JP2023168825A - Developer storage and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a developer storage capable of arranging a shutter for opening/closing an open part without increase a size of an image forming device.SOLUTION: A shutter movable holding part 220 that holds the other end part of a shutter 221 is provided so as to be movable toward and away from a shutter fixing part 224 that holds one end part of the shutter 221. The shutter movable holding part 220 moves toward the shutter fixing part 224, and when a distance from the shutter fixing part 224 narrows, the shutter 221 is folded. When a supply port 219 is open, the folded shutter 221 is housed in a housing space 227 formed between the shutter fixing part 224 and the shutter movable holding part 220. That is, since a space for retracting the shutter 221 is secured between the shutter movable holding part 220 and the shutter fixing part 224, there is no need to separately secure the space for retracting the shutter 221. Therefore, the shutter 221 that opens and closes the supply port 219 can be provided without increasing a size of an image forming device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to a developer container containing a developer suitable for use in an image forming apparatus using electrophotographic technology such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a multifunctional device, and an image forming apparatus equipped with the developer container. .

In an image forming apparatus, a developer container capable of containing a developer includes, for example, a developer container of a developing device that uses developer to form a toner image, a toner bottle containing replenishing developer to be supplied to the developing device, and a recovery container. There are collection containers for storing degraded toner. Such a developer container can be inserted into and removed from the main body of the apparatus, and a shutter is provided to prevent the developer from leaking during insertion and removal.

For example, in a developing device, there is an opening formed in a developer container to receive replenishment developer, and a replenishment conveyance path provided in the image forming apparatus to convey replenishment developer supplied from a toner bottle. A shutter whose opening can be opened and closed is provided to prevent developer from leaking when the connection is released. However, in order to provide the shutter, it is necessary to secure enough space within the image forming apparatus to retract the shutter, resulting in an increase in the size of the image forming apparatus. Therefore, conventionally, a device has been proposed in which a deformable elastic member is used for the shutter and the shutter is retracted by sliding in a direction different from the opening/closing direction with respect to the opening (Patent Document 1). In the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, layout constraints of the image forming apparatus are resolved by moving the shutter in a direction different from the opening/closing direction.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-22187

As described above, in the device described in Patent Document 1, when opening the opening, the shutter is moved in a direction different from the opening/closing direction so that the shutter follows the external shape of the developer container and other devices in the image forming apparatus. They are being evacuated. However, there are cases in which there is no space within the image forming apparatus to move the shutter, and in such cases, conventionally it has been difficult to arrange the shutter without increasing the size of the image forming apparatus.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a developer container in which a shutter for opening and closing an opening through which developer passes can be provided without increasing the size of an image forming apparatus.

A developer accommodating body according to an embodiment of the present invention has an opening through which the developer passes and is capable of accommodating the developer, a shutter member for opening and closing the opening, and the shutter member. A fixing part that fixes one end part holds the other end part of the shutter member, and when the gap between the fixing part and the fixing part is a first distance, the opening part is closed by the shutter member, and the opening part is closed by the shutter member, a movable holding part that is provided so as to be able to move toward and away from the fixed part so that the shutter member opens the opening when the second gap is narrow, and the shutter member As the part moves in the moving direction toward the fixed part, the holding part deforms so as to fit between the movable holding part and the fixed part in the moving direction.

According to the present invention, the shutter that opens and closes the opening through which the developer passes can be provided in the developer container without increasing the size of the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a suitable image forming apparatus using the developer container of the present embodiment. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the developing device of this embodiment. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the developing device of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the developing device of the present embodiment, with the upper body cover portion omitted. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a developing device of this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a closed state in which the shutter closes the supply port. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the vicinity of a supply chamber of the developing device. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an open state in which the shutter opens the supply port. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the shutter state while the supply port is being opened. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a developing device according to another embodiment. FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a shutter in a closed state in another embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a developing device according to another embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the shutter in an open state in another embodiment. FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a shutter state in the middle of opening a replenishment port in another embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the shutter (a) in an unfolded state and (b) in a folded state. It is sectional drawing which shows the shutter which can be stacked and folded in the vertical direction, (a) an open state of a shutter, (b) a closed state of a shutter. It is sectional drawing which shows the shutter which can be compressively deformed, (a) an open state of a shutter, (b) a closed state of a shutter. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a case where a shutter is provided at the outlet of the supply pipe.

<Image forming device>
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. First, a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus suitable for using the developer container of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an intermediate transfer tandem type color image forming apparatus in which four color image forming sections 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K are arranged in an apparatus main body 100 facing an intermediate transfer belt 140. be.

An apparatus main body 100 of the image forming apparatus 1 houses four image forming sections 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K that form yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toner images, and an intermediate transfer belt 140. The image forming units 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K have photosensitive drums 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K, which are image carriers, respectively, and form toner images of respective colors on these photosensitive drums 11Y to 11K. The toner images carried on the photosensitive drums 11Y to 11K are transferred onto the recording material P via the intermediate transfer belt 140. Examples of the recording material P include various types of sheet materials such as plain paper, cardboard, rough paper, textured paper, coated paper, plastic film, cloth, and the like.

The image forming units 10Y to 10K have the same configuration except for the color of the toner used for development. ) will be explained. In addition to the photosensitive drum 11Y, the image forming section 10Y includes a charging roller 12Y, an exposure device 13Y, a developing device 14Y, a primary transfer roller 15Y, and a drum cleaner 16Y.

The photosensitive drum 11Y is a drum-shaped photosensitive member having a photosensitive layer on its outer circumference, and rotates in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 140. The charging roller 12Y uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 11Y. The exposure device 13Y irradiates the photosensitive drum 11Y with laser light modulated according to image information to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11Y. The developing device 14Y stores a developer containing toner, and supplies the toner to the photosensitive drum 11Y to develop the electrostatic latent image into a toner image. The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 11Y is primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 140 by the primary transfer roller 15Y. After the transfer, the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 11Y is removed by the drum cleaner 16Y.

Intermediate transfer belt 140 is rotated counterclockwise in the figure. The above-described image forming operation is performed in parallel in each of the image forming units 10Y to 10K, and a full-color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 140 by superimposing and multiple-transferring the four-color toner images. This toner image is carried on the intermediate transfer belt 140 and conveyed to a secondary transfer nip formed between the outer secondary transfer roller 118 and the inner secondary transfer roller 119. By applying a secondary transfer voltage to the secondary transfer outer roller 118, the toner image carried on the intermediate transfer belt 140 is secondarily transferred onto the recording material P. Toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 140 after the secondary transfer is removed by the belt cleaner 117.

The recording material P onto which the toner image has been transferred is delivered to the fixing device 170. The fixing device 170 includes a pair of fixing rollers that nip and convey the recording material P and a halogen heater, and applies pressure and heat to the toner image carried on the recording material P. As a result, the toner image is fixed on the recording material P.

Next, the conveyance operation of the recording material P will be explained. The feeding cassette 111 stores the recording material P and is removably attached to the apparatus main body 100. The recording materials P stored in the feeding cassette 111 are fed one by one by the feeding unit 110. The feeding unit 110 includes a pickup roller 113 that feeds out the recording material P from the feeding cassette 111, and a feeding roller 114 and a conveyance roller 115 that receive the recording material P from the pickup roller 113 and convey it. Note that the recording material P may be fed by the feeding unit 110 from a manual tray 33 provided in the apparatus main body 100.

The recording material P fed by the feeding unit 110 is conveyed to the registration roller 116. The registration roller 116 corrects the skew of the recording material P by coming into contact with the leading end of the recording material P. After that, the registration roller 116 sends the recording material P to the secondary transfer nip section at a timing that matches the progress of the image forming operation by the image forming sections 10Y to 10K. The recording material P to which the toner image has been transferred in the secondary transfer nip portion and fixed by the fixing device 170 is discharged to the discharge tray 132 by the discharge roller pair 139 when the operation mode is single-sided printing. On the other hand, when the operation mode is double-sided printing, the recording material P with the toner image fixed on the first side is sent to the reversal conveyance section 190, and the toner image is formed on the second side of the recording material P at the secondary transfer nip. After the toner image is transferred and fixed by a fixing device 170, it is discharged onto a discharge tray 132 by a pair of discharge rollers 139.

The developing devices 14Y, 14M, 14C, and 14K are removably installed in the device main body 100, and connected to the replenishing device 250 while mounted on the device main body 100. Since toner is consumed in the developing devices 14Y to 14K as images are formed, the replenishing device 250 supplies replenishing developer (hereinafter referred to as replenishing agent) to the developing devices 14Y to 14K. As will be described later, a replenishment port is formed in each of the developing devices 14Y to 14K to connect a replenishment device 250, and a shutter is disposed in the replenishment port so as to be openable and closable.

[Developing device]
Next, using the yellow developing device 14Y as an example, a schematic configuration of the developing device 14Y will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. As shown in FIG. 2, the developing device 14Y includes a developing container 201 forming a housing, a developing sleeve 202, a conveying screw 205, a stirring screw 206, and the like. In addition, in FIGS. 2 to 4, illustration of a shutter 221, which will be described later and is provided to be able to open and close the supply port 219, is omitted in order to make the explanation easier to understand.

The developing device 14Y of this embodiment employs a two-component development method using a two-component developer containing a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier as a developer. Non-magnetic toner is made by encapsulating a coloring agent, a wax component, etc. in a resin such as polyester or styrene acrylic, and turning it into powder by pulverization or polymerization. A magnetic carrier is a core made of resin particles kneaded with ferrite particles or magnetic powder, and the surface layer of the core is coated with a resin. The toner concentration in a new developer that has not yet been subjected to development is, for example, about 10% in terms of the weight ratio of toner to the total weight of the developer, or about 9 parts carrier to 1 part toner in terms of weight ratio. be.

The upper part of the developer container 201 is covered by an upper body cover part 210 so that the developing area facing the photosensitive drum 11Y (see FIG. 1) is open. A developing sleeve 202 is rotatably arranged in the developing container 201 so that a portion thereof is exposed through this opening. The inside of the developer container 201 as a developer storage body is divided into a developer chamber 215 and a stirring chamber 216 by a partition wall 207 extending in the direction perpendicular to the drawing (longitudinal direction) approximately at the center. The developing chamber 215 and the stirring chamber 216 contain developer, and the developing chamber 215 and the stirring chamber 216 are rotatably provided with a conveying screw 205 and a stirring screw 206, respectively.

The developing sleeve 202 is made of a non-magnetic material, and is rotated while carrying the developer on its surface by the magnetic force of a magnet roller 203 non-rotatingly disposed inside, thereby conveying the developer to the developing area. By supplying developer from the developing sleeve 202 to the photosensitive drum 11Y in the developing area, the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 11Y is developed into a toner image. At this time, the developer that has passed through the developing area without being supplied to the photosensitive drum 11Y returns to the inside of the developing container 201 as the developing sleeve 202 rotates, leaves the developing sleeve 202 in the developing chamber 215, and is collected.

As shown in FIG. 3, a developer coupling portion 204 is provided at one end of the developer sleeve 202 in the longitudinal direction (rotation axis direction). The developing sleeve 202 and the developing coupling part 204 are connected by a connecting part (not shown) so that they can rotate in conjunction with each other. The apparatus main body 100 is provided with a motor, a drive gear train, a main body coupling portion, etc. (not shown) in order to rotationally drive the developing sleeve 202. That is, when the developing device 14Y is attached to the device main body 100, the rotational force of the motor provided in the device main body 100 is transmitted to the main body coupling portion through the drive gear train, and is further connected to the main body coupling portion. The development sleeve 202 rotates by transmitting the rotational force to the development coupling section 204. Further, the developing sleeve 202, the conveying screw 205, and the stirring screw 206 are connected by a drive connecting gear portion (not shown). Therefore, when the developing sleeve 202 rotates, rotational force is transmitted from the gear provided on the rotating shaft of the developing sleeve 202 to the gears provided on the respective rotating shafts of the conveying screw 205 and the stirring screw 206, and the conveying The screw 205 and stirring screw 206 each rotate.

As shown in FIG. 4, inside the developer container 201, a developer chamber 215 is provided at one end side and the other end side in the longitudinal direction (y direction) of a partition wall 207 provided between the conveyance screw 205 and the stirring screw 206. A first communication port 207a and a second communication port 207b are formed for transferring developer to and from the stirring chamber 216. Specifically, a first communication port 207a is formed on the downstream side of the transport screw 205 in the developer transport direction (see arrow y), and a second communication port 207b is formed on the downstream side of the stirring screw 206 in the developer transport direction. ing. By communicating the developing chamber 215 and the stirring chamber 216 through the first communicating port 207a and the second communicating port 207b, a circulation path for the developer that circulates between the developing chamber 215 and the stirring chamber 216 is formed. .

The conveyance screw 205 and the stirring screw 206 are screws each having a blade spirally provided around a rotating shaft. When the conveying screw 205 rotates, the developer in the developing chamber 215 is conveyed along the conveying screw 205, and at this time, a part of the developer is supplied to the developing sleeve 202 (see FIG. 2). The developer transported within the developing chamber 215 is transferred from the developing chamber 215 to the stirring chamber 216 via the first communication port 207a. On the other hand, when the stirring screw 206 rotates, the developer in the stirring chamber 216 is conveyed along the stirring screw 206 in a direction opposite to the developer conveying direction of the conveying screw 205 . The developer transported within the stirring chamber 216 is transferred from the stirring chamber 216 to the developing chamber 215 via the second communication port 207b. In this way, the first communication port 207a and the second communication port 207b are formed so that the developer can be circulated and conveyed within the developer container 201 (inside the developer container) while being stirred by the transport screw 205 and the stirring screw 206. .

In the case of the developing device 14Y that performs development using a two-component developer, the toner of the developer is consumed as the toner image is developed, so the toner concentration of the developer decreases. When the toner concentration of the developer decreases, image density may be affected and image defects may occur. Therefore, in order to restore the toner concentration of the developer, a replenishment agent containing, for example, toner and carrier mixed at a weight ratio of "9:1" is supplied from the replenishment device 250 (see FIG. 1) connected to the development device 14Y. I'm trying to do that. A toner bottle (not shown) containing a replenisher can be attached to and removed from the replenishment device 250 . As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the replenishment device 250 includes a replenishment pipe 226 serving as a developer conveying section that extends toward the developer container 201 in order to replenish the replenisher.

Further, the developer container 201 as a developer container has a replenishment part 260 at a position upstream of the second communication port 207b of the stirring chamber 12 and away from the developer circulation path, as shown in FIG. are doing. The replenishment section 260 communicates with the stirring chamber 216 and forms a replenishment path for the replenisher to the stirring chamber 216. A replenishment port 219 as an opening is formed in the replenishment section 260 as a storage section, and a replenishment pipe 226 of the replenishment device 250 (see FIG. 2) is connected to the replenishment port 219. As the toner bottle is rotated by the replenishment device 250, the replenishment agent contained in the toner bottle is supplied from the replenishment port 219 to the replenishment unit 260 through the replenishment pipe 226 (see FIG. 1). In the case of this embodiment, the replenishment unit 260 in which the replenishment port 219 is formed is disposed on the downstream side of the developing device 14Y in the insertion direction (arrow y direction), and the replenishment port 219 has a rectangular size of, for example, 17 mm x 15 mm. formed into a shape.

As described above, in this embodiment, the developing device 14Y is removably installed in the device main body 100, and the insertion direction of the developing device 14Y is the direction indicated by the arrow in the longitudinal direction (y direction). The developing device 14Y is connected to a replenishment pipe 226 of a replenishment device 250 provided in the device main body 100 in a state where it is installed in the device main body 100 so that the developer can pass therethrough. Therefore, in the developing device 14Y, the replenishment port 219 is opened to receive the replenisher when it is installed, and the replenishment port 219 is opened to prevent developer leakage when it is not installed in the device main body 100. A shutter 221 is provided to open and close the supply port 219 so as to close the supply port 219. The configuration of the shutter 221 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9.

As shown in FIG. 5, the developing device 14Y includes a shutter 221 for opening and closing the supply port 219, a shutter fixing part 224 for fixing one end of the shutter 221, and a movable shutter for holding the other end of the shutter 221. A holding section 220 is provided. The shutter fixed part 224 and the shutter movable holding part 220 are disposed opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction, the shutter fixed part 224 is fixed to the developer container 201, and the shutter movable holding part 220 is replenished so as to be able to approach and separate from the shutter fixed part 224. It is provided on the upper part of the section 260.

The shutter movable holding part 220 can move toward and away from the shutter fixing part 224 by reciprocating in the longitudinal direction. A spring 223 is provided between the shutter fixed part 224 and the shutter movable holding part 220 as a biasing means for biasing the shutter movable holding part 220 in the insertion direction (arrow y direction). That is, as the shutter movable holding part 220 is slid toward the shutter fixed part 224 against the urging force of the spring 223, the spring 223 is compressed, and the distance between the shutter movable holding part 220 and the shutter fixed part 224 is narrowed. Become. As will be described in detail later, when the distance between the shutter movable holding part 220 and the shutter fixed part 224 is the first distance, the shutter 221 is in the closed state with the supply port 219 closed, and the distance is narrower than the first distance. In the case of the second interval, the shutter 221 is in an open state in which the supply port 219 is opened.

In this embodiment, as the distance between the shutter movable holding part 220 and the shutter fixing part 224 becomes narrower, the shutter 221 is moved to the shutter fixing part so that the shutter 221 fits between the shutter movable holding part 220 and the shutter fixing part 224. 224 is folded proximally. The shutter 221 as a shutter member is a flexible sheet member that can be deformed so as to be folded when pressed toward the shutter fixing part 224 by the shutter movable holding part 220. The shutter 221 is formed, for example, into a sheet shape of 1.0 mm thick using urethane or 0.1 mm thick using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin.

FIG. 6 shows a case where the shutter 221 is in a closed state. As shown in FIG. 6, a seal member 222 is disposed in the developer container 201 so as to surround the replenishment port 219. The sealing member 222 is provided together with the shutter 221 to prevent developer from leaking from the supply port 219 when the shutter 221 is in the closed state. The sealing member 222 is made of urethane foam, for example, and has a thickness of 3 mm, and is attached around the supply port 219 with a double-sided tape (not shown) or the like.

The shutter fixing part 224 is provided upstream of the supply port 219 in the insertion direction, and the upstream end 221c of the shutter 221 is fixed with double-sided tape (not shown) or the like. Further, in the case of the present embodiment, a portion of the upstream end 221c of the shutter 221 is attached to the attachment surface 225 of the supply section 260 with double-sided tape or the like. On the other hand, in the shutter movable holding section 220, the downstream end 221d of the shutter 221 is attached to the shutter attachment surface 220e with double-sided tape (not shown) or the like, and the shutter 221 is positioned downstream of the supply port 219 when the shutter 221 is in the closed state. It is set up to do so.

In the closed state, the shutter 221 contacts the contact surface 228 of the seal member 222 surrounding the replenishment port 219 to close the replenishment port 219. The distance between the shutter movable holding portion 220 and the shutter fixed portion 224 at this time is the first distance “L1”. In this case, the shutter 221 contacts the entire circumference of the sealing member 222 without being folded, thereby suppressing leakage of developer from the supply port 219. In order to ensure that the developer is sealed by the seal member 222 and the shutter 221, the upstream end 221c of the shutter 221 is aligned in the thickness direction of the seal member 222 (the z direction, the direction intersecting the moving direction of the shutter 221). It is fixed by a shutter fixing part 224 below the contact surface 228. Here, the upstream end 221c is fixed at a position lower than the downstream end 221d by the thickness of the seal member 222.

As shown in FIG. 7, the shutter movable holding section 220 has guide holding sections 220c and 220d at both ends in the width direction (x direction). The developer container 201 has guide portions 224a and 224b extending in the longitudinal direction that engage with the guide holding portions 220c and 220d. The guide holding parts 220c and 220d are formed to have a longitudinal length of, for example, 14 mm. The guide holding parts 220c and 220d are movably locked to the guide parts 224a and 224b in the longitudinal direction with the sealing member 222 sandwiched between them and the shutter 221 in the thickness direction of the sealing member 222. These guide holding parts 220c, 220d and guide parts 224a, 224b restrict movement of the shutter movable holding part 220 in the thickness direction (z direction) and width direction (x direction) of the seal member 222.

The guide holding parts 220c and 220d are formed so as to be separated from the shutter attachment surface 220e by, for example, 5 mm in the thickness direction of the sealing member 222. In this way, by making the distance between the guide holding parts 220c, 220d and the shutter attachment surface 220e smaller than the total value of the thickness of the sealing member 222 and the thickness of the shutter 221, the shutter 221 can be placed in a state in which the sealing member 222 is pressed downward (for example, , the pressing amount is "1.0 mm").

In this way, on the downstream side of the supply port 219 where the guide holding parts 220c and 220d exist in the longitudinal direction, the sealing member 222 is compressed by the guide parts 224a and 224b and the guide holding parts 220c and 220d, so that the developer is sealed. is maintained. On the other hand, on the upstream side of the supply port 219 where the guide holding parts 220c and 220d are not present, the upstream end 221c is fixed at a position lower than the downstream end 221d by the thickness of the seal member 222, as described above. As a result, the sealing member 222 is compressed and the sealed state of the developer is maintained. In this way, in order to maintain contact between the shutter 221 and the seal member 222, the shutter 221 is moved while the seal member 222 is pressurized downward and compressed, so that the replenishment port 219 can be opened and closed.

Next, FIG. 8 shows a case where the shutter 221 is in an open state. As shown in FIG. 8, when the developing device 14Y starts to be inserted, the shutter movable holding portion 220 abuts against the abutment portion 226a of the supply pipe 226 provided within the device main body 100. In this case, the movable shutter holding section 220 is restricted from moving in the insertion direction by the abutting section 226a of the supply pipe 226, and starts moving toward the opposite side of the developer container 201 moving in the insertion direction. Details regarding the movement of the shutter movable holding section 220 due to the insertion of the developing device 14Y will be described later (see FIG. 9).

When the developing device 14Y is inserted until the replenishment port 219 of the replenishment portion 260 and the developer discharge port 226b of the replenishment pipe 226 substantially match, the shutter movable holding portion 220 is moved to the upstream side of the replenishment port 219, The shutter 221 is in an open state in which the supply port 219 is opened. The distance between the shutter movable holding part 220 and the shutter fixed part 224 at this time is a second distance "L2" which is narrower than the first distance "L1" (see FIG. 6). In this case, the shutter 221 is stored in a folded and deformed state in the accommodation space 227 formed between the shutter movable holding part 220 and the shutter fixing part 224. In this embodiment, the shutter 221 is folded upward twice and downward once.

Next, the operation of the shutter 221 when the developing device 14Y is inserted and the shutter 221 moves from the closed state to the open state will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, as the developing device 14Y is further inserted from the above-described insertion start, the developing container 201 is inserted while the shutter movable holding portion 220 is maintained at the position where it abuts against the abutting portion 226a in the longitudinal direction. move in the direction. In other words, as the developer container 201 moves in the insertion direction, the shutter movable holding portion 220 receives a force from the abutment portion 226a in the opposite direction to the insertion direction, compressing the spring 223, and moves toward the developer container 201 in the insertion direction. and slide to the opposite side. At this time, the shutter movable holding part 220 is moved in the thickness direction (z direction) and width direction (x direction) of the sealing member 222 by the guide parts 224a, 224b and guide holding parts 220c, 220d (see FIG. 7). Since the movement is restricted, the shutter movable holding section 220 moves in the opposite direction to the insertion direction. As a result, the other end of the shutter 221 fixed to the shutter movable holding part 220 and the one end part fixed to the shutter fixing part 224 are brought closer together, and the shutter 221 is folded.

Note that when the shutter 221 is folded as described above, if the shutter 221 bent upward reaches the spring 223, the shutter 221 will be pinched by the spring 223, and the shutter 221 may be damaged. There is a possibility that the shutter 221 may not open and close the supply port 219 appropriately. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the shutter movable holding section 220 separates the shutter 221 and the spring 223 in the direction crossing the movement direction, and prevents the shutter 221 from deforming so that the shutter 221 does not come into contact with the spring 223. It has an attitude regulating section 220b that regulates the posture.

As shown in FIG. 6, the posture regulating section 220b extends from the shutter movable holding section 220 toward the opposite side to the insertion direction. The posture regulating portion 220b is formed into a substantially rectangular shape of 20 mm x 10 mm, for example. When the shutter 221 bends upward and comes into contact with the posture regulating section 220b, the posture regulating section 220b restricts the shutter 221 from further bending upward. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 9, the shutter 221 starts bending downward by the attitude regulating section 220b. The shutter 221 is folded by repeatedly bending the shutter 221 upward and downward.

As described above, in this embodiment, the shutter movable holding part 220 which holds the other end of the shutter 221 is provided so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from the shutter fixing part 224 which holds one end of the shutter 221. When the movable shutter holding part 220 moves toward the shutter fixing part 224 and the distance between the movable shutter holding part 220 and the shutter fixing part 224 narrows, the shutter 221 is deformed so as to be folded. When the supply port 219 is open, the folded shutter 221 is accommodated in the accommodation space 227 formed between the shutter fixing part 224 and the shutter movable holding part 220. In this way, a space for retracting the shutter 221 according to the opening and closing of the replenishment port 219 is secured between the shutter movable holding part 220 for folding the shutter 221 and the shutter fixing part 224, so that the shutter 221 There is no need to secure a separate space for evacuation. Therefore, the shutter 221 that opens and closes the replenishment port 219 through which the developer passes can be provided in the developing device 14Y without increasing the size of the image forming device 1.

[Other embodiments]
In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the replenishment section 260 in which the replenishment port 219 is formed is disposed on the downstream side of the developing device 14Y in the insertion direction (arrow y direction). It may be arranged on the upstream side of the insertion direction of 14Y. A case where the replenishing section 260 is disposed on the downstream side in the insertion direction of the developing device 14Y will be described using FIGS. 10 to 14 with reference to FIG. 5. In addition, in other embodiments described below, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as in the above-described first embodiment, and the description thereof will be simplified or omitted.

Also in the developing device 14YA shown in FIG. 10, the inside of the developing container 201 is partitioned by a partition wall 207 into a developing chamber 215 and a stirring chamber 216. However, unlike the above-described developing device 14Y, the developing chamber 215 is formed to be located above the stirring chamber 216.

The replenishing section 260 communicates with the stirring chamber 216 located below the developing chamber 215, and forms a replenishment path for the replenishing agent to the stirring chamber 216. However, if the replenishment part 260 in which the replenishment port 219 is formed is simply disposed so as to communicate with the stirring chamber 216 as in the developing device 14Y described above (see FIG. 5), in the case of the developing device 14YA, the mounting At times, there is a possibility that the replenishment pipe 226 (see FIG. 2) of the replenishment device 250 may become difficult to connect.

Therefore, in the developing device 14YA, a first replenishment section 260a communicates with the stirring chamber 216, a second replenishment section 260b arranged above the first replenishment section 260a, a first replenishment section 260a and a second replenishment section 260b. A replenishment section 260 is constituted by a connecting pipe 260c that connects the replenishing section 260. A replenishment port 219 is formed in the second replenishment portion 260b, and the replenishment agent contained in the toner bottle is supplied from the replenishment port 219 to the second replenishment portion 260b through the replenishment pipe 226 (see FIG. 1). The replenishing agent supplied to the second replenishing part 260b falls to the first replenishing part 260a through the connecting pipe 260c, and is then supplied to the stirring chamber 216 and the developing chamber 215.

The replenishment port 219 of the developing device 14YA can be opened and closed so that the replenishment port 219 is opened to receive replenishment agent when it is installed, and is closed to prevent developer leakage when it is not installed. A shutter 221 is provided at.

As shown in FIG. 10, the developing device 14YA is provided with a shutter 221, a shutter fixing section 224, and a movable shutter holding section 220. The shutter fixing part 224 is provided on the upstream side in the insertion direction of the developing device 14YA, and the shutter movable holding part 220 is provided on the downstream side of the shutter fixing part 224 in the insertion direction. The shutter fixing part 224 and the shutter movable holding part 220 are disposed opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction, the shutter fixing part 224 is fixed to the developer container 201, and the shutter movable holding part 220 is movable toward and away from the shutter fixing part 224. It is provided above the second supply section 260b.

A spring 223 is disposed between the shutter fixed part 224 and the shutter movable holding part 220, and the shutter movable holding part 220 is slid toward the shutter fixed part 224 against the biasing force of the spring 223. ing. As the distance between the shutter movable holding part 220 and the shutter fixing part 224 becomes narrower, the shutter 221 moves the shutter fixing part 224 toward the base end so that the shutter 221 fits between the shutter movable holding part 220 and the shutter fixing part 224. Folded.

FIG. 11 shows a case where the shutter 221 is in a closed state. As shown in FIG. 11, a sealing member 222 is disposed in the developer container 201 to surround the replenishment port 219 together with a shutter 221 in order to prevent developer from leaking from the replenishment port 219. The shutter fixing part 224 is provided upstream of the supply port 219 in the insertion direction, and the upstream end 221c of the shutter 221 is fixed. Further, a portion of the upstream end 221c of the shutter 221 is attached to the attachment surface 225b of the second supply section 260b. On the other hand, the shutter movable holding part 220 is provided such that the downstream end 221d of the shutter 221 is attached to the shutter attachment surface 220e, and the shutter 221 is located downstream of the replenishment port 219 when the shutter 221 is in the closed state.

In the closed state, the shutter 221 contacts the contact surface 228 of the sealing member 222 and closes the replenishment port 219. The distance between the shutter movable holding portion 220 and the shutter fixed portion 224 at this time is the first distance “L1”. In this case, the shutter 221 contacts the entire circumference of the sealing member 222 without being folded, thereby suppressing leakage of developer from the supply port 219.

As shown in FIG. 12, the shutter movable holding section 220 has guide holding sections 220c and 220d at both ends in the width direction (x direction), and these guide holding sections 220c and 220d are engaged with the developer container 201. Guide portions 224a and 224b extend in the longitudinal direction. The guide holding parts 220c and 220d are movably locked to the guide parts 224a and 224b in the longitudinal direction with the sealing member 222 sandwiched between them and the shutter 221 in the thickness direction of the sealing member 222. These guide holding parts 220c, 220d and guide parts 224a, 224b restrict movement of the shutter movable holding part 220 in the thickness direction and width direction of the seal member 222. In this way, the guide parts 224a, 224b and the guide holding parts 220c, 220d press the seal member 222 downward and move the shutter 221 in a compressed state so that the replenishment port 219 can be opened and closed.

Next, FIG. 13 shows a case where the shutter 221 is in an open state. In FIG. 13, illustration of the supply pipe 226 is omitted. As shown in FIG. 13, when the developing device 14YA starts to be inserted, the shutter movable holding portion 220 abuts against the abutment portion 226a (see FIG. 8) of the supply pipe 226. As a result, the shutter movable holding section 220 starts moving toward the side opposite to the developer container 201, which moves in the insertion direction (arrow y direction).

When the developing device 14Y is inserted and the shutter movable holding portion 220 is moved upstream of the replenishment port 219, the shutter 221 is in an open state in which the replenishment port 219 is opened. At this time, the distance between the shutter movable holding part 220 and the shutter fixed part 224 is a second distance "L2" which is narrower than the first distance "L1" (see FIG. 11). In this case, the shutter 221 is stored in a folded and deformed state in the accommodation space 227 formed between the shutter movable holding part 220 and the shutter fixing part 224.

Next, the operation of the shutter 221 when the developing device 14Y is inserted and the shutter 221 moves from the closed state to the open state will be described using FIG. 14. As the developer container 201 moves in the insertion direction, as shown in FIG. Slide in the direction opposite to the insertion direction. At this time, the other end of the shutter 221 fixed to the shutter movable holding part 220 and the one end part fixed to the shutter fixing part 224 are brought close together, and the shutter 221 is folded.

The shutter movable holding section 220 has an attitude regulating section 220b that separates the shutter 221 from the spring 223 in a direction intersecting the moving direction and regulates deformation of the shutter 221 so that the shutter 221 does not come into contact with the spring 223. The posture regulating section 220b extends from the shutter movable holding section 220 toward the opposite side to the insertion direction. When the shutter 221 bends upward and comes into contact with the posture regulating section 220b, the posture regulating section 220b restricts the shutter 221 from further bending upward. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 14, the shutter 221 starts bending downward by the posture regulating portion 220b. The shutter 221 is folded by repeatedly bending the shutter 221 upward and downward.

Further, when the replenishment port 219 is opened by folding the shutter 221, it is preferable to keep the shutter 221 facing upward and downward at a predetermined height while folding it, since the replenishment port 219 can be opened and closed smoothly. FIGS. 15(a) and 15(b) show an example of a shutter 221 that is folded upward and downward while maintaining a constant height. 15(a) shows a state in which the shutter 221 is not folded, and FIG. 15(b) shows a state in which the shutter 221 is folded.

As shown in FIGS. 15(a) and 15(b), the shutter 221 includes a plurality of closing parts 230 for closing the supply port 219, and a bending part 231 for bending the adjacent closing parts 230 and the closing parts 230. has. As shown in FIG. 15(b), the shutter 221 is bent at the bent portion 231 without the closing portion 230 being bent. For example, on one side of the sheet-shaped shutter 221 made of urethane with a thickness of 1.0 mm, another sheet material made of PET resin with a thickness of 0.3 mm is placed with a gap in the longitudinal direction. A closing portion 230 and a bent portion 231 are formed on the shutter 221 by pasting a plurality of sheets with gaps in between. Alternatively, for example, the sheet-like shutter 221 made of urethane with a thickness of "1.0 mm" may be partially thinned by making cuts at intervals corresponding to a predetermined height that is desired to be maintained when folded. (for example, 0.1 mm), the closing portion 230 and the bent portion 231 may be formed.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the shutter 221 is folded upward and downward is explained as an example, but the shutter 221 is not limited to this, and the shutter 221 may be folded upward so as to be stacked. You can. FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b) show examples of shutters 421 that are folded so as to be stacked upward. 16(a) shows the shutter 421 in a closed state, and FIG. 16(b) shows the shutter 421 in an open state.

As shown in FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b), the shutter 421 includes a plurality of closing portions 430 for closing the supply port 219, and a bending portion 431 for bending the adjacent closing portions 430 and the closing portions 430. has. As shown in FIG. 16(a), the shutter 421 is formed by having a plurality of plate-shaped closing parts 430 arranged continuously in the longitudinal direction (y direction) with bending parts 431 interposed therebetween. When the shutter movable holding part 220 moves away from the shutter fixed part 224, the plurality of closing parts 430 are expanded so as to be lined up in the longitudinal direction, and the supply port 219 is closed. On the other hand, when the shutter movable holding part 220 moves closer to the shutter fixed part 224, as shown in FIG. stacked in a direction that intersects the opposite direction). This opens the supply port 219. When the supply port 219 is opened, the plurality of closing parts 430 are stored in a stacked state in the accommodation space 227 formed between the shutter movable holding part 220 and the shutter fixing part 224.

Note that the shutter 221 that opens and closes the supply port 219 is not limited to the one that can be folded and deformed as described above. For example, as shown in FIGS. 17(a) and 17(b), as the movable shutter holding part 220 moves closer to the shutter fixing part 224, the movable shutter holding part 220 and the shutter fixing part 224 The shutter 321 may be a compressed elastic sponge member. As shown in FIG. 17A, when the shutter movable holding part 220 moves away from the shutter fixing part 224, the shutter 321 closes the supply port 219. On the other hand, when the movable shutter holding part 220 moves closer to the shutter fixing part 224, the shutter 321 is sandwiched between the movable shutter holding part 220 and the shutter fixing part 224, as shown in FIG. 17(b). By being compressed, the supply port 219 is opened.

In the above-described embodiment, the shutter 221 (321, 421) is provided on the developing device side to open and close the replenishment port 219, but the present invention is not limited to this. The shutter 221 (321, 421) according to the embodiment described above may be arranged to be able to open and close the developer discharge port 226b of the supply pipe 226, for example. FIG. 18 shows a case where the above-mentioned shutter 221 is disposed at the developer discharge port 226b of the supply pipe 226 so as to be openable and closable.

As shown in FIG. 18, the supply pipe 226 is provided with a shutter fixing part 224 and a shutter movable holding part 220. In this case, when the developing device 14YB starts to be inserted, the shutter movable holding portion 220 abuts against the abutting portion 2601 provided on the developing device 14YB. As a result, the shutter movable holding section 220 starts moving toward the same side as the developer container 201 moving in the insertion direction (arrow y direction). When the developing device 14YB is inserted until the replenishment port 219 of the replenishment portion 260 and the developer discharge port 226b of the replenishment pipe 226 substantially match, the shutter movable holding portion 220 is moved downstream from the replenishment port 219, The shutter 221 is in an open state in which the supply port 219 is opened. In this case, the shutter 221 is stored between the shutter movable holding part 220 and the shutter fixing part 224 in a folded and deformed state.

Note that the present technology can also have the following configuration.
(1)
a storage portion that has an opening through which the developer passes and is capable of accommodating the developer;
a shutter member for opening and closing the opening;
a fixing part that fixes one end of the shutter member;
holding the other end of the shutter member, closing the opening with the shutter member when the distance from the fixing portion is a first distance, and closing the opening when the distance from the fixed portion is a second distance narrower than the first distance; a movable holding part provided so as to be movable toward and away from the fixed part so as to open the opening part by a shutter member;
The shutter member deforms as the movable holding part moves in a moving direction approaching the fixed part so as to fit between the movable holding part and the fixed part in the moving direction.
A developer container characterized by the following.
(2)
The shutter member is a flexible sheet member, and is folded between the movable holding part and the fixed part as the movable holding part moves in the moving direction.
The developer container according to (1) above.
(3)
a sealing member disposed in the opening for sealing the opening together with the sheet member, the fixing portion connecting the one end of the shutter member to the shutter in a direction intersecting the moving direction; fixing below the contact surface between the member and the sealing member;
The developer container according to (2) above.
(4)
The shutter member is an elastic sponge member, and is compressed by the movable holding part and the fixed part as the movable holding part moves in the moving direction.
The developer container according to (1) above.
(5)
The shutter member has a plurality of closing parts for closing the opening, and a bending part that bends adjacent closing parts, and as the movable holding part moves in the movement direction, The plurality of closing parts are deformed according to the bent part so as to be stacked one on top of the other in a direction intersecting the moving direction.
The developer container according to (1) above.
(6)
comprising a biasing means for biasing the movable holding part in a direction opposite to the moving direction;
The developer container according to any one of (1) to (5) above.
(7)
The movable holding part includes a regulating part that separates the shutter member from the urging means in a direction intersecting the moving direction and restricts deformation of the shutter member so that the shutter member does not come into contact with the urging means. have,
The developer container according to (6) above.
(8)
An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material,
The device body,
a photoreceptor on which an electrostatic latent image is formed;
a developing device that is removably inserted into the device main body and that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor into a toner image using a developer contained in a developing container;
a replenishing device provided in the apparatus main body and having a developer conveying section that replenishes the developer to the developer container through an opening formed in the developer container;
The developer container is the developer container according to any one of (1) to (7) above,
The movable holding section comes into contact with the developer conveying section when the developing device is inserted into the apparatus main body, is moved in the moving direction opposite to the insertion direction of the developing device as the developing device is inserted, and The distance between
An image forming apparatus characterized by:

1... Image forming apparatus, 11Y (11M, 11C, 11K)... Photoreceptor (photosensitive drum), 14Y (14M, 14C, 14K)... Developing device, 100... Apparatus main body, 201... Developer container (developing container), 219...Opening part (supply port), 220...Movable holding part (shutter movable holding part), 220b...Regulating part (posture regulating part), 221 (321, 421)...Shutter member (sheet member, sponge member, shutter), 222...Sealing member, 223...Biasing means (spring), 224...Fixing part (shutter fixing part), 226...Developer conveying part (replenishment pipe), 230...Closing part, 231...Bending part, 250...Replenishing device, 260...Accommodation department (supply department)

Claims (8)

a storage portion that has an opening through which the developer passes and is capable of accommodating the developer;
a shutter member for opening and closing the opening;
a fixing part that fixes one end of the shutter member;
holding the other end of the shutter member, closing the opening with the shutter member when the distance from the fixing portion is a first distance, and closing the opening when the distance from the fixed portion is a second distance narrower than the first distance; a movable holding part provided so as to be movable toward and away from the fixed part so as to open the opening part by a shutter member;
The shutter member deforms as the movable holding part moves in a moving direction approaching the fixed part so as to fit between the movable holding part and the fixed part in the moving direction.
A developer container characterized by the following. The shutter member is a flexible sheet member, and is folded between the movable holding part and the fixed part as the movable holding part moves in the moving direction.
The developer container according to claim 1, characterized in that: a sealing member disposed in the opening for sealing the opening together with the sheet member, the fixing portion connecting the one end of the shutter member to the shutter in a direction intersecting the moving direction; fixing below the contact surface between the member and the sealing member;
The developer container according to claim 2, characterized in that: The shutter member is an elastic sponge member, and is compressed by the movable holding part and the fixed part as the movable holding part moves in the moving direction.
The developer container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shutter member has a plurality of closing parts for closing the opening, and a bending part that bends adjacent closing parts, and as the movable holding part moves in the movement direction, The plurality of closing parts are deformed according to the bent part so as to be stacked one on top of the other in a direction intersecting the moving direction.
The developer container according to claim 1, characterized in that: comprising a biasing means for biasing the movable holding part in a direction opposite to the moving direction;
The developer container according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The movable holding part includes a regulating part that separates the shutter member from the urging means in a direction intersecting the moving direction and restricts deformation of the shutter member so that the shutter member does not come into contact with the urging means. have,
The developer container according to claim 6, characterized in that: An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material,
The device body,
a photoreceptor on which an electrostatic latent image is formed;
a developing device that is removably inserted into the device main body and that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor into a toner image using a developer contained in a developing container;
a replenishing device provided in the apparatus main body and having a developer conveying section that replenishes the developer to the developer container through an opening formed in the developer container;
The developer container is the developer container according to claim 1,
The movable holding section comes into contact with the developer conveying section when the developing device is inserted into the apparatus main body, is moved in the moving direction opposite to the insertion direction of the developing device as the developing device is inserted, and The distance between
An image forming apparatus characterized by:

Images