The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 03, 2024
Filed:
Nov. 04, 2021
Takashi Uesugi, Shizuoka, JP;
Gen Kitamura, Shizuoka, JP;
Seiji Terazawa, Shizuoka, JP;
RICOH COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A toner container includes a shutter and a seal. The shutter is pushed by a nozzle of the image forming apparatus in conjunction with a movement of the toner container in an installation direction to the image forming apparatus. The shutter causes the nozzle to insert into the toner container and communicates the nozzle with the toner container via an opening on a circumferential surface of the nozzle. The seal covers a circumferential surface of the shutter in a close state in which the shutter is not pushed by the nozzle and slidingly contacts the circumferential surface of the shutter and the circumferential surface of the nozzle during an opening operation in which the shutter is pushed by the nozzle. A length of the seal in the installation direction is longer than a length of the opening of the nozzle in the installation direction.