JP3658466B2 - Developer container - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a developer container for containing a developer used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile, or a printer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, an injection molded or blow molded plastic bottle is used as a developer container in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a printer. However, as the production volume increases, an environmental problem due to disposal becomes apparent. It is becoming. Conventionally, in order to cope with such a problem, the container portion of the developer container is configured to have a multilayer structure including a plastic exterior portion and an interior portion made of a seal film that can be attached to and detached from the exterior portion. Thereafter, the “developer container” described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-366882 has been disclosed in which the interior portion is removed to eliminate contamination of the exterior portion by the developer and the exterior portion can be easily reused. Proposed.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, the "developer container" described in the conventional Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-366882 has a container part including a bottle-shaped blow-molded plastic exterior part, and an interior part of a plastic film that can be attached to and detached from the exterior part. The discharge opening / closing portion has a shutter structure, and a seal film connected to the shutter is sealed at the discharge port of the exterior portion.
[0004]
In this conventional example, after the interior part is peeled off, it is not particularly necessary to clean the exterior part. However, in reality, the interior part is peeled off at the processing site. After replenishing the developer, while being transported to the processing site with the shutter closed, there is a high possibility that the remaining developer will contaminate the exterior of the container depending on the handling. Moreover, in this conventional example, since the exterior part and the interior part of the container part are in close contact with each other, it is difficult to remove the interior part from the exterior part. At the time of the stripping operation, the remaining developer is scattered by the discharge of air in the interior portion, and there is a disadvantage that the exterior portion container and the hands and clothes of the operator are contaminated.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention allows the air in the interior container to be discharged without allowing the developer to pass through by removing the cap, and engages with the developer discharge port of the interior container so that the interior from the interior of the exterior container can be engaged with the cap. A cap from which the container can be taken out is provided. In this way, by removing the cap, the air in the inner container is discharged without passing the developer, and the inner container is taken out from the outer container together with the cap, so that the developer that causes contamination of the outer container or the like is scattered. Is eliminated, and the inner container can be taken out without touching the inner container.
[0006]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the developer container of the present invention, a cap is formed so that it can be attached to and detached from the developer discharge port of the exterior container from either the closing side or the opening side, and a ventilation sheet having a vent hole through which the developer does not pass Mounting the cap closing side of the cap with respect to the developer discharging port of the outer container, and closing the developer discharging port of the inner container and mounting the opening side to open the developer discharging port of the inner container. A developer discharge port opening / closing member that forms a ventilation path to the ventilation sheet and an engagement portion that engages with the developer discharge port portion of the interior container by attaching the cap opening side to the cap. Provide.
[0007]
In addition, providing an inner container fixing member for fixing the inner container at the bottom of the outer container eliminates residual developer in the inner container when replenishing the developer and removes air in the inner container when the cap is removed. It is effective in extracting.
[0008]
In addition, dividing the outer container into a plurality of parts and making them extendable is effective in reducing the recovery volume of the developer container and reducing the recovery cost.
[0009]
【Example】
Hereinafter, embodiments of the developer container of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The developer container includes a cylindrical outer container 1 having relatively rigidity, an inner container 2 made of a plastic film containing a developer detachably disposed in the outer container 1, and the outer container 1. And a cap 4 formed so that it can be attached to and detached from the developer discharge port 1a of the outer container 1 for opening and closing the developer discharge port 1a by screwing from either the closing side or the opening side. Consists of heavy-duty containers. In FIG. 1, the inner container 2 is provided on the cap 4 closing side of the cap 4 by wrapping the developer outlet port portion of the inner container 2 so as to wrap the ring-shaped attachment frame 3 fitted to the developer outlet port portion of the outer container 1. The developer discharge port opening / closing member 5 is attached to the outer container 1 by pressing the developer discharge port portion of the inner container 2 against the developer discharge port portion of the outer container 1. As a material of the interior container 2, a plastic film such as a polyethylene film is suitable.
[0010]
The inner container 2 is detached from the outer container 1 without touching the inner container 2 by screwing the cap 4 upside down into the developer discharge port 1a of the outer container 1 in FIG. Done. That is, when the opening side of the cap 4 is screwed into the developer discharge port 1 a of the outer container 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the protruding engaging portion 4 a provided on the cap 4 attaches the attachment frame 3. When it passes to get over, it will be unable to be screwed in any further. Therefore, after that, when the cap 4 is unscrewed in FIG. 2, the engaging portion 4a of the cap 4 engages with the developer discharge port portion of the inner container 2 so as to hook the mounting frame 3, The inner container 2 is removed together with the cap 4 from the outer container 1.
[0011]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the developer discharge port opening / closing member 5 provided on the closing side of the cap 4 of this embodiment has a plurality (four in this example) provided in the circumferential direction. The claw portion 5a is slidably attached to the partition portion 4b by fitting in the slit 4c of the rib-like partition portion 4b formed on the inner periphery of the cap 4 at a substantially intermediate position. The fitting between the part 5a and the slit 4c of the partition part 4b is not easily disengaged by the protrusion 5b formed on the claw part 5a engaging the edge of the slit 4c. Further, a vent sheet 6 having a vent hole of a size that does not allow the developer to pass through is attached to the opening side of the partition 4b of the cap 4 by an adhesive means such as a double-sided tape. The breathable sheet 6 is a sheet formed of a material having a large number of pores that do not allow passage of particles having a particle size larger than the developer particle diameter, generally called a breathable sheet or a pressure release filter.
[0012]
As a result, as shown in FIG. 1, in the state where the cap discharge side of the cap 4 is attached to the developer discharge port 1 a of the outer container 1, the developer discharge port portion of the inner container 2 is moved by the developer discharge port opening / closing member 5. When pressed against the mounting frame 3, the developer discharge port 2a of the interior container 2 is closed, and no gap for the developer to leak is generated. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the claw portion 5 a of the developer discharge port opening / closing member 5 is attached to the mounting frame 3 in a state where the cap opening side of the cap 4 is attached to the developer discharge port 1 a of the outer container 1. The developer discharge port opening / closing member 5 and the air permeable sheet 6 have a gap between the developer discharge port opening and closing member 5 and the air permeable sheet 6, and the cap 4 is closed from the developer discharge port 2 a of the interior container 2 through the gas permeable sheet 6. A ventilation path a as shown by an arrow extending to the opening on the side is formed.
[0013]
Therefore, in the developer container of this embodiment, by removing the cap 4, the air in the interior container 2 can be discharged without passing the developer, and the interior container 2 can be taken out from the exterior container 1 together with the cap 4. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the scattering of the developer causing the contamination of the outer container 1, and the inner container 2 can be easily taken out without touching the inner container 2, and the outer container 1 can be reused without any changes. can do.
[0014]
Note that the developer discharge opening / closing member 5 in this embodiment is slidably attached to the partition portion 4b in consideration of the difficulty in forming the cap 4, but the difficulty in forming is ignored. In this case, the developer discharge port opening / closing member 5 may be formed integrally with the partition portion 4b so that a predetermined gap is formed in advance with the air permeable sheet 6. . However, in this case, each claw portion 5a of the developer discharge port opening / closing member 5 receives a pressure when the cap 4 is closed, so that the shape of each claw portion 5a has a shape that can sufficiently withstand the pressure. Alternatively, it is desirable to provide a relatively small vent hole instead of the gap between the claw portions 5a.
[0015]
Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the developer container of this embodiment is characterized in that an inner container fixing member 7 for fixing the inner container 2 is provided at the bottom of the outer container 1. The inner container fixing member 7 is configured by adhering an adhesive 7b such as a double-sided tape to the upper surface of the fixing plate 7a. After fixing the bottom of the inner container 2 to the fixing plate 7a with the adhesive 7b, the outer container 1 is attached to the bottom.
[0016]
As a result, when the developer is replenished, the container portion of the interior container 2 does not move toward the developer discharge port 2a to block the developer discharge port 2a, and the developer does not remain in the interior container 2. Further, in the developer container of this embodiment, when the inner container 2 is taken out from the outer container 1 by twisting back the cap 4 screwed on the opening side, the inner container 2 fixed at the bottom is squeezed. In this way, the air in the interior container 2 can be extracted at the same time as it is taken out, so that the work of soiling the interior container 2 after being taken out by a human hand becomes unnecessary. Can be handled easily. Here, if the interior container fixing member 7 is configured to be detachable with respect to the bottom of the exterior member 1, the exterior member 1 can be reused at low cost simply by replacing the used interior container fixation member 7. be able to.
[0017]
Next, still another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the developer container of this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the outer container 1 is divided into a plurality (in this example, the cap side container 1A, the intermediate container 1B, and the bottom side container 1C). It is characterized by being configured to be stretchable. That is, each outer container (cap-side container 1A, intermediate container 1B, bottom-side container 1C) of the present embodiment is screwed together with the spiral protrusions 1b formed on the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of each end. As a result, it is extended to a use state as shown in FIG. 5 and is contracted to a non-use state as shown in FIG. 6 by unscrewing each spiral projection 1b.
[0018]
Here, the assembling method of each outer container (cap side container 1A, intermediate container 1B, bottom side container 1C) is not limited to the twisting method in which the protrusion 1b is screwed as described above, and the inner peripheral surface of each end portion and A click stop method in which the ring-shaped protrusions formed on the outer peripheral surface of the end are engaged with each other to expand and contract each outer container may be used. Moreover, the exterior container 1 of a present Example is not limited to the container of a 3 division | segmentation structure like illustration.
[0019]
In copying machines and printers, the amount of developer consumed varies depending on the copying or printing speed, so the shape (capacity) of the developer container, such as the container length and container diameter, also varies. When it is necessary to change the shape of the developer container as described above, generally, there are many examples in which the container length is changed. In such a case, in the developer container of this embodiment, for example, the cap-side container 1A and the bottom-side container 1C in FIG. 5 can be used in common, and the length of only the intermediate container 1B can be easily changed. . Further, when the outer container 1 has a two-part configuration of the cap side container 1A and the bottom side container 1C, for example, the container length of the bottom side container 1C may be changed.
[0020]
Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the outer container 1 having the divided structure as described above, the cap 4 having the developer discharge port opening / closing member 5 and the ventilation sheet 6 shown in the above embodiment, and the inner container fixing member 7. By attaching, the convenience of handling can be further improved.
[0021]
【The invention's effect】
The present invention is implemented in the form as described above, and has the following effects.
[0022]
By removing the cap, the air in the inner container is discharged without passing through the developer, and the inner container is taken out from the outer container together with the cap. While scattering can be prevented, the inner container can be taken out without touching the inner container, and the developer container (outer container) can be easily reused.
[0023]
In addition, by providing an interior container fixing member that secures the interior container to the bottom of the exterior container, residual developer in the interior container when the developer is replenished can be eliminated, and air in the interior container can be removed when the cap is removed. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform a soiling operation such as crushing the interior container after removal by human hands, and the handling of the interior container can be facilitated.
[0024]
In addition, by dividing the outer container into multiple parts and making them extendable and retractable, it is possible to reduce the recovery volume of the developer container and reduce the recovery cost, and to share some of the divided containers Thus, developer containers having different lengths can be provided at low cost.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of a developer container according to an embodiment of the present invention when a cap is closed.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of the developer container according to the embodiment of the present invention when the interior container is taken out.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a state of the developer container according to the embodiment of the present invention when the cap is closed.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state when a developer container according to another embodiment of the present invention is taken out.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an extended state of a developer container according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a contracted state of a developer container according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a developer container according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outer container 1a Developer discharge port 1b of outer container Spiral protrusion 1A Cap side container 1B Intermediate container 1C Bottom side container 2 Interior container 2a Developer discharge port 3 of inner container 4 Mounting frame 4 Cap 4a Engagement part 4b Partition part 4c Slit 5 Developer outlet opening / closing member 5a Claw part 6 Vent sheet 7 Interior container fixing member a Ventilation path

Claims (2)

  Development of a double structure having an exterior container, a film-shaped interior container that accommodates a developer detachably disposed in the exterior container, and a cap that opens and closes a developer discharge port of the exterior container In the agent container, the cap is formed so that it can be attached to and detached from the developer discharge port of the outer container from either the closing side or the opening side, and the ventilation sheet has a vent hole through which the developer does not pass; Mounting the cap closing side of the cap on the developer outlet of the outer container to close the developer outlet of the inner container and opening the cap against the developer outlet of the outer container A developer discharge port opening / closing member that opens the developer discharge port of the interior container to form a ventilation path to the ventilation sheet by attaching the side, and opens the cap at the developer discharge port portion of the outer container. To install the stopper side Ri developer container and an engaging portion engaged with the developer discharge port portion of the inner container, characterized in that provided in the cap.   The developer container according to claim 1, wherein an inner container fixing member for fixing the inner container is provided at a bottom portion of the outer container.

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