Developer supply container and developer supplying system

• US 9,753,402 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Murakami, Katsuya, Nagashima, Toshiaki, Tazawa, Fumio, Okino, Ayatomo, Yamada, Yusuke
• Primary Examiner(s): BRASE, SANDRA L
• Application Number:
  US14/982,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20160131994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0865 Arrangements for supplying new developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0867 cylindrical developer cartridges, e.g. toner bottles for the developer replenishing opening
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0872 the developer cartridges being generally horizontally mounted parallel to its longitudinal rotational axis
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0877 Arrangements for metering and dispensing developer from a developer cartridge into the development unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0685 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, not acting as a passive closure for the developer replenishing opening

Abstract

In the case that a developer supply container is provided with a feeding portion for feeding a developer by receiving a rotational force and a pump portion for discharging the developer by reciprocation, and the rotational force and a reciprocating force are received from a main assembly side of an image forming apparatus, there is a liability that a driving connection is not properly established between a portion of the developer supply container for receiving the reciprocating force and a portion of the main assembly side for applying the reciprocating force.

The developer supply container is provided with a drive converting mechanism for converting the rotational force received from the main assembly side to a force for operating a volume changing type pump.

Claims

1. A developer supply container comprising:

a developer accommodating body configured to contain developer, wherein a surface is provided inside of the developer accommodating body, with the surface being configured to move the developer;

a developer discharging body in fluid communication with the developer accommodating body such that the developer can flow from the developer accommodating body to the developer discharging body, the developer discharging body including a discharge opening through which the developer can be discharged from the developer discharging body;

a gear configured and positioned to receive a rotational force;

a pump having a variable volume, the pump being configured and positioned to force developer out of the developer discharging body through the discharge opening when the volume of the pump is reduced; and

a cam projection and a cam groove operatively connected to the gear and the pump, the cam projection and the cam groove being configured and positioned to convert the rotational force received by the gear to a force for changing the volume of the pump.

2. The developer supply container of claim 1, wherein the pump includes bellows that expand and contract to change the volume of the pump.

3. The developer supply container of claim 1, wherein the discharge opening has an area of less than 12.6 mm².

4. The developer supply container of claim 1, wherein the discharge opening has an area of 0.002 mm² to 12.6 mm².

5. The developer supply container of claim 1, further comprising developer contained within the developer supply container.

6. The developer supply container of claim 5, wherein the developer has a fluidity energy of not less than 4.3×

10<sup>−

4</sup> kg·

m²/s² and not more than 4.14×

10<sup>−

3</sup> kg·

m²/s².

7. The developer supply container of claim 1, wherein the surface inside of the developer accommodating body is a helical protrusion on a wall of the developer accommodating body.

8. The developer supply container of claim 1, wherein the surface inside of the developer accommodating body is part of a stirring member.

9. The developer supply container of claim 1, further comprising a shutter movable between a first position wherein the developer is prevented by the shutter from being discharged through the discharge opening and a second position wherein the developer can be discharged through the discharge opening.

10. The developer supply container of claim 1, wherein the pump expands to decrease pressure inside of the developer discharging body, and the pump contracts to increase pressure inside of the developer discharging body.

11. The developer supply container of claim 1, wherein the developer accommodating body is rotatable relative to the developer discharging body.

12. The developer supply container of claim 1, further comprising a partition wall provided inside of the developer accommodating body.

13. The developer supply container of claim 12, wherein protrusions extend from the partition wall, with the protrusions being configured and positioned to move the developer.

14. The developer supply container of claim 13, wherein the partition wall is provided at an end of the developer accommodating body that is adjacent to the developer discharging body.

15. A developer supply container comprising:

a developer accommodating body configured to contain developer;

a developer discharging body in fluid communication with the developer accommodating body such that the developer can flow from the developer accommodating body to the developer discharging body, the developer discharging body including a discharge opening through which the developer can be discharged from the developer discharging body; and

a pump having a variable volume, the pump being configured and positioned to force developer out of the developer discharging body through the discharge opening when the volume of the pump is reduced,

wherein the developer accommodating body is rotatable about an axis relative to the developer discharging body, and

wherein the developer accommodating body and the pump are positioned on opposite sides of the developer discharging body in a direction of the axis.

16. The developer supply container of claim 15, wherein the developer accommodating body, the developer discharging body, and the pump are each positioned along the axis.

17. The developer supply container of claim 15, further comprising a gear operatively connected to the pump, the gear being configured and positioned to receive a rotational force for changing the volume of the pump.

18. The developer supply container of claim 17, further comprising a cam projection and a cam groove operatively connected to the gear, the cam projection and the cam groove being configured and positioned to convert the rotational force received by the gear to a force for changing the volume of the pump.

19. The developer supply container of claim 15, wherein a surface is provided inside of the developer accommodating body to move the developer.

20. The developer supply container of claim 19, wherein the surface inside of the developer accommodating body is a helical protrusion on a wall of the developer accommodating body.

21. The developer supply container of claim 19, wherein the surface inside of the developer accommodating body is part of a stirring member.

22. The developer supply container of claim 15, further comprising a shutter movable between a first position wherein the developer is prevented from being discharged through the discharge opening by the shutter and a second position wherein the developer can be discharged through the discharge opening.

23. The developer supply container of claim 15, wherein the pump includes bellows that expand and contract to change the volume of the pump.

24. The developer supply container of claim 15, wherein the discharge opening has an area of less than 12.6 mm².

25. The developer supply container of claim 15, wherein the discharge opening has an area of 0.002 mm² to 12.6 mm².

26. The developer supply container of claim 15, wherein the discharge opening has a diameter of 0.05 mm to 4 mm.

27. The developer supply container of claim 15, further comprises developer contained within the developer supply container.

28. The developer supply container of claim 27, wherein the developer contained in the developer supply container has a fluidity energy of not less than 4.3×

10<sup>−

4</sup> kg·

m²/s² and not more than 4.14×

10<sup>−

3</sup> kg·

m²/s².

29. The developer supply container of claim 15, further comprising a partition wall provided inside of the developer accommodating body.

30. The developer supply container of claim 29, wherein protrusions extend from the partition wall, with the protrusions being configured and positioned to move the developer.

31. The developer supply container of claim 30, wherein the partition wall is provided at an end of the developer accommodating body that is adjacent to the developer discharging body.

32. A developer supply container comprising:

a developer accommodating body configured to contain developer;

a developer discharging body in fluid communication with the developer accommodating body such that the developer can flow from the developer accommodating body to the developer discharging body, the developer discharging body including a discharge opening through which the developer can be discharged from the developer discharging body,

a pump configured and positioned to force developer out of the developer discharging body through the discharge opening when the volume of the pump is reduced; and

a gear operatively connected to the pump and the developer accommodating body, the gear being configured and positioned to receive a rotational force for changing the volume of the pump and for rotating the developer accommodating body,

wherein the developer accommodating body is rotatable about an axis relative to the developer discharging body, and the developer accommodating body, the pump, and the developer discharging body are each positioned along the axis.

33. The developer supply container of claim 32, wherein a surface is provided inside of the developer accommodating body to move the developer.

34. The developer supply container of claim 33, wherein the surface inside of the developer accommodating body is a helical protrusion on a wall of the developer accommodating body.

35. The developer supply container of claim 32, wherein the surface inside of the developer accommodating body is part of a stirring member.

36. The developer supply container of claim 32, further comprising a shutter movable between a first position wherein the developer is prevented by the shutter from being discharged through the discharge opening and a second position wherein the developer can be discharged through the discharge opening.

37. The developer supply container of claim 32, wherein the pump includes bellows that expand and contract to change the volume of the pump.

38. The developer supply container of claim 32, wherein the discharge opening has an area of less than 12.6 mm².

39. The developer supply container of claim 32, wherein the discharge opening has an area of 0.002 mm² to 12.6 mm².

40. The developer supply container of claim 32, wherein the discharge opening has a diameter of 0.05 mm to 4 mm.

41. The developer supply container of claim 32, further comprising developer contained within the developer supply container.

42. The developer supply container of claim 41, wherein the developer contained in the developer supply container has a fluidity energy of not less than 4.3×

10<sup>−

4</sup> kg·

m²/s² and not more than 4.14×

10<sup>−

3</sup> kg·

m²/s².

43. The developer supply container of claim 32, further comprising a partition wall provided inside of the developer accommodating body.

44. The developer supply container of claim 43, wherein protrusions extend from the partition wall, with the protrusions being configured and positioned to move the developer.

45. The developer supply container of claim 44, wherein the partition wall is provided at an end of the developer accommodating body that is adjacent to the developer discharging body.

46. The developer supply container of claim 32, wherein the gear and the developer accommodating body are provided as separate structures that are joined together.