JP2007065367A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus capable of surely preventing the use of a toner cartridge which is not a genuine product. <P>SOLUTION: The toner cartridge includes a toner bottle 131 with a discharge port 134a formed at one end part of thereof so as to discharge the toner, and a bottle cap 132 arranged at one end part of the toner bottle so as to close the discharge port. The toner bottle includes, in order in a direction coming close to the bottle cap, a first cylindrical part 133 and a second cylindrical part 134 whose outside diameter is smaller than that of the first cylindrical part. The bottle cap includes, in order in a direction separating from the toner bottle, a cap part 136 whose outside diameter is larger than that of the second cylindrical part and a driven part 137 which is rotationally driven by a coupling 152. An upper cover 107 arranged on the opening 106 of the main body case 101 includes a projecting plate 192 which enters a groove part 139 defined by the first cylindrical part, the second cylindrical part and the cap part when the opening 106 is closed by the upper cover 107. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus to which a toner cartridge is attached and detached.

  Copier manufacturers have listed several toner cartridges that are recommended for use with manufactured copiers from the standpoint of product management and print quality. This is because use of a toner cartridge of poor quality may lead to a failure of the copying machine or a decrease in print quality.

  However, toner cartridges installed in copiers have similar shapes and sizes regardless of the model. For this reason, it is difficult for the user to accurately determine the type of the toner cartridge, and an incorrect toner cartridge may be mounted depending on the situation. Therefore, in recent years, some copying machines have been developed that can prevent the use of toner cartridges that are not genuine products without depending on the judgment of the user.

  For example, a copying machine is known that uses a fitting state between a concavo-convex portion formed on a cap of a toner cartridge and a concavo-convex portion formed on a coupling of a cartridge drive to prevent a non-genuine toner cartridge from being mounted itself. It has been.

  In this copying machine, a cartridge holder is used to attach and detach the toner cartridge. The cartridge holder is rotatably supported by a connecting portion disposed in the copying machine main body, and reciprocates the held toner cartridge between a mounting position in the copying machine main body and a disengagement position outside the copying machine main body. .

  The cartridge drive is provided in the vicinity of the connecting portion in the cartridge holder, and a cap of the toner cartridge is inserted into the coupling.

  The copying machine main body is provided with a pusher for pressing the toner cartridge toward the cartridge drive at a position facing the cartridge drive when the toner cartridge is mounted on the copying machine main body.

  When mounting the toner cartridge, if the uneven portion provided on the cap does not correspond to the uneven portion provided on the coupling, the end of the toner cartridge protrudes from the cartridge holder, and the toner toner cartridge and the pusher interfere with each other. . As a result, the toner cartridge is blocked by the pusher and cannot be smoothly mounted on the copying machine main body.

  However, if the concave and convex portions provided on the cap correspond to the concave and convex portions provided on the coupling, the end of the toner cartridge does not protrude from the cartridge holder, and the toner cartridge and the pusher do not interfere with each other. . Therefore, the toner cartridge is smoothly mounted on the copying machine body without being blocked by the pusher.

  In this way, in the present copying machine, since a toner cartridge that is not an authentic product is not mounted on the copying machine main body, naturally a toner cartridge that is not an authentic product cannot be used.

  Also disclosed is a copier that uses a switch driving unit provided in the toner cartridge and a switch provided in the developing device to prevent the use of a non-genuine toner cartridge (see, for example, Patent Document 1). reference.).

  In the present copying machine, toner supply to the developing device is started only when the switch of the developing device is turned on by the switch drive unit of the toner cartridge. Therefore, if the toner cartridge has a switch driving unit, the developing device is turned on at the same time as the toner cartridge is mounted on the copying machine, and toner replenishment to the developing device is started.

  However, if the toner cartridge is not provided with a switch drive unit, even if the toner cartridge is correctly installed in the copying machine main body, the switch of the developing device is not turned on, so that the toner supply to the developing device is not started.

In this way, in this copying machine, if the toner cartridge does not have a switch drive unit, the developing device is not turned on. Therefore, even if a non-genuine toner cartridge is mounted, the toner cartridge cannot actually be used. .
JP 2001-125354 A

  As described above, in a copying machine including a cartridge holder, if the toner cartridge protrudes from the cartridge holder, the toner cartridge and the pusher interfere with each other when the toner cartridge is loaded, and the toner cartridge cannot be mounted. Not.

  However, when the pusher is deformed, the toner cartridge may be mounted even if the toner cartridge protrudes from the cartridge holder. Even when the pusher is not deformed, depending on the shape and size of the toner cartridge, a large force may be applied to mount the toner cartridge. As described above, in the copying machine using the fitting state of the concavo-convex portion, use of a toner cartridge which is not an authentic product is not reliably prevented.

  In addition, since the copying machine described in Patent Document 1 requires a switch drive unit and a switch, the apparatus configuration is complicated and the cost is further increased.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can reliably and inexpensively prevent the use of a non-genuine toner cartridge.

  In order to achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus of the present invention is configured as follows.

(1) An image forming apparatus includes a main body case having a wall portion in which an opening is formed, an image forming portion that is provided in the main body case and forms a toner image on a transfer target, and a predetermined inside of the main body case. A toner cartridge mounted at a position so as to be substantially parallel to the wall and facing the opening, and for replenishing toner to the image forming unit; and a toner cartridge mounted at a predetermined position in the main body case. A rotating member that rotates about an axis of the toner cartridge; and a cover that is rotatably connected to the main body case and that opens and closes the opening by rotating with respect to the main body case. Is a cylindrical container for containing toner, and a toner bottle in which a discharge port for discharging the toner is formed at one end in the longitudinal direction, and one end of the toner bottle A bottle cap that closes the discharge port, and the toner bottle is connected to the first cylindrical portion and the first cylindrical portion in order toward the bottle cap, A second cylindrical portion having an outer diameter smaller than that of the first cylindrical portion, wherein the bottle cap has an outer diameter larger than that of the second cylindrical portion in order in a direction away from the toner bottle. And an engaging portion that is provided integrally with the cap portion and engages with the rotating member, and the cover has the first cylindrical portion when the cover closes the opening, The second cylindrical portion and a protrusion that enters the groove defined by the cap portion are provided.

(2) An image forming apparatus includes a main body case having a wall portion in which an opening is formed, an image forming portion that is provided in the main body case and forms a toner image on a transfer target, and a predetermined inside of the main body case. A toner cartridge that is detachably mounted at a position, and is rotatably connected to the main body case, and a toner cartridge that replenishes toner to the image forming unit, holds the toner cartridge, and rotates with respect to the main body case; A cartridge holder that attaches and detaches the toner cartridge to and from a predetermined position of the main body case through the opening, and a rotating member that rotates the toner cartridge mounted at a predetermined position in the main body case around the axis of the toner cartridge; A partition wall disposed on the opposite side of the wall portion with respect to a toner cartridge mounted at a predetermined position in the main body case; The toner cartridge is a cylindrical container that contains toner, and is provided at one end of the toner bottle with a toner bottle in which a discharge port for discharging the toner is formed at one end in the longitudinal direction; A bottle cap that closes the discharge port, and the toner bottle is connected to the first cylindrical portion and the first cylindrical portion in order toward the bottle cap, A second cylindrical portion having an outer diameter smaller than the cylindrical portion, and the bottle cap has a cap portion having an outer diameter larger than the second cylindrical portion in order in a direction away from the toner bottle, An engaging portion that is provided integrally with the cap portion and engages with the rotating member, and the partition has the toner cartridge mounted at a predetermined position in the main body case. To come, a first cylindrical portion, a second cylindrical portion, and a protrusion enters the groove defined by the cap portion.

(3) In the image forming apparatus described in (1) or (2), the position and depth of the groove and the position and length of the protrusion are determined according to at least one of the model and the destination. Yes.

(4) In the image forming apparatus described in (1) or (2), the cap portion is a vertical member that covers a part of the second cylindrical portion, and an outer periphery of the second cylindrical portion. A gap is formed between the surface and the inner peripheral surface of the cap portion.

(5) In the image forming apparatus described in (1) or (2), the cap portion is attached to the toner bottle so as to be movable along the axial direction of the toner bottle.

(6) In the image forming apparatus described in (1) or (2), the engaging portion includes a first uneven portion on a portion opposite to the toner bottle, and the coupling includes the first A second concavo-convex portion having a shape corresponding to the first concavo-convex portion is provided in a portion facing the concavo-convex portion.

(7) In the image forming apparatus described in (6), the shape of the first uneven portion and the shape of the second uneven portion are determined according to at least one of the model and the destination.

(8) In the image forming apparatus described in (1) or (2), based on a protrusion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cap, a detection unit that detects the protrusion, and a detection result of the detection unit. And a generator for generating information on the toner cartridge.

(9) In the image forming apparatus described in (8), the information related to the toner cartridge is at least one of a type of the toner cartridge and a toner remaining amount of the toner cartridge.

(10) In the image forming apparatus described in (1) or (2), a protrusion for conveying the toner toward the discharge port is formed in a spiral shape on the inner peripheral surface of the toner bottle. ing.

  According to the present invention, the use of a non-genuine toner cartridge is reliably and inexpensively prevented.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment and a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, “left side” and “right side” are based on an operator standing toward the front of the electrophotographic copying machine.

[First Embodiment]
First, the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the opening 106 of the electrophotographic copying machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention is closed.
As shown in FIG. 1, the electrophotographic copying machine includes a main unit 100, a scanner unit 200, and a paper feed unit 300.

(Main unit 100)
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where the upper cover 107 of the electrophotographic copying machine according to the embodiment is opened.
As shown in FIG. 2, the main body unit 100 includes a main body case 101. The main body case 101 has a rectangular box shape, and a partition wall 104 that separates the internal space of the main body case 101 into a rear space 102 and a front space 103 is provided therein. Note that a metal such as aluminum is used as a material of the partition wall 104.

  An opening 106 is formed in the front wall (wall) 105 of the main body case 101. The opening 106 has a rectangular shape extending in the left-right direction, and an upper cover 107 and a lower cover 108 for opening and closing the opening 106 are provided on the front surface of the main body case 101.

  The upper cover 107 and the lower cover 108 are rotatably supported by a vertical shaft 101 a disposed on the right side of the main body case 101. The upper cover 107 is disposed at a height corresponding to the toner cartridge 130 attached to the main unit 100. Therefore, when replacing the toner cartridge 130, the operator only needs to rotate the upper cover 107 and open only the upper half of the opening 106.

  A determination key 190 is provided on the inner surface of the upper cover 107 for determining whether or not the toner cartridge 130 attached to the main unit 100 is a genuine product. The toner cartridge 130 and the discrimination key 190 are important points of the present invention, and will be described in detail later.

  The rear space 102 is provided with an image forming unit 109 for forming a document image on a sheet (transfer object). As described above, since the partition 104 exists between the rear space 102 and the front space 103, the image forming unit 109 is not exposed to the outside even if the upper cover 107 and the lower cover 108 are opened.

  The image forming unit 109 includes a rotatable photosensitive drum, a charging charger that charges the surface of the photosensitive drum, a laser unit that forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum, and an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum. A developing device that develops the toner image with toner, a transfer roller that transfers the toner image on the photosensitive drum to the paper, a fixing device that provides heat and pressure to the paper on which the toner image is transferred, and fixes the toner image on the paper, And a cleaning device for removing residual toner on the photosensitive drum.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of the front space 103 according to the embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 3, in the front space 103, a toner replenishing unit 110 for replenishing toner to the image forming unit 109 is disposed at a position corresponding to the upper cover 107. As described above, since the opening 106 is formed in the front wall portion 105 of the main body case 101, the toner replenishing portion 110 is exposed from the opening 106 when the upper cover 107 is open.

  The toner supply unit 110 includes a cartridge holder 140 that detachably holds the toner cartridge 130, a cartridge drive 150 that rotates the toner cartridge 130 around its axis, and a toner drive 130 that is mounted on the main unit 100. And a detector (detector) 170 for detecting a protrusion 136a provided on a cap part (described later) 136 of the toner cartridge 130.

  The cartridge holder 140 is rotatably supported by a connecting portion disposed on the right side in the main body case 101. The toner cartridge 130 is attached / detached by utilizing the rotation operation of the cartridge holder 140. That is, when attaching the toner cartridge 130 to the main unit 100, the operator holds the toner cartridge 130 in the cartridge holder 140 and then rotates the cartridge holder 140 together with the toner cartridge 130 in the direction of arrow a. Further, when the toner cartridge 130 is detached from the main unit 100, the operator rotates the cartridge holder 140 in the direction of the arrow b, and causes the toner cartridge 130 to protrude outside the main unit 100.

  The cartridge drive 150 is disposed in the cartridge holder 140 in the vicinity of the connecting portion. The cartridge drive 150 includes a drive main body 151 and a coupling 152. The coupling 152 has a cylindrical shape, and an uneven portion 152a (shown only in FIG. 5) having a shape corresponding to the model and destination of the electrophotographic copying machine is formed on the bottom surface.

  The pusher 160 is disposed on the left side of the main body case 101. The pusher 160 is provided between a fixing member 161 fixed to the main body case 101, a pressing member 162 movable in the left-right direction with respect to the fixing member 161, and between the fixing member 161 and the pressing member 162. 161 and a spring for urging the pressing member 162 in opposite directions.

  Note that the movement range of the pressing member 162 is limited by a stopper provided on the fixed member 161. Therefore, when the toner cartridge 130 is extremely long, when the toner cartridge 130 is loaded into the main unit 100, the end of the toner cartridge 130 and the pusher 160 interfere with each other, and the toner cartridge 130 is not completely attached. Not to be.

  The detector 170 includes a detector body and buttons. The button is provided at a position facing the cap portion 136 of the bottle cap 132, and when the button is pressed by the protrusion 136a provided on the cap portion 136, the detector main body performs an electrical signal over the pressing time. Is output.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a control device (generation unit) 180 for controlling the copying operation of the electrophotographic copying machine is provided in the main body case 101. In addition to controlling the copying operation, the control device 180 estimates the remaining amount of toner in the toner cartridge 130 and determines the type of the toner cartridge 130 based on an electrical signal from the detector body 171.

(Scanner unit 200)
The scanner unit 200 includes a document placement table on which a document is placed and a scanner device for reading a document image placed on the document placement table. The document table is formed of a transparent glass plate fitted on the upper surface of the main unit, and an automatic paper feeder 201 is disposed on the upper side. The scanner device is disposed on the lower side of the document table, and mainly includes a light source that irradiates light on the document surface, a plurality of mirrors that sequentially reflect the light reflected on the document surface, and changes the direction of the light source. A light receiving element for receiving the reflected light whose direction is changed by the mirror.

(Paper Feed Unit 300)
The paper feed unit 300 includes a plurality of stages of paper feed cassettes 301. These paper feed cassettes 301 are detachably disposed on the lower side of the main unit 100 and each accommodates a large number of sheets. The paper in the paper feed cassette 301 is transported to the image forming unit 109 through a transport path, where a document image is formed.

(Toner cartridge 130)
FIG. 4 is a front view showing the configuration of the toner cartridge 130 according to the embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 4, the toner cartridge 130 includes a toner bottle 131 that contains toner, and a bottle cap 132 that closes a discharge port (described later) 134 a of the toner bottle 131.

  The toner bottle 131 includes a first cylindrical part 133 and a second cylindrical part 134. The first cylindrical portion 133 includes a bottom wall 133a. The second cylindrical portion 134 is disposed on the opposite side to the bottom wall 133a with respect to the first cylindrical portion 133, and toner is discharged to a portion of the second cylindrical portion 134 that faces the bottom wall 133a. A discharge port 134a is formed.

  The first and second cylindrical portions 133 and 134 communicate with each other, and a protruding portion 135 for conveying the toner is formed in a spiral shape on each inner peripheral surface. Accordingly, when the toner cartridge 130 rotates, the toner in the toner bottle 131 is conveyed toward the discharge port 134a by the movement of the protruding portion 135 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the toner bottle 131.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the bottle cap 132 according to the embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 5, the bottle cap 132 includes a cap part 136 and a driven part 137. The cap portion 136 has a bowl shape, and the end portion of the second cylindrical portion 134 is accommodated inside the cap portion 136. Screw fixing is used to fix the cap portion 136 and the second cylindrical portion 134.

  Further, the inner diameter of the cap portion 136 is larger than the outer diameter of the second cylindrical portion 134. Thus, a gap 138 in which air is interposed is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the second cylindrical portion 134 and the inner peripheral surface of the cap portion 136 as shown in FIG.

  Further, on the outer peripheral surface of the cap portion 136, a projection portion 136a having a shape corresponding to the model or destination is formed. The protrusion 136 a rotates together with the toner cartridge 130 and presses the button 134 b of the detector 170 each time it faces the detector 170.

  The driven portion 137 is disposed on the cap portion 136 on the opposite side of the toner bottle 131, and the end surface of the driven portion 137 on the opposite side of the toner bottle 131 corresponds to the model or destination. An uneven portion (first uneven portion) 137a having a shape corresponding to the uneven portion (second uneven portion) 152a of the coupling 152 is formed.

  Thus, if the toner cartridge 130 is a genuine product, the uneven portion 137a formed on the driven portion 137 and the uneven portion 152a formed on the coupling 152 of the cartridge drive 150 are completely fitted, and the toner cartridge 130 is held in the correct position on the cartridge holder 140.

  On the contrary, if the toner cartridge 130 is not a genuine product, the uneven portion 137a formed on the driven portion 137 and the uneven portion 152a formed on the coupling 152 of the cartridge drive 150 do not fit with each other, and the toner cartridge 130 does not fit. It protrudes from the cartridge holder 140.

(Groove part 139)
Next, the groove part 139 will be described.
When the outer diameter of the first cylindrical portion 133 is D1, the outer diameter of the second cylindrical portion 134 is D2, and the outer diameter of the cap portion 136 is D3, these D1 to D3 include:
“D1> D2, D3> D2”
There is a relationship.

  That is, the second cylindrical portion 134 has a smaller diameter than the first cylindrical portion 133 and the cap portion 136 that are respectively disposed on both sides thereof. As a result, an annular groove 139 is formed between the first cylindrical portion 133 and the cap portion 136 on the outer peripheral surface of the toner cartridge 130. The groove portion 139 is defined by the first cylindrical portion 133, the second cylindrical portion 134, and the cap portion 136. Accordingly, various types of groove portions 139 are formed by combinations of the outer diameter D1 of the first cylindrical portion 133, the outer diameter D2 of the second cylindrical portion 134, and the outer diameter D3 of the cap portion 136.

(Determination key 190)
Next, the determination key 190 will be described.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the discrimination key 190 attached to the upper cover 107 according to the embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 6, the determination key 190 includes a base 191 fixed to the inner surface of the upper cover 107 and a protruding plate that protrudes toward the toner cartridge 130 when the upper cover 107 completely closes the opening 106. (Projection) 192. The protruding plate 192 is disposed at a position corresponding to the groove 139 of the toner cartridge 130. The material of the discrimination key 190 is not particularly limited, but a material having good moldability such as a resin is used.

(Relationship between groove 139 and discrimination key 190)
Next, the relationship between the groove 139 and the discrimination key 190 will be described.
FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which the protruding plate 192 of the determination key 190 according to the embodiment has entered the groove 139 of the toner cartridge 130, and FIG. 8 shows the protruding plate 192 of the determination key 190 according to the embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state which entered into the groove part 139 of.

The distance from the inner surface of the upper cover 107 to the tip of the protruding plate 192 is L0, the distance between the inner surface of the upper cover 107 and the outer peripheral surface of the first cylindrical portion 133 is L1, and the inner surface of the upper cover 107 and the second cylindrical portion 134. Is L2, and the distance between the inner surface of the upper cover 107 and the outer peripheral surface of the cap portion 136 is L3,
“L1 <L0 <L2, L3 <L0 <L2”
There is a relationship.

  Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, if the toner cartridge 130 attached to the main unit 100 is a genuine product, when the upper cover 107 is closed, the protruding plate 192 of the discrimination key 190 is moved to the toner cartridge. 130 grooves 139 enter.

  However, if the toner cartridge 130 attached to the main body unit 100 does not include the groove portion 139, the toner cartridge 130 and the protruding plate 192 interfere with each other while the upper cover 107 approaches the opening portion 106 of the main body case 101. The upper cover 107 is not completely closed.

  Even if the toner cartridge 130 includes the groove 139, if the position of the groove 139 does not correspond to the position of the protruding plate 192 of the determination key 190, the upper cover 107 approaches the opening 106 of the main body case 101. On the way, the toner cartridge 130 and the protruding plate 192 interfere with each other, and the upper cover 107 is not completely closed.

  As a specific example in which the position of the groove portion 139 and the position of the protruding plate 192 do not correspond, the uneven portion 137 a formed with the driven portion 137 and the uneven portion 152 a formed in the coupling 152 do not correspond. A case where the driven part 137 is not sufficiently inserted into the coupling 152 is mentioned.

  That is, even if the mounted toner cartridge 130 includes the groove 139 having the same shape at the same position as the genuine product, as long as the uneven portion 137a of the driven portion 137 and the uneven portion 152a of the coupling 152 do not completely correspond to each other, The upper cover 107 does not close.

  Furthermore, even if the toner cartridge 130 includes the groove 139 and the position of the groove 139 of the toner cartridge 130 corresponds to the position of the protruding plate 192 of the determination key 190, the groove 139 is too shallow, that is, the second When the outer diameter D2 of the cylindrical portion 134 is too large, the toner cartridge 130 and the protruding plate 192 interfere with each other while the upper cover 107 approaches the opening 106 of the main body case 101, and the upper cover 107 is It does not close completely.

(Operation by this embodiment)
On the inner surface of the upper cover 107 in this embodiment, a protruding plate 192 having a length corresponding to the model or destination is provided at a position corresponding to the model or destination of the electrophotographic copying machine.

  Therefore, unless the toner cartridge 130 mounted on the main unit 100 has the groove 139 having the same shape as the genuine product at the same position as the genuine product, the toner cartridge 130 and the protruding plate 192 interfere with each other, and the upper cover 107 Does not close completely. Thus, the operator can surely recognize that the mounted toner cartridge 130 is not a genuine product.

  In addition, the driven portion 137 of the bottle cap 132 and the coupling 152 of the cartridge drive 150 in the present embodiment are formed with uneven portions 137a and 152a having shapes corresponding to the model and destination of the electrophotographic copying machine, respectively.

  Therefore, when the toner cartridge 130 mounted on the main body unit 100 is not a genuine product, a fitting failure occurs between the uneven portion 137a of the driven portion 137 and the uneven portion 152a of the coupling 152, and the groove portion 139 of the toner cartridge 130 The position is shifted from the position of the protruding plate 192 of the upper cover 107. Naturally, if the position of the groove 139 is shifted from the position of the protruding plate 192, the protruding plate 192 and the toner cartridge 130 interfere with each other, and the upper cover 107 is not completely closed.

  Therefore, even if the toner cartridge 130 has the groove 139 having the same shape as the genuine product, if the uneven portion 137a of the driven portion 137 and the uneven portion 152a of the coupling 152 do not completely correspond, the upper cover 107 is Since the toner cartridge 130 is not completely closed, the operator can more reliably recognize that the mounted toner cartridge 130 is not genuine.

  Further, the groove portion 139 in the present embodiment is defined by the first cylindrical portion 133, the second cylindrical portion 134, and the cap portion 136. Therefore, the width of the groove 139 is freely changed according to the manner in which the second cylindrical portion 134 and the cap portion 136 are fixed. Therefore, the type of toner cartridge 130 that can sufficiently cope with many types or many destinations is manufactured.

  Furthermore, a gap 138 in which air is interposed is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the second cylindrical portion 134 and the inner peripheral surface of the cap portion 136 in the present embodiment. Therefore, even if the heat from the fixing device is transmitted to the toner cartridge 130 through the partition wall 104, the air in the gap 138 functions as a coolant, and overheating of the toner in the toner bottle 131 is prevented. . Therefore, a situation in which the toner in the toner bottle 131 is melted, which has been a problem in the past, does not occur.

  Further, even when toner leaks from the gap between the toner bottle 131 and the bottle cap 132, the leaked toner is immediately discharged from the gap 138 to the outside. As a result, a defect in the toner cartridge 130 is found immediately after manufacture, that is, before shipment. Therefore, wasteful transportation and the like are reduced.

  In addition, the electrophotographic copying machine according to the present embodiment has a simple configuration that can be obtained simply by adding the discrimination key 190 to the conventional electrophotographic copying machine, and detects whether or not the toner cartridge 130 is a genuine product. There is no need for electrical means such as a switch. Therefore, the configuration of the electrophotographic copying machine is not complicated, and the cost required for introducing the present invention is extremely low.

  As described above, according to the electrophotographic copying machine of the present invention, the use of the toner cartridge 130 which is not an authentic product can be reliably and inexpensively prevented. As a result, the occurrence of printing defects and device failures is drastically reduced as compared with the prior art.

  In this embodiment, the upper cover 107 and the lower cover 108 are used to close the opening 106. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a single cover may be used. good.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, the second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. The description of the same configuration and operation as in the first embodiment will be omitted.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the front space 103 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 shows a state in which the protruding plate 192 of the discrimination key 190 according to the embodiment has entered the groove 139 of the toner cartridge 130. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the discrimination key 190 in this embodiment is fixed to the front surface of the partition wall 104 instead of the inner surface of the upper cover 107. The protruding plate 192 of the determination key 190 is disposed at a position corresponding to the groove 139 of the toner cartridge 130.

Next, the relationship between the protruding plate 192 and the groove 139 will be described.
The distance from the front surface of the partition wall 104 to the tip of the projection plate 192 is M0, the distance between the front surface of the partition wall 104 and the outer peripheral surface of the first cylindrical portion 133 is M1, and the front surface of the partition wall 104 and the outer peripheral surface of the second cylindrical portion 134 Is M2, and the distance between the front surface of the partition wall 104 and the outer peripheral surface of the cap portion 136 is M3, these M0 to M3 include:
“M1 <M0 <M2, M3 <M0 <M2”
There is a relationship.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, when a genuine toner cartridge 130 is attached to the main unit 100, the protrusion plate 192 of the determination key 190 contacts the toner cartridge 130 in the groove 139 of the toner cartridge 130. Enter without.

  However, if the toner cartridge 130 does not include the groove 139, the toner cartridge 130 and the protruding plate 192 interfere with each other while the toner cartridge 130 is being loaded into the main body unit 100, and the toner cartridge 130 is not completely attached. Not done.

  Even if the toner cartridge 130 includes the groove 139, if the position of the groove 139 does not correspond to the position of the protrusion plate 192 of the determination key 190, the toner cartridge 130 and the protrusion The plate 192 interferes and the toner cartridge 130 is not completely attached.

  As a specific example where the position of the groove 139 and the position of the protruding plate 192 do not correspond to each other, the shape of the uneven portion 137a of the bottle cap 132 and the uneven portion 152a of the cartridge drive 150 do not correspond to each other. For example, the groove 139 of the toner cartridge 130 may be displaced from the position of the protruding plate 192.

  Even if the position of the groove portion 139 corresponds to the position of the protruding plate 192, if the depth of the groove portion 139 is too shallow, that is, if the outer diameter of the second cylindrical portion 134 is too large, the toner cartridge 130 is used. In the middle of loading, the toner cartridge 130 and the projection plate 192 interfere with each other, and the toner cartridge 130 is not completely attached.

  That is, as long as the position and depth of the groove portion 139 formed in the toner cartridge 130 and the shape of the uneven portion 137a formed in the driven portion 137 do not correspond to the model of the electrophotographic copying machine, the completeness of the toner cartridge 130 is achieved. Is not installed properly. Therefore, since the operator can surely recognize that the toner cartridge 130 is not a genuine product, the situation where the toner cartridge 130 which is not a genuine product is used is drastically reduced.

  As described above, even when the discrimination key 190 is provided on the partition wall 104, an effect equivalent to that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. Moreover, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, you may combine suitably the component covering different embodiment.

1 is a perspective view showing a state where an opening of an electrophotographic copying machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention is closed. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state where an opening of the electrophotographic copying machine according to the embodiment is opened. The perspective view which shows the internal structure of the front space which concerns on the same embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating a configuration of a toner cartridge according to the embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the bottle cap which concerns on the same embodiment. The perspective view which shows the discrimination | determination key attached to the upper cover which concerns on the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which a protrusion plate of a discrimination key according to the embodiment has entered a groove portion of the toner cartridge. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state where a protrusion plate of a discrimination key according to the embodiment enters a groove portion of the toner cartridge. The perspective view which shows the internal structure of the front space which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which a protrusion plate of a discrimination key according to the embodiment has entered a groove portion of the toner cartridge.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 ... Main body case, 105 ... Front wall part (wall part), 106 ... Opening part, 107 ... Upper cover (cover), 130 ... Toner cartridge, 131 ... Toner bottle, 132 ... Bottle cap, 133 ... First cylindrical part 134 ... second cylindrical portion, 134a ... discharge port, 135 ... projection portion, 135a ... uneven portion (second uneven portion), 136 ... cap portion, 136a ... projection portion, 137a ... uneven portion (first uneven portion) Part), 138 ... gap, 140 ... cartridge holder, 150 ... cartridge drive, 170 ... detector (detection part), 180 ... generation part, 192 ... projection plate (projection part).

Claims (10)

A body case having a wall portion with an opening formed therein;
An image forming unit provided in the main body case and forming a toner image on the transfer target;
A toner cartridge mounted at a predetermined position in the main body case so as to be substantially parallel to the wall portion and opposed to the opening, and for supplying toner to the image forming portion;
A rotating member that rotates a toner cartridge mounted at a predetermined position in the main body case about the axis of the toner cartridge;
A cover that is rotatably connected to the main body case and rotates with respect to the main body case to open and close the opening;
The toner cartridge is
A cylindrical container for storing toner, wherein a toner bottle in which a discharge port for discharging the toner is formed at one end in a longitudinal direction;
A bottle cap that is provided at one end of the toner bottle and closes the outlet;
The toner bottle is
In order toward the bottle cap, in order, the first cylindrical portion, and a second cylindrical portion connected to the first cylindrical portion and having an outer diameter smaller than the first cylindrical portion,
The bottle cap is
A cap portion having an outer diameter larger than that of the second cylindrical portion, and an engagement portion that is provided integrally with the cap portion and engages with the rotating member, in order toward the direction away from the toner bottle. ,
The cover is
An image forming apparatus comprising: a protrusion that enters a groove defined by the first cylindrical portion, the second cylindrical portion, and the cap portion when the opening closes the opening. . A body case having a wall portion with an opening formed therein;
An image forming unit provided in the main body case and forming a toner image on the transfer target;
A toner cartridge that is detachably mounted at a predetermined position in the main body case and replenishes the image forming unit with toner;
A cartridge holder that is rotatably connected to the main body case, holds the toner cartridge, and rotates with respect to the main body case so that the toner cartridge is attached to and detached from a predetermined position of the main body case through the opening; ,
A rotating member that rotates a toner cartridge mounted at a predetermined position in the main body case about the axis of the toner cartridge;
A partition wall disposed on the opposite side of the wall with respect to the toner cartridge mounted at a predetermined position in the main body case,
The toner cartridge is
A cylindrical container for storing toner, wherein a toner bottle in which a discharge port for discharging the toner is formed at one end in a longitudinal direction;
A bottle cap that is provided at one end of the toner bottle and closes the outlet;
The toner bottle is
In order toward the bottle cap, in order, the first cylindrical portion, and a second cylindrical portion connected to the first cylindrical portion and having an outer diameter smaller than the first cylindrical portion,
The bottle cap is
A cap portion having an outer diameter larger than that of the second cylindrical portion, and an engagement portion that is provided integrally with the cap portion and engages with the rotating member, in order toward the direction away from the toner bottle. ,
The partition is
When the toner cartridge is mounted at a predetermined position in the main body case, the toner cartridge includes a first cylindrical portion, a second cylindrical portion, and a protruding portion that enters a groove defined by the cap portion. An image forming apparatus.   3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position and depth of the groove and the position and length of the protrusion are determined according to at least one of a model and a destination. . The cap part is a bowl-shaped member that covers a part of the second cylindrical part,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a gap is formed between an outer peripheral surface of the second cylindrical portion and an inner peripheral surface of the cap portion.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cap unit is attached to the toner bottle so as to be movable along an axial direction of the toner bottle. The engaging portion includes a first uneven portion at a portion opposite to the toner bottle,
The said coupling is provided with the 2nd uneven part of the shape corresponding to the said 1st uneven part in the site | part facing the said 1 uneven part, The Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. The described image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the shape of the first uneven portion and the shape of the second uneven portion are determined according to at least one of a model and a destination. A protrusion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cap portion;
A detection unit for detecting the protrusion;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a generation unit that generates information about the toner cartridge based on a detection result of the detection unit.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the information related to the toner cartridge is at least one of a type of the toner cartridge and a remaining amount of toner in the toner cartridge.   3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a protruding portion for conveying the toner toward the discharge port is formed in a spiral shape on an inner peripheral surface of the toner bottle. apparatus.

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