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. 27, 2010
Filed:
Dec. 03, 2007
Tokihiko Ise, Yokohamashi, JP;
Yoshiharu Taniyama, Kawasakishi, JP;
Shinichi Itoh, Yokohamashi, JP;
Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A developer cartridge which is rotatably mounted in the developing unit of an image forming apparatus, and supplies a developer to the developing unit while rotating includes a cylindrical cartridge main body having a developer outlet hole in the outer surface near one end, and a ring-like cartridge-side shutter which is fitted on the outer surface near one end of the cylindrical cartridge main body to be movable along the rotating shaft of the cylindrical cartridge main body between a position where the developer outlet hole is opened and a position where the developer outlet hole is closed. The developing unit has a guide for inserting the developer cartridge and a driving unit for rotating the developer cartridge, and the guide has a main body-side shutter with a hole. When the developer cartridge is mounted, the cartridge-side shutter moves from the position where the developer outlet hole is closed to the position where the developer outlet hole is opened, and the developer outlet hole aligns itself with the hole of the main body-side shutter. The cylindrical cartridge main body and the main body-side shutter integrally rotate to align the developer outlet hole and the hole of the main body-side shutter with a developer replenishment port formed below the main body-side shutter. Every time this happens, the developer in the developer cartridge is supplied from the developer replenishment port to the developing unit via the developer outlet hole and the hole of the main body-side shutter.A toner bottle for use in an image forming apparatus includes an elongated cylindrical body portion having an outer surface. The toner bottle also includes a first end portion at a first end of the cylindrical body portion, the first end portion including an end face, a toner outlet port positioned at the first end portion. The toner bottle further includes a cartridge shutter positioned at the first end portion and configured to be axially movable. The toner bottle still further includes at least one disconnection prevention projection formed at the first end portion to limit axial movement of the cartridge shutter in a direction toward the end face, thereby preventing the cartridge shutter from disconnection from the toner bottle, when the cartridge shutter is located at the closed position.