Toner container and image forming device having a switching member in the structure of a shell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10534289-B2
Application number	US-201816159019-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2018
Priority date	Oct 19, 2017
Publication date	Jan 14, 2020
Grant date	Jan 14, 2020

Abstract

A toner container attachable to and detachable from a main body of an image forming device and including: a first chamber containing toner; a second chamber adjacent to the first chamber through a partition wall and downstream of the first chamber in a toner supply direction; and a switching member in the second chamber that is movable or rotatable and has a shell structure. The partition wall has a first aperture. A bottom wall of the second chamber opposing the partition wall has a second aperture and sits on the main body. The shell has third and fourth apertures. The fourth aperture coincides with the second aperture when the third aperture coincides with the first aperture, and the first aperture is closed by the shell when the third aperture faces an inner wall surface of the second chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toner container that is attachable to and detachable from a main body of an image forming device, the toner container comprising:
a first chamber that contains toner;
a second chamber that is adjacent to the first chamber through a partition wall and that is located downstream of the first chamber in a direction along which toner is supplied; and
a switching member that is accommodated in the second chamber, that is movable in the second chamber in a longitudinal direction of the switching member, and that has a structure of a shell, wherein
the partition wall has a first aperture,
a bottom wall of the second chamber that opposes the partition wall has a second aperture, and sits on the main body when the toner container is attached to the main body,
the shell of the switching member has a third aperture and a fourth aperture,
the third aperture and the fourth aperture are in a positional relationship such that the fourth aperture coincides with the second aperture when the switching member reaches a first position at which the third aperture coincides with the first aperture through movement or rotation of the switching member, and
the first aperture is closed by the shell of the switching member when the switching member reaches a second position at which the third aperture faces an inner wall surface of the second chamber through movement or rotation of the switching member.

2. The toner container of claim 1 , wherein
when the switching member reaches the second position, the second aperture is at a position such that the second aperture is closed by the shell of the switching member.

3. The toner container of claim 2 , wherein
the switching member is switched between a first state and a second state in accordance with attachment and detachment of the toner container to and from the main body, where
the first state is a state in which the switching member is located at the second position where the switching member blocks supply of toner from the toner container to the main body when (i) the toner container is not attached to the main body or (ii) the attachment of the toner container to the main body has been started but is not completed, and
the second state is a state in which the switching member is located at the first position where the switching member allows supply of toner to the main body when the attachment is completed.

4. The toner container of claim 3 further comprising
a biasing member that is accommodated in the second chamber and that biases the switching member towards the first state.

5. The toner container of claim 1 , wherein
the shell of the switching member is a container having a defined capacity.

6. The toner container of claim 1 , wherein
the inner wall surface of the second chamber and the shell of the switching member are in close contact with a sealing member disposed therebetween.

7. The toner container of claim 6 , wherein
the sealing member includes a material through which neither toner nor air passes.

8. The toner container of claim 1 , wherein
the switching member is a cylindrical body having end surfaces at ends in an axial direction of the cylindrical body and is formed through connecting a plurality of members.

9. The toner container of claim 1 further comprising
a conveyance member that is supported by the switching member inside the switching member and conveys toner contained inside the switching member toward the main body.

10. The toner container of claim 1 , wherein
the switching member is movable in a reciprocating manner in the second chamber along the partition wall and a bottom wall of the toner container, and
the second chamber has vent holes that ventilate to the outside at ends in a direction along which the switching member is moved.

11. The toner container of claim 1 , wherein the second chamber is elongated in a longitudinal direction of the second chamber and the longitudinal direction of the switching member is the same as the longitudinal direction of the second chamber.

12. The toner container of claim 11 , wherein the second chamber exhibits a cylindrical shape, the longitudinal direction of the second chamber is an axial direction of the cylindrical shape, and the switching member is a cylindrical body elongated in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the second chamber.

13. A toner container that is attachable to and detachable from a main body of an image forming device, the toner container comprising:
a first chamber that contains toner;
a second chamber that is adjacent to the first chamber through a partition wall and that is located downstream of the first chamber in a direction along which toner is supplied; and
a switching member that is accommodated in the second chamber, that is movable or rotatable in the second chamber, and that has a structure of a shell, wherein
the partition wall has a first aperture,
a bottom wall of the second chamber that opposes the partition wall has a second aperture, and sits on the main body when the toner container is attached to the main body,
the shell of the switching member has a third aperture and a fourth aperture,
the third aperture and the fourth aperture are in a positional relationship such that the fourth aperture coincides with the second aperture when the switching member reaches a first position at which the third aperture coincides with the first aperture through movement or rotation of the switching member, and
the first aperture is closed by the shell of the switching member when the switching member reaches a second position at which the third aperture faces an inner wall surface of the second chamber through movement or rotation of the switching member;
the switching member is moved or rotated with the first aperture closed by the shell after attachment of the toner container to the main body is started until the attachment is completed; and
the movement or rotation of the switching member is stopped with the third aperture coinciding with the first aperture and the fourth aperture coinciding with the second aperture when the attachment is completed.

14. A toner container that is attachable to and detachable from a main body of an image forming device, the toner container comprising:
a first chamber that contains toner;
a second chamber that is adjacent to the first chamber through a partition wall and that is located downstream of the first chamber in a direction along which toner is supplied; and
a switching member that is accommodated in the second chamber, that is movable or rotatable in the second chamber, and that has a structure of a shell, wherein
the partition wall has a first aperture,
a bottom wall of the second chamber that opposes the partition wall has a second aperture, and sits on the main body when the toner container is attached to the main body,
the shell of the switching member has a third aperture and a fourth aperture,
the third aperture and the fourth aperture are in a positional relationship such that the fourth aperture coincides with the second aperture when the switching member reaches a first position at which the third aperture coincides with the first aperture through movement or rotation of the switching member, and
the first aperture is closed by the shell of the switching member when the switching member reaches a second position at which the third aperture faces an inner wall surface of the second chamber through movement or rotation of the switching member;
the switching member is movable in a reciprocating manner in the second chamber along the partition wall and a bottom wall of the t

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Yang Shuan
• Nonoyama Naoki
• Sawano Shigeru

Classifications

• G03G2215/068

  having a box like shape · CPC title

• G03G2221/1869

  Cartridge holders, e.g. intermediate frames for placing cartridge parts therein · CPC title

• G03G21/1832

  Shielding members, shutter, e.g. light, heat shielding, prevention of toner scattering · CPC title

• G03G15/0886 Primary

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

• G03G21/1619

  Frame structures · CPC title