G03G15/0872

Toner container having shutter and image forming apparatus
11579545 · 2023-02-14 · ·

A toner container includes a toner discharge port and a shutter to open and close the toner discharge port. The shutter includes a shutter main portion and shutter deforming portions. Each of the shutter deforming portions includes a stopper and a stopper releaser. The stopper contacts a contact portion of the toner container to restrict a movement of the shutter in an opening direction. The stopper releaser receives an external force from below to displace the stopper upward to release a contact state of the stopper with the contact portion. The stopper releaser of one of the shutter deforming portions releases the contact state with the contact portion independently of another of the shutter deforming portions. When the contact state of the stopper with the contact portion is released in all of the shutter deforming portions, restriction of the movement of the shutter in the opening direction is released.

POWDER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE
20180004121 · 2018-01-04 ·

In a toner container, a powder container that includes a container body configured to store toner, and is rotated by input of rotational drive of a drive output section of an image forming device while being set in the image forming device, the toner container includes an incompatible hole group, as a container-side engagement portion, on a front end surface facing downstream in an insertion direction when inserted in a direction parallel to a rotational center line of the rotational drive and set in the image forming device, the incompatible hole group has a hole shape that is engaged with a body-side projection portion of the drive output section protruding upstream in the insertion direction, and the rotational drive is input by rotation of the drive output section with the incompatible hole group and the body-side projection portion engaged with each other.

TONER CASE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
20180011420 · 2018-01-11 · ·

A toner case includes a case main body, a cover, and a coil spring. The case main body is rotatable and has a toner containing space in which a toner is contained and an opening through which the toner is discharged from the toner containing space. The cover keeps a rotation stop state when the case main body rotates and has a communication space which communicates with the toner containing space via the opening. The coil spring is fixed to the cover so that at least a part of the coil spring is arranged in the communication space. The coil spring vibrates as the case main body rotates.

Movable member and image forming apparatus
11703774 · 2023-07-18 · ·

A movable member includes a frame, a mounting portion, a rotatable image bearing member, a charging member, and a cleaning member. The cleaning member includes a base portion including a first surface positioned on one side of the frame, a second surface positioned on the other side of the frame, and a third surface, and includes a projected portion. The projected portion includes a first side surface positioned on the aforementioned the other side and a second side surface positioned on the aforementioned one side. The first side surface is positioned between the first surface and the second surface. The first side surface constitutes an end surface of the projected portion on the aforementioned the other side with respect to the axial direction, and the second side surface constitutes an end surface of the projected portion on the aforementioned one side with respect to the axial direction.

IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF DETECTING ATTACHMENT STATE OF TONER CONTAINER
20230015370 · 2023-01-19 ·

An image forming apparatus includes a motor, a container detection sensor, and a controller. When a toner container is attached, the motor generates a driving force for rotating a toner conveying member in the toner container. The container detection sensor is arranged at a position where the container detection sensor comes into contact with an outer periphery of a cam connected to the toner conveying member when the toner container is attached. The controller distinguishes between at least three attachment states of the toner container based on a sensor signal of the container detection sensor.

Developing unit having guide that stably supports toner cartridge

A developing device includes a developer cartridge and a developing unit. The developer cartridge, in some instances, may include a shutter. This shutter may have a wall for closing a developer supply hole, and be movable, with respect to a developer cartridge casing, between an open position where the supply hole is opened by the wall and a closed position where the supply hole is closed by the wall. The shutter may further include a protrusion that is movable with respect to the wall of the shutter between a first position and a second position in an axial direction. The protrusion, in the first position, is engageable with a developing unit and, in the second position, would be disengaged from the developing unit.

DEVELOPING CARTRIDGE INCLUDING CASING, AND FIRST LEVER PIVOTALLY MOVABLE ABOUT SHAFT THEREOF RELATIVE TO CASING
20230213887 · 2023-07-06 · ·

A developing cartridge includes: a casing; a developing roller extending in a first direction; a boss movable with the casing; and a first lever movable relative to the casing. The first lever includes: one end portion functioning as a point of effort; another end portion functioning as a point of load; a shaft functions as a fulcrum and positioned between the one end portion and the another end portion; and a first hole into which the boss is fitted. By the one end portion receiving a driving force, the first lever is pivotally movable about the shaft. A dimension of the first hole in a second direction crossing the first direction is greater than a dimension in the second direction of the boss. In a case where the casing moves in the second direction relative to the first lever, the boss moves in the second direction within the first hole.

Toner/developer supply device for separate supply of developer and toner

A toner-and-developer supply device includes a toner container to contain toner and a developer container to contain a developer. The toner container has a toner discharge port, and the toner container is rotatable about a rotational axis to transport the toner toward the toner discharge port. The developer container has a toner-and-developer discharge port. The developer container is rotatably coupled to the toner container to transport the developer toward the toner-and-developer discharge port when the toner container rotates in a given direction relative to the developer container.

Powder container including an opening and a shutter with a front end including a surface with lower friction

A nozzle insertion member is in a powder container that includes a nozzle insertion opening into which a conveying nozzle is inserted. The nozzle insertion member includes an opening/closing structure to move to an opening position to open the nozzle insertion opening by being pressed by the inserted conveying nozzle, and to a closing position to close the nozzle insertion opening when the conveying nozzle is separated from the nozzle insertion member, and a seal arranged at the nozzle insertion opening and including a through hole into which the conveying nozzle is insertable. The opening/closing structure includes a front cylindrical portion to contact with an inner surface of the through hole, and a slide area formed on another side relative to the front cylindrical portion. W1<W4 is satisfied, where W1 is an inner diameter of the through hole, and W4 is an outer diameter of the slide area.

Image forming apparatus

The present invention provides an image forming apparatus including: a first moving member pressed and moved by an openable/closable member when the openable/closable member is opened, and switching a cartridge from a state where the cartridge is positioned in an image forming position to a state where the positioning is released; and a second moving member pressed and moved by the openable/closable member when the openable/closable member is opened, and moving the exposure member from an exposure position to a retracted position, wherein when the positioning of the cartridge is released, a reaction force applied from the first moving member to the openable/closable member reaches a first peak, when the exposure member is moved to the retracted position, a reaction force applied from the second moving member to the openable/closable member reaches a second peak, and timing of the first peak is different from timing of the second peak.