Collecting member to collect image forming powder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10025228-B2
Application number	US-201515500586-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2015
Priority date	Oct 9, 2014
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

A unit includes a part that is detachably attachable relative to an other unit, wherein the other unit includes an opening through which image forming powder is supplied from or received by the other unit, and a shutter that opens and closes the opening, and a collecting member that collects the image forming powder falling from at least one of the opening and the shutter by making contact with the shutter when detaching the unit from the other unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A unit comprising:
a part that is detachably attachable relative to an other unit, wherein the other unit includes an opening through which image forming powder is supplied from or received by the other unit, and a shutter configured to open and close the opening; and
a collecting member configured to collect the image forming powder falling from at least one of the opening and the shutter by making contact with the shutter when detaching the unit from the other unit,
wherein the collecting member is resiliently deformed out of its original state to make contact with the shutter when attaching the unit to the other unit.

2. The unit as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the collecting member is made of a resilient material,
wherein the collecting member, when attaching the unit to the other unit, is resiliently deformed in a direction opposite to a direction in which the unit is attached to the other unit, and
wherein the collecting member, when detaching the unit from the other unit, is resiliently deformed while making contact with the shutter so as to return to its original state before the resilient deformation due to an elastic restoration force of the collecting member.

3. The unit as claimed in claim 2 , wherein a free tip end of the collecting member is curved towards the direction in which the unit is attached to the other unit and is resiliently deformable.

4. The unit as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the collecting member makes contact with the shutter until the opening is completely closed by the shutter, when detaching the unit from the other unit.

5. The unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the collecting member includes an accommodating part configured to accommodate the image forming powder that is collected by the collecting member.

6. The unit as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising:
an attaching front surface facing a direction in which the unit is attached to the other unit;
a pair of attaching side surfaces provided on both sides of the attaching front surface; and
a stepped part projecting from the attaching front surface,
wherein the collecting member further includes:
a bottom part mounted on a front surface or a top surface of the stepped part,
a front part extending upwards from the bottom part, and arranged with a gap formed between the front part and the attaching front surface, and
a pair of side parts extending from both sides of the front part, and mounted on the pair of attaching side surfaces,

wherein the accommodating part is formed by a space that is surrounded by the front part, the attaching front surface opposing the front part, the pair of side parts opposing each other, and the bottom part or the top surface of the stepped part.

7. The unit as claimed in claim 6 ,
wherein the collecting member includes a restricting member configured to restrict the image forming powder from being ejected outside the unit from the accommodating part, and
wherein the restricting part extends above the accommodating part, and is sloped at a angle with respect to the front part.

8. The unit as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the restricting part, when attaching the unit to the other unit, is deformed so that the angle decreases by making contact with the other unit.

9. The unit as claimed in claim 8 , wherein a tip end of the restricting part, when attaching the unit to the other unit, makes contact with the other unit at a contact angle of less than 90°.

10. The unit as claimed in claim 7 , wherein a tip end of the restricting part forms a gap between the tip end and the other unit.

11. The unit as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the collecting member includes a restricting part configured to restrict the image forming powder from being ejected outside the unit from the accommodating part.

12. The unit as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the restricting part is provided on a pair of side parts above the accommodating part.

13. The unit as claimed in claim 12 ,
wherein the restricting part is made of a resilient material, and
wherein the restricting part, when attaching the unit to the other unit, undergoes a compressive deformation by being pinched between the other unit and a front part that is resiliently deformed.

14. The unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the unit is attached to and detached from the other unit via curved attaching and detaching paths.

15. An image forming apparatus comprising:
the unit as claimed in claim 1 ; and
the other unit.

16. A unit comprising:
a part that is detachably attachable relative to an other unit, wherein the other unit includes an opening through which image forming powder is supplied from or received by the other unit, and a shutter configured to open and close the opening;
a collecting member configured to collect the image forming powder falling from at least one of the opening and the shutter by making contact with the shutter when detaching the unit from the other unit,
an attaching front surface facing a direction in which the unit is attached to the other unit;
a pair of attaching side surfaces provided on both sides of the attaching front surface; and
a stepped part projecting from the attaching front surface,
wherein the collecting member includes an accommodating part configured to accommodate the image forming powder that is collected by the collecting member,
wherein the collecting member further includes:
a bottom part mounted on a front surface or a top surface of the stepped part,

a front part extending upwards from the bottom part, and arranged with a gap formed between the front part and the attaching front surface, and
a pair of side parts extending from both sides of the front part, and mounted on the pair of attaching side surfaces, and
wherein the accommodating part is formed by a space that is surrounded by the front part, the attaching front surface opposing the front part, the pair of side parts opposing each other, and the bottom part or the top surface of the stepped part.

17. The unit as claimed in claim 16 ,
wherein the collecting member includes a restricting member configured to restrict the image forming powder from being ejected outside the unit from the accommodating part, and
wherein the restricting part extends above the accommodating part, and is sloped at an angle with respect to the front part.

18. The unit as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the restricting part, when attaching the unit to the other unit, is deformed so that the angle decreases by making contact with the other unit.

19. A unit comprising:
a part that is detachably attachable relative to an other unit, wherein the other unit includes an opening through which image forming powder is supplied from or received by the other unit, and a shutter configured to open and close the opening; and
a collecting member configured to collect the image forming powder falling from at least one of the opening and the shutter by making contact with the shutter when detaching the unit from the other unit,
wherein the collecting member includes an accommodating part configured to accommodate the image forming powder that is collected by the collecting member, and
wherein the collecting member includes a restricting part configured to restrict the image forming powder from being ejected outside the unit from the accommodating part.

20. The unit as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the restricting part is provided on a pair of side parts above the accommodating part.

Assignees

• Sakaya Kohta
• Arasawa Shinichi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sakaya Kohta
• Arasawa Shinichi

Classifications

• G03G15/095 Primary

  Removing excess solid developer {, e.g. fog preventing} · CPC title

• G03G21/12

  Toner waste containers · CPC title

• G03G15/0886 Primary

  by mechanical means, e.g. shutter, plug · CPC title

• G03G21/1817

  having a submodular arrangement · CPC title

• G03G15/0898

  for preventing toner scattering during operation, e.g. seals (sealing the donor member G03G15/0817; sealing the magnetic brush G03G15/0942) · CPC title