Image forming apparatus having toner replenishment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11947305-B2
Application number	US-202217991892-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2022
Priority date	Mar 15, 2019
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus includes a developer container to and from which a replenishment container is attachable and detachable and which includes an accommodating portion and a replenishment port, a transfer portion configured to transfer a developer image on an image bearing member onto a recording material, a supporting tray including a supporting surface configured to support the recording material thereon, and a discharge portion configured to discharge the recording material, onto which the developer image has been transferred, on the supporting surface, wherein the supporting surface has an opening portion opening such that the replenishment port is exposed through the supporting surface, and wherein an opening/closing member configured to be movable between a closed position where the opening/closing member covers the replenishment port and serves as a part of the supporting surface and an open position where the replenishment port is exposed is provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus to and from which a replenishment container accommodating developer is attachable and detachable and which is configured to form a developer image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising:
an image bearing member configured to rotate while bearing the developer image;
a developer bearing member configured to bear the developer and supply the developer to the image bearing member;
a developer container to and from which the replenishment container is attachable and detachable, the developer container comprising an accommodating portion configured to accommodate the developer to be borne on the developer bearing member, and a replenishment port for replenishing the accommodating portion with the developer from the replenishment container;
a transfer portion configured to transfer the developer image on the image bearing member onto a recording material;
a supporting tray comprising a supporting surface that supports the recording material thereon; and
a discharge portion configured to discharge the recording material, onto which the developer image has been transferred, on the supporting surface,
wherein the supporting tray has an opening portion opening such that the replenishment port is exposed through the supporting surface,
wherein an opening/closing member configured to be movable between a closed position where the opening/closing member covers the replenishment port and serves as a part of the supporting surface and an open position where the replenishment port is exposed is provided, and
wherein the opening/closing member is configured such that a movement thereof from the open position to the closed position is hindered by the replenishment container in a state that the replenishment container from which the accommodating portion has been replenished with the developer is attached to the developer container.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting tray is openably and closably supported by an apparatus body accommodating the image bearing member, the developer container, the developer bearing member, and the transfer portion, and
wherein the opening/closing member is openably and closably supported by the supporting tray.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the developer container is capable of being taken out from the apparatus body in a state in which the supporting tray is open.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the replenishment port is open upward.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the replenishment port is open upward and downstream in a discharge direction of the discharge portion so as to be inclined with respect to a vertical direction.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the replenishment port is the only replenishment port provided in the developer container.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Noguchi Tomio
• Sato Masaaki
• Matsuzaka Kenji
• Fujinaka Koji
• Sameshima Takao
• Toyota Akitoshi
• Inaba Yuichiro
• Iida Kenichi

Classifications

• G03G15/0865

  Arrangements for supplying new developer · CPC title

• G03G21/1647 Primary

  Mechanical connection means · CPC title

• G03G15/6552

  Means for discharging uncollated sheet copy material, e.g. discharging rollers, exit trays · CPC title

• G03G21/1633 Primary

  using doors or covers (G03G21/1638 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G21/1676

  for the developer unit · CPC title