Powder container and image forming apparatus

摘要

A powder container includes a body and a pair of walls that blocks one longitudinal end of the body and the other longitudinal end of the body. Powder is accommodated within the powder container which is mounted to an apparatus using the powder in a posture where a longitudinal direction of the body is a transverse direction of the apparatus. The powder container has an opening, through which the powder is supplied to the apparatus, formed in a lower position of the body in a posture where the powder container is mounted to the apparatus. The powder container includes a shutter and a shield. The shutter is, prior to mounting the powder container to the apparatus, in a closed location to block the opening and, when the powder container is mounted, is moved along an outer peripheral surface of the body to an opened location to open the opening.

主权项

1. A powder container comprising:
a container body that includes a body and a wall portion that caps one longitudinal end of the body, powder is filled in the container body in a state where the other end of the body is opened; an agitation member that agitates the powder accommodated within the container body, the agitation member being accommodated in the container body and receiving a driving force from outside to be rotated and to agitate the powder; and a cover that covers the other end of the body, wherein the agitation member includes:
a shaft member installed in the longitudinal direction of the body, receiving the driving force from the outside to be rotated, and including:a driving force receiving part formed at a wall side end of the shaft member to receive the driving force from the outside; anda supported part formed at a cover side end of the shaft member to be rotatably supported by the cover; a flexible sheet type member that agitates the powder accommodated within the container body, the flexible sheet being supported by the shaft member and extending in the diameter direction toward the inner peripheral surface of the body; and a plurality of arm members that extend in a plurality of directions from the shaft member toward the inner peripheral surface of the body with respect to the rotation direction of the shaft member, respectively, which are different from the direction where the sheet type member extends toward the inner peripheral surface of the body with respect to the rotation direction of the shaft member, the plurality of arm members being rotated integrally with the shaft member, the cover includes a supporting part that rotatably supports the supported part of the shaft member, and the cover is a separate member from the container body.