JP2015232619A - Developing device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a developing device, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus that can reduce a force acting on a support member of a toner cartridge and cutting means to reduce costs and improve storage efficiency.SOLUTION: There is provided a developing device 20 including: a container support member 200 that holds a toner storage container 9 foldable and storing a toner at a predetermined position of an apparatus body 101; and cutting means 194 for cutting, in point contact with, the toner storage container 9 held at the predetermined position to open the toner storage container 9 so as to discharge the toner therein.

Description

  The present invention relates to a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a printer, and a developing device, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus used in a multifunction machine having a plurality of functions.

  As a method for supplying toner, which is a consumable item in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a process cartridge in which an image forming unit and a toner storage unit are integrally formed into a cartridge, or a toner that can be attached to and detached from the process cartridge or the image forming apparatus main body A method of replacing a toner cartridge that is a container is known. Such a replaceable cartridge has a problem in that toner spills during attachment / detachment and waste (for example, a replenishing port cover or a sealant) to which the toner adheres occurs. In order to solve this problem, a technique is known in which a used toner cartridge is not taken out and stored in the image forming apparatus even when toner is supplied (see, for example, “Patent Document 1”).

However, in conventional toner cartridges, the toner is replenished by opening with the cutting means after the apparatus is accommodated or while the apparatus is being accommodated. However, a strong force for opening acts on the cutting means and the support member of the toner cartridge. It was. For this reason, it is necessary to increase the rigidity of the cutting blade and the support member and the rigidity of the toner cartridge itself, which increases the size of the image forming apparatus and the size of the toner cartridge, thereby increasing the cost and increasing the capacity of the empty toner cartridge. There was a problem of doing.
The present invention solves the above-described problems, and provides a developing device, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus that can reduce the force acting on the support member and cutting means of the toner cartridge to reduce the cost and increase the housing efficiency. Objective.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the toner holding container that holds the toner and can be folded is held at a predetermined position of the apparatus main body, and the toner holding container held at the predetermined position is in point contact. Cutting means for cutting and opening the toner container to discharge the toner inside.

  According to the present invention, since the toner container can be opened even with a very weak force, the force acting on the container support member and the cutting means can be reduced to reduce the cost of the developing device and the efficiency of storing the used toner container. Can be increased.

1 is a schematic view of an image forming apparatus to which an embodiment of the present invention can be applied. It is the schematic explaining the process cartridge used for one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a toner cartridge used in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating opening and folding of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram comparing a folded state of an embodiment of the present invention and a conventional toner cartridge. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a toner cartridge used in a modification of one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating attachment of a toner cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an opening operation of the toner cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating opening and folding operations of the toner cartridge according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic explaining the behavior of the shaft member used for the 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an opening operation of a toner cartridge by a cutting unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an opening operation of a toner cartridge by a cutting unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an opening operation of a toner cartridge by a cutting unit according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an opening operation of a toner cartridge by a cutting unit according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a monochrome printer (hereinafter referred to as a printer) as an image forming apparatus used in an embodiment of the present invention. The printer 100 includes an apparatus main body 101, a process cartridge 1 having a developing device 20 in which toner T is sealed, a writing device 2, a transfer roller 3, a paper feeding unit 4, a fixing unit 5, and the like. An image is formed according to the image forming process.

  The apparatus main body 101 is provided with a front cover 7 and a rear cover 8 that can be opened and closed. Components such as the process cartridge 1, the writing device 2, the transfer roller 3, the paper feeding unit 4, and the fixing unit 5 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 controlled by a control unit (not shown). For this reason, these constituent members transmit and receive various types of information via the control means and signal lines.

  A display panel 6 as a display means 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 means (not shown) through a signal line or the like, and is configured to display various information and notify the user. For example, when the process cartridge 1 needs to be replaced, the control means 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 become a recording material. Remove unused paper.

  In FIG. 1, a monochrome printer in which a process cartridge is configured for only one color is described as an example. However, a similar configuration can be adopted in a color printer using a plurality of process cartridges.

  Next, the configuration of the process cartridge 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The process cartridge 1 can replenish toner T from a toner cartridge 9 as a toner container, and can be detached from the apparatus main body 101. The process cartridge 1 includes an image forming unit 10 centering on a drum-shaped photoconductor 11 as an image carrier, and a toner cartridge storage unit 19 as a container storage unit for storing the toner cartridge 9. Further, the process cartridge 1 includes a toner container 18 in which toner T is replenished and stored from the toner cartridge 9 in the toner cartridge container 19. The toner T in this embodiment may be either a pulverized toner or a polymerized toner. The external additive material of the toner T may contain silicon oil-containing silica. As an example of external addition of silicon oil-containing silica, about 2 to 4 parts of hydrophobic silica RY50 (Aerosil) or MSP009 (Taika) is added to 100 parts of pulverized toner or polymerized toner, and the peripheral speed is increased with a 20 L Henschel mixer. A mixing process was performed at 40 mm / sec for 5 minutes. Thereafter, it is obtained by sieving with a sieve having an opening of 75 μm. The above-described example is only an example of the amount of external addition, the type of external additive, the external addition device, and the external addition time, and the present invention is not limited to this.

  The image forming unit 10 includes a charging roller 12, a developing roller 13 that supplies toner in contact with the photosensitive member 11, a supply roller 15, and a cleaning blade that scrapes off transfer residual toner on the photosensitive member 11 around the photosensitive member 11. 17 is arranged. A regulating blade 14 for regulating the amount of toner held by the developing roller 13 is disposed around the developing roller 13. The supply roller 15 supplies the toner conveyed from the toner storage unit 18 to the developing roller 13.

  The toner accommodating portion 18 is a cylindrical space extending in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface, and an agitator 16 serving as an agitating member for conveying the toner T to the supply roller 15 while agitating the toner T is rotatably disposed in the center of the inside. In the process cartridge 1, a toner image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 11 in accordance with a well-known electrophotographic type one-component development process.

  In the present embodiment, the process cartridge 1 uses a one-component developing process with a one-component developer composed of toner alone. However, the configuration of the process cartridge 1 is not limited to the one corresponding to the one-component development process, and may be a process cartridge that uses a two-component development process using a two-component developer including a toner and a carrier.

  In the process cartridge 1 according to the present embodiment, a toner cartridge housing portion 19 is disposed above the toner housing portion 18. The toner cartridge housing portion 19 is covered with a casing 191 except for the front surface, and an opening 191 a is formed on the front surface of the casing 191. The opening 191a can be opened and closed by an open / close cover 192 as a cover member. The opening 191 a is a work opening when the toner cartridge 9 is attached to and detached from the toner cartridge housing portion 19. In the present embodiment, a developing device 20 is configured by the developing roller 13, the regulating blade 14, the supply roller 15, the toner container 18, and the toner cartridge container 19.

  In this embodiment, the opening / closing cover 192 is supported by the toner cartridge housing 19 so as to be slidable in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in the drawing. A lower portion 191b of the casing 191 serving as a bottom portion of the toner cartridge housing portion 19 constitutes a partition wall with the toner housing portion 18 and a toner replenishing port 193 for replenishing the toner housing portion 18 with toner T in the toner cartridge housing portion 19. Is formed. A cutting means 194 such as a cutter for opening the set toner cartridge 9 is provided in the toner cartridge housing portion 19. When the opening / closing cover 192 closes the opening 191a, the toner cartridge 9 cannot be attached to the toner cartridge housing portion 19. Further, when the opening / closing cover 192 is pulled out in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface and the opening 191 a is released, the toner cartridge 9 can be mounted (set) in the toner cartridge housing portion 19.

  The remaining amount of toner in the toner storage unit 18 is detected by a remaining amount detection 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 can pull out the opening / closing cover 192 to store the toner cartridge 9 in the toner cartridge storage portion 19. it can.

Next, the configuration of the toner cartridge 9 will be described with reference to FIGS.
3A and 3B show the configuration of the toner cartridge 9, and FIGS. 4A to 4D show the opening process of the toner cartridge 9 and the external shape at that time. . As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the toner cartridge 9 has a toner storage portion 91 formed of a foldable tetrahedron and a lower side 92 that is a part of the toner storage portion 91 opened. Thus, a toner replenishment opening 93 is formed so as to communicate with the outside. The toner accommodating portion 91 encloses and accommodates toner T therein.

  In the present embodiment, the toner cartridge 9 forms a toner containing portion 91 by assembling and bonding to form a tetrahedron using a sheet material made of flexible paper and polyethylene or the like. Yes. Reference numerals 95 and 96 in the drawing denote adhesion portions where the lower side 92 and the upper side 94 of the toner accommodating portion 91 are bonded. Among these, the adhesive part 96 located above forms a held part that is held by a container support member described later, and thus has a wide adhesive width. In the case where the bonding portion 96 does not also serve as the held portion, it may be an adhesive width that can hold the adhesive force. The adhesive portion 95 located below functions as a sealing portion that seals the opening 93.

  The toner container 91 includes a fold line 97 as a fold part serving as a fold reference, and an elastic member 98 provided inside the container so as to be along the fold line 97 in a state of being elastically deformable so as to be restored. ing. The elastic member 98 is, for example, a thin plate spring and stores a linear shape before deformation. The thin plate spring is arranged along the folding lines 97 and 97 and the upper side 94 positioned on both sides of the toner containing portion 91. The inner surface of the toner container 91 is fixed by, for example, adhesion. For this reason, the elastic member 98 is positioned in the toner containing portion 91 in a state of being elastically deformed into a substantially O shape when the toner containing portion 91 is sealed by bonding the adhesive portions 95 and 96.

  The restoring force due to the elastic member 98 is suppressed by the thickness of the sheet material constituting the toner accommodating portion 91 and the adhesive force of the adhesive portions 95 and 96. The elastic member 98 may be a thin rod-like bendable member (material may be metal or resin). As the elastic member 98, it is preferable to use a thin or thin elastic member as much as possible so as not to be bulky when folded, and it is desirable that the dimension is 1 mm or less.

  The elastic member 98 is bent (flexed) so that the center of the two triangular faces contacting the lower side 92 and the upper side 94 of the toner containing part 91 are folded so as to be in the posture when the toner cartridge 9 is attached to the toner cartridge containing part 19. The toner container 91 is fixed inside. This fixing force is provided by a sealing force by the adhesive portion 95 on the lower side 92 of the toner accommodating portion 91. The toner cartridge 9 has two sides in which the lower side 92 and the upper side 94 are orthogonal to each other and have a twisted relationship.

  As described above, in the toner cartridge 9 including the toner accommodating portion 91 that can be folded along the folding lines 97 and 97 serving as the reference for folding, the toner cartridge 9 extends along the folding lines 97 and 97 and the upper side 94 while being elastically deformed so as to be restored. As described above, the elastic member 98 is provided inside the accommodating portion. For this reason, when the toner cartridge 9 is mounted in the toner cartridge housing portion 19, the lower side of the toner housing portion 91 is changed from the sealed state shown in FIG. 4 (a) to the bottom side of the toner housing portion 91 as shown in FIGS. 4 (b) and 4 (c). 92 is gradually cut by the cutting means 194 and opened.

  Then, the restraining force that has held the elastic member 98 in a substantially O-shaped deformed state is weakened, and the elastic member 98 is opened from a substantially O shape to a U shape by a restoring force. Due to the displacement (restoration) of the elastic member 98, a biasing force (restoring force) acts on each fold line 97 of the toner accommodating portion 91 in a direction to open the toner accommodating portion 91 from the inside to the outside. It deforms flat as shown in 4 (d). Therefore, the opening 93 is reliably opened and folded, so that the compression efficiency of the toner cartridge 9 can be reliably improved and the storage property of the used toner cartridge 9 is improved.

  As a result, a large number of toner cartridges 9 can be accommodated. Further, since the opening 93 is formed when the lower side 92 is gradually cut and opened by the cutting means 194, the toner T in the toner containing portion 91 is urged to be discharged by deformation of the toner containing portion 91 together with its own weight. It is. For this reason, the amount of toner T remaining in the toner containing portion 91 can be extremely reduced. The toner T is almost completely discharged at the same time as the opening of the toner cartridge 9 is completed. By increasing the area of the adhesive portion 96, the toner cartridge 9 has a larger area when mounted on a shaft member 200 described later, and can be mounted stably. Further, since the toner cartridge 9 is mounted so as to be narrowed downward, the toner T is easily dropped.

  In the present embodiment, each fold line 97 is a triangular middle line with the lower side 92 opened in the toner accommodating portion 91 as the bottom side after the lower side 92 is opened. Specifically, each fold line 97 is provided so as to be positioned on the middle line. Thus, when each fold line 97 is a middle line, the foldability of the toner cartridge 9 is improved, and the storability of the toner cartridge 9 after use is further improved, so that a large number of toner cartridges 9 can be accommodated.

  Further, fold lines 97 are formed so that the toner containing portion 91 is folded in a mountain-like manner when folded. As a result, when the lower side 92 is opened and an urging force is applied in the direction in which the elastic member 98 opens the toner containing portion 91 from the inside to the outside, the folding lines 97 and 97 are surely opened to the outside of the container. For this reason, the thickness at the time of folding can be made thin compared with the case where the folding lines 97 and 97 are folded inside.

  That is, when the toner cartridge 9 according to the present embodiment is folded, it is folded at a thickness 2T of two sheet materials T as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when folded from the fold lines 97, 97 inside the toner accommodating portion 91, the sheet is folded at a thickness 4T of four sheet material thicknesses T as shown in FIG. For this reason, the toner cartridge 9 according to the present embodiment is compact when folded, and the storage property of the toner cartridge 9 after use is improved, so that a large number of toner cartridges 9 can be stored.

  Since the toner accommodating portion 91 has flexibility, depending on the thickness of the sheet material, even if the toner T is accommodated, the toner accommodating portion 91 has four surfaces due to the force pushing from the inside of the toner to the outside due to vibration during transportation or the force from the outside of the container. The body shape (appearance shape) may not be maintained. If the appearance shape is impaired in this way, not only the appearance is deteriorated but also a factor of damage or difficulty in holding the toner cartridge housing portion 19 is assumed. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the bonding widths of the bonding portions 95 and 96 are widened to serve as support members, so that the angles of adjacent surfaces in the toner storage portion 91 formed of a tetrahedron are maintained. If the adhesive portions 95 and 96 are provided in the toner accommodating portion 91 as support members in this manner, the external shape of the toner cartridge 9 that can be deformed before use (during transportation) can be maintained, and unintended shape changes or cartridge damage can occur. , Can prevent difficulty holding.

  In the present embodiment, the bonding portions 95 and 96 positioned on the lower side 92 and the upper side 94 are used as the support member, but the form of the support member is not limited to such a form. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6A, a support member 99 </ b> A that supports the side may be provided inside at least one side in the toner storage unit 91 configured by a tetrahedron. In the form shown in FIG. 6A, the support member 99A is provided inside the two sides.

  Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6B, at least one apex portion of the surface of the toner containing portion 91 is provided with a triangular and plate-like support member 99B on one side inside or outside the toner containing portion 91 or both inside and outside. It may be provided. In the form shown in FIG. 6B, plate-like support members 99 </ b> B are provided at three vertex portions on the surface of the toner containing portion 91. In addition, the sheet material forming the toner accommodating portion 91 that forms a tetrahedron has a thickness in the vicinity of the two apexes of the upper portion of the cartridge that is thicker than other portions to serve as a supporting member, and the toner accommodating portion 91 that is assembled and bonded to the sheet material. The outer shape may be secured by giving a waist or tension. Even when the support members 99A and 99B are provided in this way, the external shape of the toner cartridge 9 that can be deformed before use (during transportation) can be maintained in the same manner as the support members 95 and 96. Breakage can be prevented.

  Next, the configuration of the apparatus main body 101 used in the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, the toner cartridge housing portion 19 in which the toner cartridge 9 is mounted is directly provided in the process cartridge 1. Therefore, in this embodiment, the apparatus main body side indicates the process cartridge 1. However, the toner cartridge storage unit 19 may be installed in the apparatus main body 101 so as to be separated from the process cartridge 1. In this case, the toner cartridge housing part 19 and the toner housing part 18 are connected by a connection path (not shown), and the toner T discharged from the toner cartridge 9 in the toner cartridge storage part 19 is transferred to the toner storage part via the connection path. 18 may be configured to be supplied.

  FIGS. 7A to 7D illustrate the configuration and operation in the vicinity of the toner cartridge housing portion 19 in which the toner cartridge 9 is set. As shown in FIG. 7A, the toner cartridge housing portion 19 includes a shaft member 200 that is a container support member that holds the toner cartridge 9 via an adhesive portion 96 provided as a held portion provided in the toner cartridge 9. I have.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, the open / close cover 192 is formed with a pair of left and right support arms 1921 and 1922 that protrude toward the toner cartridge housing portion 19 in the moving direction of the cover member. The support arms 1921 and 1922 are supported by rail members 201 and 202 provided in the toner cartridge housing portion 19 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction in the drawing. Here, a direction in which the opening / closing cover 192 protrudes from the toner cartridge housing portion 19 is referred to as a drawing direction a1, and a direction in which the opening / closing cover 192 moves toward the toner cartridge housing portion 19 is referred to as a housing direction a2.

  The opening / closing cover 192 is provided at one end 1921a, 1922a of each support arm, and at the tips 1921b, 1922b of the support arms 1921, 1922, contact members 1923 as moving means for moving the shaft member 200 in the storage direction a2, 1924 is provided. The contact members 1923 and 1924 extend below the rail members 201 and 202 and are disposed and formed so as to face the shaft member 200 supported at both ends by the rail members 201 and 202. For this reason, when the opening / closing cover 192 moves in the storage direction a2, the shaft member 200 is pushed by the contact members 1923 and 1924 and moves in the rail members 201 and 202. That is, the shaft member 200 is configured to move with the closing operation of the opening / closing cover 192.

  The rail members 201 and 202 are symmetrical in shape and extend from the opening 191a of the toner cartridge storage part 19 toward the back side (storage direction a2 side) of the toner cartridge storage part 19. 19 is disposed. Rail members 203 and 203 for housing holding members for housing a plurality of shaft members 200 communicate with the ends 201a and 201a of the rail members 201 and 202 positioned at the opening 191a, respectively. Each rail portion 203 has the same shape and is disposed above the rail members 201 and 202. Each rail portion 203 is arranged such that the connecting portion X with the one ends 201a and 201b is positioned closer to the storage direction a2 than the contact members 1923 and 1924 when the opening / closing cover 192 is pulled out to the pulling direction a1 side. ing.

  Moreover, the rail part 203 is arrange | positioned so that it may be located above the upper surfaces 1921c and 1922c of the support arms 1921 and 1922. The distance between the rail members 201 and 202 is set to a width that supports the shaft member 200 so that the shaft member 200 can move. Each rail member 201 and 202 is formed with a groove having a width that allows only one shaft member 200 to move. Yes. For this reason, the shaft member 200 that is supported by the rails 203 at both ends and housed is separated from the rail unit 203 by its own weight when the contact members 1923 and 1924 are located on the side of the drawing direction a1 with respect to the connecting part X. It falls into the rail members 201 and 202. While the opening / closing cover 192 is moving in the storage direction a2, the connecting portion X is closed by the upper surfaces 1921c and 1922c of the support arms 1921 and 1922, so that the shaft member 200 falls into the rail members 201 and 202. Is blocked.

  The number (number) of shaft members 200 accommodated in each rail portion 203 is set to be equal to or less than the number of toner cartridges 9 that have a toner replenishment amount that does not exceed the maximum number of printed sheets that is the use limit on the apparatus main body side. For example, when the limit print number of the process cartridge is 50,000 sheets, and the amount of toner that can be supplied by one toner cartridge 9 is equivalent to 5,000 sheets, the shaft member 200 has an upper limit of the number (10) that does not exceed 50,000 prints. As a preset.

  When a plurality of shaft members 200 for mounting and holding the toner cartridge 9 are provided, a new toner cartridge 9 can be mounted without removing the used cartridge 9A from the shaft member 200 when replacing the cartridge. Further, the number of shaft members 200 that hold the toner cartridge 9 is set to be equal to or less than the number of toner cartridges 9 that have a toner replenishment amount that does not exceed the maximum number of printed sheets that is the use limit on the apparatus main body side. As a result, it becomes impossible to install the toner cartridge 9 exceeding the limit number of sheets to be printed, so that it is possible to prevent the image formation after the replacement time and to suppress the deteriorated image formation and improve the image quality. Can be secured.

  In the middle of the rail members 201 and 202, a branching portion 205 having a step is formed so that the other ends 201b and 202b of the rail members 201 and 202 positioned on the storage direction a2 side are positioned below the one ends 201a and 202a. Yes. In the present embodiment, a toner cartridge 9A serving as a used toner storage container opened and used by the opening means 194 is stored in the toner cartridge storage portion 19 located on the storage direction a2 side of the branch portion 205. A space 198 is formed. The depth dimension Y of the storage space 198 is set to a size that can be stored even when all of the mounted toner cartridges 9 are used.

  The cutting means 194 disposed in the toner cartridge housing portion 19 is disposed in the lower portion 191b on the side of the drawing direction a1 with respect to the housing space portion 198. The cutting unit 194 is disposed to face the lower side 92 of the toner cartridge 9 in a state where the toner cartridge 9 is stored in the toner cartridge storage unit 19. The cutting means 194 has a triangular cutting blade and a holding member (not shown), and is fixedly disposed on the lower portion 191b. The cutting blade of the cutting means 194 is arranged so that its free end formed in an acute angle is opposed to the toner cartridge 9 and the lower end of its base end is located below the lower side 92. Has been. When the toner cartridge 9 moves in the storage direction a <b> 2, the cutting unit 194 is disposed so as to cut the vicinity of the lower side 92 and open the toner storage portion 91 to form the opening 93.

The operation from mounting to replacement of the toner cartridge 9 in the first embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 7A, the opening / closing cover 192 is pulled out to the drawing direction a1 side as much as possible, and the upper adhesive portion 96 is held on the shaft member 200 with the lower side 92 of the toner cartridge 9 as the bottom side. The toner cartridge 9 is held while being suspended from the shaft member 200. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7C, the adhesive portion 96 is wound around the outer periphery of the shaft member 200 and mounted.

  The container support member is not limited to the shaft member 200 consisting of a simple shaft. For example, as shown in FIG. 7 (d), a shaft member 200A having a slit 200a formed in the axial direction from one end is formed, and the adhesive portion 96 on the top of the toner cartridge 9 is inserted between the slits 200a. You may make it hold | maintain. In this case, the other end portion of the shaft member 200A is inserted into the rail member 201, one end portion is removed from the rail member 202, the adhesive portion 96 is held by the slit 200a, and then the one end portion of the shaft member 200A is removed. Insert into rail 202. Thus, the shaft member 200A can be supported by the rail members 201 and 202 so as to be movable after the toner cartridge is mounted. Alternatively, the shaft member 200A may be removed from the rail members 201 and 202, and the adhesive member 96 may be held by the slit 200a and then attached to the rail members 201 and 202 again.

  When the toner cartridge 9 is attached to the shaft member 200, as shown in FIG. 8A, the user moves the opening / closing cover 192 to the storage direction a2 side to close the opening 191a. In conjunction with the closing operation, the toner cartridge 9 held by the shaft member 200 is moved and stored in the toner cartridge housing portion 19 (device main body 10) from the opening 191a toward the back side. As shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C, the lower side 92 (or the periphery thereof) of the stored toner cartridge 9 is torn by being pressed against the cutting means 194 in the middle of the movement, so that the toner storage portion The toner T accommodated in 91 is discharged by its own weight.

  At the time of this cutting, when the toner cartridge 9 moves to the storage direction a2 side, the free end of the cutting means 194 penetrates the toner cartridge 9, and the triangular cutting blade moves along with the movement of the toner cartridge 9. Is cut from above to below. In FIG. 8C, reference numeral 30 indicates a broken portion of the toner cartridge 9 cut by the cutting means 194. At the breaking portion 30 where the toner cartridge 9 is cut by the cutting means 194, the contact point 31 where the member constituting the toner cartridge 9 and the cutting means 194 contact each other is cut.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, when the toner cartridge 9 is cut by the cutting means 194, two contact points 31 are formed. For this reason, the shaft member 200 serving as a viewpoint during cutting of the toner cartridge 9 and each contact point 31 are attracted to each other, and the toner cartridge 9 can be opened in a stable state. For this reason, since the cutting force of the cutting means 194 is concentrated and acts, the toner cartridge 9 can be opened even with a very weak force.

  In order to cut the toner cartridge 9 with certainty, for example, as shown in FIG. 8D, a bag-shaped guide portion 91a may be formed at a site where the cutting means 194 in the toner cartridge 9 bites first. And it is preferable to comprise so that the front-end | tip of the cutting | disconnection means 194 may be inserted in the guide part 91a and opened. As described above, when the cutting means 194 is arranged in the toner cartridge housing portion 19, the user does not have to perform the opening operation when replenishing the toner, and the convenience for the user is improved. At the time of opening, the toner is scattered outside the apparatus. No longer. Further, since the toner cartridge 9 can be opened even with a very weak force, it is possible to reduce the force acting on the shaft member 200 and the cutting means 194 to reduce the cost and increase the accommodation efficiency of the used toner cartridge 9A. Become.

  When the opening / closing cover 192 is opened widely and the toner cartridge 9 is exposed to the outside from the toner cartridge housing portion 19, the dust or the like generated when the cartridge is opened and discharged is discharged to the outside of the toner cartridge housing portion 19. There is a possibility of leakage. However, in this embodiment, the opening of the toner cartridge 9 starts from a state in which at least the entire toner cartridge is completely located in the toner cartridge housing portion 19 (the apparatus main body 10) at the time of opening by the cutting means 194. For this reason, toner dust generated when the cartridge is opened and the toner is discharged is extremely less likely to leak out of the apparatus. In the case of this embodiment, when the toner cartridge 9 is pushed in the storage direction a2 side, the lower side 92 of the toner containing portion 91 is opened from the back side, so that the toner T is opened on the opening / closing cover 192 side (front side of the apparatus). It is more preferable because it is difficult to come out on the side. As described above, the movement of the shaft member 200 in accordance with the closing operation of the opening / closing cover 192 can reduce user operations when a new toner cartridge 9 is mounted, thereby improving operability.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, the toner T in the toner cartridge 9 is discharged at the same time as the toner cartridge 9 is opened by the cutting means 194, and as shown in FIG. The toner T falls into the storage unit 18. The dropped toner T is conveyed to the supply roller 15 after being stirred. In order not to cause toner clogging or toner overflow in the toner cartridge housing portion 19, it is preferable that the toner capacity filled in the toner cartridge 9 is smaller than the space capacity of the toner housing portion 18.

  As shown in FIGS. 4D and 9B, the toner cartridge 9A after replenishing the toner is deformed flat and folded, and as the opening / closing cover 192 moves toward the storage direction a2, the storage direction a2 side Move to. When reaching the branching portion 205, as shown in FIG. 9C, the shaft member 200 is guided to the other ends 201b and 202b of the rail members 201 and 202 positioned below the one ends 201a and 202a. When the opening / closing cover 192 moves in the storage direction a2 in this state, the shaft member 200 holding the toner cartridge 9A that is flatly deformed and folded as shown in FIG. It is pushed toward the storage direction a2. For this reason, the toner cartridge 9 </ b> A deformed flat and folded moves in the storage space 198.

  According to the above-described configuration, the rail members 201 and 202 also serve as the members that hold the shaft member 200 and the members that movably support the contact members 1923 and 1924 that push and move the shaft member 200. By moving the cover 192, the two can be linked.

  Since the contact members 1923 and 1924 come into contact with the toner cartridges 9 and 9A and move the toner cartridges 9 and 9A toward the storage direction a2, it is possible to improve the storage efficiency while increasing the movement efficiency of the toner cartridges 9 and 9A. it can. That is, bulkiness can be suppressed, the compression efficiency of the toner cartridge 9A can be reliably improved, and a large number of toner cartridges 9A can be accommodated. Further, if the contact members 1923 and 1924 are partially in contact with the folds of the toner cartridge 9A after the toner is discharged, the toner cartridge 9A can be pushed into the storage space 198 while being compressed.

  Further, since the storage space portion 198 includes contact members 1923 and 1924 that move the used toner cartridge 9A, the used toner cartridge 9A can be stored in the storage space portion 198 at an appropriate position inside the main body. Can do. Further, since these contact members 1923 and 1924 are interlocked with the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing cover 192, the closing operation of the opening / closing cover 192 and the storing operation of the used toner cartridge 9A can be performed at a time. As a result, the number of operations of the opening / closing cover 192 and the user operation related to the movement of the toner cartridge 9A can be reduced, and convenience and operability can be improved.

  The toner capacity from the toner container 18 to the supply roller 15 is larger than the toner capacity of the toner cartridge 9, and the toner amount is detected between the toner container 18 and the supply roller 15 (in the toner conveyance path). Detection means are provided. Examples of the detecting means include an optical sensor and a torque sensor provided on the shaft of the agitator 16. In the case of an optical sensor, a detection window passing through the conveyance path is provided, and an error signal is output when there is no toner and no light is blocked. In this case, when an error signal is issued N times within a predetermined travel distance of the photoconductor 11, a control means (not shown) displays the toner empty on the display panel 6 shown in FIG.

  In the case of the torque sensor, when the amount of toner decreases and the rotational torque of the agitator 16 becomes lighter than a certain value, the near end is displayed on the display panel 6 shown in FIG. You may display on the display panel 6 to inform.

  When the empty state is notified to the user, the user pulls out the opening / closing cover 192 from the stored state (before cartridge replenishment) shown in FIG. 10 (a) to install a new toner cartridge 9, as shown in FIG. 10 (b). Move to the direction a1 side. Then, as shown in FIG. 10C, the contact members 1923 and 1924 are pulled out sufficiently (fully open) until they pass through the connecting portion X. When the abutting members 1923 and 1924 pass through the connecting portion X, the connecting portion X is opened, so that only one shaft member 200 stored in the rail portion 203 falls into the rail members 201 and 202 by its own weight.

  After this state, as shown in FIG. 7C, the upper joint portion 96 of the toner cartridge 9 is wound around the shaft member 200 and held, and as shown in FIG. Push the opening / closing cover 192 to the side. In the middle of this movement, the toner cartridge 9 is opened and toner is replenished. When the shaft member 200 reaches the branching portion 205 and passes through the branching portion 205 as shown in FIG. 10E, the shaft member 200 becomes the other end 201b of the lower rail members 201 and 202 as shown in FIG. , 202b. By pushing the open / close cover 192 further toward the storage direction a2 in this state, the used toner cartridge 9A can be moved into the storage space 198 and compressed.

  FIG. 12 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment described above only in that the cutting means 32 is used instead of the cutting means 194, and the other configurations are the same. The cutting means 32 has a triangular cutting blade and a holding member (not shown). The holding member (not shown) is fixedly disposed on the lower portion 191b, and the cutting blade can be moved up and down by lifting means provided on the holding member (not shown). It is supported by. The cutting blade of the cutting means 32 is disposed so that its free end faces the toner cartridge 9, and the lower end of its base end is positioned above the lower side 92 at the initial position shown in FIG. Are arranged as follows.

  When the toner cartridge 9 moves from the initial position to the storage direction a2 side and reaches a predetermined position, the cutting means 32 has its cutting blade penetrate the toner cartridge 9 as shown in FIG. When the lifting / lowering means (not shown) is operated from this state and the cutting blade of the cutting means 32 moves in the downward direction indicated by the arrow 33, that is, in the direction away from the shaft member 200, two contact points as shown in FIG. Thus, the toner cartridge 9 is opened.

  According to this configuration, the cutting means 32 only passes through the toner cartridge 9 when the toner cartridge 9 is set to a predetermined position, so that the force acting on the shaft member 200 and the cutting means 32 can be further reduced. . Further, when the cutting blade is moved, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained, and the toner cartridge 9 is opened by the two contact points 31. Therefore, a low-output and small-sized one is used as the lifting means. Can do.

  FIG. 13 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is different from the second embodiment described above only in that a cutting means 34 is used instead of the cutting means 32, and the other configurations are the same. The cutting means 34 has a cutting blade that is convex in the moving direction indicated by the arrow 33 and a holding member (not shown). The holding member (not shown) is fixedly disposed on the lower portion 191b, and the cutting blade is provided on a holding member (not shown). It is supported by the raised / lowered means so that it can move up and down. The cutting blade of the cutting means 34 is arranged so that its free end faces the toner cartridge 9, and the lower end of its base end is positioned above the lower side 92 at the initial position shown in FIG. Are arranged as follows.

  When the toner cartridge 9 moves from the initial position to the storage direction a2 side and reaches a predetermined position, the cutting means 34 has its cutting blade penetrate the toner cartridge 9 as shown in FIG. When the lifting / lowering means (not shown) is operated from this state and the cutting blade of the cutting means 34 moves in the downward direction indicated by the arrow 33, that is, in the direction away from the shaft member 200, four contact points as shown in FIG. 13 (b). Thus, the toner cartridge 9 is opened.

  According to this configuration, the same effect as in the second embodiment is obtained, and the toner cartridge 9 is opened at the four contact points 31. Therefore, the toner cartridge 9 is opened at two or more places until just before the toner cartridge 9 is completely opened. The contact point 31 can be maintained. As a result, the toner cartridge 9 is cut without being biased to either one, so that the toner cartridge 9 can be opened in a stable state.

  FIG. 14 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The fourth embodiment is different from the second embodiment described above only in that a cutting means 35 is used instead of the cutting means 32, and the other configurations are the same. The cutting means 35 has a concave cutting blade and a holding member (not shown) with respect to the moving direction indicated by the arrow 33. The holding member (not shown) is fixedly disposed on the lower portion 191b, and the cutting blade is provided on the holding member (not shown). It is supported by the raised / lowered means so that it can move up and down. The cutting blade of the cutting means 35 is arranged so that its free end faces the toner cartridge 9, and the lower end of its base end is located above the lower side 92 in the initial position shown in FIG. Are arranged as follows.

  When the toner cartridge 9 moves from the initial position to the storage direction a2 side and reaches a predetermined position, the cutting means 35 passes through the toner cartridge 9 as shown in FIG. When the lifting / lowering means (not shown) operates from this state and the cutting blade of the cutting means 35 moves in the downward direction indicated by the arrow 33, that is, away from the shaft member 200, two contact points as shown in FIG. 14 (b). Thus, the toner cartridge 9 is opened.

  According to this configuration, the same effect as in the second embodiment is obtained, and the side surface of the toner cartridge 9 is opened by the two contact points 31. When the bottom surface of the toner cartridge 9 is opened, the two contact points are contacted. The point 31 opens from both sides toward the center. For this reason, since the two contact points 31 finally intersect at the center, the cutting force can be concentrated to one point at the end, and the toner cartridge 9 can be placed in a more stable state than in the third embodiment. Can be opened.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the process cartridge 1 is shown as the developing device. However, the developing device to which the present invention is applicable is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to a developing device provided directly on the apparatus main body 101. is there. In each of the above-described embodiments, when a predetermined amount of used toner storage container is stored or when a predetermined amount of cut sealing part is accumulated, the replacement of the process cartridge 1 is displayed on the display panel 6. Is set to The storage amount of the used toner storage container and the storage capacity of the sealing portion are set in advance, and the replacement display is performed by determining how many toner storage containers have been inserted into the process cartridge 1.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and is described in the claims unless specifically limited by the above description. Various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the present invention.
For example, the image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the type of image forming apparatus described above, and may be another type of image forming apparatus. In other words, the image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied may be a printer, a single facsimile, or a complex machine thereof, or a complex machine such as a monochrome machine or a color machine related thereto. In addition, the image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied may be an image forming apparatus used for forming an electric circuit or an image forming apparatus used for forming a predetermined image in the biotechnology field.

  The effects described in the embodiments of the present invention are only the most preferable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention. .

1 Process cartridge 9 Toner container (toner cartridge)
20 developing device 31 contact point 32, 34, 35, 194 cutting means 100 image forming apparatus (printer)
101 apparatus main body 200 container support member (shaft member)

JP-A-8-272204

Claims (9)

A container support member for storing toner and a foldable toner storage container in a predetermined position of the apparatus main body;
A developing device comprising: cutting means for cutting while making point contact with the toner container held at a predetermined position, and opening the toner container and discharging the toner inside. The developing device according to claim 1,
The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the container support member, and the contact point between the cutting means and the toner container form a polygonal shape during opening of the toner container. The developing device according to claim 1 or 2,
The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the cutting unit opens the toner container while moving in a direction away from the container support member after passing through the toner container. The developing device according to claim 3.
The developing device, wherein the cutting means has a cutting blade, and the shape of the cutting blade is formed to be convex with respect to the moving direction of the cutting means. The developing device according to claim 3.
The developing device, wherein the cutting means has a cutting blade, and the shape of the cutting blade is formed to be concave with respect to the moving direction of the cutting means.   A process cartridge comprising the developing device according to claim 1.   An image forming apparatus comprising the developing device according to claim 5.   An image forming apparatus comprising the process cartridge according to claim 6 detachably. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 or 8,
An image forming apparatus comprising silicon oil-containing silica in an external additive formulation as the toner.

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