JP2003215899A - Developing device and process cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the need to shake a cartridge in the beginning and improve accessibility. <P>SOLUTION: An elastic member is stuck to an inclined face of the interior of a toner container in such a manner that one end of the member is fixed thereto. The other end is welded to a toner seal. The weld is peeled by pulling out the toner seal. Thereafter, the elastic member juts out in the direction of a radius of the rotation of a stir member disposed within a developing part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a developing device and a process cartridge. Here, examples of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus include an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer, an electrophotographic facsimile apparatus, and the like. Further, as the process cartridge, a charging means, a developing means or a cleaning means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member are integrally made into a cartridge which can be attached to and detached from the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic image forming process, an electrophotographic photosensitive member which is an image carrier and a process means which acts on the electrophotographic photosensitive member are integrally formed into a cartridge. Then, a process cartridge system is adopted in which the cartridge can be attached to and detached from the main body of the image forming apparatus. According to this process cartridge system, the maintenance of the apparatus can be performed by the user himself without resorting to a serviceman, so that the operability can be markedly improved. Therefore, this process cartridge system is widely used. In such a process cartridge, a photosensitive drum as an electrophotographic photosensitive member is provided, and a developing device is used to apply toner as a developer to an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum. This developing device is configured by combining a developing frame body holding a developing means such as a developing roller for sending toner to a photosensitive drum, and a developer accommodating portion accommodating a developer. Before use, the opening provided in the joint between the developer accommodating portion and the developing device frame is sealed with a sealing member (sealing member). That is, all the toner is stored in the developer storage unit before using the cartridge. The toner in the developer storage portion may be unevenly distributed in the developer storage portion before it reaches the user's hand due to vibration or the like during transportation of the cartridge. As a result, the stirring torque may increase, or the developer may not be smoothly transferred into the developing unit. To prevent this, conventionally, when the cartridge is used for the first time, it is necessary for the user to shake the cartridge to evenly distribute the toner in the developer accommodating portion, and then to pull out the sealing member. This is because, in the case of a large-capacity process cartridge or the like, the work of shaking this cartridge is a heavy burden on the user, and the user forgets to shake the initial cartridge and inserts it into the main body of the image forming apparatus. In this case, it may be possible that the load on the main body of the image forming apparatus or the driving means of the process cartridge is increased.

[0003]

Therefore, according to the present invention,
An object of the present invention is to provide a process cartridge that can be mounted in the main body without shaking the initial cartridge in order to reduce the burden on the user, and particularly to improve the convenience of the user with a handicap.

[0004]

The above object can be achieved by the following constitution of the present invention.

(1) That is, the present invention relates to a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member, for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member. A developing member, a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer used for developing the electrostatic latent image by the developing portion, and an agitating member for agitating the developer in the developing portion by rotating. An elastic member provided on an inclined surface which is a bottom surface when the developing device is attached to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus and which is inclined downward toward the developing member; It has an opening for supplying a developer to a member, and a sealing member that seals the opening so that the opening can be opened, wherein one end of the elastic member and the sealing member are the sealing member. When pulling out, the sealing member and the elastic member It relates developing device is characterized in being partially welded or bonded with strength peeling is.

(2) According to the present invention, in a process cartridge detachably mountable to the main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, an electrophotographic photosensitive member as an image carrier and an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member are developed. For developing, a developer accommodating section for accommodating the developer used for developing the electrostatic latent image by the developing section, and stirring the developer in the developing section by rotating. A stirring member,
An elastic member provided on an inclined surface which is a bottom surface when the process cartridge is attached to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and is inclined downward toward the developing member; and the developer accommodating portion to the developing member. An opening for supplying a developer to the, and a sealing member for sealing the opening so that the opening can be opened. Here, one end of the elastic member, the sealing member, and when the sealing member is pulled out, The present invention relates to a process cartridge, wherein the sealing member and the elastic member are partially adhered or welded to each other with a peeling strength.

According to the present invention, when the sealing member is pulled out before the process cartridge is used, when the elastic member is peeled off, vibration generated when the elastic member is pulled by the sealing member is transmitted to the elastic member. It is possible to loosen and evenly disperse the unevenly distributed toner in the developer accommodating portion, and it is possible for the user to improve the usability without the need for the user to shake the initial cartridge.

[0008]

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 an explanatory view of an image forming apparatus,
FIG. 2 is a main sectional view of a process cartridge according to the present invention,
3 is a perspective view of the opening and the sealing member, FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the coupling between the sealing member and the elastic member of the developing device according to the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the coupling between the sealing member and the elastic member. It is a schematic diagram seen from the top surface when peeling.

(Description of Main Body of Electronic Image Forming Apparatus) FIG. 1 shows an electrophotographic image forming apparatus shown in this embodiment. Information light based on image information is radiated from the optical system 10 onto the drum-shaped electrophotographic photosensitive member 1 to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member, and the electrostatic latent image is developed with toner to obtain toner. Form an image. Then, in synchronization with the formation of the toner image,
A recording medium (recording paper, OHP sheet) 11 is separated and fed one by one from a main body cassette 12 by a pickup roller 13 and a pressure contact member 14 in pressure contact with the pickup roller 13, and at the same time, a conveyance roller 1
5 and the registration roller 16 to convey the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 to the transfer roller 17 as a transfer means by applying a voltage to the recording medium 1
1 and transfer the recording medium to the fixing unit 18,
The toner image is fixed on the recording medium 11 by applying heat and pressure, and the recording medium is conveyed to the discharge unit 19.

(Structure of Process Cartridge) FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a process cartridge including a developing device according to the present invention.

The process cartridge according to this embodiment is
As shown in FIG. 2, a charging device 2, a developing device 3 for accommodating toner, and a cleaning device 4 are arranged around a photosensitive drum 1 which is an image carrier, and these are integrally incorporated in frames 20 and 21. And is attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body. As shown in FIG. 1, an image carrier 1 which is an electrophotographic photoreceptor having a photosensitive layer is rotated in a direction of an arrow, and a voltage is applied to a charging device 2 which is a charging means to make the surface of the image carrier 1 uniform. The latent image is charged by exposing the charged image bearing member to light, and the latent image is developed by the developing means 3. The developing roller 3a, which is a developer bearing member having a fixed magnet built therein, is rotated, and toner having a triboelectric charge is formed on the surface of the developing roller 3a by the developing blade 3b, and the toner is image-carried in accordance with the latent image. By transferring to the body 1, a toner image is formed and transferred to the transfer material. After the transfer onto the transfer material, the toner remaining on the image carrier 1 is scraped off by the cleaning device 4 and removed to the waste toner storage portion 9.

(Description of Developing Device) Next, the developing device according to the present invention will be described in detail. First, as shown in the perspective view of the opening and the sealing member in FIG. 3, the opening 20a for toner supply provided in the frame 20 in the developer accommodating portion 8 is sealed so that the toner does not leak during transportation. It is sealed by a stop member (toner seal) 7. The sealing member 7 includes an openable seal portion 7d that seals the toner supply opening 20a of the frame body 20, mounting portions 7a and 7b that are attached to the frame body 20 by welding, and the seal member is a frame. It is composed of a pull-out handle portion 7c for removing it from the body 20. The sealing member 7 is mainly composed of four layers. Specifically, in order from the side to be welded to the frame body 20, a PE-based sealant layer, a polyester layer,
It is an aluminum layer and a polyester layer.
It is a film in which each layer is bonded with an adhesive having a thickness of m (layer thickness 0.1 to 0.2 μm). The thickness of each layer was 12 [mu] m, 7 [mu] m, 50 [mu] m, 50 [mu] m in order from the frame body 20, and the adhesive used was 2-3 [mu] m. Cut patterns (cutting lines) CL1 and CL2 indicated by chain double-dashed lines are formed on the film in advance by irradiating the sealant layer and the polyester layer with laser light from the sealant layer side. The cut patterns CL1 and CL2 are provided in the longitudinal direction of the process cartridge and form a sealable portion 7d that seals the toner supply opening 20a of the frame 20. As a result, the seal portion 7d is cut along the cut patterns CL1 and CL2 formed on the film and removed from the frame body 20 to remove the frame body 20.
The opening 20a can be opened. Also,
The aluminum layer is intended to prevent the laser light from penetrating the seal and at the same time enhance the strength of the entire seal. Before the frame 20 and the developing container 3 are joined to each other, the sealing member has a pull-out grip portion 7c folded back to one end side in the longitudinal direction of the process cartridge to form a frame 22.
After the combination of the developing device 3 and the developing device 3, the end portion 7a1 of the pull-out handle portion 7c is projected outward from one side surface side in the longitudinal direction of the process cartridge.

Next, the developer storage portion 8 will be described (see FIG. 2). An elastic member 6 made of polyethylene terephthalate is provided on the bottom surface of the developer accommodating portion 8 over substantially the entire area of the inclined surface 20c in the inclination direction and the direction intersecting the inclination direction. The elastic member 6 is the dowel 2 located on the upstream side of the inclined surface.
The elongated fitting hole 6a is opened corresponding to 0b, and is fixed on the inclined surface 20c by heat welding or the like in a state where the hole 6a is fitted in the dowel 20b. Here, the distance from the tip end side of the dowel 20b melted by heat welding or the like to the root of the dowel 20b is preferably a state in which there is some play more than the thickness of the elastic member.

Next, the structure of the elastic member 6 and the sealing member 7 of the process cartridge according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 4A, one ends of the sealing member 7 and the elastic member 6 are joined by spot welding P. At this time, the sealant layer among the four layers of the sealing member is melted by heat, and the elastic member 6 is spot-welded to the polyester layer of the sealing member 7. The strength of spot welding and the welding location will be described later.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view seen from the upper surface when the sealing member is pulled out. As shown in FIG. 5A, the sealing member 7 and the elastic member 6 are spot welded P in the longitudinal direction. When the sealing member is pulled in the direction of arrow A in the figure, the sealing member 7
Is separated from the elastic member 6, but since the sealing member 7 and the elastic member 6 are spot-welded as described above, the elastic member 6 remains until the spot welding is peeled off. The direction in which the sealing member is pulled out to the sealing member 7, that is, A in the figure
Pulled in the direction. Therefore, the elastic member 6 is A- in the figure.
It is pulled in one direction (Fig. 5 (b)). After that, when the welding is peeled off, the elastic member 6 tries to return in the A-2 direction (FIG. 5C) as a reaction. That is, since the elastic member 6 and the sealing member 7 are spot-welded in the longitudinal direction, the elastic member causes minute vibrations in the longitudinal direction every time the spot welding is peeled off. As described above, since the elastic member 6 is fixed to the inclined surface 20c with some play due to heat welding or the like, the elastic member 6 vibrates in the inclination direction of the elastic member 6 over substantially the entire area. Then, the toner T to which the vibration is applied vibrates over the entire area of the upper surface of the elastic member 6 arranged on the inclined surface, and even if the toner is unevenly distributed during transportation or the like, it is loosened by the vibration and completely. Not so much, but can be done. Next, regarding the spot welding locality, if the welding locality is too strong, the sealing member 7 will be torn during the process of pulling out the sealing member 7, and the opening 20a may be completely opened. I can not do it. However, if the adhesive strength is too weak, the vibration in the longitudinal direction as described above becomes small, and the toner cannot be loosened and smoothed. That is, the welding strength between the sealing member 7 and the elastic member 6 is such that the sealing member 7 is not torn during pulling out the sealing member 7 and the toner is loosened and shaken by the vibration in the longitudinal direction. Is desirable. In this example, the spot welding strength was adjusted by the spot diameter. If the spot diameter is too large, the welding strength will increase, and the sealing member 7 will be torn during the pulling out of the sealing member 7. On the contrary, if the spot diameter is too small, the welding strength will decrease and vibration sufficient to smooth the toner may occur. I can not do it. In this example, the ideal spot shape as described above was experimentally determined.

The interval of spot welding is such that the elastic member 6 is pulled back by the sealing member 7 before the welding is peeled off and the elastic member 6 is returned by the reaction immediately after the welding is peeled off. Immediately after the elastic member 6 is completely returned, a welding portion is provided in the longitudinal direction so that the next welding portion can be reached.

Further, when the sealing member 7 is pulled out, the elastic member 6 is released from the sealing member 7, and one end thereof is fixed to the inclined surface 20c by heat welding or the like, so that it follows the inclined surface. Therefore, the toner on the inclined surface 20c drops toward the inside of the developing unit. Further, since one end of the elastic member 6 is configured so as to project the radius of rotation of the stirring member 5 that stirs the toner in the developing portion (see FIG. 4b), every time the stirring member 5 makes one rotation. It interferes with the elastic member 6 once. When the elastic member 6 interferes with the stirring member 5, the elastic member 6 bends downward,
By repeating the operation of returning by the elastic force at the moment, the toner T is vibrated periodically and the toner T is vibrated. The operation of giving this vibration continues while the process cartridge operates and the stirring member 5 rotates.

Further, as described above, since the elastic member 6 is fixed to the inclined surface 20c with some play due to heat welding or the like, the elastic member 6 is substantially inclined in the inclination direction and the direction intersecting the inclination direction. Vibrates over the entire area. Then, the toner T to which the vibration is applied falls almost all over the upper surface of the elastic member 6 disposed on the inclined surface 20c, is transferred into the developing section, is agitated by the agitating member 5, and is a developer carrier. Is conveyed to the developing roller 3a.

Next, the procedure for assembling the developing device according to the present invention will be described. First, the elastic member 6 and the sealing member 7 are joined by spot welding. The elastic member and the sealing member, which are joined together, are heat-welded to each other at the joining portion of the frame 20 between the sealing member 7 and the frame 20. After that, the fitting hole 6a of the elastic member 6 is fitted into the dowel 20b of the inclined surface 20c, the tip of the fitting hole 6a is heat-welded, and the elastic member 6 is fixed on the inclined surface 20c. The lid 22 of 8 is heat-welded to the frame joint portion 20d at the joint portion 22a to assemble the developer accommodating portion 8. After that, the developer accommodating portion 8 is filled with toner, and is thermally welded at the joint portion 3c of the developing portion and the joint portion 20d of the frame body 20,
The developing device is assembled.

According to the present invention, the elastic member 6 and the sealing member 7
Since the toner in the developer storage portion 8 can be loosened and leveled by pulling out the sealing member 7 by welding or adhering, the user does not have to perform the initial shaking operation when using the cartridge. Usability is improved.
This is particularly desirable for heavy items such as large capacity process cartridges, and even for users who have a cap with a han.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the sealing member and the elastic member are welded or adhered to each other, the vibration generated when the user pulls out the sealing member causes the initial state of the process cartridge. You can get rid of swings.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an image forming apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a process cartridge according to this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view for explaining an opening and a sealing member of the developing device.

4A and 4B are views for explaining the adhesion between the sealing member and the elastic member of the process cartridge according to the present invention.

5A, 5B, and 5C are schematic diagrams when the sealing member and the elastic member are separated from each other by welding.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Electrophotographic photoreceptor (photosensitive drum, image carrier) 2 charging means 3 Development container (development means) 3a Developing roller 3b Development blade 4 Cleaning device 5 Agitating member in the developing section 6 Elastic member 6a Mating hole 7 Sealing member 7a, 7b Sealing member welded portion 7c Sealing member grip 7d Sealing member seal part 8 developer storage 9 Waste toner storage 10 Image forming apparatus optical system 11 recording media 12 paper cassettes 13 Pickup roller 14 Pressure contact member 15 Conveyor roller 16 Registration roller 17 Transfer means 18 Fixing means 19 Discharge part 20 Cartridge frame 20a opening 20b Dowel 20c slope 20d joint 21 Cartridge frame 22 Lid 22a connection part

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photoreceptor, a developing member for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photoreceptor, and the developing device. A developer storage unit for storing a developer used for developing the electrostatic latent image by means of a member, a stirring member for stirring the developer in the developing unit by rotating, and the developing device being an electronic unit. An elastic member provided on an inclined surface which is a bottom surface when mounted on the main body of the photographic image forming apparatus and which is inclined downward toward the developing member, and a developer is supplied from the developer accommodating portion to the developing member. An opening for
A sealing member that seals the opening so that the opening can be opened, wherein one end of the elastic member and the sealing member separates the sealing member and the elastic member when the sealing member is pulled out. A developing device characterized by being partially welded or bonded with high strength. 2. A process cartridge detachably mountable to the main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, comprising: an electrophotographic photosensitive member which is an image carrier and a developing member for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member. A developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer used for developing the electrostatic latent image by the developing portion, a stirring member for stirring the developer in the developing portion by rotating, and the process An elastic member provided on an inclined surface which is a bottom surface when the cartridge is attached to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus and is inclined downward toward the developing member; An opening for supplying the agent, and a sealing member that seals the opening so that the opening can be opened, wherein one end of the elastic member and the sealing member are the sealing members when the sealing member is pulled out. Stop member A process cartridge, wherein the elastic member is partially adhered or welded with a peeling strength.