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Toner container, image forming apparatus including same, and connecting structure for connecting toner container and image forming apparatus

  • US 8,649,713 B2
  • Filed: 09/03/2010
  • Issued: 02/11/2014
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A toner container, removably installable in an image forming apparatus, the toner container comprising:

  • a cylindrical container body, having an opening in one end thereof, to convey toner contained in the container body to the opening;

    a cap, into which the end of the container body having the opening is inserted, having a toner outlet to discharge the toner discharged from the opening of the container body vertically downward; and

    a shutter, slidably held in a bottom portion of the cap, to open the toner outlet by movement from the cap side to the container body side when the toner container is installed in the image forming apparatus, and to close the toner outlet by movement from the container body side to the cap side when the toner container is removed from the image forming apparatus,the cap comprising;

    a primary positioning hole, formed in an upper front surface perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the toner container, extending in the longitudinal direction, to function as a main positioning reference to determine an installation position of the cap relative to the image forming apparatus;

    a secondary positioning hole, formed in a lower front surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toner container opposite the primary positioning hole, extending in the longitudinal direction forward the toner outlet, to function as a sub positioning reference to determine the installation position of the cap relative to the image forming apparatus; and

    at least one first restriction member that positions the cap in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cap, projecting vertically upward from an outer circumferential surface of the cap and symmetrical about a virtual perpendicular line passing through a cross-sectional center position of the primary positioning hole in perpendicular to the long direction of the toner container.

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