DEVELOPER SUPPLY CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• Main Authors: TAMURA MASASHIGE, TAKAHATA KAZUAKI, NITOBE MANABU, FUJINO TAKESHI, YASUDA JUNJI, TANAKA TAKAYUKI, KOYAMA FUYUKO, NISHIDA SHINICHI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 23.04.2015
• Subjects: CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHYSICS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the generation of pressure that is required for pressure generation means for inflating a developer storage bag to reduce the size of the pressure generation means.SOLUTION: There is provided a developer supply container detachably attached to an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus performing image formation by using developer and supplying the developer to the apparatus body, the developer supply container including a developer storage bag that has an elastic restoring force and accommodates the developer, and a developer discharge path for discharging, when attached to the apparatus body, the developer accommodated in the developer storage bag to the apparatus body. When attached to the apparatus body, the developer storage bag can be inflated by pressure generation means provided to the apparatus body; when the developer is accommodated in the developer storage bag, the amount of the developer accommodated in the developer storage bag becomes equal to or more than the capacity of the developer storage bag when the contraction pressure of the developer storage bag takes the maximum value. 【課題】現像剤収容袋を膨張させる圧力発生手段に必要とされる発生圧力を低減することで圧力発生手段を小型化する。【解決手段】現像剤を用いて画像形成を行う画像形成装置の装置本体に着脱可能で、前記装置本体に前記現像剤を補給する現像剤補給容器であって、弾性復元力を有し、前記現像剤を収容する現像剤収容袋と、前記装置本体に装着された場合に前記現像剤収容袋に収容されている現像剤を前記装置本体へ排出するための現像剤排出路とを具備し、前記装置本体に装着された場合に前記装置本体に設けられた圧力発生手段により前記現像剤収容袋を膨張させることが可能であり、前記現像剤収容袋に収容されている前記現像剤の量は、前記現像剤が収容されることにより前記現像剤収容袋の容積が、前記現像剤収容袋の収縮圧力が極大値をとる際の容積以上となる量であることを特徴とする現像剤補給容器。【選択図】 図３