1. A closure for a container, said closure comprising:
an overcap having a skirt with an inwardly facing surface engageable with the container, and said overcap having an invertible dome which is transformable between an upward convex position and a concave position,
wherein said dome expels air from inside the container when transformed from the convex position to the concave position, and said dome maintains its concave position after transformation.
2. The closure of claim 1, wherein said inwardly facing surface of said overcap is engageable with said container along at least two lines.
3. The closure of claim 1, wherein said inwardly facing surface of said overcap is engageable with said container along at least three lines.
4. The closure of claim 1, wherein said dome is constructed to be transformed to the concave position by the user.
5. The closure of claim 1, wherein said overcap has a V-shaped portion located radially between the invertible dome and the skirt, the V-shape portion is formed from two legs pivotally connected at an angle which forms an apex of the V-shaped portion, wherein an angle between the two legs is greater when the overcap is in the concave position than when the overcap is in the convex position.
6. A package with an overcap, said package comprising:
a container having interior sides, a bottom and an opening at the top; and
an overcap having a skirt with an inwardly facing surface engageable with the exterior of a container, and said overcap having an invertible dome which is transformable between an upward convex position and an upward concave position,
wherein said dome expels air from inside the container when transformed from the convex position to the concave position, and said dome maintains its concave position after transformation.
7. The package of claim 6, wherein said overcap forms a tighter seal with the container when in the concave position as compared with the convex position.
8. The package of claim 6, wherein said overcap is transformable to the concave position in a single action by applying force to the invertible dome with one’s hand.
9. The package of claim 6, wherein said overcap produces an audible noise when transformed to the concave position.
10. The package of claim 8, wherein said overcap has a V-shaped portion located radially between the invertible dome and the skirt, said container comprises a flange extending radially inward from the opening, and the V-shape portion has an outwardly facing surface which abuts a surface of the flange.
11. The package of claim 10, wherein an inwardly facing portion of the overcap spaced radially outward from the V-shaped portion abuts a top surface of the flange, when the overcap is in the concave position.
12. A closure for a container, said closure comprising:
an overcap having an outer wall with an inwardly facing surface engageable with the exterior of a container and an inner wall with an outwardly facing surface having a plurality of pairs of convex projections extending radially outwardly towards the outer wall, the pair of convex projections comprising an upper projection and a lower projection, each of the pair of projections adapted to permit a flange of the container extending radially inwardly from the periphery of the container to be disposed between the upper projection and the lower projection.
13. A package with an overcap, said package comprising:
a container having sides, a bottom and an opening at the top, the container having a flange extending radially inwardly from the sides, forming the perimeter around the opening and a chime extending upwardly along the exterior surface of the container; and
an overcap having a skirt with an inwardly facing surface engageable with the exterior surface of the chime of the container and a radially inner wall with an inner surface having a plurality of pairs of convex projections extending radially outwardly towards the outer wall, the pair of convex projections comprising an upper projection and a lower projection, wherein each pair of the projections permits the flange of the container extending radially inwardly from the periphery of the container to be disposed between the upper projection and the lower projection.
14. The package of claim 13, wherein the overcap has an invertible dome which is transformable between an upward convex position and a concave position.
15. The package of claim 13 further comprising a plurality of vent channels located along an inwardly facing side of the dome and extending radially to a position between a respective pair of upper and lower projections.
16. The package of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of raised notches on an inwardly facing surface of the outer ring projection, which inwardly facing surface engages the exterior of the container.
17. The package of claim 13, further comprising an annular disc portion spaced radially inward from the inner wall.
18. A closure for a container, the closure comprising:
an overcap having an outer ring projection and an inner ring projection, the outer ring projection engageable with the exterior of a container and the inner ring projection engaging with a flange of the container which extends radially inwardly from the periphery of the container toward a top opening of the container, the overcap having an invertible dome which is transformable between an upward convex position and an upward concave position; and
a V-shaped portion between the outer ring projection and the inner ring projection forming a hinge between the outer ring and the inner ring.
19. A closure for a container, said closure comprising:
an overcap having an inwardly facing surface engageable with the exterior of a container, and said overcap having an invertible dome which is transformable between an upward convex position and a concave position, wherein:
the dome maintains its concave position after transformation; and
the overcap produces an audible indication that the overcap is securely affixed to the container.
20. The closure of claim 19, wherein said overcap has a V-shaped portion located radially between the invertible dome and the skirt, said V-shape portion formed from two legs pivotally connected at an angle which forms an apex of the V-shaped portion, wherein an angle between the two legs is greater when the overcap is in the concave position than when the overcap is in the convex position.
21. The closure of claim 19, wherein said overcap produces an audible noise when the dome is transformed to the concave position.
22. A closure for a container, said closure comprising:
an overcap having a ring projection having a surface for engaging a surface of the container; and
a plurality of vent channels located along an inwardly facing side of the overcap and extending radially from a center portion of the overcap to said ring projection.
23. A closure for a container, said closure comprising:
an overcap having an outer ring projection and an inner ring projection for placement over an opening in a first container, said outer ring projection having a circumference to engage with a bottom rim of second container to thereby permit the first container to be stacked on the second container.
24. A package with an overcap, said package comprising:
a container with bottom rim and;
an overcap having an outer ring projection and an inner ring projection for placement over an opening in a first container, said outer ring projection having a circumference to engage with a bottom rim of second container.
25. A package with an overcap, said package comprising:
a container having interior sides, a bottom, and an opening at the top; and
an overcap having a skirt with an inwardly facing surface engageable with the exterior of the container, said overcap having an invertible dome which is transformable between an upward convex position and a concave position,
wherein said overcap forms a tighter seal with the container when in the concave position as compared with the convex position.
26. The package of claim 25, wherein said overcap has a V-shaped portion located radially between the invertible dome and the skirt.
27. The package of claim 26, wherein the V-shape portion is formed from two legs pivotally connected at an angle which forms an apex of the V-shaped portion, wherein, an angle between the two legs is greater when the overcap is in the concave position than when the overcap is in the convex position.
28. The package of claim 27, wherein said container comprises a flange extending radially inward from the opening, and the V-shape portion has an outwardly facing surface which abuts a surface of the flange.
29. The package of claim 28, wherein an inwardly facing portion of the overcap spaced radially outward from the V-shaped portion abuts a top surface of the flange, when the overcap is in the concave position.
30. The package of claim 28, wherein said outwardly facing surface of the V-shaped portion abuts a vertical surface of the flange.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A toner supplying apparatus for supplying a mixed fluid containing a toner and an air stream to a predetermined position, comprising:
a toner separating member communicating to a developing device to develop a latent image on an image bearing member, which separates the toner from the mixed fluid;
a separating side flow control mechanism disposed between the toner separating member and the developing device;
a wall to cover at least a portion of the flow control mechanism, having a clearance therebetween; and
an after-separation storage to store the toner separated from the mixed fluid.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the separating side flow control mechanism is a separating member side valve which comprises a movable member capable to reduce the air stream entering into the developing device and a shaft which the movable member can move based on.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the movable member is arranged to have a clearance of 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm between the wall and the movable member when an end of the movable member locates at a position closest to the wall.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the separating side flow control mechanism includes a bladed wheel having a plurality of blades, a screw or a gate valve.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the bladed wheel having blades, or the screw is arranged to have a clearance of 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm between the wall and the movable member when an end of the blades or an end of the screw locates at a position closest to the wall.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the separating side flow control mechanism is a bladed wheel having 4\u201312 blades.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising at least two separating side flow control mechanisms.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising at least two separating side flow control mechanisms in series.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
a mixing chamber for mixing the toner and the air stream;
a first supply member to supply the mixed fluid containing the toner and the air stream to the toner separating member;
a first supply path for guiding the mixed fluid to the toner separating member;
a second supply member to return the toner which was not separated at the toner separating member, to the mixing chamber; and
a second supply path for guiding the toner which was not separated to the mixing chamber.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the toner separating member is arranged near the developing device.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a supply member to supply the toner separated from the mixed fluid to the separating side flow control mechanism, and the separating side flow control mechanism is driven at precisely or approximately the same time that the supply member is driven.
12. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a photoreceptor;
a developing device to develop a latent image on the photoreceptor with a toner;
a transferring device to transfer developed toner to an image support;
a fixing device to fix the toner on the image support; and
a toner supplying apparatus as defined in claim 1.
13. A toner supplying apparatus for feeding a mixed fluid containing a toner and an air stream from a toner storage through a first supply path, by a first supply member, which comprises:
the toner storage including:
a toner hopper;
a mixing chamber;
a storage side flow control mechanism disposed between the toner hopper and the mixing chamber;
a wall to cover at least a portion of the storage side flow control mechanism, having a clearance therebetween; and
a supply member, configured to transfer the toner from the toner hopper to the storage side flow control mechanism;
wherein the storage side flow control mechanism and the wall are configured to prevent the mixed fluid from flowing backward to the toner hopper.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the storage side flow control mechanism comprises a movable member capable of reducing the mixed fluid entering into the toner hopper and a shaft which the movable member can move based on.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the movable member is arranged to have a clearance of 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm between the wall and the movable member when an end of the movable member locates at a position closest to the wall.
16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the storage side flow control mechanism includes a bladed wheel having a plurality of blades, a screw or a gate valve.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the bladed wheel having blades, or the screw is arranged to have a clearance of 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm between the wall and the movable member when an end of the blades or an end of the screw locates at a position closest to the wall.
18. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising at least two storage side flow control mechanisms.
19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:
the mixing chamber is configured to mix the toner and the air stream,
the first supply member is configured to supply the mixed fluid containing the toner and the air stream to a toner separating member, and
the first supply path is configured to guide for guiding the mixed fluid to the toner separating member, and wherein the apparatus further comprises:
a second supply member configured to return the toner which was not separated at the toner separating member, to the mixing chamber; and
a second supply path configured to guide the toner which was not separated to the mixing chamber.
20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the toner separating member is arranged near a developing device.
21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the storage side flow control mechanism is driven at precisely or approximately the same time that the supply member is driven.
22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the toner hopper comprises a sensor for detecting an amount of toner in the toner hopper, and the toner storage comprises a detachable toner container which supplies toner stored therein into the toner hopper when the sensor detects a predetermined level of the amount of toner in the toner hopper.
23. A toner supplying apparatus for feeding a mixed fluid containing a toner and an air stream from a toner storage which is disposed at a distance from a developing device, to a predetermined position through a first supply path, by a first supply member, comprising:
a toner separating member which is disposed near the developing device, to communicate to the developing device and to separate the toner from the mixed fluid;
a first valve including a movable member covered by a wall, disposed between the toner separating member and the developing device for preventing the air stream from separating from the mixed fluid flow into the developing device; and
a second valve including a movable member covered by a wall, disposed between a toner hopper in the toner storage and a toner mixing chamber for Preventing the mixed fluid from flowing backward to the toner hopper.
24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein each of the first and second valves comprises a movable member and a shaft which the movable member can move based on.
25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein each of the first and second valves is arranged to have a clearance of 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm between the wall and the movable member when an end of the movable member locates at a position closest to the wall.
26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein each of the movable members comprises a bladed wheel having a plurality of blades, a screw or a gate valve.
27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the bladed wheel having blades, or the screw is arranged to have a clearance of 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm between the wall and the movable member when an end of the blades or an end of the screw locates at a position closest to the wall.
28. The apparatus of claim 23, comprising at least two first valves each including the movable member, and at least two second valves each including the movable member.
29. The apparatus of claim 23, comprising at least two first valves in series, and at least two second valves in series.
30. A toner supplying apparatus for feeding a mixed fluid containing a toner and an air stream from a toner storage through a first supply path, by a first supply member, comprising:
a toner storage including:
a toner hopper;
a mixing chamber; and
a storage side flow control mechanism disposed between the toner hopper and the mixing chamber, comprising:
a movable member capable of reducing an amount of mixed fluid entering into the toner hopper and a shaft which the movable member can move based on; and
a wall configured to cover at least a portion of the movable member, and defining a clearance between the wall and the movable member;
wherein the movable member is arranged such that the clearance between the wall and the movable member is 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm when an end of the movable member is located at a position closest to the wall.
31. A toner supplying apparatus for feeding a mixed fluid containing a toner and an air stream from a toner storage which is disposed at a distance from a developing device, to a predetermined position through a first supply path, by a first supply member, comprising:
a toner separating member which is disposed near the developing device, to communicate to the developing device and to separate the toner from the mixed fluid;
a first valve disposed between the toner separating member and the developing device and including:
a movable member capable of reducing the air stream entering into the developing device;
a shaft which the movable member can move based on; and
a wall covering the movable member; and
a second valve disposed between a toner hopper in the toner storage and a toner mixing chamber and including:
a movable member configured preventing the mixed fluid from flowing backward to the toner hopper;
a shaft which the movable member can move based on; and
a wall covering the movable member;
wherein each of the first and second valves is arranged to have a clearance of 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm between the wall and the movable member when an end of the movable member is located at a position closest to the wall.