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.
Claims11
A method of attaching a toner cartridge to a developing unit, the toner cartridge including:
- a housing accommodating toner therein and having a first opening allowing toner to be discharged therefrom;
- a first protrusion extending in a first direction and rotatable relative to the housing;
- and a second protrusion extending in the first direction, the developing unit having a second opening, the method comprising:
- inserting the first protrusion into a first groove of the developing unit and the second protrusion into a second groove of the developing unit in an inserting direction;
- and
- in a state where the first protrusion is received in the first groove and the second protrusion is received in the second groove, pivoting the housing of the toner cartridge relative to the developing unit from a first position to a second position,
- wherein, in a state where the toner cartridge is at the second position, the first opening faces downward in the inserting direction, and the second opening allows toner in the toner cartridge to enter the developing unit through the second opening.
A method of attaching a toner cartridge to a developing unit, the toner cartridge including a housing accommodating toner therein and having a first opening allowing toner to be discharged therefrom, a first protrusion extending in a first direction, the first protrusion being rotatable relative to the housing, and a second protrusion extending in the first direction, the method comprising:
- inserting the first protrusion into a first groove of the developing unit and the second protrusion into a second groove of the developing unit;
- and
- in a state where the first protrusion is received in the first groove and the second protrusion is received in the second groove, pivoting the housing of the toner cartridge relative to the developing unit,
- wherein the toner cartridge includes a first gear part provided to the housing and having gear teeth,
- wherein the developing unit includes:
- a casing configured to accommodate therein toner supplied from the toner cartridge;
- and
- a second gear part movable relative to the casing and having gear teeth, and
- wherein the housing of the toner cartridge is pivoted relative to the developing unit, thereby causing the gear teeth of the first gear part of the toner cartridge to be brought into meshing engagement with the gear teeth of the second gear part of the developing unit.
A method of attaching a toner cartridge to a developing unit, the toner cartridge including a housing accommodating toner therein and having a first opening allowing toner to be discharged therefrom, a first protrusion extending in a first direction, the first protrusion being rotatable relative to the housing, and a second protrusion extending in the first direction, the method comprising:
- inserting the first protrusion into a first groove of the developing unit and the second protrusion into a second groove of the developing unit;
- and
- in a state where the first protrusion is received in the first groove and the second protrusion is received in the second groove, pivoting the housing of the toner cartridge relative to the developing unit,
- wherein the toner cartridge includes a first gear part provided to the housing and having gear teeth,
- wherein the developing unit includes:
- a casing configured to accommodate therein toner supplied from the toner cartridge;
- and
- a second gear part movable relative to the casing and having gear teeth, and
- wherein the housing of the toner cartridge is pivoted relative to the casing of the developing unit such that the first gear part pivots together with the housing of the toner cartridge relative to the casing of the developing unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.