Electrophotography – Image formation – Development
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-03
2003-01-21
Royer, William J. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Image formation
Development
C399S260000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06510306
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a toner replenishing device for replenishing a developing device with a toner in an image forming machine, such as an electrostatic copier, a laser printer, or a facsimile, and a toner cartridge for use in the toner replenishing device.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In an image forming machine, such as an electrostatic copier, a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoconductor drum is disposed. The developing device applies a toner to the electrostatic latent image to develop it into a toner image. Normally, the toner consumed with the progress of development is supplied from a toner cartridge removably mounted on a mounting portion disposed at a required position of the developing device. When the toner in the toner cartridge has been consumed completely, the toner cartridge is replaced by a new toner cartridge.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-56550 discloses a toner replenishing device in which a toner cartridge accommodating a toner is mounted removably. The toner replenishing device disclosed in this publication has a toner cartridge receiving mechanism disposed in a toner cartridge mounting portion of a machine housing of a copier, and a toner cartridge detachably mounted on the toner cartridge receiving mechanism. The toner cartridge comprises a container body having a toner discharge port, and a shutter member disposed movably between a closing position at which it closes the toner discharge port and an opening position at which it opens the toner discharge port. A mouth-and-neck portion having the toner discharge port is provided at the bottom wall of the container body of the toner cartridge, and a rectangular flange is formed at the lower end of the mouth-and-neck portion. The shutter member is disposed in this flange. In the shutter member, guide grooves are formed in guide portions disposed at both ends of a flat plate portion, and the shutter member is slidably mounted on the flange via each of the guide grooves. A stopper claw portion is disposed in one of the guide portions. The stopper claw portion is composed of a support portion elastically deformable in a direction separated from one side portion of the flange, a guided portion formed from the front end of the support portion toward the one side portion of the flange, and a stopper portion formed from the front end of the support portion toward the outside. A notch portion is formed at the front end of the one side portion of the flange, and when the shutter member is located at the closing position, the guided portion enters the notch portion, and the support portion is not deformed. A sealing member for sealing the toner discharge port is strippably mounted on the lower surface of the flange. A connecting mechanism having a toner accepting opening is disposed in the toner cartridge mounting portion. The connecting mechanism includes a bottom surface portion shared with an upper wall of a development housing, and a pair of side walls protruding upward from bilateral end sides of the bottom surface portion and extending parallel along a direction of movement of the toner cartridge from a detaching position to a mounting position. An engaging convex is formed on one of the side walls. The toner accepting opening is formed at a predetermined position of the bottom surface portion. An engagement portion, which the flange of the container body engages, is formed around the toner accepting opening. The engagement portion has engagement side wall portions formed at both side edges of the toner accepting opening along the direction of movement of the toner cartridge from the detaching position to the mounting position, a restraint portion formed at the depth-side edge of the toner accepting opening, and a placing portion formed at the upper end of the engagement side wall portions and the restraint portion.
When the toner cartridge is placed at the detaching position of the toner cartridge receiving mechanism and moved toward the mounting position, one of the guide portions of the shutter member contacts one of the engagement side wall portions to have its movement restrained. Upon further movement of the toner cartridge, the flange is inserted into a region defined by the engagement portion, and its front end contacts the restraint portion to restrain its movement. The shutter member is moved in the closing direction relative to the flange. As a result, the sealing member is stripped, and the toner discharge port is opened. At this time, the toner discharge port is positioned to face the upper side of the toner accepting opening of the development housing. The guided portion of the shutter member leaves the notch portion, and contacts one side surface of the flange. Thus, the support portion is elastically deformed so as to jut out away from one side portion of the flange. The toner cartridge is located at a predetermined mounting position, and the container body is placed on the placing portion. When the toner cartridge is moved from the mounting position toward the detaching position for its replacement, the stopper portion of the support portion in the jutting state engages the engaging convex to have its movement restrained. The shutter member moves relative to the flange to close the toner discharge port. When the toner cartridge further moves, the guided portion enters the notch portion of one side surface of the flange, releasing the elastic deformation of the support portion. Thus, the stopper portion disengages from the engaging convex to dissolve its interference in the moving direction. The toner cartridge is located at the toner cartridge removal position, with the shutter member closing the toner discharge port.
In the toner replenishing device described above, when the toner cartridge is located at the predetermined mounting position, the flange is positioned in the engagement portion, and the toner discharge port is brought above, and opposed to, the toner accepting opening of the development housing. With this configuration, however, a gap is formed between the flange of the container body and the engagement portion at the time of mounting. During operation of the copier, toner may leak through this gap to the outside and scatter. When the toner cartridge is removed, much toner may be carried outside while adhering to the shutter member, and scatter.
There has also been developed a toner replenishing device of a type comprising a toner cartridge mounting portion having a toner replenishment port, and a toner cartridge mounted on the mounting portion, in which the cartridge includes a container body having a toner discharge port, a shutter member is mounted on the container body so as to be movable forward and backward between a closing position at which the shutter member covers the toner discharge port and an opening position at which the shutter member opens the toner discharge port, the container body is inserted into the mounting portion up to an inserting position in an inserting direction perpendicular to the directions of forward and backward movements, and is then moved up to a mounting position in a mounting direction in the directions of forward and backward movements, whereby the cartridge is removably mounted on the mounting portion. A toner passage port is formed in the shutter member, and when the container body is located at the inserting position, the toner passage port is positioned to align with the toner replenishment port of the developing device. When the container body is moved from the inserting position to the mounting position, the shutter member is moved in an opening direction relative to the container body, whereupon the toner discharge port, the toner passage port of the shutter member, and the toner replenishment port are positioned in alignment. In this type of toner replenishing device, the container body needs to be accurately positioned in the mounting portion so that the toner discharge port, the toner passage port of the shutter member, and the toner replenis
Kyocera Mita Corporation
Royer William J.
Smith , Gambrell & Russell, LLP
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