JP3056101B2 - Toner supply cartridge - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic apparatus for recording on paper using an electrophotographic process such as a printer, a copying machine, and a facsimile using a laser. Regarding the cartridge.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional toner supply cartridge will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view schematically showing a conventional toner supply cartridge. In this cartridge, the toner replenishing cartridge 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped case shape, and is provided with a seal 5 covering the upper surface of the toner replenishing cartridge 1, that is, an opening. A large amount of toner 6 is stored so that a small space remains in the room. This is inserted upside down from the side of the toner storage case 4 and then the seal 5 detachably inserted into the opening is detached in the direction of the arrow in the figure and removed, and the toner 6 sealed inside is removed. The toner is put into the toner storage case 4.

[0004]

In the above-described conventional toner supply cartridge, the toner contained in the toner supply cartridge is inclined in one direction depending on the attitude of the toner supply cartridge during transportation or storage. If the seal is removed by inserting it into the toner storage case as it is,
The toner is replenished in one direction in the toner storage case 4 as shown in FIG.

Therefore, when the toner replenishing cartridge is pulled out after replenishing the toner, the toner overflows from the toner storage case, and there is a problem that the apparatus is soiled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problem by uniformly dispersing toner in a toner replenishing cartridge and preventing toner from being biased even when the toner replenishing cartridge is tilted. An object of the present invention is to provide a toner supply cartridge that can be uniformly supplied into a case.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a toner replenishing cartridge according to the present invention has a cavity for containing toner, an opening that opens when replenishing toner, and a cover that covers the opening . 1 seal and cavity in upper and lower two layers
A second seal that cuts off the toner. When the toner is supplied to the developing device of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the seal is moved from the top of the toner storage case of the developing device while keeping the opening down, so that the toner is removed. In the cartridge for replenishing toner, the first and second seals are integrally formed, and when replenishing the toner, the second seal is pulled out of the cavity.
When it is released, the lower toner of the upper and lower layers will fall sequentially,
When the upper toner drops, it is the opposite of the lower toner.
The toner drops sequentially from the direction of
The toner can be evenly supplied without being replenished . And so on.

[0008] The shape of the cavity is preferably a rectangular parallelepiped.

Further, it is preferable that the volume of the cavity divided by the upper and lower layers is equal.

[0010]

It is preferable that the amount of each toner in the cavity divided by the upper and lower layers is equal.

[0012]

In the toner supply cartridge of the present invention, the inside of the toner supply cartridge is partitioned by a seal so that the upper toner and the lower toner are evenly contained in the cartridge. To fall sequentially.

By using the toner replenishing cartridge of the present invention, even if the toner replenishing cartridge is tilted, the toner stored in the toner replenishing cartridge can be uniformly supplied into the toner storing case without any bias. Become.

[0015]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 to 4 are sectional views schematically showing an embodiment of a toner supply cartridge according to the present invention. 1 to 4
The cross section is shown for each stage of toner supply. This cartridge comprises a toner storage case 4, a toner supply cartridge 1, and a seal 5. Further, for the sake of explanation, the toner on the seal 5 is replaced with the upper toner 2,
The one below the seal 5 will be referred to as the lower toner 3.

First, the first stage before FIG. 1 will be described. The toner supply cartridge 1 is provided on the toner storage case 4, and the seal 5 is provided on the toner supply cartridge 1.
Enters the toner replenishment cartridge 1 from the middle of the right side, and proceeds horizontally without change.
Of the toner storage case 4 and the toner replenishment cartridge 1 from the left boundary portion, and re-enters from the left boundary portion of the toner storage case 4 and the toner replenishment cartridge 1. I'm heading. That is, the toner supply cartridge 1 has the upper toner 2 and the lower toner 3 separated by the seal 5 inside the cartridge. The seal 5 is preferably partitioned so that the amounts of the upper toner 2 and the lower toner 3 are equal.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a stage when the seal 5 is slightly moved in the direction of the arrow. In the first stage, the toner is formed into two layers in the toner supply cartridge 1 and inserted upside down from the side of the toner storage case 4 and then detachably inserted into the opening as shown in FIG. When the seal 5 is pulled away in the direction of the arrow, the lower toner 3 falls into the toner storage case 4 from the right side when viewed from the front in the figure.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the stage when the seal 5 is separated and its end comes out of the toner supply cartridge 1. At this stage, the lower toner 3 has run out. When the lower toner 3 runs out, the lower toner 3 accumulates in the toner storage case 4 from the right side when viewed from the front in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the seal 5 is further separated in the direction of the arrow, the upper toner 2 falls from the left end when viewed from the front in the figure and accumulates in the toner storage case 4. At this stage, the toner falls to the left end of the toner storage case 4, that is, in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the upper toner 2 is completely removed, the toner is supplied to the toner storage case 4 in a state where the toner is substantially evenly dispersed in the toner storage case 4.

When the upper toner 2 and the lower toner 3 stored in the toner replenishing cartridge 1 are inclined in one direction due to the attitude of the toner replenishing cartridge 1 during transportation or storage, the upper toner 2 and the lower toner 3 are left as they are. Even if you insert it into the storage case 4 and remove the seal 5,
The position where the toner falls into the toner storage case 4 is different, and it is possible to prevent the toner from being replenished in one direction. When the toner replenishment cartridge 1 is removed after the toner is replenished, the toner overflows from the toner storage case 4. There is no end.

[0023]

According to the toner replenishment cartridge of the present invention, the toner is evenly dispersed in the cartridge, and even if the toner replenishment cartridge is inclined, the toner is not biased and can be uniformly supplied into the toner storage case. This has the effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conventional toner supply cartridge.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Toner supply cartridge 2 Upper toner 3 Lower toner 4 Toner storage case 5 Seal 6 Toner

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] A cavity for containing the toner, an opening that opens when the toner is supplied, and a first cover that covers the opening.
And a second seal for partitioning the cavity into upper and lower two layers. When supplying toner to the developing device of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the opening is formed from above the toner storage case of the developing device. The first and second seals are integrally formed in the toner replenishing cartridge for replenishing the toner by moving the seal while keeping the lower portion of the second seal. When the toner is separated from the cavity, the lower toner of the upper and lower layers sequentially drops, and then, when the upper toner drops, the toner sequentially drops from the opposite direction to the lower toner, so that the toner is dropped in one direction. A toner supply cartridge capable of uniformly supplying toner without uneven supply. 2. The toner supply cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said cavity has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. 3. The toner replenishing cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the cavities divided by the upper and lower layers are equal in volume. 4. The toner replenishing cartridge according to claim 1, wherein an amount of each toner in said cavity divided by said upper and lower two layers is equal.