US5978632A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Toner cartridge
Assignee: Sharp Corp
•
Filing: 1998-04-13
•
Granted: 1999-11-02
•
Expires: 2018-04-13
Abstract
Abstract The invention is characterized by efficiently and quickly loosening an aggregation of toner material formed in a toner cartridge. A toner cartridge has an L-shaped toner agitating member disposed in a main body thereof having a discharge port for feeding toner at the front surface of the main body. Since the toner agitating member is supported so as to pivot like a conical pendulum, a support pin fixed to a bottom surface of the main body passes through a through hole having a greater diameter than that of the support pin. The support pin has an engagement portion attached thereto for prevention of disengagement of the toner agitating member therefrom. A plate-like portion of the toner agitating member defines an agitating plate, a distal end of which extends toward the discharge port of the main body. Shaking the toner cartridge causes the agitating member to rotate about the support pin and to pivot in a direction parallel to the axis of the support pin like a conical pendulum, thereby efficiently loosening the aggregated toner material.
Inventors
- 👤 Takahiko Kimura
- 👤 Hideji Saiko
- 👤 Yoshiaki Sanada
- 👤 Jun Yamaguchi
- 👤 Eiji Sato
- 👤 Yasuyuki Ishiguro
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 17:41
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/06; G03G15/08; G03G15/0822; G03G15/0865; G03G15/0848; G03G15/0849; G03G15/0855; G03G2215/00; G03G2215/08; G03G2215/0802; G03G2215/085; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S222/00; Y10S222/01
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
137 words
A toner cartridge provided with a container for storing a toner material therein for feeding the toner material to a development device of an electrophotographic type image forming apparatus, the toner cartridge comprising: a toner agitating member housed in the container, having a plate-like agitating plate, the toner agitating member including an integral portion formed at a substantially fixed right angle to the plate-like agitating plate; and a support member attached to an inside of the container for supporting the toner agitating member so as to allow a first end of the agitating plate to pivot, wherein a discharge port for discharging the toner material out of the container is formed on the container, and wherein shaking the container causes a second end of the agitating plate to pivot on said first end acting as a fulcrum.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
137 words
A toner cartridge provided with a container for storing a toner material therein for feeding the toner material to a development device of an electrophotographic type image forming apparatus, the toner cartridge comprising: a toner agitating member housed in the container, having a plate-like agitating plate, the toner agitating member including an integral portion formed at a substantially fixed right angle to the plate-like agitating plate; and a support member attached to an inside of the container for supporting the toner agitating member so as to allow a first end of the agitating plate to pivot, wherein a discharge port for discharging the toner material out of the container is formed on the container, and wherein shaking the container causes a second end of the agitating plate to pivot on said first end acting as a fulcrum.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
67 words
The toner cartridge of claim 1, wherein the support member is attached to a bottom surface of the container opposite to the discharge port thereof and adapted to support the toner agitating member in a manner that the agitating plate is caused to pivot on the first end of the agitating plate like a conical pendulum while the second end thereof is opposed to the discharge port.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The toner cartridge of claim 1, wherein a part of the agitating plate is cut away.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The toner cartridge of claim 1, wherein the toner agitating member has a centroid shifted closer to a vicinity of the second end of the agitating plate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The toner cartridge of claim 1, wherein a passage hole is formed in the proximity of the first end of the agitating plate, the passage hole penetrating the agitating plate in a thickness direction thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The toner cartridge of claim 1, wherein the container has such a cross-section parallel to the discharge port as progressively decreases toward the discharge port.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The toner cartridge of claim 1, wherein the toner agitating member is supported in such a manner that the agitating plate pivots so that the first end of the agitating plate is abutted against the container.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The toner cartridge of claim 1, wherein the plate-like agitating plate is longer than the integral portion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
The toner cartridge of claim 1, further including means for causing the toner agitating member to rotate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
140 words
A toner cartridge provided with a container for storing a toner material therein for feeding the toner material to a development device of an electrophotographic type image forming apparatus, comprises: a toner agitating member housed in the container, having a plate-like agitating plate; a support member attached to the inside of the container for supporting the toner agitating member so as to allow a first end of the agitating plate to pivot; and a restricting plate for restricting a range of pivotal movement of the agitating plate, wherein a discharge port for discharging the toner material out of the container is formed on the container, and wherein shaking the container causes a second end of the agitating plate to pivot on said first end of the agitating plate acting as a fulcrum within the range defined by the restricting plate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
140 words
A toner cartridge provided with a container for storing a toner material therein for feeding the toner material to a development device of an electrophotographic type image forming apparatus, comprises: a toner agitating member housed in the container, having a plate-like agitating plate; a support member attached to the inside of the container for supporting the toner agitating member so as to allow a first end of the agitating plate to pivot; and a restricting plate for restricting a range of pivotal movement of the agitating plate, wherein a discharge port for discharging the toner material out of the container is formed on the container, and wherein shaking the container causes a second end of the agitating plate to pivot on said first end of the agitating plate acting as a fulcrum within the range defined by the restricting plate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
57 words
The toner cartridge of claim 10, wherein the toner agitating member is supported in such a manner that a width direction of the agitating plate is orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the discharge port and that the restricting plate restricts the range so as to allow the agitating plate to move in the width direction thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
57 words
The toner cartridge of claim 1 or 10, wherein the toner agitating member is supported in such a manner that when the toner agitating member stands still, the second end of the agitating plate opposes a portion of the discharge port wherein the agitating plate can move from the vicinity of the center of the discharge port.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
141 words
A toner cartridge provided with a container for storing a toner material therein for feeding the toner material to a development device of an electrophotographic type image forming apparatus, the toner cartridge comprising: a toner agitating member housed in the container, having a plate-like agitating plate; and a support member attached to an inside of the container for supporting the toner agitating member so as to allow a first end of the agitating plate to pivot, wherein a discharge port for discharging the toner material out of the container is formed on the container, and wherein shaking the container causes a second end of the agitating plate to pivot on said first end acting as a fulcrum, wherein the agitating plate has side ends in a width direction thereof formed thinner and sharper than a central portion of the agitating plate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
141 words
A toner cartridge provided with a container for storing a toner material therein for feeding the toner material to a development device of an electrophotographic type image forming apparatus, the toner cartridge comprising: a toner agitating member housed in the container, having a plate-like agitating plate; and a support member attached to an inside of the container for supporting the toner agitating member so as to allow a first end of the agitating plate to pivot, wherein a discharge port for discharging the toner material out of the container is formed on the container, and wherein shaking the container causes a second end of the agitating plate to pivot on said first end acting as a fulcrum, wherein the agitating plate has side ends in a width direction thereof formed thinner and sharper than a central portion of the agitating plate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
148 words
A toner cartridge provided with a container for storing a toner material therein for feeding the toner material to a development device of an electrophotographic type image forming apparatus, the toner cartridge comprising: a toner agitating member housed in the container, having a plate-like agitating plate; and a support member attached to an inside of the container for supporting the toner agitating member so as to allow a first end of the agitating plate to pivot, wherein a discharge port for discharging the toner material out of the container is formed on the container, and wherein shaking the container causes a second end of the agitating plate to pivot on said first end acting as a fulcrum, wherein a cut-away portion is formed on a longitudinally central part of the side ends of the agitating plate, the cut-away portion penetrating the agitating plate in a thickness direction thereof.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
148 words
A toner cartridge provided with a container for storing a toner material therein for feeding the toner material to a development device of an electrophotographic type image forming apparatus, the toner cartridge comprising: a toner agitating member housed in the container, having a plate-like agitating plate; and a support member attached to an inside of the container for supporting the toner agitating member so as to allow a first end of the agitating plate to pivot, wherein a discharge port for discharging the toner material out of the container is formed on the container, and wherein shaking the container causes a second end of the agitating plate to pivot on said first end acting as a fulcrum, wherein a cut-away portion is formed on a longitudinally central part of the side ends of the agitating plate, the cut-away portion penetrating the agitating plate in a thickness direction thereof.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
217 words
A toner cartridge provided with a container for storing a toner material therein for feeding the toner material to a development device of an electrophotographic type image forming apparatus, the toner cartridge comprising: a toner agitating member housed in the container, having a plate-like agitating plate; and a support member attached to an inside of the container for supporting the toner agitating member so as to allow a first end of the agitating plate to pivot, wherein a discharge port for discharging the toner material out of the container is formed on the container, and wherein shaking the container causes a second end of the agitating plate to pivot on said first end acting as a fulcrum, wherein the toner agitating member further includes a support plate mounted to the first end of the agitating plate and provided with a support hole penetrating through the support plate in a thickness direction thereof, wherein the support member includes a support pin having one end attached to the surface of the container opposite to the discharge port, and an engagement member attached to the other end of the support pin, and wherein the support pin has an outside diameter smaller than an inside diameter of the support hole and a length greater than the thickness of the support plate.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
217 words
A toner cartridge provided with a container for storing a toner material therein for feeding the toner material to a development device of an electrophotographic type image forming apparatus, the toner cartridge comprising: a toner agitating member housed in the container, having a plate-like agitating plate; and a support member attached to an inside of the container for supporting the toner agitating member so as to allow a first end of the agitating plate to pivot, wherein a discharge port for discharging the toner material out of the container is formed on the container, and wherein shaking the container causes a second end of the agitating plate to pivot on said first end acting as a fulcrum, wherein the toner agitating member further includes a support plate mounted to the first end of the agitating plate and provided with a support hole penetrating through the support plate in a thickness direction thereof, wherein the support member includes a support pin having one end attached to the surface of the container opposite to the discharge port, and an engagement member attached to the other end of the support pin, and wherein the support pin has an outside diameter smaller than an inside diameter of the support hole and a length greater than the thickness of the support plate.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-11-01 | 2003-05-03 | 2003-11-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-11-01 | 2007-05-03 | 2007-11-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-11-01 | 2011-05-03 | 2011-11-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |