Toner supply mechanism having locking means for locking a shutter member and a toner supply container having projections for releasable locking a hopper shutter member

Abstract

A toner supply mechanism includes a toner storing portion for storing toner, a receiving opening for receiving toner to be supplied to the toner storing portion, a shutter member for opening and closing the receiving opening, and a lock, provided at each longitudinal end of the receiving opening, for locking the shutter member. The lock releases the shutter member by setting the toner supply container.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART

The present invention relates to a toner filling mechanism and a toner supply container for supplying toner to the image forming apparatus of an electrostatic recording type, the electrophotographic type, or the like, which uses toner in the form of powder to form an image.

Conventionally, toner in the form of powder is employed as developer in an image forming apparatus such as an electrostatic copying machine or a printer. As the toner in the main assembly of the image forming apparatus is consumed, a fresh supply of toner is refilled into the apparatus main assembly, using a toner supply container.

The toner supply containers, which have been widely used, generally comprise an actual container portion in the form of a box, a flange, and a flexible film. The flange is integrally formed with the actual container portion, and the flexible film is separably adhered to the flange by means such as thermal welding or the like. However, it is practically not possible to completely empty such a toner supply container; a small amount of toner, which is liable to be spilled and scattered, remains in a used toner supply container.

In order to eliminate the liability described above, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 336565 proposes a toner supply container provided with a shutter which enables the container to be resealed, and such a toner supply container is being practically used.

The toner from the aforementioned toner supply container is received by a toner hopper or a developing device provided on the main assembly side of a copying machine. Some of the hoppers or development devices are provided with a shutter (hereinafter, hopper lid) to prevent toner from scattering and soiling the apparatus, or to prevent toner mix-up caused by the insertion of a wrong toner supply container (Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application No. 20681/1995).

FIGS. 17 and 18 show a toner filling mechanism in which a toner supply container and the main assembly of an image forming apparatus are both provided with a shutter member.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a toner supply container and a hopper. FIG. 18 is a section of the toner supply container, depicting the state of the toner supply container while the toner therein is discharged into the hopper.

First, the tip 1j of the rear side of the toner supply container is inserted into the rear side of the hopper, and then, the toner supply container is rotated about its rear side to lower the front side. Thereafter, a lock disengagement projection 1g on the front side is engaged with the lock mechanism of the hopper, as the final step of mounting the toner supply container.

In FIG. 18, the toner is being supplied to the hopper after the toner supply container was set on the hopper 6, and the toner supply container 1 was unsealed. The toner supply container 1 is subjected to constant upward pressure from the elastic member (leaf spring) 10b of a pop up mechanism. In order to counter this upward pressure, the tip 1j of the toner supply container 1 is placed in contact with the inward facing surface of the hopper wall. Therefore, the toner supply container 1 is not lifted more than a certain distance. However, the contact between the tip 1j and the hopper wall occurs as contact between two rigid members, which necessitates the provision of a certain amount of tolerance in consideration of production errors in terms of the dimension of the two members. Otherwise, a substantially large amount of force may be needed to mount the toner supply container 1.

This tolerance allows the toner supply container to be lifted a certain distance by the upward pressure from the pop-up mechanism, which tends to reduce airtightness. In spite of this tendency, as long as a toner filling operation is normally carried out, the toner does not leak.

However, when the toner supply container was shaken 50 times to mix the toner with air so that the bulk density of the toner was reduced to improve the fluidity of the toner, and then, immediately mounted and unsealed, the toner leaked like a whiff of thin smoke.

Immediately afterward, the same toner supply container 1 was shaken 50 more times, and the toner was immediately discharged into the hopper 6 (so-called second filling). Also in this case, the toner leaked as before.

In recent years, innovations have been rapidly occurring in the field of toner technology, and as a result, a large number of improved toners have been commercialized. Also, technical developments have given a copying machine, a printer, and the like, colorizing capability. As a result, the number of available color toners, in addition to black toner, seems to be tendencey growing tendency. On the other hand, this tendency is not true with the toner supply container. Instead, there seems to be a growing trend that the same old container designs are borrowed for the containers for the new toners in order to standardize the container design and also to reduce the investment necessary for metallic mold production. As a result, the number of cases in which a variety of toners are filled in containers of the same type has been increasing. In this kind of situation, toner mix-up may occur sometimes. Therefore, in order to prevent the toner mix-up, a projection is formed on the side wall of the conventional toner supply container, wherein the location of the projection is varied to deal with this situation, or a notch or a projection is placed at the rear corner of the flange, wherein the locations or the numbers of them are varied also to deal with this situation.

In the case of the above described system, the projection on the front side, which is provided for disengaging the lock of the hopper lid, has the same configuration; the external appearances of all toner supply container are substantially the same. Therefore, the wrong toner supply container is liable to be mounted, and the hopper lid is opened, by the user who happens to pay attention only to the front side of the container. In rare cases, even though the toner supply container had not been properly mounted, the toner container was forcefully opened, and as a result, the hopper was filled with the toner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a toner supply container and a toner filling mechanism, which allow the hopper shutter to be opened only after the toner supply container has been properly set.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toner supply container and a toner filling mechanism, which prevent the hopper from being mistakenly filled with the wrong toner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toner filling mechanism comprising: a toner storing portion; an opening through which toner is filled into the toner storing portion; a shutter member for exposing or covering the opening; and locking means; wherein the locking means is disposed at each longitudinal end of the opening, and is disengaged as the toner supply container is set by locking the shutter member.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the main body of the toner supply container in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the toner supply container in the embodiment of the present invention, depicting how the container is assembled.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the completely assembled toner supply container in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the toner supply container in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) are enlarged sections of the joint portion between the top and bottom pieces of the shutter.

FIG. 6 is an external perspective view of the toner hopper to which the toner supply container is fitted to supply it with toner.

FIG. 7 is an external perspective view of a first lock mechanism 8.

FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) are side and front views, respectively, of the first lock mechanism in the locked state.

FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) are side and front views, respectively, of the first lock mechanism in the unlocked state.

FIGS. 10(a), 10(b) and 10(c) are side views of a second locking mechanism, depicting the structure and operation thereof.

FIG. 11 is a sectional drawing depicting how the toner supply container is fitted with the hopper, how the seal film is peeled, and how the toner is fitted into the hopper.

FIG. 12 is a perspective drawing depicting the state of the front side of the joint between the toner supply container and the hopper at the time when the toner refilling container is unsealed.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a pop-up mechanism.

FIGS. 14(a) and 14(b) are sectional views of the movements of the pop-up mechanism.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the lock mechanism in another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the toner supply container in another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a conventional toner supply container, and a conventional hopper.

FIG. 18 is a section of the conventional toner supply container, from which toner is being filled into the hopper.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, the preferable embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Structure of Toner Supply Container]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the main portion of the toner supply container in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the same toner supply container, depicting how the container is assembled. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the completely assembled toner supply container, and FIG. 4 is a section of the toner supply container. FIG. 5 is an enlarged section of the joint between the top and bottom pieces of a shutter. In FIGS. 1-4, a reference numeral 1 designates the main portion of the toner supply container; 2 denotes the top piece of a shutter; 3 denotes the bottom piece of the shutter; 4 denotes a seal film; and a reference numeral 5 designates a cap.

The container main portion 1 comprises a toner storing portion 1a in the form of a box, and flange portion 1b integrally formed with the toner storing portion 1a. The toner storing portion 1a is provided with a toner filling opening 1c, and the flange portion 1b is provided with an opening 1d (toner discharging opening) for discharging the toner. In order to seal the toner discharging opening 1d, a seal film 4 (4a) is separably adhered to the flange portion 1b. Also, the flange portion 1b is provided with a U-shaped guide portion 1e, along which the top piece 2 of the shutter is inserted to be retained there. One end of the seal film 4 is folded back in a manner to wrap around the top piece 2 of the shutter, and is extended to the front side. The bottom piece 3 of the shutter is joined with the top piece 2 of the shutter in a manner to enclose the folded portion 4b of the seal film 4, completing a toner supply container. The completed toner supply container is filled with a predetermined amount of toner, and the cap 5 is pressed into the toner filling opening 1c.

A projection 1f for disengaging a first lock is integrally formed with the back end of the main portion of the toner supply container, and a projection 1g for disengaging a second lock is integrally formed with the lateral edges of the front side of the flange portion.

[Toner Supply Container Manufacturing Method]

The toner supply container main portion 1 integrally comprising the toner storing portion 1a and the flange portion 1b is formed of, for example, impact resistant polystyrene resin (HI-PS), by injection molding. As will be described later, the toner supply container main portion 1 requires a certain degree of rigidity so that projections 1f and 1g can unlock the locked toner hopper, or the guide portion 1e can retain the top piece 2 of the shutter. Also, it is required to withstand various vibrations and impacts which occurs during the transportation of the container, or when it is dropped. Further, the toner supply container main portion 1 is required to have a proper amount of wettability so that the seal film 4 can be separably adhered thereto. In order to satisfy all the requirements described above, the aforementioned HI-PS is most suitable. However, synthetic resins such as acrylonitrile-styrenebutadiene copolymer resin (ABS) or polyphenylene oxide resin (PPO) may be preferably employed in addition to the HI-PS. Also, it is possible to use various other material such as metal, wood, or paper.

As for the manufacturing method for the toner supply container, injection molding is most suitable because it allows more latitude in terms of the thickness (being thin) of the container wall, and in terms of the shape of the container. However, vacuum molding, compression molding, blow molding, or the like method, may be optionally selected depending on material choice.

The top piece 2 and bottom piece 3 of the shutter need rigidity for retaining the seal film 4 against the internal pressure generated while the toner supply container is transported or stored, and also elasticity for allowing the snap fit structure, which will be described later, to properly function. In order to satisfy the above requirements, it is also most desirable to form the top and bottom pieces 2 and 3 of the shutter, using the HI-PS and injection molding. However, other synthetic resins and other manufacturing methods may be preferably used in the same manner as they are in forming the toner supply container main portion.

It is most desirable that the top and bottom pieces 2 and 3 of the shutter are joined by snap fitting, which makes it simpler to assemble the toner supply container. However, thermal crimping and ultrasonic crimping, as well as a method in which bosses are pressed into a corresponding hole, may be preferably used. Also, the top piece 2 and bottom piece 3 of the shutter may be integrally formed as two pieces joined by a thin portion which functions like a hinge. In this case, the top piece 2 and bottom piece 3 of the shutter have to be joined by one of the various methods described above, only at the end opposite to the thin portion.

[Detailed Structure of Toner Supply Container] [First Lock Disengagement Projection 1f]

A pair (right and left) projections 1f are provided at the back end of the toner supply container main portion 1. As will be described later, this projection 1f disengages the first lock member 8 of a toner hopper 6 by pushing the lock member 8 upward. While the toner supply container is in engagement with the toner hopper, the projection 1f remains under the constant downward pressure from the lock member, and transmits this pressure to the flange portion 1b so that the bottom surface of the flange portion 1b is placed airtightly in contact with the hopper 6.

Therefore, it is desirable that the projection 1f is given a cross-section in the form of an inverted T as shown in the drawing depicting this embodiment. This is because the cross-section in the form of an inverted T gives the projection 1f rigidity, or deformation resistance, and also prevents the projection 1f from being broken by the impact which might occur when the toner supply container happens to be dropped while it is transported. However, other cross-sectional configurations such as an L-shape, an I-shape, an H-shape, a U-shape, or the like, are also acceptable as long as they provide the projection 1f with sufficient rigidity, and resistance to the impact from falling. Further, it is desirable that the bent portion of the projection 1f, and the base portion 1h of the projection 1f, are provided with a sufficient degree of R, that is, at least R5, preferably, no less than R20.

The first lock disengagement projection 1f functions to place the lateral edges of the toner supply container airtightly in contact with the hopper by receiving the downward pressure. Therefore, it is most desirable that the projection 1f is provided on the right and left sides as it is in this embodiment, but only one, or three or more, may be provided. As for the position of the projection 1f, it is preferably closer to a pop-up projection 1i, which will be described later, though the position is optional.

[Second Lock Disengagement Projection 1g]

The second lock disengagement projection 1g is integrally formed with the front side of each lateral edge of the flange portion. As will be described later, this projection 1g disengages the second lock member of the hopper lid by pushing it frontward. Further, it plays a role in securely holding together the toner supply container and the toner hopper so that they can be prevented from being separated while the toner supply container and the hopper lid are open.

This projection 1g is preferably provided on the lateral edges of the flange portion 1b in order to prevent the seal film 4, and the top and bottom pieces 2 and 3 of the shutter which follow the movement of the seal film 4, from being pulled out. Further, in order to securely hold the toner supply container, it is desirable that the projection 1g is provided on the right and left sides of the toner supply container, though the number and positioning of the projection 1g are optional as long as they can provide the same functions as those provided in this embodiment.

As for the configuration of the projection 1g, it is dependent on the configuration and operation of the lock member on which it acts, but it is desirable that the bottom side of the projection 1g is given an R-shape, or is slanted, so that it can guide itself into the locking member, and the top side of the projection 1g is given a flat area as the surface by which the toner supply container is securely held.

In order to prevent the projection 1g from being damaged by impact resulting from being dropped during the transportation, the corner portions or the base portions of the projection 1g are also desired to be given the same rounding treatment as the aforementioned projection 1f on the back side.

[Ceiling Side Configuration of Toner Supply Container]

As for the ceiling side configuration of the toner supply container main portion 1, it is rendered lower on the side of the first lock disengagement projection 1f, and higher on the side of the second lock disengagement projection 1g. The role of this configuration will be described later, but this configuration is generally effective to prevent the toner from heaping up as it is discharged into the hopper.

[Configuration of Guide Portion 1e (in the Form of Comb Teeth)]

The flange portion 1b of the toner supply container main portion 1 is provided with a substantially U-shaped guide portion 1e. The top piece 2 of the shutter is inserted along this guide portion 1e, and held therein.

The greater the depth of the valley portion (depth in the width direction of the shutter) of the U-shaped guide portion 1e, more securely can the shutter be retained. However, as it becomes greater, the force necessary to slide the top piece 2 of the shutter increases, making it difficult to open the shutter, and also, rendering the valley portion deeper interferes with size reduction. On the contrary, when the guide portion 1e is too shallow, the top piece 2 of the shutter is liable to come off while it is slid, and also is liable to fall off due to the impact resulting from falling, or due to increase in internal pressure, during transportation. Further, as will be described later, the bottom surface of the guide portion 1e also constitutes a sealing surface which plays a role in keeping the toner supply container and the hopper airtightly connected. In order to effectively play this role, the guide portion 1e needs to have a proper depth, that is, the valley portion of the U-shaped guide portion must have a proper depth. In order to satisfy the above requirements, it is desirable that the depth of the valley portion of the U-shaped guide portion is no less than 1 mm and no more than 3 mm, and it is most desirable that the depth is substantially 2 mm.

The width of the U-shaped guide portion (dimension in the direction of the shutter thickness) is set in accordance with the thickness of the portion of the top piece 2 of the shutter, which engages with the U-shaped groove of the guide portion 1e. When it is too great relative to the thickness of the top piece 2 of the shutter, the fit between the top piece 2 of the shutter and the guide portion 1e becomes too loose, allowing the shutter to fall off, and also, the effectiveness of the shutter is reduced in backing up the seal film 4 against the drop impact and internal pressure increase, during transportation. On the contrary, when the difference between the thickness of the shutter and the width of the U-shape is insufficient, the force necessary to slide the shutter may become extremely large due to component warpage or the like which occurs during the formation of the toner supply container, and therefore, problems might occur when unsealing the container.

Because of the aforementioned reasons, it is most desirable that the width of the U-shaped guide portion is set to be 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm greater than the thickness of the engaging portion of the top piece 2 of the shutter, and also it is most desirable that the width of the U-shape is set to be approximately 0.3 mm greater than the thickness of the engaging portion of the top piece 2 of the shutter.

The guide portion 1e may continuously extend across the entire length of the toner supply container, but it is preferable that the guide portion 1e is constituted of separate sections disposed, with intervals, across the entire length of the toner supply container.

The provision of intervals between the separate pieces of the guide portion 1e is effective to reduce the contact area between the top piece 2 of the shutter and the guide portion 1e, and therefore, to reduce the force necessary to slide the top piece 2 of the shutter.

Further, when the guide portion 1e is constituted of a single continuous piece, there is the possibility that if toner enters the guide portion 1e, each time the shutter is closed, the toner having entered the guide portion 1e is scraped toward the rear of the container, being collected at the rear, and eventually, it becomes impossible to close the shutter. On the contrary, when the guide portion 1e is constituted of separate sections disposed with intervals, even if toner enters the guide portion 1e, it is discharged from the intervals, being prevented from heaping up at the rear. Therefore, it is possible to avoid occurrence of such a situation that a large amount of toner piles up at the rear and prevents the shutter from being closed.

[Welding of Seal Film 4 and Laminar Structure of Seal Film 4]

The seal film 4 is separably adhered to the peripheral edges of the toner discharge opening 1d. As to the adhering method, heat plate welding is most desirable since it allows adhesion strength to be easily controlled, and also is excellent in productivity. In addition to the aforementioned heat plate welding, ultrasonic welding and impulse sealing may be also preferably used. Further, the seal film 4 may be adhered by coating adhesive or with the use of double sided adhesive tape.

As will be described later, in order to unseal the toner supply container, the seal film 4 is peeled off. As the seal film 4 is peeled, the top piece 2 of the shutter, around which the seal film 4 is wrapped, and the bottom piece 3 of the shutter, which is connected to the top piece 2 in the aforementioned manner, are pulled out at the same time. Therefore, the seal film 4 is required to have sufficient tensional strength, and also not to break off or tear as it is pulled out rubbing the edge of the top piece of the shutter. Further, it is required to be adherable to the toner supply container main portion 1, with the use of the aforementioned various means, and in addition, the adhesive strength must be proper. When heat plate welding is employed, it is most desirable that the seal film 4 is given the following laminar structure.

First layer: drawn polyester 16 .mu.m Second layer: drawn nylon 25 .mu.m Third layer: low density polyethylene 30 .mu.m Fourth layer: sealant layer (ethylenevinyl acetate) 40 .mu.m

In addition to the above film, monoaxially stretched polypropylene film, biaxially stretched polypropylene film, unwoven polyethylene fabric, or the like, may be preferably used since they have sufficient strength, being unlikely to break. As for the overall thickness of the film, when it is insufficient, the film lacks strength and is liable to tear. On the contrary, when it is excessive, the film excessively gains in resiliency, creating problems as it is pulled out around the top piece 2 of the shutter. Therefore, the overall thickness of the film is desired to be in a range of 30-300 .mu.m though it depends on the material and structure of the film; preferably, 50-200 .mu.m; and most desirably, 80-130 .mu.m.

The most desirable conditions for welding the seal film 4 to the toner supply container main body 1 formed on HI-PS, using heat plate welding, are that temperature is approximately 160.degree. C.; duration, approximately 3 seconds; and pressure (surface pressure) is approximately 20 kg/cm.sup.2

[Top Piece 2 of Shutter]

The top piece 2 of the shutter functions to back up the adhered portion 4a of the seal film 4, and also functions to allow the toner discharge opening 1d to be easily closed to prevent a small amount of toner remaining in the container from spilling and soiling the surrounding areas after the toner supply container is used.

The seal film 4 is adhered to the peripheral edge of the toner discharge opening 1d using such a means as heat welding as described above, and in order to allow the seal film 4 to be peeled when unsealing the toner supply container, the adhesive strength must be controlled so that it does not become too strong. Therefore, the strength of the adhesion between the seal film 4 and the peripheral edge of the toner discharge opening 1d alone is not sufficient. For example, when the toner supply container is dropped during transportation, and the toner is caused to rush to the seal film 4 due to the impact, when the internal pressure of the toner supply container is increased in a high temperature environment or a low pressure environment, or when the like situations occurs, the adhered portion of the seal film 4 is liable to be lifted or peeled. In order to prevent the occurrence of such an incidence, the top piece 2 of the shutter is disposed extremely close to the seal film 4 to back up the seal film 4 against the aforementioned impact or internal pressure. Therefore, the top piece 2 of the shutter is required to have a sufficient degree of rigidity for the back-up task. Thus, the thickness of the top piece 2 of the shutter is desired to be set to be no less than 1.5 mm, and preferably, no less than 2.5 mm. In this embodiment, it is 2.5 mm.

[Bottom Piece 3 of Shutter]

The bottom piece 3 of the shutter is joined with the top piece 2 of the shutter in a manner to confine the seal film 4. When the seal film 4 is pulled out, the bottom piece 3 of the shutter keeps the film surface, to which toner is adhering, completely covered, so that the top surface of the hopper lid is prevented from being soiled by the toner adhering to the seal film 4.

Thus, the bottom piece 3 of the shutter is not required to have as much rigidity as the top piece 2 of the shutter. As for the thickness of the bottom piece 3, a thickness of no less than 1.0 mm is sufficient; preferably, no less than 1.5 mm. In this embodiment, it is 1.5 mm.

The folded portion 4b of seal film 4 is inserted between the top piece 2 and bottom piece 3 of the shutter. When the insertion occurs, the surface of the sealant layer of the seal film 4 faces the bottom piece 3 of the shutter. When left in a hot and humid environment, the sealant layer of the seal film 4 is liable to adhere to the member it faces, causing problems when unsealing the container. In order to prevent this, it is desirable that the surface of the bottom piece 3 of the shutter, which faces the seal film 4, should be rendered rough with the provision of minute peaks and valleys. These peaks and valleys can be easily formed by providing the die with a wrinkled surface.

[Joining of Top and Bottom Pieces 2 and 3 of Shutter]

The top piece 2 and bottom piece 3 of the shutter have only to be integrally and solidly joined. As for the joining means, thermal crimping, ultrasonic crimping, as well as a method in which bosses are pressed in, may be preferably employed, but joining by snap fitting is most desirable.

Snap fitting allows the toner supply container to be easily assembled even without using apparatuses, jigs, or the like, and also allows the toner supply container to be relatively easily disassembled. Therefore, not only can snap fitting reduce manufacturing costs, but also it is convenient for remanufacturing them after recovering the used toner supply containers.

The details of the snap fit structure will be illustrated in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b). As the claws 3a of the bottom piece 3 of the shutter engage with the holes 2a of the top piece 2 of the shutter, the top piece 2 and bottom piece 3 of the shutter are joined. The combination of the claw 3 and the corresponding hole 2a is disposed at several locations, and the their numbers are determined depending on the length of the shutter.

As described above, these top and bottom pieces are 1.5-2.5 mm in thickness, being relatively thin, and therefore, do not necessarily afford a sufficient space for accommodating the snap fit structure. It is particularly difficult to increase the engagement margin a for the claws 3a. Therefore, in order to prevent the claws 3a from becoming disengaged due to an impact occurring when the toner supply container is transported, or due to an internal pressure increase, it is desirable that a means for preventing disengagement should be provided. Thus, the bottom piece 3 of the shutter is provided with a rib 3b, on the area where the claw 3a is not positioned, and the top piece 2 of the shutter is provided with a rib 2b which extends across the entire length thereof. These ribs 2b and 3b are disposed to come in contact with each other when the top piece 2 and the bottom piece 3 are snap fitted. With the provision of this arrangement, even when the toner supply container is subjected to impact or the like, the claw 3a is not allowed to move in the direction to disengage from the hole 2a because the ribs 2b and 3b are in contact with each other. Therefore, disengagement is prevented.

It should be noted here that the top piece 2 and bottom piece 3 of the shutter may-be formed as a single piece component comprising the two pieces 2 and 3 which are connected with a thin portion. In this case, the bottom piece 3 is folded over by bending the thin portion, and the edges opposite to the thin portion are joined with the use of one of the aforementioned various methods.

[Assembly of Shutter and Seal Film]

Methods for assembling the top piece 2 and bottom piece 3 of the shutter, and the seal film 4, will be described with reference to FIG. 2. There are two assembly methods for them.

[First Method]

First, the top piece 2 of the shutter is fitted all the way into the guide portion 1e of the toner supply container main body 1 to which the seal film 4 has been thermally welded. Next, the seal film is doubled over all the way to the front in a manner to wrap the top piece 2 of the shutter. Then, the bottom piece 3 of the shutter is securely snap fitted, from above, with the top piece 2 of the shutter, confining the seal film 4.

[Second Method]

First, the top piece 2 and bottom piece 3 of the shutter are snap fitted together. Next, the united top and bottom pieces 2 and 3 of the shutter are inserted into the guide portion 1e of the toner supply container main body 1 to which the seal film 4 has been thermally welded. At the same time, the seal film 4 is pushed through the gap between the top and bottom pieces 2 and 3 of the shutter, completing the assembly.

In order to cause the snap fit structure to reliably function, and prevent the seal film 4 from being pinched by the snap fit structure, the second method is preferable. However, in terms of automating the assembly, the first method is advantageous.

[Structure of Hopper]

FIG. 6 is an external perspective view of the hopper in accordance with the present invention, into which the toner supply is poured. The toner supply container in this embodiment is mounted on this hopper. In FIG. 6, a reference numeral 6 designates a toner vessel; 7 denotes a hopper lid which is a shutter; 8 denotes a first lock mechanism; 9 denotes a second lock mechanism; and a reference numeral 10 designates a pop-up mechanism.

The hopper lid 7 is attached to the toner vessel 6. It is freely opened or closed, but is rendered unopenable by the first and second lock mechanisms unless the toner supply container is in engagement with the hopper. The peripheral edge of the opening of the hopper vessel 6 is provided with a seal member 6a so that the joint between the mounted toner supply container and the hopper vessel 6 can be kept airtightly sealed to prevent toner from scattering when the toner supply container is unsealed.

[Structure of First Lock Mechanism]

FIG. 7 is an external perspective view of the first lock mechanism 8. FIG. 8(a) is a side view of the locked first lock mechanism 8, and FIG. 8(b) is a front view thereof. FIG. 9(a) is a side view of the disengaged first lock mechanism 8, and FIG. 9(b) is a front view thereof.

In these drawings, a reference numeral 7a designates a hole provided at the tip of the hopper lid; 8a denotes a lock arm; 8b denotes a shaft of the lock arm 8a; 8c denotes the claw of the lock arm 8a; 8d denotes an elastic member (coil spring); and a reference numeral 8e designates the slanted surface.

There are a pair of lock arms 8a, a right one and a left one. They are rotatively mounted on the shaft 8b. The lock arm 8a is under the downward pressure from the elastic member (coil spring) 8d, and the claw 8c engages with the hole 7a of the hopper lid 7 to lock the hopper lid 7, that is, to prevent the hopper lid 7 from being pulled out (FIGS. 7 and 8).

[Operation of First Lock Mechanism]

As the toner supply container 1 is mounted on the hopper 6, the aforementioned lock is disengaged. In order to mount the toner supply container 1 on the hopper 6, first, the rear end tip of the first lock disengagement projection 1f is inserted into the first lock mechanism 8. This causes the top surface of the inserted tip of the first lock disengagement projection 1f to slide underneath the slanted surface 8e, that is, the downward facing surface, of the lock arm 8a, lifting the lock arm 8a against the pressure of the elastic member (coil spring) 8d. The pair of the right and left lock arms 8a are rotated upward about the shaft 8b, whereby the claws 8c are pulled out of the holes 7a of the hopper lid 7, disengaging the lock.

When the lock is in the disengaged state, the resiliency of the elastic member (coil spring) 8d is applied to the first lock disengagement projection 1f by way of the lock arm 8a, pressing the toner supply container 1 downward. As a result, the toner supply container 1 is placed in contact with the seal member 6a of the hopper 6, airtightly sealing the joint between the toner supply container 1 and the hopper 6.

[Structure of Second Lock Mechanism]

FIGS. 10(a), 10(b) and 10(c) are side views of the structure of the mechanism of the second lock, and depict the operation of the second lock. In the drawings, a reference numeral 7b designates a slit; 7c denotes, a slanted surface; 9a denotes, a claw portion; 9b denotes, a protection; 9c denotes, a claw portion; 9d denotes, the rotational center of the second lock member; and a reference numeral 9e designates an elastic member (leaf spring).

Referring to FIG. 10(a), the second lock member 9 is under the counterclockwise pressure as the projection 9b is pressed by the elastic member (leaf spring) 9e. As a result, the claw portion 9a engages with the slit 7b, locking the hopper lid 7, that is, preventing the hopper 7 from being pulled out.

[Operation of Mechanism of Second Lock]

As the toner supply container 1 is mounted on the hopper 6, the lock member 9 is rotated about the rotational center 9d by the second lock disengagement projection 1g, in the direction of an arrow mark in FIG. 10(a) (clockwise), against the elastic member (leaf spring) 9e. As a result, the claw portion 9c of the second lock member 9 engages with the level portion of the second lock disengagement projection 1g as shown in FIG. 10(b), locking the toner supply container 1, that is, preventing the toner supply container from being removed.

As the lock member 9 is rotated, the claw 9c integral with the lock member 9 is rotated at the same time. As a result, while the toner supply container 1 is locked onto the hopper 7 as shown in FIG. 10(b), the engagement between the claw portion 9a and the slit 7b of the hopper lid 7 is broken, enabling the hopper lid 7 to be pulled out.

In order to remove the toner supply container, it is only necessary to push in the hopper lid 7 in the leftward direction from the position depicted in the FIG. 10(a). As the hopper lid 7 is pushed in, the slanted surface (tapered portion) 7c of the hopper lid 7 pushes the claw portion 9a of the second lock member 9, and therefore, the second lock member 9 is rotated in the direction of an arrow mark in FIG. 10(c) (clockwise), against the elastic member (leaf spring) 9e. As a result, the engagement between the claw portion 9a and the second lock disengagement projection 1g is broken, enabling the toner supply container 1 to be removed. When the hopper 6 is provided with a pop-up mechanism 10, which will be described later, the toner supply container 1 is automatically lifted up by a predetermined distance as soon as the engagement is broken.

After the toner supply container 1 is removed, the state depicted by FIG. 10(a) is restored by the resiliency of the elastic member (leaf spring) 9e.

[Toner Refilling Step]

FIG. 11 is a section of the toner supply container, 1 which has been mounted on the hopper 6, and has been unsealed to supply the hopper 6 with toner. FIG. 12 is a perspective drawing depicting the front side of the joint between the toner supply container 1 and the hopper 6 at the time when the toner supply container 1 is unsealed. In the drawings, a reference numeral 3c designates a projection provided on the bottom surface of the bottom piece 3 of the shutter; 7d, denotes the contact surface at the tip portion of the hopper lid 7; 7e denotes a knob of the hopper lid 7; and a reference numeral 11 designates toner. The steps for supplying the hopper 6 with toner will be described with reference to these drawings. It should be noted here that in these drawings, the first and second lock mechanisms and the pop-up mechanisms have been omitted.

First, the toner supply container 1 is mounted on the hopper 6. When mounting the toner supply container 1, the back side (left side in the drawings) of the toner supply container 1 is lowered first and inserted into the first lock mechanism (unillustrated) of the hopper 6. Next, the front side (right side in the drawings) of the toner supply container 1 is placed into the second lock mechanism (unillustrated) of the hopper 6 by rotating the toner supply container 1 about the inserted back side of the toner supply container 1 in the clockwise direction of the drawings. Thus, both the first and second lock mechanisms are caused to act on the toner supply container 1. As a result, the toner supply container 1 is locked in, being preventing from being removed from the hopper 6, and enabling the hopper lid 7 to be pulled out.

Next, the seal film 4 is pulled toward the front side (right direction of the drawing, that is, the direction indicated by the arrow in the drawing), by the front end side of the folded portion of the seal film 4. As the seal film 4 is pulled, the adhered portion of the seal film 4 is peeled away, and at the same time, the top piece 2 of the shutter, on which the seal film 4 is folded over, and the bottom piece 3 of the shutter, which is integrally joined with the top piece 2, follow the movement of the seal film 4, being thereby pulled out. Further, the projection 3c provided on the bottom surface of the bottom piece 3 of the shutter engages with the contact surface 7d of the tip portion of the hopper lid 7, whereby hopper lid 7 is also pulled out. In other words, a single action of pulling out the seal film 4 causes the seal film 4 to be pulled out, the top and bottom pieces 2 and 3 of the shutter to be opened, and the hopper lid 7 to be opened, at the same time, allowing the toner 11 stored in the toner supply container 1 to be discharged into the toner vessel of the hopper 6.

As the toner supply container 1 is unsealed, the folded portion 4b of the seal film 4 is pulled out through the gap between the top and bottom pieces 2 and 3 of the shutter, and the portion 4b of the seal film 4, which is adhered to the flange of the toner supply container 1, is pulled into the gap between the top and bottom pieces 2 and 3 of the shutter, preventing the toner adhering to the seal film 4 from transferring to the top surface of the lid 7; the top surface of the lid 7 is prevented from becoming soiled by the toner adhering to the seal film 4, and the portion 4a of the seal film 4, which is soiled with the toner, will never be seen by the operator.

Referring to FIG. 12, as for the width of the seal film 4, the portion 4a, which is attached to the flange portion 1b, has a width of W2, being wider than the toner discharge opening 1d, but the folded portion 4b, which is to be pulled out, has a width of W2, being narrower than the width W1. This width W2 is small enough to allow the seal film 4 to pass between the knobs 7e disposed apart from each other in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the hopper lid 7 is pulled out.

After the completion of toner discharge, the hopper lid 7 is closed by pushing the two knobs 7e of the hopper lid 7 in the direction indicated by the arrow marks in FIG. 12. At this time, the seal film 4 is passed between the two knobs 7e and is pulled back into the gap between the top and bottom pieces 2 and 3 of the shutter. Since the aforementioned projection 3c provided on the bottom surface of the bottom piece 3 of the shutter is in engagement with the contact surface 7d of the tip portion of the hopper lid 7, the hopper lid 7, and the top and bottom pieces 2 and 3 of the shutter, are moved together in the closing direction.

As the hopper lid 7 is closed all the way, the second lock mechanism is actuated to disengage itself from the toner supply container 1, enabling the toner supply container 1 to be removed. At the same time, the toner supply container 1 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction of the drawing, about a point adjacent to the first lock mechanism on the back side, and is lifted up a predetermined distance, by the pop-up mechanism, which will be described later. Next, as the toner supply container 1 becomes disengaged from the second lock mechanism, the hopper lid 7 is locked by the second lock mechanism, and therefore, cannot be pulled out.

As described above, as the toner supply container 1 is mounted on the hopper 6, it is immediately and automatically locked onto the hopper 6, and as the hopper lid 7 is pushed into the lock disengaging position after the toner supply container 1 is unsealed and toner is discharged, the toner supply container 1 becomes removable. Normally, the hopper lid 7 is locked to prevent it from being pulled out, is enabled to be pulled out as the toner supply container 1 is mounted, and is locked again as the toner supply container 1 is removed.

[Pop-up Mechanism]

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the pop-up mechanism in this embodiment. FIG. 14 is a sectional drawing depicting the operational movement of the pop-up mechanism. In the drawings, a reference numeral 1i designates a projection; 10a denotes, a notch; and a reference numeral 10b designates an elastic member (leaf spring).

During the process (FIG. 10) of engaging the second lock disengagement projection 1g with the second lock mechanism 9 by mounting the toner supply container 1 on the hopper 6 and pressing the toner supply container 1 from above (FIG. 10), the projection 1i of the toner supply container 1 presses down the elastic member 10b disposed in the notch 10a of the hopper 6, causing the elastic member (leaf spring) 10b to elastically deform as shown in FIG. 14(b). Therefore, as the toner supply container is set on the hopper 6 to supply the hopper 6 with toner, the toner supply container 1 is subjected to the force from the elastic member (leaf spring) 10b, which acts on the toner supply container 1 in a manner to lift it by rotating-it about a point adjacent to the aforementioned first lock disengagement projection 1f. But, as long as the second lock mechanism 9 remains engaged with the second lock disengagement projection 1g, that is, as long as the toner supply container 1 is locked in, being prevented from being removed, the aforementioned rotational lifting of the toner supply container 1 is prevented.

However, as soon as the hopper lid 7 is pushed in to the lock disengagement position, and therefore, the engagement between the second lock mechanism 9 and the second lock disengagement projection 1g is broken, the toner supply container 1 is automatically lifted in a rotational motion from the mounting position by the resiliency of the elastic member (leaf spring) 10b illustrated in FIG. 14(b). Since the toner supply container 1 is automatically displaced from the mounting position, the operator can confirm the disengagement of the lock. Then, the operator has only to grasp the toner supply container 1 having been automatically displaced, and remove it from the hopper 6.

[Seal Structure and Contamination]

Next, the seal structure will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The joint between the toner supply container 1 and the hopper 6 is airtightly sealed by the seal member 6a, which is pinched by the toner supply container 1 and the hopper 6. The material for the seal member 6a is desired to be elastic material, preferably, foamed polyethylene, foamed polypropylene, foamed polyurethane, or the like. The most desirable material is moderately foamed polyurethane having a specific weight of 0.2-0.5 since it is less likely to be permanently deformed by compression, and therefore, can remain resilient for a long time.

As described above, while the toner supply container 1 is on the hopper 6, it receives constant upward pressure from the elastic member (leaf spring) 10b of the pop-up mechanism. This is not desirable in terms of the airtightness provided by the seal member 6a. In other words, the seal member 6a is liable to be loosened. However, downward pressure is applied to the toner supply container 1 by the elastic member (coil spring) 8d of the first lock mechanism 8, through the first lock disengagement projection 1f, and this force keeps the toner supply container 1 airtightly in contact with the seal member 6a against the aforementioned upward pressure. Thus, toner is prevented from leaking out while the toner supply container 1 is unsealed and the toner is discharged.

[Toner Filling Test]

Before the toner was filled into the toner hopper, the toner supply container was shaken 50 times to properly mix the toner with air so that the bulk density of the toner is rendered low to improve the fluidity of the toner. Then, it is immediately mounted on the hopper 6, and unsealed, but the toner did not leak.

Immediately afterward, the same toner supply container 1 was shaken 50 more times, and the toner was immediately discharged into the hopper 6 (so-called second filling). Also in this case, the toner did not leak.

[Maintenance of Engagement Between Bottom Piece 3 of Shutter and Hopper Lid 7]

Referring to FIG. 11, when the toner supply container 1 mounted on the hopper 6 is unsealed or resealed, the bottom piece 3 of the shutter and the hopper lid 7 must move together. This is accomplished by the engagement between the projection 3c provided on the bottom surface of the bottom piece 3 of the shutter, and the engagement surface 7d of the tip portion of the hopper lid 7. The dimension of the engagement area (in the vertical direction) is regulated by various factors such as the thickness of the hopper lid 7, and most of the time, it cannot be rendered as large as it is desired to be. Generally, it is in a range of 1.5-5.0 mm. In this embodiment, it is 2.0 mm.

Also in this case, presence of the upward pressure from the elastic member (leaf spring) 10b of the pop-up mechanism 10 is not desirable in terms of the maintenance of the engagement between the bottom piece 3 of the shutter and the hopper lid 7, since the presence of such pressure is liable to loosen the engagement. However, downward pressure is applied to the toner supply container 1 from the elastic member (coil spring) 8d of the first lock mechanism 8, through the first lock disengagement projection 1f, and the engagement between the bottom piece 3 of the shutter and the hopper lid 7 is maintained against the aforementioned upward pressure by this downward pressure. Therefore, it is possible to prevent such an accident as the disengagement between the bottom piece 3 of the shutter and the hopper lid 7, which occurs when the toner supply container 1 is unsealed, or when the hopper lid 7 is closed.

[Elimination of Toner Supply Container Interchangeability]

As described before, the number of cases in which toners of different types are fitted in toner supply containers of the same type, has been increasing. Toner supply containers of several different types, which are not interchangeable, can be produced by varying the position, length, configuration, or the like, of the first lock disengagement projection 1f.

When an attempt is made to mount a toner supply container of a different type, that is, a toner supply container noninterchangeable with the original container, even if the second lock member on the front side can be disengaged, the first lock member at the rear cannot be disengaged. Therefore, the hopper lid 7 cannot be opened. In other words, it is possible to provide further improved noninterchangeability.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the mechanism in accordance with the present invention is such that the right and left disengagement projections of the toner supply container independently disengage the lock member 8. Therefore, even if the second lock member on the front side is disengaged, and also, one of the right and left first lock members is pushed up by a part of the toner supply container, the toner supply container does not become disengaged. In other words, the mechanism in accordance with the present invention is highly reliable.

The lock member 8 is given two functions: a function to lock or unlock the hopper lid 7, and a function to airtightly seal the joint between the toner supply container 1 and the hopper 6 by pressing the toner supply container against the hopper 6. Therefore, the mechanism for creating and maintaining airtightness while the toner supply container 1 is on the hopper 6 can be easily realized.

[Back Wall Configuration of Toner Supply Container and Toner Distribution in Hopper]

As described before, the ceiling wall of the toner supply container 1 is rendered lower on the first lock disengagement projection side (rear side), and higher on the second lock disengagement projection side (front side).

When mounting the toner supply container 1 on the hopper 6, the first lock disengagement projection 1f is first inserted into, and engaged with, the first lock member 8. During this process, the toner supply container 1 is tilted, the rear side being lower than the front side. Therefore, the toner stored in the toner supply container 1 tends to shift to the rear. However, since the height of the toner supply container 1 is less on the rear side than on the front side, and therefore, the internal volume of the toner supply container 1 is less on the rear side than on the front side, the toner is prevented from shifting to the rear by an excessive amount.

As the front side of the toner supply container 1 is lowered in a manner to rotate the toner supply container 1 about the rear side of the toner supply container 1, the second lock disengagement projection 1g is engaged with the second lock mechanism 9. In this state, a relatively large amount of the toner is on the rear side, leaving a relatively small amount of the toner on the front side.

As the toner supply container 1 is unsealed by pulling the seal film 4, the unsealing of the toner supply container 1 occurs from the rear side and progresses toward the front side. Since the toner distribution within the toner supply container 1 is biased as described above, the toner does not pile up on the front side of the hopper 6; the toner is relatively evenly filled into the hopper 6.

It is desirable that the height of the ceiling of the toner supply container 1 on the rear side is set to be less than the effective depth of the hopper 6. With such an arrangement, the toner does not heap on the rear side in any case. The above mentioned effective depth means the distance from the top edge of the toner vessel of the hopper 6 to the top surface of the toner remaining in the hopper 6 when it is detected that the toner supply in the hopper 6 is insufficient. In other words, it means the depth of the space in which the toner can be actually filled.

If the second lock disengagement projection 1g on the front side is first engaged with the second lock mechanism, the toner supply container 1 becomes tilted in the undesirable manner. In other words, the front side is rendered lower than the rear side, and therefore, the toner shifts to the area with the greater ceiling height, which is undesirable. However, in this case, the first lock cannot be disengaged, and therefore, the hopper lid 7 cannot be pulled out to supply the hopper 6 with the toner. In other words, there is no other way but remounting the toner supply container 1 following a correct mounting procedure, and as the toner supply container 1 is properly mounted, the toner shifts to the area with the less ceiling height, allowing the toner to be evenly supplied into the hopper 6. After all is said, the fact that there are two lock mechanisms, and the lock disengagement projections must be actuated following a regulated procedure, renders this mounting method reliable.

As for the ratio between the dimensions of the hopper section with the lower ceiling and the hopper section with the higher ceiling in the vertical direction of the toner supply container 1, it has only to be determined in consideration of the factors such as the amount of the toner to be filled, the hopper configuration, the effective hopper volume, and the like. Generally speaking, it is desirable that the section with the higher ceiling is larger by 10-50%, preferably, by 30%, in vertical dimension than the section with the lower ceiling. As for the ratio between the dimensions of the two sections in the longitudinal direction of the toner supply container 1, it is desired to be set in a range of 3:7-7:3, preferably, at 1:1.

As described above, according to the present invention, even though the toner supply container 6 is subjected to the upward pressure from the pop-up mechanism after it is mounted on the hopper 6, the first lock disengagement projection 1f receives downward pressure. Therefore, the airtightness of the joint between the toner supply container 1 and the hopper 6 can be satisfactorily maintained.

Moreover, the engagement between the bottom piece 3 of the shutter and the hopper lid 7 can be reliably maintained.

Further, since there are two lock mechanisms, it is possible to provide the first lock disengagement projection 1f with a function to eliminate interchangeability among different toner supply containers; therefore, noninterchangeability among different toner container can be further improved.

FIG. 15 illustrates another embodiment of the first lock mechanism. In the drawing, reference numerals 20 and 21 designate elastic members in the form of a plate. They are fixed to the hopper 6 with the use of small screws 20a and 21a. The first lock disengagement projections of the toner supply container are inserted under the bent portions 20b and 21b of the elastic members 20 and 21, and raise them. As a result, the hopper lid 7 is unlocked. At the same time, the toner supply container is pressed against the hopper by the resiliency of the elastic members 20 and 21, whereby the airtightness of the joint between the toner supply container and the hopper is further improved. This setup is the same as the previously described setup. When the set-up in this embodiment is employed, there is no rotational center, and the number of structural components is reduced; therefore, an extremely simple structure can be realized.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the toner supply container in another embodiment of the present invention. In the drawing, a reference numeral 12 designates a bottle constituting the main body of the toner supply container; 13 denotes, a cap; and a reference numeral 14 designates a shutter. The rearward facing surface of the cap 13 is provide with a pair-of first lock disengagement projections 13a, and the lateral walls of the cap 13 are provided with a second lock disengagement projection 13b, which is located on the front side, and the projection 13c, which is located substantially in the middle. The projection 13c engages with the pop-up mechanism. These projections are integrally formed with the cap 13.

On the top surface of the shutter 14 (surface facing the bottle), a packing (unillustrated) formed of slightly foamed polyurethane or the like is pasted. The shutter 14 is inserted into the cap 13. After the shutter 14 is inserted into the cap 13, the cap 13 is attached to the bottle by screwing or-the like means, completing the toner supply container.

Also in the case of this second embodiment, the structure of the hopper (unillustrated), and the method for mounting the toner supply container on the hopper, are exactly the same as those described in the first embodiment. First, the first lock disengagement projection 13a is inserted into the first lock mechanism of the hopper. Next, the front side of the toner supply container is lowered by rotating the toner supply container about the inserted portion of the toner supply container, and then, the second lock disengagement projection 13b is engaged with the second lock member to complete the operation for mounting the toner supply container. During this operation, the projection 13c is subjected to the upward pressure from the elastic member of the pop-up mechanism.

Next, as for the method for unsealing the toner supply container, this is slightly different from the one described in the first embodiment. As the toner supply container is mounted, and the first and second lock mechanisms are disengaged, it becomes possible to pull out the hopper lid (unillustrated), and also, the toner supply container is unremovably locked in. Next, the hopper lid is pulled out. Then, the shutter 14 is pulled out to unseal the toner supply container, allowing the toner stored in the bottle 12 to be discharged into the hopper. After the discharging of the toner is completed, the shutter 14 is pushed in to close the toner supply container. Next, the hopper lid is pushed in to close the hopper. Then, the toner supply container is disengaged from the lock mechanisms. As a result, the projection 13c is pushed up by the pop-up mechanism; the toner supply container is automatically rotated about its rear side, being raised by a predetermined distance. Thus, the toner supply container becomes removable again:

Also in the case of this second embodiment, the operational effects are the same as those described in the first embodiment. That is, even though the toner supply container 6 is subjected to the upward pressure from the pop-up mechanism after it is mounted on the hopper 6, the first lock disengagement projection 13a receives the downward pressure. Therefore, the airtightness of the joint between the toner supply container 1 and the hopper 6 can be satisfactorily maintained.

Before the toner was filled into the toner hopper, the toner supply container was shaken 50 times to properly mix the toner with air so that the bulk density of the toner is rendered low to improve the fluidity of the toner. Then, it is immediately mounted on the hopper 6, and unsealed; but the toner did not leak.

Immediately afterward, the same toner supply container 1 was shaken 50 more times, and the toner was immediately discharged into the hopper 6 (so-called second filling). Also in this case, the toner did not leak.

While the invention has been described with reference to the structures disclosed herein, it is not confined to the details set forth and this application is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within the purposes of the improvements or the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A toner supply mechanism comprising:

a toner storing portion for storing toner;

a receiving opening for receiving toner to be supplied to said toner storing portion;

a shutter member for opening and closing said receiving opening; and

first locking means, provided at one longitudinal end of the receiving opening and second locking means, provided at the other longitudinal end of the receiving opening, for locking said shutter member, said first and second locking means releasing said shutter member by setting a toner supply container.

2. A toner supply mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said first locking means downwardly urges the set toner supply container, and when a set state of said toner supply container is released, a front side of said toner supply container rises.

3. A toner supply mechanism according to claim 2, wherein said second locking means locks said toner supply container.

4. A toner supply mechanism according to claim 2, wherein said first and second locking means are independently operable.

5. A toner supply mechanism according to claim 4, wherein one of said locking means includes a rotatable member rotatable about a supporting shaft, and an elastic member for urging the rotatable member toward said shutter member.

6. A toner supply mechanism according to claim 2, further comprising urging means for urging the toner supply container upwardly.

7. A toner supply container settable to a toner supply portion, said toner supply portion including a receiving opening for receiving toner, a hopper shutter member for opening and closing said receiving opening, and first and second locking means for locking one and the other longitudinal ends of said hopper shutter member, comprising:

a toner container body for accommodating the toner and having a supply opening for supplying the toner;

a first projection, provided at one longitudinal end of said supply opening, for releasing locking of said hopper shutter member by said first locking means; and

a second projection, provided at the other longitudinal end of said supply opening, for releasing locking of said hopper shutter member by said second locking means.

8. A toner supply container according to claim 7, wherein said toner container body has a flange portion for forming the supply opening, and wherein the first and second projections are provided on the flange portion.

9. A toner supply container according to claim 8, wherein the first projection is provided at an extreme end of one end of said flange portion, and said second projection is provided at a lateral side of another end of the flange portion.

10. A toner supply container according to claim 7, further comprising a container shutter member for opening and closing the supply opening, wherein said container shutter member is engageable with said hopper shutter member and movable therewith.

11. A toner supply container according to claim 10, further comprising a film for sealing the supply opening, and wherein said container shutter member is moved by pulling said film.

12. A toner supply container according to claim 10, wherein said container shutter member is engaged with said hopper shutter member by setting said toner supply container to said toner supply portion.

13. A toner supply container according to claim 7, wherein said first and second projections constitute a pair.

14. A toner supply container according to claim 7, wherein said toner container body has a height which is lower at a side which is first mounted, and higher at a side which is later mounted.

15. A toner supply mechanism comprising:

a toner storing portion for storing toner;

a receiving opening for receiving toner to be supplied to said toner storing portion;

a shutter member for opening and closing said receiving opening; and

first locking means, provided at one longitudinal end of the receiving opening and at an upstream position with respect to an opening direction of said shutter member, and second locking means, provided at the other longitudinal end of the receiving opening at a downstream position with respect to the opening direction of said shutter member, for locking said shutter member, said first and second locking means releasing said shutter member by setting a toner supply container.

16. A toner supply mechanism according to claim 15, wherein said first locking means downwardly urges the set toner supply container and when a set state of said toner supply container is released, a front side of said toner supply container rises.

17. A toner supply mechanism according to claim 16, wherein said second locking means locks said toner supply container.

18. A toner supply mechanism according to claim 16, wherein said first and second locking means include a plurality of locking members which are independently operable.

19. A toner supply mechanism according to claim 18, wherein one of said locking members includes a rotatable member rotatable about a supporting shaft, and an elastic member for urging the rotatable member toward said shutter member.

20. A toner supply mechanism according to claim 16, further comprising urging means for urging the toner supply container upwardly.

21. A toner supply container settable to a toner supply portion, said toner supply portion including a receiving opening for receiving toner, a hopper shutter member for opening and closing said receiving opening, and first and second locking means for locking said hopper shutter member at a position each of upstream and downstream sides with respect to an opening direction of said hopper shutter member, comprising:

a toner container body for accommodating the toner and having a supply opening for supplying the toner;

a container shutter member for opening and closing said supply opening;

a first projection, provided on said toner container body at an upstream position with respect to an opening direction of said container shutter member, for releasing locking of said hopper shutter member by said first locking means;

a second projection, provided at a downstream position with respect to an opening direction of said container shutter member, for releasing locking of said hopper shutter member by said second locking means.

22. A toner supply container according to claim 21, wherein said toner container body has a flange portion for forming the supply opening, and wherein the first and second projections are provided on the flange portion.

23. A toner supply container according to claim 22, wherein the first projection is provided at an extreme end of one end of said flange portion, and said second projection is provided at a lateral side of another end of the flange portion.

24. A toner supply container according to claim 21, wherein said container shutter member is engageable with said hopper shutter member and movable therewith.

25. A toner supply container according to claim 23, further comprising a film for sealing the supply opening, and wherein said container shutter member is moved in the opening direction by pulling said film, when said supply opening is opened.

26. A toner supply container according to claim 24, wherein said container shutter member is engaged with said hopper shutter member by setting said toner supply container to said toner supply portion.

27. A toner supply container according to claim 21 or 25, wherein said first and second projections constitute a pair.

28. A toner supply container according to claim 21 or 25, wherein said toner container body has heights which are lower at a side which is first mounted, and higher at a side which is later mounted.

29. A toner supply container according to claim 21, 22, 23, 24 or 26, further comprising a film for sealing the supply opening, and wherein said container shutter member is moved in the opening direction by pulling said film when said supply opening is opened, and wherein said container shutter member is provided with a portion along the movement direction thereof, and said film has a first film portion for sealing said supply opening, and a second film portion which is folded back toward a pulling direction of said film for removing it and is placed in said portion.

30. A toner supply container engageable with a toner hopper having first and second locks, said toner supply container comprising:

a shutter comprising:

a top piece; and

a bottom piece,

wherein said bottom piece comprises a plurality of spaced apart claws positioned along each longitudinal edge of said bottom piece, each of which is snap-fitable into one of a plurality of spaced apart holes positioned along each longitudinal edge of said top piece,

wherein said bottom piece comprises a laterally extending projection projecting from the bottom surface of said bottom piece;

a container main portion comprising:

a toner storing portion having a toner filling opening and a cap for releasably sealing said toner filling opening; and

a flange portion integral with said toner storing portion, said flange portion having:

a toner discharging opening for discharging toner; and

a guide portion along which said top piece and said bottom piece of said shutter are inserted and retained therein,

wherein said guide portion is substantially U-shaped,

wherein said guide portion comprises a plurality of separate guide sections, separated by predetermined intervals across the entire length of said container main portion;

a seal film separably adhered to the peripheral edges of the toner discharging opening on said flange portion for releasable sealing the toner discharging opening,

wherein one end of said seal film is folded back to wrap around said top piece of said shutter and extends from a front side of said container main portion,

wherein said bottom piece of said shutter is positioned with respect to said top piece of said shutter to enclose the folded back portion of said seal film,

wherein the folded back portion of said seal film is positioned between the top surface of said bottom piece of said shutter and the bottom surface of said top piece of said shutter,

wherein the top surface of said bottom piece of said shutter is rough compared to the bottom surface of said top piece of said shutter,

wherein unpeeling of said seal film by a user grasping the one end extending from the front side of said container main portion, unpeels said seal film from the peripheral edges of the toner discharging opening and slides the top and bottom pieces of said shutter along said guide portion from a covered position in which said top and bottom pieces cover the toner discharging opening to an exposed position in which said top and bottom pieces expose the toner discharging opening;

a back-end pair of projections configured to disengage the first lock of the toner hopper to permit movement of a toner hopper lid when said toner supply container engages said toner hopper, wherein said back-end pair of projections is integral with the back end of said container main portion and said flange portion; and

a front-end pair of projections configured to disengage the second lock of the toner hopper to permit movement of the toner hopper lid when said toner supply container engages said toner hopper,

wherein said front-end pair of projections is integral with the front end of said flange portion of said container main portion,

wherein one front-end projection is positioned at each lateral edge of said flange portion,

wherein at least a portion of the bottom side of each front-end projection is slanted,

wherein the top side of each front-end projection is flat;

wherein said container main portion comprises a ceiling, wherein the portion of said ceiling at the back-end pair of projections is higher than the portion of the said ceiling at said front-end pair of projections, and

wherein said top piece of said shutter is configured and positioned to back up the adhered portions of said seal film to prevent toner from leaking therefrom and to allow the toner discharging opening to be easily closed to prevent toner remaining in said container main portion from spilling out therefrom after the toner supply container is used.

31. A toner supply container mountable on a toner hopper having first and second locking mechanisms, said toner supply container comprising:

a bottle having an opening at one end thereof with a screw threading, said bottle comprising a main body of said toner supply container adapted to store toner therein;

a cap releasably engaging said one end of said bottle, said cap comprising:

an opening at one end thereof having a screw threading corresponding to the screw threading of the bottle to permit the bottle to be attached to the cap by screwing;

a rearward facing surface comprising a pair of spaced apart first lock disengagement projections engageable with the first locking mechanism of the toner hopper, wherein said pair of first lock disengagement projections disengage the first locking mechanism of said toner hopper when said toner supply container is mounted on the toner hopper;

two lateral walls, each provided with two second lock disengagement projections engageable with the second locking mechanism of the toner hopper, wherein the first of said two second lock disengagement projections is positioned at the front of each lateral wall and the second of the two second lock disengagement projections is positioned substantially in the middle of each lateral wall and is engageable with a pop-up mechanism of the toner hopper, wherein said pair of first lock disengagement projections and said two second lock disengagement projections are integrally formed with said cap, wherein said two second lock disengagement projections have different shapes, wherein said two second lock disengagement projections disengage the second locking mechanism of the toner hopper when said toner supply container is mounted on the toner hopper; and

a shutter insertable into and pullable out of said cap to seal the bottle, wherein the top surface of said shutter comprises a sealing element for sealing the opening in the bottle when said shutter is inserted into said cap and said bottle is attached to said cap, wherein said sealing element unseals the opening of the bottle when said shutter is pulled out of said cap.

32. A toner supply container engageable with a toner hopper having first and second locks, said toner supply container comprising:

a shutter comprising:

a top piece; and

a bottom piece,

wherein said bottom piece comprises a plurality of spaced apart claws positioned along each longitudinal edge of said bottom piece, each of which is snap-fitable into one of a plurality of spaced apart holes positioned along each longitudinal edge of said top piece,

wherein said bottom piece comprises a laterally extending projection projecting from the bottom surface of said bottom piece;

a container main portion comprising:

a toner storing portion having a toner filling opening and a cap for releasably sealing said toner filling opening; and

a flange portion integral with said toner storing portion, said flange portion having:

a toner discharging opening for discharging toner;

a guide portion along which said top piece and said bottom piece of said shutter are inserted and retained therein,

wherein said top and bottom pieces are slidable in said guide portion between a first position in which the toner discharging opening is covered and a second position in which the toner discharging opening is exposed, wherein said guide portion is substantially U-shaped,

wherein said guide portion comprises a plurality of separate guide sections, separated by predetermined intervals across the entire length of said container main portion;

a seal film separably adhered to the peripheral edges of the toner discharging opening on said flange portion for releasable sealing the toner discharging opening,

wherein one end of said seal film is folded back to wrap around said top piece of said shutter and extends from a front side of said container main portion,

wherein said bottom piece of said shutter is positioned with respect to said top piece of said shutter to enclose the folded back portion of said seal film,

wherein the folded back portion of said seal film is positioned between the top surface of said bottom piece of said shutter and the bottom surface of said top piece of said shutter,

wherein the top surface of said bottom piece of said shutter is rough compared to the bottom surface of said top piece of said shutter,

wherein unpeeling of said seal film by a user grasping the one end extending from the front side of said container main portion, unpeels said seal film from the peripheral edges of the toner discharging opening and slides the top and bottom pieces of said shutter in said guide portion from said first position to said second position, thereby moving said laterally extending projection of said bottom piece, which engages a contact surface of a hopper lid of the toner hopper and moves the hopper lid to permit toner from said toner supply container to enter the toner hopper when said toner supply container is mounted on the toner hopper;

a back-end pair of projections configured to disengage the first lock of the toner hopper when said toner supply container engages said toner hopper, wherein said back-end pair of projections is integral with the back end of said container main portion and said flange portion; and

a front-end pair of projections configured to disengage the second lock of the toner hopper when said toner supply container engages said toner hopper,

wherein said front-end pair of projections is integral with the front end of said flange portion of said container main portion,

wherein one front-end projection is positioned at each lateral edge of said flange portion,

wherein at least a portion of the bottom side of each front-end projection is slanted,

wherein the top side of each front-end projection is flat,

wherein said back-end pair of projections and said front-end pair of projections displace said first and second locks of the toner hopper, respectively, to disengage the first and second locks from the hopper lid of the toner hopper, and

wherein said back-end pair of projections and said front-end pair of projections engage the first and second locks, respectively, after displacing the first and second locks so as to lock said toner supply container to the toner hopper,

wherein said container main portion comprises a ceiling, wherein the portion of said ceiling at the back-end pair of projections is higher than the portion of the said ceiling at said front-end pair of projections, and

wherein said top piece of said shutter is configured and positioned to back up the adhered portions of said seal film to prevent toner from leaking therefrom and to allow the toner discharging opening to be easily closed to prevent toner remaining in said container main portion from spilling out therefrom after the toner supply container is used.

33. A toner supply container mountable on a toner hopper having first and second locking mechanisms, said toner supply container comprising:

a bottle having an opening at one end thereof with a screw threading, said bottle comprising a main body of said toner supply container adapted to store toner therein;

a cap releasably engaging said one end of said bottle, said cap comprising:

an opening at one end thereof having a screw threading corresponding to the screw threading of the bottle to permit the bottle to be attached to the cap by screwing;

a rearward facing surface comprising a pair of spaced apart first lock disengagement projections engageable with the first locking mechanism of the toner hopper, wherein said pair of spaced apart first lock disengagement projections disengage the first locking mechanism of said toner hopper from a hopper lid when said toner supply container is mounted on the toner hopper; and

two lateral walls, each provided with two second lock disengagement projections engageable with the second locking mechanism of the toner hopper, wherein the first of said two second lock disengagement projections is positioned at the front of each lateral wall and the second of the two second lock disengagement projections is positioned substantially in the middle of each lateral wall and is engageable with a pop-up mechanism of the toner hopper to receive upward pressure from the pop-up mechanism, wherein said pair of first lock disengagement projections and said two second lock disengagement projections are integrally formed with said cap, wherein said two second lock disengagement projections have different shapes, wherein the first of said two second lock disengagement projections disengage the second locking mechanism of the toner hopper from the hopper lid when said toner supply container is mounted on the toner hopper,

wherein said toner supply container comprises means for locking the toner hopper to said toner supply container when said toner supply container is mounted on the toner hopper with said pair of spaced apart first lock disengagement projections engaging the first locking mechanism and said two second lock disengagement projections engaging the second locking mechanism; and

a shutter insertable into and pullable out of said cap to seal the bottle, wherein the top surface of said shutter comprises a sealing element for sealing the opening in the bottle when said shutter is inserted into said cap and said bottle is attached to said cap, wherein said sealing element unseals the opening of the bottle when said shutter is pulled out of said cap,

wherein receipt by said second of the two second lock disengagement projections of upward pressure from the pop-up mechanism causes said toner supply container to be raised by a predetermined distance and to become removable from the toner hopper when:

the discharging of toner from the bottle to the toner hopper is completed,

said shutter is pushed in to close the toner supply container,

a hopper lid of the toner hopper is pushed in to close the toner hopper, and

said toner supply container is disengaged from the lock mechanisms of the toner hopper, and

wherein said pair of spaced apart first lock disengagement projections receive downward pressure from the toner hopper when said toner supply container is mounted on the toner hopper and the second of the two second lock disengagement projections receives upward pressure from the pop-up mechanism, thereby maintaining an airtight seal of a joint between said toner supply container and the toner hopper when said toner supply container is mounted on the toner hopper.