Electrophotography – Image formation – Development
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-23
2001-09-11
Grainger, Quana M. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Image formation
Development
C399S260000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06289193
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART
The present invention relates to a toner supply container for replenishing toner into an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a printer, and a toner receiving container of an image forming apparatus for receiving the toner from the toner supply container.
Heretofore, toner in the form of fine particles is used as a developer in the image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a printer. When the developer in a main assembly of the image forming apparatus is used, the toner is supplied into the image forming apparatus using a toner supply container. The toner is in the form of fine particles, and may be a one component toner or a two component toner.
Since the toner is very fine particles, it may scatter during the replenishing operation to contaminate the surroundings, and various proposals have been made about the toner supply container and the toner supply apparatus in view of this.
For example, a flange portion is formed in the main assembly of the container in the form of a box, and flexible film is welded on the flange portion to seal the portion. The film may be peeled off to unseal the container. Additional improvement has been made wherein the opening is provided with a shutter to permit resealing to prevent scattering of the small amount of the toner remaining and deposited on the inside of the toner supply container after the replenishment (Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. HEI-4-336565).
On the other hand, as for the main assembly of the copying machine, the toner hopper or developing device (toner receiving device) for receiving the toner discharged from the toner supply container, is provided with a covering member for covering the opening for receiving the toner so as to accomplish reduction of the toner scattering and toner contamination and to prevent contamination with different kinds of toner (Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. HEI-4-336565). In this proposal, the covering member of the toner receiving mounting is locked so as to be immovable unless a predetermined toner supply container is mounted.
With such a structure, unless the toner supply container is unsealed after the toner supply container is mounted assuredly to the toner receiving apparatus, the covering member or shutter of the toner receiving apparatus is not opened, so that toner is liable to scatter. In view of this, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. HEI-4-336565, a grip is fixed to an end of a flexible film, and the grip is mounted to the main assembly of the container. After it is mounted to the toner receiving apparatus, the covering member of the toner receiving apparatus is completely opened, and at this time, the grip is permitted to disengage from the main assembly of the container. When the grip is then pulled, the flexible film and the shutter are unsealed and opened. This requires two step operation for the unsealing.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. HEI-9-120206 propouses that grip is fixed to the end of the flexible film, and the grip is mounted to the main assembly of the container, and by mounting the toner supply container to the toner receiving apparatus, the grip is disengaged in the upward direction. By pulling the grip, the three elements namely the flexible film, the shutter member a covering member or cover of the toner receiving apparatus are integrally opened, thus permitting one step opening action.
However, the conventional example involves the following problems.
With the structure of the Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. HEI-4-336565, the unsealing operation is two step operation. The operator is not well notified that covering member should be opened after the toner supply container is mounted to the toner receiving apparatus.
According to Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. HEI-9-120206, the unsealing operation is an one step operation, The disengagement of the grip results in the production of a force in a direction of mounting the toner supply container to the toner receiving container. If grip is moved upwardly, that is, in the opposite direction the toner supply container will be dismounted for the toner receiving container. An unskilled operator may misunderstand that grip is to be pulled up. The upward pulling is not prevented.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a toner supply container and a toner receiving container having the following features:
(1) unsealing of the toner supply container is enabled only after the toner supply container is assuredly mount ed to the toner receiving container;
(2) the unsealing direction of the grip is easily understood by the operator; and
(3) by limiting t he grip pulling direction to a predetermined direction so that unsealing is smooth.
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.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4981218 (1991-01-01), Ban et al.
patent: 5268722 (1993-12-01), Ikkata et al.
patent: 5351728 (1994-10-01), Ban et al.
patent: 5579101 (1996-11-01), Omata et al.
patent: 5682579 (1997-10-01), Nomura et al.
patent: 5974286 (1999-10-01), Ban et al.
patent: 6014536 (2000-01-01), Ban et al.
patent: 0 770 930 (1997-05-01), None
patent: 4-336565 (1992-11-01), None
patent: 6-27810 (1994-02-01), None
patent: 9-120206 (1997-05-01), None
Patent Abstracts of Japan, Kokai No. 05-333693.
Patent Abstracts of Japan, Kokai No. 06-27810.
Ban Yutaka
Endoh Michiaki
Kosasa Hideaki
Tazawa Fumio
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Grainger Quana M.
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