Electrophotography – Internal machine environment – Particle or contaminant control
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-10
2003-09-02
Lee, Susan S. Y. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Internal machine environment
Particle or contaminant control
Reexamination Certificate
active
06615007
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to a toner container holding device that detachably carries a toner bottle (container), and a copy machine having the toner container holding device.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, as shown in
FIG. 6
, one type of toner bottle holding device to receive a toner bottle
601
includes a bottle holder
602
and a hopper frame
603
. The toner bottle
601
is a replaceable component carrying toner as consumable supplies. The toner bottle
601
has a spiral rib
601
A on the inner wall, and an opening
601
B at one end in a leading direction of the spiral ribs
601
A. When the toner bottle
601
rotates, the rib
601
A carries the interior toner toward the end of the toner bottle
601
, and the toner is discharged to the exterior from the opening
601
B.
The bottle holder
602
detachably engages with the toner bottle
601
. The bottle holder
602
has an opening
602
A at a position corresponding to the opening
601
B of the toner bottle
601
when the toner bottle
601
engages with the bottle holder. In addition, the bottle holder
602
has a gear on the outer peripheral surface. The gear engages with a driving gear employed on the body of the copying machine and rotates the bottle holder
602
. The rotation of the bottle holder
602
rotates the toner bottle
601
, which engages with the bottle holder
602
. Accordingly, the toner in the toner bottle
601
advances toward the opening
601
B, passes through the opening
602
A and is discharged to the exterior.
The hopper frame
603
is attached to the bottle holder
602
. A supply roller
603
A is provided in the hopper frame
603
, and supplies toner to a developing device located under the toner bottle holding device. The hopper frame
603
temporarily stores toner discharged from the toner bottle
601
and then supplies the toner to the developing device.
The toner bottle holding device as constructed above, works as follows. First, when the toner density sensor provided in the developing device detects low toner density in the developing device, the supply roller
603
A in the hopper frame
603
rotates to supply the toner into the developing device in the hopper frame
603
. Next, when a toner volume sensor provided in the hopper frame
603
detects a low toner volume (quantity) in the hopper frame
603
, the toner bottle
601
rotates to provide a required toner volume (quantity) in the hopper frame
603
.
However, the above-described conventional toner container has the following problems.
When the toner bottle
601
is forcibly being engaged with the bottle holder
602
, the air pressure scatters the toner toward the operator. This problem occurs due to the insufficient packing between the toner bottle
601
and the bottle holder
602
, and between the bottle holder
602
and the hopper frame
603
.
More in detail, as shown in
FIG. 7
, the toner discharged from the opening
601
B of the toner bottle
601
sometimes flows into the bottle holder
602
as well as the hopper frame
603
. Under the circumstance in which the toner flowing into the bottle holder
603
is accumulated, when the toner bottle
601
is forcibly being engaged with the bottle holder
602
, as shown in
FIG. 8
, the air pressure generated at that time scatters the toner accumulated in the bottle holder
602
. Thus, there is a problem that the toner flies in the air and dirties (contaminates) the operator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is provided in view of the above-described problems, and the objective of the present invention is to provide a toner bottle (container) holding device and a copier/duplicator that can prevent both the operator and the interior of the device from being contaminated by toner, even when the toner bottle is forcibly being engaged with the bottle holder.
The present invention includes seal members to close a path that is formed between the toner bottle and the bottle holder and between the bottle holder and the hopper frame and through which the toner leaks to the exterior, and an opening through which the air pressure generated when the toner bottle is being engaged with a predetermined position of the bottle holder, is released to the exterior.
According to the present invention, the seal members prevent the toner from scattering toward the operator. In addition, the seal members prevent the air pressure generated when the toner bottle is being engaged with a predetermined position of the bottle holder from concentrating in the hopper frame, and thus prevent the toner in the hopper frame from scattering in the toner container holding device (copying machine).
REFERENCES:
patent: 5557382 (1996-09-01), Tatsumi et al.
patent: 6246854 (2001-06-01), Kurosawa et al.
patent: 07295355 (1995-11-01), None
patent: 2000112214 (2000-04-01), None
Koumoto Mitsuhiro
Nakamura Masashi
Gleitz Ryan
Lee Susan S. Y.
Panasonic Communications Co. Ltd.
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