IP Library Granted Patent US 9,465,318
Granted Patent B2
US 9,465,318 · App. 14/033,735 · Granted Oct 11, 2016

Developer accommodating container with toner seal member, unsealing member, and auxiliary unsealing member

Inventors: Toshiaki Takeuchi (Susono, JP); Takashi Kimura (Tokyo, JP); Yoshiyuki Batori (Suntou-gun, JP); Ryuta Murakami (Suntou-gun, JP); Daisuke Makiguchi (Izunokuni, JP); Noritomo Yamaguchi (Kawasaki, JP); Naoki Hayashi (Kawasaki, JP)
Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
G03G15/0881G03G15/0882
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,465,318
App. No.
14/033,735
Granted
Oct 11, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A developer accommodating container for accommodating a developer includes: a toner seal member for unsealably sealing an opening of the developer accommodating container; an unsealing member, connected to an end portion of the toner seal member, for unsealing the opening by moving at least a part of the toner seal member; and an auxiliary unsealing member for assisting unsealing by changing a pulling direction of the toner seal member by the unsealing member. The auxiliary unsealing member includes a shaft portion or a projected portion. The shaft portion or the projected portion extends in a longitudinal direction of the developer accommodating container.

Claims (38)

1. A developer container for accommodating developer, said developer container comprising:

a seal member for unsealably sealing an opening of said developer container;

an unsealing member, connected to an end portion of said seal member, for unsealing the opening; and

an auxiliary unsealing member for assisting unsealing by changing a pulling direction of said seal member by said unsealing member,

wherein said auxiliary unsealing member includes a shaft portion or a projected portion,

wherein said shaft portion or said projected portion extends in a longitudinal direction of said developer container, and

wherein a feeding sheet is fixed on said unsealing member, and said seal member is fixed between said feeding sheet and said unsealing member.

2. A developer container according to claim 1 , wherein said auxiliary unsealing member is provided in a position closer to the opening than said unsealing member.

3. A developer container according to claim 1 , wherein the opening, said unsealing member, and said auxiliary unsealing member are provided in this order with respect to a line perpendicular to a phantom surface including the opening.

4. A developer container according to claim 1 , wherein said unsealing member is constituted by a rotatable member capable of stirring the developer.

5. A developer container according to claim 1 , wherein said auxiliary unsealing member and said unsealing member are provided inside of a toner chamber of said developer container.

6. A developing cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, said developing cartridge comprising:

a developer container according to claim 1 ; and

a developer carrying member for supplying developer in said developer container to a surface of an image bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed.

7. A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising:

a developer container according to claim 1 ;

an image bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed; and

a developer carrying member for supplying developer in said developer container to a surface of said image bearing member.

8. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet, said image forming apparatus comprising:

a developing cartridge according to claim 6 ,

wherein said developing cartridge is detachably mountable to said image forming apparatus.

9. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet, said image forming apparatus comprising:

a process cartridge according to claim 7 ,

wherein said process cartridge is detachably mountable to said image forming apparatus.

10. A developer container according to claim 1 ,

wherein said seal member is connected to said unsealing member in a side thereof and includes, in another side thereof, a sealing portion for sealing the opening,

wherein said sealing portion includes a first sealing portion provided in parallel to an axial direction of said unsealing member and a second sealing portion provided with respect to a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the unsealing member,

wherein said first sealing portion includes a third sealing portion located in an upstream side of the opening and a fourth sealing portion located in a downstream side of the opening with respect to the rotation of said unsealing member,

wherein, when a tangential line of said seal member which includes said third sealing portion as its end point and which contacts an outer peripheral surface of said unsealing member is a first rectilinear line, a rectilinear line that is on a rectilinear line passing through said third sealing portion and said fourth sealing portion and which extends from said third sealing portion as its end point in a direction opposite from said fourth sealing portion is a second rectilinear line, and a tangential line of said seal member which includes said third sealing portion as its end point and which contacts an outer peripheral surface of said auxiliary unsealing member is a third rectilinear line, a narrower angle of angles formed between the third rectilinear line and the second rectilinear line is larger than a narrower angle of angles formed between the first rectilinear line and the second rectilinear line, and

wherein the first, second, and third lines are defined in a plane crossing an axial direction of said unsealing member.

11. A developer container according to claim 1 , wherein said seal member includes an upper sealing portion located in an upper side of the opening and a lower sealing portion located in a lower side of the opening, and

wherein, if a first line that connects said lower sealing portion and an outer peripheral surface of said unsealing member, a second line that connects said upper sealing portion and said lower sealing portion, and a third line that connects said lower sealing portion and an outer peripheral surface of said auxiliary unsealing member are defined, a narrower angle of angles formed between the third line and the second line is smaller than a narrower angle of angles formed between the first line and the second line.

12. A developer container according to claim 1 , wherein said auxiliary unsealing member is positioned below said unsealing member.

13. A developer container according to claim 1 , wherein said auxiliary unsealing member is positioned below the opening.

14. A developer container according to claim 1 , wherein said auxiliary unsealing member is positioned above a lower end of said unsealing member in a state in which a cartridge including said developer container is mounted in a main assembly of an image forming apparatus.

15. A developer container according to claim 1 , wherein said auxiliary unsealing member includes a projected portion that projects from a bottom member of said developer container,

wherein said projected portion is located below an axis of said unsealing member.

16. A developer container according to claim 1 , wherein said auxiliary unsealing member includes a shaft portion which extends in a longitudinal direction of said developer container and which does not rotate.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 16, 2014
From: TAKEUCHI, TOSHIAKI; KIMURA, TAKASHI; BATORI, YOSHIYUKI; MURAKAMI, RYUTA; MAKIGUCHI, DAISUKE; YAMAGUCHI, NORITOMO; HAYASHI, NAOKI
To: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 032908/0038 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2012-213799 · Sep 27, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140086620A1 · Mar 27, 2014