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:
Oct. 09, 2001
Filed:
Jun. 06, 2000
Kazuo Chadani, Shizuoka-ken, JP;
Naoki Asano, Mishima, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A rotatable coupling member is provided for transmitting driving forces to a first driver for driving a seal member for sealing an opening for discharging a developer from a developer accommodating container for accommodating the developer to unseal the opening and a second driver for driving a stirring member for stirring the developer in the developer accommodating container. The coupling member receives a driving force from a main assembly of an image forming apparatus to rotate in a first rotational direction to unseal the opening and to rotate in a second rotational direction, which opposite from the first rotational direction, to drive the second driver. The coupling member includes a first portion for substantially aligning a rotational center of the coupling member with a rotational center of a main assembly coupling member when the coupling member rotates in the first rotational direction, and a second portion for permitting deviation between the rotational center of the coupling member and the rotational center of the main assembly coupling member.