US 11,874,613 B2
Powder container with a nozzle receiver
Hiroshi Hosokawa, Kanagawa (JP); Shunji Kato, Kanagawa (JP); Shinji Tamaki, Tokyo (JP); Hiroshi Ikeguchi, Kanagawa (JP); Seiji Terazawa, Shizuoka (JP); Junji Yamabe, Shizuoka (JP); Kaori Mitsuishi, Shizuoka (JP); Toshihide Tomotaka, Shizuoka (JP); Tsunehiro Watanabe, Shizuoka (JP); and Kenji Kikuchi, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to RICOH COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Apr. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/720,300.
Application 17/720,300 is a continuation of application No. 17/474,060, filed on Sep. 14, 2021, granted, now 11,662,672.
Application 17/474,060 is a continuation of application No. 17/111,511, filed on Dec. 4, 2020, granted, now 11,347,163.
Application 17/111,511 is a continuation of application No. 16/724,300, filed on Dec. 22, 2019, granted, now 10,915,039, issued on Feb. 9, 2021.
Application 16/724,300 is a continuation of application No. 16/186,842, filed on Nov. 12, 2018, granted, now 10,564,573, issued on Feb. 18, 2020.
Application 16/186,842 is a continuation of application No. 15/394,574, filed on Dec. 29, 2016, granted, now 10,156,810, issued on Dec. 18, 2018.
Application 15/394,574 is a continuation of application No. 15/041,232, filed on Feb. 11, 2016, granted, now 9,581,937, issued on Feb. 28, 2017.
Application 15/041,232 is a continuation of application No. 14/286,604, filed on May 23, 2014, granted, now 9,482,988, issued on Nov. 1, 2016.
Application 14/286,604 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2012/081219, filed on Nov. 26, 2012.
Claims priority of application No. 2011-258355 (JP), filed on Nov. 25, 2011; application No. 2011-258356 (JP), filed on Nov. 25, 2011; application No. 2011-258358 (JP), filed on Nov. 25, 2011; application No. 2012-137077 (JP), filed on Jun. 18, 2012; application No. 2012-248855 (JP), filed on Nov. 12, 2012; and application No. 2012-256921 (JP), filed on Nov. 22, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2022/0244661 A1, Aug. 4, 2022
Int. Cl. G03G 15/08 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/0877 (2013.01) [G03G 15/0865 (2013.01); G03G 15/0872 (2013.01); G03G 15/0886 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A powder container, comprising:
a nozzle receiving opening at one side of the powder container in a longitudinal direction of the powder container;
a container body to contain powder;
a nozzle receiver, attached to the container body at the one side of the powder container, the nozzle receiver including the nozzle receiving opening;
a gear, at the one side, to rotate around a rotational axis extending in the longitudinal direction;
two scoops, at the one side and integrated with the container body, to scoop up the powder when the scoops are rotated, due to rotation of the gear, about the rotational axis from a lower position within the powder container and to drop the powder from a higher position within the powder container which is higher than the lower position;
a shutter, at the one side, to open and close the nozzle receiving opening;
a spring to bias the shutter to close the nozzle receiving opening;
two protrusions, at the one side and integrated with the nozzle receiver, which protrude away from the nozzle receiving opening toward another side which is opposite to the one side in the longitudinal direction; and
a region, at the one side, which is closer to the rotational axis than the protrusions, the region including at least a portion of the spring when the shutter is at a closed position,
wherein:
the scoops extend in the longitudinal direction along a first length, the protrusions extend in the longitudinal direction along a second length, and a position of the first length and a position of the second length at least partly overlap along the longitudinal direction,
the powder dropped from the higher position enters the region by passing between the protrusions when the scoops are rotated about the rotational axis, and
the protrusions are rotated, due to the rotation of the gear, around the region when the scoops are rotated about the rotational axis.