IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0397209
(2003-03-27)
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우선권정보 |
JP-0168369 (1998-06-16); JP-0163078 (1997-06-19) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Ban, Yutaka
- Omata, Kazuhiko
- Miyazaki, Kyota
- Murakami, Ayumu
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper &
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
25 인용 특허 :
44 |
초록
▼
A toner supply container is detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus. The container includes a toner accommodating portion to accommodate toner and has a supply opening to supply toner into the image forming apparatus, a feeding member to feed the toner in the toner accommodating portion t
A toner supply container is detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus. The container includes a toner accommodating portion to accommodate toner and has a supply opening to supply toner into the image forming apparatus, a feeding member to feed the toner in the toner accommodating portion toward the supply opening, and a sealing member to seal the supply opening. The sealing member has a locking portion to be locked by a locking membered in a main assembly of the apparatus, and a coupling portion to be coupled with a drive coupling member provided in the main assembly. The sealing member is rotatable integrally with the feeding member by a rotational force received by the coupling portion from the drive coupling member. The locking portion and the coupling portion are spaced apart from each other with respect to a mounting direction of the container.
대표청구항
▼
1. A toner supply container detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, said container comprising:a toner accommodating portion configured to accommodate toner, said toner accommodating portion having a supply opening configured and positioned to supply toner into the image forming apparatus
1. A toner supply container detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, said container comprising:a toner accommodating portion configured to accommodate toner, said toner accommodating portion having a supply opening configured and positioned to supply toner into the image forming apparatus; a feeding member, provided in said toner accommodating portion, configured and positioned to feed the toner in said toner accommodating portion toward the supply opening; and a sealing member configured and positioned to seal the supply opening, said sealing member having: a locking portion configured and positioned to be locked by a drive locking member provided in a main assembly of the image forming apparatus; and a coupling portion configured and positioned to be coupled with a drive coupling member provided in the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, wherein said sealing member is rotatable integrally with said feeding member by a rotational force received by said coupling portion from the drive coupling member, wherein said locking portion and said coupling portion are spaced apart from each other with respect to a mounting direction of said toner supply container, and wherein said locking portion is capable of being locked by the drive locking member when the drive coupling member is in a retracted position at which said coupling portion is not coupled with the drive coupling member. 2. A container according to claim 1, wherein said toner supply container is mountable to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus irrespective of whether said coupling portion is in or out of phase with respect to the drive coupling member of the main assembly of the image forming apparatus.3. A container according to claim 2, wherein the supply opening of said toner supply container is unsealable irrespective of whether said coupling portion is in or out of phase with respect to the drive coupling member.4. A container according to claim 1, wherein said locking portion is in the form of a groove provided along a full circumferential periphery of said sealing member, and said coupling portion includes a plurality of projections provided at circumferentially discrete positions of said sealing member.5. A container according to claim 4, wherein the total number of said coupling projections of said coupling portion is two.6. A container according to claim 1, wherein said locking portion is disposed downstream of said coupling portion with respect to the mounting direction of said toner supply container.7. A container according to claim 1, wherein said sealing member is capable of resealing the supply opening after unsealing of the supply opening.8. A container according to claim 1, further comprising a stirring member configured and positioned to stir the toner in said toner accommodating portion and a stirring coupling portion configured and positioned to receive a driving force for said stirring member from the main assembly of the image forming apparatus.9. A container according to claim 8, wherein said stirring member is disposed above said feeding member, and said stirring coupling portion is disposed above said sealing member.10. A container according to claim 9, wherein said stirring member and said feeding member are substantially vertically aligned with each other, and centers of rotation of said stirring coupling portion and said sealing member are substantially vertically aligned.11. A container according to claim 1, wherein said sealing member is co-axial with and integral with said feeding member.12. A container according to claim 1 wherein said sealing member and said feeding member are slidable relative to each other in the mounting direction while a coaxial relation therebetween is maintained.13. A container according to claim 12, wherein said feeding member has a rotational shaft which extends out through the supply opening and which is slidably engaged with said sealing member.14. A toner supply container detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, said container comprising:a toner container for accommodating toner, said toner container having a supply opening configured and positioned to supply the toner into the image forming apparatus; a sealing member configured and positioned to seal said supply opening; a feeding member, provided in said toner container, configured and positioned to feed the toner in said toner container toward said supply opening; a connecting member connectable with the image forming apparatus, said connecting member having: a coupling portion which is engageble with a coupling member provided in the image forming apparatus and which is effective to receive a rotational driving force for driving said feeding member, and a locking portion configured and positioned to lock with a locking member provided in the image forming apparatus to unseal said supply opening by relative movement between said sealing member and said toner container, wherein said locking portion and said coupling portion are spaced apart from each other with respect to a toner-supply-container mounting direction, and wherein said locking portion is capable of being locked with the locking member when the coupling member is in a retracted position at which said coupling portion is not coupled with the coupling member. 15. A container according to claim 14, wherein said toner supply container is mountable to a main assembly of the image forming apparatus irrespective of whether said coupling portion is in or out of phase with respect to the coupling member of the main assembly of the apparatus.16. A container according to claim 15, wherein the supply opening of said toner supply container is unsealable irrespective of whether said coupling portion is in or out of phase with respect to the coupling member.17. A container according to claim 14, wherein said locking portion is in the form of a groove provided along a full circumferential periphery of said connecting member, and said coupling portion includes a plurality of projections provided circumferentially at discrete positions of said connecting member.18. A container according to claim 17, wherein the total number of said projections of said coupling portion is two.19. A container according to claim 17, wherein said locking portion is disposed downstream of said coupling portion with respect to the mounting direction of said toner supply container.20. A container according to claim 14, wherein said sealing member is capable of resealing the supply opening after unsealing of the supply opening.21. A container according to claim 14, further comprising a stirring member configured and positioned to stir the toner in said toner container and a stirring coupling portion configured and positioned to receive a driving force for said stirring member from a main assembly of the apparatus.22. A container according to claim 21, wherein said stirring member is disposed above said feeding member, and said stirring coupling portion is disposed above said connecting member.23. A container according to claim 22, wherein said stirring member and said feeding member are substantially vertically aligned with each other, and the centers of rotation of said stirring coupling portion and said connected member are substantially vertically aligned.24. A container according to claim 14, wherein said connecting member is co-axial with and integral with said feeding member.25. A container according to claim 14, wherein said connecting member and said feeding member are slidable relative to each other in the mounting direction while a coaxial relation therebetween is maintained.26. A container according to claim 25, wherein said feeding member has a rotational shaft which extends out through said supply opening and which is slidably engaged with said connecting member.27. A container according to claim 14, wherein said sealing member is provided with said connecting member.
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