TONER CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20080080902A1
• Filed: 03/29/2007
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Saiki, Atsuna, Saito, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,856,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 15/0875 cartridges having a box like shape
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0886 by mechanical means, e.g. shutter, plug
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1633 using doors or covers G03G21/1638 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0692 using a slidable sealing member, e.g. shutter
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0875 Arrangements for shipping or transporting of the developing device to or from the user
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/169 Structural door designs

Abstract

A toner cartridge includes: a cartridge main body having an opening; a toner chamber that is provided inside the cartridge main body and contains toner; an open-close member that opens/closes the opening by moving; and a regulation part that regulates movement of the open-close member in an opening/closing direction when the cartridge main body is moved in a direction where it is removed/attached to/from an image forming apparatus, wherein the opening enables movement of the toner between a position inside the toner chamber and a position outside the cartridge main body.

Claims

1. A toner cartridge, comprising:

a cartridge main body having an opening;

a toner chamber that is provided inside the cartridge main body and contains toner;

an open-close member that opens/closes the opening by moving; and

a regulation part that regulates movement of the open-close member in an opening/closing direction when the cartridge main body is moved in a direction where it is removed/attached to/from an image forming apparatus,

wherein the opening enables movement of the toner between a position inside the toner chamber and a position outside the cartridge main body.

2. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the regulation part regulates the movement of the open-close member in the opening/closing direction in accordance with a shape of a portion that is in contact with and slides against a part of the image forming apparatus.

3. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the opening is positioned on a side surface of the cartridge main body.

4. The toner cartridge according to claim 2, wherein at least a part of the opening is positioned on a side surface of the cartridge main body.

5. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the opening has at least one of a toner supply port to supply the toner and a toner reception port to receive the toner.

6. The toner cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the opening has at least one of a toner supply port to supply the toner and a toner reception port to receive the toner.

7. The toner cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the opening has at least one of a toner supply port to supply the toner and a toner reception port to receive the toner.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming part; and

a toner cartridge that contains at least toner supplied to the image forming part or toner received from the image forming part,

the toner cartridge having;

a cartridge main body having an opening;

a toner chamber that is provided inside the cartridge main body and contains toner;

an open-close member that opens/closes the opening by moving; and

a regulation part that regulates movement of the open-close member in an opening/closing direction when the cartridge main body is moved in a direction where it is removed/attached to/from an image forming apparatus main body,

wherein the opening enables movement of the toner between a position inside the toner chamber and a position outside the cartridge main body.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a moving part that is circular-moved in a forward/reverse direction about a shaft provided in the image forming apparatus main body; and

a connection part that connects the moving part with the toner cartridge so as to move the toner cartridge in accordance with circular movement of the moving part,

wherein the opening is provided on one end side of the toner cartridge, and

the shaft is positioned around the opening side of the toner cartridge.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the regulation part regulates the movement of the open-close member in the opening/closing direction in accordance with a shape of a portion that is in contact with and slides against a part of the image forming apparatus main body.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the regulation part regulates the movement of the open-close member in the opening/closing direction in accordance with a shape of a portion that is in contact with and slides against a part of the image forming apparatus main body.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least a part of the opening is positioned on a side surface of the cartridge main body.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein at least a part of the opening is positioned on a side surface of the cartridge main body.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein at least a part of the opening is positioned on a side surface of the cartridge main body.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least a part of the opening is positioned on a side surface of the cartridge main body.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the opening has at least one of a toner supply port to supply the toner and a toner reception port to receive the toner.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the opening has at least one of a toner supply port to supply the toner and a toner reception port to receive the toner.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the opening has at least one of a toner supply port to supply the toner and a toner reception port to receive the toner.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the opening has at least one of a toner supply port to supply the toner and a toner reception port to receive the toner.

20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the opening has at least one of a toner supply port to supply the toner and a toner reception port to receive the toner.