JP3171671B2 - Developing 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 developing device for converting an electrostatic latent image used for an image forming apparatus or the like into a toner image.
The present invention relates to an assembly structure of a developing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, in an image forming apparatus, an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of a photoreceptor or the like in an exposure process is converted into a toner image by a developing device. Various developing devices are currently known from those used for black-and-white copying to those used for color copying.
No. 73 discloses a developing device in which a plurality of rotating bodies are rotatably mounted between frames located on both sides of the developing device.

[0003] The disclosed developing device has a shape in which frames provided on both sides of the developing device are connected to each other by vertically abutting each other, and semicircular holes are formed in a lower end surface of an upper frame and an upper end surface of a lower frame. Are formed to face each other, and the support shaft of the rotating body is rotatably supported in this hole, thereby simplifying the assembly.

[0004]

In such a configuration, an elastic member, a flexible film, or the like is stuck on the butt connection portion in order to ensure the sealing performance of the butt connection portion.
It is necessary to provide a groove in the butt connection part and to inject a liquid sealing agent to be left alone in the groove, and the latter method of injecting the latter sealing agent, which is excellent in terms of assemblability and the like, is often employed. . However, according to this method, the parts inside the developing device are damaged or replaced, and when disassembling and reassembling the butt connection portion, the injected sealing agent is easily turned up from the groove and is easily damaged, and a new seal is required after the assembly. There is a problem that the agent must be injected.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
In a developing device in which a case component has a butt connecting portion, and a sealing agent is provided in the connecting portion to ensure a sealing effect, at least one of the butt connecting portions has a groove configuration,
Further, a deep groove is formed in a part of the groove configuration. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the developing device of the first aspect, one surface of the butt connection portion is roughened with respect to the other. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the developing device in which the case component has a butt connecting portion, and a sealing agent is provided in the connecting portion to secure a sealing effect, at least one of the butt connecting portions is moved in and out of the case. The present invention is characterized in that multiple groove configurations are arranged side by side and divided, and a deep groove is formed in a part of each groove configuration. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a developing device in which a case component has a butt connecting portion and a sealing agent is provided in the connecting portion to secure a sealing effect. It is characterized in that a release agent is applied. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the developing device, the case component has a butt connection portion, and a sealing agent is provided in the connection portion to secure a sealing effect. It is characterized in that a tangled groove portion is formed at an intermediate portion or an end portion of the longitudinal groove.

[0006]

According to the present invention, at least one of is that match-connecting portion provided on the case component of the developing device and groove configuration, and, since the forming deep grooves in a part of the groove configuration,
Shi Lumpur agent is fitted in the groove forming portion, it is securely retained within the groove configuration.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a developing device. The developing device 1 includes a developing container 2 and a toner cartridge 3 as a toner replenishing unit. The developing container 2 is disposed in the vicinity of a drum-shaped photoconductor 4 movable in a direction indicated by an arrow in the figure, and the toner cartridge 3 is mounted on the developing container 2.

The developing container 2 has an upper case 2B and a lower case 2C to which a cover 2A is joined, and a side plate 5 shown in FIG.
Is attached. The side plate 5 is configured to be vertically splittable at a broken line portion shown in FIG. 2 , and a side plate 5A located at an upper portion (hereinafter, referred to as an “upper plate 5A”) and a side plate 5B located at a lower portion (hereinafter, referred to as “the upper plate 5A”). coupling surface G of the referred to as the lower plate 5B ") is, that has become a connecting portion that will be connected butt due to the unevenness through a sealant that will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, a mixing roller 6, a paddle wheel 7, and a developing roller 8 are provided inside the developing container 2.
The mixing roller 6, the paddle wheel 7 and the developing roller 8 are rotatably supported on the joint surface G of the side plate 5. On the lower case 2C side of the developing container 2, a two-component developer 9 stirred and mixed by the mixing roller 6 has a volume, and the developer 9 is drawn up by the paddle wheel 7.

The developing roller 8 is provided at a position where the developer 9 is pumped up by the paddle wheel 7 and in the vicinity of the photoconductor 4, and is driven to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. Is done. Inside the toner cartridge 3, a toner T stirred by an agitator 10 driven to rotate is stored. This toner T
When the density of the toner supplied to the photoconductor 4 decreases,
The toner is fed out of the cartridge 3 toward the mixing roller 6 by the rotation of the toner supply roller 11.

In the developing container 2, the layer thickness of the magnetic brush carried by the developing roller 8 is regulated at a position where an arbitrary point on the peripheral surface of the developing roller 8 reaches before the photoreceptor 4 is opposed. The doctor plate 12 is formed at the inner end of the upper case 2B.
Is disposed near the mixing roller 6 at one end in the extension direction.

On the other hand, in FIG. 1, a projection 14 is integrally formed on the lower end surface 5A1 of the upper plate 5A facing the connecting surface G, and the upper end surface 5B1 of the lower plate 5B corresponds to the projection 14. A groove 15 is formed as a groove in a continuous state in the longitudinal direction of the lower plate 5B.
Is injected.

At the bottom 15 a of the groove 15, a slit-shaped deep groove 17 narrower than the width of the groove 15 is formed continuously along the groove 15. The inner surface of the groove 15 is roughened more than the surface of the projection 14, and the projection 14 is coated with a release material. The rough surface processing is processing for forming irregularities of 10 μm or more on the inner surface of the groove 15. Here, the sealant 16 will be described. Sealant 16 used in this embodiment
Is for keeping the inside of the developing container 2 airtight, has a property of being elastic when left to be solidified in a liquid state at the time of injection, and has a groove portion as shown in FIG. 15 inside shape.

According to such a configuration, after the sealant 16 is injected into the groove 15 and solidified, the lower end face 5 of the upper plate 5A is solidified.
A1 and the upper end surface 5B1 of the lower plate 5B are brought into contact with each other to make the groove 1
5 is fitted with the projection 14, and the side plate 5 is attached to the developing container 2 side. At this time, in the groove 15, the sealant 16 is
4 and is elastically deformed, so that the sealing property of the contact surface G is ensured. In addition, the sealant 16 at the time of dividing the side plate 5 has a larger contact area with the sealant 16 in the groove 15 than in the protrusion 14 and is pressed by the protrusion 14 inside the roughened groove 15. , The groove 15 and the deep groove 17 are firmly held, and it is possible to prevent the protrusion 14 from sticking to the projection 14 and floating.

In this embodiment, the grooves 15 and the deep grooves 17
Are formed in a series in the longitudinal direction of the side plate 5, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. In the case where the deep groove 17 is provided in this manner, it is possible to further prevent the sealing agent 16 from being turned up in the longitudinal direction of the groove 15. In the following embodiments, the same reference numerals are given to those having the same operation as the first embodiment described above, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the second embodiment, the groove portion 15 and the deep groove 17 in the first embodiment are formed by dividing the connecting surface G into a plurality of portions, and a sealing agent 16 is injected into each groove portion 15. In the side plate 5 shown in FIG. 6, the connecting surface G is formed in a step shape, and a groove portion 15 having a deep groove 17 is provided in parallel on the upper end surface 5B1 of the lower plate 5B. The parts overlap. Also, the lower end surface 5A of the upper plate 5A
Although not shown in FIG. 1, a projection corresponding to the shape of the groove 15 is provided.

By dividing the groove 15 in this manner, even if the joining surface G is complicated and long, the force applied in the longitudinal direction of the sealant 16 is divided, so that the sealant 1
6 can be prevented, and breakage of the sealant at the time of dividing or reassembling the developing container 2 can be prevented. Further, since a part of the groove portion 15 is formed by overlapping, the formed sealant 16 also has a double structure, so that the sealing property can be achieved while suppressing the amount of the sealant 16 used.

In the third embodiment, a plurality of injection holes are formed in the series of grooves 15 in the first embodiment. In the upper end face 5'B1 of the lower plate 5 'having a complicated shape in the longitudinal direction shown in FIG.
Are formed in a series. The groove 15 has a plurality of injection holes 1.
8 are provided, and the liquid sealant 1
6 is injected. Some of the injection holes 18 are provided near the location where the groove 15 enters.

When the sealant 16 is injected into the series of long grooves 15 from one injection hole, it takes time for the sealant 16 to spread over the entire groove 15, and the sealant 16 is formed at a portion where the groove shape is formed. However, by injecting into the groove 15 from the injection holes 18 provided at a plurality of locations as in the present embodiment, the working time can be reduced, and the sealant 16 can be reliably supplied. Can be filled.

FIG. 8 shows a fourth embodiment in which a loop-shaped groove 15 '(hereinafter referred to as "loop groove 15'") is provided on at least one of the connecting surfaces G. The loop groove 15 'is provided on the upper end surface 5B1 of the lower plate 5B. The width of the loop groove 15' in the short direction is formed to be narrower than that in the long direction. 'Is also formed deeper than the depth of the groove in the longitudinal direction.

By forming the groove 15 'in a loop shape as described above, the sealing agent 16 to be injected is formed double, and the sealing property can be improved as compared with a single sealing agent. Further, by providing unevenness in the groove width and groove depth, the sealant 16 can be reliably held in the groove 15 ′, and breakage such as turning over can be prevented.

Next, a fifth embodiment is shown in FIG. In the fifth embodiment, a series of grooves 15 and a lateral groove 19 entangled with the grooves 15 are formed on one side plate 5. The groove 15 is
It is formed in the longitudinal direction of the upper end surface 5B1 of the lower plate 5B, and a plurality of transverse grooves 19 are provided at appropriate intervals so as to be smaller than the thickness of the lower plate 5B and perpendicular to the groove 15. . One of the lateral grooves 19 reaches the side surface of the side plate 5 and serves as a sealant injection hole 18 ′. By providing the lateral groove 19 with respect to the groove 15 in this manner, breakage such as turning up of the sealant 16 in the longitudinal direction can be prevented. In this embodiment, the lateral groove 19 is
The groove 15 is provided orthogonal to the groove 15, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the groove 15 may be provided diagonally. FIG. 10 is a view in which a part of the width of the groove 15 is narrowed. By forming in this way, it is possible to secure the sealing performance while preventing the sealant 16 from being damaged while reducing the amount of the sealant 16 injected into the groove 15. In all the embodiments described above, the grooves 15 and the lateral grooves 19
Is formed in the lower plate 5B, and the projections 14 are formed.
Is formed on the upper plate 5A, but it is of course possible to form both of them oppositely.

[0023]

According to the present invention, the by irregularities provided in the width and depth of the groove structure formed in the connecting portion butt in the side plate of the developing device damage due to curling or the like of the sealant are found provided on the groove structure since prevented, the durability of the sheet Lumpur agent is improved,
The necessity of re-injecting the sealant is reduced, and cost and working time can be reduced. Further, since the groove structure has a double structure, it is possible to enhance the sealing effect of the sheet Lumpur agent, it is possible to securely hold the sealing of the current <br/> image device.

Further, when the butt connection portion is disassembled, the injection sealing agent is hardly damaged, and it is not necessary to inject a new sealing agent at the time of assembly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view showing a main part of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a developing device in which the present invention is implemented.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an arrangement of side plates of the developing device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of a sealant injected into a groove configuration and solidified.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a modification of the groove configuration of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a side plate showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a side plate embodying a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a groove configuration according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a modification of the groove configuration.

[Explanation of symbols]

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 developing device 2 developing case 5 case side plate 15 groove configuration 15 ′ loop-shaped groove configuration portion 16 sealant 17 deep groove 18, 18 ′ injection hole 19 entangled groove portion (lateral groove) G butt joint portion

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-60-79373 (JP, A) JP-A-58-200859 (JP, A) JP-A 4-62463 (JP, U) JP-A 48-2008 36246 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G03G 15/08 G03G 15/00 550 F16B 5/00 F16B 11/00 F16B 5/08 F16J 15/06 F16J 15 / Ten

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A developing device in which a case component has a butt connecting portion, and a sealing agent is provided in the connecting portion to ensure a sealing effect. At least one of the butt connecting portions has a groove structure, and A developing device wherein a deep groove is formed in a part of the groove configuration. 2. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein one surface of said butt joint is roughened relative to the other. 3. A developing device in which a case component has a butt connecting portion, and a sealant is provided in the connecting portion to secure a sealing effect, wherein at least one of the butt connecting portions is arranged in the case inside and outside. A developing device, wherein a plurality of grooves are provided and divided, and a deep groove is formed in a part of each groove structure. 4. A developing device according to claim 1, wherein said case component has a butt connecting portion and said connecting portion is provided with a sealant to ensure a sealing effect. A developing device for applying a mold agent. 5. A developing device in which a case component has a butt connecting portion, and a sealing agent is provided in the connecting portion to ensure a sealing effect. At least one of the butt connecting portions has a longitudinal groove and a longitudinal groove. A developing device, wherein a groove entangled with an intermediate portion or an end of the longitudinal groove is formed.