Toner container and image forming apparatus
A toner container includes a container main body having a toner replenishment port and a shutter mechanism. The shutter mechanism has a shutter member having a discharge port and a cover member supported by the shutter member so as to extend toward the replenishment port. The shutter member is movable in an opening direction from a closing position where the discharge port is retracted from the replenishment port to an opening position where the discharge port is communicated with the replenishment port and in a closing direction from the opening position to the closing position. The cover member has a tip end portion that extends toward the replenishment port as the shutter member moves in the closing direction, comes into contact with a downstream side edge portion of the replenishment port at the closing position and retracts from the replenishment port as the shutter member moves in the opening direction.
1. A toner container comprising:
a container main body having a replenishment port of toner and containing the toner; and
a shutter mechanism which opens and closes the replenishment port,
wherein the shutter mechanism includes:
a shutter member having a discharge port corresponding to the replenishment port; and
a cover member supported by the shutter member so as to extend in a direction of the replenishment port,
wherein the shutter member is movable between an opening position where the discharge port is communicated with the replenishment port to open the replenishment port and a closing position where the discharge port is retracted from the replenishment port to close the replenishment port, the shutter member being movable in an opening direction from the closing position to the opening position and in a closing direction from the opening position to the closing position, the closing direction being opposite to the opening direction,
wherein the cover member has a tip end portion,
the tip end portion extends toward the replenishment port as the shutter member moves from the opening position to the closing position, comes into contact with a downstream side edge portion of the replenishment port in the closing direction at the closing position and retracts from the replenishment port as the shutter member moves in the opening direction.
2. The toner container according to claim 1 ,
wherein the replenishment port is formed on a duct having a cylindrical shape and protruding from the container main body,
the shutter member has a cylindrical shape and is fitted into the duct so as to be rotatable between the opening position and the closing position along an inner circumferential face of the duct,
the cover member is made of an elastic deformable sheet and includes:
an extending part having the tip end portion and extending from an upstream side of the discharge port to a downstream side in the closing direction so as to separate from an outer circumferential face of the shutter member; and
a base part supported to the outer circumferential face of the shutter member on the upstream side of the discharge port in the closing direction,
the extending part is stored in an elastically deformed posture between an outer circumferential face of the shutter member and an inner circumferential face of the duct at the opening position and
the extending part is released into a shape separated from the outer circumferential face of the shutter member and extending in the replenishment port at the closing position.
3. The toner container according to claim 2 ,
wherein the shutter mechanism further includes a seal member supported around the discharge port of the shutter member and interposed between the duct and the discharge port,
the cover member is formed integrally with the seal member.
4. The toner container according to claim 3 ,
wherein the cover member has a folding portion along which the extending part is folded relative to the base part,
one side face of the base part is supported to one side face of the seal member and the other side face of the base part is supported to the outer circumferential face of the shutter member,
the extending part extends such that the tip end portion overlaps with the other side face of the seal member.
5. The toner container according to claim 4 ,
wherein, in the cover member, a base end portion of the extending part folded along the folding portion is adhered to the base part.
6. The toner container according to claim 4 ,
wherein the seal member has a predetermined thickness,
the tip end portion of the extending part of the cover member is held between the seal member and the duct so as to have a curved shape along the inner circumferential face of the duct.
7. The toner container according to claim 4 ,
wherein the discharge port has a width in an axis direction perpendicular to a circumferential direction of the shutter member larger than a width of the replenishment port in the axis direction,
the base part of the cover member has an opening corresponding to the discharge port,
a width of the tip end portion in the axis direction is nearly equal to the width of the replenishment port, and
the extending part is formed such that a width in the axis direction is narrowed from the folding portion to the tip end portion.
8. The toner container according to claim 1 ,
wherein the downstream side edge portion of the replenishment port in the closing direction has an inclined face inclined to the downstream side in the closing direction from an inside to an outside of the replenishment port.
9. An image forming apparatus including the toner container according to claim 1 .