# US 9,753,404 B2 · Powder container and image forming apparatus

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- Number: US 9,753,404 B2
- Document ID: US9753404B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/223,982
- Filed: 2016-07-29
- Published: 2017-08-03
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2016-01-28
- Assignees: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Masahiro Uchida; Manabu Furuki; Masashi Ikeda; Makoto Kamisaki; Tatsuhiro Igarashi; Teppei Yawada
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9753404B2

## CPC

- G03G 15/0877: {Arrangements for metering and dispensing developer from a developer cartridge into the development unit}
- G03G 15/0886: {by mechanical means, e.g. shutter, plug}
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

A powder container includes a container chamber that contains powder; a transporting member that transports the powder in the container chamber; an opening that is provided in a wall of the container chamber and through which the powder is discharged out of the container chamber as the transporting member transports the powder; and a closing member that closes a lower portion of the opening and moves vertically relative to the opening in a direction opposite to a direction of vertical movement of the opening due to tilting of the container chamber.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A powder container comprising:
a container chamber that contains powder;
a transporting member that transports the powder in the container chamber;
an opening that is provided in a wall of the container chamber and through which the powder is discharged out of the container chamber as the transporting member transports the powder; and
a closing member that closes a lower portion of the opening and moves vertically relative to the opening in a direction opposite to a direction of vertical movement of the opening due to tilting of the container chamber.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The powder container according to claim 1, further comprising:
a rotating member rotatable around a fulcrum located closer to a center of the container chamber than the opening is;
a holding member that extends from the rotating member and holds the closing member; and
a weight that extends from the rotating member in a direction different from a direction in which the holding member extends, the weight moving downward due to a self-weight thereof to raise the closing member to a height at which the closing member closes the lower portion of the opening.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The powder container according to claim 1, wherein the powder is toner.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The powder container according to claim 3, wherein the toner has a volume average particle diameter (D50v) in a range of approximately 3 μm to approximately 5 μm.

### Claim 5

An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image carrier;
a latent-image forming unit that forms a latent image on a surface of the image carrier;
a developing device that develops the latent image with a powdered coloring material; and
a coloring-material supplying device that supplies the coloring material to the developing device,
wherein at least one of the developing device or the coloring-material supplying device includes
a container chamber that contains powder,
a transporting member that transports the powder in the container chamber,
an opening provided in a wall of the container chamber and through which the powder is discharged out of the container chamber as the transporting member transports the powder, and
a closing member that closes a lower portion of the opening and moves vertically relative to the opening in a direction opposite to a direction of vertical movement of the opening due to tilting of the container chamber.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 5,
wherein the at least one of the developing device or the coloring-material supplying device further includes
a rotating member rotatable around a fulcrum located closer to a center of the container chamber than the opening is,
a holding member that extends from the rotating member and holds the closing member, and
a weight that extends from the rotating member in a direction different from a direction in which the holding member extends, the weight moving downward due to a self-weight thereof to raise the closing member to a height at which the closing member closes the lower portion of the opening.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the powder is toner.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the toner has a volume average particle diameter (D50v) in a range of approximately 3 μm to approximately 5 μm.