JP2002221854A - Developer receiving cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a process cartridge constituted so that soil due to toner scattering, etc., can be reduced by arranging a toner inlet capable of satisfactorily covering the replenishing port of a toner cartridge (developer container) without making the process cartridge in size. SOLUTION: The toner inlet 16 of the container for the developer receiving cartridges is formed to be a parallelogram. Two sides of the parallelogram are nearly parallel to a toner cartridge inserting direction A. By forming the toner inlet 16 to be the aforesaid shape, a part which is opened to the absolute minimum is covered by the toner inlet 16 when the toner discharge port 23 is partly opened by an opening 27a, or when the toner inlet 16 is partly opened by a communicating aperture 18a, then, the moving range of a shutter 18 is made smaller, and the miniaturization of the developer receiving cartridge is attained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine, a facsimile, a laser printer, and an LED printer, for forming an image on a recording medium such as paper using a developer (hereinafter, toner). The present invention relates to a detachable developer receiving cartridge.

Here, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium using an electrophotographic image forming method. Examples of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus include, for example, an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (for example, a laser beam printer, an LED printer, etc.), a facsimile machine, and a word processor.

A developer receiving cartridge is a cartridge in which a side for receiving a developer from a developer replenishing container or a developer replenishing cartridge is formed into a cartridge, and this cartridge is detachable from an image forming apparatus main body.
For example, a charging unit, a developing unit or a cleaning unit and an electrophotographic photosensitive drum are integrally formed into a cartridge, and this cartridge is made detachable from the image forming apparatus main body. An electrophotographic photosensitive drum may be provided inside the developer receiving cartridge to form a process cartridge, or only the developing means may be made into a cartridge.

[0004]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive member such as a photosensitive drum serving as an image carrier is visualized by attaching toner with a developing device. (Developing) and transferring to a recording medium such as paper.

In recent years, in an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic image forming process, an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a process means acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member are integrally formed into a cartridge, and this cartridge is mounted on a main body of the image forming apparatus. A detachable process cartridge system is employed. According to this process cartridge system, the maintenance of the apparatus can be performed by the user himself without relying on a serviceman, so that the operability can be remarkably improved. This process cartridge system is widely used in image forming apparatuses.

Further, since the process section has a difference in service life, there is a type in which a toner cartridge for supplying toner and a process cartridge including a developing device are separately provided.

[0007] Toner cartridge discharges (supplies) toner
The process cartridge is provided with a toner receiving port. The toner discharge port and the toner receiving port are communicated with each other to discharge (supply) the toner to the process cartridge.

As described above, the components having different service lives are configured in individual cartridges, so that parts having different service lives can be efficiently replaced, which contributes to economical and waste reduction. .

In Japanese Patent Application No. 11-337265, communication between a toner discharge port of a toner cartridge and a toner receiving port of a process cartridge is performed in conjunction with an operation of mounting the toner cartridge and the process cartridge in the main body of the image forming apparatus. Proposed. As shown in FIG. 9, a substantially circular T-shutter 27 is disposed at a toner discharge port 23 of a toner cartridge, and projections 19b and 19c are provided at a shutter cover 19 provided on a process cartridge. On the other hand, even when the toner cartridge and the process cartridge are respectively attached and detached, the toner discharge port 23 of the toner cartridge is surely closed by the T shutter 27. More specifically, when the toner cartridge is inserted into the main body of the image forming apparatus (in the direction of arrow C), the T shutter 27 (the state shown by the two-dot chain line) disposed on the container bottom 26 of the toner cartridge pushes the projecting cartridge out of the process cartridge. The portion of the shaft 2 is engaged with the portion 19b and the groove 27b.
8a, and the T shutter 27
Is in the state shown by the solid line, and the toner discharge port 23 is opened.
FIG. 10 shows how the T shutter 27 rotates. When moved in the direction of arrow C, the T shutter 27 rotates,
a also moves.

On the other hand, when the P shutter 18 '(in a two-dot chain line) closing the toner receiving port 16 of the process cartridge is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body (in the direction of arrow A), a protrusion provided in the image forming apparatus is provided. The portion 36 and the groove portion 18'b engage and rotate (in the direction of arrow B) to rotate the P shutter 1
8 'is in the state shown by the solid line, and the toner receiving port 16 is opened.

On the other hand, in the operation of attaching and detaching the toner cartridge from the image forming apparatus main body, contrary to the above operation,
The T shutter 27 rotates around the shaft 28a (in the direction opposite to the arrow D) with the projection 19c and the groove 27b of the process cartridge engaged to close the toner discharge port 23. In the operation of attaching and detaching the process cartridge, the above operation is reversed.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The aforementioned Japanese Patent Application No. 11-33 is disclosed.
According to the technology of No. 7265, the shutter of the toner discharge port of the toner cartridge can be closed only by the operation of attaching and detaching the process cartridge or the toner cartridge, and the toner cartridge and the process cartridge can be independently attached to the image forming apparatus main body. On the other hand, the toner discharge port can be opened and closed even if it is detached, and the opening and closing operation is performed by the detaching operation of each cartridge without using an urging means such as a spring.

However, since the shutter of the toner cartridge rotates while moving, the trajectory of the opening becomes long in the attaching / detaching direction (the direction of arrow C in FIG. 9), leaving a problem that toner leaks and scatters. I have.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a toner receiving port capable of sufficiently covering a replenishing port of a toner cartridge (developer container) without increasing the size of the process cartridge, thereby reducing contamination due to toner scattering and the like. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an improved process cartridge.

[0015]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer, and a developer accommodating portion of a developer accommodating cartridge for accommodating the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion. And a discharge opening shutter for opening and closing the developer discharge opening. The discharge opening shutter is rotatably mounted about a substantially center as a rotation axis and is rotatable about the rotation axis. A developer replenishment cartridge having two communication ports disposed substantially in an object and a developer receptive cartridge can be inserted and removed independently of each other, and the developer replenishment cartridge and the developer receptive cartridge are brought closer to each other. In a developer receiving device that can be inserted into and removed from an image forming apparatus in which a developer passage from the developer receiving cartridge to the developer receiving cartridge communicates with the electrophotographic photosensitive member. A developing device for developing the developed electrostatic latent image, a developer receiving port for receiving the developer, a shutter for opening and closing the developer receiving port, and discharging of a developer container for replenishing the developing device with the developer. A projection that engages with an exit shutter, wherein the shape of the developer receiving port is substantially a parallelogram, and a set of sides of the substantially parallelogram is substantially parallel to the insertion / removal direction of the developer receiving cartridge. And a developer receiving cartridge.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the developer container can be inserted into and removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus, and the direction of insertion and removal is substantially parallel to the direction of mounting and dismounting the developer receiving cartridge. A first cylindrical shape having two wires
A developer receiving cartridge according to the invention.

A third invention according to the present application is the developer receiving cartridge according to the first or second invention, wherein the shutter for opening and closing the developer receiving opening is opened and closed by rotating. A fourth invention according to the present application is the third invention, wherein a rotation center of a shutter for opening and closing the developer receiving opening is located on a substantially extension of a diagonal line of the substantially parallelogram. This is a developer receiving cartridge.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the operating angle range in which the shutter for opening and closing the developer receiving opening is rotated is 90 °.
The developer receiving cartridge according to the third or fourth aspect of the present invention, wherein

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the developing device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the developer receiving cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member as an image carrier. It is a medicine receiving cartridge.

[0020]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a color electrophotographic printer as an example of an image forming apparatus for explaining the present embodiment.

The color electrophotographic printer shown in FIG. 2 has a process cartridge
(1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) and a toner cartridge 2 (2a, 2b, 2c, 2)
d).

The photosensitive drum 101 (10
1a, 101b, 101c, 101d), a charging device 10 for uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 101
2 (102a, 102b, 102c, 102d), an exposure device 103 (103a, 103b, 103c, 103) for irradiating the photosensitive drum 101 with laser light to image information.
d), a developing device 104 (104a, 104b, 104c, 104) for visualizing the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 101
d), transferring the toner image on the photosensitive drum 101 to the intermediate transfer body 30
1 primary transfer charging device 302 (302a, 30
2b, 302c, and 302d), and a cleaning device 105 (105) for collecting residual toner on the photosensitive drum 101.
a, 105b, 105c, 105d) are arranged. A secondary transfer device 303 for transferring the toner image transferred to the intermediate transfer member 301 to a transfer material P which is a recording medium such as paper; an intermediate transfer member cleaning device 304 for collecting residual toner on the intermediate transfer member 301; A fixing device 401 for performing a fixing process, a discharge roller 402 for discharging the transfer material P after the fixing process, and a discharge tray 403 for stacking the transferred transfer material P
Is arranged. The intermediate transfer member 301 has a dielectric film belt wound around a driving roller 305, a driven roller 306, and a secondary transfer opposing roller 307. A belt portion stretched between the driving roller 305 and the driven roller 306 is a photosensitive drum. It is in contact with 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d, and rotates in the direction of the arrow when driven.

The toner container 201 (201a, 201b, 20) of the toner cartridge 2 serving as a developer container
1c and 201d) contain toner, and when a toner replenishment signal is sent by a toner amount detection unit (not shown) of the developing unit, the toner replenishment screw 202 (202)
a, 202b, 202c, 202d) rotate to supply toner.

The transfer material P as a recording medium is loaded on a paper feed cassette 501, is fed one by one by a paper feed roller 502, is conveyed by a conveyance roller 503, and is conveyed by a registration roller 504. 10
1 is sent out in synchronism with the toner image on the top. Further, the paper feed cassette 501 shown in FIG. 2 is constituted by one stage, but is arranged in a plurality of stages to accommodate transfer materials having different sizes or stacking directions so that a desired transfer material can be appropriately selected. You may.

The developing device 104 includes a developing roller, a developing blade, and a conveying screw in a process cartridge container 1t (see FIG. 5 of the developing container). The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 101 is developed by a developing roller.
That is, the toner in the process cartridge container (development container) 1t is applied in a thin layer on the outer periphery of the developing roller 12 by the developing blade, and is charged. When the amount of toner in the developing container decreases, a sensor (not shown) detects the toner and sends the toner from the toner cartridge 2 to the developing container 1t through the toner receiving port 16. The toner sent into the developing container 1t is sent by a feed screw 6a in a direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. Both ends of the partition wall 6c between the parallel screws 6b communicate with the space containing the screws 6a and 6b.
Then, the toner sent to the other end of the screw 6b at one end of the partition 6c is sent by the screw 6b in a direction opposite to the feeding direction, and the screw 6a is again sent from the other end of the partition.
Side and the toner circulates.

The entire image forming process in the color electrophotographic printer having the above-described configuration is the same as the conventionally known procedure, and a description thereof will be omitted.

The process cartridges 1a, 1b, 1c,
1d is the photosensitive drum 101a, 101b, 1
01c, 101d, charging devices 102a, 102b, 10
2c, 102d, developing devices 104a, 104b, 104
c, 104d, cleaning devices 105a, 105b,
105c, 105d, and the toner cartridge 2
a, 2b, 2c, and 2d denote toner storage sections 201a, 201, respectively.
01b, 201c, 201d, toner supply screw 2
02a, 202b, 202c, and 202d.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic perspective views of a color electrophotographic printer. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the front cover 35 is opened, and FIG. 4 shows a state in which the process cartridge 1b and the toner cartridge 2d are pulled out halfway in order to show a state in which the process cartridge 1 and the toner cartridge 2 are in the process of being mounted and removed. Things. Process cartridges 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d and toner cartridge 2
Reference numerals a, 2b, 2c, and 2d are detachably mounted in the Y direction by guide rails (not shown) of the apparatus main body 14 of the color electrophotographic printer. At this time, the photosensitive drum 101
Is parallel to the Y direction.

FIG. 5 shows a cross section near the shutter (hereinafter referred to as P shutter) 18 of the process cartridge 1. The state shown in FIG. 5 is a state in which the positions of the communication port 19a of the P shutter cover 19 fixed on the process cartridge 1 and the communication port 18a of the P shutter 18 match, and toner can be supplied from a toner cartridge (not shown). It is in a state.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the vicinity of the shutters of the toner cartridge and the process cartridge. A toner receiving port 16 (see FIG. 5) is provided on an upper surface of a process cartridge container 1t which is a developing container which is a frame of the developing device 104 of the process cartridge 1, and supplies toner to the developing device 104 therefrom. The rotation center hole 18 c of the P shutter 18 is provided in the toner receiving port 16.
6 is fitted to a pin 1p provided on the process cartridge container 1t and is rotatably disposed. P shutter 18
Is provided with a communication port 18a, a U groove 18b, and a rotation center hole 18c in a substantially fan shape. Outside the P shutter 18,
The P shutter cover 19 is arranged. The P shutter cover 19 is fixed to the upper surface of the process cartridge container 1t, and the P shutter 18 is accommodated in a concave portion 19d. The U groove 18b of the P shutter 18 extends outside from the recess 19d of the P shutter cover 19. The P shutter cover 19 has a communication port 19a and two cylindrical projections 19.
b, 19c. Further, on the extension of the U groove 18b in the attaching / detaching direction (Y direction, see FIG. 4), a projection 20 which can be engaged with the U groove 18b is arranged on the apparatus main body 14.
On the upper surface of the process cartridge container 1t, a rail 17 guided by the projection 20 when the process cartridge 1 is attached or detached is formed. When the rail 17 is guided, the lateral direction (X
Direction, see FIG. 4).

On the other hand, a substantially circular shutter (hereinafter referred to as a T shutter) 27 having a rotation center hole 27c as a center is disposed at the toner discharge port 23 of the toner cartridge 2.
The T-shutter 27 is provided with a groove portion 27b with the periphery arranged at equal intervals. An opening 27a is provided between adjacent grooves 27b. The opening 27a is provided at only two positions on the diameter of the T shutter 27 passing through the rotation center hole 27c.

The toner container 20 of the toner cartridge 2
A T-shutter 27 of the toner cartridge 2 serving as a rotary shutter is provided along the bottom 26 of the first container. A T shutter support member 28 is fixed to the container bottom 26.
The T shutter support member 28 is provided with a circular recess 28b into which a part of the T shutter 27 just enters. This recess 28b
Is provided with a shaft 28a at the center. Also, the toner outlet 2
A toner outlet 28c is provided at the same center as the toner discharge port 28. T
Each groove 27b of the shutter 27 extends outside from the recess 28b while the T shutter 27 rotates 90 degrees.

The T shutter 27 has a rotation center hole 2
When the toner cartridge 2 is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body 14 (in the direction of arrow C), the T shutter 27 (2) disposed on the container bottom 26 of the toner cartridge 2 is fitted. In the state indicated by the dashed line, the projection 19b and the groove 27b of the process cartridge 1 are engaged with each other and rotate around the shaft 28a (in the direction of arrow D), as shown by the solid line. open. Shaft 28a
Is disposed in front of the toner outlet 23 when viewed in the direction of insertion of the toner cartridge 2 into the apparatus main body 14.

In the description of this embodiment, the description of the seal member for preventing toner scattering is omitted.
The sealing performance may be improved by sandwiching urethane foam, felt, or the like between the P shutter cover 19 and the T shutter 27 and the T shutter support member 28. In addition, a seal member may be attached to the upper surface of the P shutter cover 19 and the lower surface of the T shutter support member 28 to improve the sealing property.

The opening and closing of the T shutter 27 is performed by relatively moving the process cartridge 1 and the toner cartridge 2 in the mounting / removing direction (Y direction). That is, the process cartridge 1 is already in the image forming apparatus main body 1
4, the toner cartridge 2 may be inserted later, or conversely, the toner cartridge 2 may be inserted into the image forming apparatus main body 14 first, and then the process cartridge 1 may be inserted.
, The groove 27b of the T shutter 27 engages with one of the protrusions 19b, 19c of the P shutter cover 19,
The opening and closing operation of the T shutter 27 is performed. Therefore, if the process cartridge 1 is not mounted on the apparatus main body 14, even if the toner cartridge 2 is inserted into the apparatus main body 14, the T shutter 27 does not operate and the toner discharge port 23 is kept closed.

FIG. 7 shows a change in the shape of the communication portion formed by the communication port 18a of the P shutter 18 and the opening 27a of the T shutter 27 as the T shutter 27 rotates. Here, as described above, the T shutter 27 is opened and closed by the relative movement of the process cartridge 1 and the toner cartridge 2 in the insertion / removal direction, but FIG. 7 shows the state in which the process cartridge 1 is fixed and the toner cartridge 2 is moved in the insertion / removal direction. It is when you do. The circle indicated by the two-dot chain line indicates the toner outlet 23, and the circle indicated by the thick broken line indicates the trajectory of the opening 27a (however, the outer shape of the T shutter 27 is shown only at the position overlapping the toner outlet 23. Shown). When the toner cartridge 2 is inserted, the T shutter 27 rotates, and the shape of the communicating portion between the toner outlet 23 and the opening 27a forms a shape indicated by hatching (lattice), that is, a substantially parallelogram 7 indicated by a thick line. A pair of sides of the substantially parallelogram 7 is substantially parallel to the insertion / removal direction of the process cartridge 1. Since the toner to be replenished falls into the area of the substantially parallelogram 7 indicated by the thick line, the communication port 19a of the P shutter cover 19 and the communication port 18 of the P shutter 18 which receive the toner are received.
If the shape of “a” is not larger than the substantially parallelogram 7, the falling toner cannot be received. If the communication ports 18a and 19a are too large, the size of the P shutter 18 is increased, so that the upper surface of the process cartridge 1 cannot be arranged, and the operation amount and operation force of the opening / closing operation increase. Further, the possibility of toner scattering increases.

The P shutter 18 shown in FIG. 6 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a top view of the P shutter provided on the process cartridge. The insertion direction of the process cartridge 1 is a direction indicated by an arrow A pointing upward from the bottom in the drawing. P shutter 18 shown below arrow A
1 shows a state in which the toner receiving port 16 (not shown in FIG. 1) is closed, and the P shutter 18 shown above the arrow A shows an open state. The communication port 18a extends outward from the edge of the above-described substantially parallelogram 7 by 0.2 to 1..
2mm larger. In the present embodiment, it is increased by 0.5 mm. The rotation angle of the P shutter 18 for opening and closing the toner receiving port 16 is 50 °. The two-dot chain lines indicate the “open” and “closed” states, respectively. When the shape of the communication port 18a is, for example, a P shutter 18 "having a P shutter 18" having an oblong hole 18 "a as shown in FIG. 8, an" open "and" closed "state indicated by a two-dot chain line And cannot be opened and closed at the same rotation angle of 50 ° as shown in FIG.

If the communication port 18a of the P shutter 18 has the shape of a parallelogram shown in the present embodiment, it is necessary for the P shutter 18 to be completely opened and closed by a 50 ° rotation and to be rotated. The area (area) can be small, and the P shutter 18
Alternatively, the degree of freedom in arranging other structures is not hindered.
As described above, the operation range of rotating the P shutter 18 to open and close the toner receiving port 16 can be set to less than 90 °, and can be set to 50 ° as described above. P
The seal between the shutter 18 and the P shutter cover 19 is improved by a seal member or the like, and the toner is further opened and closed with a small rotation angle (rotation amount) as in the configuration of the present embodiment. The possibility of leakage and scattering can be reduced. The rotation center hole 18c of the P shutter 18 according to the present embodiment is located substantially on the diagonal line of the communication port 18a. That is, since it is located near the extension line, it can be sufficiently opened and closed even if the rotation angle is small.
The process cartridge and the toner cartridge can be inserted and removed individually, and as described with reference to FIG.
The rotation direction of the shutter can be both clockwise and counterclockwise, but if the communication shape of the P shutter is a parallelogram,
The toner can be received regardless of the rotation direction of the T shutter.

In this embodiment, a color electrophotographic printer using four process cartridges and four toner cartridges has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the same applies to a monochrome electrophotographic printer. Of course, it can be used.

In this embodiment, a process cartridge having an electrophotographic photosensitive drum is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and only a developing device or a developing device and a charging device may be used. Needless to say, the same applies to a cartridge.

[0041]

As described above, according to the present invention, a toner receiving port capable of sufficiently covering a replenishing port of a toner cartridge (developer container) can be provided without increasing the size of the developer receiving cartridge. Further, it is possible to provide a developer receiving cartridge which does not hinder the degree of freedom in arranging other structures and further reduces dirt due to toner scattering or the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a top view illustrating a shutter of a process cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the color electrophotographic printer according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the color electrophotographic printer according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the color electrophotographic printer according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the vicinity of a P shutter of the process cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view illustrating opening and closing operations of a shutter of the process cartridge and a shutter of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a top view showing a change in the shape of the communication portion according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a top view illustrating a shutter of a conventional process cartridge.

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the opening and closing operation of a conventional process cartridge shutter and a toner cartridge shutter.

FIG. 10 is a top view illustrating a locus of a shutter of the toner cartridge.

[Explanation of symbols]

1. Process cartridge 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d ...
Process cartridge 1t Developing container 1p Pin 2 Toner cartridge 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d Toner cartridge 6a, 6b Screw 6c Partition wall 7 Substantially parallelogram 14 Image forming apparatus body 16 Toner receiving port 17 Rail 18, 18 ', 18 "... P shutter 18a ... Communication port
18 "a: oval hole 18b: U-groove 18'b: groove 1
8c: rotation center hole 19: P shutter cover 19a: communication port 19b, 1
9c ... Projection 19d ... Depression 20 ... Projection 23 ... Toner discharge port 26 ... Container bottom 27 ... T shutter 27a ... Opening 27b ... Groove 27
c: rotation center hole 28: T shutter support member 28a: shaft 28b: concave portion 28c: toner discharge port 35: cover 36: protrusion 101: photosensitive drum 101a, 101b, 101c,
101d photosensitive drum 102 charging device 102a, 102b, 102c, 1
02d: charging device 103: exposure device 103a, 103b, 103c 1
03d Exposure device 104 Development device 104a, 104b, 104c, 1
04d: developing device 105: cleaning device 105a, 105b, 10
5c, 105d: Cleaning device 201: Toner container 201a, 201b, 201
c, 201d: toner container 202: toner supply screws 202a, 202b,
202c, 202d: toner supply screw 301: intermediate transfer member 302: primary transfer charging device 302a, 302b, 30
2c, 302d: Primary transfer charging device 303: Secondary transfer device 304: Intermediate transfer member cleaning device 305 ... Driving roller 306 ... Driven roller 307 ... Secondary transfer facing roller 401 ... Fixing device 402 ... Discharge roller 403 ... Discharge tray Reference numeral 501: paper feed cassette 502: paper feed roller 503: transport roller 504: registration roller

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Kenji Matsuda 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Yujun Isobe 3-30-2 Shimomaruko 3-chome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Non-corp. F term (reference) 2H071 BA05 BA14 BA19 BA35 DA08 DA15 EA18 2H077 AA02 AA09 AA35 BA08 BA09 EA14 GA04 GA13

Claims (6)

[Claims] A developer accommodating section for accommodating a developer; a developer discharge port for discharging the developer contained in the developer accommodating section to a developer receiving port of a developer receiving cartridge; A discharge port shutter that opens and closes a discharge port portion, wherein the discharge port shutter is rotatably mounted with a rotation axis substantially at the center, and has two communication ports arranged substantially symmetrically about the rotation axis. The developer supply cartridge and the developer receiving cartridge can be inserted and removed independently of each other, and the developer supply cartridge is moved from the developer receiving cartridge in conjunction with relative movement of the developer supply cartridge and the developer receiving cartridge closer to each other. A developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member in a developer receiving device that can be inserted into and removed from an image forming apparatus in which a developer passage communicates with a developer receiving cartridge. A developer receiving port for receiving the developer, a shutter for opening and closing the developer receiving port, and a projection engaged with an outlet shutter of a developer container for replenishing developer to the developing device, The developer receiving cartridge is characterized in that the shape of the developer receiving port is substantially a parallelogram, and a pair of sides of the substantially parallelogram is substantially parallel to a direction of inserting and removing the developer receiving cartridge. 2. The developer container is freely insertable into and removable from the image forming apparatus main body, the direction of insertion and removal is substantially parallel to the direction of attachment and detachment of the developer receiving cartridge, and each of the protrusions is substantially cylindrical.
2. The developer receiving cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge is a book. 3. A shutter for opening and closing the developer receiving opening, the shutter opening and closing by rotating.
3. The developer receiving cartridge according to claim 1. 4. The developer receiving cartridge according to claim 3, wherein a rotation center of a shutter for opening and closing the developer receiving opening is located substantially on an extension of a diagonal line of the substantially parallelogram. 5. The developer receiving cartridge according to claim 3, wherein a rotation angle range of rotation of a shutter for opening and closing the developer receiving opening is less than 90 °. 6. The developer receiving cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the developer receiving cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member as an image carrier.