JP2000147880A - Toner replenishment container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent float of a sealing member and a toner leakage due to the float of the sealing member by fixing the unsealable sealing member, which hermetically seals a toner replenishment opening part, to a toner storage part by means of a fixing member. SOLUTION: A fixing member 332 has the shape of a nearly cylindrical container that is open at one end. Specifically, it is formed in the shape of a cap capable of covering a sealing member 303 and the leading end of the toner replenishment opening part 301a of a container main body. The fixing member 332 also has an engagement pawl 332a, which restricts the movement of the sealing member 303 in the direction where it is detached. When attached to the toner replenishment opening part 301a, the fixing member 332 is fixed to the leading end of the toner replenishment opening part 301a by the engagement of the engagement pawl 332a with a recess 301o provided in the leading end of the toner replenishment opening part 301a. For the toner replenishment container 301 provided with such a fixing member 332 float of the sealing member 303, toner leakage and catching failure are prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an electrophotographic copying machine,
The present invention relates to a toner supply container used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, fine powder toner has been used as a developer in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses such as electrophotographic copying machines and electrophotographic printers. When the toner in the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus is consumed, toner is supplied to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus using the toner supply container.

The toner supply container is set in the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and discharges toner from the opening to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

[0004]

In such a toner replenishing container, the sealing member is press-fitted into the opening and is attached so as to be opened.

The present invention is a further development of the above-mentioned prior art, and its main object is to provide a toner replenishing container capable of preventing the sealing member from floating and preventing toner leakage due to the floating of the sealing member. Is to do.

[0006]

A typical configuration according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a toner supply container that is detachable from an electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body, and (a) stores a toner. (B) a toner supply opening for discharging the toner stored in the toner storage, and (c) a toner supply opening for discharging the toner stored in the toner storage. (E) a toner conveying member for conveying in the direction provided with (a), an openable sealing member for sealing the toner supply opening, and (e).
A fixing member for fixing the sealing member to the toner accommodating portion.

(Operation) In the toner supply container,
A fixing member fixes the sealing member to the toner storage unit. This can prevent the sealing member from floating and prevent toner leakage due to the floating sealing member.

[0008] Further, by using a fixing member for fixing the sealing member to the toner accommodating portion, long-term storage of the toner replenishing container is possible.
Floating of the sealing member due to creep deformation of the sealing member and the toner replenishing opening that occurs during storage in a severe environment, and a small amount of toner leakage due to the floating of the sealing member can be prevented. Can be reduced, so that the opening strength of the sealing member at the time of toner supply can be reduced.

Further, since the sealing member is prevented from floating due to creep deformation by the fixing member, it can be reused even if creep deformation occurs.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A toner supply container according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In the following description, the longitudinal direction is the direction in which the toner supply container is mounted on the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The direction intersecting the longitudinal direction is a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the toner supply container is mounted on the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Further, the lower portion is a portion located below when the toner supply container is mounted on the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the bottom portion is a portion to be a bottom, an upper surface is an upper surface, and a lower surface is a lower portion. The surface and side surface are lateral surfaces.

Embodiment 1 [Overall Configuration of Electrophotographic Image Forming Apparatus] First, the configuration of an electrophotographic copying machine which is an example of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus in which a toner supply container according to the present embodiment is mounted. Will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes an electrophotographic copying machine main body (hereinafter referred to as an apparatus main body). An original 101 is placed on an original platen glass 102. And
An optical image corresponding to the image information is formed by a plurality of mirrors M of the optical unit 103
An image is formed on a drum-shaped electrophotographic photosensitive member (hereinafter, referred to as a “photosensitive drum”) 104 by the lens Ln. 10
5 to 108 are cassettes. These cassettes 105-
Of the recording media (hereinafter, referred to as “sheets”) P loaded on the sheet 108, an optimal sheet is selected from the cassettes 105 to 108 based on information input by the user from the operation unit 100 a shown in FIG. Select from paper size information. Here, the recording medium is not limited to paper, but can be appropriately selected, for example, an OHP sheet.

Then, the sheet feeding / separating devices 105A-105
One sheet P transported by A is transported to the registration roller 110 via the transport unit 109, and transported in synchronization with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 104 and the scan timing of the optical unit 103. In addition, 111 and 112 are a transfer discharger and a separation discharger, respectively. Here, the transfer discharger 111 transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 104 to the paper P. Then, the separation discharger 112
The paper P on which the toner image has been transferred is
Separate from

Thereafter, the sheet P conveyed by the conveying section 113 fixes the toner image on the sheet by heat and pressure in the fixing section 114, and then passes through the sheet reversing section 115 in the case of one-sided copying. Then, the sheet is discharged to the sheet discharge tray 117 by the sheet discharge roller 116. In the case of double-sided copy,
Under the control of the flapper 118 of the paper discharge reversing unit 115, the registration rollers 11
After the sheet is conveyed to 0, the sheet is discharged to the sheet discharge tray 117 by following the same route as in the case of the one-sided copy.

In the case of multiplex copying, the paper P passes through the paper discharge reversing unit 115, and is partially discharged outside the apparatus by the paper discharge rollers 116 once. Thereafter, the trailing end of the paper P passes through the flapper 118, and the flapper 118 is controlled at a timing when the paper P is still nipped by the paper discharge roller 116, and the paper discharge roller 116 is rotated in the reverse direction, so that the paper P is conveyed again into the apparatus. Is done. After this, the re-feeding conveyance section 1
After being conveyed to the registration rollers 110 via 19 and 120, the sheet is discharged to the sheet discharge tray 117 along the same path as in the case of single-sided copying.

In the apparatus main body 100 having the above-described structure, a developing section 201, a cleaner section 202, a primary charger 203 and the like are arranged around the drum 104. Here, the developing unit 201 transmits the information of the document 101 to the optical unit 10.
3, the electrostatic latent image formed on the drum 104 is developed using toner. Then, the developing unit 201
A toner supply container 301 for supplying toner is provided in the apparatus main body 100 so as to be detachable by a user. Here, the developing unit 201 includes a toner hopper 201a
And a developing unit 201b. Toner hopper 20
1a is a stirring member 20 for stirring the toner supplied from the toner supply container 301 through the toner receiving port 9.
1c. The toner stirred by the stirring member 201c is sent to the developing device 201b by the magnet roller 201d. The developing device 201b has a developing roller 201f and a feeding member 201e. The toner sent from the toner hopper 201a by the magnet roller 201d is sent to the developing roller 201f by the sending member 201e, and
1f, is supplied to the photosensitive drum 104.

The cleaner section 202 is for removing the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 104. Further, the primary charger 203 is connected to the photosensitive drum 104.
This is for charging.

[Overall Configuration of Toner Supply Container] Next, the toner supply container 301 will be described with reference to FIGS.

Here, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the toner supply container according to the present embodiment and a fixing member attached to fix the sealing member to the toner supply container, and FIG. This is a state before mounting, and (B) is a state after mounting the fixing member.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the toner supply container according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 6A is a front view of the toner supply container according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a sectional view thereof.
(C) is a left side view of the toner supply container, (D) is a right side view of the toner supply container, (E) is a side sectional view of the toner supply container, and (F) is a plan view of the toner supply container. .
FIG. 7 is a front sectional view in a state where the toner supply container is installed in the apparatus main body 100 and the supply opening is opened.

4 to 7, reference numeral 301A denotes a toner supply container main body, and 302 denotes a conveying member for conveying the toner stored in the toner container main body 301A toward the toner supply opening 301a. 303 is a toner supply port 3
01g, a sealing member for sealing 01g;
A first coupling member for transmitting a driving force to the sealing member 303 when the toner supply container 301 is mounted at 00. Reference numeral 305 denotes a stirring member for stirring the toner in the container main body 301A. 306 is a toner stirring member 3
A transmission member that is engaged with the transmission member 05 and transmits the rotational driving force from the apparatus main body 100 to the stirring member 305. Reference numeral 307 denotes a second coupling member that transmits a driving force to the transmission member 306 when the toner supply container 301 is mounted on the apparatus main body 100.

Reference numeral 309 denotes an oil seal for preventing toner from leaking.

[Structure of Toner Supply Container Main Body] Here, the toner supply container part 301A serving as the toner supply container main body will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the main body of the toner supply container.

FIG. 10A is a front view of the main body of the toner supply container, FIG. 10B is a sectional view of the main body of the toner supply container,
(C) is a left side view of the toner supply container main body, (D) is a right side view of the toner supply container main body, (E) is a side sectional view of the toner supply container main body, and (F) is a plan view of the toner supply container main body. It is.

The toner supply container main body 301A includes an upper frame 301J and a lower frame 301K. Then, the upper frame 301J and the lower frame 301K
Are welded together to form a toner storage section 301n for storing the toner. That is, the toner supply container main body 301A constitutes the toner storage section 301n. Further, the toner supply container main body 301A has a curved portion 301F whose width becomes narrower toward the bottom, and a curved portion 3F.
It has a straight portion 301G having a substantially constant width and a semi-circular semi-circular portion 301H provided below the straight portion 301G.

A cylindrical toner supply opening 301a for supplying the toner stored in the toner storage section 301n to the apparatus main body 100 is projected below a side surface 301A1 intersecting the longitudinal direction of the container main body 301A. ing. Further, a toner supply opening 301g is provided at one end of the toner supply opening 301a. A first receiving portion 301b1 for rotatably holding the transport member 302 (see FIG. 6) is provided at a position corresponding to the toner supply opening 301a on the other side surface 301B intersecting the longitudinal direction of the container main body 301A.
Are formed.

Further, a positioning portion 301c which is positioned by the apparatus main body 100 when the toner supply container 301 is mounted on the apparatus main body 100 is provided outside the bottom surface 301D of the container main body 301A. This positioning unit 30
Reference numeral 1c also has a function as an engagement portion for engaging the toner supply port opening / closing means (not shown) provided in the apparatus main body 100 to move the toner supply container 301 in the attaching / detaching direction. In this embodiment, the engaging portion 301c (positioning portion) is a dowel projecting outward from the lower surface 301D (bottom surface).

A toner supply container 301 for the apparatus main body 100 is mounted on an upper surface 301E of the container main body 301A.
Alternatively, a handle 301e that is held by the user when the user takes it out of the apparatus main body 100 is provided.

A groove for facilitating holding of the container main body 301A when a user mounts the toner supply container 301 on the apparatus main body 100 is formed on a downwardly inclined surface (curved portion) 301F on the front and rear surfaces of the container main body 301A. 301f are formed substantially parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction of the container.

Further, the first receiving portion 301 of the other side surface 301B is provided.
Above b1, a second receiving portion 301b2 for rotatably supporting the stirring member 305 is provided.

Here, the toner supply opening 301a has a side surface 301Al opposite to the side surface 301B provided with the handle 301e in the longitudinal direction of the container main body 301A.
It is provided in. Therefore, when the user attaches the toner supply container 301 to the apparatus main body 100, it is possible to prevent the user from accidentally touching the toner supply opening 301a. Further, the toner supply opening 301a is
It is provided below A1. Therefore, the container body 3
Even when the amount of toner stored in 01A becomes small, toner can be efficiently discharged.

Here, the toner replenishing opening 301a is 20 mm to 40 mm from the side surface 301A, preferably about 2 mm.
It protrudes 7.8 mm. Also, the toner supply opening 30
1a is a cylindrical shape, and the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion is 2
0 mm to 30 mm, more preferably 26 mm to 29 m
m, most preferably about 27.6 mm.

As described above, the engaging portion (positioning portion) 301c is provided outside the lower surface 301D. When the toner supply container 301 is mounted on the apparatus main body 100, the engaging part 301c is positioned by a locking part (not shown) provided on the apparatus main body 100. As described above, the engaging portion 301c is a cylindrical protrusion (dub) protruding outward from the lower surface 301D. The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion of the engaging portion 301c is 5 mm to 12 m.
m, preferably about 8 mm. Also, the engaging portion 301
c is 2 mm to 8 mm from the lower surface 301D, and
In the longitudinal direction of the lower surface 301D, it is provided at a position of 60 mm to 80 mm, preferably about 71 mm, from a side end surface 301B opposite to the side where the toner supply opening 301a is located.

The engaging portion (positioning portion) 301c is
It is preferably cylindrical, but may be prismatic, semicircular, or the like.

The side surface 301A1 and the other side surface 301B
The boss 3 for positioning the container main body 301A when the dimensional inspection of the container main body 301A is performed before shipment from the factory.
01k and 3011 are provided two each.

Reference numeral 301m denotes a rib for preventing erroneous mounting.

By providing the rib 301m at a different position for each toner supply container in this way, it is possible to prevent the user from mounting another type of toner supply container on the apparatus main body.

The container body 301A is preferably made of a resin such as plastic by injection molding, blow molding, or injection blow molding.
Other materials and manufacturing methods may be used. The container body 3
01A may be appropriately divided into two or more parts, and may be manufactured by a method of integrating them by means such as welding and bonding.

In this embodiment, two frames, an upper frame 301J and a lower frame 301K, made by injection molding of high impact polystyrene, are manufactured by vibration welding.

As shown in FIG. 7, the conveying member 302 is provided on a shaft 302A and the shaft 302A, and rotates the shaft 302A to agitate the powder toner in a predetermined direction (toner supply opening). Helical rigid transport blade 302 </ b> B, which is a transport unit for transporting in the direction in which 301 a is provided). Therefore, this transport member 30
2 has a stirring function as well as a transport function. The transport member 302 is attached to the container main body 301A in a state where the axis of the shaft portion 302A substantially coincides with the center of the substantially circular toner supply port 301g.

The transport member 302 is not limited to the so-called screw type described in the present embodiment, but may be a member in which flexible blades are attached to the shaft portion 302A. Further, the shaft portion 302A and the blade may be integrally formed, or may be formed separately. In the present embodiment, the shaft 302A and the transport blade 302
B is made of plastic and is integrally formed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the transfer member 3
Numeral 02 has an extending portion 302c inside the cylindrical portion of the toner supply opening 301a. This extension 302
Reference numeral c denotes a transport blade 302B for at least one rotation inside the toner supply opening 301a. In the present embodiment, the extending portion 302c further projects outward of the toner supply opening 301a. The distal end portion 302a (see FIG. 8) protruding outward from the extending portion 302c receives a rotational driving force from the apparatus main body 100.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, the tip portion 302a
The sealing member 303 is attached so as to be movable in the axial direction.

Here, one end (driving force receiving portion) 302a, which is the above-mentioned tip portion of the extending portion 302c, has a shape capable of receiving a rotational driving force from the apparatus main body 100 via the sealing member 303. In the present embodiment, the shape is a polygonal shape, in particular, a square shape. And the shaft 3
02A is connected to one end 302a of the extending portion 302c.
Is supported by the sealing member 303. Also, the shaft 30
A first bearing member 308 is provided on the other end 302b of the 2A. The container is rotatably supported by the container body 301A via the first bearing member 308 when the container is opened.

Further, the transport member 302 is
02B is the inner wall surface 301al of the toner supply opening 301a.
Is supported by the sealing member 303 in a state where the inner wall surface 301a1 of the toner supply opening portion 301a and the shaft portion 302A are substantially horizontal. By supporting the transport member 302 in this manner, the toner can be transported substantially horizontally toward the toner supply port 301g by rotating the transport member 302. Further, fine toner is caught between the inner wall surface 301a1 of the toner supply opening 301a and the transport blade 302B, and is strongly rubbed to prevent the toner from being melted and fixed to the inner wall surface 301a1, thereby generating coarse particles. That phenomenon can be prevented.

As described above, it is convenient and preferable to manufacture the conveying member 302 by injection molding or the like of a resin such as plastic. However, other materials and manufacturing methods may be used. Further, it may be manufactured by arbitrarily dividing and joining.

[Structure of Sealing Member] Next, the sealing member 303
Will be described with reference to FIG. 11, (A) is a front view of the sealing member, (B) is a diagram shown by an arrow A in (A), (C) is a diagram shown by an arrow B in (A), and (D) is a sealing member. FIG.

In FIGS. 11A to 11D, 303
A sealing portion b is provided on the side of the sealing member 303 facing the toner supply container 301 and seals the toner supply port 301g of the toner supply container 301 so as to be openable. The outer diameter of the sealing portion 303b is set to be appropriately larger than the inner diameter of the toner supply port 301g. And this sealing part 30
3b is press-fitted into the toner supply port 301g, so that the sealing member 303 is in the toner supply port 3g.
Seal 01 g.

Reference numeral 303c denotes a toner supply container 301.
When the is mounted on the apparatus main body 100, the coupling engagement becomes a driving force receiving portion (driving portion) as a driving force receiving portion for receiving a driving force for rotating the transport member 302 from the apparatus main body 100. Department. When the sealing member 303 is attached to the container main body 301A, the coupling engaging portion 303c moves from the sealing portion 303b to the toner container main body 30A.
A projection 303c1 is formed to extend substantially coaxially with the axis of the shaft 302A of the conveying member 302 in a direction opposite to 1A. Further, the coupling engagement portion 303c is
An elongated (spline-shaped) projection (rib) 303d is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion 303c1 as an engaging portion that engages with the first coupling member 304. In this embodiment, the spline projection 303
d is provided at two places at substantially equal intervals.

Specifically, two sealing members 303 are provided at an interval of about 180 ° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the sealing member 303.

The rib 303d, which is a spline projection,
Is 0.5 mm to 3 mm from the outer peripheral surface of the sealing member 303,
Preferably, it protrudes about 1.8 mm.

The outer diameter of the projection 303c1 is 1
0 mm to 14 mm, preferably about 12 mm.

Accordingly, the sealing member 303 is sequentially formed from one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction.
b, a coupling engaging portion 303c (driving force receiving portion) and a projection 303d (rib) are provided on the outer surface.

By the way, the sealing member 303 is engaged with one end 302a of the conveying member 302 so as to engage with the main assembly 100 of the apparatus.
Has a square hole-shaped engaging hole 303a as a driving force transmitting portion for transmitting the driving force received from the conveying member 302 to the conveying member 302. The engagement hole 303a is formed by an opening (hollow portion) formed over a portion where the sealing portion 303b on one end and the coupling engagement portion 303c on the other end are formed. Here, the engagement hole 303a is provided at the shaft end 30 of the conveying member 302 projecting from the toner supply opening 301a.
It has a square shape corresponding to the square shape of 2a. And
The engagement hole 303a is formed slightly larger than the shaft end 302a, so that the shaft end 302a is loosely fitted in the engagement hole 303a.

When the shaft end 302a is loosely fitted in the engagement hole 303a, the transport member 302 and the sealing member 303 are locked to each other in the rotation direction of the transport member 302. On the other hand, they are configured to be freely movable in the axial direction. Thus, when the toner supply container 301A is mounted, the sealing member 303 can be separated from the container main body 301A, and the toner supply port 301g can be separated.
Can be opened (opened).

Incidentally, the engagement hole 303a and the shaft end 3
02a, the sealing member 303 and the container body 30
1A has a length that does not come off when it is separated. Thus, even when the sealing member 303 is separated from the container main body 301A, the transport member 302 can receive the driving force via the sealing member 303 (coupling engagement portion 303c).

Further, between the coupling engaging portion 303c and the sealing portion 303b, when the sealing portion 303b is press-fitted into the toner replenishing opening 301a, the powder toner supply portion (toner replenishing opening). A flange portion 303f that abuts on the end of 301a is provided. The outer diameter of the flange 303f is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the toner supply opening 301a (preferably smaller than the outer diameter of the toner supply opening 301a). The flange portion 303f allows the sealing portion 303b to be pressed into the toner supply opening portion 301a by the length of the sealing portion 303b.

On the other hand, 303e is the coupling engaging portion 30
A locking projection 303e, which is a locking portion formed at the tip of 3c and locked by the locking member 6 (see FIG. 8) provided on the apparatus main body 100. This locking projection 303e has a locking member 6
When the toner supply port 301g is opened, the sealing member 303 can be fixed.

By the way, the sealing member 30 having such a configuration is used.
3 is also preferably manufactured by injection molding a resin such as plastic, but other materials and manufacturing methods may be used by arbitrarily dividing and joining. Also, the sealing member 3
Reference numeral 03 requires appropriate elasticity in order to press fit into the toner supply unit (toner supply opening) 301a to seal it. As the material, low-density polyethylene is most preferable, and then polypropylene, nylon, high-density polyethylene and the like can be preferably used.

Reference numeral 303j denotes a locking groove in which the locking member 6 provided in the apparatus main body 100 fits. The width of the locking groove 303j is 1.5 mm to 5 mm, preferably,
It is about 3 mm. In addition, the depth of the locking groove is 0.5 mm or more.
5 mm, preferably about 2.5 mm.

As described above, the sealing member 303 is
It has a substantially cylindrical fitting portion 303bl that fits into the toner supply opening 303a. Then, this fitting portion 303
A flange 303f is provided substantially coaxially with b1. Further, on the side opposite to the side where the fitting part 303b1 is provided from the flange part 303f, there is a protruding part 303c1 that protrudes substantially coaxially with the fitting part 303b1. A drive receiving portion (spline protrusion) is provided at the root of the protruding portion 303c1.
303d are provided. Further, a locking groove 303j is provided at a distal end of the protruding portion 303c1 in the protruding direction, and a locking portion 303e is provided at the distal end. Further, a hollow portion is provided from the fitting portion 303b1 side to the locking portion 303e side, and a driving force transmitting portion (engaging hole) 303a is provided in the hollow portion. Since the locking portion 303e side of the cavity is not open, the toner entering the cavity does not leak out of the container when the fitting portion 303b1 is fitted into the toner supply opening 303a. . Therefore, by attaching the sealing member 303, the toner supply opening 303a is sealed.

In the present embodiment, the sealing member 303
Has four functions. That is, the function of sealing the toner supply opening 301a, the function of receiving the rotational driving force from the apparatus main body 100, the function of transmitting the rotational driving force to the conveyance member 303, and the function of the toner supply opening 301a.
Has a function of engaging with an engagement member 6 provided on the apparatus main body 100 to open and close the device. Therefore, the sealing member 30
3 extends the driving force received from the apparatus main body 100
The transfer member 302 can be transmitted to the shaft portion 302A via c to rotate the transport member 302.

[Structure of Stirring Member] Next, the stirring member 305 will be described. 12A is a front view of the stirring member 305, FIG. 12B is a left side view of the stirring member, and FIG. 12C is a right side view of the stirring member.

As shown in FIG. 12, the stirring member 305 is
Shaft 305a, rigid wing 305b, and flexible wing 305c
And FIG. 13 is an enlarged side view of the rigid wing 305, and FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of the flexible wing 305c. The shaft 305a was manufactured by injection molding a relatively rigid plastic. The rigid wing portion 305b is made of a metal such as stainless steel or a material having a very high rigidity, and the flexible wing portion 305c is made of a material having a low rigidity, for example, a plastic film or sheet, or an elastomer sheet. In this embodiment, a polyester sheet is used.

The bearing 30 of the toner supply container main body 301A
1h (see FIG. 10), one end 30 of the stirring member 305
5d is engaged with the transmission member 306 described above (see FIG. 8). The other end 305e is connected to the toner supply container main body 301.
A engages with the stopper member (second bearing member) 310f at the second receiving portion 301b2 of A (see FIG. 8). In the present embodiment, the shaft portion 305a is formed by injection-molding a relatively rigid plastic, but other materials such as metal may be used.

It is convenient and preferable to form the rigid wing portion 305b integrally from a metal or the like. However, another material or a manufacturing method may be used, or the rigid wing portion 305b may be divided into two or more portions, and these may be divided into two or more portions. A method of integrating by means such as welding and bonding may be adopted. In the present embodiment, a stainless steel plate having a thickness of about 0.8 mm pressed is used. The engaging portion of the rigid wing portion 305b with the shaft portion 305a is shaped to match the shaft portion 305a so as to receive the drive from the shaft portion 305a.
It rotates with the rotational movement of a, and stirs the toner inside the container.

At this time, if a notch 305h is provided at one end as shown in FIG. 12, assembly becomes easier. Further, the rigid wing portion 305b has a plate shape substantially parallel to the rotational tangential direction over the entire length, and the rigid wing portion 305b
Is bent toward the inner wall surface side of the toner supply container. However, the length r of the bent portion 305b1 shown in FIG.
Is preferably about 2 mm to 8 mm, and the bending angle θ is preferably about 30 to 50 degrees. More preferably, the bent portion 30
The length r of 5b is about 3 mm to 5 mm, and the bending angle θ is 45
Degree is preferable.

In this embodiment, the bent portion 305b
The length of 1 was about 3 mm, and the bending angle was about 45 degrees. The distance from the center of the rotation axis to the tip of the rigid wing portion 305b may be appropriately determined according to the size of the container body 301A.
It is preferably about 70 to 95% of the inner radius of the container body. In the present embodiment, since the inner diameter of the container body is about 44.5 mm, the diameter is about 39.4 mm (89%).

The flexible wing portion 305c is made of a material having low rigidity, for example, a plastic film or sheet, or an elastomer sheet. And the thickness is about 50
μm to 500 μm is preferable, and particularly preferably 10 μm to 500 μm.
0 μm to 300 μm is preferred. In the present embodiment, a polyester sheet having a thickness of about 100 μm was used.

The flexible wing portion 305c is affixed over the entire length of the bent portion 305b1 of the rigid wing portion 305b such that the tip thereof contacts the inner wall surface of the container body. Then, it rotates while scraping off the toner on the inner wall surface of the container body together with the rigid wing portion. Here, the flexible wing portion 305c
Is 0.5 mm to 10 mm longer than the distance from the tip of the rigid wing portion 305 b to the inner wall surface of the container body.
The above-described effect can be further enhanced by configuring the length to be about mm.

In this embodiment, the flexible wing 3
The length of 05c in the rotational radius direction was made about 6 mm longer than the distance from the tip of the rigid wing portion 305b to the inner wall surface of the container body. Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, a double-sided tape 305i (DIC # 8800CH) is used for bonding the rigid wing portion 305b and the flexible wing portion 305c to the bent portion 305b of the rigid wing portion 305b. Affixed. Alternatively, it may be attached by a conventionally known means such as riveting or caulking, or may be formed integrally with the rigid wing portion 305b.

In the present embodiment, the rigid wings 3
05b was divided at a substantially central portion so as to have a phase difference of 180 degrees with respect to the axial direction, and was formed in a staggered shape. Here, the number of divisions is appropriately determined according to the shape and length of the container main body 301A. It may be divided into three, four, or more, or may have a shape as shown in FIG. Further, the rigid wing portion 305b may be formed in a spiral shape by continuously changing the phase over the entire length in the longitudinal direction. Also, shaft portions 305 at both ends and a substantially central portion of the rigid wing portion 305b.
When a notch 305h is formed in the engagement portion with a as shown in the figure, assemblability is improved. Further, the rigid wing 305
b of the rigid wing portion 305b in order to reduce the projected area of the b in the rotation direction and reduce the resistance of the toner.
Was about 3 mm in length. The length and the bending angle of the bent portion 305b1 are 2 to 8 mm and 30 respectively.
About 50 degrees, more preferably 3 to 5 mm,
It is good to set to about 45 degrees.

The rigid wing portion 305b and the flexible wing portion 30
Aluminum rivet 305j as joining means for 5c
May be used. In this case, even if the position of the rivet hole of the flexible wing portion 305c is slightly displaced, it is conceivable that a waving may occur. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, the bent portion of the rigid wing portion 305b of the flexible wing portion 305c. It is good to put a perforation or half cut A in the portion corresponding to C. In addition, as a pasting means, other conventionally known methods such as a double-sided tape may be used.

[Structure of Fixing Member] Next, the fixing member 332 shown in FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 16 shows the fixing member according to this embodiment.
(A) is a front view, (B) is a side view, and (C) is a sectional view shown by an arrow A.

As shown in FIG. 16, the fixing member 332 has a substantially cylindrical container shape with one end opened. Specifically, it is formed in a cap shape capable of covering the tip of the sealing member 303 and the toner supply opening 301a of the container body 301A. In addition, the fixing member 332 has an engagement claw 332a that prevents the sealing member 303 from moving in a detaching direction. And the fixing member 332
When the toner is inserted into the toner supply opening 301a, the engaging claw 332a engages with the concave portion 301o (see FIG. 4A) provided at the tip end of the toner supply opening 301a. It is fixed to the tip of the supply opening 301a (see FIG. 4B).

The shape of the fixing member 332 is not limited to the shape shown in the present embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. The engaging claw portion may have another shape. 17A is a front view of the fixing member, FIG. 17B is a side view of the fixing member, and FIG. 17C is a cross-sectional view of the fixing member shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, the fixing member 33
2 is made by injection molding of high impact polyethylene, but the invention is not limited to this, and another material such as a plastic resin or metal having high rigidity may be used, or another manufacturing method may be used.

Next, a method of assembling the toner supply container 301 will be described (FIG. 6).
(B)).

The assembling method of the toner supply container 301 is as follows. First, the conveying member 302 is attached to the lower frame 301 of the container main body 301A.
Insert into the lower part of K from above. And the first receiving part 3
After the oil seal 309 is inserted into 01b1, the bearing member 308 is engaged with the other end 302b of the transport member 302. Further, the toner supply port 301g is sealed with a sealing member 303. Next, the stirring member 305 is inserted into the lower frame 301K from above. After the oil seal 309 is inserted into the second receiving portion 301b2, the second bearing member 310 and the transmission member 306 are engaged with both ends of the stirring member 305.
Thereafter, the upper frame 301J is vibration-welded to the lower frame 301K, and the fixing member 332 is mounted.

Next, a predetermined amount of toner is filled into the container main body 301A through the toner filling port 301i of the toner supply container main body 301A, and the toner filling port 301i is sealed with the sealing member 311 to complete the process. As described above, the assembly of the toner supply container 301 is extremely simple, and the number of assembling steps is very small.

Incidentally, the toner is filled with the toner supply port 301.
g.

[Other Embodiments of Sealing Member] In the present embodiment, the sealing member 303 is
However, the sealing member and the conveying member may be integrally formed as shown in FIG. In FIG. 18, the sealing member 320 is
a, a driving force receiving section 320b, and a toner conveying section 320c. The sealing member 320 is movable in the direction A in FIG. 18 with respect to the container body.

The sealing member 30 shown in FIG.
A seal member may be provided in the driving section (driving force transmission section) 303a included in 3. 19, (A) is a front view of a sealing member having a sealing member, (B) is a side view of the sealing member shown in (A), and (C) is a side cross section of the sealing member shown in (A). FIG.

Reference numeral 330 denotes a disk-shaped sealing member having a square hole 330a corresponding to the shape of the shaft end 302a of the conveying member 302. In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the hole 330a is a square similarly to the shaft end 302a. The sealing member 330 is provided on the side of the sealing member 303 facing the container body 301A, and is provided on the shaft end 302 of the stirring member 302.
a is configured to penetrate through the hole 330a and loosely fit into the hole 330a.

FIG. 20 is a front view of a seal member 330 applied to the present embodiment. 331 is a double-sided tape,
The sealing member 330 is provided on the side facing the sealing member 303. The double-sided tape 331 has a hole 331a, and when the shaft end 302a is loosely fitted into the hole 303a,
The hole 331a is also configured to penetrate the same as in FIG. The cross-sectional shape of the hole 331a is smaller than the hole 330a so that the double-sided tape 331 does not contact the shaft end 302a.

In the present embodiment, the sealing member 303 and the sealing member 330 are fixed by a double-sided tape. However, as another fixing method, a method of integrating with the sealing member by two-color molding or insert molding may be adopted.

FIG. 23 is an enlarged side view of the conveying member 302 and the sealing member 303 to which the embodiment is applied. Hole 330
a (W2) is the shaft diameter of the shaft end 302a (W1 = 6 m).
m), specifically, W1 and W
The difference (d) from 2 is preferably 0.5 mm to 2 mm. In this embodiment, W2 = 5 mm and d = W1-
W2 = 1 mm. The thickness of the sealing member 330 is preferably 0.5 mm to 5 mm in consideration of the sealing property and the assembling property. Further, it is more preferable to use one having a diameter of 1 mm to 3 mm. In the present embodiment, the thickness of the seal member 330 is about 2 mm. Seal member 330
The material is preferably a soft elastic body in consideration of the sealing property and the assembling property. In this embodiment, the hardness is 20 to 70 °, the compression set is 4% or less, and the friction coefficient μ =
0.8 or less, cell size 60-300 μm, specific gravity 0.2
A low foam polyurethane of ~ 0.5 was used.

As described above, when the toner supply container 301 according to the present embodiment is mounted on the apparatus main body 100, the locking projection 303e of the sealing member 303 is locked by the locking member 6, and the toner supply container 301 is From the toner supply port 301g. At this time, the rotational relationship between the conveying member 302 and the sealing member 303 is maintained as it is.

Therefore, the sealing member 303 is
The conveying member 302 rotates by the rotational driving force received from 00, and gradually supplies toner to the apparatus main body 100 from the toner supply port 301g. In the case of the present embodiment,
A toner detection sensor 201g is provided in the toner hopper. When the detection sensor 201g detects that there is no toner, the sealing member 3 rotates. And
When the detection sensor 201g detects the presence of the toner, the rotation of the sealing member 303 stops. As described above, since the sealing member 303 rotates intermittently in accordance with the consumption of the toner in the apparatus main body 100, the toner is also replenished to the apparatus main body 100 intermittently and gradually. However, when the toner supply container 301 is mounted on the apparatus main body 100, it is also possible to supply all the toner to the apparatus main body 100 in a lump.

[Explanation of Sealing Function of Toner Replenishing Opening by Sealing Member] As described above, the sealing member 303 is provided when the toner replenishing container 301 is mounted on the main assembly 100 of the apparatus. It has an engagement groove 303j that can be engaged with the apparatus main body 100 in order to receive a force for opening the toner supply opening 301a sealed by the above. The outer diameter of the sealing portion 303b is larger than the inner diameter of the toner toner supply port 301g as a toner discharge port.
The sealing portion 303 b of the sealing member 303 is
g, the toner supply opening 301a
Is sealed.

Further, the sealing member 303 is
In order to press-fit the 3b into the toner supply port 301g and seal it, a proper elasticity is required. The sealing member 30
As described above, low-density polyethylene is most preferable as the material of No. 3, and then polypropylene, nylon, high-density polyethylene and the like are preferably used.

[Explanation of Floating / Toner Leakage Prevention Effect of Sealing Member by Fixing Member] A distribution / drop test was conducted using the toner supply container 301 having the above-described structure. In the test, the toner supply container 301 filled and packed with a predetermined amount of toner was placed in a 40 ° C / 90% environment at 10 ° C.
What was left for a few days, and vibration (x, y,
each one hour in the z-direction) and allowed to stand in an environment of -20 ° C for 10 days.
(6 ridges; a total of 10 times) to check the floating and detachment of the sealing member 303, the state of toner leakage, and whether or not the sealing member 303 normally operates when mounted on the apparatus main body 100.

As a result, in the conventional toner supply container in which the fixing member 332 is not mounted, 0.1 to 6/12 toner supply containers are used.
The 1.5 mm sealing member 303 was lifted, and 2/12
In some cases, when the apparatus was mounted on the apparatus main body 100, a chucking failure (defective locking between the locking member 6 of the apparatus main body 100 and the locking groove 303j of the sealing member 303) occurred and did not operate normally.

On the other hand, in the toner supply container 301 (twelve) of the present embodiment in which the fixing member 332 is mounted, there is no floating of the sealing member 303, no leakage of the toner and no poor chucking. Sealing member 3
A great effect of preventing the occurrence of floating of 03, toner leakage and poor chucking was observed.

There is a possibility that the sealing member 303 may change over time due to long-term storage or creep deformation may occur in a severe environment.

Thus, it is not necessary to extremely increase the initial press-fitting force between the sealing member 303 and the toner replenishing opening 301a, so that the user can reduce the opening strength when replenishing the toner. Therefore, the sealing portion 30 of the sealing member 303
It is not necessary to change the outer diameter of the toner supply opening 3b and the inner diameter of the toner supply opening 301g of the toner supply opening 301a so as to increase the press-fitting margin.

Further, in the present embodiment, since there is a possibility that the sealing member 303 may float or come off during distribution of the toner replenishing container and that there is a possibility of a chucking failure due to this, it cannot be reused from the viewpoint of reliability. When the above-mentioned physical distribution and drop test (six runs) was performed using the sealing member 303 that had undergone creep deformation, no floating or detachment of the sealing member 303 and no chucking failure occurred.

From the results, it was confirmed that it is possible to reuse the sealing member 303 which has undergone creep deformation due to long-term storage in an environment.

Since the amount of creep deformation greatly depends on the initial stress and the passage of time, the sealing member 303 and the toner supply opening 301a can be reused even if the above-mentioned design changes are made. However, the use of the fixing member 332 as in the present embodiment makes it possible to reuse the sealing member 303 that has undergone creep deformation.

<< Embodiment 2 >> This embodiment is an example of a toner reinforcing container using a flexible sheet or a film as a fixing member. In the present embodiment,
A description of members having the same functions as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

FIG. 22A is a top view of a toner supply container using a tape fixing member to which the present embodiment is applied.
(B) is a front view, and (C) is an enlarged side view of a mounting portion where a tape fixing member is mounted. 23A is a plan view of the tape fixing member used in the present embodiment, FIG. 23B is a front view of the tape fixing member shown in FIG. 23A, and FIG.
FIG. 2 is a detailed sectional view of a portion A shown in FIG.

The tape fixing member 333 of the toner reinforcing container 301 according to the present embodiment is a so-called adhesive tape.
A flexible sheet or a film is attached to an adhesive tape and masked as shown in FIG.

More specifically, as shown in FIG.
An adhesive 333 is applied to the PET film 333a having a thickness of 38 μm.
b (Nitto Denko Corporation holding tape: No. 3851), and a portion that does not require an additional adhesive force (a portion A1 corresponding to the sealing member 303, a portion A2 gripped by a user when peeled off, etc.) A 25 μm-thick PET sheet 333c was adhered to and masked.

Then, as shown in FIG. 22, the fixing members 333 are bonded to the adhesive surfaces 333b1 and 333b2 at both ends.
The masking portion A1 of the fixing member 333 is
3 is attached to the container body 301A so as to be fixed so that it cannot be detached (see FIG. 22).

Here, the adhesive tape has the strength that the sealing member 303 is fixed by the impact at the time of physical distribution and fall, and that the user can easily peel off the adhesive tape when supplying toner.
0 ° peel strength of 1 kgf or more: 180 ° peel strength of 10
kgf or less, more preferably 0 ° peel strength is 2k
Those having a peel strength of not less than gf and a peel strength of 180 ° or less of 6 kgf, those having little change in peel strength due to aging and environment, and those having little so-called adhesive residue in which an adhesive remains after peeling are preferable.

Regarding the thickness of the adhesive tape, if it is too thin, it tends to be difficult to handle the adhesive tape at the time of assembling and the like. Conversely, if it is too thick, the rigidity of the adhesive tape increases and the adhesive tape tends to peel off. 20-5
00 μm is preferable, and more preferably 35 to 300 μm
Good degree.

[0109] The above-mentioned masking has such a strength that the adhesive strength of the adhesive is such that the sealing member 303 that has undergone creep deformation when the adhesive tape is removed cannot be pulled out together, and the adhesive residue is significantly reduced. It is not necessarily essential as long as there is no such condition and a condition such as providing a gripping member by another separate member in a portion gripped by the user is satisfied.

As long as the above conditions are satisfied, a commercially available pressure-sensitive adhesive tape may be used, or a commercially available double-sided tape may be used instead.

Further, the material of the sheet used for masking is not limited to the PET sheet shown in this embodiment.

The fixing member 333 wraps the sealing member 303 in another shape, for example, a flexible sheet or film having an adhesive surface at least at an end thereof, as long as the above conditions are satisfied. The container body 301A
It may be one that is fixed so that it cannot be detached from.

In this embodiment, the toner supply container 3
01 is erected in the horizontal direction, but may be in another direction.

A distribution / drop test was performed using the toner supply container 301 having the configuration described above.
In the test, the toner supply container 301 filled and packed with a predetermined amount of toner was allowed to stand for 10 days in an environment of 40 ° C./90%, and was shaken by a vibration tester (one each in the x, y, and z directions). Time), and then left for 10 days in an environment of −20 ° C., each of which falls naturally from a height of 60 cm (one square, three ridges, six surfaces;
(Totally 10 times), and it was confirmed that the sealing member 303 was lifted or detached, the toner leaked, and whether or not the sealing member 303 operated normally when it was attached to the apparatus main body.

As a result, in the conventional device in which the fixing member 333 is not mounted, the sealing member 303 of 0.1 to 1.5 mm is lifted out of 6/12 pieces, and the There were 2/12 of them that did not operate properly due to king failure.

On the other hand, in the toner replenishing container 301 of this embodiment (twelve implementations) to which the fixing member 333 is attached, as in the case of the first embodiment described above,
There was no lifting of the sealing member 303, no leakage of toner and no bad chucking, and a great effect of the fixing member 333 was observed.

As described above, it was confirmed that PET was hardly stretched even under aging in a severe environment, and was a preferable material for the fixing member 333.

Also, as in the case of the first embodiment described above,
Since it is not necessary to extremely increase the initial press-fitting force, the opening strength when the user supplies toner can be reduced.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment as well, there is a risk of floating or detachment during distribution and a chucking failure due to this, and therefore, a seal having a creep deformation which cannot be reused from the viewpoint of reliability. When the above-mentioned distribution / drop test (six tests) was performed using the member 303, no lifting / separation of the sealing member 303 and no chucking failure occurred.

As a result, the reuse of the sealing member 303 that has undergone creep deformation due to the environment and aging can be prevented by the fixing member 33.
It was confirmed that the replacement can be easily performed at a low cost simply by replacing 3.

Further, by using a tape coated with such an adhesive as the fixing member, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the toner container has been used based on the presence or absence of the fixing member.

<< Embodiment 3 >> This embodiment is an example of a toner reinforcing container in which an adhesive is applied to an OPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene) film having a thickness of 40 μm as a fixing member. In the present embodiment, description of members having the same functions as those in the first embodiment will be omitted.

FIG. 24 shows a fixing member 334 of the toner reinforcing container 301 according to the present embodiment.

24A is a plan view of the tape fixing member used in this embodiment, FIG. 24B is a front view of the tape fixing member shown in FIG. 24A, and FIG. 24C is a portion A shown in FIG. FIG.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 24, a 40 μm-thick OPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene) film 334 a coated with an adhesive 334 b is used.
Further, a portion that does not require an adhesive force (a portion A1 that contacts the sealing member 303, a portion A2 that the user grips when peeling off)
Etc.) A sheet having a thickness of 25 μm attached to 334c and masked was used. The fixing member 334 has the same configuration as that of the second embodiment except that the material is different.

Then, as shown in FIG. 24, the fixing members 334 are attached to the adhesive surfaces 334b1 and 334b2 at both ends.
The masking portion A1 of the fixing member 334 is
3 is attached to the container body 301A so as to be fixed so that it cannot be detached (see FIG. 22).

Here, the pressure-sensitive adhesive tape has a sealing member which is fixed by an impact at the time of physical distribution or dropping, and has a strength at which the user can easily peel off the toner when replenishing toner, and a 0 ° peeling strength of 1 kgf or more: 180 ° peeling. Strength is 10kgf
The following, more preferably those having a 0 ° peel strength of 2 kgf or more and a 180 ° peel strength of 6 kgf or less, those with little change in peel strength due to aging and environment, and further, so-called adhesives that remain after peeling, Those with little adhesive residue are preferred.

Regarding the thickness of the pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, if it is too thin, it tends to be difficult to handle the adhesive tape at the time of assembling or the like. Conversely, if it is too thick, the rigidity of the pressure-sensitive adhesive tape increases and the tape is easily peeled off. 20-5
00 μm is preferable, and more preferably 35 to 300 μm
Good degree.

The material is not particularly limited as long as it satisfies the above conditions, but it is preferable to use a material having low rigidity in consideration of assemblability and the like.

In this embodiment, an OPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene) sheet having a lower rigidity than the sheet used in the above-described embodiment 2 is used, and the assembling efficiency is further improved.

The above-mentioned masking has such a strength that the adhesive force of the pressure-sensitive adhesive is such that the sealing member which has undergone creep deformation when the pressure-sensitive adhesive tape is removed cannot be pulled out together, and the adhesive residue is not remarkably reduced. It is not always essential if conditions such as providing a gripping member by another separate member in a portion gripped by the user are satisfied.

Further, the material of the sheet used for masking is not limited to the OPP sheet shown in the present embodiment, but may be another material.

The fixing member 334 wraps the sealing member 303 with a flexible sheet or film having an adhesive surface at least at an end thereof, for example, a substantially square shape as long as the above conditions are satisfied. The container body 301A
It may be one that is fixed so that it cannot be detached from.

If the above conditions are satisfied, a commercially available pressure-sensitive adhesive tape may be used, or a commercially available double-sided tape may be used instead.

A distribution / drop test was performed using the toner supply container 301 having the above-described structure.
In the test, the toner supply container 301 filled and packed with a predetermined amount of toner was allowed to stand for 10 days in an environment of 40 ° C./90%, and was shaken by a vibration tester (one each in the x, y, and z directions). Time), and then left for 10 days in an environment of −20 ° C., each of which falls naturally from a height of 60 cm (one square, three ridges, six surfaces;
(Totally 10 times), and it was confirmed that the sealing member 303 was lifted or detached, the toner leaked, and whether or not the sealing member 303 operated normally when it was attached to the apparatus main body.

As a result, in the conventional device in which the fixing member 334 is not mounted, the sealing member 303 of 0.1 to 1.5 mm is lifted out of 6/12 pieces, and the chucking when mounted on the apparatus main body 100 is performed. There were 2/12 lines that failed and did not operate normally.

On the other hand, in the toner supply container 301 (twelve embodiments) in which the fixing member 334 is mounted, the sealing member 30 is provided in the same manner as in the first embodiment.
No lifting, no toner leakage and poor chucking of No. 3, and the great effect of the fixing member 334 was observed.

Also, as in the case of the first embodiment described above,
Since it is not necessary to extremely increase the initial press-fitting force, the opening strength when the user supplies toner can be reduced.

Further, in this embodiment, since there is a risk of floating and detachment during distribution and a chucking failure due to this, a sealing member having a creep deformation which cannot be reused from the viewpoint of reliability. When the above-mentioned physical distribution and drop test (six tests) was performed using No. 303, no lifting and detachment of the sealing member 303 and no chucking failure occurred.

As a result, the reuse of the sealing member 303 which has undergone creep deformation due to the environment and aging can be prevented by the fixing member 33
It was confirmed that it was possible to easily and inexpensively just by replacing 4.

By using a tape coated with such an adhesive as a fixing member, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the toner container has been used based on the presence or absence of the fixing member.

As described above, according to the toner supply container of the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1)
A more reliable toner supply opening 301 without being affected by creep deformation of the sealing member under aging and severe environments.
a can be sealed. (2) Due to the above effects, the sealing member 303 can be reused. (3) The opening strength (operating force) when the user supplies toner can be reduced.

[0143]

As described above, according to the toner supply container of the present invention, the sealing member is fixed to the toner storage portion by the fixing member, so that the sealing member floats and the sealing member floats. To prevent toner leakage.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an electrophotographic copying machine as an example of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus in which a toner supply container is mounted.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electrophotographic copying machine.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which a replacement cover of the electrophotographic copying machine is opened and a toner supply container is mounted on the electrophotographic copying machine.

FIG. 4 illustrates the toner supply container according to the first embodiment.
(A) is a perspective view before attaching a fixing member, (B) is a perspective view after attaching a fixing member.

FIG. 5 illustrates the toner supply container according to the first embodiment.
(A) is a perspective view seen from the side where the sealing member is provided,
(B) is a perspective view seen from the side where the handle is provided.

FIG. 6 illustrates the toner supply container according to the first embodiment.
(A) is a front view, (B) is a cross-sectional view, (C) is a left side view,
(D) is a right side view, (E) is a side sectional view, and (F) is a plan view.

FIG. 7 is a front sectional view showing a state where the toner supply container is installed in the apparatus main body and the supply opening is sealed.

FIG. 8 is a front sectional view showing a state where the toner supply container is installed in the apparatus main body and the supply opening is opened.

9A is a perspective view of the toner container component according to the first embodiment, as viewed from the side where the replenishing opening is provided, and FIG. 9B is a view as viewed from the side where the handle is provided. FIG.

10A is a front view of a toner storage container part, FIG.
(B) is a sectional view, (C) is a left side view, (D) is a right side view, (E) is a side sectional view, and (F) is a plan view.

11 (A) is a front view, FIG. 11 (B) is an arrow A view, FIG. 11 (C) is an arrow B view, and FIG. 11 (D) is a front sectional view of the sealing member.

12A is a front view, FIG. 12B is a left side view, FIG. 12C is a right side view, and FIG. 12D is a bottom view of the stirring member.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged side view of a rigid wing.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a flexible wing.

15A is a front view, FIG. 15B is a left side view, and FIG. 15C is a right side view of a stirring member according to another embodiment.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of a fixing member according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory view of another embodiment of the fixing member.

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a sealing member and a transport member are integrally configured.

19A is a front view, FIG. 19B is a side view, and FIG. 19C is a side sectional view of a sealing member having a sealing member.

FIG. 20A is a front view of the container body side of the seal member,
(B) is a sealing member side front view.

FIG. 21 is an enlarged side view of a conveying member and a sealing member.

FIG. 22A is a top view, FIG. 22B is a front view, and FIG. 22C is a fixing member mounting of the toner container having the fixing member according to the second embodiment or the third embodiment. The enlarged view of a part.

FIG. 23 is a detailed view of a fixing member according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 24 is a detailed view of a fixing member according to the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 100 main body of electrophotographic image forming apparatus 301 main body of toner supply container 301A main body of toner supply container (toner storage section) 301A1 side surface 301B other side surface 301a toner supply opening 302 toner transport member 303 sealing member 303a engagement hole as driving force transmission portion ( Driving portion) 303b Sealing portion 303c Driving force transmitted portion (Driving force receiving portion) 303j Lock groove (engaging portion) 332 Fixing members 333, 334 Tape fixing member

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yutaka Tomo 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Kazuhiko Omata 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon F term in reference (reference) 2H077 AA02 AA05 AA14 AA15 AA20 AA25 AA35 AB06 AB07 BA02 CA12

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A toner supply container detachably mountable to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body, comprising: (a) a toner storage unit for storing toner; and (b) a toner storage unit for storing the toner stored in the toner storage unit. A toner supply opening for discharging,
(C) a toner transport member for transporting the toner stored in the toner storage section in the direction in which the toner supply opening is provided; and (d) an openable seal for sealing the toner supply opening. A toner supply container, comprising: a sealing member; and (e) a fixing member for fixing the sealing member to the toner storage unit. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member has a sealing portion for sealing the toner supply opening so as to be openable, and a driving portion for driving the toner conveying member. The toner supply container according to claim 1, wherein 3. The toner supply container according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member fixes the sealing member to the toner storage unit so as not to be opened. 4. The sealing member includes a sealing portion for sealing the toner supply opening so as to be openable, a driving portion for driving the toner conveying member, and the toner supply container. A driving force receiving portion for receiving the driving force from the electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body when mounted on the electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body and driving the toner stirring member by the driving section; When the container is mounted on the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the container engages with the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus to receive a force for opening the toner supply opening sealed by the sealing portion. A possible engaging portion, and a sealing member for preventing toner from entering the driving portion, wherein the driving force receiving portion is provided on the outer surface of the sealing member and the electrophotographic image forming apparatus is provided. To receive driving force from the main unit The sealing member is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the sealing member, and the toner supply container is mounted on the electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body. The toner stored in the toner storing section is transferred from the toner replenishing opening by the toner conveying member to the electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body in accordance with consumption of the toner in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body. The toner replenishing container according to claim 1, wherein the toner is replenished inside the toner replenishing container. 5. The sealing member is arranged such that, from one end side in the longitudinal direction of the sealing member to the other end side, the sealing portion,
The driving force receiving portion, and the engaging portion has on the outer surface of the sealing member, further has a cavity from one end side to the other end side of the sealing member, the drive The toner supply container according to claim 4, wherein a portion is provided in the hollow portion. 6. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member has a substantially cylindrical container shape with one end opened, and a cap shape covering at least a front end portion of the sealing member and the toner supply opening. The toner supply container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein 7. The toner supply container according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member is made of a material such as plastic or metal. 8. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member covers at least a part of the sealing member, and furthermore, both ends of the fixing member are adhesive tape members adhered to the toner storage portion with an adhesive. The toner supply container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein 9. The pressure-sensitive adhesive tape member having a thickness of 30 to 50.
9. The toner supply container according to claim 8, wherein the thickness is 0 μm. 10. The toner supply according to claim 8, wherein at least a portion related to the sealing member of the adhesive tape member as the fixing member has no adhesive action by means such as masking. container. 11. The fixing member is a flexible film or a sheet member capable of completely enclosing at least a distal end of a toner discharge port provided in the sealing member and the toner supply opening, and at least toner storage. The toner supply container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a portion to be adhered to the portion has an adhesive layer. 12. The toner supply container according to claim 11, wherein said flexible film or sheet member is made of a material such as a plastic film or sheet.