JP2006337559A - Toner supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toner supply device designed such that a quantity of toner in each of toner storage containers can be intuitively inspected by a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: A yellow storage container 70Y, a cyan storage container 70C, a magenta storage container 70M and a black storage container 70B are provided, on their storage sides, with scales serving as indicators 71Y, 71C, 71M and 71B respectively. The colors of the scales are almost identical to the colors of the toner in the corresponding storage containers. In addition, values on each of the scales are determined by measuring relation between the quantity of toner in the corresponding toner storage container and the vertical movement of a corresponding spring 72. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a toner replenishing device for supplying toner to a developing device of an image forming apparatus.

In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a charger, an exposure device, a developing device, a transfer device, a cleaning device, and the like are provided around a photosensitive drum as an image carrier. A fixing device is provided on the downstream side of the photosensitive drum in the transfer material conveyance direction. In such an image forming apparatus, first, the surface of the photosensitive drum is uniformly charged by the charger. Thereafter, based on the image information, the photosensitive drum is exposed by the exposure device, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum. This electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image by a developing device. The toner used here is often stored in a toner container provided adjacent to the developing device and replenished to the developing device. In addition, such a toner storage container is provided with a toner remaining amount detection device that detects the remaining amount of toner using a sensor and a control device, and when the remaining amount of toner stored is reduced to a predetermined value or less. In addition, a display for prompting replacement of toner is performed. There is also a method of detecting a toner amount by providing a counter that detects an integrated value of the image amount and calculating a toner consumption amount per image.
JP 7-152240 A JP 2001-125323 A

  In the toner container disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-152240, an expensive sensor and a control device are required to detect the remaining amount of toner. In particular, when four toner storage containers are used as in a full-color image forming apparatus, a sensor is required for each toner storage container, which increases the cost of the entire apparatus. In addition, a space for mounting the sensor is required, which is not suitable for downsizing the apparatus.

  In the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-125323, the integrated value of the image amount is detected by a counter to calculate the toner consumption amount, and the remaining amount of toner is detected. There is a risk of erroneous detection due to the use environment and mechanical variations of the image forming apparatus.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing device capable of detecting a toner amount with high accuracy without requiring a large space with a simple and inexpensive structure.

  A toner replenishing device according to claim 1 is a toner replenishing device for supplying toner to a developing device of an image forming apparatus, and includes a toner storage container, a holding portion, an urging means, an indicator, and a visual recognition means. It has. The toner storage container is for storing toner therein. The holding unit is for holding the toner storage container. The urging means is for urging the toner storage container upward with respect to the holding portion. The indicator is for displaying the amount of toner contained in the toner container. The visual recognition means is for visually recognizing the indicator from the outside of the image forming apparatus.

  Here, the toner container is urged upward with respect to the holding portion by the urging means. When the amount of toner in the toner container is full, the toner container moves downward against the urging force of the urging means due to the weight of the toner. Further, when the amount of toner in the toner storage container decreases, the toner storage container moves upward by the biasing means. As the toner container moves up and down, the indicator also moves up and down. The amount of toner in the toner storage container can be confirmed by visually recognizing the vertically moving indicator with the visual recognition means.

  Therefore, it is possible to detect the amount of toner in the toner container with a simple and inexpensive structure without providing a separate sensor.

  A toner supply device according to a second aspect is the toner supply device according to the first aspect, wherein the toner container is provided separately from the developing device.

  In order to reduce the size of the developing unit, a developing unit that supplies toner from the outside has been proposed. That is, by providing the toner container separately from the developing device, the toner container can be increased in size as compared with the case where the toner cartridge is provided in the developing unit. By applying the invention of claim 1 to a toner replenishing device having a toner container provided separately from such a developing device, it becomes easy to configure the biasing means and the visual recognition means.

The toner supply device according to claim 3 is the toner supply device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the urging means is a spring member provided between the toner storage container and the holding portion. The toner storage container is urged upward by a spring member provided between the holder and the toner storage container is moved up and down by a change in the amount of toner in the toner storage container. Therefore, the configuration of the urging means is simplified.

  A toner replenishing device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the toner replenishing device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the toner storage container includes a toner replenishing portion for supplying toner to the developing device and a stirring portion for stirring the toner. The toner replenishing portion is provided with a swing fulcrum when the toner container is swung by the biasing means.

  The toner storage container of the image forming apparatus is provided with a stirring unit that normally stirs the toner and a toner supply unit that is provided with a toner discharge port for supplying toner to the developing device. Further, a swing fulcrum is provided in the toner replenishing portion, so that toner can be replenished smoothly to the developing device.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the toner replenishing device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the image forming apparatus has a frame body that accommodates the toner storage container, and the visual recognition means is provided with an indicator. It is an opening provided in a part of the frame corresponding to the position.

  Here, by providing an opening in a part of the frame corresponding to the position where the indicator is provided, the vertical movement of the indicator can be visually recognized from the outside of the image forming apparatus, and the toner storage container has a simple structure. The amount of toner inside can be detected.

  A toner supply device according to a sixth aspect is the toner supply device according to the fifth aspect, wherein the opening is made of a transparent material. Since a part of the frame corresponding to the position where the indicator is provided is made of a transparent material, the vertical movement of the indicator can be visually recognized from the outside of the image forming apparatus, and the toner storage container has a simple structure. The amount of toner inside can be detected.

  A toner supply device according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the toner supply device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the image forming device is a full-color image forming device that forms an image with a plurality of colors of toner, and the plurality of toner storage devices. It has a container, and the indicator has substantially the same color as the toner color filled in the plurality of toner storage containers. In a full-color image forming apparatus that forms an image with toners of a plurality of colors, a plurality of toner storage containers are required, and it is necessary to grasp the amount of toner in the toner storage container corresponding to each color. In this case, an indicator showing the same color as the toner color filled in a plurality of toner storage containers is provided, so that the amount of toner in the toner storage container corresponding to each color can be accurately grasped by the color of the indicator. can do.

  A toner supply device according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the toner supply device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the indicator is a colored scale provided on the outer wall of the toner storage container. Here, the relationship between the amount of toner in the toner container and the vertical movement by the urging means is measured in advance, and a colored scale is provided on the outer wall of the toner container, so that the toner amount in the toner container can be intuitively determined. Can be detected.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the toner replenishing device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, the indicator is a link interlocking mechanism that moves up and down in response to the swing of the toner storage container. Here, the relationship between the amount of toner in the toner container and the link interlocking mechanism that moves up and down in response to the swing of the toner container is measured in advance, and a colored scale is provided on the outer wall of the frame of the image forming apparatus. Thus, the amount of toner in the toner container can be detected intuitively.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to detect the toner amount with high accuracy without requiring a large space with a simple and inexpensive structure.

[overall structure]
FIG. 1 shows a color printer 1 as an image forming apparatus having a toner container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for showing the arrangement of each component, and details of each part are omitted.

  The color printer 1 is connected to a computer (not shown) or the like, and is a device that can print a color image on paper based on image information sent from the computer or the like. In the color printer 1, the right side in FIG. 1 is the side operated by the operator, and in the following, the right side of the apparatus in FIG. 1 is the front side and the left side is the back side.

  The color printer 1 includes a photosensitive drum 2, a rotary developing device 3, a laser unit 4 as an exposure device, a toner storage unit 5, a toner supply device 6, an intermediate transfer belt 7, and a secondary transfer roller 8. The fixing device 9 and the frame 100 are provided.

  The photosensitive drum 2 has an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface thereof, and is rotatably provided in the center of the apparatus. The rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 2 extends in the lateral direction as viewed from the front side of the apparatus. It is provided so as to extend perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. A charging roller 10 for uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 2 is provided above the photosensitive drum 2. Further, a drum cleaning device 11 for cleaning the toner and adhering matter remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 2 is provided on the side of the photosensitive drum 2.

  The rotary developing device 3 develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 2 with toner of each color, and is adjacent to the photosensitive drum 2 and has a center substantially the same as the center of the photosensitive drum 2. It is provided so that it may become a position. The rotary developing device 3 includes a rotary frame 15 and four developing units 16 provided corresponding to the four color toners and supported by the rotary frame 15. The rotary frame 15 has a cylindrical shape that is rotatable around an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 2 and is rotated by a drive mechanism including a motor and a gear (not shown). The rotating frame 15 has four sections divided into four equal in the circumferential direction by a partition frame extending radially from the center of the rotating shaft, and each section has four toners of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black. A developing device 16 corresponding to the color is arranged.

  Each developing device 16 has substantially the same configuration, and is provided with a developing roller that can be disposed to face the photosensitive drum 2, a stirring roller for stirring the toner, and the like. Here, in this color printer 1, the toner storage unit 5 including the toner storage container is provided separately from the developing device 16, and thus the toner storage space of the developing device itself of this embodiment is small, and the toner storage unit The developing device 16 itself is downsized as compared with the apparatus having the inside of the developing device.

  The laser unit 4 scans and exposes the photosensitive drum 2 based on image information sent from an external computer or the like. The laser unit 4 is provided above the photosensitive drum 2 and from the rotary shaft of the rotary developing device 3. It is arranged on the back side. The internal configuration of the laser unit 4 is the same as the conventional configuration, and includes a laser light source, a polygon mirror, a polygon mirror driving motor, and the like. In addition, a reflection mirror 20 is provided in front of the laser beam path of the laser unit 4, and the laser light emitted from the laser unit 4 is bent by the reflection mirror 20 and irradiated onto the surface of the photosensitive drum 2. It has become so.

  The toner accommodating portion 5 is a portion that accommodates toner to be supplied to each developing device 16 of the rotary developing device 3, and is located above the photosensitive drum 2 and on the side facing the laser unit 4 (on the front side of the device). Has been placed. The toner storage unit 5 includes a toner storage container for storing yellow toner, a toner storage container for storing cyan toner, and a toner for storing magenta toner, which are arranged side by side in the left-right direction (the vertical direction in FIG. 1). The storage container has a toner storage container for storing black toner. The configuration of the toner container will be described in detail later.

  The toner supply device 6 is for supplying the toner of each color stored in the toner storage unit 5 to the corresponding developing device 16, and above the photosensitive drum 2, the laser unit 4, the toner storage unit 5, and the like. Is arranged in the space between. As shown in FIG. 2, the toner supply device 6 includes four toner supply pipes 25 that are movable in the vertical direction, and a toner supply pipe 25 that corresponds to a portion of the toner storage unit 5 that stores toner of each color. And a drive mechanism 27 for moving the toner supply pipes 25 up and down.

  The toner supply pipe 25 is long in the vertical direction, and has an upper end inclined toward the front side of the apparatus and a lower end inclined toward the back side of the apparatus. The tip of the toner supply pipe 25 has a tapered shape, and when the toner supply pipe 25 moves downward, the tip can enter the inside through the toner supply portion of the developing device 16. A spiral member 30 for conveying toner is rotatably provided inside the toner supply pipe 25.

  The transport pipe 26 is a flexible pipe so that it can move following the vertical movement of the toner supply pipe 25. A coil spring 31 is disposed inside and rotated by a drive mechanism (not shown), whereby the toner passes through the transport pipe 26 and is transported to the toner supply pipe 25 side.

  The drive mechanism 27 includes a rack 32 provided along the axial direction on the outer periphery of the toner supply pipe 25, and a pinion gear 33 that meshes with the rack 32. The pinion gear 33 is rotatably supported by the frame of the apparatus and is driven by a motor or the like (not shown). With this drive mechanism 27, the toner supply pipe 25 can take the upper retracted position and the lower supply position where the tip portion has entered the inside of the developing device 16.

  The intermediate transfer belt 7 is one to which the toner images of the respective colors formed on the photosensitive drum 2 are sequentially transferred, and is disposed below the photosensitive drum 2 and the toner storage portion 5. The intermediate transfer belt 7 is stretched between a driving roller 35 and a driven roller 36 that are disposed to face each other. Further, the portion of the intermediate transfer belt 7 facing the photosensitive drum 2 is configured to abut against the photosensitive drum 2 by a pair of primary transfer rollers 37a and 37b. The driven roller 36 is urged away from the driving roller 35 by a spring 38, whereby a predetermined tension is applied to the intermediate transfer belt 7. The primary transfer rollers 37 a and 37 b are provided close to each other and below the photosensitive drum 2, so that a predetermined range of the intermediate transfer belt 7 is in contact with the photosensitive drum 2.

  A belt cleaning device 40 for cleaning the intermediate transfer belt 7 is provided on the back side of the driving roller 35 and below the rotary developing device 3. The belt cleaning device 40 is provided at a position facing the driving roller 35 and is in contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 7, and a cleaning roller disposed above the fur brush 41 so as to contact the fur brush 41. 42, a blade 43 disposed so that the tip thereof contacts the surface of the cleaning roller 42, and a collection spiral 44 disposed side by side below the blade 43.

  The secondary transfer roller 8 is for transferring the image transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 7 onto the conveyed paper, and is disposed below the drive roller 35 so as to face the drive roller 35. . A bias voltage for image transfer is applied to the secondary transfer roller 8 with respect to the paper by a voltage application unit (not shown).

  The fixing device 9 is for fusing and fixing the toner transferred onto the paper, and is disposed below the rotary developing device 3 and on the back side of the device. The fixing device 9 includes a heating roller 9a having a built-in heater and a pressure roller 9b in pressure contact with the heating roller 9a.

  In the printer 1, a discharge unit 50 is formed on the upper surface of the apparatus, that is, above the laser unit 4, the toner supply device 6, and the toner storage unit 5. The discharge unit 50 is lowest on the laser unit 4 side (the rear side of the apparatus), and gradually increases as it goes to the toner storage unit 5 side (the front side of the apparatus), and the toner storage unit connected to the curved surface part. 5 and a flat portion located above 5.

  At the bottom of the apparatus, there is provided a paper feed cassette 52 that has a placement plate on which paper is placed and stores the paper. A paper feeding unit (paper feeding unit) 51 for feeding paper from the paper feeding cassette 52 is provided at a paper feeding side end (right end in FIG. 1) of the paper feeding cassette 52. The paper feed unit 51 includes a forward feed roller 53 for taking out the paper on the loading plate and a multi-feed prevention mechanism 54 including a pair of rollers for feeding the paper one by one to the transport path. The paper feed cassette 52 can be pulled out in the paper feed direction, that is, the front side of the apparatus.

  Between the paper feed unit 51 and the discharge unit 50, a transport unit that transports paper is provided. The conveyance unit reaches the first conveyance path 55 from the paper supply unit 51 to the secondary transfer roller 8, the second conveyance path 56 from the secondary transfer roller 8 to the fixing device 9, and the fixing device 9 to the discharge unit 50. And a third conveyance path 57. A branch claw 58 is provided at the outlet of the fixing device 9. A return conveyance path for returning the sheet to the first conveyance path 55 is provided between the branch claw 58 and the first conveyance path 55. 59 is provided.

  The first conveyance path 55 includes a curved path 55a for reversing the conveyance direction while conveying the sheet fed from the paper feed cassette 52 upward, and a straight path 55b extending from the curved path 55a to the secondary transfer roller 8. And have. These conveyance paths are formed by a pair of guide plates and rollers that convey the sheet while guiding the sheet, and a sensor for detecting the sheet is provided at a predetermined position. In addition, a registration roller pair 60 for controlling the sheet conveyance timing is disposed on the straight path 55b.

  The second conveyance path 56 is formed substantially linearly, and includes a guide plate and a pair of rollers that convey the sheet while guiding the sheet. In addition, a sensor for detecting a sheet is provided at a predetermined position on the conveyance path.

  The third conveyance path 57 has a vertical conveyance path formed on the downstream side of the branch claw 58 in the conveyance direction. That is, after passing through the branching claw 58, the sheet is conveyed substantially vertically upward and discharged to the discharge unit 50. The third transport path 57 is also composed of a guide plate and a pair of rollers that transport the paper while guiding it, as described above.

  The return conveyance path 59 branches downward from the third conveyance path 57 at the portion where the branch claw 58 is provided, and passes below the fixing device 9, the second conveyance path 56, the secondary transfer roller 8, and the registration roller pair 60. Further, this is a further upward conveying path, and joins the upstream side of the first conveying path 55 in the conveying direction of the registration roller pair 60. That is, the return conveyance path 59 is provided between the straight path 55b of the first conveyance path 55 and the second conveyance path 56 and the sheet feeding cassette 52 in the up-down direction, and allows the sheet that has passed through the fixing device 9 to be secondary This is a conveyance path for returning the registration roller pair 60 disposed on the upstream side of the transfer roller 8 to the further upstream side. Similarly to the above, the return conveyance path 59 is also composed of a guide plate and a roller pair for conveying the sheet while guiding the sheet, and a sheet detection sensor is provided at a predetermined position.

  A manual feed tray 65 is disposed below the toner storage unit 5 and above the paper feed cassette 52 so as to form a side wall on the front side of the apparatus. The manual feed tray 65 is rotatably supported at its lower end in the vicinity of the curved path 55a of the first transport path 55 (openable and closable), and the upper end of the manual feed tray 65 is tilted toward the front side of the apparatus with the rotational fulcrum 65a as a center. Is possible. When the manual feed tray 65 is opened as described above, it is possible to place a sheet on the manual feed tray 65 and feed the sheet to the curved path 55 a of the first conveyance path 55.

[Toner supply device]
The toner replenishing device 5 includes a toner storage container 70 in which toner is stored, an indicator 71 (shown in FIG. 4), a spring 72 as urging means, and a holding portion 73 that holds the container body 70. is doing.

<Container body>
The toner storage container 70 includes four storage containers 70Y, 70C, 70M, and 70B for yellow, cyan, magenta, and black. Here, since the basic configuration of each toner storage container is the same, the toner storage container 70b for storing black toner will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 in which the upper lid is removed, the container main body 70 includes a storage part 70a having a semicircular bottom surface and a side part of the storage part 70a that is deeper than the storage part 70a. This is a box-shaped container including a replenishing part 70b formed shallow. Although not shown, the toner agitating member is provided in the accommodating portion 70a, and the toner conveying screw is provided in the replenishing portion 70b. A toner discharge port 70c for supplying toner to the developing device 16 side is provided at the bottom of the replenishing unit 70b. A scale 71 is provided as an indicator on the outer wall of the container body 70 on the side of the accommodating portion 70a. Further, a slide guide 74 for supporting the container main body 70 so as to be slidable up and down with respect to the color printer 1 is provided on the replenishing portion 70 b side of the container main body 70. As will be described later, the slide guide 74 functions as a container body swinging fulcrum.

<Indicator and visual recognition means>
As shown in FIG. 5, the four storage containers 70Y, 70C, 70M, and 70B of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black are provided with scales as indicators 71Y, 71C, 71M, and 71B, respectively, on the storage unit side. These scale colors are substantially the same as the color of the toner in each storage container. The scale value is determined in advance by measuring the relationship between the toner amount in the toner container 70 and the vertical movement by the spring 72.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the frame of the part corresponding to the positions of the indicators 71Y, 71C, 71M, 71B installed in the four storage containers 70Y, 70C, 70M, 70B of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black, respectively. The body 100 is provided with openings 100Y, 100C, 100M, and 100B made of a transparent member.

[Image forming operation]
Next, the image forming operation will be briefly described. First, when the color printer is turned on, various parameters are initialized, and initial settings such as setting the temperature of the fixing unit are executed. When image data is input from a computer or the like connected to the printer and an instruction to start printing is given, an image forming operation is executed as follows. During the image forming operation, the toner supply pipe 25 is moved to the upper retracted position.

  First, the photosensitive drum 2 is charged by the charging roller 10. Thereafter, scanning exposure corresponding to the image data is performed on the photosensitive drum 2 by the laser unit 4, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 2. Next, the rotary developing device 3 is rotated so that the corresponding color developing device 16 is opposed to the photosensitive drum 2. In this state, the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 2 is developed with the corresponding color toner. The developed image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 7. A full color image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 7 by sequentially repeating the above operation for each color. The residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 2 is cleaned by the drum cleaning device 11 and discarded in a waste toner container (not shown).

  On the other hand, in the paper feed unit 51, one sheet of paper is taken out from the paper feed cassette 52 by the forward feed roller 53 and the double feed prevention mechanism 54 and is transported to the registration roller pair 60 through the first transport path 55. Thereafter, the sheet is conveyed from the registration roller pair 60 in time with image formation on the intermediate transfer belt 7 and guided to the secondary transfer roller 8. The secondary transfer roller 8 is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 7, and the full color image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 7 is transferred onto the sheet by the transfer bias applied to the secondary transfer roller 8. The sheet is guided to the fixing device 9 through the second conveyance path 56, and the image is fixed on the sheet by heating and pressing by the fixing device 9. In the case of single-sided printing, the paper is guided to the third conveyance path 57 via the branching claw 58 and discharged to the discharge unit 50.

  In the case of double-sided printing, the paper that has passed through the fixing device 9 is once transported to the third transport path 57 side by the branching claw 58, and then transported in the reverse direction when the trailing edge of the paper passes the branching claw 58. Then, it is guided to the return conveyance path 59 side and returned to the first conveyance path 55 again via the return conveyance path 59. The sheet returned to the first conveyance path 55 is temporarily stopped by the registration roller pair 60. Then, after the image on the back side is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 7 by the same operation as described above, the sheet waiting on the registration roller pair 60 is sent to the secondary transfer roller 8 side in time. Thereafter, the same operation as described above is executed, guided to the third conveyance path 57 side through the branching claw 58, and discharged to the discharge unit 50.

[Toner supply operation]
When supplying toner to the developing device 16, the toner supply pipe 25 is moved downward to be positioned at the supply position. That is, when a motor (not shown) is driven, the pinion gear 33 rotates via the gear, and thereby the toner supply pipe 25 to which the rack 32 is fixed moves downward. On the other hand, toner is supplied from the toner storage unit 5 to the toner supply pipe 25 side via the transport pipe 26. The tip of the toner supply pipe 25 passes through the toner supply port and enters the developing device 16. At the time of the downward movement of the toner supply pipe 25, the outer cylinder portion constituting the toner supply pipe 25 rotates with respect to the inner cylinder portion, and when the tip of the toner supply pipe 25 enters the inside of the developing device 16, The opening of the outer cylinder part coincides with the opening of the inner cylinder part. That is, the shutter mechanism is opened, and the toner inside the toner supply pipe 25 is supplied into the developing device 16.

  When the amount of toner in the toner storage container 70 is full, the toner storage container 70 moves downward against the bias of the spring 72 by the weight of the toner. When the amount of toner in the toner storage container 70 decreases, the toner storage container 70 moves upward by the bias of the spring. As the toner storage container 70 moves up and down, the indicator 71 provided on the outer wall of the toner storage container 70 also moves up and down, and the scale of the indicator 71 can be visually recognized by the viewing window 101. Here, the value of the scale is determined by measuring in advance the relationship between the amount of toner in the toner container 70 and the vertical movement by the spring 72. The scale color is substantially the same as the color of the toner in each storage container. Therefore, the amount of toner in each toner storage container can be confirmed intuitively.

[Effect of this embodiment]
In the present invention, the amount of toner in each toner container can be confirmed intuitively with a simple structure without providing a sensor or the like.

[Other Embodiments]
In the above-described embodiment, an indicator provided on the outer wall of the toner container is employed, but the indicator can be provided separately from the toner container. As shown in FIG. 6A, the indicator 81 has a substantially L-shaped ruler fixed to the image forming apparatus by a fulcrum 81a, and one end 81b of the indicator 81 is formed on the cylindrical bottom of the toner container 80. It is arranged to touch. When the amount of toner in the toner storage container 80 is full, 81b is pressed against the toner storage container 80 due to the weight of the toner, 81b is in a horizontal position, and 81c is slightly upward. When toner is used in the image forming process and the amount of toner in the toner container 80 decreases, the toner container 80 tilts to the left as shown in FIG. As a result, the pressure contact force of the toner container 80 against 81b is reduced, and the indicator 81 rotates to the right due to its own weight, and 81c is inclined downward. Here, by making the viewing window 101 ′ provided in the frame 100 of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. . Further, by measuring in advance the correspondence between the vertical position of the tip of 81c and the amount of toner in the toner storage container 80, the amount of toner in the toner storage container can be intuitively confirmed.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a color printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a detailed cross-sectional configuration diagram of a toner supply device. The front view of a toner storage container. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the inside of a container main body of a toner storage container. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a toner storage container indicator and a visual recognition unit. The figure which shows the toner storage container indicator of other embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Color printer 5 Toner replenishing apparatus 70,80 Toner storage container 71,81 Indicator 72 Spring 73 Holding part 74 Slide guide 100 Frame 101,101 'Opening part

Claims (9)

A toner replenishing device for supplying toner to a developing device of an image forming apparatus,
At least one toner storage container for storing toner;
A holding portion for holding the toner storage container; and a biasing means for biasing the toner storage container upward with respect to the holding portion;
An indicator for displaying the amount of toner stored in the toner container;
A visual recognition means for visualizing the indicator from the outside of the image forming apparatus;
A toner replenishing device. The toner container is provided separately from the developing device;
The toner replenishing device according to claim 1.   The toner replenishing device according to claim 1, wherein the biasing unit is a spring member provided between the toner storage container and the holding unit. The toner container includes a toner replenishing unit for supplying toner to the developing device and an agitation unit for agitating the toner,
The toner replenishing portion is provided with a swing fulcrum when the toner storage container swings by the biasing means.
The toner replenishing device according to claim 1. The image forming apparatus includes a frame body that houses the toner container.
The visual recognition means is an opening provided in a part of the frame corresponding to a position where the indicator is provided.
The toner replenishing device according to claim 1.   The toner replenishing device according to claim 5, wherein the opening is made of a transparent material. The image forming apparatus is a full-color image forming apparatus that forms an image with a plurality of colors of toner,
A plurality of the toner storage containers are provided,
The indicator has substantially the same color as the toner color filled in the plurality of toner storage containers.
The toner replenishing device according to claim 1.   The toner replenishing device according to claim 1, wherein the indicator is a colored scale provided on an outer wall of the toner storage container.   The toner replenishing device according to claim 1, wherein the indicator is a link interlocking mechanism that moves up and down in response to the swing of the toner storage container.

Images