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POWDER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME

  • US 20190243286A1
  • Filed: 08/29/2017
  • Published: 08/08/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2016
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A powder container comprising:

  • a container body having a substantially cylindrical shape, the container body to contain powder and rotate around an axis in a horizontal posture;

    a mouth having a cylindrical shape and smaller in inner diameter than the container body, the mouth disposed at a first end of the container body in an axial direction of the container body, the mouth into which a conveying tube having a powder inlet is inserted;

    a conveyor disposed inside the container body to convey the powder toward the mouth as the container body rotates;

    a scooping portion disposed deeper in the container body than the mouth in the axial direction and raised toward the axis of the container body to reduce an inner diameter of the container body; and

    a radially inner face continuous with an inner end of the scooping portion in a radial direction of the container body, the radially inner face extending in a direction crossing the scooping portion and disposed inward in the radial direction than an outermost face of the container body,wherein the scooping portion is configured to lift the powder inside the container body, to a position above the powder inlet of the conveying tube, and drop the powder to the powder inlet as the container body rotates,wherein the radially inner face extends from the mouth toward a second end of the container body opposite the first end in the axial direction, andwherein the radially inner face is not inner in the radial direction than a virtual cylinder extending from an inner rim of the mouth, parallel to the axial direction.

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