Toner container and developing device with the same toner container assembled therein

A toner container comprising a replenishment toner accommodating section, a waste toner recovery section formed adjacent a longitudinal end of the replenishment toner accommodating section via a partitioning wall, and a toner replenishment roller disposed such as to face a toner inlet of a developer container, the volume ratio between the replenishment toner accommodating section and the waste toner recovery section being set such that no overflow of waste toner occurs even when toner used for development on a photosensitive drum is transferred only in a very small amount and is mostly recovered as waste toner, a toner accommodation space being formed by an inclined wall extending with a downward slope from a toner replenishment roller mounting portion of the replenishment toner accommodating section, replenishment toner in the toner accommodation space being capable of being pulled up to the toner replenishment roller mounting portion with the rotation of a toner agitating fin, wherein the inner surface of the inclined wall defining the toner accommodation space has a raised portion means for providing an elastic force to the toner agitating fin and for enabling the toner agitating fin to upwardly pull replenishment toner in the toner accommodation space by the elastic force provided by the raised portion means.

A toner container comprising a replenishment toner accommodating section, a waste toner recovery section forme:

• adjacent a longitudinal end of the replenishment toner accommodating section via a partitioning wall, and a toner replenishment roller disposed such as to face a toner inlet of a developer container, the volume ratio between the replenishment toner accommodating section and the waste toner recovery section being set such that no overflow of waste toner occurs even when toner used for development on a photosensitive drum is transferred only in a very small amount and is mostly recovered as waste toner, the volume ratio being not less than about 1:1, a toner accommodation space being formed by an inclined wall extending with a downward slope from a toner replenishment roller mounting portion of the replenishment toner accommodating section, the toner bottom of the accommodation space disposed below the toner inlet of the developer container.

A toner container comprising a replenishment toner accommodating section, a waste toner recovery section formed adjacent a longitudinal end of the replenishment toner accommodating section via a partitioning wall, and a toner replenishment roller disposed such as to face a toner inlet of a developer container, the volume ratio between the replenishment toner accommodating section and the waste toner recovery section being set such that no overflow of waste toner occurs even when toner used for development on a photosensitive drum is transferred only in a very small amount and is mostly recovered as waste toner, the volume ratio being not less than about 1:1, the replenishment toner accommodating section having a toner replenishment roller mounting portion concentric with the toner replenishment roller and having an arcuate sectional profile to define an arcuate clearance between the toner replenishment roller mounting portion and the toner replenishment roller, a shutter being disposed in the arcuate clearance such as to open and close an opening of the toner replenishment roller mounting portion by rotating by a predetermined angle in an interlocked relation to an operation of mounting or dismounting the toner container.

A toner container functioning as toner hopper having an opening facing a developer container accommodating a developer composed of a plurality of components, comprising a toner replenishment roller disposed in the opening and controlled for rotation according to a detection signal from a toner concentration sensor provided on the side of the developer container,

• a shutter being provided for rotation along the outer periphery of the toner replenishment roller to open and close the opening at predetermined angular positions, the shutter having at least one opening end in frictional contact with the outer periphery of the toner replenishment roller, toner having been attached to the toner replenishment roller being capable of being scraped off with the rotation thereof.

A developing device with a toner container capable of being mounted and dismounted, functioning as toner hopper and having an opening facing a developer container accommodating a developer composed of a plurality of components, comprising a toner replenishment roller disposed in the opening and controlled for rotation according to a detection signal from a toner concentration sensor provided on the side of the developer container,

• a shutter being provided for rotation along the outer periphery of the toner replenishment roller to open and close the opening at predetermined angular position, the shutter having at least one opening end in frictional contact with the outer periphery of the toner replenishment roller,
• the shutter being capable of being rotated by a predetermined angle between a position to close the opening and a position to open the opening in an interlocked relation to operations of mounting and dismounting the toner container on and out of the developer container.