Toner cartridge having opening for discharging toner sealed with sealing member and method of stripping sealing member

A toner cartridge comprising:

• a cartridge body having an opening for discharging toner for containing toner;
• a sealing member disposed so as to close the opening and having its periphery strippably affixed to a peripheral edge part of said opening;
• first sliding means slidably provided along said opening and having a first through hole through which the sealing member can be inserted on the side of a position where stripping is started of said sealing member;
• and
• second sliding means slidably provided along said opening and having a second through hole on the side of a position where stripping is terminated of said sealing member,
• said sealing member having an extended part extended from the position where stripping is started, the extended part being folded on the side of the position where stripping is started, inserted through said first through hole and said second through hole, and fixed to said first sliding means.

A toner cartridge comprising:

• a cartridge body having an opening for discharging toner for containing toner;
• a sealing member disposed so as to close the opening and having its periphery strippably affixed to a peripheral edge part of said opening;
• first sliding means slidably provided along said opening and capable of displacing a sealing member fixing part for fixing said sealing member over a length in the stripping direction of said opening;
• second sliding means slidably provided along said opening and capable of displacing a sealing member fixing part for fixing said sealing member over a length which is one-half the length in the stripping direction of said opening;
• first connecting means for connecting one end of the sealing member and the sealing member fixing part of said first sliding means;
• and
• second connecting means for connecting a part, in a substantially central part of said opening, of the sealing member and the sealing member fixing part of said second sliding means.

A toner cartridge comprising:

• a cartridge body for containing toner, said cartridge body having an opening for discharging toner;
• a sealing member disposed so as to close the opening and having its periphery strippably affixed to a peripheral edge part of said opening;
• first stripping means slidably provided along said opening for stripping the sealing member and engaging the sealing member such that the stroke for stripping the sealing member is twice the length to strip the sealing member, beginning at its front end, from a starting position where stripping is started to a middle position for stripping;
• and
• second stripping means slidably provided along said opening for stripping the sealing member from said middle position for stripping to a position where stripping is terminated, said second stripping means being operable to fold the sealing member such that a surface of the sealing member which is opposed to the inside of the cartridge body is located in its inside while stripping the sealing member such that the length to strip the sealing member and the stroke for stripping the sealing member are equal to each other.

A method of stripping a sealing member affixed to an opening formed in a cartridge body for containing toner, comprising the steps of:

• providing first sliding means which is slidable along said opening;
• providing second sliding means which is slidable along said opening and having a through hole through which the sealing member can be inserted;
• pulling an end on the side of a position where stripping is started of the sealing member by the first sliding means, to strip the sealing member to a middle position for stripping with cooperating work of said first sliding means and said second sliding means;
• and
• pulling said second sliding means in a state where a portion between the end on the side of said position where stripping is started and a part in said middle position for stripping of the sealing member is inserted through said through hole, to strip the sealing member to a position where stripping is terminated.

A toner cartridge comprising:

• a cartridge body for containing toner, said cartridge body having an opening for discharging toner;
• a sealing member disposed so as to close the opening and having its periphery strippably affixed to a peripheral edge part of said opening;
• first sliding means slidably provided along said opening;
• and
• second sliding means slidably provided along said opening, and being provided with a through hole on the side of a starting position where stripping is started of the sealing member, said sealing member being inserted through said through hole to make it possible to tow the sealing member;
• said sealing member having an extended part extended from said starting position the extended part being inserted through said through hole formed in said second sliding means and being fixed in said first sliding means;
• said second sliding means being slid, said first sliding means is given towing force by the sealing member, and the first sliding means is slid to a predetermined position in synchronism with the second sliding means and is stopped at the predetermined position, thereby to strip the sealing member to a middle position for stripping, the second sliding means also being slid after the first sliding means stops sliding so that the sealing member is stripped from the middle position for stripping to a position where stripping is terminated.

A toner cartridge comprising:

• a cartridge body for containing toner, said cartridge body having an opening for discharging toner;
• a sealing member disposed so as to close the opening and having its periphery strippably affixed to a peripheral edge part of said opening;
• first slide guiding means provided in the peripheral edge part of the opening;
• first sliding means slidably provided along said opening and being guided by said first slide guiding means;
• second slide guiding means provided in said first sliding means;
• second sliding means slidably provided along said opening and being guided by said second slide guiding means, said second sliding means provided with a through hole on the side of a starting position where stripping of the sealing member is started, said sealing member being inserted through said through hole to make it possible to tow the sealing member;
• and
• a handle provided in said second sliding means,
• said sealing member having an extended part extended from said starting position where stripping is started, the extended part being inserted through said through hole formed in said second sliding means and being fixed in said first sliding means;
• the second sliding means being slid by operating the handle to give towing force to the first sliding means through the sealing member so that said first sliding means is slid in synchronism with the sliding movement of the second sliding means.

A toner cartridge comprising:

• a cartridge body for containing toner, said cartridge body having an opening for discharging toner;
• a sealing member disposed so as to close the opening and having its periphery strippably affixed to a peripheral edge part of said opening;
• first sliding means slidably provided along said opening;
• and
• second sliding means slidably provided along said opening, said second sliding means including a shutter for opening and closing said opening, said second sliding means having a through hole on the side of a starting position where stripping of the sealing member is started, through which said sealing member is to be inserted to make it possible to tow the sealing member;
• said sealing member having an extended part extended from said starting position, the extended part being inserted through said through hole formed in said second sliding means and being fixed in said first sliding means.