JP2927947B2 - Container for particulate matter - Google Patents

Description

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to containers for particulate matter, and more particularly to supply them to a receiving device for toner and other materials in a copier, printer or other such device. To a container for

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,385 issued to Katusha et al. On Dec. 13, 1977 shows a toner container having a wide flange at the bottom around an opening through which toner is emptied. I have. A cover for the container is slidably held on the flange so as to be movable between a position covering the opening and a position not covering the opening. The container can be used with a suitable receiving device of the copier. The container is placed on the next slide structure of the receiving device toner reservoir cavity. As the container is slid over the reservoir cavity, the cover is held on the slide by a suitable stop between the cover and the slide and reservoir. When the container is empty and moved, the container is removed without soiling the operator or device and replaced on the cover for positioning.

This structure has been widely used in the marketplace and has successfully accomplished the mission of supplying toner in a clean environment.
However, the slide and cover protrude significantly from the reservoir. In order to prevent the slide from interfering with the front door of the device, the use of this structure in the market place the slide parallel to the door, so that the movement of the container is almost parallel to the movement of the front door of the device. It is. This required considerable space on one side of the receiving device of the copier, which was practically possible.

It is desirable to use this toner container cover removal device in new devices having multiple development stations, for example, devices capable of multi-color replication. Unfortunately, such devices receive several, for example, four, toner containers side by side. In this way, the positioning of the slide parallel to the front door for the adjacent toner container and the movement of the toner container away from the cover in a direction parallel to the front door are not allowed.

Another problem with this device is that when the container is slid to a position above the cavity, the leading edge of the flange removes the toner associated with the cavity and out of the area of the cavity, the working portion of the device.
Inside, push out into the air. Airborne toner or toner in a device causes countless problems for the device and those working with the device.

Another aspect of such devices is that some manufacturers supply differently mounted models with different toners due to different capabilities and different processes associated with different devices. For example, a copier or printer having color capability uses a set of color toners that requires a particular fusing device, which requires a particular black toner to use with it.

Certain production line black-only models use different fusers and different toners that can be used, and the toner has other properties but cannot be used with a fuser that can be used with color toners. Thus, two similar devices require the use of two different toners, in this case black toner. Bad toner on a particular machine will damage the machine and at least not give good results.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,651, issued to Lykins on September 3, 1985, basically suggests the same container for two different types of toner. Insertion of either container into the wrong device is prevented by the container being symmetrical in front, back, left and right except for the relative dimensions of the flanges on both sides. The container is inserted in one direction for one toner and oppositely for another toner. Katsusa's container lacks such symmetry and is not applicable to this attempt.

Utilizing the covering and non-covering characteristics of the prior art described above,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a container of particulate matter that eliminates the protrusion of the cover and slide so that the cover is located in a more compact space.

This and other objects are to provide a cover having an opening at the bottom and a cover which is relatively movable with respect to the housing portion between a position covering the opening and a position not covering the opening substantially as in the prior art. This is achieved by a toner container having: However, the cover has a hinge around which a portion of the cover can move to a non-extended position when in an uncovered position.

According to the present invention, the toner container can be slid off the cover and moved over the reservoir cavity by moving in a direction perpendicular to the front door of the apparatus, and then the cover is positioned outside of the passageway that can cover the door. Turn to

It is an object of the present invention to provide a receiving device for a toner container of the type generally described above, in which the tendency for toner to be spilled into the working part of the device is greatly reduced or reduced. Lost.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a toner container that cooperates with a receiving device to prevent such scraping.

These latter two objectives are generally of the type described above, but guide the received container flange as it moves from a position near the cavity to a position on the cavity along the passage. Receiving means having means for receiving at least a distal end of the flange in the passageway from a receiving surface adjacent the cavity. This same guiding means allows the flange to move on a surface adjacent to the cavity when the flange returns to a position beside the cavity.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for guiding the flange comprises at least one long insert positioned along the side of the cavity. One end of the insert has a first cam surface that causes the flange to move along the top of the insert as the receiving portion moves to a position above the toner cavity. The other end of the insert has a second cam surface that moves the flange under the insert when the flange returns to a position near the cavity.

With such a structure, the toner is pooled or dropped into the container on the upper portion of the cover by the return movement of the flange. When the next container is placed on the receiving device and the opening moves over the cavity, the tip of the flange crosses the high passage, which is separated from the previously removed container's return drop-off passage. Therefore, the toner does not fall into the apparatus.

These latter two objectives are achieved by a container for supplying toner to a toner receiving device as described above. The container has a receiving part with an opening in the bottom. Flanges are located on both sides of the opening. Means associated with the flange cooperate with the guide means of the receiving device to guide the flange when the container moves to a position where the opening is above the cavity and when the flange moves along a path separated from the receiving surface of the device. I do.

According to a preferred embodiment of the container, the means cooperating with the guiding means is an extension of the flange away from the opening. Preferably, the extension is at the flange tip. These extensions ride on the guide means as the container moves to a position where the opening is above the cavity, pushing the tip of the flange through a passage spaced from the receiving surface to divert the toner into the working part of the apparatus. Dropping action is greatly reduced. These extensions stop under the guiding device when the container is moved, allow the toner to flow down into the cavity or container through the lower passage through the flange and to position the toner over the cavity. Remove from high passage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a toner container and receiving device similar to Katsusa et al. But having suitable means for preventing the insertion of the wrong toner container into the wrong receiving device. But also.

This latter object is achieved by a container having a receiving part with an opening in the bottom. The receiving portion has a border surrounding an opening having opposite sides running substantially parallel to the intended direction of movement of the toner container upon movement of the toner container to a position above the reservoir cavity. Protrusions from both sides of the border are positioned to pair the receiving device with interfering means to prevent improper toner containers from being inserted into a particular receiving device. One of the protrusions has been removed such that the container is received by the receiving device, and the interference means positioned on the receiving device to interfere with the protrusions of the remaining containers has been removed.

This latter object is achieved by a receiving device having interference means positioned to mate with an inappropriate container projection to prevent an inappropriate container from being received by the device.

With this arrangement, a similar receiving device and toner container can be created for a machine having protrusions on both walls of the container and for interfering receiving means on a device that mates with the protrusions. One protrusion on the toner container is removed at the factory according to which toner is placed in the container. Appropriate interfering means of the device can be eliminated at the factory or by installers in the field of determining the type of toner received by the receiving device. In this way, a similar manufacturing process can be used for both models of the device and both models of the toner container.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing both the above-described container and receiving device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, which refers to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows a portion of a toner container and receiving device made in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is a top cross-sectional view of a portion of the toner container with the toner container cover removed and a small portion of the toner reservoir shown; FIG. 3 is a small portion of the toner reservoir; The second is shown
FIG. 4 is a front view of the bottom of the toner container and the cover shown in FIG. 4; FIG. 4 is a side view of the toner container and the cover shown in FIG. 2; FIG. FIGS. 3 and 4 show the parts shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIGS. 6 and 7 show a toner container for explaining the use of a toner identification table such as the first toner. FIGS. 8 and 9 are simplified top and front views similar to FIGS. 6 and 7 showing the use of a toner identification table for the second toner.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention In FIG. 1, the toner reservoir 1 is positioned to receive a toner container 2. In FIG. 1, the toner container 2 is shown without a cover, and the cover is
This is shown in FIGS. 5 through 5 and described below. Toner container 2
Has an accommodating portion 3 for holding toner supply. The toner may include carrier particles for use in a two component process, or may include only toner for either one or two component processes. The bottom boundary part 4 of the container part 3 surrounds the opening 9 of the receiving part 3. The boundary portion 4 includes a projection or a toner identification tab 7 from the side wall of the insertion flange 5, the handle 6, and the boundary portion.
(Shown best in FIGS. 6-9). The front end of the insertion flange 5 has a lateral extension 10 (the function of which will be described later) extending away from the opening 9. In general, the boundary portions 4 of the variously sized receiving portions 3 are the same.

The toner reservoir 1 has a receiving surface 15 (see FIG. 5) for receiving and guiding the bottom surface of the insertion flange 5 when the toner container 2 is moved to a position above the reservoir 1. Reservoir 1 comprises a toner or reservoir cavity 20 for receiving toner from a container, where the toner is mixed with retained particles and supplied to a developing machine. Since they are known, their description is omitted here. The side guide 21 with overhang 22 has a guide flange 5 in which the opening 9 is
Assists its guide flange when slid to a position above it. The receiving surface 15 has an entry surface portion 15 and a substantially lateral surface portion 44 of the cavity 20. In that position, the overhang portion 22 holds the flange 5 to the surface portion 44.

2 to 5, a rigid plastic cover 25 is held on the flange 5 by angled side rails 26. The projection 29 engages the front of the flange 5 when the cover is on the container 2. As best shown in FIG. 2, the cover 25 comprises a first portion 27 having a recess 28 or other suitable stop and a second portion 11. The recess 28 allows the first portion 27 of the cover to be positioned on the entry surface 16 behind the projection 30 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 5). The recess 28 cooperates with the projection 30 to move the container 2 backward by the operator to a position where the opening 9 is above the reservoir cavity 20 as guided by the receiving surface 15, the side guides 21 and the inner surface of the projection 30. Cover 25
Is prevented from moving with the flange 5. Thus, the receiving part 3 of the container is slid away from the cover 25 when the receiving part is moved over the cavity 20.

Once the toner container 2 is positioned over the reservoir cavity 20, as shown in FIG. 4, the cover 25 extends substantially to the left from the border 4 of the container 2. In conventional devices, it is common to move the toner container in a direction parallel to the front door of the device into which the toner container is inserted, which means that the cover does not interfere with the closing of the door. However, the toner supply device shown here is designed for a device having several development stations arranged side by side. In such an arrangement, it is structurally impossible to move the toner container according to the prior art because the toner container is bound by the adjacent toner container.

Accordingly, the toner container shown and shown in FIG.
It is designed to be inserted directly from the front of the machine towards the back of the machine, leaving 25 in a position that interferes with the closing of the front door of the device. To solve this problem, the cover 25 is provided with a hinge 35 transverse to the direction of movement of the receiving part 3, around which the second part 11 is pivoted to the position indicated by the dashed line in FIG. Do not restrain the rest of the device, i.e. allow the front door of the device to be closed. Hinge can be made by thinning the plastic cover as usual.

After the toner bottle is empty, the cover 25 is lowered to the extended position, best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, and the toner container is positioned to minimize the loss of unused toner and reduce personnel and operating Is slid back over the cover (by the reservoir cavity) to remove and place it with minimal soiling of the person's kimono.

FIG. 5 shows a swing open gate 50 which allows access to the reservoir of the container 2. After the receiving part 3 has been moved over the storage cavity 20 and the cover 25 has been bent around the hinge to the raised position, the gate 50 is closed and stopped behind the detent 51, where it holds the cover in the raised position. . Gate 50 pushes the cover into the container, ensuring that container 2 is fully inserted over reservoir cavity 20.

To enable the use of common components for one or more devices, the toner container 2 is combined with the reservoir 1
It includes a device for distinguishing between two different types of toner. According to FIGS. 6 to 9, when the toner container 2 is made, the toner container is provided with tabs 7 and 17;
Is also shown in FIG. Although both tabs 7 and 17 are shown in FIG. 3 for purposes of illustration, in fact neither is present. The tabs 7 and 17 are shown as molded projections from both side walls of the boundary portion 4, the side walls of which are substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the container as it moves over the reservoir cavity 20. However, removable projections from both sides of the lower part of the container are also possible. For example, an upward projection from the insertion flange 5 may be used.

One of the tubs is removed at the factory according to the type of toner to be placed in the container 3. The toner container shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 contains the first toner and the tab 7 has been removed, leaving only the tab 17 on the left side of the toner container. The toner container shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 contains the second toner and the tab 17 has been removed, leaving only the right tab. The toner reservoir 1 has removable interference means, for example a reservoir tab 8 or 18, both of which can be removed in service by service personnel or at the factory.
Although both reservoir tabs 8 and 18 are shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 for purposes of illustration, at least one is removed in actual use. They are made so that they can be removed by hand, ie simply by bending them off.

A tab 8 is left for a reservoir for receiving the first toner,
Tab 18 is removed (FIGS. 6 and 7). The tabs 18 are left and the tabs 8 are removed as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 for a reservoir for receiving the second toner. If the operator attempts to insert the container containing the second toner into the reservoir for the first toner, the reservoir tab 8 will be
And prevents the toner container from being inserted into a position above the reservoir. Similarly, if the operator attempts to place the container containing the second toner over the first toner reservoir, the tab 18 will interfere with the tab 17 and prevent its insertion.
The correct toner is installed as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9.

Any of the four tabs can be easily removed by hand. Therefore, all containers and reservoirs can be machined identically using the same mold. Adjustments to the toner type are made by hand or in a mechanical cutting process, i.e. cut off. This feature is very useful for creating very similar models of copiers or printers that use different materials. For example,
The color model is designed for use with toners that are compatible with fusing devices that use one type of toner, for example, other color toners, while other models are not compatible with fusing devices for color toners, but for black-only machines. While receiving toner, there are other benefits as well. The apparatus of the present invention can be used for a single apparatus that receives two colors of toner, for example, a black station and a red or other color station, in a development reservoir that is the same except for the tub. The device of the present invention
It can also be used in a single device that receives black magnetic toner and black non-magnetic toner in essentially the same reservoir.

A conventional toner supply device similar to that shown here allows toner to escape into the working part of the machine through a scraping process caused by a similar structure as the flange 5. This problem is best illustrated with respect to FIG. When the toner container 3 is moved to a position above the reservoir cavity 20, the tip of the flange 5 in the prior art spills off a certain amount of toner already present in or around the reservoir into the working part of the machine. Airborne or other loose toner is harmful not only to the entire machine but also to the operator.

In the device shown in FIG. 1, this problem is rectified by the combination of a pair of ski-shaped long inserts 40, called "skis", and extensions 10 on the insert flanges 5. Ski 40 is an insert loosely held in side guide 21 by tabs 41 and 42. The first end of each ski (leftmost in FIG. 1) has a cam surface, for example a ramp 43, which guides the extension 10 and thereby guides the tip of the insert flange 5 to the top of the ski 40. When the container 2 is pushed by the operator to a position above the reservoir cavity 20, the extension 10
The ski 40 rides over the ski 40 as it rides on the surface portions of the reservoir cavity 20 or on both sides surrounding the reservoir cavity 20. The ski 40 is sloped up at the other end, opposite the slope 43, at the second end 45. When the operator pushes the storage part 3 into the machine,
Extension 10 moves over inclined end 45 and settles on surface 44. When the receiving part 3 is removed from the reservoir 1, for example, when the reservoir 1 is empty, the extension 10 of the flange engages the bottom of the inclined end 45, which end 45 extends the extension and skis the flange. Surface under 40 (moved up)
Slide on 44. The receiving part can be moved to the left and removed until it is reassembled with the cover 25. In this manner, the ski-shaped insert 40 may be moved over the cavity 20 and along a lower path, e.g., a path in contact with the surface 44, as the receiving section returns to a position beside the cavity 20, so that the 5 are means for guiding the tip through a "high" passage, i.e. a passage separated from the surface 44. When the storage part 3 moves to the left (as seen in FIG. 1),
The inner edge of the inner vertical wall at the rear of the boundary portion 4 sweeps the toner to the left. When the receiving part 3 arrives at the leftmost edge defining the reservoir cavity 20, the toner will either enter the cavity or cover
Lower into the toner container above 25. It can foul the operator or damage the operation of the device. As mentioned above, when the next container is installed on the machine, the flange extension 10
The containment portion is moved through a passage higher than the passage left by the ragged containment portion just removed. Due to the low-off operation in the removal process, there is little if any toner to be removed by the high passage taken by the tip of the flange 5 during insertion of the toner container. In this way, the effect of toner spilling into the working part of the machine is greatly reduced or eliminated. This advantage is the same even if the flange 5 does not extend forward than the rest of the receiving part 4, since the vertical front wall of the boundary part has a problematic shave-off effect.

Receiving surface 15 having a surface portion 44 surrounding the reservoir cavity 20
Can be covered with cloth, felt, fiber or other compressible material to provide a leak-proof fit between the container 2 and the reservoir 1 as is known in the art. Ski 40
Guides the tip of the flange 5 to a position above the position where it was finally inserted and then lowers it onto the cloth or fiber on the surface 44. The fabric or fiber loosens when the flange 5 is held in place by the overhang 22, despite the gap being provided between the overhang 22 and the surface 44 for the two passages of the flange 5. To prevent.

A paper seal (not shown) can be attached to the bottom of the container 2. Such seals are common in the industry. For example, a seal is joined to the bottom of the flange 5 to seal the container. The seal is installed starting at the edge of the seal at the rear end (during insertion) of the flange 5 or at the handle edge and across the opening of the container to the tip adjacent the flange extension 10. The seal is folded and flange 5 and cover 25
And an accessible end extending therefrom is superimposed thereon. The end is accessible near the handle 6. After the container 2 has been positioned over the reservoir 1 and before the cover is bent to the upper position, the accessible end of the paper seal is pulled away to allow toner to fall into the reservoir. The paper seal is then discarded, the cover is bent up and the gate is closed.

Although the present invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments, various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the invention as set forth and limited to the claims that follow.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (31) Priority claim number 360, 811 (32) Priority date June 2, 1989 (33) Priority claim country United States (US) (56) References JP-A-2-251982 (JP, A) Japanese Utility Model Showa 63-124259 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Showa 50-151634 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G03G 15/08-15 / 09 B65D 6/00-13/02

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A container for supplying toner to a receiving device, comprising: a receiving portion having an opening; a boundary portion surrounding the opening; and a cover engaged with the boundary portion so as to cover the opening. A cover slidable from a covered position to a non-covered position with respect to a boundary portion, wherein the cover is made of a rigid material, and the cover is provided with a hinge, A container, wherein the hinge of the cover allows a portion of the cover to bend around the hinge when the cover does not cover the opening.