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US 9,804,527 B2Granted
Sealing apparatus for developing device
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsKatsuya Nose, Fumiyoshi Saito
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a developing device in which initial developer is sealed in and a developer discharge mechanism (a trickle mechanism, or an ACR mechanism) is provided, the driving-torque load generated in the developing device is suppressed, regardless of the state of distribution of the developer that is sealed in the developing device. The order of releasing seals provided over openings is defined as follows. First, a seal provided on the downstream side of a stirring chamber starts to be released. Then, a seal provided over a discharge port is released. Lastly, a seal provided on the upstream side of the stirring chamber starts to be released.
Claims25
A developing device comprising:
- a first chamber that contains developer in an initial state;
- a second chamber that provides, communication with the first chamber, a path of circulation of the developer;
- a partition that separates the first chamber and the second chamber from each other;
- a first conveying member, provided in the first chamber, for conveying the developer in the first chamber;
- a second conveying member, provided in the second chamber, for conveying the developer in the second chamber;
- a first communication port provided on a downstream side in a direction of conveyance in the first chamber and that delivers the developer from the first chamber to the second chamber;
- a second communication port provided on an upstream side in the direction of conveyance in the first chamber and that delivers the developer from the second chamber to the first chamber;
- a first sealing portion bonded to a periphery of the first communication port and that releasably seals the first communication port;
- a second sealing portion bonded to a periphery of the second communication port and that releasably seals the second communication port;
- a supply port from which the developer is supplied, the developer being a mixture of a magnetic carrier and a nonmagnetic toner;
- a discharge port from which of the developer is dischargeable outside the developing device;
- a third sealing portion bonded to a periphery of the discharge port and that releasably seals the discharge port;
- and
- a winding shaft to which the first sealing portion, the second sealing portion, and the third sealing portion are attached and that is capable of winding up the sealing portions when receiving a driving force,
- wherein when the winding shaft releases the first sealing portion, the second sealing portion and the third sealing portion, release of the third sealing portion starts after starting to release the first sealing portion.
12 more elements
A developing device comprising:
- a first chamber that contains developer in an initial state;
- a second chamber that provides, in communication with the first chamber, a path of circulation of the developer;
- a partition that separates the first chamber and the second chamber from each other;
- a first conveying member, provided in the first chamber, for conveying the developer in the first chamber;
- a second conveying member, provided in the second chamber, for conveying the developer in the second chamber;
- a first communication port provided on a downstream side in a direction of conveyance in the first chamber and that delivers the developer from the first chamber to the second chamber;
- a second communication port provided on an upstream side in the direction of conveyance in the first chamber and that delivers the developer from the second chamber to the first chamber;
- a first sealing portion bonded to a periphery of the first communication port and that removably seals the first communication port;
- a second sealing portion bonded to a periphery of the second communication port and that removably seals the second communication port;
- a supply port from which the developer is supplied, the developer being a mixture of a magnetic carrier and a nonmagnetic toner;
- a discharge port from which the developer is dischargeable outside the developing device;
- a third sealing portion bonded to a periphery of the discharge port and that removably seals the discharge port;
- and
- a winding shaft to which the first sealing portion, the second sealing portion, and the third sealing portion are attached and that is capable of winding up the sealing portions when receiving a driving force,
- wherein when the winding shaft removes the first sealing portion, the second sealing portion and the third sealing portion, opening of the discharge port starts after starting to open the first communication port.
12 more elements
A developing device comprising:
- a first chamber that contains developer in an initial state;
- a second chamber that provides, in communication with the first chamber, a path of circulation of the developer;
- a partition that separates the first chamber and the second chamber from each other;
- a first conveying member, provided in the first chamber, for conveying the developer in the first chamber;
- a second conveying member, provided in the second chamber, for conveying the developer in the second chamber;
- a first communication port provided on a downstream side in a direction of conveyance in the first chamber and that delivers the developer from the first chamber to the second chamber;
- a second communication port provided on an upstream side in the direction of conveyance in the first chamber and that delivers the developer from the second chamber to the first chamber;
- a first sealing portion bonded to a periphery of the first communication port and that removably seals the first communication port;
- a second sealing portion bonded to a periphery of the second communication port and that removably seals the second communication port;
- a supply port from which the developer is supplied, the developer being a mixture of a magnetic carrier and a nonmagnetic toner;
- a discharge port from which the developer is dischargeable outside the developing device;
- a third sealing portion bonded to a periphery of the discharge port and that removably seals the discharge port;
- and
- a winding shaft to which the first sealing portion, the second sealing portion, and the third sealing portion are attached and that winds up the first sealing portion, the second sealing portion, and the third sealing portion when receiving a driving force.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.