Toner container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12416880-B2
Application number	US-202418755550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2024
Priority date	Jun 29, 2023
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

Provided a toner container having: a storage portion configured to store toner; a nozzle portion having a discharging port configured to discharge, outside the toner container, toner stored in the storage portion, the nozzle portion being fixed to the storage portion such that the nozzle portion and the storage portion are aligned in a first direction; and a loosening member configured to loose toner, the loosening member including at least a portion provided in the storage portion, wherein the loosening member is swingable relative to the storage portion about a swing axis extending in a second direction crossing the first direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toner container comprising:
a storage portion configured to store toner;
a nozzle portion having a discharging port configured to discharge, outside the toner container, toner stored in the storage portion, the nozzle portion being fixed to the storage portion such that the nozzle portion and the storage portion are aligned in a first direction; and
a loosening member configured to loose toner, the loosening member including at least a portion provided in the storage portion,
wherein the loosening member is swingable relative to the storage portion about a swing axis extending in a second direction crossing the first direction.

2. The toner container according to claim 1 , wherein the loosening member includes:
a base portion whose longitudinal direction coincides with the first direction, the base portion including a first end portion that is one end portion in the longitudinal direction and a second end portion that is the other end portion in the longitudinal direction; and
an elastic portion elastically displaceable relative to the base portion, the elastic portion being supported by the base portion so as to be positioned on an outer side relative to the base portion in a direction crossing the first direction.

3. The toner container according to claim 2 , wherein the second end portion is provided with a supported portion supported by the nozzle portion such that the loosening member is swingable relative to the nozzle portion about the second direction.

4. The toner container according to claim 3 , wherein the nozzle portion includes a passage allowing toner to pass through toward the discharging port, and
wherein a leading end portion provided in the second end portion and provided at a position further apart from the first end portion than the supported portion is positioned in the passage.

5. The toner container according to claim 4 , wherein the discharging port is provided in a side surface, of the nozzle portion, extending in the first direction, and
wherein the leading end portion extends in a direction where a distance from the discharging port in a direction crossing the first direction decreases as a distance from the discharging port in the first direction decreases.

6. The toner container according to claim 4 , wherein the leading end portion is provided with a plurality of protrusions protruding in a direction crossing a direction where the leading end portion extends toward the discharging port.

7. The toner container according to claim 2 , wherein the first end portion of the base portion is a free end in the storage portion.

8. The toner container according to claim 2 , wherein the elastic portion is a wire material extending in the first direction while turning around the base portion, and
wherein a third end portion and a fourth end portion that are one end portion and the other end portion of the wire material, respectively, are fixed to the first end portion and the second end portion of the base portion, respectively.

9. The toner container according to claim 8 , wherein the storage portion includes a region whose width in a direction crossing the first direction increases as a distance from the nozzle portion in the first direction increases, and
wherein the wire material includes, in the region, a portion whose radius of turning around the base portion increases as the distance from the nozzle portion in the first direction increases.

10. The toner container according to claim 2 , wherein the first end portion of the base portion is a free end extending in a direction crossing the first direction.

11. The toner container according to claim 2 , wherein the elastic portion includes a plurality of protruding portions protruding from the base portion in a direction crossing the first direction and aligned in the first direction.

12. The toner container according to claim 2 , wherein the elastic portion includes a first protruding portion protruding from the base portion in a direction crossing the first direction and a second protruding portion protruding in a direction crossing the first direction and the direction where the first protruding portion protrudes.

13. The toner container according to claim 2 , wherein the storage portion includes a region whose width in a third direction crossing the first direction increases as a distance from the nozzle portion in the first direction increases, and
wherein the elastic portion includes, in the region, a portion whose width in the third direction increases as the distance from the nozzle portion in the first direction increases.

14. The toner container according to claim 1 , wherein the nozzle portion includes a passage allowing toner to pass through toward the discharging port, and
wherein an end portion of the loosening member closer to the nozzle portion is positioned in the passage of the nozzle portion.

15. The toner container according to claim 1 , wherein the loosening member does not swing about an imaginary line extending in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction.

16. A toner container comprising:
a storage portion configured to store toner;
a nozzle portion having a discharging port configured to discharge, outside the toner container, toner stored in the storage portion, the nozzle portion being fixed to the storage portion such that the nozzle portion and the storage portion are aligned in a first direction; and
a stirring member configured to stir toner in the storage portion,
wherein the stirring member includes:
a shaft portion supported by the nozzle portion so as to be rotatable about a rotational axis relative to the nozzle portion, the shaft portion being provided such that the rotational axis is oriented in the first direction;
a blade portion provided on the shaft portion so as to rotate with the shaft portion; and
a driving-force receiving portion configured to receive, from outside the toner container, a driving force for rotating the driving-force receiving portion,

and
wherein, when, with the nozzle portion being positioned below the storage portion, the toner container is oriented in a predetermined direction such that the rotational axis is parallel to a gravitational direction, the driving-force receiving portion is provided on a lower end portion that is an end portion of the shaft portion on a lower side.

17. The toner container according to claim 16 , wherein the driving-force receiving portion is a coupling.

18. The toner container according to claim 17 , wherein, when the toner container is oriented in the predetermined direction,
the driving-force receiving portion is exposed outside the toner container from a bottom surface of the nozzle portion.

19. The toner container according to claim 17 , wherein, when the toner container is oriented in the predetermined direction,
the discharging port is provided in a side surface, of the nozzle portion, extending along the rotational axis, and
the nozzle portion has a receiving inlet facing upward so as to receive toner from the storage portion and provided above the discharging port and includes a passage allowing toner to pass through from the receiving inlet to the discharging port,
wherein the shaft portion includes a first portion positioned in the storage portion and a second portion positioned in the passage, and
wherein, when the toner container is oriented in the predetermined direction, the lower end portion is a portion, of the shaft portion, penetrating the passage downward.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Ozaki Goshi
• Nishida Shinichi
• Munetsugu Hiroyuki
• Sugimoto Sohta
• Sato Mitsuhiro
• Suetsugu Masahiro
• Ishikawa Seiya

Classifications

• G03G15/0874

  non-rigid containers, e.g. foldable cartridges, bags · CPC title

• G03G15/0886 Primary

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

• G03G15/0872

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

• G03G15/0889 Primary

  for agitation or stirring · CPC title

• G03G15/0887

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