JP2006078767A - Powder replenishment device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a user easily attach a powder replenishment device to an image forming apparatus without any effort. <P>SOLUTION: A toner cartridge 200 can be attached/detached to/from the image forming apparatus 100, and includes a cartridge body 210, a powder conveyance section 220 and a powder discharge section 230. The powder discharge section 230 has a powder discharge port 350 for supplying toner to a developing unit 2a, and is provided with a sealing member 500 fitted in the opening of the powder discharge port 350 in order to seal the powder discharge port 350. A shutter part 400 covers the circumferential face of the powder discharge port 350 so as to rotate around a rotation shaft 310. The sealing member 500 includes a sealing part 510 sealing the powder discharge port 350, and an engaging part 520 engaging with the powder discharge part 230. In this toner cartridge 200, the sealing of the powder discharge opening 350 with the sealing member 500 is canceled by the attaching of the toner cartridge 200 to the image forming apparatus 100. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a powder replenishing device for replenishing powder. The present invention relates to an apparatus and an image forming apparatus using the same.

  In a conventional image forming apparatus, fine powder (toner) is used as a developer, and a detachable toner cartridge is used to supply the toner to an internal developing device. Further, toner is supplied to the developing device by a toner replenishing device used for the toner cartridge.

  The conventional toner cartridge is provided with a toner storage portion for storing the toner, and a toner discharge portion for discharging the toner stored in the toner storage portion from the powder discharge port in order to supply the toner to the developing device. In some cases, the periphery of the powder discharge port is heat-sealed by a seal member for sealing the opening, and the powder discharge port is covered with the seal member (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

When the conventional toner cartridge is attached to the image forming apparatus, first, the user himself peels off the seal member from the periphery of the powder discharge port of the toner discharge unit. Then, after the seal member is peeled off from the periphery of the powder discharge port, the toner cartridge is mounted on the image forming apparatus.
JP 2003-215899 A

  By the way, when the above-described conventional toner cartridge is mounted on the image forming apparatus, the user has to perform a process of removing the seal member from the periphery of the powder discharge port.

  Further, when the user peels off the seal member from the periphery of the powder discharge port, the toner may flow out from the powder discharge port. In this case, the outflowed toner may adhere to the user's clothes and the like, which is not preferable for handling the toner cartridge.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a powder replenishing apparatus and an image forming apparatus that can easily attach a powder replenishing apparatus to an image forming apparatus without imposing a burden on the user. .

  In order to achieve the above object, a powder replenishing device according to the present invention is detachable from an image forming apparatus, and includes a powder container that stores powder, and a powder that is stored in the powder container. And a powder replenishing device for supplying powder to the image forming apparatus, wherein the powder is supplied to the image forming apparatus. And a sealing material for sealing the powder discharge port by being fitted into the opening of the powder discharge port is provided, and accompanying the mounting operation to the image forming apparatus The sealing of the powder discharge port by the sealing material is released.

  According to the present invention, the powder discharge port is formed with the powder discharge port and the sealing material is provided, and the powder discharge by the sealing material is performed in accordance with the mounting operation to the image forming apparatus. Since the sealing of the outlet is released, when the powder replenishing device is attached to the image forming apparatus, the user does not release the sealed state of the powder discharge port by himself without forming the image of the powder replenishing device. It becomes possible to release the sealed state of the powder discharge port when mounted on the apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to easily attach the powder supply device to the image forming apparatus without imposing a burden on the user.

  Further, in the above-described conventional technology, the powder discharge port is thermally fused around the powder discharge port and the powder discharge port is covered with the seal member. The periphery of the outlet is uneven. Therefore, in the prior art, when recycling a used powder replenishing device, the adhesive remains around the powder discharge port in order to reheat the seal member around the powder discharge port. And a step of removing a piece of the film, and a step of flattening the irregularities around the powder discharge port formed by heat fusion around the powder discharge port of the sealing member. However, according to the present invention, since the sealing material is used, the periphery of the powder discharge port remains flat, and the step of flattening the uneven state is not necessary. Further, since reheat fusion is not performed on the periphery of the powder discharge port of the seal member, no adhesive material or a piece of film remains on the periphery of the powder discharge port. That is, the powder supply device according to the present invention is preferable for recycling. In addition, it is one of the suitable examples of this invention that a rubber cap is used as said sealing material.

  In the above configuration, the sealing material includes a sealing portion that seals the powder discharge port and an engagement portion that engages with the container, and the powder discharge port is sealed by the sealing material. Regardless of the stop state, the sealing member may be engaged with the container by the engaging portion.

  Conventionally, the user peels off the seal member from the periphery of the powder discharge port to open the powder discharge port, and the peeled seal member is discarded. However, according to the present invention, the sealing material is composed of the sealing portion and the engaging portion, and regardless of the sealing state of the powder discharge port by the sealing material, Since the sealing material is engaged with the container, it is possible to prevent the sealing material from dropping (detaching) from the powder supply device. As a result, it is possible to prevent the sealing material from being discarded as dust, or to prevent the sealing material from dropping into the image forming apparatus and causing a failure of the apparatus. Further, when the used powder replenishing device is recycled, the sealing material can be recycled and reused in the same manner.

  In the above configuration, the powder discharge portion is provided with a rotating member that guides conveyance of the powder to the powder discharge port, and when the powder discharge port is sealed with the sealing material, The rotating member may be locked by a material.

  In this case, the powder discharging unit is provided with the rotating member, and the sealing member is locked by the sealing material when the powder discharging port is sealed by the sealing material. It is possible to prevent the rotating member from rotating due to vibration during conveyance of the replenishing device or a user's erroneous operation, and powder from being excessively conveyed (packed) to the powder discharge unit to be in a packed state. .

  In the above configuration, a shutter unit that covers the powder discharge port of the powder discharge unit may be provided, and the powder discharge port may be closed by the shutter unit when detached from the image forming apparatus.

  In this case, since the shutter unit is provided and the powder discharge port is closed by the shutter unit when the shutter is detached from the image forming apparatus, it remains in the container when the shutter is detached from the image forming apparatus. It becomes possible to prevent the powder from being discharged.

  In the above configuration, the shutter portion is formed with an opening for opening and closing the powder discharge port of the powder discharge portion, and the shutter portion is provided to be rotatable about a preset axis. The powder discharge port may be exposed through the opening when the image forming apparatus is mounted, and the powder discharge port may be closed along with the rotation of the shutter unit when detached from the image forming apparatus. .

  In this case, the opening portion is formed in the shutter portion, and the shutter portion is provided so as to be capable of rotating about a preset axis. When the shutter portion is attached to the image forming apparatus, the powder is discharged from the opening portion. When the discharge port is exposed and detached from the image forming apparatus, the powder discharge port is closed along with the rotation of the shutter portion, so that the powder is discharged from the powder discharge port only when the shutter is attached to the image forming apparatus. It becomes possible to discharge.

  In the above configuration, a groove portion is formed in the casing of the powder discharge portion, and the shutter portion may be provided with a shutter engaging portion that engages with the groove portion when attached to the image forming apparatus. Good.

  In this case, since the groove portion is formed in the casing of the powder discharge portion, and the shutter engaging portion is provided in the shutter portion, after the shutter engaging portion is engaged with the groove portion, It is possible to fix the shutter at a desired position in the powder discharge unit. As a result, it is possible to improve the accuracy of alignment between the opening and the powder discharge port when the powder supply device is mounted on the image forming apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the above-described powder supply device is used as a cartridge for supplying powder to the developing device.

  According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, since the above-described powder supply device according to the present invention is used as a cartridge for supplying powder to the developing device, the same effects as those of the above-described powder supply device are obtained. It is possible to have the following effects.

  Further, in the above-described image forming apparatus, a spiral spiral groove is formed in the shutter portion of the powder replenishing device, and a sliding portion that fits into the spiral groove and slides in the groove in the main body. When the powder replenishing device is mounted, the powder discharge port is formed by the opening while the sliding portion is fitted into the spiral groove and the shutter engaging portion is engaged with the groove. When the powder replenishing device is detached, the shutter part rotates by the sliding part fitted in the spiral groove, and the powder discharge port is closed by the shutter part. May be.

  In this case, in conjunction with the attaching / detaching operation of the powder replenishing device to the image forming apparatus, the sliding portion and the spiral groove are used to open the powder discharge port and to release the powder discharging port. At this time, the powder discharge port can be closed by the shutter portion.

  According to the powder supply device and the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to easily attach the powder supply device to the image forming apparatus without imposing a burden on the user.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to toner as powder is shown.

-Description of the entire image forming device-
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of an image forming apparatus of the present invention.

  An image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a color tandem type image forming apparatus that forms multicolor and single color images on recording paper (sheet) in accordance with image data transmitted from the outside, and is an exposure. Unit 1, developing devices 2a to 2d, photosensitive drums 3a to 3d, chargers 5a to 5d, cleaner units 4a to 4d, intermediate transfer belt 7, intermediate transfer belt unit 8, fixing unit 12, paper transport path S, paper feed The tray 10 and the paper discharge tray 15 are configured.

  Image data handled in the image forming apparatus 100 corresponds to a color image using each color of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y). Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 1, the developing units 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, the photosensitive drums 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, the chargers 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, and the cleaner units 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d Four are provided so as to form four types of latent images corresponding to the respective colors (K, C, M, Y). These members constitute four image stations Sa, Sb, Sc, Sd corresponding to the respective colors (K, C, M, Y). In each code, “a” corresponds to black, “b” corresponds to cyan, “c” corresponds to magenta, and “d” corresponds to yellow. The image stations Sa to Sd have substantially the same configuration.

  The photosensitive drums 3 a to 3 d are disposed on the upper part of the image forming apparatus 100.

  The chargers 5a to 5d are charging means for uniformly charging the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 3a to 3d to a predetermined potential, and include a saw blade-shaped discharge electrode, a mesh grid, and a case that covers the discharge electrode. It has a scorotron charger. In this example, two chargers 5a having the same shape are arranged in the black (K) image station Sa, and other cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) color images. One charging device 5b, 5c, 5d is arranged in each of the stations Sb, Sc, Sd.

  Here, the two chargers 5a and 5a for black (K) and the chargers 5b, 5c and 5d for each color of cyan (C), magenta (M) and yellow (Y) have a case width of 14 mm. The same shape is used. Further, the chargers 5a, 5b, 5c, and 5d are made common so that they can be used for other types of image forming apparatuses having different process speeds.

  Further, the two chargers 5a and 5a arranged in the black image station Sa are respectively supplied with high-voltage power from individual high-voltage power supplies. ON / OFF of the high voltage output from these high voltage power supplies to the chargers 5a, 5a is controlled by switching of the low voltage primary side of the high voltage power supply (not shown).

  As the charger, in addition to a corona charger such as a scorotron charger, a contact charger such as roller charging or brush charging may be used.

  The exposure unit 1 exposes the charged photosensitive drums 3a to 3d in accordance with input image data, whereby electrostatic latent images corresponding to the image data are formed on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 3a to 3d. It has the function to form. As the exposure unit 1, a laser scanning unit (LSU) including a laser irradiation unit 1a and a reflection mirror 1b is used. As the exposure unit 1, for example, an EL or LED writing head in which light emitting elements are arranged in an array may be used.

  The developing devices 2a to 2d visualize the electrostatic latent images formed on the respective photosensitive drums 3a to 3d with toners of respective colors (K, C, M, and Y). The cleaner units 4a to 4d are for removing and collecting toner remaining on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 3a to 3d after development and image transfer.

  The intermediate transfer belt unit 8 is disposed above the photosensitive drums 3a to 3d. The intermediate transfer belt unit 8 includes intermediate transfer rollers 6 a to 6 d, an intermediate transfer belt 7, an intermediate transfer belt drive roller 71, an intermediate transfer belt driven roller 72, an intermediate transfer belt tension mechanism 73, and an intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 9. ing. The intermediate transfer rollers 6a to 6d, the intermediate transfer belt driving roller 71, the intermediate transfer belt driven roller 72, the intermediate transfer belt tension mechanism 73, and the like stretch the intermediate transfer belt 7 and place the intermediate transfer belt 7 in the direction of arrow B. Is driven to rotate.

  The intermediate transfer rollers 6a to 6d are rotatably supported by an intermediate transfer roller mounting portion (not shown) of the intermediate transfer belt tension mechanism 73 of the transfer belt unit 8, and the toner images on the photosensitive drums 3a to 3d are transferred. A transfer bias for transferring onto the intermediate transfer belt 7 is provided.

  The intermediate transfer belt 7 is provided so as to be in contact with the photosensitive drums 3a to 3d, respectively, and sequentially transfers the toner images of the respective colors formed on the photosensitive drums 3a to 3d onto the intermediate transfer belt 7. Thus, a color toner image (multicolor toner image) is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 7. The intermediate transfer belt 7 is endlessly formed using a film having a thickness of about 100 to 150 μm. Note that only black (K) photosensitive drum 3 a contacts the intermediate transfer belt 7 during monochrome printing described later.

  Transfer of the toner image from the photosensitive drums 3 a to 3 d to the intermediate transfer belt 7 is performed by intermediate transfer rollers 6 a to 6 d that are in contact with the back side of the intermediate transfer belt 7. To the intermediate transfer rollers 6a to 6d, a high-voltage transfer bias (a high voltage having a polarity (+) opposite to the charging polarity (-) of the toner) is applied to transfer the toner image.

  The intermediate transfer rollers 6a to 6d are based on a metal (for example, stainless steel) shaft having a diameter of 8 to 10 mm, and the surface thereof is covered with a conductive elastic material (for example, EPDM, urethane foam, or the like). With this conductive elastic material, a high voltage can be uniformly applied to the intermediate transfer belt 7. In this example, the intermediate transfer rollers 6a to 6d are used as the transfer electrodes, but a brush or the like may be used instead.

  As described above, the electrostatic images visualized according to the hues on the photosensitive drums 3a to 3d are stacked on the intermediate transfer belt 7 and become image information input to the apparatus. The image information thus laminated is transferred onto the recording sheet by the transfer roller 11 disposed at the contact position between the recording sheet and the intermediate transfer belt 7 described later by the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 7.

  At this time, the intermediate transfer belt 7 and the transfer roller 11 are pressed against each other at a predetermined nip, and a voltage for transferring the toner onto the recording paper is applied to the transfer roller 11 (what is the toner charging polarity (−))? Reverse polarity (+) high voltage). Further, in order to obtain the nip constantly, the transfer roller 11 uses either the transfer roller 11 or the intermediate transfer belt driving roller 71 as a hard material (metal or the like), and the other as a soft material such as an elastic roller (for example, elastic A rubber roller or a foaming resin roller is preferable.

  Further, as described above, the toner adhering to the intermediate transfer belt 7 due to contact with the photosensitive drums 3a to 3d or the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 7 without being transferred onto the recording paper by the transfer roller 11 Since it causes a color mixture of toner in the next process, the intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 9 removes and collects the toner.

  The intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 9 includes a member that contacts the intermediate transfer belt 7, for example, a cleaning blade as a cleaning member. The intermediate transfer belt 7 that contacts the cleaning blade is moved from the back side by an intermediate transfer belt driven roller 72. It is supported.

  The paper feed tray 10 is a tray for storing recording paper (recording sheets) used for image formation, and is provided below the exposure unit 1 of the image forming apparatus 100. A paper discharge tray 15 provided on the upper part of the image forming apparatus 100 is a tray for placing printed recording paper face down.

  In addition, the image forming apparatus 100 is provided with a substantially vertical sheet conveyance path S for sending the recording sheet in the sheet feeding tray 10 to the sheet discharge tray 15 via the transfer unit 11 and the fixing unit 12. . Further, a pickup roller 16, a registration roller 14, a transfer roller 11, a fixing unit 12, and transport rollers 21 to 28 for transporting recording paper are arranged in the vicinity of the paper transport path S from the paper feed tray 10 to the paper discharge tray 15. Has been.

  The transport rollers 21 to 26 are small rollers used for promoting and assisting the transport of the recording paper, and a plurality of the transport rollers 21 to 26 are provided along the paper transport path S.

  The pickup roller 16 is provided at the end of the paper feed tray 10. The pickup roller 16 is a drawing roller that supplies recording sheets from the sheet feeding tray 10 to the sheet conveyance path S one by one. The registration roller 14 temporarily holds the recording sheet conveyed through the sheet conveying path S, and transfers the recording sheet to the transfer roller 11 at a timing when the leading edge of the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 7 is aligned with the leading edge of the recording sheet. Transport to.

  The fixing unit 12 includes a heat roller 12a and a pressure roller 12b. The heat roller 12a and the pressure roller 12b rotate with the recording paper interposed therebetween.

  The heat roller 12a is set to have a predetermined fixing temperature by control based on a signal from a temperature detector (not shown), and is transferred to the recording paper by thermocompression bonding of the recording paper together with the pressure roller 12b. The multicolored toner image is melted, mixed, and pressed, and thermally fixed to the recording paper.

  Note that the recording paper after the fixing of the multicolor toner image is conveyed to the reverse paper discharge path of the paper conveyance path S by the conveyance rollers 22 and 23 and is reversed (with the multicolor toner image facing downward). The paper is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 15.

  By the way, in this image forming apparatus 100, the powder supply device according to the present invention is applied to a toner cartridge that supplies toner to each of the developing devices 2a to 2d. Hereinafter, the toner cartridge will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the toner cartridges described here have substantially the same configuration. Therefore, here, a toner cartridge that supplies toner to the developing device 2a will be described as an example, and description of other toner cartridges will be omitted.

-Description of toner cartridge-
FIG. 2 is a schematic side sectional view of the toner cartridge according to the present embodiment. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge shown in FIG.

  As shown mainly in FIG. 2, the toner cartridge 200 includes a cartridge main body 210 (powder storage portion referred to in the present invention) that stores toner that is powder. A cylindrical powder discharge unit 230 arranged in the lateral direction is provided via the body transport unit 220. The toner cartridge 200 is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus 100. The cartridge main body 210, the powder transport unit 220, and the powder discharge unit 230 are continuously provided to form a container which is a housing of the toner cartridge 200, and the toner contained from the cartridge main body 210 is discharged into the powder. The sheet is discharged (supplied) from the unit 230 to the developing device 2 a inside the image forming apparatus 100.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cartridge main body 210 is provided with an agitation unit that agitates toner accommodated by rotating around a preset axis. The stirring unit includes a rotating shaft 250 and a stirring blade 240 that supports the base end 241 on the rotating shaft 250 and rotates the tip 242 in one direction around the rotating shaft 250. The stirring blade 240 is supported by the rotating shaft 250 with its blade surface along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 250. A rotating shaft 250 that rotates while supporting the stirring blade 240 at the center of the cartridge main body 210 passes through the inner wall surfaces 210 a and 210 b before and after the cartridge main body 210. The rear end portion 250b of the rotating shaft 250 protruding from the rear inner wall surface 210b is provided with a concave groove-like fitting gear 260 that can be engaged with and disengaged from the gear 620 linked to the drive source 610. The gear 620 and the fitting gear 260 linked to the driving source 610 constitute a clutch mechanism that transmits the driving force. A first gear 270 is attached to the tip 250a of the rotary shaft 250 protruding from the front inner wall surface.

  Inside the cylindrical powder discharger 230, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a conveying screw 300 (a rotating member in the present invention) having a helical conveying blade 320 fixed to the rotating shaft 310 is provided. Has been placed. The rear end portion 310 b of the rotary shaft 310 is rotatably supported so as to be fitted into a concave portion 230 b formed inside the front end surface of the powder discharge portion 230, and the front end portion 310 a is a front side wall of the cartridge main body 210. It is rotatably supported so as to penetrate 210a. A third gear 290 is attached to the tip 310a of the rotating shaft 310 protruding from the front side wall 210a. A second gear 280 that links the third gear 290 and the first gear 270 is attached to the front side wall 210a. In other words, the conveying screw 300 is configured to transmit the driving force from the driving source 610 via the rotating shaft 250 of the stirring blade 240 and the first to third gears 270 to 290.

  The powder discharge portion 230 is engaged with a powder discharge port 350 for supplying toner to the developing device 2a at the lower portion of the peripheral side surface of the tip portion, and a shutter engagement portion 420 described below on the outer peripheral surface. For this purpose, a groove 231 is formed. The powder discharge unit 230 is provided with a rubber sealing material 500 that fits into the opening of the powder discharge port 350 and seals the powder discharge port 350. A cylindrical shutter portion 400 is provided so as to be able to rotate about a preset axis (rotating shaft 310) so as to cover the outer peripheral surface.

  The sealing material 500 includes a sealing portion 510 that seals the powder discharge port 350 and an engagement portion 520 that engages with the powder discharge portion 230. The engaging portion 520 is engaged with the powder discharging portion 230 regardless of the sealing state of the powder discharging port 350 by the sealing portion 510. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the conveying screw 300 is locked by the sealing portion 510 when the powder discharge port is sealed by the sealing material 500.

  The shutter unit 400 covers the powder discharge port of the powder discharge unit. When the toner cartridge 200 is detached from the image forming apparatus 100, the shutter unit 400 closes the powder discharge port 350 (see below). ).

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the shutter portion 400 is formed with an opening 410 for opening and closing the powder discharge port 350 of the powder discharge portion 230 on the outer periphery of the shutter portion 400. A spiral groove 430 is formed on the semicircular region.

  Further, the shutter unit 400 includes a rod-shaped shutter engaging unit 420 that engages with the groove 231 when mounted on the image forming apparatus 100, and a projection unit 440 for moving the shutter unit 400 in the X1 direction shown in FIG. And are provided.

  With the shutter unit 400 having the above-described configuration, the powder discharge port 350 is exposed from the opening 410 when the image forming apparatus 100 is mounted. When the shutter unit 400 is detached from the image forming apparatus 100, the powder is generated along with the rotation of the shutter unit 400. The body discharge port 350 is closed.

  In the image forming apparatus 100 described above, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, a sliding portion 600 that fits into the spiral groove 430 and slides in the groove is provided in a stationary state.

  In the toner cartridge 200 having the above-described configuration, the sealing of the powder discharge port 350 by the sealing material 500 is released along with the mounting operation to the image forming apparatus 100. Therefore, the attaching / detaching operation of the toner cartridge 200 with respect to the image forming apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 4, and 6.

  First, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6A, the mounting of the toner cartridge 200 to the image forming apparatus 100 is started. At this time, the sealing portion 510 of the sealing material 500 is fitted into the powder discharge port 350, and the opening portion 410 of the shutter portion 400 is directed vertically downward.

  Then, the toner cartridge is moved in the X2 direction from the state shown in FIG. At this time, the sliding portion 600 comes into contact with the protrusion 440 of the shutter portion 400 and the sliding portion 600 fits into one end of the spiral groove 430. When the toner cartridge is further moved in the X2 direction, the protrusion 440 of the shutter portion 400 is pushed in the X1 direction by the sliding portion 600. At this time, the sealing portion 510 of the sealing material 500 is pressed in the X1 direction by the shutter portion, the sealing portion 510 is detached from the powder discharge port 350, and the powder discharge port 350 is unsealed ( (See the sealing material 500 in FIG. 4).

  Then, even after the sealing portion 510 is removed from the powder discharge port 350, the toner cartridge 200 is moved in the X2 direction in the same manner as in the above process, so that the shutter engaging portion 420 is moved as shown in FIG. The toner cartridge 200 is attached to the image forming apparatus 100 by being engaged with the groove portion 231 of the powder discharge portion 230 (see FIG. 4). When the toner cartridge 200 is mounted, the powder discharge port 350 is opened by the opening 410 while the sliding portion 600 is fitted in the spiral groove 430 and the shutter engaging portion 420 is engaged by the groove 231. . That is, the powder discharge port 350 is exposed through the opening 410.

  Next, when the toner cartridge 200 is detached from the image forming apparatus 100, the toner cartridge 200 is moved from the state shown in FIGS. At this time, since the shutter engaging portion 420 and the groove portion 231 are engaged and the sliding portion 600 cannot move, the shutter portion 400 is pressed by the sliding portion 600 in the X2 direction.

  Then, when the sliding portion 600 is pressed in the X2 direction, the shutter portion 400 rotates around the rotation shaft 310 along the groove shape of the spiral groove 430, and this rotation causes the sliding portion 600 to move to the spiral groove 430. It reaches the other end (see FIG. 6C). At this time, the shutter engaging portion 420 moves half a circle along the groove portion 231 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the powder discharging portion 230. In addition, the opening 410 of the shutter unit 400 faces vertically upward, and the powder discharge port 350 is closed by the shutter unit 400.

  When the toner cartridge 200 is further moved in the X1 direction, as shown in FIG. 6 (d), the sliding portion 600 is detached from the spiral groove 430, and the shutter portion 400 remains in the state shown in FIG. 6 (c). The toner cartridge 200 moves in the X1 direction together with the body discharge unit 230, and the toner cartridge 200 is detached from the image forming apparatus 100.

  As described above, according to the toner cartridge 200 according to the present embodiment, the powder discharge portion 230 is provided with the powder discharge port 350 and the sealing material 500, and is attached to the image forming apparatus 100. As the operation, the sealing of the powder discharge port 350 by the sealing material 500 is released. Therefore, when the toner cartridge 200 is mounted on the image forming apparatus 100, the user releases the sealed state of the powder discharge port 350 by himself / herself. Without this, when the toner cartridge 200 is mounted on the image forming apparatus 100, the sealed state of the powder discharge port 350 can be released. Therefore, the toner cartridge 200 can be easily attached to the image forming apparatus 100 without imposing a burden on the user.

  Further, in the above-described conventional technology, the powder discharge port is thermally fused around the powder discharge port and the powder discharge port is covered with the seal member. The periphery of the outlet is uneven. Therefore, in the prior art, when recycling a used toner cartridge, the adhesive material or film remaining around the powder discharge port is used to reheat and seal the seal member around the powder discharge port. And a step of flattening the irregularities around the powder discharge port formed by thermal fusion of the sealing member to the periphery of the powder discharge port. However, according to the toner cartridge 200 according to the present embodiment, since the sealing material 500 is used, the periphery of the powder discharge port 350 remains flat, and the process of flattening the uneven state is performed. unnecessary. Further, since reheat fusion is not performed on the periphery of the powder discharge port of the sealing member, no adhesive material or a piece of film remains around the powder discharge port 350. That is, the toner cartridge 200 according to the present embodiment is preferable for recycling.

  Conventionally, the user peels off the seal member from the periphery of the powder discharge port to open the powder discharge port, and the peeled seal member is discarded. However, according to the toner cartridge according to the present embodiment, the sealing material 500 includes the sealing portion 510 and the engaging portion 520, regardless of the sealing state of the powder discharge port 350 by the sealing material 500. Since the sealing member 500 is engaged with the powder discharge port 350 by the engaging portion 520, it is possible to prevent the sealing material 500 from dropping (detaching) from the toner cartridge 200. As a result, it is possible to prevent the sealing material 500 from being discarded as dust, or to prevent the sealing material 500 from dropping into the image forming apparatus 100 and causing a device failure. Further, when the used toner cartridge 200 is recycled, the sealing material 500 can be similarly recycled and reused.

  In addition, the powder discharge unit 230 is provided with a conveyance screw 300, and when the powder discharge port 350 is sealed by the sealing material 500, the conveyance blade 320 of the conveyance screw 300 is locked by the sealing material 500. It is possible to prevent the conveying screw 300 from rotating due to vibration during the conveyance of the toner cartridge 200 or an erroneous operation by the user, so that the powder is excessively conveyed (packed) into the powder discharge unit 230 and becomes in a packing state.

  Further, since the shutter unit 400 is provided and the powder discharge port 350 is closed by the shutter unit 400 when the shutter unit 400 is detached from the image forming apparatus 100, the shutter unit 400 remains in the container when the image forming apparatus 100 is detached. It is possible to prevent the powder from being discharged.

  In addition, an opening is formed in the shutter unit 400, and the shutter unit 400 is provided so as to be capable of rotating about the rotation shaft 310. When the shutter unit 400 is attached to the image forming apparatus 100, the powder discharge port 350 is formed from the opening unit 410. Is exposed, and the powder discharge port 350 is closed with the rotation of the shutter unit 400 when the shutter unit 400 is detached from the image forming apparatus 100. Therefore, the powder is discharged from the powder discharge port 350 only when the image forming apparatus 100 is mounted. It can be discharged.

  Further, since the groove portion 231 is formed in the casing of the powder discharge portion 230 and the shutter engagement portion 420 is provided in the shutter portion 400, the shutter is engaged after the shutter engagement portion 420 is engaged with the groove portion 231. The part 400 can be fixed at a desired position in the powder discharge part 230. As a result, it is possible to improve the alignment accuracy between the opening 410 and the powder discharge port 350 when the toner cartridge 200 is attached to the image forming apparatus 100.

  Furthermore, according to the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the toner cartridge 200 according to the present invention is used as a cartridge for supplying powder to the developing devices 2a to 2d. It is possible to have the same effects as the effects related to 200.

  Further, according to the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the powder discharge port is attached by the sliding portion 600 and the spiral groove 430 in conjunction with the attaching / detaching operation of the toner cartridge 200 to the image forming apparatus 100. The powder discharge port 350 can be closed by the shutter unit 400 while the 350 is opened.

  In the present embodiment, rubber is used as the sealing material 500. However, this is a preferable example, and the present invention is not limited to this. The powder is fitted into the opening of the powder discharge port 350. As long as it seals the discharge port 350, the sealing part of another form may be sufficient. The sealing material 500 is preferably an elastic material that can be press-fitted into the powder discharge port 350. Moreover, the sealing part 510 of the sealing material 500 may be made of an elastic body such as rubber, and the engaging part may be made of another member.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, one shutter engaging portion 420 is provided in the shutter portion 400. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of shutter engaging portions are provided. A joint may be provided. Moreover, unlike the rod-shaped body of this embodiment, the engaging portion may be formed of a cylindrical body so as to engage with the entire groove portion 231. In these cases, the engaging force of the shutter unit 400 to the powder discharge unit 230 can be improved.

  In this embodiment, the sealing material is released from the sealing by the operation of the shutter unit 400. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the sealing material 500 of the shutter unit 400 is not limited to the toner cartridge 200. As long as the relative movement is performed in the same direction as the pressing direction, other constituent members of the image forming apparatus 100 such as the developing devices 2a to 2d may be used.

  In the present embodiment, the engaging portion 520 of the sealing material 500 is engaged with the powder discharge port 350. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It may be the site of.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the shutter unit 400 covers the entire outer peripheral surface of the powder discharge unit 230, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the powder discharge unit capable of opening and closing the powder discharge port 350 is not limited thereto. 230 may be partially covered, and a part of the outer peripheral surface of the powder discharge part 230 not related to opening / closing of the powder discharge port 350 may not be covered.

  The present invention can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the spirit or main features thereof. Therefore, the above-described embodiment is merely an example in all respects and should not be interpreted in a limited manner. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and is not restricted by the text of the specification. Further, all modifications and changes belonging to the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

  The powder replenishing apparatus according to the present invention can be applied to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus used for a copying machine, a laser printer, a facsimile, or the like. In particular, the present invention can be applied to a transport mechanism that transports a developer or a waste developer.

1 is a schematic side sectional view showing a structure of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic side sectional view before the toner cartridge according to the exemplary embodiment is mounted on the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge shown in FIG. 2 taken along line AA. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge according to the exemplary embodiment when attached to the image forming apparatus. 3 is a schematic plan view of a shutter of the toner cartridge according to the exemplary embodiment. FIG. (A)-(d) is a schematic side view of the shutter which showed the attachment or detachment process of the toner cartridge concerning this Embodiment to the image forming apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

100 Image forming apparatus 200 Toner cartridge (powder supply apparatus)
210 Powder container 230 Powder discharger 231 Groove 300 Conveying screw (rotating member)
310 Rotation axis (axis)
350 Powder discharge port 400 Shutter part 410 Opening part 420 Shutter engagement part 430 Spiral groove 500 Sealing material 510 Sealing part 520 Engagement part 600 Sliding part

Claims (8)

A container is formed by providing a powder container that can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus, and that contains a powder and a powder discharge unit that discharges the powder stored in the powder container to the outside. In the powder replenishing device for supplying powder to the image forming apparatus,
The powder discharge unit is formed with a powder discharge port for supplying powder to the image forming apparatus, and is a seal that fits into the opening of the powder discharge port and seals the powder discharge port. Stop material is provided,
The powder replenishing device, wherein the sealing of the powder discharge port by the sealing material is released along with the mounting operation to the image forming apparatus. The sealing material includes a sealing portion that seals the powder discharge port, and an engaging portion that engages with the container,
The powder replenishment according to claim 1, wherein the sealing material is engaged with the container by the engaging portion regardless of the sealing state of the powder discharge port by the sealing material. apparatus. The powder discharge unit is provided with a rotating member that guides conveyance of powder to the powder discharge port,
3. The powder replenishing device according to claim 1, wherein the rotating member is locked by the sealing material when the powder discharge port is sealed by the sealing material. A shutter portion is provided to cover the powder discharge port of the powder discharge portion;
4. The powder replenishing device according to claim 1, wherein the powder discharge port is closed by the shutter unit when detached from the image forming apparatus. 5. The shutter portion is formed with an opening for opening and closing the powder discharge port of the powder discharge portion, and the shutter portion is provided to be rotatable about a preset axis,
The powder discharge port is exposed from the opening when mounted on the image forming apparatus,
The powder replenishing device according to claim 4, wherein the powder discharge port is closed along with the rotation of the shutter portion when detached from the image forming apparatus.   A groove portion is formed in the casing of the powder discharge portion, and the shutter portion is provided with a shutter engaging portion that engages with the groove portion when mounted on an image forming apparatus. The powder supply device according to claim 5.   7. An image forming apparatus, wherein the powder supply device according to claim 1 is used as a cartridge for supplying powder to a developing device. The powder replenishing device according to claim 6 is an image forming apparatus used as a cartridge for supplying powder to a developing device,
A spiral spiral groove is formed in the shutter portion of the powder replenishing device, and a sliding portion that fits into the spiral groove and slides in the groove is provided in the main body.
When the powder replenishing device is installed, the powder discharge port is opened by the opening while the sliding portion is fitted in the spiral groove and the shutter engaging portion is engaged with the groove. I,
The image is characterized in that when the powder replenishing device is detached, the shutter part rotates by the sliding part fitted in the spiral groove, and the powder discharge port is closed by the shutter part. Forming equipment.

Images