JP2013182158A - Powder storage container, powder conveying device, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reliably take out powder from a powder storage container even if the amount of powder such as toner becomes small.SOLUTION: A powder storage container 66 is attached to a powder conveying device 8. The powder conveying device 8 includes: a discharge unit 67 that has a surface wall that can be partially deformed, is attached with a toner storage unit 66 that stores toner T, and is for discharging the toner T in the toner storage unit 66 to the outside; and a feeding member 81 that moves to the discharge unit 67 side while pressing the deformable part of the toner storage container 66 to the inside to feed the toner T to the discharge unit 67. The powder storage container 66 includes a conveying member 89 that moves in conjunction with the movement of the feeding member 81 inside the container.

Description

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

  In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a combination of these, a latent image formed on an image carrier by a developing device using a developer generally called toner or carrier. A toner image is formed on the image to create an image. In this type of image forming apparatus, since the developer is consumed together with image formation, a developer storage container (hereinafter referred to as a powder storage container, hereinafter) that normally stores a developer such as a toner bottle or a toner cartridge containing toner. A powder container (also referred to as a container) is attached to the image forming apparatus, and the developer is supplied from the container to the developing unit. When the developer in the used container runs out, the developer container is filled with a new developer. Things to exchange are well known.

  When recycling used containers accompanying replacement of developer containers, the used developer containers are collected from the user and recycled, reused, or incinerated, but the capacity of the developer containers is bulky. , Recovery and transportation logistics costs.

  Further, in the toner replenishment method using the developer storage container as described above, there is a user request to use up as much toner as possible in the developer storage container in order to reduce running cost. Therefore, conventionally, as a developer storage container, a container called a screw bottle in which a spiral protrusion is provided on the inner surface of a cylindrical container, and by rotating this container, toner is gradually conveyed to a discharge unit. For example, there is adopted a method in which a screw called a common auger is provided inside a container and is rotated to send toner to a discharge portion.

  However, the conveyance method using the auger has a drawback that the structure is complicated because it is necessary to provide and rotate the screw inside the container. Further, in this transport system, the accumulated toner is forcibly transported by the auger, so that a load is applied to the toner and there is a risk of toner aggregation or deterioration. Furthermore, providing a screw inside the container to be replaced raises the cost of consumables and at the same time increases the environmental load due to resource consumption.

  On the other hand, the conveyance method using the screw bottle does not require a screw inside the container, and thus the configuration is simple. 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.

  For example, conventionally, as a toner transport method that does not use the screw bottle or auger, the container is vibrated (reciprocating) by applying an impact to the container from the outside or by bringing the container into contact with a stopper. There is a system in which toner is moved / discharged by inertial force (see Patent Document 1). In this method, in a state where a large amount of toner is stored, the toner loaded in the container moves together by vibration, so that it is possible to secure a sufficient toner conveyance speed per vibration reciprocation. 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.

  As a method for discharging the toner by reciprocating the container, there is a method in which the container is brought into contact with the stopper or an impact force is applied to the container from the outside, and the toner is moved using an inertial force. There is also a problem that the impact generated during contact affects the writing system and disturbs the image. Further, since it is necessary to direct the discharge port below the container, there is a great restriction on the layout of the image forming apparatus, such as where to place the container and the transport device.

  In addition, the container is a flexible toner storage container having a rigid lower surface on the horizontal lower surface, and the toner storage container is reciprocated in a horizontal plane connecting the container central part and the outlet part with different accelerations in the forward and backward directions in a substantially horizontal direction. A system is known in which a toner is ejected from an outlet by applying motion, sequentially moving toner inside (see Patent Document 2).

  In this way, the toner can be fluidized by moving the linear motion in one direction relative to the container and the toner held in the container, but a large impact is required. There are problems that sufficient stirring cannot be performed, it takes time for the toner to fluidize, and blocking occurs due to the same action as tapping.

  Further, as a conveyance method different from the above-described conveyance method, a method has been proposed in which a deformable container is used, and a toner is sent out by pressing and moving a convex portion from the outside of the container (Patent Document). 3). According to this transport method, toner can be transported with a small stress, toner aggregation and deterioration can be suppressed, and there is no possibility of occurrence of abnormal images due to large vibrations or impacts.

  However, even if the deformable container is used and the convex portion is pressed against the outside of the container to move, even if the toner is sent out to the discharge portion of the container by the convex portion, the movement of the toner stops at the end. There is a problem in that the toner accumulated in the discharge portion crosslinks and does not move.

  The flexible powder container has the advantage that the volume can be reduced at the time of collection, but it can be installed in parallel with the photosensitive member and the developing device, which is advantageous for making the overall size of the image forming apparatus compact. It is difficult to make a horizontally long powder container longer in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction.

  In addition, in the case of a flexible powder container, it is impossible to transport the developer by forming a spiral groove in the container and rotating the container to replenish the developer because the container is twisted during rotation. Since the angle for sufficiently utilizing the gravity to move the toner cannot be obtained, the developer is cross-linked, so that the developer cannot be discharged and the developer remains inside the powder container. there were.

  Therefore, the conventional flexible developer storage container has an inclination toward the discharge hole of the container, and the inclination is slightly larger than the repose angle of the powder to be used. Since the angle has to be 50 ° or more, it must be installed vertically in the image forming apparatus. Therefore, there are restrictions on the shape of the image forming apparatus, the capacity of the container, and the arrangement of the containers.

  As a technique for solving these problems, Patent Document 4 discloses a powder container that contains powder and at least a part of which can be deformed, and a discharge for discharging the powder in the powder container to the outside. In a powder conveying apparatus comprising a part and a sending member that moves toward the discharge part and sends the powder to the discharge part in a state where the deformable part of the powder container is pushed inward However, there is disclosed a powder conveyance device configured to be variable according to the amount of powder in the powder container.

  Further, in Patent Document 5, in addition to the structure of Patent Document 4, there is further provided a vibration applying means, the bottom portion of the flexible container is pushed out in the discharge direction by a pressing member, and vibration is applied to the discharge portion so that the developer is applied to the sub hopper. A powder conveying device that discharges water is disclosed.

  However, the powder conveying devices disclosed in Patent Documents 4 and 5 still have a problem that the amount conveyed from the powder container decreases when the amount of the internal powder decreases. It was.

  Accordingly, the present invention provides a powder storage container that can reliably remove powder from the powder storage container even when the amount of powder such as toner decreases, and a discharge unit for discharging the powder stored in the powder storage container. The present invention provides a powder conveying apparatus that conveys to an image and an image forming apparatus including the same.

  In order to achieve such an object, the powder storage container according to the present invention is capable of deforming at least a part of the wall surface, is equipped with a powder storage container for storing powder, A discharge part for discharging the powder to the outside, a delivery member that moves the powder storage container to the discharge part side in a state where the deformable part is pushed inward, and sends the powder to the discharge part; The powder storage container to be mounted on the powder transport apparatus provided with a transport member that moves in conjunction with the movement of the delivery member inside the container.

  According to the present invention, the powder can be reliably taken out from the powder container even when the amount of powder such as toner is reduced.

1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a printer that is an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. It is an enlarged view showing an image forming unit of the printer. 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. 10 is a diagram for explaining a toner delivery operation when no conveyance member is provided. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a toner delivery operation when a conveyance member is provided. FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a state in which toner moves inside a toner storage unit, where (A) a conveyance member is present and (B) a conveyance member is absent. 2 is a configuration diagram of a toner conveying device provided with a magnet A. FIG. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a toner conveying device provided with a magnet A and a magnet B. It is explanatory drawing explaining the movement of the conveyance member when a sending member moves to a sending direction, Comprising: (A) The side view of a toner accommodating part, (B) The top view of a toner accommodating part. It is explanatory drawing explaining a movement of the conveyance member in case a sending member moves to a return direction, Comprising: (A) The side view of a toner accommodating part, (B) The top view of a toner accommodating part. It is explanatory drawing explaining a motion of the conveyance member which consists of magnetic powder when a sending member moves to a sending direction, Comprising: (A) The side view of a toner accommodating part, (B) The top view of a toner accommodating part. It is explanatory drawing explaining a motion of the conveyance member which consists of magnetic powder in case a sending member moves to a return direction, Comprising: (A) Side view of a toner accommodating part, (B) Top view of a toner accommodating part.

  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 equipment]
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 containing a magnet as a developer carrying member facing the photosensitive drum 1, and a doctor blade as a developer regulating member installed below the developing roller 51. 52, two conveying screws 55 and 56 as developer agitating and conveying members disposed in the developer accommodating portions 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 (magnetic carrier) and 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.

  The surface of the developing roller 51 is finished in a state where it is roughened to a range of 5 to 35 μm Rz by, for example, sandblasting. Further, instead of such surface treatment, various blast treatments may be used. Moreover, it may replace with a blast process and you may form the groove | channel of several stripes which has a depth of 0.05-1 mm. In addition to forming the groove perpendicular to the rotation direction, the groove may be formed into a corrugated shape formed by making the groove corrugated, slanting, or crossing slanted grooves. If the surface of the developing roller 51 is too smooth, the developer G may slide on the developing roller 51 and may not be drawn up to the developing area. Therefore, a groove is formed on the surface of the developing roller 51 or the surface is roughened. As a result, the developer G can be pumped onto the developing roller 51 without interruption.

  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 stored in the paper supply unit 26 in a stacked manner. When the paper feed roller 27 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 1, the uppermost transfer material P is fed between the rollers of the registration roller pair 28.

  The transfer material P conveyed to the registration roller pair 28 is temporarily stopped at the position of the roller nip of the registration roller pair 28 that has stopped rotating. Then, the registration roller pair 28 is rotationally driven in 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.

[Toner supply device]
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.

  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 filled with toner, a drawer tray 62 as a holding member that holds the toner cartridge 61, and a fixing unit that fixes the toner cartridge 61. 63, 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.

  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 containing portion 66 is configured by a deformable longitudinal bag member having a toner inlet (powder inlet) 66a opened at one end side. A flexible material is used as the material of the toner container 66, and examples thereof include a thin sheet material made of PET. 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 addition, a conveyance member 89 that can be freely moved in the container is included in the toner container 66. Details of the conveying member 89 will be described later. For example, if the inner size of the toner container 66 is approximately 60 mm × 60 mm × 400 mm, 500 g of toner T (average particle diameter 5.8 μm) can be stored.

  In the discharge portion 67, an introduction port 67a for introducing toner and a discharge port 67b for discharging toner are formed. 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, and the powder is discharged from the discharge port 67. It can be dropped and discharged by gravity. 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 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 arrow Y direction in FIG. 4B. As a result, the mechanism for discharging the powder can be simplified.

  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 holding portion 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 inlet 66 a of the toner storage portion 66. In the present embodiment, the toner accommodating portion 66 and the opening holding member 68 are bonded together by heat welding, but may be bonded using 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 and bonded into the toner containing portion 66, the opening holding member 68 is inserted into the groove portion 67e from above and engaged with each other, whereby the toner containing portion 66 and the discharge portion 67 are connected. 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. In addition, a hole 66b serving as a locked portion that is locked to the other locking portion is formed at the end of the toner containing portion 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, so that the toner cartridge 61 is mounted on 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.

  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 extends over the main body portion 70 connected to the upper portion of the sub hopper 64, the fixing arm 71 attached to the upper portion of the main body portion 70, and the fixing arm 71 and the main body portion 70. An attached spring member 72 and a shutter opening member 73 attached to the main body 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. The fixed arm 71 is attached to the main body 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 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 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 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 in 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. It is fixed by being sandwiched between 70 edges. 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 notched portion 70a of the main body portion 70, and the protruding piece portion 67h is notched. It abuts on the upper part of the portion 70a (see FIG. 7B). Thereby, the vertical shaking of the discharge part 67 is prevented.

  Further, when the toner cartridge 61 is fixed to the fixing portion 63, 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 drawing. Then, when the shutter opening member 73 moves to the position shown in FIG. 7B, further rotation of the shutter opening member 73 is restricted, so that the slide shutter 67 d is located behind the discharge portion 67 by the shutter opening member 73. Moves when pressed. As a result, the slide shutter 67d (discharge port) is opened, and the toner can be discharged from the discharge portion 67 to the sub hopper 64. Further, simultaneously with the movement of the shutter opening member 73 to the position of FIG. 7B, the convex portion 670d of the slide shutter 67d is inserted and held in the concave portion 73a of the shutter opening member 73. 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 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. .

  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 a cylindrical member protruding on both sides in the axial direction, and an insertion hole 93a for inserting the rotation shaft is formed at a position shifted from the center thereof. . A driving force is applied to the rotating shaft from driving means 94 (see FIG. 8) provided in the fixed portion 63, and the eccentric weight 93 rotates together with the rotating shaft to generate 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. As shown in FIG. 10, both ends of the rotating shaft are supported by rectangular support members 94 and 95, and each supporting member 94 and 95 rotates together with the rotating shaft.

  Also, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the main body portion 70 of the fixing portion 63 is in a horizontal direction (in the direction of arrow V in the figure) with respect to the base portion 96 fixed to the apparatus main body via a swing support portion 97. ) Is swingably attached. 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 of the main body 70 is attached to the base 96 by a bolt 97b inserted into the base 96. In this way, the main body 70 is configured to be swingable, so that the main body 70 is effectively vibrated. Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to vibrate the main body 70 more effectively, the eccentric weight 93 is provided on the end side away from the end provided with the swing support part 97.

  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 70 of the fixing unit 63 communicates with the discharge port 67 b of the discharge unit 67 and the inlet 64 a of the toner conveyance path (powder conveyance path) of the sub hopper 64. Is formed. Further, a first seal member 92a for preventing toner leakage is disposed at a connection portion between the communication path 70b and the discharge port 67b, and a connection portion between the communication path 70b and the inlet portion 64a of the sub hopper 64 includes A second seal member 92b for preventing toner leakage is provided. The second seal member 92b is composed of an elastic body formed thicker than the first seal member 92a. Examples of the elastic material include low-resilience urethane foam. Further, since the second seal member 92b is interposed between the fixing portion 63 and the sub hopper 64, the fixing portion 63 and the sub hopper 64 are connected to each other while being separated from each other (in a non-contact state). In this way, the fixed portion 63 and the sub hopper 64 are connected to each other via the elastic body (second seal member 92b) so as to be separated from each other (in a non-contact state), so that vibration generated in the fixed portion 63 is generated. 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. Thereby, the vibration imparted from the fixing part 63 to the discharge part 67 is not transmitted from the discharge part 67 to the drawer tray 62.

  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 in the drawing. 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.

  Further, 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 fitted to the slave reference shaft 62f is formed at the end on the far side in 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 in which the drawer tray 62 is accommodated 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 part 62h provided on the lower surface of the drawer tray 62, thereby making the drawer tray 62 the first and second positioning concave parts. It is adapted to be pressed against the 65b and 65c sides.

[Toner transport device]
As shown in FIG. 17, the drawer tray 62 is provided with a toner conveying device (powder conveying device) 8 for conveying the toner in the toner containing portion 66 to the discharging 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. Further, as will be described later, a magnet A90 is provided on the upper surface portion of the delivery member 81, and a magnet B91 is provided on the rear surface portion.

  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 from the transmission gear 74 (see FIG. 13) to one roller 77. 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 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 biased so as to open each other by the torsion coil spring, but the leg member 82 is disposed in a 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. 6A, the leg members 82 can enter the both end sides in the direction (the sending direction Z1 and the returning direction Z2) in which the leg members 82 reciprocate on the placement 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 biasing 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. Thus, when the leg member 82 is lifted and further rotated in the closing direction, the opening angle is smaller than the angle β, so that the biasing 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 sending operation]
Hereinafter, the toner delivery operation (conveyance operation) of the toner conveyance device 8 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, for comparison, an operation example in the case where there is no conveying member 89 in the toner containing portion 66 will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 23A shows a state in which the remaining amount of toner T in the toner storage unit 66 has been reduced to some extent. In this case, the delivery member 81 is in a standing state under the urging force of the torsion coil spring. As a result, the lower surface of the toner container 66 is pushed inward by the standing delivery member 81. Then, when the delivery member 81 moves in the delivery direction Z1 with the toner accommodating portion 66 pushed 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.

  FIG. 23B shows a state in which the toner container 66 is filled with a large amount of toner T. As described above, in a portion where the toner T is present in a large amount in the toner containing portion 66, the toner containing portion 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 accommodating portion 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.

  However, as described above, when the toner container 66 pushes out the container through the flexible wall surface, although it is a flexible member, it does not follow the shape of the delivery member 81, and therefore the toner T inside is small. As it becomes, the amount that can be pushed out decreases. Further, since the angle cannot be obtained, there is a case where the toner T remaining on the wall surface or the like of the container is not pushed out and remains even if pushed out by the delivery member 81.

  Therefore, the toner storage unit 66 (powder storage container) according to the present embodiment has a conveyance member 89 that can be deformed at least partially on the wall surface and moves in conjunction with the movement of the delivery member 81 inside the container. Is. With reference to FIG. 24, the operation example of the structure which concerns on this embodiment which has the conveyance member 89 is demonstrated.

  In FIG. 24, the toner cartridge 61 including the toner accommodating portion 66 filled with the toner T is mounted on the drawer tray 62, and the drawer tray 62 is accommodated in the apparatus main body. Therefore, in this state, the driving force can be transmitted from the transmission gear 74 to the belt member 83, and the delivery member 81 can be reciprocated.

  Here, the delivery member 81 moves in the delivery direction Z <b> 1 while the delivery member 81 is pressed below the toner accommodation unit 66, thereby moving the toner T in the toner accommodation unit 66 toward the discharge unit 67. Let At this time, a conveying member 89 that can move freely inside the container is accommodated in the toner accommodating portion 66 together with the toner T.

  The conveying member 89 is interlocked with the delivery member 81 outside the toner accommodating portion 66 via a wall surface (bag body), and discharges the toner T in the container as the delivery member 81 moves in the delivery direction Z1. Carry in the direction of part 67. As described above, the toner T is transported by the delivery member 81 from the outside of the toner storage portion 66 and the toner T is transported by the transport member 89 inside the toner storage portion 66, so that the configuration using only the delivery member 81 can be achieved. Thus, it becomes possible to transport more toner T and reliably discharge it from the discharge portion 67. Further, a necessary amount of toner T can be discharged at a necessary speed depending on the operation speed of the delivery member 81.

  The toner T conveyed to the discharge unit 67 is conveyed from the discharge unit T to the sub hopper 64. At this time, as described above, the discharge portion 67 is vibrated by the fixing portion 63 with, for example, an amplitude of 10 to 50 Hz and a vibration frequency of 0.1 to 1 mm, thereby assisting the toner T conveyance of the discharge portion 67. preferable.

  Further, as described above, by vibrating the discharge portion 67, it is possible to prevent the toner T from being rapidly conveyed and the toner T from adhering to the sensor or the like. For example, the vibration amplitude can be 0.3 mm and the vibration frequency can be 30 Hz. The amplitude and frequency may be set as appropriate according to the toner T to be used, but the range of good vibration amplitude is from 0.1 mm to 1 mm, and the frequency is from 10 Hz to 100 Hz. If this value becomes smaller, the effect of scraping off the toner T becomes smaller. If it becomes larger, the vibration becomes too large and the image forming apparatus main body also vibrates, which may affect image formation. Is preferred.

  Further, as described above, the portion where the toner T passes through the discharge portion 67 is inclined, and the toner T flows smoothly to the sub hopper 64 due to vibration. Further, a stopper may be provided at the introduction port 67a of the discharge unit 67, the introduction port 67a may be reduced, or a mesh may be provided so that the conveyance member 89 in the container is not discharged together with the toner T from the discharge unit 67. .

  FIG. 25 shows how the toner T moves inside the toner container 66. When the conveying member 89 is inside the toner accommodating portion 66 (FIG. 25A), there are two crests for pushing out the toner T, so that the conveying amount of the toner T accompanying one operation of the sending member 81 is increased. Can do. Therefore, even when the delivery member 81 is operated the same number of times, the carry amount increases, and even when the internal toner amount is reduced, more toner is carried than when only the delivery member 81 (FIG. 25B) is used. Can do.

  The conveying member 89 is made of resin, has a triangular prism shape, a rectangular parallelepiped shape, a cylindrical shape, an elliptical shape, and the like, and can incorporate a magnetic material such as iron or ferrite. In this case, it can be easily moved from outside by a magnetic force. It is also possible to form the conveying member 89 itself with only a magnetic material. In this case, the size is considered in order to obtain a weight capable of moving in the container. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which stuck the magnetic body to the conveyance member 89 formed with resin. The conveying member 89 may be a magnetic powder (described later).

  FIG. 26 shows a configuration diagram of the toner conveying device 8. Description of the configuration described in FIG. 18 is omitted. A magnet A90 is provided in the pressure plate portion at the top of the delivery member 81. When the delivery member 81 is moved in the delivery direction Z1, the pressure plate portion is positioned to face the toner containing portion 66. Therefore, the magnet A90 attracts the conveying member 89 in the toner containing portion 66, and the delivery member 81 is moved. The conveying member 89 can be operated in conjunction with the movement in the sending direction Z1.

  According to the present embodiment, the transport member 89 in the container can be operated in conjunction with the delivery member 81 outside the container without providing a structure for driving the transport member 89 in the toner accommodating portion 66.

  Further, as described above, during movement in the return direction Z2, the delivery member 81 and the leg member 82 move in a state of being horizontally collapsed (FIG. 21D), but as shown in FIG. On the back side of 81, a magnet B91 is provided. For this reason, when the sending member 81 moves in the return direction Z2, the back side is in a position facing the toner containing portion 66, so that the magnet B91 attracts the conveying member 89 in the toner containing portion 66, thereby sending the sending member. The conveying member 89 can be operated in conjunction with the movement of 81 in the return direction Z2.

  That is, the conveying member 89 is attracted and moved by the magnet A90 when the sending member 81 is moved in the sending direction Z1, and is moved by being attracted to the magnet B91 when the sending member 81 is moved in the return direction Z2.

  28A and 28B are explanatory views for explaining the movement of the conveying member 89 when the sending member 81 moves in the sending direction Z1, in which FIG. 28A is a side view of the toner containing portion 66, and FIG. The top view of the part 66 is shown. FIG. 29 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the movement of the conveying member 89 when the delivery member 81 moves in the return direction Z2. FIG. 29A is a side view of the toner accommodating portion 66, and FIG. A top view of the toner container 66 is shown.

  The conveying member 89 is carried to the discharge unit 67 side by the magnet A90, and is returned in the opposite direction to the discharge unit 67 by the magnet B91. Here, since the magnet A90 is a magnet whose longitudinal direction is the direction intersecting the transport direction, when the transport member 89 is attracted to the magnet A90 and moves to the discharge portion 67 side, the magnet A90 becomes wider in the width direction. Many toners T can be moved.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 27, the magnet B91 is attached to one location of the base portion on the back side of the delivery member 81, and when the delivery member 81 falls down and returns to the return direction Z2, the conveying member 89 is provided. A force is exerted on either one of the end portions, and the conveying member 89 is moved with the force. Therefore, since the conveying member 89 moves with the end portion at the head and a small area in the width direction, the toner T is rarely returned.

  As described above, when the conveying member 89 is attracted to the magnet B91 and returns from the discharge unit 67 side, the posture of the conveying member 89 varies depending on the shape of the magnet B91, and the conveying member 89 is moved in the moving direction. Since they move in parallel, the amount of toner T pushed back in the direction away from the discharge portion 67 can be reduced.

  It is also preferable that the conveying member 89 is a magnetic powder. At this time, it is also preferable that the magnetic powder is the same as the developer (carrier) used in the developing device 5 of the image forming apparatus.

  As described above, since the transport member 89 inside the toner storage section 66 needs to reciprocate in conjunction with the delivery member 81, if the transport member 89 stops unexpectedly inside the container, the transport cannot be assisted. Become. Therefore, by configuring the conveying member 89 with magnetic powder, the shape can be freely changed during the reciprocating movement, and therefore, when the delivery member 81 outside the container moves to the discharge portion 67 side and when it returns to the opposite side. Then you can change the shape of movement.

  FIG. 30 is an explanatory view for explaining the movement of the conveying member 89 made of magnetic powder when the sending member 81 moves in the sending direction Z1, and FIG. 30 (A) is a side view of the toner containing portion 66. B) shows a top view of the toner containing portion 66. FIG. 31 is an explanatory view for explaining the movement of the conveying member 89 made of magnetic powder when the delivery member 81 moves in the return direction Z2. FIG. 31 (A) is a side view of the toner container 66. , (B) is a top view of the toner accommodating portion 66.

  The conveying member 89 made of magnetic powder is conveyed to the discharge unit 67 side by the magnet A90, forms a magnetic brush, widens in width, and further spreads the toner T from the toner containing unit 66 pushed up by the sending member 81. The pushing height increases and the toner T can be moved a lot. This is particularly effective because the toner T on the back side can be moved when the toner T in the toner containing portion 66 becomes low.

  Moreover, it returns to the opposite direction to the discharge part 67 by the magnet B91. At this time, since the magnetic powder is gathered and moved at one place, the width is narrowed, and the magnetic powder can be returned to the inner side of the toner containing portion 66 without returning the toner T when returning.

  As described above, in the toner container 66 according to the present embodiment, the toner cartridge 61 having the toner container 66, and the toner transport device 8 in which the toner cartridge 61 is mounted, the toner container 66 is transported as an extrusion member. By providing the member 89, the toner in the container can be pushed out more efficiently to the discharge side, and can be pushed out without reducing the discharge amount and discharge speed even if the amount of toner decreases.

  Therefore, since the toner can be reliably taken out from the powder container, the remaining amount of toner remaining in the container can be reduced, and the toner in the container can be used as effectively as possible.

  Further, if the conveying member 89 inside the toner storage unit 66 stays on the discharge unit 67 side, it is difficult to continuously move the toner, and the toner storage unit 66 that allows the toner to pass on the discharge unit 67 side becomes difficult. Since the cross-sectional area is reduced, the amount of toner transport is reduced. However, the transport member 89 can also be reciprocated as the delivery member 81 reciprocates, and the toner can be moved continuously.

  Further, when the conveying member 89 is in the same posture when moving in the sending direction Z1 and the returning direction Z2, the toner moved to the discharge unit 67 side may be moved to the opposite side of the discharge unit 67. By providing two magnets on the sending member 81 and attracting the conveying member 89 with different magnets when moving in the sending direction Z1 and the returning direction Z2, the width of the toner containing portion 66 becomes wider when moving in the sending direction Z1. In such a posture, a large amount of powder is moved so as to increase the cross-sectional area, and when moving in the return direction Z2, the cross-sectional area is decreased with respect to the toner containing portion 66 and moved. The amount of toner that is returned can be reduced.

  The conveying member 89 can be collected when the toner cartridge 61 is collected, and can be reused by being enclosed in a new toner container 66 together with the toner.

  Further, since the pushing amount of the delivery member 81 changes according to the amount of toner in the toner container 66, the toner is stabilized to the discharge part 67 regardless of the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 66. Can be sent out reliably. Further, the toner can be conveyed with a small stress, and aggregation and deterioration of the toner can be suppressed.

  Further, the feeding member 81 is pushed in by appropriately changing the biasing force of the torsion coil spring that biases the feeding member 81 according to the material (flexibility, stretchability, etc.) of the toner containing portion 66 and the maximum toner containing amount. It is possible to adjust the force to an appropriate value. In that case, even if the urging force of the torsion coil spring is increased, the rotation of the delivery member 81 is restricted by a restricting portion (not shown), so that the delivery member 81 can be held in a predetermined standing state.

  Further, when the base member 80 contacts the switch 87 or 88, the moving direction of the sending member 81 is switched to the sending direction Z1 or the return direction Z2, so that the toner sending operation can be continuously performed.

  Further, when the sending member 81 is returned to the original position, the sending member 81 is switched to the tilted state, so that the toner can be prevented from being returned by the sending member 81 moving in the return direction Z2. Further, as described with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22, the switching operation between the standing state and the collapsed state of the delivery member 81 can be realized by a simple mechanism in which the leg member 82 enters the recess 62i or 62j. The configuration can be simplified. Instead of the recesses 62i and 62j, a through hole can be used.

  In addition, since the eccentric portion 93 as a vibration generating means is provided in the fixed portion 63 (see FIG. 8), the discharge portion fixed to the fixed portion 63 is generated by rotating the eccentric weight 93 to generate vibration. 67 can be vibrated. Thereby, it is possible to promote the discharge of the toner from the discharge unit 67. Further, even when the toner is cross-linked and stops moving in the discharge unit 67, the cross-linked toner can be broken by applying vibration to the discharge unit 67, so that the stagnation of the toner can be prevented. it can. As described above, since the toner can be reliably discharged from the discharge unit 67, stable toner conveyance can be realized, and a highly reliable apparatus can be provided.

  Since the vibrations to be generated are very minute, the functions of the image forming unit and other devices are hardly affected, and defects such as abnormal images do not occur. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the structure which rotates the eccentric weight 93 and generate | occur | produces a vibration is employ | adopted, compared with the structure which generate | occur | produces a vibration by the collision of members, a noise and an extra vibration are suppressed to the minimum. It is possible.

  In addition, the fixing portion 63 and the sub hopper 64 are connected to each other through a second seal member 92b made of an elastic body so as to be separated from each other (in a non-contact state) (see FIG. 12). The imparted vibration can be prevented from being transmitted to the sub hopper 64. Further, since the drawer tray 62 is in non-contact with the discharge section 67 in a state where the discharge section 67 is fixed to the fixed section 63 (see the figure), vibration is transmitted from the discharge section 67 to the drawer tray 62. Can be prevented. In this way, by preventing the vibration from being transmitted to other members other than the discharge portion 67, it is possible to highly prevent the occurrence of abnormal noise due to the vibration.

  In addition, as described with reference to FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the rotation operation of the fixed arm 71 and the slide shutter 67 d of the slide shutter 67 d are interlocked with the pulling-out / accommodating operation (attaching / detaching operation to the fixing portion 63) of the drawer tray 62. Since the opening / closing operation can be performed, the toner cartridge 61 can be fixed and released, and the discharge port can be easily opened / 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 urges the fixed arm 71 in the direction in which the fixed arm 71 rotates. The fixed arm 71 can be reliably held at the position after switching by the urging force. Furthermore, since the protrusion 67h abuts the notch 70a, it is possible to prevent the discharge portion 67 from shaking in the vertical direction, so that the fixing state of the toner cartridge can be stabilized. In the present embodiment, the toner accommodating portion 66 and the discharge portion 67 are integrated with each other so as to be attached to and detached from the drawer tray 62. However, the discharge portion 67 is connected to the drawer tray 62 (or the fixing portion 63). ) And the toner container 66 may be detachably attached.

  In addition, by using the image forming apparatus including the powder container, the toner cartridge, and the powder conveying apparatus according to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to realize a stable powder conveying and a highly reliable image forming apparatus. Can do.

  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. In the above-described embodiment, the entirety of the toner accommodating portion 66 is configured by a deformable member. However, only a portion into which the feeding member 81 is pushed may be configured by a deformable member. The configuration of the present invention can also be applied to a powder conveying apparatus that conveys powder other than toner. In addition, the powder conveying apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the printer shown in FIG. 1, but can be mounted on other printers, copiers, facsimiles, or complex machines thereof.

8 Toner conveying device (powder conveying device)
60 Toner supply device 61 Toner cartridge 62 Drawer tray (holding member)
63 Fixing part 65 Main body side frame 66 Toner storage part (powder storage container)
67 Discharge portion 67b Discharge port 67c Inclined surface 81 Sending member 89 Conveying member 90 Magnet A
91 Magnet B
92b Seal member (elastic body)
93 Eccentric weight (vibration applying means)
94 Driving means 97 Swing support portion T Toner (powder)

JP 2002-46843 A JP 2002-268346 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-143195 JP 2011-232540 A JP 2002-232541 A

Claims (9)

At least a part of the wall surface can be deformed, and a powder storage container for storing powder is attached,
A discharge part for discharging the powder in the powder container to the outside;
A powder delivery device comprising: a powder delivery device comprising: a delivery member configured to move toward the discharge unit with the deformable portion of the powder storage container being pushed inward and to send powder to the discharge unit A storage container,
A powder container having a conveying member that moves in conjunction with movement of the delivery member inside the container.   2. The powder container according to claim 1, wherein a part of the conveying member is at least a magnetic material.   The powder container according to claim 1, wherein the conveying member is a magnetic powder. A powder conveying apparatus to which the powder container according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is mounted,
The powder delivery device, wherein the delivery member includes a magnet at a position that can face the delivery member via a wall surface of the powder container. The delivery member is configured to be capable of reciprocating in a delivery direction that moves toward the discharge unit and a return direction that moves in the opposite direction.
The powder conveying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the conveying member reciprocates in the delivery direction and the return direction in conjunction with the delivery member. The delivery member is configured to be switchable between a standing state and a collapsed state toward the powder container,
The powder conveying apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the conveying member moves in conjunction with the sending member in a different posture depending on whether the sending member is standing or falling.   The said delivery member is equipped with the magnet in the position which can be opposed to the said conveyance member in the standing state, and the position which can be opposed to the said conveyance member in the fall state, respectively. Powder conveying device. The discharge part;
A fixing part for fixing the discharge part;
The powder conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 7, further comprising vibration applying means for applying vibration to the fixed portion.   An image forming apparatus comprising the powder conveyance device according to claim 4.