DEVELOPER SUPPLIER, DEVELOPING DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND DEVELOPER CONTAINER INCLUDED IN THE DEVELOPER SUPPLIER

摘要

A developer supplier includes a developer container and a main unit. The main unit includes a mounting section. The developer container includes a container body, a developer discharge port and a container shutter. The main unit includes a housing, a developer supply port, a main unit shutter, and a biasing member. The biasing member biases the main unit shutter to the developer supply port. The developer container is mounted into the mounting section in a first orientation, and is subsequently rotated in a first rotational direction so that the developer container changes to a second orientation. The main unit shutter moves in the first rotational direction against a biasing force of the biasing member so that the developer supply port is exposed. The container body rotates in a second rotational direction owing to the biasing force so that the developer discharge port is covered by the container shutter.

主权项

1. A developer supplier, comprising:
a developer container configured to contain developer; and a main unit including a mounting section for allowing the developer container to be mounted therein, the main unit being configured to receive the developer supplied from the developer container, wherein: the developer container includes
a container body formed with a developer discharge port, anda container shutter supported on the container body slidably with respect to the developer discharge port and configured to cover or expose the developer discharge port; the main unit includes
a housing formed with a developer supply port facing the developer container and communicating with an inside of the housing,a guide mechanism configured to guide the mounting of the developer container into the mounting section, anda main unit shutter supported on the housing slidably with respect to the developer supply port and configured to cover or expose the developer supply port, anda biasing member configured to bias the main unit shutter to the developer supply port; the main unit allows the developer container to be mounted into the mounting section in a first orientation while being guided in a first direction by the guide mechanism, and subsequently allows the container body of the developer container to be rotated in a first rotational direction around an axis extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction to thereby move the developer discharge port away from the container shutter in the first rotational direction so that the developer container changes to a second orientation in which the developer discharge port communicates with the developer supply port; the main unit shutter moves in the first rotational direction against a biasing force of the biasing member in the rotation of the container body in the first rotational direction so that the developer supply port is exposed; and the main unit allows the container body of the developer container resting in the second orientation to rotate in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction around the axis owing to the biasing force of the biasing member so that the developer discharge port is covered by the container shutter.