Toner container and manufacturing method for toner container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9436127-B2
Application number	US-201514751548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2015
Priority date	Jul 23, 2009
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A toner container includes a cylindrical container body, having a first opening in a first end thereof and a notch in a circumferential surface thereof continuous with the first opening in the first end, a flange member to engage the first opening and the notch in the container body and having a toner outlet therein through which toner in the container body is discharged, a shutter member disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the container body, a conveyance member, rotatably installed inside the container body to convey the toner from a second end of the container body opposite the first end to the toner outlet in the flange member, and a recessed portion in the container body that projects inward into the interior of the toner container 5 mm or less from an inner surface of the container body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toner container for use with an image forming apparatus, the toner container comprising:
a container body;
a toner outlet through which toner in the container body is discharged in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the toner container;
a shutter to open and close the toner outlet during installation and removal of the toner container in and from the image forming apparatus, the shutter including a pushing surface used to move the shutter to an open position without utilizing a gear to engage with the shutter;
a conveyor, rotatably disposed inside the container body and extending in the longitudinal direction of the toner container, to convey the toner within the container body towards the toner outlet;
a coupling to receive a driving force from the image forming apparatus which transmits the driving force to the conveyor;
a toner inlet through which toner enters the container body; and
a handle secured to an end of the toner container,
wherein the toner inlet, the handle, and the toner outlet are disposed on a first side in the longitudinal direction of the toner container, and the coupling is disposed on a second side which is opposite to the first side in the longitudinal direction of the toner container.

2. The toner container according to claim 1 , wherein
the container body comprises two parts which are joined together.

3. The toner container according to claim 2 , wherein
the container body protrudes outwardly where the two parts are joined together.

4. The toner container according to claim 2 , wherein
the two parts each comprise a half of the container body.

5. The toner container according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling comprises:
an exterior section to engage with a coupling of the image forming apparatus.

6. The toner container according to claim 5 , wherein
the exterior section of the coupling includes two engaging portions.

7. The toner container according to claim 6 , wherein
the two engaging portions are disposed by 180 degrees.

8. The toner container according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a bearing to rotatably support an end of the conveyor.

9. The toner container according to claim 1 , further comprising;
a seal to seal a hole in the container body through which the driving force from the image forming apparatus is transmitted to the conveyor.

10. The toner container according to claim 1 , wherein
the toner inlet is at an end of the first side of the container body and faces in the longitudinal direction.

11. The toner container according to claim 1 , further comprising;
a seal to seal the toner inlet.

12. The toner container according to claim 11 , wherein:
the seal is at an inside to the handle, and
the handle overlaps the seal when viewed along the longitudinal direction of the toner container.

13. The toner container according to claim 11 , wherein the seal comprises:
a flange around a top edge of the seal and extending perpendicularly to a depth direction of a recessed area of the seal.

14. The toner container according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory, and
a cover to cover the memory.

15. The toner container according to claim 14 , wherein the cover includes a hole to expose a part of the memory when the cover is attached.

16. The toner container according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a protrusion which protrudes outwardly from the toner container, the protrusion disposed on the first side in the longitudinal direction of the toner container.

17. The toner container according to claim 16 , wherein the protrusion identifies a color of the toner contained inside of the container body.

18. The toner container according to claim 16 , wherein the protrusion identifies a compatibleness of the toner container with the image forming apparatus.

19. The toner container according to claim 1 , wherein the container body comprises toner.

20. The toner container according to claim 1 , wherein the container body comprises developer including toner and carrier particles.

21. The toner container according to claim 1 , wherein
the toner outlet faces in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and faces in a direction perpendicular to the toner inlet.

Assignees

• Mitsuishi Kaori
• Terazawa Seiji
• Inoue Atsushi
• Ishikawa Tomoji
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mitsuishi Kaori
• Terazawa Seiji
• Inoue Atsushi
• Ishikawa Tomoji

Classifications

• G03G15/0872 Primary

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

• G03G15/0855

  the concentration being measured by optical means · CPC title

• G03G15/0886 Primary

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

• G03G2215/067

  Toner discharging opening covered by arcuate shutter · CPC title

• G03G15/0865

  Arrangements for supplying new developer · CPC title