Toner storage unit

A toner storage unit comprising a container, a rotary shaft extending longitudinally of and mounted within the container, and an elastically deformable agitator blade attached to the rotary shaft, the agitator blade being curved with a predetermined radius of curvature and adapted to agitate toner while the agitator blade is frictionally slid on the inner surface of a toner storage section,

• the toner storage section having a bottom, and a first side wall extending upwardly of and located downstream of the bottom in the direction of rotation of the agitator blade, the first side wall including a toner supply opening,
• the toner storage section having a second side wall located in opposite relation to the first side wall, the second side wall being curved gradually larger toward the bottom in a transverse section, wherein the agitator blade has a distal end, the distal end of the agitator blade having a width less than the width of the toner supply opening such that the distal end may enter the toner supply opening when toner is agitated.

A toner storage unit comprising a container, a rotary shaft extending longitudinally of and mounted within the container, and an elastically deformable agitator blade attached to the rotary shaft, the agitator blade being curved with a predetermined radius of curvature and adapted to agitate toner while the agitator blade is frictionally slid on the inner surface of a toner storage section,

• the toner storage section having a bottom, and a first side wall extending upwardly of and located downstream of the bottom in the direction of rotation of the agitator blade, the first side wall including a toner supply opening,
• the toner storage section having a second side wall located in an opposite relation to the toner supply opening, the walls being such that a portion of the agitator blade at a location from the bottom to the toner supply opening is curved larger than a portion of the agitator blade at a location corresponding to the second side wall, wherein a portion of the container from the bottom to the second side wall has an arcuate surface, or a combination of arcuate and inclined surfaces, the arcuate surface having a center offset from the axis of the rotary shaft toward the second side wall.

A toner storage unit comprising a container, a rotary shaft extending longitudinally of and mounted within the container, and an elastically deformable agitator blade attached to the rotary shaft, the agitator blade being curved with a predetermined radius of curvature and adapted to agitate toner while the agitator blade is frictionally slid on the inner surface of a toner storage section,

• the agitator blade being rotate such that frictional resistance and axial torque applied to the distal end of the agitator blade are displaced in the direction of rotation of the agitator blade, a toner supply opening having a width, in the longitudinal direction of the container, which is less than half the length of the toner storage section, wherein the distal end of the agitator blade has a projection adapted for insertion into an opening, and the opening having a width one eighth to tenth shorter than the length of the toner storage section.