| US 7,542,697 B2 | ||
| Toner supply unit and image forming apparatus | ||
| Junichi Matsumoto, Kanagawa (Japan); Nobuo Kasahara, Kanagawa (Japan); Nobuo Iwata, Kanagawa (Japan); Satoshi Muramatsu, Kanagawa (Japan); Tomoyuki Ichikawa, Kanagawa (Japan); Yoshio Hattori, Kanagawa (Japan); Tomotoshi Nakahara, Kanagawa (Japan); Takaaki Yanagisawa, Tokyo (Japan); Masumi Sato, Kanagawa (Japan); Kouta Fujimori, Kanagawa (Japan); and Kazuhisa Sudo, Kanagawa (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Ricoh Company, Ltd, Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Feb. 01, 2008, as Appl. No. 12/24,511. | ||
| Application 11/616395 is a division of application No. 10/609616, filed on Jul. 01, 2003, granted, now 7,209,689, filed on Apr. 24, 2007. | ||
| Application 12/024511 is a continuation of application No. 11/616395, filed on Dec. 27, 2006, granted, now 7,356,290. | ||
| Application 10/609616 is a continuation of application No. 09/963644, filed on Sep. 27, 2001, granted, now 6,628,908, filed on Sep. 30, 2003. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2000-297354 (JP), filed on Sep. 28, 2000. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0152380 A1, Jun. 26, 2008 | ||
| Int. Cl. G03G 15/08 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 399—106 [222/DIG. 1; 399/262] | 20 Claims |
| 1. A supply device, comprising:
a container configured to hold powder, including:
a powder discharge portion which discharges powder and is arranged to face in a direction of a gravitational force when discharging
powder; and
a valve which permits and restricts powder from passing through the powder discharge portion;
a setting portion configured to receive the container and to which the container is detachably mounted, including:
an insertion member configured to be inserted in the powder discharge portion of the container and to receive therein powder
from the container, the insertion member configured to open and close the valve of the container by the insertion member interacting
with the valve;
a seal arranged to cover the insertion member, and through which the insertion member passes when the seal is moved downward;
a support configured to support the seal; and
an elastic member configured to apply an upward force to the support.
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