Patent classifications
G03G2221/1624
POWDER CONTAINER, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME
A powder container includes a discharge port configured to discharge powder stored in the powder container, a container shutter configured to open and close the discharge port, a first rotation portion configured to be engageable with an engagement portion of a removable component, an operation device configured to rotate the first rotation portion in conjunction with an operation of the operation device, and a contact portion included in the first rotation portion. The engagement portion opens and closes a cartridge shutter to open and close an inlet port of the removable component. A restriction member of the removable component is configured to restrict the rotation of the engagement portion. The contact portion contacts the restriction member to cancel the restriction member from restricting rotation of the engagement portion in conjunction with attachment of the powder container to the removable component.
Image forming apparatus having a mountable unit for discharging developer
An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive unit provided with a discharge opening, a pair of frame members, a developer receiving portion connected to the discharge opening, and a developer feeding portion connected to the developer receiving portion. The developer receiving portion is provided inside a space sandwiched between the frame members. The developer feeding portion is provided outside the space.
Drum cartridge and image forming apparatus having residual toner conveying pipe
A drum cartridge includes: a photosensitive drum rotatable about a drum axis extending in an axis direction; a drum cleaner including a cleaning member cleaning a circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum, and a cleaning housing accommodating transfer residual toner removed from the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum by the cleaning member; a first drum side plate supporting a first end portion of the photosensitive drum; a second drum side plate located distant from the first drum side plate in the axis direction and supporting a second end portion of the photosensitive drum; a pipe located between the first drum side plate and the second drum side plate in the axis direction and extending in the axis direction; and a conveyor device conveying the transfer residual toner from the cleaning housing to the pipe.
IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
A toner container including non-volatile memory is mounted to a first mounting section, and a toner container already used is mounted as a waste toner bottle to a second mounting section. Every time a supplied amount of toner is calculated, a writing section writes an integrated value of the supplied amount as a current value and a maximum value in the non-volatile memory. Every time the generated amount of waste toner is calculated, an updating section updates the current value stored in the non-volatile memory by subtracting the generated amount from the current value. A detecting section detects fullness of the waste toner bottle when the current value stored in the non-volatile memory of the toner container mounted as the waste toner bottle to the second mounting section becomes no greater than a value obtained by subtracting a maximum capacity of the toner container from an initial amount of the toner in the toner container.
IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive unit provided with a discharge opening, a pair of frame members, a developer receiving portion connected to the discharge opening, and a developer feeding portion connected to the developer receiving portion. The developer receiving portion is provided inside a space sandwiched between the frame members. The developer feeding portion is provided outside the space.
Powder container having contact portion to contact a restriction member
A powder container includes a discharge port configured to discharge powder stored in the powder container, a container shutter configured to open and close the discharge port, a first rotation portion configured to be engageable with an engagement portion of a removable component, an operation device configured to rotate the first rotation portion in conjunction with an operation of the operation device, and a contact portion included in the first rotation portion. The engagement portion opens and closes a cartridge shutter to open and close an inlet port of the removable component. A restriction member of the removable component is configured to restrict the rotation of the engagement portion. The contact portion contacts the restriction member to cancel the restriction member from restricting rotation of the engagement portion in conjunction with attachment of the powder container to the removable component.
Toner conveying device and image forming apparatus
A toner conveying device includes a case, a conveying screw, a film member and a supporting member. The conveying screw conveys a toner stored in the case in a predetermined direction inside the case. The film member includes a base part elongated in an axial direction of the conveying screw as a longitudinal direction and a plurality of protruding pieces formed so as to protrude in one direction intersecting the longitudinal direction from the base part, and has flexibility. The supporting member includes an attaching part elongated in the axial direction as the longitudinal direction to which the film member is attached, and an axis part being in parallel to the longitudinal direction. The film member and the supporting member are disposed at an upper side of the conveying screw so that the protruding pieces come into contact with the conveying screw, and are rotatable around the axis part.
Process cartridge having drum cartridge, toner cartridge and waste toner conveyor tube
A process cartridge having a drum cartridge and a toner cartridge is provided. The drum cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, a cleaner, a conveyer tube, a developing roller, and a developing device. The toner cartridge is attachable to the drum cartridge and is located on a side of the developing roller opposite to the photosensitive drum in an attaching direction. The toner cartridge includes a waste toner container to store the toner conveyed through the conveyer tube and a toner container to store the toner to be supplied to the photosensitive drum. The toner container communicates with a developing chamber in the developing device and is located at least partly between the waste toner container and the developing chamber. The conveyer tube extends in the attaching direction and is arranged to overlap the photosensitive drum, the toner container, and the waste toner container in a view along an axial direction.
Image forming apparatus with a toner conveying device having a reverse-flow conveying portion
A toner conveying device includes a toner conveying section and a toner conveyor. The toner conveying section includes a bent portion and an outlet port. The bent portion bends in a predetermined direction. The outlet port discharges toner. The toner conveyor is bendable and driven by a driving device to rotate to convey toner. The toner conveyor is disposed in the toner conveying section such that a first end of the toner conveyor is coupled to the driving device and a second end of the toner conveyor is a free end. The toner conveyor includes a reverse-flow conveying portion, between the outlet port and the free end, to convey the toner from the second end to the first end.
Toner conveying device, cleaning device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus
A toner conveying device includes a conveying screw and a swinging member. The conveying screw includes a shaft portion and a screw portion spirally wound around the shaft portion. The swinging member has a substantially comb shape and swings between the shaft portion and the screw portion with rotation of the conveying screw, and includes a plurality of overhanging portions arranged side by side at intervals in an axial direction of the conveying screw and a plurality of tip portions, each one of which is bent at a predetermined angle from a free end side of a corresponding one of the plurality of overhanging portions in a direction away from the shaft portion. A width of each one of the plurality of tip portions gradually increases at least from a portion to contact the screw portion toward a free end side of each one of the plurality of tip portions.