Toner hopper

Claim 2

A toner hopper having a toner conveying section for supplying a toner, wherein toner from an adjacent toner cartridge is provided to the toner conveying section, and then outside of the toner hopper through an exit in the toner conveying section, comprising: a vibrating member having an elasticity, an end (A) of the vibrating member being mounted to a rotating part in said toner conveying section, said vibrating member having a size such that an other end (B) thereof extends beyond a tip of a blade of said rotating part, wherein a rotation of said rotating part causes said other end (B) of said vibrating member to collide with a first edge of an opening part of said toner cartridge or a first inner wall of said toner cartridge, and said toner being sent from said toner cartridge into said toner conveying section through said opening part.

Claim 3

A toner hopper in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said end (A) is attached to a hub of said rotating part.

Claim 4

A toner hopper in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said end (A) is attached to the blade of said rotating part.

Claim 5

A toner hopper in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said vibrating member rotates with the other end (B) bent in a direction opposite to that of said rotation.

Claim 6

A toner hopper in accordance with claim 1, wherein: a tip of said vibrating member is expanded larger than said vibrating member proper, thereby increasing the strength of the collision.

Claim 7

A toner hopper in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said vibrating member is held in a holding condition by a second inner wall of said toner conveying section or by a second edge of said opening part of said toner cartridge to save a repulsing force, and when said vibrating member passes through an opening of said toner cartridge, the holding condition of the vibrating member is released, and whereby said vibrating member repulses in a rotating direction by a restoration force to collide with said first inner wall of said toner cartridge or with the first edge of the opening part to give an impact.

Claim 8

A toner hopper in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said vibrating member is held in a holding condition by an abutting member provided near said opening of said toner cartridge to save a repulsing force, and when said vibrating member passes through said opening of said toner cartridge, the holding condition is released, and whereby said vibrating member repulses in a rotating direction by a restoration force to collide with said first inner wall of said toner cartridge or with the first edge of said opening part to give an impact.

Claim 9

A toner hopper in accordance with claim 7, wherein: said abutting member is fixed to said toner cartridge or to said toner conveying section.

Claim 10

A toner hopper in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said toner cartridge is disposed on said toner conveying section, said toner in said toner cartridge falls into said toner conveying section by gravity; by vibration of said toner cartridge caused by said collision of said vibrating member; or by said vibrating member passing through an opening in the toner cartridge to agitate and release toner present near said opening.

Claim 11

A toner hopper for supplying toner, comprising: a toner cartridge including a first inner wall, and a first edge and a second edge defining an opening, wherein the toner cartridge includes a toner supply; a toner conveying section mounted beneath the toner cartridge such that toner is supplied from the toner cartridge to the toner conveying section through the opening by gravity; a rotating part mounted in the toner conveying section for dispensing toner from the toner conveying section through an opening defined in a wall of the toner conveying section, wherein the rotating part includes a blade; a vibrating member having an elasticity, wherein a first end of the vibrating member is mounted to the rotating part in said toner conveying section, wherein the vibrating member has a size such that a second end thereof extends beyond a tip of the blade; wherein rotation of the rotating part causes the second end of the vibrating member to collide with the first edge or the first inner wall of said toner cartridge, whereby the collision of the vibrating member with the first edge or the first inner wall vibrates the toner cartridge to thereby release toner which is adhered to walls of the toner cartridge.

Claim 12

A toner hopper for supplying toner, comprising: a toner cartridge including a first inner wall, and a first edge and a second edge defining an opening, wherein the toner cartridge includes a toner supply; a toner conveying section mounted beneath the toner cartridge such that toner is supplied from the toner cartridge to the toner conveying section through the opening by gravity; a rotating part mounted in the toner conveying section for dispensing toner from the toner conveying section through an opening defined in a wall of the toner conveying section, wherein the rotating part includes a blade; a vibrating member having an elasticity, wherein a first end of the vibrating member is mounted to the rotating part in said toner conveying section, wherein the vibrating member has a size such that a second end thereof extends beyond a tip of the blade; wherein rotation of the rotating part causes the second end of the vibrating member to collide with the first edge or the first inner wall of said toner cartridge, whereby the collision of the vibrating member with the first edge or the first inner wall vibrates the toner cartridge to thereby release toner which is adhered to walls of the toner cartridge.

Claim 13

A toner hopper in accordance with claim 10, wherein the first end of the vibrating member is attached to a hub of the rotating part.

Claim 14

A toner hopper in accordance with claim 10, wherein the first end of the vibrating member is attached to the blade of the rotating part.

Claim 15

A toner hopper in accordance with claim 10, wherein the vibrating member rotates with the second end bent in a direction opposite to a direction of rotation of the rotating member.

Claim 16

A toner hopper in accordance with claim 10, wherein a tip of the vibrating member is larger than the vibrating member proper, thereby increasing a strength of the collision of the vibrating member with the first wall or the first edge.

Claim 17

A toner hopper in accordance with claim 10, wherein the vibrating member is held in a holding condition by a second inner wall of the toner conveying section or by the second edge of said opening part of said toner cartridge to save a repulsing force, and when the vibrating member passes through the opening of the toner cartridge, the holding condition of the vibrating member is released, and thereby the vibrating member repulses in a rotating direction by a restoration force to collide with the first inner wall of the toner cartridge or with the first edge of the opening part to give an impact.

Claim 18

A toner hopper in accordance with claim 10, wherein the vibrating member is held in a holding condition by an abutting member provided near the opening of the toner cartridge to save a repulsing force, and when the vibrating member passes through the opening of the toner cartridge, the holding condition is released, and thereby the vibrating member repulses in a rotating direction by a restoration force to collide with the first inner wall of the toner cartridge or with the first edge of the opening part to give an impact.

Claim 19

The toner hopper in accordance with claim 16, wherein the abutting member is fixed to the toner cartridge or to the toner conveying section.