JP2018091926A - Image forming apparatus and toner container attachable to image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus that can disable attachment of a toner container when compatible key members for achieving attachment compatibility are broken or lost, and the toner container.SOLUTION: A container attachment part 42 is provided with an engagement target part 90, and a toner container 41 is provided with a connection part 80. The connection part 80 has a projection 88 and a plurality of compatible keys 81. The connection target part 90 has an engagement hole 96 into which the projection 88 can be inserted, and through-holes into which the compatible keys 81 can be inserted. The through-holes are each provided with a displacement member 100, and the displacement member 100 can be displaced between a first position to prevent insertion of the projection 88 into the engagement hole 96 and a second position to permit insertion of the projection 88 according to insertion of the compatible keys 81.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a container mounting portion that detachably supports a toner container having mounting compatibility, and a toner container that can be mounted to the image forming apparatus.

  An electrophotographic image forming apparatus is equipped with a developing device. A developer containing toner is accommodated in the developing device. The image forming apparatus includes a container mounting portion in which a toner container is mounted. When the toner container is mounted in the container mounting portion, toner can be supplied from the toner container to the developing device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known an image forming apparatus having an incompatible structure in which only a toner container having mounting compatibility can be mounted on the container mounting portion so that toner that is incompatible with the developing device is not replenished (see Patent Document 1). ). In this type of image forming apparatus, a main body compatible key corresponding to a toner container that can be mounted on the container mounting portion is provided on the container mounting portion. On the other hand, the toner container is provided with a container side compatible key that can be engaged only with the main body side compatible key of the container mounting portion corresponding to the toner container and cannot be engaged with the other container mounting portion. .

JP 2012-18377 A

  However, in the conventional incompatible structure, when the container side compatible key of the toner container is lost due to breakage or the like, when the toner container is inserted into another container mounting portion, the main body side compatible key May not interfere with the toner container and may allow the toner container to be attached. In this case, the image forming apparatus cannot identify whether the toner container is an incompatible toner container containing incompatible toner or a normal toner container. For this reason, if an image forming operation is performed in a state in which an incompatible toner container is mounted, incompatible toner is supplied to the image forming unit, which may cause printing failure.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus and a toner container capable of disabling the mounting of a toner container when a compatible key member for realizing mounting compatibility is broken or lost. is there.

  An image forming apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a toner container having a connecting portion at a tip, and a container mounting portion. The container mounting portion is configured to be able to support the toner container inserted toward a predetermined mounting position, and is configured to be able to mount the toner container at the mounting position. The container mounting portion includes a connected portion that can be connected to the connecting portion in a state where the toner container is mounted on the container mounting portion. The connecting portion includes a protruding portion that protrudes in the insertion direction toward the mounting position, and a compatible key member that protrudes in the insertion direction. The connected portion includes a first insertion port into which the protruding portion can be inserted when connected to the connecting portion, a second insertion port into which the compatible key member can be inserted when connected to the connecting portion, and a displacement member. Have. The displacement member is displaceably provided in the second insertion port, and protrudes inward of the first insertion port in a non-connected state to prevent the insertion of the protrusion, and the second insertion when connected. When the interchangeable key member is inserted into the mouth, the interchangeable key member is pressed by the interchangeable key member and retracted from the first insertion port so as to be displaceable between the second position allowing the insertion of the protruding portion. Yes.

  A toner container according to another aspect of the present invention is configured to be detachable from a container mounting portion of the image forming apparatus, and has a connecting portion at the tip. The container mounting portion includes a connected portion that can be connected to the connecting portion in a state where the toner container is mounted on the container mounting portion. The connected portion includes a first insertion port, a second insertion port different from the first insertion port, and a displacement member. The displacement member is displaceably provided in the second insertion port, and is disposed at a first position protruding inward of the first insertion port in a non-connected state, and retracts from the first insertion port in a connected state. Arranged in two positions. The connecting portion protrudes in an insertion direction toward the mounting position of the toner container in the container mounting portion, and protrudes in the first insertion port when connected, and protrudes in the insertion direction when connected, and the second insertion when connected. A compatible key member that can be inserted into the mouth. The interchangeable key member is configured to allow insertion of the projecting portion into the first insertion port by being inserted into the second insertion port at the time of connection and pressing the displacement member to move to the second position. Has been.

  According to the present invention, when a compatible key member for realizing mounting compatibility is broken or lost, it is possible to disable mounting of the toner container.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a toner replenishing device provided in the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a toner container that can be attached to and detached from the toner supply device. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing a cover member and a connecting portion of the toner container. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the cover member of the toner container. FIG. 6 is a front view showing the cover member of the toner container. FIG. 7 is a front view showing a connection support portion provided in the toner supply device. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a connected part provided in the connection support part. FIG. 9 is a front view showing the connected portion. 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the configuration of the displacement member. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the connecting portion and the connected portion in a non-connected state. FIGS. 12A and 12B are cross-sectional views showing the connecting portion and the connected portion in the connecting process, and FIG. 12A shows a state in which the interchangeable key is in contact with the displacement member. ) Shows a state in which the displacement member has moved to the second position. FIG. 13A is a cross-sectional view showing a connection state of the connecting portion and the connected portion when an incompatible toner container is attached, and FIG. 13B is a case where a toner container with a broken compatible key is attached. It is sectional drawing which shows the connection state of a connection part when connected, and a to-be-connected part.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiment is an example embodying the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. For convenience of explanation, the vertical direction is defined as the vertical direction D1 in the installation state (the state shown in FIG. 1) in which the image forming apparatus 10 can be used. Also, the front-rear direction D2 is defined with the side on which the toner container 41 is inserted into the image forming apparatus 10 as the front side (front side). Further, a left-right direction D3 is defined when the image forming apparatus 10 is viewed from the front side (front side).

[Image forming apparatus]
The image forming apparatus 10 is an apparatus having at least a printing function, for example, a color printer. The image forming apparatus 10 prints an image on a printing paper that is a sheet member using a developer containing toner. Specific examples of the image forming apparatus 10 are, for example, a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine having these functions. The image forming apparatus 10 can form a color image. However, as long as the toner container 41 is used, the image forming apparatus 10 may be configured to form a monochrome image.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 is a so-called tandem color image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus 10 includes a plurality of image forming units 1 to 4, an intermediate transfer unit 5, an exposure device 14, a secondary transfer device 15, a fixing device 16, a toner supply device 40, and a belt cleaning device 6. And an operation display unit 9 having a touch panel, a liquid crystal display unit, and the like, a control unit 8, a paper feed tray 17, and a paper discharge tray 18. These components are attached to a housing 11 constituting an external frame (not shown), an internal frame, and the like of the image forming apparatus 10.

  The image forming units 1 to 4 form toner images of different colors on each of the plurality of photosensitive drums 21 arranged in parallel by a so-called electrophotographic method. The toner images are transferred so as to be sequentially superimposed on the running (moving) intermediate transfer belt 5A. In the example shown in FIG. 1, in order from the downstream side in the moving direction (arrow 19 direction) of the intermediate transfer belt 5A, a black image forming unit 1, a yellow image forming unit 2, a cyan image forming unit 3, The magenta image forming units 4 are arranged in a line in that order.

  Each of the image forming units 1 to 4 is provided below the intermediate transfer belt 5A. Each of the image forming units 1 to 4 includes a photosensitive drum 21 that carries a toner image, a charging device 22, a developing device 23, a primary transfer device 24, and the like. The surface of the photosensitive drum 21 is charged by the charging device 22, and the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 charged by the exposure device 14 is exposed and scanned. As a result, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 21. The developing device 23 develops the electrostatic latent image with toner. The toner image on the photosensitive drum 21 is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 5A by the primary transfer device 24.

  The intermediate transfer unit 5 includes an intermediate transfer belt 5A, a driving roller 7A, and a driven roller 7B. The intermediate transfer belt 5A carries a toner image composed of toner images of a plurality of colors (four colors in this embodiment). The intermediate transfer belt 5 </ b> A is supported by the drive roller 7 </ b> A and the driven roller 7 </ b> B so that the intermediate transfer belt 5 </ b> A can be rotationally driven. When the intermediate transfer belt 5 </ b> A is driven to rotate, its surface passes between the photosensitive drum 21 and the primary transfer device 24. At that time, the toner images of the respective colors carried on the plurality of photosensitive drums 21 are sequentially transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 5A so as to overlap each other.

  A toner replenishing device 40 is provided above the intermediate transfer unit 5. The toner replenishing device 40 has a container mounting portion 42 to which four toner containers 41 corresponding to the respective colors of black, cyan, yellow, and magenta are mounted. The container mounting portion 42 is configured so that the toner container 41 can be attached and detached. The configuration of the toner supply device 40 will be described later.

  The secondary transfer device 15 transfers the toner image transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 5 </ b> A onto the printing paper conveyed from the paper feed tray 17. The printing paper on which the toner image is transferred is conveyed to the fixing device 16 by a conveyance unit (not shown). The fixing device 16 includes a heating roller 16A and a pressure roller 16B. The fixing device 16 conveys the print sheet on which the toner image is transferred while applying heat and pressure. As a result, the toner image is melted and fixed on the print sheet. The print sheet on which the toner image is fixed is conveyed further downstream, and is discharged and held on a tray-like discharge tray 18 disposed above the intermediate transfer unit 5.

  The belt cleaning device 6 removes and collects the waste toner remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 5 </ b> A, and discharges the collected waste toner to a waste toner container 79.

  The control unit 8 comprehensively controls the image forming operation in the image forming apparatus 10. The control unit 8 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like.

[Toner supply device]
Hereinafter, the toner replenishing device 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 2, the toner supply device 40 includes a toner container 41 and a container mounting portion 42 to which the toner container 41 is mounted. In each figure, the vertical direction is defined as the vertical direction D1 based on the mounting posture in which the toner replenishing device 40 is mounted on the casing 11, and the attaching / detaching direction (insertion / extraction direction) of the toner container 41 with respect to the casing 11 is the front-rear direction. The horizontal direction when viewed from the front surface of the toner replenishing device 40 is D3. Further, the insertion direction of the toner container 41 is indicated by a symbol D21, and the removal direction is indicated by a symbol D22.

  The toner container 41 stores toner for replenishing the developing device 23. In the present embodiment, four toner containers 41 corresponding to the respective colors of black, yellow, cyan, and magenta are provided in the toner supply device 40. The black toner container 41 has a larger outer diameter than the other color toner containers 41. Except for this point, all the toner containers 41 have the same configuration. The black toner container 41 will be described below unless otherwise specified.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the toner container 41 is formed in a long shape in the front-rear direction D2. The toner container 41 includes a container body 52, a drive transmission unit 55, a cover member 56, and the like. The interior of the container body 52 is a storage space that can store toner. Toner is accommodated inside the container body 52. The container main body 52 has an opening 51 (see FIG. 5) through which toner can flow in and out on one side (rear side). The opening 51 is formed at the end of the toner container 41 in the insertion direction D21 side (rear side) with respect to the toner supply device 40. The toner accommodated inside can flow out from the opening 51. The container body 52 is formed in a cylindrical shape with the other side (front side) closed.

  The rear end of the container body 52 is formed in a tapered shape toward the insertion direction D21. An opening 51 is provided at the rear end of the container body 52 on the insertion direction D21 side. The opening 51 is formed in a circular cross section. The container body 52 is formed by a blow molding method or an injection molding method, for example, as a synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET resin).

  The container main body 52 has a helical chevron rib 53 (see FIG. 3) formed on the inner surface. The chevron rib 53 protrudes from the inner surface of the container body 52 toward the center of the container body 52. The chevron ribs 53 serve to convey the toner in the container main body 52 to the opening 51 (see FIG. 5).

  As shown in FIG. 4, a drive transmission portion 55 is attached to the opening 51 side of the container body 52. The drive transmission unit 55 is fixed to the container body 52. The drive transmission portion 55 is an annular member having a gear 54 formed on the peripheral surface. The drive transmission portion 55 is fitted into the end portion on the opening 51 side of the container body 52 and is fixed to the outer peripheral surface thereof. The drive transmission unit 55 receives a rotational driving force from a driving source such as a motor and transmits the rotational driving force to the toner container 41.

  In the container main body 52, a cover member 56 is provided on the insertion direction D21 side (rear side) with respect to the drive transmission portion 55. The cover member 56 covers the opening 51 and is attached to the end of the container body 52 on the insertion direction D21 side. The cover member 56 is formed of a synthetic resin having thermoplasticity by injection molding or the like, and is a synthetic resin product.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the cover member 56 has a cylindrical storage frame 58 into which the opening 51 (see FIG. 5) is inserted in a state where the cover member 56 is attached to the container main body 52. The opening 51 is inserted inside the housing frame 58, and thereby the opening 51 is covered by the housing frame 58. The housing frame 58 supports the opening 51 so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction. For this reason, the container main body 52 can be rotated in the circumferential direction in a state where the opening 51 is inserted into the housing frame 58.

  When the toner container 41 is inserted into the container mounting portion 42 (see FIG. 2), a connecting portion 80 (see FIG. 3) described later included in the cover member 56 and a connected portion 90 (described later) included in the container mounting portion 42. 7), and the toner container 41 is mounted at the mounting position determined by the container mounting portion. By connecting the connecting portion 80 to the connected portion 90, the cover member 56 is fixed in the circumferential direction of the toner container 41. In the present embodiment, the cover member 56 cannot rotate in the circumferential direction in a state where the toner container 41 is mounted on the container mounting portion 42, but the container main body 52 can be rotated in the circumferential direction in the container mounting portion 42. Supported. An end portion 56A on the removal direction D22 side (front side) of the cover member 56 is loosely fitted to the rear end portion 55A (see FIG. 5) of the drive transmission portion 55 from the outside. For this reason, when the rotational driving force is transmitted to the gear 54 in a state where the toner container 41 is mounted on the container mounting portion 42, the container main body 52 is rotated by the rotational driving force indicated by the arrow D11 (see FIG. 3). Rotate in the direction. That is, the toner container 41 rotates about the longitudinal direction thereof in a state where the toner can be supplied to the developing device 23. As the container main body 52 of the toner container 41 rotates in this manner, the toner is conveyed to the opening 51 side (rear side) while being pressed by the chevron ribs 53.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the cover member 56 has a toner discharge port 74. The toner discharge port 74 is for discharging the toner contained in the container main body 52 to the outside, and is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the cover member 56. The toner discharge port 74 is provided below the cover member 56 in FIG. Specifically, the toner discharge port 74 is a rectangular through hole that penetrates the outer peripheral wall of the cover member 56. A toner flow path 75 is formed between the opening 51 and the toner discharge port 74 inside the cover member 56. When the toner container 41 is mounted on the container mounting portion 42 (see FIG. 2) with the toner discharge port 74 facing downward, the toner that has moved from the opening 51 of the container body 52 to the toner flow path 75 is transferred to the toner flow path 75. Then, the toner is guided downward and reaches the toner discharge port 74. When the toner discharge port 74 is open, the toner is discharged from the toner discharge port 74 to the outside outside. As a result, the toner is supplied to the developing device 23. On the other hand, when the toner discharge port 74 is closed, the toner is not discharged, and the toner flow path 75 is filled with the toner.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the cover member 56 is provided with a slide-type opening / closing member 76. The opening / closing member 76 is a plate-shaped member, and is supported by the cover member 56 so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction D2) of the container body 52. The opening / closing member 76 opens and closes the toner discharge port 74 according to the position of the toner container 41 with respect to the container mounting portion 42. The opening / closing member 76 opens the toner discharge port 74 when the toner container 41 is mounted on the container mounting portion 42. Specifically, when the toner container 41 is mounted on the container mounting portion 42, the opening / closing member 76 is moved to an open position where the toner discharge port 74 is opened by receiving a pressing force from the container mounting portion 42 in accordance with the mounting operation. The FIG. 5 shows a state in which the opening / closing member 76 moves forward and the toner discharge port 74 is opened. When the toner container 41 is removed from the container mounting portion 42, the opening / closing member 76 is moved rearward from the open position to the closed position where the toner discharge port 74 is closed by the removal operation. Block. The container mounting portion 42 is provided with an urging member (not shown), and the movement of the opening / closing member 76 from the open position to the closed position causes the urging member to open and close as the toner container 41 is removed. This is done by moving the member 76 relatively rearward.

  The toner container 41 has a connecting portion 80 to be described later at the tip thereof. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the cover member 56 of the toner container 41 integrally has a connecting portion 80 closer to the insertion direction D <b> 21 than the housing frame 58.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the container mounting portion 42 includes a storage case 43 having four storage portions 44 (44 </ b> A to 44 </ b> D), and a connection support portion 45 attached to the rear back surface of the storage case 43. In FIG. 2, the connection support portion 45 is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

  A toner container 41 of a predetermined color is stored in each storage portion 44 of the storage case 43. The accommodating portion 44 supports the toner container 41 so that the toner container 41 can be inserted toward the mounting position in the accommodating portion 44. The rightmost storage portion 44A stores the toner container 41 corresponding to black. FIG. 2 shows a state in which a part of the rear side of the black toner container 41 is inserted into the housing portion 44. The accommodating portions 44B, 44C, and 44D disposed on the left side of the accommodating portion 44A are portions that accommodate toner containers 41 corresponding to yellow, cyan, and magenta, respectively.

  The connection support portion 45 is connected to the toner container 41 inserted in the storage portion 44 to position the toner container 41 at the mounting position in the storage portion 44. The connection support portion 45 is configured as a separate member from the housing case 43 and is attached to the housing case 43 and the internal frame in the housing 11. Four connected portions 90 (an example of a connected portion of the present invention) are provided on the connection support portion 45 of the container mounting portion 42 corresponding to the four accommodating portions 44. In addition, the container mounting part 42 may be configured such that the connection support part 45 and the housing case 43 are integrally formed.

  In the present embodiment, the toner container 41 having incompatible toner cannot be attached to the image forming apparatus 10. In other words, the image forming apparatus 10 is configured such that only the toner container 41 having mounting compatibility can be mounted in the corresponding accommodating portion 44. In other words, each storage unit 44 can selectively mount a toner container 41 having mounting compatibility. For this reason, a connecting portion 80 is provided at the distal end portion of the toner container 41 in the insertion direction D <b> 21, and a connected portion 90 is provided in the connecting support portion 45. When the toner container 41 is inserted into the housing portion 44 and the connecting portion 80 of the toner container 41 is connected to the connected portion 90, the toner container 41 is allowed to be attached. On the other hand, when the connecting portion 80 of the toner container 41 cannot be connected to the connected portion 90, the mounting of the toner container 41 is prohibited. Such a structure that realizes mounting compatibility between the connected portion 90 and the connecting portion 80 is generally called an incompatible structure.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the connecting portion 80 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the connecting portion 80 has a cylindrical base portion 59 having a hollow inside. FIG. 4 shows the connecting portion 80 of the black toner container 41 inserted into the accommodating portion 44A corresponding to black. In FIG. 4, only the connecting portion 80 is shown, and a part of the cover member 56 is not shown. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the black toner container 41 is referred to as a toner container 41A, and the connecting portion 80 provided on the black toner container 41 is referred to as a connecting portion 80A.

  An arch-shaped guide wall 61 protruding from the end surface 59A is provided on the end surface 59A on the insertion direction D21 side of the base portion 59. The guide wall 61 is provided at the center of the lower end portion of the end surface 59A. The hole 60 surrounded by the guide wall 61 is a portion through which a coil spring (not shown) provided in the container mounting portion 42 is inserted when the toner container 41 is mounted in a storage portion 44 (see FIG. 2) described later. is there.

  The connecting portion 80 </ b> A is formed integrally with the cover member 56, and specifically, is formed integrally when the cover member 56 is formed. The connecting portion 80A is provided at the tip of the toner container 41A in the insertion direction D21. Not only the black toner container 41A but also each toner container 41 corresponding to each color of yellow, cyan and magenta is provided with a connecting portion 80, and each connecting portion 80 is formed in the same shape. Hereinafter, the connecting portion 80A corresponding to black will be described in detail using FIG. 4 as a representative of the connecting portion 80 corresponding to each color.

  A cylindrical protrusion 88 (an example of the protruding portion of the present invention) is integrally formed at the center of the end surface 59A of the connecting portion 80A. The protrusion 88 protrudes from the end surface 59A toward the insertion direction D21. The protrusion 88 is an engagement provided in the connected portion 90A when the toner container 41 is attached to the storage portion 44 and the connecting portion 80A is connected to the connected portion 90A of the connecting support portion 45 of the container mounting portion 42. It is inserted into the hole 96 (an example of the first insertion port of the present invention, see FIG. 8). As a result, the protrusion 88 and the engagement hole 96 are engaged, and the toner container 41 is positioned at the mounting position determined in the housing portion 44. Since the coil spring is compressed and inserted into the hole 60 when the toner container 41 is mounted in the accommodating portion 44, a lock mechanism (not shown) is used to prevent the toner container 41 from being detached by the spring force of the coil spring. The toner container 41 is locked at the mounting position in the storage portion 44.

  The connecting portion 80A has four compatible keys 81 (an example of a compatible key member of the present invention). Each of the four compatible keys 81 is provided at a position where it can engage with the connected portion 90A corresponding to black. The compatible key 81 is a protruding member that protrudes from the end surface 59A toward the insertion direction D21 (that is, the connected portion 90A). Each of the four compatible keys 81 is formed longer than the protrusion 88. The four compatible keys 81 are in an attached state in which the toner container 41A is attached to the accommodating portion 44A of the container attaching portion 42, and will be described later with the interference member 101 (an example of the contact portion of the present invention, FIG. It is formed at a position that does not come into contact with (see).

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, positions P <b> 1 to P <b> 8 are defined on the circumference of a circle centered on the protrusion 88 as positions where the compatible key 81 can be arranged. The positions P <b> 1 to P <b> 8 are the same positions in the connecting portions 80 of the respective toner containers 41, and are defined on the circumference with an equiangular interval with respect to the protrusion 88. That is, the positions P1 to P8 are arranged in an arc along the circumference in the connecting portion 80A. In the example shown in FIG. 6, a position P1 is defined on the end face 59A adjacent to the guide wall 61 in the CCW direction (counterclockwise direction), and the position P2 is spaced from the position P1 in the CCW direction at equal angular intervals. ~ P8 is defined. As shown in FIG. 6, the positions P <b> 1 to P <b> 8 are determined to be the left and right targets with reference to a vertical line passing through the center of the protrusion 88. In the toner container 41A, the four compatible keys 81 are provided at positions P1, P3, P5, and P7 among the positions P1 to P8. In other words, the four compatible keys 81 are arranged around the protrusion 88 so as to surround the protrusion 88 on the end face 59A of the connecting portion 80A.

  Each of the four interchangeable keys 81 has a tapered portion 82 at the tip. The tapered portion 82 is formed at a corner portion on the radially outer side at the tip portion of the interchangeable key 81.

  It should be noted that four compatible keys 81 are also provided at the same positions in the connecting portions 80 of the toner containers 41 corresponding to the respective colors of yellow, cyan, and magenta.

  In the connecting portion 80, the position where the four compatible keys 81 are provided is a position determined in advance according to the type of the toner container 41, and corresponds to a specific position of the present invention. In general, the image forming apparatus 10 can obtain good image quality by forming an image using a toner suitable for each country or region where the image forming apparatus 10 is used. Therefore, toner of a type corresponding to the environment (for example, temperature, humidity, type of paper used) in the area where the image forming apparatus 10 is used (hereinafter also referred to as “destination”) is accommodated in the toner container 41, and Ships to the destination. On the other hand, when the toner container 41 that does not correspond to the use area is mounted, the image forming apparatus 10 may not be able to obtain good image quality. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the four compatible keys 81 of the connecting portion 80 of the toner container 41 are provided at positions that are predetermined according to the destination.

  Hereinafter, the structure of the connection support part 45 and the to-be-connected part 90 is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the connection support portion 45 includes a frame 91 that can be mounted on the rear back surface of the housing case 43. The frame 91 is formed in a shape that is long in the left-right direction D3. Four connected parts 90 (90A to 90D) and three drive transmission parts 93 (93A to 93C) are attached to an attachment surface 92 on the front side of the frame 91.

  The four connected portions 90 are arranged in a straight line in the longitudinal direction of the frame 91. The rightmost connected portion 90 </ b> A is connected to the black toner container 41. The connected portions 90B, 90C, and 90D arranged on the left side of the connected portion 90A are connected to the toner containers 41 corresponding to the respective colors of yellow, cyan, and magenta.

  The drive transmission unit 93 receives a rotational driving force from a driving source such as a motor in the housing 11 and transmits the rotational driving force to the gear 54 of the toner container 41. Each drive transmission portion 93 has a gear 98 attached to the tip of a rotating shaft that projects vertically from the attachment surface 92.

  The drive transmission portion 93A is provided in the vicinity of the connected portion 90A, and the gear 98 is connected to the gear 54 in a state where the black toner container 41 is mounted in the accommodating portion 44A. The drive transmission portion 93B is provided in the vicinity of the connected portion 90B, and the gear 98 is connected to the gear 54 in a state where the toner container 41 is mounted in the accommodating portion 44B. Further, the drive transmission portion 93C is provided between the connected portion 90C and the connected portion 90D, and each gear 98 is in a state where the toner container 41 is mounted in each of the storage portion 44C and the storage portion 44D. It is connected to the gear 54 of each toner container 41.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a connected portion 90A included in the connection support portion 45, and FIG. 9 is a front view of the connected portion 90A as viewed from the front. Each of the four connected portions 90 (90A to 90D) is formed in the same shape and has the same configuration. Therefore, in the following, the connected portion 90 corresponding to each color is represented by a black color. 90 A of to-be-connected parts corresponding to are demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 8, the connected portion 90 </ b> A is provided in a fixing portion 95 that is fixed to the mounting surface 92 of the frame 91. The connected portion 90 </ b> A includes four displacement members 100 (an example of a contact terminal of the present invention), four interference members 101, and an engagement hole 96.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the connected portion 90A has a base plate 94 in a generally fan shape, and a circular engagement hole 96 is formed at the center thereof. The engagement hole 96 is a portion into which a positioning projection 88 provided on the end surface 59A of the cover member 56 is inserted. When the connecting portion 80A is connected to the connected portion 90A, the protrusion 88 can be inserted into the engaging hole 96.

  The interference member 101 is provided at any one of eight predetermined positions P11 to P18 in the coupled portion 90A. The interference member 101 is provided on the back side of the base plate 94 of the connected portion 90A. Specifically, the connected portion 90 </ b> A has a support member 97 attached to the back side of the base plate 94, and the interference member 101 is formed integrally with the support member 97.

  The positions P11 to P18 are determined on the circumference of a circle having the engagement hole 96 as the center. That is, the positions P11 to P18 are arranged in an arc shape along the circumference in the connected portion 90A, similarly to the positions P1 to P8. In the present embodiment, the positions P11 to P18 are the same positions in each of the four connected portions 90, and are defined on the circumference at equal angular intervals with reference to the center of the engagement hole 96. In the example shown in FIG. 9, a position P11 is determined corresponding to the position P1 on the end surface 59A of the cover member 56, and the positions P12 to P18 are equiangularly spaced from the position P11 in the CW direction (clockwise direction). It has been established. As shown in FIG. 9, the positions P <b> 11 to P <b> 18 are determined to be the left and right objects with reference to a vertical line passing through the center of the engagement hole 96. When the toner container 41A is mounted in the housing portion 44A, the position P1 faces the position P11, and the position P2 faces the position P12. Further, each of the positions P3 to P8 is opposed to each of the positions P13 to P18.

  In the present embodiment, in the coupled portion 90A, the four interference members 101 are provided at positions that do not interfere with the compatible key 81, that is, positions P12, P14, P16, and P18 among positions P11 to P18. As will be described later, through holes 111 to 118 (an example of a second insertion port of the present invention) are formed at positions P11 to P18, respectively. The four interference members 101 include through holes 112, 114, 116, and 118 into which the compatible key 81 is not inserted when the connecting portion 80 and the connected portion 90 are connected among the through holes 111 to 118 corresponding to the positions P 11 to P 18. Are provided so as to close the respective through holes. As a result, when the toner container 41A having mounting compatibility corresponding to the connected portion 90A is inserted into the accommodating portion 44A, the compatible key 81 is disposed at the positions P11, P13, P15, and P17 that do not have the interference member 101. Therefore, the toner container 41A is mounted in the housing portion 44A without the interference member 101 preventing the mounting of the toner container 41A.

  If the toner container 41 having the compatible key 81 at any one of the positions P2, P4, P6, and P8 is inserted into the housing portion 44A, the tip of the compatible key 81 is in contact with any interference member 101. Abut. For this reason, the toner container 41 cannot be inserted any more, and the toner container 41 is prevented from being mounted in the housing portion 44A. That is, such a toner container 41 does not have mounting compatibility with the storage portion 44A.

  By the way, when the toner container 41 having no mounting compatibility is inserted into the storage portion 44 of the container mounting portion 42, the toner container 41 may be inserted up to the mounting position of the storage portion 44. For example, when the compatible key 81 for realizing the incompatible structure is lost due to breakage or the like, the toner container 41 can be inserted into the housing portion 44. In this case, the compatible key 81 is lost in an incompatible toner container (another kind of toner container) such as another toner container having a different toner type or another toner container having a different toner discharge port 74 position. If the toner cartridge is mounted in the storage unit 44 in a state of being inadequate, the developing device 23 may be supplied with incompatible toner, or the storage unit 44 may be contaminated with toner without being supplied to the supply port of the development device 23. is there. On the other hand, the image forming apparatus 10 is configured such that the toner container 41 is not inserted up to the mounting position even when the toner container 41 having no compatible key 81 is inserted into the storage portion 44.

  In the present embodiment, in the base plate 94, through holes 111 to 118 are formed at positions P11 to P18, respectively. That is, the through holes 111 to 118 are formed around the engagement hole 96 so as to surround it. The through holes 111 to 118 are formed more than the total number (four) of the compatible keys 81, and eight are formed in this embodiment.

  The through holes 111 to 118 are long holes formed in a shape that is long from the engagement hole 96 to the outer side in the radial direction, and the width of the portion on the outer side in the radial direction is larger than the width of the portion on the engagement hole 96 side. That is, the through holes 111 to 118 have a narrow width portion 119A on the engagement hole 96 side and a wide width portion 119B on the radially outer side. The through holes 111 to 118 are portions into which the compatible key 81 is inserted, and are formed in a shape and size into which the compatible key 81 can be inserted. More specifically, the narrow portion 119A of the through holes 111 to 118 is a portion into which the compatible key 81 is inserted. The four compatible keys 81 are selectively inserted into any of the through holes 111 to 118. Specifically, when the connecting portion 80A is connected to the connected portion 90A, the four compatible keys 81 are inserted into the through holes 111, 113, 115, 117 corresponding to the compatible keys 81 among the through holes 111 to 118. Is done.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the displacement member 100 is provided in each of the through holes 111, 113, 115, and 117. That is, the connecting portion 80 has four displacement members 100. Specifically, the displacement member 100 is supported so as to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction of each through hole 111, 113, 115, 117 while being inserted through the through holes 111, 113, 115, 117. Since all of the through holes 111 to 118 have the same shape, the displacement member 100 can be attached to any of the through holes. However, in the present embodiment, four compatible keys 81 are inserted into the displacement member 100. It is provided only in the through holes 111, 113, 115, 117 formed at positions corresponding to the position of the compatible key 81 (an example of the corresponding position of the present invention), and the other through holes 112, 114 are provided. 116, 118 are not provided. Hereinafter, the through holes 111, 113, 115, and 117 are collectively referred to as a through hole 111A.

  The displacement member 100 is provided in the through hole 111A so as to be displaceable. Specifically, the displacement member 100 can be displaced between a first position and a second position described later in the through hole 111A. Here, the first position protrudes to the inside of the engagement hole 96 and prevents the projection 88 from being inserted into the engagement hole 96 when the connecting portion 80 and the connected portion 90 are in a non-connected state. Position. Further, the second position is pressed by receiving a force from the compatibility key 81 by inserting the compatibility key 81 into the through hole 111A when the connection portion 80 and the connected portion 90 are in a connected state. The position is retracted from the engagement hole 96 and allows the projection 88 to be inserted into the engagement hole 96.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the displacement member 100 is formed of synthetic resin, and includes a main body 121, a stopper 122, an elastic part 123, and a locking part 124, which are It is constructed integrally. The main body 121 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and a long hole 125 that is long in the longitudinal direction of the main body 121 is formed at the center thereof. The long hole 125 passes through the main body 121. The main body 121 is disposed in a gap formed between the base plate 94 and the support member 97 on the back side of the base plate 94, and is supported so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the through hole 111A in the gap.

  In the present embodiment, the main body 121 is disposed such that the long hole 125 of the main body 121 is continuous with the narrow portion 119A of the through hole 111A. For this reason, when the compatible key 81 is inserted into the narrow portion 119A of the through-hole 111A and enters the back surface side of the base plate 94, the compatible key 81 subsequently enters the long hole 125 of the main body portion 121. A tapered inclined edge 125 </ b> A is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the long hole 125 in order to facilitate the entry of the compatible key 81.

  The stopper 122 is provided at one end of the main body 121 in the longitudinal direction. The stopper portion 122 is a portion that protrudes to the inside of the engagement hole 96 on the back surface side of the base plate 94 in a state where the displacement member 100 is disposed at the first position. That is, when the protrusion 88 is inserted into the engagement hole 96, the stopper portion 122 protrudes to the inside of the engagement hole 96 in a state where the displacement member 100 is disposed at the first position. It abuts and prevents the projection 88 from entering further into the engagement hole 96.

An inclined portion 122 </ b> A that is inclined obliquely upward is formed on the upper surface of the distal end portion of the stopper portion 122. In the center of the protruding end of the protrusion 88, a recessed portion 88A (
11) is formed. For this reason, when the tip of the projection 88 contacts the stopper portion 122, the inclined portion 122 </ b> A of the stopper portion 122 is caught on the peripheral edge of the recessed portion 88 </ b> A, and the projection 88 effectively enters the back side of the engagement hole 96. Can be blocked.

  The elastic part 123 is provided at the other end in the longitudinal direction of the main body part 121. That is, the elastic part 123 is provided at the end of the main body 121 opposite to the stopper part 122. The elastic portion 123 is an arm-like member that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the main body portion 121, then bends upward, and extends upward from the upper surface of the main body portion 121, and is formed in a narrow plate shape. Yes. For this reason, the elastic part 123 acts as a leaf spring that can elastically expand and contract in the same direction as the moving direction (longitudinal direction) of the main body part 121. A locking portion 124 is provided at the end of the elastic portion 123 in the extending direction. The elastic portion 123 is inserted through the wide portion 119B of the through hole 111A upward in a state where the main body portion 121 is supported by the gap between the base plate 94 and the support member 97, and the locking portion 124 is The wide portion 119B is locked so as to be hooked on the radially outer edge 119C. Since the elastic member 123 is provided on the displacement member 100, the stopper 122 can be displaced between the first position and the second position as the main body 121 moves within the range of expansion and contraction of the elastic member 123. Become.

  The elastic portion 123 elastically biases the stopper portion 122 toward the first position in a state where no external force is applied. In other words, the elastic portion 123 elastically urges the stopper portion 122 in the direction toward the inside of the engagement hole 96. By urging the elastic portion 123, the displacement member 100 maintains the first position where the stopper portion 122 is disposed inside the engagement hole 96 in a state where no external force is applied. On the other hand, as will be described later, when the compatible key 81 is inserted into the through-hole 111A, the main body 121 is moved radially outward by receiving a pressing force radially outward at the time of insertion, and the stopper 122 is Displacement to the second position.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, the operation of the displacement member 100 will be described together with the connecting operation when the connecting portion 80 is connected to the connected portion 90. Here, the cross-sectional views of the coupled portion 90 in FIGS. 11, 12A, and 12B are cross-sectional views taken along a cutting plane that passes through the positions P12 and P17.

  When the toner container 41 is inserted into an appropriate accommodating portion 44 corresponding to the type of the toner container 41, the connecting portion 80 faces the connected portion 90 to the connected portion 90 as shown in FIG. Get closer. When the toner container 41 is further inserted and the four compatible keys 81 are inserted into the through holes 111, 113, 115, and 117, the tapered portion 82 at the tip of the compatible key 81 is a long hole of the displacement member 100. Abutting on the inclined edge 125A of the periphery. In a state where the tip of the compatible key 81 is in contact with the inclined edge 125 </ b> A, the protrusion 88 does not reach the engagement hole 96.

  When the toner container 41 is further pushed in the insertion direction, the tapered portion 82 presses the inclined edge 125A radially outward (direction indicated by an arrow D31 in FIG. 12A) while contacting the inclined edge 125A. When the inclined edge 125A receives this pressing force, the main body 121 moves outward in the radial direction against the elastic biasing force of the elastic portion 123, and the stopper portion 122 moves in the same direction along with this movement. Further, the elastic part 123 is compressed by receiving the pressing force. Thereby, the stopper part 122 arrange | positioned at the said 1st position moves to the said radial direction outer side, and is arrange | positioned at the said 2nd position. That is, the stopper portion 122 is displaced from the first position to the second position in response to the pressing force when the compatible key 81 is inserted. In the present embodiment, all the displacement members 100 provided in the through holes 111, 113, 115, 117 move from the first position to the second position as described above.

  Thereafter, when the toner container 41 is further pushed in the insertion direction, the protrusion 88 is inserted toward the engagement hole 96 in which the stopper portion 122 is retracted. As a result, the toner container 41 can be inserted to a predetermined mounting position. In addition, when the toner container 41 is pulled out from the storage portion 44 and the connecting portion 80 is separated from the connected portion 90, the elastic portion 123 expands and returns to the original state, and the main body portion 121 moves toward the engagement hole 96. As a result, the stopper 122 is returned to the first position.

  On the other hand, when the toner container 41 is inserted into an inappropriate container 44 that does not correspond to the type of the toner container 41, for example, as shown in FIG. 112 is inserted. In this case, since the interference member 101 is provided in the through-hole 112, even if the tip of the compatible key 81 passes through the through-hole 112, the tip of the compatible key 81 then contacts the interference member 101, so that the toner The container 41 can no longer be inserted, and the toner container 41 is prevented from being mounted in the housing portion 44A. In this case, since the stopper portion 122 is disposed at the first position, the projection 88 abuts against the stopper portion 122, thereby also preventing the toner container 41 from being inserted.

  Further, even when the toner container 41 is inserted into an appropriate container 44 corresponding to the type of the toner container 41, the compatibility key 81 of the toner container 41 is lost due to breakage or the like. As shown in FIG. 13B, since the stopper portion 122 is disposed at the first position, the protrusion 88 contacts the stopper portion 122, and the toner container 41 cannot be inserted any more. As a result, the toner container 41 is prevented from being mounted in the housing portion 44A.

  In this way, since the connecting portion 80 and the connected portion 90 are configured, the compatible key 81 and the protrusion 88 of the connecting portion 80, the through hole 111A, the displacement member 100, and the engaging hole 96 of the connected portion 90, Thus, an incompatible structure can be realized, and incompatible toner container 41 can be prevented from being mounted.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the connecting portion 80 and the connected portion 90 corresponding to the four toner containers 41 of each color of black, yellow, cyan, and magenta have the same configuration has been described. Not limited. For example, in the image forming apparatus 10, the connecting portion 80 and the connected portion 90 may be configured differently for each color toner container 41. Specifically, the position of the compatible key 81 is made different in each connecting portion 80 corresponding to each color, and the through-hole into which the compatible key 81 can be inserted is made different in the connected portion 90 as well. With such a configuration, for example, even when the black toner container 41 is erroneously inserted into the storage portion 44 of another color, insertion to the mounting position is prevented. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the toner of another color from being supplied to the developing device 23.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the four compatible keys 81 are provided in the connecting portion 80 and the plurality of through holes 111 to 118 are provided in the connected portion 90 is exemplified. It is sufficient if there is only one, and it is sufficient that at least one through hole is provided in the connected portion 90.

  In the above-described embodiment, the image forming apparatus 10 including the toner container 41 and the container mounting portion 42 is illustrated as an embodiment of the present invention. However, in the present invention, the container mounting portion 42 to which the toner container 41 can be mounted. It can also be understood as an image forming apparatus provided with. The present invention can also be understood as a toner container 41 configured to be detachable from the container mounting portion 42.

10: Image forming device 40: Toner replenishing device 41: Toner container 42: Container mounting portion 44: Storage portion 56: Cover member 80: Connecting portion 81: Compatible key 88: Protrusion 90: Connected portion 96: Engagement hole 100: Displacement member 101: Interference members 111 to 118: Through hole 122: Stopper portion 123: Elastic portion

Claims (9)

A toner container having a connecting portion at the tip;
A container mounting portion configured to support the toner container inserted toward a predetermined mounting position, and capable of mounting the toner container at the mounting position;
The container mounting portion has a connected portion that can be connected to the connecting portion in a state where the toner container is mounted on the container mounting portion,
The connecting portion is
A protruding portion protruding in the insertion direction toward the mounting position;
A compatible key member protruding in the insertion direction,
The connected portion is
A first insertion port into which the protruding portion can be inserted when connected to the connecting portion;
A second insertion port into which the compatible key member can be inserted when connected to the connecting portion;
A first position that is displaceably provided in the second insertion port and protrudes inward of the first insertion port in an unconnected state to prevent the insertion of the protruding portion; and the compatible key is inserted into the second insertion port during connection. An image forming apparatus including: a displacement member that is displaced by a second position that is pressed by the compatible key member and retracted from the first insertion port to allow the insertion of the protruding portion when the member is inserted; apparatus.   The displacement member protrudes to the inside of the first insertion port at the first position, and stops at the second position and retreats from the first insertion port toward the inside of the first insertion port. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic portion that elastically biases in a direction. The connected portion has a plurality of the second insertion ports into which the compatible key member can be inserted,
The connecting portion has the compatible key member inserted into at least one of the plurality of second insertion ports at the time of connection,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the displacement member is provided only in the second insertion port into which the compatible key member is inserted.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the connecting portion includes a plurality of the compatible key members that is smaller than a total number of the plurality of second insertion openings. The plurality of interchangeable key members are disposed around the protruding portion in the connecting portion,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of second insertion openings are arranged around the first insertion opening in the coupled portion. The compatible key member is provided at a specific position determined in advance according to the type of the toner container in the connecting portion,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second insertion port into which the compatible key member is inserted is provided at a corresponding position corresponding to the specific position in the connected portion.   Of the plurality of second insertion ports, a contact portion provided at the second insertion port into which the compatible key member is not inserted at the time of connection, further blocking the second insertion port and preventing insertion of other members. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 or 4 provided. The compatible key member is provided at a specific position determined in advance according to the type of the toner container in the connecting portion,
The second insertion port into which the compatible key member is inserted is provided at a corresponding position corresponding to the specific position in the coupled portion,
The contact portion inserts the compatible key member of the different type of toner container into the second insertion port at the corresponding position when another type of the toner container is inserted into the container mounting portion. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the image forming apparatus is blocked. A toner container configured to be detachable from a container mounting portion of an image forming apparatus, and having a connecting portion at a tip,
The container mounting portion has a connected portion that can be connected to the connecting portion in a state where the toner container is mounted on the container mounting portion,
The connected portion is
A first insertion port;
A second insertion opening different from the first insertion opening;
Displaceably provided in the second insertion port, disposed in a first position protruding inward of the first insertion port in a disconnected state, and disposed in a second position retracted from the first insertion port in a connected state. And a displacement member
The connecting portion is
A protruding portion that protrudes in the insertion direction toward the mounting position of the toner container in the container mounting portion, and that can be inserted into the first insertion port when connected;
A compatible key member that protrudes in the insertion direction and can be inserted into the second insertion port when connected;
The interchangeable key member is configured to allow insertion of the projecting portion into the first insertion port by being inserted into the second insertion port at the time of connection and pressing the displacement member to move to the second position. Toner container.

Images