Cylindrical toner container having a toner port and a movable lid for closing the toner port

• US 6,091,920 A
• Filed: 03/12/1999
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Taniguchi, Toshihide, Kita, Nobuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): BEATTY, ROBERT B
• Application Number:
  US09/267,164
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 399/258, 399/260, 399/262, 399/263, 399/106, 222/167, 222/169, 222/172, 222/517, 222/556
• US Class Current: 399/262
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0872 the developer cartridges being generally horizontally mounted parallel to its longitudinal rotational axis
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0875 cartridges having a box like shape
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0886 by mechanical means, e.g. shutter, plug
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/067 Toner discharging opening covered by arcuate shutter

Abstract

A toner container has a rotatable cylindrical member attached to an opening portion of a recessed side wall of the toner container. A portion of the outer periphery of the cylindrical member includes a toner port so that toner particles contained in the toner container can be fed through the toner port to a developer. The cylindrical member is rotatable from a position where the toner port is at the bottom of the cylindrical member to a position where the toner port is at the top of the cylindrical member under a lid member which covers the toner port to completely prevent the leakage of toner particles from the toner container during the exchange or transportation of the toner container.

Claims

1. A toner container in which a cylindrical member with a toner outlet in an outer periphery portion thereof is attached for free rotation to an opening portion of a toner container main body so that toner particles that are contained in said toner container main body are supplied through said toner outlet of said cylindrical member when the toner outlet is at the bottom of the cylindrical member,

said toner container comprising a lid member having a surface that faces the outer periphery of said cylindrical member and that moves toward said cylindrical member for covering said toner outlet when said toner outlet is positioned at the top of the cylindrical member.

2. The toner container of claim 1,

wherein said toner container comprises:

guiding means for guiding said lid member from a first position in which said surface of said lid member does not cover said toner outlet to a second position in which said surface of said lid member abuts and blocks said toner outlet; and

transmitting means for converting a rotational movement of said cylindrical member associated with a rotation of said cylindrical member into directional movement of said lid member from said first position to said second position.

3. The toner container of claim 1,

wherein said cylindrical member is characterized as being opened when said toner outlet is positioned at the bottom of said cylindrical member to permit the flow of toner particles from the toner container, and

wherein said cylindrical member is characterized as being closed when said toner outlet is positioned at the top of said cylindrical member beneath said lid member with said lid member blocking said toner outlet.

4. The toner container of any one of claim 1,

wherein at least a portion of said surface of said lid member is formed by an elastic material.

5. The toner container of any one of claim 1,

wherein a side surface of said toner container is partially recessed,

wherein an opening portion is formed in said recessed surface, and wherein said cylindrical member is mounted for free rotation to said opening portion.

6. The toner container of any one of claim 1,

wherein said toner container comprises a first rotating feed member and a second rotating feed member whose rotation axes are disposed approximately parallel to each other within said toner container,

wherein said rotation axis of said first rotating feed member is arranged approximately coaxial with the center of rotation of said cylindrical member so that said first rotating feed member when driven feeds said toner particles toward said toner outlet, and

wherein said second rotating feed member when driven feeds said toner particles in a different direction from the feeding direction of said first rotating feed member at least in a portion of the axial direction.

7. The toner container of claim 6,

wherein said second rotating feed member is formed with a plurality of blade chains, which are each formed by arranging a plurality of film-like blades in the longitudinal direction of said second rotating feed member, disposed around the axis of said second rotating feed member, and

wherein with respect to at least adjacent ones of said blade chains, the positions of blade ends in the axial direction are different from each other.

8. An image creating apparatus which develops with toner particles contained in a developer to thereby create an image on an image holder,

said image creating apparatus including a toner container,

said toner container comprising a lid member having a surface that faces the outer periphery of said cylindrical member and that moves toward said cylindrical member for covering said toner outlet when said toner outlet is positioned at the top of the cylindrical member.

9. The toner container of claim 8,

wherein said toner container comprises:

guiding means for guiding said lid member from a first position in which said surface of said lid member does not cover said toner outlet to a second position in which said surface of said lid member abuts and blocks said toner outlet; and

transmitting means for converting a rotational movement of said cylindrical member associated with a rotation of said cylindrical member into directional movement of said lid member from said first position to said second position.

10. The toner container of claim 8,

wherein said cylindrical member is characterized as being opened when said toner outlet is positioned at the bottom of said cylindrical member to permit the flow of toner particles from the toner container, and

wherein said cylindrical member is characterized as being closed when said toner outlet is positioned at the top of said cylindrical member beneath said lid member with said lid member blocking said toner outlet.

11. The toner container of any one of claim 8,

wherein at least a portion of said surface of said lid member is formed by an elastic material.

12. The toner container of any one of claim 8,

wherein a side surface of said toner container is partially recessed,

wherein an opening portion is formed in said recessed surface, and wherein said cylindrical member is mounted for free rotation to said opening portion.

13. The toner container of any one of claim 8,

wherein said toner container comprises a first rotating feed member and a second rotating feed member whose rotation axes are disposed approximately parallel to each other within said toner container,

wherein said rotation axis of said first rotating feed member is arranged approximately coaxial with the center of rotation of said cylindrical member so that said first rotating feed member when driven feeds said toner particles toward said toner outlet, and

wherein said second rotating feed member when driven feeds said toner particles in a different direction from the feeding direction of said first rotating feed member at least in a portion of the axial direction.

14. The toner container of claim 13,

wherein said second rotating feed member is formed with a plurality of blade chains, which are each formed by arranging a plurality of film-like blades in the longitudinal direction of said second rotating feed member, disposed around the axis of said second rotating feed member, and

wherein with respect to at least adjacent ones of said blade chains, the positions of blade ends in the axial direction are different from each other.

15. An Image creating apparatus which develops with toner particles contained in a developer to thereby create an image on an image holder,

said image creating apparatus including a toner container,

said toner container comprising a lid member having a surface that faces the outer periphery of a cylindrical member and that covers a toner outlet when said toner outlet is positioned at the top of the cylindrical member,

wherein said cylindrical member moves to close said toner outlet.

16. A toner container comprising:

a wall portion forming a cavity and storing toner in said cavity;

a rotation portion that forms a part of said wall portion, said rotation portion including a toner outlet opening said cavity, wherein said rotation portion is rotatable so that said toner outlet is capable of turning upward or downward;

and a lid that approaches said toner outlet for covering said toner outlet during rotation of said rotation portion.

17. A toner container comprising:

a holder that holds toner and that has a toner outlet;

a lid that covers said toner outlet;

a moving mechanism that moves said holder; and

a closing mechanism that moves said lid to cover said toner outlet.

18. A toner container according to claim 17, wherein said moving of said holder is rotation.

19. A toner container according to claim 18, wherein said lid moves toward central axis of said rotation.

20. A toner container according to claim 17, wherein said closing mechanism is mechanically linked to the moving of said toner holder by said moving mechanism.