JP2014123055A - Developer storage container, developer supply device, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate easy replacement work while reducing an installation space.SOLUTION: A developer storage container 50 according to the present invention includes: a handle 54 that is removably attached to a storage part 41, stores a developer therein, and is provided on a container surface 50A located in a separation direction A2 from the storage part 41, openably/closably between a storage position to be parallel to the container surface and an operation position erected with respect to the container surface; and arms 543 and 544 that are provided on the handle 54, and elastically deformed to contact the container surface when the handle is at the operation position, and urge the container surface in a direction to move toward the storage position with respect to the handle.

Description

  The present invention relates to a developer storage container that stores a developer therein, a developer supply device that includes the developer storage container, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that includes the developer supply container.

In an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic method such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine having these functions, a latent image is obtained by supplying a developer to the latent image on the image carrier with a developing device. Is visualized. For this reason, since the developer in the developing device decreases with use, the image forming apparatus includes a developed image replenishing device for supplying (supplementing) the developer to the developing device.
The developer supply device includes a developer storage container in which the developer is stored, a transport unit that discharges the developer in the developer storage container to the outside of the container, and a storage unit in which the developer storage container is mounted. When the amount of developer in the developing device is reduced, the developer replenishing device operates to drive the conveying means with a drive unit (not shown) to discharge the developer in the developer storage container out of the container and supply it to the developing device. To do.
The developer storage container is configured to be detachable from the storage unit, and can be replaced when the developer in the interior is exhausted. For this reason, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes a developer storage container having a handle in consideration of workability at the time of container replacement.
In the configuration of Patent Document 1, since the position of the handle is fixed in the attaching / detaching direction of the container, the size of the container including the handle is bulky and requires an installation space when being attached to the storage unit. End up.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to propose a configuration that can perform the attaching / detaching work satisfactorily while reducing the installation space.

  In order to achieve the above object, the developer storage container according to the present invention is detachably attached to the storage part, the developer is stored therein, and the container surface positioned in the detaching direction from the storage part, A handle that can be opened and closed at a storage position that is parallel to the container surface and an operation position that stands up from the container surface, and a handle that is provided on the handle and elastically deforms when the handle is in the operation position. And an arm that abuts against the container surface and urges the handle toward the storage position.

  According to the present invention, a handle is provided on a container surface located in a direction away from the storage unit so that the container can be opened and closed at a storage position parallel to the container surface and an operation position standing up from the container surface. Since the handle has an arm that elastically deforms when it is in position and abuts against the container surface and urges the handle in the direction to move to the storage position, it is installed when the handle occupies the storage position. The space can be reduced, and when necessary, the operation position rising from the container surface is occupied, so that the attachment / detachment work can be performed satisfactorily.

1 is a schematic front view of an image forming apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a developer supply device according to the present invention, in which (a) illustrates a state where a supply door of the developer supply device is open, and (b) illustrates a state where the supply door of the developer supply device is closed. Indicates the state. The perspective view which shows the structure of a developer storage container. The figure which shows the internal structure of a developing agent storage container. The structure of the handle which a developing agent storage container has is shown, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a top view. The disassembled perspective view which shows the support structure of the container surface and handle of a developer storage container. The top view which shows the storage position and operation position of a handle. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the position of a handle, and an arm, (a) is a top view which shows the state of an arm when a handle is in a storage position, (b) is an arm when a handle is in an operation position The top view which shows the state of.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the overall configuration and operation of the image forming apparatus will be described, and then the features will be described.
FIG. 1 shows an electrophotographic printer as an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. In this printer, a color image is formed using developers of four colors of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black. In the figure, the suffixes Y, C, M, and K attached to the end of the reference numerals indicate members for yellow, cyan, magenta, and black.

  The printer includes a transfer unit 20 inside the main body 100 as transfer means. In the transfer unit 20, an intermediate transfer belt 23 serving as an intermediate transfer member is wound around a plurality of rollers 21 and 22. The endless intermediate transfer belt 23 is moved endlessly in the counterclockwise direction in the figure by a drive motor (not shown). In the inner loop of the intermediate transfer belt 23, four primary transfer rollers 24Y, 24C, 24M, and 24K serving as primary transfer members are disposed so as to contact the belt. A secondary transfer roller 25 serving as a secondary transfer member is disposed outside the intermediate transfer belt 23 at a position facing the roller 21. Reference numeral 26 denotes a belt cleaning means for cleaning the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 23. A primary transfer bias is supplied from a power source (not shown) to the primary transfer rollers 24Y, 24C, 24M, and 24K, and a secondary transfer bias is supplied to the secondary transfer roller 25 from a power source (not shown).

  Above the transfer unit 20, four image forming units for Y, C, M, and K as image forming means are arranged along the upper stretched surface of the intermediate transfer belt 23 in the belt moving direction. ing. Each image forming unit includes drum-shaped photoconductors 11Y, 11C, 11M, and 11K as image carriers, charging units 12Y, 12C, 12M, and 12K, and developing units 13Y, 13C, 13M, and 13K. Each image forming unit includes drum cleaning devices 14Y, 14C, 14M, and 14K. These members are integrated for each unit by a casing (not shown), and are detachable from the main body 100. Each photoconductor is in contact with the upper stretched surface of the intermediate transfer belt 23 facing the primary transfer rollers 24Y, 24C, 24M, and 24K, so that the lower part of the peripheral surface thereof is for Y, C, M, and K. The primary transfer nip is formed.

  A writing unit 30 is disposed above the image forming unit. The writing unit 30 rotates in the clockwise direction in the figure by driving a light source (not shown) based on the image information and irradiating each photoconductor with exposure light for Y, C, M, and K to perform optical scanning. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the peripheral surface of each photoconductor to be driven.

  The developing means 13Y, 13C, 13M, and 13K store Y, C, M, and K color developers, respectively, and each developer is supplied to the surface of each photoconductor by a developer carrier to which a developing bias is supplied. By supplying to the electrostatic latent image, the electrostatic latent image is developed to form a toner image, which is visualized. Developer replenishing devices 40Y, 40C, 40M, and 40K are arranged above the developing units 13Y, 13C, 13M, and 13K. The developer supply devices 40Y, 40C, 40M, and 40K are detachably mounted with developer storage containers 50Y, 50C, 50M, and 50 that store a supply developer. When the developer concentration inside the developing units 13Y, 13C, 13M, and 13K is reduced, the developer supply devices 40Y, 40C, 40M, and 40K are operated, whereby the developer storage containers 50Y, 50C, 50M, and 50 are operated. The developer inside is supplied.

  Below the transfer unit 20, a paper feeding unit 60 in which the recording material P is stored is disposed. The recording material P of the paper feed unit 60 is sent out from the paper feed unit 60 to the transport path 62 by the paper feed roller 61. In the paper feed path 62, a conveyance roller 63 and a registration roller 64 that convey the recording material P fed from the paper feed unit 60 toward the secondary transfer nip are arranged. The recording material P in the paper feed path 62 is conveyed to the secondary transfer nip by the registration roller 64 in synchronization with the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 23. A fixing unit 70 is disposed above the secondary transfer nip, and a paper discharge roller 65 is disposed downstream of the fixing unit 70 in the recording material conveyance direction.

In the printer having such a configuration, at the time of forming a color image, the toner image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor of each color is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 23 while being superimposed on the primary transfer nip, and the transferred toner image is transferred to the secondary transfer nip. Batch transfer is performed on the recording material P at the transfer nip. Each transferred photoreceptor is removed by drum cleaning devices 14Y, 14C, 14M, and 14K, and the intermediate transfer belt 23 after transfer is removed by developer and paper dust remaining on the surface by belt cleaning means 26, respectively. The
The recording material P to which the toner image has been transferred passes through the fixing means 70 to fix the toner image, and is discharged to the outside of the main body 100 by the paper discharge roller 65. In this example, the recording material P is placed on the stacking portion 66 formed on the upper surface of the main body. Stacked.

Next, the configuration of the developer supply device and the developer storage container will be described.
In this embodiment, the developer supply devices 40Y, 40C, 40M, and 40K for the respective colors and the developer storage containers 50Y, 50C, 50M, and 50K have the same configuration except that the colors of the developers are different. One of them will be described below. The subscripts Y, C, M, and K are omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the developer supply device 40 includes a developer storage container 50 and a storage portion 41 that detachably supports the developer storage container 50, and stores the developer. The developer in the container 50 is supplied to the developing device 14 of the corresponding color.
The storage unit 41 has an opening 42 for storing the developer storage container 50 therein and a door 43 for opening and closing the opening 42. The storage portion 41 has an internal shape that approximates the general shape of the developer storage container 50, and holds the developer storage container 50 movably in the attaching / detaching direction indicated by reference symbol A. Reference symbol A1 indicates an insertion direction, and reference symbol A2 indicates a removal direction.

FIG. 2A shows a configuration in which openings 42 for storing four developer storage containers 50 are formed. FIG. 2A shows a state in which one developer storage container 50 is stored in the storage unit 41 and an open state of the door 43. FIG. 2B shows a closed state of the door 43, and the opening 42 is closed in this state. The door 43 is located on the exterior surface of the main body 100 of the image forming apparatus, and can be opened and closed from the outside of the main body 100. In this embodiment, the area of the door 43 is large enough to cover all four openings 42 with one door 43.
In this embodiment, all the openings 42 are closed by one door 43. However, each door 42 is provided with an individual door 43, and the door 43 is opened and closed for each opening 42. The container 50 may be attached and detached separately.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the developer storage container 50 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box in which a developer (not shown) is stored. As shown in FIG. 4, a paddle 59 that is rotatably supported by a rotating shaft 58 is disposed in the internal space of the developer container 50. The paddle 59 is provided with mylar 59b which is an elastic deformation member at both ends of the base 59a. The mylar 59b has a length that is bent and contacts the inner surface 50B of the container. For this reason, when the paddle 59 is rotated by a drive source (not shown), the developer in the container is stirred by the base 59a and the mylar 59b. Further, the developer adhered to the container inner surface 50B is scraped off by the mylar 59b slidingly moving on the container inner surface 50B by the rotation of the paddle 59.

  A discharge portion 50D extending in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 4 is formed at the bottom 50C of the developer container 50. A discharge port 50E that communicates the inside and the outside of the container is formed on one end side of the discharge portion 50D. A screw 501 serving as a conveying unit extending in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 4 is disposed in the discharge unit 50D. The developer in the discharge portion 50D and the developer in the vicinity of the bottom portion 50C are conveyed to the discharge port 50E when the screw 501 is rotationally driven by a drive source (not shown). The developer storage container 50 is equipped with a shutter 502 that opens and closes the discharge port 50E. The shutter 502 is configured to close the discharge port 50E before the developer storage container 50 is mounted on the storage unit 41, and to open and open the discharge port 50E when mounted on the storage unit 41. . A transport port 41a is formed in the storage portion 41 facing the discharge port 50E, and the developer discharged from the discharge port 50E is supplied from the transport port 41a into the developing device 14 through a transport path (not shown). The

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, a circular recess 51 is formed on the front plate 50 </ b> A which is a container surface located on the side of the developer storage container 50 in the detaching direction A <b> 2. Bearings 52 and 53 are arranged on the same axis O in the vertical direction of the recess 51 and are integrally formed with the front plate 50A. Of course, the bearings 52 and 53 may be provided separately from the front plate 50A. A handle 54 is supported on the bearings 52 and 53 so as to be freely opened and closed. The handle 54 is gripped when the operator operates the attachment / detachment of the developer container 50. A bearing surface 55 is formed on the top of the bearing 52 for placing a thumb when the operator holds the handle 54 with his / her hand. The handle 54 is supported to be openable and closable so as to occupy a storage position parallel to the front plate 50A indicated by a solid line in FIG. 5 and an operation position standing up from the front plate 50A indicated by a two-dot chain line. In FIG. 5, the position of the handle 54 indicated by a one-dot chain line indicates a standby position returned by an arm described later between the storage position and the operation position.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the resin handle 54 has a curved shape, and shaft portions 541 and 542 that are supported by the bearings 52 and 53 so as to be openable and closable at both ends 54a and 54b thereof have the same axis line O. It is integrally formed so that it may be located on the top. When the handle 54 is inserted into the bearings 52, 53, the shafts 541, 542 are inserted in the bearings 52, 53 so as to be movable in the vertical direction indicated by the arrow B in the axial direction shown in FIG. It is supported with a gap between them. During normal times, the handle 54 is located close to the bearing 53 as shown in FIG. 3B due to its own weight, and is moved upward to occupy the position close to the bearing 52 when grasped by the operator. In FIG. 3B, an arrow B1 indicates a moving direction in which the arrow is lifted and moved by the operator.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the handle 54 is attached to the handle 54 in a direction in which the handle 54 is elastically deformed when the handle 54 is in the operation position and abuts against the front plate 50A to move the handle 54 to the storage position. Resin arms 543 and 544 are formed in a tongue-like shape. The arm 543 is integrally formed with the end surface 54c of the one end 54a of the handle 54, and the arm 544 is integrally formed with the end surface 54d of the other end 54b of the handle 54. As shown in FIG. 8B, the end surface 54c and the end surface 54d are surfaces that face the front plate 50A when the handle 54 occupies the operation position.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the storage position of the handle 54 is on the right side in the figure with respect to the rotation center line α of the handle 54, but the arms 54 occupy the operating position of the arms 543 and 544. Sometimes, it is formed so as to contact the front plate 50A on the left side of the rotation center line α.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8B, the arm 543 and the arm 544 are positioned between the end face 54c and the front plate 50A and the end face 54d and the front plate 50A, respectively. It is sandwiched and elastically deformed and bent. Since the point of action of the reaction force due to this bending is on the opposite side of the storage position with respect to the rotation center line α, the arm 543 and the arm 544 continue to receive the reaction force in the S direction. That is, due to the reaction force in the S direction, the handle 54 placed at the operation position is given a rotational force in the direction returning to the storage position.

As shown in FIG. 7, on the front plate 50A, when the handle 54 moves upward at the operation position, a rib 56 serving as a restricting portion that restricts the movement of the handle 54 to the storage position in the movement direction B1. 57 is formed. In this embodiment, since the bearing 52 and the front plate 50A are integrally formed, the ribs 56 and 57 are also integrally formed with the bearing 52. The ribs 56 and 57 protrude from the lower surface 52 a of the bearing 52 toward the bearing 53. As shown in FIG. 3B, the length L of the handle 54 excluding the shaft portions 541 and 542 is set to be shorter than the length L1 from the upper surface 53a of the bearing 53 to the tips 56a and 57a of the ribs 56 and 57. Has been. Further, as shown in FIG. 8B, the inner space W <b> 1 between the ribs 56 and 57 is formed to be wider than the width W of the handle 54.
In this embodiment, two ribs 56 and 57 are provided as restricting portions. However, if the movement of the handle 54 to the storage position is merely restricted, the rib 57 disposed between the storage position and the operation position is used. Just enough.

  In this embodiment, when the handle 54 is located near the bearing 53 by its own weight, it can be opened and closed without being restricted by the ribs 56 and 57. However, when the handle 54 is lifted upward, the one end 54a side of the handle 54 enters between the ribs 56 and 57, so that the opening / closing operation of the handle 54 is restricted. That is, when the operator holds the handle 54 at the operation position, if the user holds the thumb 55 on the seating surface 55 and grips it, the end 54a of the handle 54 enters between the ribs 56 and 57. The hand 54 can be prevented from swinging left and right with the shaft portions 541 and 542 as fulcrums. Thereby, the attaching / detaching work can be performed satisfactorily. In addition, when the handle 54 is gripped, the state of entering between the one end 54a and the ribs 56 and 53 is maintained by placing the thumb on the seating surface 55, so that it is stable when the handle 54 is held. Since the maintained state can be maintained, the attachment / detachment work can be performed better.

  When the operator releases his / her hand from the handle 54, the handle 54 moves downward due to its own weight and moves closer to the bearing 53, and the one end 52 a is detached from between the ribs 56 and 57. Then, since there is no restriction from the operation position to the storage position, the handle 54 moves from the operation position to the storage position by the reaction force of the arms 543 and 544. Since the reaction force (biasing force in the return direction) is weak enough to move the arm 543 and 544 from the operation position to the standby position, the handle 54 is shown in FIG. Stop at the standby position indicated by.

  This standby position is arranged so as to be located on the track during the movement of the door 43 from the open state to the closed state. That is, it moves from the operation position toward the storage position by the urging force of the arms 543, 544, and the handle 43 at the standby position shown by the one-dot chain line in FIG. 5 contacts the door 43 so as to push it toward the storage position. Thereby, the handle 54 in the standby position can be moved to the storage position by using the closing force of the door 43. For this reason, even if the return force by the arms 543 and 544 is weakened, the handle 54 can be surely put in the stored state, so that it is possible to prevent forgetting to store the handle 54 while ensuring workability.

In addition, there is no need for a strong reaction force (an urging force in the return direction) to return the handle 54 from the operation position to the storage position, so there is no inconvenience of the handle 54 inadvertently returning to the storage position. Accordingly, the force to move from the operation position to the operation position is reduced, and a good feeling of operation of the handle 54 can be obtained.
When the storage position of the handle 54 is 0 degree with respect to the rotation center line α and the operation position is 90 degrees, the present inventors are about 75 degrees from the storage position and 15 degrees from the operation position to the storage position. It was confirmed that the handle 54 can be moved to the storage position by being pushed by the door 43 when tilted to the extent. For this reason, the standby position is preferably about 15 degrees from the operation position to the storage position.

In this embodiment, since the handle 54 occupies the storage position, it is possible to reduce the installation space when the handle 54 is attached to the storage unit 41, and when necessary, the operation position erected from the front plate 50A occupies the attachment / detachment work. It can be done well.
In this embodiment, since the width W of the handle 54 is assumed to be 10 mm to 15 mm, it is sufficient for grasping and the projected area of the handle 54 occupied in the developer storage container 50 when the storage position is occupied. Can be reduced. For this reason, it becomes easy to secure the developer storage area in the developer storage container 50 by setting the capacity corresponding to the reduced projection area as the developer storage area. In addition, since the handle 54 and the arms 541 and 542 are integrally formed, the handle 54 can be opened and closed with a single component, and the cost can be reduced.

  In the above embodiment, the handle 54 has two arms 543 and 544, but the number of arms is not limited to two, and the handle 54 moves from the operation position to the storage position and occupies the standby position. If it is possible, one is sufficient.

  In the above-described embodiments, the image forming apparatus is described as a color printer. However, the image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applicable is not limited to this, and can be applied to other image forming apparatuses such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, and a plotter. .

11 (Y, C, M, K) Image carrier 14 (Y, C, M, K) Developing device 40 (Y, C, M, K) Developer supply device 41 Storage portion 42 Opening 43 Door 50 (Y, C, M, K) Developer storage container 50A Container surface 54 Handle 56, 57 Restriction part 543, 544 Arm 541, 542 Shaft О Axis A2 Removal direction B Axis direction B1 Movement direction

JP 2006-258928 A

Claims (6)

In the developer storage container that is detachable from the storage unit and stores the developer therein,
A handle provided in a container surface located in a direction of detachment from the storage unit, which is openable and closable at a storage position parallel to the container surface and an operation position standing up from the container surface;
An arm that is provided on the handle, elastically deforms when the handle is in the operating position, abuts against the container surface, and biases the handle toward the storage position. A developer storage container characterized by comprising:   The developer storage container according to claim 1, wherein the arm is formed integrally with the handle. The handle has a shaft portion that is supported by the container surface so as to be opened and closed, and is supported by the container surface so as to be movable in the axial direction of the shaft portion.
3. The developer storage container according to claim 1, further comprising a restricting portion that restricts movement of the handle to the storage position in the moving direction when the handle moves in the axial direction. 4. In a developer supply device that includes a developer storage container in which a developer is stored, and a storage portion that detachably supports the developer storage container, and supplies the developer in the developer storage container to a developing device. ,
The developer supply device according to claim 1, wherein the developer storage container is the developer storage container according to claim 1. The storage unit includes an opening for storing the developer storage container therein and a door for opening and closing the opening.
In the middle of the movement from the open state to the closed state, the door is configured to push the handle moved from the operation position toward the storage position by the biasing force of the arm toward the storage position. The developer replenishing device according to claim 4, wherein the developer replenishing device is in contact with the developer. In an image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier; a developing device that develops a latent image formed on the image carrier with a developer; and a developer supply device that supplies the developer to the developing device.
An image forming apparatus using the developer supply device according to claim 4 or 5 as the developer supply device.

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