Developer container, developing device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHideki Maeshima, Kuniaki Hirukawa, Shuichi Gofuku, Shuhei Kawasaki, Hisashi Taniguchi, Kodai Hayashi, Yoshihiro Mitsui
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a developer container or the like, developer is conveyed efficiently by utilizing a projecting portion included in a transmitting member and another projecting portion. A velocity vector that is generated at a free end of a conveying member and is oriented upward becomes largest during a period from when the conveying member having been in contact with the projecting portion is released from the projecting portion until when the free end of the conveying member comes into contact with a storage chamber.
Claims25
A developer container comprising:
- a storage chamber that stores developer;
- a conveying member provided in the storage chamber and configured to convey the developer;
- a transmitting member configured to transmit a signal for detecting an amount of developer;
- and
- a first projecting portion provided on an inner sidewall of the storage chamber, the first projecting portion projecting toward a side of a conveying-member shaft of the conveying member when seen in a longitudinal direction of the storage chamber and being different from the transmitting member,
- wherein the transmitting member includes a second projecting portion projecting from the inner sidewall of the storage chamber toward a side of the conveying-member shaft of the conveying member when seen in the longitudinal direction of the storage chamber, and
- wherein the conveying member is deformed elastically by coming into contact with one of the first projecting portion and the second projecting portion while being in contact with the other projecting portion by which the conveying member has already been elastically deformed, or the conveying member is deformed elastically by simultaneously coming into contact with the first projecting portion and the second projecting portion.
A developer container comprising:
- a storage chamber that stores developer;
- a development chamber into which the developer is supplied from the storage chamber through an opening;
- a conveying member provided in the storage chamber and configured to convey the developer;
- and
- a projecting portion, which includes a first projecting portion and a second protecting portion closer to a rotating shaft of the conveying member than the first projecting portion, projecting from an inner sidewall of the storage chamber toward a rotating-shaft side of the conveying member when seen in a longitudinal direction of the storage chamber,
- wherein a free end of the conveying member comes into contact with a wall of the storage chamber when positioned on a downstream side with respect to the projecting portion and on an upstream side with respect to the opening in a direction of rotation of the conveying member,
- wherein the conveying member bends by coming into contact with the projecting portion and conveys the developer when being released from the projecting portion, and
- wherein a velocity vector at a free end of the conveying member and in a direction opposite to a gravitational direction becomes largest during a period after the free end that has been bent is released from the projecting portion and before the free end comes into contact with the storage chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.