Toner replenishing device, shutter member, and toner cartridge for use therein
First Claim
1. A toner replenishing device comprising a container having an acceptance opening for a toner;
- and a toner cartridge removably mounted on said container so as to traverse the acceptance opening along an upper surface portion extending at the upper end of the acceptance opening, and having an outlet for supplying a toner accommodated therein into said container through the acceptance opening;
said container having stop means disposed thereon for inhibiting said toner cartridge mounted on said container from being released from said container, said stop means being disposed so as to protrude upward from the upper surface portion at the upstream end in the mounting direction of said toner cartridge;
said toner replenishing device further including a shutter member constituted such that when said toner cartridge is to be removed from said container, a front end of said shutter member is inserted between the lower surface of said toner cartridge and the upper surface portion of said container to bring said shutter member to an operating position, thereby clearing the action of the stop means, permitting the removal of said toner cartridge while closing the outlet of said toner cartridge;
whereinone of engaging means and engaged means to be releasably engaged with each other is formed for making said shutter member turnable in the inserting direction and in the reverse direction and for regulating the widthwise position of said shutter member relative to said container,said one of the engaging means and the engaged means being disposed in one side part of the upstream end of said container in the mounting direction of said toner cartridge, andthe other of the engaging means and the engaged means is formed in one side part of the front end of the shutter member in the inserting direction.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A toner replenishing device including a container having an acceptance opening for a toner, and a toner cartridge removably mounted on the container so as to traverse the acceptance opening along an upper surface portion extending at the upper end of the acceptance opening, and using a shutter member when the toner cartridge is removed from the container. An engaged hole is formed in one side part of the container. In one side part of the shutter member opposed to the one side part of the container, a hook portion is formed for being engaged with the engaged hole to allow the turn of the shutter member in the direction of insertion between the lower surface of the toner cartridge and the upper surface portion of the container, as well as in the reverse direction, and to regulate the position of the shutter member in the width direction relative to the container.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A toner replenishing device comprising a container having an acceptance opening for a toner;
- and a toner cartridge removably mounted on said container so as to traverse the acceptance opening along an upper surface portion extending at the upper end of the acceptance opening, and having an outlet for supplying a toner accommodated therein into said container through the acceptance opening;
said container having stop means disposed thereon for inhibiting said toner cartridge mounted on said container from being released from said container, said stop means being disposed so as to protrude upward from the upper surface portion at the upstream end in the mounting direction of said toner cartridge; said toner replenishing device further including a shutter member constituted such that when said toner cartridge is to be removed from said container, a front end of said shutter member is inserted between the lower surface of said toner cartridge and the upper surface portion of said container to bring said shutter member to an operating position, thereby clearing the action of the stop means, permitting the removal of said toner cartridge while closing the outlet of said toner cartridge;
whereinone of engaging means and engaged means to be releasably engaged with each other is formed for making said shutter member turnable in the inserting direction and in the reverse direction and for regulating the widthwise position of said shutter member relative to said container, said one of the engaging means and the engaged means being disposed in one side part of the upstream end of said container in the mounting direction of said toner cartridge, and the other of the engaging means and the engaged means is formed in one side part of the front end of the shutter member in the inserting direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- and a toner cartridge removably mounted on said container so as to traverse the acceptance opening along an upper surface portion extending at the upper end of the acceptance opening, and having an outlet for supplying a toner accommodated therein into said container through the acceptance opening;
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7. A shutter member in a toner replenishing device,
said toner replenishing device comprising a container having an acceptance opening for a toner; - and a toner cartridge removably mounted on the container so as to traverse the acceptance opening along an upper surface portion extending at the upper end of the acceptance opening, and having an outlet for supplying a toner accommodated therein into the container through the acceptance opening;
said container having stop means disposed thereon for inhibiting the toner cartridge mounted on the container from being released from the container, said stop means being disposed so as to protrude upward from the upper surface portion at the upstream end in the mounting direction of the toner cartridge;said shutter member being constituted such that when the toner cartridge is to be removed from the container, a front end of said shutter member is inserted between the lower surface of the toner cartridge and the upper surface portion of the container to bring said shutter member to an operating position, thereby clearing the action of the stop means, permitting the removal of the toner cartridge while closing the outlet of the toner cartridge; one of engaging means and engaged means to be releasably engaged with each other being formed in one side part of the upstream end of the container in the mounting direction of the toner cartridge;
whereinthe other of the engaging means and engaged means is formed in one side part of the front end of said shutter member in the inserting direction, and is engaged with the one of the engaging means and engaged means to make said shutter member turnable in the inserting direction and in the reverse direction and regulate the widthwise position of said shutter member relative to the container. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- and a toner cartridge removably mounted on the container so as to traverse the acceptance opening along an upper surface portion extending at the upper end of the acceptance opening, and having an outlet for supplying a toner accommodated therein into the container through the acceptance opening;
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13. A toner cartridge mounted on a container,
said container having an acceptance opening for a toner and stop means disposed so as to protrude upward from an upper surface portion at one end site of the upper surface portion extending at the upper end of the acceptance opening, said container also having one of engaging means and engaged means to be engaged with each other releasably; - said one of the engaging means and the engaged means making a shutter member turnable in an inserting direction toward the upper surface portion of the container and along it, and in the reverse direction, and regulating the position of said shutter member in the width direction relative to the container;
said shutter member being prepared as a member separate from the container, and having the other of the engaging means and engaged means formed in one side part thereof, said one of the engaging means and engaged means being formed in one side part of the container opposed to the one side part of the shutter member,said toner cartridge being removably mounted on the container so as to traverse the acceptance opening along the upper surface portion of the container, being inhibited by the stop means from being released from the container, and having an outlet for supplying a toner accommodated therein into the container through the acceptance opening, wherein said toner cartridge has a lower surface opposed to the upper surface portion of the container when mounted on the container, when the shutter member is turned in the inserting direction to an operating position at which a front end of the shutter member is inserted between the lower surface of said toner cartridge and the upper surface portion of the container, the action of the stop means is cleared so that said toner cartridge can be pulled out onto the shutter member, and when said toner cartridge is pulled out onto the shutter member, said toner cartridge is turned in a direction opposite to the inserting direction, along with the shutter member, and removed from the container, with the outlet of said toner cartridge being closed. - View Dependent Claims (14)
- said one of the engaging means and the engaged means making a shutter member turnable in an inserting direction toward the upper surface portion of the container and along it, and in the reverse direction, and regulating the position of said shutter member in the width direction relative to the container;
Specification