Vessel for Developer

Europaisches Patentamt 0 371 520 J European Patent Office uy Publication number: A3 Office europeen des brevets

EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

@ Date of filing: 23.05.89

© Priority: 30.1 1.88 JP 303041/88 @ Inventor: Fukuda, Hideo 2-19-11 Kuraji © Date of publication of application: Katano-shi Osaka-fu(JP) 06.06.90 Bulletin 90/23 Inventor: Ido, Mikio 211-1-503, Takamatsu Sakai-shi Osaka-fu(JP) © Designated Contracting States: Inventor: Motobayashi, Naoki DE FR GB IT NL No. 203, Royal Height, 998-7, Ooaza Kata Tondabayashi-shi Osaka-fu(JP) © Date of deferred publication of the search report: 28.11.90 Bulletin 90/48 © Representative: Smulders, Theodorus A.H.J., Ir. et al © Applicant: MITA INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. Vereenigde Octrooibureaux Nieuwe Parklaan 2-28, 1-chome, Tamatsukuri Chuo-ku 107 Osaka 540(JP) NL-2587 BP "s-Gravenhage(NL)

Vessel for developer.

© Disclosed is a developer vessel for containing a protruded from the other end of the receiving plate developer therein, which is attached to a developing (2). device of an electrophotographic copying machine and is used as a developer hopper, said developer Fig. I vessel comprising a vessel proper (1) having a closed top (11), a barrel (12) and a tapered inclined portion (13) continuous to the barrel (12), recited from the top in the state where the vessel is attached to the developing device, a receiving plate (2) formed integrally with the vessel proper (1), which has a substantially flat supporting surface (21), substantially straight two side edges (22a, 22b) for at- j^jtachment to the developing device and an opening ^(23) communicating with the vessel proper (1), an opening tab (3) composed of a film which covers the 2 opening of the receiving plate (2) and is peelably 43 If) bonded to the flat supporting surface, and a shutter (4) composed of a plate having, on both the sides, ^engagement portions to be engaged with both the CO side edges of the receiving plate (2), wherein said Qfilm has a width smaller than the distance between both the attachment side edges of the receiving G- plate (2), and said film has such a length that the 111 32 film is folded on the fitting and inserting end of the receiving plate and the lapel of the folded film is

Xerox Copy Centre Patent Application Number J European EUROPEAN SEARCH REPORT Office EP 89 20 1305

DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT Citation of document with indication, where appropriate, Relevant CLASSIFICATION OF THE Category of relevant passages to claim APPLICATION ant. C1.5) et al.) 1,5 US-A-4 062 385 (KATUSHA G 03 G 15/08 * Column 2, line 31 - column 3, line 62; figures 1-3 *

A US-A-4 589 579 (MORITA) 1 * Column 1, lines 14-34; figures 1-5 *

A DE-A-3 343 910 (RICOH CO.) 1-4 * Page 15, line 18 - page 17, line 16; figures 1,4,8 *

PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, vol. 10, no. 1 334 (P-515)[2390], 13th November 1986; & JP-A-61 138 269 (TOSHIBA CORP.) 25-06-1986

TECHNICAL FIELDS SEARCHED (Int. C1.5)

G 03 G 15/08

The present search report has been drawn up for all claims Place of search Date of completion of the search THE HAGUE 10-09-1990 CIGOJ P.M. CATEGORY OF CITED DOCUMENTS T : theory or principle underlying the invention E : earlier patent document, but published on, or X : particularly relevant if taken alone after the filing date Y : particularly relevant if combined with another D : document cited in the application document of the same category L : document cited for other reasons A : technological background corresponding O : non-written disclosure & : member of the same patent family, P : intermediate document document