Developer supply container and developer supplying system
In the case that a developer supply container is provided with a feeding portion for feeding a developer by receiving a rotational force and a pump portion for discharging the developer by reciprocation, and the rotational force and a reciprocating force are received from a main assembly side of an image forming apparatus, there is a liability that a driving connection is not properly established between a portion of the developer supply container for receiving the reciprocating force and a portion of the main assembly side for applying the reciprocating force. The developer supply container is provided with a drive converting mechanism for converting the rotational force received from the main assembly side to a force for operating a volume changing type pump.
1 . A developer supply container comprising:
a developer accommodating chamber-fer accommodating developer;
a developer discharging chamber provided with a discharge opening capable of permitting discharging of the developer;
a shutter movable relative to the developer discharging chamber between an open position wherein the discharge opening is open and a closed position wherein the discharge opening is closed by the shutter;
a driving force receiving portion capable of receiving a rotational force;
a pump portion capable of acting on at least the developer discharging chamber, the pump portion having a volume that changes with reciprocation; and
a drive converting portion for converting the rotational force received by the driving force receiving portion to a force for operating the pump portion.
2 . A developer supply container according to claim 1 , wherein the drive converting portion converts the rotational force received by the driving force receiving portion to the force for operating the pump portion that reciprocates the pump portion.
3 . A developer supply container according to claim 1 , wherein the drive converting portion converts the rotational force with the reciprocation of the pump portion so that an internal pressure of at least the developer discharging chamber changes between a pressure lower than an ambient pressure and a pressure higher than the ambient pressure.
4 . A developer supply container according to claim 3 , wherein with an increase of a volume of a chamber of the pump portion, the pressure at least in the developer discharging chamber becomes negative.
5 . A developer supply container according to claim 3 , wherein the developer in the developer supply container has a fluidity energy of not less than 4.3×10 −4 kg·m 2 /s 2 and not more than 4.14×10 −3 kg·m 2 /s 2 , and
wherein the discharge opening has an area not more than 12.6 mm 2 .
6 . A developer supply container according to claim 1 , wherein the drive converting portion converts the rotational force such that suction and delivery actions are alternately carried out through the discharge opening with the reciprocation of the pump portion.
7 . A developer supply container according to claim 1 , wherein the drive converting portion is disposed at a position away from an inside space of the developer discharging chamber and away from an inside space of the developer accommodating chamber so as not to contact developer in the developer accommodating chamber and developer in the developer discharging chamber.
8 . A developer supply container according to claim 1 , further comprising a holding portion that is to be held by the developer replenishing apparatus so that the developer discharging chamber is substantially non-rotatable,
wherein the discharge opening is provided in a bottom portion of the developer discharging chamber.
9 . A developer supply container according to claim 8 , wherein the drive converting portion includes a rotatable portion and a follower portion which is substantially non-rotatable with the developer discharging chamber and which is reciprocal by being driven by the rotatable portion, and
wherein the follower portion is integrally movable with the pump portion.
10 . A developer supply container according to claim 1 , wherein the pump portion is connected to the developer discharging chamber.
11 . A developer supply container according to claim 10 , further comprising a partition between the developer accommodating chamber and the developer discharging chamber such that a pressure change resulting from a volume change of a chamber of the pump portion takes place selectively in the developer discharging chamber.
12 . A developer supply container according to claim 11 , wherein the partition is movable between a closed position for separating the developer accommodating chamber from the developer discharging chamber and an open position for communicating between the developer accommodating chamber and the developer discharging chamber, and
wherein the drive converting portion converts the rotational force so that when the partition is in the closed position, the discharging action through the discharge opening is carried out at least by the pump portion.
13 . A developer supply container according to claim 12 , wherein the drive converting portion converts the rotational force so that when the partition is in the closed position, the discharging action through the discharge opening is carried out by the pump portion.
14 . A developer supply container according to claim 12 , wherein the drive converting portion converts the rotational force so that when the partition is in the open position, the pump portion is not in operation.
15 . A developer supply container according to claim 12 , wherein the partition is reciprocated by a force provided by the conversion of the drive converting portion.
16 . A developer supply container according to claim 1 , further comprising a nozzle portion connected to the pump portion and having an opening at a free end thereof, the opening of the nozzle portion being positioned adjacent to the discharge opening.
17 . A developer supply container according to claim 16 , wherein the nozzle portion is provided with a plurality of the openings around a free end side thereof.
18 . A developer supply container according to claim 1 , wherein the drive converting portion includes a rotatable portion, and a follower portion which is reciprocal by being driven by the rotatable portion, and
wherein the pump portion is provided outside a drive conversion path extending from the driving force receiving portion to the follower portion.
19 . A developer supply container according to claim 1 , wherein the drive converting portion converts the rotational force received by the driving force receiving portion such that the developer accommodating chamber reciprocates with the pump portion.
20 . A developer supply container according to claim 1 , wherein the drive converting portion is provided with a cam mechanism configured and positioned to convert the rotational force received by the driving force receiving portion to the force for operating the pump portion.