IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0681491
(2007-03-02)
|
등록번호 |
US-7702263
(2010-05-20)
|
우선권정보 |
JP-2006-058928(2006-03-06) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
5 |
초록
▼
In accordance with one or more aspects, a toner cartridge may be detachably attached to an image forming device. The toner cartridge may be provided with a cartridge case. This cartridge case may be provided with a toner chamber, a cartridge side feed opening for feeding a toner from the toner chamb
In accordance with one or more aspects, a toner cartridge may be detachably attached to an image forming device. The toner cartridge may be provided with a cartridge case. This cartridge case may be provided with a toner chamber, a cartridge side feed opening for feeding a toner from the toner chamber to the outside of the cartridge case, and a cartridge side return opening from the outside of the cartridge case to the toner chamber. The cartridge side feed opening and the cartridge side return opening may be offset along a horizontal direction. A bottom surface of the toner chamber may slant downward from the cartridge side return opening to the cartridge side feed opening.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A toner cartridge, comprising: a cartridge case comprising a toner chamber, a cartridge side feed opening for feeding a toner from the toner chamber to the outside of the cartridge case, and a cartridge side return opening for returning the toner from the outside of the cartr
What is claimed is: 1. A toner cartridge, comprising: a cartridge case comprising a toner chamber, a cartridge side feed opening for feeding a toner from the toner chamber to the outside of the cartridge case, and a cartridge side return opening for returning the toner from the outside of the cartridge case to the toner chamber, wherein the cartridge side feed opening and the cartridge side return opening are offset along a horizontal direction, and a bottom surface of the toner chamber slants downward from the cartridge side return opening to the cartridge side feed opening. 2. The toner cartridge as in claim 1, wherein the toner chamber has a substantially circular truncated conical shape, the cartridge side feed opening is located at a side of the toner chamber that has a large radius, the cartridge side return opening is located at a side of the toner chamber that has a small radius, and the toner cartridge is detachably attached to an image forming device in a state where the axis line of the toner chamber extends along the horizontal direction. 3. The toner cartridge as in claim 2, wherein the exterior appearance of the cartridge case has a substantially circular truncated conical shape corresponding to the shape of the toner chamber. 4. The toner cartridge as in claim 3, wherein the exterior appearance of the cartridge case comprises one end surface, the other end surface, and a circular conically curved surface located between the one end surface and the other end surface, and the cartridge side feed opening and the cartridge side return opening are formed in the circular conically curved surface. 5. The toner cartridge as in claim 4, further comprising: an agitator located within the toner chamber, the agitator comprising a rotational shaft extending along the axis line of the toner chamber; and a torque input member coupled with the agitator, wherein torque is to be input to the torque input member, and the torque input member is located at the one end surface or the other end surface. 6. An image forming device to which the toner cartridge as in claim 3 is detachably attached, the image forming device comprising: a device case comprising a space for housing the toner cartridge, a developing chamber, and a side wall located between the space and the developing chamber, the side wall comprising a device side feed opening for feeding the toner from the toner cartridge to the developing chamber, and a device side return opening for returning the toner from the developing chamber to the toner cartridge; a transportation member located within the developing chamber, wherein the transportation member transports the toner within the developing chamber from the device side feed opening to the device side return opening; a developing roller coupled to the device case, the developing roller defining the developing chamber and being capable of supporting the toner within the developing chamber; a photoreceptor to which the toner is supplied by the developing roller; and a transferring device that transfers the toner from the photoreceptor to a print medium, wherein the space of the device case has a substantially circular truncated conical shape corresponding to the exterior appearance of the cartridge case of the toner cartridge. 7. The toner cartridge as in claim 1, further comprising: a member that simultaneously opens and closes the cartridge side feed opening and the cartridge side return opening. 8. The toner cartridge as in claim 1, wherein the cartridge case comprises two cartridge side return openings, and the cartridge side feed opening is located between the cartridge side return openings along the horizontal direction. 9. The toner cartridge as in claim 1, wherein the toner cartridge is detachably attached to an image forming device by inserting the toner cartridge into the image forming device from a side surface of the image forming device along the horizontal direction. 10. A developing device, comprising: the toner cartridge as in claim 1; a device case comprising a space for housing the toner cartridge, a developing chamber, and a side wall located between the space and the developing chamber, the side wall comprising a device side feed opening for feeding the toner from the toner cartridge to the developing chamber, and a device side return opening for returning the toner from the developing chamber to the toner cartridge; a transportation member located within the developing chamber, wherein the transportation member transports the toner within the developing chamber from the device side feed opening to the device side return opening; and a developing roller coupled to the device case, the developing roller defining the developing chamber and being capable of supporting the toner within the developing chamber. 11. A developing device, comprising: a device case comprising a toner chamber, a developing chamber, a feed port for feeding a toner from the toner chamber to the developing chamber, and a return port for returning the toner from the developing chamber to the toner chamber; a transportation member located within the developing chamber, wherein the transportation member transports the toner within the developing chamber from the feed port to the return port; and a developing roller coupled to the device case, the developing roller defining the developing chamber and being capable of supporting the toner within the developing chamber, wherein the feed port and the return port are offset along a horizontal direction, and a bottom surface of the toner chamber slants downwards from the return port to the feed port. 12. A method of utilizing a toner cartridge, comprising: attaching the toner cartridge to an image forming device, the toner cartridge comprising a cartridge side feed opening for feeding a toner from the toner cartridge to the image forming device, and a cartridge side return opening for returning the toner from the image forming device to the toner cartridge; and circulating the toner between the toner cartridge and the image forming device, wherein, during the circulating step, the cartridge side feed opening and the cartridge side return opening are offset along a horizontal direction, and a bottom surface of a toner chamber of the toner cartridge slants downward from the cartridge side return opening to the cartridge side feed opening.
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