Toner cartridge with a wall having outlets through which a paddle and an auger are removable
AssigneeToshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsTakaho Watanabe, Tadashi Sugiyama
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A toner cartridge includes a container for storing toner to be supplied to an image forming apparatus. The container extends in a longitudinal direction and includes two walls at ends thereof in the longitudinal direction. One of the walls has a first outlet. The toner cartridge includes a paddle rotatable between the walls of the container to stir the toner and removable from the container through the first outlet. The toner cartridge includes a first lid for covering the first outlet. The first lid has a first bearing hole through which an end of the paddle is rotatably held.
Claims16
A toner cartridge for storing toner to be supplied to an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a container in which the toner is to be stored, extending in a longitudinal direction, and including two walls at ends thereof in the longitudinal direction, one of the walls having a first outlet and a second outlet;
- a paddle rotatable about a first axis that extends between the walls of the container to stir the toner and removable from the container through the first outlet;
- a first lid for covering the first outlet, the first lid having a first bearing hole through which an end of the paddle is rotatably held;
- an auger including a screw blade, rotatable about a second axis that extends between the walls of the container to feed the toner towards a supply port of the container through which the toner is supplied to the image forming apparatus, and removable from the container through the second outlet;
- and
- a second lid for covering the second outlet, the second lid having a second bearing hole through which an end of the auger is rotatably held, wherein
- the supply port is at one of the ends of the container opposite to said one of the walls having the first and second outlets.
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- an image forming unit configured to form an image of toner on a belt;
- a fixing device configured to fix on a sheet the image transferred through the belt;
- and
- a toner cartridge including:
- a container in which the toner is to be stored, extending in a longitudinal direction, and including two walls at ends thereof in the longitudinal direction, one of the walls having a first outlet and a second outlet,
- a paddle rotatable about a first axis that extends between the walls of the container to stir the toner and removable from the container through the first outlet,
- a first lid for covering the first outlet, the first lid having a first bearing hole through which an end of the paddle is rotatably held,
- an auger including a screw blade, rotatable about a second axis that extends between the walls of the container to feed the toner towards a supply port of the container through which the toner is supplied to the image forming unit, and removable from the container through the second outlet, and
- a second lid for covering the second outlet, the second lid having a second bearing hole through which an end of the auger is rotatably held, wherein
- the supply port is at one of the ends of the container opposite to said one of the walls having the first and second outlets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.