US-12619190-B2 - Developer supply container and developer supplying system

US12619190B2US 12619190 B2US12619190 B2US 12619190B2US-12619190-B2

Abstract

There are provided a developer accommodating portion for accommodating the developer, a discharge portion formed with a discharge opening for discharging the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion, and an engaging portion 30 . The engaging portion 30 is engaged with an engaged portion 11 b with a mounting operation of a developer supply container 1 to displace a developer receiving portion 11 in an upward direction U so that the receiving opening communicates with the discharge opening. The engaging portion 30 has a holding portion 31 which is provided rotatably about a rotation shaft 41 and is provided with holding portion 21 to be engaged with the engaged portion 11 b to hold the engaged portion 11 b . With the mounting operation, the engaging portion 30 rotates about the rotation shaft 41 so that the engaged portion 11 b held by the holding portion 31 moves upward U.

Inventors

Ayatomo Okino
Shogo YAMASAKI
Hiromasa Katayama
Nobuyuki Yomoda
Masato Yamaoka
Akihito Kamura
Koji Katayama
Tsukasa Mine
Katsuya Murakami
Keisuke Isobe

Assignees

CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240610
Priority Date: 20170921

Claims (10)

1 . A developer supply container comprising: a rotatable developer accommodating body configured to accommodate developer, the rotatable developer accommodating body being provided with a gear portion rotatable about a first rotational axis; a discharging body in fluid communication with the rotatable developer accommodating body, with the rotatable developer accommodating body being rotatable about the first rotational axis and relative to the discharging body, and with the discharging body being provided with a discharge opening configured to permit discharging of the developer to outside of the developer supply container; a rotatable portion provided at a side of the discharging body so as to be rotatable about a second rotational axis extending in a direction crossing a direction of the first rotational axis and crossing a vertical direction when the developer supply container is oriented with the discharge opening positioned at a bottom side of the discharging body, and with the rotatable portion being rotatable between a first position and a second position; and a cover attached to the discharging body, the cover being configured to cover the discharging body and the rotatable portion, the cover including a front wall that crosses the first rotational axis, with the front wall being provided with a slit.
2 . A developer supply container according to claim 1 , further comprising a first protruding portion provided on the discharging body so as to protrude from the discharging body and extend in the direction of the second rotational axis, the first protruding portion being configured to abut the rotatable portion so as to regulate, when the rotatable portion is in the first position, a rotation of the rotatable portion in a first rotational direction; and a second protruding portion provided on the discharging body so as to protrude from the discharging body and extend in the direction of the second rotational axis, the second protruding portion being configured to abut the rotatable portion so as to regulate, when the rotatable portion is in the second position, a rotation of the rotatable portion in a second rotational direction that is opposite to the first rotational direction.
3 . A developer supply container according to claim 1 , wherein the rotatable portion includes a recess.
4 . A developer supply container according to claim 3 , further comprising a first protruding portion provided on the discharging body so as to protrude from the discharging body and extend in the direction of the second rotational axis, the first protruding portion being configured to abut the rotatable portion so as to regulate, when the rotatable portion is in the first position, a rotation of the rotatable portion in a first rotational direction; and a second protruding portion provided on the discharging body so as to protrude from the discharging body and extend in the direction of the second rotational axis, the second protruding portion being configured to abut the rotatable portion so as to regulate, when the rotatable portion is in the second position, a rotation of the rotatable portion in a second rotational direction that is opposite to the first rotational direction, wherein the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion are provided on the discharging body such that (i) a position of the recess of the rotatable portion when the rotatable portion is positioned at the first position is located above a rotation center of the rotatable portion in the vertical direction and (ii) a position of the recess of the rotatable portion when the rotatable portion is positioned at the second position is located above the position of the recess of the rotatable portion when the rotatable portion abuts the first protruding portion at the first position in the vertical direction.
5 . A developer supply container according to claim 3 , wherein the rotatable portion has an arm shape including the recess at an end portion of the rotatable portion.
6 . A developer supply container according to claim 2 , further comprising a spring configured to urge the rotatable portion to the first protruding portion.
7 . A developer supply container according to claim 2 , wherein the first protruding portion is positioned between a front end of the developer supply container and a rotation center of the rotatable portion with respect to the direction of the first rotational axis, and the second protruding portion is positioned between the first protruding portion and the gear portion with respect to the direction of the first rotational axis.
8 . A developer supply container according to claim 7 , wherein the discharge opening is positioned between the rotation center of the rotatable portion and the gear portion with respect to the direction of the first rotational axis.
9 . A developer supply container according to claim 1 , further comprising a shutter configured to be slidable relative to the discharging body in the direction of the first rotational axis between an open position wherein the discharge opening is open and a closed position wherein the discharge opening is closed by the shutter.
10 . A developer supply container according to claim 4 , further comprising a rotation shaft as the rotation center of the rotatable portion, the rotation shaft being configured to protrude from the discharging body and extend in the direction of the second rotational axis.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a developer supply container dismountably mountable to a developer receiving apparatus and a developer supplying system. BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, fine developing powder such as toner has been used. In such an image forming apparatus, the developer consumed by the image formation is supplemented from a developer supply container. For example, a structure has been proposed in which the developer supply container is mountable to and dismountable from a developer receiving apparatus provided in the image forming apparatus, and the developer receiving portion of the developer receiving apparatus is displaced toward the discharge opening of the developer supply container in accordance with the mounting operation of the developer supply container (JP2013-015826A). SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention An object of the present invention is to provide a developer supply container and a developer supplying system capable of improving easiness of operation by reducing the operation force when mounting the developer supply container. Means for Solving the Problem According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a developer supply container detachably mountable to a developer receiving device, the developer receiving device including a developer receiving portion provided with a receiving opening for receiving a developer and an engaged portion integrally displaceable with the developer receiving portion, said developer supply container comprising a rotatable developer accommodating portion for accommodating the developer; a discharging portion including a discharge opening for discharging the developer accommodated in said developer accommodating portion; and an engaging portion provided with a recess which is rotatable with the engaged portion engaged with said recess with a mounting operation of said developer supply container so as to displace the developer receiving portion in a displacing portion to bring the receiving opening and said discharge opening into fluid communication with each other. Effect of the Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the operativity by reducing the operating force when mounting the developer supply container. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure diagram of an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1. Parts (a) and (b) of FIG. 3 show a developer receiving apparatus according to Embodiment 1, in which part (a) is a perspective view thereof, and part (b) is a cross-sectional view thereof. Parts (a), (b) and (c) of FIG. 4 show a developer receiving apparatus according to Embodiment 1, in which part (a) is an enlarged partial perspective view thereof, part (b) is an enlarged cross sectional view thereof, and part (c) is a perspective view of a developer receiving portion. Parts (a), (b) and (c) of FIG. 5 show a developer supply container according to Embodiment 1, in which part (a) is a partially cut-away perspective view, part (b) is a cross-sectional view thereof around a flange portion, and (c) is a front elevational view thereof as viewed from a front side. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the container main body of the developer supply container according to Embodiment 1. Parts (a) and (b) of FIG. 7 show a flange portion in Embodiment 1, in which part (a) is a perspective view thereof, and (b) is a bottom view thereof. Parts (a) and (b) of FIG. 8 show a state of an engaging portion in Embodiment 1, in which part (a) is a side view of the developer supply container when insertion of the developer supply container is started, and part (b) is a side view when an engaged portion (portion to be engaged) is held by a holding portion as the developer supply container is inserted. Parts (a) and (b) of FIG. 9 illustrate a state of the engaging portion in Embodiment 1, in which (a) is a side view when the engaging portion is positioned at a second gripping position, (b) is a side view when the engaged portion is positioned at an extended portion as the developer supply container is completely mounted. Parts (a) and (b) of FIG. 10 are schematic illustration of the forces acting on the developer receiving portion during the loading operation of the developer supply container, in which part (a) shows a comparison example, part (b) shows Embodiment 1. Part (a) of FIG. 11 is a graph showing a relationship between the inclination angle and a coefficient An in a comparative example, and part (b) of FIG. 11 is a graph showing a relationship between a moving distance in the horizontal direction Ad an operating force F, and part (c) of FIG. 11 is a graph showing a relationship between an inclination angle and a coefficient An in Embodiment 1. Parts (a) and (b) of FIG. 12 illustrat