JPH0371170A - Toner cartridge for electrophotographic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily execute the replacement and distinguishable storage of plural toner components by dividing the toner packing space of a toner replenishing container into plural toner packing space elements by a diaphragm and forming a distinguishing marks for distinguishing respective toner packing space elements. CONSTITUTION:A toner cartridge 20 is constituted by dividing the toner packing space of the toner replenishing container 21 into plural toner packing space elements by the diaphragm 25, forming a feed port 23 and a seal film 31 in respective toner packing space element, storing initial toner 9a in either one of the elements, and storing supply toner 9b in the other element. A distinguishing mark 27 for distinguishing respective toner packing space elements 22a, 22b respectively storing the initial toner 9a and the supply toner 9b is formed on the outside of the container 21 which is an observable portion of the container 21 so as to easily discriminate the stored elements of respective toner components 9a, 9b.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a toner cartridge for an electrophotographic apparatus.

[Prior Art] When an electrophotographic device is used for a long period of time, the current
Since the amount of 1-toner in the image is reduced, it is necessary to replenish an appropriate amount of toner.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the conventional developing device includes a developing device main body 10 and a toner cartridge 20 detachably attached to the main body 10.

Here, the developing device main body 10 includes a storage unit 1 for storing magnetic powders 1 to 9 supplied from the ridge 20.
- It is composed of a toner storage chamber 11 and a magnetic roller, etc., which makes the toner 9 in this storage chamber 11 adhere to a photoreceptor drum on which an electrostatic latent image is formed using magnetic action. , the photoreceptor drum, magnetic roller, etc. are omitted in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5.6, the toner supply container 21 has a rectangular outer shape for convenient stacking and conveyance, and forms a toner filling space 22. A replenishment port 23 is formed at the bottom of the replenishment container 21 with an opening that communicates the 1-ner filling space 22 with the outside. It is made up of a sealing film 31 that is adhesively bonded so that it can be peeled off and opened in a direction (direction). Here, the sealing film 31 is attached in the peeling direction (X
direction), and one end thereof is pulled out to the outside of the toner supply container 21. The henna filling space 22 closed by the sealing film 31 is filled with toner 9 until it reaches a predetermined horizontal level.

Using this toner cartridge 20, the developing device main body 10
To replenish toner, as shown in FIG. 5, attach this cartridge 20 to the developing device main body 10, and in that state, hold the seal film 31 by the right end in the figure and pull it out. From supply container 2]! 1111i1ffl.

Then, the replenishment port 23 that had been blocked by the film 31 is opened, and the replenishment port 23 is filled with 1~ner i5!4? The toners 1 to 9 within the space 22 fall from the replenishment port 23 and are replenished into the developing device main body 10. For example, if the seal film 31 has a unit length, ○ta! When it is peeled off, the l shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure
A portion of Luna loses its footing and falls, and is deposited in the toner storage chamber 11 of the developing device main body 10 as shown by the solid line in the figure.

Similarly, as the seal film 31 is peeled off, the toner 9 portion indicated by the dotted line in the figure also falls one after another and accumulates in the toner storage chamber 11.

[Invention or Problem to be Solved] By the way, the conventional development methods can be roughly divided into one-component development methods, in which development is performed using only a single toner, and methods in which a carrier such as iron powder is mixed with the toner. Using as a developer 2
There is a component development method.

Here, even in electrophotographic apparatuses that employ one-component development method, in order to improve the charging uniformity of the photoreceptor drum and to improve the appropriateness of toner adhesion by avoiding strong adhesion of I/toner. At the beginning of operation, development is performed using an initial L-chie containing a predetermined amount (for example, 20%) of carrier in toner 1, and then development is performed using a supply toner consisting only of a single toner 1 to toner. That's what I do.

Therefore, it is necessary to replace the initial toner cartridge 1 to the cartridge containing the initial toner and the supply 1 to the cartridge cartridge containing the bright toner, which is an inconvenience in that the replacement work takes time and effort, and the operating rate tends to decrease. occurs. Furthermore, since there are a large number of waste toner cartridges, it takes time and effort to dispose of them. Furthermore, the initial toner car 1-ridge and the supply toner car 1-ridge must be identified and stored, which is complicated.

The purpose of the water valve IJJ is to provide a 1-ner cartridge for an electrophotographic apparatus that allows easy exchange of initial l-chie and zabliner 1-ner and identification and storage of both toners.

[Means for Solving the Problems 1] According to the present invention, a single toner replenishment container separately accommodates initial toner and sub-bright toner, and is configured to be able to replenish them independently. At this time, an identification mark is provided on the external portion of the toner replenishing container, which is a visually visible position, so that the location where the toner is stored can be easily identified.

That is, the invention as set forth in claim 1 provides an I/toner replenishment container that forms one henna filling space, and a replenishment port that communicates the toner filling space with the outside in the one toner replenishment container, which is normally closed. In the toner cartridge for an electrophotographic apparatus, the toner cartridge is formed of a sealing film that is peeled off and opened in a predetermined peeling direction during replenishment. In addition to dividing the space into sections, each 1~
One filling space element is provided with the replenishment port and the seal film, and one of the toner filling space elements stores initial toner, and the remaining one to one filling space elements store the supply toner. The invention as set forth in claim 2 is further characterized in that an identification mark is provided on the outside of the toner supply container to identify the toner filling space element in which the initial toner or the bright toner is stored.

[Function] In the invention described in claim 1, when replacing the initial toner with the supply toner after replenishing the initial toner from the toner replenishing container to the developing device main body, the toner replenishing container is removed from the developing device main body and the toner replenishing container is removed from the developing device main body. In this state, the container is appropriately rotated and installed so that the toner filling space element containing unused supplies 1 to toner faces the developing device main body. next,
In this state, replenish the element [l] by peeling off the sealing film and replenish the 1-ner.

As a result, the initial toner and the supply toner can be stored separately and supplied separately in one toner supply container, and it is easy to exchange the initial toner and the supply toner and to identify and store both toners. can.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 2, in addition, by visually observing an identification mark provided on the outside of the toner supply container, it is possible to easily determine where the initial toner or supply toner is stored. can. As a result, it is possible to easily exchange and identify and store the toners in both stages.

[Example] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the toner cartridge 20 according to this embodiment includes a toner supply container 21 and a sealing film 31.
- etc.

Components that are the same as those shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 above are given the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be omitted or simplified.

The L~ toner cartridge 20 according to the present invention is configured to separately store initial toner and supply toner in one toner supply container and to be able to supply them independently, thereby facilitating replacement and identification storage of both toners. It was designed so that it could be done.

Specifically, the 1-cheeker 1 heritage 20 divides the toner filling space 22 of the 1-hener supply container 21 into a plurality of 1 to 1 filling space elements by the partition plate 25, and
A replenishment port 23 and a sealing film 31 are provided in the henna filling space, and inisils 1 to 9a are stored in one of the toner filling space elements, and the bright toner 9b is stored in the remaining toner filling space element. ing.

In this embodiment, for processing convenience, the 1 to 1 filling space 22 is divided into two 1 to 1 filling space elements 22a, 22b by a partition plate 25, as shown in FIG. The element 22a contains an initial toner 9a. Further, the supply toner 9b is accommodated in the element 22b. Furthermore, toner filling space elements 22a, 22 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the l-toner supply container 22 in the figure.
A supply port 23.23 is provided to communicate between the outside and the seal film 31.b. ．． 31 is bonded to the supply port 23, 23 via a rib 29 shown in FIG. 3 in a manner that normally closes the supply port 23 and 23, and that it can be peeled off and opened in a predetermined peeling direction (X direction) at the time of supply.

The adhesive force of each seal film 31 is determined by the adhesive strength of the initial toner 9a and the bright toner 9b filled in the toner filling space elements 22a, 22b of the toner supply container 21.
Adjusted to support and make it easy to remove.

Furthermore, the toner supply container 21 contains toners 9a and 9b.
As shown in FIG.
An identification mark 27 for identifying the toner filling space element 22a, 22b containing the initial toner 9a or the supply toner 9b is provided at 0. Identification mark 2
7 is omitted from illustration. ).

Note that in the figure, ], , 6.26 are positioning members that work together to removably attach 1 to 20 to the developing device main body 1-◯. This positioning member 2
No. 6 has L mounting convenience and a vertically symmetrical structure. Also,
12 is a magnetic roller.

Next, the effect will be explained.

At the beginning of operation of the electrophotographic device, initial toner 9a is used (
t. To replenish the main body 10 of the apparatus, as shown in FIG.
The l/ner filling space element 22a containing the main body 10
Attach each member using the zero determining member 16 and 26 so as to face each other. Next, in this state, the toner filling space element 22
Replenishment of a [123] is opened by peeling off the seal film 31, and the initial 1 hener 9a is replenished into the developing device main body 1.0. In this way, a predetermined image operation is performed using the initial toner 9a supplied to the imager main body 10. As a result, it is possible to improve the charging uniformity of the photoreceptor drum and the validity of the adhesion force.

By the way, after performing a predetermined developing operation using the initial toner 9a, in order to perform the developing operation using the supplies 1 to 9b, it is necessary to replace the toner.

To replace the toner, insert the toner cartridge 20 into -
Then, remove it from the developing device main body 10. Next, the toner cartridges 1 to 20 are inverted, and the used toner filling space element 22a is positioned above and the toner filling space element 22b containing the supply toner 9b is positioned below. are mounted via respective positioning members 1, 6, and 26 so as to face the developing device main body 10. At this time, the sealing film 31 is attached to the supply I/Q 9b filled in the toner filling space element 22b of the toner supply container 21.
Since it is adhered to the container 21 with sufficient adhesive force to support the bright toner 91]2, it will not be accidentally peeled off and the bright toner 91]2 will not leak out when the cartridge 20 is turned over. In addition, the positioning member 26
has a vertically symmetrical structure, so toner car 1 - ridge 20
can be installed smoothly.

Next, in this state, the supply I/Q 9b in filling space elements 1 to 221 is supplied to the developing device main body 10. At this time, even if the initial toner 9a remains in the used filling space element 22a, the element 22a
Since the replenishment port 23 of a is mounted with the negative facing side, the residual toner 9a does not leak to the outside and high definition printing is ensured.

According to this embodiment, the toner filling space 22 of the toner replenishing container 21 is partitioned into a plurality of one-filling space elements 22a and 22b by the partition plate 25, and one
-N-A replenishment port 23 and a seal film 31 are provided in the toner filling spaces 22a and 22b, and either of the toner filling space elements (
22a) contains the initial toner 9a and the remaining one.
~Na1 filling space element (22b)! This supply toner 9b
Since the configuration accommodates the initial toner 9a and the supply I/Q 9b, it is easy to identify and store both toners 9a, 9b.

In addition, since the configuration is such that an identification mark 27 is provided on the outside of each of the toner supply containers 21 to identify the toner filling space elements 22a and 22b in which the initial toner 9a or the supply l-chie 9b is housed. .

Furthermore, the partition plate 25 divides the toner filling space 22 of the toner supply container 21 into two filling space elements 22a of the toner supply container 21.
, 22b, it is convenient for processing. In addition, since the replenishment port 23 of the used toner filling space element is mounted facing upward, even if toner remains inside the element, it will not leak out to the outside, ensuring high-definition printing. .

In the above embodiment, the toner filling space 22 of the toner supply container 21 is divided into two 1 henna 1 filling space elements 22a and 22b by the partition plate 25, but the number of divisions is not limited to this. It can be selected arbitrarily. For example, as shown in FIG.
It is also possible to divide it into 2c and 22d. When the filling space 22 is divided into four sections in this way, the initial toner 9a and the toner plies 1 to 9b can be exchanged and identified and stored even more easily.

Further, although the initial toner 9a is accommodated in one (22a) of the two toner filling space elements 22a and 22b, if there are three or more filling space elements 1 to 1, For example, even if you try to accommodate two of them, it will not work.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the invention described in claim 1, the toner filling space of the toner replenishing container is divided into a plurality of toner filling space elements by a partition plate, and the replenishment port is provided in each of the toner filling space elements. and a sealing film, the initial toner is stored in one of the toner filling space elements, and the remaining one to
Since the supply toner is stored in the empty filling space element 5, it is possible to easily exchange the initial toner and the supply toner and to identify and store both toners.

According to the invention as set forth in claim 2, in addition, an identification mark is provided on the outside of the toner supply container to identify a toner filling space element in which initial toner or supply toner is stored. Therefore, it becomes easy to replace and identify and store the toners in the -stage and both toners.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 are views that do not show one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining toner replenishment operation, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a developing device to which this embodiment is applied. , FIG. 3 is a bottom view. FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention. 5 to 7 are diagrams showing conventional toner cartridges.
The figure is an external perspective view, and FIG. 7 is a bottom view. 9a...Initial toner 6 0 1 2 2 3 5 7...Spring toner...Toner cartridge,...Toner supply container,...1 to N1 filling space, a. 22b... Toner filling space element,... Replenishment port,... Partition plate,... Identification mark.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A toner replenishment container that forms a toner filling space, and a replenishment port that communicates the toner filling space with the outside in this toner replenishment container, which is normally closed and can be opened by peeling in a predetermined peeling direction during replenishment. In a toner cartridge for an electrophotographic apparatus, the toner filling space of the toner supply container is divided into a plurality of toner filling space elements by a partition plate, and each toner filling space element is provided with the replenishment port and a sealing film. and
A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic apparatus, characterized in that initial toner is stored in one of the toner filling space elements and supply toner is stored in the remaining toner filling space elements. (2) A toner for an electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an identification mark for identifying a toner filling space element in which initial toner or supply toner is stored is provided on the outside of the toner supply container. cartridge.