Toner container and image forming apparatus with a mechanism to secure the toner container

摘要

A toner container and system for mounting and/or securing the toner container includes a toner container having a toner dispensing hole, a shutter, a protrusion. The shutter is movable relative to the toner dispensing hole, and is to selectively close the toner dispensing hole. The protrusion is connected to the shutter and movement of the protrusion causes the shutter to move relative to the toner dispensing hole to cover the toner dispensing hole. There is a receiver including a movable catch, the movable catch being in a first position when the toner container is initially inserted into the receiver, and the moveable catch moving to a second position upon insertion of the toner container into the receiver. The moveable catch interacts with the protrusion of the toner container when the toner container is being removed from the receiver such that the moveable catch in the second position restricts movement of the protrusion of the toner container which closes the shutter as the toner container is withdrawn from the receiver.

主权项

1. A toner container to be attached to an image forming apparatus, the toner container comprising:
a toner storage section having a length parallel to a longitudinal direction of the toner container, the longitudinal direction being horizontal when the toner container is attached to the image forming apparatus; a toner outlet for discharging toner to outside of the toner container, the toner outlet for discharging the toner in a vertically downward direction when the toner container is attached to the image forming apparatus, the toner outlet including an edge which protrudes downwardly when the toner container is attached to the image forming apparatus, a portion of the edge which is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction including a tip that points in the longitudinal direction and is directed away from a center of the toner outlet; a shutter, slidably attached to the toner container, that is movable along the longitudinal direction of the toner container to open and close the toner outlet; and a seal on a surface of the shutter which faces the toner outlet.