Electrophotography – Image formation – Development
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-31
2003-09-30
Braun, Fred L. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Image formation
Development
C222SDIG001
Reexamination Certificate
active
06628913
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for image forming, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for image forming capable of effectively replenishing developer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a toner replenishing device is known for replenishing toner to a developing unit in an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a facsimile and a printer. This toner replenishing device has a replaceable toner container and replenishes toner in the toner container into a developer replenishing path of the developing unit. With this toner replenishing device, at the time the toner in the container is used up, the empty toner container is replaced by a new toner container filled with toner.
For example, as illustrated in
FIG. 20
, a known toner replenishing device has a movable member
112
such as a screw or a spring coil within a toner container
111
. This toner replenishing device drives a rotating shaft
112
a
of the movable member
112
to convey toner in the toner container
111
toward a discharge port
111
a
through which the toner is replenished into a developer replenishing path.
Also, as illustrated in
FIG. 21
, another known toner replenishing device employs a cylindrical toner container, called a screw bottle
211
, which is formed with a spiral protrusion
212
along the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface. This toner replenishing device drives the screw bottle
211
to convey toner in the screw bottle to a discharge port
211
a
through which the toner is replenished into a developer replenishing path.
However, when the movable member is employed in the toner replenishing device, the movable member must be assembled in the toner container, causing an increase in a cost for replacing the toner container. Also, since the movable member is driven by a power source external to the toner container, the toner container is formed with an opening for a power transmission member. Therefore, a sealing member is also required for sealing the opening, thereby resulting in a complicated structure of the toner container. Likewise, when the screw bottle is employed, the spiral protrusion must be formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof, and a complicated structure of the toner container is inevitable.
To address the problems mentioned above, the present inventors had developed a toner replenishing device which uses a toner container which is simple in structure and low in cost, without a movable member or spiral protrusion, and can replenish toner in the toner container into a developing apparatus. This toner replenishing device uses a toner container in the shape of rectangular solid, for example, which is simple in structure and low in cost, and includes a reciprocating mechanism for reciprocating the toner container such that the toner in the container moves toward a discharge port formed in the toner container. In this toner replenishing device, the toner gradually moves toward the discharge port by the action of an accelerated reciprocation and inertia generated in the toner in the toner container, and is eventually discharged from the discharge port.
The foregoing toner replenishing device can solve problems such as a complicated structure of the toner container, and an associated increase in cost for replacing the toner container. However, if the toner container is made of a rigid material which does not permit a change in volume of the container, the following problem arises in recovering used toner containers associated with the replacement of toner containers. Specifically, used or empty toner containers are recovered by a manufacturer from users, and recycled for reuse or discarded by incineration. If toner containers are made of rigid materials, the toner containers are bulky, and therefore have a low transport efficiency and a high distribution cost. Also, for transporting newly produced toner containers to locations to be filled with toner, similar disadvantages are experienced.
It should be noted that the foregoing problems arise not only in toner replenishing devices having a toner container for containing toner to be replenished to developing units of image forming apparatuses but also in any powder replenishing apparatus which has a replaceable powder container for replenishing powder in the powder container to an apparatus which requires supplementary powder.
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing problems, and its first object is to provide a powder replenishing device for use with a simple and low cost powder container, which is capable of satisfactorily replenishing powder and reducing a distribution cost for the powder container.
Also, a second object of the present invention is to provide a developing apparatus and an image forming apparatus which are capable of reducing a cost for replacing a developer container and performing satisfactory developing by incorporating a developer replenishing device for use with a simple and low cost developer container to satisfactorily replenish a developer and reduce a distribution cost for the developer container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a novel powder replenishing device for replenishing powder into an associated apparatus which requires supplementary powder. In one example, a novel powder replenishing device includes a replaceable powder container and a reciprocating mechanism. The replaceable powder container is made of a material which allows a change in volume for containing powder replenished to the apparatus. The powder container has a powder discharge port for discharging the powder on one side wall near one end thereof. The reciprocating mechanism is configured to reciprocate the powder container such that the powder moves toward the discharge port.
The powder container, especially the powder discharge port, may include a rigid member engaged therewith or may be partially made of a rigid material.
The present invention provides another novel powder replenishing device for replenishing powder into an associated apparatus which requires supplementary powder. In one example, a novel powder replenishing device includes a replaceable powder container and a reciprocating mechanism. The replaceable powder container is made of a material which allows a change in volume for containing powder replenished into the apparatus. The powder container has an inner container formed with a powder discharge port for discharging the powder on one side wall near one end thereof and a cover container made of a rigid material for covering the inner container except for the discharge port. The reciprocating mechanism is configured to reciprocate the powder container such that the powder moves toward the discharge port.
The reciprocating mechanism may reciprocate the powder container with the powder discharge port oriented downward in the vertical direction.
The above-mentioned one side wall may be inclined such that the powder in the powder container falls toward the powder discharge port.
In the above-mentioned powder replenishing device, a magnitude of acceleration produced when the powder container advancing with respect to a direction in which the powder moves to the powder discharge port is stopped is larger than the magnitude of acceleration produced when the powder container retracting with respect to the direction is stopped. That is, the inertia of the powder in the container advances the powder in an advancing direction toward said powder discharge port, while the container is moving in the advancing direction.
The reciprocating mechanism may include an urging mechanism, a pressively-moving mechanism, a press releasing mechanism, and a stopper. The urging mechanism is configured to urge the powder container to the advancing direction. The pressively-moving mechanism is configured to pressively move the powder container to the retracting direction against an urging force of the urging mechanism. The press releasing mechanism is configured to release t
Ichikawa Tomoyuki
Iwata Nobuo
Kasahara Nobuo
Matsumoto Jun-ichi
Muramatsu Satoshi
Braun Fred L.
Ricoh & Company, Ltd.
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