JP3337350B2 - Toner bottle - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner bottle containing toner to be supplied to a developing device of an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An electrophotographic method is used in which an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photoconductive photoreceptor, and an image composed of the obtained toner is transferred to transfer paper by colored particles which charge the latent image. Copiers, facsimiles, printers and the like are widely used. In an image forming apparatus using the electrophotographic method, when toner is consumed from a developing unit, toner stored in a toner bottle or a toner cartridge is supplied to the developing unit and used continuously. However, the toner stored in the toner bottle or the toner cartridge may cause a blocking phenomenon due to temperature, humidity, and the like.
In order to destroy the blocking phenomenon and secure the fluidity of the toner, various devices have been conventionally devised.

In a toner bottle 20 shown in FIG. 5, a stirring ball 21 made of a glass ball or a carrier ball is sealed together with a toner 22 inside. Then, when replenishing the toner 22 from the toner bottle 20,
By applying vibration or the like, the blocking phenomenon of the toner 22 is destroyed, and the fluidity of the toner 22 is improved.

A toner cartridge 30 shown in FIG.
In this example, a stirring member 31 for stirring the toner is provided in the cylindrical main body, and the stirring member 31 also has a function of conveying the toner to the opening 32. Further, the stirring member 31
Has a scraping portion 33 for scraping the toner on the corner side of the main body to the opening portion 32 side.
A plurality of grooves 34 are provided to reduce one rotation torque. The toner cartridge 30 breaks the toner blocking phenomenon by rotating the stirring member 31 to improve the fluidity of the toner.

[0005]

However, if the diameter of the stirring ball 21 in the former toner bottle 20 is smaller than the discharge port 23, the stirring ball 21
3, and if the diameter of the stirring ball 21 is larger than the discharge port 23, there is a problem that the port 23 is blocked and no toner comes out.

Further, the latter toner cartridge 30 is expensive because it rotatably supports the stirring member 31, and its mounting structure and shape are complicated even if it is desired to reuse the stirring member 31 after use. There is a problem that it takes time.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional disadvantages, has a simple structure and is inexpensive, and is easy to clog and reuse the toner. In addition, the blocking phenomenon of the toner is destroyed to improve the fluidity of the toner. An object is to provide a toner bottle that can be improved.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a cylindrical part formed in a cylindrical shape, and an opening provided at the center of one end face and having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical part. A toner bottle having a helical conveying groove for conveying the toner stored by rotation on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion to the opening, wherein the width is smaller than the inner diameter of the opening, and the length is smaller. A support portion that is within a range slightly shorter than the entire length from half or more of the axial length of the cylindrical portion, provided on both sides of the support portion, the width of the tip is smaller than the interval between the transport grooves, And, a scraping member having a plurality of scraping blade portions having elasticity is provided, and the scraping member is sealed so that the tip of the scraping blade portion contacts the inner wall of the cylindrical portion. Features.

Further, the present invention is effective when a reinforcing member is attached to the support of the scraping member.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the toner bottle 1. The toner bottle 1 has a cylindrical portion 2 formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and an opening 3 having a smaller diameter than the cylindrical portion is provided at substantially the center of one end surface. A spiral conveying groove 4 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 2 to convey the toner stored therein toward the opening 3 by rotating the toner bottle 1.

In the toner bottle 1, a scraping member 10 comprising a support portion 11 formed in a belt shape and a plurality of scraping blade portions 12 provided on both sides of the support portion 11 is enclosed. . In this case, at least the scraping blade portion 12 is provided, for example, by using an elastic material such as a polyester film, or by setting the wall thickness or the like to have an elastic structure. The support 1
The width W of 1 is set smaller than the inner diameter D of the opening 3. The length of the support portion 11 in the longitudinal direction is arbitrary, but it is preferable that the length be in a range of at least half the length in the axial direction of the toner bottle 1 to slightly shorter than the entire length.

As a method of enclosing the scraping member 10 having the above-described configuration in the toner bottle 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the support portion 11 is deformed so as to wind the elastic scraping blade portion 12 around the opening. It can be inserted from the part 3. After insertion, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 2, the scraping blade portion 12 has its own elasticity and expands in the cylindrical portion 2, so that there is no possibility that the scraping blade portion 12 easily comes out of the toner bottle. However, the scraping member 10 can be removed by forcibly elastically deforming the scraping blade portion 12 with a hand, a tool, or the like.

In the toner bottle 1 thus constructed, the scraping member 10 is sealed in the cylindrical portion 2, and as shown in FIG.
Since 0 rotates, toner blocking can be broken and the fluidity of the toner can be improved.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a scraping member 10 in which a reinforcing member 13 is integrated with a supporting portion 11 by bonding or the like is used. With this configuration, the scraping member 10 can be rotated even when the toner amount is reduced to some extent due to the inertia force due to the rotation of the toner bottle 1. In addition, the length H of the scraping blade portion 12 is set to a length enough to touch the inner wall of the cylindrical portion 2.

The width L2 of the scraping blade portion 12 of the scraping member 10 is set to be slightly smaller than the transport width L1 of the spiral-shaped transport groove 4 of the cylindrical portion 2. If you do this,
Scraps toner accumulated in spiral-shaped transport groove 4 and blades 1
2 can be scraped off. The toner in the conveying groove 4 is conveyed, and the scraper blades 12 also try to advance, but the scraper blades 12 hit the constricted portion of the cylindrical portion 2 and do not go outside.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be variously modified. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the scraping member 10 is formed such that the scraping blade portion 12 is bent substantially at a right angle to the support portion 11 and this structure is extremely preferable in terms of strength. 11
The scraping blade 12 may be flat.

Further, in the scraping member 10, the support portion 11 and the scraping blade portion 12 are formed of different members, and the support portion 11 is formed of a rigid member and the scraping blade portion 12 is formed of an elastic member. May be.

[0018]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a scraping member having a support portion and elastic scraping blade portions provided on both sides of the support portion is sealed in the cylindrical portion. In addition, the scraping member is rotated by the rotation of the bottle, thereby breaking the toner blocking and improving the fluidity of the toner. In addition, since the width of the support portion of the scraping member is smaller than the inner diameter of the opening and can be taken in and out of the opening, the scraping member can be easily reused.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the reinforcing member is attached to the supporting portion of the scraping member, the toner bottle can be rotated even if the toner amount is reduced to some extent due to inertia due to the rotation of the toner bottle. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a toner bottle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing an operation of inserting a scraping member in the toner bottle of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory sectional view showing another embodiment of the scraping member in the toner bottle of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a rotation state of a scraping member in the toner bottle of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a conventional toner bottle.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional toner cartridge.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Toner bottle 2 Cylindrical part 3 Opening part 4 Conveyance groove 10 Scraping member 11 Supporting part 12 Scraping blade part 13 Reinforcing member

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G03G 15/08

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cylindrical portion formed in a cylindrical shape, and an opening provided at the center of one end face and having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical portion, and is housed by rotation in the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion. In a toner bottle having a spiral conveying groove for conveying toner to the opening, the width is smaller than the inner diameter of the opening, and the length is at least half the axial length of the cylindrical portion. And a plurality of scraping blade portions provided on both sides of the supporting portion, the width of which is smaller than the interval between the conveying grooves, and having elasticity. A toner bottle provided with a scraping member, wherein the scraping member is sealed so that the tip of the scraping blade portion is in contact with the inner wall of the cylindrical portion. 2. The toner bottle according to claim 1, wherein a reinforcing member is attached to a support of the scraping member.