JP2013037285A - Shutter opening and closing mechanism, and developer storage container, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a shutter opening and closing mechanism that can convey developer using an elastic member that applies elastic force to a shutter member to close an opening, a developer storage container, and an image forming apparatus.SOLUTION: A shutter opening and closing mechanism includes: an opening 108 that opens on a developer storage container that accommodates developer; a developer conveying member that is arranged inside the developer storage container, and conveys the developer to the opening 108; a shutter member 120 that opens and closes the opening 108; and an elastic member 125 that applies elastic force to the shutter member 120 to close the opening 108. The elastic member 125 serves also as a developer conveying member.

Description

  The present invention relates to a shutter opening / closing mechanism, a developer container, and an image forming apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an image forming apparatus provided with a developer container including a toner cartridge that contains a developer to be replenished to the developing device. The developer container has a shutter member that opens and closes a discharge port for discharging the developer to the outside while containing a developer for replenishment inside, and the shutter member is a discharge port by an elastic force of a coil spring or the like. Is held in the closing direction.

  By the way, as a technique related to the developer container, for example, those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2008-276139 and 2009-229992 have been proposed.

The developer supply container according to the above Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-276139 has a discharge port and a container main body in which the developer is accommodated.
A developer conveying member having a rotating shaft and a flexible conveying member main body supported by the rotating shaft, disposed in the container main body, and configured to convey the developer to the discharge port and discharge the developer; ,
A clogging prevention portion that is formed at a position corresponding to the discharge port of the transport member body, and enters the discharge port and protrudes outward as the rotation shaft rotates.
It is comprised so that it may be equipped with.

Further, the developer replenishing device according to the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-229992 has an inside formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, has a replenishing port on one end in the longitudinal direction, and supplies a replenishing developer from the replenishing port. A developer container that can be accommodated; and
A conveying member that is rotatably disposed inside the developer container and conveys the replenishment developer in a longitudinal direction toward the replenishing port;
An adhesion suppressing member that is disposed inside the conveying member and suppresses adhesion of the replenishment developer to the inside of the developer container by moving as the replenishment developer is conveyed. It is configured.

JP 2008-276139 A JP 2009-229992 A

  By the way, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a shutter opening / closing mechanism, a developer accommodating container, and an image forming apparatus that can convey the developer by an elastic member that applies an elastic force so that the shutter member closes the opening. There is to do.

That is, the invention described in claim 1 includes an opening portion opened in a developer container that contains the developer,
A developer transport member disposed inside the developer container and transporting the developer to the opening;
A shutter member that opens and closes the opening;
An elastic member for applying an elastic force so that the shutter member closes the opening,
The shutter opening / closing mechanism is characterized in that the elastic member also serves as the developer conveying member.

  The invention described in claim 2 is the shutter opening / closing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is formed of a compressed coil spring.

  Furthermore, the invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that the coil spring is wound in a direction in which the coil spring is wound with respect to rotational driving in the developer transport direction. The shutter opening / closing mechanism according to Item 2.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the shutter opening / closing mechanism according to the second or third aspect, wherein the coil spring is made of metal or synthetic resin.

  Furthermore, the invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that the coil spring is formed integrally with a drive gear for rotationally driving the coil spring. This is a shutter opening / closing mechanism.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the coil spring is mounted so as to expand and contract along the developer conveyance direction in accordance with the rotational drive in the developer conveyance direction. A shutter opening / closing mechanism according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

  Furthermore, the invention described in claim 7 is that the coil spring comes into contact with a concave portion or a convex portion provided in the shutter member, so that the developer is rotationally driven in the transport direction of the developer. The shutter opening / closing mechanism according to claim 6, wherein the shutter opening / closing mechanism extends and contracts along a conveying direction.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a developer container main body having a supply port for supplying the developer to the outside while the developer is stored therein.
A developer transport member disposed inside the developer container main body and transporting the developer to the supply port;
A shutter member for opening and closing the supply port;
An elastic member for applying an elastic force so that the shutter member closes the supply port;
A developer container comprising the shutter opening / closing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7 as an opening / closing mechanism for opening / closing the shutter member.

Furthermore, the invention described in claim 9 is an image holding body for holding an electrostatic latent image;
Developing means for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier with a developer;
A developer containing container for containing a developer to be replenished to the developing means,
An image forming apparatus using the developer container described in claim 8 as the developer container.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the developer can be transported by the elastic member that applies an elastic force so that the shutter member closes the opening as compared with the case where this configuration is not provided.

  Moreover, according to the invention described in claim 2, the elastic member can be easily configured as compared with the case where the present configuration is not provided.

  Furthermore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a developer conveyance failure as compared with the case where the present configuration is not provided.

  Further, according to the invention described in claim 4, it is possible to provide the elastic member at a low cost as compared with the case where this configuration is not provided.

  Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 5, it is possible to provide at low cost including the elastic member driving means as compared with the case where this configuration is not provided.

  Further, according to the invention described in claim 6, it is possible to suppress the developer from adhering to the elastic member as compared with the case where the present configuration is not provided.

  Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 7, it is possible to suppress the developer from adhering to the elastic member with a simple configuration as compared with the case where the present configuration is not provided.

  According to the invention described in claim 8, it is possible to convey the developer by an elastic member that applies an elastic force so that the shutter member closes the opening as compared with the case where this configuration is not provided. A developer container can be provided.

  Furthermore, according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the developer can be conveyed by an elastic member that applies an elastic force so that the shutter member closes the opening as compared with the case where the present configuration is not provided. An image forming apparatus having a developer container can be provided.

It is a perspective block diagram which shows the principal part of a developer container by applying the shutter opening / closing mechanism which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a tandem type color printer as an image forming apparatus to which a developer container according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is applied. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming unit of a tandem type color printer as an image forming apparatus to which a developer container according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is applied. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a tandem type color printer as an image forming apparatus to which a developer container according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is applied. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a state where a cover showing a tandem color printer as an image forming apparatus to which a developer container according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is applied is opened. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a state where a cover showing a tandem color printer as an image forming apparatus to which a developer container according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is applied is opened. It is sectional drawing which shows a developing device. It is an exploded plan view showing a developing device. It is a perspective block diagram which shows an image forming unit. FIG. 3 is a perspective configuration diagram illustrating a black toner recovery mechanism. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram illustrating a toner cartridge mounting portion. FIG. 3 is a perspective configuration diagram illustrating a toner cartridge. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a toner cartridge. FIG. 3 is a perspective configuration diagram illustrating a toner cartridge. FIG. 3 is a perspective configuration diagram illustrating a back surface of the toner cartridge. FIG. 3 is a perspective configuration diagram illustrating a main part of the toner cartridge. FIG. 6 is a perspective configuration diagram illustrating a developer conveying member. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a main part of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a main part of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a perspective configuration diagram illustrating a toner cartridge. FIG. 3 is a perspective configuration diagram illustrating a toner cartridge. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram illustrating a toner cartridge to which a shutter opening / closing mechanism is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the attachment state of a coil spring auger. It is a block diagram which shows the front-end | tip shape of a coil spring auger. It is a block diagram which shows the attachment state of a coil spring auger. It is a block diagram which shows the attachment state of a coil spring auger.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a tandem color image forming apparatus to which the shutter opening / closing mechanism and the developer container according to the first embodiment of the present invention are applied. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating an image forming unit of the image forming apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus is configured to display full color or image data according to image data output from a personal computer, an image reading device (not shown), or the like, or image data sent via a telephone line or a LAN. A monochrome image is output.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the main body 1 of the image forming apparatus is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The front surface of the image forming apparatus main body 1 is used to feed recording paper and the like. A cover 28 is provided to be openable and closable, and a side cover 29 for exchanging toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K as developer containers is provided on one side thereof so as to be openable and closable. Yes. In addition, a discharge tray 22 that discharges recording paper on which an image is formed is integrally formed on the upper portion of the image forming apparatus main body 1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus main body 1 has shading correction, if necessary, for image data sent from a personal computer (PC) 2 or an image reading device (not shown). An image processing unit 3 that performs predetermined image processing such as positional deviation correction, lightness / color space conversion, gamma correction, frame erasing, color / moving editing, and the like is disposed, and controls the operation of the entire image forming apparatus. A control unit 4 is arranged.

  The image data that has been subjected to predetermined image processing by the image processing unit 3 as described above is processed by the image processing unit 3 in the same manner as yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). Are output as a full-color image or a monochrome image by the image output unit 5 provided inside the image forming apparatus main body 1 as described below.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus main body 1 includes four image forming units (image forming units) 6Y of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). 6M, 6C and 6K are arranged in the horizontal direction so that the yellow (Y) image forming unit 6Y of the first color is relatively high and the black (K) image forming unit 6K of the final color is relatively low. On the other hand, they are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval while being inclined by a predetermined angle (for example, about 10 degrees). The inclination angles of the image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K are not limited to about 10 degrees, and may be larger or smaller than that. .

  In this way, the four image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) are arranged in an inclined state by a predetermined angle. As a result, the distance between the image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K can be set shorter than in the case where these four image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K are arranged horizontally, and image formation is performed. Further reduction in size is possible by reducing the width of the apparatus main body 1.

  These four image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K basically have the same configuration except for the color of the image to be formed. As shown in FIGS. A photosensitive drum 8 as an image holding member that is rotationally driven at a predetermined speed along the direction of arrow A by means, and a charging roll 9 for primary charging that uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 8; The image exposure device 7 including an LED print head that exposes an image corresponding to a predetermined color on the surface of the photoconductive drum 8 to form an electrostatic latent image, and a static image formed on the photoconductive drum 8. The developing device 10 is a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image with toner of a predetermined color, and a cleaning device 11 that cleans the surface of the photosensitive drum 8.

  As the photosensitive drum 8, for example, a drum formed with a diameter of about 30 mm and having a surface coated with a photosensitive layer made of an organic photoconductor (OPC) or the like is used. It is rotationally driven at a predetermined speed along the direction.

  Further, as the charging roll 9, for example, a roll-shaped charger in which the surface of the core metal is covered with a conductive layer made of synthetic resin or synthetic rubber and having an adjusted electric resistance is used. Is applied with a predetermined charging bias.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the image exposure device 7 is individually arranged for each of the four image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K, and is provided in each of the image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K. The image exposure apparatus 7 includes an LED light emitting element array in which LED light emitting elements are linearly arranged along the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 8 at a predetermined pitch (for example, 600 dpi to 1200 dpi), and the LED light emitting element. A rod lens array that images light emitted from each LED light emitting element of the array in a spot shape on the photosensitive drum 8 is used. Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the image exposure device 7 is configured to scan and expose an image on the photosensitive drum 8 from below.

  When the image exposure device 7 is composed of an LED light emitting element array, it is desirable that the image exposure device can be greatly reduced in size. However, the image exposure device 7 is composed of an LED light emitting element array. Not limited to this, a laser beam that deflects and scans along the axial direction of each photosensitive drum 8 may be used. In this case, for example, one image exposure device 7 may be arranged for four image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K.

  From the image processing unit 3, the image exposure device 7Y provided for each of the image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K for each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). , 7M, 7C, and 7K, corresponding color image data is sequentially output, and light beams emitted in accordance with the image data from these image exposure devices 7Y, 7M, 7C, and 7K correspond to the corresponding photosensitive drums 8Y, The surfaces of 8M, 8C, and 8K are scanned and exposed to form an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data. The electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive drums 8Y, 8M, 8C, and 8K are yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black by the developing devices 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K, respectively. It is developed as a toner image of each color of (K).

  Yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) sequentially formed on the photosensitive drums 8Y, 8M, 8C, and 8K of the image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K. The toner images of the respective colors are transferred to four primary transfer rolls 13Y on an intermediate transfer belt 12 as an endless belt-shaped intermediate transfer body disposed in an inclined state over the image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K. Multiplexed primary transfer is sequentially performed by 13M, 13C, and 13K.

  The intermediate transfer belt 12 is an endless belt-like member stretched by a plurality of rolls, and the lower side running region of the belt-like member is relatively low on the downstream side along the running direction and relatively upstream on the upstream side. It is arranged in a state inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so as to be higher.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate transfer belt 12 is wound around with a predetermined tension between a drive roll 15 having a function as a back support roll of the secondary transfer portion and a driven roll 14. It is circulated and driven at a predetermined speed along the direction of arrow B by a drive roll 15 that is rotated by a drive motor that is excellent in constant speed (not shown). As the intermediate transfer belt 12, for example, a belt formed of an endless belt with a synthetic resin film such as flexible polyimide or polyamideimide is used. The intermediate transfer belt 12 is disposed so as to be in contact with the photosensitive drums 8Y, 8M, 8C, and 8K of the image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K in the lower side running region.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate transfer belt 12 is disposed at the lower end of the running area of the intermediate transfer belt 12, and the toner image primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 12 is recorded on the recording medium 16. A secondary transfer roll 17 as a secondary transfer means for performing secondary transfer thereon is disposed so as to contact the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 12 stretched by the drive roll 15.

  The yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) toner images transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 12 in a multiple manner are transferred to the drive roll 15 as shown in FIG. The recording paper 16 that has been secondarily transferred onto the recording paper 16 as a recording medium by the secondary transfer roll 17 that is in contact via the transfer belt 12 and onto which the toner images of these colors have been transferred is positioned above the vertical direction. Is conveyed to the fixing device 18. The secondary transfer roll 17 is pressed against the side of the drive roll 15 via the intermediate transfer belt 12, and the toner images of the respective colors are collectively collected on the recording paper 16 conveyed from the lower side to the upper side in the vertical direction. Secondary transfer.

  As the secondary transfer roll 17, for example, an elastic body layer made of a conductive elastic body such as a synthetic rubber material to which a conductive agent is added is formed in a predetermined thickness on the outer periphery of a metal core made of metal such as stainless steel. A coated one is used.

  The recording paper 16 to which the toner images of the respective colors are transferred is subjected to a fixing process with heat and pressure by a heating roll 19 and a pressure belt (or pressure roll) 20 of a fixing device 18, and then is discharged by a discharge roll 21. The image is discharged on the discharge tray 22 provided at the upper end of the image forming apparatus main body 1 with the image surface facing down.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the recording paper 16 is of a predetermined size and material from a paper feed tray 23 disposed at the bottom of the image forming apparatus main body 1, and includes a paper feed roll 24 and a paper separation roll 25. Thus, the sheets are fed one by one and are transported to the registration roll 26 once. Then, the recording paper 16 supplied from the paper feed tray 23 is sent to the secondary transfer position of the intermediate transfer belt 12 by a registration roll 26 that is rotationally driven in synchronization with the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 12. As the recording paper 16, in addition to plain paper, it is also possible to supply thick paper such as coated paper whose front surface or both surfaces are coated. The recording paper 16 made of coated paper includes a photographic image. Are also output.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, residual toner is removed from the surface of the photosensitive drum 8 after the primary transfer process of the toner image by the cleaning device 11 to prepare for the next image forming process. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, residual toner and the like are removed from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 12 after the secondary transfer process of the toner image by a belt cleaning device 27 provided in the vicinity of the downstream side of the drive roll 15. In preparation for the next image forming step.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a developing device used in the image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the developing device 10 includes a lower housing 31 and an upper housing 32, and an opening 33 is provided at an upper end portion on one side of the upper housing 32. In the section 33, a developing roll 34 as a developer holding member is disposed. The developing roll 34 includes a magnet roll 35 that is fixed inside and a developing sleeve 36 that is arranged on the outer periphery of the magnet roll 35 so as to be rotatable along the direction of the arrow.

  Further, below the developing roll 34, a lower housing 31 combined with an upper housing 32 is provided. For example, a developer containing chamber 38 is provided as a space for containing a two-component developer 37 composed of toner and a carrier. It has been. Inside the upper housing 32, a developer regulating member 39 that regulates the amount of the developer 37 supplied to the surface of the developing roll 34 is on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the developing roll 34 and in the vicinity of the opening 33. Further, they are arranged with a predetermined gap with respect to the surface of the developing roll 34. The developer regulating member 39 is configured to regulate the amount of the developer 37 supplied to the surface of the developing roll 34 using, for example, magnetism, and is predetermined by a magnetic material such as nickel, for example. It is formed in a cylindrical shape having a different diameter.

  On the other hand, a two-component developer 37 composed of toner and carrier is accommodated in the lower housing 31, and the developer 37 is transported while being stirred, whereby the developer 37 is transported to the surface of the developing roll 34. A first agitating / conveying auger 40 that supplies the developer 37 and a second agitating / conveying auger 41 that conveys the developer 37 while agitating are disposed. The developer accommodating chamber 38 configured inside the lower housing 31 accommodates a first agitating / conveying auger accommodating chamber 42 for accommodating a first agitating / conveying auger 40 and a second agitating / conveying auger 41. A partition wall 52 partitions the second agitating / conveying auger storage chamber 43.

  Further, the first and second agitating / conveying augers 40 and 41 are formed in a spiral shape on the outer periphery of the rotating shafts 44 and 45 formed in a columnar shape, as shown in FIG. The agitating and conveying blades 46 and 47 are configured to convey the developer 37 in the opposite directions while being agitated.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the first and second agitating / conveying augers 40 and 41 are rotationally driven by gears 48 and 49 attached to one end portions of the rotating shafts 44 and 45.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the developing device 10 is provided with a developer supply line extending to one end side (front side in FIG. 9) along the axial direction of the second agitating / conveying auger 41. The auger 50 supplies a new developer containing at least toner from the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K. A leakage prevention blade 51 for preventing the developer from leaking is integrally provided at the end of the developer supply auger 50 as necessary.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, a cleaning device 11 for cleaning the surface of the photosensitive drum 8 includes a cleaning blade 11a that contacts the surface of the photosensitive drum 8, and a surface of the photosensitive drum 8 by the cleaning blade 11a. A recovery auger 11b for recovering the removed toner is provided. As shown in FIG. 3, a waste toner transport member 11c formed in a semi-cylindrical shape having an opening on the photosensitive drum 8 side is covered on the outer periphery of the recovery auger 11b, and the cylinder of the waste toner transport member 11c is covered. The tip portions 66Y, 66M, 66C (66K not shown) formed in a shape are arranged so as to protrude from the side surface of the image forming apparatus main body 1 as shown in FIG.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a partition plate 52 is provided inside the developing device 10 to partition the first agitating / conveying auger accommodating chamber 42 and the second agitating / conveying auger accommodating chamber 43. The developer 37 is circulated by exchanging the developer 37 between the first agitating / conveying auger accommodating chamber 42 and the second agitating / conveying auger accommodating chamber 43 at both ends along the longitudinal direction of the partition plate 52. Circulation passages 53 and 54 are formed.

  The new developer is supplied to the inside of the developing device 10 by dropping the developer to the end of the circulation passage 54 or the second agitating / conveying auger 41 by the developer supplying auger 50. You may comprise.

  By the way, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), black on the side exposed to the outside when the side cover 29 of the image forming apparatus main body 1 is opened. Toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K are installed as developer storage containers that store the developer 61 containing at least toner of each color of (K), and these toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K are supported. The developer 61 including at least toner is supplied to the developing devices 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K of the colors to be processed. In this embodiment, only the toner 61 is accommodated as a developer in the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K, but it is needless to say that the developer 61 composed of toner and carrier may be accommodated. The toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C and 60K are basically formed in the same shape, but the black (K) toner cartridge 60K is larger than the other color toner cartridges 60Y, 60M and 60C. Is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 6, toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K for each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) are provided on one side of the color printer main body 1, as shown in FIG. A cartridge storage frame 62 for detachably mounting is provided. Since the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are mounted on the cartridge storage frame 62, they correspond to the shapes of the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K. Four mounting recesses 63Y, 63M, 63C, 63K are provided. Of these four mounting recesses 63Y, 63M, 63C, and 63K, the other color toner cartridges are erroneously inserted into the mounting recesses 63Y, 63M, and 63C in which the color toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, and 60C are mounted. In order to prevent mounting, there are provided erroneous mounting preventing protrusions 64Y, 64M, 64C having different shapes.

  In the mounting recesses 63Y, 63M, 63C, and 63K, a developer supply unit 65Y that supplies developer 61 of each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). , 65M, 65C, and 65K are provided, and waste toner is collected from the cleaning devices 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K for yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). Developer recovery units 66Y, 66M, 66C, and 66K are provided. Of the developer collecting units 66Y, 66M, 66C, and 66K, the black (K) developer collecting unit 66K collects waste toner from the cleaning device 11K of the photosensitive drum 8K, as shown in FIG. The developer is formed larger than the other developer collecting portions 66Y, 66M, and 66C so that the waste toner can also be collected from the cleaning device 27 of the intermediate transfer belt 12.

  On the other hand, the developer supply sections 65Y, 65M, 65C, and 65K are mounted with a developer supply cylindrical section 106, which will be described later, provided in the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K, as shown in FIGS. A cylindrical developer receiving portion 67 and an introduction portion 68 integrally formed in a semi-cylindrical shape with an upper portion opened on the front side of the developer receiving portion 66. As shown in FIG. 11, the developer supply units 65Y, 65M, 65C, and 65K have a spring 160 provided at the tip of the developing device 10 when the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K are removed. And protrudes to a state where it covers a drive gear 104 described later.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the developer collection sections 66Y, 66M, 66C, and 66K are provided with mounting recesses 63Y, 63M, and 63M, respectively, on the front side of the cleaning device 11 of the image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K. 63C, 63K is configured from a front end portion of the waste toner conveying member 11c protruding from the inner side surface of the developer collecting portions 66Y, 66M, 66C, 66K. The outlet is opened downward.

  By the way, among the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K as developer containers according to this embodiment, toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, and 60C of yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) colors. As shown in FIG. 12, it is formed in the shape of a substantially elongated rectangular parallelepiped box along the vertical direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the black (K) toner cartridge 60K is formed in a large size that is wider than the color toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, and 60C.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the toner cartridge 60 is roughly divided, and one side surface 70 is opened over the entire surface, and has an opening portion 71 for filling the toner at the upper end portion, and is an elongated rectangular parallelepiped along the vertical direction. A container body 72 formed in a box shape, an inner lid body 73 provided to close one side surface of the container body 72, and an outer lid body 74 provided on the surface of the inner lid body 73. A cap member 75 for closing the toner filling opening 71 of the container main body 72 and a seal member 76 for sealing the air hole, an upper lid 77 attached to the upper end of the container main body 72, and an inside of the upper lid 77. An externally readable storage element 78 that stores data relating to the toner cartridge 60, and an agitation transport unit that transports the developer 61 contained in the container main body 72 to the discharge port while stirring the developer 61. As a transport auger 79, a film-like member 80 disposed inside the container body 72, a shutter member 120 that opens and closes a supply port as an opening of the container body 72, and a state where the supply port of the shutter member 120 is closed And a coil spring 125 as an elastic member for applying a holding force.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the container main body 72 of the toner cartridge 60 is formed as a box having an elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape along the vertical direction provided with an opening 70 opened on the entire surface on one side surface (front surface). Yes. The inside of the container body 72 is divided into a new developer storage chamber 81 for storing new developer 61 and a waste developer recovery chamber 82 for recovering discarded developer. It is partitioned by a partition wall 83 arranged in an inclined state from the side wall 84 toward the other side wall 89. The partition wall 83 is formed in duplicate from a partition wall 83a on the new developer storage chamber 81 side and a partition wall 83b on the waste developer collection chamber 82 side. The partition wall 83a is disposed so that the upper end portion thereof is continuous with the lower end portion of one side wall 84 forming the new developer accommodating chamber 81, and is inclined obliquely to the lower left in FIG. The lower end portion of the partition wall 83a is arranged so as to face the side wall 84 of the new developer containing chamber 81, and is continuous with the upper end portion of the side wall 85 that forms the waste developer containing chamber 82. Is arranged. Similarly to the partition wall 83, the side wall 85 is also formed in a double manner from a side wall 85a on the new developer storage chamber 81 side and a side wall 85b on the waste developer collection chamber 82 side.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the new developer accommodating chamber 81 occupies about 3/4 to 2/3 of the total length of the toner cartridge 60, and the waste developer accommodating chamber 82 is approximately 1/4 to 1/1 /. Although it is set to occupy about 3, the ratio of the volumes of the new developer storage chamber 81 and the waste developer storage chamber 82 may of course be set to other ratios. Further, the entire interior of the toner cartridge 60 may be used as the new developer accommodating chamber 81 without providing the waste developer accommodating chamber 82.

  The new developer storage chamber 81 and the waste developer storage chamber 82 of the toner cartridge 60 are closed by an inner lid 73 that closes the opening 70 of the container main body 72 as shown in FIG. It is divided into a agent storage chamber 81 and a waste developer storage chamber 82. As shown in FIG. 14, the inner lid 73 is a container formed by means such as ultrasonic welding through a wall member comprising a side wall 84 and a partition wall 83 provided on the inner periphery and outer periphery of the opening 70. The main body 72 is mounted in a fixed state so as to close the entire surface of the opening 70. At that time, the new developer accommodating chamber 81 and the rear surface of the partition wall 83 partitioned into the new developer accommodating chamber 81 and the waste developer accommodating chamber 82 can be inserted into the new developer accommodating chamber 81. As shown in FIG. 15, the rear surfaces of the partition wall 83 and the side wall 85 positioned between the waste developer storage chamber 82 are separated from each other by a separation groove 86.

  Note that reference numeral 87 in FIG. 15 indicates a concave portion having a shape corresponding to the erroneous mounting preventing protrusions 64Y, 64M, and 64C of the color toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, and 60C.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the new developer accommodating chamber 81 has four side walls 84, 88, 89, 73 including an inner lid 73 that closes the opening 70, extending vertically from the upper end to the lower end. It is arranged vertically along the direction. Further, the side wall 84 is provided from the upper end portion to the middle portion of the new developer accommodating chamber 81, and the lower end portion of the side wall 84 is provided with a partition wall 83a arranged in an inclined state. It has been. The lower end portion of the partition wall 83a is located in the middle along the width direction of the new developer containing chamber 81, and the lower end portion of the partition wall 83a is a short side wall disposed so as to face the side wall 89. 85a is provided. Further, as shown in FIG. 15, a bottom wall 140 formed in a substantially semi-cylindrical shape is provided at the lower ends of the side wall 89 and the side wall 85a.

  As a result, the new developer accommodating chamber 81 has an upper end portion 81a configured to have a width equal to the entire width of the container body 72 from the four side walls 84, 88, 89, 73 as shown in FIG. The intermediate portion 81b formed so that the width gradually decreases toward the one side wall 89, and the lower end portion 81c formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section by the one side wall 89, the side wall 85a, and the bottom wall 140. It is configured. As will be described later, the new developer 61 accommodated in the new developer accommodating chamber 81 is gradually supplied to the developing device 10 so that the upper end portion 81a passes through the intermediate portion 81b to the lower end portion 81c. And gradually decrease by gravity.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the developer 61 accommodated in the new developer accommodating chamber 81 is conveyed to the lower end 81c of the new developer accommodating chamber 81 while stirring, and the lower end 81c in the depth direction is conveyed. A transport auger 79 for discharging the developer 61 from a discharge port 90 formed at the bottom on the front side (opening 70 side) is provided to be rotatable along the arrow direction.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the discharge port 90 formed at the bottom of the lower end portion 81c of the new developer accommodating chamber 81 is rectangular in the discharge port forming member 91 made of an elastic member such as sponge formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. It is formed in an open state. As shown in FIG. 16, the discharge port forming member 91 is mounted in a state of being fitted into a recess 92 provided at a position corresponding to the lower end portion 81 c of the new developer accommodating chamber 81 of the container main body 72. When the toner cartridge 60 is shipped, the upper end surface of the discharge port forming member 91 is deformed into a shape corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the transport auger 79 to prevent the developer 61 from leaking with the discharge port 90 closed. Yes. Therefore, a seal member or the like that closes the discharge port 90 in an unused state is unnecessary, and the number of parts can be reduced. The new toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K are preinstalled and preinstalled in the image forming apparatus main body 1 as shown in FIG. 5 when the image forming apparatus is shipped. In addition, in FIG. 16, for convenience, the upper end surface of the discharge port forming member 91 is shown in a deformed shape corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the transport auger 79, but the discharge port forming member 91 is, as described above, When the conveyance auger 79 is detached from the discharge port 90, it is made of an elastic member such as sponge, and its upper end surface returns to a flat state as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. Therefore, the discharge port 90 provided in the discharge port forming member 91 repeats elastic deformation and return each time the developer discharge portion 96 of the transport auger 79 passes, so that the discharge port forming member 91 moves up and down. That is, the developer 61 can be effectively prevented from being clogged in the discharge port 90 by the pump action.

  By the way, as shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, the transport auger 79 according to this embodiment is integrally formed of a synthetic resin or the like, and a cylinder provided in the center along the transport direction. Shaped rotary shaft portion 92, a disc-shaped support portion 93 provided at the upstream end portion in the conveying direction (axial direction) of the rotary shaft portion 92, and a radially outer side upstream of the rotary shaft portion 92. Agitating portion 94 provided so as to protrude in a flat plate shape with the same radius as the disc-like support portion 93 and a spiral provided on the outer periphery of only the intermediate portion of the rotating shaft portion 92 to convey the developer 61 A bucket blade (receiving tray) that discharges the developer 61 into the discharge port 90 and is located downstream of the conveyance blade portion 95 as a conveyance portion and the rotation shaft 92 in the conveyance direction. Part 96.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the developer discharge portion 96 is provided in parallel to each other at a predetermined interval along the axial direction at the downstream end portion along the conveying direction of the rotating shaft portion 92. A pair of fan-shaped side plates 97, 98, an outer peripheral plate 99 provided in an arc shape so as to cover the outer peripheral surfaces of the pair of fan-shaped side plates 97, 98, and the side plate 97 inside the developer discharge portion 96. , 98 and the partition plate 100 provided along the radial direction at the central portion along the circumferential direction. The fan-shaped side plates 97 and 98 have a central angle set to, for example, about 120 degrees, but may be set to a larger angle or a smaller angle. On the upper end surface of the developer discharge portion 96, an opening portion 96a having an entire opening in the direction of the rotation shaft portion 92 is provided. As shown in FIG. 16, the developer discharge section 96 is configured to prevent the developer 61 from leaking when the outer peripheral plate 99 closes the discharge port 91.

  As shown in FIG. 17B, the upstream end 95 a along the conveying direction of the conveying blade portion 95 is connected to the agitating portion 94 described above. The developer 61 stirred and dissolved along the circumferential direction is smoothly introduced into the upstream end of the conveying blade portion 95 along the conveying direction, and is conveyed by the conveying blade portion 95. .

  Further, as shown in FIG. 17 (b), the downstream end portion 95b along the transport direction of the transport blade portion 95 is an upstream side along the circumferential direction of the opening 96a of the developer discharge portion 96 described above. The developer 61 transported along the axial direction of the rotary shaft portion 92 by the transport blade portion 95 is smoothly introduced into the opening 96 a of the developer discharge portion 96. It is configured.

  The developer discharging unit 96 is configured to transfer the new developer 61 conveyed along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 92 by the conveying blade unit 95 of the conveying auger 79 to the developer discharging unit 96 formed in a substantially bucket shape. The developer 61 is scooped inside and moved upward as the rotary shaft 92 rotates, so that new developer 61 is pushed into the discharge port 90 positioned below and dropped while being supplied. It has become.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 16, the tip 101 of the rotating shaft 92 has a substantially D-shaped cross section, and the tip 101 has the tip 101 as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19. A first driving gear 102 for rotationally driving the transport auger 79 is attached. A second driving gear 103 is meshed with the driving gear 102, and the second driving gear 103 is meshed with a main body side gear 104 attached to the image forming apparatus main body 1 side. .

  The toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K are rotated at a predetermined timing as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19 in a state where they are mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 1 as shown in FIG. A rotational driving force is transmitted from the driven main body side gear 104 to the first driving gear 102 via the second driving gear 103 so that the conveying auger 79 is rotationally driven at a predetermined timing. It is configured. The transport auger 79 is intermittently rotated at a predetermined timing by the gear 104 on the main body side, for example, and the discharge port 90 of the discharge port forming member 91 is intermittently driven by the developer discharge unit 96 of the transfer auger 79. Will be opened and closed. The timing of opening and closing the discharge port 90 of the discharge port forming member 91 is arbitrary. For example, when one rotation of the transport auger 79 is 1, the ratio of the open time is about 0.3 to 0.5 It is opened and closed to become.

  Further, in the first driving gear 102 and the second driving gear 103, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the developer discharge portion 96 of the transport auger 79 is in a state of closing the discharge port 90. So that the developer discharging portion 96 of the transport auger 79 blocks the discharge port 90 so that the first driving gear 102 and the second driving gear 103 can be visually confirmed. The positioning holes 151 and 152 are provided so as to coincide with the position confirmation holes 153 and 154 provided in the lid member 74.

  Further, the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, 60K, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, are supplied with a new developer 61 supplied from the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, 60K immediately from the discharge port 90. 10, a developer supply means 105 that supplies the developer 61 supplied from the new developer storage chamber 81 to the developing device 10 is integrally provided. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the developer supply means 105 is a cylindrical developer supply member integrally formed below the new developer storage chamber 81 of the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, 60K. 106 is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 19, the developer supply member 106 is arranged in parallel with the transport auger 79, and an introduction port 107 for introducing the developer supplied from the discharge port 91 is opened at one end thereof. ing. The introduction port 107 is configured to be simultaneously closed when the outer peripheral plate 99 provided in the arc shape of the discharge portion 96 formed in a substantially bucket shape of the transport auger 79 closes the discharge port 91. .

  Further, on the other end side of the developer supply member 106, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 21, a supply port 108 as an opening according to the present embodiment for supplying the developer is opened downward. Yes. The supply port 108 is opened at a position corresponding to the receiving port 110 opened at the upper end of the developer supply cylindrical portion 109 that covers the outer periphery of the developer supply auger 50 of the developing device 10.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 22, a shutter member 120 that opens and closes the supply port 108 is disposed in the developer supply member 106 movably along the longitudinal direction of the developer supply member 106. Has been. As shown in FIG. 1, the shutter member 120 includes, for example, a guide recess (not shown) that is inserted into a guide protrusion 161 provided on the ceiling in the developer supply member 106. The developer supply member 106 is configured to be guided along the longitudinal direction.

  The shutter member 120 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape whose front end is closed by a partition wall 121 and whose base end is opened, and an opening 122 is provided downward at a position corresponding to the supply port 108. Yes. In addition, at one end of the opening 122 of the shutter member 120 (on the right side in the illustrated example), the end of the supply port 108 is surely stopped in a state where the supply port 108 is opened. An abutting portion 123 that abuts is provided in a state of projecting into the supply port 108. The abutting portion 123 of the shutter member 120 stops when the shutter member 120 abuts against the other end of the supply port 108 when the shutter member 120 closes the supply port 108, and closes the supply port 108. ing.

  Further, a seal made of a member such as a thin sponge is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shutter member 120 in order to prevent the developer from leaking from the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the shutter member 120 and the inner surface of the developer supply member 106. A member 124 is provided.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 22, the developer supply member 106 has an elastic force that applies an elastic force to the shutter member 120 so that the shutter member 120 keeps the supply port 108 closed. A coil spring 125 as a member is arranged. For example, the coil spring 125 is a compression coil spring formed by spirally winding a linear member having a circular cross section made of a metal spring material. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the coil spring 125 is attached in a state in which a base end portion is fixed to a rotary shaft 103 a provided integrally with the second driving gear 103. And a coil spring auger as a developer conveying member that conveys the developer by being driven to rotate by the driving gear 103. As shown in FIGS. 22 and 23A, the coil spring auger 125 has, for example, an end portion 125a bent at the base end portion in the diametrical direction with respect to the rotation shaft 103a of the second driving gear 103. Is attached by being inserted through an insertion port provided in the diametrical direction on the rotating shaft 103a. Further, as shown in FIG. 23B, the coil spring auger 125 has, for example, an end portion 125a bent in a diametrical direction with respect to the rotation shaft 103a of the second driving gear 103 at the base end portion. In addition, it may be configured to be attached by being inserted into the concave groove 163 provided in the rotating shaft 103a, and the attaching means is arbitrary.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 22, the coil spring auger 125 has, for example, a developer discharged from the discharge port 91 as an opening when the second driving gear 103 is rotationally driven in the clockwise direction. Is spirally wound in the direction of conveyance to the supply port 108. Further, the coil spring auger 125 is spirally wound so that the outer diameter of the coil spring auger 125 is reduced by being rotated by the second drive gear 103.

  The pitch of the coil spring auger 125 is appropriately set in consideration of the developer conveyance amount, but is compressed to a position where the supply port 108 is opened so that the developer can be stably supplied from the supply port 108. In this state, for example, a spiral portion of about 2 to 3 pitches is set inside the supply port 108. Note that the pitch of the coil spring auger 125 does not necessarily have to be constant over the entire length thereof, and a portion having a coarse pitch and a dense portion may be appropriately provided in consideration of developer transportability.

  The coil spring auger 125 is configured separately from the second drive gear 103 that rotationally drives the coil spring auger 125. The coil spring auger 125 has a resilience elasticity to the coil spring auger 125. It may be formed integrally with the second driving gear 103 by being formed of synthetic resin. In this case, the coil spring auger 125 and the second drive gear 103 are integrated, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the coil spring auger 125 formed of the compression spring normally has the shutter member 120 at the tip of the developer supply member 106 so that the shutter member 120 keeps the supply port 108 closed. An elastic force that presses against the shutter member 120 is applied so that the shutter member 120 moves to a position where it has stopped by striking.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 19, the shutter member 120 mounts the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K on the developer supply portions 65Y, 65M, 65C, and 65K of the image forming apparatus main body 1 so that the development is performed. The supply port 108 is opened against the elastic force of the coil spring auger 125 by being pushed by the thin shaft-like operating protrusion 127 provided in a state of protruding into the agent supply parts 65Y, 65M, 65C, 65K. Configured to move to a position. The coil spring auger 125 is rotationally driven in such a compressed state, and conveys the developer to the supply port 108.

  The tip 125b of the coil spring auger 125 is in contact with the inner surface of the partition wall 121 of the shutter member 120 as shown in FIG. The inner surface of the partition wall 121 of the shutter member 120 is provided with a recess 128 into which the tip 125b of the coil spring auger 125 can be inserted, and the tip of the coil spring auger 125 is rotated when the coil spring auger 125 is driven to rotate. 125 b is configured to enter the recess 128.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 24, the tip 125b of the coil spring auger 125 is folded back into a small arc along the axial direction of the coil spring auger 125, and the tip 125b is shown in FIG. As described above, the inner surface of the partition wall 121 of the shutter member 125 is fitted into a recess 164 provided at a part of the outer peripheral end thereof. In addition, the recess 164 is set so that the upstream end along the rotation direction of the coil spring auger 125 becomes deeper and gradually becomes shallower toward the downstream side along the rotation direction. Is formed.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the coil spring auger 125 has its tip 125b in a recess 164 provided on the inner surface of the partition wall 121 of the shutter member 125, as shown in FIG. The coil spring is a little stretched but momentarily extended, and is configured to rotate while removing the developer adhering to the coil spring auger 125.

  The configuration for removing the developer adhering to the coil spring auger 125 is not limited to the above-described configuration. For example, as shown in FIG. 26, the inner surface of the partition wall 121 of the shutter member 125 is connected to the coil spring. In addition to being formed on the slope inclined along the axial direction of the auger 125, the tip end portion 125b of the coil spring auger 125 is also formed on the slope inclined along the axial direction of the coil spring auger 125, thereby extending along the axial direction. And may be configured to expand and contract.

  The developer conveying member is not limited to the coil spring auger 125. The developer can be conveyed and an elastic force can be applied to the shutter member 125 so as to close the supply port 108. For example, a member obtained by spirally winding a band-shaped member made of a metal spring plate or the like may be used.

  The toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K are configured to collect waste toner discharged from the cleaning devices 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K of the printer main body 1 and the belt cleaning device 27.

  That is, the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K include the cleaning devices 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K and the belt cleaning device 27 of the printer main body 1 on the back side of the waste developer storage chamber 82 as shown in FIG. An introduction port 130 for introducing waste toner discharged from is opened. A seal member 131 made of a sponge or the like is provided on the outer periphery of the inlet 130 to prevent toner leakage. Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the introduction port 130 is normally biased by a spring 142 and closed by a second shutter member 132.

  The toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K are disposed on the side of the printer body 1 by attaching the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K to the printer body 1 as shown in FIG. The second shutter member 132 is opened by being pushed inward by the developer recovery portions 66Y, 66M, 66C, and 66K.

  As described above, the black developer recovery unit 66K of the printer main body 1 recovers waste toner from the belt cleaning device 27 of the intermediate transfer belt 12 in addition to the waste toner from the black cleaning device 11K. It is like that. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the belt cleaning device 27 of the intermediate transfer belt 12 is positioned almost directly above the black cleaning device 11K, so that the black developer recovery unit 66K is as shown in FIG. In addition, the waste toner collected by the belt cleaning device 27 of the intermediate transfer belt 12 is formed so as to connect the end of the belt cleaning device 27 of the intermediate transfer belt 12 and the end of the black cleaning device 11K. The developer is collected by the developer collecting section 66K, and discharged to the inlet 132 of the black toner cartridge 60K by the discharge auger of the black cleaning device 11K.

    In the above configuration, in the image forming apparatus using the shutter opening / closing mechanism according to this embodiment, the developer is transported by an elastic member that applies an elastic force so that the shutter member closes the opening as follows. It is possible.

  That is, in the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, each of the image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C for yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) The toner images of the respective colors are sequentially formed by 6K, and the toner images of the respective colors formed on the photosensitive drums 8 of the respective image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K are sequentially multiplexed on the intermediate transfer belt 12. After the transfer, the toner image is fixed on the recording paper 16 at the secondary transfer position from the intermediate transfer belt 12 to the recording paper 16, and the toner image is fixed on the recording paper 16. As shown in FIG. It is discharged onto a discharge tray 22 provided on the upper part.

  In the color printer, as shown in FIG. 2, toner images of each color are formed by the image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). In this case, the toner in the developer 37 in the developing device 10 of the image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K is gradually consumed, and the toner density in the developing device 10 decreases, so that each image forming unit 6Y, As shown in FIG. 5, a new developer 61 containing at least toner of a corresponding color is supplied from the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K to the 6M, 6C, and 6K developing devices 10 at a predetermined timing. .

  Further, the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K, as shown in FIG. 14, are supplied when new developer 61 is supplied from the new developer accommodating chamber 81 and the new developer accommodating chamber 81 becomes empty, or When the inside of the new developer storage chamber 81 is almost empty, the side cover 29 of the image forming apparatus main body 1 is opened as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and is empty or close to empty. The toner cartridges 60 </ b> Y, 60 </ b> M, 60 </ b> C, 60 </ b> K in the state are removed from the image forming apparatus main body 1, and new toner cartridges 60 </ b> Y, 60 </ b> M, 60 </ b> C, 60 </ b> K are attached to the image forming apparatus main body 1.

  The toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K are mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 1 as shown in FIG. 5, so that the drive auger 79 and the coil spring auger 125 are driven to rotate as shown in FIG. The main gear 102 and the intermediate gear 103 are meshed with the main body gear 104 on the image forming apparatus main body 1 side, and the supply port 108 of the developer supply member 106 is opened.

  At this time, the shutter member 120 that opens and closes the supply ports 108 of the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K is always attached to the shutter member 120 by a coil spring auger 125 that also serves as a developer conveying member, as shown in FIG. A holding force consisting of an elastic repulsion force held in the closing direction is acting. Then, by attaching the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K to the image forming apparatus main body 1, the shutter member 120 is pushed by the operation protrusion 127 provided on the image forming apparatus main body 1 side, and the coil spring auger 125 is contracted. The supply port 108 is opened by being elastically deformed in the direction to be formed.

  In the toner cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the main body side gear 104 on the image forming apparatus main body 1 side is rotationally driven at a predetermined timing, whereby the main body. The rotational driving force of the side gear 104 is transmitted to the first and second driving gears 102 and 103, and the conveyance auger 79 and the coil spring auger 125 are rotationally driven.

  When the transfer auger 79 is driven to rotate, as shown in FIG. 17, the flat plate portion 94 provided at the upstream end along the axial direction of the transfer auger 79 causes the new auger 79 as shown in FIG. The new developer 61 located at the bottom of the developer storage chamber 81 is scraped and destroyed along the circumferential direction, and the new developer 61 scraped and destroyed by the flat plate portion 94 is transferred to the transport auger 79. Is conveyed downstream by a conveying blade 95 provided at an intermediate portion along the axial direction.

  Then, the new developer 61 transported to the downstream side in the axial direction by the transport blade 95 of the transport auger 79 is scooped by the discharge portion 96 formed in the bucket shape of the transport auger 79, and is shown in FIG. In this way, the paper is discharged from the discharge port 90 provided at the downstream end along the axial direction of the transport auger 79.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 and 19, the developer 61 discharged from the discharge port 90 is developed from an introduction port 107 provided above the base end portion of the developer supply member 106 formed in a cylindrical shape. The developer drops into the developer supply member 106, and is supplied to the developing device 10 from a supply port 108 opened at the tip of the developer supply member 106 by a coil spring auger 125 provided in the developer supply member 106. The

  At that time, the coil spring auger 125 has a function as an elastic member that gives a repulsive elastic force as a holding force to the shutter member 120 so that the shutter member 120 holds the supply port 108 closed. It also serves as a developer transport member that transports the developer 61 inside the developer supply member 106, so that the number of parts can be reduced by that amount, thereby reducing costs and improving assemblability.

  60Y, 60M, 60C, 60K: toner cartridge, 108: supply port, 120: shutter member, 125: coil spring auger.

Claims (9)

An opening opened in a developer container for containing the developer;
A developer transport member disposed inside the developer container and transporting the developer to the opening;
A shutter member that opens and closes the opening;
An elastic member for applying an elastic force so that the shutter member closes the opening,
The shutter opening / closing mechanism, wherein the elastic member also serves as the developer conveying member.   The shutter opening / closing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a compressed coil spring.   The shutter opening / closing mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the coil spring is wound in a direction in which the coil spring is wound with respect to rotational driving in the developer transport direction.   The shutter opening / closing mechanism according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the coil spring is made of metal or synthetic resin.   The shutter opening / closing mechanism according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the coil spring is formed integrally with a drive gear that rotationally drives the coil spring.   6. The coil spring according to claim 2, wherein the coil spring is mounted so as to expand and contract along the developer transport direction in accordance with the rotational drive in the developer transport direction. Shutter opening and closing mechanism.   The coil spring comes into contact with a concave portion or a convex portion provided in the shutter member, and expands and contracts along the developer transport direction in accordance with the rotational drive in the developer transport direction. The shutter opening / closing mechanism according to claim 6. A developer container main body having a supply port for supplying the developer to the outside, and containing the developer inside;
A developer transport member disposed inside the developer container main body and transporting the developer to the supply port;
A shutter member for opening and closing the supply port;
An elastic member for applying an elastic force so that the shutter member closes the supply port;
8. A developer container, wherein the shutter opening / closing mechanism according to claim 1 is used as an opening / closing mechanism for opening / closing the shutter member. An image carrier for holding an electrostatic latent image;
Developing means for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier with a developer;
A developer containing container for containing a developer to be replenished to the developing means,
An image forming apparatus using the developer container described in claim 8 as the developer container.

Images