# US 9,753,402 B2 · Developer supply container and developer supplying system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,753,402 B2 - Document ID: US9753402B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/982,454 - Filed: 2015-12-29 - Published: 2016-05-12 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2009-03-30 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Katsuya Murakami; Toshiaki Nagashima; Fumio Tazawa; Ayatomo Okino; Yusuke Yamada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9753402B2 ## CPC - G03G 15/0867: {cylindrical developer cartridges, e.g. toner bottles for the developer replenishing opening} - G03G 15/0865: {Arrangements for supplying new developer} - G03G 15/0872: {the developer cartridges being generally horizontally mounted parallel to its longitudinal rotational axis} - G03G 15/0877: {Arrangements for metering and dispensing developer from a developer cartridge into the development unit} - G03G 2215/0685: fulfilling a continuous function within the electrographic apparatus during the use of the supplied developer material, e.g. toner discharge on demand, storing residual toner, not acting as a passive closure for the developer replenishing opening - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract In the case that a developer supply container is provided with a feeding portion for feeding a developer by receiving a rotational force and a pump portion for discharging the developer by reciprocation, and the rotational force and a reciprocating force are received from a main assembly side of an image forming apparatus, there is a liability that a driving connection is not properly established between a portion of the developer supply container for receiving the reciprocating force and a portion of the main assembly side for applying the reciprocating force. The developer supply container is provided with a drive converting mechanism for converting the rotational force received from the main assembly side to a force for operating a volume changing type pump. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A developer supply container comprising: a developer accommodating body configured to contain developer, wherein a surface is provided inside of the developer accommodating body, with the surface being configured to move the developer; a developer discharging body in fluid communication with the developer accommodating body such that the developer can flow from the developer accommodating body to the developer discharging body, the developer discharging body including a discharge opening through which the developer can be discharged from the developer discharging body; a gear configured and positioned to receive a rotational force; a pump having a variable volume, the pump being configured and positioned to force developer out of the developer discharging body through the discharge opening when the volume of the pump is reduced; and a cam projection and a cam groove operatively connected to the gear and the pump, the cam projection and the cam groove being configured and positioned to convert the rotational force received by the gear to a force for changing the volume of the pump. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The developer supply container of claim 1, wherein the pump includes bellows that expand and contract to change the volume of the pump. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The developer supply container of claim 1, wherein the discharge opening has an area of less than 12.6 mm2. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The developer supply container of claim 1, wherein the discharge opening has an area of 0.002 mm2 to 12.6 mm2. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The developer supply container of claim 1, further comprising developer contained within the developer supply container. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The developer supply container of claim 5, wherein the developer has a fluidity energy of not less than 4.3×10−4 kg·m2/s2 and not more than 4.14×10−3 kg·m2/s2. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The developer supply container of claim 1, wherein the surface inside of the developer accommodating body is a helical protrusion on a wall of the developer accommodating body. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The developer supply container of claim 1, wherein the surface inside of the developer accommodating body is part of a stirring member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The developer supply container of claim 1, further comprising a shutter movable between a first position wherein the developer is prevented by the shutter from being discharged through the discharge opening and a second position wherein the developer can be discharged through the discharge opening. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The developer supply container of claim 1, wherein the pump expands to decrease pressure inside of the developer discharging body, and the pump contracts to increase pressure inside of the developer discharging body. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The developer supply container of claim 1, wherein the developer accommodating body is rotatable relative to the developer discharging body. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The developer supply container of claim 1, further comprising a partition wall provided inside of the developer accommodating body. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The developer supply container of claim 12, wherein protrusions extend from the partition wall, with the protrusions being configured and positioned to move the developer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The developer supply container of claim 13, wherein the partition wall is provided at an end of the developer accommodating body that is adjacent to the developer discharging body. ### Claim 15 A developer supply container comprising: a developer accommodating body configured to contain developer; a developer discharging body in fluid communication with the developer accommodating body such that the developer can flow from the developer accommodating body to the developer discharging body, the developer discharging body including a discharge opening through which the developer can be discharged from the developer discharging body; and a pump having a variable volume, the pump being configured and positioned to force developer out of the developer discharging body through the discharge opening when the volume of the pump is reduced, wherein the developer accommodating body is rotatable about an axis relative to the developer discharging body, and wherein the developer accommodating body and the pump are positioned on opposite sides of the developer discharging body in a direction of the axis. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The developer supply container of claim 15, wherein the developer accommodating body, the developer discharging body, and the pump are each positioned along the axis. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The developer supply container of claim 15, further comprising a gear operatively connected to the pump, the gear being configured and positioned to receive a rotational force for changing the volume of the pump. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The developer supply container of claim 17, further comprising a cam projection and a cam groove operatively connected to the gear, the cam projection and the cam groove being configured and positioned to convert the rotational force received by the gear to a force for changing the volume of the pump. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The developer supply container of claim 15, wherein a surface is provided inside of the developer accommodating body to move the developer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The developer supply container of claim 19, wherein the surface inside of the developer accommodating body is a helical protrusion on a wall of the developer accommodating body. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The developer supply container of claim 19, wherein the surface inside of the developer accommodating body is part of a stirring member. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The developer supply container of claim 15, further comprising a shutter movable between a first position wherein the developer is prevented from being discharged through the discharge opening by the shutter and a second position wherein the developer can be discharged through the discharge opening. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The developer supply container of claim 15, wherein the pump includes bellows that expand and contract to change the volume of the pump. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The developer supply container of claim 15, wherein the discharge opening has an area of less than 12.6 mm2. ### Claim 25 (depends on 15) The developer supply container of claim 15, wherein the discharge opening has an area of 0.002 mm2 to 12.6 mm2. ### Claim 26 (depends on 15) The developer supply container of claim 15, wherein the discharge opening has a diameter of 0.05 mm to 4 mm. ### Claim 27 (depends on 15) The developer supply container of claim 15, further comprises developer contained within the developer supply container. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The developer supply container of claim 27, wherein the developer contained in the developer supply container has a fluidity energy of not less than 4.3×10−4 kg·m2/s2 and not more than 4.14×10−3 kg·m2/s2. ### Claim 29 (depends on 15) The developer supply container of claim 15, further comprising a partition wall provided inside of the developer accommodating body. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The developer supply container of claim 29, wherein protrusions extend from the partition wall, with the protrusions being configured and positioned to move the developer. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The developer supply container of claim 30, wherein the partition wall is provided at an end of the developer accommodating body that is adjacent to the developer discharging body. ### Claim 32 A developer supply container comprising: a developer accommodating body configured to contain developer; a developer discharging body in fluid communication with the developer accommodating body such that the developer can flow from the developer accommodating body to the developer discharging body, the developer discharging body including a discharge opening through which the developer can be discharged from the developer discharging body, a pump configured and positioned to force developer out of the developer discharging body through the discharge opening when the volume of the pump is reduced; and a gear operatively connected to the pump and the developer accommodating body, the gear being configured and positioned to receive a rotational force for changing the volume of the pump and for rotating the developer accommodating body, wherein the developer accommodating body is rotatable about an axis relative to the developer discharging body, and the developer accommodating body, the pump, and the developer discharging body are each positioned along the axis. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The developer supply container of claim 32, wherein a surface is provided inside of the developer accommodating body to move the developer. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The developer supply container of claim 33, wherein the surface inside of the developer accommodating body is a helical protrusion on a wall of the developer accommodating body. ### Claim 35 (depends on 32) The developer supply container of claim 32, wherein the surface inside of the developer accommodating body is part of a stirring member. ### Claim 36 (depends on 32) The developer supply container of claim 32, further comprising a shutter movable between a first position wherein the developer is prevented by the shutter from being discharged through the discharge opening and a second position wherein the developer can be discharged through the discharge opening. ### Claim 37 (depends on 32) The developer supply container of claim 32, wherein the pump includes bellows that expand and contract to change the volume of the pump. ### Claim 38 (depends on 32) The developer supply container of claim 32, wherein the discharge opening has an area of less than 12.6 mm2. ### Claim 39 (depends on 32) The developer supply container of claim 32, wherein the discharge opening has an area of 0.002 mm2 to 12.6 mm2. ### Claim 40 (depends on 32) The developer supply container of claim 32, wherein the discharge opening has a diameter of 0.05 mm to 4 mm. ### Claim 41 (depends on 32) The developer supply container of claim 32, further comprising developer contained within the developer supply container. ### Claim 42 (depends on 41) The developer supply container of claim 41, wherein the developer contained in the developer supply container has a fluidity energy of not less than 4.3×10−4 kg·m2/s2 and not more than 4.14×10−3 kg·m2/s2. ### Claim 43 (depends on 32) The developer supply container of claim 32, further comprising a partition wall provided inside of the developer accommodating body. ### Claim 44 (depends on 43) The developer supply container of claim 43, wherein protrusions extend from the partition wall, with the protrusions being configured and positioned to move the developer. ### Claim 45 (depends on 44) The developer supply container of claim 44, wherein the partition wall is provided at an end of the developer accommodating body that is adjacent to the developer discharging body. ### Claim 46 (depends on 32) The developer supply container of claim 32, wherein the gear and the developer accommodating body are provided as separate structures that are joined together.