JP2016133654A - Image forming apparatus and recovered developer container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress a discharge port shutter member 23 from mistakenly opening during an insertion operation of a recovered toner container 30.SOLUTION: A discharge part 21 of an apparatus body includes a locking part 25 that is provided movably between a first position and a second position in a direction different from the direction of movement of a discharge port shutter member 23, and locks a part of the discharge port shutter member 23 in a closed state at the first position. A reception part 31 of a recovered toner container 30 includes a projection part 41 and an abutting rib 42. The projection part 41 engages with the engaging part 25 at a first insertion position during an insertion operation of the recovered toner container 30 to move the engaging part 25 to the second position, thereby releasing lock by the engaging part 25. The abutting rib 42 engages with the discharge port shutter member 23 on the downstream in the insertion direction of the first insertion position to move the discharge port shutter member 23 into a closed state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine having a plurality of functions of these, and in particular, an image forming apparatus provided with a developer container that can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus body, and a discharged development. The present invention relates to a collected developer container that collects the developer.

  In an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic system that forms an image with a developer, the developer discharged at the time of use is collected in a collected developer container, and is replaced with an empty collected developer container when the collected amount reaches a predetermined amount. The configuration is conventionally known. The developer discharged at the time of use is, for example, transfer residual toner scraped off from the photosensitive member or the intermediate transfer member by the cleaning means, toner or carrier deteriorated in the developing device, and the like. Since such replacement of the collected developer container is performed periodically, excellent operability and prevention of scattering of the developer are required.

  For example, a configuration has been proposed in which a shutter member that opens and closes an opening for discharging waste toner (collected developer) is opened and closed in conjunction with an insertion / extraction operation of a waste toner box (collected developer container) in the apparatus body ( Patent Document 1).

JP 2000-19914 A

  However, in the case where the shutter member is opened and closed in conjunction with the operation of inserting and removing the collected developer container, the shutter member hits a position different from the normal position of the collected developer container when the collected developer container is inserted, and the shutter member There is a possibility of opening. In this case, since the recovered developer container is not mounted at the regular position, the developer may be scattered.

  On the other hand, a replenishment developer container containing a replenishment developer can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body, and the shutter member provided in the replenishment developer container is opened and closed in conjunction with the replenishment developer container insertion / extraction operation. There is also a configuration. Even in such a configuration, the replenishment developer container may not be mounted at the proper position, and the shutter member may hit a part of the apparatus main body and the shutter member may be opened. In this case, the developer may be scattered from the replenishment developer container. That is, in the case where the shutter member is opened / closed in conjunction with the developer container insertion / removal operation for recovery or replenishment, the shutter member is accidentally opened during the developer container insertion operation, and the developer is There is a possibility of scattering.

  In view of such circumstances, the present invention has been invented to prevent the shutter member from being accidentally opened during the developer container insertion operation.

  The present invention comprises an apparatus main body, and a developer container that can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body, the apparatus main body being capable of accommodating a developer and having a first opening, A first shutter member movably provided along an insertion / extraction direction of the developer container between an open state in which one opening is opened and a closed state in which the first opening is closed; The agent container has an opening having a second opening that can communicate with the first opening in a state of being attached to the apparatus main body, an open state in which the second opening is opened, and a closed state in which the second opening is closed. A second shutter member movably provided between the first shutter member and the second shutter member, the moving direction of the one shutter member on the side of the one shutter member Move between the first and second positions in different directions The first shutter member is locked to a part of the one shutter member in the closed state at the first position to restrict the one shutter member from moving to the open state, and at the second position. A locking portion that allows the first shutter member to move from the closed state to the open state, and the first shutter member and the second shutter member; The shutter member is provided on the other shutter member side and is engaged with the locking portion at the first position at the first insertion position when the developer container is inserted into the apparatus main body. The developer container is further inserted into a first engaging portion that moves the locking portion to the second position and the other shutter member, and the developer container is connected to the apparatus main body. The first insertion position during the insertion operation of The engaging portion engages with the one shutter member at the second insertion position where the locking portion is moved to the second position downstream in the insertion direction, and the developer container is further inserted, thereby An image forming apparatus comprising: a second engagement portion that moves the shutter member to the open state.

  Further, the present invention includes an apparatus main body and a collected developer container that can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body. The apparatus main body includes an image forming unit that forms an image with the developer, and the image forming unit. A developer transport unit that transports the discharged developer, a discharge unit that has a discharge port through which the developer transported by the developer transport unit is discharged, an open state that opens the discharge port, and the discharge port A discharge port shutter member movably provided along the insertion / extraction direction of the recovered developer container between the first position and the second position in a direction different from the movement direction of the discharge port shutter member. And is locked to a part of the closed outlet shutter member at the first position to restrict the outlet shutter member from moving to the open state. , The outlet port at the second position. A locking portion that allows the discharge port shutter member to move from the closed state to the open state, and the recovered developer container includes: In a state where the recovered developer container is attached to the apparatus main body, a receiving portion having a receiving port capable of receiving the developer discharged from the discharging port, an open state in which the receiving port is opened, and the receiving port are closed. A receiving shutter member movably provided between the closed state and the locking portion located at the first position at the first insertion position when the recovered developer container is inserted into the apparatus main body. A first engaging portion that engages and moves the locking portion to the second position by further inserting the recovered developer container; and during the operation of inserting the recovered developer container into the apparatus main body. The locking portion is located downstream of the first insertion position in the insertion direction. A second insertion position that is moved to the second position is engaged with the discharge port shutter member, and the recovered developer container is further inserted to move the discharge port shutter member to the open state. And an engaging portion.

  In addition, the present invention comprises an apparatus main body and a developer container that can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body, and the apparatus main body can store a developer, and has a main body-side container having a first opening, A first shutter member movably provided along an insertion / extraction direction of the developer container between an open state in which the first opening is opened and a closed state in which the first opening is closed; The developer container includes an opening having a second opening that can communicate with the first opening in a state where the developer container is mounted, an open state in which the second opening is opened, and a close in which the second opening is closed. A second shutter member that is movably provided between the first shutter member and the second shutter member, and locks one shutter member of the first shutter member and the second shutter member in the closed state. , When the developer container is inserted, An unlocking portion that releases the lock by operating in a direction different from the moving direction of the one shutter member, and the one shutter member that is unlocked by the lock portion during the operation of inserting the developer container. And an engaging portion that moves the one shutter member to the open state.

  The present invention also provides an image forming unit that forms an image with a developer, a developer transport unit that transports the developer discharged from the image forming unit, and a developer transported by the developer transport unit. A discharge portion having a discharge port, a discharge port shutter member provided movably between an open state in which the discharge port is opened, and a closed state in which the discharge port is closed; and the discharge port shutter member The discharge port shutter is provided movably between a first position and a second position in a direction different from the moving direction, and is locked to a part of the closed discharge port shutter member at the first position. The member is restricted from moving to the open state, and the engagement with the part of the outlet shutter member is released at the second position, and the outlet shutter member moves from the closed state to the open state. A locking part that allows that, A collection developer container that can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body, the receiving section having a reception opening capable of receiving the developer discharged from the discharge port when mounted on the apparatus main body; and the reception opening An entrance shutter member movably provided between an open state in which the opening is closed and a closed state in which the entrance is closed, and the first insertion position during the insertion operation into the apparatus body at the first position. A first engagement portion that engages with a certain locking portion and is further inserted to move the locking portion to the second position; and a first insertion position during an insertion operation into the apparatus main body. The engagement portion engages with the discharge port shutter member at the second insertion position where the locking portion is moved to the second position downstream in the insertion direction, and is further inserted to open the discharge port shutter member. A second engaging portion that is moved to a state. In the collected developer container characterized.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the shutter member from being accidentally opened when the developer container is inserted.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) Schematic structure sectional drawing of the drum cleaning apparatus which concerns on this embodiment, (b) Schematic structure sectional drawing of a belt cleaning apparatus similarly. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a collected toner container according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a collected toner container according to the embodiment. The expansion perspective view of the discharge part vicinity which concerns on this embodiment. The expansion perspective view of the acceptance part vicinity which concerns on this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a side view of the vicinity of the discharge port shutter member and the reception port shutter member showing a first step of the operation of inserting the collected toner container according to the present embodiment. FIG. 8A is a side view of the vicinity of a discharge port shutter member and a reception port shutter member showing a second step of the operation of inserting the collected toner container according to the present embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 8A is a side view of the vicinity of the discharge port shutter member and the reception shutter member, and FIG. 5B is an enlarged perspective view showing the third step of the operation of inserting the collected toner container according to the present embodiment. FIG. 8A is a side view of the vicinity of a discharge port shutter member and a reception shutter member, and FIG. 4B is an enlarged perspective view showing the fourth step of the operation of inserting the collected toner container according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10A is a side view of the vicinity of the discharge port shutter member and the reception shutter member, and FIG. 5B is an enlarged perspective view showing the fifth step of the operation of inserting the collected toner container according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4A is a side view of the vicinity of a discharge port shutter member and a reception port shutter member, showing a part of a process of extracting a collected toner container according to the embodiment, and FIG.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, a schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the following explanation, “front” and “rear” refer to the front side of the device as the front and the rear side of the device as the rear, and “right” and “left” refer to the device viewed from the front side. Correspond. Further, the near side of the apparatus is a side where an operator such as a user or a serviceman operates the image forming apparatus, for example, a side where an operation panel is arranged or a side where a cassette containing a recording material is drawn out. is there. The “vertical direction” is a vertical direction in a state where the apparatus is installed on an installation surface such as a floor.

[Image forming apparatus]
The image forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment is a full color printer that employs an electrophotographic system. Such an image forming apparatus 100 includes an image forming unit 101 that forms a toner image, and a recording material that conveys a recording material (sheet, sheet material such as an OHP sheet) that transfers the toner image formed by the image forming unit 101. The material conveyance part 102 is provided. The image forming unit 101 and the recording material conveying unit 102 are accommodated in the apparatus main body 101a. The image forming unit 101 has a so-called tandem configuration in which a plurality of image forming stations 1 are arranged in the traveling direction of the intermediate transfer belt 2. Each image forming station 1 forms yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toner images.

  Here, since the configuration of each image forming station 1 is the same, the image forming station 1 at the left end in FIG. 1 will be described below, and the reference numerals and description of the other image forming stations 1 will be omitted.

  The image forming station 1 includes a photosensitive drum 3, which is a drum-shaped electrophotographic photosensitive member as an image carrier, a charging roller 4, a developing device 5, and a drum cleaning device 6. The photosensitive drum 3 is rotationally driven at a predetermined process speed by a drum motor (not shown). The surface of the photosensitive drum 3 is uniformly charged by a charging roller 4 as a charging unit. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the charged surface of the photosensitive drum 3 by irradiating a laser beam based on image information by a scanner unit 7 as an exposure unit. The electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 3 is developed as a toner image by attaching toner to the developing device 5. The toner image on the photosensitive drum 3 is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 2 as an intermediate transfer member by applying a primary transfer bias between the primary transfer roller 8 as a primary transfer unit and the photosensitive drum 3. . The transfer residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 3 after the transfer is removed by the drum cleaning device 6.

  By executing such a process in each image forming station 1, the toner images of the respective colors formed on the photosensitive drums of the respective image forming stations 1 are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 2 in an overlapping manner, and the intermediate transfer belt is used. 2 is a full-color toner image. The toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 2 is conveyed to a secondary transfer portion T2 formed by the intermediate transfer belt 2 and a secondary transfer roller 9 as a secondary transfer unit. Then, the toner image is secondarily transferred collectively to the recording material conveyed by the recording material conveying unit 102 described later to the secondary transfer unit T2. The toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 2 after the transfer is removed by the belt cleaning device 10.

  The recording material conveyance unit 102 includes a plurality of conveyance rollers, picks up the recording material accommodated in the cassette 11, and conveys the recording material to the secondary transfer unit T2 of the image forming unit 101. The recording material is conveyed to the secondary transfer portion by the registration roller 12 in synchronization with the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 2. In the example shown in the drawing, the recording material is conveyed upward from the apparatus main body 100a from the cassette 11 arranged at the lower part of the apparatus main body. For this purpose, the recording material conveyance unit 102 is disposed substantially vertically on one side of the apparatus main body (the right side as viewed from the front of the apparatus).

  The recording material on which the toner image is transferred at the secondary transfer portion is heated and pressed by the fixing device 13 to fix the toner image. The recording material on which the toner image is fixed is discharged to the discharge tray 14. When forming an image on both sides, the recording material is conveyed to the duplex conveyance path 15 and a toner image is formed on the back side in the same manner as described above. As described above, the image forming unit 101 forms an image with toner as a developer. In this embodiment, a two-component developer including a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier is used as the developer. However, a one-component developer using a magnetic toner may be used.

  Further, the developer consumed by forming an image as described above is supplied to the developing device 5 of each color by a developer supply device (not shown). In the apparatus main body 100a, a toner bottle 16 as a replenishing developer container containing toner of each color is disposed so as to be insertable / removable in the front-rear direction of the apparatus. Specifically, the toner bottle 16 is extracted from the near side of the apparatus main body 100a and inserted from the near side to the far side. The toner bottles 16 for each color are replaced when the amount of toner inside becomes a predetermined amount or less. The toner bottle 16 includes a discharge unit having a discharge port for discharging toner, and a shutter member for opening and closing the discharge port. As the toner bottle 16 containing the toner is inserted into the apparatus main body 100a, the shutter member is opened, the toner of the developer supply device is connected to the discharge port, and the toner is supplied to the developer supply device. Can be replenished.

  Further, the toner removed by the drum cleaning device 6 and the belt cleaning device 10 is sent to a transport pipe 20 as a developer transport unit, and is recovered by a recovery toner container 30 described later. This will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b).

[Recovery of developer]
First, the configuration of the drum cleaning device 6 will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the drum unit 3 a is formed by unitizing the photosensitive drum 3, the charging roller 4, and the drum cleaning device 6. The drum unit 3a can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body 100a. Specifically, the drum unit 3a is extracted from the front side of the apparatus main body 100a and inserted from the front side to the back side.

  The drum cleaning device 6 includes a cleaning container 6a, a cleaning blade 6b, and a conveying screw 6c. The cleaning blade 6b is provided inside the cleaning container 6a along the longitudinal direction of the container (the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive drum 3, the front-rear direction of the apparatus), and uses the edge portion as a counter with respect to the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 3. It is the elastic blade which was made to contact. The toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 is scraped off into the cleaning container 6a by the cleaning blade 6b. The conveying screw 6c is provided along the longitudinal direction of the container inside the cleaning container 6a and below the cleaning blade 6b, and conveys the toner in the container in the longitudinal direction by being driven to rotate. Therefore, as described above, the toner scraped off by the cleaning blade 6b is transported from the back side in the longitudinal direction to the near side in the cleaning container 6a by the rotation of the transport screw 6c. A discharge port for discharging the toner conveyed by the conveyance screw 6c is provided on the front side in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning container 6a, and a discharge pipe 6d (FIG. 1) is detachably connected to the discharge port.

  When the discharge port of the drum cleaning device 6 is provided on the back side of the device, when the drum unit 3a is taken out from the device main body 100a, the discharge port removed from the discharge pipe 6d passes through the device main body 100a from the back side toward the front side. Move to. For this reason, the toner may be scattered at this time. On the other hand, when the discharge port is provided on the front side of the apparatus, when the drum unit 3a is taken out from the apparatus main body 100a, the discharge port detached from the discharge pipe 6d immediately moves out of the apparatus main body 100a. It is difficult for toner to scatter in 100a. For this reason, in this embodiment, the discharge port and the discharge pipe 6d are provided on the front side of the apparatus as described above.

  Next, the configuration of the belt cleaning device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The belt cleaning device 10 includes a cleaning container 10a, a cleaning blade 10b, and a conveying screw 10c. The cleaning blade 10b is an elastic blade that is provided inside the cleaning container 10a along the longitudinal direction of the container (the front-rear direction of the apparatus), and has an edge portion in contact with the counter surface of the rotating intermediate transfer belt 2. is there. The toner remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 2 is scraped off into the cleaning container 10a by the cleaning blade 10b. The conveying screw 10c is provided inside the cleaning container 10a along the longitudinal direction of the container, and conveys toner in the container in the longitudinal direction by being driven to rotate. Therefore, as described above, the toner scraped off by the cleaning blade 10b is transported from the back side in the longitudinal direction to the near side in the cleaning container 10a by the rotation of the transport screw 10c. A discharge port for discharging the toner conveyed by the conveyance screw 10c is provided on the front side in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning container 10a, and a discharge pipe 10d (FIG. 1) is connected to the discharge port.

  As shown in FIG. 1, on the front side of the apparatus main body 100a, a transport pipe 20 as a developer transport section is arranged in a substantially horizontal direction. A conveyance screw is disposed inside the conveyance pipe 20, and the toner in the conveyance pipe 20 is conveyed by the rotation of the conveyance screw. The transport pipe 20 is disposed below the intermediate transfer belt 2 and the image forming station 1 for each color, and is connected to a discharge pipe 6d for the drum cleaning device 6 for each color and a discharge pipe 10d for the belt cleaning device 10. Therefore, the toner of each color removed from the photosensitive drum 3 by the drum cleaning device 6 of each color and the toner of each color removed from the intermediate transfer belt 2 by the belt cleaning device 10 are transferred to the transport pipe 20 through the respective discharge pipes 6d and 10d. Fall. The toner that has fallen into the transport pipe 20 is transported in the transport pipe 20. That is, the transport pipe 20 transports toner (developer) discharged from the image forming unit 101.

  At the downstream end of the transport pipe 20 in the transport direction, a discharge unit 21 for discharging the toner transported by the transport pipe 20 is provided. A specific configuration of the discharge unit 21 will be described later. As will be described later, the discharge unit 21 is connected to a collected toner container 30 as a collected developer container (developer container) that can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body 100a. That is, the toner conveyed by the conveying pipe 20 falls into the collected toner container 30 through the discharge unit 21 and is collected in the collected toner container 30. When the amount of collected toner reaches a predetermined amount, the collected toner container 30 is removed from the apparatus main body 100a and replaced with a new empty collected toner container 30.

  For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus main body 100 a is arranged in the front-rear direction of the apparatus, and is provided with the above-described discharge part 21 and a container housing part 50. The container housing portion 50 is exposed by opening a front cover (not shown) provided on the front surface of the apparatus main body 100a, and is provided so that the collected toner container 30 can be inserted and removed in the front-rear direction of the apparatus. Then, the collected toner container 30 is inserted into the container housing section 50, and the discharge section 21 and the collected toner container 30 are connected in a state where the collected toner container 30 is mounted at a predetermined position. The configuration of this point will be described later.

  Note that the discharge port of the belt cleaning device 10 is preferably arranged on the same side as the discharge port of the drum cleaning device 6. For example, when the discharge port of the drum cleaning device 6 is disposed on the front side of the device and the discharge port of the belt cleaning device 10 is disposed on the back side of the device, a path for collecting the toner discharged from each discharge port is provided. It is necessary to provide each on the labor side and the back side. In addition, a path for transporting toner from each path to the collected toner container 30 is also required. For this reason, the manufacturing cost is increased, and the degree of freedom of arrangement of the respective constituent members may be reduced or the apparatus may be increased in size by providing a plurality of paths in the apparatus main body 100a.

  Alternatively, when the discharge port of the drum cleaning device 6 is arranged on the front side of the device and the discharge port of the belt cleaning device 10 is arranged on the back side of the device, the reception port for collecting the toner in the collected toner container 30 is on the front side. It is necessary to provide each on the back side. Also in this case, it is necessary to provide connecting portions for discharging the toner to the collected toner container 30 on the front side and the back side of the apparatus, respectively, which increases the manufacturing cost. Further, as the number of connecting portions increases, the possibility that toner is scattered in the apparatus main body 100a when the collected toner container 30 is inserted and removed increases. For this reason, it is preferable to arrange the discharge port of the belt cleaning device 10 and the discharge port of the drum cleaning device 6 on the same side, and it is more preferable to arrange each on the front side of the device.

[Recovered toner container]
Next, the collected toner container 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. The collected toner container 30 can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body 100a as described above, and is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped container that is made of, for example, soft plastic and is long in the insertion / extraction direction. The top plate portion 30 a that is the upper surface of the collected toner container 30 is formed substantially parallel to the insertion direction of the collected toner container 30.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the collected toner container 30 includes a receiving part 31 (opening), a receiving shutter member 32 (second shutter member), a gripping part 33, and the like. The receiving unit 31 is provided on the front side of the apparatus with the recovered toner container 30 mounted on the apparatus main body 100a of the top panel 30a. The receiving unit 31 has a receiving port 31a (second opening) that can communicate with a discharge port 22 (FIG. 5) formed in the discharge unit 21 (to be described later) when the collected toner container 30 is attached to the apparatus main body 100a. Have

  The receiving shutter member 32 is provided movably between an open state in which the discharge port 22 is opened and a closed state in which the discharge port 22 is closed. Such an entrance shutter member 32 opens and closes in conjunction with the insertion / extraction operation of the collected toner container 30 as will be described later. That is, the receiving shutter member 32 is in a closed state when the collected toner container 30 is not attached to the apparatus main body 100a, and is opened in conjunction with an insertion operation of the collected toner container 30 into the apparatus main body 100a. To open the discharge port 22. On the other hand, in conjunction with the operation of withdrawing the collected toner container 30 from the apparatus main body 100a, it moves to the closed state and closes the discharge port 22. A detailed configuration of this point will be described later.

  The grip 33 is provided upstream of the receiving port 31a in the insertion direction, and is provided in a recess 34 formed at a position overlapping the receiving port 31a when viewed from the insertion direction. The recessed part 34 is provided in the top-plate part 30a, and is formed so that it may dent below from the upper surface of the top-plate part 30a. Further, the recess 34 is disposed on the back side of the apparatus with respect to the receiving port 31a in a state in which the collected toner container 30 is mounted on the apparatus main body 100a, and the receiving area is an area through which the recessed part 34 passes when the collected toner container 30 is inserted. It arrange | positions so that 31a may pass. The grip portion 33 is rotatably supported between a position that can be accommodated in such a recess and a position that protrudes from the recess 34.

  Specifically, a rotation shaft 34b is provided on the bottom surface 34a of the recess 34, and the grip portion 33 is rotatably supported by the rotation shaft 34b. The gripping portion 33 is shaped so as not to protrude from the recess 34 when the gripping portion 33 is tilted, that is, to fit within the recess 34 and to protrude from the recess 34 with the gripping portion 33 standing. Yes. For this reason, when the operator carries the collected toner container 30, the grip portion 33 is raised to grip the grip portion 33. On the other hand, when the recovered toner container 30 is inserted into the apparatus main body 100 a, the grip portion 33 is tilted and stored in the recess 34. In this state, since the grip portion 33 is positioned below the position where the receiving port 31a is open, the grip portion 33 is connected to the receiving port 31a when the recovered toner container 30 is inserted into the apparatus main body 100a. Interference with the discharge port 22 is prevented.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a stirring and conveying screw 35 and a toner amount detection sensor 36 are provided inside the collected toner container 30. The agitating / conveying screw 35 is rotatably disposed in the collected toner container 30 and in the longitudinal direction of the container. That is, the agitating / conveying screw 35 is made of, for example, plastic, and is pivotally supported between the one end side and the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the recovered toner container 30 so as to be rotatable substantially horizontally. One end of the agitating and conveying screw 35 protrudes outward from the collected toner container 30, and a drive connecting portion 35a is fixed to the protruding shaft end portion. The drive connecting portion 35a is drivingly connected to a motor as a drive source provided in the apparatus main body 100a in a state where the recovered toner container 30 is mounted on the apparatus main body 100a. For this reason, the stirring and conveying screw 35 is rotationally driven by the motor via the drive connecting portion 35a. The collected toner flowing in from the receiving port 31a of the receiving unit 31 is leveled from the other end in the longitudinal direction where the receiving port 31a is provided to the one end side by the agitating and conveying screw 35 that is rotationally driven in this way. While being conveyed, the collected toner container 30 is filled.

  The toner amount detection sensor 36 is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the collected toner container 30 and detects the toner amount at this position. Specifically, the toner amount detection sensor 36 is disposed in the collected toner container 30 and includes a convex portion that allows toner to flow from a part thereof, a light emitting portion, and a light receiving portion. The convex portion is a material that can transmit light, and a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion are arranged with the convex portion interposed therebetween. When there is no toner in the convex shape portion or the toner amount in the convex shape portion is a predetermined amount or less, the light emitted from the light emitting portion passes through the convex shape portion, and the light enters the light receiving portion. On the other hand, when a predetermined amount or more of toner flows into the convex portion, the optical path between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion is blocked.

  The toner amount detection sensor 36 is wired or wirelessly connected to the control unit 103 provided in the apparatus main body 100 a, and a signal indicating whether light has entered the light receiving unit is transmitted to the control unit 103. Based on this signal, the control unit 103 determines that the toner in the collected toner container 30 has not reached a predetermined amount when light is incident on the light receiving unit, and the light is incident on the light receiving unit. If not, it is determined that the toner in the collected toner container 30 has reached a predetermined amount. When the control unit 103 determines that the toner in the collected toner container 30 has reached a predetermined amount, for example, the control unit 103 displays a message prompting the operator to replace the collected toner container 30 on the operation panel 104 or the like. Informs that it is time to replace the toner container 30. In the present embodiment, the toner amount detection sensor 36 is disposed at an end portion on the side away from the collected toner receiving port 31a in the longitudinal direction. For this reason, it is possible to suppress contamination of the optical path between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit due to toner scattering in the vicinity of the receiving port 31a, and the toner amount detection sensor 36 can accurately detect the toner amount.

[Discharge part]
Next, a specific configuration of the discharge unit 21 and the vicinity thereof will be described with reference to FIG. As described above with reference to FIG. 1, the apparatus main body 100 a is provided with the discharge unit 21. The discharge unit 21 has a discharge port 22 (first opening) for discharging the developer conveyed by the conveyance pipe 20. The discharge unit 21 corresponds to a main body side storage unit that can store a developer. Further, the apparatus main body 100a is provided with a discharge port shutter member that is movable along the insertion / extraction direction of the collected toner container 30 between an open state in which the discharge port 22 is opened and a closed state in which the discharge port 22 is closed. 23 (first shutter member) is provided. The discharge port shutter member 23 moves the discharge port 22 from the closed state to the open state by moving from the front side to the back side of the apparatus. The outlet shutter member 23 is biased by a spring (not shown) in a closed state, that is, from the back side of the apparatus to the front side. Movement of the discharge port shutter member 23 is restricted with respect to the discharge unit 21 so that the discharge port shutter member 23 does not move to the near side from the closed position due to the bias of the spring.

  Such an outlet shutter member 23 is provided with flanges 23a and 23b on the front side and the back side of the apparatus, respectively. The flange portions 23a and 23b are hooked on guide rails 21a and 21b provided in the discharge portion 21. As a result, the discharge port shutter member 23 is supported so as to be suspended from the discharge portion 21, and the movement between the back side and the near side of the apparatus (movement in the front-rear direction of the apparatus) is guided. Further, a locking block 24 is integrally provided on the back side of the apparatus with respect to the portion of the discharge port shutter member 23 that covers the discharge port 22. The locking block 24 is formed in a substantially box shape with an open upper surface, and a locking wall portion 24a is formed on the back side, and an abutting wall portion 24c is formed with a notch portion 24b on the near side.

  Further, a locking portion 25 (lock portion) is formed integrally with the discharge portion 21 on the side of one shutter member. The locking portion 25 has a pair of locking claws 25a, a pair of elastic support portions 25b, and a pair of protrusions 25c. The pair of locking claws 25a are disposed on both sides in the width direction (left and right direction) orthogonal to the front-rear direction of the apparatus so as to sandwich the discharge port 22 and the guide rail 21b, and are a part of the discharge port shutter member 23. It is formed in a hook shape that can be locked to the locking wall portion 24a. Further, the pair of locking claws 25a are disposed at a position where the pair of locking claws 25a can pass through the cutout portion 24b formed in the abutting wall portion 24c when the discharge port shutter member 23 moves.

  The pair of elastic support portions 25b is a plate-like member that is long in the front-rear direction of the apparatus, and each base end portion is integrally connected to a base portion 25d provided integrally with the main body portion 21c of the discharge portion 21, and each tip end A locking claw 25a is integrally provided on the portion. Thereby, the latching claw 25a is supported by the elastic support part 25b. The elastic support portion 25b can be elastically deformed in the vertical direction around the vicinity of the connection portion with the base portion 25d. When the elastic support portion 25b is elastically deformed in the vertical direction, the locking claw 25a provided at the distal end portion has a first position and a second position in the vertical direction (direction intersecting) different from the moving direction of the discharge port shutter member 23. It can move between positions. Specifically, the elastic support portion 25b can move the locking claw 25a to the second position by positioning the locking claw 25a in the first position in a free state and elastically deforming upward.

  The locking claw 25a is locked to the closed locking wall portion 24a at the first position, and restricts the outlet shutter member 23 from moving to the open state. That is, the locking claw 25a locks the discharge port shutter member 23 in the closed state at the first position. On the other hand, the locking claw 25a allows the discharge port shutter member 23 to move from the closed state to the open state by being unlocked from the locking wall portion 24a at the second position.

  The pair of projecting portions 25c are provided integrally with the elastic support portion 25b so as to protrude downward from the longitudinal middle portion of each elastic support portion 25b. The pair of protrusions 25c engages with a protrusion 41 as a first engagement part provided in the receiving part 31 described later, and elastically deforms the elastic support part 25b upward. Then, the locking claw 25a is moved to the second position. On the other hand, the pair of protrusions 25c are disengaged from the protrusions 41 when the discharge port shutter member 23 is at least in an open state, thereby bringing the elastic support portions 25b into a free state.

  Further, an abutting portion 25e as a third engaging portion is formed at the end on the near side of the base portion 25d. The abutting portion 25e engages with the receiving shutter member 32 and moves the receiving shutter member 32 to the open state when the collected toner container 30 is inserted into the apparatus main body 100a.

[Reception Department]
Next, a specific configuration of the receiving unit 31 and the vicinity thereof will be described with reference to FIG. It should be noted that the “rear side”, “rear side”, “front / rear direction”, “width direction”, and “vertical direction” used in the following description related to the recovered toner container 30 are respectively connected to the recovered toner container 30. The direction when mounted on the main body 100a. As described above with reference to FIG. 3, the collected toner container 30 is provided with the receiving portion 31 having the receiving port 31 a. Also, the receiving shutter member 32 provided in the collected toner container 30 moves from the back side to the near side of the apparatus, thereby changing the receiving port 31a from the closed state to the open state. Further, the receiving shutter member 32 is biased by the compression spring 43 in a closing state, that is, from the near side of the apparatus to the far side. Movement of the receiving shutter member 32 is restricted with respect to the receiving portion 31 so that the receiving shutter member 32 does not move to the near side from the closed position due to the bias of the compression spring 43.

  In such a receiving shutter member 32, a cover portion 32a covering the receiving port 31a and support portions 32b are integrally formed at both ends in the width direction of the cover portion 32a. The support portion 32 b is engaged with a guide rail 31 b provided in the receiving portion 31, so that the receiving shutter member 32 moves between the back side and the near side of the device with respect to the receiving portion 31 (device). In the front-rear direction). Further, a contact portion 32c that engages (contacts) the abutting portion 25e of the discharge portion 21 during the insertion operation of the collected toner container 30 into the apparatus main body 100a is provided on the end surface on the back side of the support portion 32b. Yes.

  The receiving portion 31 on the other shutter member side has a pair of projections 41 (lock release portion) as a first engagement portion and a pair of butting ribs 42 (as a second engagement portion). Engaging portion) is provided on the back side of the receiving port 31a. The protrusion 41 and the abutment rib 42 are integrally formed on a pair of ribs 40 formed to extend in the front-rear direction on both sides in the width direction so as to sandwich the receiving port 31a. That is, the pair of projecting portions 41 are formed so as to project closer to each other from the inner side surfaces of the pair of ribs 42, and the pair of abutting ribs 42 are located closer to the back side of the apparatus than the pair of projecting portions 41. It is formed at the tip of a pair of ribs 42. The pair of protrusions 41 are formed so as to protrude above the rib 40 and the abutting rib 42.

  The protrusion 41 engages with the protrusion 25c of the locking portion 25 at the first position at the first insertion position during the insertion operation of the collected toner container 30 into the apparatus main body 100a. Then, when the collected toner container 30 is further inserted, the protrusion 41 pushes up the protrusion 25c and moves the locking portion 25 to the second position. That is, when the recovered toner container 30 is inserted, the protrusion 41 engages with the protrusion 25c as described above, and the elastic support portion 25b is elastically deformed upward, so that the locking portion 25 is moved to the outlet shutter member. It is operated in the upward direction, which is a direction different from the moving direction of 23. And the lock | rock by the latching claw 25a is cancelled | released by releasing latching with the latching claw 25a and the latching wall part 24a of the discharge port shutter member 23. FIG.

  The abutment rib 42 is a second insertion position where the locking portion 25 is moved to the second position downstream of the first insertion position during the insertion operation of the collected toner container 30 into the apparatus main body 100a. It engages with the abutting wall 24c of the outlet shutter member 23. Further, when the collected toner container 30 is further inserted, the abutting rib 42 pushes the abutting wall portion 24c, and the discharge port shutter member 23 unlocked by the locking claw 25a is moved to the open state.

[Insertion operation of collected toner container]
Next, the operation of inserting the collected toner container 30 into the apparatus main body 100a will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the collected toner container 30 is inserted into the container housing portion 50 of the apparatus main body 100a from the front side to the back side of the apparatus. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the receiving part 31 arranged on the near side of the collected toner container 30 comes close to the discharge part 21 arranged on the near side of the apparatus main body 100a (first step). In this state, the receiving port 31 a of the collected toner container 30 is closed by the receiving shutter member 32. Further, the discharge port 22 of the discharge unit 21 is closed by a discharge port shutter member 23. Further, as described above, the outlet shutter member 23 is locked in the closed state because the locking portion 25 is located at the first position and the locking claw 25a is locked to the locking wall portion 24a. Yes. Therefore, for example, even if a part of the collected toner container 30 collides with the discharge port shutter member 23 in this state, the discharge port shutter member 23 can be prevented from being easily opened. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the toner from dropping from the discharge port 22 to the top plate portion 30a of the collected toner container 30.

  Next, when the recovered toner container 30 is further inserted into the rear side from the state of FIG. 7, the contact portion 32 c of the receiving shutter member 32 abuts the discharge portion 21 as shown in FIGS. Abuts on the portion 25e (second step). This position is a third insertion position that is upstream of the second insertion position described above during the operation of inserting the collected toner container 30 into the apparatus main body 100a. In the present embodiment, the third insertion position is upstream of the first insertion position where the protrusion 41 of the receiving part 31 engages with the protrusion 25c of the locking part 25. Then, when the collected toner container 30 is further inserted into the back side from the third insertion position, the receiving shutter member 32 is moved to the open state.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, when the collected toner container 30 is inserted, the receiving shutter member 32 is first opened. This is due to the following reason. The toner discharged from the discharge port 22 is collected in the collected toner container 30 by dropping due to gravity. For this reason, if the discharge port shutter member 23 is opened before the receiving port shutter member 32, the toner falling from the discharge port 22 is removed from the top plate portion 30 a of the recovered toner container 30 or the receiving port shutter member 32. It may fall to the top and cause toner contamination. Therefore, in this embodiment, the receiving shutter member 32 is opened before the outlet shutter member 23.

  Next, when the recovered toner container 30 is further inserted into the rear side from the state of FIGS. 8A and 8B, the protrusion 41 of the receiving portion 31 is engaged with the locking portion as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. Engage with the 25 protrusions 25c (third step). This position is the first insertion position during the insertion operation of the collected toner container 30. At this position, the receiving shutter member 32 is in a slightly opened state, and the outlet shutter member 23 is locked by the locking portion 25 and is not operated.

  Next, when the recovered toner container 30 is further inserted into the rear side from the state of FIGS. 9A and 9B, the protrusion 41 of the receiving portion 31 is engaged with the locking portion as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B. By engaging with the 25 protruding portions 25c, the locking portion 25 moves to the second position (fourth step). That is, when the protrusion 41 pushes up the protrusion 25c, the elastic support portion 25b is elastically deformed, the locking claw 25a is also moved upward, and the locking claw 25a and the locking wall portion 24a are unlocked ( Unlocked). Then, the discharge port shutter member 23 is allowed to move from the closed state to the open state.

  Further, the abutment rib 42 of the receiving portion 31 starts to engage with the abutment wall portion 24 c of the discharge port shutter member 23. This position is the second insertion position during the insertion operation of the collected toner container 30. That is, the abutment rib is at the second insertion position where the locking portion 25 is moved to the second position downstream of the first insertion position during the insertion operation of the collected toner container 30 into the apparatus main body 100a. 42 and the abutting wall portion 24c are engaged with each other. At this position, as described above, the locking portion 25 is moved to the second position and unlocked, so that the discharge port shutter member 23 can be operated. Therefore, when the collected toner container 30 is further inserted into the back side, the abutment rib 42 presses the abutment wall portion 24c, and the discharge port shutter member 23 is moved to the open state. That is, when the recovered toner container 30 is further inserted from the second insertion position, the discharge port shutter member 23 starts to open. At the same time, the receiving shutter member 32 is further opened when the abutting portion 32 c is pushed by the abutting portion 25 e of the discharging portion 21. That is, with the operation of inserting the collected toner container 30, the operation of opening the receiving shutter member 32 and the discharging shutter member 23 is performed simultaneously.

  When the recovered toner container 30 is further inserted into the back side, the protrusion 41 moves to the back side with respect to the protrusion 25c, so that the protrusion 41 and the protrusion 25c are disengaged. In this state, the abutment rib 42 pushes against the abutment wall portion 24c, whereby the discharge port shutter member 23 is further moved in the open state, that is, the far side, so that the engagement wall portion 24a is engaged with the engagement claw 25a. Move to the back side. That is, the locking claw 25a is positioned on the near side of the locking wall portion 24a. Since the locking block 24 in which the locking wall portion 24a is formed has a shape whose upper surface is open as described above, the locking claw 25a may enter the locking block 24 and lower to the first position. it can. As a result, the elastic support portion 25b that supports the locking claw 25a at the tip becomes free.

  Next, when the recovered toner container 30 is further inserted into the rear side from the state of FIGS. 10A and 10B, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the inlet shutter member 32 and the outlet shutter member 23. Are opened (fifth step). That is, when the collected toner container 30 is inserted to a predetermined mounting position of the apparatus main body 100a, the receiving shutter member 32 and the discharging shutter member 23 are opened, and the discharging port 22 and the receiving port 31a face each other. To do. In this state, the discharge port 22 and the receiving port 31a communicate with each other, and the toner discharged from the discharge port 22 can be collected in the collected toner container 30 through the receiving port 31a.

  When the collected toner container 30 is thus inserted to the mounting position, the locking claw 25a passes through the notch 24b formed in the abutting wall 24c of the locking block 24. Thereby, the elastic support part 25b is maintained in a free state. Moreover, since the protrusion 41 of the receiving part 31 moves only to the near side of the locking claw 25a, the protrusion 41 and the locking claw 25a do not interfere with each other. As described above, in this embodiment, when the discharge port shutter member 23 is at least in the open state, the protrusion 41 and the protrusion 25c are disengaged, and the elastic support portion 25b is in a free state. Thereby, it can prevent that distortion remains in the elastic support part 25b.

  For example, it is assumed that the elastic support portion 25b is kept elastically deformed so that the locking claw 25a is located at the second position while the recovered toner container 30 is mounted on the apparatus main body 100a. If it does so, distortion may remain in the elastic support part 25b by progress of time. If the elastic support portion 25b remains distorted in this way, even if the collected toner container 30 is pulled out from the apparatus main body 100a, the locking claw 25a cannot move to the first position, and the discharge port shutter member 23 is locked. The unit 25 may not be able to lock. For this reason, in the present embodiment, in a state where the collected toner container 30 is mounted on the apparatus main body 100a, the elastic support portion 25b is in a free state so that no distortion remains in the elastic support portion 25b. That is, since the elastic support portion 25b is elastically deformed only when the collected toner container 30 is inserted and withdrawn, deformation of the shape can be prevented, and locking and unlocking by the locking portion 25 can be performed stably.

[Removal operation of collected toner container]
Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11, the operation of extracting the collected toner container 30 from the apparatus main body 100 a will be described with reference to FIG. 12. When the collected toner container 30 is extracted from the mounted state shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the collected toner container 30 is pulled to the near side. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the collected toner container 30 moves to the near side, and the receiving part 31 moves to the near side with respect to the discharge part 21.

  Then, the abutting portion 25e of the discharge portion 21 with which the contact portion 32c of the receiving shutter member 32 is in contact moves relative to the back side with respect to the receiving shutter member 32. For this reason, the receiving shutter member 32 starts to move to the back side, that is, from the open state to the closed state by the urging force of the compression spring 43 (FIG. 6). At the same time, the abutment rib 42 of the receiving portion 31 with which the abutment wall portion 24 c of the discharge port shutter member 23 abuts moves relative to the front side with respect to the discharge port shutter member 23. For this reason, the outlet shutter member 23 starts to move to the near side, that is, from the open state to the closed state, by a biasing force of a spring (not shown). FIGS. 12A and 12B are views immediately before the protruding portion 41 reaches the protruding portion 25 c in a part of the process of extracting the collected toner container 30.

  Next, when the collected toner container 30 is further pulled out from the state shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the protrusion 41 of the receiving portion 31 is moved as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B. By engaging with the protrusion 25c of the locking part 25, the locking part 25 moves to the second position. That is, when the protrusion 41 pushes up the protrusion 25c, the elastic support portion 25b is elastically deformed, and the locking claw 25a is also moved upward. Thus, by moving the latching claw 25a upward, the resistance when the discharge port shutter member 23 returns to the closed state is prevented.

  Next, when the recovered toner container 30 is further pulled out from the state shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the abutment rib 42 of the receiving portion 31 as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B described above. However, it moves to the near side rather than the abutting wall part 24c of the discharge port shutter member 23. Then, the discharge port shutter member 23 is closed. That is, since the discharge shutter member 23 is not pushed by the abutment rib 42, the discharge shutter member 23 returns to the closed state by the biasing force of the spring. Further, in this state, the protruding portion 41 of the receiving portion 31 passes through the protruding portion 25c of the locking portion 25 and the elastic support portion 25b returns to the free state, so that the locking portion 25 moves to the first position. As a result, the locking claw 25a is locked to the locking wall portion 24a of the outlet shutter member 23 in the closed state, and the outlet shutter member 23 is locked in the closed state.

  Next, when the recovered toner container 30 is further pulled out from the state shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the recovered toner container 30 is inserted into the third insertion as shown in FIGS. Returning to the position, the receiving shutter member 32 is closed. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7, when the collected toner container 30 is withdrawn to the near side, the outlet shutter member 23 and the receiving shutter member 32 remain closed, and the collected toner container 30 is withdrawn. It is possible to prevent toner from being scattered.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the mechanism has a mechanism for locking the discharge port shutter member 23, and when the collected toner container 30 is inserted, the lock is first released and then the discharge port shutter member 23. Like to open. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the outlet shutter member 23 from being accidentally opened during the insertion operation of the collected toner container 30.

  That is, in the case of the configuration in which the discharge port shutter member is opened and closed according to the insertion / extraction operation of the collected toner container as in the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the like, there are the following problems. That is, when the collected toner container is mistakenly inserted into a position different from the regular position, a part of the collected toner container hits the outlet shutter member, and the collected toner container is not mounted in the regular position. There is a possibility that the outlet shutter member will open. As a result, the toner scatters in the apparatus main body and contaminates the inside.

  In particular, the position where the collected toner container is mounted is often below the apparatus main body in order to collect the toner collected by a drum cleaning device or the like. Also in the image forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the container housing portion 50 into which the collected toner container 30 is inserted is located relatively below the apparatus main body 100a. For this reason, when the operator performs a replacement operation of the collected toner container, it is difficult to see the insertion port of the collected toner container from the front, and the collected toner container is easily displaced from the normal position when the collected toner container is inserted. As a result, during the insertion operation of the collected toner container, there is a high possibility that a part of the collected toner container will accidentally collide with the discharge port shutter member, and toner scattering is likely to occur.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 described above, the discharge port shutter member 23 is locked by the locking portion 25 in the closed state. Further, the unlocking is performed by the locking portion 25 moving in a direction different from the direction in which the discharge port shutter member 23 moves. For this reason, even when a part of the collected toner container 30 collides with the discharge port shutter member 23 during the insertion operation and is pushed in the insertion direction, the locking portion 25 does not operate in the insertion direction. The outlet shutter member 23 is not opened without being released. As a result, even when a part of the recovered toner container 30 accidentally collides with the outlet shutter member 23 during the insertion operation of the recovered toner container 30, the outlet shutter member 23 can be prevented from opening, and toner scattering can be suppressed. .

  Further, in the present embodiment, since the locking portions 25 are provided at a plurality of locations spaced apart in the width direction (2 locations in the present embodiment), the locks of the locking portions 25 at the two locations are not released respectively. The outlet shutter member 23 cannot be opened. In this way, by providing the locking portions at a plurality of positions, it is possible to prevent the lock from being erroneously released.

  In order to prevent the discharge port shutter member 23 from being accidentally opened in this way, the discharge port shutter member 23 is not locked by the locking portion 25, but a spring for biasing the discharge port shutter member 23 is attached. It may be possible not to open it easily by force. However, in this case, since the biasing force of the spring is large, it becomes difficult for the discharge port shutter member 23 to move, and thus it becomes difficult to insert the collected toner container 30.

<Other embodiments>
In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the collected toner container is inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body has been described. However, the present invention can be applied to, for example, a configuration in which a replenishment developer container is inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body. Is possible. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the present invention can also be applied to a configuration in which a toner bottle 16 as a supply developer container is inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body 100a.

  That is, the toner bottle 16 includes a discharge portion having a discharge port for discharging toner, and a discharge port shutter member for opening and closing the discharge port. The developer supply device on the apparatus main body 100a side includes a receiving portion having a receiving port for receiving toner from the toner bottle 16, and a receiving shutter member for opening and closing the receiving port. The configuration of the discharge unit 21 is applied to the discharge unit of the toner bottle 16, and the configuration of the receiving unit 31 is applied to the receiving unit of the developer supply device. At this time, the receiving portion of the developer supply device corresponds to the main body side accommodating portion, the receiving shutter member is the first shutter member (the other shutter member), and the outlet shutter member is the second shutter member (the one shutter member). ).

  As a result, the discharge port shutter member of the toner bottle 16 is locked in the closed state, and the discharge port shutter member is opened after the lock is released with the insertion operation of the toner bottle 16. As a result, it is possible to prevent the discharge port shutter member of the toner bottle 16 from being accidentally opened, and toner scattering can be suppressed.

  Moreover, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the structure which moves the latching | locking part 25 to an up-down direction was demonstrated. However, the locking portion 25 only needs to operate in a direction different from the moving direction of the discharge port shutter member 23. For example, the locking portion 25 may move in the left-right direction to perform locking and unlocking. Further, the configuration for locking and unlocking the outlet shutter member 23 is not limited to the above-described configuration, and another configuration for locking and unlocking may be employed. In the above description, the collected toner container 30 has been described as a developer container or a collected developer container. However, the developer contained in the container or the collected developer may be other than the toner, such as a carrier. Ingredients may be included.

  20 ... Conveying pipe (developer conveying part) / 21 ... Discharge part (main body side accommodating part) / 22 ... Discharge port (first opening) / 23 ... Discharge port shutter member (first shutter) Member, one shutter member) / 24a ... locking wall portion 24a / 25 ... locking portion (locking portion) / 25a ... locking claw / 25b ... elastic support portion / 25c ... Protruding portion / 25e: abutting portion (third engaging portion) / 30 ... recovered toner container (developer container, recovered developer container) / 30a ... top plate portion / 31 ... receiving portion (Opening) / 31a ... receiving port (second opening) / 32 ... receiving shutter member (second shutter member, other shutter member) / 33 ... gripping portion / 34 ... recessed portion / 41... Projection part (first engagement part, unlocking part) / 42 ... Abutment rib (second engagement part, engagement) Parts) / 100 ... image forming apparatus / 100a ... apparatus body / 101 ... image forming unit

Claims (9)

The device body;
A developer container that can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body,
The apparatus main body is
A main body side accommodating portion capable of accommodating a developer and having a first opening;
A first shutter member movably provided along an insertion / extraction direction of the developer container between an open state in which the first opening is opened and a closed state in which the first opening is closed;
The developer container is
An opening having a second opening capable of communicating with the first opening in a state of being attached to the apparatus main body;
A second shutter member provided movably between an open state for opening the second opening and a closed state for closing the second opening;
Provided on one shutter member side of the first shutter member and the second shutter member so as to be movable between a first position and a second position in a direction different from the moving direction of the one shutter member. The first shutter member is locked to a part of the one shutter member in the closed state at the first position to restrict the one shutter member from moving to the open state, and the one member at the second position is A latching portion that unlocks a part of the shutter member and allows the one shutter member to move from the closed state to the open state;
The first shutter member and the second shutter member are provided on the other shutter member side, and are located at the first position at the first insertion position when the developer container is inserted into the apparatus main body. A first engaging portion that engages with the locking portion and moves the locking portion to the second position by further inserting the developer container;
A position that is provided on the other shutter member side and that the locking portion is moved to the second position downstream of the first insertion position during the insertion operation of the developer container into the apparatus main body. A second engaging portion that engages with the one shutter member at the second insertion position and moves the one shutter member to the open state by further inserting the developer container. ,
An image forming apparatus. Provided on the side of the one shutter member and engaged with the other shutter member at a third insertion position upstream of the second insertion position during the insertion operation of the developer container into the apparatus main body, A third engagement portion for moving the other shutter member to the open state by further inserting the developer container;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The locking portion is
A locking claw that can be locked to a part of the one shutter member;
An elastic support portion that supports the locking claws, and is capable of moving the locking claws to the second position by being elastically deformed by positioning the locking claws at the first position in a free state;
The one shutter member is provided so as to protrude from the elastic support portion, engages with the first engagement portion, elastically deforms the elastic support portion, and moves the locking claw to the second position. A protrusion that disengages from the first engagement portion when at least in the open state, leaving the elastic support portion in a free state,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus. The device body;
A recovered developer container that can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body,
The apparatus main body is
An image forming unit that forms an image with a developer;
A developer transport unit that transports the developer discharged from the image forming unit;
A discharge unit having a discharge port through which the developer conveyed by the developer conveyance unit is discharged;
A discharge port shutter member movably provided along an insertion / extraction direction of the recovered developer container between an open state in which the discharge port is opened and a closed state in which the discharge port is closed;
The discharge port shutter member is provided so as to be movable between a first position and a second position in a direction different from the moving direction of the discharge port shutter member, and is locked to a part of the closed discharge port shutter member at the first position. The discharge port shutter member is restricted from moving to the open state, and the engagement with the part of the discharge port shutter member is released at the second position, and the discharge port shutter member is moved from the closed state. A locking portion that allows movement to the open state,
The recovered developer container is
A receiving portion having a receiving port capable of receiving the developer discharged from the discharge port in a state where the recovered developer container is mounted on the apparatus main body;
An inlet shutter member provided movably between an open state for opening the inlet and a closed state for closing the inlet;
The recovered developer container is engaged with the locking portion in the first position at the first insertion position during the insertion operation of the recovered developer container into the apparatus main body, and the recovered developer container is further inserted so that the locking is performed. A first engaging portion that moves the portion to the second position;
The discharge port at the second insertion position where the locking portion is moved to the second position downstream of the first insertion position during the insertion operation of the recovered developer container into the apparatus main body. A second engaging portion that engages with a shutter member and moves the discharge port shutter member to the open state by further inserting the collected developer container.
An image forming apparatus. The apparatus main body engages with the receiving shutter member at a third insertion position upstream of the second insertion position when the recovered developer container is inserted into the apparatus main body, and the recovered developer container Is further inserted, and has a third engagement portion that moves the receiving shutter member to the open state.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: The locking portion is
A locking claw that can be locked to a part of the discharge shutter member;
An elastic support portion that supports the locking claws, and is capable of moving the locking claws to the second position by being elastically deformed by positioning the locking claws at the first position in a free state;
The discharge port shutter member is provided so as to protrude from the elastic support portion, engages with the first engagement portion, elastically deforms the elastic support portion, and moves the locking claw to the second position. A protrusion that disengages from the first engagement portion when at least in the open state, leaving the elastic support portion in a free state,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein The device body;
A developer container that can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body,
The apparatus main body is
A main body side accommodating portion capable of accommodating a developer and having a first opening;
A first shutter member movably provided along an insertion / extraction direction of the developer container between an open state in which the first opening is opened and a closed state in which the first opening is closed;
The developer container is
An opening having a second opening capable of communicating with the first opening in a state of being attached to the apparatus main body;
A second shutter member provided movably between an open state for opening the second opening and a closed state for closing the second opening;
A lock portion that locks one of the first shutter member and the second shutter member in the closed state;
A lock release unit that releases the lock by operating the lock unit in a direction different from the moving direction of the one shutter member during the insertion operation of the developer container;
An engaging portion that engages with the one shutter member that has been unlocked by the lock portion during the developer container insertion operation and moves the one shutter member to the open state;
An image forming apparatus. An image forming unit that forms an image with a developer;
A developer transport unit that transports the developer discharged from the image forming unit;
A discharge unit having a discharge port through which the developer conveyed by the developer conveyance unit is discharged;
A discharge port shutter member movably provided between an open state for opening the discharge port and a closed state for closing the discharge port;
The discharge port shutter member is provided so as to be movable between a first position and a second position in a direction different from the moving direction of the discharge port shutter member, and is locked to a part of the closed discharge port shutter member at the first position. The discharge port shutter member is restricted from moving to the open state, and the engagement with the part of the discharge port shutter member is released at the second position, and the discharge port shutter member is moved from the closed state. A recovered developer container that can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body having a locking portion that allows movement to the open state,
A receiving portion having a receiving port capable of receiving the developer discharged from the discharge port in a mounted state in the apparatus main body;
An inlet shutter member provided movably between an open state for opening the inlet and a closed state for closing the inlet;
A first engagement that engages with the locking portion at the first position at a first insertion position during insertion into the apparatus main body and moves the locking portion to the second position when further inserted. With the joint,
The engaging portion engages with the outlet shutter member at a second insertion position where the locking portion is moved to the second position downstream of the first insertion position during the insertion operation into the apparatus main body. A second engagement portion that is further inserted to move the discharge port shutter member to the open state,
A recovered developer container. Formed substantially parallel to the insertion direction to the apparatus body, the receiving port, and provided in the insertion direction upstream of the receiving port, and a recess formed at a position overlapping the receiving port when viewed from the insertion direction. A top plate having,
A gripping part that is rotatably supported between a position that can be accommodated in the recess and a position that protrudes from the recess,
The recovered developer container according to claim 8, wherein:

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