Toner cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11199792-B2
Application number	US-201916526037-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2019
Priority date	May 18, 2006
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

A toner cartridge comprises a toner container which contains toner, a driving member which rotationally drives a conveying member, an agitating member which agitates a toner in the toner container while being rotated, a driven member which rotates in association with the driving member which is for rotationally driving the agitating member, and a rotational body which rotates according to rotation of the driven member, has a plurality of slits in rotational circumference for identifying a type of the toner cartridge, and has 1/K or more of the slits when a ratio of a rotational speed R1 (rad/s) of the driving member and a rotational speed R2 (rad/s) of the driven member is K=R2/R1.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toner cartridge comprising:
a toner container;
a toner supplying opening;
an agitating member configured to agitate toner contained in the toner container;
a conveying member configured to convey the toner contained in the toner container toward the toner supplying opening;
a first gear configured to rotate the agitating member;
a second gear having a different diameter from the first gear and configured to rotate the conveying member;
a body having a plurality of light incidence parts and configured to rotate about a central axis with the first gear, the plurality of light incidence parts configured to rotate about the central axis with the body; and
a gear cover which covers a part of the first and second gears.

2. The toner cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the toner container has a predetermined length along one direction, and the gear cover extends in the one direction to cover the part of the first and second gears.

3. The toner cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein the first and second gears and the gear cover are provided on one end of the toner container in the one direction, and a filling opening for filling the toner container with the toner is formed on the other end of the toner container.

4. The toner cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein each of the light incidence parts is light transmissive and adjacent to light blocking parts.

5. The toner cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the first gear rotates in the same direction as the agitating member.

6. The toner cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the second gear rotates in the same direction as the conveying member.

7. A toner cartridge comprising:
a toner container;
a toner supplying opening;
an agitating member configured to agitate toner contained in the toner container;
a conveying member configured to convey the toner contained in the toner container toward the toner supplying opening;
a first gear configured to rotate the agitating member; and
a body having a plurality of light incidence parts and configured to rotate about a central axis with the first gear, the plurality of light incidence parts configured to rotate about the central axis with the body.

8. The toner cartridge according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a gear cover which covers a part of the first gear.

9. The toner cartridge according to claim 8 , wherein the toner container has a predetermined length along one direction, and the gear cover extends in the one direction to cover the part of the first gear.

10. The toner cartridge according to claim 9 , wherein the first gear and the gear cover are provided on one end of the toner container in the one direction, and a filling opening for filling the toner container with the toner is formed on the other end of the toner container.

11. The toner cartridge according to claim 7 , wherein each of the light incidence parts is light transmissive and adjacent to light blocking parts.

12. The toner cartridge according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a second gear on an exterior portion of the toner container and engaged with the first gear, wherein the second gear is configured to rotate the conveying member.

13. The toner cartridge according to claim 12 , wherein the first gear and the agitating member rotate in a first rotational direction, and the second gear and the conveying member rotate in a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction.

14. A toner cartridge comprising:
a toner container;
a toner supplying opening;
an agitating member configured to agitate toner contained in the toner container;
a conveying member configured to convey the toner contained in the toner container toward the toner supplying opening;
a first gear configured to rotate the agitating member;
a body having a plurality of light incidence parts and configured to rotate about a central axis with the first gear, the plurality of light incidence parts configured to rotate about the central axis with the body; and
a gear cover which covers a part of the first gear.

15. The toner cartridge according to claim 14 , wherein the body projects from the first gear and includes the plurality of light incidence parts by which the rotation of the body is detected.

16. The toner cartridge according to claim 15 , wherein each of the light incidence parts is light transmissive and adjacent to light blocking parts.

17. The toner cartridge according to claim 14 , wherein the toner container has a predetermined length along one direction, and the gear cover extends in the one direction to cover the part of the first gear.

18. The toner cartridge according to claim 17 , wherein the first gear and the gear cover are provided on one end of the toner container in the one direction, and a filling opening for filling the toner container with the toner is formed on the other end of the toner container.

19. The toner cartridge according to claim 14 , further comprising:
a second gear on the exterior portion of the toner container and engaged with the first gear, wherein the second gear is configured to rotate the conveying member.

20. The toner cartridge according to claim 19 , wherein the first gear and the agitating member rotate in a first rotational direction, and the second gear and the conveying member rotate in a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction.

Assignees

• Toshiba Tec Kk
• Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Sato Tsutomu

Classifications

• G03G15/0889 Primary

  for agitation or stirring · CPC title

• G03G15/087

  Developer cartridges having a longitudinal rotational axis, around which at least one part is rotated when mounting or using the cartridge · CPC title

• G03G21/1647

  Mechanical connection means · CPC title

• G03G15/0877

  Arrangements for metering and dispensing developer from a developer cartridge into the development unit · CPC title

• G03G15/0875

  cartridges having a box like shape · CPC title