JP2015132770A - Toner container, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reliably discharge residual toner, to improve compression efficiency of a toner container, thereby allowing many toner containers to be stored in a storage section.SOLUTION: A toner container 9 includes: a toner housing section 91 formed of a substantial tetrahedron which is covered with a member having a predetermined thickness for storing toner; a toner-supply opening 93 formed by opening one side of the tetrahedron; and a sealing member for sealing the opening. After one sealed side is opened, the toner container 9 can be folded in a position of a substantial median line of a triangle having the opened side as a base in a side view. As the opening 93 is opened, the toner container 9 is vibrated.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a printer, a multi-function machine equipped with a plurality of mechanisms, a toner container and a process cartridge used therefor.

In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a method is known in which a process cartridge in which an electrophotographic image forming member is integrally formed into a cartridge is detachable from an apparatus main body. On the other hand, there is known a toner cartridge system in which a detachable toner cartridge is set in the process cartridge or the image forming apparatus main body to enable toner supply (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).
Here, in the technology using the toner cartridge system of Patent Document 1, a toner cartridge that forms a tetrahedron is set in a container housing portion of a process cartridge and compressed, and at that time, a piece on the lower end of the toner cartridge is opened to be formed. After the toner is discharged from the opening, the opening is further compressed and folded into two sheets, and the folded toner cartridge is accommodated in the process cartridge. Further, in the technology using the toner cartridge system of Patent Document 2, the seal tape is released from the lower wall of the toner cartridge having a horizontally long columnar shape with a triangular cross section set in the container housing portion, and the toner is discharged from the opening. After replenishing the toner, the toner cartridge is compressed and folded at both ends in the longitudinal direction into M-shapes, and the toner cartridge in which both ends in the longitudinal direction are folded into four sheets is stored in the process cartridge in a compressed state.

In Patent Documents 1 and 2, the toner cartridge, which is a toner storage container after replenishing toner, is stored in a compressed state by being folded into the storage portion of the process cartridge, but more used toner cartridges are stored in the storage portion. It is requested to do.
Here, in the toner cartridge as described in Patent Document 2, the compression efficiency is low because four end portions in the longitudinal direction are overlapped, and many toner cartridges cannot be accommodated in the process cartridge. On the other hand, since the toner cartridge as described in Patent Document 1 is folded in two, it can be compressed to the thickness of two members constituting the toner cartridge, and the compression efficiency is high.
However, when a part of the toner remains in the toner cartridge without being discharged as residual toner when discharging the toner from the opening, the thickness of the toner cartridge to which the residual toner is compressed is more than two sheets thick. Will increase in thickness. In such a case, the compression efficiency is low, and many toner cartridges cannot be accommodated in the process cartridge.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems. An object of the present invention is to improve the compression efficiency of a toner container by reliably discharging residual toner, and to enable a large number of toner containers to be accommodated in a container. An object of the present invention is to provide a container, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, a toner storage container according to the present invention is formed by opening a storage portion formed of a substantially tetrahedron covered with a member having a predetermined thickness and storing toner, and one side of the tetrahedron. An opening for replenishing toner and a sealing member for sealing the opening, and after opening one side of the tetrahedron, a substantially middle line of a triangle having the opened side as a base The toner container is foldable at a position, and the toner container is vibrated in response to an operation of opening the opening.

  According to the present invention, the toner can be reliably dropped from the storage unit and discharged to the outside of the storage unit, and the compression efficiency of the toner storage container can be improved, so that a large number of toner storage containers can be stored and held.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a schematic configuration of a process cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a state where a toner container is set in the process cartridge shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the main part showing the state of the process cartridge in which the toner container is set and the configuration of the toner storage device. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of a toner container and an opening engaging portion. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a main part when starting to compress a toner storage container in the toner storage device. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a main part when a toner storage container in a toner storage device is compressed and toner flows out from an opening. FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing a state where a close contact portion on one side opens an opening when the toner container is compressed. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a configuration of a toner storage container according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of a main part showing a positional relationship between an engaging part for opening and an engaging part when a toner container is set. The function explanatory view of the inclined part in the compression process of the toner container by the engaging part for opening. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a compressed storage state of a toner storage container in the toner storage device. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a situation in which vibration is generated by the function of the step portion during the compression process of the toner container by the opening engaging portion. FIG. 10 is a view for explaining a compression process of a toner container by an opening engaging portion provided in a toner container of a process cartridge according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a state where a new toner container is set after the toner container according to the first embodiment of the present invention is compressed. (A) is a development view showing a state before the toner container according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is assembled, and (b) is a perspective view showing a state where (a) is assembled. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a configuration of a toner container according to the present invention, in which (a) is a case of the first embodiment, (b) to (d) are side views of a toner container used in another modification, and (b). Is a wave type seal part, (c) is a saw blade type seal part, (d) is a rectangular tooth type seal part. (A) is an enlarged view showing a state where the toner container according to the present invention is folded and compressed, and (b) is an enlarged view showing a state where the conventional toner container is folded and compressed. The toner container is opened by the engaging portion when the toner is replenished in the toner storage device in the toner cartridge as another embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a schematic side perspective view, (b) Is a schematic side view of the main part. FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing another embodiment in which a toner storage device is provided on the image forming apparatus main body side.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The toner container in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to the present invention has the following characteristics.
In short, the toner storage container has a storage portion formed of a substantially tetrahedron for storing toner, an opening formed by opening one side of the tetrahedron, and a sealing member for sealing the opening. In this toner storage container, one side is opened and the opening is enlarged to discharge the toner, and the toner storage container is folded at the position of the approximate middle line of the triangle with the open side as the bottom, and the opening The toner container is vibrated in response to the opening. In this way, by applying vibration to the toner container, the residual toner is surely discharged, the compression efficiency after folding of the toner container is improved, and a large number of toner containers can be accommodated in the container.

Here, a case where the toner container of the present invention and a process cartridge for housing the toner container are mounted on a monochrome printer (hereinafter referred to as “printer”) as an image forming apparatus will be described as a first embodiment.
Note that, in each drawing and embodiment, the same member or a member having the same function is basically denoted by the same reference numeral, and redundant description is appropriately omitted.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a monochrome printer (hereinafter referred to as “printer”) 100 as an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. The printer 100 includes an apparatus main body 101, a process cartridge 1, a writing device 2, a transfer roller 3 as a transfer member, a paper feed unit 4, a fixing unit 5, and the like, and an image is generated according to a general electrophotographic image forming process. Form.

The apparatus main body 101 is provided with a front cover 7 and a rear cover 8 that can be opened and closed. Constituent members such as a process cartridge 1, a writing device 2, a transfer roller 3, a paper feeding unit 4, and a fixing unit 5 that accommodate a toner cartridge 9 as a toner container are basically disposed in the apparatus main body 101. . The image forming process by the process cartridge 1, the writing device 2, the transfer roller 3, the paper feeding unit 4, and the fixing unit 5 is executed by being controlled by a control unit (not shown) and fed from the paper feeding unit 4. An image is printed on the paper P. For this reason, these constituent members transmit and receive various types of information via the control unit and signal lines.
A display panel 6 as a display unit is provided above the front cover 7 provided on the front side of the apparatus main body 101. The display panel 6 is connected to a control unit (not shown) via a signal line or the like, and is configured to display various information and notify the user of various information. For example, when it is necessary to replace the process cartridge 1 or the toner cartridge 9 as a toner container, the control unit displays that fact on the display panel 6. When the replacement display of the process cartridge 1 is made, the user opens the front cover 7 of the apparatus main body 101 in the direction indicated by the arrow A and takes out the process cartridge 1 for replacement. When the paper jam occurrence information is displayed on the display panel 6, the user opens the front cover 7 in the direction A or on the side opposite to the front cover 7 and opens the rear cover 8 in the direction of the arrow B to remove the jammed paper. Remove.
In FIG. 1, a monochrome printer is exemplified as the image forming apparatus. However, the image forming apparatus may be a color printer, a color / monochrome copying machine, a facsimile, or a so-called multifunction machine having a plurality of functions. .

  Next, the configuration of the process cartridge 1 that houses the toner cartridge 9 as the toner container according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The process cartridge 1 can be replenished with toner T from the toner cartridge 9 and can be detached from the apparatus main body 101. In the process cartridge 1, the image forming unit 10 centering on the drum-shaped photoconductor 11, the toner storage device 190 that stores the toner cartridge 9, and the toner T from the toner cartridge 9 of the toner storage device 190 are supplied and stored. Toner storage unit 18. The toner T according to the present exemplary embodiment has a fluidity imparting effect by including oil-containing silica in the external additive. Accordingly, the toner T is smoothly discharged from the toner cartridge 9 toward the toner storage unit 18 below the compression unit.

Around the photosensitive member 11 of the image forming unit 10, a charging roller 12 as a charging unit, a developing roller 13, a supply roller 15 as a developer conveying member, and a cleaning unit that scrapes off transfer residual toner on the photosensitive member 11. A cleaning blade 17 is disposed. Here, the developing roller 13 functions as a developer carrying member that contacts the photosensitive member 11 and supplies toner to the photosensitive member 11. A regulating blade 14 is disposed around the developing roller 13 as a regulating member for regulating the amount of toner held by the developing roller 13. The supply roller 15 supplies the toner T conveyed from the toner storage unit 18 to the developing roller 13.
The toner storage unit 18 is a cylindrical space extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface, and an agitator 16 serving as a stirring member that transports the toner T to the supply roller 15 while stirring the toner T is rotatably disposed in the center of the toner storage unit 18. Yes.
The process cartridge 1 here forms a toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor 11 according to a well-known one-component image forming process of an electrophotographic system.
In the present embodiment, the process cartridge 1 is exemplified by a one-component process using a one-component developer composed of toner alone. However, the configuration of the process cartridge 1 is not limited to that of a one-component process, and may be a process cartridge that uses a two-component development process with a two-component developer including toner and a carrier.

In the process cartridge 1 according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a toner storage device 190 having a toner cartridge storage portion 19 is disposed above the toner storage portion 18 provided in the apparatus main body 101. Here, the process cartridge 1 adopts a configuration in which a toner cartridge 9 as a toner container can be mounted in the toner cartridge storage portion 19, and this is mounted in the apparatus main body 101.
The toner storage device 190 includes an upper cover 191 that can be freely opened and closed at an upper portion of the toner cartridge storage portion 19, and a lower cover as a shutter member so as to partition the toner storage portion 18 below the toner cartridge storage portion 19. 192 is disposed.
When the upper cover 191 is in the closed state shown in FIG. 2, the toner storage device 190 cannot set the toner cartridge 9 in the toner cartridge storage portion 19 from the outside of the process cartridge 1. On the other hand, when the upper cover 191 is in the open state as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the toner cartridge 9 is placed on the lower cover 192 in the toner cartridge housing portion 19 from the outside of the process cartridge 1 and mounted ( Set).
The toner remaining amount in the toner storage unit 18 is detected by a toner remaining amount detecting unit (not shown). When the toner T becomes less than a predetermined amount, a message prompting toner replenishment is displayed on the display panel 6 shown in FIG. 1, and the user opens the upper cover 191 to insert the toner cartridge 9 into the lower cover 192 in the toner cartridge housing portion 19. Can be mounted on top.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the toner cartridge housing portion 19 is formed as a space portion covered with an upper cover 191 and a lower cover 192, a process cartridge body 194 serving as a fixed portion, and a movable portion 195 serving as a compression portion. Yes. The movable portion 195 is provided so as to be movable in the direction of approaching and separating from the process cartridge main body 194. Hereinafter, this approaching and separating direction is referred to as a movement direction X. In this embodiment, the moving direction X is the horizontal direction parallel to the lower cover 192, but is not limited to the horizontal direction. When the process cartridge main body 194 and the movable portion 195 are arranged obliquely, the inclination direction becomes the movement direction X. In the figure, the arrow X1 indicates the compression direction of the movable part 195, and the arrow X2 indicates the return direction of the movable part 195.

The process cartridge main body 194 has a communication portion 193, which is an opening for communicating the toner storage portion 18 and the inside of the toner cartridge storage portion 19, at the bottom portion 194 a. The process cartridge main body 194 is formed with an opening 194b that is opened and closed by the upper cover 191, and a compressed toner cartridge accommodating portion 197 as a compression container accommodating portion, and a wall-shaped main body compressing portion 1941 as a compressing portion. Yes.
In the present embodiment, the main body compression portion 1941 is configured as a wall surface of a compressed toner cartridge housing portion 197 formed so as to be recessed toward the compression direction X1 side of the movable portion 195 with respect to the opening 194b. The compressed toner cartridge accommodating portion 197 accommodates the compressed toner cartridge 9 (see FIG. 12).
As shown in FIG. 4, a slit 194c is formed in the process cartridge main body 194 so as to be parallel to the lower cover 192 and the bottom 194a. The slit 194 c extends from the main body compression portion 1941 in the moving direction X (horizontal direction) of the movable portion 195 and accommodates a part of the lower cover 192 that moves integrally with the movable portion 195. The height H from the upper surface of the lower cover 192 to the inlet 197a of the compressed toner cartridge housing portion 197 is formed such that the toner cartridge 9 can enter the compressed toner cartridge housing portion 197. The height H of the inlet 197a is set to be lower than the height H1 of the toner cartridge 9, and when the compressed toner cartridge 9 falls, it is caught by the upper portion 197b of the inlet 197a and falls on the lower cover 192. It is formed so that there is no. The height H2 of the main body compression portion 1941 from the upper surface of the lower cover 192 to the upper portion of the main body compression portion 1941 is formed higher than the height H1 of the toner cartridge 9, and the toner cartridge 9 being compressed is caught. It is formed so as not to interfere with compression. In the present embodiment, the height H1 of the toner cartridge 9 does not change before and after the compression, but a toner cartridge that changes before and after the compression can also be stored and used in the toner storage device 190.

  The toner accommodating device 190 of the process cartridge 1 includes a cover compressing unit 1922 as a compressing unit that abuts and compresses the toner cartridge 9 accommodated in the toner cartridge accommodating unit 19 in the movable unit 195. The movable portion 195 is disposed on the side facing the main body compression portion 1941 and is horizontally movable in the movement direction X on the bottom portion 194a, and compresses the toner cartridge 9 when moving in the compression direction X1. An upper cover 191 is supported on the movable portion 195 so as to be freely opened and closed, and a lower cover 192 that extends in the moving direction X and forms the bottom portion of the toner cartridge housing portion 19 is formed. In the present embodiment, the movable part 195 and the lower cover 192 are integrally movable. For this reason, since the lower cover 192 can be opened and closed in conjunction with the compression operation, the user does not need to open and close only the lower cover 192, and the operability can be improved.

  A cover communication portion 1921 is formed in the lower cover 192 so as to penetrate the cover. The cover communication portion 1921 and the communication portion 193 are shifted in the movement direction X of the movable portion 195 in the set state shown in FIG. 4 before the movable portion 195 moves in the compression direction X1 and performs the compression operation. When the toner cartridge 9 is replenished, as shown in FIG. 6, the movable portion 195 is arranged so as to communicate when the movable portion 195 moves in the compression direction X1 and starts the compression operation. The process cartridge main body 194 and the lower cover 192 are sealed with a sponge as a seal member (not shown) to prevent toner scattering.

As shown in FIG. 4, a cover compression portion 1922 is formed to protrude toward the main body compression portion 1941 at a portion facing the main body compression portion 1941 in the movable portion 195. The cover compression unit 1922 is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat in the movement direction X with respect to the movable unit 195, and is attached so as to protrude from the movable unit 195 toward the main body compression unit 1941 by a compression coil spring 196 as an urging means. It is energized.
The cover compression portion 1922 is formed with an escape portion 1923 for avoiding interference with an opening engagement member 200 described later. The escape portion 1923 does not interfere with the movement of the movable portion 195 and the cover compression portion 1922 when the opening engaging member 200 enters during the process in which the movable portion 195 moves in the compression direction X1 and compresses the toner cartridge 9. To work. For this reason, in this embodiment, the escape portion 1923 is formed as a hole portion penetrating in the movement direction X. If the hole penetrates the escape portion 1923, workability in the manufacturing process is good. The escape portion 1923 does not necessarily have to penetrate in the movement direction X. At least when the movable portion 195 moves in the compression direction X1, it is sufficient that the opening engagement member 200 enters and does not hinder the movement of the movable portion 195 and the cover compression portion 1922 due to interference between the two, and the main body compression portion 1941 It may be a recess that is recessed from the side in the return direction X2.

The toner storage device 190 includes an opening engaging member 200 for opening one side of the toner cartridge 9.
As shown in FIG. 5, the opening engaging member 200 is inserted into and engaged with hole-shaped engaging portions 99A and 99B formed in the toner cartridge 9, thereby releasing one side of the toner cartridge 9. It is. In the case of the present embodiment, the movable portion 195 shown in FIG. 6 moves in the compression direction X1 that is the extending direction of the opening engagement member 200, and the compression operation starts. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the toner cartridge 9 is pushed and moved in the compression direction X1. At this time, the release engagement member 200 is inserted into the engagement portions 99A and 99B, and the toner cartridge 9 is moved in the compression direction X1 in the inserted state, whereby the toner cartridge 9 is opened as shown in FIG. .

Next, the configuration of the toner cartridge 9 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 9, the toner cartridge 9 according to the present embodiment encloses and accommodates toner in a toner accommodating portion 91 serving as a substantially tetrahedral accommodating portion.
In the present embodiment, the toner cartridge 9 is formed by being assembled into a substantially tetrahedron using a sheet of polyethylene having a predetermined thickness and a polyethylene sheet member. The assembly of the toner cartridge 9 will be described later.
A toner replenishing opening (hereinafter referred to as “opening”) that is open and communicates with the outside is formed in a bottom 92 that is one side of the toner containing portion 91 (tetrahedron) placed on the lower cover 192 (see FIG. 4). Is formed) 93 (see FIG. 8). The opening 93 of the toner cartridge 9 before the compression operation is sealed, and is opened by the opening engagement member 200 when the cover compression unit 1922 moves in the compression direction X1. Here, the release engagement member 200 is inserted into the engagement portions 99A and 99B, and then moved in the compression direction X1 that is the extending direction of the release engagement member 200, so that the release engagement member 200 intersects the compression direction X1. It is comprised so that it may open in the direction Y (direction orthogonal in planar view). In FIG. 9, reference numeral 94 indicates a close contact portion where the upper portion of the toner storage portion 91 is in close contact, and reference numeral 95 indicates a close contact portion where the opening 93 provided in the lower portion of the toner storage portion 91 is in close contact. Reference numerals 96 and 97 denote close contact portions where the side portions of the toner containing portion 91 are in close contact. Examples of the close contact methods of the close contact portions 94 to 97 include welding, pressure bonding, and adhesion using an adhesive. In the present embodiment, an adhesive film “CMPS (registered trademark)” manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. is used as a sealing member for sealing the opening.

Here, when the bottom 92 of the toner cartridge 9 is sealed, as shown in FIG. 16B, a two-ply sheet member sandwiching a long adhesive tape st is adhered to each other to form a contact portion 95. ing. The two overlapping sheet members are separated from each other against the adhesive force of the adhesive tape st, which is a sealing member, so that the opening 93 is opened (opened).
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the contact portions 96 and 97 are arranged so as to intersect with the contact portion 95 (perpendicular in a bottom view).
In this embodiment, the toner cartridge 9 is accommodated in the toner cartridge accommodating portion 19 so that the contact portions 96 and 97 are positioned in the opening direction Y.

  The toner cartridge 9 is formed so as to be foldable along a triangular middle line S having the bottom side 92 as the opened lower side of the toner storage portion 91 as a storage portion after the bottom side 92 is opened. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, the middle line S connects the midpoint of the base 92 that is the opposite side from the close contact portion 94 that is located at the apex of the triangle with the base 92 as the bottom when viewed from the side. It is a straight line (middle line). However, the straight line extending from the apex of the triangle does not necessarily need to connect the midpoint of the base 92, and may be a straight line connecting the apex at a position shifted in the extending direction of the base 92 with respect to the midpoint. Thus, the middle line S in the present embodiment is a substantially middle line because the range has a width. In the present embodiment, contact portions 96 and 97 are disposed on the middle line S.

  The engaging portions 99A and 99B of the toner cartridge 9 are formed as holes that penetrate in the compression direction X1 below the contact portions 96 and 97 located in the opening direction Y. These engaging portions 99A and 99B are arranged so that their center positions are the same in the opening direction Y. That is, the engaging portions 99A and 99B are arranged on the surface extending from the middle line S (on the middle line), and are formed in a hole shape one by one in the opening direction Y that opens the bottom 92. In this embodiment, the width of the toner containing portion 91 in the opening direction Y is D, and the center distance between the engaging portions 99A and 99B is C. At this time, the width D> center interval C when the toner accommodating portion 91 is hermetically sealed, and the width D ≦ center interval C when the bottom 92 of the toner accommodating portion 91 is fully opened. The cartridge 9 is formed. The hole shape of the engaging portions 99A and 99B may be any of a perfect circle, an ellipse, or a polygon, and is preferably the same shape as the shape of the engaging portion for opening.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the opening engaging member 200 includes two rod-like members 201 and 202 extending in the moving direction X of the movable portion 195. The rod-shaped members 201 and 202 are arranged horizontally in the opening direction Y. In this embodiment, since the rod-shaped members 201 and 202 are configured as individual members, the rod-shaped portions are the rod-shaped members 201 and 202 themselves. However, when the rod-shaped members 201 and 202 are connected and configured as one member, a portion other than the connected portion becomes a rod-shaped portion. The rod-shaped members 201 and 202 have the same size and the same cross-sectional shape. The rod-like members 201 and 202 are sized so as to be able to enter the engaging portions 99A and 99B of the toner cartridge 9. The cross-sectional shape of the rod-shaped members 201 and 202 may be any cross-sectional shape that can enter the engaging portions 99A and 99B, and may be any of a perfect circle, an ellipse, or a polygon. In consideration of the sliding resistance, a perfect circle or an ellipse having a curved outer peripheral surface as a contact surface is preferable.

  One ends 201 a and 202 a of rod-like members 201 and 202 constituting the opening engaging member 200 are fixed to the process cartridge main body 194. The ends 201a and 202a of the rod-like members 201 and 202 may be detachable from the process cartridge main body 194 so that they can be changed to those having different shapes and sizes. The rod-shaped members 201 and 202 extend in the horizontal direction from the main body compression portion 1941 of the process cartridge main body 194 toward the movable portion 195. The other ends 201b and 202b of the rod-like members 201 and 202 located on the movable part 195 side are introduction ends with the engaging parts 99A and 99B. The rod-shaped members 201 and 202 have inclined portions 201c and 202c between the other ends 201b and 202b and the one ends 201a and 202a, respectively. The inclined portions 201c and 202c are formed so as to expand toward the ends 201a and 202a from the other ends 201b and 202b. That is, the inclined portions 201c and 202c are formed to extend toward the compression direction X1 so as to expand toward the end in the opening direction Y.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, the inclined portions 201c and 202c are intermediate portions in the longitudinal direction, and two step portions 201d and 202d are provided on the outward outer wall surfaces opposite to the opposing inner wall surfaces. A fixed amount is recessed away. That is, in the step portions 201d and 202d as the inclined portion steps, the width between the two bar-shaped members 201 and 202 (bar member) changes in a step shape. Each of the step portions 201d and 202d has a cut surface f1 along the compression direction X1 and a vertical step surface f2 intersecting with the compression direction X1.
Here, the relative gap g2 between the step parts 201d and 202d on the downstream side is formed larger than the relative gap g1 perpendicular to the compression direction X1 of the step parts 201d and 202d facing upstream in the compression direction X1.
Here, when the toner accommodating portion 91 moves along the extending direction of the opening engaging member 200, that is, when the engaging portions 99A and 99B move in the compression direction X1, the inclined portions 201c and 202c are accordingly moved. As a result, the opening interval (see FIG. 13) increases.
At this time, as shown in FIG. 13, vibration is generated in the opening engagement member 200 so that vibration occurs due to a change in the opening speed at the opening operation at the two relative intervals g1 and g2. A functional part is provided. In the vibration generating function portion, the sliding resistance received by the engaging portions 99A and 99B decreases at the cut surface f1 of the step portions 201d and 202d and increases at the vertical step surface f2, and the opening speed is changed according to the variation of the sliding resistance. And the vibration Q is transmitted from the engaging portions 99A and 99B to the toner containing portion 91.
The generated vibration Q is received by the toner accommodating portion 91 through the contact portions 96 and 97 to promote the fall of the toner T inside, and the residual toner can be smoothly and reliably transferred to the toner storing portion 18 below the opening 93. Can flow down.

As shown in FIG. 10, the rod-shaped members 201 and 202 are linear in a section G1 from the other ends 201b and 202b to the inclined portions 201c and 202c and a section G3 from the one ends 201a and 202a to the inclined portions 201c and 202c. Therefore, they are arranged in parallel to each other.
The center interval E1 between the other ends 201b and 202b in the opening direction Y is the same as the center interval C between the engaging portions 99A and 99B. The center interval E2 between the one ends 201a and 202a in the opening direction Y is formed to be larger than the center interval E1 and larger than the width D of the toner containing portion 91.
For example, when the center interval E1 between the rod-shaped members 201 and 202 and the center interval C between the engaging portions 99A and 99B is 15 mm and the width D of the toner containing portion 91 is 50 mm, the center interval E1 is 15 mm and the center interval E2 is The center interval C + width D is 65 mm.
The rod-shaped members 201 and 202 are configured such that the inclined portions 201c and 202c located in the section G2 located between the sections G1 and G3 are more than the center interval C in the moving direction X in which the rod-shaped members 201 and 202 extend. It is formed so as to gradually expand in the opening direction Y.

Next, a case where the toner cartridge 9 is accommodated in the toner cartridge accommodating portion 19 provided in the toner accommodating device 190 of the process cartridge 1 having such a configuration will be described.
As shown in FIG. 4, the upper cover 191 of the process cartridge 1 is opened, and the toner cartridge 9 is placed on the lower cover 192 in the toner cartridge housing portion 19 through the opening 194 b.
In this state, the bottom 92 of the toner cartridge 9 is sealed and the opening 93 (see FIG. 5) is closed. In this state, the engaging portions 99A and 99B are separated from the other ends 201b and 202b of the rod-like members 201 and 202 of the opening engaging member 200, and the other ends 201b and 202b are connected to the engaging portions 99A and 99B. It is in a non-engaged state where it is not inserted.

Next, the operation of compressing the toner cartridge 9 from the state shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the movable portion 195 is slid in the compression direction X1 which is the right side in the drawing. Then, the toner cartridge 9 on the lower cover 192 is also moved in the compression direction X1, and the other ends 201b and 202b of the rod-like members 201 and 202 are inserted into the engaging portions 99A and 99B during the movement. As the movable portion 195 moves in the compression direction X1, the engaging portions 99A and 99B on the toner cartridge 9 side also move in the compression direction X1 through the section G1 of the rod-like members 201 and 202.

During such compression, the compressed toner cartridge 9 is placed on the lower cover 192 integral with the movable portion 195 and moves. At the same time, the bar-shaped members 201 and 202 as the bar members of the opening engaging member 200 are inserted into the engaging portions 99A and 99B while moving by being pushed by the cover compressing portion 1922, thereby opening the opening 93. .
Then, as shown in FIG. 11, when the engaging portions 99A and 99B move on the inclined portions 201c and 202c located in the section G2, the engaging portions 99A and 99B are gradually pulled in the opening direction Y along with the movement. It is done. Then, the contact portion 95 of the bottom 92 is peeled off and opened, and an opening 93 is formed and opened as shown in FIG. That is, since the engaging portions 99A and 99B move in the compression direction X1 on the inclined portions 201c and 202c, the center interval C between the engaging portions 99A and 99B is gradually increased by these inclined portions, so that 92 can be opened to form an opening 93 to open.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the engaging portions 99A and 99B move the inclined portions 201c and 202c in accordance with the movement of the toner containing portion 91 in the extending direction (compression direction X1) of the opening engaging member 200. It moves and transmits an opening force to the close contact portion 95 on one side of the tetrahedron to open the opening. Accordingly, the opening speed is suddenly changed at the two step portions 201d and 202d, and the vibration Q is generated in the toner containing portion 91. Therefore, the toner containing portion is joined from the engaging portions 99A and 99B through the contact portions 96 and 97. The vibration is transmitted to 91, and the toner in the container can be smoothly discharged to the outside.

  At this time, the cover communication portion 1921 and the communication portion 193 which are arranged so as to be shifted in the horizontal direction (movement direction X) are superposed by the movement of the movable portion 195 as shown in FIGS. For this reason, the toner that has fallen due to vibration is smoothly and surely made to flow down to the toner storage portion 18 below the opening portion 93 to be replenished. That is, the toner reservoir 18 is replenished with toner T by communicating with the opening 93 of the toner cartridge 9. That is, the lower cover 192 covers the toner reservoir 18 and opens the toner reservoir 18 in conjunction with the opening operation of the opening engagement member 200.

For this reason, the center interval C between the engaging portions 99A and 99B is opened, and the lower cover 192 is opened in conjunction with the opening operation of opening the bottom portion 92 and opening the opening portion 93. There is no need to perform an opening / closing process, and the operability is improved.
In addition, as the movable portion 195 continues to move in the compression direction X1, the opening area of the opening 194b of the process cartridge main body 194 decreases. At this time, since the upper cover 191 covers the opening 194b, it is possible to reliably prevent the toner from scattering from the toner cartridge housing portion 19 when the toner is replenished.

Thus, when the movable portion 195 further moves in the compression direction X1 from the replenishment start state shown in FIG. 6, the toner cartridge 9 enters the compressed toner cartridge housing portion 197 as shown in FIG. At this time, the interval E2 between the one ends 201a and 202a is set to be equal to or larger than the width D of the toner containing portion 91. Therefore, the toner cartridge 9 is folded into two in conjunction with the opening operation by the rod-like members 201 and 202 when the engaging portions 99A and 99B move in the section B (see FIGS. 12 and 18A). .
Then, the folded toner cartridge 9 is further pressed in the compression direction X1 by the cover compression unit 1922, so that it is pressed against the main body compression unit 1941 and is compressed to the maximum. During this folding, a vibration Q was applied to the toner containing portion 91 to promote the fall of the toner T. From this point, the residual toner can be surely removed, the reduction of the compression rate due to the residual toner can be prevented, and the toner accommodating portion 91 is reliably crushed by the movement of the cover compression portion 1922, thereby improving the compression efficiency of the toner cartridge 9. Can do.

  After the printing operation is performed a predetermined number of times in this state, when the remaining amount of toner in the toner storage unit 18 becomes less than a predetermined amount, a message for prompting toner replenishment is displayed on the display panel 6 (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 15, the user moves the upper cover 191 in the closed state indicated by the alternate long and short dash line until the open state indicated by the solid line is reached, and places the new toner cartridge 9 on the lower cover 192 to be mounted (set). To do. Then, the newly set toner cartridge 9 is pressed by the cover compression unit 1922 by moving the movable unit 195 in the compression direction X1. Accordingly, the rod-like members 201 and 202 of the release engagement member 200 are inserted into the engagement portions 99A and 99B, so that the bottom 92 is opened and the opening 93 is opened (see FIGS. 8 and 11). Replenishment is performed. After replenishment, the compressed toner cartridge 9A is compressed and stored in the compressed toner cartridge storage portion 197 as a compressed toner cartridge 9A.

  In addition, vibration Q is applied to the toner containing portion 91 to remove residual toner, the reduction of the compression rate can be prevented, the compression efficiency of the toner cartridge 9 can be improved, and the compressed toner cartridge containing portion 197 (see FIG. 15) is added. A large number of compressed toner cartridges 9A can be stored. For this reason, the frequency with which the compressed toner cartridge 9A is discharged out of the apparatus can be kept low, and the operability can be improved.

Next, assembly of the toner cartridge 9 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 16A shows the developed state of the toner cartridge 9, and FIG. 16B shows the assembled state. One rectangular sheet member 900 constituting the toner cartridge 9 has a contact portion on the top, bottom, left, and right after assembling around a dividing line 901 that equally divides the entire length into two, and the center portion is substantially a tetrahedron. The shape is symmetrical with respect to the broken line and the one-point difference line. In the case of this embodiment, the broken line part is a mountain fold and the alternate long and short dash line part is a valley fold. At the four corners of one end 902 and the other end 903 of the sheet member 900 in the longitudinal direction, holes 904A and 904B and holes 905A and 905B that become the engaging portions 99A and 99B after assembly are formed symmetrically about the dividing line 901. Has been.
Then, an adhesive is applied to the frame-shaped contact region 904 formed by oblique lines formed from the outside of the sheet member 900. For example, the other end 903 is folded toward the one end 902 centering on the dividing line 901, and the broken line portion and the one-dot chain line portion The sheet member 900 is folded along and assembled. Then, as shown in FIG. 13 (b), a toner accommodating portion 91 as a substantially tetrahedral accommodating portion is provided, contact portions 94 to 97 are provided on the outside thereof, and engagement portions are provided below the contact portions 96 and 97. A toner cartridge 9 having 99A and 99B is formed. Then, the middle line S of the triangle having the opening 93 as a base is formed, and the middle line S is pre-creased. The comb is a seam, and the engaging parts 99A and 99B are arranged, so that the middle line can be reliably obtained. The toner cartridge 9 is folded in S, and the compression efficiency can be increased.

18A and 18B show a toner cartridge 9 according to this embodiment and a conventional toner cartridge 9B.
In the conventional toner cartridge 9 </ b> B shown in FIG. 18B, after the lower side is opened, it cannot be folded at the middle line of a triangle with the lower side of the tetrahedron being the base. For this reason, when compressed, the sheet is folded inside the toner accommodating portion 91, resulting in a thickness 4t corresponding to the thickness t of the sheet members constituting the toner cartridge 9B.
However, in the case of the toner cartridge 9 according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 18A, after the bottom 92 is opened, the toner cartridge 9 can be folded at the middle line S of the triangle with the opened lower side of the tetrahedron as the bottom 92. For this reason, the sheet member can be compressed to a thickness 2t of two sheets of the thickness t of the sheet member. In this respect, a large number of toner cartridges 9 are accommodated in the toner cartridge accommodating portion 19 (compressed toner cartridge accommodating portion 197). Can do.

  In the present embodiment, the toner cartridge 9 can be folded at the position of the middle line S of the triangle in a side view of the toner cartridge 9, and is opened when attached to the toner storage device 190 on the middle line S. Engaging portions 99A and 99B that can engage with the engaging member 200 are provided. For this reason, the toner cartridge 9 is accommodated in the toner accommodating device 190, and the engagement member 200 for release and the engaging portions 99A and 99B on the toner accommodating portion 91 side are engaged at the time of compression. The bottom 92 of the body is opened. As a result, the opening 93 is opened and the toner inside can be discharged, so there is no leakage of toner, no need for labor, and convenience is good.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the engaging portions 99A and 99B are formed in the opening direction Y that opens the opening 93, respectively, so that the engaging portions 99A and 99B are pulled in the opening direction Y. Thus, the base 92 can be easily opened to open the opening 93.
In the embodiment, the engaging portions 99A and 99B and the rod-like members 201 and 202 are arranged one by one in the opening direction Y with the contact portion 95 as a boundary. However, the engaging portions 99A and 99B and the rod-like members 201 and 202 are not limited to one each, and a plurality of engaging portions 99A and 99B may be provided in the opening direction Y with the contact portion 95 as a boundary.

The toner cartridge 9 as the toner container of the above-described embodiment vibrates the toner cartridge 9 due to the vibration Q generated when the engaging portions 99A and 99B slide on the step portions 201d and 202d of the opening engaging member 200. The residual toner was caused to flow out.
A case in which the vibration generating function part is provided in the toner cartridges 9a to 9d instead of providing the vibration generating function part in the opening engagement member 200 will be described as a second embodiment.
Compared with the first embodiment, the process cartridge 1E that accommodates the toner cartridges 9a to 9d and the monochrome printer as the image forming apparatus on which the process cartridge 1E is mounted, the release engagement member 200E shown in FIG. The only difference is that it does not provide. For this reason, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to an overlapping member and the duplication description is abbreviate | omitted.
The process cartridge 1E according to the second embodiment is provided with an opening engaging member 200E as shown in FIG. In contrast to the opening engaging member 200 of FIG. 13, the opening engaging member 200E employs a configuration in which the step portions 201d and 202d are all excluded from the inclined portions 201c and 202c.

Here, as shown in FIG. 14, the engaging portions 99A and 99B move the inclined portions 201c and 202c as the toner accommodating portion 91 moves in the extending direction (moving direction X) of the opening engaging member 200E. Moving. Thereby, an opening force is transmitted to the contact portion 95 on one side of the tetrahedron to open the opening. Here, the opening speed does not change suddenly, and the toner flows down to the toner reservoir 18 below the opening 93.
On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 17B to 17D, the toner cartridges 9a to 9d as the modified examples that are selectively accommodated in the process cartridge 1E according to the second embodiment vibrate in the toner cartridge itself. A generation function unit is provided.
Here, the toner cartridges 9a to 9d of the respective modifications are different from the toner cartridge 9 of Embodiment 1 (see FIG. 17A) in the shape of the sealing member that seals one side of the tetrahedron. However, since the other configurations are the same, redundant description will be omitted.

  In the toner cartridge 9a according to the modified example 1 shown in FIG. 17B, one side of the tetrahedron extending in the compression direction X1 is sealed with the adhesive tape sta before the compression operation by the cover compression unit 1922 (see FIG. 7). The close contact portion 95a is sealed. Here, the adhesive tape sta of the contact portion 95a is formed in a wave shape along the movement direction X in the longitudinal direction of the contact portion 95a. As a result, when the contact portion 95a is released by being compressed by the cover compression portion 1922 (see FIG. 7) (see FIG. 8), the bonding surface is non-linear, so that vibration Q can be generated at the time of opening. The vibration Q generated by the contact portion 95a can apply vibration to the toner accommodating portion 91 of the toner cartridge 9 to drop the residual toner. In this respect, the contact portion 95a can exhibit a vibration generating function.

In toner cartridges 9c and 9d of Modifications 2 and 3 shown in FIGS. 17C and 17D, one side of the tetrahedron extending in the compression direction X1 is sealed with adhesive tapes stb and stc before the compression operation. The close contact portions 95b and 95c are sealed. Here, the adhesive tapes stb and stc of the contact portions 95b and 95c are formed in a saw blade shape and a rectangular blade shape along the longitudinal direction of the contact portions 95b and 95c, respectively.
Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 17C and 17D, the width b1 of the narrowest adhesive surface among the widths of the adhesive surfaces of the sealing member is 3/3 of the width b2 of the widest adhesive surface. 1 or less.
As described above, when the close contact portions 95b and 95c are released by being compressed by the cover compression portion 1922, the width of the bonding surface is non-uniform at this time, and therefore vibration Q can be generated along with the opening. In particular, as shown in FIGS. 17C and 17D, a large difference occurs in the adhesive force by increasing the width of the bonding surface of the opening 93 and sharply changing the bonding width. For this reason, a large change occurs in the opening speed, the toner accommodating portion 91 receives vibration, and the toner in the accommodating portion can be smoothly discharged outward.

For this reason, the residual toner can flow out by applying vibration to the toner accommodating portion 91 of the toner cartridge 9 due to the vibration Q generated by the contact portions 95b and 95c.
In the case of the toner cartridges 9a to 9c of Modifications 1 to 3 of these other embodiments, the width of the adhesive surface of the contact portions 95a to 95c of the opening 93 changes along the longitudinal direction of one side of the tetrahedron. A difference occurs in the adhesive strength. Therefore, when the toner accommodating portion 91 moves along the extending direction of the opening engaging member 200, the opening speed of the opening 93 changes and vibration Q is generated. Therefore, the toner accommodating portion 91 receives the vibration. The toner T in the storage portion can be discharged smoothly and reliably toward the outside. Accordingly, the residual toner can be surely removed, the reduction of the compression rate due to the residual toner can be prevented, the toner containing portion 91 can be reliably crushed, and the compression efficiency of the toner cartridge 9 can be improved.

Next, the configuration of the process cartridge 1d that accommodates the toner cartridge 9 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 19A and 19B.
In the process cartridge 1 according to the first embodiment described above, the release engagement member 200 is provided with a vibration generating function unit, and in the process cartridge 1E according to the second embodiment, the toner cartridges 9a to 9d themselves are provided with a vibration generating function unit. It was. Here, in the process cartridge 1F according to the third embodiment, the method for supporting the toner cartridge 9f and the vibration generating function unit are different from those of the other embodiments, but the other configurations are the same. For this reason, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to an overlapping member and the duplication description is abbreviate | omitted.

As shown in FIG. 19A, the process cartridge 1F has a toner storage device 190 disposed above the toner reservoir 18 similar to that shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 19B, an upper cover 191 is disposed on the upper portion of the toner storage device 190 so as to partition the toner storage portion 18 (see FIG. 2) below the toner cartridge storage portion 19. A lower cover 192 is provided.
In order to open one side of the toner cartridge 9f as shown in FIG. 14, the toner accommodating device 190 employs an opening engaging member 200E having no step shown in FIG. Above the opening engaging member 200E, a slide bar 210 is provided as a suspension locking portion for holding the toner cartridge 9f. Further, a pair of guide rails 220 on which the slide bar 210 is placed, and a pressing rod 230 supported by a movable portion 195 that contacts and separates from the process cartridge main body 194 are provided.
The slide bar 210 as a suspension latching portion is provided with a clamping member (binder) 211 capable of exerting a clamping force capable of stably clamping the upper portion of the toner cartridge 9f at the intermediate portion. Thus, the slide bar 210 sandwiches the upper part of the toner cartridge 9 and suspends the lower part on the lower cover 192 so as to be slidable.

The pair of guide rails 220 is supported at the base end by the process cartridge main body 194, the protruding end protrudes toward the movable portion 195, and the entire guide rail 220 is arranged in parallel above the engaging member 200 for opening. The release engagement member 200F is formed in the same manner as the release engagement member 200E of the second embodiment.
Here, the process cartridge main body 194 is formed with sawtooth-shaped first to third step portions 231, 232, and 233 that are upper and lower stepped row portions sequentially from the base end side thereof at predetermined intervals, and further to the protruding end side. A mounting recess 234 is formed. When the upper cover 191 of the toner storage device 190 is opened, the mounting recess 234 mounts the slide bar 210 that sandwiches the upper portion of the toner cartridge 9f from above. For this reason, when the upper cover 191 of the toner storage device 190 is opened so as to allow the slide bar 210 to be placed in the placement recess 234, the tip of the pressing rod 230 is held at the retracted position P1. Configured. Accordingly, the tip of the pressing rod 230 supported by the movable portion 195 is formed to have a length that can move from the retracted position P1 to the pressing position P3 through the pressing end position P2 that has passed through the first step portion 231. The

In the case of such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 19B, the toner cartridge 9f is suspended by a slide bar 210 as a suspension latching portion, with the close contact portion at the upper portion of the toner accommodating portion 91 being sandwiched. In this state, the left and right ends are placed on the placement recesses 234 of the pair of guide rails 220 and suspended.
In this state, the toner cartridge 9f is pressurized in the toner accommodating portion 91 from the movable portion 195 side and moves in the compression direction X1. In response to this movement, each time the slide bar 210, which forms a vibration generating function unit, slides along the pair of guide rails 220 and passes through the saw blade-shaped first to third step portions 231, 232, and 233. The moving speed changes suddenly, and the opening speed of the opening 93 also changes suddenly. In response to a sudden change in the opening speed, a vibration Q is generated in the toner accommodating portion 91, whereby the residual toner in the toner accommodating portion 91 of the toner cartridge 9 f can be dropped and discharged from the opening 93.

Note that the toner cartridge 9f pressurized from the movable portion 195 side in the final stage of the compression process is released from the clamping force of the clamping member 211 of the slide bar 210 by the pressing force in the compression direction X1. Then, it is folded and stored in a compressed toner cartridge storage portion 197 on the process cartridge main body 194 side. In FIG. 19B, the maximum sliding amount on the movable portion 195 side that supports the cover compression portion 1922 is shown by reference numeral s1.
The first to third step portions 231 and 232, which are upper and lower stepped rows extending in the extending direction (moving direction X) of the opening engaging member 200 through the slide bar 210 serving as a suspension locking portion, are accommodated in the toner accommodating portion 91. 233. At this time, the toner generating unit 91 receives the vibration Q at a position where the opening 93 on the guide rail 220 (guide rail) is opened via the slide bar 210, so that the vibration generating function unit functions. For this reason, the toner in the toner storage portion 91 can be smoothly and reliably discharged to the toner storage portion below the toner storage device (device main body) through the opening 93 formed on one side of the tetrahedron. Accordingly, the residual toner can be surely removed, the reduction of the compression rate due to the residual toner can be prevented, the toner containing portion 91 can be reliably crushed, and the compression efficiency of the toner cartridge 9f can be improved.

The process cartridge 1 according to the first embodiment has been described by using the form in which the toner cartridge 9 is mounted thereon. However, the setting position of the toner cartridge 9 is not limited to the toner accommodating portion 91 in the process cartridge 1. Absent.
For example, as another embodiment 4, as shown in FIG. 20, the toner cartridge 9 is installed in the apparatus main body 101G, and the toner T is transported from the toner cartridge 9 to the toner reservoir 18G of the process cartridge 1G using the transport path 103. You may apply to an image forming apparatus.
As described above, when the above-described toner cartridge 9 is applied to the image forming apparatus, the cover communication portion 1921G is formed on the bottom plate portion 101a of the apparatus main body 101G. Further, on the apparatus main body 101G side, a toner cartridge housing portion 19G having an engaging member 200 for opening, a movable portion 195 having a cover compression portion 1922 and a lower cover 192, a compressed toner cartridge housing portion 197, a main body compression portion 1941, and Is provided as configuration Z. The toner cartridge 9 is placed and set on the lower cover 192 on the side provided with the configuration Z. Further, by moving the movable portion 195 in the compression direction X1, toner replenishment by opening the opening 93 (see FIG. 8), compression of the toner cartridge 9, and efficient accommodation of the compressed toner cartridge 9A can be performed. .

In the case of such a configuration, the cost can be reduced as compared with the case where the process cartridge 1 is provided. That is, since the process cartridge 1 is a replacement part, it is replaced at a constant cycle. In such a case, not only the toner cartridge 9 but also the portion of the configuration Z is replaced when the process cartridge 1 is replaced, which increases the cost of the process cartridge 1 and increases the cost of the image forming apparatus.
However, on the apparatus main body 101G side, each of these components (a toner cartridge storage unit 19, a movable unit 195 including a cover compression unit 1922 and a lower cover 192, a compressed toner cartridge storage unit 197, and a main unit compression unit 1941) is provided. Suppose Z is installed. Thus, when the configuration Z is installed on the apparatus main body 101G side, it is not necessary to install the configuration Z in the process cartridge 1, so that the cost of the process cartridge 1 can be reduced and the cost of the image forming apparatus can be reduced. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Process cartridge 9 Toner storage container 9A Compressed toner storage container 18 Toner storage part 19 Toner cartridge storage part 91 Toner storage part 92 One side of toner storage part 93 Opening part (opening part for toner replenishment)
95, 96, 97 Contact portion 99A, 99B Engagement portion 100 Image forming apparatus 101 Device main body 190 Toner storage device 192 Lower cover (moving means)
195 Movable body (moving means, compression unit)
197 Compressed toner cartridge housing portion 201d, 202d Stepped portion 200 Opening engagement portion 201, 202 Rod-like portion 900 Sheet material 1922 Cover compression portion (compression portion, moving means)
1941 Main unit compression part 210 Slide bar (suspension locking part)
f1 Cut surface f2 Longitudinal surface E1, E2 Spacing between rod-shaped parts Q Vibration S Middle line T Toner X Extension direction (movement direction)
X1 Compression direction Y Release direction

JP 2013-179814 A Japanese Patent No. 34834434

Claims (11)

An accommodating portion formed of a substantially tetrahedron that is covered with a member having a predetermined thickness and accommodates toner;
An opening for supplying toner formed by opening one side of the tetrahedron;
A sealing member for sealing the opening,
A toner storage container that is foldable at a position of a substantially middle line of a triangle having the opened side as a base after opening the seal on one side of the tetrahedron,
A toner storage container in which vibration is generated in the toner storage container in response to an operation of opening the opening. The toner container according to claim 1,
An engaging portion that transmits to the one side an opening force that is formed in the accommodating portion and opens a seal on one side of the tetrahedron;
The engaging portion is engaged with an opening engaging member supported by a toner storage device that stores the toner storage container, and the opening is moved in the extending direction of the opening engaging member so that an opening force is applied to the one side. A toner storage container characterized in that said opening is opened. The toner container according to claim 2.
Having the engagement portion having at least two or more hole shapes;
The opening engaging member is formed with an inclined portion having a relatively large interval on two rod members supported by the toner storage device and movably engaging the engaging portion,
The toner is formed so that the center interval between the two engaging portions gradually increases in the direction of opening the one side as the engaging portion moves through the inclined portion by engaging with the rod member. Containment container. The toner container according to claim 2, wherein
A toner container, wherein the inclined portion is provided with an inclined portion step where the width of the two rod members changes stepwise. The toner container according to claim 2, wherein
The toner container according to claim 1, wherein a width of an adhesive surface of the sealing member is different along a longitudinal direction of one side of the tetrahedron. The toner container according to claim 5,
The width of the narrowest adhesive surface among the adhesive surfaces of the sealing member is not more than one third of the widest adhesive surface. The toner container according to claim 2, wherein
Having a suspension locking part that sandwiches and suspends the close contact part of the upper part of the housing part,
An upper and lower stepped row portion extending in the extending direction is formed on the guide rail supported by the toner containing device at a position where the opening is opened, and the upper and lower stepped row portion on the guide rail is formed as the containing portion. Is moved through the suspension latching portion.   A process cartridge that can be attached to the toner container according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and can be detached from the toner container. The process cartridge according to claim 8, wherein
A compression unit that abuts on and compresses the toner container;
The process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the compression section performs compression in conjunction with an opening operation of the opening engaging member.   An image forming apparatus comprising the process cartridge according to claim 8 detachably. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10.
The image forming apparatus, wherein the toner includes oil-containing silica as an external additive.

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