IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0718416
(2000-11-24)
|
우선권정보 |
JP-11/337265(1999-11-29); JP-2000/350621(2000-11-17) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper &
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
38 인용 특허 :
7 |
초록
▼
A developer supply cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, includes a developer accommodating portion of accommodating a developer; a discharging opening for discharging the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion to a developer receivin
A developer supply cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, includes a developer accommodating portion of accommodating a developer; a discharging opening for discharging the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion to a developer receiving opening of a developer receiving cartridge provided with a developing device for developing an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member with the developer, the developer receiving cartridge being detachably mountable to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus; a shutter member movable between an opening position for opening the discharging opening and a closing position for closing the discharging opening; and an engaging portion for engagement with the developer receiving cartridge so as to receive, from the developer receiving cartridge, a force for moving the shutter member from the closing position to the opening position, in interrelation with relative movement between the developer supply cartridge and the developer receiving cartridge toward each other in a mounting-and-demounting direction of the developer supply cartridge relative to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A developer supply container detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, said container comprising: a container body for containing a developer; a discharge opening, provided in said container body, for permitting the discharge of the developer, wherein the developer
What is claimed is: 1. A developer supply container detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, said container comprising: a container body for containing a developer; a discharge opening, provided in said container body, for permitting the discharge of the developer, wherein the developer discharged through said discharge opening is supplied to a developer receiving container which is disposed below said developer supply container and which is detachably mountable to the image forming apparatus; and a shutter member for opening and closing said discharge opening, wherein said shutter member is closed and opened by movement of said developer supply container relative to the developer receiving container, and wherein said shutter member is closed and opened by movement of the developer receiving container relative to said developer supply container. 2. A developer supply container according to claim 1, further comprising an engaging portion engageable with the developer receiving container, wherein said shutter member moves to open and close by a force received by said engaging portion from the developer receiving container resulting from the relative movement of said developer supply container relative to the developer receiving container. 3. A developer supply container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said shutter member opens by the relative movement resulting from a mounting operation of said developer supply container to the image forming apparatus, and said shutter member closes by the relative movement resulting from a dismounting operation of said developer supply container from the image forming apparatus. 4. A developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein said developer supply container is detachably mountable to the image forming apparatus independently of the developer receiving container. 5. A developer supply container detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, comprising: a container body for containing a developer; a discharging opening for permitting discharge of the developer from said container body, wherein the developer discharged through said discharging opening is supplied into a developer receiving container which is detachably mounted to the image forming apparatus; a shutter member movable between an opening position for opening said discharging opening and a closing position for closing said discharging opening; an engaging portion engageable with the developer receiving container, and wherein with said developer supply container being in place in the image forming apparatus, said shutter member is moved from the closing position to the opening position by said engaging portion receiving a force from the developer receiving container in response to a mounting operation for mounting the developer receiving container to the image forming apparatus, and wherein with the developer receiving container being in place in the image forming apparatus, said shutter member is moved from the closing position to the opening position by said engaging portion receiving a force from the developer receiving container in response to a mounting operation for mounting said developer supply container to the image forming apparatus. 6. A container according to claim 5, wherein said shutter member has an opening for fluid communication between said discharging opening and a receiving opening formed in the developer receiving container, and a shield portion for shielding said discharging opening. 7. A container according to claim 5, wherein said shutter member has a plurality of openings for fluid communication between said discharging opening and a receiving opening formed in the developer receiving container and a plurality of shield portions for shielding said discharging opening, arranged alternately with respect to a rotational direction of said shutter member. 8. A container according to claim 7, wherein said shutter member has a pair of openings for fluid communication between said discharging opening and the receiving opening which are diametrically opposed to each other, and a pair of shield portions which are diametrically opposed to each other. 9. A container according to claim 8, wherein said engaging portion is provided at each of a position between one of the openings and one of the shield portions and a position between the other of the openings and the other of the shield portions, with respect to the rotational direction. 10. A container according to claim 9, wherein said shutter member is rotatable between the opening position and the closing position through engagement between either one of said engaging portions and the developer receiving container. 11. A container according to claim 10, wherein said engaging portion is in the form of a recess engageable with a projection provided in the developer receiving container. 12. A container according to claim 11, wherein said shutter member includes a shielding plate, for covering said recess, provided at a container body side, wherein said shielding plate has an opening in fluid communication with said discharging opening, and wherein said developer supply container is mounted at a position above the developer receiving container. 13. A container according to claim 5 or 11, wherein with said developer supply container and the developer receiving container being in place in the image forming apparatus, said shutter member is moved from the opening position to the closing position in response to a dismounting operation of either said developer supply container or the developer receiving container from the image forming apparatus. 14. A container according to claim 5, wherein mounting and dismounting directions of said developer supply container and the developer receiving container relative to the image forming apparatus are substantially parallel with each other. 15. A container according to claim 5, wherein said developer supply container is disposed above the developer receiving container. 16. A container according to claim 15, wherein said developer supply container has a guide portion for being guided by the developer receiving container in a mounting direction thereof, wherein said guide portion is effective to prevent said developer supply container from being moved away from the developer receiving container in a direction perpendicular to the mounting direction. 17. A container according to claim 5, further comprising limiting means for preventing simultaneous removal of said developer supply container and the developer receiving container from the image forming apparatus. 18. A developer supply container detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, comprising: a container body for containing a developer; a discharging opening for permitting discharge of the developer from said container body, wherein the developer discharged through said discharging opening is supplied into a developer receiving container which is detachably mountable to the image forming apparatus; a shutter member movable between an opening position for opening said discharging opening and a closing position for closing said discharging opening; and an engaging portion engageable with the developer receiving container, wherein with said developer supply container and the developer receiving container being in place in the image forming apparatus, said shutter member is moved from the opening position to the closing position by said engaging portion receiving a force from the developer receiving container in response to a dismounting operation of said developer supply container from the image forming apparatus, and wherein with said developer supply container and the developer receiving container being in place in the image forming apparatus, said shutter member is moved from the opening position to the closing position by said engaging portion receiving a force from the developer receiving container in response to a dismounting operation of the developer receiving container from the image forming apparatus. 19. A container according to claim 18, wherein said shutter member has an opening for fluid communication between said discharging opening and a receiving opening formed in the developer receiving container, and a shield portion for shielding said discharging opening. 20. A container according to claim 18, wherein said shutter member has a plurality of openings for fluid communication between said discharging opening and a receiving opening formed in the developer receiving container and a plurality of shield portions for shielding said discharging opening, arranged alternately with respect to a rotational direction of said shutter member. 21. A container according to claim 20, wherein said shutter member has a pair of openings for fluid communication between said discharging opening and the receiving opening which are diametrically opposed to each other, and a pair of shield portions which are diametrically opposed to each other. 22. A container according to claim 21, wherein said engaging portion is provided at each of a position between one of the openings and one of said shield portions and a position between the other one of the openings and the other of the shield portions, with respect to the rotational direction. 23. A container according to claim 22, wherein said shutter member is rotatable between the opening position and the closing position through engagement between either one of said engaging portions and the developer receiving container. 24. A container according to claim 23, wherein said engaging portion is in the form of a recess engageable with a projection provided in the developer receiving container. 25. A container according to claim 24, wherein said shutter member includes a shielding plate, for covering said recess, provided at a container body side, wherein said shielding plate has an opening in fluid communication with said discharging opening, and wherein said developer supply container is mounted at a position above the developer receiving container. 26. A container according to claim 18, wherein mounting and dismounting directions of said developer supply container and the developer receiving container relative to the image forming apparatus are substantially parallel with each other. 27. A container according to claim 18, wherein said developer supply container is disposed above the developer receiving container. 28. A container according to claim 27, wherein said developer supply container has a guide portion for being guided by the developer receiving container in a mounting direction thereof, and wherein said guide portion is effective to prevent said developer supply container from being moved away from the developer receiving container in a direction perpendicular to the mounting direction. 29. A container according to claim 18, further comprising limiting means for preventing simultaneous removal of said developer supply container and the developer receiving container from the image forming apparatus. 30. A container according to claim 18, wherein the developer receiving container includes developing means for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an image bearing member of the image forming apparatus. 31. A toner cartridge for supplying toner into a process cartridge having a developing device, said toner cartridge being detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, said toner cartridge comprising: a container for containing toner; a discharge opening, provided in said container, for permitting discharging of the toner, wherein the toner discharged through said discharge opening is supplied into the process cartridge mounted detachably to the image forming apparatus; and a shutter member movable between an open position for opening said discharge opening and a close position for closing said discharge opening, wherein said shutter member has an engaging portion for engagement with the process cartridge, wherein in a state wherein said toner cartridge is mounted to the image forming apparatus, said shutter member is moved from the close position to the open position by said engaging portion receiving a force from the process cartridge in response to an operation of mounting the process cartridge to the image forming apparatus, and wherein in a state wherein the process cartridge is mounted to the image forming apparatus, said shutter member is moved from the close position to the open position by said engaging portion receiving a force from the process cartridge in response to an operation of mounting said toner cartridge to the image forming apparatus. 32. A toner cartridge according to claim 31, wherein in a state wherein said toner cartridge and the process cartridge are both mounted to the image forming apparatus, said shutter member is moved from the open position to the close position by said engaging portion receiving a force from the process cartridge in response to an operation of dismounting either said toner cartridge or the process cartridge from the image forming apparatus. 33. A toner cartridge according to claim 31, wherein said toner cartridge is detachably mountable to the image forming apparatus independently of the process cartridge. 34. A toner cartridge supplying toner into a process cartridge having a developing device, said toner cartridge being detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, said toner cartridge comprising: a container for containing toner; a discharge opening, provided in said container, for permitting discharging of the toner, wherein the toner discharged through said discharge opening is supplied into the process cartridge mounted detachably to the image forming apparatus; and a shutter member for opening and closing said discharge opening; wherein said shutter member has an engaging portion for engagement with the process cartridge, wherein in a state wherein both of said toner cartridge and the process cartridge are mounted to the image forming apparatus, said shutter member is moved from the open position to the close position by said engaging portion receiving a force from the process cartridge in response to an operation of dismounting said toner cartridge from the image forming apparatus, and wherein in a state wherein both of said toner cartridge and the process cartridge are mounted to the image forming apparatus, said shutter member is moved from the open position to the close position by said engaging portion receiving a force from the process cartridge in response to an operation of dismounting the process cartridge from the image forming apparatus. 35. A toner cartridge according to claim 34, wherein said toner cartridge is detachably mountable to the image forming apparatus independently of the process cartridge. 36. A toner cartridge for supplying toner into a process cartridge having a developing device, said toner cartridge being detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, said toner cartridge comprising: a container body for containing a developer; a discharge opening, provided in said container body, for permitting discharging of the developer, wherein the developer discharged through said discharge opening is supplied to a process cartridge which is disposed below said container body and which is detachably mountable to the image forming apparatus; and a shutter member for opening and closing said discharge opening, wherein said shutter member is closed and opened by movement of said toner cartridge relative to the process cartridge, and wherein said shutter member is closed and opened by movement of the process cartridge relative to said toner cartridge. 37. A toner cartridge according to claim 36, further comprising an engaging portion engageable with the process cartridge, wherein said shutter member moves to open and close by said engaging portion receiving a force from the process cartridge by the relative movement of said toner cartridge relative to the process cartridge. 38. A toner cartridge according to claim 36 or 37, wherein said shutter member is opened by the relative movement resulting from the mounting operation of said toner cartridge to the image forming apparatus, and said shutter member is closed by the relative movement resulting from the dismounting operation of said toner cartridge from the image forming apparatus. 39. A toner cartridge according to claim 36, wherein said toner cartridge is detachably mountable to the image forming apparatus independently of the process cartridge.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.