JP2022062989A - Image forming apparatus and toner storage container - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus and a toner storage container that can avoid deterioration in transportation workability and assembly workability and can effectively prevent leakage of toner due to vibration during transportation despite their simple configuration.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises a toner storage container that has a toner discharge port for discharging toner downward. The toner storage container can be attached to the image forming apparatus such that the entirety of the toner storage container or a toner discharge port holding part being a portion having the toner discharge port is rotated by 90 degrees or more around a rotation axis along a horizontal insertion and withdrawal direction with respect to a discharge position at which the toner discharge port is directed downward. The toner storage container includes the toner discharge port holding part and a support part that rotatably supports the toner discharge port holding part around the rotation axis, and can be attached to the image forming apparatus such that the toner discharge port holding part is rotated by 90 degrees or more around the rotation axis relative to the support part with respect to the discharge position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5A

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a multifunction device, a printer, and a facsimile machine provided with a toner containing container, and a toner containing container.

In an image forming apparatus provided with a toner accommodating container (toner cartridge), the toner accommodating container usually has a toner discharge port for discharging toner downward (toner receiving port of the developing device).

As such an image forming apparatus, there is one in which the toner discharge port is open with the toner accommodating container attached to the image forming apparatus main body. For example, an opening / closing means such as a shutter mechanism that closes the toner discharge port when the toner storage container is removed from the image forming apparatus main body and opens the toner discharge port when the toner containing container is attached to the image forming apparatus main body. There is something provided. However, when the image forming apparatus is transported with the toner storage container attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus and the toner discharge port is open, the toner drops on the developing apparatus due to the vibration during transportation, and the initial image formation is performed. In, the toner in the developer becomes excessive. Then, there is an inconvenience that an appropriate toner density cannot be obtained, which in turn leads to image defects.

Therefore, it is necessary to transport the image forming apparatus with the toner storage container removed from the image forming apparatus main body, and the transportation workability at the time of transportation is deteriorated accordingly.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-5501

In this regard, Patent Document 1 discloses a developing device that prevents toner leakage during transportation and use.

Specifically, in Patent Document 1, a sealing member is provided around the toner discharge port (toner discharge port) of the toner bottle (toner container) to prevent toner from leaking from the toner bottle during transportation and in use. Is disclosed to prevent toner leakage in the cabin.

However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the number of steps such as providing a sealing member on the toner bottle increases, the assembly workability at the time of assembly deteriorates, and the structure becomes complicated.

Therefore, the present invention can avoid deterioration of transport workability and assembly workability, and can effectively prevent toner leakage due to vibration during transport, even though it has a simple structure. And to provide a toner storage container.

In order to solve the above problems, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is an image forming apparatus provided with a toner containing container having a toner discharge port for discharging toner downward, and the toner containing container may be the whole or the said. An image is formed in a state where the toner discharge port holding portion, which is a part having a toner discharge port, is rotated 90 degrees or more around the rotation axis along the horizontal insertion / removal direction with reference to the discharge position where the toner discharge port faces downward. The feature is that it can be attached to the main body of the device.

The toner storage container according to the present invention is a toner storage container provided in an image forming apparatus and having a toner discharge port for discharging toner downward, and has a toner discharge port holding portion which is a portion having the toner discharge port. The toner discharge port holding portion is provided with a support portion that rotatably supports the toner discharge port holding portion around a rotation axis along a horizontal insertion / removal direction, and the toner discharge port holding portion has the toner discharge port downward with respect to the support portion. It is characterized in that it can be mounted on the image forming apparatus main body in a state of being rotated by 90 degrees or more around the rotation axis with respect to the facing discharge position.

According to the present invention, it is possible to avoid deterioration of transport workability and assembly workability, and it is possible to effectively prevent toner leakage due to vibration during transport, even though the structure is simple.

It is the schematic sectional drawing which looked at the image forming apparatus which concerns on this embodiment from the front. It is a top view which shows an example of the toner containing container which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a bottom view which shows an example of the toner containing container which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which saw an example of the toner containing container which concerns on 1st Embodiment from a plane. It is a perspective view which looked at the example of the toner containing container which concerns on 1st Embodiment from the bottom surface. In the first embodiment, it is a perspective view which shows the attachment / detachment part to which a toner containing container is attached / detached. It is a perspective view which shows the state in which the toner storage container which is located in the discharge position which the toner discharge port faces downward is attached to the attachment / detachment part. It is a perspective view which shows the state which the toner accommodating container is attached to the attachment / detachment part from the state shown in FIG. 4A. It is a perspective view which shows the state in which the toner storage container which is located in the 1st position which the toner discharge port faces in the direction other than the lower direction is attached to the attachment / detachment part. It is a perspective view which shows the state which the toner accommodating container is attached to the attachment / detachment part from the state shown in FIG. 5A. In the first embodiment, it is an enlarged perspective view which enlarges and shows the locking part part of the attachment / detachment part provided in the image forming apparatus main body. It is an enlarged plan view which shows the engaging part part of a toner containing container in an enlarged manner. In the second embodiment, it is an enlarged perspective view which enlarges and shows the locking part part of the attachment / detachment part provided in the image forming apparatus main body. It is a perspective view which shows the state in which the toner storage container which is located in the 2nd position which a toner discharge port faces in the direction other than the lower part is attached to the attachment / detachment part. It is a perspective view which shows the state which the toner accommodating container is attached to the attachment / detachment part from the state shown in FIG. 7B. In the third embodiment, it is a perspective view which shows the detection part and the detected part part in the state which the toner containing container is attached to the image forming apparatus main body at the discharge position. In the third embodiment, it is a perspective view which shows the detection part and the detected part part in the state which the toner containing container is attached to the image forming apparatus main body in the 1st position. In the third embodiment, it is a perspective view which shows the detection part and the detected part part in the state which the toner containing container is attached to the image forming apparatus main body in the 2nd position. It is a system block diagram which shows the control part, the detection part and the display part. It is a top view which shows an example of the message displayed on the display screen of the display part when the toner containing container is not attached to the image forming apparatus main body at the discharge position. In the fourth embodiment, it is a perspective view which shows the state which the toner discharge port holding part of the toner storage container is located at the discharge position. In the fourth embodiment, it is a perspective view which shows the state which the toner discharge port holding part of a toner storage container is located in the 1st position. In the fourth embodiment, it is a perspective view which shows the state which the toner discharge port holding part of a toner storage container is located in the 2nd position.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are the same. Therefore, the detailed description of them will not be repeated.

[Image forming device]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment as viewed from the front. In the figure, reference numeral X represents a left-right direction, reference numeral Y represents a depth direction, and reference numeral Z represents a vertical direction (vertical direction).

The image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is a color image forming apparatus that forms multicolor and monochromatic images on a sheet P such as paper. The image forming apparatus 100 performs an image forming process according to the image data read by the document reading apparatus 90 or the image data transmitted from the outside. The image forming apparatus 100 may be a color image forming apparatus of another form. Further, the image forming apparatus 100 may be a monochrome image forming apparatus.

The image forming apparatus 100 includes a document reading apparatus 90 and an image forming apparatus main body 110. The image forming apparatus main body 110 is provided with an image forming unit 102 and a sheet conveying system 103.

The image forming unit 102 includes an exposure unit 1, a plurality of developing devices 2 to 2 (development units), a plurality of photoconductor drums 3 to 3 acting as an electrostatic latent image carrier, and a plurality of photoconductor cleaning units 4 to 4. It includes a plurality of charging devices 5 to 5, an intermediate transfer belt device 6, a belt cleaning device 40, a plurality of toner storage containers 21 to 21 (toner cartridges), and a fixing unit 7.

The image data handled by the image forming apparatus 100 corresponds to a color image using a plurality of colors (in this example, each color of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y)). .. Therefore, the developing devices 2 to 2, the photoconductor drums 3 to 3, the photoconductor cleaning units 4 to 4, the charging devices 5 to 5, and the intermediate transfer rollers 65 to 65 are a plurality of types (4 types in this example) according to each color. A plurality of images (4 in this example) are set so as to form the images of the above, and a plurality of (4 in this example) image forming stations Pa to Pd are configured by these.

Further, the sheet transport system 103 includes a paper feed device 81, a discharge roller 31, and a discharge tray 14. The intermediate transfer belt device 6 includes intermediate transfer rollers 65 to 65 and an intermediate transfer belt 61. The intermediate transfer rollers 65 to 65 are provided inside the intermediate transfer belt 61. The intermediate transfer belt 61 orbits around in a predetermined orbital movement direction M. The intermediate transfer rollers 65 to 65 transfer the toner images of each color formed on the surfaces of the photoconductor drums 3 to 3 on the intermediate transfer belt 61 while rotating in a driven manner as the intermediate transfer belt 61 orbits.

A document reading device 90 for reading an image of a document (not shown) is provided on the upper part of the image forming apparatus main body 110. The document reading device 90 includes a document mounting table 92 on which a document is placed. The document mounting table 92 is made of transparent glass. The image of the original document read by the document reader 90 is sent to the image forming apparatus main body 110 as image data, and the image is recorded on the sheet P.

The image forming apparatus main body 110 is provided with a sheet transport path W1. The paper feeding device 81 supplies the sheet P to the sheet transport path W1. The sheet transport path W1 guides the sheet P to the discharge tray 14 via the transfer roller 10 and the fixing unit 7. The fixing unit 7 heats and fixes the toner image formed on the sheet P to the sheet P. In the vicinity of the sheet transfer path W1, a pickup roller 11a, a plurality of transfer rollers 12a to 12a, a resist roller 13, a transfer roller 10, a heat roller 71 and a pressure roller 72 in the fixing unit 7, and a discharge roller 31 are arranged. There is.

In the image forming apparatus 100, the sheet P supplied by the paper feeding device 81 is conveyed to the resist roller 13 via the conveying rollers 12a to 12a. Next, the sheet P is conveyed to the transfer roller 10 by the resist roller 13 at the timing of matching the sheet P with the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 61, and the toner image is transferred onto the sheet P by the transfer roller 10. After that, the sheet P passes through the heat roller 71 and the pressure roller 72 in the fixing unit 7, passes through the transport rollers 12a and 12a and the discharge roller 31, and is discharged onto the discharge tray 14. When the image is formed not only on the front surface of the sheet P but also on the back surface, the sheet P is conveyed in the reverse direction from the discharge roller 31 to the inverted sheet transfer path W2. The sheet P is guided to the resist roller 13 again by inverting the front and back of the sheet P via the inverting transfer rollers 12b to 12b. Then, the sheet P is discharged toward the discharge tray 14 after the toner image is formed and fixed on the back surface in the same manner as on the front surface.

The developing devices 2 and 2 develop the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor drums 3 and 3 with a two-component developer containing toner and a carrier as main components.

The photoconductor cleaning units 4 to 4 collect residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 61 without being transferred to the sheet P by the intermediate transfer rollers 65 to 65 as waste toner. The belt cleaning device 40 collects residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 61 without being transferred to the sheet P by the secondary transfer device 11 as waste toner.

In the image forming apparatus 100, the toner storage containers 21 to 21 are attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body 110. In the image forming apparatus 100, toner is supplied from the toner storage containers 21 to 21 to the developing apparatus 2 and 2 so that the toner ratio of the two-component developer becomes substantially constant, and the electrostatic latency on the photoconductor drums 3 and 3 is obtained. The image is developed by the developing devices 2 and 2.

The toner storage containers 21 to 21 are arranged from one side Y1 (front side, operation side in this example) of the depth direction Y to the other side Y2 (back side, opposite side to the operation side in this example) in the image forming apparatus main body 110. It is attached by being inserted. Further, the toner storage containers 21 to 21 attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 are detached by being pulled out from the other side Y2 in the depth direction Y to the one side Y1.

(Mounting structure of toner storage container)
Next, the toner container 21 according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2A to 10C.

<First Embodiment>
2A and 2B are a plan view and a bottom view showing an example of the toner container 21 according to the first embodiment, respectively. 2C and 2D are a perspective view of an example of the toner container 21 according to the first embodiment as viewed from a plane and a perspective view as viewed from the bottom, respectively. Note that FIG. 2D shows a state in which the shutter member 21b1 is open.

The toner storage container 21 has a toner discharge port 21a for discharging toner downward. In this example, the toner storage container 21 is sealed to the toner discharge port 21a (in this example, a shutter mechanism) in order to prevent toner from leaking from the toner discharge port 21a when the toner storage container 21 is removed from the image forming apparatus main body 110. 21b) is provided. The shutter mechanism 21b includes a shutter member 21b1. The shutter member 21b1 opens when the toner storage container 21 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 at a discharge position where the toner discharge port 21a faces downward, and opens the toner discharge port 21a. On the other hand, the shutter member 21b1 closes when the toner storage container 21 attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharging position is removed from the image forming apparatus main body 110, and closes the toner discharging port 21a.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a detachable portion 50 to which the toner storage container 21 is attached / detached in the first embodiment. FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing a state in which the toner storage container 21 located at the discharge position where the toner discharge port 21a faces downward is being mounted on the detachable portion 50. FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing a state in which the toner storage container 21 is attached to the attachment / detachment portion 50 from the state shown in FIG. 4A. FIG. 5A is a perspective view showing a state in which the toner storage container 21 located at the first position where the toner discharge port 21a faces in a direction other than the lower direction is being mounted on the attachment / detachment portion 50. FIG. 5B is a perspective view showing a state in which the toner storage container 21 is attached to the attachment / detachment portion 50 from the state shown in FIG. 5A.

In the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the toner container 21 as a whole is in the horizontal insertion / removal direction S with reference to the discharge position (see FIGS. 4A and 4B) in which the toner discharge port 21a faces downward. It can be attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 in a state of being rotated by 90 degrees or more around the rotation axis α along the axis.

In this configuration, when the toner storage container 21 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 and the image forming apparatus 100 is transported (at the time of shipment), the entire toner storage container 21 is rotated around the rotation axis α with reference to the discharge position. It is positioned at a position rotated by 90 degrees or more. At this time, the shutter member 21b1 is closed. When the image forming apparatus 100 performs the image forming operation (during use), the entire toner storage container 21 is positioned at the discharge position. At this time, the shutter member 21b1 is open.

In the present embodiment, the toner storage container 21 can rotate between the discharge position and the first position (see FIGS. 5A and 5B), which is a position rotated 180 degrees around the rotation axis α from the discharge position. It is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110.

FIG. 6A is an enlarged perspective view showing an enlarged portion of the locking portion 50a of the attachment / detachment portion 50 provided on the image forming apparatus main body 110 in the first embodiment. FIG. 6B is an enlarged plan view showing an enlarged portion 21c of the engaging portion 21c of the toner container 21.

In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus main body 110 includes a detachable portion 50 (see FIGS. 3 and 6A) to which the toner storage container 21 is mounted. The detachable portion 50 is provided with a plurality of (two in this example) locking portions 50a and 50a. The toner storage container 21 is provided with a single engaging portion 21c that is locked to any one of the plurality of locking portions 50a and 50a in the detachable portion 50.

Specifically, at one end of the toner container 21 in the insertion / removal direction S (in this example, the front end and the operation side end), an engagement portion 21c is provided at one position in the rotation directions R1 and R2 around the rotation axis. Has been done. At one end (front end in this example) of the attachment / detachment portion 50 in the insertion / removal direction S, locking portions 50a and 50a for locking the engagement portion 21c of the toner storage container 21 are provided at two upper and lower positions. There is.

In this example, the detachable portion 50 is composed of a fixing portion 51 and a guide portion 52 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6A. The fixing portion 51 removably fixes the toner storage container 21. The fixed portion 51 has a cylindrical shape and is formed in a rectangular shape in a cross-sectional view. The guide unit 52 guides the toner storage container 21 in the insertion / removal direction S. The fixing portion 51 is provided at one end portion (front end portion) of the guide portion 52 in the insertion / removal direction S. The guide portion 52 is composed of a bottom plate 52a and a pair of side plates 52b, 52b. The pair of side plates 52b, 52b are erected from both ends of the bottom plate 52a in the left-right direction X. The detachable portion 50 may be an existing one or may be provided separately. The detachable portion 50 does not need to be provided with the guide portion 52 as long as it has at least the fixed portion 51.

The locking portion 50a is a columnar member (boss) along the vertical direction Z. The locking portions 50a and 50a are provided on the inner surfaces of the upper plate 51a and the lower plate 51b of the fixing portion 51 in the attachment / detachment portion 50. The engaging portion 21c is a C-shaped member (claw) in a plan view. The engaging portion 21c is provided on the upper surface 21d of one end portion (front end portion in this example) of the toner storage container 21 in the insertion / removal direction S. The engaging portion 21c may be provided on the lower surface 21e instead of the upper surface 21d of the toner storage container 21.

As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2D, the toner storage container main body 210 is composed of a toner storage unit 211 for storing toner and a holding unit 212 for holding the toner storage unit 211. The toner accommodating portion 211 extends in the insertion / removal direction S. The toner discharge port 21a is provided on the lower surface of the other end portion (rear side end portion in this example) of the toner accommodating portion 211 in the insertion / removal direction S. The holding portion 212 is provided at one end (front end in this example) of the toner accommodating portion 211 in the insertion / removal direction S. The toner accommodating portion 211 and the holding portion 212 are provided with a locking portion 211a (projection portion) and an engaging portion 212a (claw portion), respectively (see FIGS. 2C and 2D). The holding portion 212 holds the toner accommodating portion 211 by engaging the engaging portion 212a with the locking portion 211a in the toner accommodating portion 211.

<Second Embodiment>
The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that the arrangement position of the locking portion 50a in the attachment / detachment portion 50 is changed in place of or in addition to the first embodiment (in this example). , The second embodiment will be mainly described as different from the first embodiment.

FIG. 7A is an enlarged perspective view showing an enlarged portion of the locking portion 50a of the attachment / detachment portion 50 provided on the image forming apparatus main body 110 in the second embodiment. FIG. 7B is a perspective view showing a state in which the toner storage container 21 located at the second position where the toner discharge port 21a faces in a direction other than the lower direction is being mounted on the attachment / detachment portion 50. FIG. 7C is a perspective view showing a state in which the toner storage container 21 is attached to the attachment / detachment portion 50 from the state shown in FIG. 7B.

In the present embodiment, the toner storage container 21 has a discharge position (see FIGS. 4A and 4B) and a second position (FIG. 7A) which is a position rotated 90 degrees or 270 degrees around the rotation axis α from the discharge position. And (see FIG. 7B), it is rotatably attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110.

In the present embodiment, when the toner storage container 21 is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 110 between the second position or the first position and the second position, the toner discharge port 21a is from the center in the vertical direction Z. Is also located on the upper side.

In this example, the second position is a position rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise (rotation direction R1) from the discharge position when viewed from the front. The locking portions 50a and 50a are provided on the inner surfaces of the upper plate 51a and the left side plate 51c of the fixing portion 51 in the attachment / detachment portion 50.

When the engaging portion 21c is provided on the lower surface 21e of the toner storage container 21, the locking portions 50a and 50a can be provided on the inner surfaces of the lower plate 51b and the right side plate 51d of the fixing portion 51 in the attachment / detachment portion 50.

<Third Embodiment>
The third embodiment is the same as the first embodiment and the second embodiment except that the detection unit 70 for detecting the detected unit 21f provided in the toner storage container main body 210 is provided in the first embodiment and the second embodiment. Hereinafter, the points that are the same and are different from the first embodiment and the second embodiment in the third embodiment will be mainly described.

8A to 8C show the detection unit 70 and the detected portion 70 in the state where the toner storage container 21 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharge position, the first position, and the second position, respectively, in the third embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the part 21f part. FIG. 9A is a system block diagram showing a control unit 60, a detection unit 70, and a display unit 80. FIG. 9B is a plan view showing an example of a message displayed on the display screen G of the display unit 80 when the toner storage container 21 is not mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharge position.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9A, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a control unit 60, a detection unit 70, and a display unit 80. The control unit 60 has a processing unit 60a composed of a microcomputer such as a CPU, and a storage unit 60b including a non-volatile memory such as a ROM and a volatile memory such as a RAM. The control unit 60 controls the operation of various components by loading the control program stored in advance in the ROM of the storage unit 60b into the RAM of the storage unit 60b and executing the processing unit 60a.

By the way, if the image forming operation is performed when the toner storage container 21 is not attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharging position, the toner is not supplied to the developing apparatus 2.

In this respect, in the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a detecting unit 70 that detects whether or not the toner containing container 21 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharge position. When the detection unit 70 detects that the toner storage container 21 is not attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharging position, the control unit 60 prohibits the image forming operation.

In the present embodiment, the toner storage container 21 is provided with a detected unit 21f detected by the detecting unit 70. The detected unit 21f is located at a detection position (see FIG. 8A) detected by the detection unit 70 when the toner storage container 21 is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharge position (see FIG. 8A). The toner container main body 210 is provided so as to be located at a non-detection position (see FIGS. 8B and 8C) that is not detected by the detection unit 70 when the toner is mounted at a position other than the discharge position.

In the present embodiment, when the control unit 60 detects by the detection unit 70 that the toner storage container 21 is not attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharging position, the toner containing container 21 is the image forming device at the discharging position. Notifies that it is not attached to the main body 110.

Specifically, the detection unit 70 is fixed to the image forming apparatus main body 110. In this example, the detection unit 70 is a light transmission type sensor and includes a light emitting unit 70a and a light receiving unit 70b. The detection unit 70 is turned on by the detected unit 21f being arranged between the light emitting unit 70a and the light receiving unit 70b and blocking the light from the light emitting unit 70a to the light receiving unit 70b. The detection unit 70 is turned off because the detected unit 21f is not arranged between the light emitting unit 70a and the light receiving unit 70b. The display unit 80 displays various information on the display screen based on the display data. The detection unit 70 and the display unit 80 are electrically connected to the input system and the output system of the control unit 60, respectively.

In this example, the detected portion 21f is a protrusion (rib) protruding from the end surface of the toner storage container 21 on the other side (rear side) of the insertion / removal direction S to the other side. Although the detection unit 70 is a light transmission type sensor, it may be a switch member (micro switch) that turns off when no external force is applied and turns on when an external force is applied by the detected unit 21f.

The control unit 60 includes a detection means P1, a prohibition means P2, and a notification means P3. When the detection signal received from the detection unit 70 is an on signal, the detection means P1 detects that the toner storage container 21 is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharge position. On the other hand, when the detection signal received from the detection unit 70 is an off signal, the detection means P1 detects that the toner storage container 21 is not mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharge position. When the detection means P1 detects that the toner storage container 21 is not attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharging position, the prohibiting means P2 prohibits the image forming operation. The notification means P3 displays display data indicating that the toner containing container 21 is not attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharging position when the toner containing container 21 is not attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharging position. It is transmitted to the display unit 80.

By the way, since the detection unit 70 is a single unit, the control unit 60 determines whether the toner storage container 21 is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 110 at a position other than the ejection position on the image forming apparatus main body 110. It is not possible to detect whether it is not attached.

Therefore, in this example, as shown in FIG. 9B, "when the toner storage container is not mounted or the toner storage container is mounted, the mounting direction is different" on the display screen G of the display unit 80. Please check the mounting status of the toner container. ”Is displayed. The notification means P3 may notify by voice instead of or in addition to the notification by display.

A mounting detection detection unit for detecting that the toner storage container 21 is not mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 110 is separately provided on the image forming apparatus main body 110, and the detection is detected by the mounting detection detecting unit. By further providing the unit in the toner storage container main body 210, the control unit 60 is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 110 whether the toner containing container 21 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 at a position other than the discharge position. It is possible to detect whether or not it is present.

<Fourth Embodiment>
The fourth embodiment does not rotate the entire toner container 21 as in the first to third embodiments, but rotates the toner discharge port holding portion 214 which is a part of the toner container 21. Is the same as that of the first to third embodiments, and the fourth embodiment will be mainly described below with different points from the first to third embodiments.

10A to 10C are perspective views showing a state in which the toner discharge port holding portion 214 of the toner storage container 21 is located at the discharge position, the first position, and the second position, respectively, in FIGS. 10A to 10C.

In the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the toner storage container 21 forms an image in a state where the toner discharging port holding portion 214 is rotated by 90 degrees or more around the rotation axis α with respect to the discharging position (see FIG. 10A). It can be attached to the device main body 110.

In this configuration, when the toner storage container 21 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 and the image forming apparatus 100 is transported (at the time of shipment), the toner discharge port holding portion 214 of the toner storage container 21 is referred to the discharge position. It is positioned at a position rotated by 90 degrees or more around the rotation axis α (see FIGS. 10B and 10C). At this time, the shutter member 21b1 is closed. When the image forming apparatus 100 performs the image forming operation (during use), the entire toner storage container 21 is positioned at the discharge position (see FIG. 10A). At this time, the shutter member 21b1 is open.

In the present embodiment, the toner storage container 21 includes a toner discharge port holding portion 214 and a support portion 213 that rotatably supports the toner discharge port holding portion 214 around the rotation axis α. The toner storage container 21 can be attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 in a state where the toner discharge port holding portion 214 is rotated by 90 degrees or more around the rotation axis α with respect to the support portion 213 with respect to the discharge position.

In the present embodiment, in the toner storage container 21, the toner discharge port holding portion 214 rotatably forms an image between the discharge position and the first position (see FIG. 10B) and / or the second position (see FIG. 10C). It is attached to the device main body 110.

Specifically, the holding portion 212 is composed of a holding portion main body 212b and a rotating portion 212c that rotates around the rotation axis α with respect to the holding portion main body 212b. The holding portion main body 212b and the rotating portion 212c are formed in a square shape in a cross-sectional view. The rotating portion 212c holds the toner accommodating portion 211. The support portion 213 is a holding portion main body 212b. The toner discharge port holding unit 214 is composed of a toner accommodating unit 211 and a rotating unit 212c. An engaging portion 21c is provided on the upper surface 21d of the holding portion main body 212b. The holding portion main body 212b and the rotating portion 212c are connected via a rotation support member 215 (see FIG. 10A). The rotation support member 215 includes a first rotation portion 215a and a second rotation portion 215b. The first rotating portion 215a and the second rotating portion 215b are rotatable about the rotation axis α with each other. The first rotating portion 215a and the second rotating portion 215b are fixed to the holding portion main body 212b and the rotating portion 212c, respectively. As a result, the toner discharge port holding portion 214 can be made rotatable around the rotation axis α with respect to the support portion 213.

The locking portion 50a can be provided on the inner surface of any one of the upper plate 51a, the left side plate 51c, and the right side plate 51d of the fixing portion 51 in the attachment / detachment portion 50.

<Other embodiments>
In the first to fourth embodiments, a stirring member for stirring the toner when the entire toner storage container 21 or the toner discharge port holding portion 214 is rotated by 90 degrees or more with respect to the discharge position (FIG. FIG. The connecting gear 21g provided in (not shown) does not abut on the drive side gear (not shown), or even if it abuts, it is driven in a state of being urged toward the drive side gear by a urging member such as a spring. It is designed to retract from the side gear. The connecting gear 21g may be engaged with the drive side gear at both the discharging position and the position other than the discharging position.

<About this embodiment>
In the present embodiment (from the first embodiment to the fourth embodiment), the toner storage container 21 is in a state where the entire toner discharge port holding portion 214 is rotated by 90 degrees or more around the rotation axis α with respect to the discharge position. It can be attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110. Then, when the toner storage container 21 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 and the image forming apparatus 100 is transported, the entire toner storage container 21 or the toner discharge port holding portion 214 is rotated around the rotation axis α with reference to the discharge position. It is positioned at a position rotated by 90 degrees or more.

By doing so, even if the image forming apparatus 100 is transported in a state where the toner storage container 21 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 and the toner discharge port 21a is open, the toner developing apparatus 2 due to vibration during transportation is transported. It can be effectively prevented from falling to. As a result, the amount of toner in the developer becomes excessive at the initial stage of image formation, and therefore an appropriate toner concentration cannot be obtained, which can effectively prevent inconveniences such as image defects. Further, as in the conventional case, it is possible to prevent the number of steps such as providing the sealing member in the toner container 21 from increasing.

Therefore, deterioration of transport workability and assembly workability can be avoided, and toner leakage due to vibration during transport can be effectively prevented even though the structure is simple.

Moreover, when the entire toner storage container 21 or the toner discharge port holding portion 214 is positioned at a position rotated by 90 degrees or more around the rotation axis α with respect to the discharge position, the toner adheres to the peripheral portion of the toner discharge port 21a. Can be suppressed, thereby suppressing toner blocking.

On the other hand, when the image forming apparatus 100 performs the image forming operation, the entire toner container 21 or the toner discharging port holding portion 214 is positioned at the discharging position. By doing so, the toner can be dropped to the toner inlet (not shown) of the developing apparatus 2 during the image forming operation.

In the present embodiment, the toner storage container 21 is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 110 so that the entire toner discharge port holding portion 214 can rotate between the discharge position and the first position (180 degree position).

By doing so, even if the image forming apparatus 100 is transported in a state where the toner storage container 21 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 and the toner discharge port 21a is open, the toner developing apparatus 2 due to vibration during transportation is transported. It is possible to avoid falling to. As a result, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience that the toner in the developer becomes excessive in the initial stage of image formation, and therefore an appropriate toner density cannot be obtained, which in turn causes image defects.

In the present embodiment, the toner storage container 21 is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 110 so that the entire toner discharge port holding portion 214 can rotate between the discharge position and the second position (position of 90 degrees or 270 degrees). Will be done.

By doing so, the toner storage container 21 is compared with the operation of positioning the entire toner storage container 21 or the toner discharge port holding portion 214 at the first position (180 degree position) when the image forming apparatus 100 is transported. The operation of locating the entire or the toner discharge port holding portion 214 at the second position can be simplified.

By the way, when the toner storage container 21 is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 110 between the second position (90 degree or 270 degree position) or the first position (180 degree position) and the second position. When the toner discharge port 21a is located below the center in the vertical direction Z, the toner tends to adhere to the peripheral edge portion of the toner discharge port 21a, and then the toner is easily blocked.

In this respect, in the present embodiment, the toner storage container 21 is located between the second position (90 degree or 270 degree position) or the first position (180 degree position) and the second position on the image forming apparatus main body 110. When mounted in, the toner discharge port 21a is located above the center in the vertical direction Z.

By doing so, it is possible to further suppress the adhesion of the toner to the peripheral edge portion of the toner discharge port 21a, thereby further suppressing the blocking of the toner.

In the present embodiment, when the detection unit 70 detects that the toner storage container 21 is not attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharging position, the control unit 60 prohibits the image forming operation.

By doing so, the control unit 60 can prevent the image forming operation from being performed when the entire toner storage container 21 or the toner discharge port holding unit 214 is located at the discharge position. As a result, the image forming operation can be performed only when the entire toner container 21 or the toner discharge port holding portion 214 is located at the discharge position.

In the present embodiment, the detected portion 21f is located at the detection position when the toner storage container 21 is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharge position, and is mounted at a position other than the discharge position. The toner storage container main body 210 is provided so as to be located at a non-detection position.

By doing so, from the viewpoint of eliminating the electrical connection configuration between the image forming apparatus main body 110 and the toner storage container 21, even if the detection unit 70 is provided on the image forming apparatus main body 110 side, the control unit 60 It is possible to easily detect when the toner storage container 21 is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharge position and when it is mounted at a position other than the discharge position.

In the present embodiment, when the control unit 60 detects by the detection unit 70 that the toner storage container 21 is not attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharging position, the toner containing container 21 is at the discharging position of the image forming apparatus. Notifies that it is not attached to the main body 110.

By doing so, the user can easily recognize that the toner storage container 21 is not attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 at the discharge position.

In the first to third embodiments, the attachment / detachment portion 50 is provided with a plurality of locking portions 50a, and the toner storage container 21 is a single unit locked to the locking portion 50a in the attachment / detachment portion 50. An engaging portion 21c is provided.

By doing so, the entire toner storage container 21 can be rotated while the toner storage container 21 has the existing configuration. This makes it possible to easily realize a configuration in which the entire toner container 21 is rotated.

In the fourth embodiment, the toner storage container 21 can be mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 110 in a state where the toner discharge port holding portion 214 is rotated by 90 degrees or more around the rotation axis α with respect to the support portion 213 with respect to the discharge position. It is said that.

By doing so, the toner discharge port holding portion 214 can be easily rotated with respect to the support portion 213, although the configuration is simple.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various other forms. Therefore, such embodiments are merely exemplary in all respects and should not be construed in a limited way. The scope of the present invention is set forth by the claims and is not bound by the text of the specification. Further, all modifications and modifications that fall within the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

100 Image forming device 2 Developing device 21 Toner storage container 210 Toner storage container body 211 Toner storage part 211a Locking part 212 Holding part 212a Engaging part 212b Holding part body 212c Rotating part 213 Support part 214 Toner discharge port holding part 215 Rotating support Member 215a 1st rotating part 215b 2nd rotating part 21a Toner discharge port 21b Shutter mechanism 21b1 Shutter member 21c Engaging part 21d Upper surface 21e Lower surface 21f Detected part 21g Connecting gear 50 Detachable part 50a Locking part 51 Fixed part 51a Upper plate 51b Lower plate 51c Left side plate 51d Right side plate 52 Guide part 52a Bottom plate 52b Side plate 60 Control part 60a Processing part 60b Storage part 70 Detection part 70a Light emitting part 70b Light receiving part 80 Display part G Display screen P1 Detection means P2 Prohibition means P3 Notification means R1 Rotation Direction R2 Rotation direction S Insertion / removal direction Z Vertical direction α Rotation axis

Claims (10)

An image forming apparatus provided with a toner storage container having a toner discharge port for discharging toner downward.
In the toner storage container, the toner discharge port holding portion, which is a part having the toner discharge port as a whole or a part having the toner discharge port, is oriented around a rotation axis along a horizontal insertion / removal direction with reference to a discharge position in which the toner discharge port faces downward. An image forming apparatus characterized in that it can be attached to an image forming apparatus main body in a state of being rotated by 90 degrees or more. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
The toner storage container can rotate the entire image or the toner discharge port holding portion between the discharge position and the first position, which is a position rotated 180 degrees around the rotation axis from the discharge position. An image forming apparatus characterized in that it is mounted on a toner. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.
The toner storage container is rotatable between the discharge position and a second position where the toner discharge port holding portion is rotated 90 degrees or 270 degrees around the rotation axis from the discharge position. An image forming apparatus, characterized in that it is attached to the forming apparatus main body. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3.
When the toner storage container is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body at the second position, the toner discharging port is located above the center in the vertical direction. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
A detection unit for detecting whether or not the toner storage container is attached to the image forming apparatus main body at the discharging position is provided.
An image forming apparatus, characterized in that an image forming operation is prohibited when the detection unit detects that the toner containing container is not attached to the image forming apparatus main body at the discharging position. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5.
The toner storage container is provided with a detected portion to be detected by the detection unit.
The detected portion is located at a detection position detected by the detection unit when the toner container is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body at the discharge position, and is mounted at a position other than the discharge position. An image forming apparatus characterized in that the toner storage container body is provided so as to be located at a non-detection position that is not detected by the detection unit when the toner is being used. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 or 6.
When the detection unit detects that the toner containing container is not attached to the image forming apparatus main body at the discharging position, it indicates that the toner containing container is not attached to the image forming apparatus main body at the discharging position. An image forming apparatus characterized by notifying. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
The toner container can be attached to the image forming apparatus main body in a state where the entire toner container is rotated 90 degrees or more around the rotation axis with respect to the discharge position.
The image forming apparatus main body includes a detachable portion to which the toner storage container is attached / detached.
The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the attachment / detachment portion is provided with a locking portion, and the toner storage container is provided with an engaging portion that is locked to the locking portion in the attachment / detachment portion. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
The toner storage container includes a support portion that rotatably supports the toner discharge port holding portion around the rotation axis, and the toner discharge port holding portion has the rotation axis with respect to the support portion with reference to the discharge position. An image forming apparatus that can be attached to the image forming apparatus main body in a state of being rotated by 90 degrees or more. A toner container provided in an image forming apparatus and having a toner discharge port for discharging toner downward.
The toner discharge port holding portion, which is a portion having the toner discharge port, and a support portion that rotatably supports the toner discharge port holding portion around a rotation axis along a horizontal insertion / removal direction are provided. The feature is that the holding portion can be attached to the image forming apparatus main body in a state of being rotated by 90 degrees or more around the rotation axis with respect to the discharging position where the toner discharging port faces downward with respect to the supporting part. Toner storage container.

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