G03G15/0881

TONER CARTRIDGE HAVING FRONT COVER
20230041507 · 2023-02-09 ·

An image forming apparatus includes a main body provided with a mounting portion and an interference member, and a toner cartridge inserted into the mounting portion. The toner cartridge includes a housing containing toner, a coupling portion, a front cover coupled to one end of the housing via the coupling portion, and a switching member to weaken a coupling force of the coupling portion by interfering with the interference member when the toner cartridge is mounted on the mounting portion.

Developing device and image forming apparatus including same

A developing device includes a development casing, a developer carrying member, a regulating blade, a pair of pressing members, and a blade seal member. The development casing has an opening part. The developer carrying member has a developing area. The blade seal member includes a first layer material and a second layer material. The development casing has facing surfaces. The second layer material has positioning protrusions protruding from the first layer material in a rotation axis direction at positions inside both ends of the first layer material in the rotation axis direction, so as to contact the facing surfaces and be positioned in the rotation axis direction. When the second layer material is positioned in the rotation axis direction, the first layer material is pressed in contact with the pressing members in the rotation axis direction.

Drive and seal assembly for an electrophotographic image forming device

An assembly for use in an electrophotographic image forming device includes a housing having a reservoir for holding toner. The housing includes a wall having an inner surface forming a boundary of the reservoir and an outer surface opposite the inner surface. A toner agitator is positioned in the reservoir and has a rotatable shaft. The shaft includes an end portion that passes through an opening in the wall. A gear is mounted on the end portion of the shaft outside of the reservoir and is rotatably coupled to the shaft. An annular seal encircles and is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the shaft. The annular seal is positioned between an inner axial face of the gear and the outer surface of the wall. The inner axial face of the gear contacts the annular seal and presses the annular seal against the outer surface of the wall.

Toner cartridge having front cover

An image forming apparatus includes a main body provided with a mounting portion and an interference member, and a toner cartridge inserted into the mounting portion. The toner cartridge includes a housing containing toner, a coupling portion, a front cover coupled to one end of the housing via the coupling portion, and a switching member to weaken a coupling force of the coupling portion by interfering with the interference member when the toner cartridge is mounted on the mounting portion.

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.

Developing unit, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus using toner to develop toner image
11537065 · 2022-12-27 · ·

A developing unit includes a conveying member which rotates to convey the developer to the developer bearing member. The conveying member includes a sheet portion with one end fixed to a rotation shaft and a free end which enters the developing chamber through an opening when the conveying member rotates around a rotation center, wherein relations C>A and B>A are satisfied, where A is a distance from the rotation center to an upstream end of the opening in a rotational direction, B is a distance from the rotation center to a downstream end of the opening in the rotational direction, and C is a length from the rotation center to the free end of the sheet portion in an unbent state. The upstream end of the opening is lower in a direction of gravitational force than the downstream end at an orientation in use.

Image forming apparatus and cartridge having shutters to open and close a developer supplying and receiving ports
11586127 · 2023-02-21 · ·

A first contact portion provided on a first shutter member that opens and closes a receiving port for receiving a developer from a cartridge and a second contact portion provided on the cartridge are configured to contact each other in an attachment and detachment direction of the cartridge so that the first shutter member is in a position at which the receiving port is opened. The first shutter member is urged by a first urging member so that a contacting state between the first contact portion and the second contact portion is maintained until a second shutter member that opens and closes a supplying port of the cartridge closes the supplying port when the cartridge is discharged from the apparatus body.

Sealed print particle transfer interface

Examples of a print particle transfer interface of a donor container are described herein. Some examples of the print particle transfer interface include a static interface portion to engage a receiving container. The static interface portion includes a static opening. Some examples of the print particle transfer interface include a rotating output assembly with a cylindrical valve seat and a seal component surrounding a valve opening. In some examples, the cylindrical valve seat rotates with respect to the static interface portion to align the valve opening for dispensing print particle to the receiving container.

Image-forming apparatus that prevents attachment of toner cartridge to drawer without mounting of process cartridge on the drawer

An image-forming apparatus includes: a main casing; a drawer movable in a first direction relative to the main casing; a process cartridge detachably mountable on the drawer; and a toner cartridge. The drawer includes a first drawer side plate and a second drawer side plate spaced apart from each other in a second direction crossing the first direction. The process cartridge includes: a photosensitive drum rotatable about an axis extending in the second direction when the process cartridge is mounted on the drawer; and a developing device for supplying toner to the photosensitive drum. When the process cartridge is mounted on the drawer and the toner cartridge is attached to the process cartridge, the toner cartridge has a length in the second direction greater than a distance in the second direction between the first drawer side plate and the second drawer side plate.

DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME

A developing device includes a development casing, a developer carrying member, a regulating blade, a pair of pressing members, and a blade seal member. The development casing has an opening part. The developer carrying member has a developing area. The blade seal member includes a first layer material and a second layer material. The development casing has facing surfaces. The second layer material has positioning protrusions protruding from the first layer material in a rotation axis direction at positions inside both ends of the first layer material in the rotation axis direction, so as to contact the facing surfaces and be positioned in the rotation axis direction. When the second layer material is positioned in the rotation axis direction, the first layer material is pressed in contact with the pressing members in the rotation axis direction.