JP2014044340A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To fix a toner cartridge with a simple and inexpensive configuration having less number of components.SOLUTION: In an image forming apparatus, a toner cartridge 71 is fixed to an attachment completion position by fitting a fitting convex part 65e to a fitting reception part 71f of a fixing mechanism part 111. The toner cartridge 71 is moved diagonally from above to below, and in an inverse direction, so that a fitting convex part 71d is fitted and released to/from a convex wall part 65a, and thereby the toner cartridge can be rotated to an attachment completion position and in an inverse direction in a fitting state.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that includes a toner cartridge and forms a visible image with toner supplied from the toner cartridge.

  In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to an image to be printed is formed on a photoconductor, and the electrostatic latent image is visualized by toner supplied from a developing device. Further, when the toner of the developing device is consumed by the development, the toner is appropriately replenished from the toner cartridge to the developing device. Further, the toner cartridge is replaced with a new one when the toner becomes empty.

  Here, conventionally, an image forming apparatus used in a small office or a home office has been promoted to be reduced in size and space. On the other hand, in small offices and home offices, document files, books, bookshelves, cabinets, and the like are often arranged on the side of the image forming apparatus, and the replacement space for the toner cartridge is easily limited.

  In view of this, the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 employs a configuration in which a toner cartridge is inserted into and removed from the image forming apparatus in an obliquely up and down direction. Specifically, a side cover that opens downward is provided on a side surface of the image forming apparatus, and a cartridge housing portion is provided on the side cover. The toner cartridge can be inserted into and removed from the cartridge housing portion in an obliquely vertical direction with the side cover opened. Further, the toner cartridge is mounted at a predetermined position of the image forming apparatus by closing the side cover.

  In the configuration of Patent Document 1, as described above, the toner cartridge is first inserted into the cartridge housing portion provided in the side cover, and then the side cover is closed to be attached to the image forming apparatus. Yes. On the other hand, in the image forming apparatus, there are many examples in which the cartridge itself is directly attached to the image forming apparatus.

  For example, the configuration described in Patent Document 2 includes a lock arm body having an engaging claw that holds the ink cartridge mounted on the holder so that the ink cartridge cannot be removed, and the lock arm body includes a spring elastic body. The means is engaged, and the urging means urges the engagement claw of the lock arm body so that the engagement claw is engaged with the ink cartridge mounted on the holder. Further, when the ink cartridge is inserted into the holder, the urging means elastically deforms the lock arm body in the direction in which the engagement claw engages with the ink cartridge as the ink cartridge moves in the insertion direction. ing.

  Further, in the configuration described in Patent Document 3, a U-shaped support shaft having a spring property, which is rotatably attached to an ink carrier for housing an ink cartridge, and a U-shaped support shaft And a fixing member for fixing the intersection between the upper surface and the front surface of the ink cartridge. The ink cartridge is fixed by pressing the fixing member against the intersection between the upper surface and the front surface of the ink cartridge by the spring force of the U-shaped support shaft.

JP 2008-216451 A (published September 18, 2008) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-044236 (published February 16, 2006) JP 2002-240314 A (published on August 28, 2002)

  The configuration described in Patent Document 2 is such that the biasing means made of a spring elastic body is engaged with the lock arm body, and the engaging claw is engaged with the ink cartridge mounted on the holder. A spring elastic body, an engaging claw, etc. are needed, and a number of parts increases. For this reason, productivity is low and it becomes an expensive structure.

  Moreover, although the structure of patent document 3 has few number of parts, it is necessary to bend a support shaft after inserting a fixing member in a support shaft. For this reason, the productivity is low and the production cost is increased, resulting in an expensive configuration.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can fix a toner cartridge mounted on an image forming apparatus with a small number of parts and a simple and inexpensive structure.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a toner cartridge, a toner cartridge mounting portion provided on the vertical wall portion of the image forming apparatus, to which the toner cartridge is mounted, and provided on the toner cartridge. A first fitting portion formed on the toner cartridge, and a second fitting portion provided on the toner cartridge mounting portion, and the toner cartridge is disposed at a mounting completion position with respect to the toner cartridge mounting portion. A fixing mechanism portion that fits the fitting portion and the second fitting portion to fix the toner cartridge at the attachment completion position, a first member provided at a lower portion of the toner cartridge, and the toner cartridge attachment A second member provided at a position corresponding to the lower portion of the toner cartridge, and obliquely from above the vertical wall portion of the toner cartridge. Therefore, the downward movement and the reverse movement cause the first member and the second member to be fitted and unfitted, respectively. In the fitted state, the lower part is the center. And a mounting mechanism that rotatably holds the toner cartridge in a standing state and a position in the opposite direction.

  According to the above configuration, the first cartridge provided in the lower portion of the toner cartridge and the toner cartridge mounting portion of the mounting mechanism portion are moved by the toner cartridge from the diagonally upper side to the diagonally lower side with respect to the vertical wall portion of the image forming apparatus. The fitting state with the 2nd member provided in the position corresponding to the lower part arises. On the other hand, due to the movement of the toner cartridge in the direction opposite to the above movement, the first member and the second member are disengaged.

  The toner cartridge is in a state in which the toner cartridge stands up with a lower portion (a fitting portion between the first member and the second member) of the toner cartridge mounting portion as a center in a fitting state between the first member and the second member of the mounting mechanism portion. It is rotatably held at the mounting completion position and the opposite direction position.

  When the toner cartridge is disposed at a mounting completion position (for example, a replenishment position for replenishing toner to the image forming apparatus) with respect to the toner cartridge mounting portion, the first fitting portion provided in the toner cartridge and the toner cartridge mounting in the fixing mechanism portion The toner cartridge is fixed at the mounting completion position by fitting with the second fitting portion provided in the portion.

  Therefore, the toner cartridge is provided by a fixing mechanism portion having a first fitting portion provided in the toner cartridge and a second fitting portion provided in the toner cartridge mounting portion and having a small number of parts and a simple and inexpensive configuration. It can be fixed at the mounting completion position.

  Further, the first and second members of the mounting mechanism portion are fitted and unfitted by moving the toner cartridge with respect to the vertical wall portion from obliquely upward to obliquely downward and moving in the opposite direction. Therefore, the replacement operation of the toner cartridge with respect to the image forming apparatus can be performed in a narrow work space. Therefore, the configuration is suitable for a small office or home office where it is difficult to secure a work space around the image forming apparatus.

  Further, the toner cartridge is rotatably held at the mounting completion position in the state where the toner cartridge stands up with the lower portion as the center and the reverse direction position in the fitting state of the first member and the second member in the mounting mechanism. It has become.

  Therefore, for example, the toner cartridge is held by aged as compared with a configuration in which the toner cartridge is temporarily held by a toner cartridge holding member such as an opening / closing door and then the toner cartridge holding member is rotated to place the toner cartridge at the installation completion position. The toner cartridge can be accurately placed at the mounting completion position over a long period of time without being affected by the deformation of the member.

  In the image forming apparatus, the first fitting portion of the fixing mechanism portion is one end surface of the toner cartridge that is farthest from the fitting portion between the first member and the second member of the mounting mechanism portion. It is good also as a structure provided in.

  According to the above configuration, the first fitting portion of the fixing mechanism portion is provided on one end surface of the toner cartridge that is farthest from the fitting portion between the first member and the second member of the mounting mechanism portion. In the case where the toner cartridge is rotated and placed at the mounting completion position in a standing state, the rotation radius of the first fitting portion can be increased. Accordingly, it is possible to improve the stability of the fitting operation between the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion of the fixing mechanism portion when fixing the toner cartridge at the mounting completion position.

  In the image forming apparatus, the first fitting portion of the fixing mechanism portion may be provided on an upper surface of the toner cartridge.

  According to the above configuration, since the first fitting portion of the fixing mechanism portion is provided on the upper surface of the toner cartridge, when the toner cartridge is rotated and placed at the mounting completion position, the first fitting portion is arranged. The turning radius of the fitting portion can be increased. Accordingly, it is possible to improve the stability of the fitting operation between the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion of the fixing mechanism portion when fixing the toner cartridge at the mounting completion position.

  In addition, when the operator rotates the toner cartridge and places it in the mounting completion position, it becomes easier for the operator to visually confirm the fitting state between the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion of the fixing mechanism portion. The operation of arranging the cartridge at the mounting completion position can be easily performed.

  In the image forming apparatus, the vertical wall portion is a frame of the image forming apparatus, and the toner cartridge and the toner cartridge mounting portion are provided in a space between the frame and the housing of the image forming apparatus. It is good also as a structure.

  According to the above configuration, since the toner cartridge and the toner cartridge mounting portion are provided using the space between the frame of the image forming apparatus and the housing of the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus can be reduced in size. Can be promoted.

  In the above image forming apparatus, the toner cartridge is mounted on either the left side or the right side of the image forming apparatus, and a waste toner containing the collected waste toner is disposed under the toner cartridge. The box may be detachably mounted, and a side opening / closing door that can open a mounting position of the toner cartridge and the waste toner box may be formed in the housing of the image forming apparatus.

  According to the above configuration, the replacement of the toner cartridge and the waste toner box is performed by opening the same side opening / closing door.

  Therefore, it is possible to easily replace the toner cartridge and the waste toner box. In addition, since the number of doors required for the image forming apparatus can be reduced, the structure of the image forming apparatus can be simplified.

  According to the configuration of the present invention, the fixing mechanism includes a first fitting portion provided in the toner cartridge and a second fitting portion provided in the toner cartridge mounting portion, and has a small number of parts and is simple and inexpensive. The toner cartridge can be fixed at the mounting completion position by the unit.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an internal structure of the image forming main body device when the image forming main body device in the embodiment of the present invention is viewed from the right side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a process unit in a state of being removed from the image forming main body apparatus shown in FIG. 1. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus with an automatic document feeder and a housing removed according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus illustrating a state in which a toner cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit illustrated in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a front view of the image forming main body device viewed from the right side showing a state where a toner cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a side view schematically showing the toner cartridge shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the toner cartridge shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 4 is a front view schematically showing a cartridge mounting portion shown in FIG. 3. It is an AA arrow directional cross-sectional view in FIG. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the toner cartridge illustrated in FIG. 8 is moved obliquely downward from above and the fitting convex portion is inserted into the fitting concave portion of the cartridge mounting portion. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state where the mounting of the toner cartridge illustrated in FIG. 8 to the cartridge mounting unit is completed. FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a structure of a toner intermediate receiving member and a toner cartridge receiving portion provided in the image forming main body apparatus illustrated in FIG. 5. FIG. 13A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state of the opening angle adjustment mechanism when the side opening / closing door is in the closed position in the image forming main body apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13B is an explanatory diagram when the opening angle adjusting mechanism shown in FIG. 13A is viewed from the right side of the image forming main body apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state of an opening angle adjustment mechanism part in case the side surface opening / closing door shown to Fig.13 (a) is open | released to the 1st open position. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state of the opening angle adjustment mechanism part in case the side surface opening / closing door shown to Fig.13 (a) is open | released to the 2nd open position. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state of an opening angle adjustment mechanism part in case the side surface opening / closing door shown to Fig.13 (a) is open | released to the 3rd open position. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which a document file is placed at a right side position having a side opening / closing door of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 3 is arranged in a cabinet and a vase is placed at a position on the right side having a side opening / closing door of the image forming apparatus.

[Embodiment 1]
(Overall configuration of image forming apparatus)
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the right side facing the image forming apparatus is referred to as the right side of the image forming apparatus, and the left side facing the image forming apparatus is referred to as the left side of the image forming apparatus.

  An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an automatic document feeder on an image forming main unit. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the internal structure of the image forming main body device 2 when the image forming main body device 2 is viewed from the right side. In FIG. 1, the left side is the front side of the image forming main body apparatus 2, and the right side is the back side.

  In the present embodiment, the image forming main body device 2 is a full-color printer. Therefore, the image forming main body device 2 prints a color image on a sheet (sheet-like recording medium) according to image data transmitted from the outside. Here, the image forming main unit 2 is exemplified as a printer, but it may be a copier, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine having these functions. In this case, the image forming main body device 2 prints a multicolor or single color image on a sheet according to image data transmitted from the outside and / or image data read from a document by a scanner.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming main body device 2 is provided with a process unit 11 at the center in the vertical direction. A laser optical system unit 12 and a paper feed cassette 13 are provided below the process unit 11 sequentially from the top. Further, a transfer unit 14 is provided at a position on the back side with respect to the process unit 11, and a fixing unit 15 is provided above the transfer unit 14. An upper surface of the housing 23 of the image forming main body 2 above the process unit 11 is a paper discharge tray 16.

  A paper transport path 17 is formed in the path from the paper feed cassette 13 to the paper discharge tray 16. The paper transport path 17 has a paper feed roller 18, A timing roller 19, the transfer unit 14, the fixing unit 15, and a paper discharge roller 20 are provided.

  The process unit 11 includes first to fourth image forming units 31 to 34, an intermediate transfer belt unit 35, and a transfer belt cleaning device 36.

  The first to fourth image forming units 31 to 34 are for yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, respectively.

  The first image forming unit 31 includes a photoreceptor drum 41a, a charger 42a, a developing device 43a, an intermediate transfer roller 44a, and a photoreceptor cleaner unit 45a.

  The charger 42a charges the surface of each photosensitive drum 41a to a predetermined potential. The developing device 43a develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 41a with toner by exposing the photosensitive drum 41a to the laser light from the laser optical system unit 12. The intermediate transfer roller 44 a is disposed on the back surface of the intermediate transfer belt 51, and transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 41 a by development onto the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 61 of the intermediate transfer belt unit 35. The photoconductor cleaning device 45a removes and collects residual toner and paper dust on the surface of the photoconductor drum 41a after development and image transfer.

  Similarly, the second image forming unit 32 includes a photoreceptor drum 41b, a charger 42b, a developing device 43b, an intermediate transfer roller 44b, and a photoreceptor cleaning device 45a. The third image forming unit 33 includes a photoreceptor drum 41c, a charger 42c, a developing device 43c, an intermediate transfer roller 44c, and a photoreceptor cleaning device 45c. The fourth image forming unit 34 includes a photoreceptor drum 41d, a charger 42d, a developing device 43d, an intermediate transfer roller 44d, and a photoreceptor cleaning device 45d.

  The intermediate transfer belt unit 35 includes an intermediate transfer belt 51, a driving roller 52 that supports the intermediate transfer belt 51, a driven roller 53, and tension rollers 54 and 55.

  The transfer belt cleaning device 36 removes residual toner and paper dust from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 51.

  The laser optical system unit 12 includes laser light sources 12a to 12d corresponding to the photosensitive drums 41a to 41d, and irradiates the photosensitive drums 41a to 41d with laser light from the laser light sources 12a to 12d. The electrostatic latent images corresponding to the image to be printed are formed on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 41a to 41d.

  The transfer unit 14 includes a transfer roller 14 a that is pressed against the drive roller 52 of the intermediate transfer belt unit 35 via the intermediate transfer belt 51, and a sheet on which the toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 51 is supplied from the paper feed cassette 13. Transcript to.

  The fixing unit 15 includes a fixing roller 15a and a pressure roller 15b, and melts and fixes the toner image on the paper to the paper.

(Image forming operation)
In the image forming main body 2 having the above configuration, when printing a color image, the laser optical system unit 12 irradiates the photosensitive drums 41a to 41d with laser light in accordance with the input image data, and the photosensitive member. Electrostatic latent images are formed on the drums 41a to 41d. These electrostatic latent images are developed with toner supplied from developing devices 43a to 43d, and yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toner images are formed on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 41a to 41d, respectively.

  These toner images are transferred to the same position on the intermediate transfer belt 51 of the intermediate transfer belt unit 35 so as to overlap each other, and further transferred onto the paper in the transfer unit 14.

  The sheet is fed from the sheet feeding cassette 13 to the sheet conveying path 17 by the sheet feeding roller 18, and is supplied to the transfer unit 14 by the timing roller 19 at a timing coincident with the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 51.

  The sheet on which the toner image is transferred in the transfer unit 14 is conveyed to the fixing unit 15, and the toner image is fixed on the sheet in the fixing unit 15. Thereafter, the paper is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 16 by the paper discharge roller 20.

  In the image forming apparatus 1, since the fixing unit 15 is located on the back side, the heat (hot air) generated in the fixing unit 15 is transmitted to the user located on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1. Will never feel uncomfortable.

(Process unit)
Here, the process unit 11 is replaced with a new one after, for example, printing a predetermined number of sheets. In this case, the process unit 11 can be removed from and inserted into the right side (the front side in FIG. 1) of the image forming main unit 2 with respect to the image forming main unit 2. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the process unit 11 in a state of being removed from the image forming main body device 2.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the process unit 11, the waste toner transport pipe 36a connected to the transfer belt cleaning device 36 and the waste toner transport pipes 45a1 to 45d1 connected to the photoconductor cleaning devices 45a to 45d Projecting to the right side of the device 2.

Next, the arrangement state of the automatic document feeder, cartridge mounting unit, toner cartridge, and waste toner box in the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus 1 with the automatic document feeder 3 and the housing 23 removed.
(Automatic document feeder)
As shown in FIG. 3, the automatic document feeder 3 is provided on the image forming main body device 2 and includes a document set tray 61 and a paper discharge tray 62, and reads a document placed on the document set tray 61 as a document reading unit. After being conveyed (not shown), the sheet is discharged onto the discharge tray 62. The document reading unit is provided inside the automatic document feeder 3 and above the image forming main body device 2.
(Cartridge mounting part and toner cartridge)
As shown in FIG. 3, four cartridge mounting portions 65 to 68 are provided in the upper portion of the right side position of the image forming main body apparatus 2 with respect to the process unit 11, and a waste toner box 69 is provided in the lower portion. . The cartridge mounting portions 65 to 68 have a vertically long shape in the vertical direction, and are arranged in the front-rear direction of the image forming apparatus 1 at the same height position. The cartridge mounting portions 65 to 68 have a structure in which adjacent ones are connected and integrated, and are provided corresponding to the developing devices 43a to 43d, respectively.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, toner cartridges 71 to 74 are mounted on the cartridge mounting portions 65 to 68, respectively. 4 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus 1 showing a state in which the toner cartridges 71 to 74 are attached to the cartridge attachment portions 65 to 68 shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a front view as seen from the right side of the image forming main body 2 showing a state in which the toner cartridges 71 to 74 are attached to the cartridge attachment portions 65 to 68 shown in FIG.

  The toner cartridges 71 to 74 contain yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toners, respectively. When the toner cartridges 71 to 74 are mounted in the cartridge mounting portions 65 to 68, the toner can be supplied to the corresponding developing devices 43a to 43d. The group of toner cartridges 71 to 74 are arranged on the right side of the image forming main body device 2 at a position closer to the front side with respect to the center position in the front-rear direction of the image forming main body device 2.

  Here, the upper portions of the cartridge mounting portions 65 to 68 are disposed inside the right vertical wall portion 82 of the left and right vertical wall portions 81 and 82 of the image forming main body 2 as shown in FIG. Yes. The vertical wall portions 81 and 82 are provided at the left and right positions of the paper discharge tray 16 so that the upper surface of the housing 23 is higher than the upper surface of the paper discharge tray 16 in order to hold the paper on the paper discharge tray 16. Is formed. As a result, by using the vertical wall portion 82 of the housing 23, the vertically long cartridge mounting portions 65 to 68, that is, the vertically long toner cartridges 71 to 74 can be efficiently arranged, and the toner cartridges 71 to 74 have a desired capacity. It is easy to do.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the cartridge mounting portions 65 to 68 are attached to an ADF support portion 85 serving as an image forming main body device frame. Therefore, the toner cartridges 71 to 74 are mounted between the ADF support 85 (image forming main body frame) and the housing 23 of the image forming main body 2 on which the side opening / closing door 101 is formed. Accordingly, the toner cartridges 71 to 74 and the cartridge mounting portions 65 to 68 are arranged by effectively using the space existing in the image forming main body apparatus 2 (image forming apparatus 1).

  The ADF support column 85 is also provided in the vertical wall portion 81 in the same manner. The ADF support column 85 includes the automatic document feeder 3 disposed on the vertical wall portions 81 and 82. It comes to support.

(Waste toner box)
The waste toner box 69 has a thin rectangular box shape and stores waste toner and paper powder collected by each cleaning device of the process unit 11. The waste toner box 69 can be easily attached to and detached from the image forming main body device 2.

(Detailed structure of toner cartridge and cartridge mounting part)
Next, the structure of the toner cartridges 71 to 74 and the cartridge mounting portions 65 to 68 will be described. Hereinafter, the toner cartridge 71 and the cartridge mounting portion 65 will be described as an example. FIG. 6 is a side view showing the toner cartridge 71 shown in FIG. 5 in a simplified manner. FIG. 7 is a plan view when the toner cartridge 71 shown in FIG. 6 is viewed from above. 8 is a simplified front view showing the cartridge mounting portion 65 shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the toner cartridge 71 is formed in a vertically long shape that is long in the vertical direction, and includes a toner storage portion 71 a that stores toner therein. A toner supply port 71b is formed at the lower end of the toner storage portion 71a, and a shutter 71c that opens and closes the toner supply port 71b is provided. The lower end surface where the toner supply port 71b is formed is curved in an arc shape, and the shutter 71c is formed in an arc shape correspondingly. The shutter 71c is closed by the action of a spring (not shown) in a normal state where the toner cartridge 71 is not mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 65.

  On both side surfaces of the toner accommodating portion 71a, fitting convex portions (first member, mounting mechanism portion) 71d are located above the toner supply port 71b and at a lower position of the toner cartridge 71 close to the position of the toner supply port 71b. Is provided. That is, one fitting convex portion 71 d projects in the front direction of the image forming main body device 2, and the other fitting convex portion 71 d projects in the rear direction of the image forming main body device 2.

  In the fitting convex portion 71d, the upper and lower surfaces are arcuate curved surfaces 71d1, and the space between the upper and lower curved surfaces 71d1 is a straight portion 71d2 having a width narrower than the width between both curved surfaces 71d1.

On the upper surface of the toner cartridge 71, that is, on the toner accommodating portion 71a, a fitting receiving portion 71f (first fitting portion) is provided so as to protrude upward. The fitting receiving portion 71f constitutes the fixing mechanism portion 111 together with the fitting convex portion 65e (second fitting portion, see FIG. 8) of the cartridge mounting portion 65.
The fitting receiving portion 71f extends from the surface facing the image forming apparatus 1 (upper side in the figure) to the opposite side (lower side in the figure) when the toner cartridge 71 is attached to the image forming apparatus 1. It has a fitting guide part 71f1, a fitting holding part 71f2, and a U-shaped part 71f3.

  The fitting guide portion 71f1 is formed by two arcuate wall portions facing each other at a predetermined interval. The fitting holding portion 71f2 is formed by two arcuate wall portions facing each other at a narrower interval than the fitting guide portion 71f1 and connected to the arcuate wall portion of the fitting guide portion 71f1. ing. The U-shaped part 71f3 is formed by a U-shaped wall part connected to the arc-shaped wall part of the fitting holding part 71f2.

  Accordingly, the connecting portion between the fitting guide portion 71f1 and the fitting holding portion 71f2 and the connecting portion between the fitting holding portion 71f2 and the U-shaped portion 71f3 have a narrowed gap between the opposing wall portions, and a constricted shape. It has become. As a result, the fitting convex portion 65e (see FIG. 8) fitted to the fitting receiving portion 71f is fitted through the fitting guide portion 71f1 as the toner cartridge 71 is moved when being attached to the image forming apparatus 1. It reaches the combined holding portion 71f2 and is held so as to be wrapped by the fitting holding portion 71f2.

  The thickness of the wall portion forming the fitting guide portion 71f1, the fitting holding portion 71f2, and the U-shaped portion 71f3 is set in the range of 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm, similar to the thickness of the peripheral wall portion of the toner accommodating portion 71a. Yes. Further, the fitting receiving portion 71f is molded at the same time as the toner accommodating portion 71a at the time of resin molding of the toner cartridge.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the cartridge mounting portion 65 has a cartridge facing portion 65 c that is disposed vertically along the right surface of the image forming main body device 2. Further, a convex wall portion (second member, mounting mechanism portion) 65a is provided at the left and right positions near the lower end portion of the cartridge facing portion 65c (the front direction position and the back direction position with respect to the image forming main body device 2). ing. Further, the upper wall portion 65d extends from the upper end portion of the cartridge facing portion 65c to the opposite surface side (lower side in the drawing) to the opposite surface side (left side in the drawing) to the image forming apparatus 1. Further, a fitting convex portion 65e protruding downward is provided on the lower surface of the upper wall portion 65d.

  The both convex wall portions 65a are formed with fitting concave portions (mounting mechanism portions) 65b on inner surfaces facing each other. The fitting recess 65b has a straight recess 65b2 at the introduction portion and a circular recess 65b1 at the end of the fitting recess 65b. The straight concave portion 65b2 is slightly wider than the straight portion 71d2 in the fitting convex portion 71d of the toner cartridge 71, and the circular concave portion 65b1 is between the curved surfaces 71d1 in the fitting convex portion 71d of the toner cartridge 71. The diameter is slightly wider than the width. The straight recess 65b2 is inclined to the right surface side of the image forming main body device 2 with respect to the vertical vertical direction.

  Therefore, when the toner cartridge 71 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 65, the operator first moves the toner cartridge 71 obliquely downward from above with respect to the cartridge mounting portion 65, and the straight shape of the fitting convex portion 71d. The portion 71d2 is inserted into the straight recess 65b2 of the fitting recess 65b. Further, the toner cartridge 71 is moved obliquely downward until the fitting convex portion 71d reaches the circular concave portion 65b1 of the fitting concave portion 65b. Thereafter, the toner cartridge 71 is rotated until it abuts against the cartridge facing portion 65c of the cartridge mounting portion 65 to bring the toner cartridge 71 into an upright state. As a result, the toner cartridge 71 is in a completely mounted state. The rotation of the toner cartridge 71 in this case can be smoothly performed because the fitting convex portion 71d is rotatably held in the circular concave portion 65b1 of the fitting concave portion 65b.

  Further, when the toner cartridge 71 is in the mounting completion state as described above, the fitting convex portion 65e of the cartridge mounting portion 65 is fitted to the fitting holding portion 71f2 in the fitting receiving portion 71f of the toner cartridge 71. Therefore, the toner cartridge 71 is securely fixed to the cartridge mounting portion 65 in the mounting completion state.

  In this case, since the fitting convex portion 65e is guided by the fitting guide portion 71f1 and fitted into the fitting holding portion 71f2, the fitting convex portion 65e can be smoothly fitted to the fitting holding portion 71f2. it can. Further, when the fitting convex portion 65e is moved from the fitting guide portion 71f1 to the fitting holding portion 71f2 by the rotation operation of the toner cartridge 71 by the operator, the fitting convex portion 65e is fitted and held with the fitting guide portion 71f1. It passes through the part where the width between the part 71f2 is narrow.

  Therefore, the operator changes the force when rotating the toner cartridge 71, weak (fitting guide part 71f1) → strong (fitting width between the fitting guide part 71f1 and the fitting holding part 71f2). (Part) → Weak (fitting holding portion 71f2) force change, the toner cartridge 71 can be easily confirmed by hand or finger touch.

  Furthermore, since the fitting receiving portion 71f has a front-stage fitting guide portion 71f1 and a rear-stage fitting holding portion 71f2, the fitting projection 65e is fitted to the fitting holding portion 71f2. It is easy to confirm the background visually. That is, the operator who operates the toner cartridge 71 first confirms that the toner cartridge 71 is approaching the mounting completion state by visually observing the state where the fitting convex portion 65e is fitted to the fitting guide portion 71f1. can do. Thereafter, by visually observing the state in which the fitting convex portion 65e is fitted to the fitting holding portion 71f2, it is possible to confirm that the toner cartridge 71 is surely in the proper mounting completed state.

(Supplying toner from the toner cartridge to the developing device)
As shown in FIG. 5, toner intermediate receiving members 76 to 79 are respectively disposed under the toner cartridges 71 to 74 mounted on the cartridge mounting portions 65 to 68. Under the toner intermediate receiving members 76 to 79, end portions of toner take-in portions 43a1 to 43d1 of the developing devices 43a to 43d are arranged, respectively. Accordingly, the toner in the toner cartridges 71 to 74 is supplied to the corresponding developing devices 43a to 43d via the toner intermediate receiving members 76 to 79, respectively.

  Here, the configuration for replenishing toner from the toner cartridge 71 to the developing device 43a will be described taking the case of the toner cartridge 71, the cartridge mounting portion 65, the toner intermediate receiving member 76, and the developing device 43a as an example.

  FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a state where the toner cartridge 71 is moved obliquely downward from above and the fitting convex portion 71 d of the toner cartridge 71 is inserted into the fitting concave portion 65 b of the cartridge mounting portion 65. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state where the mounting of the toner cartridge 71 to the cartridge mounting portion 65 is completed.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the toner intermediate receiving member 76 is formed with a toner intake port 76a. The position of the toner intake port 76a is a position facing the toner supply port 71b of the toner cartridge 71 in a state where the toner cartridge 71 is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 65.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the shutter 71c of the toner cartridge 71 is formed with an engaging convex portion 71e, and the toner intermediate receiving member 76 has an engaging receiving portion 76b that engages with the engaging convex portion 71e. Is formed.

  When the toner cartridge 71 is moved obliquely downward from above and the fitting convex portion 71d of the toner cartridge 71 is inserted into the fitting concave portion 65b of the cartridge mounting portion 65, the engaging convex portion 76b 71e is engaged.

  In this state, as shown in FIG. 11, when the toner cartridge 71 is rotated so as to contact the cartridge facing portion 65c of the cartridge mounting portion 65, the shutter 71c is opened and the toner replenishing port 71b is opened. As a result, the toner in the toner cartridge 71 is supplied to the toner supply port 71b, the toner intake port 76a of the toner intermediate receiving member 76, the toner intermediate receiving member 76, the toner supply port 76c of the toner intermediate receiving member 76, and the toner intake. The toner is supplied to the developing device 43a through the toner intake 43a2 of the portion 43a1.

  The toner intermediate receiving member 76 has a structure shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the toner intermediate receiving member 76. The toner intermediate receiving member 76 is fixed to the image forming main body 2 and includes a toner conveying screw 76d therein as shown in FIG. In the toner intermediate receiving member 76, the toner taken in from the toner take-in port 76a is carried by the toner carrying screw 76d, and replenished from the toner replenishing port 76c to the developing device 43a through the toner take-in port 43a2. The toner conveying screw 76d is rotated by receiving a driving force from the image forming main body device 2.

(Side open / close door)
As shown in FIGS. 13 to 16, a side opening / closing door 101 is formed on the right surface of the housing 23 of the image forming main body device 2. As shown in FIG. 5, the side opening / closing door 101 covers the arrangement area of the toner cartridges 71 to 74 and the waste toner box 69 so as to be openable and closable. The side opening / closing door 101 has a handle 101a and can be opened / closed in the vertical direction around the rotation fulcrum shaft 102 at the lower end.

  The side opening / closing door 101 is opened at three stages of first to third opening angles. For this purpose, the image forming main body device 2 opens the side opening / closing door 101 in three stages, that is, an opening angle adjusting mechanism that opens the closing position 101b0 to the first opening position 101b1, the second opening position 101b2, and the third opening position 101b3. Part 151.

(Opening angle adjustment mechanism)
FIG. 13A is an explanatory diagram showing a state of the opening angle adjusting mechanism 151 when the side opening / closing door 101 is in the closed position 101b0. FIG. 13B is an explanatory diagram when the opening angle adjusting mechanism 151 shown in FIG. 13A is viewed from the right side of the image forming main body device 2. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of the opening angle adjusting mechanism 151 when the side opening / closing door 101 is opened to the first opening position 101b1. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of the opening angle adjustment mechanism 151 when the side opening / closing door 101 is opened to the second opening position 101b2. FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of the opening angle adjustment mechanism 151 when the side opening / closing door 101 is opened to the third opening position 101b3.

  As shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, the opening angle adjustment mechanism 151 includes an opening angle adjustment member 152 having a long and narrow plate shape. The opening angle adjusting mechanism 151 is disposed in the front-rear direction of the image forming main body 2 inside the image forming main body 2, and the rear end is rotatably connected to the side surface of the side opening / closing door 101 by the shaft member 153. Has been.

  A guide hole 152a extending in the left-right direction of the image forming main body device 2 is formed in the opening angle adjusting member 152, and a guide pin 154 fixed to the image forming main body device 2 is inserted into the guide hole 152a. The lower side of the opening angle adjusting member 152 around the guide hole 152a has a linear shape. On the other hand, the upper side of the guide hole 152a is a first guide part 152a1, a first locking part 152a2, and a second guide part 152a3 from the right end part (the end part on the side opening / closing door 101 side) of the guide hole 152a toward the left end part. And the 2nd latching | locking part 152a4 is formed. Further, the left end portion (terminal portion) of the guide hole 152a that is further leftward than the second locking portion 152a4 is a third locking portion 152a5.

  The first guide part 152a1 and the second guide part 152a3 are horizontal after being inclined obliquely upward. The first locking portion 152a2 and the second locking portion 152a4 extend downward from the terminal ends of the first guide portion 152a1 and the second guide portion 152a3. A guide pin 154 is engaged with the first locking portion 152a2, the second locking portion 152a4, and the second guiding portion 152a3, and the opening angle adjustment to the right side of the image forming main body device 2 with the opening of the side opening / closing door 101 is adjusted. The movement of the member 152 is prevented.

  By providing the opening angle adjusting mechanism 151, when the operator pulls the handle 101a of the side opening / closing door 101 and opens the side opening / closing door 101 from the closed position 101a0 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 14, the side opening / closing door 101 is opened to the first open position 101b1.

  When the engagement between the guide pin 154 and the first locking portion 152a2 is released from the above state and the side opening / closing door 101 is further opened from the first opening position 101b1, the second locking portion 152a4 is engaged with the guide pin 154. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 15, the side opening / closing door 101 is opened to the second opening position 101 b 2.

  Next, when the engagement between the guide pin 154 and the second locking portion 152a4 is released and the side opening / closing door 101 is opened, the third locking portion 152a5 is engaged with the guide pin 154, and the side opening / closing door 101 is As shown in FIG. 16, it is in the open state up to the third open position 101b3.

  In the present embodiment, the opening angle (first opening angle) of the first opening position 101b1 with respect to the closing position 101a0 is 30 ° to 45 °, and the opening angle (second opening angle) of the second opening position 101b2 is 45. The opening angle (third opening angle) of the third opening position 101b3 is 90 ° to 110 °.

  At the first opening position 101b1, the toner cartridges 71 to 74 can be replaced. At the second opening position 101b2, the toner cartridges 71 to 74 and the waste toner box 69 can be replaced. In the third open position 101b3, the toner cartridges 71 to 74, the waste toner box 69, and the process unit 11 can be replaced.

  In the above configuration, in the replacement operation of the toner cartridge, the operator replaces one to be replaced among the toner cartridges 71 to 74 with the right hand in a state where the side opening / closing door 101 is opened to the first opening position 101b1.

  For example, when the toner cartridge 71 is replaced, as shown in FIG. 11, the operator starts from the position where the toner cartridge 71 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 65 (installation completed state) as illustrated in FIG. 10. Then, the toner cartridge 71 is rotated clockwise (clockwise) around the fitting convex portion 71d until the toner supply port 71b of the toner cartridge 71 is closed by the shutter 71c. In this case, in the fixing mechanism part 111, the fitting convex part 65e and the fitting receiving part 71f (fitting holding part 71f2) are disengaged. The rotation angle of the toner cartridge 71 from the position shown in FIG. 11 to the position shown in FIG. 10 is, for example, 30 °.

  In the state shown in FIG. 10, the straight part 71 d 2 in the fitting convex part 71 d of the toner cartridge 71 is parallel to the straight concave part 65 b 2 in the fitting concave part 65 b of the cartridge mounting part 65. Therefore, the worker moves the toner cartridge 71 obliquely upward in the state shown in FIG. As a result, the fitting convex portion 71 d of the toner cartridge 71 is removed from the fitting concave portion 65 b of the cartridge mounting portion 65. In this case, the engagement between the engagement convex portion 71e in the shutter 71c of the toner cartridge 71 and the engagement receiving portion 76b in the toner intake portion 43a1 of the developing device 43a is released. Accordingly, the toner cartridge 71 can be extracted from the image forming main body device 2 with the shutter 71c closed and the toner supply port 71b closed.

  On the other hand, when a new toner cartridge 71 is to be mounted, the operator may perform the operation opposite to the above-described operation for removing the toner cartridge 71 to bring the toner cartridge 71 into the mounting completion state shown in FIG. In this state, the shutter 71c is opened, and the toner in the toner cartridge 71 can be supplied to the developing device 43a through the toner supply port 71b and the toner intake port 43a2 of the toner intake part 43a1. Further, in the fixing mechanism portion 111, the fitting convex portion 65e and the fitting receiving portion 71f (fitting holding portion 71f2) are fitted, and the toner cartridge 71 is fixed in the mounted state.

  The waste toner box 69 can be replaced by opening the side opening / closing door 101 to the second opening position 101b2. The process unit 11 can be replaced by opening the side opening / closing door 101 to the third opening position 101b3. In this case, prior to replacement of the process unit 11, the toner cartridges 71 to 74, the cartridge mounting portions 65 to 68, the waste toner box 69, and the like are removed.

(Advantages of image forming apparatus)
As described above, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the operator can replace the toner cartridges 71 to 74 and the waste toner box 69 in the state where the replacement work is positioned on the front surface of the image forming apparatus 1. This can be done with the right hand by opening the side opening / closing door 101 formed on the right side of 1.

  As a result, it is difficult for the operator to move in the front-rear direction at the position on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, and the situation where the replacement work of the toner cartridges 71 to 74 and the waste toner box 69 hinders other people's traffic. It has become difficult. As a result, the toner cartridges 71 to 74 and the waste toner box 69 can be exchanged smoothly even in a small office or a home office.

  Since the side opening / closing door 101 is formed on the right side of the image forming apparatus 1, a right-handed person who is said to have a population ratio of about 70% has the toner cartridges 71 to 74 and the waste toner box 69. Exchange work can be easily performed by a dominant hand.

  In addition, since the toner cartridges 71 to 74, the waste toner box 69, and the process unit 11 can be replaced with the same side opening / closing door 101 open, these operations can be easily performed. In addition, since the number of doors required for the image forming apparatus 1 can be reduced, the structure of the image forming apparatus 1 can be simplified.

  In particular, the replacement operation of the toner cartridges 71 to 74 is performed in a state where the side opening / closing door 101 is opened to the first opening position 101b1, that is, a state where the side opening / closing door 101 is opened at a narrow angle (acute angle) such as 30 ° to 45 °. be able to. Therefore, if a relatively small space can be secured on the side of the image forming apparatus 1 so that the side opening / closing door 101 can be opened, the toner cartridges 71 to 74 can be replaced. This is a great advantage because the replacement frequency of the toner cartridges 71 to 74 is much higher than the replacement frequency of the waste toner box 69 and the process unit 11.

  Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 17, when the document file 121 is placed at the right side position having the side opening / closing door 101 of the image forming apparatus 1, or as shown in FIG. Even when the vase 123 is placed at a position on the right side having the side opening / closing door 101 of the image forming apparatus 1, the image forming apparatus 1 is arranged around the image forming apparatus 1 and the image forming apparatus 1. The toner cartridges 71 to 74 can be replaced without moving the existing ones.

  The toner cartridges 71 to 74 are attached to the image forming apparatus 1 in a state where the toner cartridges 71 to 74 are obliquely downward with respect to the image forming apparatus 1 with the side opening / closing door 101 opened to the first opening position 101b1. Then, the toner cartridges 71 to 74 are rotated in the direction of the image forming apparatus 1 (counterclockwise). That is, the toner cartridges 71 to 74 are attached to the image forming apparatus 1 by attaching the toner cartridges 71 to 74 to the side opening / closing door 101 and then closing the side opening / closing door 101 to bring the toner cartridges 71 to 74 to a predetermined mounting position. It is not something to wear. Therefore, when the side opening / closing door 101 is deformed with the passage of time and the side opening / closing door 101 is closed, there is no problem that the toner cartridges 71 to 74 are not easily mounted at the predetermined mounting positions.

  Further, in a state where the toner cartridges 71 to 74 are mounted on the cartridge mounting portions 65 to 68, the fixing mechanism portion 111 that fixes the toner cartridges 71 to 74 to the cartridge mounting portions 65 to 68 includes, for example, the toner cartridge 71 and the cartridge mounting portion. 65, the fitting receiving portion 71f and the fitting convex portion 65e have a small number of parts and a simple and inexpensive configuration.

  For example, when the operator rotates the toner cartridge 71 and mounts it at the mounting completion position of the cartridge mounting portion 65, the fitting convex portion 65e in the fixing mechanism portion 111 includes the fitting guide portion 71f1 and the fitting holding portion 71f2. It moves from the fitting guide portion 71f1 to the fitting holding portion 71f2 through a portion where the width between them is narrowed. Therefore, the operator can easily confirm the mounting completion state of the toner cartridge 71 with the touch of a hand or a finger by a change in force when the toner cartridge 71 is rotated.

  Furthermore, since the fitting receiving portion 71f has a front-stage fitting guide portion 71f1 and a rear-stage fitting holding portion 71f2, the fitting projection 65e is fitted to the fitting holding portion 71f2. It is easy to confirm the background visually.

  Further, when the toner cartridges 71 to 74 are mounted on the image forming apparatus 1, the side opening / closing door 101 is opened and the cartridge mounting portions 65 to 68 are not rotated to the position where the insertion of the toner cartridges 71 to 74 is received. The opening angle of the door 101 can be reduced, and this also enables work in a narrow work area.

  Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment can easily replace the toner cartridges 71 to 74, the waste toner box 69, and the process unit 11, and has a structure in which the number of necessary opening / closing doors is suppressed. Can be simplified.

  In the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the toner cartridges 71 to 74 are replaced while the side opening / closing door 101 is opened to the first opening position 101b1 having the first opening angle (30 ° to 45 °). Can do. Further, the waste toner box 69 can be replaced while the side opening / closing door 101 is opened to the second opening position 101b2 at the second opening angle (45 ° to 75 °). That is, in addition to the replacement operation of the toner cartridges 71 to 74, the replacement operation of the waste toner box 69 can be performed with the right hand with the same side opening / closing door 101 opened at a small angle. Accordingly, if a relatively small space can be secured on the side of the image forming apparatus 1 so that the side opening / closing door 101 can be opened, the toner cartridges 71 to 74 and the waste toner box 69 can be replaced.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Image forming main body apparatus 11 Process unit 23 Case
31 to 34 First to fourth image forming portions 35 Intermediate transfer belt unit 36 Transfer belt cleaning device 36a Waste toner transport pipe
41a to 41d photoconductor drum
43a to 43d Developing device 51 Intermediate transfer belt
65 to 68 Cartridge mounting portion 65a Convex wall portion (second member, mounting mechanism portion)
65b Fitting recess (mounting mechanism)
65c Cartridge facing portion 65e Fitting convex portion (second fitting portion)
69 Waste toner box
71-74 Toner cartridge 71a Toner accommodating portion 71d Fitting convex portion (first member, mounting mechanism portion)
71f Fitting receiving part (first fitting part)
71f1 fitting guide part 71f2 fitting holding part
76 to 79 Toner intermediate receiving member 85 ADF support column 101 Side opening / closing door 111 Fixing mechanism 151 Opening angle adjustment mechanism

Claims (5)

A toner cartridge,
A toner cartridge mounting portion provided on a vertical wall portion of the image forming apparatus, to which the toner cartridge is mounted;
A first fitting portion provided in the toner cartridge, and a second fitting portion provided in the toner cartridge mounting portion, wherein the toner cartridge is disposed at a mounting completion position with respect to the toner cartridge mounting portion; The first fitting portion and the second fitting portion are fitted to each other, and a fixing mechanism portion for fixing the toner cartridge at the mounting completion position;
A first member provided at a lower portion of the toner cartridge and a second member provided at a position corresponding to the lower portion of the toner cartridge mounting portion; Due to the downward movement and the movement in the opposite direction, the first member and the second member are brought into a fitting state and a fitting released state, respectively. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a mounting mechanism that rotatably holds the toner cartridge in an upright position in a state where the toner cartridge is erected and a position in the opposite direction.   The first fitting portion of the fixing mechanism portion is provided on one end surface of the toner cartridge that is farthest from the fitting portion of the first member and the second member of the mounting mechanism portion. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first fitting portion of the fixing mechanism portion is provided on an upper surface of the toner cartridge.   The vertical wall portion is a frame of an image forming apparatus, and the toner cartridge and the toner cartridge mounting portion are provided in a space between the frame and a housing of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to any one of 1 to 3. The toner cartridge is mounted on either the left or right side of the image forming apparatus,
Under the toner cartridge, a waste toner box for storing the collected waste toner is detachably mounted,
5. The side opening door that can open a mounting position of the toner cartridge and the waste toner box is formed in a housing of the image forming apparatus. Image forming apparatus.