JP3009919B2 - Aid for developer bottle - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an auxiliary tool for replenishing a developer bottle containing a powder developer used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer.

[Prior Art] In this type of image forming apparatus, when the developer contained in the developing device or the developer replenishing device is consumed and the remaining amount thereof is reduced, a detecting device operates appropriately and the operator is instructed. It warns that the remaining amount of the developer is low. This allows the operator to open the lid of the developer supply port of the developing device or the developer replenishing device, replenish the developer in the separately prepared developer bottle from the discharge port of the relatively small-diameter bottle, and refill the device. I do.

Conventionally, such a developer bottle is formed of a hollow cylindrical container made of plastic or the like, and forms a cylindrical portion having a reduced diameter at a part thereof, and discharges the developer to the tip of the cylindrical portion. Outlet is formed.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] When replenishing the developer into the apparatus using the developer bottle having such a configuration, the operator tilts the bottle so that the discharge port thereof is downward and vibrates the bottle little by little. Spray the developer from the outlet. At this time, since the developer is discharged irregularly, smoke is generated by the developer. This smoke not only fouls the equipment but also floats in the air and has an undesirable effect on the human body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a simple and convenient form of an auxiliary tool for a developer bottle capable of replenishing the developer without producing smoke. And

[Means for Solving the Problems] For this reason, the developer bottle assisting device according to the present invention includes a tubular portion having a supply port detachably connected to a discharge port of the developer bottle on a side portion thereof, A discharge port for discharging the developer formed at the tip side of the cylindrical portion, a screw member that is disposed in the cylindrical portion, and that conveys the developer supplied from the supply port toward the discharge port for the developer discharge; A driving means for rotating the screw member, wherein the supply port is reduced in a trumpet shape from the vicinity of the discharge port of the developer bottle toward the cylindrical portion, and the discharge port for discharging the developer is opposite to the supply port. And is formed at a position that does not overlap with the supply port.

[Operation] According to such a means, the developer supplied from the developer bottle is regularly guided to the discharge port by the rotation of the screw in the auxiliary tool, and is slowly discharged.

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The bottle 1 has a bottle body 2 made of plastic or the like, and a lid (not shown) that is detachably screwed to the bottle body 2 so as to close the outlet 3 of the bottle body 2. The bottle body 2 is formed of a hollow cylindrical container,
Although not shown, a colored powder called a toner or a mixed powder composed of a toner and a carrier (these are collectively referred to as a “developer”) is accommodated therein.
The bottom wall 5 of the bottle body 2 is flat, and the portion of the bottle body 2 opposite to the bottom wall 5 is reduced in diameter to form a cylindrical portion 6, and a discharge port 3 is provided at the tip of the cylindrical portion 6. Is formed. A male screw 7 is formed on the outer peripheral surface on the distal end side of the cylindrical portion 6, and a female screw formed on the inner peripheral surface of the lid is screwed into the male screw 7. The figure shows a state where the lid is removed.

The assisting tool 11 has a tubular part 12 and a handle part 15. Tubular part
A supply port 13 is formed on one side of the 12, and a discharge port 14 is formed at a position opposite to the supply port 13 on the tip side.
Each of the supply port 13 and the discharge port 14 communicates with the inside of the tubular portion 12. The supply port 13 is formed by a trumpet-shaped opening, and a female screw to be screwed with the male screw 7 of the developer bottle is formed on an inner peripheral surface thereof. Thus, the developer bottle 2 is connected to the auxiliary tool 11 by screwing the male screw 7 into the female screw of the supply port 13 with the lid removed.

A screw member 16 is provided in the cylindrical portion 12 of the auxiliary tool 11 along the longitudinal direction thereof. The screw member 16 has a screw 17 for transporting the developer supplied from the bottle main body through the supply port 6 toward the discharge port 14 by the rotation thereof. The rotating shaft 18 of the screw 17 is rotatably supported by bearings 19 on both end walls of the cylindrical portion 12 and is sealed and supported so that the developer does not leak from the bearing portion. The outer diameter of the screw 17 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 12.

The rear end of the rotating shaft 18 of the screw member 16 is connected to a drive transmitting member 21 disposed in the handle 15. The drive transmission member 21 is fixed to a rotating shaft of a motor 22 provided in the handle 15, and the motor 22 is energized by a power supply 24 such as a dry battery by turning on a switch 23 formed on an outer wall of the handle 15. Be inspired.

In such a configuration, when supplying the developer to the developing device or the developer replenishing device, the switch 23 is turned on by inclining the discharge port 14 downward. This allows the screw member 16
Is rotated, the screw 17 regularly transports the developer in the bottle body 2 toward the discharge port 14 and discharges the developer from the discharge port 14 without stagnation.

On the other hand, when the developer in the developer bottle 2 runs out, the empty developer bottle is removed from the auxiliary tool 11 and replaced with a new developer bottle.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, the developer in the bottle body is discharged without stagnation by the screw member.
The developer can be replenished without generating smoke due to the developer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of a developer bottle aid according to the present invention. 1 ... bottle, 2 ... bottle body, 11 ... auxiliary tool, 12 ... cylindrical part, 13 ... supply port, 14 ... discharge port, 16 ... screw member, 22 ... motor.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A cylindrical portion having a supply port removably connected to a discharge port of a developer bottle, a discharge port for discharging a developer formed at a tip side of the cylindrical portion, A screw member that is disposed in the cylindrical portion and conveys the developer supplied from the supply port toward the discharge port for discharging the developer, and a driving unit that rotates the screw member, the supply port includes: The diameter of the developer bottle is reduced in a trumpet shape from the vicinity of the outlet of the developer bottle toward the cylindrical portion, and the outlet for discharging the developer is located on the opposite side to the supply port and does not overlap with the supply port. An auxiliary tool for a developer bottle, wherein the auxiliary tool is formed on a developer bottle.