CN210639428U

CN210639428U - Developer cartridge and image forming apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN210639428U
Application number: CN201921677905.7U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 横山法幸
Original assignee: Toshiba TEC Corp
Current assignee: Toshiba TEC Corp
Priority date: 2019-10-09
Filing date: 2019-10-09
Publication date: 2020-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 2029-10-09

Abstract

The utility model provides a developer box and image forming device that is difficult for blockking up when reduce cost and the developer of just packing into. The developer cartridge of the embodiment is detachably provided in an image forming apparatus, and includes: a housing formed in a conical shape and accommodating a developer therein, the housing having an opening formed in a bottom thereof; a first shaft, one end of which is supported by the housing in a manner of penetrating the housing, and the other end of which is arranged in the housing; a first gear rotatably provided at an upper side of the housing, the first gear rotating as the developer cartridge moves toward an inside of the image forming apparatus; a second gear provided on one end of the first shaft penetrating the housing, the second gear rotating with the first gear, the first shaft rotating with the second gear; and an agitating portion fixed to the first shaft and configured to agitate the developer with rotation of the first shaft. Through the utility model discloses, when reduce cost, make packing into of developer difficult emergence jam.

Description

Developer cartridge and image forming apparatus

Technical Field

The embodiment of the utility model relates to a developer cartridge and image forming apparatus.

Background

In the related art, a developer cartridge is a mechanism that automatically loads developer into a developer. When the developer is charged, generally, the loosening effect of the solidified developer is achieved by the driving portion at the insertion position of the toner cartridge. However, since the amount of the developer used is smaller than the amount of the toner used, if the developer cartridge wants to use the driving unit like the toner cartridge, the size of the developer cartridge increases, and the manufacturing and transportation costs increase. In addition, although there is a small funnel-shaped developer cartridge, the developer cartridge does not have an agitation mechanism, and clogging of the developer is likely to occur when the developer is charged.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The utility model provides a developer box and image forming device that is difficult for blockking up when reduce cost and the developer of just packing into.

A developer cartridge according to an embodiment, which is detachably provided in an image forming apparatus, includes: a housing formed in a conical shape and accommodating a developer therein, the housing having an opening formed in a bottom thereof; a first shaft having one end supported by the housing so as to penetrate the housing and the other end disposed in the housing; a first gear rotatably provided at an upper side of the housing, the first gear rotating as the developer cartridge moves toward the inside of the image forming apparatus; a second gear provided on one end of the first shaft penetrating the housing, the second gear rotating with rotation of the first gear, the first shaft rotating with rotation of the second gear; and an agitating portion fixed to the first shaft and configured to agitate the developer with rotation of the first shaft.

An image forming apparatus according to another embodiment includes: an image reading section that reads an original to generate image data of the original; an image forming section that forms a toner image on a sheet based on the image data, the image forming section having a developing device; a fixing section that fixes the toner image on the sheet; guide rails provided in pairs above the developers; a developer cartridge detachably provided in the image forming apparatus via the guide rail; wherein the developer cartridge has: a housing formed in a conical shape and accommodating a developer therein, the housing having an opening formed in a bottom thereof; a first shaft having one end supported by the housing so as to penetrate the housing and the other end disposed in the housing; a first gear rotatably provided at an upper side of the housing, the first gear rotating as the developer cartridge moves toward the inside of the image forming apparatus; a second gear provided on one end of the first shaft penetrating the housing, the second gear rotating with rotation of the first gear, the first shaft rotating with rotation of the second gear; and an agitating portion fixed to the first shaft and configured to agitate the developer with rotation of the first shaft.

Through the utility model discloses, can be when reducing the cost of preparation and transportation developer box, difficult emergence when making the developer pack into blocks up.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the structure of a developer cartridge and a developer in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention;

fig. 3 is a schematic structural view of a developer cartridge of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a schematic top view of the developer cartridge of the present invention about to enter the image forming apparatus;

fig. 5 is a schematic top view of the developer cartridge of the present invention fully inserted into the image forming apparatus;

fig. 6 is a schematic top view of the developer cartridge provided with three gears according to the present invention, when completely inserted into the image forming apparatus;

fig. 7(a) is a schematic diagram of the shutter of the present invention shown in cross-section C-C in fig. 2 about to remove the developer cartridge; fig. 7(b) is a schematic diagram of the shutter of the present invention with a portion of the developer cartridge removed, shown in cross-section C-C in fig. 2.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, the developer cartridge and the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In the drawing, the direction in which the X axis points is the right of the image forming apparatus 1, the direction opposite to the direction in which the X axis points is the left of the image forming apparatus 1, the direction in which the Y axis points is the upper of the image forming apparatus 1, the direction opposite to the direction in which the Y axis points is the lower of the image forming apparatus 1, the direction in which the Z axis points (i.e., the direction toward the inner side of the drawing) is the rear of the image forming apparatus 1, and the direction opposite to the direction in which the Z axis points (i.e., the direction toward the outer side of the drawing) is the front of the image forming apparatus 1. The direction of arrow a in the drawing is defined as a sheet conveying direction. That is, the paper feed cassette end is the "upstream side" and the paper discharge end is the "downstream side".

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus 1 according to the present invention.

As shown in fig. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is, for example, a multifunction peripheral (MFP), a printer, a copier, or the like. Next, an example in which the image forming apparatus 1 is a multifunction peripheral will be described.

As shown in fig. 1, an image reading unit 20 is provided at an upper portion of the image forming apparatus 1 in the height direction. An original table 21 having a transparent glass is provided above the image reading portion 20, and the image reading portion 20 reads an original to be transferred placed on the original table 21. The image reading unit 20 generates image data of a document.

An operation unit 22 is provided in a position near an upper portion of the front side of the image forming apparatus 1. The operation unit 22 includes an operation panel having various keys and a touch panel type operation display unit.

An image forming unit 10 is provided at the center in the height direction of the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming unit 10 forms a toner image on the sheet P based on the image data read by the image reading unit 20 or image data made by a personal computer or the like.

The image forming unit 10 includes a photosensitive drum 11, a charger 12, an exposure unit 13, a developing unit 14, a transfer roller 15, a cleaner 16, and a charge removing lamp 17.

The photosensitive drum 11 is rotatable in a rotation direction T. The photosensitive drum 11 is an image carrier. The photosensitive drum 11 has a photosensitive body on its outer peripheral surface. In a state where a specific potential is given to the photosensitive drum 11, if light is irradiated to the photosensitive drum, the potential of the area on the photosensitive drum 11 irradiated with the light changes. That is, the photosensitive drum 11 has a function of holding a change in potential as an electrostatic latent image for a certain time.

Around the photosensitive drum 11, a charger 12, an exposer 13, a developer 14, a transfer roller 15, a cleaner 16, and a neutralization lamp 17 are provided in this order along the rotation direction T of the photosensitive drum 11.

The charger 12 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 with a specific potential.

The exposure device 13 irradiates the photosensitive drum 11 with exposure light such as a laser beam LB based on data read by the image reading unit 20 or image data acquired from an external device such as a computer, to expose the photosensitive drum 11, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. The exposer 13 may change the light emission intensity of the laser beam LB according to the density of the image or the like.

The developer 14 contains developer and toner. The developing unit 14 supplies developer and toner to the surface of the photosensitive drum 11, develops the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 11, visualizes the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11, and forms a toner image.

The transfer roller 15 applies a specific potential to the sheet P to transfer the toner image on the photosensitive drum 11 onto the sheet P. The abutment portion of the photosensitive drum 11 and the transfer roller 15 constitutes a transfer position. When the sheet P passes through the transfer position, a transfer voltage is applied to the transfer roller 15. When a transfer voltage is applied to the transfer roller 15, the transfer roller 15 transfers the toner image on the photosensitive drum 11 onto the sheet P.

The cleaner 16 removes residual toner images and the like adhering to the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 and collects them.

The erasing lamp 17 erases the residual charge of the photosensitive drum 11.

A paper feed cassette 31 is disposed at a lower portion of the image forming apparatus 1 in the height direction. The paper feed cassette 31 has a pickup roller 32, and the pickup roller 32 takes out the sheets P in the paper feed cassette 31 one by one and conveys the sheets P to the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction. The paper feed cassette 31 can accommodate sheets P of various sizes. Although the present embodiment shows the case where only one paper feed cassette 31 is provided, a plurality of paper feed cassettes 31 may be provided according to the size of the sheet.

A conveying roller pair 33 and a registration roller pair 34 are provided on a conveying path from the paper feed cassette 31 to the transfer roller 15. The conveying roller pair 33 conveys the sheet P taken out of the paper feed cassette 31 by the pickup roller 32. The conveying roller pair 33 conveys the sheet taken out from the paper feed cassette 31 to the registration roller pair 34. The registration roller pair 34 rotates at a predetermined timing to align the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 11 with the position of the sheet P, and conveys the sheet P to the transfer position. The registration roller pair 34 aligns the position of the leading end of the sheet P fed from the conveying roller pair 33 at the position where both rollers abut (i.e., the registration position). When the leading end of the toner image reaches the transfer position, the registration roller pair 34 conveys the sheet P so that the leading end of the region of the sheet P to which the toner image is to be transferred reaches the transfer position.

A fixing portion 35 is disposed downstream (upper side in fig. 1) of the transfer roller 15 in the conveying direction of the sheet P. The fixing unit 35 heats and presses the sheet P to which the toner image is transferred by the transfer roller 15, and fixes the toner image on the sheet P. Although not shown, the fixing portion 35 has a halogen lamp and a driving motor for conveying the sheet P. The fixing unit 35 heats the sheet P with a halogen lamp to fix the toner image on the sheet P.

A discharge roller pair 36 is disposed downstream (upper left side in fig. 1) of the fixing section 35 in the conveying direction of the sheet P. The discharge roller pair 36 conveys the sheet P fixed by the fixing section 35 to the sheet discharge section 37.

A developer cartridge 4 (or a toner cartridge) for replenishing the developer (or toner) stored in the developer 14 is provided above the developer 14. When a certain amount of developer (or toner) is consumed in the developer 14 of the image forming portion 10, the developer (or toner) can be replenished to the developer 14 from the developer cartridge 4 (or toner cartridge). When the developer in the developer cartridge 4 is completely replenished to the developer 14, the old developer cartridge can be removed and a new developer cartridge filled with developer can be mounted.

Next, a structure for mounting the developer cartridge 4 in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a schematic structural view of the developer cartridge 4 and the developer 14 in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present invention.

As shown in fig. 2, a pair of right and left guide rails 52 are provided above the developing unit 14 in the image forming apparatus 1, the guide rails 52 extend in the front-rear direction (Z-axis direction) of the image forming apparatus 1, and the developer cartridge 4 (or toner cartridge) is movable forward or backward in the image forming apparatus 1 along the guide rails 52. When the developer cartridge 4 is removed, the developer cartridge 4 is moved forward along the guide rail 52 and removed forward from the image forming apparatus 1. When the developer cartridge 4 is mounted, the developer cartridge 4 is moved rearward along the guide rail 52 until completely housed in the image forming apparatus 1. That is, the developer cartridge 4 is detachably provided in the image forming apparatus 1 via the guide rail 52.

A rack 51 is integrally formed above a guide rail 52 in the image forming apparatus 1, and the rack 51 extends in the front-rear direction (Z-axis direction) of the image forming apparatus 1 in parallel with the guide rail 52. In the present embodiment, only the form in which the rack 51 is formed above the left side rail 52 is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the rack 51 may be formed above the right side rail 52, or a pair of racks 51 may be formed on both side rails 52.

Next, the structure of the developer cartridge 4 of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to fig. 2 and 3.

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural view of the developer cartridge 4 of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 3, the developer cartridge 4 of the present embodiment includes a housing 41, a first shaft 42, a first gear 43, a second gear 44, and an agitating portion 45. The developer cartridge 4 is detachably provided in the image forming apparatus 1, i.e., above the developer 14, by a guide rail 52 in the image forming apparatus 1.

As shown in fig. 3, the housing 41 of the developer cartridge 4 is formed in a generally conical shape having a wide top and a narrow bottom, i.e., a funnel shape. The casing 41 is formed of an inclined outer peripheral portion 41a and a lid portion 41b closing a wider end of the outer peripheral portion 41a, and the developer is stored in the casing 41 with an angle of approximately forty-five degrees between a wall of the outer peripheral portion 41a and a horizontal plane. The upper side of the housing 41 is formed in a shape movable along a guide rail 52 (fig. 2).

In the case where the cover portion 41b is directed upward (i.e., in the case where the developer cartridge 4 is normally provided in the image forming apparatus 1), the developer flows downward along the inner side surface of the outer peripheral portion 41a due to the action of gravity. An opening 411 is formed in a bottom portion of the casing 41 facing the lid portion 41b, the opening 411 protrudes downward from the developer cartridge 4, and the opening 411 allows the developer in the casing 41 to flow out easily.

The first shaft 42 is rotatably provided inside the housing 41, and specifically, as shown in fig. 3, an axis of the first shaft 42 coincides with an axis of the conical housing 41, that is, the first shaft 42 is located at the center of the housing 41. One end D1 of the first shaft 42 penetrates the cover 41b of the housing 41 and is supported by a bearing (not shown) located at the cover 41b of the housing 41. That is, the one end D1 of the first shaft 42 is supported by the housing 41 so as to penetrate the upper side of the housing 41. The other end D2 of the first shaft 42 is located at a lower portion in the casing 41, and a bearing supporting the other end D2 does not hinder the outflow of the developer. As shown in fig. 3, the bearing for supporting the other end D2 may be formed by providing two semicircular projections 451 having a low friction coefficient with respect to the housing 41 on the outer periphery of the lower side of the paddle 45a described later. The two projections 451 are of a simple bearing structure with respect to a general bearing. The simple bearing has a structure that does not affect smooth discharge of the developer with respect to a general bearing, and has a strength that meets the requirement of supporting the first shaft 42 because the first shaft 42 rotates only when the developer cartridge 4 is mounted.

The first gear 43 is disposed on the upper side of the lid portion 41b of the housing 41. The first gear 43 is rotatable along an axis parallel to the Y axis. In the present embodiment, the position of the first gear 43 in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) is shifted to the left side from the first shaft 42, but this is not limitative, and the position may be shifted to the right side. The first gear 43 can rotate as the developer cartridge 4 moves toward the inside (i.e., the rear, the direction in which the Z axis points) of the image forming apparatus 1.

An example in which the first gear 43 rotates as the developer cartridge 4 moves toward the inside of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described below. As shown in fig. 2, as a specific example of the first gear 43 rotating as the developer cartridge 4 moves toward the inside of the image forming apparatus 1, the first gear 43 may mesh with a rack 51 in the image forming apparatus 1. When the developer cartridge 4 is loaded into the image forming apparatus 1, that is, when the developer cartridge 4 moves toward the rear of the image forming apparatus 1 (the direction in which the Z axis is directed), the first gear 43 engages with the rack 51. Since the rack 51 is formed integrally with the guide rail 52 and the guide rail 52 is fixed in the image forming apparatus 1, as the developer cartridge 4 moves toward the rear of the image forming apparatus 1, the teeth of the first gear 43 are pushed by the teeth of the rack 51, a part of the force of the movement of the developer cartridge 4 is converted into the driving force of the rotation of the first gear 43, and thus the first gear 43 starts to rotate. Alternatively, the rack 51 may be replaced with a fixedly provided worm or the like to realize the function of rotating the first gear as the developer cartridge moves toward the inside of the image forming apparatus 1.

As shown in fig. 3, the second gear 44 is disposed on one end D1 of the first shaft 42 penetrating the housing 41, that is, the second gear 44 is disposed outside the housing 41, and the axis of the second gear 44 coincides with the axis of the first shaft 42. The radial dimension of the second gear 44 is formed smaller than the radial dimension of the first gear 43. The second gear 44 is fixedly connected to the first shaft 42, for example, by a key or the like, so that when the second gear 44 rotates, the first shaft 42 also rotates, that is, the second gear 44 can transmit the driving force to the first shaft 42.

In addition, the second gear 44 may rotate with the rotation of the first gear 43. That is, the second gear 44 can receive the driving force transmitted by the first gear 43. As a specific example, the first gear 43 and the second gear 44 may be directly meshed, and the second gear 44 may be rotated along with the first gear 43. Alternatively, the second gear 44 is rotated along with the first gear 43 by adding an additional gear between the first gear 43 and the second gear 44.

The stirring section 45 is located below the second gear 44. Specifically, the stirring portion 45 is located inside the housing 41 and is fixedly provided on the first shaft 42. When the first shaft 42 rotates, the stirring portion 45 rotates along with the first shaft 42 to stir the developer in the developer cartridge 4. The stirring section 45 includes a paddle 45a as a rotating frame and a blade (not shown). The paddle 45a is formed as a frame structure composed of a plurality of columnar members as in the related art. Specifically, the paddle 45a is formed in a conical shape having a shape substantially similar to the housing 41, but the size of the paddle 45a is smaller than the size of the housing 41, that is, a gap is left between the outer surface of the paddle 45a and the inner surface of the outer peripheral portion 41a of the housing 41. A blade that comes into contact with the developer in the housing 41 and agitates the developer is fixedly provided on the outer side of the paddle 45a (the upper side of the projection 451), and the blade fills up the gap between the paddle 45a and the housing 41, that is, the blade can move along the inner side surface of the outer peripheral portion 41a of the housing 41 by the rotation of the paddle 45 a. The developer in the developer cartridge 4 is loosened by the cooperation of the paddle 45a and the blade. Although not shown, the number of blades may be one or more, as long as the function of loosely stirring the developer is achieved.

Next, the process of mounting the developer cartridge 4 according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 2, 4, and 5.

Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of the developer cartridge 4 of the present invention when it is about to enter the image forming apparatus 1.

Fig. 5 is a schematic plan view of the developer cartridge 4 according to the present invention when it is completely inserted into the image forming apparatus 1.

As shown in fig. 2, when it is necessary to mount the developer cartridge 4 into the image forming apparatus 1, first, the upper side portion of the housing 41 of the developer cartridge 4 is aligned with the grooves of the pair of guide rails 52 so that the developer cartridge 4 can be supported by the guide rails 52. Then, for example, the operator applies a certain pushing force F (fig. 4) to the developer cartridge 4, so that the developer cartridge 4 can move along the guide rail 52 toward the rear of the image forming apparatus 1.

After the developer cartridge 4 moves to a certain distance toward the rear of the image forming apparatus 1, the first gear 43 starts rotating as the developer cartridge 4 continues to move toward the inside of the image forming apparatus 1 (i.e., the rear, the direction in which the Z-axis points). As a specific example, as shown in fig. 4, the first gear 43 starts to mesh with the rack 51. Since the rack 51 is integrally formed on the guide rail 52 fixedly provided, when a certain thrust force F is continuously applied to the developer cartridge 4, the teeth of the first gear 43 are pushed by the teeth of the rack 51, and the first gear 43 starts to rotate in the rotational direction T1, that is, equivalent to transmitting a part of the thrust force F to the first gear 43.

Hereinafter, a specific example in which the second gear 44 rotates together with the first gear 43 will be described as a mode in which the second gear 44 directly meshes with the first gear 43. The second gear 44 receives the transmitted driving force from the first gear 43. The second gear 44 starts to rotate in the rotation direction T2 as the first gear 43 rotates.

Returning to fig. 2, since the second gear 44 is fixedly disposed on the end D1 of the first shaft 42, when the second gear 44 rotates in the rotating direction T2, the first shaft 42 also starts to rotate in the rotating direction T2 along with the second gear 44. And because the stirring portion 45 is fixedly provided on the first shaft 42, the stirring portion 45 also starts rotating in the rotating direction T2 with the first shaft 42, and stirs the developer in the developer cartridge 4. That is, the developer in the developer cartridge 4 is agitated during the process of mounting the developer cartridge 4 to the image forming apparatus 1.

After the developer cartridge 4 is moved to a prescribed position, that is, as shown in fig. 5, when the developer cartridge 4 is moved to the point where the first gear 43 is about to disengage from the rack 51, the application of the urging force F is stopped. The developer cartridge 4 completes the process of mounting in the image forming apparatus 1. After that, the developer can be replenished to the developing unit 14 through the opening 411. The predetermined position is a position where the developer cartridge 4 is moved to the image forming apparatus 1 to be connectable to the developer 14. In this position, the developer cartridge 4 can be connected to the developer 14 in the image forming apparatus 1 and replenish the developer 14 with the developer. That is, the predetermined position is a position where the developer is replenished to the image forming apparatus 1.

In the above-described embodiment, the stirring section is driven by the structure of the developer cartridge itself, and it is not necessary to use a driving section such as a toner cartridge provided behind the image forming apparatus. In addition, the developer is stirred in the process of mounting the developer box on the image forming device, so that the problem that the developer box in a funnel shape cannot loosen the developer can be solved, and the blockage of the developer is avoided.

Preferably, when the developer cartridge 4 is mounted at a predetermined position from the outside of the image forming apparatus 1, the stirring portion 45 in the developer cartridge 4 is rotated at least two times. When the stirring section 45 is rotated for at least two complete revolutions, it can be known from the conventional rule that the developer contained in the developer cartridge 4 can be sufficiently stirred and loosened regardless of the time the developer cartridge is stored. That is, in the preferred embodiment, the developer cartridge is not left to be effectively loosened due to the long time during which the developer cartridge is left, and incomplete loosening of the developer due to the small number of times of stirring is avoided. The risk of clogging of the developer when flowing into the developer is further reduced.

Next, an embodiment in which at least two complete rotations of the stirring section 45 are ensured will be specifically described. In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, for example, a mode is adopted in which the second gear 44 directly meshes with the first gear 43, and the first gear 43 meshes with the rack 51 in the image forming apparatus 1. By adjusting the number of teeth of the first gear 43 and the second gear 44, the gear ratio between the number of teeth of the first gear 43 and the second gear 44 is set to three. The number of teeth of the rack 51 and the first gear 43 is adjusted so that the ratio of the number of teeth of the rack 51 to the number of teeth of the first gear 43 is two-thirds or more. By setting the number of teeth, the stirring portion 45 can be rotated completely for at least two revolutions while the developer cartridge 4 is loaded from the outside of the image forming apparatus 1 to a predetermined position.

With this preferred embodiment, the risk of clogging when the developer flows into the developer is further reduced, and the number of gears of the developer cartridge can be simplified, the time for assembling and processing the developer cartridge can be reduced, and the efficiency of producing the developer cartridge can be improved.

Next, another embodiment for ensuring that the stirring section 45 rotates for at least two complete revolutions will be described.

Fig. 6 is a schematic top view of the developer cartridge 4 with three gears according to the present invention, when it is completely inserted into the image forming apparatus 1.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 6, the developer cartridge 4 has a third gear 47 that meshes with both the first gear 43 and the second gear 44. Further, the first gear 43 meshes with a rack 51 provided in the image forming apparatus 1. By adjusting the numbers of teeth of the first gear 43, the second gear 44 and the third gear 47, the ratio of the number of teeth of the first gear 43 to the number of teeth of the third gear 47 is three-half, the ratio of the number of teeth of the third gear 47 to the number of teeth of the second gear 44 is two, and the ratio of the number of teeth of the rack 51 to the number of teeth of the first gear 43 is greater than or equal to two-thirds. By setting the number of teeth, the stirring portion 45 can be rotated completely for at least two revolutions while the developer cartridge 4 is loaded from the outside of the image forming apparatus 1 to a predetermined position.

With this preferred embodiment, the risk of clogging when the developer flows into the developer is further reduced, and when the position of the rack and the position of the first shaft are fixed, the layout of the drive train has a higher degree of freedom, making the adaptability of the developer cartridge wider. In addition, the gear ratio may be such that the rotation speed of the second gear is increased to increase the rotation speed of the stirring section.

In addition, in the present invention, preferably, when the first gear 43 and the second gear 44 are directly engaged, the gear ratio between the first gear 43 and the second gear 44 may be the same, and the length (Z-axis direction) of the rack 51 (and the developer cartridge 4) may be increased to ensure that the stirring portion 45 can rotate completely for at least two revolutions. Therefore, the first gear and the second gear can be replaced with each other, reducing the processing cost of the developer cartridge. Further, when the developer cartridge 4 and the rack 51 are extended, the gear ratio of the first gear 43 and the second gear 44 may be made different, and the number of rotation cycles of the stirring section may be further increased by appropriately adjusting the number of teeth.

Next, another preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 3 and 7. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process of removing the shutter 46 of the developer cartridge 4 in a cross section C-C of fig. 2 according to the present invention. In fig. 7, the developer cartridge 4 is shown by a broken line, the developer 14 is shown by a solid line, and the sealing member between the opening 411 and the opening 141 is omitted. Fig. 7(a) is a schematic diagram of the shutter 46 of the present invention shown in cross section C-C in fig. 2 about to be removed from the developer cartridge 4. Fig. 7(b) is a schematic diagram of the shutter 46 of the present invention with a part of the developer cartridge 4 removed, shown in cross section C-C in fig. 2.

As shown in fig. 3, a shutter 46 for closing the opening 411 is detachably provided below the developer cartridge 4 (i.e., below the opening 411), and the shutter 46 prevents the developer in the developer cartridge 4 from flowing out freely. The shutter 46 is formed with a recessed groove on both right and left sides (X-axis direction), and the lower side of the housing 41 is formed in a shape that allows the recessed groove of the shutter 46 to slide freely on the housing 41, for example, in a manner that the upper side of the housing 41 slides along the guide rail 52. The shutter 46 is attached to the opening 411 of the housing 41 with a certain adhesion, and therefore, the shutter 46 can move together with the developer cartridge 4. The shutter 46 is detached from the opening 411 only after a certain hindrance.

As shown in fig. 7, a stopper 142 is provided in the opening 141 above the developer 14. The stopper 142 is formed in a wedge shape, that is, a front surface (a direction in which the Z axis points) of the stopper 142 is an inclined surface forming a forty-five degree angle with the horizontal plane, and a rear surface (a direction opposite to the Z axis points) of the stopper 142 is a plane perpendicular to the horizontal plane. The flat surface of the stopper 142 is a surface that contacts the shutter 46 of the developer cartridge 4 being loaded, and the inclined surface of the stopper 142 is a surface that facilitates the dropping of the developer into the developer 14.

When it is necessary to fill the developer 14 with developer, the developer cartridge 4 is loaded into the image forming apparatus 1 in the pushing-in direction N. When the developer cartridge 4 is about to reach a prescribed position (i.e., the position shown in fig. 5), the shutter 46 of the developer cartridge 4 just reaches a position of contact with the flat surface of the stopper 142, as shown in fig. 7 (a). At this time, the movement of the shutter 46 is blocked by the stopper 142.

As the developer cartridge 4 continues to move, as shown in fig. 7(b), the shutter 46 gradually moves away from the opening 411, i.e., gradually loses the function of closing the opening 411. At this time, part of the developer starts to flow out of the opening 411, and enters the opening 141 of the developing unit 14. When the shutter 46 is completely disengaged with the movement of the developer cartridge 4, the opening 411 is completely opened, and the developer reaches the maximum output amount.

When the developer is completely loaded into the developer 14, the developer cartridge 4 is removed from the image forming apparatus 1 in the reverse route to the above-described one, and the filling operation of the developer is completed. After that, the toner cartridge can be loaded into this position, and the toner can be filled.

With the above-described embodiment, it is possible to realize the work of removing the shutter 46 of the developer cartridge 4 along with the process of mounting the developer cartridge 4 in the image forming apparatus 1, thus improving the efficiency of filling the developer, and avoiding the possibility of leakage of the developer when the shutter 46 is removed by hand.

According to at least one embodiment described above, the developer is agitated by the operation at the time of loading the developer cartridge, so that the size and cost of the developer cartridge are reduced, and the developer cartridge can be manufactured and transported at a reduced cost, and the developer cartridge is less likely to be clogged at the time of loading the developer.

While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments can be implemented in other various manners, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. These embodiments and modifications are included in the scope and gist of the present invention, and are included in the present invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Claims

1. A developer cartridge detachably provided in an image forming apparatus, the developer cartridge comprising:

a housing formed in a conical shape and accommodating a developer therein, the housing having an opening formed in a bottom thereof;

a first shaft having one end supported by the housing so as to penetrate the housing and the other end disposed in the housing;

a first gear rotatably provided at an upper side of the housing, the first gear rotating as the developer cartridge moves toward the inside of the image forming apparatus;

a second gear provided on one end of the first shaft penetrating the housing, the second gear rotating with rotation of the first gear, the first shaft rotating with rotation of the second gear;

and an agitating portion fixed to the first shaft and configured to agitate the developer with rotation of the first shaft.

2. The developer cartridge according to claim 1,

the agitating part rotates at least two times when the developer cartridge is mounted at a predetermined position from the outside of the image forming apparatus.

3. The developer cartridge according to claim 2,

the second gear is meshed with the first gear, the first gear is meshed with a rack arranged in the image forming device, the number of teeth of the first gear and the gear ratio of the second gear are three, and the number of teeth of the rack and the gear ratio of the first gear are more than or equal to two thirds.

4. The developer cartridge according to claim 2,

the image forming apparatus further includes a third gear that meshes with the first gear and the second gear at the same time, the first gear meshes with a rack provided in the image forming apparatus, a gear ratio of the first gear to the third gear is three-thirds, a gear ratio of the third gear to the second gear is two, and a gear ratio of the rack to the first gear is equal to or greater than two-thirds.

5. The developer cartridge according to claim 2,

and a baffle plate for closing the opening part is detachably arranged on the lower side of the opening part.

6. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image reading section that reads an original to generate image data of the original;

an image forming section that forms a toner image on a sheet based on the image data, the image forming section having a developing device;

a fixing section that fixes the toner image on the sheet;

guide rails provided in pairs above the developers;

a developer cartridge detachably provided in the image forming apparatus via the guide rail;

wherein the developer cartridge has:

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6,

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7,

the second gear with first gear engagement, first gear with the rack toothing that the guide rail top formed, the number of teeth of first gear with the gear ratio of second gear is three, the number of teeth of rack with the gear ratio of first gear is more than or equal to two-thirds.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7,

the guide rail is provided with a guide rail, the guide rail is provided with a first gear and a second gear, the first gear is meshed with a rack formed above the guide rail, the gear number of the first gear is three-half of that of the third gear, the gear number of the third gear is two of that of the second gear, and the gear number of the rack is more than or equal to two-thirds of that of the first gear.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7,

a baffle plate for closing the opening part is detachably arranged at the lower side of the opening part, and a stop block is arranged in the opening above the developing device.