Toner cartridge attachable to image forming apparatus
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHideshi Nishiyama, Keita Shimizu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Toner cartridge includes a housing, an agitator, an auger, a first protrusion, and a second protrusion. The housing includes a first toner accommodating portion having and a second toner accommodating portion. The auger is rotatable about a second axis extending in a first direction and is configured to convey toner from a first toner accommodating portion to the second toner accommodating portion. The first protrusion is positioned at a first side of the second toner accommodating portion. The first protrusion extends in the first direction. The second protrusion is positioned at a second side of the second toner accommodating portion and extends in the first direction.
Claims20
A toner cartridge mountable to a developing unit comprising:
- a housing accommodating toner, the housing having a first opening allowing toner to be discharged therefrom;
- an agitator rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction, the agitator being configured to agitate the toner in the housing;
- a first protrusion extending in the first direction, the first protrusion being positioned at one side of the housing in the first direction;
- and
- a second protrusion extending in the first direction, the second protrusion being positioned at another side of the housing in the first direction,
- wherein the agitator is positioned between the first protrusion and the second protrusion in the first direction,
- wherein the toner cartridge is mountable to the developing unit in a second direction,
- wherein a first width of the first protrusion in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction is different from a second width of the second protrusion in the third direction.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a developing unit having a developer opening, the developing unit comprising:
- a toner-accommodating section accommodating toner:
- a developing roller rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction;
- a first groove positioned at a first side of the developing unit in the first direction;
- and
- a second groove positioned at a second side of the developing unit spaced apart from the first side in the first direction, and
- a toner cartridge mountable to the developing unit in a second direction, the toner cartridge comprising:
- a housing accommodating toner, the housing having a first opening allowing toner to be discharged therefrom;
- a first protrusion extending in the first direction, the first protrusion being positioned at one side of the housing in the first direction, the first protrusion being fitted into the first groove in a case where the toner cartridge is mounted to the developing unit;
- a second protrusion extending in the first direction, the second protrusion being positioned at another side of the housing in the first direction, the second protrusion being fitted into the second groove in a case where the toner cartridge is mounted to the developing unit;
- and
- an agitator rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction, the agitator being configured to agitate the toner in the housing, the agitator being positioned between the first protrusion and the second protrusion in the first direction,
- wherein a first width of the first protrusion in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction is different from a second width of the second protrusion in the third direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.