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Developing apparatus

  • US 5,345,297 A
  • Filed: 03/08/1993
  • Issued: 09/06/1994
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A developing apparatus comprising:

  • a toner container including a container main body having a first end with a toner discharge opening formed therethrough, and a cap member rotatably mounted to said first end of said container main body, said cap member having a wall portion which is in sliding contact with said first end of said container main body, and said wall portion having an opening formed therethrough which is selectively alignable with said toner discharge opening of said first end of said container main body to selectively open and close said toner discharge opening;

    a toner hopper including a replenishing port with a cylindrical wall formed thereabout and adapted to releasably engage said toner container;

    a first rotary shaft rotatably mounted to said toner container, said first rotary shaft extending through said wall portion of said cap member and through said first end of said container main body of said toner container;

    a stirring member mounted to said first rotary shaft and disposed within said container main body;

    a second rotary shaft rotatably mounted to and disposed in said toner hopper and being coaxial with said cylindrical wall formed about said replenishing port;

    a drive member fixed to said second rotary shaft and adapted to be operably coupled to a rotary drive source;

    an agitator mounted to said second rotary shaft and disposed in said toner hopper;

    engaging means for engaging said container main body in said cylindrical wall such that said container main body is rotatable relative to said cylindrical wall and so that said container main body is prevented from being pulled out of said cylindrical wall;

    cap member coupling means for coupling said cap member to said cylindrical wall such that said cap member is fixed against rotation relative to said cylindrical wall;

    shaft coupling means for coupling said first rotary shaft to said second rotary shaft, such that said first rotary shaft is rotated together with rotation of said second rotary shaft, upon said container main body being engaged in said cylindrical wall by said engaging means; and

    wherein said cap member coupling means, said engaging means and said wall portion of said cap member together constitute an automatic means for automatically opening said toner discharge opening and causing toner in said container main body to fall from said container main body into said toner hopper when said toner container is disposed so that said toner discharge opening is directed downwardly and when said container main body is moved from a disengaged position to an engaged position in which it is engaged in said cylindrical wall by said engaging means such that said container main body is prevented from being pulled out of said cylindrical wall, and for automatically maintaining said toner discharge opening closed to prevent the toner in said container main body from falling out of said container main body through said toner discharge opening when said container main body is not in said engaged position in said cylindrical wall.

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