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US RE47,086 E1Granted
Toner container and image forming apparatus
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorsNobuyuki Taguchi, Goro Katsuyama, Takeroh Kurenuma, Hideo Yoshizawa, Masayuki Yamane
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A toner container detachably attached to a toner-container holder of a main body of an image forming apparatus includes a container body that includes an opening, and discharges toner contained in the container body, from the opening; and a held portion that is held by the toner-container holder in a non-rotating manner. The held portion includes an open/close member for opening/closing the toner outlet in synchronization with an attachment/detachment operation of the held portion to/from the toner-container holder.
Claims26
A storage and dispensing device for toner, comprising:
- a cap portion through which toner is dispensed, the cap portion having at least a portion which is cylindrical-shaped;
- and
- a storage volume connected to the cap portion, a portion of the storage volume being disposed within an interior of the cylindrical-shaped portion, and
- a longitudinal axis,
- the cap portion including:
- a front portion which includes a section which is at least partially cylindrical and has a radius;
- a first pair of flat vertical exterior surfaces which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the storage and dispensing device, disposed below the section which is at least partially cylindrical, the first pair of flat vertical exterior surfaces disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the storage and dispensing device;
- a second pair of flat vertical exterior surfaces which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the storage and dispensing device, disposed below the first pair of vertical surfaces, the second pair of flat vertical exterior surfaces disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the storage and dispensing device;
- and
- a projection on an exterior of the cap portion, the projection corresponding to a particular color of toner, a thickness of the projection in a vertical direction being less than or equal to a the radius of the cylindrical-shaped portion section which is at least partially cylindrical,
- the storage and dispensing device further comprising a storage volume connected to the cap portion, a portion of the storage volume being disposed within an interior of the section which is at least partially cylindrical,
- wherein a distance from a center of the cylindrical-shaped front portion of the cap portion to an outer edge of the projection is at least 15% greater than a the radius of the cylindrical-shaped portion section which is at least partially cylindrical,
- wherein the each flat vertical surface of the first pair of flat vertical surfaces is closer to a vertical line at a front portion of the cap portion than each flat vertical surface of the second pair of flat vertical surfaces, the vertical line being centered relative to the front portion of the cap,
- wherein a profile, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, of the projection includes an upper horizontal line including an outer end, a lower horizontal line including an outer end, and a convex line which is an outer edge of the projection connecting the outer end of the upper horizontal line with the outer end of the lower horizontal line.
11 more elements
A storage device for toner, comprising:
- a storage volume to store toner;
- an end, connected to the storage volume, through which toner is dispensed and including a front portion which includes a section which is at least partially cylindrical, the end including an exterior;
- a longitudinal axis;
- a first pair of flat vertical exterior surfaces which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the storage device, disposed below the section which is at least partially cylindrical, the first pair of flat vertical exterior surfaces disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis;
- a second pair of flat vertical exterior surfaces which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the storage device, disposed below the first pair of flat vertical surfaces, the second pair of flat vertical exterior surfaces disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the storage device;
- and
- a projection at an exterior of the storage device, the projection corresponding to a particular color of toner, a thickness of the projection in a vertical direction being less than or equal to a distance from a center of the end to the exterior of the end, the projection including an outer edge at an outer circumferential portion thereof, the outer edge of the projection being further from the longitudinal axis than an outer surface of the partially cylindrical section is from the longitudinal axis,
- wherein a distance from the center of the end to the outer edge of the projection at the outer circumferential portion is at least 15% greater than a distance from the center of the end to the outer circumferential portion where the projection does not exist, and
- wherein each flat vertical surface of the first pair of flat vertical surfaces is closer to a vertical line at the front portion of the end than each flat vertical surface of the second pair of flat vertical surfaces, the vertical line being centered relative to the front portion of the end,
- wherein a profile, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, of the projection includes an upper horizontal line including an outer end, a lower horizontal line including an outer end, and a convex line which is the outer edge of the projection connecting the outer end of the upper horizontal line with the outer end of the lower horizontal line.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.