Powder container and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11506992-B2
Application number	US-202117338019-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2021
Priority date	Jun 5, 2020
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

A powder container includes a container body, a spiral projection, and a convex portion. The container body stores powder and is rotatable around an axis of the container body. The spiral projection is inside the container body. The convex portion includes a flat surface portion and protrudes inward from an inner wall surface of the container body. A virtual plane including the flat surface portion passes through the axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A powder container, comprising:
a container body that stores powder and is rotatable around an axis of the container body, the container body having a length which extends in a longitudinal direction;
a spiral projection inside the container body; and
a convex portion, different from the spiral projection, including a flat surface portion and protruding inward from an inner wall surface of the container body,
wherein the flat surface portion is parallel to the longitudinal direction.

2. The powder container according to claim 1 ,
wherein the container body has a cylindrical surface extending in the longitudinal direction of the container body, and the axis of the container body is a joint of a center of the container body in a cross section of the container body perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

3. A powder container, comprising:
a container body that stores powder and is rotatable around an axis of the container body;
a spiral projection inside the container body; and
a flat surface portion, different from the spiral projection, disposed inward from an inner wall surface of the container body,
wherein the flat surface portion is parallel to a longitudinal direction extending along a length of the container body.

4. The powder container according to claim 1 ,
wherein an inner surface of the flat surface portion inside the container body faces a downstream side with respect to a direction of rotation of the container body when viewed in a cross section orthogonal to the axis.

5. The powder container according to claim 1 , further comprising another convex portion including another flat surface portion protruding inward from the inner wall surface of the container body,
wherein the flat surface portion and said another flat surface portion are at opposite positions across the axis when viewed in a cross section orthogonal to the axis.

6. The powder container according to claim 1 ,
wherein the convex portion gradually narrows inward from the inner wall surface of the container body.

7. The powder container according to claim 1 ,
wherein the flat surface portion extends across substantially an entire length of the container body along the axis of the container body.

8. The powder container according to claim 1 ,
wherein the flat surface portion includes a plurality of parts divided in an axial direction of the container body.

9. The powder container according to claim 8 ,
wherein the plurality of parts are alternately disposed in a staggered manner across the axis when viewed in a cross section including the axis.

10. The powder container according to claim 1 ,
wherein the powder stored in the powder container is toner that does not contain titanium oxide.

11. An image forming apparatus comprising the powder container according to claim 1 ,
wherein the powder container is detachably attached in the image forming apparatus.

12. A powder container, comprising:
a container body that stores powder and has a cylindrical surface extending in a longitudinal direction of the container body;
a spiral projection inside the container body; and
a convex portion including a flat surface portion and protruding inward from an inner wall surface of the container body,
wherein the flat surface portion protrudes toward a center of the container body in a cross section of the container body, the cross section being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and
the flat surface portion is parallel to the longitudinal direction.

13. The powder container according to claim 12 , further comprising another convex portion including another flat surface portion protruding inward from the inner wall surface of the container body,
wherein a virtual line including a point of the flat surface portion and a point of said another flat surface portion passes through the center of the container body.

Assignees

• Ricoh Co Ltd
• Tanaka Yasushi

Inventors

• Nomura Masato
• Tanaka Yuuta
• Terazawa Seiji

Classifications

• G03G15/0891

  for conveying or circulating developer, e.g. augers · CPC title

• G03G15/0872 Primary

  the developer cartridges being generally horizontally mounted parallel to its longitudinal rotational axis · CPC title

• G03G15/0877

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