JP2840629B2 - Toner cartridge - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner cartridge, and more particularly to a toner cartridge mounted on a developing device such as a copying machine.

[Conventional technology and its problems]

The developing device of a copying machine mainly includes a developing device and a toner hopper that supplies toner to the developing device.
The toner is supplied to the hopper by, for example, mounting a toner cartridge containing toner inside the hopper, and peeling off a seal member attached to an opening on the bottom surface of the toner cartridge.

In order to improve the workability at the time of peeling of this seal member,
For example, as shown in U.S. Pat.No. 4,827,307, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. Sho 58-115852, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-53868 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-1486, a joint between a seal member and a cartridge body is sealed. Some are inclined with respect to the peeling direction of the member. However, this alone cannot sufficiently reduce the force required to start peeling. This is because the larger the toner supply opening is, the more the inclination of the joining portion cannot be made so large.

Further, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 58-77347, a seal member is divided and hooks are provided at respective ends, and the length of each divided seal member is made different. However, in this example, the force required for starting the peeling is reduced due to the deviation of the timing of the start of the peeling of each seal member, but when the cartridge is inserted into the receptacle on the machine body side, the cartridge is inserted uniformly in the width direction. It is difficult to go. This is because the hooks of the divided seal members are not simultaneously caught on a specific portion of the receptacle.

Further, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 61-117170,
A configuration in which a winding roller for winding a seal is provided is also known. However, in this example, since the area of the portion to be peeled off at the same time is large, the force required at the time of peeling off the seal portion cannot be sufficiently reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a toner cartridge that can easily peel a seal member from a cartridge main body with a small force and that does not impair workability at the time of attachment to a machine main body.

[Means for solving the problem]

A toner cartridge according to the present invention is mounted on a developing device, and includes a cartridge body, a plurality of seal members, and a winding roller.

The cartridge body is formed in a box shape that is long in one direction, stores toner inside, and has a plurality of toner supply openings on the bottom surface for supplying toner to the developing device, which are arranged in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of seal members have a folded portion,
The portion from the folded portion to one end is detachably mounted on the cartridge body so as to close each of the plurality of toner supply openings, the lengths from the folded portion to the winding tip are different, and the peeling direction is the cartridge direction. This is a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the main body. The take-up roller is rotatably mounted on the cartridge body, and has the other end fixed to take up the plurality of seal members from the other end.

[Action]

In the present invention, when the winding of the seal member is started by the winding roller, the seal member is peeled off in order from the portion having the shortest length from the folded portion to the winding roller. Therefore, peeling of the seal member is performed little by little, and the force required at the start of peeling can be reduced. Also, in this case, since the seal member is peeled off by the winding roller,
High workability.

Further, here, since the peeling of the seal member is in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, the peeling distance is short, and the peeling operation is completed in a short time. In this case, since the peeling distance is short, the load at the time of peeling is relatively large, but in the present invention,
The load at the time of peeling is reduced by providing a plurality of openings and changing the length of each seal member to shift the peel timing.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows a toner cartridge 1 as an embodiment of the present invention. The toner cartridge 1 stores toner and replenishes the developing device with toner.

The toner cartridge 1 mainly includes a toner cartridge main body 1a for storing toner, a take-up roller 2, and a two-fold seal member 3, 4 bonded to an opening of the toner cartridge main body 1a.

The toner cartridge main body 1a is formed in a box shape having an opening (described later) at a lower end, and has an inclined wall whose opening side is tapered. Further, a flange portion 5 is formed on the outer periphery of the edge on the opening side.

As shown in FIG. 2, two openings 6, 7 are formed on the bottom surface of the cartridge main body 1a. In an unused state, the first seal member closes the opening 7 and the second seal member 4 shorter than the first seal member 3 closes the opening 6 by the joints 9 and 10. Folded portions 3a, 4a are provided in the longitudinally intermediate portions of the respective seal members 3, 4, and the seal members 3, 4 are provided with openings 6, 7 at a portion between the folded portions 3a, 4a and one end.
Is closed. Around the openings 6, 7, joints 9, 10 between the sealing members 3, 4 and the cartridge body 1a are provided. The other ends of the seal members 3 and 4 are fixed to the take-up roller 2. As described above, the peeling direction of the two seal members 3, 4 is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cartridge body 1a. The lengths between the folded portions 3a, 4a of the seal members 3, 4 and the ends (fixed portions) on the take-up roller 2 side are different at both ends in the width direction. As a result,
The amount of slack differs between the two seal members 3 and 4, and the amount of slack also differs between both ends in the width direction of the seal members 3 and 4.

As shown exploded in FIG. 3, a lid 11 can be attached to the flange portion 5 of the cartridge main body 1a. This lid
11 is each opening 6, 7 closed by each sealing member 3, 4
Is further covered. At both ends in the width direction of the lid 11,
Slide guides 12a and 12b having a U-shaped cross section are formed. The slide guides 12a and 12b
It can engage with both ends of the flange part 5 of a. Further, stopper portions 13a and 13b for restricting the slide of the lid 11 are formed on one end side of the slide guides 12a and 12b.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the winding mechanism of the seal members 3 and 4 includes a support member 14, the winding roller 2, and a pressing member 15. The support member 14 is formed integrally with the flange 5 at both left and right ends and at the center of the flange 5 on the front side (left side in FIG. 4) of the copying machine main body.
A U-shaped groove 14a is formed in the support member 14, and the winding roller 2 is rotatably supported in the U-shaped groove 14a. The take-up roller 2 has two fold seal members 3, 4
Is bonded at one end. One end 2a of the take-up roller 2 has a crank shape (see FIG. 1) for easy operation by an operator.

A pressing member 15 is arranged on the flange portion 5 adjacent to the winding roller 2. The press-contact member 15 is formed of an elastic resin material such as sponge, and is provided below the side portion of the take-up roller 2 over substantially the entire width of the two-fold seal members 3 and 4. Therefore, the pressure contact member 15 can press against the outer peripheral surfaces of the two-fold seal members 3 and 4 wound around the winding roller 2.

Overall Configuration of Copying Machine FIG. 5 is an overall configuration diagram of an electrostatic copying machine in which a toner cartridge according to one embodiment of the present invention is mounted.

The copying machine main body 16 includes a main body upper part 16a and a main body lower part 16b. The main body upper part 16a and the main body lower part 16b can be opened and closed on the right side in the figure with the hinge part on the left side in the figure as a center. A document table 17 is fixed on the upper surface of the copying machine main body 16, and a document holder 18 is mounted on the document table 17 so as to be openable and closable. Paper feed cassettes 19 and 2
0 is detachably mounted. On the left side, a paper discharge tray 21 for discharging copied paper is mounted.

In the copying machine main body 16, an optical system 22 for reading image information of an original is provided on the main body upper part 16a side. The optical system 22 includes a light source, a mirror, a lens, and the like. A photosensitive drum 23 on which an electrostatic latent image is formed is disposed at the center of the inside of the lower body 16b. Around the photoconductor drum 23, a charging device 24 for charging the photoconductor drum 23 to a predetermined charge, a developing device 25 for developing an electrostatic latent image, and a copying device 2 for transferring a toner image to paper
6. A sheet separating device 27 for separating the sheet from the photosensitive drum 23 and a cleaning device 28 for removing the toner on the photosensitive drum 23 are sequentially arranged. Paper cassette 19,2
A paper feed path 29 for feeding the sheet is provided between the image forming section constituted by the photosensitive drum 23 and the like. A road 30 is provided. A fixing device 31 and a discharge roller 32 are arranged between the discharge conveyance path 30 and the discharge tray 21.

6 and 7 show a portion of the developing device 25 on the hopper 34 side. The developing device 25 mainly includes a developing device 33 and a developing device.
And a hopper 34 for replenishing the toner with 33.

In the developer replenishing section 38 arranged above the developing device 33,
A spiral for conveying the toner supplied from the hopper 34 in the width direction of the developing device 33 (the left-right direction in FIG. 7).
37 is provided rotatably. In addition, spiral
Above 37, an opening 38a for communication with the hopper 34 is formed in the front (left side in FIG. 7) side wall of the supply section 38.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the hopper 34 is disposed on the front side of the developing device 33.

The hopper 34 has a toner container 41 that stores toner. As shown in FIG. 7, the toner container 41 has both inner side walls in the width direction inclined, and has a V-shaped cross section when viewed from the side. Similarly, the inner wall (only one is shown in FIG. 6) in the direction orthogonal to the width direction is formed to be similarly inclined. The upper part of the container 41 is open. As shown in FIG. 6, locking portions 42 and 43 having a U-shaped cross section are formed at the upper ends of the left and right sides of the toner container 41, respectively. And these locking parts 42, 43
The flange portion 5 formed at the opening end of the toner cartridge 1 can be locked. As shown in FIG. 7, a locking portion 44 is also formed on a part of the rear side (right side in FIG. 7) of the toner container 34, and the locking portion 44 The flange portion 5 can be locked. At the bottom of the toner container 41, a toner supply port 41a for dropping the toner downward is formed. At the bottom of the toner container 41, a transport spiral 45 for transporting the toner in the container to the toner supply port 41a is rotatably disposed.

Below the toner container 41, a cylindrical casing 46 is provided in a direction orthogonal to the conveying spiral 45 inside the toner container 41. Inside the cylindrical casing 46, a toner supply pipe
There is provided a toner conveying mechanism including a 47 and a spiral 48 disposed therein. Further, as is apparent from FIG. 6, a series of gear groups 49 for starting rotation by a drive motor (not shown) and rotating the spirals 45 and 48 are provided at the right end of the hopper 34.

Operation The lid 11 is attached to the unused toner cartridge 1. The lid 11 is set by engaging the slide guides 12a and 12b with the flange portion 5 of the cartridge main body 1a, sliding the lid 11, and pushing the stopper portions 13a and 13b until the stopper portions 13a and 13b come into contact with the flange portion 5. . Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the lid 11 is attached by sliding from the side opposite to the winding roller 2. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the loosely provided seal members 3 and 4 from biting between the lid 11 and the flange portion 5. Therefore, after the toner cartridge 1 is mounted on the hopper body on the copier body side, when the seal members 3 and 4 are peeled off, they can be smoothly peeled off.

When using a new toner cartridge 1,
After sliding 11 to remove, the flange portion 5 is slid horizontally so as to be locked to the locking portions 42 and 43 of the toner container 41. As a result, the lock claw 41b on the toner container 41 side
(See FIG. 7) engages with the hole formed in the flange portion 5, and the toner cartridge 1 is locked.

Next, the take-up roller 2 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 4, and the two-fold seal members 3, 4 are taken up as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B. At this time, since the lengths from the folded portions 3a, 4a to the ends of the seal members 3, 4 fixed to the take-up roller 2 are different, the peeling starts from the shorter distance side, that is, the second seal member 4 first. Is done. In addition, since each of the seal members 3, 4 has a different length from the folded portions 3a, 4a to the winding roller 2 at both ends in the width direction,
It is peeled off from the part whose length is short. FIG. 9 shows this state. Here, the sealing members 3 and 4 are sequentially peeled off from the openings 6 and 7, so that the toner in the cartridge main body 1a gradually spills down, and the hopper 34
Will be replenished.

In this embodiment, the timing of the start of the peeling is
Since the gap between the seal members 3 and 4 is caused, and the peeling is performed from the corners of the seal members 3 and 4, the force required to start the peeling is smaller than in the conventional case, and the workability is improved.

The toner replenished to the hopper 34 by the sealing member winding operation is transported by the transport spiral 45 and falls downward from the toner supply port 41a. In addition, the toner
It is conveyed by the spiral 48 in the right direction in FIG. Thereafter, the toner is supplied into the supply section 38 of the developing device 33 through the lower opening 47a of the toner supply pipe 47, and further conveyed by the spiral 37 in the width direction of the supply section 38.

When the used toner cartridge 1 is to be removed from the toner container 41 of the copier body 16, the slide guides 12a and 12b of the lid 11 are inserted into the flange portion 5 from the winding roller 2 side as shown in FIG. The guides 12a and 12b are pushed in until the tips of the guides 12a and 12b come into contact with the ends 42a and 43a of the locking portions 42 and 43 of the toner container 41. FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional side view in this state.
When the tip of the lid 11 is inserted into the flange portion 5, the lid 11
As a result, the lock claw 41b (FIG. 7) on the toner container 41 side is pushed downward, and the toner cartridge 1 can be pulled out in the horizontal direction. In this state, the toner cartridge 1 is pulled out horizontally along the slide guides 12a and 12b of the lid 11.

In the above embodiment, the peeling start timing of each of the seal members 3, 4 can be adjusted by appropriately changing the length from the folded portions 3a, 4a of each of the seal members 3, 4 to the winding roller 2.

[Other embodiments]

(A) In the above embodiment, two seal members were used.
Three or more sealing members may be used.

(B) In the above embodiment, a plurality of openings of the cartridge body are provided corresponding to the respective seal members. However, one opening may be closed by a plurality of seal members. In this case, the sealing can be reliably performed by overlapping a part of the adjacent seal members.

(C) In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a toner cartridge of a copying machine has been described. However, the present invention can be applied to other toner cartridges of an image forming apparatus such as a printer or a facsimile machine.

〔The invention's effect〕

In the present invention, when the winding of the seal member of the cartridge is started by the winding roller, the sealing member having the length from the folded portion to the winding roller is sequentially separated from the shortest, so that the force required at the start of the separation can be reduced. In addition, a toner cartridge with high workability can be realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 is an external perspective view of a toner cartridge according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the toner cartridge, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the toner cartridge, and FIG. 4 is IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of a copying machine to which the toner cartridge according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied, FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway side view of a developing device of the copying machine, 7 is a partial sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. 6,
8A and 8B are views corresponding to FIG. 4 for explaining the operation of the winding mechanism, FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a state during the winding operation, and FIG. 10 is removal of the toner cartridge. FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional side view of a perspective view for explaining the operation. 1 ... toner cartridge, 1a ... cartridge body,
2 ... winding roller, 3, 4 ... seal member, 3a, 4a ... folded portion, 6, 7 ... toner supply opening, 9, 10 ... joining portion.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-2-28673 (JP, A) JP-A-59-53868 (JP, A) JP-A-3-43663 (JP, A) JP-A-63-63 977 (JP, A) JP-A-61-93469 (JP, A) JP-A-60-95561 (JP, A) JP-A-60-95562 (JP, A) JP-A-2-62567 (JP, U) 58-77347 (JP, U) JP 8-30920 (JP, B2) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G03G 15/08

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A toner cartridge mounted in a developing device, wherein the toner cartridge is formed in a box shape that is long in one direction and stores toner therein.
A cartridge body having a plurality of toner supply openings for supplying toner to the developing device on the bottom surface arranged in the longitudinal direction; and a folded portion, wherein a portion from the folded portion to one end is the plurality of toner supply openings. Are mounted on the cartridge body so as to be peelable so as to close each of them, and the length from the folded portion to the winding tip is different,
A plurality of seal members whose peeling direction is a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the cartridge body, the other end is rotatably mounted on the cartridge body, and the other end is wound around the plurality of seal members from the other end. A toner cartridge comprising: a fixed take-up roller;