US 12,422,764 B2
Toner container and image forming apparatus
Hideo Yoshizawa, Kanagawa (JP); Kei Saito, Tokyo (JP); and Yuki Oshikawa, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to RICOH COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 18/277,582
Filed by Hideo Yoshizawa, Kanagawa (JP); Kei Saito, Tokyo (JP); and Yuki Oshikawa, Kanagawa (JP)
PCT Filed Mar. 4, 2022, PCT No. PCT/IB2022/051909
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 17, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/200884, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 29, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-051225 (JP), filed on Mar. 25, 2021; and application No. 2022-008391 (JP), filed on Jan. 24, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0134301 A1, Apr. 25, 2024
Prior Publication US 2024/0231257 A9, Jul. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. G03G 15/08 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/0872 (2013.01) [G03G 15/0886 (2013.01); G03G 2215/0668 (2013.01); G03G 2215/0678 (2013.01); G03G 2215/0692 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A toner container comprising:
a rotatable container body, the container body including:
an opening portion at a first end, which is opposite a second end, in a rotation axis direction; and
a plurality of projections on an inner circumferential surface of the container body, each protruding inwardly from an outer circumferential surface of the container body and having a slope inclined with respect to the rotation axis direction,
wherein the plurality of projections are disposed such that, out of two adjacent projections in the rotation axis direction, one projection of the two adjacent projections that is closer to the first end of the container body in the rotation axis direction overlaps the other projection of the two adjacent projections that is closer to the second end of the container body in the rotation axis direction, in an area of an end of the one projection closer to the second end and an area of an end of the other projection closer to the first end in the rotation axis direction, and
wherein each of the plurality of projections have a concave shape from the outer circumferential surface toward the inner circumferential surface of the container body,. and ends of the plurality of projections overlap each other without gaps.