Detachably mounted toner unit having a toner supply unit and a toner recovery housing unit

U.S. Patent Number: 5381217

Abstract: A toner unit includes a toner supply unit for storing the toner to be supplied to a developing device and a toner recovery housing unit integrated with the toner supply unit, for accommodating any recovered toner removed from an image bearing member by a cleaning device. The toner unit is detachably mounted on a processing unit having the developing device and the cleaning device. The toner recovery housing unit has an air flow portion for permitting air to flow inside of the toner recovery housing unit to outside so as to decrease the internal pressure of the toner recovery housing unit when the toner unit is mounted on the processing unit. Also, the toner supply unit has a toner replenishing portion for permitting replenishment of toner therein and the toner recovery housing unit has a recovered toner removing portion for permitting removal of recovered toner accommodated therein. Thereby, the toner unit may be repeatedly reused.

Inventors: Ishida; Takao (Kanagawa, JP)

Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (JP)

Application Number: 07/886,863

Issued: 1995-01-10

Expired: 2007-01-10

Classes: 399/120

Field of search: 355/245,246,260,215,296

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