JP2015087447A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress the scattering of toner caused by the attachment/detachment of a toner container to/from a device main body in a long term.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus 1 includes: a wiping-out member 5 for wiping out toner adhered to the outer peripheral surface of a shutter member 23; a cleaning member 6 brought into contact with a contact surface 51 of the wiping-out member 5 for cleaning the contact surface 51; and a linkage mechanism 7 for allowing the cleaning member 6 to operate in association with the opening/closing operation of a container storage part cover 12. When a closing operation of rotating the container storage part cover 12 from an opening attitude to a closing attitude is started, a holding member 71 is pushed backward by a link member 72. Thus, the holding member 71 is swung backward. Therefore, the cleaning member 6 is moved backward on the contact surface 51. In this case, the cleaning member 6 cleans the contact surface 51.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which a developer container for storing a developer is detachably mounted in an apparatus main body.

  In an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet using toner (developer), a toner container (developer container) for supplying toner to the image forming unit is indispensable. Generally, a toner container includes a container main body that contains toner, a toner discharge port formed on the bottom surface of the container main body, and a shutter member that opens and closes the toner discharge port. The shutter member opens the toner discharge port when the toner container is mounted on the apparatus main body (developing device), and closes the toner discharge port when the toner container is removed from the apparatus main body. During this closing operation, the shutter member protrudes into the toner supply path where the toner actually exists and covers the toner discharge port. For this reason, the toner adheres to the shutter member.

  There are various techniques for suppressing toner leakage from the apparatus main body when the toner container is replaced (for example, see Patent Document 1). In addition, in order to prevent the main part in the apparatus main body from being contaminated with scattered toner, a technique for cleaning the main part in conjunction with the attaching / detaching operation of the toner container with respect to the apparatus main body is also known (for example, patents). References 2 and 3). However, both techniques are based on the premise that toner leakage and scattering exist, and are insufficient as countermeasures against toner contamination.

JP 2006-251503 A JP 2012-137773 A JP 2009-244544 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of satisfactorily suppressing the scattering of the developer due to the detachment of the developer container from the apparatus main body over a long period of time.

  An image forming apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a device main body including a wall surface, and an image forming unit that transfers a developer image onto a sheet. The image forming apparatus is detachably mounted inside the device main body. A developer container that contains a developer to be replenished to the forming unit; a cover that covers the wall surface of the apparatus main body and that is opened and closed when the developer container is detached; and is disposed inside the apparatus main body, and at least the developer A wiping member having a contact surface that contacts a part of the outer peripheral surface of the developer container when the container is removed from the apparatus main body, and wiping off the developer attached to a part of the outer peripheral surface by the contact; A cleaning member that contacts the contact surface of the wiping member, and the cleaning member is moved relative to the wiping member in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the cover, and the contact surface is cleaned by the cleaning member. Includes an interlocking mechanism that, a.

  According to this configuration, the cleaning member that contacts the contact surface of the wiping member is provided, and the cleaning member cleans the contact surface in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the cover. Therefore, the contact surface is cleaned by the cleaning member every time the cover is opened and closed for attaching and detaching the developer container. Thereby, the developer wiping ability of the wiping member is maintained well, and the scattering of the developer when the developer container is detached from the apparatus main body can be satisfactorily suppressed over a long period of time.

  In the above configuration, the wiping member is fixedly disposed inside the apparatus main body, and the interlocking mechanism includes a holding portion that holds the cleaning member, and a fulcrum portion that moves the holding portion. A holding member; and a link member having one end engaged with the holding member and the other end engaged with the cover member. The link member receives a moving force associated with an opening / closing operation of the cover. It is desirable that the cleaning member be moved in contact with the contact surface.

  According to this configuration, the moving force accompanying the opening / closing operation of the cover is transmitted to the holding member via the link member. Therefore, the cleaning member held by the holding part moves on the contact surface of the wiping member fixedly arranged by the moving force. Thereby, the contact surface is cleaned by the cleaning member.

  In this case, the apparatus main body includes a receiving portion that rotatably holds the fulcrum portion, and the holding portion is swingable around the fulcrum portion while holding the cleaning member, and the link member The one end is linked to the holding member, the other end is linked to the cover member, and the cleaning member is moved in the first direction on the contact surface by the opening operation of the cover member. It can be set as the structure which moves on the said contact surface to the 2nd direction opposite to the said 1st direction by closing operation of a member.

  According to this configuration, the moving force accompanying the opening and closing operation of the cover is converted into a force that causes the holding portion to swing around the fulcrum portion. The cleaning member cleans the contact surface as the holding portion swings. That is, since the cleaning member is moved in the first direction or the second direction in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the cover, the cleaning operation can be performed using the moving force efficiently.

  In the above configuration, the cleaning member is fixedly disposed inside the apparatus main body, the wiping member has a roll shape, the contact surface is a peripheral surface of the roll, and the interlock mechanism is A shaft member disposed along the axis of the roll and rotating the wiping member around an axis; and a link member having one end engaged with the shaft member and the other end engaged with the cover member. The link member transmits a moving force accompanying the opening / closing operation of the cover to the shaft member, and rotates the wiping member around the axis, thereby rotating the contact surface in contact with the cleaning member. It is desirable.

  According to this structure, the moving force accompanying the opening and closing operation of the cover is transmitted to the shaft member via the link member. Since the said shaft member is arrange | positioned at the shaft center of the said wiping member which has a roll shape, the said wiping member rotates around an axis | shaft with the said moving force. Therefore, the contact surface of the roll-shaped wiping member comes into contact with the cleaning member fixedly arranged while rotating. Thereby, the contact surface is cleaned by the cleaning member.

  In this case, the interlocking mechanism includes a ratchet gear attached coaxially to the shaft member, and a ratchet pawl attached to the one end of the link member, and the wiping member is used when the cover member is opened. The ratchet gear and the ratchet pawl are rotated about an axis, whereby the contact surface is rotated relative to the cleaning member, and when the cover member is closed, the ratchet gear The ratchet pawl is not engaged with the ratchet pawl and can be configured not to rotate substantially.

  According to this configuration, using the ratchet mechanism, the contact surface can be rotated and moved relative to the cleaning member only when the cover member is opened. That is, the contact surface can be cleaned by the cleaning member by rotating the wiping member having the roll shape in one direction each time the opening operation is performed. Therefore, the cleaned contact surface can always face the outer surface of the developer container.

  In the above configuration, it is preferable that the cleaning member further includes a recess for receiving the developer removed from the contact surface of the wiping member.

  According to this configuration, the developer removed by the cleaning member can be collected in the concave portion. Therefore, it becomes possible to prevent the inside of the apparatus main body from being contaminated by the removed developer.

  In this case, it is desirable to further include an opening / closing member for opening / closing the opening of the recess. According to this configuration, the developer collected in the recess can be prevented from flowing out from the recess.

  In the above configuration, the developer container includes a container main body that contains the developer, a developer discharge port formed on a bottom surface of the container main body, and a shutter member that opens and closes the developer discharge port. It is desirable that the outer peripheral surface with which the contact surface of the member comes into contact is an arrangement place of the shutter member.

  According to this configuration, the portion of the developer container where the developer is most likely to adhere can be cleaned by the cleaning member. That is, the shutter member protrudes into the developer supply path where the developer is actually present and covers the developer discharge port, so that the developer easily adheres to the shutter member and the periphery thereof. Since such a part contacts the wiping member with the contact surface, the developer can be effectively wiped off.

  According to the present invention, the scattering of the developer due to the detachment of the developer container from the apparatus main body can be satisfactorily suppressed for a long period of time. Therefore, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of preventing the scattered developer from adhering to the sheet and the developer from scattering into or around the apparatus main body.

1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus, showing a state where a container storage unit cover is opened. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a toner container. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an internal structure of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus, showing a state where a container storage unit cover is opened. It is sectional drawing of the image forming apparatus provided with the interlocking mechanism which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment, showing a state where a container storage unit cover is opened. It is a typical perspective view which shows the interlocking mechanism of 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the image forming apparatus provided with the interlocking mechanism which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the said image forming apparatus of 2nd Embodiment, Comprising: It is a figure which shows the state in which the container storage part cover is opened. It is a typical perspective view which shows the interlocking mechanism of 2nd Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are perspective views showing an appearance of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, a monochrome printer is illustrated as the image forming apparatus 1, but the image forming apparatus may be a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine having these functions, and an image forming apparatus that forms a color image. It may be.

  The image forming apparatus 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing structure, and includes a main body housing 10 (apparatus main body) that accommodates various devices for image formation. The main body housing 10 includes four front, rear, left and right side surfaces. Of these, on the front side surface 10F (wall surface), a sheet storage portion cover 11 and a container storage portion cover 12 (cover) are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. A sheet tray 14 is provided on the upper surface 10 </ b> T of the main body housing 10. An image-formed sheet is discharged to the sheet tray 14 from the sheet discharge port 15 of the main body housing 10.

  The sheet storage unit cover 11 and the container storage unit cover 12 have a rotation fulcrum at the lower end position, and can be opened and closed with respect to the main body housing 10. 1, only the sheet storage unit cover 11 is opened with respect to the front side surface 10F, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which both the sheet storage unit cover 11 and the container storage unit cover 12 are opened. The sheet storage unit cover 11 is a cover that covers the sheet storage unit 13 that stores a sheet to be used for image formation, and functions as a sheet tray when opened to the front side surface 10F. The container storage unit cover 12 is a cover that covers substantially the upper half of the front side surface 10F, and is a cover that is opened and closed when the toner container 2 (developer container) is attached to and detached from the main body housing 10. As shown in FIG. 2, when the container storage section cover 12 is opened, the toner container 2 is exposed.

  The toner container 2 is a container for storing toner (developer) to be supplied to an image forming unit 3 (developing device 32) described later. The toner container 2 is detachable from the main body housing 10 from the front side surface 10F. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the toner container 2. The toner container 2 has a cylindrical shape with a container main body 21 (a part of the container main body) for storing toner and a toner discharge port 24 (developer discharge port; see FIG. 4) provided on the bottom surface. A portion 22 (a part of the container body) and a shutter member 23 for opening and closing the toner discharge port 24 are included.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. In the main body housing 10, the above-described toner container 2 is mounted, and an image forming unit 3 and a fixing unit 4 are accommodated. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state where the container storage unit cover 12 is opened and the toner container 2 is removed. The image forming unit 3 performs an image forming process for transferring a toner image (developer image) to a sheet. The image forming unit 3 includes a photosensitive drum 31 and a charging device, an exposure device, a developing device 32, a transfer roller 33, and a cleaning device 34 disposed around the photosensitive drum 31.

  The photosensitive drum 31 includes a peripheral surface that rotates about an axis and on which an electrostatic latent image and a toner image are formed. The charging device uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 31. The exposure device irradiates the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 31 with laser light modulated based on image data given from an external device to form an electrostatic latent image. The developing device 32 supplies toner to the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 31 in order to develop the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 31 to form a toner image. The developing device 32 includes a developing housing 32 </ b> H that stores a developer including toner and a carrier, and a developing roller 321 that carries toner to be supplied to the photosensitive drum 31. The transfer roller 33 is a roller for transferring a toner image formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 31 onto a sheet, and forms a transfer nip portion with the photosensitive drum 31. The cleaning device 34 has a cleaning roller and the like, and cleans the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 31 after the toner image is transferred.

  The fixing unit 4 performs a fixing process for fixing the transferred toner image on the sheet. The fixing unit 4 includes a fixing roller 41 having a heating source therein, and a pressure roller 42 that is pressed against the fixing roller 41 and forms a fixing nip portion with the fixing roller 41. When the sheet on which the toner image has been transferred is passed through the fixing nip portion, the toner image is fixed on the sheet by heating by the fixing roller 41 and pressing by the pressure roller 42.

  A sheet conveyance path 16 extending in the vertical direction is provided in the main body housing 10. The sheet conveyance path 16 extends from the sheet feeding portion 131 of the sheet storage portion 13 to the sheet discharge port 15 at the top of the main body housing 10 via the image forming portion 3 and the fixing portion 4. A registration roller pair 17 is disposed on the upstream side of the sheet conveying path 16 with respect to the image forming unit 3 (the transfer nip portion). The sheet fed from the sheet storage unit 13 is temporarily stopped by the registration roller pair 17, and after skew correction is performed, the sheet is fed to the image forming unit 3 at a predetermined timing for image transfer. When the sheet passes through the transfer nip portion, a toner image is transferred to the sheet. Thereafter, the toner image is subjected to fixing processing in the fixing unit 4 and is discharged from the sheet discharge port 15 to the sheet tray 14.

  The container main body 21 of the toner container 2 is a large-capacity portion that is a main storage location for toner to be supplied to the developing device 32. The cylindrical portion 22 protrudes from a lower portion of one side surface (rear surface in FIG. 4) of the container main body 21. Inside the toner container 2, a rotating member 25 that conveys toner is disposed from the bottom wall of the container body 21 to the cylindrical portion 22. The toner in the container main body 21 is conveyed toward the cylindrical portion 22 when the rotating member 25 is driven to rotate.

  The toner discharge port 24 opens at the lower surface of the protruding tip of the cylindrical portion 22. When the toner container 2 is mounted at a predetermined position of the main body housing 10, the toner discharge port 24 and the toner receiving port 322 opened on the upper surface of the developing housing 32H of the developing device 32 are aligned in the vertical direction, and the toner The toner in the container 2 can be supplied to the developing device 32. This toner replenishment is performed by a system in which the toner in the cylindrical portion 22 is naturally dropped into the developing housing 32H. That is, the communication portion between the toner discharge port 24 and the toner receiving port 322 is filled with the toner, and when the upper surface of the developer of the developing housing 32H is lowered as the toner is consumed, the toner is discharged from the communication portion by that amount. This is a system that flows into 32H.

  The shutter member 23 (a part of the outer peripheral surface of the developer container) is attached to the lower surface of the cylindrical portion 22 so as to be movable along the extending direction of the cylindrical portion 22. The shutter member 23 is urged by a spring member (not shown) so as to always block the toner discharge port 24. When the toner container 2 is mounted on the main body housing 10, the shutter member 23 interferes with a part of the developing housing 32 </ b> H and moves against the urging force to open the toner discharge port 24. On the other hand, when the toner container 2 is removed from the main body housing 10, the shutter member 23 moves in the reverse direction by the urging force and closes the toner discharge port 24.

  When closing the toner discharge port 24, the shutter member 23 performs a moving operation in such a manner that the shutter member 23 protrudes to a communication portion between the toner discharge port 24 filled with the replenishing toner and the toner receiving port 322. For this reason, toner often adheres to the shutter member 23. The shutter member 23 is a component exposed to the outside on the lower surface of the cylindrical portion 22. Accordingly, when the toner container 2 is taken out from the main body housing 10 as shown in FIG. 5 with the toner adhered to the shutter member 23, the periphery of the image forming apparatus 1 and the inside of the main body housing 10 are contaminated with the toner. May end up.

  In order to prevent the contamination by the toner, a wiping member 5 is disposed inside the main body housing 10. The wiping member 5 is disposed on the take-out path where the toner container 2 is removed from the main body housing 10 so as to come into contact with the shutter member 23. In the present embodiment, the wiping member 5 is fixedly mounted on the frame 18 that defines the bottom surface of the container housing space 12H (FIG. 5) in the main body housing 10.

  The wiping member 5 is a sheet-like member formed of felt, and the lower surface thereof is bonded to the frame 18 with a double-sided tape or the like, and the upper surface is exposed to the container housing space 12H. This upper surface becomes a contact surface 51 that comes into contact with the shutter member 23 when the toner container 2 is removed along the extraction path. When the shutter member 23 and the contact surface 51 come into contact with each other, the toner attached to the outer peripheral surface of the shutter member 23 is wiped off. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the shutter member 23 is located behind the position where the wiping member 5 is disposed in a state where the toner container 2 is mounted at a predetermined position in the container housing space 12 </ b> H. From this state, as the toner container 2 is pulled forward in the horizontal direction, the shutter member 23 gradually closes the toner discharge port 24. When the shutter member 23 completely closes the toner discharge port 24 and then the toner container 2 is further pulled forward, the lower surface of the shutter member 23 is rubbed against the contact surface 51 of the wiping member 5. By this rubbing, the lower surface of the shutter member 23 is cleaned.

  When the toner wiping as described above is repeated, the cleaning ability of the wiping member 5 is eventually reduced, and the wiping cannot be performed sufficiently. In view of this point, in the present embodiment, the cleaning member 6 that contacts the contact surface 51 of the wiping member 5 and cleans the contact surface 51 is provided in the main body housing 10. In addition, the image forming apparatus 1 further includes an interlocking mechanism 7 that performs the cleaning operation of the contact surface 51 by the cleaning member 6 in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the container storage unit cover 12. The interlocking mechanism 7 moves the cleaning member 6 relative to the wiping member 5 in conjunction with the operation of opening the container housing portion cover 12 with respect to the main body housing 10, and the cleaning member 6 moves the contact surface 51. Let it clean.

  With such a configuration, the contact surface 51 is cleaned by the cleaning member 6 every time the user opens and closes the container storage unit cover 12 for attaching and detaching the toner container 2. Thereby, the toner wiping ability of the wiping member 5 is maintained well, and the scattering of the toner when the toner container 2 is attached to and detached from the main body housing 10 can be satisfactorily suppressed over a long period of time. Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the cleaning member 6 and the interlocking mechanism 7 will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1 including the cleaning member 6 and the interlocking mechanism 7 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1 in which the container storage unit cover 12 is opened. FIG. 8 is a perspective view schematically showing the interlocking mechanism 7 of the first embodiment. The interlocking mechanism 7 includes a pair of left and right holding members 71 that hold the cleaning member 6 in a swingable manner, and a link member 72 that swings the holding member 71 in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the container storage portion cover 12.

  Referring to FIG. 8, the cleaning member 6 is a bar brush that is long in the left-right direction, and includes brush bristles 61 and a substrate 62 on which the bristles 61 are implanted. The cleaning member 6 is disposed such that a cleaning surface formed by the tips of a large number of brush bristles 61 faces downward. This cleaning surface comes into contact with the contact surface 51 of the wiping member 5.

  Each of the pair of holding members 71 is a long and narrow plate-like member, and is disposed in the main body housing 10 in a state of being erected in the vertical direction with a space slightly wider than the left-right width of the wiping member 5. Each holding member 71 has a fulcrum portion 71B at the lower end and a holding portion 71U at the upper end. The fulcrum portion 71B includes a pin hole 711 that serves as a swing fulcrum of the holding member 71 in the arrow R1 direction. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the frame 18 is provided with a pivot pin 181 (receiving portion) that is inserted into the pin hole 711 and rotatably holds the fulcrum portion 71B. The holding part 71U is formed by bending the upper end of the holding member 71 at a right angle, and includes a screw hole through which a screw 712 for holding the cleaning member 6 is inserted. The upper surface of the end portion 621 of the substrate portion 62 is in contact with the lower surface of the holding portion 71U, and the holding portion 71U and the end portion 621 are fixed with screws 712.

  The holding portion 71U (holding member 71) can swing (move) in the arrow R1 direction around the pin hole 711 of the fulcrum portion 71B while holding the cleaning member 6 (see the dotted line portion in FIG. 8). The swinging direction is the front-rear direction, and the swinging range is a range from the front of the wiping member 5 to the wiping member 5 and to the rear thereof. When the holding portion 71U performs such swinging, the brush bristles 61 of the cleaning member 6 move while in contact with the contact surface 51 of the wiping member 5, and clean the contact surface 51.

  The link member 72 is an elongated plate-like member, and is disposed in the main body housing 10 in a state of being substantially horizontal in the front-rear direction. The rear end 72B (one end) of the link member 72 is engaged with the holding member 71 on the left side, and the front end 72F (the other end) is engaged with the container housing portion cover 12. A hole through which the first link pin 721 is inserted is drilled in the rear end 72B. The first link pin 721 is a member that rotatably connects (links) the link member 72 to the holding member 71. A hole through which the second link pin 722 is inserted is formed in the front end 72F. The second link pin 722 is a member that rotatably connects (links) the link member 72 to the container storage unit cover 12. Specifically, the rear end 72 </ b> B of the link member 72 is link-engaged near the upper end of the holding member 71. The front end 72 </ b> F is link-engaged with the container storage unit cover 12 at a position above the rotation fulcrum 121. A pair of link members 72 may also be provided on the left and right sides, and the link member 72 may also be connected between the holding member 71 on the right side and the container storage unit cover 12.

  A toner collection tray 19 (concave portion) is disposed adjacent to the rear of the wiping member 5. The toner collection tray 19 is a box-shaped member having an upper opening extending in the left-right direction along the rear edge of the wiping member 5. The toner removed from the contact surface 51 of the wiping member 5 by the cleaning member 6 is received by the toner collection tray 19. As a result, the toner removed by the cleaning member 6 can be collected by the toner collection tray 19, and the inside of the main body housing 10 can be prevented from being contaminated by the removed toner.

  The container storage unit cover 12 includes a rotation fulcrum 121 at its lower end. The rotation fulcrum 121 is rotatably supported by the shaft support portion of the main body housing 10. Accordingly, the container storage unit cover 12 can be rotated around the rotation fulcrum 121, and between the closed posture shown in FIG. 6 and the open posture in which the front surface of the toner container 2 is exposed as shown in FIG. Posture change is possible. The link member 72 transmits the moving force accompanying the opening / closing operation of the container storage unit cover 12 to the holding member 71 and moves the cleaning member 6 while making contact with the contact surface 51. That is, the link member 72 converts the moving force around the rotation fulcrum 121 associated with the opening / closing operation of the container storage portion cover 12 into a force that causes the holding portion 71U to swing around the fulcrum portion 71B.

  When the container storage unit cover 12 is in the closed posture, the holding member 71 is pushed rearward by the link member 72 and swings rearward around the pin hole 711. At this time, the position of the cleaning member 6 is behind the wiping member 5 and above the opening of the toner collection tray 19 as shown in FIG. When the opening operation for rotating the container storage unit cover 12 from the closed posture to the open posture is started, the link member 72 pulls the holding member 71 forward. As a result, the holding member 71 swings forward around the pin hole 711. Therefore, the cleaning member 6 moves forward (first direction) on the contact surface 51. At this time, the cleaning member 6 cleans the contact surface 51. When the container housing portion cover 12 is opened about 90 degrees with respect to the main body housing 10 and the opening operation is completed, the cleaning member 6 passes through the contact surface 51 and is positioned in front of the wiping member 5 (see FIG. 7).

  As shown in FIG. 7, the user opens the container storage unit cover 12, grabs the vicinity of the front end of the toner container 2, slides the toner container 2 forward, and removes it from the container storage space 12H (FIG. 5). At this time, the toner adhering to the shutter member 23 is wiped off by the wiping member 5. This is because the contact surface 51 of the wiping member 5 is disposed on the flow line of the shutter member 23 during the sliding.

  When the mounted toner container 2 is out of toner, the user installs a new toner container 2 in the container housing space 12H after the removal. In the case of remounting, after the removal, the user mounts the removed toner container 2 in the container housing space 12H again. This wearing state is the state shown in FIG. Thereafter, the user sets the container storage unit cover 12 in the open posture to the closed posture.

  When the closing operation for rotating the container storage unit cover 12 from the opening posture to the closing posture is started, the link member 72 pushes the holding member 71 backward. As a result, the holding member 71 swings backward around the pin hole 711. Accordingly, the cleaning member 6 moves rearward (second direction) on the contact surface 51. At this time, the cleaning member 6 cleans the contact surface 51. When the container housing portion cover 12 is completely closed with respect to the main body housing 10 and the closing operation is completed, the cleaning member 6 passes through the contact surface 51 and is positioned behind the wiping member 5 (see FIG. 6).

  A toner collection tray 19 is present below the cleaning member 6 that is located behind the wiping member 5. For this reason, the toner attached to or held between the bristle 61 when passing through the contact surface 51 falls on the bottom wall of the toner collection tray 19. The reason why the toner collection tray 19 is disposed on the rear side of the wiping member 5 is that the toner on the contact surface 51 is scraped off exclusively when the cleaning member 6 moves from the front toward the rear.

  That is, the shutter member 23 is contaminated when the toner container 2 is taken out from the container housing space 12H. When the opening operation of the container housing section cover 12 is performed (FIGS. 6 to 7), the cleaning member 6 passes from the rear to the front on the contact surface 51 that has not yet wiped off the toner. On the other hand, when the container storage section cover 12 is closed (FIGS. 7 to 6), the toner container 2 is taken out immediately before, and the contact surface 51 is exposed to the contaminated shutter member 23. Wiped toner adheres. Accordingly, when the cleaning member 6 passes over the contact surface 51 from the front to the rear during the closing operation, the brush hair 61 scrapes off a large amount of toner from the contact surface 51. Therefore, by arranging the toner collection tray 19 on the rear side of the wiping member 5, the toner can be collected well.

  In a more preferred embodiment, as indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 8, a lid member 19R (opening / closing member) for opening and closing the upper opening of the toner collection tray 19 is disposed. The lid member 19R always closes the upper opening of the toner collection tray 19, and opens the upper opening at the timing when the cleaning member 6 reaches directly above the toner collection tray 19 in the latter half of the closing operation. Thereafter, at the timing when the closing operation is completed, the lid member 19R closes the upper opening again. According to the embodiment in which such a lid member 19R is provided, it is possible to prevent the toner collected in the toner collection tray 19 from flowing out.

  According to the first embodiment described above, the moving force accompanying the opening / closing operation of the container storage unit cover 12 is transmitted to the holding member 71 via the link member 72. Therefore, the cleaning member 6 held by the holding portion 71U moves forward or backward on the contact surface 51 of the wiping member 5 fixedly disposed in the main body housing 10 by the moving force. Thereby, the contact surface 51 is cleaned by the brush bristles 61 of the cleaning member 6. Therefore, it is possible to cause the cleaning member 6 to perform the cleaning operation of the contact surface 51 by efficiently using the moving force generated in accordance with the opening / closing operation of the container storage unit cover 12.

Second Embodiment
9 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1A including the wiping member 5A, the cleaning member 6A, and the interlocking mechanism 7A according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1A, and the container storage unit cover 12 is opened. FIG. 11 is a perspective view schematically showing the interlocking mechanism 7A of the second embodiment. Except for the wiping member 5A, the cleaning member 6A, and the interlocking mechanism 7A, the internal structure of the image forming apparatus 1A is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted here.

  The wiping member 5 </ b> A has a roll shape, and the peripheral surface of the roll is a contact surface 51 </ b> A that contacts the shutter member 23. The cleaning member 6 </ b> A is not a member that moves as in the first embodiment, but a member that is fixedly disposed in the main body housing 10. The interlocking mechanism 7A rotates the wiping member 5A around the axis by using the moving force accompanying the opening / closing operation of the container storage unit cover 12, thereby rotating the contact surface 51A while contacting the cleaning member 6A. The interlocking mechanism 7 </ b> A includes a ratchet gear 73 and a link member 74.

  The wiping member 5A is a member formed by molding felt into a roll shape, and a cylindrical peripheral surface thereof is a contact surface 51A. A metal shaft member 52 is disposed on the shaft center of the roll-type wiping member 5A. The wiping member 5A and the shaft member 52 are integrated, and when the shaft member 52 rotates, the wiping member 5A also rotates about its axis. In the present embodiment, the shaft member 52 rotates counterclockwise as indicated by an arrow R2 in the drawing.

  The wiping member 5A is generally accommodated in a box-shaped toner collection tray 19A having an upper opening. However, only the portion of the upper portion of the wiping member 5A that contacts the shutter member 23 (the protruding portion 51T) protrudes upward from the upper opening of the toner recovery tray 19A. The toner collection tray 19A includes a bottom plate 191, a front plate 192 and a rear plate 193 erected from the front and rear end edges of the bottom plate 191, a left plate (not shown) erected from the left and right edges of the bottom plate 191, respectively. Right plate 194. The shaft member 52 is disposed in the cavity of the toner collection tray 19A so as to extend in the left-right direction. The left end of the shaft member 52 is supported by the left plate and the right end is rotatably supported by the right plate 194.

  The cleaning member 6A is a blade-shaped member, and protrudes from the inner surface of the front plate 192 toward the contact surface 51A. That is, the proximal end portion of the cleaning member 6A is joined to the inner side surface of the front plate 192, and the protruding distal end portion 61A is in contact with a contact surface 51A that is a cylindrical peripheral surface. In order to efficiently collect the toner adhering to the contact surface 51A, the protruding tip 61A is in contact with the contact surface 51A from the counter direction with respect to the rotation direction (arrow R2) of the wiping member 5A.

  The ratchet gear 73 is attached to the left end of the shaft member 52 coaxially with the shaft member 52. When a rotational force is applied to the ratchet teeth 731 on the outer peripheral surface of the ratchet gear 73, the rotational force is transmitted to the wiping member 5A via the shaft member 52. Accordingly, the wiping member 5 </ b> A rotates around the axis of the shaft member 52.

  The link member 74 is an elongated plate-like member, and is disposed in the main body housing 10 in a state of being substantially horizontal in the front-rear direction. The rear end 74B (one end) of the link member 74 is engaged with the shaft member 52 via the ratchet gear 73, and the front end 74F (the other end) is engaged with the container housing portion cover 12. A ratchet pawl 741 that meshes with the ratchet gear 73 and a protrusion 742 for preventing the link member 74 from coming off are formed at the rear end 74B. A hole through which the link pin 743 is inserted is formed in the front end 74F. The link pin 743 is a member that rotatably connects (links) the link member 74 to the container storage unit cover 12.

  As described above, the container storage unit cover 12 includes the rotation fulcrum 121 at the lower end thereof, can rotate around the rotation fulcrum 121, and has a closed posture shown in FIG. 9 and a toner as shown in FIG. The posture can be changed between an open posture in which the front surface of the container 2 is exposed. The link member 74 transmits the moving force accompanying the opening / closing operation of the container housing portion cover 12 to the shaft member 52 via the ratchet gear 73, and rotates the wiping member 5A around the axis. Thereby, the contact surface 51A is rotated and moved while being in contact with the protruding tip portion 61A of the cleaning member 6A.

  When the container storage unit cover 12 is in the closed posture, the ratchet pawl 741 of the link member 74 is located behind the ratchet teeth 731 of the ratchet gear 73 that can be engaged. That is, the ratchet gear 73 and the ratchet pawl 741 are not engaged (see FIG. 9). When the opening operation for rotating the container storage unit cover 12 from the closed posture to the open posture is started, the link member 74 moves forward. For this reason, the ratchet pawl 741 hits the ratchet teeth 731 and the ratchet gear 73 rotates in the direction of the arrow R2. This rotational force is transmitted to the shaft member 52 and the wiping member 5A, and the wiping member 5A also rotates in the direction of the arrow R2. As a result, the contact surface 51A rotates with respect to the protruding tip 61A of the cleaning member 6A. At this time, the contact surface 51A is rubbed and cleaned by the protruding tip 61A.

  When the container housing portion cover 12 is opened about 90 degrees with respect to the main body housing 10 and the opening operation is completed (see FIG. 10), the ratchet pawl 741 is positioned in front of the ratchet teeth 731. That is, the ratchet pawl 741 sends one ratchet tooth 731 in the direction of the arrow R2 by the opening operation, and rotates the contact surface 51A in the direction of the arrow R2 by that amount. The user opens the container storage unit cover 12 as shown in FIG. 10, picks the vicinity of the front end of the toner container 2, slides the toner container 2 forward, and removes it from the container storage space 12H (FIG. 5). At this time, the toner adhering to the shutter member 23 is wiped off by the protruding portion 51T of the wiping member 5A.

  Thereafter, the user sets the container storage unit cover 12 in the open posture to the closed posture. When the closing operation for rotating the container storage unit cover 12 from the opening posture to the closing posture is started, the link member 74 moves rearward. At this time, the ratchet pawl 741 moves along the gentle back surface of the ratchet tooth 731 although it interferes with the ratchet tooth 731. In addition, the braking action of the protruding tip 61A that is in contact with the contact surface 51A from the counter direction also works. That is, the ratchet pawl 741 and the ratchet teeth 731 are not substantially engaged, and the wiping member 5A does not rotate in the reverse direction (clockwise). When the container storage unit cover 12 is completely closed with respect to the main body housing 10 and the closing operation is completed, the ratchet pawl 741 is positioned behind the ratchet teeth 731.

  In this way, it is a part of the contact surface 51 </ b> A corresponding to the feed amount of one ratchet tooth 731 that is cleaned by the cleaning member 6 </ b> A by one opening operation of the container storage unit cover 12. The toner scraped off from the contact surface 51A by the protruding tip portion 61A accumulates on the bottom plate 191 of the toner collection tray 19A. A part of the contact surface 51A cleaned and cleaned reaches the position of the protruding portion 51T by the rotation of the wiping member 5A.

  According to the second embodiment described above, the moving force accompanying the opening / closing operation of the container storage unit cover 12 is transmitted to the shaft member 52 via the link member 74 and the ratchet gear 73, and rotates the wiping member 5A. Thereby, the contact surface 51A of the wiping member 5A comes into contact with the cleaning member 6A that is fixedly arranged while rotating. Thereby, the contact surface 51A is cleaned. In addition, using the ratchet mechanism, the contact surface 51A can be rotated and moved only when the container storage portion cover 12 is opened. That is, the contact surface 51A can be cleaned by the cleaning member 6A by rotating the wiping member 5A in one direction each time the opening operation is performed. Therefore, the cleaned contact surface 51 </ b> A can always face the shutter member 23.

  According to the present embodiment described above, the contact surfaces 51 and 51A of the wiping members 5 and 5A are cleaned by the cleaning members 6 and 6A in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the container storage portion cover 12, and thus the toner container 2 It is possible to satisfactorily suppress the scattering of toner due to the attachment to and removal from the main body housing 10 over a long period of time. Further, there is an advantage that the user is not burdened with a special operation other than opening and closing of the container storage unit cover 12 for the cleaning.

  The image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the following modified embodiment can be taken.

  (1) In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the toner container 2 is assembled in a state where the toner container 2 is orthogonal to the developing device 32 (the rotation axis of the rotating member 25 and the rotation axis of the developing roller 321 are orthogonal) has been described. Instead of this, the toner container 2 may be placed on the developing device 32 in parallel.

  (2) In the first embodiment, the holding member 71 swings around the pin hole 711 of the fulcrum portion 71 </ b> B, and thereby the cleaning member 6 moves on the contact surface 51. The fulcrum portion may not be such a rotation fulcrum, but may be a guide pin that slides the holding member 71 in the horizontal direction.

  (3) In the said 1st Embodiment, the cleaning member 6A which consists of a blade-shaped member showed the example pressed against the surrounding surface (contact surface 51A) of 5 A of wiping off members. Instead, for example, a rubbing roller is used as a cleaning member, and the rubbing roller and the roll-shaped wiping member 5A form a rubbing nip portion, and the toner on the contact surface 51A is rubbed at the rubbing nip portion. It may be dropped.

1, 1A Image forming apparatus 10 Body housing (apparatus body)
10F front side (wall surface)
12 Container storage cover (cover)
12H Container accommodation space 18 Frame 181 Spindle pin (receiving part)
19, 19A Toner collection tray (recess)
19R Lid member (opening / closing member)
2 Toner container (developer container)
21 Container body (part of the container body)
22 Cylindrical part (part of the container body)
23 Shutter member (part of the outer peripheral surface of the developer container)
24 Toner outlet (Developer outlet)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Image formation part 32 Developing apparatus 5, 5A Wiping member 51, 51A Contact surface 52 Shaft member 6, 6A Cleaning member 7, 7A Interlock mechanism 71 Holding member 71U Holding part 71B Support point part 72 Link member 72B, 74B Rear end (one end)
72F, 74F Front end (other end)
73 Ratchet gear 74 Link member 741 Ratchet claw

Claims (8)

An apparatus main body provided with an image forming unit that includes a wall surface and transfers a developer image to the sheet;
A developer container that is detachably mounted inside the apparatus main body and contains a developer to be replenished to the image forming unit;
A cover that covers the wall surface of the apparatus main body and is opened and closed when the developer container is detached;
A contact surface is disposed inside the apparatus main body and has a contact surface that contacts at least a part of the outer peripheral surface of the developer container when the developer container is removed from the apparatus main body. A wiping member for wiping off the developer adhering to the part,
A cleaning member in contact with the contact surface of the wiping member;
An interlocking mechanism for moving the cleaning member relative to the wiping member in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the cover, and cleaning the contact surface by the cleaning member;
An image forming apparatus comprising: The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
The wiping member is fixedly arranged inside the apparatus main body,
The interlocking mechanism is
A holding member having a holding part for holding the cleaning member, and a fulcrum part for moving the holding part;
A link member having one end engaged with the holding member and the other end engaged with the cover member;
The image forming apparatus, wherein the link member transmits a moving force accompanying the opening / closing operation of the cover to the holding member and moves the cleaning member while making contact with the contact surface. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2.
The apparatus main body includes a receiving portion that rotatably holds the fulcrum portion,
The holding part can swing around the fulcrum part in a state where the cleaning member is held;
The one end of the link member is linked to the holding member, the other end is linked to the cover member,
The cleaning member moves in the first direction on the contact surface by the opening operation of the cover member, and moves in the second direction opposite to the first direction on the contact surface by the closing operation of the cover member. , Image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
The cleaning member is fixedly disposed inside the apparatus main body,
The wiping member has a roll shape, and the contact surface is a peripheral surface of the roll,
The interlocking mechanism is
A shaft member arranged along the axis of the roll and rotating the wiping member around an axis;
A link member having one end engaged with the shaft member and the other end engaged with the cover member;
The link member transmits a moving force accompanying the opening / closing operation of the cover to the shaft member, and rotates the wiping member around the axis to rotate the contact surface while contacting the cleaning member. Forming equipment. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4.
The interlocking mechanism includes a ratchet gear attached coaxially to the shaft member, and a ratchet pawl attached to the one end of the link member,
The wiping member is
During the opening operation of the cover member, the ratchet gear and the ratchet pawl rotate around an axis, whereby the contact surface rotates relative to the cleaning member,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the ratchet gear and the ratchet pawl are not engaged and do not substantially rotate during the closing operation of the cover member. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The image forming apparatus, further comprising: a recess that receives the developer removed from the contact surface of the wiping member by the cleaning member. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6.
An image forming apparatus, further comprising an opening / closing member that opens and closes the opening of the recess. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The developer container includes a container main body that contains the developer, a developer discharge port formed on a bottom surface of the container main body, and a shutter member that opens and closes the developer discharge port.
The image forming apparatus, wherein the outer peripheral surface with which the contact surface of the wiping member comes into contact is an arrangement place of the shutter member.