US 12,332,585 B2
Seal member and toner storage container including same
Kazuaki Fujiwara, Osaka (JP); and Yosuke Saito, Osaka (JP)
Assigned to KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc., Osaka (JP)
Filed by KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc., Osaka (JP)
Filed on Apr. 4, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/626,679.
Claims priority of application No. 2023-065618 (JP), filed on Apr. 13, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0345509 A1, Oct. 17, 2024
Int. Cl. G03G 15/08 (2006.01); B32B 5/18 (2006.01); B32B 5/32 (2006.01); B32B 7/02 (2019.01); B32B 7/12 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/0898 (2013.01) [B32B 5/18 (2013.01); B32B 5/32 (2013.01); B32B 7/02 (2013.01); B32B 7/12 (2013.01); G03G 15/087 (2013.01); G03G 15/0886 (2013.01); B32B 2266/0278 (2013.01); B32B 2307/72 (2013.01); B32B 2307/7376 (2023.05); B32B 2581/00 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A seal member that is arranged in a gap between a container main body and a cap member in a toner storage container,
the toner storage container being removable from an image forming apparatus and including:
the container main body that is cylindrical, stores a toner and is rotated;
a transmission gear that is fitted to an outer circumferential surface of the container main body on one end side in a state where a movement in a circumferential direction is restricted, and transmits a rotational driving force to the container main body; and
the cap member that covers an opening which is provided in one end portion of the container main body in a direction of a rotational axis line, and that holds a rotation stop state or is rotated at a speed lower than the container main body and the transmission gear when the container main body and the transmission gear are rotated,
wherein the seal member has a multilayer structure including a plurality of seal layers, the seal layers include:
a first seal layer which is opposite the container main body; and
a second seal layer which is opposite the cap member and in which a ratio of a thickness of the second seal layer to a thickness of the entire seal member is equal to or greater than 50% and
the seal member satisfies formulae (1) and (2) below:

OG Complex Work Unit Math
where ρ is a compression slip resistance [N] of the first seal layer,
k is a compression rate [%] of the first seal layer,
T1 is a thickness [mm] of the first seal layer in a stacking direction,
ε1 is a compression residual strain [%] of the first seal layer,
T2 is the thickness [mm] of the second seal layer in the stacking direction,
ε2 is a compression residual strain [%] of the second seal layer,
Tn is a thickness [mm] of the seal layer other than the first seal layer and the second seal layer in the stacking direction and
εn is a compression residual strain [%] of the seal layer other than the first seal layer and the second seal layer.