EP-4318136-B1 - DEVELOPER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

Inventors

• TAKIGUCHI TOSHIO
• SHIMOMOTO YOSUKE

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20210916

Claims (8)

1. A developer container (1) comprising: a containing unit (11, 12) that contains developer; a transport unit (26) that transports the developer; and a receiving unit (37) that receives a driving force transmitted from a transmitting unit of a body of an image forming apparatus and transmits the driving force to the transport unit; wherein the developer container is removably attachable to the body of the image forming apparatus; and wherein the containing unit includes a first containing portion (11) containing new developer to be supplied to the body of the image forming apparatus and a second containing portion (12) containing developer discharged from the body of the image forming apparatus; characterised in that the developer container includes a first rotation stopping portion (51) and a second rotation stopping portion (52) that is farther from the receiving unit (37) than the first rotation stopping portion; wherein, when the developer container is attached to the body of the image forming apparatus, the first rotation stopping portion (51) comes into contact with a first rotation stopper (7) portion provided on the body of the image forming apparatus, and the second rotation stopping portion (52) comes into contact with a second rotation stopper portion (8) provided on the body of the image forming apparatus; wherein a spatial allowance between the first rotation stopping portion (51) and the first rotation stopper portion (7) is less than a spatial allowance between the second rotation stopping portion (52) and the second rotation stopper portion (8); and wherein the second rotation stopping portion (52) and the first rotation stopping portion (51) are provided on the first containing portion (11) and the second containing portion (12), respectively.
2. The developer container (1) according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the first containing portion is disposed above an upper end of the second containing portion, and wherein the second rotation stopping portion has a projecting shape that projects outward beyond an outer surface of the first containing portion, and is fitted to the second rotation stopper portion having a recessed shape when the developer container is attached to the body of the image forming apparatus.
3. The developer container (1) according to claim 2, wherein the second rotation stopper portion has a shape of a long hole having a minor axis in a circumferential direction of rotation of the receiving unit and a major axis in a radial direction of rotation of the receiving unit.
4. The developer container (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first rotation stopping portion has a recessed shape that is recessed inward beyond an outer surface of the containing unit, and wherein the first rotation stopper portion having a projecting shape is fitted to the first rotation stopping portion when the developer container is attached to the body of the image forming apparatus.
5. The developer container (1) according to claim 4, wherein the first rotation stopping portion having the recessed shape is recessed inward in the second containing portion.
6. The developer container (1) according to claim 4, wherein a length of the second rotation stopping portion is shorter than a length of the first rotation stopping portion in a direction in which the developer container is attached to and removed from the body of the image forming apparatus.
7. The developer container (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the receiving unit is disposed at an outer end of the containing unit in a longitudinal direction of the containing unit.
8. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier; a developing unit that develops a latent image carried by the image carrier; a transfer unit that transfers a developed image from the image carrier to a medium; and the developer container (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 that contains new developer to be supplied to the developing unit, the developer container being removably attachable to a body of the image forming apparatus.

Description

Technical Field The present invention relates to a developer container and an image forming apparatus. Background Art PTL 1 describes a technology related to a developer container, such as a toner cartridge or a waste toner box, that is removably attachable to an image forming apparatus. PTL 1 describes a toner cartridge including a toner containing chamber in an upper region and a toner discharge chamber in a lower region. The toner cartridge according to PTL 1 also includes a toner delivery chamber at a lower end of the toner containing chamber in a central region of the toner cartridge in an up-down direction, and a stirring-and-transporting member delivers toner from the toner delivery chamber to a developing unit. The stirring-and-transporting member is provided with a gear exposed to the outside at an end of the stirring-and-transporting member in an axial direction, and the gear meshes with an upper end portion of a gear of an apparatus body when the toner cartridge is attached to the apparatus body. Thus, in the structure according to PTL 1, a driving force from the apparatus body is transmitted through the gear disposed in the central region of the toner cartridge in the up-down direction. Citation List Patent Literature PTL 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-232399 ([0058] to [0075], Figs. 1 to 5) US 2017/357181 A1 concerns a toner container which includes a first toner storage portion, a first rotating member, a first drive input portion, a second toner storage portion, a second rotating member, a second drive input portion, and a coupling member. The first toner storage portion is configured to store unused toner that is to be supplied to the developing device, and the second toner storage portion is configured to store the used toner conveyed from the cleaning portion. Summary of Invention Technical Problem The present disclosure relates to a developer container removably attachable to an image forming apparatus. Assuming that a driving force is transmitted to the developer container, rattling caused in response to the driving force transmitted to the developer container is reduced compared to when the developer container is positioned at plural locations such that spatial allowances between positioning and positioned portions are equal to each other or when the spatial allowance between the positioning and positioned portions at a location distant from a driving position is relatively small. Solution to Problem The invention is defined by the appended claims. [1] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a developer container as claimed which includes, among other features, a containing unit that contains developer; a transport unit that transports the developer; and a receiving unit that receives a driving force transmitted from a transmitting unit of a body of an image forming apparatus and transmits the driving force to the transport unit. The developer container is removably attachable to the body of the image forming apparatus. The developer container includes a first rotation stopping portion and a second rotation stopping portion that is farther from the receiving unit than the first rotation stopping portion. When the developer container is attached to the body of the image forming apparatus, the first rotation stopping portion comes into contact with a first rotation stopper portion provided on the body of the image forming apparatus, and the second rotation stopping portion comes into contact with a second rotation stopper portion provided on the body of the image forming apparatus. A spatial allowance between the first rotation stopping portion and the first rotation stopper portion is less than a spatial allowance between the second rotation stopping portion and the second rotation stopper portion.[2] According to another non-claimed aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a developer container including: a containing unit that contains developer; a transport unit that transports the developer; and a receiving unit that receives a driving force transmitted from a transmitting unit of a body of an image forming apparatus and transmits the driving force to the transport unit. The developer container is removably attachable to the body of the image forming apparatus. The developer container includes a first rotation stopping portion and a second rotation stopping portion, each of the first rotation stopping portion and the second rotation stopping portion being formed of a recess or a projection. When the developer container is attached to the body of the image forming apparatus, the first rotation stopping portion and the second rotation stopping portion are fitted to a first rotation stopper portion and a second rotation stopper portion, respectively, each of the first rotation stopper portion and the second rotation stopper portion being formed of a projection or a recess. A depth or a height of the first rotation st