Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12547099-B2
Application number	US-202418811927-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2024
Priority date	Sep 1, 2023
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

In an image forming apparatus that includes a replenishing port of toner and an introduction port that is able to communicate with the replenishing port, at least a part of the introduction port is located in a first quadrant or a second quadrant in a two-dimensional coordinate system configured of a first virtual line that extends in a horizontal direction and a second virtual line that and extends in a gravity direction, and a control portion controls a stirring member to stop rotating in a state where at least a part of a second end portion of a sheet is located in a quadrant that is different from a quadrant in which the introduction port is disposed in the coordinate system by a timing at which toner passes through the introduction port when the toner is replenished from a toner container to an accommodating chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image forming apparatus on which a toner container is able to be mounted comprising:
a photosensitive drum; a developing roller that supplies toner to the photosensitive drum; a mounting portion on which the toner container is able to be mounted such that a part of the toner container is exposed to outside of the image forming apparatus, the mounting portion being provided with a replenishing port for replenishment of the toner in the toner container; a frame member that includes a developing chamber in which the developing roller is disposed and an accommodating chamber that communicates with the developing chamber and accommodates the toner, the accommodating chamber being provided with an accommodating chamber opening capable of communicating with the replenishing port; a stirring member that is provided in the accommodating chamber, the stirring member including a rotation shaft that rotates about a rotation axis and a sheet having a first end portion that is one end portion in a direction perpendicularly intersecting the rotation axis and is fixed to the rotation shaft and a second end portion that is the other end portion and is able to come into contact with an inner wall of the accommodating chamber, the stirring member being configured to stir the toner accommodated in the accommodating chamber while rotating; and a control portion that controls rotation of the stirring member, wherein a two-dimensional coordinate system is configured of a first virtual line that passes through the rotation axis and extends in a horizontal direction and a second virtual line that passes through the rotation axis and extends in a gravity direction in a case of being seen in a direction of the rotation axis, and in the two-dimensional coordinate system, at least a part of the accommodating chamber opening is disposed in a first quadrant or a second quadrant, and wherein the control portion controls the stirring member to stop rotating in a state where at least a part of the second end portion of the sheet is located in a quadrant that is different from a quadrant in which the accommodating chamber opening is disposed in the coordinate system by a timing at which the toner passes through the accommodating chamber opening in a case where the toner is replenished from the toner container to the accommodating chamber.

2 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the accommodating chamber opening is disposed in the first quadrant in the coordinate system in a case of being seen in the direction of the rotation axis, and wherein the control portion controls the stirring member to stop rotating in a state where the part of the sheet is located in a third quadrant in the coordinate system by the timing.

3 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the accommodating chamber opening is disposed in the first quadrant in the coordinate system in a case of being seen in the direction of the rotation axis, and the stirring member is controlled to stop rotating in a state where the part of the sheet is located in the second quadrant or a fourth quadrant.

4 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the accommodating chamber opening is disposed in one of the first quadrant and the second quadrant in the coordinate system in a case of being seen in the direction of the rotation axis, and the photosensitive drum is disposed in the other quadrant.

5 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the stirring member includes the sheet as a first sheet and further includes a second sheet that is different from the first sheet, wherein the second sheet has a third end portion that is one end portion in a direction perpendicularly intersecting the rotation axis and is fixed to the rotation shaft at a position that is different from a position of the first end portion of the first sheet around the rotation axis and a fourth end portion that is the other end portion and is able to come into contact with the inner wall of the accommodating chamber, and wherein the control portion controls the stirring member to stop rotating in a state where both at least a part of the second end portion of the first sheet and a part of the second sheet including at least the fourth end portion are located in a quadrant that is different from a quadrant in which the accommodating chamber opening is located in the coordinate system by the timing.

6 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the rotation shaft includes a first attachment surface and a second attachment surface, wherein a vertical line of the first attachment surface and a vertical line of the second attachment surface perpendicularly intersect each other, wherein the first sheet is attached to the rotation shaft such that a part including the first end portion is in contact with the first attachment surface, and wherein the second sheet is attached to the rotation shaft such that a part including the third end portion is in contact with the second attachment surface.

7 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a remaining amount detection portion that is provided to project from the inner wall of the accommodating chamber and detects an amount of the toner accommodated in the accommodating chamber, wherein the stirring member includes the sheet as a third sheet, the first end portion as a fifth end portion, and the second end portion as a sixth end portion and further includes a fourth sheet that is different from the third sheet, wherein the fourth sheet has a seventh end portion that is one end portion in the direction perpendicularly intersecting the rotation axis and is fixed to the rotation shaft and an eighth end portion that is the other end portion and is able to come into contact with the inner wall of the accommodating chamber, wherein the rotation shaft has an attachment surface that extends in the direction of the rotation axis, wherein the fourth sheet is attached to the rotation shaft such that a fourth attachment portion that is a part including the seventh end portion is in contact with the attachment surface, wherein the third sheet is attached to the rotation shaft such that a third attachment portion that is a part including the fifth end portion overlaps the fourth attachment portion, wherein the remaining amount detection portion is located in a quadrant below a quadrant in which at least a part of the accommodating chamber opening is located in the coordinate system, wherein a third length of the third sheet from the third attachment portion to the sixth end portion measured in a direction in which the third sheet extends is shorter than a fourth length of the fourth sheet from the fourth attachment portion to the eighth end portion measured in a direction in which the fourth sheet extends when seen in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotation shaft, and wherein the control portion controls the stirring member to stop rotating in a state where at least a part of the third sheet including the sixth end portion is located in the quadrant in which the remaining amount detection portion is located in the coordinate system by the timing.

8 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the third length is a length that allows the sixth end portion to enter a recessed portion formed between a lower end of the remaining amount detection portion and the inner wall of the accommodating chamber.

9 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the accommodating chamber opening is located at an end portion of the accommodating chamber in the direction of the rotation axis.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Suzuki Ai
• Suetsugu Masahiro
• Nishida Shinichi
• Ito Shingo
• Ishikawa Shimpei
• Kobayashi Nobuyuki
• Kobayashi Shinsuke

Classifications

• G03G15/04036

  Details of illuminating systems, e.g. lamps, reflectors (lamp housings for copying cameras, reflex exposure lighting G03B27/542) · CPC title

• G03G15/757

  Drive mechanisms for photosensitive medium, e.g. gears · CPC title

• G03G15/0886

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

• B41J2/442 Primary

  using lasers · CPC title

• G03G15/065

  Arrangements for controlling the potential of the developing electrode · CPC title