Electrophotography – Image formation – Development
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-31
2003-05-13
Chen, Sophia S. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Image formation
Development
C399S106000, C399S120000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06564029
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART
The present invention relates to a cartridge having a developer supply opening or an inlet hole detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine or a printer using an electrophotographic recording process or an electrostatic recording process or the like, and an image forming apparatus to which the cartridge is detachably mountable.
Recently, many copying machines and printers employ a so-called cartridge-type process making the maintenance operation easy.
For example, in the case of a printer using an electrophotographic recording technique, a photosensitive member and a developing device are contained as a unit in the cartridge, which is detachably mountable to the main assembly of the printer; or the photosensitive member and a cleaning device are contained as a unit in a cartridge in which a developing device constitutes another cartridge, which is detachably mountable to the main assembly of the printer. There are various types of cartridges.
Among them, there is a type in which the developing device and the developer supply container are separate so that the developer supply container can be independently exchangeable, thus permitting the developer, which is a consumable material, to be replenished. With this type of device, it is not necessary to exchange the constituent-element in the developing device, such as a developing roller, which has a relatively long service life, at each replenishment, and therefore, this type of device is preferable from the economic standpoint, and in addition, since the size of the cartridge may be small, the cartridge can be relatively easily exchanged.
However, when the cartridge is taken out of the main assembly of the printer, care should be taken to prevent the user's hand from being contaminated.
Japanese Patent Application 11-337265 proposes that a toner discharge opening or an outlet hole of the toner cartridge and a toner receiving port of the process cartridge are brought into communication with each other in interrelation with mounting of the toner cartridge and the process cartridge to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus. As shown in
FIG. 33
, the toner outlet hole
23
of the toner cartridge is provided with a T shutter
27
having a substantially round configuration. A shutter cover
19
, which is provided in the process cartridge, is provided with projections
19
b
,
19
c
. By doing so, when the toner cartridge and the process cartridge are mounted to or demounted from the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, the toner outlet hole
23
of the toner cartridge is closed by the T shutter
27
assuredly. More particularly, when the toner cartridge is inserted in the direction of arrow C into the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, the T shutter
27
(chain line) disposed in the bottom portion
26
of the container of the toner cartridge, is moved into the state indicated by a solid line in the direction of the arrow D by rotation about a shaft
28
a
while a projection
19
b
of the process cartridge is in engagement with a groove portion
27
b
. Thus, the toner outlet hole
23
is opened.
FIG. 34
shows the behavior of rotation of the T shutter
27
. When it is moved in the direction of arrow C, the T shutter
27
rotates so that opening
27
a
also moves.
On the other hand, a P shutter
18
′ (chain line) that closes the receiving port
16
of the process cartridge, when the process cartridge is inserted into the main assembly of the image forming apparatus (in the direction of arrow A), a groove portion
18
′
z
and a projection
36
provided in the image forming apparatus are engaged and rotated in the direction indicated by an arrow B, so that P shutter
18
takes the position indicated by the solid line, thus opening the receiving port
16
.
On the other hand, when the toner cartridge is demounted from the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, the T shutter
27
rotates in the direction of arrow D about the shaft
28
a
with the engagement between the projection
19
c
of the process cartridge and the groove portion
27
b
, thus closing the toner outlet hole
23
. In the demounting operation of the process cartridge, the operations are reverse.
With this technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application 11-337265, the shutter of the toner outlet hole of the toner cartridge can be closed from the demounting operation of the process cartridge or the toner cartridge. Even if the toner cartridge and the process cartridge are independently demounted from the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, the toner outlet hole can be opened and closed. In addition, the operations are assured because the opening and closing operations are carried out without use of urging means such as a spring, but are carried out by the demounting operation of the cartridge.
However, since the shutter of the toner cartridge rotates while being displaced, the track of the opening is elongated in the mounting-and-demounting direction (the direction indicated by the arrow C in FIG.
33
), with the result of a higher possibility of toner leakage and scattering.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a cartridge and an image forming apparatus to which the cartridge is detachably mountable, in which the possibility of contamination of the user's hands is lessened.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cartridge having a proper size of a developer inlet hole and an image forming apparatus to which the cartridge is detachably mountable.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cartridge and an image forming apparatus to which the cartridge is detachably mountable, in which the cartridge is provided with a developer inlet hole suitable to the size of the developer outlet hole of the developer supply container.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a unit detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, including a developer accommodating portion having a developer inlet hole; a first opening and closing member for opening and closing the inlet hole; and a second opening and closing member for opening and closing the inlet hole, the second opening and closing member being movable above the first opening and closing member.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising a unit detachably mountable to a main assembly of the apparatus, the unit including a developer accommodating portion having a developer inlet hole and a first opening and closing member for opening and closing the inlet hole, and a second opening and closing member, movable above the first opening and closing member, for opening and closing the inlet hole; and an engaging portion for being contacted by a predetermined portion of the unit when the unit is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus, wherein the opening and closing member is moved by the contact of the predetermined portion to the engaging portion.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a unit detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, comprising a developer accommodating portion having a developer inlet hole; an opening and closing member for opening and closing the inlet hole; wherein the inlet hole has a substantially parallelogram shape having an inner angle that is not a right angle.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising: a unit detachably mountable to a main assembly of the apparatus, the unit including a developer accommodating portion having an opening and closing member for opening and closing the inlet hole; and an engaging portion for being contacted by a predetermined portion of the unit when the unit is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus, wherein the opening and closing member is moved by the contact of the predetermined portion to the engaging portion; wherei
Isobe Hironobu
Kojima Hisayoshi
Matsuda Kenji
Yahagi Takashi
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Chen Sophia S.
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
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