Toner discharge mechanism, toner cartridge and image forming apparatus using the toner cartridge
AssigneeSharp Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsShigeki Hayashi, Takafumi Nagai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A toner discharge mechanism which is attached to a toner cartridge includes an auger screw for conveying and discharging a toner stored in the toner cartridge, the auger screw having an end portion downstream thereof, the end portion forming a taper portion having a predetermined length and an outer diameter diminishing toward a tip thereof; a cover member for covering the taper portion, the cover member having a conical inner wall configured to correspond to a taper shape of the taper portion; and a toner discharge outlet formed on the cover member.
Claims7
A toner discharge mechanism which is attached to a toner cartridge comprising:
- an auger screw for conveying and discharging a toner stored in the toner cartridge, the auger screw having an end portion downstream thereof, the end portion forming a taper portion having a predetermined length and an outer diameter diminishing toward a tip thereof;
- a cover member for covering the taper portion, the cover member having a conical inner wall configured to correspond to a taper shape of the taper portion;
- and
- a toner discharge outlet formed on the conical inner wall of the cover member from a maximal inner diameter portion thereof to a minimal inner diameter portion thereof.
A toner cartridge comprising:
- an auger screw for conveying and discharging a toner stored in the toner cartridge, the auger screw having an end portion downstream thereof, the end portion forming a taper portion having a predetermined length and an outer diameter diminishing toward a tip thereof;
- a cover member for covering the taper portion, the cover member having a conical inner wall configured to correspond to a taper shape of the taper portion;
- and
- a toner discharge outlet formed on the conical inner wall of the cover member from a maximal inner diameter portion thereof to a minimal inner diameter portion thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.