JP2009115885A - Toner cartridge and image forming device using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toner cartridge separating the toner coagulated in a toner cartridge into particles and discharging the toner particles stably and to provide an image forming device using the same. <P>SOLUTION: This toner cartridge 200 includes: a toner storing part 201 and a toner discharge mechanism part 220 provided with a toner discharge port 204 and a toner conveyance screw 202 and can be attached or detached to/from a device provided with a toner supply pipe 105. The toner conveyance screw 202 has its one end part 202a protruding to the outside through the toner storing part 201 to be movable in the toner storing part 201. The toner discharge mechanism part 220 is mounted along the direction of axial line of the toner conveyance screw 202 whose one end part 202a is abutted on a stopper plate 20c to move in the direction of axial line in the toner storing part 201. The toner discharge port 204 is arranged to face a toner supply port 105a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a toner cartridge in which toner is stored and an image forming apparatus using the same, and more particularly, a toner cartridge such as a toner hopper or a toner bottle that is replaceably attached to an image forming apparatus such as a laser beam printer or a multifunction peripheral. And an image forming apparatus using the same.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in image forming apparatuses such as copying machines and facsimile machines using a two-component developer, toner is automatically supplied to a developing device using a toner cartridge or the like to perform continuous operation of image output as the image quality and speed increase. Has been.

  In the image forming apparatus configured as described above, it is necessary to replace the toner cartridge, the process cartridge, and the like when the toner runs out. In many cases, replacement toner cartridges and the like are stored in a warehouse or an empty space in a room, and may be loaded in any direction (state) without considering the loading state.

  For this reason, in a toner cartridge that discharges toner from one end side, the toner in the cartridge drops with its own weight over time when it is stacked vertically with the toner discharge port side down. As a result of the toner density in the vicinity of the discharge port becoming high, there is a possibility that the toner aggregates or becomes a lump and closes the discharge port.

  When a new toner cartridge in the above-described state is installed, it is difficult for toner to be discharged from the toner cartridge. It can happen.

  For this reason, when a new toner cartridge is mounted, the cartridge is mounted after being shaken several times. However, all of the above problems have not been solved.

  In particular, recent toners have improved low-temperature fixability as an energy-saving measure, and conversely, storage stability is sacrificed, and the tendency of toner aggregation to occur naturally is increased.

  In recent image forming apparatuses, the size of the toner cartridge and the developing device are also reduced due to the demand for downsizing, and the installation space is also reduced. Therefore, since each unit is in a dense state, toner aggregation is likely to occur.

  Furthermore, when a toner cartridge stored in a warehouse is installed in an image forming apparatus, a user or an operator often forgets to shake the toner cartridge, and as a result, the toner in the toner cartridge is loaded. The toner may not be replenished due to the aggregation, which may cause troubles such as detection of insufficient toner concentration in the developer or stop of the operation of the image forming apparatus itself.

Therefore, as a countermeasure against the above-described problem, the conventional technology discloses a developer supply device that cuts a part of the transport spiral of the transport auger of the toner cartridge to reduce the toner pressure and prevent excessive supply of toner. (See Patent Document 1).
JP 2000-214667 A

  However, in the above-described prior art, since the influence on the storage state of the toner cartridge is not considered, there is a problem that toner aggregation occurs when the toner discharge port side is left for a long time in a high temperature state. There is.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and is a toner cartridge that can discharge toner stably by removing toner aggregated in the toner cartridge, and an image forming apparatus using the same. The purpose is to provide.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a toner cartridge according to the present invention and an image forming apparatus using the toner cartridge are configured as follows.
A toner cartridge according to the present invention includes a toner storage unit that stores toner and a toner discharge mechanism that discharges toner stored in the toner storage unit, and the toner discharge mechanism unit discharges toner to the outside. A toner cartridge that includes a toner conveying screw that conveys toner in an outlet and a toner storage portion toward the toner discharge port, and is detachable from a device that includes a toner replenishment portion provided corresponding to the toner discharge port. The toner conveying screw is provided such that one end portion in the axial direction penetrates the toner accommodating portion and protrudes to the outside so that the toner conveying screw is movable along the axial direction inside the toner accommodating portion. Is mounted on the toner cartridge by moving the toner cartridge along the axial direction of the toner conveying screw. In a state where the toner conveying screw is mounted on the apparatus, the other end in the axial direction is arranged inside the toner container by contacting the toner conveying screw with a part of the apparatus, for example, a plate arranged for a stopper. And the toner discharge port is disposed at a position facing the toner supply port formed in the toner supply unit.

  The present invention preferably includes a shutter member that opens and closes the toner discharge port.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that a spring member for urging the outer periphery of the toner conveying screw in a direction in which one end portion in the axial direction protrudes to the outside is provided.

  In the present invention, a toner agitating member for agitating the toner is provided in the toner accommodating portion, a gear body for transmitting driving to the toner conveying screw is provided at one end of the toner conveying screw, and the gear body is It is preferable that the toner stirring member is provided so as to be movable along the axial direction of the toner conveying screw in contact with the stirring shaft gear for rotating the toner stirring member.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that a seal member is provided in a penetration portion of the toner conveying screw of the toner accommodating portion.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the seal member is made of neoprene rubber.

  Furthermore, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention is an image forming apparatus in which toner is supplied to a developing device that forms a toner image by supplying toner to a photosensitive drum on which an electrostatic latent image is formed. The toner cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is used as the toner cartridge.

  According to the present invention, a toner cartridge is disposed above the developing device, and an intermediate transfer member that temporarily carries a toner image formed on the photosensitive drum between the toner cartridge and the developing device is provided. Preferably, the image forming apparatus further includes a toner replenishing unit that replenishes toner from the toner cartridge to the developing device.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a toner accommodating portion for accommodating toner and a toner discharging mechanism portion for discharging the toner accommodated in the toner accommodating portion, and the toner discharging mechanism portion includes a toner discharging port for discharging the toner to the outside. A toner cartridge that includes a toner conveying screw that conveys toner in a toner accommodating portion toward a toner discharge port, and is detachable from an apparatus that includes a toner replenishment portion provided corresponding to the toner discharge port. The toner conveying screw has one end in the axial direction penetrating the toner containing portion and arranged to project outside, and is provided to be movable along the axial direction inside the toner containing portion. The toner cartridge is mounted so as to move along the axial direction of the toner conveying screw, and the toner discharge mechanism is mounted on the device. In this state, the one end portion in the axial direction of the toner conveying screw is brought into contact with a part of the apparatus, for example, a plate arranged for a stopper, so that the toner conveying screw is moved to the other end portion in the axial direction inside the toner accommodating portion. By disposing the toner discharge port at a position facing the toner supply port formed in the toner supply unit, no special operation is required, and no additional components such as a motor are required. By simply mounting the cartridge, the agglomerated toner can be loosened, and the toner in the toner container can be reliably replenished into the toner replenisher, so that the toner can be discharged normally.

  In addition, according to the present invention, the shutter member that opens and closes the toner discharge port is provided, so that the apparatus is not soiled by toner dropping or toner scattering when mounted on the apparatus.

  According to the present invention, the return mechanism of the toner conveying screw can be provided with a simple configuration by providing a spring member that urges the outer end of the toner conveying screw in a direction in which one end in the axial direction protrudes to the outside. Can be realized.

  According to the invention, a toner agitating member for agitating the toner is provided in the toner accommodating portion, and a gear body for transmitting driving to the toner conveying screw is provided at one end of the toner conveying screw, and the gear body is provided. Is provided so as to be movable along the axial direction of the toner conveying screw in contact with the agitation shaft gear that rotates the toner agitating member, so that the toner conveying screw can be driven easily.

  In addition, according to the present invention, the seal member is provided in the penetration portion of the toner conveying screw of the toner accommodating portion so that the toner does not leak when the toner conveying screw moves, and the load when rotating is increased. Can be reduced.

  Further, according to the present invention, the neoprene rubber which is strong in strength and heat is used for the seal member, so that a long life can be achieved and toner leakage can be prevented throughout the life.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, in the image forming apparatus for supplying toner using a toner cartridge to a developing device that supplies toner to a photosensitive drum on which an electrostatic latent image is formed to form a toner image, the toner cartridge As a result, by using the toner cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 6, it is possible to maintain a clean image forming apparatus free from toner contamination due to toner scattering or toner leakage.

  According to the invention, a toner cartridge is disposed above the developing device, and an intermediate transfer member that temporarily carries a toner image formed on the photosensitive drum between the toner cartridge and the developing device. And a toner replenishing unit that replenishes toner from the toner cartridge to the developing device. For example, a toner replenishing pipe is used as the toner replenishing unit so that the toner cartridge is disposed. A compact color image forming apparatus using an intermediate transfer member (for example, an intermediate transfer belt) can be easily realized by dividing the space and the space where the developing device is arranged.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of a toner cartridge unit mounted on the image forming apparatus.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is an image forming apparatus in which toner is supplied from a toner cartridge 200 attached to the toner cartridge unit 20. The configuration of the toner cartridge according to the present invention is employed.

First, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.
The image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment has a multicolor or single color on a predetermined sheet (recording paper) based on image data included in an input command such as image data transmitted from the outside via a communication network or the like. The image is formed as a visible image.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 includes an exposure unit E, a photosensitive drum 101 (101a to 101d) corresponding to an image carrier on which a latent image is formed by the exposure unit E, and a developing device (developing unit). 102 (102a to 102d), charging roller 103 (103a to 103d), cleaning unit 104 (104a to 104d), intermediate transfer belt 11, primary transfer roller 13 (13a to 13d), secondary transfer roller 14, fixing device 15, The paper transport paths P1, P2, and P3, a paper feed cassette 16, a manual paper feed tray 17, a paper discharge tray 18, a toner cartridge unit 20, and the like are provided.

  Image data of a color image handled in the image forming apparatus 100 is image data using image data corresponding to four hues of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y). A visible image is formed by the forming unit 55 (55a to 55d). This corresponds to a color image using each color.

  The developing device 102 (102a to 102d), the photosensitive drum 101 (101a to 101d), the charging roller 103 (103a to 103d), and the cleaning unit 104 (104a to 104d) form four types of latent images corresponding to the respective colors. As shown in FIG.

Each of the image forming units 55a to 55d has the same configuration. For example, the black image forming unit 55a includes a photosensitive drum 101a, a developing device 102a, a charging roller 103a, a transfer roller 13a, a cleaning unit 104a, and the like. The The image forming units 55 a to 55 d are arranged in a line in the moving direction (sub-scanning direction) of the intermediate transfer belt 11.
The symbols a to d correspond to a as black, b as cyan, c as magenta, and d as yellow, and four image stations are constituted by the above-mentioned means distinguished by these symbols. Yes.

  An exposure unit E, which is an exposure apparatus, includes a semiconductor laser, a polygon mirror 4, a first reflection mirror 7, a second reflection mirror 8, and the like (not shown), and image data of each hue of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. Each of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d is irradiated with a light beam such as a laser beam modulated by.

  In this embodiment, the exposure unit E employs a method using a laser scanning unit (LSU) provided with a laser irradiation unit and a reflection mirror, but the light emitting elements are arranged in an array, for example, EL or LED writing. A method using a head may be used.

  On each of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d, electrostatic latent images are formed based on image data of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow hues.

  The photosensitive drum 101 is disposed above the exposure unit E and is a substantially cylindrical image carrier, and is controlled to rotate in a predetermined direction by a driving unit and a control unit (not shown).

  The photosensitive drum 101 is configured by forming a photoconductive layer on a substrate. For example, a metal drum made of aluminum or the like is used as a base material, and a photoconductive layer such as amorphous silicon (a-Si), selenium (Se), or an organic photo semiconductor (OPC) is formed in a thin film on the outer peripheral surface thereof. ing. Note that the configuration of the photosensitive drum 101 is not particularly limited to the above-described configuration.

  The charging roller 103 is a contact-type charger that uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 101 to a predetermined potential. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a contact roller charging roller 103 is used as a charger, but a charger or brush charger can be used instead of the charging roller 103. Good.

  The developing device 102 supplies toner to the surface of the photosensitive drum 101 on which the electrostatic latent image is formed, and develops the electrostatic latent image into a toner image. Each of the developing devices 102a to 102d contains toner of each hue of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, and an electrostatic latent image of each hue formed on each of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d is black, The toner images are visualized as cyan, magenta, and yellow toner images.

  The cleaning unit 104 removes and collects toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 101 after development and image transfer with a lubricant or the like.

  The intermediate transfer belt 11 is disposed above the photosensitive drum 101 and is formed endlessly with a film having a thickness of about 100 to 150 μm. It is stretched between the driving roller 11a and the driven roller 11b to form a loop-shaped movement path.

  The outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11 faces the photosensitive drum 101d, the photosensitive drum 101c, the photosensitive drum 101b, and the photosensitive drum 101a in this order.

  Primary transfer rollers 13a to 13d are arranged at positions facing the respective photosensitive drums 101a to 101d with the intermediate transfer belt 11 interposed therebetween. Each of the positions where the intermediate transfer belt 11 faces the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d is a primary transfer position.

  The primary transfer rollers 13a to 13d have constant voltage control of a primary transfer bias opposite to the charging polarity of the toner in order to transfer the toner images carried on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d onto the intermediate transfer belt 11. Applied. As a result, the toner images of the respective colors formed on the photosensitive drum 101 (101a to 101d) are sequentially superimposed on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11, and a full-color toner image is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11. It is formed.

  However, when image data of only a part of hues of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black is input, a part of the four photosensitive drums 101a to 101d corresponding to the hue of the input image data. The electrostatic latent image and the toner image are formed only on the photosensitive drum 101. For example, when forming a monochrome image, an electrostatic latent image and a toner image are formed only on the photosensitive drum 101a corresponding to the black hue, and only the black toner image is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11. Transcribed.

  Each of the primary transfer rollers 13a to 13d is configured by covering the surface of a shaft made of a metal (for example, stainless steel) having a diameter of 8 to 10 mm with a conductive elastic material (for example, EPDM, urethane foam, or the like). A high voltage is uniformly applied to the intermediate transfer belt 11 by a conductive elastic material. In this embodiment, the primary transfer rollers 13a to 13d are used as the transfer electrodes, but brushes and the like can also be used.

  At each primary transfer position, the toner image transferred onto the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11 is conveyed to a secondary transfer position that is a position facing the secondary transfer roller 14 by the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 11.

  The secondary transfer roller 14 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11 whose inner peripheral surface is in contact with the peripheral surface of the driving roller 11a at a predetermined nip pressure during image formation. In order to constantly obtain the nip pressure, either the secondary transfer roller 14 or the intermediate transfer belt drive roller 11a is made of a hard material such as metal, and the other is a soft material such as an elastic roller (elastic rubber roller or Foamed resin roller, etc.).

  When the paper fed from the paper feed cassette 16 or the manual paper feed tray 17 passes between the secondary transfer roller 14 and the intermediate transfer belt 11, the toner transfer polarity (−) Is applied with a high voltage of reverse polarity (+).

As described above, the electrostatic latent images on the respective photoconductive drums 101 (101a to 101d) are visualized with toners corresponding to the respective hues to become toner images, and these toner images are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 11. Are stacked.
Thereafter, the stacked toner images are moved to a contact position between the conveyed paper and the intermediate transfer belt 11 by the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 11, and are intermediately moved by the secondary transfer roller 14 disposed at this position. A toner image is transferred from the outer peripheral surface of the transfer belt 11 onto the paper.

  The toner adhering to the intermediate transfer belt 11 due to the contact between the intermediate transfer belt 11 and the photosensitive drum 101 and the toner image remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 11 without being transferred when the toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 11 to the sheet. The toner is removed and collected by the intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 12 because it causes a color mixture of the toner in the next process.

  The intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 12 includes a cleaning blade as a cleaning member that contacts the intermediate transfer belt 11. The portion of the intermediate transfer belt 11 in contact with the cleaning blade is supported from the back side by an intermediate transfer belt driven roller 11b.

  The sheet on which the toner image is transferred as a visible image is guided to a fixing device 15 including a heating roller 15a and a pressure roller 15b, and passes between the heating roller 15a and the pressure roller 15b to be heated and pressed. Receive. As a result, the toner image that becomes a visible image is firmly fixed on the surface of the paper. The paper on which the toner image is fixed is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 18 by the paper discharge roller 18a.

  In the image forming apparatus 100, a substantially vertical direction for feeding the paper stored in the paper feed cassette 16 to the paper discharge tray 18 between the secondary transfer roller 14 and the intermediate transfer belt 11 and via the fixing device 15. Paper transport path P1 is provided.

  In the paper transport path P1, a pickup roller 16a that feeds the paper in the paper feed cassette 16 one by one into the paper transport path P1, a transport roller r10 that transports the fed paper upward, and the transported paper A registration roller 19 that guides between the secondary transfer roller 14 and the intermediate transfer belt 11 at a predetermined timing, and a paper discharge roller 18 a that discharges the paper to the paper discharge tray 18 are disposed.

  Further, inside the image forming apparatus 100, a sheet conveyance path P <b> 2 in which a pickup roller 17 a and a conveyance roller r <b> 10 are arranged is formed between the manual sheet feeding tray 17 and the registration roller 19. Further, a paper transport path P3 is formed between the paper discharge roller 18a and the upstream side of the registration roller 19 in the paper transport path P1.

  The paper discharge roller 18a is provided so as to be rotatable in both forward and reverse directions. When the single-sided image is formed to form an image on one side of the paper and the second-side image is formed during double-sided image formation to form an image on both sides of the paper, the paper discharge roller 18a is rotated forward. Driven in the direction, the paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray 18.

  On the other hand, when the first side image is formed in the double-sided image formation, the paper discharge roller 18a is driven in the normal rotation direction until the rear end of the paper passes the fixing device 15, and then the rear end of the paper is sandwiched. Driven in the reverse direction, the paper is guided into the paper transport path P3. As a result, the paper on which the image is formed on only one side when the double-sided image is formed is guided to the paper transport path P1 with the front and back surfaces and the front and rear ends reversed.

  The registration roller 19 is fed from the paper feed cassette 16 or the manual paper feed tray 17, or the paper conveyed via the paper conveyance path P <b> 3 is synchronized with the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 11 at the secondary transfer roller 14. And the intermediate transfer belt 11. Therefore, the registration roller 19 stops rotating when the operation of the photosensitive drum 101 and the intermediate transfer belt 11 is started, and the sheet fed or conveyed prior to the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 11 is registered at the front end. The movement in the paper transport path P1 is stopped in a state where it is in contact with the roller 19.

  Thereafter, the registration roller 19 rotates at a timing at which the front end portion of the sheet and the front end portion of the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 11 face each other at a position where the secondary transfer roller 14 and the intermediate transfer belt 11 are in pressure contact with each other. To start.

  Note that in all of the image forming units 55a to 55d, the primary transfer rollers 13a to 13d press the intermediate transfer belt 11 against all of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d when full-color images are formed.

  On the other hand, at the time of monochrome image formation in which image formation is performed only in the image forming unit 55a, only the primary transfer roller 13a presses the intermediate transfer belt 11 against the photosensitive drum 101a.

Next, a characteristic configuration of the toner cartridge 200 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the toner cartridge unit mounted on the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a state where the toner cartridge is mounted (set) on the toner cartridge unit. FIG. 5 is a detailed view showing a state of the toner discharge mechanism of the toner cartridge when the toner cartridge is placed on the toner cartridge unit, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a detailed view illustrating a state of a toner discharge mechanism of the toner cartridge when set.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the toner cartridge 200 according to the present embodiment is mounted on a toner cartridge unit 20 mounted on the image forming apparatus 100.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the toner cartridge unit 20 is formed in a box shape with an open top, and has four colors of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) inside. Four toner cartridges 200 each containing toner are stored.

  The toner cartridge 200 is formed long along the intermediate transfer belt width direction (arrow X direction), and each of the toner cartridges 200 faces the developing device 102 (102a to 102d) along the intermediate transfer belt conveyance direction (arrow Y direction). It is installed side by side.

  The toner cartridge unit 20 includes a stopper plate 20c for positioning the toner cartridge 200 on one end side in the intermediate transfer belt width direction, and moves and holds each toner cartridge 200 toward the stopper plate 20c on the other end side. The lock lever 20a is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the lock lever 20a is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable in the direction along the width of the intermediate transfer belt with the lower side of the toner cartridge unit 20 as a rotation fulcrum 20a1, and the toner is near the rotation fulcrum 20a1. A hook 20b that contacts and holds the cartridge 200 is formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the toner cartridge 200 includes a toner storage unit 201 that stores toner, and a toner discharge mechanism 220 that transports the stored toner and discharges the toner to the outside.

  The toner storage unit 201 is formed in a long box shape along the longitudinal direction of the developing device 102, that is, along the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt, and a toner stirring member 208 that stirs the stored toner is included in the toner storage unit. The toner discharge mechanism 220 is arranged below the 201 in the longitudinal direction. A toner discharge port 204 for discharging the stored toner and a toner discharge port shutter 205 for opening and closing the toner discharge port are formed on the lower surface 201a of the toner storage unit 201.

  As shown in FIG. 5, one end portion 209a of the agitation shaft 209 of the toner agitating member 208 is disposed so as to protrude to the outside at one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the toner accommodating portion 201. An agitation shaft gear 210 that transmits drive to the agitation shaft 209 is attached to the one end 209a. The agitation shaft gear 210 is adapted to transmit a driving force by a motor provided in the image forming apparatus main body (not shown).

  In a normal state, the toner discharge port shutter 205 is urged so as to be positioned at a position where the toner discharge port 204 is closed by a spring member (not shown) or the like.

  The toner discharge mechanism section 220 is configured below the toner storage section 201 and includes therein a toner transport screw 202 that transports the stored toner. The toner conveying screw 202 is disposed so as to be close to the lower side surface 201 a of the toner storage unit 201 in the longitudinal direction of the toner storage unit 201 and to be positioned above the toner discharge port 204.

  As shown in FIG. 5, one end portion 202 a of the toner conveying screw 202 is disposed so as to protrude to the outside at one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the toner containing portion 201 constituting the toner discharge mechanism portion 220. A toner conveying screw gear 203 that transmits driving to the toner conveying screw 202 is attached to the one end 202a. Reference numeral 202b denotes a stopper that limits the protrusion of the toner conveying screw 202 to the outside.

  The toner conveying screw gear 203 is disposed so as to be movable along the axial direction of the toner conveying screw 202 while being in contact with the agitation shaft gear 210, and is urged in a direction in which the toner conveying screw gear 203 protrudes outward by the contact spring 206. . Further, the toner conveying screw gear 203 is formed with a contact portion 203a protruding outward.

  The contact portion 203 a is configured to contact a stopper plate 20 c provided inside the toner cartridge unit 20 in a state where the toner cartridge 200 is operably mounted in the toner cartridge unit 20.

  A seal member 207 is provided between the toner accommodating portion 201 and the shaft portion of the toner conveying screw 202 in the toner discharging mechanism portion 220. The seal member 207 is formed using neoprene rubber which is strong in strength and heat.

  Next, a characteristic mounting operation of the toner cartridge 200 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

  When the toner cartridge 200 according to this embodiment is set in the toner cartridge unit 20, the toner cartridge 200 operates effectively.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a toner supply pipe (toner supply unit) 105 into which toner discharged from the toner cartridge 200 is introduced is provided on the apparatus main body side. The toner supply pipe 105 is disposed at a position facing the toner discharge port 204 of the toner cartridge 200 in a state where the toner cartridge 200 is mounted on the toner cartridge unit 20.

  When the toner cartridge 200 is set in the toner cartridge unit 20, it is placed on the toner cartridge unit 20 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, when the lock lever 20a is lifted rightward in the figure, the toner cartridge 200 is pushed by the hook 20b and moves rightward in the figure.

  As the toner cartridge 200 moves, the contact portion 203a of the toner conveying screw gear 203 attached to the tip of the toner conveying screw 202 contacts the stopper plate 20c. When the toner is further pushed in, the toner conveying screw 202 relatively moves to the left in the figure and stops in a state where it enters the toner containing portion 201.

  Simultaneously with the above-described operation, the toner cartridge 200 moves, so that the toner discharge port shutter 205 covering the toner discharge port 204 comes into contact with the side surface of the toner supply pipe 105, and further, the toner cartridge 200 moves, so The exit shutter 205 moves relatively to the left in the figure, and the toner discharge port 204 is opened.

  When the toner cartridge 200 is normally attached to the toner cartridge unit 20 as described above, the toner conveying screw 202 moves into the toner storage unit 201 and is placed in a normal state, and the toner discharge port 204 is connected to the toner supply pipe 105. The toner supply port 105a is disposed at a position facing the toner supply port 105a.

Here, the operation of each part of the toner cartridge 200 will be described in detail.
When the toner cartridge 200 placed on the toner cartridge unit 20 is moved, as shown in FIG. 6, the contact portion 203a of the toner conveying screw gear 203 of the toner conveying screw 202 is stopped by moving to the right in the drawing. It contacts the plate 20c. When the toner is further moved to the right in the drawing and moved to a predetermined position, the toner containing portion 201 is moved to the right in the drawing with the toner conveying screw gear 203 stopped. That is, the toner conveying screw 202 enters the inside of the toner storage unit 201.

  Further, when the toner accommodating portion 201 moves in the right direction in the figure, the toner conveying screw gear 203 moves while being engaged with the agitation shaft gear 210 disposed adjacent thereto as shown in FIG. Then, after the contact portion 203a of the toner conveying screw gear 203 is in contact with the stopper plate 20c, when the toner storage portion 201 further moves rightward in the drawing to a predetermined position, as shown in FIG. While the movement of the toner conveying screw gear 203 is stopped, the agitation shaft gear 210 moves to the right in the figure while being engaged with the toner conveying screw gear 203.

  The toner conveying screw gear 203 is urged in the right direction in the drawing by the separation spring 206. The contact / separation spring 206 has a structure in which the spring force is set so as to hold the toner conveying screw gear 203 at the end thereof, and thus the contact / separation spring 206 is contracted by a force pushing the toner storage unit 201.

  Thus, in this embodiment, since the engagement state between the toner conveying screw 202 and the agitation shaft gear 210 is maintained, the rotational driving force of the toner conveying screw 202 can be ensured.

  The agitation shaft gear 210 rotates the toner agitation member 208 provided on the agitation shaft 209, and the toner agitation member 208 sends the toner inside the toner storage unit 201 to the toner conveying screw 202 side while agitating the toner. It has a structure.

As shown in FIG. 5, the toner discharge port shutter 205 is disposed at a position that closes the toner discharge port 204 in a normal state so that toner does not overflow from the toner discharge port 204.
As the toner cartridge 200 moves, the toner discharge port shutter 205 comes into contact with the side surface of the toner supply pipe 105 and the movement is restricted by the toner supply pipe 105 as shown in FIG. Is moved, the toner discharge port 204 is opened.

  At this time, when the toner storage unit 201 moves by a predetermined amount, as shown in FIG. 6, the toner discharge port 204 and the toner supply port 105a of the toner supply pipe 105 face each other so that the openings coincide with each other. .

  As shown in FIG. 6, the toner conveying screw 202 is further accommodated in a state where the contact portion 203a of the toner conveying screw gear 203 provided at one end portion 202a is in contact with the stopper plate 20c and the movement is restricted. When the unit 201 moves to the right side in the figure, the toner container 201 enters the inside.

  At this time, the toner around the toner conveying screw 202 is moved by an operation and an impact caused by the toner conveying screw 202 moving along the axial direction inside the toner container 201. Since the toner conveying screw 202 is disposed in the vicinity of the toner discharge port 204, the toner near the toner discharge port 204 can be moved to release the toner that has started to aggregate.

  As a result, when a new toner cartridge 200 is mounted by the toner cartridge replacement operation, the toner that has gathered near the toner discharge port 204 generated during storage or the aggregated toner is released, and the toner discharge port 204 is transferred to the toner supply pipe 105. Since the toner can be discharged, when the operation of the image forming apparatus 100 is resumed, toner can be stably supplied from the toner cartridge 200 without causing toner clogging.

  Further, when collecting the used toner cartridge 200 from the toner cartridge unit 20, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lock lever 20a is released and the toner cartridge 200 is moved in the left direction in the figure. As shown in FIG. 5, the toner outlet shutter 205 can move in the right direction in the drawing to close the toner outlet 204.

  Thus, the toner cartridge 200 can be collected without the toner remaining in the toner storage unit 201 overflowing from the toner discharge port 204.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the toner cartridge 200 is mounted on the apparatus side, the toner in the vicinity of the toner conveyance screw 202 is moved by moving the toner conveyance screw 202 in the toner storage unit 201 in the axial direction. Since the agglomerated toner is loosened by moving the toner, even if the toner near the toner outlet 204 in the toner cartridge 200 agglomerates due to long-term storage or the like, the toner near the toner outlet 204 is discharged when the toner cartridge 200 is mounted. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a detection failure such as no toner replenishment due to toner aggregation and to realize stable toner replenishment.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, neoprene rubber that does not cause a chemical reaction with the toner and is strong in strength is used in order to prevent toner leakage between the toner container 201 and the shaft of the toner conveying screw 202. Since the seal member 207 is provided, a long life can be achieved and toner leakage can be prevented throughout the life.

  Further, according to the embodiment, the toner conveying screw gear 203 is provided at the one end portion 202 a of the toner conveying screw 202, and the toner conveying screw gear 203 is moved to the stirring shaft gear 210 even if the toner cartridge 200 moves in the toner cartridge unit 20. Therefore, the rotational driving force of the toner conveying screw 202 can always be ensured.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the developing device 102 is disposed below the toner cartridge 200, and toner is supplied from the toner cartridge 200 to the developing device 102 by the toner supply pipe 105. A space-saving color image forming apparatus in which the intermediate transfer belt 11 is arranged in a space between the apparatus 102 can be realized.

  In the present embodiment, the toner conveying screw gear 203 is brought into contact with the toner conveying screw 202 so that the toner conveying screw 202 is moved. However, in the present invention, one end portion 202a in the axial direction of the toner conveying screw 202 is disposed in the apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this as long as it is configured to move in contact with the portion, and for example, it is configured to directly contact one end portion 202a of the toner conveying screw 202 in the axial direction. May be.

  In the present embodiment, the toner discharge port shutter 205 is provided on the lower side surface 201a of the toner container 201, and the toner discharge port shutter 205 is brought into contact with the toner supply pipe 105 to be opened. The invention is not limited to the configuration of the toner outlet shutter. For example, the toner outlet shutter 205 may be brought into contact with a part of the toner cartridge unit 20 to be opened.

  In this embodiment, the toner agitating member 208 is provided inside the toner accommodating portion 201, but the present invention is not limited to that provided in the toner accommodating portion 201.

In the above-described embodiment, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus 100 capable of forming a color image has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the image forming apparatus having the above-described configuration, and may be based on other configurations. It can be developed on an image forming apparatus or the like. For example, the present invention can be applied to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus capable of forming only a monochrome image.
In addition, it is obvious for those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. It is understood as a thing.

1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of a toner cartridge unit mounted on the image forming apparatus. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state where a toner cartridge is placed on the toner cartridge unit. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state where a toner cartridge is mounted (set) in the toner cartridge unit. FIG. 4 is a detailed view illustrating a state of a toner discharge mechanism of the toner cartridge when the toner cartridge is placed on the toner cartridge unit. FIG. 4 is a detailed view illustrating a state of a toner discharge mechanism of the toner cartridge when a toner cartridge is mounted (set) in the toner cartridge unit.

Explanation of symbols

11 Intermediate transfer belt 20 Toner cartridge unit 20a Lock lever 20a1 Rotation fulcrum 20b Hook 20c Stopper plate 100 Image forming apparatus 102 Developing apparatus 105 Toner supply pipe (toner supply section)
105a Toner supply port 200 Toner cartridge 201 Toner container 201a Lower side surface 202 Toner transport screw 202a One end 202b Stopper 203 Toner transport screw gear 204 Toner discharge port 205 Toner discharge port shutter (shutter member)
207 Seal member 208 Toner stirring member 210 Stirring shaft gear 220 Toner discharge mechanism

Claims (8)

A toner accommodating portion for accommodating toner and a toner discharging mechanism portion for discharging the toner accommodated in the toner accommodating portion, wherein the toner discharging mechanism portion removes the toner in the toner accommodating portion and the toner discharging port for discharging the toner to the outside; A toner cartridge configured to be detachably attached to an apparatus including a toner replenishing unit provided corresponding to the toner discharge port, including a toner transfer screw for transferring to a toner discharge port side;
The toner conveying screw has one end portion in the axial direction penetrating the toner containing portion and projecting to the outside, and is provided so as to be movable along the axial direction inside the toner containing portion.
The toner discharge mechanism is mounted so as to move along the axial direction of the toner conveying screw with respect to a device to which a toner cartridge is mounted;
With the toner discharge mechanism mounted on the device,
The toner conveying screw moves to the other end side in the axial direction inside the toner accommodating portion by having one end in the axial direction abutting with a part of the apparatus,
The toner cartridge, wherein the toner discharge port is disposed at a position facing a toner supply port formed in the toner supply unit.   The toner cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a shutter member that opens and closes the toner discharge port.   3. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a spring member that urges the outer periphery of the toner conveying screw in a direction in which one end portion in the axial direction protrudes to the outside. A toner agitating member for agitating the toner is provided in the toner accommodating portion,
A gear body that transmits driving to the toner conveying screw is provided at one end of the toner conveying screw.
4. The gear body according to claim 1, wherein the gear body is provided so as to be movable along an axial direction of a toner conveying screw in a state of being in contact with a stirring shaft gear that rotates the toner stirring member. The toner cartridge according to claim 1.   5. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising: a seal member provided in a penetrating portion of the toner conveying screw of the toner containing portion.   The toner cartridge according to claim 5, wherein the seal member is made of neoprene rubber. In an image forming apparatus for supplying toner using a toner cartridge to a developing device that supplies toner to a photosensitive drum on which an electrostatic latent image is formed to form a toner image,
An image forming apparatus using the toner cartridge according to claim 1 as the toner cartridge. The image forming apparatus includes a toner cartridge disposed above the developing device, and an intermediate transfer member that temporarily holds a toner image formed on the photosensitive drum between the toner cartridge and the developing device. And
The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a toner replenishing unit that replenishes toner from the toner cartridge to the developing device.

Images