Replaceable container assembly for storing material for delivery to or from a printing machine

A replaceable container assembly for storing a supply of particles for use in a developer unit of an electrophotographic printing machine comprising a container having a chamber for storing the particles and a first mouth member, the container being releasably cooperable with a conduit device having a second mouth member projecting therefrom and a finger actuated screw-on mating mechanism positioned on the second mouth member, the container including a plurality of bump-like projections adapted to lift the mating mechanism so as to easily permit the container to be inserted into or removed from the machine and easily permit the first mouth member to be in contiguous relation to the second mouth member, whereby, the screw-on mating mechanism is adapted screw onto the first mouth member and secure the container to the device permitting the particles to flow between the container and the device.

A developer unit for developing a latent image recorded on an image receiving member with a supply of particles, comprising a conduit device cooperable with a mechanism to feed the particles from a first mouth member on the device into the development unit, said device including a screw-on mating mechanism adapted to screw onto said first mouth member, and a container defining a chamber for storing particles therein, said container having a second mouth member extending therefrom and a plurality of bump-like projections adapted to lift said mating mechanism so as to easily permit said container to be inserted into or removed from said machine and easily permit said second mouth member to be in contiguous relation to said first mouth member, said container adapted to be releasably cooperable with said device by fitting said first mouth member over said second mouth member and turning said mechanism to screw said mating mechanism onto both said first and second mouth members whereby said container is firmly secured to said device.

An electrophotographic printing machine for developing with a supply of particles a latent image recorded on an image receiving member, said printing machine including a replaceable developer unit, the replaceable developer unit comprising a conduit device cooperable with a mechanism to feed the particles from a first mouth member on the device into the replaceable development unit, the device including a finger actuated screw-on mating mechanism adapted to screw onto said first mouth member, and a container defining a chamber for storing particles therein, the container having a second mouth member extending therefrom and a plurality of bump-like projections adapted to lift the mating mechanism so as to easily permit the container to be inserted into or removed from the machine and easily permit the second mouth member to be in contiguous relation to the first mouth member, the container adapted to be releasably cooperable with the device by fitting the first mouth member over the second mouth member and screwing the mating mechanism onto the second mouth member whereby the container is firmly secured to the device.