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US 6,785,496 B2Granted
Developer container, developing conveying device and image forming apparatus using the same
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorsNobuo Iwata, Nobuo Kasahara, Satoshi Muramatsu, Junichi Matsumoto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A developer container of the present invention includes a flexible bag whose volume decreases in accordance with the decrease in pressure inside the bag. An outlet forming member forms an outlet for discharging a developer stored in the bag. When the volume of the bag decrease due to the drop of the pressure, a deformation assisting member helps the bag deform to a preselected shape. A developer conveying device and an image forming apparatus practicable with the developer container are also disclosed.
Claims58
A developer container comprising:
- a flexible bag whose volume decreases in accordance with a decrease in pressure thereinside;
- an outlet forming member forming an outlet for discharging a developer stored in said bag;
- and
- deformation assisting means for helping, when the volume of said bag decreases due to a drop of the pressure, said bag deforms to a preselected shape.
1 more element
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image carrier;
- a developing unit for developing a latent image formed on said image carrier with a developer;
- a developer replenishing device for replenishing a developer to said developing unit;
- and
- a developer container storing the developer to be replenished and removably mounted to said developer replenishing device;
- said developer container comprising:
- a flexible bag whose volume decreases in accordance with a decrease in pressure thereinside;
- an outlet forming member forming an outlet for discharging the developer stored in said bag;
- and
- deformation assisting means for helping, when the volume of said bag decrease due to a drop of the pressure, said bag deform to a preselected shape.
7 more elements
A developer conveying device comprising:
- a gas sending device for sending a gas under pressure;
- an air supply passage for guiding the gas delivered from said gas sending device to a developer container, which stores a developer therein, via a plurality of gas outlets;
- a developer passage formed with a developer inlet for discharging the developer from said developer container;
- and
- gas delivery control means for controlling individual flows of the gas into said developer container via said plurality of gas inlets.
2 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image carrier;
- a developing unit for developing a latent image formed on said image carrier with a developer;
- a developer container storing the developer;
- and
- a developer replenishing device for conveying the developer discharged from said developer container to said developing unit to thereby replenishing said developer;
- said developer replenishing device comprising:
- a gas sending device for sending a gas under pressure;
- an air supply passage for guiding the gas delivered from said gas sending device to said developer container via a plurality of gas outlets;
- a developer passage formed with a developer inlet for discharging the developer from said developer container;
- and
- gas delivery control means for controlling individual flows of the gas into said developer container via said plurality of gas inlets.
8 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image carrier;
- a developing unit for developing a latent image formed on said image carrier with a developer;
- a developer container storing the developer;
- and
- a developer replenishing device for conveying the developer discharged from said developer container to said developing unit to thereby replenishing said developer;
- wherein said developing unit comprises a plurality of developing units each storing a developer of a particular color,
- said developer container comprises a plurality of developer containers each being mounted to a particular developing unit;
- said developer replenishing device comprises a developer conveying device comprising:
- a gas sending device for sending a gas under pressure;
- an air supply passage for guiding the gas delivered from said gas sending device to said developer container via a plurality of gas outlets;
- a developer passage formed with a developer inlet for discharging the developer from said developer container;
- and
- gas delivery control means for controlling individual flows of the gas into said developer container via said plurality of gas inlets;
- a plurality of gas supply passages each are assigned to a particular toner container, and
- a single air sending device shared by said plurality of gas supply passages.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.