Patent classifications
G03G21/1676
TONER CARTRIDGE HAVING POSITIONING FEATURES
A toner cartridge according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for holding toner. A first latch-receiving shelf is positioned on a first longitudinal end of the housing and a second latch-receiving shelf is positioned on a second longitudinal end of the housing. Contact surfaces on top portions of the first and second latch-receiving shelves are positioned to contact corresponding first and second latches in an image forming device. The contact surface of the first latch-receiving shelf is positioned lower than a first rotational axis of a first drive coupler of the toner cartridge and higher than a second drive coupler of the toner cartridge. The contact surface of the second latch-receiving shelf is positioned lower than at least a portion of a first electrical contact of the toner cartridge and higher than at least a portion of a second electrical contact of the toner cartridge.
Driving coupler having locking structure and power transmission structure
An example image forming apparatus includes a frame, a first shaft supported by the frame, and a first coupler. The first coupler includes a body coupled to one end of the first shaft and a first protrusion protruding from the body in an axial direction of the first shaft, the first protrusion having a first surface and a second protrusion protruding from the first surface. The second protrusion is to lock with a groove to mount a cartridge on the frame, the first shaft is to provide a rotational force in a first rotational direction to rotate the second protrusion of the first coupler and to insert the second protrusion into the groove to lock with the cartridge, and the first surface of the first protrusion of the first coupler is to contact a second surface to transmit the rotational force to the second coupler in the first rotational direction.
IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developing device including a developer container and a developer carrying member, a mounting portion, a moving mechanism, a cover member, a wall member, a first seal member, a second seal member, and a fan. The developing device is in a separated position, neither the first seal member or the second seal member contacts the wall member. When the developing device is in a developing position, both the first seal member and the second seal member contact the wall member. When the developing device is in the developing position, a space for permitting passing of an airflow by the fan is formed along a mounting direction by the cover member, the wall member, the first seal member, and the second seal member.
Developer supply container and developer supplying system
A developer supply container is detachably mountable to a developer receiving apparatus, the developer receiving apparatus including a developer receiving portion provided with a receiving port for receiving a developer and including a portion-to-be-engaged of displacing integrally with the developer receiving portion. The developer supply container includes a discharging portion provided with a shutter opening for discharging the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion, and an engaging portion. The engaging portion engages with the portion-to-be-engaged with a mounting operation of the developer supply container to displace the developer receiving portion so as to bring the receiving opening into fluid communication with the shutter opening. The engaging portion includes a curved portion having an angle relative to a mounting direction of the developer supply container, the angle decreasing with approach toward an upstream side in the mounting direction.
Mounting/demounting structure, apparatus using mounting/demounting structure, and mountable/demountable object
A mounting/demounting structure includes: a mountable/demountable object including a body, a first projection provided at a first end of the body in a movable manner, and a second projection provided at a second end of the body in a shiftable manner; and a receptacle including a housing configured to house the object when mounted while covering it in at least two directions, first and second stoppers provided in the housing and configured to stop the first and second projections, respectively by engagement, the object including an abutment portion provided on the body and configured to abut against a part of the housing to keep a posture reduced in terms of an engagement amount between the second projection and the second stopper when the first projection is disengaged from the first stopper and the object is stopped at a tilt in the housing during demounting of the object from the receptacle.
Modules with inner module spaces for print materials
In some examples, a print material apparatus includes a housing having an opening and an inner housing space, and a module removably attached to the housing to cover the opening, the module providing an inner module space that together with the inner housing space define a volume containing a print material of the print material apparatus. The housing is attachable to different modules that provide respective inner module spaces of different sizes for defining different print material containment capacities of the print material apparatus.
DEVELOPING CATRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
A second unit includes a restricted portion that comes into contact with a restricting portion provided to a body of an apparatus, the restricted portion coming into contact with the restricting portion, in order to restrict the movement of a developer carrier in a direction to make contact with an image carrier, when a developing cartridge has not reached a predetermined attachment position, and not coming into contact with the restricting portion when the developing cartridge is in the predetermined attachment position.
Toner cartridge, toner supplying mechanism and shutter
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toner cartridge detachably mountable to a receiving device, the toner cartridge comprising a container including a accommodating portion for accommodating the toner and a discharge opening for discharging the toner from the accommodating portion into the receiving device; and an open/close member including a closing portion for closing the discharge opening and an engaging portion movable relative to the closing portion, the open/close member being rotatable relative to the container between (a) an opening position for causing the closing portion to open the discharge opening and (b) a closing position for causing the closing portion to close the discharge opening, wherein the engaging portion is movable relative to the closing portion between (c) a engaging position for engagement with the receiving device to receive a force for moving the open/close member from the opening position to the closing position when the toner cartridge is dismounted from the receiving device and (d) a retracted position retracted from the engaging position, and wherein the engaging portion is movable from the retracted position to the engaging position with rotation of the open/close member from the closing position to the opening position.
TONER CARTRIDGE HAVING COUPLER COVER MOVABLE INTERCONNECTED WITH SHUTTER
An example toner cartridge includes a housing to contain toner and having a toner outlet, a conveying member, a shutter to open and close the toner outlet, a driven coupler to rotate the conveying member and having an extension that extends in an axial direction, and a protruding member including a rotational force receiver installed in the extension so as to move to a protruding position in which the rotational force receiver protrudes from the extension and a retracted position in which the rotational force receiver is received into the extension in conjunction with opening and closing operations of the shutter.
Drum cartridge including movable electrical contact surface, and image-forming apparatus using the same
A drum cartridge includes: a photosensitive drum rotatable about an axis extending in a first direction; a first drum frame to which a developing cartridge is attachable; and a second drum frame having an outer surface; and a memory having an electrical contact surface. The first drum frame is at one end portion of the drum cartridge in a second direction and the second drum frame is at another end portion of the drum cartridge in the second direction. The electrical contact surface is positioned at the outer surface of the second drum frame and is movable in a predetermined direction relative to the second drum frame.