Electrophotography – Internal machine environment – Particle or contaminant control
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-08
2001-01-23
Braun, Fred L. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Internal machine environment
Particle or contaminant control
C399S111000, C399S119000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178302
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART
The present invention relates to a seal for sealing the opening of a developer container employed by a copying machine, a printer, or the like. It also relates to a developing container, a developing apparatus, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus.
A container for storing developer has been employed in an electrophotographic apparatus, for example, an image forming apparatus, and more specifically, a copying machine, a printer, or the like. This type of container is provided with an opening through which developer is discharged into a developing device. The opening is covered with a seal to prevent developer from leaking out of the container while the container filled with developer is transported. The seal is removed to expose the opening prior to the mounting of the container into the main assembly of an image forming apparatus. A developer container may constitute a part of a developing means container integral with a developing apparatus, or it may constitute a part of a process cartridge. In the latter case, the process cartridge comprises a photosensitive member as an image bearing member and a developing apparatus, and the developing apparatus integrally comprises the development container and a development device. Also in the latter case, the opening, through which developer is passed from the developer container to the developing means container, is sealed with the aforementioned seal, and then, the seal is removed, that is, the developer container is unsealed, prior to the mounting of the process cartridge into an image forming apparatus.
If a developer container is mounted into an image forming apparatus without removing the seal, image formation becomes impossible. Therefore, it has been desired to automatically detect whether or not the seal has been removed, and in particular, in the case of an image forming apparatus in which the seal is automatically removed, after the mounting of a developer container into the image forming apparatus. This is because when a developer container, which has been unseal, is mounted into an image forming apparatus, removal of the seal is unnecessary. Detection of whether or not the seal has been removed has an additional advantage in that the detection is analogous to detection of whether or not the developer container is brand new, and therefore, the detection makes it possible to accurately determine when the developer container is to be replaced next time; in other words, when a developer container constitutes a part of a process cartridge, it is possible to accurately determine when the process cartridge should be replaced.
Further, it has been desired that such a detection capability is inexpensive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a means for detecting whether or not a toner seal designed to be automatically removed has been removed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive means for accurately detecting whether or not a toner seal has been removed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for detecting whether or not a developer container, which has just been mounted in an image forming apparatus main assembly, is brand new.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Chadani Kazuo
Koizumi Toru
Nagashima Toshiaki
Sasaki Teruhiko
Braun Fred L.
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Tran Hoan
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