Patent Publication Number: US-6665509-B1

Title: Ejection mechanism for a toner container

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a toner container for use with a developing device in an image forming apparatus, for example, a copy machine and, more particularly, to an improved structure of toner container. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A regular toner container for use with a developing device in a copy machine is generally comprised of a toner storing portion and a toner receiving portion fastened to the toner storing portion for receiving toner from the toner storing portion. The toner storing portion has hooks engaged in respective hook holes in the toner receiving portion. When the toner storing portion is disengaged from the toner receiving portion, the toner storing portion is ejected from the toner receiving portion by an ejecting mechanism at the toner receiving portion. The structure of this ejecting mechanism wears quickly with use. When the ejecting mechanism starts to wear, it becomes difficult to remove the toner storing portion from the toner receiving portion. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. In one aspect, the present invention relates to a toner container which uses elastic members to eject the toner storing portion from the toner receiving portion when the hooks of the toner storing portion are disengaged from the toner receiving portion. According to the present invention, the toner container comprises a toner storing portion for accommodating toner, a toner receiving portion for receiving toner from the toner storing portion, a supply opening provided in the bottom side of the toner storing portion and adapted for guiding toner from the toner storing portion to the toner receiving portion, a removable sealing member sealing the supply openings, and two elastic members provided at two sides of the toner storing portion and adapted for pushing the toner storing portion away from the toner receiving portion when the toner storing portion is gaged from the toner receiving portion. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of a toner container according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a partial view of an alternate form of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a partial view of another alternate form of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a partial view of still another alternate form of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a partial view of yet another embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a toner container in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a toner storing portion  1 , a supply opening  2 , a removable sealing member  3 , elastic members  4 , and a toner receiving portion  5 . 
     The toner storing portion  1  is the main body of the toner container, comprising an accumulation chamber  11  adapted for holding toner, two locating blocks  12  disposed at two opposite lateral sides of the toner storing portion  1 , and two hooks  13  bilaterally downwardly extended from one end of the toner storing portion  1  and adapted for engaging with hook holes  51  in the toner receiving portion  5  to secure the toner storing portion  1  to the toner receiving portion  5 . The supply opening  2  is provided in the bottom side (the dotted line shown in FIG. 1) of the toner storing portion  1  and adapted for supplying toner from the accumulation chamber  11  to the toner receiving portion  5 . The removable sealing member  3  is fastened to the bottom side of the toner storing portion  1  to seal the supply opening  2 . When the removable sealing member  3  is removed from the toner storing portion  1 , the supply opening  2  is opened, enabling toner to be supplied from the accumulation chamber  11  to the toner receiving portion  5  The elastic members  4  are fixedly fastened to the locating blocks  12  of the toner storing portion  1  When the toner storing portion  1  is fastened to the toner receiving portion  5 , the free ends of the elastic members  4  are pressed on the top side of the toner receiving portion  5 . After the hooks  13  of the toner storing portion  1  are disengaged from the hook holes  51  of the toner receiving portion  5 , the elastic members  4  are released and returned to their former shape to force the toner storing portion  1  upward away from the toner receiving portion  5 . 
     The elastic members  4  may be variously embodied and installed in the toner storing portion  1  in any of a variety of forms. For example, each of the elastic members  4  can be a narrow elongated member with one end thereof fixedly fastened by a screw to the corresponding locating block  12 , leaving the other end of each of the elastic members  4  free for pressing on the toner receiving portion as shown in FIG. 2; each of the elastic members  4  can be shaped like an arched member having a middle part riveted to the corresponding locating block  12  and having two distal ends free for pressing on the toner receiving portion as shown in FIG. 3; or each of the elastic members  4  can be made having a middle part fixedly fastened to the corresponding locating block  12  by a screw and two distal ends turned inwards for pressing on the toner receiving portion as shown in FIG.  4 . Further, each of the elastic members  4  can be made of a spring coil as shown in FIG. 5 or spring plate, and each of the elastic members  4  can be fastened to the toner storing portion  1  by a glue, hook joint, or the like. 
     A prototype of toner container has been constructed with the features of FIGS.  1 ˜ 4 . The toner container functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier. 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.