Body member of a powder container

• US 7,593,674 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Kasahara, Nobuo, Katsuyama, Goro, Matsumoto, Junichi, Iwata, Nobuo, Muramatsu, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): BEATTY, ROBERT B
• Application Number:
  US11/738,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20070189813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 399/262, 399/265, 399/119, 399/238, 399/258, 141/68, 141/130, 141/291, 141/315, 141/346, 383/42, 383/44, 383/121, 206/525, 222/DIG.1
• US Class Current: 399/262
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0855 the concentration being measured by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0865 Arrangements for supplying new developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0868 Toner cartridges fulfilling a continuous function within the electrographic apparatus during the use of the supplied developer material, e.g. toner discharge on demand, storing residual toner, acting as an active closure for the developer replenishing opening
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0874 non-rigid containers, e.g. foldable cartridges, bags
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0886 by mechanical means, e.g. shutter, plug
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0894 Reconditioning of the developer unit, i.e. reusing or recycling parts of the unit, e.g. resealing of the unit before refilling with toner
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0682 Bag-type non-rigid container
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0692 using a slidable sealing member, e.g. shutter

Abstract

The body member of a powder container of the present invention includes a bag-like powder storing body storing powder and formed with an opening at one end, and a base member affixed to the opening of the powder storing body. The base member allows an outlet member, which is formed with a passage configured to deliver the powder from the powder storing body to an outlet and has a shutter function for selectively blocking or unblocking the passage, to be connected to or disconnected from the base member.

Claims

1. A powder container, comprising:

a powder storing body storing powder and formed with an opening at one end;

an upper member affixed to said opening of said powder storing body; and

an outlet member, which is formed with a passage configured to deliver the powder from said powder storing body to an outlet of the powder container and has a shutter for selectively blocking or unblocking said passage of said outlet member, said outlet member being selectively connectable to said upper member,

wherein said shutter is a cylindrical member traversing the passage of said outlet member and is fittable in a transverse cylindrical shutter hole of said outlet member which is substantially transverse to the passage, wherein the cylindrical member traversing the passage of said outlet member has an axis along a length of the cylindrical member which is parallel to an axis of the transverse cylindrical shutter hole.

2. The powder container as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the upper member includes a passage between the powder storing body and the passage of the outlet member, an opening area of said passage of said upper member decreases from said opening of said powder storing body toward said outlet member.

3. The powder container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper member is rectangular and includes a pair of side surfaces, which face each other, substantially parallel to a front and a rear surface of said powder storing body, and a width between a right and a left surface of said powder storing body is smaller than a width between said pair of side surfaces of said upper member.

4. The powder container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said powder storing body is formed of a flexible material.

5. The powder container as claimed in claim 4, wherein said powder storing body comprises sheets constituting side surfaces when said upper member is positioned at a bottom, and a sheet member constituting a top, and said sheets each are formed of a fold foldable inward.

6. The powder container as claimed in claim 4, wherein said powder storing body comprises sheets constituting side surfaces when said upper member is positioned at a bottom, and a sheet member constituting a top, at least inner surfaces of said sheets, constituting the side surfaces and adjacent to said upper member, are inclined toward said upper member little by little, and an angle between each of the inner surfaces and a horizontal plane is greater than an angle of repose of the powder when said powder is packed in said powder storing body.

7. A powder container according to claim 1, wherein:

the shutter is removably fittable in the shutter hole.

8. The powder container as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a protrusion on one of the outlet member and the upper member; and

a groove which engages with the protrusion on the other of the outlet member and the base member in order to secure the outlet member to the upper member.

9. The powder container as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a first protrusion and first groove which are a first pair, and a second protrusion and a second groove which are a second pair, the first and second pairs being disposed on opposite sides of the outlet and securing the outlet member to the upper member.

10. The powder container as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the outlet member and the upper member are removably provided from each other.

11. A toner cartridge comprising:

a toner storing body formed with an open portion at one end;

a toner stored in said toner storing body;

an outlet configured to discharge the toner from said toner cartridge;

an outlet member formed with a passage configured to deliver the toner from said toner storing body to the outlet and having a shutter for selectively blocking or unblocking said passage; and

an upper member affixed to said open portion of said toner storing body and configured to be selectively connected to or disconnected from said outlet member,

wherein said shutter is a cylindrical member traversing the passage of said outlet member and is fittable in a transverse cylindrical shutter hole of said outlet member which is substantially transverse to the passage, wherein the cylindrical member traversing the passage of said outlet member has an axis along a length of the cylindrical member which is parallel to an axis of the transverse cylindrical shutter hole.

12. The toner cartridge of claim 11, wherein:

the shutter is removably fittable in the shutter hole.

13. The toner cartridge as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a protrusion on one of the outlet member and the upper member; and

a groove which engages with the protrusion on the other of the outlet member and the base member in order to secure the outlet member to the upper member.

14. The toner cartridge as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a first protrusion and first groove which are a first pair, and a second protrusion and a second groove which are a second pair, the first and second pairs being disposed on opposite sides of the outlet and securing the outlet member to the upper member.

15. A refillable toner cartridge comprising:

a toner storing body formed with an open portion at one end;

a refilled toner refilled in said toner storing body when said toner storing body is emptied at least one time;

an outlet configured to discharge the refilled toner from said toner cartridge;

an outlet member formed with a passage configured to deliver the refilled toner from said toner storing body to the outlet and having a shutter for selectively blocking or unblocking said passage; and

an upper member affixed to said open portion of said toner storing body and configured to be selectively connected to or disconnected from said outlet member,

wherein said shutter is a cylindrical member traversing the passage of said outlet member and is fittable in a transverse cylindrical shutter hole, of said outlet member which is substantially transverse to the passage, wherein the cylindrical member traversing the passage of said outlet member has an axis along a length of the cylindrical member which is parallel to an axis of the transverse cylindrical shutter hole.

16. The toner cartridge according to claim 15 wherein:

the shutter is removably fittable in the shutter hole.

17. The refillable toner cartridge as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

a protrusion on one of the outlet member and the base member; and

a groove which engages with the protrusion on the other of the outlet member and the upper member in order to secure the outlet member to the upper member.

18. The refillable toner cartridge as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

a first protrusion and first groove which are a first pair, and a second protrusion and a second groove which are a second pair, the first and second pairs being disposed on opposite sides of the outlet and securing the outlet member to the upper member.

19. A powder container, comprising:

a powder storing body configured to store powder and formed with an opening at one end;

an upper member affixed to said opening of said powder storing body; and

an outlet member, which is formed with a passage configured to deliver the powder from said powder storing body to an outlet of the powder container and has a shutter for selectively blocking or unblocking said passage, selectively connectable to said upper member,

wherein said shutter is a cylindrical member traversing the passage of said outlet member and is fittable in a transverse cylindrical shutter hole of said outlet member which transverse cylindrical shutter hole is substantially transverse to the passage, wherein the cylindrical member traversing the passage of said outlet member has an axis along a length of the cylindrical member which is parallel to an axis of the transverse cylindrical shutter hole.

20. The powder container as claimed in claim 19, wherein said powder storing body is formed of a flexible material.

21. The powder container according to claim 19, wherein:

the shutter is removably fittable in the shutter hole.

22. The powder container as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

a protrusion on one of the outlet member and the base member; and

a groove which engages with the protrusion on the other of the outlet member and the base member in order to secure the outlet member to the upper member.

23. The powder container as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

a first protrusion and first groove which are a first pair, and a second protrusion and a second groove which are a second pair, the first and second pairs being disposed on opposite sides of the outlet and securing the outlet member to the upper member.

24. A powder container, comprising:

a powder storing body storing powder and formed with an opening at one end;

an upper member affixed to said opening of said powder storing body; and

an outlet member, which is formed with a passage configured to deliver the powder from said powder storing body to an outlet of the powder container and has a shutter for selectively blocking or unblocking said passage, selectively connectable to said upper member,

wherein said shutter is a cylindrical member traversing the passage of said outlet member and is fittable in a transverse cylindrical shutter hole of said outlet member which is substantially transverse to the passage, wherein the cylindrical member traversing the passage of said outlet member has an axis along a length of the cylindrical member which is parallel to an axis of the transverse cylindrical shutter hole,

wherein said outlet member comprises a first part selectively connectable to said upper member and a second part fitted in the first part and including the shutter.

25. The powder container according to claim 24, wherein:

the shutter is removably fittable in the shutter hole.

26. The powder container as claimed in claim 24, further comprising:

a protrusion on one of the outlet member and the base member; and

a groove which engages with the protrusion on the other of the outlet member and the upper member in order to secure the outlet member to the upper member.

27. The powder container as claimed in claim 24, further comprising:

a first protrusion and first groove which are a first pair, and a second protrusion and a second groove which are a second pair, the first and second pairs being disposed on opposite sides of the outlet and securing the outlet member to the upper member.

28. A powder container, comprising:

a powder storing body for storing powder; and

an outlet member, which is formed with a passage configured to deliver the powder from said powder storing body to an outlet of the powder container and has a shutter for selectively blocking or unblocking said passage of said outlet member,

wherein said shutter is a cylindrical member traversing the passage of said outlet member and is fittable in a transverse cylindrical shutter hole of said outlet member which is substantially transverse to the passage,

wherein the cylindrical member traversing the passage of said outlet member has an axis along a length of the cylindrical member which is parallel to an axis of the transverse cylindrical shutter hole.

29. The powder container as claimed in claim 28, wherein the diameter of the shutter is below 10 mm.

30. The powder container as claimed in claim 28, wherein the shutter is removably fittable in the shutter hole.

31. The powder container as claimed in claim 28, further comprising:

a protrusion on one of the outlet member and an upper member; and

a groove which engages with the protrusion on the other of the outlet member and the upper member in order to secure the outlet member to the upper member.

32. The powder container as claimed in claim 28, further comprising:

a first protrusion and first groove which are a first pair, and a second protrusion and a second groove which are a second pair, the first and second pairs being disposed on opposite sides of the outlet and securing the outlet member to an upper member.