Developer storage container and image forming apparatus using the same

1. A developer storage container that is removably inserted into a container receiving portion of a chassis of an image forming apparatus, the container that stores a developer therein, the container comprising:

a container body that stores the developer therein;

an opening formed in a portion of the container body;

an opening-and-closing cover configured to block the opening;

a cover holding frame that holds the opening-and-closing cover so that the opening-and-closing cover is movable in an opening-and-closing direction between an opening position in which the opening is open and a closing position in which the opening is closed;

a protrusion portion that is formed in the opening-and-closing cover, and protrudes toward the cover holding frame when the opening-and-closing cover is located in the closing position;

a blocking portion that is provided on the cover holding frame, wherein

the blocking portion is disposed in a position that is overlapped, along the opening-and-closing direction of the opening-and-closing cover, with a position of a distal end of the protrusion portion when the opening-and-closing cover is located in the closing position, and

when the opening-and-closing cover moves in the opening-and-closing direction from the closing position toward the opening position and reaches a certain intermediate position in which it is not started to open the opening, the blocking portion is in contact with the protrusion portion and is blocked; and

a position regulating protrusion that is provided in the cover holding frame, wherein when the opening-and-closing cover moves from a position where the protrusion portion and the blocking portion are in contact with each other to the closing position, the position regulating protrusion causes the opening-and-closing cover to move in a direction intersecting the opening-and-closing direction and regulates a position of the opening-and-closing cover in the direction intersecting the opening-and-closing direction so that the blocking portion is overlapped, along the opening-and-closing direction, with the position of the distal end of the protrusion portion,

wherein the opening-and-closing direction extends along an insertion/removal direction of the developer storage container.

2. The developer storage container according to claim 1 , wherein

a width direction is a direction that is perpendicular to the opening-and-closing direction of the opening-and-closing cover, and

the following conditional expressions are satisfied:

f>w 5 −w 2

h>w 6 −w 1

k>w 5 −w 3

where

w 1 denotes the maximum width of the cover holding frame up to a distal end of the position regulating protrusion,

w 2 denotes a width of the cover holding frame from the distal end of the position regulating protrusion to the blocking portion,

w 3 denotes a width of the cover holding frame between the both sides excluding the position regulating protrusion,

w 4 denotes a width of the cover holding frame from one side thereof to the blocking portion excluding the position regulating protrusion,

w 5 denotes a width of the opening-and-closing cover from an inner surface of one of side walls thereof in the width direction to the protrusion portion,

w 6 denotes the maximum width of the opening-and-closing cover between the both side walls in the width direction excluding the protrusion portion,

f denotes a blocking length of the blocking portion,

h denotes a protrusion length of the protrusion portion, and

k denotes a protrusion length of the position regulating protrusion.

3. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a chassis formed with a container receiving portion; and

a developer storage container configured to be removably inserted into the container receiving portion of the chassis, the developer storage container that stores a developer therein, wherein

the developer storage container includes

a container body that stores the developer therein,

an opening formed in a portion of the container body,

an opening-and-closing cover configured to block the opening,

a cover holding frame that holds the opening-and-closing cover so that the opening-and-closing cover is movable in an opening-and-closing direction between an opening position where the opening is open and a closing position where the opening is closed,

a protrusion portion that is formed in the opening-and-closing cover, and protrudes toward the cover holding frame when the opening-and-closing cover is located in the closing position,

a blocking portion that is provided on the cover holding frame, wherein

the blocking portion is disposed in a position that is overlapped, along the opening-and-closing direction of the opening-and-closing cover, with a position of a distal end of the protrusion portion when the opening-and-closing cover is located in the closing position, and

when the opening-and-closing cover moves in the opening-and-closing direction from the closing position toward the opening position and reaches a certain intermediate position in which it is not started to open the opening, the blocking portion is in contact with the protrusion portion and is blocked, and a position regulating protrusion that is provided in the cover holding frame,

wherein when the opening-and-closing cover moves from a position where the protrusion portion and the blocking portion are in contact with each other to the closing position, the position regulating protrusion causes the opening-and-closing cover to move in a direction intersecting the opening-and-closing direction and regulates a position of the opening-and-closing cover in the direction intersecting the opening-and-closing direction so that the blocking portion is overlapped, along the opening-and-closing direction, with the position of the distal end of the protrusion portion,

the container receiving portion of the chassis of the image forming apparatus includes

a cover guide rail that guides the opening-and-closing cover of the developer storage container,

a cover holding mechanism, and

a cover-holding releasing mechanism,

when the developer storage container is being inserted, the cover holding mechanism abuts against the opening-and-closing cover to move the opening-and-closing cover toward the opening position and then holds the opening-and-closing cover,

when the developer storage container is being removed, the cover holding mechanism moves the opening-and-closing cover, which is located in the opening position, toward the closing position, and

when the developer storage container is being removed and the opening-and-closing cover reaches the closing position, the cover-holding releasing mechanism releases a state in which the cover holding mechanism holds the opening-and-closing cover,

wherein the opening-and-closing direction extends along an insertion/removal direction of the developer storage container.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

the cover holding mechanism includes an elastic holding part that extends in the opening-and-closing direction of the opening-and-closing cover and is elastically deformable, and

when the developer storage container is being inserted, the elastic holding part abuts against the opening-and-closing cover to move the opening-and-closing cover to the opening position and the elastic holding part is elastically deformed outward at a time point when the opening-and-closing cover reaches the opening position, so as to be displaced from the opening-and-closing cover and then hold the opening-and-closing cover being located in the opening position.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein

the cover-holding releasing mechanism includes a holding releasing protruding part that is elastically deformed in the direction for displacing the elastic holding part from the opening-and-closing cover when the opening-and-closing cover reaches the closing position, and

the holding releasing protruding part releases the state in which the elastic holding part holds the opening-and-closing cover.