JP2013037127A - Powder conveying device, development device, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a powder conveying device in which, when attaching/detaching a discharge part of a powder container to/from a main body side connection part, powder hardly adheres to a powder discharge port of the discharge part, and to provide a developing device and an image forming apparatus comprising the powder conveying device.SOLUTION: A powder conveying device comprises: a toner container 66 which stores powder and at least a part of which is deformable; a discharge part 67 for discharging powder inside the toner container 66 to the outside; and a delivery member 81 which delivers the powder to the discharge part 67 by moving towards the discharge part 67 side while the deformable part of the toner container 66 is pressed in towards the inside. The powder conveying device includes an eccentric weight 93 as vibration application means for applying vibration to the discharge part 67. It performs control in such a manner that driving of drive means 94 of the eccentric weight 93 continues for a prescribed time after the delivery movement of the delivery member 81.

Description

  The present invention relates to a powder conveyance device that conveys powder contained in a powder container to a discharge unit, a developing device including the powder conveyance device, and an image forming apparatus.

  In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, or a composite machine of these, a toner image is formed by a developing device using a developer generally called a toner or a carrier. ing. Since this type of image forming apparatus consumes a developer together with image formation, a developer container (powder container) that stores the developer such as a toner bottle or a toner cartridge is attached to the image forming apparatus. The developer is replenished from the container to the developing device of the image forming apparatus, and when the developer in the used container runs out, the container is replaced with a container containing new developer.

  As a system for supplying developer to the developing device from the developer container mounted on the image forming apparatus, conveying members such as screws, augers, coils, and agitators are provided inside the developer container, and these conveying members are used as the developer. There are some which are driven from the outside of the container to convey the developer. There is also a method of replenishing the developer by rotating a container called a screw bottle in which a spiral groove or protrusion is formed in the developer container itself.

  The method using a conveying member such as the screw, auger, coil, and agitator has a drawback that the structure is complicated. Further, in this transport method, the toner accumulated in the container is forcibly transported by the transport member, so that a load is applied to the toner and there is a risk of toner aggregation or deterioration. Furthermore, since the conveying member is provided inside the container to be replaced, the cost of consumables increases and the environmental load increases due to the consumption of resources.

  The conveyance method using the screw bottle has a simple configuration because it is not necessary to provide a screw inside the container. However, in this transport method, the container itself is rotated and used, so the shape of the container is usually a shape in which an outlet is provided on one side of a cylindrical container body (a shape like a bottle lying sideways). There is a drawback that the amount of toner that can be stored is smaller than that of this container, and that a hand is slippery and difficult to hold at the time of replacement.

  In addition, since the container and screw bottle with an auger are made of a so-called “hard bottle” formed of PET or the like, there is a big problem in recycling used containers. In other words, in general, used containers are collected from the user by the manufacturer and recycled, reused, or incinerated, but hard bottle type containers are difficult to crush and reduce their volume. Is expensive. Furthermore, when the collected container is refilled with toner and the container is to be reused, it is difficult to clean the collection container and the toner filling efficiency is not good. Is also expensive.

  As a developer supply device having a container capable of reducing volume, a developer supply device is known in which a nozzle is inserted into a flexible toner container, toner is sucked out by a pump through the nozzle, and the toner is supplied to the development device. (See Patent Document 1: JP-A-2005-91879). In this device, the volume of the toner container is naturally reduced as the toner is sucked out by the pump, and there is almost no toner in the container when the container is crushed. Therefore, the cost required for collecting, transporting, and reusing the used container is reduced. Reduction is possible. Further, since the volume of the container is reduced according to the remaining amount of toner in the container, there is also an advantage that the remaining amount of toner can be seen in appearance.

  However, in the method of sucking out toner with a pump, in order to easily suck out the toner from the discharge port (suction port), it is necessary to arrange the discharge port of the container facing downward. If the container is disposed horizontally with the discharge port facing sideways, the toner cannot be collected near the discharge port by gravity, and the toner may remain in the container without being discharged due to crosslinking. For this reason, it is difficult to horizontally arrange a container that sucks out toner with a pump, and there is a great restriction on the arrangement of the container. Specifically, in order to smoothly discharge the toner in the container, the container needs to be disposed at an angle of 50 ° or more with respect to the horizontal plane. Therefore, in the configuration using this type of container, it is necessary to ensure a substantially long installation space for the container in the vertical direction, and the compatibility with the photoconductor and the developing device that is long in the horizontal direction is poor, and the image forming apparatus It is not suitable for reducing the overall size in the vertical direction.

  In addition, as a toner conveying method that does not use the screw bottle or auger, the container is vibrated (horizontal reciprocating motion, elliptical motion or circular motion) by impacting the container from the outside or bringing the container into contact with a stopper. There are systems in which toner is moved / discharged by the inertial force of the toner (Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-046843, Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-268346). In these transport systems, in a state where a large amount of toner is stored, the toner loaded in the container moves together by vibration, and therefore the transport speed of the toner per vibration reciprocation can be increased.

  However, as the amount of toner in the container decreases, the toner peak collapses and spreads thinly, so the toner transport speed per round trip of vibration decreases with the height of the toner peak, and the transport speed is reduced. There is a problem that it cannot be maintained. In addition, there is a problem that the vibration generated in the container affects the writing system and disturbs the image. Since the transport method of Cited Document 2 uses reciprocating motions with different accelerations in the forward path and the return path, there is also an influence of vibrations. Further, it may take time for the toner to fluidize, or conversely, vibration may cause the same action as tapping, resulting in toner aggregation (blocking). Further, since the discharge port is directed below the container, there is a problem in layout such as where to place the container and the transport device.

  In addition, as a toner replenishment method that does not use vibration, a convex member is pressed from the outside against the bottom of a horizontally disposed flexible long bag-like container to move it in the longitudinal direction, so that the toner inside the container is moved to the container end. A method of pushing out from the formed outlet has been proposed (Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-143195). According to this method, it is possible to discharge the toner without using vibration even in a state where the container is arranged long in the horizontal direction.

  However, as described above, the method of discharging the toner by pushing the bottom of the horizontally disposed flexible container with the convex member is that a certain amount of toner is always accumulated near the discharge port until the container is empty. There are many. If toner remains in the discharge port, the toner in the discharge port may be scattered outside and contaminate the surroundings when the container is removed. In addition, a shutter that opens and closes in conjunction with the attachment / detachment of the container is usually disposed at the discharge port of the attachment / detachment container. In such a container, the toner may be caught in the guide groove of the shutter when the container is attached / detached.

  Therefore, in view of such circumstances, the present invention provides a powder conveyance device in which powder (toner) does not adhere to the discharge portion of the powder container when the powder container as a developer container is replaced, and the powder conveyance The present invention provides a developing device and an image forming apparatus provided with the apparatus.

  The invention of claim 1 is capable of detachably connecting a powder container that contains powder and at least a part of which can be deformed, and the powder inside the powder container is connected to the powder container in the connected state. In the state where the main body side connecting portion for discharging to the outside from the discharging portion provided on the connecting side of the powder container, and the deformable portion of the powder container mounted on the main body side connecting portion is pushed inward A delivery member that advances to the discharge unit and feeds the powder to the discharge unit; and a vibration imparting unit that imparts vibration to the discharge unit, and the vibration imparting unit is a predetermined time after the delivery operation of the delivery member The powder conveying device is characterized in that the driving is continued.

After the delivery operation by the delivery member, the toner often remains in an unstable state in the discharge portion. If the toner container is attached to or detached from the main body side connection part in the presence of such unstable residual toner, the residual toner may be scattered from the discharge port of the discharge part and contaminate the surroundings.
According to the configuration of the first aspect, the powder (toner) remaining in the discharge portion of the powder container is removed from the discharge portion by the drive of the vibration applying means after the sending operation of the sending member. It becomes possible to pay out. This prevents powder (toner) from being scattered from the discharge port of the discharge unit and contaminating the surroundings when the powder container is attached or detached.

  According to the present invention, by continuing the driving by the vibration applying means for a predetermined time after the delivery operation of the delivery member, the residual powder (toner) in the discharge part can be delivered to the main body side connection part. Thereby, when the powder container is attached to or detached from the main body side connecting portion, the powder (toner) is prevented from being scattered from the discharge port of the discharge portion of the powder container and contaminating the periphery.

1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a printer as an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing an image forming unit of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a toner supply device. 2 is a configuration diagram of a toner cartridge. FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a toner cartridge. (A) is a plan view showing a state before the toner cartridge is mounted on the drawer tray, and (b) is a plan view showing a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drawer tray. It is an enlarged view of a fixed part. It is sectional drawing of a fixing | fixed part. It is a perspective view of an eccentric weight. It is a perspective view of a fixing part. It is a perspective view of a fixing part. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a state where a toner cartridge is fixed to a fixing portion. It is a perspective view of a drawer tray. It is a perspective view of the state which attached the drawer tray to the main body side frame. It is an enlarged view of a main body side frame. It is a cross-sectional side view of a main body side frame and a drawer tray. It is sectional side view, such as a drawer tray. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a toner conveying device. It is a cross-sectional side view of a drawer tray. It is a side view of a delivery member and a leg member. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement when the state from which the sending member stood up switched to the fall state. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement when the sending member switches from the fall state to the standing state. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a toner delivery operation. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement at the time of returning a sending member. It is a figure which shows an example of the operation | movement timing chart of a sending member and a vibration provision means. It is a figure which shows the other example of the said timing chart. It is a figure which shows another example of the said timing chart. The toner remaining state in the discharge part of the toner container is shown. (A) is a state in which the toner container is almost empty, and (b) is a large amount of toner remaining in the toner container. (C) is a schematic view showing a state in which a considerable amount of toner remains in the toner container, but the toner remains in the discharge portion and in the vicinity of the slide shutter without applying vibration after the return operation of the delivery member is completed. FIG. FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating an embodiment in which a toner sensor is provided in the discharge unit, where FIG. 5A shows a state where a large amount of toner remains in the toner container, and FIG. It is a figure which shows a state.

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described 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.

(Image forming device)
First, the configuration and operation of the entire image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a printer as an image forming apparatus, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing an image forming unit thereof.

  As shown in FIG. 1, image forming portions 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6Bk corresponding to the respective colors (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black) are arranged in parallel so as to face the intermediate transfer belt 11 of the intermediate transfer unit 10. Yes. Note that the four image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6Bk installed in the apparatus main body 100 have substantially the same structure except that the toner colors used in the image forming process are different. 6, the alphabets (Y, M, C, Bk) of the reference numerals of the photosensitive drum 6, the photosensitive drum 1, and the primary transfer bias roller 9 are omitted.

  Referring to FIG. 2, the image forming unit 6 includes a photosensitive drum 1 as an image carrier, a charging unit 4 disposed around the photosensitive drum 1, a developing device 5 as a developing unit, and a cleaning unit 2. (Only the developing device 5 is shown in FIG. 1). An image forming process (charging process, exposure process, developing process, transfer process, cleaning process) is performed on the photosensitive drum 1, and a desired toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1.

  The photosensitive drum 1, the charging unit 4, the developing device 5, and the cleaning unit 2 constituting the image forming unit 6 are each configured to be detachably installed on the image forming apparatus main body 100. Each of them can be replaced with a new one when it reaches the end of its life.

  In this embodiment, the photosensitive drum 1, the charging unit 4, the developing device 5, and the cleaning unit 2 that constitute the image forming unit 6 are each a single unit. It may be a process unit that is detachably installed in 100. In this case, workability when performing maintenance of the image forming unit 6 is improved.

The configuration of the developing device 5 in the image forming unit 6 will be described in more detail based on FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the developing device 5 includes a developing roller 51 as a developer carrying member facing the photosensitive drum 1, a doctor blade 52 as a developer regulating member installed below the developing roller 51, a developer It comprises two conveying screws 55 and 56 as developer agitating and conveying members disposed in the containers 53 and 54, a case 50 for accommodating the developer G, and the like. Here, as the developer G, a two-component developer composed of a carrier and a toner is used. The developing device 5 is provided with a toner concentration sensor (not shown) that detects the toner concentration in the developer G.

Referring to FIG. 2, the photosensitive drum 1 is rotationally driven in a clockwise direction in FIG. 2 by a drive unit (not shown). Then, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is uniformly charged by the charging roller 4a at the position of the charging unit 4 (charging process).
Thereafter, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 reaches an irradiation position of a laser beam L emitted from an exposure unit (not shown), and an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposure scanning at this position (exposure process).

Thereafter, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 reaches a position facing the developing roller 51 of the developing device 5, and the electrostatic latent image is developed at this position to form a desired toner image (developing step).
Thereafter, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 reaches a position facing the intermediate transfer belt 11 and the first transfer bias roller 9, and the toner image on the photosensitive drum 1 is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 11 at this position. (Primary transfer process). At this time, a small amount of untransferred toner remains on the photosensitive drum 1.

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

  The image forming process described above is performed by the four image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6Bk. That is, based on the image information read by the reading unit 32 shown in FIG. 1, a laser beam L (see FIG. 2) is sent from the exposure unit (not shown) disposed below the image forming unit to each image forming unit 6Y, Irradiation is directed toward the photosensitive drum 1 of 6M, 6C, and 6Bk. Specifically, the exposure unit emits laser light L from a light source and irradiates the photosensitive drum 1 via a plurality of optical elements while scanning the laser light L with a polygon mirror that is rotationally driven. Thereafter, the toner images of the respective colors formed on the respective photosensitive drums 1 through the development process are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 11 in an overlapping manner. Thus, a color image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 11.

The four primary transfer bias rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, and 9BK each sandwich the intermediate transfer belt 11 with the photosensitive drums 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk to form primary transfer nips. Then, a transfer bias having a polarity opposite to the polarity of the toner is applied to the primary transfer bias rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, and 9Bk.
The intermediate transfer belt 11 travels in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and sequentially passes through the primary transfer nips of the primary transfer bias rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, and 9Bk. In this way, the toner images of the respective colors on the photosensitive drums 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk are primarily transferred while being superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 11.

Thereafter, the intermediate transfer belt 11 onto 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 11 with the secondary transfer roller 19 to form a secondary transfer nip. The color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 11 is transferred onto a transfer material P such as transfer paper conveyed to the position of the secondary transfer nip. At this time, untransferred toner that has not been transferred to the transfer material P remains on the intermediate transfer belt 11, but the remaining toner on the intermediate transfer belt 11 is removed by a belt cleaning device (not shown).
Thus, a series of transfer processes performed on the intermediate transfer belt 11 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 accommodated 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 time with the color image on the intermediate transfer belt 11, 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 main body 100 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.

  In FIG. 1, a toner replenishing unit 31 is disposed above the intermediate transfer unit 10. The toner replenishing unit 31 has four toner replenishing devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60Bk filled with toner of each color. From each toner replenishing device 60Y, 60M, 60C, 60Bk, a toner transport path extends to the corresponding developing device 5Y, 5M, 5C, 5Bk, and the toner replenishing device 60Y, 60M, 60C is passed through this toner transport path. , 60Bk to supply toner to the developing devices 5Y, 5M, 5C, 5Bk. As a result, toner can be newly supplied according to the amount of toner consumed by each of the developing devices 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5Bk, and the developing device can be used over a long period of time.

  The four toner replenishing devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60Bk have the same configuration except that they store toners of different colors. Therefore, the configuration of one toner replenishing device will be described below.

(Toner supply device)
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the toner supply device. In FIG. 3, the alphabets (Y, M, C, Bk) of the reference numerals in the toner replenishing device 60 are omitted.
As shown in FIG. 3, the toner replenishing device 60 includes a toner cartridge 61 as a toner container (powder container) filled with toner, a drawer tray 62 as a holding member for holding the toner cartridge 61, and a toner cartridge. A fixing portion 63 for fixing 61, a sub hopper 64 for storing toner discharged from the toner cartridge 61, and the like. The sub hopper 64 is connected to a toner transport pipe (not shown) for transporting the toner stored therein toward the developing device.

  The drawer tray 62 is attached to the main body side frame 65 so as to be movable in the horizontal direction. When the drawer tray 62 is moved in the direction of the arrow X1 in the figure, the drawer tray 62 can be pulled out from the apparatus main body. Conversely, when the drawer tray 62 is moved in the direction of the arrow X2 in the figure, the drawer tray 62 is moved. Can be accommodated in the apparatus main body.

(Toner cartridge)
FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of the toner cartridge 61. In the figure, (a) is a plan view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a bottom view, and (d) is a cross-sectional view.
As shown in FIG. 4, the toner cartridge 61 includes a toner container (powder container) 66 that stores toner as powder, and a discharge unit 67 that discharges the toner in the toner container 66 to the outside. It is configured.

  As shown in FIG. 4D, the toner container 66 is constituted by a deformable longitudinal bag member having a toner inlet (powder inlet) 66a opened at one end side. As a material of the toner container 66, a flexible material is used. For example, a thin sheet material made of PET can be used. The toner container 66 shown in FIG. 4 is configured by bonding four sheet materials, but may be configured by connecting one sheet material in a bag shape. The toner container 66 is provided with an opening holding member 68 that holds the toner inlet 66a in an open state so that the toner can be easily filled from the toner inlet 66a. In this embodiment, PxP toner (average particle size 5.8 μm) manufactured by Ricoh Co., Ltd. is accommodated in the toner container 66. For example, when the approximate inner dimension of the toner container 66 is 60 mm × 60 mm × 400 mm, the toner container 66 can store about 500 g of toner.

  The toner container 66 includes PA (polyamide resin, nylon), PE (high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene), PC (polycarbonate resin), PP (polypropylene resin), PS (polystyrene resin), PAN ( A material in which a sheet of various resins such as polyacrylonitrile resin), PET (polyester resin), PVC (polyvinyl chloride resin), PVDC (polyvinylidene chloride resin) or the like is used alone or in combination can be used. In this embodiment, four types of resin sheets of PP, PET, PA, and LDPE (low density polyethylene) are bonded together. As a sheet forming method, a thin film forming method such as a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) method or a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method can be applied. In addition, when the sheets are bonded by heat welding, the adhesion is improved by using LDPE for the innermost sheet layer.

  As shown in FIG. 4D, the discharge portion 67 is formed with an introduction port 67a for introducing toner and a discharge port 67b for discharging toner. In the present embodiment, the discharge port 67b is disposed so as to face downward. Thereby, the toner can be dropped by gravity from the discharge port 67b and sent to the sub hopper 64, and the configuration for discharging the toner can be simplified. Further, an inclined surface 67c inclined downward from the introduction port 67a toward the discharge port 67b is provided in the discharge unit 67 so that the toner is smoothly conveyed to the discharge port 67b. The inclination angle of the inclined surface 67c with respect to the horizontal plane is desirably set to 10 ° or more. Further, a slide shutter 67d as an opening / closing member for opening and closing the discharge port 67b is provided on the bottom surface (lower surface) of the discharge port 67b so as to be slidable in the direction of arrow Y in FIG. 4B.

  When the slide shutter 67d as the opening / closing member is provided at the discharge port 67b as described above, if the toner container 66 is removed without applying vibration to the discharge portion 67 after the sending operation of the sending member 81, the toner container 66 remains in the discharge portion 67. The toner easily adheres to a part of the slide shutter 67d. If the toner adheres to the slide shutter 67d as described above, the toner may be scattered around after the toner container 66 is removed to contaminate the user's hand or clothes. In the embodiment of the present invention, as will be described later, the vibration is continuously applied to the discharge portion 67 even after the delivery operation of the delivery member 81, so that the toner adheres to the opening and closing member when the toner container 66 is removed. Prevent contamination of hands and clothes.

  As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the slide shutter 67d is desirably disposed in the vicinity of the eccentric weight 93 which is a vibration applying unit. In FIGS. 7A and 7B, an eccentric weight 93 is arranged in front of the slide shutter 67d. Thus, the vibration of the eccentric weight 93 can be effectively transmitted to the slide shutter 67d, and toner adhesion can be more effectively suppressed. Accordingly, it is possible to more reliably prevent malfunction of the slide shutter 67d due to toner adhesion. Even if the sliding shutter 67d temporarily becomes defective due to the biting of toner, the packing of the toner is broken by the vibration of the eccentric weight 93, so that the sliding shutter 67d can be opened with a light force.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the toner cartridge 61. 4A is a perspective view of the discharge portion 67, FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the opening holding member 68, and FIG. 3C is a perspective view of the toner container 66 provided with the opening holding member 68.
As shown in FIG. 5B, the opening holding member 68 is formed by integrally molding a short cylindrical insertion portion 68a and a flange-like connection portion 68b. As shown in FIG. 5C, the insertion portion 68 a can be inserted into the toner insertion port 66 a of the toner container 66. In the present embodiment, the toner container 66 and the opening holding member 68 are bonded by heat welding, but may be bonded by an adhesive or the like. Further, the outer shape of the insertion portion 68a is formed in a substantially hexagonal shape so that the insertion location of the insertion portion 68a can be easily suppressed from the vertical direction in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, a pair of groove portions 67 e that can be engaged with the connection portion 68 a of the opening holding member 68 are provided on the introduction port 67 a side of the discharge portion 67. As described above, after the opening holding member 68 is inserted into the toner container 66 and bonded, the opening holding member 68 is inserted into and engaged with the groove 67e from above, so that the toner container 66 and the discharge part 67 are engaged. Can be integrally connected. In addition, a sealing material 69 is provided at a connection portion between the discharge portion 67 and the opening holding member 68 so that toner does not leak from the connection portion.

FIG. 6A is a plan view showing a state before the toner cartridge 61 is mounted on the drawer tray 62, and FIG. 6B is a plan view showing a state where the toner cartridge 61 is mounted on the drawer tray 62. .
As shown in FIG. 6B, concave portions 67 f are provided on both side surfaces of the discharge portion 67. On the other hand, a convex portion 62a is provided at a portion of the drawer tray 62 corresponding to each concave portion 67f, and each convex portion 62a can be inserted into the corresponding concave portion 67f. Further, a hole 66b serving as a locked portion that is locked to the other locking portion is formed at the end of the toner container 66 opposite to the discharge portion 67 side. On the other hand, a hook-like hooking portion 62b as a locking portion is provided at a portion of the drawer tray 62 corresponding to the hole 66b.

  The hook portion 62b is inserted into the hole portion 66b and locked, and the convex portion 62a is inserted into the concave portion 67f, whereby the toner cartridge 61 is attached to the drawer tray 62. . Further, in the state where the toner cartridge 61 is mounted as described above, the convex portion 62a and the concave portion 67f are normally in a non-contact state. However, when the toner cartridge 61 moves in the longitudinal direction when the drawer tray 62 is pulled out or stored in the apparatus main body, the movement of the toner cartridge 61 in the longitudinal direction is restricted by the convex portion 62a coming into contact with the concave portion 67f. It is like that.

  In order to remove the toner cartridge 61 from the drawer tray 62, the concave portion 67f may be detached from the convex portion 62a, and the hook portion 62b may be detached from the hole portion 66b. In the present embodiment, each convex portion 62a (or each concave portion 67f) is formed in the same shape as each other, but it is also possible to prevent erroneous mounting of the toner cartridge 61 by using different shapes.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the hook 62b is attached to the drawer tray 62 so as to be movable in the direction of arrow Q in the figure. That is, the hook portion 62b is configured to be movable in the direction opposite to the discharge portion 67 side when the toner cartridge 61 is mounted on the drawer tray 62 (the state shown in FIG. 6B). Further, as shown in FIG. 6A, the hook 62b is urged to the right side of the figure by a torsion coil spring 62k as an elastic member. As a result, when the hook portion 62b is inserted into the hole 66b of the toner container 66 and hooked, the hook portion 62b is pulled in the opposite direction to the discharge portion 67 by the urging force of the torsion coil spring 62k. 66 is held in a predetermined position. It is possible to apply a member other than the torsion coil spring as the elastic member for pulling the hook portion 62b, but here, the configuration for pulling the hook portion 62b is made compact by using the torsion coil spring 62k.

(Fixed part)
FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the fixing portion 63. 4A shows a state before the toner cartridge 61 is fixed to the fixing portion 63, and FIG. 4B shows a state where the toner cartridge 61 is fixed to the fixing portion 63. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, the fixing portion 63 includes a main body side connection portion 70 connected to the upper portion of the sub hopper 64, a fixed arm 71 attached to the upper portion of the main body side connection portion 70, and the fixed arm 71 and the main body side connection. A spring member 72 attached over the portion 70 and a shutter opening member 73 attached to the main body side connection portion 70 below the fixed arm 71 are provided. Note that one fixed arm 71, one spring member 72, and one shutter opening member 73 are provided on the front side and the back side in the drawing, respectively.

  The fixed arm 71 is formed in a substantially C shape having a recess 71a. Further, the fixed arm 71 is attached to the main body side connecting portion 70 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal support shaft 71b disposed in an intermediate portion thereof. By rotating the fixed arm 71 around the support shaft 71b, the fixed arm 71 can be switched between a fixed release position shown in FIG. 7A and a fixed position shown in FIG. 7B. ing.

  The spring member 72 is a tension coil spring, one end of which is attached to the fixed arm 71 and the other end is attached to the main body side connection part 70. As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, when the fixed arm 71 rotates between the fixed position and the fixed release position, the end portion of the spring member 72 attached to the fixed arm 71 turns the fixed arm 71. It moves over the dynamic fulcrum (support shaft 71b). As described above, as the fixed arm 71 rotates, the spring member 72 exceeds the rotation fulcrum, so that the spring member 72 biases the fixed arm 71 in the direction in which the fixed arm 71 rotates.

  On the other hand, the discharge portion 67 is provided with a protruding portion 67g as a fixed portion fixed by the fixing arm 71. One protrusion 67g is provided on each side of the discharge portion 67 (see FIG. 4A or 4C).

The shutter opening member 73 is attached to the main body side connecting portion 70 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal support shaft 73b. Further, the shutter opening member 73 has a concave portion 73 a for holding the convex portion 670 d of the slide shutter 67 d provided in the discharge portion 67.
Further, a notch portion 70 a is formed in the main body side connection portion 70 of the fixing portion 63. On the other hand, on both side surfaces of the discharge portion 67, L-shaped projecting piece portions 67h that can come into contact with the upper portions of the cutout portions 70a are provided.

  In order to fix the toner cartridge 61 to the fixing portion 63, first, the toner cartridge 61 is mounted on the drawer tray 62 as described with reference to FIG. Then, the drawer tray 62 is moved in the direction in which the drawer tray 62 is accommodated in the apparatus main body (the direction of the arrow X2 in FIG. 3). 7A, when the discharge portion 67 of the toner cartridge 61 approaches the fixed portion 63, the protrusion 67g provided on the discharge portion 67 is connected to one end portion of the fixed arm 71 (as shown in FIG. 7A). The fixed arm 71 is rotated counterclockwise in the figure against the urging force of the spring member 72. Thereby, the fixed arm 71 is switched from the fixed release position shown in FIG. 7A to the fixed position shown in FIG.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 7B, the protrusion 67g is housed in the recess 71a of the fixed arm 71, and the other end (the left end in the figure) 71d of the fixed arm 71 and the main body side. It is sandwiched and fixed by the edge of the connecting portion 70. Further, when the spring member 72 exceeds the rotation fulcrum of the fixed arm 71 with the rotation of the fixed arm 71, the spring member 72 is biased in a direction to hold the fixed arm 71 at the position after switching.
Further, when the discharge portion 67 of the toner cartridge 61 approaches the fixing portion 63, the protruding piece portion 67h provided in the discharging portion 67 is inserted into the notch portion 70a of the main body side connecting portion 70, and the protruding piece portion 67h is formed. It contacts the upper part of the notch 70a (see FIG. 7B). Thereby, the vertical shaking of the discharge part 67 is prevented.

Further, the slide shutter 67d provided in the discharge portion 67 contacts the shutter opening member 73, and rotates the shutter opening member 73 in the clockwise direction in the figure. Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, the convex portion 670 d of the slide shutter 67 d is inserted and held in the concave portion 73 a of the shutter opening member 73. At this time, since the shutter opening member 73 rotates and contacts the main body side connection portion 70, further rotation of the shutter opening member 73 is restricted, so that the slide shutter 67 d is moved by the shutter opening member 73. It is pushed to the rear of the discharge part 67 and moves. Thereby, the slide shutter 67d (discharge port) is completely opened, and the toner can be discharged from the discharge portion 67 to the sub hopper 64.
As described above, the fixing of the toner cartridge 61 to the fixing portion 63 is completed.

  Further, when releasing the fixation of the toner cartridge 61, the drawer tray 62 is moved in the direction of drawing out from the apparatus main body (the direction of the arrow X1 in FIG. 3). By this pulling-out operation, the toner cartridge 61 moves to the left in FIG. 7B, and the projection 67 g provided on the discharge portion 67 pushes the other end 71 d of the fixed arm 71, so that the urging force of the spring member 72 is applied. The fixed arm 71 is rotated counterclockwise. As a result, the fixed arm 71 moves from the fixed position shown in FIG. 7B to the fixed release position shown in FIG. 7A, and the protruding portion 67 g is detached from the fixed arm 71. At the same time, the protruding piece portion 67h and the slide shutter 67d provided in the discharge portion 67 are detached from the notch portion 70a and the shutter opening member 73, respectively, and the fixing of the toner cartridge 61 is released. Further, the slide shutter 67d detached from the shutter opening member 73 slides in the closing direction by an urging force such as a spring (not shown) attached to the slide shutter 67d to close the discharge port 67b. Accordingly, even when toner remains in the vicinity of the discharge port 67b in the discharge unit 67, the toner is prevented from leaking outside from the discharge port 67b, and foreign matter is prevented from entering the discharge port 67b. .

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the rotation operation of the fixed arm 71 and the opening / closing operation of the slide shutter 67d are performed in conjunction with the operation of drawing / storing the drawer tray 62 (attaching / detaching operation to / from the fixing portion 63). Therefore, the toner cartridge 61 can be fixed and released, and the discharge port 67b can be easily opened and closed, and the operability is excellent. Further, as the fixed arm 71 rotates, the spring member 72 exceeds the rotation fulcrum of the fixed arm 71, so that the spring member 72 biases the fixed arm 71 in the rotation direction. It is possible to securely hold the arm 71 at the position after switching. Furthermore, since the protrusion 67h abuts the notch 70a, it is possible to prevent the discharge portion 67 from rattling in the vertical direction, so that the fixing state of the toner cartridge can be stabilized. In the present embodiment, the toner container 66 and the discharge unit 67 are integrated with each other so as to be attached to and detached from the drawer tray 62. However, the discharge unit 67 is connected to the drawer tray 62 (or the fixing unit 63). The toner container 66 may be detachably mounted.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the fixing portion 63.
As shown in FIG. 8, the fixed portion 63 is provided with an eccentric weight 93 attached to the rotating shaft as a vibration applying means. As shown in FIG. 9, the eccentric weight 93 is formed with an insertion hole 93a at a position shifted from the center thereof, and the eccentric weight 93 is fixed via a rotating shaft inserted through the insertion hole 93a. The part 63 is rotatably attached. Then, a driving force is applied to the eccentric weight 93 from the driving means 94 provided in the fixed portion 63 to rotate, thereby generating vibration. Further, the eccentric amount (deviation amount from the rotation center) of the eccentric weight 93 is set to be 1 mm or less, and the generated vibration is very minute. In addition, a pair of rectangular support members 95 (see FIG. 10) are attached to both ends of the rotating shaft inserted through the eccentric weight 93, and each support member 95 rotates together with the eccentric weight 93. Yes.

  Also, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the main body side connection portion 70 of the fixing portion 63 is in a horizontal direction (arrows in the figure) with respect to the base portion 96 fixed to the apparatus main body via a swing support portion 97. It is attached so as to be able to swing in the (V direction). Specifically, the swing support part 97 is configured by a horizontal long hole 97a formed on both side surfaces of the base part 96 and a bolt 97b inserted through the long hole 97a. One end side of the main body side connecting portion 70 is attached to the base portion 96 by a bolt 97b inserted through the base portion 96. In this manner, the main body side connection portion 70 is configured to be swingable, so that the main body side connection portion 70 is effectively vibrated. Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to vibrate the main body side connection part 70 more effectively, the eccentric weight 93 is provided on the end part side away from the end part where the swing support part 97 is provided.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the state in which the toner cartridge 61 is fixed to the fixing portion 63.
As shown in FIG. 12, the main body side connecting portion 70 of the fixing portion 63 communicates with the discharge port 67b of the discharge portion 67 and the inlet portion 64a of the toner conveyance path (powder conveyance path) of the sub hopper 64. A passage 70b is formed. Further, a first seal member 91 for preventing toner leakage is disposed at a connection portion between the communication path 70b and the discharge port 67b. A connection portion between the communication path 70b and the inlet portion 64a of the sub hopper 64 includes A second seal member 92 for preventing toner leakage is provided. The second seal member 92 is composed of an elastic body formed thicker than the first seal member 91. Examples of the elastic material include low-resilience urethane foam. Further, since the second seal member 92 is interposed between the fixing portion 63 and the sub hopper 64, the fixing portion 63 and the sub hopper 64 are separated from each other (in a non-contact state) and connected. In this way, the fixed portion 63 and the sub hopper 64 are connected to each other via the elastic body (second seal member 92) so as to be separated from each other (in a non-contact state). Transmission to the sub hopper 64 is prevented.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 12, when the discharge portion 67 is fixed to the fixed portion 63, the drawer tray 62 and the discharge portion 67 are not in contact with each other. As a result, the vibration applied from the fixing portion 63 to the discharge portion 67 is not transmitted from the discharge portion 67 to the drawer tray 62.

(Drawer tray)
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the drawer tray 62.
As shown in FIG. 13, the drawer tray 62 has a pair of side walls 62 c that support both side surfaces of the toner cartridge 61, and a placement surface 62 d on which the toner cartridge 61 is placed. A main reference shaft 62e that serves as a main reference when the side wall 62c is attached to the main body side frame 65 is disposed at the end on the near side of the figure. In the present embodiment, the main reference shaft 62e is used as a support shaft of a transmission gear 74 that transmits a driving force to a toner conveying device described later. Further, at the end of each side wall 62c on the back side in the figure, one slave reference shaft 62f is provided as a reference when each is attached to the main body side frame 65.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a state in which the drawer tray 62 is attached to the main body side frame 65.
As shown in FIG. 14, the main body side frame 65 has a pair of guide rails 65 a extending in the drawing direction X <b> 1 and the accommodating direction X <b> 2 of the drawing tray 62. The upper end edge of each guide rail 65 a is inserted into a groove 62 g formed on both side walls 62 c of the drawer tray 62. Thereby, the drawer tray 62 is configured to be movable in the drawer direction X1 and the accommodating direction X2 along the guide rail 65a.

  A first positioning recess 65b that can be fitted to the main reference shaft 62e of the drawer tray 62 is formed at the front end of the main body side frame 65 (see FIG. 15). A second positioning recess 65c that can be engaged with the slave reference shaft 62f is formed at the end on the back side of FIG. As a result, when the drawer tray 62 is moved in the accommodating direction X2, the main reference shaft 62e and the sub-reference shaft 62f are inserted into the first and second positioning recesses 65b and 65c and fitted to each other. The tray 62 is positioned at a predetermined position with respect to the main body side frame 65.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 14, a drive gear 75 that is driven by a drive device is provided at the front end of the main body side frame 65 in the drawing. The drive gear 75 is connected to the transmission gear 74 in a state where the drawer tray 62 is accommodated in the apparatus main body and positioned on the main body side frame 65.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the main body side frame 65 is provided with a pressure member 76 that pressurizes and fixes the drawer tray 62. In the present embodiment, the pressing member 76 is configured by combining two levers. When the drawer tray 62 is moved in the accommodating direction X2, the drawer tray 62 is pressed by the two levers so as to sandwich the convex portion 62h provided on the lower surface of the drawer tray 62, thereby making the drawer tray 62 the first and second positioning concave portions. It is adapted to be pressed against the 65b and 65c sides.

(Powder conveying device)
As shown in FIG. 17, the drawer tray 62 is provided with a toner transport device (powder transport device) 8 for transporting the toner in the toner container 66 to the discharge portion 67 side. Hereinafter, the configuration of the toner conveying device 8 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the toner conveying device 8 includes a base member 80, a delivery member 81 and a pair of leg members 82 attached to the base member 80, and a belt member 83 as a moving unit that moves the base member 80. And a pair of guide rails 84 as guide members for guiding the base member 80. In FIG. 18, the front guide rail 84 is not shown.

  The base member 80 is divided into an upper part 80a and a lower part 80b. The base member 80 is attached to the belt member 83 by sandwiching the belt member 83 between the upper part 80a and the lower part 80b. The belt member 83 is an endless belt, and is stretched by two rollers 77 and 78 (see FIG. 17) provided on the drawer tray 62. The belt member 83 is configured to be rotatable in both forward and reverse directions by transmitting a driving force to the one roller 77 from the transmission gear 74 (see FIG. 13). Thus, when the belt member 83 rotates in the forward direction or the reverse direction, the base member 80 and the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 attached to the base member 80 are integrally delivered in the delivery direction toward the discharge portion 67 side. A reciprocating movement is possible in Z1 and a return direction Z2 opposite to Z1.

  Further, two rollers 85 as rotating bodies that roll on the guide rails 84 are provided on both side surfaces of the base member 80. Thus, by providing the roller 85 on the base member 80, the base member 80 can move smoothly along the guide rail 84. The pair of guide rails 84 are fixed to the drawer tray 62.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 are attached to each other via a horizontal support shaft 86 so as to be opened and closed. Specifically, the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 are configured to be rotatable independently of each other about the support shaft 86, and the delivery member 81 or the leg member 82 rotates about the support shaft 86. By moving, the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 can be opened and closed with respect to each other. Further, the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 are urged in the opening direction by a torsion coil spring as an urging member (not shown). The delivery member 81 is formed with an accommodation recess 81a for accommodating the leg member 82 when the leg member 82 is closed.

  The rotation direction of the belt member 83 is switched by two switches 87 and 88 shown in FIG. The switches 87 and 88 as moving direction switching means are respectively disposed at the moving direction switching positions of the delivery member 81. Specifically, one switch 87 is disposed at the end of the drawer tray 62 in the sending direction Z1 (the end on the left side of the drawing), and the other switch 88 is the end of the drawer tray 62 in the return direction Z2. (The end on the right side of the figure). Further, when the delivery member 81 reaches one of the movement direction switching positions, the base member 80 comes into contact with the switch 87 or 88 disposed at that position. That is, the base member 80 functions as an input means that contacts each switch 87, 88 and turns on. In this way, when the base member 80 contacts the switch 87 or 88, the moving direction of the delivery member 81 is switched to the delivery direction Z1 or the return direction Z2, so that the toner delivery operation can be performed continuously. is there. In addition, a non-contact type sensor is provided in place of the contact type switch, and the detected part (input means) provided on the base member 80 or the like approaches the non-contact type sensor to turn on the sensor. You may make it do.

FIG. 20 is a side view of the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82.
As shown in FIG. 20, the leg member 82 is in contact with the placement surface 62d of the drawer tray 62, and can reciprocate in the sending direction Z1 and the return direction Z2 along the placement surface 62d. . That is, the mounting surface 62d also has a function as a guide surface for guiding the leg member 82. As described above, the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 are urged so as to open each other by the torsion coil spring, but the leg member 82 is disposed in the horizontal direction by contacting the mounting surface 62d. It is supported. On the other hand, the delivery member 81 is biased so as to rotate and open in the delivery direction Z1 (on the discharge portion 67 side) with respect to the leg member 82 supported in the horizontal direction. The portion restricts the rotation of the delivery member 81 in the opening direction against the urging force of the torsion coil spring. As a result, the delivery member 81 is supported so as to stand up with respect to the placement surface 62d (a state indicated by a solid line in the figure). As described above, the opening angle between the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 is a predetermined angle so that the delivery member 81 is in a predetermined standing state with respect to the placement surface 62d by the placement surface 62d and the restricting portion. It is held at an angle α.

  In FIG. 20, the opening angle β is an angle when the delivery member 81 is not restricted by the restriction part. That is, the angle β indicates an opening angle when the torsion coil spring is in a natural state. As shown in FIG. 20, the opening angle β held by the torsion coil spring in the natural state is set within a range that is larger than the opening angle α at which the delivery member 81 is in a predetermined standing state and smaller than 180 °. ing.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6 (a), the leg member 82 can enter the both end sides in the direction (feeding direction Z1 and return direction Z2) in which the leg member 82 reciprocates on the mounting surface 62d. Recesses 62i and 62j are provided. In the present embodiment, by providing these recesses 62i and 62j, the delivery member 81 can be switched between a standing state and a falling state with respect to the mounting surface 62d.
Hereinafter, a switching operation for switching the delivery member 81 between the standing state and the falling state will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22.

  FIG. 21A shows a state before the delivery member 81 reaches the recess 62i on the end side in the delivery direction Z1. In this state, the opening angle formed by the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 is held at a predetermined angle α by a restriction portion (not shown) and the placement surface 62d, and the delivery member 81 is predetermined with respect to the placement surface 62d. Is standing up.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 21B, when the delivery member 81 moves in the delivery direction Z1 and the leg member 82 reaches the position of the recess 62i, there is a mounting surface 62d that supports the leg member 82 at this position. Therefore, the leg member 82 receives a biasing force of a torsion coil spring (not shown) and opens downward, and the leg member 82 enters the recess 62i. At this time, the opening angle between the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 is an angle β held in the natural state of the torsion coil spring.

  When the delivery member 81 reaches the position of the recess 62i, the base member 80 comes into contact with the switch 87 shown in FIG. 19, and the movement direction of the delivery member 81 is switched.

  As shown in FIG. 21C, when the movement direction is switched and the delivery member 81 moves in the return direction Z2, the leg member 82 comes into contact with the edge (near the opening) of the recess 62i, and the tip of the leg member 82 is moved. It is lifted up. When the leg member 82 is lifted in this way and further rotated in the opening direction, the opening angle is larger than the angle β, so that the urging force by the torsion coil spring acts in the closing direction. As a result, the delivery member 81 receives a biasing force in the closing direction and falls on the placement surface 62d.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 21 (d), when the leg member 82 is removed from the recess 62 i, the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 are held in a state of falling horizontally on the placement surface 62 d. Specifically, in this state, since the opening angle formed by the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 is an angle close to 180 °, the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 exert an urging force in a direction to close each other by a torsion coil spring. However, since the rotation of the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 is restricted by the placement surface 62d, the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 are held in a state of being horizontally collapsed. The delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 are configured so as not to open 180 ° or more.

  FIG. 22A shows a state before the delivery member 81 tilted as described above reaches the recess 62j on the end side in the return direction Z2. In this state, similarly to the state shown in FIG. 21 (d), the opening angle formed by the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 is an angle close to 180 °, and the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 are placed. It is held in a state of falling horizontally on the placement surface 62d.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 22B, when the leg member 82 reaches the position of the recess 62j, the mounting surface 62d for supporting the leg member 82 does not exist at this position, so the leg member 82 is formed of the torsion coil spring. Under the urging force, it closes downward and the leg member 82 enters the recess 62j. Further, the opening angle between the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 at this time is an angle β held in the natural state of the torsion coil spring. Since the delivery member 81 is configured so as not to enter the recess 62j, the delivery member 81 passes over the recess 62j.

  When the delivery member 81 reaches the position of the recess 62j, the base member 80 comes into contact with the switch 88 shown in FIG. 19, and the movement direction of the delivery member 81 is switched.

  As shown in FIG. 22C, when the movement direction is switched and the delivery member 81 moves in the delivery direction Z1, the leg member 82 comes into contact with the edge (near the opening) of the recess 62j, and the tip of the leg member 82 is moved. It is lifted up. When the leg member 82 is lifted in this way and further rotated in the closing direction, the opening angle is smaller than the angle β, so that the urging force by the torsion coil spring acts in the opening direction. As a result, the delivery member 81 is raised by receiving a biasing force in the opening direction.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 22 (d), when the leg member 82 is detached from the recess 62j, the delivery member 81 is held in a standing state at a predetermined opening angle α.

(Toner delivery operation)
Hereinafter, based on FIG. 23, the toner feeding operation (conveying operation) of the toner conveying device 8 according to the present invention will be described.
In FIGS. 23A, 23B, and 23C, the toner cartridge 61 is mounted on the drawer tray 62, and the drawer tray 62 is housed in the apparatus main body. Therefore, in this state, the driving force can be transmitted from the driving device on the apparatus main body side to the belt member 83, and the sending member 81 can be reciprocated.

FIG. 23A shows a state where the remaining amount of toner T in the toner container 66 has been reduced to some extent.
In this case, the delivery member 81 is erected in response to the urging force of the torsion coil spring, whereby the lower surface of the toner container 66 is pushed inward by the erection delivery member 81. Then, when the delivery member 81 moves in the delivery direction Z1 while pushing the toner container 66 inward, the toner T inside is pushed by the delivery member 81 and is moved to the discharge portion 67 side. Then, the toner T moved to the discharge unit 67 side is discharged downward from the discharge unit 67 by inertia force and gravity, and is sent to the sub hopper 64. Further, as described above, since the discharge portion 67 is provided with the inclined surface 67c (see FIG. 4D), the toner T is smoothly discharged by sliding on the inclined surface 67c. Further, by applying a minute vibration to the discharge portion 67 by the vibration applying means, the discharge of the toner T from the discharge portion 67 is promoted, and the toner T is deposited on the inclined surface 67c of the discharge portion 67 or the like. It is prevented from adhering.

FIG. 23B shows a state in which a large amount of toner T is filled in the toner container 66.
As described above, in a portion where the toner T exists in a large amount in the toner container 66, the toner container 66 is hardened due to the clogging of the toner T and is heavy due to the weight of the toner T. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 23B, the delivery member 81 is in a collapsed state, and the pushing amount of the delivery member 81 with respect to the toner container 66 is reduced. Then, the delivery member 81 moves in the delivery direction Z1 while being in a collapsed state at a location where a large amount of toner T is present. Thereafter, when the delivery member 81 reaches a position where the toner T near the discharge portion 67 is relatively small, as shown in FIG. 23 (c), the delivery member 81 is in an upright state, so that the pushing amount of the delivery member 81 is increased. Will increase. As described above, the feeding member 81 stands up in the vicinity of the discharge portion 67 and the pushing amount increases, so that the toner T that is easy to move in the vicinity of the discharge portion 67 can be discharged sequentially.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the pushing amount of the delivery member 81 changes according to the amount of toner in the toner container 66, so that regardless of the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 66. The toner can be sent stably and reliably to the discharge portion 67.

  In addition, by appropriately changing the biasing force of the torsion coil spring that biases the delivery member 81 according to the material (flexibility, etc.) of the toner container 66 and the maximum toner accommodation amount, the pushing force of the delivery member 81 is appropriately set. It is possible to adjust to a different value. In this case, even if the urging force of the torsion coil spring is increased, in the embodiment of the present invention, the rotation of the delivery member 81 is restricted by a restricting portion (not shown), and thus the delivery member 81 is held in a predetermined standing state. be able to.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 24, when the delivery member 81 is returned to the original position, the delivery member 81 is switched to the collapsed state. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the toner from being returned by the delivery member 81 moving in the return direction Z2. In addition, in the case of the present embodiment, as described with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22, the leg member 82 only enters the recess 62i or 62j in the switching operation between the standing state and the collapsed state of the delivery member 81. Since it can be realized by a simple mechanism, the configuration can be simplified. Instead of the recesses 62i and 62j, a through hole can be used.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 23, during the toner delivery operation, the toner container 66 is pushed toward the discharge part 67 by the moving delivery member 81, so that the hook part 62b that latches the end of the toner container 66 is engaged. Are also pulled and moved toward the discharge portion 67 (in the direction of arrow A in the figure). As described above, in the present embodiment, the hook 62b moves as the toner container 66 is pushed, so that a sudden load on the toner container 66 generated when the delivery member 81 pushes the toner container 66 is performed. The increase in the toner can be reduced, and the wear of the toner container 66 can be suppressed.

  After that, as shown in FIG. 24, when returning the delivery member 81, the hook 62b is moved in the direction opposite to the discharge part 67 side (in the direction of arrow B in the figure) by the torsion coil spring 62k (see FIG. 6A). The toner container 66 is pulled back and held in a predetermined position.

  In this embodiment, a sub hopper 64 is provided below the discharge unit 67, and the toner discharged from the discharge unit 67 is once retained in the sub hopper 64 and then conveyed from the sub hopper 64 to the developing device. Since the toner is discharged intermittently from the discharge unit 67 in this way, accurate toner replenishment is possible if the toner is sent directly from the discharge unit 67 to the developing device without passing through the sub hopper 64. Because it becomes difficult to do. For this reason, in this embodiment, a sub hopper 64 is provided so that toner can be replenished to the developing device with high accuracy. Further, as means for sending the toner from the sub hopper 64 to the developing device, it is possible to adopt natural dropping due to gravity or conveying means such as a known screw, coil or pump. Further, by providing the sub hopper 64, it is also possible to prevent the toner from flowing out naturally through a gap such as a screw or a coil as a conveying means.

  In the present embodiment, since the entire toner container 66 is made of a deformable member, the used toner container 66 can be folded in a compact manner. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the environmental load at the time of collection, transportation, and reuse. Further, only a part of the toner container 66, such as a part pushed by the delivery member 81, may be formed of a deformable member.

(Operation of vibration applying means)
Further, in the present embodiment, the discharge unit 67 is vibrated with a frequency of 30 Hz and an amplitude of 0.3 mm by the driving means 94 and the eccentric weight 93 as vibration imparting means. The frequency and amplitude vary depending on the type of toner used, but the range of good frequency and amplitude is 10 to 100 Hz and 0.1 to 1 mm in amplitude. When the frequency is less than 10 Hz or when the amplitude is less than 0.1 mm, the effect of promoting the toner discharge and the effect of preventing the toner from adhering to the discharge unit 67 are reduced. On the other hand, if the frequency is greater than 100 Hz, or if the amplitude is greater than 1 mm, the vibration becomes too large and the image forming apparatus main body may vibrate, which may affect image formation. Therefore, in this embodiment, by setting the vibration frequency and amplitude within the above ranges, the effects of promoting toner discharge and preventing toner adhesion can be satisfactorily exhibited while suppressing the influence on image formation. .

FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation timing chart of the delivery member and the vibration applying unit.
25A shows a timing chart of ON / OFF of the sending operation by the sending member 81, and FIG. 25B shows an ON / OFF timing chart of the returning operation of the sending member 81. FIG. That is, while the delivery member 81 is ON in FIG. 25A, the delivery member 81 is moving toward the discharge portion 67, and while the delivery member 81 is ON in FIG. Is moving to the opposite side to the discharge portion 67 side. FIG. 25C shows an ON / OFF timing chart of driving of the vibration applying means (driving means 94).

  In this case, in both cases of the sending operation and the returning operation of the sending member 81, the drive of the driving means 94 is turned on to apply vibration to the discharge portion 67, and also after the returning operation of the sending member 81 is completed. The vibration of the discharge part 67 is continued at least for a predetermined time t. In this way, by driving the driving means 94 in synchronization with the movement of the delivery member 81, when the delivery member 81 moves toward the ejection unit 67 (during the delivery operation), toner is present in the ejection unit 67. Even so, the toner is loosened by the vibration of the eccentric weight 93 driven by the driving means 94, and a space is formed between the toner particles, so that a force sufficient to compress the toner by the delivery operation of the delivery member 81 is obtained. There is no participation. Thereby, blocking of the toner can be prevented, and the toner can be smoothly discharged from the discharge port 67 b of the discharge unit 67. Further, since the toner pushed by the delivery member 81 is loosened by vibration, the volume of the toner to be conveyed is stabilized, so that the stability of toner conveyance is increased.

  Further, as described above, even after the return operation of the delivery member 81 is completed, the discharge portion 67 continues to vibrate for at least a predetermined time t, so that it remains on the inclined surface 67c in the discharge portion 67 when the return operation of the delivery member 81 is completed. The toner that has been removed and the toner that has adhered to the guide groove of the slide shutter 67d can be removed to the discharge port 67b. Accordingly, even when the toner cartridge 61 or the toner container 66 is taken out with a considerable amount of toner remaining, the opening 67b of the discharge portion 67 and the slide shutter 67d can be prevented from being contaminated with toner. If the predetermined time t is too short, the toner removal action is insufficient, while if the predetermined time t is too long, unnecessary driving energy is consumed in a state where there is no toner to be removed. Therefore, the predetermined time t is, for example, at least 0.5 seconds or more, preferably 1 second or more, and at most 10 seconds or less, preferably 5 seconds or less. The time t is shortened while increasing the magnitude of vibration energy, that is, by increasing at least one of the weight, frequency or amplitude of the eccentric weight 93 while maintaining the same level of toner removal. Is possible.

  By the way, whether the toner is likely to aggregate depends on the amount of toner in the toner container 66 and the fluidity of the toner. Specifically, when a large amount of toner remains in the toner container 66, or when the fluidity of the toner is reduced due to high temperature and humidity in the surrounding environment, the toner tends to aggregate due to the pressing of the delivery member 81. Is in a state. For this reason, it is preferable to ensure smooth toner transportability by generating vibration both during the sending operation and during the returning operation as described above, particularly when the toner is likely to aggregate.

However, when the amount of toner in the toner container 66 decreases, if the discharge unit 67 is vibrated during the return operation, the toner crests formed during the feed operation collapse and spread out in a planar manner. In some cases, the toner is returned from the toner container 66 to the toner container 66, and the toner conveyance amount may decrease. Therefore, when the toner amount is small, it is preferable to turn off the drive of the vibration applying means at least partly during the return operation as shown in the timing chart of FIG. As described above, when the toner amount is small, control is performed so that vibration is applied only during the sending operation and vibration is not applied during the return operation. It is possible to prevent the decrease.
However, the vibration of the discharge portion 67 is continued at least for a predetermined time t even after the return operation of the delivery member 81 is completed. Thereby, the toner remaining on the inclined surface 67c of the discharge port at the end of the return operation of the delivery member 81 and the toner adhering to the guide groove of the slide shutter 67d can be wiped off to the discharge port 67b.

Further, when toner fluidity is high, the assistance of toner conveyance by vibration is not so necessary. Accordingly, when the fluidity of the toner is high, as shown in FIG. 27, the toner can be smoothly removed from the discharge portion 67 only by driving the vibration applying means when the delivery member 81 is moving in the vicinity of the discharge portion 67. It is possible to discharge. Thus, by driving the vibration applying means at a necessary timing, it is possible to reduce consumption of unnecessary driving energy.
However, the vibration of the discharge portion 67 is continued for a predetermined time t even after the return operation of the delivery member 81 is completed. Thereby, the toner remaining on the inclined surface 67c of the discharge port 67b at the end of the return operation of the delivery member 81 and the toner adhering to the guide groove of the slide shutter 67d can be wiped off to the discharge port 67b. Note that, when the toner fluidity is high, the toner erasing action due to vibration is improved, so the vibration time t of the discharge portion 67 after the return operation of the delivery member 81 is compared with the case where the toner fluidity is low. You may make it shorten at a predetermined ratio.

  The toner remaining state in the discharge section 67 by controlling the vibration applying means as described above will be described with reference to the schematic diagrams of FIGS. In FIG. 28A, the toner container 66 is almost empty. In this state, since no toner remains in the discharge portion 67, the toner container 66 is detached from the main body side connection portion 70 without vibrating the discharge portion 67 of the toner container 66 after the delivery operation of the delivery member 81 is completed. However, there is no concern that the toner will scatter from the vicinity of the discharge port 67b. That is, when the toner container 66 is removed from the main body side connection portion 70, the slide shutter 67d is automatically closed by a spring (not shown). At this time, toner adheres to the guide groove of the slide shutter 67d and the periphery thereof. Therefore, the slide shutter 67d is smoothly closed, and toner does not adhere to the tip of the slide shutter 67d. Accordingly, there is no possibility that toner is scattered from the vicinity of the slide shutter 67d and the discharge port 67b.

  FIG. 28B shows a state in which the toner T is considerably left in the toner container 66, but the toner T is hardly discharged in the discharge portion 67 by the operation of the vibration applying means shown in FIGS. Indicates. In this state, since the delivery member 81 finishes the return operation and is far away from the discharge portion 67 of the toner container 66, the inclination of the bottom surface of the toner container 66 following the introduction port 67a of the discharge portion 67 becomes horizontal. As a result, the natural inflow of the toner T to the discharge portion 67 is suppressed. As a result, the action of removing residual toner deposited or attached to the inclined surface 67c of the discharge portion 67 by vibration is more effective. The toner T dispensed by the vibration of the discharge portion 67 is all accommodated in the sub hopper 64 of the main body side connection portion 70. By providing the storage portion (sub hopper 64) that temporarily stores the toner T discharged from the discharge portion 67, the toner T discharged from the discharge portion 67 can be temporarily stored in the sub hopper 64. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the toner T discharged from the discharge portion 67 from flowing directly into the developing device 5 by applying vibration to the discharge portion 67, and the developer in the developing device 5 due to such direct flow of the toner T can be prevented. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of charging abnormality.

  Thus, the toner T remaining on the inclined surface 67c and the like of the discharge portion 67 is discharged by vibration, so that even when the toner cartridge 61 or the toner container 66 is taken out with a considerable amount of toner T remaining, the opening of the discharge portion 67 is opened. It is possible to prevent the portion 67b and the slide shutter 67d from becoming dirty. Further, when the removed toner container 66 is stored for a long period of time, if the toner T remains around the slide shutter 67d, the toner may be locked (solidified) due to secular change. Then, when the toner container 66 is attached to the main body side connection part 70 after long-term storage, the slide shutter 67d may not open well due to malfunction. However, in the embodiment of the present invention, even in such a long-term storage, the toner T does not remain around the slide shutter 67d after the toner container 66 is removed, so that there is a risk of malfunction of the slide shutter 67d due to locking. Absent.

  The toner T in the toner container 66 sequentially moves toward the discharge unit 67 by the delivery operation (advance operation) of the delivery member 81. The toner thus moved flows into the inner inclined surface 67c from the introduction port 67a of the discharge portion 67. However, when the remaining amount of the toner T in the toner container 66 is reduced, one delivery of the delivery member 81 is performed. The amount of toner transport per operation is also reduced. As a result, the momentum (speed) at which the small amount of toner T that has flowed into the inclined surface 67c flows down along the inclined surface 67c is reduced, the delivery operation of the delivery member 81 is stopped, and the vibration of the discharge portion 67 is stopped. The toner T on the inclined surface 67c may not move. When the toner container 66 is removed from the main body side connection portion 70 without vibrating the discharge portion 67 in this state, the toner T on the inclined surface 67c drops to the discharge port 67b by the vibration at that time, while the toner T on the discharge port 67b. When the slide shutter 67d is closed, the toner T adhering to the discharge port 67b is pushed out by the tip of the slide shutter 67d. As a result, toner adheres to the periphery of the discharge port 67b and the slide shutter 67d, and the toner T is scattered around to contaminate the user's hand and clothes, and to contaminate the toner container 66. In the embodiment of the present invention, the toner T remaining on the inclined surface 67c in advance before the toner container 66 is removed from the main body side connecting portion 70 by the operation of the vibration applying means in FIGS. Since the toner T can be discharged to the surroundings, it is possible to prevent the user's hand or clothes from being soiled or the toner container 66 from being soiled by the toner T being scattered around.

  FIG. 28 (c) is for comparison with FIG. 28 (b), and without the operation of the vibration applying means of FIGS. The state when 66 is removed is shown. Even if vibration is applied to the discharge portion 67 during the delivery operation of the delivery member 81, if no vibration is applied after the delivery operation (after the return operation is completed), a part of the toner T on the inclined surface 67c is on the main body side. The connection part 70 may remain without dropping. Further, the toner T flows from the toner container 66 onto the inclined surface 67c of the discharge portion 67 immediately after the end of the discharge operation of the discharge member 81 due to the vibration applied to the discharge portion 67 during the discharge operation of the discharge member 81. There is also. If the toner T remains on the inclined surface 67c in this way, when the toner container 66 is moved backward in order to remove it from the main body side connecting portion 70, the toner T slides down from the inclined surface 67c and slides the shutter. It collects around 67d. When the toner container 66 is removed from the main body side connection portion 70 in this state, the slide shutter 67d closes in the direction of the arrow with the toner T attached to the tip. As a result, the user's hand and clothes that replace the toner container 66 are soiled with the toner T adhering to the periphery of the slide shutter 67d, and the toner container 66 is soiled.

  As can be seen by comparing (b) and (c) of FIG. 28, according to the embodiment of the present invention, by continuing the driving by the vibration applying means for a predetermined time after the sending operation of the sending member 81, the discharge is performed. Residual toner in the portion 67 can be discharged to the main body side connecting portion 70. Accordingly, when the toner container 66 is attached to and detached from the main body side connection part 70, residual toner is prevented from being scattered from the discharge port 67b of the discharge part 67 of the toner container 66 and contaminating the surroundings.

  As a safety device when removing the toner container 66 from the main body side connection part 70, it is also possible to provide a locking means for locking the discharge part 67 of the toner container 66 to the main body side connection part 70 in the mounted state. As described above, when the toner cartridge 61 to which the toner container 66 is attached is released from the fixing portion 63 of the main body side connection portion 70, the projection 67g of the discharge portion 67 pushes the other end portion 71d of the fixing arm 71, The fixed arm 71 is rotated in the clockwise direction in the drawing against the urging force of the spring member 72. Therefore, for example, the locking unit can be configured by providing a member that prevents the rotation of the fixed arm 71 during the driving of the vibration applying unit. By providing such a locking means, it is possible to prevent an erroneous operation such as inadvertently releasing the toner cartridge 61 from the fixing part 63 of the main body side connection part 70 even though the vibration applying means is being driven. In addition, toner scattering can be prevented more reliably. Then, after the delivery operation of the delivery member 81 is stopped and the driving of the vibration applying means is stopped, the lock means is automatically released, so that the toner cartridge 61 or the toner container 66 can be removed from the main body side connection portion 70. It becomes possible.

  When releasing the fixation of the toner cartridge 61, the drawer tray 62 is moved in the direction of drawing out from the apparatus main body (the direction of the arrow X1 in FIG. 3). By this pulling-out operation, the toner cartridge 61 moves to the left in FIG. 7B, and the projection 67 g provided on the discharge portion 67 pushes the other end 71 d of the fixed arm 71, so that the urging force of the spring member 72 is applied. The fixed arm 71 is rotated counterclockwise. As a result, the fixed arm 71 moves from the fixed position shown in FIG. 7B to the fixed release position shown in FIG. 7A, and the protruding portion 67 g is detached from the fixed arm 71. At the same time, the protruding piece portion 67h and the slide shutter 67d provided in the discharge portion 67 are detached from the notch portion 70a and the shutter opening member 73, respectively, and the fixing of the toner cartridge 61 is released. Further, the slide shutter 67d detached from the shutter opening member 73 is slid in a direction to close the discharge port by receiving a biasing force such as a spring (not shown) and prevents toner leakage from the discharge port. .

  Further, a toner amount detecting means (powder amount detecting means) for detecting the toner amount in the toner container 66 and a toner fluidity detecting means (powder fluidity detecting means) for detecting the toner fluidity are provided. The drive timing of the vibration applying means may be changed based on the detected information (toner amount or toner fluidity).

  For example, as shown in FIG. 29, when the toner sensor 40 as a toner amount detecting means is provided in the discharge portion 67 and the toner T is conveyed to the discharge portion 67 by the sending member 81, the presence or absence of toner is detected by the toner sensor 40. Is detected. As shown in FIG. 29A, when the toner T is detected by the toner sensor 40, a large amount of the toner T remains in the toner container 66, and therefore, as shown in the timing chart of FIG. The vibration applying means is driven also when 81 returns. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 29B, when the toner T is not detected by the toner sensor 40, the amount of toner in the toner container 66 is small, and therefore, as shown in the timing chart of FIG. When 81 returns, the driving of the vibration applying means is stopped. As described above, by automatically detecting the toner amount and changing the vibration timing, it is possible to carry out appropriate toner conveyance according to the toner amount.

  As the toner amount detection means, a piezoelectric sensor or an optical sensor can be used. The piezoelectric sensor is preferably a TSP15 series powder level sensor made by TDK, for example. Moreover, when using a transmissive | pervious optical sensor as an optical sensor, a light emission part and a light-receiving part are provided in the opposing position in the discharge part 67, for example. When the toner blocks the optical path between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit, “toner present” is detected. On the other hand, when the light is transmitted, “toner absent” is detected. It should be noted that it is desirable to periodically scrape off the toner adhered by a cleaning member made of a film or the like so that the toner does not remain attached to the mutually facing surfaces of the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion.

  As the toner fluidity detecting means, for example, a temperature / humidity meter can be used. The temperature and humidity around the apparatus is measured with a thermohygrometer, and the drive timing of the vibration applying means is changed to the timing shown in FIG. 25 or the timing shown in FIG. 27 based on the measurement result. As a result, when the toner fluidity is high, the driving time of the vibration applying means can be automatically reduced to reduce energy consumption, and appropriate toner conveyance according to the toner fluidity can be performed.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the fluidization of the toner can be efficiently performed by controlling the driving of the vibration applying unit according to the operation of the delivery member. As a result, toner packing and blocking can be prevented, and smooth and stable toner conveyance can be performed. In addition, since the amount of toner remaining in the toner container can be reduced, the running cost can be reduced. In addition, when the drive timing of the vibration applying unit is configured to be changeable according to the toner amount and toner fluidity in the toner container, it is possible to realize proper toner conveyance according to various conditions.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the toner container 66 may be made of a transparent member, or may be made of a translucent or opaque member. Further, the toner container 66 may be colored in the same color as the toner inside.

  Further, the wear resistance of the bottom surface (contact surface with the delivery member 81) of the toner container 66 is increased, or the bottom surface is formed of a thin film having a small friction coefficient formed by using various methods such as PVD and CVD. By doing so, it is possible to suppress the abrasion of the bottom surface of the toner container 66 due to the sliding contact of the delivery member 81. Alternatively, by providing a mechanism for applying a lubricant to at least one of the delivery member 81 and the toner container 66, it is possible to reduce friction between them and suppress wear.

  Alternatively, the toner container 66 may be creased in advance, and the toner container 66 may be folded along the fold along with the delivery operation by the delivery member 81 when the amount of toner inside is reduced. In this case, there is no need to crush the toner container 66 when the used toner container 66 is discarded, and convenience is improved. Further, since the toner container 66 is easily deformed, the toner can be easily discharged.

  The configuration of the present invention can also be applied to a powder conveying apparatus that conveys powder other than toner. Further, the powder conveying apparatus according to the present invention can be mounted not only on the printer shown in FIG. 1 but also on other printers, copiers, facsimiles, or complex machines thereof.

(Toner component)
Details of the toner used in the present invention will be described below.
The toner is mainly formed of a resin component, a pigment component, a wax component, and an external additive.

  As resins, polystyrene resin, epoxy resin, polyester resin, polyamide resin, styrene acrylic resin, styrene methacrylate resin, polyurethane resin, vinyl resin, polyolefin resin, styrene butadiene resin, phenol resin, polyethylene resin, silicon resin, butyral resin, terpene There are resins, polyol resins and the like. Examples of vinyl resins include styrene such as polystyrene, poly-p-chlorostyrene, and polyvinyltoluene, and homopolymers thereof: styrene-p-chlorostyrene copolymer, styrene-propylene copolymer, styrene-vinyltoluene copolymer. Polymer, styrene-vinyl naphthalene copolymer, styrene-methyl acrylate copolymer, styrene-ethyl acrylate copolymer, styrene-butyl acrylate copolymer, styrene-octyl acrylate copolymer, styrene-methacrylic copolymer Acid methyl copolymer, styrene-ethyl methacrylate copolymer, styrene-butyl methacrylate copolymer, styrene-α-chloromethyl methacrylate copolymer, styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer, styrene-vinyl methyl ether copolymer Coalescence, styrene-vinyl ethyl acetate Copolymer, styrene-vinyl methyl ketone copolymer, styrene-butadiene copolymer, styrene-isoprene copolymer, styrene-acrylonitrile-indene copolymer, styrene-maleic acid copolymer, styrene-maleic acid ester Styrene copolymers such as copolymers: polymethyl methacrylate, polybutyl methacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate and the like.

  The polyester resin is composed of a dihydric alcohol as shown in the following group A and a dibasic acid salt as shown in the group B, and further a trihydric or higher alcohol as shown in the group C or Carboxylic acid may be added as a third component.

  Group A: ethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,3-propylene glycol, 1,4 butanediol, neopentyl glycol, 1,4 butenediol, 1,4-bis (hydroxymethyl) cyclohexane Bisphenol A, hydrogenated bisphenol A, polyoxyethylenated bisphenol A, polyoxypropylene (2,2) -2,2′-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) propane, polyoxypropylene (3,3) -2, 2-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) propane, polyoxyethylene (2,0) -2,2-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) propane, polyoxypropylene (2,0) -2,2′-bis (4 -Hydroxyphenyl) propane and the like.

  Group B: maleic acid, fumaric acid, mesaconic acid, citraconic acid, itaconic acid, glutaconic acid, phthalic acid, isophthalic acid, terephthalic acid, cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, sebacic acid, malonic acid, linolenic acid, or These acid anhydrides or esters of lower alcohols.

  Group C: Trivalent or higher alcohols such as glycerin, trimethylolpropane and pentaerythritol, and trivalent or higher carboxylic acids such as trimellitic acid and pyromellitic acid. As the polyol resin, an alkylene oxide adduct of an epoxy resin and a dihydric phenol, or a compound having one active hydrogen in the molecule that reacts with the glycidyl ether and the epoxy group, and an active hydrogen that reacts with the epoxy resin in the molecule. There are those obtained by reacting two or more compounds.

The following are used as the pigment used in the present invention.
Examples of black pigments include azine dyes such as carbon black, oil furnace black, channel black, lamp black, acetylene black, and aniline black, metal salt azo dyes, metal oxides, and composite metal oxides.

  Examples of yellow pigments include cadmium yellow, mineral fast yellow, nickel yellow, navel yellow, naphthol yellow S, hansa yellow G, hansa yellow 10G, benzidine yellow GR, quinoline yellow lake, permanent yellow NCG, and tartrazine lake. .

  Examples of the orange pigment include molybdenum orange, permanent orange GTR, pyrazolone orange, Vulcan orange, indanthrene brilliant orange RK, benzidine orange G, and indanthrene brilliant orange GK.

  Examples of red pigments include Bengala, Cadmium Red, Permanent Red 4R, Resol Red, Pyrazolone Red, Watching Red Calcium Salt, Lake Red D, Brilliant Carmine 6B, Eosin Lake, Rhodamine Lake B, Alizarin Lake, Brilliant Carmine 3B.

  Examples of purple pigments include fast violet B and methyl violet lake.

  Examples of blue pigments include cobalt blue, alkali blue, Victoria blue lake, phthalocyanine blue, metal-free phthalocyanine blue, phthalocyanine blue partially chlorinated, first sky blue, and indanthrene blue BC.

  Examples of green pigments include chrome green, chromium oxide, pigment green B, and malachite green lake.

  These can use 1 type (s) or 2 or more types. Especially for color toners, uniform dispersion of good pigments is essential. Instead of putting pigments directly into a large amount of resin, a master batch in which pigments are once dispersed at a high concentration is prepared and diluted. The method of throwing in is used. In this case, a solvent is generally used to assist dispersibility. However, there is a problem of environment and the like, and in the present invention, water is used for dispersion. When water is used, temperature control is important so that residual moisture in the masterbatch does not become a problem.

  In the toner of the present invention, a charge control agent is blended (internally added) inside the toner particles. The charge control agent makes it possible to control the optimum charge amount according to the development system. In particular, in a developing device to which the present invention is applied, the balance between the particle size distribution and the charge amount can be further stabilized. For controlling the toner to be positively charged, nigrosine and quaternary ammonium salts, triphenylmethane dyes, imidazole metal complexes and salts can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Further, salicylic acid metal complexes, salts, organic boron salts, calixarene compounds, and the like are used for controlling the toner to be negatively charged.

  Further, a release agent can be internally added to the toner in the present invention to prevent offset at the time of fixing. Release agents include natural waxes such as candelilla wax, carnauba wax and rice wax, montan wax and derivatives thereof, paraffin wax and derivatives thereof, polyolefin wax and derivatives thereof, sazol wax, low molecular weight polyethylene, and low molecular weight polypropylene. And alkyl phosphate esters. The melting point of these release agents is preferably 65 to 90 [° C.]. If it is lower than this range, blocking during storage of the toner tends to occur, and if it is higher than this range, offset tends to occur in a region where the fixing temperature is low.

  Additives may be added for the purpose of improving the dispersibility of a release agent or the like. As additives, styrene acrylic resin, polyethylene resin, polystyrene resin, epoxy resin, polyester resin, polyamide resin, styrene methacrylate resin, polyurethane resin, vinyl resin, polyolefin resin, styrene butadiene resin, phenol resin, butyral resin, terpene resin, There is a polyol resin or the like, and a mixture of two or more of these resins may be used.

  As the resin, crystalline polyester may be used. It is an aliphatic polyester having crystallinity, having a sharp molecular weight distribution, and increasing the absolute amount of its low molecular weight as much as possible. This resin undergoes a crystal transition at the glass transition temperature (Tg), and at the same time, the melt viscosity suddenly decreases from the solid state and exhibits a fixing function to paper. By using this crystalline polyester resin, low-temperature fixing can be achieved without excessively reducing the Tg and molecular weight of the resin. Therefore, there is no decrease in storage stability associated with a decrease in Tg. Also, there is no excessively high gloss and offset resistance deterioration due to the low molecular weight. Therefore, the introduction of the crystalline polyester resin is very effective for improving the low-temperature fixability of the toner.

  As the toner, an inorganic fine powder may be attached or fixed to the toner surface as a fluidity improver. The average particle size of the inorganic fine powder is suitably 10 to 200 [nm]. When the particle size is smaller than 10 [nm], it is difficult to create an uneven surface having an effect on fluidity, and when the particle size is larger than 200 [nm], the powder shape becomes rough, which is a problem of toner shape. Occurs.

  As the inorganic fine powder of the present invention, Si, Ti, Al, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, In, Ga, Ni, Mn, W, Fe, Co, Zn, Cr, Mo, Cu, Ag, V, Zr, etc. Oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, sulfides, and composite oxides. Of these, the following oxides are often used from the viewpoint of safety and stability. In particular, fine particles of silicon oxide (silica), titanium oxide, and aluminum oxide (alumina, corundum) are preferably used. Furthermore, it is effective to perform a surface modification treatment of the additive with a hydrophobizing agent or the like. A typical example of the hydrophobizing agent is a silane coupling agent, which includes the following.

  Dimethyldichlorosilane, trimethylchlorosilane, methyltrichlorosilane, allyldimethyldichlorosilane, allylphenyldichlorosilane, benzyldimethylchlorosilane, bromomethyldimethylchlorosilane, α-chloroethyltrichlorosilane, p-chloroethyltrichlorosilane, Chloromethyldimethylchlorosilane, chloromethyltrichlorosilane, hexaphenyldisilazane, hexatolyldisilazane, etc.

  Hydrophobizing the additive makes it difficult for moisture to be adsorbed on the surface of the additive, which is a nanoparticle, and improves toner stability.

  The inorganic fine powder is preferably used in an amount of 0.1 to 2% by weight based on the toner. If it is less than 0.1 [wt%], the effect of improving toner aggregation is poor, and if it exceeds 2 [wt%], there are problems such as toner scattering between fine wires, contamination in the machine, scratches and abrasion of the photoreceptor. It tends to occur.

  In addition, a charge control agent may be attached or fixed to the surface of at least a powder composed of a resin and a pigment so that the powder surface shape has a small period and a large period. The average particle size is optimally as small as 5 to 200 [nm].

  In addition, the toner of the present invention may further contain other additives within a range that does not have a substantial adverse effect, such as Teflon (registered trademark) powder which is an organic powder, metal soap powder such as zinc stearate powder, polyfluoride Lubricant powder such as vinylidene powder, or abrasive such as cerium oxide powder, silicon carbide powder, strontium titanate powder, or conductive particles such as carbon black powder, zinc oxide powder, tin oxide powder, indium oxide powder, and insulating properties A small amount of a conductivity-imparting agent such as a powder obtained by coating conductive particles on the powder may be used as a developability improver.

  Since the fine powder is added to the toner, the toner is easily loosened when the delivery member 81 is operated, and the toner is removed from the container even when there is no replenishment operation for a while and the fluidity of the toner is lowered. Can be discharged.

8 Toner conveying device (powder conveying device)
61 Toner cartridge (powder container)
66 Toner container (powder container)
67 discharge portion 67a introduction port 67b discharge port 67c inclined surface 67d slide shutter 70 main body side connection portion 71 fixed arm 81 delivery member 93 eccentric weight (vibration applying means)
94 Driving means (vibration applying means)
T Toner (powder)

JP 2005-91879 A JP 2002-046843 A JP 2002-268346 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-143195

Claims (8)

A powder container that accommodates powder and at least a part of which is deformable can be detachably connected, and the powder inside the powder container can be connected to the connection side of the powder container in the connected state. A main body side connection part for discharging to the outside from the discharge part provided in
A delivery member for advancing the powder to the discharge part by moving forward to the discharge part in a state where the deformable portion of the powder container mounted on the main body side connection part is pushed inward;
Vibration applying means for applying vibration to the discharge unit,
The powder conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the vibration applying means continues to drive for a predetermined time after the delivery operation of the delivery member.   The powder conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main body side connection portion includes a storage portion that can store a predetermined amount of powder discharged from the discharge portion of the powder container.   Locking means for locking the powder container and the discharge portion in a mounted state, the locking means continues to be locked while the vibration applying means is being driven, and is locked when the driving of the vibration applying means is stopped. The powder conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the powder conveying apparatus is released.   2. The powder conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an opening / closing member that opens and closes the opening is provided at an opening of the discharge portion of the powder container.   The powder conveying and storing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the opening / closing member is disposed in proximity to the vibration applying unit.   While the delivery member moves to the discharge portion side, while the delivery member returns to the original position from the discharge portion side, and after the delivery member returns to the original position from the discharge portion side. The powder conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving of the vibration applying means is continued for a predetermined time.   A developing device comprising the powder conveyance device according to claim 1.   An image forming apparatus comprising the powder conveyance device according to claim 1.

Images