JP2006284776A - Toner stirring paddle and toner cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a simply constituted toner stirring paddle capable of obtaining stable carrying force. <P>SOLUTION: The stirring paddle 32 is prepared for stirring and carrying the toner stored in a case main body 4, the paddle 32 includes a rotating shaft 42 which is freely rotatably supported by the case main body 4, an attaching member 43 which extends in parallel to the rotating shaft 42, and also, which is supported by the rotating shaft 42, and a stirring blade 44. One end of the stirring blade 44 is attached along the extending direction of the attaching member 43, and also, with inclination to the center axis of the rotating shaft 42, the other end of the stirring blade 44 is formed to a free end extending in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the attaching member 43. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a toner agitation paddle, and more particularly to a toner agitation paddle for agitating and conveying toner contained in a container and a toner cartridge having the toner agitation paddle.

  An image forming apparatus such as a copying machine is provided with a developing device that applies toner to an electrostatic latent image to create a toner image. The developing device includes a developing container containing a developer containing toner, and further includes a toner cartridge for replenishing the developing container with toner consumed by the image forming process.

The toner cartridge has a box-shaped container body that contains toner therein. An agitation paddle for agitating the toner and a screw for conveying the toner in a predetermined direction are rotatably provided inside the container body. The stirring paddle generally has a rotating shaft and a stirring member provided around the rotating shaft, and these are integrally formed by resin molding. A stirring paddle having a rotating shaft provided with a stirring sheet or film is also provided (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-6610). The screw has a rotation shaft and a spiral blade portion integrally formed with the rotation shaft on the outer periphery of the rotation shaft, and the toner is conveyed in a predetermined direction along the spiral blade portion. It is like that.
JP 2002-6610 A

  The agitation paddle disclosed in the above publication has a rotating shaft and a single strip-shaped sheet member fixed to the rotating shaft. One end of the sheet member is fixed to the rotating shaft, and the other end is a free end. Further, the sheet member has a plurality of slits formed obliquely from the free end toward one end fixed to the rotation shaft, and is divided into a plurality of transport pieces. In such an agitation paddle, the rotating shaft rotates, the toner inside the container can be agitated, and the toner can be conveyed in a predetermined direction.

  In this conventional agitation paddle, a plurality of conveying pieces divided by a plurality of diagonally formed slits bend obliquely with rotation. Then, the toner is conveyed in one direction by each of the conveying pieces bent obliquely.

  However, in the conventional agitation paddle as described above, the conveyance amount changes depending on how the conveyance piece is bent, and a stable conveyance force cannot be obtained. Further, in this conventional agitation paddle, since the conveying force in the axial direction is obtained by the bending of the conveying piece, the conveying force cannot be obtained unless a large amount of bending is taken. However, if the bending of the conveying piece is increased, the rubbing force with the container increases accordingly, and the rubbing sound with the container increases.

  An object of the present invention is to obtain a toner agitation paddle having a simple configuration and capable of obtaining a stable conveying force.

  Another object of the present invention is to obtain a toner stirring paddle capable of obtaining a stable conveying force and suppressing a rubbing noise with a container.

  A toner agitation paddle according to claim 1 is for agitating and transporting toner contained in a container, and includes a rotation shaft rotatably supported by the container, a rotation shaft that extends in parallel to the rotation shaft, and a rotation shaft. And an agitating blade. The stirring blade is mounted so that one end thereof is inclined along the extending direction of the mounting member and with respect to the central axis of the rotation shaft, and the other end is a free end extending in a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the mounting member. ing.

  The toner stirring paddle rotates in the container and stirs the toner. In addition, since the stirring blade is mounted to be inclined with respect to the central axis of the rotation shaft, the inclined stirring blade is rotated so that the toner is conveyed in one direction.

  Here, since the stirring blades are provided with an inclination in advance, a stable toner conveying force can be obtained as compared with a stirring paddle in which slits are formed obliquely as in the conventional apparatus. Further, here, since the conveying is not performed by the bending of the stirring blade, it is not necessary to make the bending of the stirring blade large, and the rubbing noise with the container can be suppressed.

  The toner agitation paddle according to claim 2 is the toner agitation paddle according to claim 1, wherein the agitation blades are provided along the direction in which the mounting member extends, and have a plurality of elastically deformable sheet-like members, and a plurality of sheets Each of the shaped members has substantially the same inclination angle with respect to the central axis of the rotating shaft.

  Here, since the stirring blade is composed of a plurality of sheet-like members, the toner can be efficiently conveyed.

  A toner stirring paddle according to a third aspect is the toner stirring paddle according to the second aspect, wherein the plurality of sheet-like members are formed of one synthetic resin sheet or film.

  Here, since the plurality of sheet-like members are formed of one synthetic resin sheet or film, the configuration is simplified.

  A toner stirring paddle according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the toner stirring paddle of the third aspect, wherein the toner stirring paddle is fixed to the mounting member, is inclined at substantially the same inclination angle with respect to the central axis of the rotating shaft, and extends in the extending direction of the mounting member. One synthetic resin sheet or film further includes a plurality of fixing members arranged side by side, and one end side is alternately mounted on the upper surface and the lower surface of the fixing member with respect to the plurality of fixing members.

  In this case, since one synthetic resin sheet or film is alternately mounted on the upper surface and the lower surface of a plurality of fixing members, a force acts on the sheet or film from any direction. However, it becomes difficult to peel from the fixing member.

  The toner stirring paddle according to claim 5 is the toner stirring paddle according to claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of fixing members has a protrusion on a surface on which one synthetic resin sheet or film is mounted. The sheet or film has a plurality of holes that engage the protrusions.

  In this case, one synthetic resin sheet or film can be attached to a plurality of fixing members by a simple operation.

  A toner cartridge according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is a container that contains toner, and a container that accommodates toner therein, and a toner that is contained in the container is stirred and conveyed. And a toner agitation paddle.

  A toner cartridge according to a seventh aspect is the toner cartridge according to the sixth aspect, further comprising a conveying screw that is rotatably supported by the container body and has a spiral blade portion for conveying the toner in a predetermined direction. .

  In this case, since not only the toner is conveyed by the toner stirring paddle but also the conveying screw is provided, the toner can be favorably conveyed in the container.

  A toner cartridge according to an eighth aspect is the toner cartridge according to the sixth or seventh aspect, wherein the length of the conveying screw is shorter than the length of the toner stirring paddle.

  Here, since the toner agitation paddle has a toner conveyance capability, it is not necessary to dispose a conveyance screw over the entire length of the container. Therefore, in the toner cartridge according to the present invention, the conveying screw is formed shorter than the toner stirring paddle.

  With the toner stirring paddle of the present invention as described above, a stable conveyance force can be obtained with a simple configuration. In addition, it is not necessary to increase the deflection of the stirring blade, and the rubbing noise with the container can be suppressed.

  A toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. This toner cartridge has a cartridge case (container) 2, and the cartridge case 2 includes a case main body 4 and a lid body 6. The box-shaped case body 4 having an open upper surface includes a bottom wall 8, both side walls 10 and 12, and both end walls 14 and 16. One side wall 10 extends substantially vertically upward from one side edge of the bottom wall 8, and the other side wall 12 extends obliquely outwardly from the other side edge of the bottom wall 8 upward. The one end wall 14 extends substantially vertically upward from one end edge of the bottom wall 8, and the other end wall 16 extends substantially vertically upward from the other end edge of the bottom wall 8. As is apparent from FIG. 2, the bottom wall 8 has a first groove portion 18 and a second groove portion 20 that extend in parallel. The cross-sectional shape of the first and second groove portions 18 and 20 is an arc shape protruding downward. A discharge opening 22 for discharging the toner is formed in the first groove portion 18 of the bottom wall 8. A circular opening (not shown) is formed in the one end wall 14, and the cartridge case 2 is filled with toner through this circular opening. After the required amount of toner is filled, the circular opening is closed and the lid 6 is fixed to the case body 4 by ultrasonic welding.

  In the cartridge case 2, a conveying screw 30 is rotatably provided along the first groove portion 18 of the bottom wall 8, and the agitation paddle 32 is freely rotatable along the second groove portion 20 of the bottom wall 8. Is provided. As apparent from FIG. 3, the conveying screw 30 is set to be shorter than the stirring paddle 32.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the conveying screw 30 has a rotating shaft 34 and a spiral blade 36, and is rotatably mounted between both end walls 14 and 16 of the case body 4. A non-spiral portion 38 is formed at one end of the rotating shaft 34. One end of the rotating shaft 34 protrudes through the end wall 16, and an input gear 40 (see FIG. 1) is fixed to the protruding end.

  The stirring paddle 32 includes a rotating shaft 42, an attachment member 43 fixedly supported on the rotating shaft 42, and a stirring blade 44 fixed to the attachment member 43 via a plurality of fixing members 51 to 56 (see FIG. 4). It is composed of The rotating shaft 42 is rotatably mounted between both end walls 14 and 16 of the case body 4, and one end of the rotating shaft 42 protrudes through the end wall 16, and an input gear 46 is fixed to the protruding end portion. . This input gear 46 meshes with an input gear 40 for rotating the conveying screw 30.

  Next, the stirring paddle 32 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. The attachment member 43 includes a main body 43a extending in parallel with the rotation shaft 42 at a predetermined interval from the rotation shaft 42, and attachment arm portions 43b and 43c formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the main body 43a. Yes. The mounting arm portions 43b and 43c are fixed to the rotating shaft 42 so as not to rotate. A plurality of fixing members 51 to 56 are fixed to the inner side surface of the main body 43 a of the mounting member 43. The plurality of fixing members 51 to 56 are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the main body 43a with a predetermined interval therebetween. Further, the plurality of fixing members 51 to 56 are arranged so as to be inclined at the same inclination angle with respect to the central axis of the rotation shaft 42. Further, on the upper surface of the fixing member 51 (the surface opposite to the rotation shaft 42), a protrusion 51a protruding upward is formed at an end portion in the axial direction. Further, protrusions 52a, 54a, and 56a projecting downward are formed on the lower surfaces (surfaces on the rotating shaft 42 side) of the fixing members 52, 54, and 56, respectively. The fixing member 53 has an arm portion 53 a extending toward the rotating shaft 42, and the arm 53 a is fixed to the rotating shaft 42.

  The stirring blade 44 is made of a single flexible synthetic resin sheet or film that can be easily elastically deformed, and is made of, for example, polyethylene terephthalate. The stirring blade 44 extends along the longitudinal direction of the attachment member 43, and has four holes 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d formed on one end side in the width direction (direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) The sheet is divided into three first sheets 441, second sheets 442, and third sheets 443 in the longitudinal direction. The three sheets 441 to 443 are connected to each other by connecting portions 445 and 446 having a short width.

  The agitation blade 44 as described above is fixed to the fixing members 51 to 56 as shown in FIG. That is, the first sheet 441 is mounted so as to be in close contact with the upper surface of the fixing member 51, and the hole 44a is engaged with the protrusion 51a. The connecting portion 445 is mounted so as to be in close contact with the lower surface of the fixing member 52, and the hole 44b is engaged with the protrusion 52a. The second sheet 442 is mounted so as to be in close contact with the upper surface of the fixing member 53, the connecting portion 446 is mounted so as to be in close contact with the lower surface of the fixing member 54, and the hole 44c engages with the protrusion 54a. The third sheet 443 is mounted so that almost all of the third sheet 443 is in close contact with the upper surface of the fixing member 55, and the third sheet 443 is mounted so that the end in the longitudinal direction thereof is in close contact with the lower surface of the fixing member 56. 56a is engaged. As described above, the stirring blade 44 has one end in the width direction attached to the attachment member 43 via the plurality of fixing members 51 to 56, and the other end in the width direction is a free end. And as mentioned above, since each fixing member 51-56 is each inclined with respect to the central axis of the rotating shaft 42, the stirring blade 44 with which this fixing member 51-56 was mounted | worn similarly to each fixing member. It will incline along 51-56, and has a waveform seen from the free end side of the stirring blade 44.

  In the toner cartridge configured as described above, when the conveying screw 30 is driven to rotate, the toner existing on the first groove portion 18 is transferred from one edge to the other edge by the conveying action of the spiral blade 36. It is transported in the direction it heads. The agitation paddle 32 is also rotated by the meshing of the input gears 40 and 46. In the stirring paddle 32, when the stirring blade 44 rotates together with the rotating shaft 42, the free end of the stirring blade 44 rubs on the second groove portion 20 of the bottom wall 8 and removes the toner present on the second groove portion 20. 1 is conveyed toward the groove portion 18. Further, since the stirring blade 44 is inclined with respect to the rotating shaft 42, the toner is conveyed in a direction from one edge toward the other edge.

  In the present embodiment as described above, the stirring blade 44 is attached to the fixing members 51 to 56 provided with an inclination with respect to the rotation axis in advance, so that the inclined state can be reliably maintained and the toner conveying force is increased. Stabilize. Moreover, since the stirring blade 44 is comprised with one synthetic resin sheet or film, a structure becomes simple. Further, when the stirring blade 44 is attached to the mounting member 43, it is only necessary to engage the holes formed in the stirring blade 44 with the protrusions of the respective fixing members, and the work for attachment is simplified. Furthermore, when the stirring blades 44 are attached to the respective fixing members 51 to 56, the stirring blades 44 are attached in close contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the respective fixing members 51 to 56, so Even if a force acts from the direction, it is possible to suppress the stirring blade 44 from being peeled off from the fixing member.

[Other Embodiments]
In the said embodiment, although the stirring blade was divided | segmented into three sheets, the method of division | segmentation is not specifically limited. Moreover, it is good also as one sheet | seat without dividing | segmenting.

  The stirring blade is preferably a flexible synthetic resin sheet or film that can be easily elastically deformed, but may be formed of a resin that is not easily elastically deformed. However, in this case, it is preferable that a flexible synthetic resin sheet or film is provided at the free end of the stirring blade, and the synthetic resin sheet or film is disposed so as to be in sliding contact with the inner wall of the container.

  The shape of each sheet of the stirring blade is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the conveying force may be varied depending on the region by changing the inclination angle of each of the plurality of sheets, and in particular, the conveying direction of the sheet at the axial end is different from the conveying direction of other sheets. May be.

1 is a perspective view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge. FIG. 3 is an exploded plan view of the toner cartridge. The perspective view of a stirring paddle. The top view of a stirring blade.

Explanation of symbols

2 Cartridge case 30 Conveying screw 32 Stirring paddle 42 Rotating shaft 43 Mounting member 44 Stirring blades 44a to 44d Holes 51 to 56 Fixed members 51a, 52a, 54a, 56a Projections 441 to 443 Sheet members

Claims (8)

A toner agitation paddle for agitating and conveying the toner contained in the container,
A rotating shaft rotatably supported by the container;
An attachment member extending parallel to the rotation axis and supported by the rotation axis;
One end is mounted along the direction in which the mounting member extends and is inclined with respect to the central axis of the rotating shaft, and the other end is a free end extending in a direction intersecting with the direction in which the mounting member extends. Stirring blades,
Toner stirring paddle equipped with.   The stirring blade is provided along a direction in which the mounting member extends, and has a plurality of elastically deformable sheet-like members, and each of the plurality of sheet-like members is substantially the same with respect to the central axis of the rotation shaft. The toner agitation paddle according to claim 1, wherein the toner agitation paddle has an inclination angle.   The toner stirring paddle according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of sheet-like members are formed from a single synthetic resin sheet or film. A plurality of fixing members fixed to the mounting member, each inclined at substantially the same inclination angle with respect to the central axis of the rotating shaft, and arranged side by side in the extending direction of the mounting member;
The one synthetic resin sheet or film has one end side mounted alternately on the upper surface and the lower surface of the fixing member with respect to the plurality of fixing members.
The toner stirring paddle according to claim 3. Each of the plurality of fixing members has a protrusion on a surface on which the one synthetic resin sheet or film is mounted,
The one synthetic resin sheet or film has a plurality of holes engaged with the protrusions.
The toner stirring paddle according to claim 4. A toner cartridge containing toner,
A container for storing toner inside,
A toner agitation paddle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, for agitating and conveying the toner contained in the container;
Toner cartridge with.   The toner cartridge according to claim 6, further comprising a conveying screw rotatably supported by the container body and having a spiral blade portion for conveying the toner in a predetermined direction.   The toner cartridge according to claim 6, wherein a length of the conveying screw is shorter than a length of the toner stirring paddle.

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