Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080317529 | Waste toner collecting device and image forming apparatus incorporating the same - A waste toner collecting device includes: a tubular member provided with a toner inlet and a toner outlet; a roller that is provided upstream of the toner outlet in a toner transport direction inside the tubular member, that has a substantially horizontal rotation axis line, and that is elliptical in vertical section; a scraper that is provided on an inner wall of the tubular member on a downstream side of the toner outlet in a rotation direction of the roller, an edge of the scraper being in contact with the roller; and a waste toner collecting bag that is inflatable and is attached to the toner outlet of the tubular member. | 12-25-2008 |
20090022532 | Waste toner collecting device and image forming apparatus loaded therewith - A waste toner collecting device includes: a waste toner collecting bag being stretchable; a toner conveyance part fitted with the waste toner collecting bag, and conveying a waste toner and also discharging the waste toner toward the waste toner collecting bag; and a holding member for the waste toner collecting bag, which holding member is attached to a terminal end part of the waste toner collecting bag, is capable of being fitted to the toner conveyance part by holding the waste toner collecting bag between the holding member and the toner conveyance part while folding the waste toner collecting bag more compactly than in a used state, and is attachable to and removable from the toner conveyance part. | 01-22-2009 |
20090169268 | ROTARY MOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR TONER CARTRIDGE - A toner cartridge comprising a rotary | 07-02-2009 |
20120243887 | TONER TRANSPORTATION DEVICE, TONER CASE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF DETECTING REMAINING AMOUNT OF TONER - A toner transportation device includes a toner case and a drive section. The toner case includes a main body that contains toner, a discharge port located in the main body and allowing toner to pass therethrough, and a transportation unit rotatably positioned in the main body for transporting the toner toward the discharge port. The drive section includes a driving unit that drives the transportation unit, a detection unit that detects rotation of the transportation unit and outputs a rotation number detection signal, and a control unit that estimates an amount of toner remaining in the toner case based on an accumulated number of times the rotation number detection signal has been outputted from the detection unit. | 09-27-2012 |
20120243888 | TONER TRANSPORTATION DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF DETECTING THE AMOUNT OF TONER REMAINING - A toner transportation device includes a first toner case that contains toner; a second toner case including a main body containing toner transported from the first toner case, a second discharge port located in the main body that discharges toner, and a second transportation unit rotatably positioned in the main body, and that transports toner to the second discharge port; a second driving unit that drives the second transportation unit; a detecting unit that detects the number of rotations of the second transportation unit and outputs a rotation detection signal; and a control unit that estimates the amount of toner remaining in the first toner case based on an accumulated number of rotations represented by the rotation detection signal. | 09-27-2012 |
20120243913 | TONER TRANSPORTATION DEVICE, TONER CASE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING TONER TRANSPORTATION DEVICE - A toner transportation device includes a toner case and a drive section. The toner case includes a main body containing toner, and an agitating unit rotatably mounted in the main body that agitates the toner. The drive section includes a driving unit driving the agitating unit, a detection unit detecting a driving unit driving state, and a control unit able to transmit a drive instruction signal to the driving unit and receive a detection signal regarding the driving unit driving state from the detection unit. The control unit determines whether the toner case is in an overload state in accordance with a detection signal reception state. The control unit performs a retry control, causing the driving unit to repeatedly rotate the agitating unit forward and backward when the control unit determines that the toner case is in an overload state. | 09-27-2012 |
20120243914 | TONER CASE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF DRIVING TONER CASE - A toner case includes a main body that contains toner, a discharge port located in the main body through which toner is discharged, an agitating unit rotatably positioned in the main body for agitating the toner, a transportation unit rotatably positioned in the main body for transporting the toner toward the discharge port, and a driving unit that drives the transportation unit and the agitating unit. The driving unit is rotatable forward and backward. When the driving unit rotates in one rotation direction, the agitating unit and the transportation unit rotate. When the driving unit rotates in the other rotation direction, the transportation unit does not rotate and the agitating unit rotates in the same direction as a direction in which the agitating unit rotates when the driving unit rotates in the one rotation direction. | 09-27-2012 |
20130028639 | ROTATION RESTRICTING MEMBER, MECHANICAL DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - The present invention provides a rotation restricting member that includes, a shaft that is inserted into a shaft insertion hole with a predetermined angle relationship, and a plurality of rotation restriction portions, each of which is formed at a different position around the shaft insertion hole and performs a rotation restriction function of the shaft by engaging with an external portion, where the shaft insertion hole is set to have a shape of the shaft and is formed around the shaft with a different angle corresponding to the shape of the shaft to allow any of the plurality of rotation restriction portions to engage with the external portion. | 01-31-2013 |
20130216288 | TONER CONVEYING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A toner conveying device of the present disclosure includes a conveying screw, a toner conveying pipe, and a plurality of convex portions that are formed on an inner wall surface of the toner conveying pipe. The conveying screw has a rotary shaft and a conveying vane that is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft. The toner conveying pipe has a circular section, and the conveying screw is rotatably disposed inside the toner conveying pipe. Each of the convex portions is formed within an area defined by half the circumference along the inner wall surface of the toner conveying pipe and supports the conveying screw so that an axial center of the rotary shaft substantially coincides with a center axis of the toner conveying pipe. | 08-22-2013 |
20130266346 | DEVELOPER CONTAINER, DEVELOPING DEVICE INCLUDING DEVELOPER CONTAINER, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING DEVELOPING DEVICE - A developer container is fitted in a first direction to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet. The developer container includes a main body and a protrusion. An inner space filled with a developer is formed in the man body. The protrusion protrudes outward from an outer wall of the main body. The protrusion includes a plurality of wall surface parts facing in a direction opposite to the first direction. An order in which the plurality of wall surface parts are arranged when viewed in the first direction is different from an order in which the plurality of wall surface parts are arranged when viewed in a second direction intersecting with the first direction. A plurality of wall parts are formed integrally to connect the plurality of wall surface parts through the plurality of wall parts. | 10-10-2013 |
20130272764 | TONER TRANSPORTATION DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME - A toner transportation device according to the present disclosure includes a transportation screw that has a rotational shaft and a transportation fin formed on an outer circumferential surface of the rotational shaft and a toner transportation pipe that has a circular shape in cross section. The transportation screw is rotatably positioned in the toner transportation pipe. A support member is attached to the rotational shaft that has a bearing portion having an annular shape and rotatably fitted onto the rotational shaft and that has a plurality of leg portions radially protruding outward from an outer circumferential surface of the bearing portion. A distance between an axis of the rotational shaft and a tip of each leg portion is greater than a radius of the transportation fin and equal to or less than a radius of an inner circumferential surface of the toner transportation pipe. | 10-17-2013 |
20140219687 | TONER SUPPLY DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A toner supply device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a toner case configured to contain toner; and a mounting member on which the toner case is detachably mounted. The mounting member includes: a toner receiving portion configured to receive the toner discharged from the toner case; and a toner holding portion configured to hold the toner received by the toner receiving portion. The toner holding portion includes a movable portion disposed below the toner receiving portion. The movable portion is provided so as to be able to lift and lower relative to the toner receiving portion. | 08-07-2014 |
20140219688 | TONER CONVEYING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND TONER CASE - A toner conveying device includes a toner containing part, a conveying member, and a vibration mechanism. The toner containing part contains a toner. The conveying member rotates around a rotation axis so as to convey the toner in the toner containing part. The vibration mechanism vibrates the conveying member in directions of the rotation axis. | 08-07-2014 |