Patent ID: 9244384
Filing Date: 2016-01-26
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. A developer container, comprising: a container body including an inner surface defining a cylindrical internal space extending in a first direction, and a wall disposed at one end of the container body in the first direction and defining an end surface of the internal space, the container body being formed with a developer discharge port formed in a lower portion of the container body and communicating with the internal space for discharging developer therethrough; a lid attached to the other end of the container body that is opposite to the wall in the first direction for closing the internal space; a shaft including a first engaging portion having a helical thread formed on an outer surface thereof, the shaft extending in the first direction in the internal space and rotatably supported on the wall and the lid; a driving transmitter configured to transmit a rotational driving force to the shaft; and a movable wall including an outer surface disposed in close contact with the inner surface of the container body, a conveying surface defining a storage space configured to contain the developer in cooperation with the inner surface of the container body, and a carrier bearing including a second engaging portion protruding from an inner surface of the carrier bearing, the carrier bearing allowing the shaft to pass therethrough, the movable wall being movable along the shaft in the first direction in the internal space from an initial position remote from the developer discharge port to a predetermined position closer to the developer discharge port while conveying the developer in the storage space to the developer discharge port by engagement of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion, wherein the first engaging portion includes a first pitch part having a thread pitch in the first direction and bearing the initial position of the movable wall and a second pitch part disposed downstream of the first pitch part in a moving direction of the movable wall and having a greater pitch than the first pitch part.