Granted Patent B2

US 12,411,439 · App. 18/675,870 · Granted Sep 9, 2025

Inventor: Nao Itabashi (Nagoya, JP)

Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA

G03G15/0886G03G15/0863G03G15/0865G03G21/1652G03G21/1814G03G21/1867

Abstract

Claims (76)

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a main housing having a first opening and a second opening, the main housing including:

a main electrical contact;

a process cartridge attachable to and detachable from the main housing through the first opening, the process cartridge including:

a developing roller rotatable about a developing roller axis extending in a first direction;

a process housing having a toner inlet port and configured to accommodate toner therein;

a first process electrical contact in contact with the main electrical contact in a state where the process cartridge is attached to the main housing; and

a second process electrical contact electrically connected to the first process electrical contact; and

a toner cartridge attachable to and detachable from the process cartridge through the second opening in a second direction different from the first direction in a state where the process cartridge is attached to the main housing, the toner cartridge including:

a toner housing having a toner outlet port and configured to accommodate toner therein;

a toner memory including a toner electrical contact, the toner memory storing therein information related to the toner cartridge; and

a toner shutter configured to open and close the toner outlet port,

wherein, in a state where the toner cartridge is attached to the process cartridge:

a part of the toner housing is exposed to an outside of the main housing;

the toner electrical contact is in contact with the second process electrical contact; and

the toner shutter is pivotally movable about a toner shutter axis extending in the second direction relative to the second process electrical contact and the toner electrical contact between:

a first position in which the toner shutter closes the toner outlet port; and

a second position in which the toner shutter opens the toner outlet port.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the toner electrical contact faces in the second direction.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the toner housing includes:

a nozzle having the toner outlet port; and

a toner container accommodating toner therein,

wherein the process housing includes:

a protrusion protruding in the second direction,

wherein the nozzle has a groove in which the protrusion is inserted in a state where the toner cartridge is attached to the process cartridge, and

wherein the toner shutter is pivotally movable between the first position and the second position relative to the nozzle while the protrusion is inserted in the groove.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein the groove is aligned with the toner shutter axis.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 ,

wherein, in a state where the toner cartridge is attached to the process cartridge, the toner container is pivotally movable about the toner shutter axis together with the toner shutter relative to the nozzle.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 ,

wherein the toner cartridge further includes:

a handle covering an outer peripheral surface of the nozzle,

wherein the toner shutter is positioned at one end in the second direction of the handle,

wherein the toner container is positioned at another end in the second direction of the handle, and

wherein, in a state where the toner cartridge is attached to the process cartridge, the handle is pivotally movable about the toner shutter axis together with the toner shutter relative to the nozzle.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein the toner electrical contact is positioned on the nozzle.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 ,

wherein the toner shutter includes:

a toner retaining plate,

wherein the process housing further includes:

a process retaining plate, and

wherein, in a state where the toner cartridge is attached to the process cartridge and the toner shutter is in the second position:

the process retaining plate is positioned between the toner retaining plate and the toner housing in the second direction; and

the second process electrical contact is positioned on an opposite side of the process retaining plate from the toner retaining plate in the second direction.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the process housing includes:

a process shutter configured to open and close the toner inlet port, and

wherein, in a state where the toner cartridge is attached to the process cartridge, the process shutter is pivotally movable about a process shutter axis extending in the second direction relative to the second process electrical contact and the toner electrical contact between:

a third position in which the process shutter closes the toner inlet port; and

a fourth position in which the process shutter opens the toner inlet port.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 ,

wherein, in a state where the toner cartridge is attached to the process cartridge, the process shutter is pivotally movable together with the toner shutter,

wherein, in a state where the toner shutter is in the first position, the process shutter is in the third position, and

wherein, in a state where the toner shutter is in the second position, the process shutter is in the fourth position.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein, when the toner shutter pivotally moves from the first position to the second position in a state where the toner cartridge is attached to the process cartridge, the toner shutter presses the process shutter such that the process shutter pivotally moves from the third position to the fourth position.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second process electrical contact is positioned at one end in the second direction of the process housing, and

wherein the first process electrical contact is positioned at another end in the second direction of the process housing.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12 ,

wherein the process cartridge further includes:

a harness electrically connecting the first process electrical contact and the second process electrical contact to each other,

wherein the developing roller is positioned at one end in a third direction of the process housing,

wherein at least a part of the harness is positioned at another end in the third direction of the process housing, and

wherein both the first process electrical contact and the second process electrical contact are positioned closer to the another end in the third direction of the process housing than to the one end in the third direction of the process housing.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the main housing further includes:

a replenishment cover positioned at one end in the second direction of the main housing and configured to open and close the second opening.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14 ,

wherein the main housing further includes:

a discharge tray on which a sheet discharged out of the main housing is to be mounted, and

wherein, in a state where the replenishment cover closes the second opening, the replenishment cover constitutes the discharge tray.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (17)