Toner container, image forming apparatus including same, and connecting structure for connecting toner container and image forming apparatus
First Claim
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.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A toner container includes a cylindrical container body, a cap having a toner outlet, and a shutter. The cap includes 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 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, extending in the longitudinal direction forward the toner outlet, to subsidiary determine the installation position of the cap, and a first restriction member to position the cap in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, 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 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A toner container, removably installable in an image forming apparatus, the toner container comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
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a toner container frame, provided in a main body of the image forming apparatus; and at least one toner container, removably installable in the toner container frame, 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 opening is inserted, including a toner outlet to discharge the toner discharged from the opening of the container body vertical downward; and a shutter, slidably held on a bottom side of the cap, to open the toner outlet as the cap moves in the toner container frame in a direction in which the toner container is inserted into the toner container frame while the shutter is stopped in the toner container frame, and to close the toner outlet as the cap moves in the toner container frame in a direction in which the toner container is removed from the toner container frame while the shutter is stopped in the toner container frame; the cap comprising; a primary positioning hole, formed in an upper front surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toner container and extended in the longitudinal direction, to function as a main positioning reference to determine an installation position of the cap relative to the container frame of the image forming apparatus; a secondary positioning hole, formed in a lower front surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toner container and extended in the longitudinal direction not to reach the toner outlet, to function as a main positioning reference to determine an installation position of the cap relative to the image forming apparatus; and a first restriction member to position 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 symmetrically relative to a virtual perpendicular line passing through the center position of the primary positioning hole in cross sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and extended in the longitudinal direction, the toner container frame comprising; an insertion portion in which an inserting opening is formed to insert the toner container into the toner container frame; a container holder to hold the container body of the toner container; and a cap holder to hold the cap of the toner container, provided in an extreme downstream portion of the toner container frame in a direction in which the toner container is inserted into the toner container frame; the cap holder comprising; a first reference pin to engage the first hole of the cap of the toner container, projecting inward from an extreme downstream portion of an interior wall of the cap holder in the direction in which the toner container is inserted into the toner container frame; a second reference pin to engage the second hole of the cap of the toner container, projecting inward from extreme downstream interior wall of the cap holder in the direction in which the toner container is inserted into the toner container frame; and an engaged portion to engage the first restriction member of the cap of the toner container, projecting downward from a ceiling of the cap holder, extending in the direction in which the toner container is inserted into the toner container frame. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A toner container removably installable in an image forming apparatus, the toner container comprising:
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a cylindrical container body having an opening in one end thereof; and a cap into which the one end of the container body having the opening is inserted, the cap including a primary positioning hole, formed in an upper front surface perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the toner container, extending in the longitudinal direction, a secondary positioning hole, formed in a lower front surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toner container, extending in the longitudinal direction, and a pair of first restriction members, positioned on both sides of the primary positioning hole, projecting vertically upward from an outer circumferential surface of the cap, extending in the longitudinal direction. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification