JP2012047997A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming device capable of surely reducing toner contamination on a claw member even if the claw member for closing a toner discharge port by biasing a closing member being in an engaged state in operatively association with detachment operation of a toner container is disposed below a position at which the toner container is held.SOLUTION: In a claw member 76 provided with a pair of claw sections 76b for being engaged with end portions of a closing member in the detachment direction, a fulcrum 76a for oscillating the claw member 76 in the vertical direction is disposed at an upper stream side in the detachment direction of a toner container with respect to a pair of claw sections 76b while a notch 76c is formed between the pair of claw sections 76b.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which a toner container for replenishing toner consumed in an image forming process is detachably installed in a toner container housing portion.

  Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic system such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, or a complex machine thereof, a cylindrical toner container for supplying toner to a developing device is attached to and detached from a toner container housing portion. What can be installed is known (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

In Patent Document 1, etc., a toner container (toner bottle) installed in a replaceable manner in a toner container housing part (bottle container) of the image forming apparatus main body mainly includes a container body and a held part (cap part). Has been. A spiral protrusion is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the container body, and the toner contained in the container body is conveyed toward the opening when the container body is driven to rotate. The held portion communicates with the opening of the container body, and is held in the toner container housing portion in a non-rotating manner without being interlocked with the rotational drive of the container body. The toner discharged from the opening of the container body is discharged from a toner discharge port provided in the held portion. Thereafter, the toner discharged from the toner discharge port of the held portion is supplied to the developing device via the toner supply port provided in the toner container housing portion. Here, a plug member (opening / closing member) for opening and closing the toner discharge port is provided at the toner discharge port of the toner container.
On the other hand, the toner container housing portion is configured to open the toner discharge port by pushing the plug member in conjunction with the mounting operation of the toner container. Further, the toner container housing portion includes a claw member (biasing member) for urging the plug member in an engaged state in conjunction with the detaching operation of the toner container to close the toner discharge port. Is installed below the position where is held.

The above-described image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 or the like is less likely to cause a problem that the toner scatters from the toner container and stains the main body of the image forming apparatus, but the toner container leaks even if a small amount of toner is present. In this case, the leaked toner tends to adhere to the claw member (biasing member) located below the claw member. Then, when the amount of toner adhering to the claw member gradually increases and the toner is deposited on the claw member, the bottom surface of the toner container is soiled with toner as the toner container is attached or detached. There is a possibility that the surroundings of the replenishing port may be contaminated with toner, or that the toner adheres to the rotation support shaft of the claw member and the operation (swinging) of the claw member becomes dull.
In particular, when the toner discharge port of the toner container is formed at a position on the near side with respect to the mounting direction with respect to the toner container housing portion, the position of the claw member and the toner replenishing port of the toner container housing portion accordingly. However, the toner contamination around the nail member and the toner replenishing port is likely to be easily noticed by the user because it is closer to the user's operation direction.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and is a claw member for energizing an opening / closing member in an engaged state in conjunction with a detaching operation of a toner container to close a toner discharge port. Is to provide an image forming apparatus in which toner contamination of the claw member is reliably reduced even when the toner container is installed below the position where the toner container is held.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus includes a toner container that includes a toner discharge port that discharges toner contained therein, and an opening and closing member that opens and closes the toner discharge port, and the toner. A toner container housing part that detachably accommodates the container and that pushes the opening and closing member in conjunction with the mounting operation of the toner container to open the toner discharge port, the toner container housing part, Below the position where the toner container is held, it is provided so as to be swingable in the vertical direction so that it can be retracted from the engagement position with the opening / closing member, and is in an engaged state in conjunction with the detachment operation of the toner container. An urging member that urges the opening / closing member to close the toner discharge port, and the urging member includes a pair of claw portions that engage with end portions of the opening / closing member in the separation direction. Further, a claw member having a notch or a through hole formed between the pair of claw portions, and a fulcrum for swinging the claw member in the vertical direction is provided on the claw portion engaged with the opening / closing member. On the other hand, the engaging position is formed so as to be located upstream in the direction of detachment of the toner container, and the claw member is pressed down against the toner container in conjunction with the mounting operation of the toner container. The toner container housing portion pushes the opening / closing member to open the toner discharge port, and the claw member engages with the engagement member. After projecting to the position and engaging with the opening / closing member, the claw member urges the opening / closing member at the engagement position to start closing the toner discharge port in conjunction with the detachment operation of the toner container. The claw member is Serial is by being pushed down in contact with the toner container that retracted to a position which does not interfere with the withdrawal of the toner container.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention for receiving the dropped toner vertically downward with respect to the notch or the through hole of the claw member. A toner receiving portion is provided.

  A toner container according to a third aspect of the present invention is the toner container according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, wherein the toner container is horizontal with respect to the toner container housing portion with its longitudinal direction as the attaching / detaching direction. It is moved and removed.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image forming apparatus according to the third aspect, wherein the toner discharge port of the toner container is located on the near side with respect to the mounting direction with respect to the toner container housing portion. It is formed at the position.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the toner container housing portion moves the urging member upward from a lower retracted position. A second urging member that urges toward the engagement position is further provided.

  An image forming apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to the fifth aspect, wherein the second urging member is a leaf spring.

  In the present invention, a claw member for closing the toner discharge port by urging the plug member in an engaged state in conjunction with the detachment operation of the toner container is provided below the position where the toner container is held. Even in this case, since the notch or the through hole is formed between the pair of claw portions of the claw member, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus in which toner contamination of the claw member is reliably reduced.

1 is an overall configuration diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an image forming unit in the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a toner supply path in the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a toner container housing portion in a state where the toner container is installed. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a toner container installed in a toner container storage unit. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a head side of the toner container in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a front view of the toner container of FIG. 6 as viewed from the M viewing direction. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a toner container housing portion in a state where no toner container is installed. It is a perspective view which shows a nozzle. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which a toner container is mounted in a toner container housing unit. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a mounted state of the toner container following FIG. 10. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state where a toner container is mounted in a toner container housing unit. It is a perspective view showing a claw member and a toner receiving part. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a toner supply path of an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a toner container housing portion in a state where the toner container of FIG. 14 is installed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part which is the same or it corresponds, The duplication description is simplified or abbreviate | omitted suitably.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
First, the configuration and operation of the entire image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a printer as an image forming apparatus, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing an image forming unit thereof, FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a toner supply path thereof, and FIG. It is a perspective view which shows a part of apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 1, four toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K corresponding to the respective colors (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black) are attached to and detached from the toner container accommodating portion 31 above the image forming apparatus main body 100. It is installed freely (changeable).
An intermediate transfer unit 15 is disposed below the toner container housing 31. Image forming portions 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K corresponding to the respective colors (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black) are arranged in parallel so as to face the intermediate transfer belt 8 of the intermediate transfer unit 15.

  Referring to FIG. 2, an image forming unit 6Y corresponding to yellow includes a photosensitive drum 1Y, a charging unit 4Y disposed around the photosensitive drum 1Y, a developing device 5Y (developing unit), a cleaning unit 2Y, It is composed of a static eliminator (not shown). Then, an image forming process (charging process, exposure process, developing process, transfer process, cleaning process) is performed on the photosensitive drum 1Y, and a yellow image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1Y.

  The other three image forming units 6M, 6C, and 6K have substantially the same configuration as that of the image forming unit 6Y corresponding to yellow except that the color of the toner used is different. A corresponding image is formed. Hereinafter, description of the other three image forming units 6M, 6C, and 6K will be omitted as appropriate, and only the image forming unit 6Y corresponding to yellow will be described.

Referring to FIG. 2, the photosensitive drum 1Y is driven to rotate clockwise in FIG. 2 by a drive motor (not shown). Then, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y is uniformly charged at the position of the charging unit 4Y (a charging process).
After that, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y reaches the irradiation position of the laser beam L emitted from the exposure device 7 (see FIG. 1), and the electrostatic latent image corresponding to yellow by exposure scanning at this position. Is formed (this is an exposure step).

Thereafter, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y reaches a position facing the developing device 5Y, and the electrostatic latent image is developed at this position to form a yellow toner image (developing process).
Thereafter, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y reaches a position facing the intermediate transfer belt 8 and the first transfer bias roller 9Y, and the toner image on the photosensitive drum 1Y is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 8 at this position. (This is a primary transfer step.) At this time, a small amount of untransferred toner remains on the photosensitive drum 1Y.

Thereafter, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y reaches a position facing the cleaning unit 2Y, and untransferred toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 1Y at this position is mechanically collected by the cleaning blade 2a (in the cleaning process). is there.).
Finally, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y reaches a position facing a neutralization unit (not shown), and the residual potential on the photosensitive drum 1Y is removed at this position.
Thus, a series of image forming processes performed on the photosensitive drum 1Y is completed.

The image forming process described above is performed in the other image forming units 6M, 6C, and 6K in the same manner as the yellow image forming unit 6Y. That is, the laser beam L based on the image information is emitted from the exposure unit 7 disposed below the image forming unit onto the photosensitive drums of the image forming units 6M, 6C, and 6K. Specifically, the exposure unit 7 emits a laser beam L from a light source, and irradiates the photosensitive drum through a plurality of optical elements while scanning the laser beam L with a polygon mirror that is rotationally driven.
Thereafter, the toner images of the respective colors formed on the respective photosensitive drums through the development process are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 8 in an overlapping manner. In this way, a color image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 8.

  Here, referring to FIG. 1, the intermediate transfer unit 15 includes an intermediate transfer belt 8, four primary transfer bias rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, and 9K, a secondary transfer backup roller 12, a cleaning backup roller 13, and a tension roller. 14 and the intermediate transfer cleaning unit 10. The intermediate transfer belt 8 is stretched and supported by the three rollers 12 to 14 and is endlessly moved in the direction of the arrow in FIG.

The four primary transfer bias rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, and 9K respectively sandwich the intermediate transfer belt 8 with the photosensitive drums 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K to form a primary transfer nip. Then, a transfer bias reverse to the polarity of the toner is applied to the primary transfer bias rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, and 9K.
The intermediate transfer belt 8 travels in the direction of the arrow and sequentially passes through the primary transfer nips of the primary transfer bias rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, and 9K. In this way, the toner images of the respective colors on the photosensitive drums 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K are primarily transferred while being superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 8.

  Thereafter, the intermediate transfer belt 8 on which the toner images of the respective colors are transferred in a superimposed manner reaches a position facing the secondary transfer roller 19. At this position, the secondary transfer backup roller 12 sandwiches the intermediate transfer belt 8 with the secondary transfer roller 19 to form a secondary transfer nip. The four-color toner images formed on the intermediate transfer belt 8 are transferred onto a transfer material P such as transfer paper conveyed to the position of the secondary transfer nip. At this time, the untransferred toner that has not been transferred to the transfer material P remains on the intermediate transfer belt 8.

Thereafter, the intermediate transfer belt 8 reaches the position of the intermediate transfer cleaning unit 10. At this position, the untransferred toner on the intermediate transfer belt 8 is collected.
Thus, a series of transfer processes performed on the intermediate transfer belt 8 is completed.

Here, the transfer material P transported to the position of the secondary transfer nip is transported from a paper feed unit 26 disposed below the apparatus main body 100 via a paper feed roller 27, a registration roller pair 28, and the like. It has been done.
Specifically, a plurality of transfer materials P such as transfer paper are stored in the paper supply unit 26 in a stacked manner. When the paper feed roller 27 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 1, the uppermost transfer material P is fed between the rollers of the registration roller pair 28.

  The transfer material P conveyed to the registration roller pair 28 is temporarily stopped at the position of the roller nip of the registration roller pair 28 that has stopped rotating. Then, the registration roller pair 28 is rotationally driven in synchronization with the color image on the intermediate transfer belt 8, and the transfer material P is conveyed toward the secondary transfer nip. In this way, a desired color image is transferred onto the transfer material P.

Thereafter, the transfer material P on which the color image has been transferred at the position of the secondary transfer nip is conveyed to the position of the fixing unit 20. At this position, the color image transferred to the surface is fixed on the transfer material P by heat and pressure generated by the fixing roller and the pressure roller.
Thereafter, the transfer material P is discharged out of the apparatus through the rollers of the discharge roller pair 29. The transferred P discharged from the apparatus by the discharge roller pair 29 is sequentially stacked on the stack unit 30 as an output image.
Thus, a series of image forming processes in the image forming apparatus is completed.

Next, the configuration and operation of the developing device in the image forming unit will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.
The developing device 5Y includes a developing roller 51Y facing the photosensitive drum 1Y, a doctor blade 52Y facing the developing roller 51Y, two conveying screws 55Y disposed in the developer accommodating portions 53Y and 54Y, and toner in the developer. A density detection sensor 56Y for detecting the density, etc. The developing roller 51Y includes a magnet fixed inside, a sleeve rotating around the magnet, and the like. In the developer accommodating portions 53Y and 54Y, a two-component developer G composed of a carrier and a toner is accommodated. The developer accommodating portion 54Y communicates with the toner transport pipe 43Y through an opening formed thereabove.

The developing device 5Y configured as described above operates as follows.
The sleeve of the developing roller 51Y rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG. The developer G carried on the developing roller 51Y by the magnetic field formed by the magnet moves on the developing roller 51Y as the sleeve rotates.

  Here, the developer G in the developing device 5Y is adjusted so that the ratio of toner in the developer (toner concentration) is within a predetermined range. Specifically, according to the consumption of toner in the developing device 5Y, the toner stored in the toner container 32Y is supplied into the developer storage portion 54Y via the toner supply device 59 (see FIG. 3). . The configurations and operations of the toner supply device 59 and the toner container 32Y will be described in detail later.

  Thereafter, the toner replenished in the developer accommodating portion 54Y is circulated through the two developer accommodating portions 53Y and 54Y while being mixed and stirred together with the developer G by the two conveying screws 55Y (perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 2). Direction movement.) The toner in the developer G is attracted to the carrier by frictional charging with the carrier, and is carried on the developing roller 51Y together with the carrier by the magnetic force formed on the developing roller 51Y.

  The developer G carried on the developing roller 51Y is conveyed in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2 and reaches the position of the doctor blade 52Y. The developer G on the developing roller 51Y is conveyed to a position facing the photosensitive drum 1Y (development region) after the developer amount is made appropriate at this position. The toner is attracted to the latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 1Y by the electric field formed in the development area. Thereafter, the developer G remaining on the developing roller 51Y reaches above the developer containing portion 53Y as the sleeve rotates, and is detached from the developing roller 51Y at this position.

Next, referring to FIG. 3, the toner replenishing device 59 that guides the toner stored in the toner container 32Y to the developing device 5Y will be described in detail.
FIG. 3 shows the toner container 32Y, the toner supply paths 43Y, 60, 70, 71, and the developing device 5Y in different directions for easy understanding. In practice, in FIG. 3, the longitudinal direction of the toner container 32Y and a part of the toner replenishment path is arranged so as to be perpendicular to the paper surface (see FIG. 1).
Referring to FIG. 4, the toner in each of the toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, 32K installed in the toner container accommodating portion 31 of the apparatus main body 100 is different for each toner color according to the toner consumption in each color developing device. Each developing device is appropriately replenished through a toner replenishment path provided in the. The four toner supply paths have substantially the same structure except that the color of the toner used in the image forming process is different.

  Specifically, when the toner container 32Y is set in the toner container housing portion 31 of the apparatus main body 100, the nozzle 70 of the toner container housing portion 31 is connected to the held portion 34Y of the toner container 32Y. At this time, the plug member 34d (opening / closing member) of the toner container 32Y opens the toner discharge port of the held portion 34Y while being sandwiched between the nozzle 70 and the claw member 76 (biasing member). Thereby, the toner accommodated in the container main body 33Y of the toner container 32Y is conveyed into the nozzle 70 via the toner discharge port.

On the other hand, the other end of the nozzle 70 is connected to one end of a tube 71 as a transport pipe. The tube 71 is made of a flexible material excellent in toner resistance, and the other end is connected to a screw pump 60 (Mono pump) of the toner replenishing device.
The tube 71 as the transport tube is formed so that its inner diameter is 4 to 10 mm. As the material of the tube 71, a rubber material such as polyurethane, nitrile, EPDM, or silicon, or a resin material such as polyethylene or nylon can be used. By using such a flexible tube 71, the degree of freedom in the layout of the toner supply path is increased, and the image forming apparatus is downsized.

The screw pump 60 is a suction type uniaxial eccentric screw pump, and includes a rotor 61, a stator 62, a suction port 63, a universal joint 64, a motor 66, and the like. The rotor 61, the stator 62, the universal joint 64, etc. are accommodated in a case (not shown). The stator 62 is an internally threaded member made of an elastic material such as rubber, and a double pitch spiral groove is formed in the stator 62. The rotor 61 is a male screw-like member formed by spirally twisting a shaft made of a rigid material such as metal, and is fitted into the stator 62 so as to be freely rotatable. One end of the rotor 61 is rotatably connected to a motor 66 via a universal joint 64.
In the first embodiment, the spiral direction (winding direction) and the rotation direction of the rotor 61 are made to coincide with the spiral direction (winding direction) and the rotation direction of the protrusion 33b formed on the container body 33Y of the toner container 32Y. Is set to

The screw pump 60 configured as described above is sucked into the suction port 36 by rotating the rotor 61 in the stator 62 in a predetermined direction (counterclockwise as viewed from the upstream side in the toner conveyance direction) by the motor 66. Force is generated (air in the tube 31 is sent out to generate a negative pressure in the tube 31). As a result, the toner in the toner container 32Y is sucked into the suction port 63 through the tube 71 together with air. The toner sucked up to the suction port 63 is fed into the gap between the stator 62 and the rotor 61, and is sent to the other end side along the rotation of the rotor 61. The delivered toner is discharged from the delivery port 67 of the screw pump 60 and replenished into the developing device 5Y via the toner transport pipe 43Y (movement in the direction of the broken line arrow in FIG. 3).
In the first embodiment, the rotor 61 of the screw pump 60 is rotated counterclockwise as viewed from the upstream side in the toner conveyance direction. Further, the spiral direction (winding direction) of the rotor 61 is set to the right direction. As a result, a clockwise vortex airflow is formed in the screw pump 60 by the rotation of the rotor 61.

Next, the toner container will be described with reference to FIGS.
As described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, four substantially cylindrical toner containers 32 </ b> Y, 32 </ b> M, 32 </ b> C, and 32 </ b> K (toner bottles) are detachably installed in the toner container accommodating portion 31. Each of the toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K is replaced with a new one when it reaches the end of its life (when the toner to be accommodated is almost exhausted). Then, the toner of each color stored in the toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K passes through the toner replenishment path described with reference to FIG. 3 to the developing devices of the image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K as appropriate. To be replenished.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the toner container 32Y. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the head side of the toner container 32Y (the side on which the held portion 34Y is installed). FIG. 7 is a view of the toner container 32Y of FIG. 6 as viewed from the M viewing direction.
The other three toner containers 32M, 32C, and 32K have substantially the same configuration as the toner container 32Y that contains yellow toner, except that the color of the stored toner is different and the positions of the concave portion 34m and the convex portion 34n. It has become. Hereinafter, description of the other three toner containers 32M, 32C, and 32K will be omitted as appropriate, and only the toner container 32Y containing yellow toner will be described.

As shown in FIG. 5, the toner container 32Y mainly includes a container main body 33Y and a held portion 34Y (bottle cap) provided on the head.
A gear 33c that rotates integrally with the container body 33Y and an opening A are provided at the head of the container body 33Y (see FIG. 6). The opening A is provided at the head of the container main body 33Y (the position that is the front in the mounting operation), and the toner accommodated in the container main body 33Y is placed in a space (cavity) in the held portion 34Y. It is for discharging towards.

  The gear 33c meshes with a drive gear 31g of a drive unit provided in the toner container housing unit 31 of the apparatus main body 100, and rotationally drives the container main body 33Y around a rotation axis (a dashed line in FIG. 6). It is for making it happen. Specifically, the gear 33c is exposed from the notch 34h formed in the held portion 34Y, and meshes with the drive gear 31g of the apparatus main body 100 at the meshing position D shown in FIGS. Then, the driving force is transmitted from the driving gear 31g to the gear 33c, and the container body 33Y rotates counterclockwise in FIG. In the first embodiment, the drive gear 31g and the gear 33c are spur gears.

Here, in the first embodiment, when the drive gear 31g is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 7 (mainly during toner replenishment), the held portion is caused by the force received by the gear 33c from the drive gear 31g. The toner container 32Y and the apparatus main body 100 are configured so that 34Y (or the container main body 33Y) is biased downward.
Specifically, referring to FIG. 7, the meshing position D of the gear 33c and the drive gear 31g is a range X (uppermost and 1/4 rotation position) from the uppermost part of the gear 33c to the 1/4 rotation downstream side. Is not included.)
With such a configuration, a component force that acts vertically downward on the force that the drive gear 31g acts perpendicular to the tooth surface of the gear 33c is generated, and the held portion 34Y does not largely swing up and down, The sealing performance with respect to the nozzle 70 communicating with the toner discharge port B is maintained, and toner scattering from the vicinity of the toner discharge port B is suppressed.

Referring to FIG. 5, a gripping portion 33 d is provided at the rear end (bottom) of the container main body 33 </ b> Y for the user to grip when attaching / detaching the toner container 32 </ b> Y.
Further, a spiral protrusion 33b is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the container body 33Y (a spiral groove when viewed from the outer peripheral surface side). The spiral projection 33b is for rotating and driving the container body 33Y in a predetermined direction to discharge the toner from the opening A. The container body 33Y configured in this way can be manufactured by blow molding together with the gear 33c disposed on the peripheral surface thereof.
In the toner container 32Y according to the first embodiment, the stirring member 33f that rotates together with the container body 33Y is provided in the opening A. The stirring member 33f extends from the space in the held portion 34Y into the container main body 33Y, and is disposed at an angle with respect to the rotation axis (the one-dot chain line in FIG. 6). It is. By rotating the stirring member 33 together with the container main body 33Y, the toner dischargeability from the opening A is improved.

  In the first embodiment, the container body 33Y of the toner container 32Y is rotated counterclockwise when viewed from the upstream side in the toner conveyance direction. Further, the spiral direction (winding direction) of the protrusion 33b in the container body 33Y is set to the right direction. Thus, a clockwise vortex is formed in the toner container 32Y by the rotation of the container body 33Y (the same direction as the rotation direction of the vortex formed in the screw pump 60).

  5 and 6, the held portion 34Y includes a cap 34a, a cap cover 34b, a holder 34c, a plug member 34d as an opening / closing member, a packing 34e, an ID chip 35, and the like. 5 and 7, engagement portions 34g (groove portions) with which the positioning members 31c of the toner container housing portion 31 are engaged are provided on both side surfaces of the held portion 34Y. Further, a recessed portion 34m into which the fitting member 31d of the toner container housing portion 31 is fitted is provided on the end surface of the held portion 34Y. Further, a convex portion 34n into which another fitting member (not shown) of the toner container housing portion 31 is fitted is provided on the peripheral surface of the held portion 34Y. Furthermore, a notch 34h where a part of the gear 33c is exposed is provided above the held portion 34Y.

The held portion 34Y communicates with the container main body 33Y through the opening A, and discharges the toner discharged from the opening A from the toner discharge port B (the movement in the direction of the broken arrow in FIG. 6). ).
Here, in this Embodiment 1, the cavity (space) formed in the to-be-held part 34Y is formed in the substantially cylindrical shape. Further, a toner discharge path (vertical path) from the substantially cylindrical cavity formed in the held portion 34Y to the toner discharge port B is formed in a mortar shape. Thus, the vortex airflow formed in the container main body 33Y is maintained without being lost by the rotation of the container main body 33Y, and is efficiently delivered toward the toner discharge port B. Therefore, the toner transportability of the toner discharged from the toner discharge port B and moving in the tube 71 is improved.

The held portion 34Y is not interlocked with the rotation of the container body 33Y, and the holding portion 73 (see FIGS. 4 and 8) of the toner container accommodating portion 31 can be referred to with the engaging portion 34g engaged with the positioning member 31c. )) Is held non-rotating.
The cap cover 34b of the held portion 34Y is bonded to the peripheral surface of the cap 34a. A claw 34b1 is provided at the tip of the cap cover 34b. The claw 34b1 engages with an engagement member formed on the head of the container main body 33Y, so that the container main body 33Y is against the held portion 34Y. It is held relatively rotatable. Here, in order to smoothly rotate the container main body 33Y, the claw 34b1 of the held portion 34Y and the engaging member of the container main body 33Y are engaged with each other with an appropriate clearance.

  Further, the held portion 34Y has a sealing material 37 attached to a facing surface facing the front end surface 33a around the opening A of the container body 33Y. The sealing material 37 is for sealing the gap between the opposing surfaces of the container main body 33Y and the held portion 34Y around the opening A, and is formed of an elastic material such as polyurethane foam.

Further, a holder 34c is provided below the held portion 34Y. The holder 34c is provided with a plug member 34d (shutter) as an opening / closing member that opens and closes the toner discharge port B in conjunction with the attaching / detaching operation of the toner container 32Y. Specifically, a plug member 34d is provided in the holder 34c so as to be movable in the left-right direction in FIG. 6 so as to be surrounded by the sliding portions 34c1 and 34c2. On the bottom surface of the holder 34c, a space (concave portion) is provided for the claw member 76 of the apparatus main body 100 to engage with the plug member 34d and to move the plug member 34d relatively. At both ends of the plug member 34d, packings 34e such as G seals are installed in order to suppress the leakage of toner from the vicinity of the plug member 34d. Further, a packing such as an O-ring is installed at the engaging portion between the holder 34c and the cap 34a in order to prevent leakage of toner from the gap between the both.
When the toner container 32Y is set in the toner container accommodating portion 31, a claw member 76 (see FIG. 5) as an urging member that urges the plug member 34d at the right end of the plug member 34d in a direction to close the toner discharge port B. 5, FIG. 12, FIG. 13 etc.) can be engaged. The claw member 76 will be described in detail later.

  Further, the ID chip 35 of the held portion 34Y is configured to face the communication circuit 74 of the toner container housing portion 31 with a predetermined distance in conjunction with the mounting operation of the toner container 32Y with respect to the toner container housing portion 31. Has been. Specifically, the ID chip 35 is on the protrusion 34a1 of the held portion 34Y that protrudes in the mounting direction (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 5) to the toner container housing portion 31, and on the surface orthogonal to the mounting direction. It is arranged. The ID chip 35 performs non-contact communication (wireless communication) with the communication circuit 74 of the apparatus main body in a state where the held portion 34Y is held in the toner container housing portion 31.

  Here, various information related to the toner container 32Y is stored in the ID chip 35 in advance. On the other hand, the communication circuit 74 of the toner container housing unit 31 wirelessly exchanges information with the ID chip 35 in a state where the toner container 32Y is set in the toner container housing unit 31. That is, information stored in the ID chip 35 is transmitted to the control unit 75 (see FIG. 5) of the apparatus main body 100 via the communication circuit 74, or information on the apparatus main body 100 acquired by the control unit 75 is communicated. The data is transmitted to and stored in the ID chip 35 via the circuit 74.

  The ID chip 35 includes information on the toner such as the toner color, the toner production number (manufacturing lot), the toner production date, the number of times of recycling, the date of recycling, and the toner container 32Y of the recycling manufacturer. Information related to recycling is stored. When the toner container 32 </ b> Y is installed in the toner container storage unit 31, information stored in the ID chip 35 is transmitted to the control unit 75 of the apparatus main body 100 via the electronic circuit 74. Based on these pieces of information, the apparatus main body 100 is optimally controlled. For example, when the toner color is different from the toner color to be installed in the toner container housing portion, the operation of the toner replenishing device can be stopped, or the image forming conditions can be changed according to the manufacturing number or the recycling manufacturer.

The holder 34c of the held portion 34Y is provided with sliding portions 34c1 and 34c2 that slide on the toner container housing portion 31 in conjunction with the attaching / detaching operation with respect to the toner container housing portion 31.
Specifically, the first sliding portion 34c1 is a flat portion formed so as to be parallel to the sliding surface 31a (the upper surface, which can refer to FIG. 8) of the toner container housing portion 31. It is disposed at the bottom of the held portion 34Y where the attaching / detaching operation is performed. Further, the second sliding portion 34c2 is a flat portion formed so as to be parallel to the sliding surface (side surface) of the toner container housing portion 31, and is a held portion where the attaching / detaching operation is performed. It is arranged on the side of 34Y.

  Referring to FIGS. 5 and 7, a recessed portion 34 m that is fitted to the fitting member 31 d of the toner container housing portion 31 is provided on the end surface of the held portion 34 Y and in the vicinity of the protruding portion 34 a 1. . The concave portion 34m is configured to be fitted into the corresponding fitting member 31d when the mounting operation to the toner container housing portion 31 is correct (when the toner container housing portion 31 is mounted at the normal position). Yes.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the positions of the recesses 34m are arranged at different positions depending on the color of the toner stored in the toner container (container body). A toner container recess 34m (C) corresponding to cyan and a toner container housing portion fitting member (not shown) are disposed on the uppermost side, and the toner container recess 34m (M) corresponding to magenta. The toner container housing part fitting member (not shown) is arranged in the middle upper part, and the toner container recess 34m (Y) corresponding to yellow and the toner container housing part fitting member 31d are in the middle lower part. The concave portion 34m (K) of the toner container corresponding to black and the fitting member (not shown) of the toner container housing portion are disposed at the lowermost position.
With such a configuration, a toner container of a different color (for example, a yellow toner container) is set in a toner container storage section of a predetermined color (for example, a cyan toner container storage section), and A problem that a desired color image cannot be formed is suppressed.

Similarly, referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 7, a convex portion 34n into which another fitting member (not shown) is fitted is provided on the peripheral surface of the held portion 34Y. Similar to the above-described concave portion 34m, the convex portion 34n is configured to be fitted to a corresponding fitting member when the mounting operation to the toner container housing portion 31 is correct. Although not shown in the drawing, the position of the convex portion 34n is arranged at a different position depending on the color of the toner stored in the toner container (container body).
With such a configuration, erroneous setting of the toner container in the toner container housing portion is suppressed, similarly to the above-described recess 34m.

Here, in the first embodiment, when the volume average particle diameter is Dv (μm) and the number average particle diameter is Dn (μm) as the toner accommodated in the toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K,
3 ≦ Dv ≦ 8 (1)
1.00 ≦ Dv / Dn ≦ 1.40 (2)
The one formed so that the relationship is established is used. As a result, the toner particles are selected according to the image pattern during the development process to maintain good image quality, and good developability is maintained even if the developing device is stirred for a long time. Furthermore, the toner is efficiently and reliably conveyed without blocking the toner supply path such as the tube 71.
The volume average particle diameter and number average particle diameter of the toner are typically measured by a coal counter type particle size distribution measuring device “Coulter Counter TA-2” (manufactured by Coulter Co.) or “Coulter Multisizer 2” (Coulter). Can be used.

Further, in the first embodiment, the toner contained in the toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K has a shape factor SF-1 in the range of 100 to 180 and a shape factor SF-2 in the range of 100 to 180. A substantially spherical toner formed so as to be in the range is used. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in cleaning performance while maintaining high transfer efficiency. Furthermore, the toner is efficiently and reliably conveyed without blocking the toner supply path such as the tube 71.
Here, the shape factor SF-1 indicates the sphericity of the toner particles, and is obtained by the following equation.
SF-1 = (M ² / S) × (100π / 4)
In the above equation, M is the maximum particle size (the largest particle size among sparse particle sizes) on the toner particle projection surface, and S is the area of the toner particle projection surface. Therefore, toner particles having a shape factor SF-1 of 100 are true spheres, and the sphericity decreases as the value increases from 100.

The shape factor SF-2 indicates the degree of unevenness of the toner particles, and is obtained by the following equation.
SF-2 = (N ² / S) × (100 / 4π)
In the above equation, N is the circumference of the toner particle projection surface, and S is the area of the toner particle projection surface. Therefore, the toner particles having the shape factor SF-2 of 100 have no irregularities, and the irregularities increase as the value increases from 100.
The shape factor SF-1 and the shape factor SF-2 are obtained by analyzing a toner particle photograph taken with a scanning electron microscope “S-800” (manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd.) and an image analyzer “LUSEX3” (manufactured by Nireco). )

Next, the configuration of the toner container housing portion 31 will be described with reference to FIGS.
Referring to FIG. 8, the toner container accommodating portion 31 includes the positions of the sliding surfaces 31 a on which the sliding portions of the held portions of the four toner containers 32 Y, 32 M, 32 C, and 32 K slide and the holder 34 c of the held portion. The holding unit 73 to be determined, the nozzle 70, the driving unit for transmitting the rotational driving force to the container main body 33Y (a driving gear 31g is installed), the communication circuit 74, and the toner container 32Y to be held in conjunction with the mounting operation. A pair of arms 90 (biasing means) that biases the portion 34Y toward the holding portion 73, and a claw member (biasing member) 76 that biases the plug member 34d in a direction to close the toner discharge port B of the toner container 32Y. In addition, a toner receiving portion 77 (see FIGS. 3, 13, etc.) for receiving the toner dropped downward from the position of the claw member 76 is installed.

  The holding unit 73 holds the held portions of the toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K in a non-rotating manner. The holding portion 73 includes a sliding surface that contacts the holder 34c, a contact surface that contacts a part of the cap cover 34b, and the like. The sliding surface (side surface) of the holding portion 73 is provided with a positioning member 31c that performs positioning in conjunction with the mounting operation of the held portion 34Y (see FIG. 5). The positioning member 31c is a convex portion extending along the attaching / detaching direction of the toner container 32Y.

  Further, on the sliding surface (bottom surface) of the holding portion 73, a claw member as a biasing member that biases the plug member 34d in a direction to close the toner discharge port B in conjunction with the detachment operation of the held portion 34Y. 76 is provided (see FIGS. 5 and 10 to 12). The claw member 76 is held in the toner container housing 31 so as to be rotatable in the direction of a double arrow in FIG. Specifically, the claw member 76 is attached by a leaf spring (second urging member) (not shown) in a direction in which the claw member 76 protrudes from a retracted position that does not prevent attachment / detachment of the held portion 34Y to a position that engages with the plug member 34d. (It is urging in the direction of arrow R2 in FIG. 11).

Further, a communication circuit 74 and a fitting member 31d are disposed on the inner surface of the holding portion 73.
In the holding unit 73, nozzles 70 shown in FIG. 9 are installed for each toner color. The nozzle 70 is provided with a toner supply port 70a that communicates with the toner discharge port B formed in the held portion 34Y of the toner container 32Y. Further, a toner receiving portion 77 (toner receiving tray) for collecting the dropped toner is installed below the claw member 76 (see FIGS. 3 and 13).

With reference to FIGS. 10 to 12, the attaching / detaching operation (attaching / detaching operation) of the toner container 32 </ b> Y to the toner container accommodating portion 31 will be described.
FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the yellow toner container 32Y mounted in the toner container housing portion 31 (moving in the direction of arrow Q) as viewed in the longitudinal direction. FIG. 11 is a schematic view of the state in which the toner container 32Y has been attached (the state in which the opening of the toner discharge port B is started) as viewed in the longitudinal direction. FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the state in which the toner container 32Y is mounted in the toner container housing 31 (the state where the toner discharge port B has been opened) as viewed in the longitudinal direction.

When the toner container 32Y is mounted in the toner container housing portion 31 of the apparatus main body 100, first, a main body cover (not shown) provided on the front surface of the image forming apparatus main body 100 (the front side in FIG. 1). .) Is opened to expose the toner container housing 31 forward.
Thereafter, referring to FIG. 10, toner container 32 </ b> Y is pushed into toner container housing 31 (movement in the direction of arrow Q). That is, the toner container 32Y is attached to the toner container housing portion 31 along the longitudinal direction of the container main body 33Y (or the toner container 32Y) so that the held portion 34Y is ahead of the container main body 33Y.

  At this time, the toner container 32Y is moved to the toner container 32Y by the user holding the gripping part 33d on the rear end side of the toner container 32Y while the sliding part 34c1 slides on the sliding surface 31a of the toner container housing part 31 on the leading side of the toner container 32Y. It will be pushed into the container accommodating part 31 with good balance.

Thereafter, when the holder 34c of the toner container 33Y reaches the holding portion 73 of the toner container housing portion 31, in addition to the sliding of the sliding surface 31a of the first sliding portion 34c1, the second sliding portion 34c2 is a sliding surface ( Positioning of the held portion 34Y is started while sliding the side surface. Specifically, engagement between the engaging portion 34g of the held portion 34Y and the positioning member 31c of the toner container housing portion 31 is started. At this time, the held portion 34Y of the toner container 32Y is urged toward the holding portion 73 by the arm pair 90 (the urging in the arrow Q direction).
Further, at this time, the claw member 76 installed in the holding portion 73 of the toner container housing portion 31 retreats to a position that does not hinder the mounting of the held portion 34Y (rotation in the direction of arrow R1 about the rotation support shaft 76a). .) That is, the claw member 76 (claw portion 76b) is pushed down in the direction against the urging force of the leaf spring as the second urging member by the sliding portion 34c1.

Thereafter, when the mounting operation of the toner container 32Y is further advanced, the opening of the toner discharge port B by the plug member 34d is started in a state where the engaging portion 34g and the positioning member 31c are engaged (the state of FIG. 11). .) That is, the plug member 34d is pushed by the nozzle 70 as the tip of the nozzle 70 is inserted into the hole of the holder 34c.
At this time, the claw member 76 (claw portion 76b) protrudes from the retracted position of FIG. 10 to a position where it engages with the plug member 34d (rotation in the direction of arrow R2 about the rotation support shaft 76a). That is, the claw member 76 is released from the pushing by the sliding portion 34c1 and is pushed up to the default position by the urging force of the leaf spring as the second urging member.

  Here, the state of FIG. 11 is a state in which the plug member 34d is sandwiched between the nozzle 70 and the claw member 76, and the position in the toner container housing portion 31 (holding portion 73) is fixed. At this time, the claw portion 76b of the claw member 76 is engaged with the plug member 34d. Then, when the toner container 32Y is further moved in the mounting direction (arrow Q direction) from the state of FIG. 11, the toner discharge port B is opened with the position of the plug member 34d in the holding portion 73 being fixed. (The plug member 34d moves relatively).

  12, the position of the held portion 34Y is determined at the position where the holder 34c abuts against the holding portion 73 (abutting reference position), and at the same time, the plug member 34d completely opens the toner discharge port B. At the same time, the gear 33c of the toner container 32Y meshes with the drive gear 31g of the drive part of the toner container housing 31. Further, the ID chip 35 as an electronic substrate faces the communication circuit 74 at a position where wireless communication is possible. Further, the concave portion 34m and the convex portion 34n for ensuring incompatibility of the toner container are fitted to the fitting members 31d and 31e of the apparatus main body. Then, the toner discharge port B of the toner container 32Y communicates with the toner supply port 70a of the nozzle 70, and the mounting operation of the toner container 32Y is completed.

On the other hand, when the toner container 32Y is taken out (detached) from the toner container housing portion 31 of the apparatus main body 100, the operation is performed in a procedure reverse to the procedure at the time of mounting.
First, in conjunction with an operation (detachment operation) in which the toner container 32Y moves away from the holding portion 73, the plug member 34d is moved in a state where the position of the plug member 34d in the holding portion 73 is fixed by the nozzle 70 and the claw member 76. The toner discharge port B is closed by being urged by the claw member 76 (the movement from the state of FIG. 12 to the state of FIG. 11). At this time, the end surface (the left end surface in FIG. 11) of the plug member 34d is fitted into the fitting portion formed in the held portion 34Y, and the toner discharge port B is closed by the plug member 34d. Complete. Thereafter, when the toner container 32Y further moves in the separation direction (in the direction opposite to the arrow Q) from the state of FIG. 11, the claw member 76 (claw portion 76b) is moved to a position that does not hinder the separation of the held portion 34Y. Moves (the state shown in FIG. 10). Then, after the held portion 34Y is completely detached, the claw member 76 is released from the pushing by the sliding portion 34c1 and returns to the default position by the urging force of the leaf spring as the second urging member. .

  Here, in the leaf spring as the second urging member that urges the claw member 76 from the retracted position to the engaged position, the force by which the claw member 76 urges the plug member 34d is slid on the plug member 34d. It is formed so as to be larger than the resistance (the sliding resistance associated with the opening / closing operation). As a result, it is possible to suppress a problem that the toner discharge port B is not completely closed due to the claw member 76 being moved to the retracted position by being pushed by the plug member 34d during the detaching operation of the toner container 32Y. That is, when the toner container 32Y is detached, the toner outlet B is reliably closed by the plug member 34d.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the position of the plug member 34d in the toner container housing portion 31 is sandwiched between the nozzle 70 and the claw member 76 and securely fixed, so that the apparatus main body 100 is in operation. However, the toner scattering from the vicinity of the toner discharge port B can be reduced without causing a positional shift in the plug member 34d.

  In the first embodiment, the stroke of the plug member 34d when the toner discharge port B is opened and closed is a stroke that can be moved by human movement (for example, an operation of pushing the plug member with a finger). Is also set to be long. That is, even when the user accidentally touches the plug member 34d of the toner container 32Y, the stroke of the plug member 34d is set to a sufficient length so that the toner discharge port B is not opened. ing. Specifically, the length of the plug member 34d (particularly, the length from the end face position where the nozzle engages to the toner discharge port) is sufficiently long, and the plug member 34d. The aperture is sufficiently small with respect to the size of a human finger. Thus, as in the first embodiment, even when the urging member (claw member 76) for urging the plug member 34d in the direction of closing the toner discharge port B is not installed in the toner container 32Y, It is possible to prevent toner scattering from the toner discharge port B due to a user's erroneous operation. In the first embodiment, since the urging member (claw member 76) for urging the plug member 34d is installed in the apparatus main body 100, the number of parts of the toner container 32Y is reduced, and the part cost and Running costs can be reduced.

  In the first embodiment, the plug member 34d is disposed at a position surrounded by the sliding portions 34c1 and 34c2. That is, the plug member 34d is provided in the held portion 34Y. As a result, the sliding operation (attachment / detachment operation) of the sliding portions 34c1 and 34c2 is performed reliably without hindering the opening / closing operation of the toner discharge port B by the plug member 34d. That is, the sliding portions 34c1 and 34c2 function as protective walls for the plug member 34d.

As described above, in the image forming apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment, the toner container 32Y has a single action (except for the opening / closing operation of the main body door) in which the sliding portion 34c1 of the toner container 32Y slides on the sliding surface 31a. The mounting operation and the detaching operation are completed.
The toner container 32Y according to the first embodiment includes a held portion 34Y in which the toner discharge port B is disposed downward in the vertical direction, and the toner discharge port B is disposed below the opening A in the vertical direction. In addition, in order to open the toner discharge port B, which is pushed by the nozzle 70 and sealed with the packing 34e after the plug member 34d is reliably positioned in conjunction with the mounting operation, the toner discharge port B There is little toner contamination, and the problem that the user touches the toner outlet B and is stained with toner is reduced.

In addition, since the attaching / detaching operation of the toner container 32Y with respect to the toner container housing part 31 becomes one action accompanying the sliding of the sliding part 34c1, the operability and workability at the time of replacement of the toner container 32Y are improved. In particular, by providing the sliding portion 34c1 on the bottom surface of the held portion 34Y, the sliding portion 34c1 slides on the sliding surface 31a while supporting the toner container 32Y.
Further, in the mounting operation of the toner container 32Y, the sliding portion 34c1 starts to slide while the user directly grips the gripping portion 33d, and then the positioning of the held portion 34Y starts with the urging of the arm pair 90. After that, the insertion of the nozzle 70 is started, and the positioning of the held portion 34Y, the insertion of the nozzle 70, and the connection of the driving portion are completed with the end of the sliding. As a result, the user feels the click feeling due to the positioning of the held portion 34Y as the sliding of the held portion 34Y (one action mounting operation) proceeds, and is convinced that no erroneous operation has occurred in the mounting operation. It will be.

The toner container 32Y is not placed from above the toner container housing part 31 (device main body 100), but is attached and detached from the front surface of the toner container housing part 31 (device main body 100). The degree of freedom of the layout above the portion 31 is increased. For example, even when a scanner (original reading unit) is disposed directly above the toner replenishing device, the operability and workability in attaching and detaching the toner container 32Y do not deteriorate. Furthermore, the degree of freedom in layout with respect to the meshing position D between the gear 33c of the toner container 32Y and the drive gear 31g of the apparatus main body 100 is also increased.
Further, since the toner container 32Y is installed in the apparatus main body 100 with the longitudinal direction as the horizontal direction, the toner capacity of the toner container 32Y is increased without affecting the layout in the height direction of the entire image forming apparatus 100. Thus, the replacement frequency can be reduced.

Hereinafter, a characteristic configuration and operation of the image forming apparatus 100 (toner container housing portion 31) according to the first embodiment will be described.
As described above with reference to FIGS. 3, 10 to 12, and the like, the image forming apparatus main body 100 (toner container housing portion 31) in the first embodiment is interlocked with the detaching operation of the toner container 32 </ b> Y. A claw member 76 (biasing member) for urging the plug member 34d (opening / closing member) in an engaged state to close the toner discharge port B is installed below the position where the toner container 32Y is held. Has been.
Here, as shown in FIG. 13, the claw member 76 (biasing member) in the first embodiment is provided with a rotation support shaft 76a, a pair of claw portions 76b, a notch 76c, and the like. The rotation support shaft 76a is a portion serving as a fulcrum for swinging the claw member 76 in the vertical direction, and is rotatably held on the wall surface (not shown) of the toner container housing portion 31. Further, the claw portion 76b engages with an end portion of the plug member 34d in the detaching direction (the left direction in FIG. 12), and is perpendicular to the attaching / detaching direction (in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 12). Two) are provided at intervals. The rotation support shaft 76a is formed so as to be located on the upstream side (the right side in FIG. 12) in the detachment direction of the toner container 32Y with respect to the claw portion 76b.
The claw member 76 has a notch 76c formed between the pair of claw portions 76b. That is, when the claw member 76 is viewed from above, the lower claw member 76b is provided between the two claw portions 76b provided with a gap in the direction orthogonal to the attaching / detaching direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 12). A notch 76c is provided so that the space can be seen through.

  As described above, by providing the notch 76c in the claw member 76, even if the toner leaks out from the toner container 32Y, the leaked toner in the claw member 76 (biasing member) located below the toner container 32Y. Becomes difficult to adhere. That is, the toner dropped toward the claw member 76 passes through the notch 76c and falls down as it is (moving in the direction of the white arrow in FIG. 13), and therefore does not accumulate on the claw member 76. . Therefore, the toner accumulated on the claw member 76 as the toner container 32Y is attached / detached causes the bottom surface of the toner container 32Y (held portion 34Y) to become dirty or the area around the toner supply port 70a of the nozzle 70 to become dirty. In addition, it is difficult to cause a problem that toner adheres to the rotation support shaft 76a of the claw member 76 and the operation (swing) of the claw member 76 becomes dull.

  The inventor of the present application has a claw member 76 not provided with a notch 76c (a conventional claw member) and a claw member 76 provided with a notch 76c (the claw member 76 of the first embodiment). Were used to confirm the state of toner contamination when the toner container 32Y filled with 1500 g of toner was attached and detached 10 times. As a result, when the former claw member is used, some toner contamination occurs in the held portion 34Y and the nozzle 70, whereas when the latter claw member 76 is used, the held portion 34Y. And the toner contamination of the nozzle 70 hardly occurred.

Here, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 13, etc., a toner receiving portion 77 (toner receiving tray) for receiving the dropped toner vertically below the notch 76c of the claw member 76. Is provided. As a result, the toner dropped toward the claw member 76 passes through the notch 76 c and falls as it is, and is collected in the toner receiving portion 77.
The toner receiving portion 77 is preferably configured to be detachable from the toner container housing portion 31. This facilitates the cleaning operation (maintenance operation) of the toner collected in the toner receiving portion 77.

  As described above, in the image forming apparatus of the first embodiment, the plug member 34d (opening / closing member) in the engaged state is energized in conjunction with the detaching operation of the toner container 32Y, and the toner discharge port B is energized. Even when the claw member 76 (biasing member) for closing the toner container is installed below the position where the toner container 32Y is held, a notch 76c is formed between the pair of claw portions 76a of the claw member 76. Therefore, the toner contamination on the claw member 76 can be reliably reduced.

  In the first embodiment, the notch 76c is provided between the pair of claws 76a in the claw member 76, but a through hole may be provided between the pair of claws 76a in the claw member 76. Even in such a case, since the toner dropped toward the claw member 76 passes through the through hole and falls downward as it is, the toner contamination of the claw member 76 can be surely reduced.

  In the first embodiment, only the toner is accommodated in the container main bodies of the toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K. However, image formation is performed by appropriately supplying a two-component developer composed of toner and carrier to the developing device. For the apparatus, the two-component developer can be accommodated in the container bodies of the toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K. Even in that case, the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above can be obtained.

  In the first embodiment, the protrusion 33b is integrally formed on the inner peripheral surface of the container body 33Y, and the container body 33Y is rotationally driven. On the other hand, the coil or screw can be rotatably held inside the container body 33Y, and the coil or screw can be driven to rotate by the gear 33c without rotating the container body 33Y. Also in this case, the toner discharge port B is opened / closed by the plug member 34d of the held portion 34Y in conjunction with the one-action attachment / detachment operation of the toner container 32Y, so that the same effect as in the first embodiment described above can be obtained. Obtainable.

  In the first embodiment, the suction screw pump 60 for sending air to the inside of the tube 71 is installed in the toner supply device. On the other hand, a discharge screw pump that feeds air into the tube 71 can be installed in the toner supply device. Furthermore, a diaphragm type air pump can be used as a pump connected to the tube 71. In these cases also, the toner discharge port B is opened and closed by the plug member 34d of the held portion 34Y in conjunction with the attachment / detachment operation of one action of the toner container 32Y. Similar effects can be obtained.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
14 and 15, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.
FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a toner supply path of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 3 of the first embodiment. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the toner container housing portion in a state where the toner container is installed.
In the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment, the nail member 76 of the toner container housing portion 31 is disposed as the held portion 34Y (toner discharge port B) of the toner container 32Y is disposed at the front side in the mounting direction. The toner supply port 70a (nozzle 70) is different from that of the first embodiment in that the toner supply port 70a (nozzle 70) is disposed at the position in front of the user operation direction.

Similarly to the first embodiment, the toner container 32Y in the second embodiment is mainly composed of a container main body 33Y and a held portion 34Y. Here, the toner container 32Y in the second embodiment is different from that in the first embodiment in that the toner discharge port B is formed at a position on the near side with respect to the mounting direction with respect to the toner container housing portion 31. Yes. That is, referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, the toner container 32Y is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the container main body 33Y (or the toner container 32Y) so that the held portion 34Y is located behind the container main body 33Y. The toner container 32Y is attached to the toner container housing 31 (the movement in the direction of the white arrow in FIG. 14 or the direction of the arrow in FIG. 15).
Then, the image forming apparatus main body 100 (toner container housing part 31) in the second embodiment is aligned with the position of the held part 34Y (toner discharge port B) of the toner container 32Y as shown in FIGS. Thus, the claw member 76 and the toner replenishing port 70a (nozzle 70) are disposed at a position in front of the user's operation direction.

Here, also in the second embodiment, the claw member 76 (biasing member) is provided with a rotation support shaft 76a, a pair of claw portions 76b, a notch 76c, and the like, as shown in FIG. The claw member 76 has a notch 76c formed between the pair of claw portions 76b. Further, a toner receiving portion 77 (toner receiving tray) is installed below the claw member 76.
As described above, by providing the notch 76c in the claw member 76, even if the toner leaks out from the toner container 32Y, the leaked toner in the claw member 76 (biasing member) located below the toner container 32Y. Becomes difficult to adhere. That is, the toner dropped toward the claw member 76 passes through the notch 76 c and falls down as it is, and is collected by the toner receiving portion 77. Therefore, the toner accumulated on the claw member 76 as the toner container 32Y is attached / detached causes the bottom surface of the toner container 32Y (held portion 34Y) to become dirty or the area around the toner supply port 70a of the nozzle 70 to become dirty. In addition, it is difficult to cause a problem that toner adheres to the rotation support shaft 76a of the claw member 76 and the operation (swing) of the claw member 76 becomes dull.
In particular, as in the second embodiment, when the toner discharge port B of the toner container 32Y is formed at a position on the near side with respect to the mounting direction with respect to the toner container housing portion 31, this is accompanied. Since the position of the claw member 76 and the toner replenishing port 70a of the toner container housing portion 31 is also on the front side of the user's operation direction, the toner contamination around the claw member 76 and the toner replenishing port 70a is likely to be noticed by the user. It is useful to provide the member 76 with a notch 76c.

  As described above, in the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the plug member 34d (open / close) that is engaged in conjunction with the detachment operation of the toner container 32Y. Even when a claw member 76 (biasing member) for energizing the member) to close the toner discharge port B is installed below the position where the toner container 32Y is held, Since the notch 76c is formed between the claw portions 76a, toner contamination on the claw member 76 can be surely reduced.

  It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention, the embodiments can be modified as appropriate in addition to those suggested in the embodiments. Is clear. In addition, the number, position, shape, and the like of the constituent members are not limited to the above embodiments, and can be set to a number, position, shape, and the like that are suitable for carrying out the present invention.

5Y developing device,
31 Toner container container,
32Y, 32M, 32C, 32K toner containers,
33Y container body,
34Y to-be-held part,
34d plug member (opening / closing member),
59 Toner supply device,
76 Claw member (biasing member),
77 Toner receiver,
100 Image forming apparatus body (apparatus body),
A opening, B toner discharge port.

Japanese Patent No. 4408864

Claims (6)

A toner container comprising: a toner outlet for discharging toner contained therein; and an opening / closing member for opening and closing the toner outlet;
A toner container housing portion that detachably accommodates the toner container and that pushes the opening and closing member in conjunction with the mounting operation of the toner container to open the toner discharge port;
With
The toner container housing portion is provided so as to be swingable in the vertical direction so that it can be retracted from the engagement position with the opening / closing member below the position where the toner container is held, and interlocked with the removal operation of the toner container. A biasing member that biases the open / close member in an engaged state to close the toner discharge port,
The biasing member is
A claw member having a pair of claw portions that engage with end portions in the detaching direction of the opening and closing member, and a notch or a through hole formed between the pair of claw portions,
A fulcrum for swinging the claw member in the vertical direction is formed so as to be located on the upstream side in the detachment direction of the toner container with respect to the claw portion engaged with the opening / closing member,
In conjunction with the mounting operation of the toner container, the claw member comes into contact with the toner container and is pushed down to start retraction from the engagement position to a position that does not hinder the mounting of the toner container. The toner container housing portion pushes the opening / closing member to open the toner discharge port, and the claw member protrudes to the engagement position to engage the opening / closing member,
In conjunction with the detachment operation of the toner container, the claw member urges the opening / closing member at the engagement position to start closing the toner discharge port, and then the claw member comes into contact with the toner container. An image forming apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus is retracted to a position that does not prevent the toner container from being removed by being pushed down.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a toner receiving portion for receiving the dropped toner, vertically below the notch or the through hole of the claw member.   3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the toner container is attached and detached by moving in a horizontal direction with respect to the toner container housing portion with a longitudinal direction of the toner container being an attachment / detachment direction.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the toner discharge port of the toner container is formed at a position on the near side with respect to a mounting direction with respect to the toner container housing portion.   5. The toner container housing portion further includes a second urging member that urges the urging member from a lower retreat position toward an upper engagement position. The image forming apparatus according to any one of the above.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second urging member is a leaf spring.

Images