JP2016122195A - Toner container and image forming apparatus including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus that suppresses use of a toner of a type different from an adaptable toner.SOLUTION: An apparatus body is provided with a drive transmission mechanism 56 including a first rotation part 54 and a second rotation part 55. A toner container 30 comprises an operation part 34 that includes a first connection part 58 connected to the first rotation part 54, and an opening/closing mechanism 33 that includes a second connection part 59 connected to the second rotation part 55 and opens/closes a toner discharge port by the second connection part 59 being rotated. The first connection part 58 rotates coaxially with the first rotation part 54, and the second connection part 59 rotates coaxially with the second rotation part 59.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

  The present invention relates to a toner container and an image forming apparatus including the toner container.

  An image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a laser printer includes a toner container attached to the apparatus body. In general, a toner container includes a housing that contains toner, a toner discharge port formed in the housing, and a shutter mechanism for opening and closing the toner discharge port. The toner container described in Patent Document 1 has a lever for operating a shutter mechanism.

  In this type of image forming apparatus, different types of toner are used depending on, for example, image quality specifications, destination, or image color. Therefore, a compatible toner is normally designated for the image forming apparatus.

  If the user accidentally uses a toner other than the designated toner, there is a possibility that a mechanism failure or image failure of the image forming apparatus may occur. For this reason, it is necessary to eliminate the compatibility of the toner container that accommodates the toner with respect to a plurality of models of the image forming apparatus (hereinafter, the toner container also has an incompatible function).

  Therefore, it is known to form a protrusion for identifying a model having a different shape and position depending on the model of the image forming apparatus on the toner container, while forming a recess to be engaged with the protrusion on the main body of the apparatus on which the toner container is mounted. ing.

  However, in general, since the protrusion is formed of a resin material together with the main body of the toner container, the protrusion can be easily cut out with a cutter knife or the like. As a result, there is a problem that it becomes possible to mount the toner container from which the protruding portion is cut off in an image forming apparatus that should not be mounted correctly.

  On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, a convex step portion extending along the insertion direction into the apparatus main body is formed in the upper portion of the toner container, and a gap communicating with the inside of the toner container is formed inside the step portion. It is taught to provide. As described above, the toner container of Patent Document 2 tries to prevent the stepped portion from being removed by adopting a configuration in which the toner inside leaks when the stepped portion is cut out.

JP 2010-170101 A JP 2005-114935 A

  However, even if the toner container has an incompatible function by providing a stepped portion as in Patent Document 2, the opening formed by cutting the stepped portion is blocked by, for example, a tape material or the like. In this case, the function of the toner container for supplying the toner to the apparatus main body can be exhibited while still preventing the leakage of the toner. Therefore, the toner container described in Patent Document 2 has a problem that it is relatively easily used for other models other than the designated model.

  The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object of the present invention is to appropriately suppress the use of a toner of a different type from a toner that can be adapted to an image forming apparatus.

  An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an apparatus main body and a toner container attached to the apparatus main body, and the toner container includes a casing for storing toner, and a toner discharge port formed in the casing. An opening / closing mechanism provided in the housing for opening / closing the toner discharge port, and an operation unit provided in the housing, wherein the apparatus main body includes a first rotating portion and the first rotating portion. A drive transmission mechanism having a second rotation unit that rotates in conjunction with the operation unit, and the operation unit rotates when the operation unit is operated, and the toner container is mounted on the apparatus main body. And a first connecting portion connected to the first rotating portion of the drive transmission mechanism so as to be integrally rotatable. The opening / closing mechanism is configured to attach the toner container to the main body of the device and thereby transmit the drive transmission. Integrated with the second rotating part of the mechanism A second connecting portion that is rotatably connected, and is configured to open and close the toner discharge port when the second connecting portion is rotated; the first connecting portion is connected to the first rotating portion; The second connecting portion is configured to rotate coaxially with respect to the second rotating portion.

  According to this configuration, when the housing of the toner container is attached to the apparatus main body, the first connecting portion of the operation unit provided in the casing is connected to the first rotating portion of the drive transmission mechanism provided in the apparatus main body. In addition, the second connecting portion of the opening / closing mechanism provided in the housing is connected to the second rotating portion of the drive transmission mechanism. Therefore, when the operation unit is operated in a state where the housing is mounted on the apparatus main body, the first rotation unit of the drive transmission mechanism rotates together with the first connection unit of the operation unit. Further, in conjunction with the rotation of the first rotating part, the second rotating part rotates integrally with the second connecting part of the opening / closing mechanism, so that the opening / closing mechanism opens and closes the toner discharge port. Therefore, even if the operation unit is operated before the housing is attached to the apparatus main body, the toner discharge port does not open or close, so even if the user operates the operation unit by mistake, the toner discharge port is not opened and closed. Leakage from the housing can be prevented.

  Here, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are portions that perform the incompatible function of the toner container. However, if the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are cut off, the housing is attached to the apparatus main body. Even if the user operates the operation unit in such a state, the opening / closing mechanism cannot be operated by the operation, so that the function of the toner container for discharging the toner from the toner discharge port cannot be exhibited.

  That is, according to the above configuration, if the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are cut off, the function of the toner container cannot be exhibited. Therefore, a different type of toner from the toner that can be adapted to the image forming apparatus is used. Can be appropriately suppressed.

  The first rotating part has a first connection groove at least partially extending linearly, and the second rotating part has a second connection groove extending at least partially linearly, and the first connection The portion has a shape that fits into the first connecting groove of the first rotating portion, and the second connecting portion has a shape that fits into the second connecting groove of the second rotating portion. Is preferred.

  According to this configuration, if the first connection groove and the second connection groove are arranged in parallel to each other, the toner container is slid in the groove length direction of the first and second connection grooves, thereby the toner. It is possible to insert the first connecting portion of the container into the first connecting groove to be fitted, and to insert the second connecting portion into the second connecting groove to be fitted.

  The groove width of the first connection groove is preferably different from the groove width of the second connection groove. According to this configuration, the number of combinations of the shape of the first connection groove and the shape of the second connection groove can be increased. Therefore, it is possible to increase the number of incompatible patterns that are shapes that perform the incompatible function of the toner container.

  The toner container includes a lock member that locks the operation unit so that the operation of the operation unit is restricted, and the lock member is configured so that when the toner container is attached to the apparatus main body, It is preferable that the operation member is unlocked by the lock member in contact with a protrusion formed on the apparatus main body.

  According to this configuration, since the operation unit is locked by the lock member before the toner container is mounted on the apparatus main body, it is possible to prevent the operation unit from being erroneously operated. Further, since the operation unit is unlocked in conjunction with the operation of attaching the toner container to the apparatus main body, an operation for releasing the lock state can be eliminated.

  The first rotating part may have a first gear part, and the second rotating part may have a second gear part that meshes with the first gear part.

  According to this configuration, the driving force of the first rotating part that rotates integrally with the first connecting part is transmitted to the second rotating part via the gear parts of the first and second rotating parts. Therefore, it is possible to reliably transmit the driving force from the operation unit to the opening / closing mechanism while the drive transmission mechanism has a simple configuration.

  The toner container according to the present invention is mounted on the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus and accommodates the toner, the toner discharge port formed in the casing, and the toner provided in the casing. An opening / closing mechanism that opens and closes the discharge port; and an operation unit provided in the housing. The apparatus body includes a first rotating unit, and a second rotating unit that rotates in conjunction with the first rotating unit. A drive transmission mechanism is provided, and the operation unit rotates when the operation unit is operated, and the housing is attached to the apparatus main body so that the first rotation unit of the drive transmission mechanism is provided. A first connecting portion that is rotatably connected integrally with the opening / closing mechanism, and the opening / closing mechanism is integrated with the second rotating portion of the drive transmission mechanism by mounting the housing on the apparatus main body. A second connecting portion connected rotatably, The two connecting portions are configured to open and close the toner discharge port. The first connecting portion rotates coaxially with respect to the first rotating portion, and the second connecting portion It is comprised so that it may rotate coaxially with respect to a 2nd rotation part.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately suppress the use of a different type of toner from the toner that can be adapted to the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a laser printer as an image forming apparatus in the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the toner container together with the mounting portion. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the toner container. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a lever, a shutter mechanism, a stirring mechanism, and a screw part. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the shutter mechanism. FIG. 6 is a front view showing the appearance of the toner container. FIG. 7 is a front view showing the toner container with the cover member removed. FIG. 8 is a front view showing a partially broken toner container. FIG. 9 is a rear view showing the appearance of the mounting portion. FIG. 10 is a front view showing a mounting portion in which one toner container is mounted. FIG. 11 is a front view showing a mounting portion in which four toner containers are mounted. FIG. 12 is an enlarged rear view of the drive transmission mechanism. FIG. 13 is an enlarged front view showing the drive transmission mechanism. FIG. 14 is a front view of the toner container attached to the attachment part, with a part thereof broken away. FIG. 15 is a partially cutaway front view of the toner container attached to the attachment portion and having the stopper removed. FIG. 16 is a front view showing the toner container with the stopper removed. FIG. 17 is a front view showing the toner container in which the lever is swung. FIG. 18 is a partially cutaway front view of the toner container that is mounted on the mounting portion and whose lever is swung. FIG. 19 is an enlarged front view showing the drive transmission mechanism in which the lever is swung.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

  <Image forming apparatus>

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic structure of the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 is, for example, a tandem color printer, and includes an apparatus main body 2 and a toner container 30 which is a toner container attached to the apparatus main body, as shown in FIG. The apparatus main body 2 includes an intermediate transfer belt 7, a primary transfer unit 8 and a secondary transfer unit 9, a fixing device 11, an optical scanning device 15, and a plurality of image forming units 16.

  A paper feed cassette 3 is disposed below the inside of the main body 2 of the image forming apparatus 1. The paper feed cassette 3 stores and accommodates sheets (not shown) such as paper before printing. A first paper transport unit 21 extending upward is provided on the side of the paper feed cassette 3. The first paper transport unit 21 receives the paper fed from the paper feed cassette 3 and transports the paper to the upper secondary transfer unit 9. Above the paper feed cassette 3, there is provided a second paper transport unit 22 that receives paper fed from a manual paper feed unit (not shown) and transports it to the first paper transport unit 21.

  The optical scanning device 15 is disposed above the second paper transport unit 22 and irradiates the image forming unit 16 with laser light based on the image data received by the image forming device 1. For example, two optical scanning devices 15 that irradiate two image forming units 16 with laser light are arranged side by side. Four image forming units 16 are arranged above the optical scanning device 15. An endless intermediate transfer belt 7 is provided above each image forming unit 16. The intermediate transfer belt 7 is wound around a plurality of rollers and is rotationally driven by a driving device (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the four image forming units 16 are arranged in a line along the intermediate transfer belt 7, and respectively form yellow, magenta, cyan, or black toner images. Each image forming unit 16 includes a photosensitive drum 25 that is a photosensitive member, and a developing device 26 that is disposed around the photosensitive drum 25. That is, in each image forming unit 16, an electrostatic latent image of a document image is formed on the photosensitive drum 25 by the laser light irradiated by the optical scanning device 15, and the developing device 26 develops the electrostatic latent image. Thus, a toner image of each color is formed.

  The toner container 30 is disposed above the intermediate transfer belt 7. In addition, toner containers 30 containing yellow, magenta, cyan, or black toner are arranged in a line along the intermediate transfer belt 7. The toner container 30 is configured to supply toner to the corresponding color developing device.

  The primary transfer unit 8 is disposed above each image forming unit 16. The primary transfer unit 8 includes a transfer roller that primarily transfers the toner image formed by the image forming unit 16 to the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 7.

  Then, the intermediate transfer belt 7 is driven to rotate, and the toner image of each image forming unit 16 is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 7 at a predetermined timing, so that the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 7 has yellow, magenta, A color toner image in which toner images of four colors of cyan and black are superimposed on each other is formed.

  The secondary transfer unit 9 transfers a toner image from the intermediate transfer belt 7 to the sheet by applying a transfer bias voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the toner to the sheet sent from the first sheet transport unit 21. Yes.

  The fixing device 11 is provided above the secondary transfer unit 9. Between the secondary transfer unit 9 and the fixing device 11, a third paper transport unit 23 that transports the paper on which the toner image has been secondarily transferred to the fixing device 11 is formed. The fixing device 11 heats and pressurizes the sheet conveyed from the third sheet conveying unit 23 to fix the toner image on the sheet. The paper discharged from the fixing device 11 is discharged to a paper discharge unit 28 formed on the upper part of the apparatus main body 2.

  <Toner container>

  2 to 8 show the configuration of the toner container 30 in the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the toner container 30 is attached to the apparatus main body 2 of the image forming apparatus 1 and contains a housing 31, a toner discharge port 32 formed in the housing 31, An opening / closing mechanism 33 provided on the housing 31 for opening and closing the toner discharge port 32 and an operation unit 34 provided on the housing 31 are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus main body 2 has a plate-shaped mounting portion 18 to which the housing 31 is mounted. A plurality of groove-shaped container guides 19 extending obliquely upward are formed on one surface of the mounting portion 18. The casing 31 is mounted on the mounting portion 18 by being guided obliquely downward by the container guide 19.

  The housing 31 is made of a resin material and is formed in a box shape extending in the front-rear direction. Here, in FIGS. 2 to 5, the longitudinal direction of the housing 31 is the front-rear direction. In FIG. 3, the right side is the front side and the left side is the rear side.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 31 includes a bottomed container main body 35 whose top is opened, and a lid portion 36 that closes an open portion of the container main body 35. As shown in FIG. 4, a stirring paddle 37 that stirs the toner and a screw portion 38 that transports the toner to the toner discharge port 32 are provided inside the container main body 35.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a toner filling port 39 for filling toner into the housing 31 is provided in the front side wall of the container main body 35. The toner filling port 39 is closed by a plug member 40.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the toner discharge port 32 is formed at the bottom of the front end side of the container main body 35. That is, a substantially cylindrical protruding portion 35 a that protrudes forward and extends forward is formed at the front end portion of the container body 35. The toner discharge port 32 is formed so as to penetrate the peripheral wall of the protruding portion 35a downward.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the opening / closing mechanism 33 includes a cylindrical shutter cylinder 41 that is inserted into the protruding portion 35 a of the container body 35 and has a closed front end, and an opening formed on a side surface of the shutter cylinder 41. And a seal member 43 provided around the toner discharge port 32 on the inner wall surface of the protruding portion 35a.

  A bearing 44 that rotatably supports the screw portion 38 is formed inside the front end portion of the shutter cylinder 41. The seal member 43 is for preventing toner scattering.

  The shutter cylinder 41 is rotatably mounted on the protrusion 35a. Then, when the shutter cylinder 41 rotates and the opening 42 of the shutter cylinder 41 overlaps the toner discharge port 32, the toner discharge port 32 is opened, and the toner in the housing 31 is transferred from the toner discharge port 32 to the developing device 26. It becomes possible to discharge. On the other hand, when the peripheral wall portion of the shutter cylinder 41 in which the opening 42 is not formed overlaps the toner discharge port 32, the toner discharge port 32 is closed. That is, the toner discharge port 32 is opened and closed by rotating the shutter cylinder 41.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the operation portion 34 is provided at the front end portion of the container main body 35, and includes a shaft portion 46 that is rotatably supported by the container main body 35, and a lever 47 that is attached and fixed to the shaft portion 46. have.

  The shaft portion 46 has an axial center extending in the front-rear direction. The lever 47 can swing integrally with the shaft portion 46 around the shaft center of the shaft portion 46. As shown in FIG. 4, the front end of the stirring paddle 37 is rotatably supported inside the shaft portion 46. On the other hand, a stirring gear 48 is connected to the rear end of the stirring paddle 37. A drive gear 49 is connected to the rear end of the screw portion 38. As shown in FIG. 2, the agitation gear 48 and the drive gear 49 are disposed at the rear end of the container main body 35.

  A lock member 51 is provided at the front end of the container main body 35 to lock the operation unit 34 and the opening / closing mechanism 33 so as not to malfunction. That is, the lock member 51 brings the operation unit 34 into a locked state so that the operation of the operation unit 34 is restricted. Further, the lock member 51 brings the opening / closing mechanism 33 into a locked state so that the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing mechanism 33 is restricted. The lock member 51 is integrally formed with a claw portion 51a protruding forward.

  The lower portion of the lock member 51 is sandwiched between a protrusion 46 a formed integrally with the shaft portion 46 and a protrusion 41 a formed integrally with the shutter cylinder 41 in a locked state of the operation portion 34 and the opening / closing mechanism 33. Yes. As a result, the lock member 51 does not rotate the shaft 46 in the clockwise direction in FIG. 8 and does not rotate the shutter cylinder 41 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 8. The lock member 51 is configured to release the locked state of the operation unit 34 and the opening / closing mechanism 33 by sliding upward in FIG.

 Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, a cover member 52 that covers the base end side of the lever 47 and the lock member 51 is attached to the front end portion of the container main body 35. The cover member 52 has a block-shaped positioning protrusion 53 protruding forward. The positioning projection 53 is formed with a slit 52a that extends vertically and opens downward. That is, the cover member 52 is formed in a bifurcated shape by forming the slit 52a. The claw portion 51a of the lock member 51 is exposed from the cover member 52 at the slit 52a.

  The positioning protrusion 53 has substantially the same width as the groove width of the container guide 19. As shown in FIG. 2, the positioning projection 53 is fitted into the container guide 19 and is guided obliquely downward by the container guide 19, so that the housing 31 is mounted on the mounting portion 18. Yes.

  Here, FIGS. 9 to 11 show the appearance of the mounting portion 18. 12 and 13 show the drive transmission mechanism 56 in an enlarged manner. 14 to 16 show the operation of the lock member 51 when the operation unit 34 and the opening / closing mechanism 33 are unlocked. 14 to 16, the illustration of the cover member 52 is omitted for explanation.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 12, the lower portion of the container guide 19 in the mounting portion 18 is divided into a forked portion of a first groove portion 19 a and a second groove portion 19 b so that the forked portion of the cover member 52 is attached. Between the 1st groove part 19a and the 2nd groove part 19b, the protrusion part 20 extended along these 1st and 2nd groove parts 19a and 19b is formed.

  Then, when the cover member 52 is guided by the container guide 19 in the obliquely downward mounting direction, the ridge portion 20 is inserted into the slit 52 a of the cover member 52. After that, as shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, the upper end of the ridge portion 20 as a protrusion comes into contact with the claw portion 51 a of the lock member 51 to push up the lock member 51. In this way, when the toner container 30 is mounted on the mounting portion 18, the lock member 51 abuts on the ridge portion 20 and the locked state of the operation portion 34 and the opening / closing mechanism 33 by the lock member 51 is released. It is configured as follows.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 to 13, the apparatus main body 2 is provided with a drive transmission mechanism 56 having a first rotating portion 54 and a second rotating portion 55 that rotates in conjunction with the first rotating portion 54. Yes. Four drive transmission mechanisms 56 are provided in the mounting portion 18 side by side corresponding to the four toner containers 30.

  The first rotating portion 54 is disposed at the lower end of the first groove portion 19 a in the container guide 19 and is rotatably supported by the mounting portion 18. On the other hand, the 2nd rotation part 55 is arrange | positioned at the lower end of the 2nd groove part 19b, and is supported by the mounting part 18 so that rotation is possible.

  The first rotating portion 54 has a first gear portion 54a, and the second rotating portion 55 has a second gear portion 55a that meshes with the first gear portion 54a. The first gear portion 54 a is integrally formed with the first rotating portion 54, and the second gear portion 55 a is integrally formed with the second rotating portion 55. Accordingly, the second rotating unit 55 is configured to rotate in the reverse direction with respect to the rotation direction of the first rotating unit 54. As shown in FIG. 13, the first and second gear portions 54 a and 55 a are disposed on the side opposite to the side where the container guide 19 is formed in the mounting portion 18.

  The first and second gear portions 54 a and 55 a are set so that the rotation angle of the second rotation portion 55 is larger than the rotation angle of the first rotation portion 54. For example, when the first rotating portion 54 rotates 45 ° together with the lever 47, the second rotating portion 55 rotates 90 °.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the mounting portion 18 is provided with a spring 57 as a biasing member that biases the first rotating portion 54 counterclockwise in FIG. Accordingly, the second rotating portion 55 is urged clockwise in FIG. 13 by the spring 57 via the first and second gear portions 54a and 55a.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, the operation unit 34 of the toner container 30 includes a first connection unit 58 that rotates when the operation unit 34 is operated. The first connecting portion 58 is formed integrally with the front end of the shaft portion 46 and is formed in a plate shape protruding forward. The first connecting portion 58 extends in the mounting direction (that is, obliquely downward) in which the cover member 52 is guided by the container guide 19 when the housing 31 is mounted on the mounting portion 18.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the first rotation portion 54 of the drive transmission mechanism 56 is formed with a first connection groove 54 b to which the first connection portion 58 of the toner container 30 is connected. At least a part of the first connection groove 54b extends linearly. On the other hand, the 1st connection part 58 has a shape fitted to the 1st connection groove 54b. That is, the groove width of the first connecting groove 54 b is substantially the same as the plate thickness of the first connecting portion 58. Then, the first connecting portion 58 is inserted into the first connecting groove 54 b when the casing 31 is mounted on the apparatus main body 2, and is connected to the first rotating portion 54 so as to be integrally rotatable.

  Further, the opening / closing mechanism 33 of the toner container 30 has a second connecting portion 59 that rotates integrally with the shutter cylinder 41 as shown in FIG. The second connecting portion 59 is formed integrally with the front end of the shutter cylinder 41 and protrudes forward. The second connecting portion 59 has a hook-like cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the shutter cylinder 41.

  That is, the second connecting portion 59 includes a first portion 59a extending in the mounting direction (that is, obliquely downward) in which the cover member 52 is guided by the container guide 19 when the housing 31 is mounted on the mounting portion 18. The second portion 59b extends from the upper end of the first portion 59a to one side in the rotational direction of the shutter cylinder 41. The plate thickness of the first portion 59 a is larger than the plate thickness of the first connecting portion 58.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the second rotation portion 55 of the drive transmission mechanism 56 is formed with a second connection groove 55 b to which the second connection portion 59 of the toner container 30 is connected. At least a part of the second connection groove 55b extends linearly. On the other hand, the second connecting portion 59 has a shape that fits into the second connecting groove 55b. In other words, the second connecting groove 55b has a groove width substantially the same as the plate thickness of the first portion 59a in the second connecting portion 59. Therefore, the groove width of the second connection groove 55b is different from the groove width of the first connection groove 54b. Thus, the second connecting portion 59 is inserted into the second connecting groove 55b when the housing 31 is attached to the attaching portion 18, and is connected to the second rotating portion 55 so as to be integrally rotatable. The opening / closing mechanism 33 is configured to open and close the toner discharge port 32 when the second connecting portion 59 rotates integrally with the second rotating portion 55.

  The first connecting portion 58 and the second connecting portion 59 allow the mounting of the housing 31 to the device main body 2 of the specific model, while not allowing the mounting of the housing 31 to the device main body of a model other than the specific model. It is configured in an incompatible shape. For example, depending on the model of the image forming apparatus 1, the first connecting portion 58, the second connecting portion 59, the first connecting groove 54 b of the first rotating portion 54, and the second connecting groove 55 b of the second rotating portion 55 may be The position and shape are different.

  Moreover, the 2nd rotation part 55 has the arm 55c provided in the same side as the 2nd gear part 55a in the mounting part 18, as shown in FIG. The arm 55 c is integrally formed with the second rotating portion 55 so as to extend to one side in the rotation direction of the second rotating portion 55. The arm 55c has an arcuate outer peripheral side surface.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, in the apparatus main body 2, a detection unit for detecting whether or not all the toner discharge ports 32 are open for a plurality of toner containers 30 mounted on the mounting unit 18. 60 is provided. The detection unit 60 is disposed below the four drive transmission mechanisms 56, and includes a detection bar 61 that extends along the surface of the mounting unit 18 in the direction in which the four drive transmission mechanisms 56 are arranged, and one end side of the detection bar 61. And a sensor 62 arranged. The other end of the detection bar 61 is connected to a tension spring 63.

  The detection bar 61 has a locking portion 61 a that is locked to the arm 55 c of the second rotating portion 55. Four locking portions 61a are provided corresponding to the four arms 55c. When the toner discharge port 32 is closed, as shown in FIG. 13, the locking portion 61a is locked to the arm 55c, so that the movement of the detection bar 61 toward the tension spring 63 is restricted. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 19, when the toner discharge port 32 is open, the second rotating portion 55 rotates counterclockwise, and the locking portion 61a is not locked to the outer peripheral side surface of the arm 55c. .

  As shown in FIG. 11, when all the toner discharge ports 32 are opened, all the locking portions 61a are not locked to the outer peripheral side surface of the arm 55c. It is pulled and moves away from the sensor 62.

  The sensor 62 detects an ON state in which at least one toner discharge port 32 is closed when the detection bar 61 is approaching as shown in FIG. 10, while the detection bar 61 is turned on as shown in FIG. When they are separated from each other, an OFF state in which all the toner discharge ports 32 are opened is detected.

  Next, the attaching / detaching operation of the toner container 30 to / from the apparatus main body 2 will be described.

  Before the toner container 30 is attached to the apparatus main body 2, the toner discharge port 32 is closed by the shutter cylinder 41, and as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the operation unit 34 and the opening / closing mechanism 33 include the lock member 51. Is locked. At this time, the first connecting portion 58 and the first portion 59a of the second connecting portion 59 respectively extend in the mounting direction in which the cover member 52 is guided by the container guide 19 (that is, obliquely downward).

  Further, before the toner container 30 is attached to the apparatus main body 2, the first and second connection grooves 54 b and 55 b of the first rotation portion 54 and the second rotation portion 55 in the drive transmission mechanism 56 are shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. As shown, the container guide 19 extends in the direction (that is, the mounting direction in which the cover member 52 is guided).

  When the toner container 30 is attached to the attachment portion 18, the cover member 52 is inserted into the container guide 19 of the attachment portion 18. At that time, the cover member 52 is guided obliquely downward by the container guide 19. Further, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the first connecting portion 58 of the toner container 30 is guided by the first groove portion 19a, and the second connecting portion 59 is guided by the second groove portion 19b. Thus, the first connecting portion 58 is connected to the first connecting groove 54 b of the first rotating portion 54, and the second connecting portion 59 is connected to the second connecting groove 55 b of the second rotating portion 55. .

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, when the cover member 52 is guided by the container guide 19, the upper end of the ridge portion 20 abuts on the claw portion 51 a of the lock member 51 to lock the lock member 51. Push up. As a result, the operation unit 34 and the opening / closing mechanism 33 of the toner container 30 are in a state where the first connection unit 58 is connected to the first rotation unit 54 and the second connection unit 59 is connected to the second rotation unit 55. The locked state will be released.

  Next, the toner discharge port 32 is opened by swinging the lever 47 of the operation unit 34. Here, FIGS. 17 to 19 show a state where the lever 47 is swung.

  When the lever 47 is swung while the toner container 30 is mounted on the mounting portion 18, the shaft portion 46 and the first connecting portion 58 are integrated with the lever 47 in the clockwise direction as shown in FIGS. 15 to 18. Rotate. That is, the first connecting portion 58 rotates by the same angle as the swing angle of the lever 47.

  Since the first connecting portion 58 is connected to the first rotating portion 54 of the drive transmission mechanism 56, the first connecting portion 58 rotates integrally with the first rotating portion 54. On the apparatus main body 2 side, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 19, the first gear portion 54 a of the first rotating portion 54 meshes with the second gear portion 55 a of the second rotating portion 55. Rotates in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first rotation unit 54.

  Since the second rotating portion 55 is connected to the second connecting portion 59 of the toner container 30, the second connecting portion 59 rotates integrally with the second rotating portion 55. Then, when the second connecting portion 59 rotates, the shutter cylinder 41 rotates together with the second connecting portion 59.

  Thus, by swinging the lever 47 with the toner container 30 mounted on the apparatus main body 2, the shutter cylinder 41 rotates and the toner discharge port 32 is opened. When all the toner discharge ports 32 are opened, the open state is detected by the detection unit 60.

  Therefore, according to this embodiment, the rotational driving force of the lever 47 in the toner container 30 is transmitted to the opening / closing mechanism 33 of the toner discharge port 32 via the drive transmission mechanism 56 provided on the apparatus main body 2 side of the image forming apparatus 1. With this configuration, even if the user accidentally operates the lever 47 before the housing 31 is attached to the apparatus main body 2, the rotational driving force is not transmitted to the opening / closing mechanism 33. Is not opened, and leakage of toner from the casing 31 can be prevented.

  Furthermore, the first connecting portion 58 and the second connecting portion 59 allow the housing 31 to be attached to the device main body 2 of a specific model, but do not allow the housing 31 to be attached to the device main body of another model. Therefore, the toner container 30 can be used by the image forming apparatus 1 of a specific model.

  Here, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are portions that perform the incompatible function of the toner container. If the first connecting portion 58 and the second connecting portion 59 are cut off, the housing 31 is the device. Even if the user operates the lever 47 in a state where it is mounted on the main body 2, the rotational driving force of the lever 47 cannot be transmitted to the opening / closing mechanism 33 by the drive transmission mechanism 56, so that the toner is discharged from the toner discharge port 32. The function of the container 30 cannot be exhibited.

  In other words, according to the present embodiment, if the first connecting portion 58 and the second connecting portion 59 are cut off, the function of the toner container 30 cannot be exhibited. Therefore, a different type of toner from the toner that can be adapted to the image forming apparatus. Can be appropriately suppressed from being used in an image forming apparatus.

  Further, since the first connecting groove 54b and the second connecting groove 55b are each formed in a shape that extends at least in a straight line, the first connecting groove 54b and the second connecting groove 55b are moved along the container guide 19 by the operation of mounting the toner container 30 on the mounting portion 18. The portion 58 can be inserted and connected to the first connection groove 54b, and the second connection portion 59 can be inserted and connected to the second connection groove 55b.

  Furthermore, since the groove width of the first connection groove 54b is made different from the groove width of the second connection groove 55b, the number of combinations of the shape of the first connection groove 54b and the shape of the second connection groove 55b is increased. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to increase the number of incompatible patterns that are shapes that perform the incompatible function of the toner container 30.

  Further, since the lock member 51 that locks the operation unit 34 and the opening / closing mechanism 33 is provided, the operation unit 34 and the opening / closing mechanism 33 are locked to the lock member 51 before the toner container 30 is attached to the apparatus main body 2. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the operation unit 34 from being operated by mistake and to prevent the toner discharge port 32 from being opened and closed by operating the opening / closing mechanism 33 by mistake. In addition, since the operation unit 34 and the opening / closing mechanism 33 are unlocked in conjunction with the mounting operation of the toner container 30 on the apparatus main body 2, an operation for releasing the lock state is not necessary. it can.

  Further, since the first rotating portion 54 has the first gear portion 54a and the second rotating portion 55 has the second gear portion 55a that meshes with the first gear portion 54a, the drive transmission mechanism 56 has a simple configuration. However, the rotational driving force of the lever 47 can be reliably transmitted to the opening / closing mechanism 33.

  In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the drive transmission mechanism 56 includes the first and second gear portions 54a and 55a has been described. However, the configuration is not limited thereto, and the first transmission portion 54 and the second rotation portion 55 are wound around, for example. It is good also as a structure which has the transmitted power belt.

  In this embodiment, a laser printer has been described as an example of the image forming apparatus 1. However, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present invention is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a copier, a scanner device, or a multifunction peripheral. The image forming apparatus may be used.

  As described above, the present invention is useful for a toner container and an image forming apparatus including the toner container.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Apparatus main body 20 Projection part (projection part)
30 Toner container (toner container)
31 Housing 32 Toner discharge port 33 Opening / closing mechanism 34 Operation part 51 Lock member 54 First rotation part 54a First gear part 54b First connection groove 55a Second gear part 55b Second connection groove 55 Second rotation part 56 Drive transmission mechanism 58 1st connection part 59 2nd connection part

Claims (6)

The device body;
A toner container mounted on the apparatus main body,
The toner container includes a housing for storing toner, a toner discharge port formed in the housing, an opening / closing mechanism provided in the housing to open and close the toner discharge port, and the housing. An operation unit,
The apparatus main body is provided with a drive transmission mechanism having a first rotating part and a second rotating part that rotates in conjunction with the first rotating part,
The operation portion rotates when the operation portion is operated, and is connected to the first rotation portion of the drive transmission mechanism so as to be integrally rotatable when the toner container is mounted on the apparatus main body. Having a first connecting part,
The opening / closing mechanism has a second connecting portion that is rotatably connected integrally to the second rotating portion of the drive transmission mechanism when the toner container is mounted on the apparatus main body. Configured to open and close the toner discharge port by rotating the unit,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the first connecting portion rotates coaxially with respect to the first rotating portion, and the second connecting portion rotates coaxially with respect to the second rotating portion. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
The first rotating part has a first connecting groove at least a part extending linearly,
The second rotating part has a second connecting groove at least a part extending linearly,
The first connecting portion has a shape that fits into the first connecting groove of the first rotating portion,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the second connecting portion has a shape that fits into a second connecting groove of the second rotating portion. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2.
The image forming apparatus, wherein a groove width of the first connection groove is different from a groove width of the second connection groove. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The toner container includes a lock member that locks the operation unit so that the operation of the operation unit is restricted.
The lock member is configured such that when the toner container is mounted on the apparatus main body, the lock member is brought into contact with a protrusion formed on the apparatus main body to release the locked state of the operation unit by the lock member. An image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The first rotating part has a first gear part,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the second rotating unit includes a second gear unit that meshes with the first gear unit. A housing that is mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus and contains toner;
A toner outlet formed in the housing;
An opening and closing mechanism provided in the housing for opening and closing the toner discharge port;
An operation unit provided in the housing,
The apparatus main body is provided with a drive transmission mechanism having a first rotating part and a second rotating part that rotates in conjunction with the first rotating part,
The operation unit rotates when the operation unit is operated, and is connected to the first rotation unit of the drive transmission mechanism so as to be integrally rotatable when the housing is attached to the apparatus main body. Having a first connecting part,
The opening / closing mechanism has a second connecting portion that is connected to the second rotating portion of the drive transmission mechanism so as to be integrally rotatable when the housing is attached to the apparatus main body. Configured to open and close the toner discharge port by rotating the unit,
The toner container, wherein the first connecting portion rotates coaxially with respect to the first rotating portion, and the second connecting portion rotates coaxially with respect to the second rotating portion.

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