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US-12619173-B2 - Shutter unit, toner storage container, and image forming apparatus

US12619173B2US 12619173 B2US12619173 B2US 12619173B2US-12619173-B2

Abstract

A shutter unit to be installed in a toner container attachable to and detachable from an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus includes: a shutter to be pushed by a nozzle disposed in the apparatus body, with movement of the container in an insertion direction into the apparatus body, to insert the nozzle into the container and communicate the nozzle and the container via an opening of the nozzle; a shutter holder holding the shutter movable in the insertion direction; a seal to contact a circumferential surface of the shutter in a closed state and slide on the circumferential surfaces of the shutter and the nozzle during an opening operation in which the shutter is pressed by the nozzle; and a seal holder detachably holding the seal at an inner portion of the seal holder. The shutter holder and the seal holder are integrated in a detachable manner.

Inventors

  • Gen Kitamura
  • Junji Yamabe
  • Seiji Terazawa
  • Shuntaroh Tamaki

Assignees

  • Gen Kitamura
  • Junji Yamabe
  • Seiji Terazawa
  • Shuntaroh Tamaki

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20230523
Priority Date
20220528

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A shutter unit to be installed in a toner container, the shutter unit comprising: a shutter to be pushed by a nozzle, in conjunction with movement of the toner container in an insertion direction, to insert the nozzle into the toner container and to communicate the nozzle and the toner container with each other via an opening on a circumferential surface of the nozzle; a shutter holder that holds the shutter movable in the insertion direction; a seal to contact a circumferential surface of the shutter in a closed state in which the seal is not pressed by the nozzle, the seal to slide on the circumferential surface of the shutter and the circumferential surface of the nozzle during an opening operation in which the shutter is pressed by the nozzle; and a seal holder to detachably hold the seal at an inner portion of the seal holder, wherein: the shutter holder and the seal holder are integrated, the shutter holder and the seal holder are detachable from each other, and the seal holder is to move relative to the shutter holder in the insertion direction and rotate in a predetermined rotation direction to engage an engaging portion of the shutter holder and an engaged portion of the seal holder with each other, to integrate the shutter holder and the seal holder.
  2. 2 . The shutter unit according to claim 1 , wherein: the seal holder is to engage with a container body that is rotatable about a rotation axis that is the insertion direction, with the shutter holder inserted in the container body, and the predetermined rotation direction of the seal holder is opposite to a rotation direction of the container body.
  3. 3 . The shutter unit according to claim 1 , wherein: the shutter unit is to be attached to a container body which rotates in a rotation direction, the container body further includes a spiral projection on an inner peripheral surface of the container body and contains a powder in the container body, the rotation direction of the container body is a rotation direction to convey the powder toward the shutter in a longitudinal direction of the container body.
  4. 4 . The shutter unit according to claim 1 , wherein the shutter holder includes: a rod integrated with the shutter and extending in the insertion direction; a compression spring wound around the rod to urge the shutter in a direction opposite to the insertion direction; and a case to cover a circumference of the rod and the compression spring across the rod and the compression spring in the insertion direction, the case having an opening portion at a part of a circumferential surface of the case across an area in the insertion direction.
  5. 5 . The toner container, comprising the shutter unit according to claim 1 , wherein: the toner container is detachably attached to an apparatus body and includes a container body to store toner inside the container body, and the container body is engaged with the seal holder with the shutter holder inserted in the container body.
  6. 6 . The toner container according to claim 1 , wherein: the seal holder is non-rotatably held by an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus, the container body is to rotate around a rotation axis parallel to the insertion direction in the apparatus body, and the container body has a gear on an outer peripheral surface of the container body such that rotational drive is transmitted from the apparatus body to the gear.
  7. 7 . An image forming apparatus, comprising the toner container according to claim 1 , wherein: the toner container is detachably attached to an apparatus body of the image forming apparatus.
  8. 8 . A shutter unit to be installed in a toner container, the shutter unit comprising: a shutter to be pushed by a nozzle, in conjunction with movement of the toner container in an insertion direction, to insert the nozzle into the toner container and to communicate the nozzle and the toner container with each other via an opening on a circumferential surface of the nozzle; a shutter holder that holds the shutter movable in the insertion direction; a seal to contact a circumferential surface of the shutter in a closed state in which the seal is not pressed by the nozzle, the seal to slide on the circumferential surface of the shutter and the circumferential surface of the nozzle during an opening operation in which the shutter is pressed by the nozzle; and a seal holder to detachably hold the seal at an inner portion of the seal holder, wherein: the shutter holder and the seal holder are integrated, the shutter holder and the seal holder are detachable from each other, and the seal holder is to move in the insertion direction while the seal holder rotates in a predetermined rotation direction relative to the shutter holder, to screw a male screw portion of the shutter holder and a female screw portion of the seal holder together to integrate the shutter holder and the seal holder.
  9. 9 . The shutter unit according to claim 8 , wherein: the seal holder is to engage with a container body that is rotatable about a rotation axis that is the insertion direction, with the shutter holder inserted in the container body, and the predetermined rotation direction of the seal holder is opposite to a rotation direction of the container body.
  10. 10 . The shutter unit according to claim 8 , wherein: the shutter unit is to be attached to a container body which rotates in a rotation direction, the container body further includes a spiral projection on an inner peripheral surface of the container body and contains a powder in the container body, the rotation direction of the container body is a rotation direction to convey the powder toward the shutter in a longitudinal direction of the container body.
  11. 11 . The shutter unit according to claim 8 , wherein the shutter holder includes: a rod integrated with the shutter and extending in the insertion direction; a compression spring wound around the rod to urge the shutter in a direction opposite to the insertion direction; and a case to cover a circumference of the rod and the compression spring across the rod and the compression spring in the insertion direction, the case having an opening portion at a part of a circumferential surface of the case across an area in the insertion direction.
  12. 12 . The toner container, comprising the shutter unit according to claim 8 , wherein: the toner container is detachably attached to an apparatus body and includes a container body to store toner inside the container body, and the container body is engaged with the seal holder with the shutter holder inserted in the container body.
  13. 13 . The toner container according to claim 8 , wherein: the shutter unit is to be attached to a container body which rotates in a rotation direction, the seal holder is non-rotatably held by an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus, the container body is to rotate around a rotation axis parallel to the insertion direction in the apparatus body, and the container body has a gear on an outer peripheral surface of the container body such that rotational drive is transmitted from the apparatus body to the gear.
  14. 14 . An image forming apparatus, comprising the toner container according to claim 8 , wherein: the toner container is detachably attached to the apparatus body of the image forming apparatus.
  15. 15 . A shutter unit to be installed in a toner container, the shutter unit comprising: a shutter to be pushed by a nozzle, in conjunction with movement of the toner container in an insertion direction, to insert the nozzle into the toner container and to communicate the nozzle and the toner container with each other via an opening on a circumferential surface of the nozzle; a shutter holder that holds the shutter movable in the insertion direction; a seal to contact a circumferential surface of the shutter in a closed state in which the seal is not pressed by the nozzle, the seal to slide on the circumferential surface of the shutter and the circumferential surface of the nozzle during an opening operation in which the shutter is pressed by the nozzle; and a seal holder to detachably hold the seal at an inner portion of the seal holder, wherein: the shutter holder and the seal holder are integrated, the shutter holder and the seal holder are detachable from each other, and the seal holder is to move relative to the shutter holder in the insertion direction to engage an engaging portion of the shutter holder and an engaged portion of the seal holder with each other, to integrate the shutter holder and the seal holder.
  16. 16 . The shutter unit according to claim 15 , wherein: the shutter unit is to be attached to a container body which rotates in a rotation direction, the container body further includes a spiral projection on an inner peripheral surface of the container body and contains a powder in the container body, the rotation direction of the container body is a rotation direction to convey the powder toward the shutter in a longitudinal direction of the container body.
  17. 17 . The shutter unit according to claim 15 , wherein the shutter holder includes: a rod integrated with the shutter and extending in the insertion direction; a compression spring wound around the rod to urge the shutter in a direction opposite to the insertion direction; and a case to cover a circumference of the rod and the compression spring across the rod and the compression spring in the insertion direction, the case having an opening portion at a part of a circumferential surface of the case across an area in the insertion direction.
  18. 18 . The toner container, comprising the shutter unit according to claim 15 , wherein: the toner container is detachably attached to an apparatus body and includes a container body to store toner inside the container body, and the container body is engaged with the seal holder with the shutter holder inserted in the container body.
  19. 19 . The toner container according to claim 15 , wherein: the shutter unit is to be attached to a container body which rotates in a rotation direction, the seal holder is non-rotatably held by the apparatus body of an image forming apparatus, the container body is to rotate around a rotation axis parallel to the insertion direction in the apparatus body, and the container body has a gear on an outer peripheral surface of the container body such that rotational drive is transmitted from the apparatus body to the gear.
  20. 20 . An image forming apparatus, comprising the toner container according to claim 15 , wherein: the toner container is detachably attached to the apparatus body of the image forming apparatus.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a shutter unit disposed in a toner container, a toner container including the shutter unit, and an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile, or a multifunction peripheral thereof. BACKGROUND ART Image forming apparatuses such as copiers and printers are widely known in which a cylindrical toner container (i.e., a powder container) is detachably installed (e.g., see PTL 1). For example, the toner container (powder storage container) in PTL 1 is provided with a shutter (container shutter). The shutter is pushed by a nozzle disposed in an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus, in conjunction with attachment of toner container to the body of the image forming apparatus. When the shutter is pushed by the nozzle, the nozzle is inserted into the toner container as it is. The nozzle and the toner container communicate with each other through an opening (i.e., a nozzle opening) formed on the peripheral surface of the nozzle. In this way, the toner stored inside the toner container is ready to be discharged to the outside through the nozzle. In such a toner container, a container body that stores toner inside is rotatably engaged with a shutter unit (nozzle receiving member) that is non-rotatably held by the apparatus body of the image forming apparatus. In the shutter unit, a shutter is movably held. A doughnut-shaped seal (container seal) is stuck to an inner peripheral portion of the shutter unit to prevent toner from leaking from the inner peripheral portion (through hole) of the shutter unit in which the nozzle and the shutter are inserted. CITATION LIST Patent Literature PTL 1Japanese Patent No. 5435380 SUMMARY OF INVENTION Problem to be Solved When an operation is performed for recycling (reusing) a used toner container collected from a market, such a seal stuck to the shutter unit may be difficult to remove. Since a used seal has severe deterioration such as abrasion compared with other components and is difficult to reuse as it is, the seal is replaced with au unused one in the recycling operation. However, the seal stuck to the shutter unit may be difficult to remove, which causes the recycling operation to be difficult and troublesome. In order to solve the problem as described above, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a shutter unit, a toner container, and an image forming apparatus in which a seal can be easily removed. Solution to Problem According to an aspect of the disclosure, a shutter unit is to be installed in a toner container that is attachable to and detachable from an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus. The shutter unit includes a shutter, a shutter holder, a seal, and a seal holder. The shutter is pushed by a nozzle disposed in the apparatus body, in conjunction with movement of the toner container in an insertion direction into the apparatus body, to insert the nozzle into the toner container and to communicate the nozzle and the toner container with each other via an opening on a circumferential surface of the nozzle. The shutter holder holds the shutter movable in the insertion direction. The seal contacts a circumferential surface of the shutter in a closed state in which the seal is not pressed by the nozzle. The seal slides on the circumferential surface of the shutter and the circumferential surface of the nozzle during an opening operation in which the shutter is pressed by the nozzle. The seal holder detachably holds the seal at an inner portion of the seal holder. The shutter holder and the seal holder are integrated in a detachable manner. Advantageous Effects of Invention According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a shutter unit, a toner container, and an image forming apparatus can be provided in which a seal can be easily removed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings are intended to depict example embodiments of the present invention and should not be interpreted to limit the scope thereof. The accompanying drawings are not to be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted. Also, identical or similar reference numerals designate identical or similar components throughout the several views. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming device of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a toner supply device of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1 and the vicinity thereof. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a toner container. FIGS. 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating an attachment operation of a toner conveyance nozzle to the toner container. FIGS. 6A and 6B are schematic diagrams illustrating movement of a shutter in the toner container. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a shutter unit in the toner container of FIG.