JP2773687B2 - Toner supply device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner supply device for an electrophotographic copying machine, and more particularly to a toner supply device for supplying a toner from a toner bottle containing a toner to a cartridge or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, in this type of apparatus, toner is stored in a toner cartridge in advance by a hermetically sealed structure, and toner is supplied by a hopper unit-integrated toner cartridge integrally provided with a developing hopper unit and the like. The toner cartridge replacement method and the toner supply method that can supply toner from the toner bottle to the toner cartridge are roughly classified.

[0003]

In the former toner cartridge replacement method, the toner is supplied from the toner cartridge to the developing hopper in a sealed state.
The toner does not scatter outside and does not stain hands or clothes. On the other hand, when the toner runs out, the toner cannot be replenished. Therefore, it is necessary to replace the entire toner cartridge together with the hopper and the like, which is uneconomical. Also, to replace the toner cartridge,
The structure of the device was complicated. In the latter toner supply method, since toner can be supplied, it is not necessary to replace the entire toner cartridge every time the toner runs out. This is economical, but a structure in which the toner cartridge is opened and the toner is supplied from the toner bottle. Therefore, there is a problem that the toner is scattered.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and has as its object to provide a toner supply device which is economical and prevents toner from scattering. .

[0005]

In order to achieve this object, a toner supply device according to the present invention comprises a toner supply container having an opening sealed by a sealing member, and a hermetic seal for releasing the seal of the opening of the toner supply container. A toner supply holder provided with a through hole for supplying toner supplied from the release portion and the opening from which the hermetic seal has been released to the toner cartridge; and a shielding plate for shielding the through hole of the toner supply holder. The toner supply holder is movably supported by an opening formed in the toner cartridge, and the toner supply holder is opened and closed by a shielding plate. is there.

[0006]

According to the present invention, the toner stored in the toner supply container is kept sealed until the opening is opened by the seal release member of the toner supply holder, and when the seal is released, the toner is supplied to the toner supply member. Is done. The replenished toner is
By moving the shielding member, the through holes intermittently communicate with each other and are supplied to the toner cartridge.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a toner bottle of the toner supply device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same toner supply holder,
3 is a plan view of the shielding plate, FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway plan view showing the same use state, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. In these figures, the reference numeral 1 designates a toner bottle serving as a toner supply container formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom and containing a toner 4, and a cylindrical toner supply unit 2 having an opening 2a is provided. The projection is formed. The opening 2a of the toner replenishing section 2 is covered with a toner seal 3 as a sealing member. The toner seal 3 is formed of a thin sheet or a thin foil which can be easily pierced. It is housed in a sealed state.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a toner supply holder, which is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped pedestal portion 6 formed flat at the lower portion.
In the pedestal portion 6, a hollow portion 7 formed in a slit shape having an opening 7a on one side is provided. On both sides of a lower end portion of the pedestal portion 6, a flange portion 8 is formed so as to protrude horizontally. A large-diameter cylindrical portion 9 and a small-diameter cylindrical portion 10 having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the toner replenishing portion 2 are provided concentrically. An annular groove 11 into which the toner replenishing section 2 is engaged is formed between the cylindrical sections 9 and 10. The upper end 10a of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 10 is formed in a knife-edge cross section to form a sealing release portion.
Further, four slits 12 communicating with the hollow portion 7 are formed in the bottom of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 10 so as to be parallel to each other. At the bottom of the pedestal portion 6 corresponding to the small-diameter cylindrical portion 10, a substantially cylindrical toner guide 13 having an upper side communicating with the hollow portion 7 is provided upright. 10 communicates in the up-down direction via the hollow portion 7 and the slit 12.

Reference numeral 15 denotes a flat shielding plate, on the surface of which four slits 16 having the same shape as the slit 12 of the toner supply holder 5 are formed, and at the rear end, an elastically deformable arm. The part 17 is formed integrally, and in the center of the front end,
A projection 18 is provided to protrude. When the shielding plate 15 is accommodated in the hollow portion 7 of the toner supply holder 5, the arm 18 comes into contact with the rear surface of the hollow portion 7 so that the projection 18 projects from the opening 7a. ing.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a toner cartridge.
An opening 23 for movably supporting the toner supply holder 5 in the AB direction in FIG. 4 is formed. In this opening 23, a pair of opposed side walls 21 and 22 extend in the AB direction. Are there. A plurality of recesses 21a are formed in one side wall 21 along the AB direction. This recess 21
Guide grooves 21b and 22b are formed in the side walls 21 and 22 slightly below a along the AB direction. Reference numeral 24 denotes a pair of flat plate-like toner scattering prevention members formed of a sponge-like material having flexibility, and the base ends thereof are bonded to the side walls 21 and 22 slightly below the guide grooves 21b and 22b. It is attached with an agent. The upper end sides of the toner scattering prevention members 24 are bent in the horizontal direction, and their respective tips 24a meet at the center between the side walls 21 to cover the opening 23, and are disposed below the opening 23. And a developing hopper provided with a developing mag roller (not shown).

In such a configuration, the flange 8 of the toner supply holder 5 is connected to the guide groove 21 of the toner cartridge 20.
The toner supply holder 5 is supported so as to be able to reciprocate in the AB direction by engaging with b and 22b. At this time,
Shielding plate 1 housed in hollow portion 7 of toner supply holder 5
In 5, the protrusion 18 is in contact with the side wall 21, and the protrusion 18 is located inside the hollow portion 7 against the elasticity of the arm portion 17. In this state, the slit 16 does not coincide with the slit 12 of the toner cartridge 5, and the inside of the cylindrical portion 10 and the inside of the toner guide portion 13 are shielded by the shielding plate 15 and do not communicate with each other. Further, since the toner guide portion 13 enters downward from the abutting surface 23 a of the toner scattering preventing member 23, the abutting surface 23 a is bent and is in contact with the peripheral surface of the toner guide portion 13.

Next, the operation of supplying toner in such a state will be described. The toner bottle 1 is turned upside down, and the toner supply unit 2 is
Engage in 1. At this time, the opening 2a of the toner replenishing unit 2
The toner seal 3 covering the end of the cylindrical portion 10a
The toner 4 in the toner bottle 1 is supplied into the cylindrical portion 10. At this time, since the inside of the cylindrical portion 10 and the inside of the toner guide portion 13 are shielded by the shielding plate 15 and are not in communication, the toner 4 supplied into the cylindrical portion 10 is not supplied to the toner guide portion 13. Regulated.

Next, when the toner supply holder 5 is reciprocated a plurality of times in the AB direction, the shielding plate 1 of the toner supply holder 5 is reciprocated.
5 intermittently engages with the concave portion 21a of the side wall 21 of the toner cartridge 20, so that the shielding plate 15 moves intermittently in the direction C in FIG. By the movement of the shielding plate 15 in the direction C, the slit 16 of the shielding plate 15 coincides with the slit 12 of the toner cartridge 5, and the cylindrical portion 10 communicates with the toner guide portion 13.
Is supplied from the toner guide section 13 into the toner cartridge 20. Since this supply is performed intermittently, the toner supply holder 5 is reciprocated a plurality of times in the AB direction so that a constant amount of the toner 4 is uniformly dispersed and supplied throughout the toner cartridge 20.

The toner 4 accommodated in the toner bottle 1 is sealed by the toner seal 3 until it is engaged in the engagement groove 11 of the toner supply holder 5. When the toner seal 3 is broken into the engagement groove 11 to break the toner seal 3 and the toner 4 is supplied into the cylinder 10, the toner supply unit 2 covers the cylinder 10, so that the toner supplied into the cylinder 10 supplies the toner. There is no scattering from the holder 5 to the outside. Moreover, the toner scattering prevention member 23 formed of a flexible member is used as the toner supply holder 5.
Therefore, the toner 4 supplied into the cartridge 20 from the toner guide 13 does not scatter from the outer periphery of the toner guide 13 to the outside.

In this embodiment, the opening 2a of the toner replenishing section 2 is sealed by the toner seal 3 in order to prevent the toner 4 in the toner bottle 1 from scattering. However, the sealing structure is not limited to this. Instead, the valve may be sealed by a valve formed of an elastic material, and a protrusion for elastically deforming the valve to open the opening 2a may be provided on the toner supply holder 5 as a sealing release member. Needless to say.

As a structure for opening and closing the through hole 12 of the toner supply holder 5, the opening 2 of the toner cartridge 20 is used.
3 is provided with a rack in place of the concave portion 21a on the side surface 21, and the shielding plate 15 is formed in a disk shape having a pinion on its peripheral surface which meshes with the rack, and is rotatably supported in the hollow portion 7;
The two through holes 12, 16 may be formed in a fan shape radially arranged from the center.

Further, while the toner 4 is being supplied from the toner supply holder 5 into the toner cartridge 20, the toner bottle 1 is placed on the toner supply holder 5 and the A-
The toner 4 in the toner bottle 1 was reciprocated in the direction B.
When all of the toner is supplied into the cylindrical portion 10, the toner bottle 1 may be removed. In this case, a screw portion is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical portion 9 or the cylindrical portion 10, and a cap is screwed on the screw portion. They may be sealed together.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, the opening of the toner supply container is sealed by the sealing member, and the toner supply holder for supplying the toner supplied from the opening to the toner cartridge is provided with the opening of the toner supply container. With the provision of the seal release section for releasing the seal, the toner does not scatter outside when the toner is supplied from the toner supply container to the toner supply holder. Further, a through hole for supplying toner to the toner cartridge is provided in the toner supply holder, and a shielding plate for shielding the through hole of the toner supply holder is provided, and a through hole corresponding to the through hole is formed in the shielding plate. The toner supply holder is movably supported by an opening formed in the toner cartridge, and the opening is opened and closed by a shielding plate by moving the toner supply holder. A toner is supplied.

Further, according to the present invention, the cylindrical portion is erected on the upper and lower surfaces around the through hole of the toner supply holder, and the opening of the toner supply container is fitted in the upper cylindrical portion. With this configuration, the toner supplied from the toner supply container into the toner supply holder does not scatter outside. Also, by providing a pair of flexible toner scattering prevention members which are abutted so as to cover the opening of the toner cartridge, and which are abutted on the outer peripheral surface of the lower cylinder portion of the toner supply holder at the abutting portion. The toner supplied from the toner supply holder into the toner cartridge does not scatter outside.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a toner supply container of a toner supply device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a toner supply holder of the toner supply device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a shielding plate of the toner supply device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view in which a part of the toner supply device according to the present invention is cut away.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Toner bottle, 2 ... Toner supply part, 2a ... Opening, 3
... toner seal, 4 ... toner, 5 ... toner supply holder,
9: cylindrical portion, 12, 16: through hole, 15: shielding plate, 17: arm portion, 18: projection, 20: toner cartridge, 22
... side wall, 23 ... opening, 24 ... toner scattering prevention member.

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] A toner supply container having an opening sealed by a sealing member; a sealing release portion for releasing the sealing of the opening of the toner supply container; A toner supply holder provided with a hole; and a shielding plate for shielding the through hole of the toner supply holder. The shielding plate has a through hole corresponding to the through hole, and the toner supply holder is attached to the toner cartridge. A toner supply device, wherein the toner supply device is movably supported by a formed opening and is moved to open and close a through hole of a toner supply holder with a shielding plate. 2. The toner supply device according to claim 1, wherein the urging member is urged in a direction in which the shielding plate is brought into contact with the side surface of the opening of the toner cartridge along the moving direction of the toner supply holder, and the abutting of these shielding plates is performed. A toner supply device, wherein a plurality of concave and convex portions engaging with each other are formed on a surface and a side surface of the opening. 3. The toner supply device according to claim 1, wherein a cylindrical portion is erected on the upper and lower surfaces around the through hole of the toner supply holder, and an opening of the toner supply container is fitted into the upper cylindrical portion. A pair of flexible toner scattering prevention members which are formed in a cylindrical shape so as to cover the opening of the toner cartridge, and which are abutted on the outer peripheral surface of the lower cylindrical portion at the abutting portion. And a toner supply device.