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US 9,869,948 B2Granted
Grippable toner container, and image forming apparatus containing same
AssigneeKYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
InventorTomohiro Sue
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A toner container includes a container main body, a first toner storage portion, a second toner storage portion, and a gripping portion. The container main body is elongated. The first toner storage portion stores toner in its inside and is provided in one side in a longitudinal direction of the container main body. The second toner storage portion stores toner in its inside and is provided in the other side in the longitudinal direction. The gripping portion is provided between the first toner storage portion and the second toner storage portion, and includes a concave portion which is formed in a side portion of the container main body on one side in a width direction of the container main body, the width direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.
Claims6
A toner container comprising:
- an elongated container main body;
- a first toner storage portion configured to store toner in an inside thereof, and provided in one side in a longitudinal direction of the container main body;
- a second toner storage portion configured to store toner in an inside thereof, and provided in the other side in the longitudinal direction;
- and
- a gripping portion provided between the first toner storage portion and the second toner storage portion and including a concave portion which is formed in a side portion of the container main body on one side in a width direction of the container main body, the width direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, wherein
- the toner container is attached to an attachment portion included in an image forming apparatus in a state where the longitudinal direction matches an up-down direction,
- the first toner storage portion stores unused toner in an inside thereof, and is provided in an upper part of the container main body in an attachment attitude of the toner container attached to the attachment portion,
- the second toner storage portion stores, in an inside thereof, used toner collected from the image forming apparatus, and is provided in a lower part of the container main body, below the first toner storage portion in the attachment attitude,
- the toner container further comprising:
- a cylindrical toner guide portion extending toward the attachment portion from a lower part of a wall surface of the first toner storage portion on an attachment portion side, and configured to guide the unused toner stored in the first toner storage portion to a developing device included in the image forming apparatus;
- a toner discharge port formed in a lower surface of the toner guide portion and configured to discharge toner stored in the toner guide portion to outside;
- and
- an opening and closing member slidably supported by the lower surface of the toner guide portion in such a way as to be displaced to a position of opening the toner discharge port when the toner container is attached to the attachment portion, and displaced to a position of closing the toner discharge port when the toner container is detached from the attachment portion, wherein
- the gripping portion includes a pair of the concave portions respectively formed in side portions on opposite sides in the width direction,
- the pair of the concave portions are formed in the side portions on opposite sides in the width direction in an upper end part of the second toner storage portion,
- a first concave portion that is one of the pair of the concave portions, is provided in proximity to the opening and closing member, and
- the toner guide portion is provided on the wall surface of the first toner storage portion at a position close to a side portion on one of the opposite sides of the container main body, and the first concave portion has a larger size than a second concave portion that is on the other side in the width direction.
14 more elements
A toner container comprising:
- an elongated container main body;
- a first toner storage portion configured to store toner in an inside thereof, and provided in one side in a longitudinal direction of the container main body;
- a second toner storage portion configured to store toner in an inside thereof, and provided in the other side in the longitudinal direction;
- and
- a gripping portion provided between the first toner storage portion and the second toner storage portion and including a concave portion which is formed in a side portion of the container main body on one side in a width direction of the container main body, the width direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, wherein
- the toner container is attached to an attachment portion included in an image forming apparatus in a state where the longitudinal direction matches an up-down direction,
- the first toner storage portion stores unused toner in an inside thereof, and is provided in an upper part of the container main body in an attachment attitude of the toner container attached to the attachment portion,
- the second toner storage portion stores, in an inside thereof, used toner collected from the image forming apparatus, and is provided in a lower part of the container main body, below the first toner storage portion in the attachment attitude,
- the gripping portion includes a pair of the concave portions respectively formed in side portions on opposite sides in the width direction,
- the pair of the concave portions are formed in the side portions on opposite sides in the width direction in an upper end part of the second toner storage portion,
- a type identification label is attached to an outer surface that is on an opposite side to the attachment portion when the toner container is in the attachment attitude, the type identification label indicating a type of the toner container, and
- the type identification label is attached to a region between the pair of the concave portions in the outer surface.
9 more elements
A toner container comprising:
- an elongated container main body;
- a first toner storage portion configured to store toner in an inside thereof, and provided in one side in a longitudinal direction of the container main body;
- a second toner storage portion configured to store toner in an inside thereof, and provided in the other side in the longitudinal direction;
- and
- a gripping portion provided between the first toner storage portion and the second toner storage portion and including a concave portion which is formed in a side portion of the container main body on one side in a width direction of the container main body, the width direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, wherein
- the toner container is attached to an attachment portion included in an image forming apparatus in a state where the longitudinal direction matches an up-down direction,
- the first toner storage portion stores unused toner in an inside thereof, and is provided in an upper part of the container main body in an attachment attitude of the toner container attached to the attachment portion,
- the second toner storage portion stores, in an inside thereof, used toner collected from the image forming apparatus, and is provided in a lower part of the container main body, below the first toner storage portion in the attachment attitude,
- the toner container further comprising:
- a first conveyance guide portion which is cylindrical, provided in the first toner storage portion, projects from a wall surface of the first toner storage portion on a side of the attachment portion toward the attachment portion, and guides the unused toner from the inside of the first toner storage portion to a developing device included in the image forming apparatus;
- and
- a second conveyance guide portion which is cylindrical, provided in the second toner storage portion, projects from a wall surface of the second toner storage portion on a side of the attachment portion toward the attachment portion, receives the used toner collected from the image forming apparatus and guides the used toner to the inside of the second toner storage portion.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.