receiving portion provided with an receiving opening for receiving a developer, and a supported portion integrally displaceable with the developer receiving portion;

a developer supply container detachably mountable to said developer receiving apparatus, developer supply container including,

a developer accommodating portion accommodating the developer;

a discharging portion provided with a discharge opening for discharging the developer accommodated in said developer accommodating portion;

a supporting portion provided at said discharging portion and capable of supporting the supported portion, said supporting portion being movable relative to said discharging portion; and

a moving mechanism for moving said supporting portion upwardly relative to said discharging portion while supporting said supported portion to move the developer receiving portion toward said developer supply container so as to bring said receiving opening into communication with said discharge opening with a mounting operation of said developer supply container to the developer receiving apparatus.