JP2009274864A - Packing bag sealing method of consumables unit and consumables unit having packing bag locking tool - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for sealing a packing bag of a consumables unit by a simple and inexpensive method when disposing of the consumables unit, and the consumables unit suitable for its method. <P>SOLUTION: A toner cartridge 1 has integrally a locking tool 1b in a covering casing 1a. The locking tool 1b is formed as a U-shaped hook of elastically fixing a free end part 1d to a covering part by a base part 1c. By providing such a locking tool 1b, a used toner cartridge 1' can be disposed of without pollution in transport, by surely sealing the packing bag by a simple method such as being fixed to the locking tool 1b together with an outside packing bag 3 of the locking tool 1b by folding back its twisted-bundled part 3b (3c), by twisting and bundling the vicinity of an opening part 3a of the packing bag 3, after being contained in the packing bag 3. There is no fear of a cost increase and the part loss without requiring to separately provide a sealing member, and this invention contributes to proper disposal of the used consumables unit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a packaging bag sealing method for an image forming unit as a consumable unit supplied to the image forming apparatus in an exchangeable manner, and more particularly to a packaging bag sealing method suitable for discarding a consumable unit. Specifically, by providing a packaging bag latch on the exterior of the consumable unit, the consumable unit is sealed in the vicinity of the opening after the consumable unit is enclosed in a flexible packaging bag. The present invention relates to a consumable unit packaging bag sealing method and a consumable unit improved so as to be easily disposed of.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are electrophotographic image forming apparatuses (printers, copiers, facsimiles, etc.) that form an image using toner. In recent years, the mainstream of these image forming apparatuses is a detachable so-called image forming unit in which a main part for image formation is unitized in order to improve user convenience. This image forming unit is also referred to as a consumable unit because it incorporates consumables such as a developer (hereinafter referred to as toner) and a photosensitive drum.

  In such an image forming apparatus, for example, when toner is consumed by image formation and eventually the developing unit runs out of toner, printing is forcibly prohibited based on detection of “no toner” by the toner remaining amount detection mechanism. It is like that. Similarly, the time when the photosensitive drum is consumed and the toner image is defective is predicted by detection means such as a counter, and printing is prohibited at that time. In such a state, a warning / display of replacement with a new consumable unit is made on the display unit of the image forming apparatus, and replacement work is usually performed on the user side.

  FIG. 6 is a view for explaining the packaging form and disposal method of such a conventional consumable unit 51 (toner cartridge) at the same time. As shown in the figure, for example, a new consumable unit 51 is enclosed in a packaging bag 52 made of paper, a resin film, an aluminum laminate film or the like at a production site, and then packed in a cardboard packaging box (not shown) or the like. Is done.

  The packaging bag 52 is an envelope-shaped packaging bag having an opening 52a on one side, and after the new consumable unit 51 is enclosed via the opening 52a, the opening 52a is appropriately squeezed or folded (52b) or After sealing with a seal tape 53 or heat seal, it is packed and supplied from the manufacturer or distributor.

  In the above-described replacement of the consumable unit, the user opens the packaging bag, sets a new consumable unit in the image forming apparatus, and continues to use the image forming apparatus. Is returned to the manufacturer or distributor or disposed of as normal trash.

  At that time, as shown in FIG. 6, the user generally puts the used consumable unit 51 ′ again in the original packaging bag 52 or the like and then discards it as it is or after further packaging.

  At the time of disposal, the remaining toner is scattered on the used consumable unit 51 ′ on its exterior (toner supply port and near the developing unit in the toner cartridge and developer unit, and on the surface of the photosensitive drum in the photosensitive drum unit). Since it adheres and is dirty, the disposal based on the reliable sealing after enclosing in the packaging bag 52 etc. again is desired.

  Therefore, as a conventional disposal method, the opening 52 a of the packaging bag 52 containing the consumable unit 51 ′ is folded back and sealed with, for example, the seal tape 53. In the case where the deterioration of the properties or the product itself is lost, or the original packaging is in a heat-sealed form, the sealing tape 53 is not provided from the beginning, and it is necessary to prepare a separate adhesive tape, string, etc. The work was complicated. As a result, reliable sealing was not performed, and contamination during transportation was caused.

  That being said, for example, if the consumable unit manufacturer tries to provide the sealing tape 53 'for disposal in advance, not only will the product cost increase, but a new backing sheet for the sealing tape 53' will be provided. There is also a problem that occurs as trash. In addition, there is no guarantee that the tape can be effectively used because some users lose the seal tape 53 'just because they have been provided in advance.

  In this connection, a C-shaped stopper body that can be externally fitted to the mouth of the packaging bag, and curved engagements at both ends of the stopper body so that the sealing state during transportation can be maintained. A resin stopper has been proposed in which a single piece and a continuous spherical head are integrally formed, and the packaging bag can be easily sealed simply by locking and twisting to the mouth of the packaging bag. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  However, the resin stopper described in Patent Document 1 is also premised on the provision of a separate part, as in the case of the seal tape 53 ', and does not solve the above-described problems.

  In view of such easy-to-lose fasteners made of separate members, regarding a bag that can be resealed (for example, a frozen product bag), a band is placed in the bag in advance, the bag is opened, and the opening end is gathered and twisted. A container has been proposed that is configured to be bent and peeled off from the outer surface of the bag, lifted, and fixed by inserting a twisted open end (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

However, this Patent Document 2 requires a special structure for the packaging bag itself as a container, which increases the cost and is not suitable for an article to be discarded. Therefore, there has conventionally not been a desirable packaging bag sealing method when the consumable unit is discarded.
JP-A-10-139016 JP-A-6-179458

  An object of the present invention is to provide a packaging bag sealing method for consumable units, and in particular, a method for sealing a packaging bag for consumable units by a simple and inexpensive method when discarding the consumable units. In addition, by providing a consumable unit suitable for the same, it is possible to appropriately dispose of the consumable unit having a small environmental load.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the packaging bag sealing method of the consumable unit according to the present invention includes expanding the opening of the packaging bag in the flexible packaging bag and enclosing the consumable unit, and then It is assumed that the part opening is sealed. Then, the packaging bag locking device is provided on the exterior of the consumable unit, the vicinity of the opening of the packaging bag containing the consumable unit is twisted and bundled, and the twisted and bundled portion is folded back and locked. It is the structure fixed to the said locking tool with the packaging bag of the outer side of a tool.

  The consumable unit is a used consumable unit, and is applied to discard the consumable unit together with the packaging bag.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a consumable unit according to the present invention is a consumable unit that is contained in a flexible packaging bag through the opening of an edge opening of the packaging bag, A locking device for the packaging bag, wherein the locking device twists and bundles the vicinity of the opening of the edge of the packaging bag containing the consumable unit, and turns back the twisted and bundled portion to wrap the outer packaging of the locking device. It is configured to be fixed together with the bag.

  The locking device comprises a spring-like hook biased in a direction in which a free end can be contacted / separated and in contact with the surface of the exterior part with one end fixed to the exterior part of the consumable unit as a fulcrum. The free end portion is configured to fix the twisted and folded portion.

  In addition, the locking tool has a recess formed in the exterior part of the consumable unit and a fixed end by fixing a peripheral edge of the recess and forming a plurality of cuts toward the center of the recess. It consists of a lid-like member consisting of a plurality of locking pieces flexibly formed with a free end on the center side at the fulcrum, and fixes the portion that is twisted and folded by the locking pieces and pushed into the recess It can also be configured.

  According to the present invention, since the outer packaging portion of the consumable unit is provided with the latch for the packaging bag, the vicinity of the opening of the packaging bag containing the consumable unit is twisted and folded, and the twisted and bundled portion is folded back. The packaging bag can be surely sealed by a simple method of fixing to the locking tool together with the packaging bag outside the locking tool, and disposal without contamination during transportation can be performed. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a separate sealing member, there is no risk of cost increase or loss of parts, which contributes to appropriate disposal of used consumable units.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, the basic structure of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the internal configuration of a color image forming apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as a printer) to which the present invention is applied.

  The printer 10 shown in FIG. 3 is an electrophotographic secondary transfer tandem color image forming apparatus, and includes an image forming unit 12, an intermediate transfer belt unit 13, a paper feeding unit 14, and a duplex printing transport unit 15. It consists of

  A discharge tray 39 is formed on the upper surface of the printer 10, and an operation panel (not shown) is formed on the front side of the printer 10. An image-formed recording sheet (paper) is discharged onto the discharge tray 39 above the right hand of the discharge tray 39. A paper discharge roller pair 41 for paper is arranged. Further, a protective cover (not shown) is provided on the front side surface of the printer 10 to cover the entire upper surface of the lower sheet feeding unit 14. The printer 10 is connected to a host device such as a personal computer by a cable (not shown).

  The main part of the image forming unit 12 of the printer 10 generally has a photosensitive drum centered on a photosensitive member that forms an electrostatic latent image, and the electrostatic latent image is visualized with toner. An image forming unit including a developing device (developing) is detachably disposed.

  The image forming unit 12 of this example has a configuration in which four image forming units 16 (16M, 16C, 16Y, 16K) are arranged in a multistage manner from the right to the left in FIG. The three image forming units 16M, 16C, and 16Y form monocolor images with magenta (M), cyan (C), and yellow (Y) color toners that are subtractive three primary colors, respectively, and the image forming unit 16K. Forms a monochrome image using black (K) toner mainly used for dark portions of characters and images.

  Further, the upper part of the developing unit 22 of these four image forming units 16 is formed as a detachable toner cartridge 1 and can be pulled out to the front side of the printer 10. Thus, even when the toner in the toner cartridge 1 is used up, it can be easily replaced with a new toner cartridge 1 filled with toner.

  Each of the image forming units 16 has the same configuration except for the color of the toner stored in the toner container (toner cartridge 1). Accordingly, the configuration of the black (K) image forming unit 6K will be described below as an example.

  The image forming unit 16 includes a photosensitive drum 17 at the bottom. The peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 17 is made of, for example, an organic photoconductive material. A cleaner 18, a charging roller 19, an optical writing head 21, and a developing roller 23 of the developing device 22 are arranged around the periphery of the photosensitive drum 17.

  The developing unit 22 stores one of magenta (M), cyan (C), yellow (Y), and black (K) toner in the upper toner container as indicated by M, C, Y, and K. The intermediate part is provided with a toner replenishing mechanism for the lower part.

  The developing unit 22 is provided with the developing roller 23 in the side opening at the lower portion thereof, a toner stirring member, a toner supply roller for supplying toner to the developing roller 23, and a toner layer on the developing roller 23 as a fixed layer. It has a doctor blade that regulates the thickness.

  The intermediate transfer belt unit 13 has an endless transfer belt 24 extending in a flat loop shape from substantially the left and right sides of the figure at the center of the main body, and the transfer belt 24 is stretched over the transfer belt 24. A driving roller 25 and a driven roller 26 are provided to circulate and move the belt 24 counterclockwise in the figure.

  The intermediate transfer belt unit 13 includes a belt position control mechanism 27 in the loop of the flat loop-shaped transfer belt 24. The belt position control mechanism 27 includes a primary transfer roller 28 made of a conductive foam sponge that presses against the lower peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 17 via the transfer belt 24.

  The belt position control mechanism 27 includes three primary transfer rollers 28 corresponding to the three image forming units 16M, 16C, and 16Y of magenta (M), cyan (C), and yellow (Y) as vertical support shafts. Rotate to the center with the same period.

  Then, the belt position control mechanism 27 performs transfer by rotating one primary transfer roller 28 corresponding to the black (K) image forming unit 16K at a rotational movement period different from the period of the three primary transfer rollers 28. The belt 24 is separated from the photosensitive drum 17.

  That is, the belt position control mechanism 27 sets the position of the transfer belt 24 of the intermediate transfer belt unit 13 in the full color mode (all four primary transfer rollers 28 are in contact with the transfer belt 24) and the monochrome mode (in the image forming unit 16K). Only the corresponding primary transfer roller 28 is in contact with the transfer belt 24) and all non-transfer modes (all four primary transfer rollers 28 are separated from the transfer belt 24).

  In the intermediate transfer belt unit 13, a belt cleaner unit is disposed further upstream of the image forming unit 16M on the uppermost stream side in the belt movement direction on the upper surface, and is flat and thin so as to be almost along the entire lower surface. The waste toner collecting container 29 is detachably disposed.

  The paper feed unit 14 includes two paper feed cassettes 31 arranged in two upper and lower stages, and in the vicinity of the paper feed opening (right side in the drawing) of the two paper feed cassettes 31, respectively, A feeding roller 33, a separating roller 34, and a standby conveyance roller pair 35 are disposed.

  In the paper conveyance direction (vertical upward direction in the figure) of the standby conveyance roller pair 35, a secondary transfer roller 36 that is in pressure contact with the driven roller 26 via the transfer belt 24 is disposed, and a secondary transfer portion to the paper is arranged. Forming.

  A belt-type heat fixing device 37 is disposed downstream (upward in the drawing) of the secondary transfer portion, and the sheet after fixing is fixed to the belt-type heat fixing device 37 further downstream of the belt-type heat fixing device 37. A pair of carry-out rollers 38 for carrying out the paper and a pair of paper discharge rollers 41 for discharging the carried paper to a paper discharge tray 39 formed on the upper surface of the apparatus are disposed.

  The duplex printing conveyance unit 15 includes a start return path 42a branched from the intermediate conveyance path between the carry-out roller pair 38 and the paper discharge roller pair 41 in the right lateral direction in the figure, and then an intermediate return path 42b bent downward. A terminal return path 42c that bends in the left lateral direction opposite to the above and eventually reverses the return sheet, and four return roller pairs 43a, 43b, 43c, and 43d arranged in the middle of these return paths. ing.

The exit of the end return path 42 c communicates with a conveyance path to the pair of standby conveyance rollers 35 corresponding to the sheet feeding cassette 31 below the sheet feeding section 14.
In this example, a cleaning unit 45 and a take-in roller 46 are disposed on the upper surface of the intermediate transfer belt unit 13.

  The cleaning unit 45 abuts on the upper surface of the transfer belt 24 to scrape and remove the waste toner, and the take-in roller 46 takes over the waste toner removed by the cleaning unit 45 and is not shown in the figure, and is temporarily stored in the belt cleaner unit. The waste toner thus collected is conveyed to the upper part in the dropping cylinder by a conveying screw and sent to the waste toner collecting container 29 via the dropping cylinder.

  Further, in order to bring the cleaning unit 45 into pressure contact with the transfer belt 24 with an appropriate pressure, a pressure roller 47 is provided on the intermediate transfer belt unit 13 side to press the transfer belt 24 toward the cleaning unit 45 from below. ing.

  As described above, the printer 10 is not a method of directly transferring a toner image to a conventional sheet, but is a toner that is conveyed vertically to the secondary transfer unit by the standby conveyance roller pair 35 via the intermediate transfer belt 24. It is a system for transferring images.

  Therefore, in the maintenance process for recovering from a problem such as a paper jam occurring in the paper conveyance path, it can be dealt with by simply opening the right side of FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state where the toner cartridge 1 and the developing drum unit 2 of the image forming unit 16 of the printer 10 are combined. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration in which the toner cartridge 1 can be inserted into and removed from the developing drum unit 2 in the direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction of the printer in the image forming unit 16 described above.

  In such an image forming apparatus, when the toner is consumed by the image formation and finally the toner is exhausted in the developing unit, a toner presence sensor (not shown) detects that the toner has become a predetermined value or less and notifies the control device “ Notify "no toner" signal. In order to prevent the occurrence of image defects and hardware failures, printing is forcibly prohibited when toner-free detection is activated.

  The developing drum unit 2 is also replaced with a new developing drum unit 2 when the photosensitive drum 17 reaches the end of its life. As described above, the toner cartridge 1 and the developing drum unit 2 are configured as consumable units that can be normally replaced on the user side.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a toner cartridge 1 as a consumable unit in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a packaging form of the toner cartridge 1.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the toner cartridge 1 of the present invention is integrally provided with an outer casing 1a and a locking tool 1b. The locking tool 1b is a U-shaped hook in which a free end 1d is elastically fixed to an exterior part by a base 1c, and is made of resin or a metal plate.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1B, the packaging bag 3 according to the present invention may be made of any material as long as it is a flexible bag. In this example, transparent polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is used. It is an envelope-shaped packaging bag made of a film, having an opening 3a, and having a size that wraps the toner cartridge 1 slightly loosely.

  In the first embodiment, after the new toner cartridge 1 is enclosed in the packaging bag 3 at the production site, the vicinity of the opening 3a of the packaging bag 3 is twisted and bundled, and the twisted and bundled portion 3b is folded ( 3c), sealed so as to be fixed to the locking tool 1b together with the packaging bag 3 outside the locking tool 1b, stored in a packing box (not shown), and attached to the printer 10 of FIG. Provided.

  As described above, when a toner presence / absence sensor (not shown) of the printer 10 detects that the toner has reached a predetermined value or less, an exchange display is made on an operation panel (not shown). As a result, the user performs replacement work, and at that time, performs processing for discarding the used toner cartridge 1 ′.

  Even in this case, since the toner cartridge 1 of the first embodiment includes the locking tool 1b, the used toner cartridge 1 'is enclosed in the packaging bag 3 by the user in the same manner as the packaging at the production site. The vicinity of the opening 3a of the packaging bag 3 is twisted and bundled, and the twisted and bundled portion 3b is folded back (3c) and is simply fixed to the latching tool 1b together with the packaging bag 3 outside the latching tool 1b. Can be treated as waste.

  Therefore, unlike the prior art described with reference to FIG. 6, no separate parts such as the seal tape 53 are required, and in particular, disposal can be performed smoothly.

  Note that the present invention provides a packaging bag sealing method for consumable units with a focus on disposal of the consumable units. If the structure of the toner cartridge 1 of the first embodiment is used, the production site as described above is provided. The new toner cartridges are not bound by the packaging form. That is, when packaging a new toner cartridge, the sealing tape 53 may be used as before, or may be sealed by heat sealing if sealing performance is required.

  As a packaging bag for discarding the used toner cartridge 1 ', an appropriate flexible garbage bag may be used in addition to reusing the one used for packaging the new toner cartridge.

(Embodiment 2)
In the above-described example, the U-shaped hook fixed to the exterior part of the cartridge is used as the form of the locking tool 1b. However, any structure that can lock and fix the portion where the packaging bag is twisted and bundled may be used. Another embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing the toner cartridge 5 as a consumable unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing a packaging form of the toner cartridge 2.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the toner cartridge 5 according to the second embodiment also includes an outer casing 5a and a locking member 5b. The locking tool 5b of this example is composed of a lid member 5d provided with a plurality of locking pieces 5e formed by fixing the peripheral edge of the recess 5c and cutting the slit S toward the center. The locking piece 5e corresponds to the U-shaped hook of the first embodiment.

  That is, as illustrated, the toner cartridge 1 of the second embodiment is encased in the packaging bag 3 and then twisted and bundled near the opening 3a of the packaging bag 3, and the twisted and bundled portion 3b is folded back (3c). The locking piece 5e is configured to fix the twisted and bundled portion 3b of the packaging bag 3 by being pushed into the concave portion 5c of the stopper 5b.

  The present invention can also be achieved by such a configuration. Further, according to the second embodiment, the sealing workability is further improved because the twisted and bundled portion 3b of the packaging bag 3 may be simply pushed into the concave portion 5c.

(A) is a perspective view showing a toner cartridge in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, (b) is a perspective view showing a packaging form of the toner cartridge. (A) is a perspective view showing a toner cartridge in Embodiment 2 of the present invention, (b) is a perspective view showing a packaging form of the toner cartridge. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an internal configuration of a color printer to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a toner cartridge to which the present invention is applied and a developing drum unit are combined. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration in which a toner cartridge to which the present invention is applied can be inserted into and removed from a developing drum unit in a direction perpendicular to a paper transport direction of a printer. FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional toner cartridge packaging and disposal method.

Explanation of symbols

1, 1 'Toner cartridge 1a Exterior casing 1b Locking tool 1c Base 1d Free end 2 Developing drum unit 3 Packaging bag 3a Opening 3b Twist bundling part 3c Folding part 5, 5' Toner cartridge 5a Outer casing 5b Locking tool 5c Recess 5d Lid member 5e Locking piece S Slit 10 Printer 12 Image forming unit 13 Intermediate transfer belt unit 14 Paper feed unit 15 Duplex printing transport unit 16 (16M, 16C, 16Y, 16K) Image forming unit 17 (17m, 17c, 17y 17k) Photosensitive drum 18 Cleaner 19 Charging roller 21 Optical writing head 22 Developer 23 Developing roller 24 Transfer belt 25 Drive roller 26 Driven roller 27 Belt position control mechanism 28 Primary transfer roller 29 Waste toner collection container 31 Paper feed cassette 32 Paper take-out roller 33 Feed roller 3 Separation roller 35 Standby conveyance roller pair 36 Secondary transfer roller 37 Belt-type heat fixing device 38 Unloading roller pair 39 Discharge tray 41 Discharge roller pair 42a Start return path 42b Intermediate return path 42c End return path 43a, 43b, 43c, 43d Return roller pair 45 Cleaning unit 46 Taking-in roller 47 Pressing rollers 51, 51 'Consumable unit 52 Packaging bag 52a Opening 52b Folding 53, 53' Seal tape

Claims (5)

In a packaging bag sealing method for a consumable unit that seals the vicinity of the opening after enclosing the consumable unit by expanding the opening of the packaging bag in a flexible packaging bag,
A fastener for the packaging bag is provided on the exterior portion of the consumable unit, the vicinity of the opening of the packaging bag containing the consumable unit is twisted and bundled, and the twisted and bundled portion is folded back. A packaging bag sealing method for a consumable unit, wherein the packaging bag is fixed together with an outer packaging bag.   The method of claim 1, wherein the consumable unit is a used consumable unit, and is applied to discard the consumable unit together with the packaging bag. In a consumable unit that is encapsulated by expanding the opening of the packaging bag in a flexible packaging bag,
The outer packaging portion is provided with a locking tool for the packaging bag, and the locking tool twists and bundles the vicinity of the opening of the packaging bag containing the consumable unit, and turns the twisted and bundled portion back. A consumable unit configured to be fixed together with an outer packaging bag.   The locking device comprises a spring-like hook that is biased in a direction in which a free end can be contacted / separated and in contact with the surface of the exterior part with one end fixed to the exterior part of the consumable unit as a fulcrum, The consumable unit according to claim 3, wherein the twisted and folded portion is fixed by a free end portion.   The locking tool has a concave portion formed in the exterior portion of the consumable unit and a peripheral edge of the concave portion, and a plurality of cuts are formed toward the central portion of the concave portion, with the fixed one end as a fulcrum. A free end portion on the center side is formed of a lid-like member made up of a plurality of locking pieces formed flexibly, and the portion that is twisted and folded back by the locking pieces and pushed into the recess is fixed. The consumable unit according to claim 3.

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