Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11947280-B2
Application number	US-202217938099-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2022
Priority date	Nov 14, 2018
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A mechanism that enables developer replenishment by a simpler structure and a mechanism that enables more user-friendly developer replenishment are provided. An attachment port to which a developer supply bottle containing a developer stored therein is detachably attachable is disposed in an interior of an image forming apparatus. The developer supply bottle can be attached when the cover is in an open state. According to this image forming apparatus, when the developer supply bottle is attached to the attachment port, the developer inside the developer supply bottle moves into a developer housing chamber by its own weight.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image forming system comprising:
a developer supply container configured to contain developer; and
an image forming apparatus having an image bearing member, a developer bearing member, a frame, and a stirring member,
wherein the frame supports the developer bearing member and constitutes a developer housing chamber that is configured to contain developer to be supplied to the developer bearing member,
wherein the stirring member is rotatable in the developer housing chamber and the developer housing chamber has an attachment port to which the developer supply container is detachably attached,
wherein, by the developer supply container being deformed by force applied to the developer supply container from an outside of the image forming system, the developer contained in the developer supply container is supplied to the developer housing chamber through the attachment port,
wherein the image forming apparatus includes a cover movable between a first position and a second position,
wherein the first position is a position in which the cover does cover the attachment port, and the second position is a position in which the cover does not cover the attachment port to allow the developer supply container to be attached to the attachment port, and
wherein the image forming apparatus includes a sensor for detecting whether the cover is in the first position or in the second position, and when the sensor detects that the cover is in the second position, an execution of an image forming operation is unallowable.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the developer supply container includes a bag-shaped developer housing portion formed by a flexible sheet.

3. The image forming system according to claim 2 , wherein a thickness of the flexible sheet is 0.03 millimeter (mm) to 1 mm.

4. The image forming system according to claim 2 , wherein the flexible sheet is a paper.

5. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the attachment port is provided in a protruding portion that protrudes upward with respect to an upper surface of the developer housing chamber.

6. The image forming system according to claim 5 , wherein the protruding portion is provided in an end portion of a developer housing portion in a direction of a rotational axis of the image bearing member.

7. The image forming system according to claim 6 , wherein the protruding portion of the developer housing portion is overlapped with the developer bearing member when viewed in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the rotational axis of the image bearing member.

8. The image forming system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the developer supply container is attached to the attachment port with an opening of the developer supply container facing downward, and
wherein the opening is provided for discharging of developer contained in the developer supply container to an outside of the developer supply container.

9. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the image forming operation includes a driving of the image bearing member.

10. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the developer supply container attached to the attachment port is configured to prevent the cover from being moved from the second position to the first position.

11. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the image bearing member is a photosensitive drum, and the developer bearing member is a developing roller.

12. The image forming system according to claim 11 , wherein the stirring member includes a rotating shaft and a sheet.

13. The image forming system according to claim 11 , wherein the stirring member is only one in an area between the attachment port and the image bearing member in the developer housing chamber.

14. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the developer supply container is a toner bottle that is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus and that includes a flexible sheet configured to receive the force from and be deformed by a gripping action of a user from the outside of the image forming system on the flexible sheet of the toner bottle such that the force causes the developer contained in the toner bottle to be supplied to the developer housing chamber through the attachment port.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Funatani Kazuhiro
• Tanaka Masatake
• Yamawaki Kentaro
• Iida Kenichi
• Kobayashi Shinsuke
• Umeda Kensuke
• Watanabe Takanori
• Suzuki Ai

Classifications

• G03G15/0886

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

• G03G15/0877

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

• G03G15/0887 Primary

  Arrangements for conveying and conditioning developer in the developing unit, e.g. agitating, removing impurities or humidity · CPC title

• G03G15/0865 Primary

  Arrangements for supplying new developer · CPC title

• G03G9/0821

  characterised by physical parameters (magnetic parameters G03G9/083) · CPC title