JP2012242770A - Development apparatus and image forming apparatus including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a development apparatus preventing developer from leaking to the outside of the development apparatus by collecting the developer adhering to a developer supply port and the surrounding when replacing a supply container, and an image forming apparatus including the development apparatus.SOLUTION: A development apparatus 19 includes: a shutter member 33 capable of sliding a developer supply port 22c between an open position and a closed position; and a seal member 32 which seals the surrounding of the developer supply port 22c at the closed position of the shutter member 33 and has a supply opening 32a opposed to the developer supply port 22c to be elastically deformably fixed to a developing container 22. The seal member 32 has collection openings 32b and 32c on a downstream side of the supply opening 32a in a closing direction of the shutter member 33. When the shutter member 33 is moved in the closing direction and is opposed to the collection openings 32b and 32c, the upstream side surroundings of the collection openings 32b and 32c are configured to be elastically deformed more greatly than the downstream side surroundings.

Description

  The present invention relates to a developing device used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, or a composite machine thereof, and an image forming apparatus including the same, and more particularly, to a developing device capable of additionally supplying a developer and the same. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image forming apparatus supplies toner to a photoconductor by a developing device in order to visualize a latent image formed on the photoconductor as an image carrier as a toner image. Further, when the toner in the developing container of the developing device is consumed, the toner is supplied into the developing container using a replenishing container such as a toner cartridge or a toner container. When the replenishing container becomes empty, it is replaced with a new replenishing container containing toner. When the replenishing container is removed from the developing container, the toner adhering to the toner replenishing port and its periphery is removed from the developing device. There is a problem that the image forming apparatus and the floor on which the image forming apparatus is installed get dirty.

  Therefore, in the developing device of Patent Document 1, a holder for detachably supporting a cylindrical toner cartridge is formed in the developing container, and is formed of an elastic body around the toner supply port on the outer peripheral surface of the toner cartridge. The seal member is fixed, and the seal member is disposed so as to seal between the outer peripheral surface of the toner cartridge and the inner peripheral surface of the holder. When the toner cartridge is rotated after being inserted into the holder, the toner scattered from the replenishing port of the toner cartridge is sealed with a sealing member, and the toner enters between the outer peripheral surface of the toner cartridge and the inner peripheral surface of the holder, and the toner cartridge It is prevented from adhering to the outer peripheral surface.

JP 5-181362 (paragraph [0016], FIG. 3)

  However, in Patent Document 1 described above, the toner scattered from the toner cartridge replenishment port adheres to the seal member, and when the toner cartridge is removed from the holder, the toner adhering to the seal member leaks outside the developing device and forms an image. There was an inconvenience of polluting the device and its surroundings.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and collects the developer adhering to the developer replenishment port and its periphery when the replenishment container is replaced, thereby allowing the outside of the developing device to be recovered. An object of the present invention is to provide a developing device and an image forming apparatus including the developing device.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first invention provides a developer replenishing port formed in a developer container for containing a developer and replenishing the developer into the developer container, and an open position for opening the developer replenishing port. A shutter member slidable to a closed position for closing the developer supply port; an outer surface of the developer container around the developer supply port and an inner surface of the shutter member at the closed position of the shutter member; A seal member that has a replenishment opening facing the developer replenishment opening and is elastically deformed and is fixed to the developer container; and developer from the developer replenishment opening through the replenishment opening In the developing device, comprising: a replenishing container that is supplied into the developing container and detachable from the developing container; and an opening / closing mechanism that moves the shutter member in an opening / closing direction by an attaching / detaching operation of the replenishing container. The lug member has a recovery opening on the downstream side of the replenishment opening with respect to the closing direction of the shutter member, and when the shutter member moves in the closing direction and faces the recovery opening, the periphery of the upstream side of the recovery opening Is configured to be more elastically deformed than the downstream side periphery.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the above developing device, the seal member extends in the closing direction of the shutter member and is formed in a rectangular shape, and the collection opening has an opening width in a direction perpendicular to the closing direction. Is characterized in that the upstream side in the closing direction is larger than the downstream side.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the developing device, the recovery opening is formed in a fan shape having a center on the downstream side in the closing direction.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the above developing device, the outer peripheral end of the recovery opening is formed so as to be inclined so that the opening side is lowered.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the developing device, a plurality of the recovery openings are arranged in parallel in the closing direction.

  In a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the above developing device, the seal member is formed with a flat surface extending from the recovery opening to the downstream side in the closing direction.

  According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including the developing device having the above-described configuration.

  According to the first invention, when the supply container is removed from the developing container, the shutter member moves in the closing direction in conjunction with the operation of removing the supply container. As the shutter member moves in the closing direction, the shutter member closes the replenishment opening of the seal member and then reaches a position facing the recovery opening. Here, since the seal member seals between the shutter member and the developing container, the shutter member comes into pressure contact with the seal member when moved in the closing direction, and the developer adhered on the seal member is sealed by the shutter member. Stripped from above. The developer thus peeled off is transported from above the seal member to the collection opening by the shutter member. At the position where the shutter member faces the recovery opening, the upstream periphery of the recovery opening is more elastically deformed than the downstream periphery thereof, so that the developer carried to the recovery opening is easily recovered in the recovery opening. Therefore, by collecting the developer attached on the seal member in the collection opening, it is possible to prevent the developer from leaking outside the developing device.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration of an image forming apparatus including a developing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The perspective view which shows the external appearance of the image development apparatus which is embodiment. A perspective view showing an appearance of a toner container used in a developing device according to an embodiment The perspective view which shows the external appearance of the image development part of the image development apparatus which is embodiment. The perspective view which shows the external appearance of the principal part of the image development part in the state which opened the shutter member which is embodiment. Schematic which shows the movement state from the open position of the shutter member which is embodiment to a closed position

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Further, the use of the invention and the terms shown here are not limited thereto.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration of an in-body discharge type image forming apparatus. Under the image forming apparatus 100, a cassette type paper feeding unit 10 is disposed. The paper feeding unit 10 accommodates paper before printing. The paper stored in the paper feeding unit 10 is fed out one by one by the pickup roller 10 d, and the fed-out paper is sent out to the paper transport path 11.

  The paper transport path 11 extends in the vertical direction on the right side of the paper feeding unit 10. The sheet fed from the sheet feeding unit 10 is conveyed to the registration roller pair 12 above the sheet conveying path 11. The registration roller pair 12 sends the paper toward the image forming unit 3 in synchronization with the timing of transferring the toner image onto the paper.

  A document reading device 6 is disposed on the upper part of the image forming apparatus 100, and a platen (document pressing) 29 is provided on the upper surface of the document reading device 6. When copying an original, the original image data of the original placed on the platen 29 is read by the original reading device 6.

  An image forming unit 3 is disposed substantially at the center of the image forming apparatus 100. The image forming unit 3 includes a photoconductor 5 that is an image carrier, and in addition, a charging unit (not shown), an exposure unit 7, and the like around the photoconductor 5 along the rotation direction (A direction in the figure). A developing device 19, a transfer roller 13, and a cleaning unit and a charge removal unit (not shown) are provided.

  When the surface of the photoconductor 5 is uniformly charged with a predetermined polarity and potential by the charging unit, the exposure unit 7 reads the original image on the photoconductor 5 based on the image data of the original read by the original reading device 6. An electrostatic latent image is formed.

  The developing device 19 supplies charged toner (developer) to the surface of the photoconductor 5, develops the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 5 to form a toner image, and the toner to the developing unit 8. And a toner container 9 for supplying the toner.

  The developing unit 8 agitates and conveys toner, agitating members 23 and 24, a developing roller 27 that supports the toner supplied from the agitating member 24 on the surface and supplies the toner to the photoreceptor 5, and a surface of the developing roller 27. And a regulating member that regulates the carried toner to a predetermined layer thickness. By the rotation of the developing roller 27, the toner is conveyed toward the photosensitive member 5, and a bias is applied to the developing roller 27, whereby the toner on the developing roller 27 is supplied to the photosensitive member 5, and the static on the photosensitive member 5 is static. The electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image.

  The toner container 9 supplies new toner to the developing unit 8 and is provided above the developing unit 8. Stir screws 51 to 53 are provided in the container of the toner container 9, and the stir screws 51 to 53 are rotated so that the toner in the container is stirred and transported. The transported toner is transferred from the toner container 9 to the developing unit 8. Supplied.

  The toner image on the photoreceptor 5 is transferred onto the paper by the transfer roller 13. The sheet on which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to a fixing unit 14 disposed above the sheet conveyance path 11. After the toner image is transferred to the paper, the toner remaining on the surface of the photoconductor 5 is cleaned and collected by the cleaning unit, and the residual charge on the surface of the photoconductor 5 is removed by the charge eliminating unit.

  The fixing unit 14 includes a fixing roller 14a having a built-in heat source and a pressure roller 14b, and pressurizes and heats the paper on which the toner image has been transferred by the fixing roller 14a and the pressure roller 14b, thereby converting the toner image on the paper. Melt and fix. The sheet on which the toner image is fixed is conveyed to the upper left in the sheet conveyance path 11 and is discharged by the discharge roller pair 20 to the in-body sheet discharge unit 17 which is a discharge unit.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the developing device 19 used in the image forming apparatus 100. The developing device 19 includes the developing unit 8 and the toner container 9 as described above.

  The developing unit 8 includes a developing container 22 that accommodates toner and rotatably supports the developing roller 27 and the stirring members 23 and 24 (see FIG. 1). A toner container 9 is detachably supported on the developing container 22.

  The toner container 9 contains toner to be supplied to the developing unit 8 and has a supply container 54 that rotatably supports the stirring screws 51 to 53 (see FIG. 1).

  The replenishing container 54 is provided with a removable cap 55 for filling toner inside the container, and a drive shaft 59 for rotating the stirring screws 51 to 53 is provided. The drive shaft 59 is rotatably provided on the rear wall portion of the supply container 54, and engages with the driving shaft 31 provided in the developing unit 8 when the toner container 9 is attached to the developing unit 8. The driving shaft 31 rotates in synchronization with the rotation of the developing roller 27. When the driving shaft 59 is rotated by the rotation of the driving shaft 31, the stirring screws 51 to 53 rotate, and the toner in the supply container 54 is stirred. Be transported.

  The toner container 9 is attached to the developing unit 8 when it is moved in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 2, and is removed from the developing unit 8 when it is moved in the direction of arrow C in FIG.

  FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the state in which the toner container 9 is removed from the developing unit 8 as viewed from below. The toner container 9 is provided with a container shutter member 56. The container shutter member 56 opens and closes a container opening that supplies toner from the toner container 9 to the developing container 22. In a state where the toner container 9 is removed from the developing unit 8, the container shutter member 56 closes the container opening. On the other hand, in a state in which the toner container 9 is attached to the developing unit 8, the container shutter member 56 opens the container opening so that toner can be supplied from the toner container 9 to the developing unit 8.

  The container shutter member 56 is supported so as to be movable in the directions of arrows B and C between the supply container 54 and an attachment plate 57 attached to the lower surface of the supply container 54. The container shutter member 56 and the attachment plate 57 are provided with a spring member (not shown), and the container shutter member 56 holds the container opening of the toner container 9 in a closed state by the spring member. Therefore, when the toner container 9 is detached from the developing unit 8, the toner in the replenishing container 54 does not leak outside.

  4 and 5 are perspective views showing the appearance of the developing unit 8. 4 is a perspective view showing the developing unit 8 with the toner container 9 removed, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the main part of the developing unit 8 with the toner container 9 attached. In FIG. 5, the toner container 9 is omitted for convenience of description of the shutter member 33 and the seal member 32.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the developing container 22 has an upper surface portion 22 e that faces the toner container 9 attached to the developing portion 8, and has a standing wall 22 f on the back side in the direction of arrow B. A driving shaft 31 is disposed on the standing wall 22f.

  A shutter member 33 that opens and closes a developer supply port 22c (see FIG. 5) formed in the developing container 22 is provided on the upper surface portion 22e of the developing container 22 so as to be movable in the directions of arrows B and C. A guide groove 22a extending in the directions of arrows B and C is formed on one side surface of the upper surface portion 22e, and a locking projection 22b and a plurality of guide projections 22g extending upward are provided on the other side surface of the upper surface portion 22e. .

  The shutter member 33 is formed to extend long in the directions of arrows B and C, and is formed in a plate shape that is bent downward on one side and bent upward on the other side. When the lower and upper bent portions engage with the guide groove 22a and the guide protrusion 22g, respectively, the shutter member 33 is supported so as to be movable in the directions of arrows B and C. The shutter member 33 and the developing container 22 are provided with a spring member (not shown), and the shutter member 33 is urged by the spring member in a direction in which the shutter member 33 abuts the locking protrusion 22b of the developing container 22. When the shutter member 33 is in contact with the locking protrusion 22b, the developer supply port 22c (see FIG. 5) is closed by the shutter member 33. When the shutter member 33 closes the developer supply port 22c, the toner container 9 is not attached to the developing unit 8.

  When the toner container 9 is operated in the direction of arrow B in order to attach the toner container 9 to the developing unit 8, the shutter member 33 is moved in the direction of arrow B by the attaching operation of the toner container 9, and the developer supply port 22c is opened. (See FIG. 5). As a result, toner can be supplied from the toner container 9 to the developing unit 8. On the other hand, in FIG. 5, when the toner container 9 is operated in the direction of arrow C in order to remove the toner container 9 from the developing unit 8, the shutter member 33 moves in the direction of arrow C due to the removal operation of the toner container 9. The supply port 22c is closed (state shown in FIG. 4). The opening / closing movement of the shutter member 33 by the attaching / detaching operation of the toner container 9 will be described in detail later.

  A seal member 32 is disposed between the upper surface portion 22 e of the developing container 22 and the shutter member 33. The seal member 32 is made of an elastically deformable member such as sponge-like rubber, plastic, or synthetic fiber felt, and is fixed to the upper surface portion 22e of the developing container 22 with an adhesive or the like. When the shutter member 33 faces the seal member 32 as the shutter member 33 opens and closes, the seal member 32 is elastically deformed by being pressed against the shutter member 33, and between the upper surface of the seal member 32 and the lower surface of the shutter member 33. Is sealed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the seal member 32 extends in the opening / closing direction (B, C direction) of the shutter member 33 and is formed in a rectangular shape. Further, the seal member 32 has a supply opening 32 a facing the developer supply port 22 c of the developer container 22. The supply opening 32a is formed in a hexagonal shape with a size substantially equal to or less than that of the developer supply opening 22c. In addition, the shape of the supply opening 32a may be a square or a round shape. When the shutter member 33 moves in the opening direction (arrow B direction), the developer supply port 22c opens, and when the container shutter member 56 (see FIG. 3) opens the container opening, the supply container 54 (see FIG. 3). ) Is supplied into the developing container 22 from the developer supply port 22c through the supply opening 32a.

  The seal member 32 further has a plurality of recovery openings 32b and 32c. The collection openings 32b and 32c are formed in the vicinity of the supply opening 32a, and are arranged side by side downstream of the supply opening 32a with respect to the closing direction (C direction) of the shutter member 33. When the toner container 9 is replaced, the toner may scatter from the container opening of the toner container 9 or the developer supply port 22c of the developing container 22, and the scattered toner may adhere to the seal member 32. The recovery openings 32b and 32c The toner adhering to the seal member 32 is collected.

  That is, when the toner container 9 is removed from the developing unit 8, the shutter member 33 moves in the closing direction (C direction) in conjunction with the operation of removing the toner container 9. As the shutter member 33 moves in the closing direction (C direction), the shutter member 33 closes the supply opening 32a of the seal member 32 and then reaches a position facing the recovery opening 32b. Since the seal member 32 seals between the shutter member 33 and the upper surface portion 22e of the developing container 22, the shutter member 33 presses against the seal member 32 and elastically deforms the seal member 32. For this reason, when the shutter member 33 is moved in the closing direction (C direction), the toner adhering to the seal member 32 is peeled off from the seal member 32, and the peeled toner is removed from the seal member 32 by the shutter member 33. The toner adhering to the seal member 32 is collected in the collection opening 32b.

  Further, when the shutter member 33 reaches a position facing the collection opening 32c, the toner remaining on the seal member 32 without being collected in the collection opening 32b is carried by the shutter member 33 over the seal member 32 to the collection opening 32c. It is recovered in the recovery opening 32c.

  The collection openings 32b and 32c are formed in a fan shape having a center on the downstream side in the closing direction (C direction) of the shutter member 33. With this configuration, at the position where the shutter member 33 faces the recovery opening 32b32c, the upstream periphery of the recovery openings 32b and 32c is more elastically deformed than the downstream periphery thereof, so that the toner adhering to the seal member 32 is removed from the recovery opening. It becomes easier to collect in 32b and 32c. The recovery openings 32b and 32c are not limited to the fan-shaped configuration, and if the upstream periphery of the recovery openings 32b and 32c is configured to be elastically deformed from the downstream periphery, the recovery openings 32b and 32c A triangular shape or a trapezoidal shape having a large upstream width may be used. Further, the collection openings 32b and 32c may have different densities of, for example, sponge-like plastics on the upstream side and the downstream side thereof so that the upstream side periphery of the collection openings 32b and 32c is more easily elastically deformed than the downstream side periphery. Furthermore, the number of the collection openings may be one, or three or more. If a plurality of collection openings are arranged in parallel in the closing direction of the shutter member 33, the toner on the seal member 32 is collected in the collection openings sequentially. The toner is more difficult to leak out of the developing device 19.

  The outer peripheral ends of the collection openings 32b and 32c are formed so as to be inclined so that the opening side is lowered by, for example, 45 degrees. With this configuration, the toner attached on the seal member 32 is easily collected into the collection openings 32b and 32c from the inclined surface at the outer peripheral end.

  In the seal member 32, recovery openings 32b and 32c are formed in the vicinity of the replenishment opening 32a, and a flat surface 32d is formed to extend downstream in the closing direction of the recovery opening 32c. With this configuration, when toner remains on the seal member 32 without being collected in the collection openings 32b and 32c, the toner remaining on the seal member 32 may be moved even if the shutter member 33 moves in the closing direction. Since it remains on the flat surface 32 d of the seal member 32, it does not scatter outside the developing device 19 even if the toner container 9 is removed from the developing unit 8.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a moving state of the shutter member 33 from the open position to the closed position. 6A shows a state in which the toner container 9 is attached to the developing unit 8, that is, a state in which the shutter member 33 is in the open position. FIG. 6C shows a state in which the toner container 9 has been removed from the developing unit 8. FIG. 6B shows a state in which the shutter member 33 is in the closed position, and FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, when the shutter member 33 is in the open position, a container opening 54a formed in the supply container 54 (toner container 9), a mounting plate opening 57a formed in the mounting plate 57, and A shutter opening 56 a formed in the container shutter member 56 is located at a position facing the developer supply port 22 c of the developer container 22 and the supply opening 32 a of the seal member 32, and the toner in the supply container 54 supplies the developer container 22 with toner. be able to. In this state, the lower surface of the attachment plate 57 is in pressure contact with the seal member 32, and the developer supply port 22 c is sealed by the seal member 32 and the attachment plate 57. Further, in this state, the container shutter member 56 is urged by the spring member 58 and is in contact with the locking surface 22 d of the developing container 22. Further, the shutter member 33 is pressed in the opening direction against the contact surface 57 b provided in an inclined manner on the mounting plate 57 against the urging force of the spring member 34. The spring member 34 and the contact surface 57b constitute an opening / closing mechanism that operates the shutter member 33 in the opening / closing direction.

  When the supply container 54 is moved in the closing direction (C direction) of the shutter member 33, the shutter member 33 is operated in the closing direction (C direction) by the urging force of the spring member 34. The container shutter member 56 is in contact with the locking surface 22d of the developing container 22. When the supply container 54 moves to the position shown in FIG. 6B, the container shutter member 56 contacts the other contact surface 57 c of the mounting plate 57. In this state, the container shutter member 56 closes the container opening 54 a of the supply container 54. In the subsequent movement of the supply container 54, the container shutter member 56 is in contact with the contact surface 57c of the mounting plate 57 by the biasing force of the spring member 58, and the container opening 54a of the supply container 54 is in contact with the container shutter. Closed by member 56.

  When the supply container 54 is moved from FIG. 6B to FIG. 6C, the shutter member 33 is operated in the closing direction (C direction) by the urging force of the spring member 34 and is pressed against the seal member 32, and the seal member The replenishment openings 32a and the collection openings 32b and 32c of 32 are sequentially opposed. When the shutter member 33 moves while being pressed against the seal member 32, the toner adhering to the seal member 32 when the supply container 54 is removed is collected in the collection openings 32b and 32c.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a developing device used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, and a composite machine thereof, and an image forming apparatus including the developing device. The present invention can be used for an apparatus and an image forming apparatus including the apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 8 Developing part 9 Toner container 19 Developing device 22 Developing container 22a Guide groove 22b Locking protrusion 22c Developer supply port 22d Locking surface 22e Upper surface part 22f Standing wall 22g Guide protrusion 23, 24 Stirring member 27 Developing roller 28 Restricting member 31 Driving force Shaft 32 Seal member 32a Replenishment opening 32b, 32c Collection opening 32d Flat surface 33 Shutter member 34 Spring member (opening / closing mechanism)
51-53 Agitating screw 54 Supply container 54a Container opening 55 Cap 56 Container shutter member 56a Shutter opening 57 Mounting plate 57a Mounting plate opening 57b Contact surface (opening / closing mechanism)
57c Contact surface 58 Spring member 59 Drive shaft 100 Image forming apparatus

Claims (7)

A developer replenishing port formed in a developer container for containing the developer and replenishing the developer into the developer container;
A shutter member slidable between an open position for opening the developer supply port and a closed position for closing the developer supply port;
A seal opening between the outer surface of the developer container and the inner surface of the shutter member around the developer supply port at the closed position of the shutter member, and a supply opening facing the developer supply port; A seal member fixed to the developing container so as to be elastically deformable;
A replenishment container that is supplied to the developer container from the developer replenishment port through the replenishment opening and is detachable from the developer container;
An opening / closing mechanism that moves the shutter member in an opening / closing direction by an attaching / detaching operation of the supply container;
The seal member has a collection opening on the downstream side of the replenishment opening with respect to the closing direction of the shutter member, and when the shutter member moves in the closing direction and faces the collection opening, the upstream side of the collection opening A developing device characterized in that the periphery is more elastically deformed than the downstream periphery.   The seal member extends in the closing direction of the shutter member and is formed in a rectangular shape, and the recovery opening has an opening width in a direction perpendicular to the closing direction that is larger on the upstream side in the closing direction than on the downstream side. The developing device according to claim 1.   The developing device according to claim 2, wherein the recovery opening is formed in a fan shape having a center on the downstream side in the closing direction.   The developing device according to claim 1, wherein an outer peripheral end portion of the recovery opening is formed to be inclined so that the opening side is lowered.   The developing device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the recovery openings are arranged in parallel in the closing direction.   The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the seal member is formed with a flat surface extending from the collection opening toward the downstream side in the closing direction.   An image forming apparatus comprising the developing device according to claim 1.

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