Konica Minolta, Inc.

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.

Kengo Asai

Takeru Kinoshita

Hideji Hayashi

A first shutter covers a first supply port formed in an outer peripheral surface of a main body, and can move in an outer peripheral direction along the outer peripheral surface of the main body. A pair of guiding members respectively formed on both ends of the first shutter guide the first shutter in the outer peripheral direction. A lock mechanism fixes the first shutter to achieve a closed state of the first supply port. The lock mechanism includes a protrusion provided to the first shutter, the protrusion being capable of engaging with a recess formed in the outer peripheral surface. Fixing by the lock mechanism is released when the protrusion elastically deforms and is disengaged from the recess. The protrusion, the recess, and the first supply port are disposed along a virtual curve between the pair of guiding members.

Toner bottle, supply unit, and image forming apparatus

A toner resupply device includes a detector plate for detecting a surface of toner stored in a hopper; a douser that moves together with the detector plate; a fixing plate for fixing the detector plate and the douser integrally; and a toner sensor for detecting a phase of the douser. The douser has a light-blocking surface that blocks light to be detected by the toner sensor, and a shaft extending in an axial direction crossing the light-blocking surface, the shaft being inserted in a hole made in the detector plate. The shaft has a groove in which the fixing plate is locked, the groove extending in a direction crossing the axial direction. The fixing plate in a state of being locked in the groove pushes the shaft in the axial direction, thereby fixing the detector plate and the douser to each other.

Toner resupply device including a detector plate, a douser, and a fixing plate fixing the detector plate and the douser, and image forming apparatus

A hollow cylindrical cap is rotatably attached to a container body opening provided in one end of a hollow cylindrical container body. A seal member around the container body opening forms a seal between the container body and the cap. Once the cap is attached to the container body, pressing chips are circumferentially slidably engaged with a flange, and the seal member is pressure-sealed to a pressure-seal portion. A toner container identification is contiguous with the rear edge of one of the pressing chips. The toner container identification is formed by denting one part of the cap so its outer surface radially protrudes outward, and has a predetermined cross-section.

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Toyokawa, Japan

Kengo Asai