JP2000267412A - Toner storage container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically reduce the capacity of a storage container by providing a capacity reduction means which automatically reduces the capacity, in the storage container capable of being folded. SOLUTION: Band-like curl members 22 and 23, as capacity reduction means, to which a tendency to curl is imparted in advance, are stuck to the internal face of a toner storage container 21. The curl members 22 and 23 are curly, relatively thin plate springs. When toner remains in the container, the container is held by the weight of the whole container so as to be shaped almost like the container 11. However, when the toner is almost supplied (discharged), the curly forces of the curl members 22 and 23 overcome and the container automatically becomes rounded, so that the toner storage container 21 is reduced in capacity. The lengths of the curl members 22 and 23 correspond with the longitudinal length of the container 21 and may be almost equal to the length of the container 21. However, as long as they are equal to approximately 70-80% of the length of the container 21, the container 21 can be rounded and reduced in capacity.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner container for accommodating powder toner used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A facsimile machine using an electrophotographic system for forming an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductive photoreceptor, developing the latent image with powder toner, and transferring the obtained image to transfer paper. Image forming apparatuses such as printers are widely used. In such an image forming apparatus, in order to supply powder toner to a built-in developing unit, a storage container filled with toner formed in a hard case is mounted and toner is supplied. Almost all of the toner storage containers are filled with toner, sold as independent products separate from the image forming apparatus main body, and supplied to customers.

Further, since the conventional toner container is made of a hard bottle such as a cartridge or a bottle, there has been a great problem in discarding the used container accompanying the replacement of the toner container. That is, the used toner storage container is collected by the manufacturer from the user, and is recycled, reused, and incinerated. However, the container is bulky and requires a high distribution cost until it is collected.

Incidentally, although not yet known, a mechanism for supplying air to the toner storage container, discharging the toner from the container by the air or air and the suction force of the powder pump, and replenishing the toner to the developing unit. Has been proposed by the present applicant. Even if the toner container in this case is constituted by a foldable container, there is no problem in function, and such a flexible toner container can greatly improve the above-described deterioration of the transport efficiency and can reduce the hard case. It has been found that there is an advantage that toner coagulation hardly occurs in the toner container.

[0005]

Since the above-mentioned toner container is flexible, for example, like a resin bag, the volume can be reduced by folding it after replenishing the toner. However, the volume of the container is reduced manually, and the container may return to its original state unless the reduced volume is restrained.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a toner storage container that can automatically reduce the volume of the storage container.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a toner container which is mounted and used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein the container is a foldable container. It is characterized in that a volume reducing means for automatically reducing the volume is provided.

The present invention is effective when the volume reducing means has a band-shaped curl member having curl behavior. Further, the present invention is effective when the storage container is a bag formed by heat welding and the curl member is inserted into the heat-welded portion.

Further, the present invention is effective when a pocket having one end opened is formed in the storage member, and the curl member is stored in the pocket. Furthermore, the present invention is effective when the curl member is disposed substantially at the center in the width direction of the storage container.

Further, the present invention is effective when at least a part of the curl member is made of a shape memory alloy.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a toner replenishing mechanism of an image forming apparatus most suitable for using a toner storage container according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a developing device on which the toner is replenished. FIG.

In FIG. 1, the agent replenishing device of the present embodiment replenishes toner to a developing device 10. The toner replenishing device is a toner storing container 20 as a storing means for storing toner, and is stored in the toner storing container 20. And a powder pump means 40 for transferring the toner to the developing device 10.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the developing device 10 has a developing sleeve 11 as a developer carrier opposed to the photoreceptor 1 as an image carrier, and an axis line with the developing sleeve 11. A first stirring screw 12 and a second stirring screw 13 are provided as parallel conveying members. The developer in the developing device 10 is circulated so as to be conveyed from left to right in FIG. 2 by the first stirring screw 12 and from right to left by the second stirring screw 13. During this circulation, the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor 1 is developed with the toner of the developer transferred to the developing sleeve 11 in the middle of the transport path.

As shown in FIG. 2, the developing device 10 is provided with a powder pump means 40 at the front end of the developing apparatus. The powder pump means 40 includes a suction type uniaxial eccentric screw pump 41. I have. The configuration of the screw pump 41 is such that a rotor 42 formed in an eccentric screw shape with a rigid material such as a metal, and a two-screw shape formed on the inside with an elastic body such as rubber are fixed and installed. It has a stator 43 and a holder 44 made of a resin material or the like that wraps the stator 43 and forms a powder conveyance path.
Reference numeral 46 denotes a motor as driving means for driving the rotor 42. For example, a stepping motor, a servo motor, or the like is used.

The developing device 10 includes a magnetic permeability detector 18.
The detector 18 detects a change in the mixing ratio of the toner and the carrier in the developing device 10. When the magnetic permeability detector 18 detects that the amount of toner is small, the motor 46 rotates forward, and the uniaxial eccentric screw pump 41 is operated to suck and replenish the toner in the toner container 20. Is done. And the developing device 1
When the concentration of the developer in the ink reaches a predetermined concentration, the motor 46
Is turned off, and toner supply is stopped. The developing device 10 may adopt a method of detecting the reflection density of the toner image formed on the photoconductor and controlling the toner supply amount.

The screw pump 41 includes a rotor 42
A strong self-suction force is generated by the rotation of, and toner can be sucked from the toner storage container 20. The sucked-in toner is transferred into the developing device 10 by the supply hole 17 formed between the screw pump 41 and the first stirring screw 12, and during the transfer process when the two-component developing system is used. The toner replenished with the developer is mixed with the developer in the developing device 10 with stirring, so that a uniform developer concentration and an appropriate charge amount are obtained. The developing device includes a deaeration hole 14a and the deaeration hole 14a.
a is provided, and air transported together with the toner is degassed from the developing device 10.
It is configured to prevent the toner from scattering. The tube 15 as a toner transfer pipe connected to the suction part of the single-axis eccentric screw pump 41 has a diameter of, for example, 4 to 10 m.
It is extremely effective to use a tube made of a rubber material (for example, polyurethane, nitrile, EPDM, silicone, etc.) which is tube-shaped and has a wall thickness of about 1 to 2 mm and is flexible and has excellent toner resistance. It is.

If the flexible tube 15 is used as the toner transfer tube, the restriction on the installation of the toner container 20 with respect to the developing device 10 is reduced, the installation place is effectively used, and the workability such as machine maintenance is improved. I do. The suction amount of the screw pump 41 is
The screw pump 41 used in the present embodiment has a performance of a toner suction distance of about 1 m, depending on the rotation speed of the rotor, the cross-sectional area and the amount of eccentricity of the rotor 42, the fluidity of the toner, and the like. The direction can be freely selected in any direction up, down, left, and right.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory sectional view showing an example of the toner storage means 20. Referring to FIG.
Has a toner storage container 21 formed in a bag shape. The toner storage container 21 is made of a resin such as polyethylene or nylon, and is made of a single-layer or multi-layer flexible sheet having a thickness of about 80 to 120 μm. It is made in composition.
In addition, it is effective to deal with static electricity by subjecting the surface of these sheets to aluminum vapor deposition.

The toner container 21 constructed as described above
Can be folded to reduce the volume when most of the stored toner has been replenished. However, it has been described above that the work of reducing the volume is conventionally performed manually.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the toner container 2
The configuration is such that the volume can be automatically reduced when one toner is used up, and the explanation will be given. In FIG. 3, band-shaped curl members 22 and 23, which have been subjected to curl behavior in advance, are adhered to the inner surface side of the toner storage container 21, respectively, as volume reducing means. The curl members 22 and 23 are like a relatively thin leaf spring that has been wound, and when the toner remains in the container, the toner is held in a substantially container shape by the weight of the entire container. When the toner is almost replenished, the curling force of the curl members 22 and 23 overcomes, and FIG.
As shown in (2), the toner container 21 is automatically curled, and the volume of the toner storage container 21 is reduced. The length of the curling members 22 and 23 corresponds to the length of the container in the vertical direction in the drawing, and may be substantially equal to the length of the container.
If it is about 80%, the volume can be reduced by rolling the container.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is an improvement of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4. In this embodiment, the heat-welded portions 24 and 25 formed on both sides of the toner container 21 are used as volume reducing means. The belt-shaped curl members 22 and 23 which have been subjected to curl behavior in advance are built in.

The toner container 21 constructed as described above
When almost all of the toner in the container has been replenished, the curl members 22 and 23 automatically roll up and reduce the volume, so that manual volume reduction work is not required. Further, since the resin sheet itself constituting the toner storage container 21 has some elasticity, there is a danger that even if the volume is reduced, the resin sheet returns to the original state unless some restraint is applied. Such inconvenience can also be reliably prevented. Further, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, when the toner storage container 21 is manufactured, the operation of attaching the curl members 22 and 23 is required. However, in the embodiment of FIG. This eliminates the need for operations such as sticking, and can be provided at low cost.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show another embodiment of the present invention. In this example, two pockets 26 (one is not shown) are provided on both sides of the surface of the toner container 21. I have. The pocket 26 is provided with the curl members 22 and 2.
3 is formed to have a size capable of accommodating the entirety thereof, and an opening 27 for taking in and out the curl members 22 and 23 is provided at an appropriate position.

The toner container 21 thus configured
Can easily mount the curl members 22 and 23, and further, for example, the container is made of resin and the curl members 22 and 23
Can be easily separated even if is a metal.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing still another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, only one curl member 22 is provided. In this case, the curl member 22 is affixed substantially at the center of the toner container 21 in the width direction.

The toner container 21 constructed as described above
However, the volume can be reduced after toner replenishment, and the curl member 2
Since only two pieces are required, parts and manufacturing costs can be reduced. The curl member 22 may be attached by forming a pocket or attached in a container.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified. For example, the curl member may be made of a resin instead of a metal leaf spring, and in this case, the reproduction after use becomes easier.

Further, the curl member may be made of a shape memory alloy. In this case, the volume of the container can be reduced more reliably. When the curl member is made of a shape memory alloy, it is possible not only to round the container but also to reduce the volume such as two-fold or three-fold. At this time, the shape memory alloy is disposed only at a part of the bending position. You can also.

[0029]

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, the volume of the toner storage container can be automatically reduced after the toner is supplied.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the above effects can be obtained, and at the same time, the curl member can be installed at the time of manufacturing the container, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced. According to the configuration of the fourth aspect, the toner storage container and the curl member can be easily separated, and the curl member can be easily mounted.

According to the configuration of claim 5, the volume of the container can be reduced by one curling member, and the manufacturing cost and the like can be reduced. According to the configuration of claim 6, the volume of the toner storage container can be reduced more reliably, and the form of the volume reduction can be selected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a configuration of toner transfer in which a container of the present invention can be used.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a toner receiving unit of the developing device.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of the toner container according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state where the toner container is folded.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory sectional view of a toner container according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of a toner container according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of a toner container according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 Toner storage container 22, 23 Curl member 24, 25 Heat welding part 26 Pocket

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A toner container mounted and used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein the container is a foldable container, and the container has a volume reducing means for automatically reducing the volume. A toner container, which is provided. 2. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein said volume reducing means has a band-shaped curl member having curl behavior. 3. The toner storage container according to claim 2, wherein the storage container is a bag formed by heat welding, wherein the curl member is inserted into the heat-welded portion. Storage container. 4. The toner container according to claim 2, wherein a pocket having an open end is formed in the storage member, and the curl member is stored in the pocket. 5. The toner storage container according to claim 2, wherein the curl member is disposed substantially at the center in the width direction of the storage container. 6. The toner storage container according to claim 2, wherein at least a part of the curl member is made of a shape memory alloy.