Sealing member, toner accommodating container and image forming apparatus

A toner supply container comprising:

• i) a container body configured to contain toner and rotatable about an axis thereof, the container body including a cylindrical portion and an opening provided at one axial end portion thereof and configured to permit discharge of the toner contained in the container body;
• and
• ii) a sealing member provided at the one axial end portion of the container body, the sealing member being movable relative to the container body in an axial direction of the container body, the sealing member including:
• ii-i) a sealing portion provided at a side adjacent the container body and configured to seal the opening when the sealing member and the container body are in a first position relative to one another, the opening becoming unsealed by relative movement of the sealing member and the container body away from one another from the first position to a second position relative to one another;
• and
• ii-ii) a coupling portion provided at a side remote from the container body and configured and positioned to receive a rotational drive force for rotating the sealing member and the container body about the rotation axis of the container body, the coupling portion including:
• ii-ii-i) a supporting portion provided on the sealing portion, the supporting portion being elastically displaceable in an inward direction toward the rotation axis of the container body and elastically restorable in an outward direction away from the rotation axis of the container body;
• ii-ii-ii) an engaging portion provided at a free end of the supporting portion and being displaceable with the supporting portion, the engaging portion including:
• ii-ii-ii-i) a rotational force receiving portion capable of being abutted in a direction that is concentric with a circumference of the cylindrical portion of the container body to receive a rotational drive force for rotating the sealing member and the container body;
• and
• ii-ii-ii-ii) a locking portion capable of being abutted in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the container body to enable the relative movement of the sealing member and the container body from the first position, in which the opening is sealed, to the second position, in which the opening is unsealed;
• and
• ii-ii-iii) a displacing force receiving portion provided on the supporting portion at a position closer to the container body than the engaging portion, the displacing force receiving portion being displaceable with the supporting portion and having a radially outermost part that is more remote from the rotation axis of the container body than a radially outermost part of the engaging portion,
• wherein a radially outermost part of the container body is more remote from the rotation axis of the container body than the radially outermost part of the displacing force receiving portion.

A toner supply container comprising:

• i) a container body configured to contain toner and rotatable about an axis thereof, the container body including a cylindrical portion and an opening provided at one axial end portion thereof and configured to permit discharge of the toner contained in the container body;
• and
• ii) a sealing member provided at the one axial end portion of the container body, the sealing member being movable relative to the container body in an axial direction of the container body,
• the sealing member including:
• ii-i) a sealing portion provided at a side adjacent the container body and configured to seal the opening when the sealing member and the container body are in a first position relative to one another, the opening becoming unsealed by relative movement of the sealing member and the container body away from one another from the first position to a second position relative to one another;
• and
• ii-ii) a coupling portion provided at a side remote from the container body and configured and positioned to receive a rotational drive force, the coupling portion including:
• ii-ii-i) a supporting portion provided on the sealing portion, the supporting portion being elastically displaceable in an inward direction toward the axis of the container body and elastically restorable in an outward direction away from the axis of the container body;
• ii-ii-ii) an engaging portion provided at a free end of the supporting portion and being displaceable with the supporting portion;
• and
• ii-ii-iii) a projecting portion provided at a position closer to the container body than the engaging portion, the projecting portion projecting radially from an outer surface of the supporting portion such that a radially outermost part of the projecting portion is more remote from the axis of the container body than a radially outermost part of the engaging portion, and the projecting portion being displaceable with the supporting portion,
• wherein a radially outermost part of the container body is more remote from the rotation axis of the container body than the radially outermost part of the projecting portion.