Conventionally, a developer (toner) in the form of fine powder is used for image formation in the image forming apparatus such as a copying machine and/or printer of an electrophotographic type. In such an image forming apparatus, the developer is supplied from a developer supply container exchangeably set in the image forming apparatus with consumption of the developer.
Since the developer comprises extremely fine particles, there is a liability that developer scatters depending on the handling during a developer supply operation. Therefore, an image forming apparatus has been proposed and put into practice wherein the developer supply container is installed in the image forming apparatus, and the developer is discharged gradually through a small opening.
As for such a developer supply container, many types using a cylindrical container including a feeding member for stirring and feeding the developer therein have been proposed.
For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei 7-1999623 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,101) discloses a developer supply container having a coupling member for driving the feeding member therein. The coupling member of the developer supply container receives a driving force by engagement with a coupling member provided in the image forming apparatus side.
After such a developer supply container is inserted and mounted to the image forming apparatus, the user rotates the developer supply container through a predetermined angle, by which the developer supply container (developer supply) becomes operable. More particularly, by the rotation of the developer supply container, an opening provided in an outer surface of the developer supply container is brought into communication with an opening provided in the image forming apparatus side, thus enabling the supply of the developer.
However, in the case of the structure of the developer supply container of Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei 7-1999623 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,101), the rotating operation for the developer supply container is carried out by the user, and therefore, there is a possibility that following inconvenience may arise.
If the user is not familiar with the operation for the developer supply container, the rotating operation for the developer supply container may be insufficient, so that developer supply container does not reach a predetermined operating position, with the result of abnormal developer supply.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds