Cartridge for image forming apparatus

• US 20060104663A1
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kitozaki, Yukihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,486,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/111
• 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 15/0886 by mechanical means, e.g. shutter, plug
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/105 Arrangements for conveying toner waste
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/12 Toner waste containers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/067 Toner discharging opening covered by arcuate shutter
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1654 Locks and means for positioning or alignment

Abstract

A process cartridge detachably mounted to an image forming apparatus is provided with a lock mechanism in a shutter member of opening and closing a toner discharge port, and once the process cartridge is mounted onto an image forming apparatus, the lock mechanism is configured to be unlocked so as to enable the shutter member to open and close subject to unlocking of a lock.

Claims

1. A cartridge detachably mounted to an image forming apparatus, comprising:

removing means of removing toner on an image bearing member;

a discharge port of discharging toner removed by said removing means;

a shutter of opening and closing said discharge port; and

a lock mechanism of unlockably locking said shutter.

2. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said shutter is unlocked in conjunction with an operation of mounting said cartridge onto said image forming apparatus.

3. The cartridge according to claim 1, having an engaging part, provided in said image forming apparatus, to be engaged with opening/closing means of opening and closing said shutter at a time when mounting of said cartridge onto said image forming apparatus is completed.

4. A cartridge detachably mounted to an image forming apparatus having a shutter of opening and closing a toner receiving port, comprising:

removing means of removing toner on an image bearing member;

a discharge port of discharging toner removed by said removing means;

a shutter of opening and closing said discharge port; and

an engaging part engaged with said shutter of said image forming apparatus so that said shutter of said cartridge and said shutter of said image forming apparatus move in conjunction.

5. The cartridge according to claim 4, having a lock mechanism of unlockably locking a shutter in said cartridge side.

6. A cartridge detachably mounted to an image forming apparatus, comprising:

a toner supply port of receiving toner supply;

developing means of developing a latent image formed onto an image bearing member with toner supplied from said toner supply port;

removing means of removing toner on an image bearing member;

a discharge port of discharging toner removed by said removing means;

a first shutter of opening and closing said discharge port;

a second shutter of opening and closing said toner supply port; and

an engaging part, provided in said image forming apparatus, to be engaged with opening/closing means of opening and closing said first and second shutters at a time when mounting of said cartridge onto said image forming apparatus is completed.

7. A cartridge detachably mounted to an image forming apparatus, comprising:

developing means of developing an electrostatic image formed onto an image bearing member with toner; and

removing means of removing toner on an image bearing member,

wherein

said developing means implements development with toner supplied from outside said cartridge, and toner removed by said removing means is discharged outside said cartridge.