JP2506925Y2 - Toner cartridge device for image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial field of application) The present invention relates to a toner cartridge device detachably attached to a developing device in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-132962, a container that is detachably loaded into a copying machine and has a toner storage portion that opens to the lower surface, and a container that is slidably provided in the container. A toner cartridge for a copying machine having a lid for opening and closing the opening of the toner storage portion, and a tape attached to the container so as to seal the opening of the container and peeled by opening the lid to open the opening Is known.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) By the way, in the above-mentioned prior art, even after the shutter is completely released, the seal that seals the toner storage portion is half removed and the rest is manually operated. Since I pulled it and peeled off the seal, it became 2 motions and the workability was poor,
Make sure all the stickers come off when the shutter is released 1
When trying to make a motion, the shutter and the seal rub against each other at the folded portion of the shutter end during the operation of pulling the shutter to generate a large frictional force, so that the pulling force of the shutter is reduced and it is difficult to pull.

The present invention aims to solve such problems.

(Construction / Operation of the Invention) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention attaches a winding member that winds a sheet that seals the opening of a cartridge that contains toner to the cartridge, fixes the rack to the shutter of the cartridge, and winds the winding. It is characterized by including a release mechanism that meshes with the pinion of the member and releases the force transmitted from the rack to the pinion when the shutter is closed.

Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given based on the illustrated embodiment. 1 to 7 show a first embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a toner container, in which a cylindrical body 2 is rotatably attached to the outside of the toner containing portion 1a, and a pinion 3 is fixed to one side of the cylindrical body 2.
Reference numeral 4 denotes a shutter that slides along the guides 1b on both sides of the lower portion of the toner container, and a rack 5 that meshes with the pinion 3 on one side.
Has been fixed. 6 is a sheet for sealing the opening of the toner containing portion 1a, which is heat-welded to the opening of the toner containing portion 1a, folded back at the front end of the opening, passes through the upper surface of the shutter 4, and is located above the hole 1c at the lower front side of the toner container 1. The other end of the drawer is fixed to the cylindrical body 2. The shaft 2a of the cylindrical body 2 is fitted into a long hole 1d directed obliquely upward of the toner container 1, and a release lever 7 is arranged on one side of the shaft 2a, and an engaging portion below the intermediate flexible portion 7a. 7b engages with the release projection 4a of the shutter 4, tilts to a position not engaged with the shaft 2a of the cylinder 2 when pulling the shutter 4 as shown in FIG. 5, and when returning the shutter 4 as shown in FIG. As described above, the shaft 2a of the cylindrical body 2 is pushed upward to disengage the pinion 3 and the rack 5 from each other.

Next, the operation will be described. In FIG. 1, when the shutter 4 is pulled to the right side, the releasing projection 4a tilts the engaging portion 7a of the releasing lever 7 to a position separated from the shaft 2a of the tubular body 2 as indicated by a chain line as shown in FIG. The rack 5 and the pinion 2 mesh with each other, and the sheet 6 is wound around the tubular body 2. When the shutter 4 is returned to its original position, the release projection 4a tilts the engaging portion 7b of the release lever 7 toward the shaft 2a side of the cylindrical body 2 and pushes up the shaft 2a above the elongated hole 1d as shown in FIG. And the rack 5 are disengaged from each other, the cylindrical body 2 does not rotate, and the wound sheet 6 returns to its original position as shown in FIG.

8 to 18 show a second embodiment of the present invention. First
Instead of the tubular body 2 of the embodiment, a tubular body 10 having concentric small diameter portions 10b on both sides of the large diameter portion 10a is used. A long groove 10c reaching the outer circumference of the small diameter portion 10b from the outer circumference is formed in the large diameter portion 10a.
A rod 12 fitted into the long groove 10c is fixed at one end of the seat 11, and a square notch 11a into which the large diameter portion 10a is inserted is formed. The structure of the other parts is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals indicate the same parts.

Next, the operation will be described. At the time of use, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the rod 12 of the seat 11 is inserted into the long groove 10c of the large diameter portion 10a of the cylindrical body 10 and the large diameter portion 10a is put in the notch 11a. When the shutter 4 is pulled in this state, both side portions 11b of the sheet 11 are wound around the small diameter portion 10b in the initial stage, and then the sheet 11 is wound around the large diameter portion 10a. Rotation of pinion 3 causes cylinder 1
The rotational force transmitted to the shaft 3a of 1 is larger in the small diameter portion 10b.
Since the distance from the center of rotation is shorter than that of winding with a, the force is large. Therefore, in the initial stage, the bonded sheet 11 can be pulled off with a relatively large force, and when peeled off, the sheet 11 can be smoothly wound with a force smaller than that. Other operations are the same as in the first embodiment.

(Effects) According to the present invention, a winding member that winds a sheet that seals the opening of the cartridge that contains toner is attached to the cartridge, the rack is fixed to the shutter of the cartridge, and the pinion of the winding member is meshed with the shutter, A toner cartridge device in an image forming apparatus, comprising a releasing mechanism for releasing a force transmitted from a rack to a pinion when a door is closed. Since the winding member is a concentric cylindrical body consisting of a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion, and the main point is that the sheet is wound at the large diameter portion at the initial winding stage except when the sheet is pulled at the small diameter portion. Have an effect.

According to the present invention, by pulling the shutter, all the sheets that seal the toner in the toner storage unit are pulled, and all the toner can be discharged to the developing device side in one motion. Further, the sheet is the shutter and the toner storage unit. Since it is located between and, the frictional force when pulling the sheet is relatively small, and the sheet can be easily peeled off.

Furthermore, when the shutter is returned to its original position, it is not necessary to return the sheet to its original position (the frictional force between the sheet and the shutter can be eliminated), and no extra force is required.

According to the claim, the diameter of the winding cylinder is divided into at least two stages, and when the peeling force (tensile force) of the sheet at the initial stage of winding is large, the diameter is small and When the pulling force is small, the portion having a large diameter is wound up, so that when the user pulls the shutter to release the toner inside the cartridge, a large force is not required.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is an external perspective view of the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a left side view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of the operation of the release lever when pulling the shutter,
FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of the operation of the release lever when returning the shutter,
FIG. 7 is a front sectional view when the shutter is returned, FIG. 8 is an external perspective view of the second embodiment, FIG. 9 is a front sectional view of FIG. 8, FIG. 10 is a plan view of a sheet bonding portion, and FIG. Fig. 8 Left side view, Fig. 12
The figure is a front view of the cylinder body, FIG. 13 is the side sectional view of FIG. 12C-C, and FIG.
Fig. 15 is a plan view of the sheet start end portion, Fig. 15 is a side view of the sheet start end shown in Fig. 14 when it is wound around a rod, Fig. 16 is a plan view of the seat attached to a cylinder, and Fig. 17 is 16 is a right side view and FIG. 18 is a plan view of FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Toner container, 1d ... Oblong hole 2 ... Cylindrical body, 2a ... Shaft 3 ... Pinion 4 ... Shutter, 4a ... Release projection 5 ... Rack, 6 ... Sheet 7 ... Release lever 10 ... Cylindrical body, 10a ... Large diameter part 10b ... small diameter part, 10c ... long groove 11 ... sheet, 11a ... square notch 11b ... both sides of notch 12 ... bar

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of utility model registration request] 1. When a winding member for winding a sheet for sealing a cartridge opening for containing toner is attached to a cartridge, a rack is fixed to a shutter of the cartridge to mesh with a pinion of the winding member, and the shutter is closed. A toner cartridge device in an image forming apparatus, comprising a releasing mechanism for releasing a force transmitted from a rack to a pinion. 2. The winding member is a concentric cylinder having a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion, and the sheet is wound at the large diameter portion at the initial stage of winding and is pulled at the small diameter portion at the initial stage of winding.
A toner cartridge device in the image forming apparatus described in (1).