JP2018072408A - Toner supply container, toner supply device, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent leakage of toner in transit while inhibiting an increase in cost and size without losing a toner supply property, and reduce the energy required for supplying toner.SOLUTION: A toner supply container 40 comprises: a bottle part 41 that has a closed-end cylindrical shape for storing toner and has an opening 41a through which the toner is circulated at one end in the axial direction; a cap part 42 that has a closed-end cylindrical shape for covering and closing the opening 41a of the bottle part 41; an annular sealing member 43 that is interposed between the bottle part 41 and cap part 42 at the opening 41a; and a position changing part 50 that changes relative positions of the bottle part 41 and cap part 42 to switch a compression mode for the sealing member 43 in the axial direction of the bottle part 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

  The present invention relates to a toner supply container, a toner supply device, and an image forming apparatus.

  An electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile uses toner as a developer. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image forming apparatus receives toner supplied from a toner supply container that contains toner, and realizes stable supply of toner to a developing unit. Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose examples of conventional techniques relating to toner leakage prevention of such a toner supply container.

  The toner cartridge described in Patent Document 1 includes a bottle-shaped toner storage portion, a mounting base portion joined to a toner discharge portion of the toner storage portion, and an elastic ring arranged at these joint portions. The elastic ring is compressed in the axial direction of the toner storage unit. Thereby, leakage of toner from between the toner storage portion and the mounting base portion can be prevented.

  In the developer supply device described in Patent Document 2, a supply member that rotates together with the developer container is rotatably supported by the developer container holding means. Sealing members are sealed between the outer periphery of the developer storage container and the inside of the supply member, and between the outer periphery of the supply member and the inner periphery of the developer storage container holding unit. These two sealing members can prevent toner leakage.

JP 2006-243383 A JP 2008-15112 A

  Here, when the toner replenishing container is driven to rotate and the toner is discharged from the toner replenishing container, the toner sealability secured when the toner replenishing container is transported is determined by the rotation of the toner replenishing container during toner replenishment. There was concern about increasing friction loss due to the above.

  In the toner cartridge described in Patent Document 1, the compression form of the elastic ring does not change during transportation and toner supply. That is, since the contact pressure between the toner storage portion and the mounting base with respect to the elastic ring does not change, if the toner storage portion is rotated during toner replenishment, the friction loss generated at the elastic ring portion increases. Was an issue. Further, when the diameter of the toner supply port of the toner storage unit is increased in order to improve the toner supply performance, the contact area of the elastic ring is increased and the friction loss may be further increased.

  On the other hand, the developer replenishing device described in Patent Document 2 is provided with seal members at two locations, so that the seal member at the time of toner replenishment with respect to the contact pressure related to the seal member at the time of transporting the developer storage container It is the structure where the contact pressure which concerns on becomes small. However, the structure is complicated, and the problem is that the developer storage container is increased in cost and size. Furthermore, there is a concern that the opening of the developer container may be small, and there is a concern that the toner supply performance is lowered.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and prevents toner leakage during transportation and replenishment at the time of toner replenishment while suppressing an increase in cost and size without impairing toner supply performance. An object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing container, a toner replenishing device, and an image forming apparatus capable of reducing energy.

  In order to solve the above problems, a toner replenishing container of the present invention is a toner replenishing container for replenishing toner to a developing portion of an image forming apparatus, and has a bottomed cylindrical shape for containing toner and an axis line. A bottle portion having an opening through which toner circulates at one end in the direction, a cap portion that forms a bottomed cylindrical shape and covers the opening portion of the bottle portion, and the bottle portion and the cap portion at the opening portion An annular seal member interposed therebetween, and a position changing unit that changes a relative position between the bottle part and the cap part and switches a compression form of the seal member in the axial direction of the bottle part. And

  According to this configuration, the position changing unit switches the compression mode of the seal member, so that the contact pressure of the bottle portion or the cap portion with respect to the seal member is changed when the toner supply container is transported and when the toner is supplied. The seal member is in a high compression state when the toner supply container is transported, and is in a low compression state when the toner is supplied.

  In the toner replenishing container having the above-described configuration, the position changing unit switches the compression form of the seal member between a first form and a second form having a smaller amount of compressive deformation than the first form. .

  In the toner replenishing container having the above-described configuration, the position changing portion includes a flange portion provided on the outer peripheral portion of the bottle portion, and the flange portion along the axial direction from the opening portion of the outer peripheral portion of the bottle portion. A plurality of protrusions that are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction at positions spaced apart from each other, and are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction on the peripheral wall portion of the cap portion and radially inward. A plurality of claw portions that project toward the flange portion or the projection portion, and engage with the claw portion by rotating the cap portion with respect to the bottle portion in the circumferential direction. It switches to either the said flange part or the said protrusion part, The relative position of the said bottle part and the said cap part is changed, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  Further, in the toner replenishing container having the above-described configuration, the position changing portion includes a flange portion provided on an outer peripheral portion of the bottle portion, and the flange on the opposite side of the flange portion along the axial direction with respect to the opening portion. A plurality of protrusions that are provided adjacent to each other, project in a direction away from the opening along the axis, and are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction, and the flange and the axis along the axis from the opening A substantially annular intermediate member arranged at a position separated from the protrusion and movable in the axial direction and in the circumferential direction, and provided in the intermediate member and projecting in the direction approaching the opening along the axis, and in the circumferential direction A plurality of convex portions arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction at positions spaced apart from the opening portion along the axial direction by the flange portion, the projecting portion, and the intermediate member of the peripheral wall portion of the cap portion To a predetermined time And a plurality of claw portions that protrude radially inward and engage with the intermediate member, and the protrusion portion and the protrusion portion by rotation in the circumferential direction of the cap portion with respect to the bottle portion Is switched to either an axially aligned state or a circumferentially aligned state, and the relative position between the bottle portion and the cap portion is changed.

  Further, in the toner replenishing container having the above-described configuration, the position changing unit is disposed at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction on the flange portion provided on the outer peripheral portion of the bottle portion and the peripheral wall portion of the cap portion, and on the radially inner side. It projects in the radial direction and is displaceable in the radial direction. When it is pressurized from the outside toward the inside in the radial direction, it engages with the flange portion, and when the pressure is released, it engages with the flange portion. A plurality of first claw portions for releasing the engagement and the circumferential wall portion of the cap portion are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction at positions spaced apart from the first claw portion along the axial direction from the opening portion. A plurality of second claw portions that protrude radially inward and engage with the flange portion, and the first claw portion provided on the outer peripheral portion of the cap portion and in contact with the first claw portion from the radially outer side. Press the nail part radially inward to A contact member that releases the pressure applied to the first claw portion by releasing the contact with the claw portion, and the engagement with the flange portion is caused by the movement of the contact member. Switching to any one of the two claw portions, the relative position between the bottle portion and the cap portion is changed.

  In the toner replenishing container having the above-described configuration, the contact member moves in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral portion of the cap portion, and contacts and releases the contact with the first claw portion.

  Further, in the toner replenishing container having the above-described configuration, the cap portion includes a discharge port of toner accommodated inside the bottle portion, and a shutter member that opens and closes the discharge port, and the contact member is connected to the shutter member. It is characterized by being configured as the same member.

  In the toner replenishing container having the above-described configuration, the contact member moves in an axial direction on an outer peripheral portion of the cap portion, and contacts and releases the contact with the first claw portion.

  In the toner replenishing container having the above-described configuration, the bottle portion includes a step portion in which the opening portion is included in the cap portion and provided on the radially outer side of the opening portion, and the sealing member is disposed, and the opening portion. An inclined portion having an outer diameter that increases continuously as it moves away from the opening, and a large-diameter portion that has an outer diameter that is continuous with the inclined portion and substantially matches the outer diameter of the cap portion. To do.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a toner replenishing device according to the present invention holds the toner replenishing container having the above-described configuration, the toner replenishing container, and receives the toner inside the toner replenishing container through the cap portion. It has a hopper part and a drive part which rotates the bottle part around an axis.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a toner replenishing device according to the present invention holds the toner replenishing container having the above-described configuration, the toner replenishing container, and receives the toner inside the toner replenishing container through the cap portion. A hopper part, a drive part for rotating the bottle part about an axis, and a contact part that is provided in the hopper part and attached to the hopper part and releases the contact member to the first claw part And a contact release portion that moves in the direction of movement.

  In order to solve the above problems, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes the toner supply container having the above-described configuration.

  According to the configuration of the present invention, while preventing cost increase and enlargement without impairing toner supply performance, toner leakage is prevented during transportation, and energy related to replenishment during toner replenishment is reduced. It is possible to provide a toner replenishing container, a toner replenishing device, and an image forming apparatus.

1 is a partial vertical sectional front view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of a toner supply device of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view of the toner replenishing device of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing a state when the toner replenishing container is mounted. FIG. 3 is a front view of the toner replenishing device of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing a state of the toner replenishing container during toner replenishment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a toner supply container according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view of the toner supply container according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view of the toner supply container according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing a state where a shutter member is removed. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the toner supply container according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional partial side view showing a state of the toner supply container according to the first embodiment of the present invention during transportation. FIG. 4 is a partial side view of a vertical cross section illustrating a state of the toner supply container according to the first embodiment of the present invention when toner is supplied. 6 is a graph showing a relationship between a contact pressure and a load torque related to a seal member of a toner supply container. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a toner supply container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a toner supply container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a side view showing a state when the toner supply container of the second embodiment of the present invention is transported, and shows a state where a shutter member is removed. It is a side view which shows the state at the time of toner supply of the toner supply container of 2nd Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: The state which removed the shutter member is shown. FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional partial side view illustrating a state during transportation of a toner supply container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. It is a vertical cross-section partial side view showing a state of the toner supply container of the second embodiment of the present invention during toner supply. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a modification of the toner supply container according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a partial sectional side view of a vertical cross section illustrating a state during transportation of a toner replenishing device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. It is a vertical cross-section partial side view showing a state at the time of toner supply of the toner supply device of the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a toner supply container according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. It is a fragmentary perspective view which shows the opening part of the bottle part of the toner supply container of 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a partial side view which shows the state at the time of transport of the bottle part of the toner supply container of 4th Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional partial side view illustrating a state during transportation of a toner supply container according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. It is a partial side view showing the state at the time of toner replenishment of the bottle part of the toner replenishing container of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. It is a vertical section partial side view showing a state at the time of toner replenishment of a toner replenishment container of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

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

<First Embodiment>
First, an image output operation of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described while explaining the outline of the structure with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an example of a partial vertical sectional front view of an image forming apparatus. Note that a two-dot chain line with an arrow in FIG. 1 indicates a sheet conveyance path and a conveyance direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 is a so-called tandem color copier, and includes an image reading unit 2 that reads an image of a document, a printing unit 3 that prints the read image on a sheet such as a sheet, and printing. An operation unit 4 for inputting conditions and displaying an operation status and a main control unit 5 are provided.

  The image reading unit 2 is a known unit that reads an image of a document placed on the upper surface of a platen glass (not shown) by moving a scanner (not shown). An image of a document is separated into three colors of red (R), green (G), and blue (B), and is converted into an electrical signal by a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor (not shown). Accordingly, the image reading unit 2 obtains image data for each color of red (R), green (G), and blue (B).

  The image data for each color obtained by the image reading unit 2 is subjected to various processes in the main control unit 5, and image data for each reproduction color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). And stored in a memory (not shown) of the main control unit 5. The image data for each reproduction color stored in the memory is subjected to a process for correcting misregistration, and then is scanned for each scanning line in synchronism with the conveyance of the sheet in order to perform optical scanning on the photosensitive drum 21 which is an image carrier. Is read out.

  The printing unit 3 forms an image by an electrophotographic method, and transfers the image to a sheet. The printing unit 3 includes an intermediate transfer belt 11 in which an intermediate transfer member is formed as an endless belt. The intermediate transfer belt 11 is wound around a driving roller 12, a tension roller 13 and a driven roller 14. A tension is applied to the intermediate transfer belt 11 by urging the tension roller 13 upward in FIG. 1 by a spring (not shown). The intermediate transfer belt 11 is rotated by the driving roller 12 counterclockwise in FIG.

  The driving roller 12 presses and contacts the secondary transfer roller 15 facing the intermediate transfer belt 11. At the position of the driven roller 14, an intermediate transfer cleaning unit 16 provided so as to face the driven roller 14 with the intermediate transfer belt 11 interposed therebetween contacts the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11. After the toner image formed on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11 has been transferred to the sheet, the intermediate transfer cleaning unit 16 removes deposits such as toner remaining on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11 and cleans them.

  Below the intermediate transfer belt 11, image forming units 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K corresponding to reproduction colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) are provided. In this description, the description of “Y”, “M”, “C”, and “K” identification symbols is omitted unless it is particularly limited, and is generically called “image forming unit 20”, for example. There are things to do. The four image forming units 20 are arranged in a line along the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 11 from the upstream side to the downstream side in the rotation direction. The four image forming units 20 have the same configuration, and a charging unit, an exposure unit, a developing unit, a drum cleaning unit, and a primary transfer roller are provided around the photosensitive drum 21 that rotates clockwise in FIG. Prepare.

  A scanning optical device 23 that is an exposure device is disposed below the image forming unit 20. One scanning optical device 23 corresponds to four image forming units 20, and has four light sources such as four semiconductor lasers (not shown) individually corresponding to the four photosensitive drums 21. The scanning optical device 23 modulates the four semiconductor lasers according to the image gradation data of each reproduction color, and individually emits laser light corresponding to each reproduction color to the four photosensitive drums 21.

  Above the intermediate transfer belt 11, toner replenishing devices 30 corresponding to the four image forming units 20 of each reproduction color are provided. The toner replenishing device 30 includes a hopper 31 and a toner replenishing container 40, and replenishes toner to the developing unit of the image forming unit 20. The toner replenishing container 40 is detachably attached to the hopper portion 31 of the toner replenishing device 30, that is, the image forming apparatus 1, and can be appropriately replaced with a new one. Details of the toner supply device 30 will be described later.

  Below the scanning optical device 23, there is provided a paper feeding device 91 that accommodates a plurality of paper P such as papers stacked therein. The sheets P stored in the sheet feeding device 91 are sent out one by one from the uppermost layer to the sheet conveying path Q. The paper P sent out from the paper supply device 91 to the paper transport path Q reaches the position of the registration roller pair 94. Then, the registration roller pair 94 corrects the skew feeding of the paper P (skewing correction) and synchronizes with the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 11 so as to contact the intermediate transfer belt 11 and the secondary transfer roller 15 (secondary transfer). The paper P is sent out toward the nip portion.

  In the image forming unit 20, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 by the laser light emitted from the scanning optical device 23, and the electrostatic latent image is visualized as a toner image by the developing unit. The toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 is primarily transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11 at a position where the photosensitive drum 21 faces the primary transfer roller with the intermediate transfer belt 11 interposed therebetween. The toner images of the image forming units 20 are sequentially transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 11 at a predetermined timing along with the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 11, so that yellow, magenta, cyan, black on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11. A color toner image is formed by superimposing the four color toner images.

  The color toner image primarily transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11 is formed on the paper P sent in synchronization by the registration roller pair 94 with the intermediate transfer belt 11 and the secondary transfer roller 15 in contact with each other. The secondary transfer nip is transferred.

  A fixing portion 95 is provided above the secondary transfer nip portion. The sheet P on which the unfixed toner image has been transferred at the secondary transfer nip is sent to the fixing unit 95 and is sandwiched between the heating roller and the pressure roller, and the toner image is heated and pressed to be fixed on the sheet P. The The paper P that has passed through the fixing unit 95 is discharged to a paper discharge unit 96 provided above the intermediate transfer belt 11.

  The operation unit 4 is provided on the front side of the image reading unit 2. The operation unit 4 inputs settings such as printing conditions such as the type and size of paper P used for printing by the user, enlargement / reduction, and presence / absence of double-sided printing, and settings such as a fax number and a sender name in facsimile transmission. Accept. In addition, the operation unit 4 also serves as a notification unit for notifying the user of the status, cautions, error message, and the like of the device on the display unit 4w.

  Further, the image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a main control unit 5 composed of a CPU (not shown), an image processing unit, and other electronic parts (not shown) for overall operation control. The main control unit 5 uses a central processing unit (CPU) and an image processing unit to control components such as the image reading unit 2 and the printing unit 3 on the basis of programs and data stored and input in a memory. Image forming operation and printing operation are realized.

  Next, the configuration of the toner supply device 30 of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the toner supply device 30. FIGS. 3 and 4 are front views of the toner replenishing device 30 and show a state when the toner replenishing container 40 is mounted and a state when toner is replenished. 5 and 6 are a perspective view and a side view of the toner supply container 40, respectively. FIG. 7 is a side view of the toner supply container 40 and shows a state where the shutter member is removed. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the toner supply container 40. 2 and the subsequent drawings, the toner supply container 40 omits the drawing of the end side of the bottle portion having the closed portion. Also, in this document, the direction in which the central axis of the toner supply container 40 whose outer shape is substantially cylindrical is extended is referred to as “axial direction”, the direction orthogonal to the central axial line is referred to as “radial direction”, and the axial line is the center. The direction along the circular arc is called “circumferential direction”.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the toner supply device 30 includes a hopper 31 and a toner supply container 40. The hopper unit 31 is configured integrally with the housing unit of the image forming apparatus 1. Four toner supply containers 40 corresponding to the four reproduction colors are provided. 2 to 4, only one toner supply container 40 is drawn. Since the four toner supply containers 40 have the same structure, the description of the identification symbol indicating the color is omitted as described above.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the hopper 31 has a circular insertion port 31 a as viewed from the front. The insertion ports 31a are provided at four locations corresponding to the four toner supply containers 40, and are arranged in a substantially horizontal direction. The toner supply container 40 is inserted into the insertion port 31a with respect to the hopper 31 from the front to the rear, that is, from the left to the right in FIG. The toner supply container 40 is detachably provided to the hopper unit 31, that is, the image forming apparatus 1.

  The toner supply container 40 has a substantially cylindrical outer shape, and includes a bottle portion 41, a cap portion 42, and a seal member 43 (shown in FIG. 8).

  As shown in FIG. 8, the bottle portion 41 has a bottomed cylindrical shape with a circular cross section having an opening 41a at one end and a closed portion at the other end. The bottomed cylindrical bottle portion 41 is held by the hopper portion 31 so that the center axis thereof is substantially horizontal. The bottle portion 41 has an opening 41 a included in the cap portion 42. The bottle portion 41 is provided with a spiral portion 41b that protrudes inward in the radial direction in a spiral shape with respect to the central axis on the cylindrical portion.

  The bottle part 41 has a smaller outer diameter on the opening side than the outer diameter on the closed part side. In this regard, the bottle part 41 has an inclined part 41c and a large diameter part 41d in its cylindrical part. The inclined portion 41c is continuous with the opening 41a, and the outer diameter increases as the distance from the opening 41a increases. The large-diameter portion 41d is continuous with the inclined portion 41c, and the outer diameter substantially matches the outer diameter of the cap portion 42. The large diameter portion 41 d extends to the closed portion at the end of the bottle portion 41. According to this configuration, toner can be accommodated as much as possible, so that it is possible to improve toner supply.

  The cap portion 42 has a bottomed cylindrical shape with a circular cross section having an opening 42a at one end and a closing portion at the other end. The cap part 42 has an inner diameter of the opening part 42 a larger than the outer diameter of the opening part 41 a of the bottle part 41, and is attached to the bottle part 41 so as to close and cover the opening part 41 a of the bottle part 41.

  The cap portion 42 has a toner discharge port 42b and a shutter member 42c (shown in FIG. 5) in its cylindrical portion. The toner discharge port 42 b extends along the radial direction and opens at the outer peripheral surface of the cap portion 42. The shutter member 42 c has a shape along the outer peripheral surface of the cap portion 42, and is provided so as to be movable along the circumferential direction of the cap portion 42.

  When the toner supply container 40 is transported, that is, when the toner supply container 40 is not attached to the hopper 31, the shutter member 42c closes the toner discharge port 42b as shown in FIGS. In this state, the toner supply container 40 is attached to the hopper 31 as shown in FIG.

  Here, the hopper part 31 has the latching part 31b with respect to the shutter member 42c in the insertion port 31a. The locking portion 31b has a shape and size that allows the shutter member 42c provided on the cap portion 42 to be inserted. When the toner supply container 40 is mounted on the hopper portion 31, the shutter member 42c is inserted into the locking portion 31b. As shown in FIG. 3, the toner discharge port 42 b and the shutter member 42 c are positioned obliquely above the vertically lower side of the cap portion 42.

  Subsequently, the cap part 42 is rotated in a direction in which the toner discharge port 42b moves downward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the toner discharge port 42 b is positioned vertically below the cap portion 42. The shutter member 42c is caught by the locking portion 31b and is prevented from moving relative to the insertion port 31a. Thereby, the toner discharge port 42b is opened. The toner discharge port 42b communicates with the toner receiving port 31c of the hopper 31 so that the toner can be discharged by free fall.

  The seal member 43 is disposed in the opening 41a of the bottle 41 as shown in FIG. The seal member 43 is formed in an annular shape and is interposed between the bottle part 41 and the cap part 42. The seal member 43 prevents leakage of toner stored in the toner supply container 40 to the outside. Details of the seal member 43 and its periphery will be described later.

  The hopper unit 31 includes a bottle driving unit (not shown). The bottle drive unit is disposed on the outside in the axial direction of the closing part of the bottle unit 41, that is, in the region on the right side of the bottle unit 41 in FIG. The bottle drive unit includes a rotation axis whose axis matches the center axis of the bottle unit 41, and a motor that rotates the rotation axis.

  When the toner supply container 40 is mounted on the hopper 31, the rotating shaft of the bottle driving unit engages with the closed portion of the bottle unit 41. The bottle driving unit is controlled by the main control unit 5 and rotates the rotating shaft by a motor as necessary to rotate the bottle unit 41 around its axis. At this time, the cap portion 42 does not rotate. When the bottle part 41 rotates, the toner inside the bottle part 41 is moved to the opening 41a side of the bottle part 41 by the action of the spiral part 41b. Then, the toner is discharged from the toner discharge port 42 b of the cap portion 42 to the outside of the toner supply container 40. The white arrows in FIGS. 2 and 8 indicate the rotation direction of the bottle portion 41 for discharging the toner by the bottle driving portion.

  Next, a detailed configuration of the seal member 43 of the toner replenishing container 40 and its periphery will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11 in addition to FIG. 9 and 10 are partial cross-sectional side views of the toner replenishing container 40 showing a state during transportation and a state during toner replenishment. FIG. 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the contact pressure and the load torque related to the seal member of the toner supply container.

  The seal member 43 is made of foamed urethane, for example, and is formed in an annular shape as shown in FIG. The seal member 43 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape along the axial direction. The seal member 43 is in contact with the bottle portion 41 at a plane extending in the radial direction at one end in the axial direction, and is in contact with the cap portion 42 at a plane extending in the radial direction at the other end in the axial direction.

  The bottle part 41 has a concave step part 41e as shown in FIGS. The concave step portion 41e is provided on the radially outer side of the opening portion 41a. The concave stepped portion 41e is formed in an annular shape by intersecting a curved surface extending in the circumferential direction of the bottle portion 41 adjacent to the opening 41a and a plane extending in the radial direction. A seal member 43 is disposed and fixed to the concave step portion 41e.

  The cap part 42 has a convex step part 42d as shown in FIGS. The convex step portion 42 d is provided on the inner peripheral portion of the cap portion 42. The convex stepped portion 42d is formed in an annular shape by connecting a flat surface extending in the radial direction by connecting to the inner peripheral surface of the cap portion 42 and a curved surface extending in the circumferential direction of the cap portion 42. The plane of the convex step portion 42d faces the plane of the concave step portion 41e in the axial direction. The inner diameter of the curved surface of the convex step portion 42d is larger than the outer diameter of the concave step portion 41e. Thereby, the opening part 41a of the bottle part 41 can be inserted in the radial inside of the convex step part 42d of the cap part 42. At this time, the convex stepped portion 42 d has a flat surface extending in the radial direction in contact with the end surface of the seal member 43 in the axial direction.

  The toner supply container 40 includes a position changing unit 50. The position changing part 50 has a flange part 51 and a protrusion part 52 provided on the bottle part 41. The position changing unit 50 has a claw portion 53 provided on the cap portion 42.

  The flange part 51 is provided in the outer peripheral part of the bottle part 41, protrudes toward a radial direction outer side, and is formed in the cyclic | annular form over the perimeter of an outer peripheral part. The flange portion 51 is provided on the radially outer side of the concave step portion 41e and adjacent to the concave step portion 41e.

  The protrusion 52 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the bottle portion 41 at a position away from the opening 41a along the axial direction with the flange portion 51 therebetween. The protrusion 52 extends in a predetermined length along the circumferential direction and protrudes radially outward. A plurality of protrusions 52 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction.

  The claw portions 53 are provided on the peripheral wall portion of the cap portion 42, and a plurality of the claw portions 53 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. The number of the claw parts 53 is the same as the number of the protrusion parts 52, and each is disposed at the same position as the protrusion parts 52 in the circumferential direction.

  The claw portion 53 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the radially outer side of the cap portion 42. The claw portion 53 is formed by two sides of the rectangular end in the circumferential direction and one side on the opening 42a side in the axial direction passing through the peripheral wall portion of the cap portion 42 inward and outward in the radial direction. . The claw portion 53 has a rectangular tip portion on one side opposite to the opening portion 42a in the axial direction and is connected to the peripheral wall portion of the cap portion 42 to be elastically deformable, and is a tip portion that is a portion on one side on the opening portion 42a side. Can be displaced inward and outward in the radial direction.

  The tip of the claw portion 53 protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the cap portion 42. Thereby, the front-end | tip part of the nail | claw part 53 engages with the area | region on the opposite side with respect to the opening part 41a of either the flange part 51 or the projection part 52. FIG.

  When the toner supply container 40 is transported, the claw portion 53 engages with the protruding portion 52 as shown in FIG. Since the projecting portion 52 is located relatively far along the axial direction with respect to the concave step portion 41e, the convex step portion 42d comes close to the concave step portion 41e by the engagement of the claw portion 53 with the projecting portion 52. . Thereby, the position change part 50 makes the compression form in the axial direction of the sealing member 43 a 1st form of a high compression state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent toner leakage from between the bottle portion 41 and the cap portion 42.

  On the other hand, when toner is supplied from the toner supply container 40, the cap part 42 is rotated in the circumferential direction with respect to the bottle part 41. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 10, the position changing unit 50 releases the engagement of the claw portion 53 with the protruding portion 52 and engages the claw portion 53 with the flange portion 51. Since the flange portion 51 is adjacent to the concave step portion 41e, the convex step portion 42d is relatively separated from the concave step portion 41e by the engagement of the claw portion 53 with the flange portion 51. That is, the position changing unit 50 changes the compression form in the axial direction of the seal member 43 to the second form in a low compression state in which the amount of compressive deformation is smaller than that in the first form. Accordingly, the contact pressure between the seal member 43 and the cap portion 42 is reduced. That is, it is possible to reduce energy related to toner supply when toner is supplied.

  Referring to FIG. 11, when the radius r of the bottle portion 41 is increased (arrow A) in order to improve the toner supply performance, the contact area of the seal member 43 with the cap portion 42 increases, and when the toner is replenished, the bottle portion When 41 is rotated, the load torque may increase. On the other hand, if the contact torque of the seal member 43 is reduced by reducing the load torque (arrow B), there is a concern about toner leakage.

  Therefore, according to the configuration of the first embodiment, the position changing unit 50 changes the relative position between the bottle unit 41 and the cap unit 42 and switches the compression mode of the seal member 43 in the axial direction of the bottle unit 41. The contact pressure of the cap portion 42 against the seal member 43 can be changed when the supply container 40 is transported and when the toner is supplied. The seal member 43 is in a high compression state when the toner supply container 40 is transported and is in a low compression state when the toner is supplied. Therefore, the toner replenishing container 40 can increase the cost without impairing the toner supply performance, suppress the enlargement, prevent the toner from leaking during transportation, and reduce the energy related to the replenishment during toner replenishment. It becomes possible.

  Further, the rotation of the cap portion 42 with respect to the bottle portion 41 in the circumferential direction causes the position changing portion 50 to switch the engagement with the claw portion 53 to either the flange portion 51 or the protruding portion 52, and the bottle portion 41 and the cap portion 42. Therefore, it is possible to easily switch the compression form of the seal member 43 in the axial direction.

  The relative position between the bottle part 41 and the cap part 42 by the position changing part 50 may be changed before or after the toner supply container 40 is attached to the hopper part 31. Further, the rotation of the cap portion 42 with respect to the bottle portion 41 in the circumferential direction may be performed manually or automatically using the bottle driving portion. By automatically rotating the cap portion 42, the operability for the user can be improved.

Second Embodiment
Next, a toner supply container according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13 are a perspective view and an exploded perspective view of the toner supply container. 14 and 15 are side views showing a state when the toner supply container is transported and a state when toner is supplied, with the shutter member removed. FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 are vertical sectional partial side views showing a state when the toner supply container is transported and a state when toner is supplied. Since the basic configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, the same components as those in the first embodiment are assigned the same names and the same reference numerals as before, and the details thereof are the same. The description may be omitted.

  The toner supply container 40 of the second embodiment includes a position changing unit 60 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. The position changing part 60 has a flange part 61 provided in the bottle part 41. The position changing part 60 includes a first claw part 63, a second claw part 64, and a contact member 65 provided on the cap part 42.

  The flange part 61 is provided in the outer peripheral part of the bottle part 41, protrudes toward the outer side in the radial direction, and is formed in an annular shape over the entire circumference of the outer peripheral part. The flange portion 61 is provided on the radially outer side of the concave step portion 41e and adjacent to the concave step portion 41e.

  The 1st nail | claw part 63 is provided in the surrounding wall part of the cap part 42, and several are arrange | positioned at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. The first claw portion 63 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the radially outer side of the cap portion 42. The first claw portion 63 is displaceable inward and outward in the radial direction by the elastic deformation of the base portion, which is a portion on one side of the opening 42a.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the first claw portion 63 is pressed from the outside toward the radially inner side using the contact member 65, so that the tip end portion is radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the cap portion 42. Protrusively. Thereby, the front-end | tip part of the 1st nail | claw part 63 engages with the area | region on the opposite side with respect to the opening part 41a of the flange part 61. FIG. When the pressure applied by the contact member 65 is released, the first claw portion 63 is displaced radially outward by the restoring force, and the distal end is radially inward of the inner peripheral surface of the cap portion 42. It does not protrude (see FIG. 17).

  A plurality of second claw portions 64 are provided on the peripheral wall portion of the cap portion 42, and a plurality of second claw portions 64 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction at positions spaced apart from the first claw portion 63 along the axial direction from the opening 41a. The number of the second claw portions 64 is the same as the number of the first claw portions 63, and each is disposed between the first claw portions 63 adjacent in the circumferential direction.

  The 2nd nail | claw part 64 comprises rectangular shape seeing from the radial direction outer side of the cap part 42. As shown in FIG. The second claw portion 64 can be displaced inward and outward in the radial direction by the elastic deformation of the base portion. The second claw portion 64 is not pressurized from the outside, that is, the tip portion always protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the cap portion 42. Thereby, the front-end | tip part of the 2nd nail | claw part 64 engages with the area | region on the opposite side with respect to the opening part 41a of the flange part 61. FIG.

  The contact members 65 are provided on the outer peripheral portion of the cap portion 42, and a plurality of the contact members 65 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. The number of contact members 65 is the same as that of the first claw portions 63, and each of the contact members 65 is disposed at the same position as the first claw portion 63 in the axial direction.

  The contact member 65 can move in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral portion of the cap portion 42. The contact member 65 is on the outer side in the radial direction of the first claw portion 63, and is positioned at a position overlapping the first claw portion 63 in the radial direction (see FIG. 14) and a position retracted from that position (see FIG. 15). It moves relative to 63. 14 and 15 are diagrams in which the position of the contact member 65 is held and the cap portion 42 is rotated.

  When the toner replenishing container 40 is transported, the contact member 65 is disposed at a position overlapping the first claw portion 63 in the radial direction as shown in FIG. The contact member 65 contacts the first claw portion 63 from the radially outer side and pressurizes the first claw portion 63 toward the radially inner side. As a result, the tip end portion of the first claw portion 63 protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the cap portion 42 and engages with the flange portion 61.

  The first claw portion 63 is located closer to the concave step portion 41e along the axial direction than the second claw portion 64, and the convex step portion 42d is engaged with the flange portion 61 of the first claw portion 63. It is close to the concave step portion 41e. Thereby, the position change part 60 makes the compression form in the axial direction of the sealing member 43 the 1st form of a high compression state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent toner leakage from between the bottle portion 41 and the cap portion 42.

  On the other hand, when toner is supplied from the toner supply container 40, the cap part 42 is rotated in the circumferential direction with respect to the bottle part 41. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 17, the position changing unit 60 moves the contact member 65 to release the contact between the contact member 65 and the first claw portion 63, and releases the pressure applied to the first claw portion 63. Due to the restoring force of the first claw portion 63, the tip end side is displaced radially outward, and the tip end side does not protrude radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the cap portion 42. As a result, the engagement between the first claw portion 63 and the flange portion 61 is released, and the second claw portion 64 engages with the flange portion 61.

  The second claw portion 64 is located farther from the first claw portion 63 along the axial direction with respect to the concave step portion 41e, and the convex step portion 42d is engaged with the flange portion 61 of the second claw portion 64. It is separated from the concave step portion 41e. That is, the position changing unit 60 changes the compression form in the axial direction of the seal member 43 to a second form in a low compression state in which the amount of compressive deformation is smaller than that in the first form. Accordingly, the contact pressure between the seal member 43 and the cap portion 42 is reduced. That is, it is possible to reduce energy related to toner supply when toner is supplied.

  According to the configuration of the second embodiment, the position changer 60 engages the flange 61 with the first claw 63 or the movement of the contact member 65 based on the rotation of the cap 42 relative to the bottle 41 in the circumferential direction. Since the relative position between the bottle part 41 and the cap part 42 is changed by switching to any one of the second claw parts 64, the compression form of the seal member 43 in the axial direction can be easily switched.

<Modification of Second Embodiment>
Next, a modified example of the toner supply container of the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the toner supply container.

  In the toner supply container 40 according to the modification of the second embodiment, the position changing unit 60 includes a contact member 66 as shown in FIG. The contact member 66 is formed continuously in the circumferential direction with respect to the shutter member 42c, and is configured as the same member as the shutter member 42c.

  According to this configuration, the number of parts can be reduced. In addition, the toner supply container 40 is mounted on the hopper 31, and the compression mode of the seal member 43 can be switched by the position changing unit 60 simultaneously with the opening of the toner discharge port 42 b by the rotation of the cap unit 42.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a toner replenishing device according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 and 20. FIGS. 19 and 20 are vertical sectional partial side views showing the state of the toner replenishing device during transportation and the state during toner replenishment. Since the basic configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the first and second embodiments described above, the same components and the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components as those of the previous embodiments. Detailed description thereof may be omitted.

  The toner supply device 30 according to the third embodiment includes a position changing unit 60 as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20. The position changing part 60 has a flange part 61 provided in the bottle part 41. The position changing part 60 includes a first claw part 63, a second claw part 64, and a contact member 67 provided on the cap part 42. Furthermore, the position changing unit 60 has a contact releasing unit 68 provided in the insertion port 31a (see FIGS. 2 to 4) of the hopper unit 31.

  The contact members 67 are provided on the outer peripheral portion of the cap portion 42, and a plurality of contact members 67 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. The number of the contact members 67 is the same as the number of the first claw parts 63, and each is arranged at the same position as the first claw parts 63 in the axial direction.

  The contact member 67 can move in the axial direction on the outer peripheral portion of the cap portion 42. The contact member 67 is outside the first claw portion 63 in the radial direction, at a position overlapping the first claw portion 63 in the radial direction (see FIG. 19) and a position retracted from the position (see FIG. 20). It moves relative to 63.

  The contact release portions 68 are provided on the inner peripheral portion of the insertion port 31a, and a plurality of contact release portions 68 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. The number of contact release portions 68 is the same as the number of contact members 67, and each is disposed at the same position as the contact member 67 in the circumferential direction.

  The tip of the contact release portion 68 protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the insertion port 31a. When the toner supply container 40 is inserted into the insertion port 31a and the contact member 67 reaches the contact release portion 68, the tip of the contact release portion 68 engages with the contact member 67, and the contact member 67 is moved in the axial direction. Move along.

  When the toner replenishing device 30 is transported, the contact member 67 is disposed at a position overlapping the first claw portion 63 in the radial direction as shown in FIG. In FIG. 19, the contact release unit 68 is drawn. However, since the contact release unit 68 is actually provided in the insertion port 31 a of the hopper unit 31, the contact release unit 68 becomes the contact member 67 when the toner replenishing device 30 is transported. Is not adjacent to The contact member 67 contacts the first claw portion 63 from the radially outer side, and pressurizes the first claw portion 63 toward the radially inner side. As a result, the tip end portion of the first claw portion 63 protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the cap portion 42 and engages with the flange portion 61.

  The first claw portion 63 is located closer to the concave step portion 41e along the axial direction than the second claw portion 64, and the convex step portion 42d is engaged with the flange portion 61 of the first claw portion 63. It is close to the concave step portion 41e. Thereby, the position change part 60 makes the compression form in the axial direction of the sealing member 43 the 1st form of a high compression state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent toner leakage from between the bottle portion 41 and the cap portion 42.

  On the other hand, when the toner supply device 30 supplies toner, the toner supply container 40 is inserted into the insertion port 31a. The tip of the contact release portion 68 engages with the contact member 67, and moves the contact member 67 along the axial direction. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 20, the position changing unit 60 moves the contact member 67 to release the contact between the contact member 67 and the first claw portion 63 and releases the pressure on the first claw portion 63. That is, the contact release unit 68 moves the contact member 67 in the direction to release the contact with the first claw portion 63 as the toner supply container 40 is mounted on the hopper portion 31. Due to the restoring force of the first claw portion 63, the tip end side is displaced radially outward, and the tip end side does not protrude radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the cap portion 42. As a result, the engagement between the first claw portion 63 and the flange portion 61 is released, and the second claw portion 64 engages with the flange portion 61.

  The second claw portion 64 is located farther from the first claw portion 63 along the axial direction with respect to the concave step portion 41e, and the convex step portion 42d is engaged with the flange portion 61 of the second claw portion 64. It is separated from the concave step portion 41e. That is, the position changing unit 60 changes the compression form in the axial direction of the seal member 43 to a second form in a low compression state in which the amount of compressive deformation is smaller than that in the first form. Accordingly, the contact pressure between the seal member 43 and the cap portion 42 is reduced. That is, it is possible to reduce energy related to toner supply when toner is supplied.

  According to the configuration of the third embodiment, the position changing unit 60 engages with the flange 61 by the movement of the contact member 67 based on the insertion of the toner supply container 40 into the insertion port 31a. Since the relative position between the bottle part 41 and the cap part 42 is changed by switching to any one of the claw parts 64, the compression form of the seal member 43 in the axial direction can be easily switched.

<Fourth embodiment>
Next, a toner supply container according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the toner supply container. FIG. 22 is a partial perspective view showing the opening of the bottle portion of the toner supply container. 23 and 24 are a side view of the bottle part and a vertical sectional partial side view of the toner replenishing container in a state during transportation. 25 and 26 are a side view of the bottle portion and a vertical sectional partial side view of the toner supply container in a state during toner supply. Since the basic configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, the same components as those in the first embodiment are assigned the same names and the same reference numerals as before, and the details thereof are the same. The description may be omitted.

  The toner supply container 40 according to the fourth embodiment includes a position changing unit 70 as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22. The position changing unit 70 has a flange portion 71 and a protrusion 72 provided on the bottle portion 41. The position changing part 70 has a claw part 73 provided in the cap part 42. Further, the position changing unit 70 includes an intermediate member 74 that is a member separate from the bottle unit 41 and the cap unit 42.

  The flange part 71 is provided in the outer peripheral part of the bottle part 41, protrudes toward a radial direction outer side, and is formed in the cyclic | annular form over the perimeter of an outer peripheral part. The flange portion 71 is provided on the outer side in the radial direction of the concave step portion 41e and adjacent to the concave step portion 41e.

  The protruding portion 72 is provided adjacent to the flange portion 71 on the opposite side of the outer peripheral portion of the bottle portion 41 from the flange portion 71 along the axial direction with respect to the opening 41a. The protrusion 72 extends in a predetermined length along the circumferential direction, protrudes outward in the radial direction, and protrudes in a direction away from the opening 41a along the axis. A plurality of protrusions 72 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. Note that only one protrusion 72 has a longer protrusion length along the axial direction than the other protrusions 72.

  The claw portions 73 are provided on the peripheral wall portion of the cap portion 42, and a plurality of the claw portions 73 are spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction at positions spaced apart from the opening portion 41 a along the axial direction by the flange portion 71, the protruding portion 72 and the intermediate member 74. Be placed. The number of the claw portions 73 may be the same as or different from the number of the protrusions 72.

  The claw portion 73 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the radially outer side of the cap portion 42. The claw portion 73 is displaceable inward and outward in the radial direction by the elastic deformation of the base portion. The tip of the claw 73 protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the cap 42. Thereby, the front-end | tip part of the nail | claw part 73 engages with the area | region on the opposite side with respect to the opening part 41a of the intermediate member 74. FIG.

  The intermediate member 74 is attached to the outer peripheral part of the bottle part 41, and is arrange | positioned in the position which separated the flange part 71 and the projection part 72 along the axial direction from the opening part 41a. The intermediate member 74 is movable relative to the bottle portion 41 in the axial direction and the circumferential direction. The intermediate member 74 is substantially annular and has one cutting portion 74a. That is, strictly speaking, the intermediate member 74 is C-shaped. The cutting part 74a is adjacent to a convex part 74b described below.

  The intermediate member 74 has a plurality of convex portions 74b. The plurality of convex portions 74b protrude along the axis in a direction approaching the opening 41a, and are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. The number of the protrusions 74b is the same as that of the protrusions 72, and each of the protrusions 74b is disposed at the same position as the protrusions 72 in the circumferential direction.

  When the toner supply container 40 is transported, as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the intermediate member 74 is disposed at a position where the projection 74b faces the projection 72 in the axial direction. By arranging the convex portions 74b and the projecting portions 72 in the axial direction, the intermediate member 74 is positioned relatively away from the concave stepped portion 41e along the axial direction. Then, due to the engagement of the claw 73 with the intermediate member 74, the convex stepped portion 42d comes close to the concave stepped portion 41e. Thereby, the position change part 70 makes the compression form in the axial direction of the sealing member 43 the 1st form of a high compression state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent toner leakage from between the bottle portion 41 and the cap portion 42.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 23, the cut portion 74 a of the intermediate member 74 is adjacent to one protrusion 72 having a longer protrusion length along the axial direction than the other protrusions 72. Thereby, the level | step difference from which the position in an axial direction differs along the circumferential direction in the location of the cutting part 74a of the intermediate member 74 arises.

  When the toner is supplied from the toner supply container 40, the cap part 42 is rotated in the circumferential direction with respect to the bottle part 41. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, the position changing unit 70 hooks the claw 73 on the step of the cutting part 74 a and rotates the intermediate member 74 in the circumferential direction. The convex part 74b moves to a region between the projecting parts 72 adjacent in the circumferential direction, and the convex part 74b and the projecting part 72 are arranged in the circumferential direction. As a result, the convex stepped portion 42d is relatively separated from the concave stepped portion 41e while the claw portion 73 remains engaged with the intermediate member 74. That is, the position changing unit 70 changes the compression form in the axial direction of the seal member 43 to the second form in a low compression state in which the amount of compressive deformation is smaller than that in the first form. Accordingly, the contact pressure between the seal member 43 and the cap portion 42 is reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce the energy associated with the replenishment of toner.

  According to the configuration of the fourth embodiment, the position changing portion 70 is aligned with the protrusion 72 and the protrusion 74b in the axial direction or in the circumferential direction by rotating the cap portion 42 with respect to the bottle portion 41 in the circumferential direction. Since the relative position between the bottle part 41 and the cap part 42 is changed, the compression form of the seal member 43 in the axial direction can be easily switched. This configuration is effective when the contact member for the claw portion 73 and the contact release portion thereof that are seen in the second and third embodiments cannot be provided.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  The present invention can be used in a toner supply container and an image forming apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 30 Toner supply apparatus 31 Hopper part 40 Toner supply container 41 Bottle part 41a Opening part 42 Cap part 42c Shutter member 43 Seal member 50, 60, 70 Position change part 51, 61, 71 Flange part 52, 72 Projection part 53, 73 Claw part 63 First claw part 64 Second claw part 65, 66, 67 Contact member 68 Contact release part 74 Intermediate member 74b Convex part

Claims (12)

A toner supply container for supplying toner to a developing unit of an image forming apparatus,
A bottle having a bottomed cylindrical shape for containing toner and having an opening through which toner flows at one end in the axial direction;
A cap portion that forms a bottomed cylindrical shape and covers the opening of the bottle portion;
An annular seal member interposed between the bottle part and the cap part in the opening;
A position changing unit that changes the relative position between the bottle part and the cap part and switches the compression mode of the seal member in the axial direction of the bottle part;
A toner supply container.   The toner replenishing container according to claim 1, wherein the position changing unit switches a compression form of the seal member between a first form and a second form having a smaller amount of compressive deformation than the first form. The position changing unit is
A flange portion provided on an outer peripheral portion of the bottle portion;
A plurality of protrusions arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction at positions spaced apart from the flange portion along the axial direction from the opening portion of the outer peripheral portion of the bottle portion, and projecting radially outward;
A plurality of claw portions that are arranged on the peripheral wall portion of the cap portion at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction, project inward in the radial direction, and engage with either the flange portion or the projection portion;
Have
The engagement of the claw part with the rotation of the cap part with respect to the bottle part in the circumferential direction is switched to either the flange part or the protrusion part, and the relative position between the bottle part and the cap part is changed. The toner supply container according to claim 1, wherein the toner supply container is a toner supply container. The position changing unit is
A flange portion provided on an outer peripheral portion of the bottle portion;
Provided adjacent to the flange portion on the opposite side of the flange portion along the axial direction with respect to the opening portion, projecting in a direction away from the opening portion along the axis line, and arranged at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction A plurality of protrusions;
A substantially annular intermediate member disposed at a position spaced apart from the flange and the protrusion along the axial direction from the opening, and movable in the axial and circumferential directions;
A plurality of protrusions provided on the intermediate member and projecting in a direction approaching the opening along the axis, and arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction;
A circumferential wall portion of the cap portion is disposed at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction at positions spaced apart from the flange portion, the protrusion portion, and the intermediate member along the axial direction from the opening portion, and toward the radially inner side. A plurality of claws that project and engage the intermediate member;
Have
By the rotation of the cap part with respect to the bottle part in the circumferential direction, the projection part and the convex part are switched to either the axial line state or the circumferential direction state, and the bottle part and the cap part The toner supply container according to claim 1, wherein the relative position is changed. The position changing unit is
A flange portion provided on an outer peripheral portion of the bottle portion;
The flange portion is arranged on the peripheral wall portion of the cap portion at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction, protrudes inward in the radial direction and is displaceable in the radial direction, and is pressurized from the outside toward the radially inner side. A plurality of first claw portions that are engaged with each other and release the engagement with the flange portion by releasing the pressure,
The circumferential wall portion of the cap portion is disposed at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction at a position spaced apart from the first claw portion along the axial direction from the opening portion, and protrudes radially inward, and is projected to the flange portion. A plurality of second claw portions to be engaged;
Provided on the outer peripheral portion of the cap portion, the first claw portion is pressed inward in the radial direction by contacting the first claw portion from the radially outer side, and the contact with the first claw portion is released. A contact member for releasing the pressure on the first claw part,
Have
By moving the contact member, the engagement with the flange portion is switched to either the first claw portion or the second claw portion, and the relative position between the bottle portion and the cap portion is changed. The toner supply container according to claim 1.   The toner replenishing container according to claim 5, wherein the contact member moves in a circumferential direction on an outer peripheral portion of the cap portion, and contacts and releases the contact with the first claw portion. The cap part is
A toner outlet stored in the bottle portion;
A shutter member for opening and closing the discharge port;
With
The toner replenishing container according to claim 6, wherein the contact member is configured as the same member as the shutter member.   The toner replenishing container according to claim 5, wherein the contact member moves in an axial direction on an outer peripheral portion of the cap portion, and contacts and releases the contact with the first claw portion. The bottle part includes the opening part included in the cap part,
A stepped portion provided on the radially outer side of the opening and on which the seal member is disposed;
An inclined portion having an outer diameter that increases with distance from the opening continuously from the opening;
A large-diameter portion having an outer diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the cap portion continuously to the inclined portion;
The toner replenishing container according to claim 1, comprising: A toner supply container according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A hopper that holds the toner supply container and receives the toner inside the toner supply container via the cap;
A drive section for rotating the bottle section around an axis;
A toner replenishing device. A toner supply container according to claim 8;
A hopper that holds the toner supply container and receives the toner inside the toner supply container via the cap;
A drive section for rotating the bottle section around an axis;
A contact release portion provided in the hopper portion for moving the contact member in a direction of releasing contact with the first claw portion as the toner supply container is mounted on the hopper portion;
A toner replenishing device.   An image forming apparatus comprising the toner supply device according to claim 10.