Sealing film whose tearing guide is formed by laser processing, and toner container using the same
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsKazuyoshi Hayashi, Yoji Orimo, Koji Shimizu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The toner supplying opening of a toner container for storing powder toner or the like used in image-forming apparatuses such as copying machine or the like is sealed with a laminated lid material film. This sealing film comprises a base layer having tearing directionality, a guide layer having tearing guide portions formed by laser processing and a laser barrier layer provided between the base layer and the guide layer for shielding laser beams.
Claims44
A sealing film for sealing an opening of a containment body of a toner container for supplying toner to be used in an image forming apparatus, said sealing film comprising:
- a base layer having a tearing directionality;
- a guide layer having easy-tear portions for opening the opening, said easy-tear portions being laser-processed grooves formed in said guide layer by a processing laser beam, and said easy-tear portions extending along the tearing directionality;
- and
- a laser beam barrier layer provided between said base layer and said guide layer for shielding said base layer from the processing laser beam when the processing laser beam irradiates said guide layer from a side of said sealing film opposite a side at which said base layer is provided.
A toner container to be used in conjunction with an image forming apparatus, said toner container comprising:
- a containment body for containing toner therein and having an opening to supply the toner therethrough;
- and
- a sealing film for sealing the opening to said containment body, said sealing film including:
- a base layer having a tearing directionality;
- a guide layer having easy-tear portions for opening the opening, said easy-tear portions being laser-processed grooves formed in laser beam on said guide layer by a processing laser beam, and said easy-tear portions extending along the tearing directionality;
- and
- a laser beam barrier layer provided between said base layer and said guide layer for shielding said base layer from the processing laser beam when the processing laser beam irradiates said guide layer from a side of said sealing film opposite a side at which said base layer is provided.
A sealing film for sealing an opening of a containment body of a toner container for supplying toner to be used in an image forming apparatus, said sealing film comprising:
- a base layer having a tearing directionality;
- a guide layer having easy-tear portions for opening the opening, said easy-tear portions being laser-processed grooves formed in said guide layer by a processing layer beam and extending in the tearing directionality;
- and
- a laser barrier layer provided between said base layer and said guide layer;
- wherein said easy-tear portions are formed by irradiating said sealing film with the processing laser beam from a side, opposed to a side on which said base layer is provided, of said sealing film, said processing laser beam having a predetermined oscillating wavelength and a predetermined output, while providing a relative movement between said sealing film and the processing laser beam in the predetermined directionality, and
- wherein said laser barrier layer shields said base layer from the processing laser beam when said sealing film is irradiated by the processing laser beam.
A toner container to be used in conjunction with an image forming apparatus for forming an image with toner, said toner container comprising:
- a containment body for containing the toner therein;
- an opening provided in said containment body for supplying the toner to the image forming apparatus;
- a flanged portion surrounding said opening;
- and
- a sealing film attached to said flanged portion for sealing said opening, said sealing film having a base layer having a tearing directionality, a guide layer having easy-tear portions for opening said opening, said easy-tear portions being laser-processed groves formed in the tearing directionality by a processing laser beam, and a laser barrier layer provided between said base layer and said guide layer,
- wherein said easy-tear portions are formed by irradiating said sealing film with the processing laser beam from a side, opposed to a side on which said base layer is provided, of said sealing film, the processing laser beam having a predetermined oscillating wavelength and a predetermined output, while providing a relative movement between said sealing film and the processing laser beam in the tearing directionality, and
- wherein said laser barrier layer shields said base layer from said laser beam when said sealing film is irradiated by the processing laser beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.