Electrophotography – Having particular structure – Modular or displaceable
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-17
2004-10-12
Ngo, Hoang (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Having particular structure
Modular or displaceable
C222SDIG001, C399S262000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06804484
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 2001-282431, filed Sep. 17, 2001, in the Japanese Patent Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus adopting the same, and more particularly, to a toner cartridge in which a structure to supply new toner and a structure to contain waste toner are improved, and an electrophotographic apparatus adopting the same
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an electrophotographic apparatus forms an image on a recording medium by attaching toner powder to a surface of an object, such as a photoreceptor where an electrostatic latent image is formed, and transferring the toner powder from the surface of the object to the recording medium. Also, unnecessary toner attached to the surface of the object is collected as waste toner.
Typically, as a method of supplying toner to the electrophotographic apparatus, there are a method of directly supplying toner from an outside of the electrophotographic apparatus and a method of replacing a toner cartridge by removing an old toner cartridge from a main body of the electrophotographic apparatus and installing a new one in the electrophotographic apparatus.
FIGS. 1A through 1C
show a conventional toner cartridge used in a cartridge replacement type electrophotographic apparatus. Referring to
FIG. 1A
, a toner cartridge
70
has a new toner containing portion
71
as a space for containing new toner and a waste toner containing portion
72
as a space for containing waste toner. A supply hole
73
through which the new toner is supplied to an outside of the toner cartridge
70
is installed in the new toner containing portion
71
. A receiving hole
74
through which the waste toner is received from the outside of the toner cartridge
70
is installed in the waste toner containing portion
72
.
Also, open/shut mechanisms
75
and
76
are installed at the supply hole
73
and the receiving hole
74
, respectively, in order to prevent contamination by the toner during replacement of the toner cartridge
70
.
FIG. 1B
shows the open/shut mechanism
75
installed at the supply hole
73
.
FIG. 1C
shows the open/shut mechanism
76
installed at the receiving hole
74
.
For example, the open/shut mechanism
75
of
FIG. 1B
opens and shuts the supply hole
73
by moving a shutter member
77
in a circumferential direction of a plane of the open/shut mechanism
75
. The open/shut mechanism
76
of
FIG. 1C
opens and shuts the receiving hole
74
by moving a shutter member
79
connected to a metal spring member
78
to slide linearly along a plane of the open/shut mechanism
76
.
The conventional apparatus having the above structure has a complicated structure so that a manufacturing cost increases, and replacement of the toner cartridge becomes inconvenient and difficult. Accordingly, the toner cartridge and the electrographic apparatus which are cheap and provide convenience in replacement are needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above and other problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a toner cartridge which is cheap and easy to be replaced, and an electrophotographic apparatus adopting the same.
To achieve an aspect of the invention, there is provided a toner cartridge which is detachably loaded in a predetermined loading portion and has a new toner containing space where new toner is contained, and a waste toner containing space where waste toner is contained, the toner cartridge comprising a supply hole supplying the new toner to an outside of the toner cartridge and a receiving hole receiving the waste toner from the outside of the toner cartridge, which are installed in a predetermined position of a main body of the toner cartridge. The toner cartridge further comprises an open and shut mechanism opening and shutting the supply hole and the receiving hole using a single shutter.
It is possible in the present invention that the open and shut mechanism opens and shuts the supply hole and the receiving hole by operating the shutter in response to an engagement with the loading portion during installation and detaching operations with respect to the loading portion, and that the open and shut mechanism comprises a driven portion installed on the shutter and a guide groove formed in the loading portion so that the driven portion moves along the guide groove when the toner cartridge is installed in or detached from the loading portion, to guide a movement of the shutter through the driven portion.
It is possible in the present invention that all elements constituting the open and shut mechanism are formed of resin.
It is possible in the present invention that the toner cartridge further comprises at least one of a first transfer unit transferring the new toner from the new toner containing space to the supply hole and a second transfer unit transferring the waste toner from the receiving hole to the waste toner containing space.
To achieve another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrophotographic apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium by attaching toner to a photoreceptive body where an electrostatic latent image is formed, and transferring the toner to the recording medium from the photoreceptive body. The electrophotographic apparatus comprises a loading portion where the toner cartridge is detachably installed, wherein the toner cartridge comprises a new toner containing space where new toner is contained, a waste toner containing space where waste toner is contained, a supply hole supplying new toner to an outside of the toner cartridge and a receiving hole receiving waste toner from the outside of the toner cartridge, which are installed in a predetermined position of a main body of the toner cartridge, and an open and shut mechanism opening and shutting the supply hole and the receiving hole using a single shutter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5479247 (1995-12-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 3217879 (1991-09-01), None
Ando Takashi
Hashimoto Toshifumi
Ngo Hoang
Staas & Halsey , LLP
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