JP2003015504A - Structure for toner-storing container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide structure for a toner-storing container which can be easily cleaned and disassembled. SOLUTION: This toner-storing container, in which either unused toner or used toner used for an image forming apparatus is stored and inside which a screw for transporting, stirring members (rotating member for stirring) 6 and 7, a development roller 5, a rotating member such as a photoreceptor drum are pivotally supported freely rotatably is divided to an upper container 3 and a lower container 4, by setting the vicinity of the bearing parts 11 and 12 of the rotating member as a boundary.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a developing device for accommodating and developing a toner developer used in an image forming apparatus, a cleaning device for collecting and accommodating residual toner adhering to a photosensitive drum, and the like. The present invention relates to the structure of a toner storage container for storing used toner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a schematic structure of a developing device generally used in a copying machine or the like. A developing device 50 of the copying machine or the like shown in FIG. A developing roller 54, which is a developer carrier, and agitating members 55, 5 that agitate the developer (toner) and convey the developer to the developing roller 54.
6 and 6 are rotatably supported. Further, the developing container 52 is provided with a cover member 33 for accommodating the toner inside and for preventing the toner from flowing out and scattering outside the developing container 52. Further, the developing container 52 is provided with a regulating blade 57 for forming a uniform toner layer on the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller 54.

In such a developing device 50, it may be necessary to replace the developing roller 54, the agitating members 55 and 56, the bearing members, and their cleaning for maintenance and inspection. Also, for the purpose of environmental protection in recent years, the developing device such as a copier to be disposed of has its internal toner cleaned,
Under the present circumstances, it is impossible to dispose of each material unless it is sorted or a specific part is reused.

[0004]

However, in the structure of the conventional developing device, disassembling and cleaning are difficult and it takes a lot of time. In particular, when removing the toner from the developing device to clean the inside of the developing container, the toner cleaning is not sufficient only by removing the cover member, and the developing device needs to be disassembled in order to further clean the toner. It took time to clean the toner.

Further, when replacing the developing roller and other parts of the developing device, the regulating blade, the bearing of the rotary shaft, the bearing member and the like must be disassembled at the same time. Further, the regulating blade of the developing device is adjusted to a predetermined gap with respect to the developing roller and assembled, and therefore, reassembling is required when reassembling after disassembling.

If the container for storing the toner is repeatedly disassembled and cleaned, the container may be damaged and may not be reused.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a toner container structure that is easy to clean and disassemble.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a container for accommodating any unused or used toner used in an image forming apparatus, which has a conveying screw inside. It is characterized in that a toner storage container in which a rotary member such as a stirring rotary member, a developing roller, and a photosensitive drum is rotatably supported is divided with the vicinity of the bearing portion of the rotary member as a boundary.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a developing device having a toner container structure according to the present invention.

The developing device 1 internally supports a developing roller 5, a first stirring member 6 and a second stirring member 7 so as to be rotatable in the directions of the arrows in the figure. The toner container is divided into an upper container 3 and a lower container 4 at upper and lower arrow positions in the figure (details of the division will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and subsequent drawings). Particularly, the upper container 3 is provided with a regulating blade 8 for regulating the toner on the peripheral surface of the developing roller 5 and a functional component such as a replenishing port 9 for replenishing the developing device 1 with the toner.

In the developing device 1 thus constructed, the developing roller 5 is arranged so that its outer peripheral surface closely faces the photosensitive drum 2, and the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 2 is developed with toner. .

FIG. 2 is a side view of the developing device 1.

The upper container 3 and the lower container 4 of the toner container are
The bearing 10 of the developing roller 5, the bearing 11 of the first agitating member 6, and the bearing 12 of the second agitating member 7 are configured to be dividable in the directions of the two up and down arrows with the vicinity of the bearing as a boundary. The upper and lower containers 3 and 4 may be divided at any of the rotation center division such as the bearing 12 of the second stirring member 7 or the sandwiching division such as the bearing 11 of the first stirring member 6.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the fixing means for the divided containers in the toner container structure according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 (a) is a self-tapping screw 13 for the upper and lower containers 3, 4.
Shows how to fix. In the figure, the upper container 3 is a container provided with a regulating blade 8 and a toner replenishing port 9 which are functional parts, and is formed of a highly rigid resin or the like, and is provided with a mounting hole 15 for a self-tapping screw 13. .

On the other hand, the lower container 4 is made of a general-purpose resin or the like, and a seal member 14 for sealing the toner inside the container and a prepared hole 16 for self-tapping screw are provided at the joint between the upper and lower containers 3, 4. There is.

FIG. 3 (b) is a view showing a method of using a snap fit for fixing the upper and lower containers 3 and 4. As shown in the figure, the upper container 3 is provided with a snap fit fixing portion 17,
The lower container 4 is provided with a seal member 14 and a snap-fit hook portion 18. As described above, in the developing device 1 in which the toner storage container is divided at a predetermined position and fixed by the fastening means, internal parts such as the developing roller 5 and the stirring members 6, 7 are simply removed by removing the fixing means of the upper and lower containers 3, 4. Can be disassembled, and the toner inside the container can be easily cleaned.

Further, since the toner container to be divided is formed by dividing the resin material as described above, the upper container 3 formed of a high-rigidity resin to which the functional parts are attached is damaged after use (of self-tapping screws). It can be reused without damage due to attachment / detachment, damage to the snap fit hook, etc.).

On the other hand, the lower container 4 molded from an inexpensive general-purpose resin
Does not affect the performance of the device even if it is repeatedly disassembled and assembled because no functional parts are attached. In addition, separation at the time of disposal becomes easy.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing an example in which the present invention is applied to a cleaning device including a photosensitive drum.

In FIG. 4, a cleaning device 21 has a photosensitive drum 22 and a cleaning blade 2 inside.
7 and a toner transport member 26 for transporting the residual toner on the photosensitive drum 22 collected by the cleaning blade 27 into the container. The container is divided into an upper container 24 and a lower container 25 with the bearing 23 of the photosensitive drum 22 and the vicinity of the bearing of the toner conveying member 26 as boundaries in the direction of the up and down arrows in the figure. The upper and lower containers 24, 25 are fixed by the fastening means. Since the upper container 24 is provided with the cleaning blade 27, which is a functional component, the upper container 24 is formed of a highly rigid resin, and the lower container 25 is formed of an inexpensive general-purpose resin.

[0022]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, there is provided a container for accommodating either unused or used toner used in an image forming apparatus, which has a conveying screw inside. Since the toner storage container rotatably supporting the rotation member such as the stirring rotation member, the developing roller, and the photosensitive drum is divided with the vicinity of the bearing portion of the rotation member as a boundary, cleaning and disassembly of the toner storage container are facilitated. The effect is obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a developing device embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a developing device embodying the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a fastening unit of the developing device embodying the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a cleaning device including a photosensitive drum embodying the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of a conventional developing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Development device 2 photosensitive drum 3 Upper container 4 Lower container 5 developing roller 6 First stirring member 7 Second stirring member 11,12 bearing 21 Cleaning device 22 Photosensitive drum 23 Bearing 24 Upper container 25 Lower container

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A container for accommodating unused or used toner used in an image forming apparatus, wherein a container for carrying a screw, a rotating member for stirring, a developing roller, a rotating member such as a photosensitive drum, and the like. A toner storage container structure in which a toner storage container that is rotatably supported is divided with the vicinity of a bearing portion of the rotating member as a boundary. 2. A container member on the side having a high functional priority in the divided toner storage container is made of high rigidity and high durability resin, and the other toner storage containers are made of inexpensive general-purpose resin. The toner storage container structure according to claim 1, wherein: