US 8,805,248 B2Granted

Developer unit for an image forming apparatus

AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorShougo Sato

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Abstract

A developer unit for an image forming apparatus is provided. The developer unit includes a developer device with a developer agent carrier and a developer agent supplier, and a developer agent container, which contains the developer agent and is arranged in a lower position with respect to the developer device. The developer agent container is formed to have a fitting wall, which is curved inward at a position to be adjacent to the developer device. The fitting wall is formed to have a feeding opening and a collecting opening. The developer unit is further provided with a first conveyer, which is rotated about a rotation axis to sweep an inner surface of the developer agent container and convey the developer agent toward the feeding opening, and a second conveyer, which is arranged along the developer agent supplier and conveys the developer agent toward the collecting opening.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A developer unit for an image forming apparatus to form an image on a recording sheet, comprising:

a developer device comprising:
a developer agent carrier configured to carry a developer agent on a surface thereof;
and
a developer agent supplier configured to supply the developer agent to the developer agent carrier;
and
a developer agent container configured to contain the developer agent to be supplied to the developer device and arranged in a lower position with respect to the developer device, the developer agent container comprising:
a developer agent cartridge containing the developer;
and
an accommodating portion configured to detachably accommodate the developer agent cartridge at a position below the developer device,
wherein the developer agent cartridge has a supply opening, through which the developer agent is to be supplied to the developer device, at a position opposite to the developer agent carrier relative to the developer agent supplier, and
wherein the developer agent cartridge, which is detachable from the developer device, comprises an agitator arranged in a lower position with respect to the developer device and configured to rotate to sweep an inner surface of the developer agent container and to supply the developer agent upward through the supply opening.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/784,363Filed 4 Mar 2013 · continuation
Priority: JP 2009-25050030 Oct 2009
Published: US 2013/0183064 A118 Jul 2013
Granted: 12 Aug 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

G03G 15/0891
Arrangements for conveying and conditioning developer in the developing unit, e.g. agitating, removing impurities or humidity: for conveying or…
G03G 15/0822
Using a solid developer, e.g. powder developer: arrangements for preparing, mixing, supplying or dispensing developer
G03G 15/0844
Arrangements for preparing, mixing, supplying or dispensing developer: arrangements for purging used developer from the developing unit
G03G 15/0865
Arrangements for preparing, mixing, supplying or dispensing developer: arrangements for supplying new developer

Family

Application12/917,474Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Nov 2010
US 2013/0183064 A1Pre-grant publication · published 18 Jul 2013
US 8,391,752 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2011/0103844 A1Published application
US 8,805,248 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.