JP3833120B2 - Toner supply container - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a toner supply container for supplying toner to an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a printer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, fine powder toner is used as a developer in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a printer. When the developer in the image forming apparatus main body is consumed, toner is supplied to the image forming apparatus using a toner supply container.
[0003]
Since the toner is an extremely fine powder, there is a problem that the toner is scattered during the toner replenishment operation and the operator and surroundings are soiled. For this reason, there has been proposed and put to practical use a method in which a toner replenishing container is placed inside the main body of the image forming apparatus and toner is discharged little by little from a small opening. In such a system, it is difficult to discharge the toner naturally by the action of gravity or the like, and some kind of toner stirring and conveying means is required.
[0004]
The toner replenishing container disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 7-113796 has a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole, and a relatively small toner discharge opening is provided on the cylindrical surface of one end thereof. A spiral toner agitating / conveying member is provided inside the container, and is driven from the outside of the container through the end wall surface of the container. The side opposite to the drive side of the stirring and conveying member is a free end.
[0005]
The toner replenishing container disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-104572 has a trapezoidal shape in which agitator blades built in the container are formed of a plurality of elastic members, and the length from the rotating shaft to the blade tip is different. As a result, the toner conveying force in the rotation axis direction is obtained.
[0006]
In both of these conventional examples, the agitating / conveying member penetrates the end wall surface of the container, and some bearing seal mechanism is required in this portion. The seal mechanism is generally configured such that a gear member is connected to the end of the agitating and conveying member so that the seal member is sandwiched between the gear member and the container wall surface. As the sealing member, a donut-shaped wool felt or an oil seal is often used.
[0007]
This toner replenishing container is used while being mounted in the main body of the image forming apparatus. The toner agitating / conveying member is rotated by driving from the main body side to convey the toner and discharge the toner little by little from the opening.
[0008]
As another conventional example, there is a toner replenishing container disclosed in JP-A-7-44000. This toner replenishing container has a cylindrical shape as a whole, and has a spiral protrusion on the inner surface, a small toner discharge port near the center of one end side, and a toner discharge port on the side where the toner discharge port is provided. A protruding portion is provided on each end face of the container. The toner conveyed to the end on the discharge port side by the spiral protrusion is guided by the protruding shape near the opening, lifted up to the discharge port near the center of the container, and discharged outside the container.
[0009]
The toner replenishing container disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-260574 has a cylindrical shape as a whole, is provided with a spiral protrusion on the inner surface, and a small toner discharge port near the center on one end side. ing. And it has a scraping part that scrapes up the toner conveyed to the end on the discharge port side by the spiral protrusion, and a guide part that guides the scraped toner to the discharge port.
[0010]
In these two conventional examples, unlike the two conventional examples, the agitating and conveying member is not internally provided. These two toner replenishing containers are also used by being installed on the main body of the image forming apparatus, and the toner is transported by the rotation of the container main body itself under the driving from the main body side.
[0011]
The toner replenishing container described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-6382 has a toner conveying member formed of an elastic body, and has a protrusion that can contact the conveying member as a vibration imparting unit for the conveying member. Apply vibration to the member.
[0012]
The toner replenishing container disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-19827 uses a cylindrical toner container that rotates and conveys in one direction, and holds the toner container substantially horizontally from the container holder. In this configuration, the toner supply container is formed to be elastically deformable in a configuration in which the toner is discharged from the opening of the container by being rotationally driven about the rotation axis, and the container mounting portion of the developing device includes: A cross-sectional deformation means for distorting the cross-sectional shape of the toner container is provided.
[0013]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional example has the following problems.
[0014]
First, in the case of the conventional example disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-113776 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-104572, there is a bearing seal mechanism as described above at least on the side that receives the drive of the agitating and conveying member, and the number of parts is reduced. In addition, the assembly is very time-consuming and the manufacturing cost is high.
[0015]
In such a bearing seal mechanism, toner is caught in the bearing seal portion and melted and fixed to become coarse particles, which are developed to cause a problem in image quality.
[0016]
Furthermore, when collecting and reusing a used toner supply container, there are the following problems.
[0017]
First, the work of disassembling into parts is troublesome, especially the part of the bearing seal mechanism is very difficult, and in some cases, the parts may be damaged. Even if it can be disassembled, the seal member and gear member used in the seal mechanism portion are severely worn and cannot be used repeatedly, so they must be replaced with new ones.
[0018]
Even when it is reused as a material, it is still a big problem that it is difficult to decompose as described above. In addition, since the parts around the bearing seal mechanism are required to have functions such as slidability and elasticity, for example, it is practically impossible to make all parts including the seal member and the gear member from the same material. Nearly possible.
[0019]
Next, in the case of the conventional examples disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 7-44000 and 10-260574, since there is no agitation transport member built in the container body, the above-described agitation bearings are involved. There is no problem. However, since the spiral protrusion is provided on the inner surface of the container body, there are the following problems.
[0020]
Since the spiral projection protrudes from the inner surface of the container, there is a loss that the inner volume of the container is reduced accordingly. This increases the toner conveyance capability, and if the toner is to be conveyed and controlled more reliably, the spiral protrusion must be protruded higher, which becomes very remarkable. If the spiral protrusion is high, it becomes difficult to fill the toner.
[0021]
Further, since the spiral protrusion is disposed on almost the entire inner surface of the container, the toner tends to stay and remain at the root of the spiral protrusion and the residual toner amount increases.
[0022]
In addition, since the toner replenishing container described above does not have an agitating / conveying member or the like in the container main body, the toner aggregates and hardens in the container main body when it is stored under high temperature and high humidity for a long time due to vibration caused by physical distribution. When a so-called toner bridge occurs, there is a case where satisfactory discharging performance cannot be obtained because there is no means for breaking the toner bridge.
[0023]
In the case of the conventional example disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-63082, the protrusion formed on the inner wall of the conveying member comes into contact with the driven toner conveying member to impart vibration. However, at that time, there is a problem in that a force is applied to the toner at the abutting portion, and there is always a risk that the toner is solidified and the toner coarse particles are generated. Further, since the elastic member itself is driven, there is a great deal of wear in the drive bearing portion, and there is a question in terms of the life of the member.
[0024]
Furthermore, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-19827, since there is no partition plate in the container, in the state where the toner inside the container is packed by receiving vibrations such as physical distribution, the rotational movement of the container and the accompanying deformation of the inner wall of the container It is difficult to loosen the internal toner within a short time, to obtain uniform fluidity, and to sequentially discharge a predetermined amount of toner, and the structural details are not shown. The circular wall disposed on the end surface of the cylindrical portion of the container may cause an unreasonable distortion with respect to the deformation of the cylindrical portion, which may cause a defective sealing of the toner discharge port portion.
[0025]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a partition wall between the container body and the interior by the expansion and contraction of the elastic body without the risk of generating coarse particles when the toner is bridged or packed in the toner supply container. It is an object of the present invention to provide a toner replenishing container capable of breaking down the toner by the relative movement of the toner.
[0026]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing container that can remove toner remaining in the toner replenishing container and reduce the remaining amount.
[0027]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The above object is achieved by the toner supply container according to the present invention. In summary, the present invention is a toner replenishing container that has an opening for discharging toner and has a container body that accommodates toner, and rotates the container body to convey the toner in the container body to the opening.
A deformable elastic body having a partition wall extending in a rotation axis direction of the container body and partitioning the inside of the container body, wherein the container body and the partition wall are disposed in a part of the container body. it is collected by toner supply container, characterized in that connected at.
[0028]
With such a configuration, the present invention provides a partition wall that is generated by the rotational movement of the container without the risk of generating coarse particles even when the toner bridge is caused or the entire toner is packed. In addition, the toner can be easily broken by elastic deformation of the connecting portion of the container cylinder portion and vibration due to its restoring force, and the toner attached to the partition wall can be effectively removed to provide a toner supply container with a small remaining amount.
[0029]
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the elastic body is disposed between an outer edge of the partition wall that extends in the rotation axis direction and the outer peripheral portion of the container body. According to another embodiment, the elastic body is disposed between an edge of the partition wall that is orthogonal to the rotation axis and an end surface that is orthogonal to the rotation axis of the container body. Such a configuration makes the relative movement between the partition wall and the container body generated when the container rotates easier, and is effective in breaking the toner bridge and packing.
[0030]
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the toner replenishing container receives rotational driving from the outside by the partition wall, and rotational driving is transmitted from the partition wall to the container main body. And rotate together. According to this configuration, since there is no stirring member inside the container, there is no risk of generating coarse particles in the stirring bearing portion. In addition, when the toner bridge is left inside the container, such as when the container is left for a long time, there is no chance of breaking the toner. However, in the above configuration, this rotational driving force is transmitted to the partition wall, and the partition wall is elastic of the container body. By connecting to the body, the elastic body expands and contracts in response to the rotational driving force, and the container body and the partition wall move relative to each other in the container rotation direction, so that the toner bridge is caused to be packed. In this case, the toner bridge and the packing can be broken by the movement and vibration caused by the relative movement between the container main body and the partition wall without risk of coarse particles. In particular, since the rotational driving force of the container is transmitted to the partition wall and further transmitted to the container body via the elastic body, the relative movement (displacement) between the container body and the partition wall is large. Compared to the configuration in which the rotational driving force is directly transmitted to the above, the above effect can be easily obtained.
[0031]
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the partition wall is provided with a through hole. According to this configuration, the stirring effect of the toner inside the toner replenishing container is enhanced, and a toner with good fluidity can be obtained. Therefore, good discharge characteristics can be exhibited in any environment.
[0032]
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the partition wall bisects the inside of the container body. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent toner from being biased or aggregated inside the container main body due to vibration during distribution.
[0033]
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the partition wall is provided with a protrusion having a surface inclined with respect to the rotation axis of the container body so as to protrude from the partition wall. With this configuration, the toner carrying capability is excellent and a stable carry-out amount can be maintained.
[0034]
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the container body has a cylindrical cross section in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis. According to this configuration, it is possible to provide a toner supply container that can rotate smoothly and has a high volumetric efficiency.
[0035]
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the opening is provided on an end surface of the container body on one end side in the rotation axis direction. With this configuration, since the opening does not move even when the container rotates, the sealing between the opening and the developing device can be improved.
[0036]
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the opening is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the container body. With this configuration, toner can be discharged from the peripheral surface side of the container cylinder, and when the depth of the developing device is limited, it is possible to make the toner container compact in the case of a toner container mounted in the rotary developer. Become.
[0037]
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the toner supply container is attached to a developing device mounted on a rotating body of a rotary developing device, and the container body has a cross section in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating body. It has an irregular shape other than a cylinder. The opening is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the container body. With this configuration, it is possible to maximize the space of the rotary developing device and increase the toner storage space of the toner container. This extends the life of the toner replenishing container and is effective in reducing the number of times of replenishment. In addition, since the opening for discharging the toner is provided in the cylindrical portion of the container main body, the toner can be discharged from the peripheral surface side of the container cylindrical portion, and the depth of the developing device is limited. In the case of the toner container, it is possible to reduce the size of the toner container to be mounted in the rotary developing device.
[0038]
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the elastic body includes nitrile butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, ethylene propylene copolymer, ethylene propylene diene terpolymer, silicone rubber, urethane rubber, foams of these synthetic rubbers, polyethylene foams Or an elastomer. With this configuration, the elastic deformation and restoration can be effectively performed, and the blocked and packed toner can be loosened effectively.
[0039]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the toner supply container according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. However, in the embodiments described below, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components of the toner replenishing container limit the scope of the present invention only to those unless otherwise specified. is not.
[0040]
First, a configuration of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus as an example of an image forming apparatus to which a toner supply container according to the present invention is mounted will be described with reference to FIG.
[0041]
[Electrophotographic image forming apparatus]
In the electrophotographic copying machine main body (hereinafter referred to as “apparatus main body”) 100 shown in FIG. 1, when an original 101 is placed on an original platen glass 102, an optical image corresponding to the image information of the original 101 is displayed in the optical unit 103. The plurality of mirrors M and lenses Ln form an image on an electrophotographic photosensitive drum (hereinafter referred to as “photosensitive drum”) 104 as an image carrier. Of the recording media (hereinafter referred to as “paper”) P loaded in the cassettes 105, 106, 107, 108, information input by the user (user) from the operation unit 100 a shown in FIG. The optimum paper P is selected from the paper size information of the cassettes 105 to 108. Here, the recording medium is not limited to paper, and may be selected as appropriate, such as an OHP sheet.
[0042]
Then, one sheet P conveyed by the sheet feeding / separating devices 105A, 106A, 107A, and 108A is conveyed to the registration roller 110 via the conveyance unit 109, and the sheet P is further conveyed by the registration roller 110 to the photosensitive drum. The rotation of 104 and the scanning timing of the optical unit 103 are synchronized and conveyed to the transfer unit. In the transfer unit, the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 104 is transferred onto the paper P by the transfer discharger 111. Then, the separation discharger 112 separates the paper P on which the toner image has been transferred from the photosensitive drum 104.
[0043]
Thereafter, the paper P conveyed to the fixing unit 114 by the conveyance unit 113 is fixed to the toner image on the paper P by heat and pressure in the fixing unit 114. , And is discharged to the paper discharge tray 117 by the paper discharge roller 116. In the case of double-sided copying, the same path as in the case of single-sided copying after being transported to the registration roller 110 via the paper refeeding transport paths 119 and 120 under the control of the flapper 118 of the paper discharge reversing unit 115. Are discharged to the paper discharge tray 117.
[0044]
In the case of multiple copying, the paper P passes through the paper discharge reversing unit 115 and is once discharged out of the apparatus by the paper discharge roller 116. Thereafter, the end of the paper P passes through the flapper 118 and is controlled by the flapper 118 at the timing when it is still nipped by the paper discharge roller 116, and the paper discharge roller 116 is reversely rotated, so that the inside of the apparatus main body 100 again. It is conveyed to. Thereafter, the sheet is conveyed to the registration roller 110 via the re-feed conveyance units 119 and 120, and then discharged to the sheet discharge tray 117 through the same path as in the case of single-sided copying.
[0045]
Incidentally, in the apparatus main body 100 having the above-described configuration, a developing device 201 as a developing unit, a cleaner device 202, a primary charger 203, and the like are disposed around the photosensitive drum 104.
[0046]
The developing device 201 develops an electrostatic latent image in which information of the document 101 is formed on the photosensitive drum 104 by the optical unit 103 using toner. A toner supply container 1 for supplying toner to the developing device 201 is detachably attached to the apparatus main body 100 by a user.
[0047]
Further, the developing device 201 includes a toner hopper 201a and a developing device 201b as storage means. The toner hopper 201a has a stirring member 201c for stirring the toner supplied from the toner supply container 1. The toner stirred by the stirring member 201c is sent to the developing device 201b by the magnet roller 201d. The developing device 201b includes a developing roller 201f and a feeding member 201e. The toner sent from the toner hopper 201a by the magnet roller 201d is sent to the developing roller 201f by the feeding member 201e, and is supplied to the photosensitive drum 104 by the developing roller 201f.
[0048]
The cleaner device 202 is for removing the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 104. The primary charger 203 is for charging the photosensitive drum 104.
[0049]
When the user opens the front cover 15 for replacing the toner supply container (hereinafter referred to as “front cover for replacement”), which is a part of the exterior cover shown in FIG. 2, as shown in FIG. The container cradle 50 constituting a part of the container is pulled out to a predetermined position by a drive system (not shown). Then, the toner supply container 1 is placed on the container cradle 50. When the user takes out the toner replenishing container 1 from the apparatus main body 100, the container receiving base 50 is pulled out, and the toner replenishing container 1 placed on the container receiving base 50 is taken out. Here, the pre-replacement cover 15 is a dedicated cover for attaching and detaching (replacing) the toner supply container 1 and is opened and closed only for attaching and detaching the toner supply container 1. The maintenance of the apparatus main body 100 is performed by opening and closing the front cover 100c.
[0050]
The toner supply container 1 may be directly attached to the apparatus main body 100 as a toner supply container receiving apparatus or removed from the apparatus main body 100 without using the container receiving base 50.
[0051]
Example 1
Next, a first embodiment of the toner supply container of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0052]
First, the internal configuration of the toner supply container 1 will be described.
[0053]
The toner replenishing container 1 includes a container body 1A having a substantially cylindrical shape and an opening 1a, and is disposed in a substantially horizontal direction in the image forming apparatus body. The container main body 1A is rotated by receiving rotational driving from the apparatus main body.
[0054]
A part of the peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion of the container body 1A is formed of an elastic body 1b, and in this embodiment, two portions are arranged so as to be connected to one end and the other end of the partition wall 3, The elastic body 1b can be disposed only at one end depending on the inner diameter of the container 1 or the amount of toner stored, and the length in the longitudinal direction is not necessarily the same as the length of the partition wall 3, and can be set as appropriate. is there.
[0055]
The opening 1a is provided on the peripheral surface of the container main body 1A adjacent to the side end face on one side of the container main body 1A. The opening 1a is provided with a sealing member 2 (FIG. 5) for closing the opening 1a. The sealing member 2 slides relatively in the axial direction (arrow direction) of the toner replenishing container 1, thereby opening and closing the opening 1a. The sealing member 2 includes an arcuate shutter 2a that matches the outer shape of the container body 1A, and a packing material 2b that is adhered to the inner surface of the shutter 2a.
[0056]
The sealing member 2 is attached to the container body 1A so as to reciprocate between a position where the opening 1a of the container body 1A is closed and a position where the opening 1a is opened. Although not shown, the mounting method can be achieved by providing a rail parallel to the shutter 2a, providing a parallel guide portion around the opening 1a of the corresponding container body 1A, and engaging with each other. The moving direction of the sealing member 2 may be a direction along the peripheral surface of the container main body 1A or a direction along the rotation axis aa of the container main body 1 as in the present embodiment. The latter is preferable because the sealing member 2 can be opened and closed using its movement when the toner supply container 1 is attached and detached along the rotation axis.
[0057]
The packing member 2b is preferably polyurethane foam, and it is simple and practical to fix it to the shutter 2a with a double-sided tape. The packing member 2b may be another elastic body such as foam or rubber, and the fixing means is not limited to the double-sided tape, and other conventionally known methods can be applied. When the sealing member 2 is attached to the container main body 1A, the packing member 2b is compressed by a predetermined amount to seal the opening 1a.
[0058]
Inside the container body 1A, a partition wall 3 is provided over the entire length of the container body 1A so as to bisect the inside of the container body 1A.
[0059]
Next, the partition wall 3 in a present Example is demonstrated.
[0060]
As shown in FIG. 4, the partition wall 3 extends in the direction of the axis of rotation aa of the container body 1A, and is provided over the entire length of the container body 1A so as to divide the container body 1A into a plurality of parts. Moreover, the partition wall 3 is connected to the elastic body 1b of the container body 1A at both outer edges extending in parallel to the rotation axis aa. In addition, both end surfaces of the partition wall 3 in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis aa are not fixed to the end wall portions 3b and 3c orthogonal to the rotation axis aa of the container body 1A. With this configuration, the partition wall 3 can efficiently move back and forth in the rotational direction relative to the container main body 1 </ b> A by the expansion and contraction of the elastic body 1 b due to the rotational movement of the container 1.
[0061]
In the present embodiment, the partition wall 3 is provided so as to divide the container main body 1A from substantially the center, but it may be divided into a plurality of parts such as three divisions or four divisions.
[0062]
In the present embodiment, the partition wall 3 is provided at a position crossing the opening 1a or its axial extension. The partition wall 3 does not necessarily divide the inside of the container main body 1A evenly, but it is more preferable that the partition wall 3 is more preferable in consideration of toner transportability.
[0063]
As a constituent material of the toner replenishing container 1 of Example 1, the main part of the container main body 1A was styrene resin, and the elastic body 1b was two-color molded with the container main body 1A using a styrene-based elastomer. The partition wall 3 was made of styrene resin.
[0064]
In the present embodiment, the toner replenishing container 1 receives rotational force driving from the driving force transmission unit on the outside, that is, the apparatus main body side, on the partition wall 3, and rotational driving is transmitted from the partition wall 3 to the container main body 1A. The whole is configured to rotate integrally. A shaft portion 3d is disposed at one end of the partition wall 3, and a sliding surface between the shaft portion 3d and the end wall portion 3b of the container body 1A is a bearing seal mechanism, for example, a seal member 3g such as an oil seal. Are arranged.
[0065]
Various means well known to those skilled in the art can be applied to the drive transmission means for rotating the container body 1A.
[0066]
For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the partition wall 3 extends integrally through a seal member 3 g provided on the end surface wall portion of the container main body 1 </ b> A, that is, the flange portion 3 b. When the toner replenishing container 1 is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body, the shaft 3d is provided, and the shaft 3d of the toner replenishing container engages with a driving force transmission unit (not shown) on the image forming apparatus main body side. Receives rotational driving force. This rotational driving force is transmitted to the partition wall 3 and the container main body 1A via the shaft portion 3d, and the toner rotates in the direction of the rotation shaft due to the fluidity of the toner due to the integral rotation of the toner. The toner is discharged from 1a.
[0067]
Next, the function and effect of the toner supply container 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
[0068]
As shown in FIG. 6A, when the toner supply container 1 is mounted on the main body and the rotational driving force is transmitted to the partition wall 3 and the container main body 1A through the shaft portion 3d and activated, the partition wall includes Instantaneous torque is applied.
[0069]
At that time, as shown in FIG. 6B, the elastic body 1b extends in the direction opposite to the rotation direction, and the relative position between the partition wall 3 connected to the elastic body 1b and the container body 1A changes, and the partition wall 1b An effect of gradually loosening the packing toner on the upstream side in the rotation direction occurs.
[0070]
While the toner is biased in the container, there is a phenomenon such as rotational backlash, and the relative position between the partition wall 1b and the container main body 1A due to expansion and contraction of the elastic body 1b is shown in FIGS. 6 (A) to 6 (C). As the toner in the packing state gradually collapses and fluidizes eventually as shown in FIG. 6, the relative torque between the container body 1A and the partition wall 1b is As shown in FIG. 6C, a substantially constant state is maintained.
[0071]
Further, when the rotational movement is resumed from the rotation stop state shown in FIG. 6C, the relative position between the container main body 1A and the partition wall 3 changes as described above. By repeating this, the bridged toner and the packed toner can be effectively destroyed. That is, the toner replenishing container 1 can be left without shaking the toner replenishing container 1 even when the toner is agglomerated and hardened due to physical distribution.
[0072]
Example 2
Next, a second embodiment of the toner supply container 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Although the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the following points, the other configurations are the same, and therefore different configurations will be described.
[0073]
According to the present embodiment, the elastic body 1b is disposed on the wall portions 3b and 3c on both end surfaces orthogonal to the rotation axis aa direction of the container body 1A, and is orthogonal to the rotation axis direction of the partition wall 3 corresponding thereto. Both end surface portions to be connected are connected to the elastic body 1b. The position of the elastic body 1b is provided at a position to be rotated with respect to the rotation axis aa.
[0074]
In this embodiment, the toner replenishing container 1 is made of polypropylene resin for the container main body 1A, the partition wall 3 and the flange portion 3b, and the elastic body 1b is made of polypropylene elastomer.
[0075]
Furthermore, as in the case of Example 1, as the above-mentioned material, a resin such as ABS, HIPS, HDPE or the like is used in a portion requiring a certain degree of rigidity such as the container body 1A, the flange portion 3b, and the partition wall 3. The elastic body 1b that can be suitably used and requires elastic elasticity includes various elastomers such as styrene, olefin, and urethane, nitrile butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, ethylene propylene copolymer, Ethylene propylene diene terpolymer, silicon rubber, urethane rubber, foams of these synthetic rubbers, and polyethylene foams can be used.
[0076]
With the above configuration, the rotational driving force is transmitted from the image forming apparatus main body to the partition wall 3 via the shaft portion 3d, so that the partition wall 3 and the container main body 1A effectively move relative to each other. It is possible to effectively break down the toner.
[0077]
In this embodiment, the partition wall 3 is provided with a hole 3f. By providing a plurality of holes 3f in the partition wall 3, the toner separated by the partition wall 3 inside the container body 1A is repeatedly moved to each space as the toner replenishing container 1 rotates. On the other hand, fluidization is effectively applied, and the bridge and packing state is effectively eliminated.
[0078]
The elastic body 1b is simply and preferably integrally molded with the container body 1A by two-color molding, but may be integrally molded by insert molding or integrated by means such as adhesion.
[0079]
Example 3
A third embodiment of the toner supply container of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0080]
In the present embodiment, a plurality of inclined projections 3 a that are inclined plates inclined with respect to the rotation axis aa of the toner supply container 1 are provided on both surfaces of the partition wall 3 of the toner supply container 1. A plurality of holes 3f are provided along the inclined protrusion 3a, and the opening 1a is arranged on the end surface on the rotation axis of the container body 1A.
[0081]
In this embodiment, the opening 1 a is provided with a sealing member 2 that closes the opening 1 a, and the sealing member 2 slides relatively in the direction of the axis aa of the toner supply container 1. The opening / closing operation of the opening 1a is performed. With this configuration, the seal between the shaft portion 3d and the container main body 1A is not required, parts such as an oil seal are not required, and there is no risk of toner leakage.
[0082]
The toner supply container 1 of the present embodiment has the same configuration and material as those of the second embodiment with respect to other points.
[0083]
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the inclined protrusions 3a are arranged in mirror symmetry with respect to the rotation axis aa. One end of the inclined protrusion 3a reaches the vicinity of the opening 1a (non-contact with the opening 1a), and the toner slides on the inclined protrusion 3a and is transported, and finally passes through the opening 1a from the inclined protrusion 3a. Discharged through.
[0084]
The shaft portion 3d that is integrally engaged with the sealing member 2 and that extends integrally from the partition wall 3 seals with the drive transmission portion on the image forming apparatus main body side when the toner supply container is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body. The member 2 is engaged and receives a rotational driving force. Then, a rotational driving force is transmitted to the partition wall 3 and the container main body 1A via the shaft portion 3d, and the toner is discharged by rotating these integrally.
[0085]
Various conventionally known means can be applied as means for transmitting the drive for rotating the container body 1A.
[0086]
Similar to the second embodiment, the partition wall 3 and the container main body 1A are relatively moved relative to each other about the rotation axis aa by the rotational movement of the toner supply container 1, so that the toner supply container 1 can be moved for a long time. When the toner is left and distributed, the toner aggregates and hardens, and the toner in a bridge or packing state can be effectively broken without shaking the container.
[0087]
The inclined protrusion 3a plays a role of effectively crushing the toner inside the container by the rotation of the toner replenishing container 1, and also transports the cut toner forward (toner discharge direction) by the inclination of the inclined protrusion 3a. The two functions of agitation and conveyance are performed at the same time.
[0088]
Further, since the partition wall 3 is provided with a hole 3f, the toner inside the container body 1A can be moved back and forth in the left and right spaces via the partition wall 3, thereby further enhancing the stirring effect. The toner can be fluidized more effectively.
[0089]
Further, by repeatedly moving the partition wall 3 with respect to the container main body 1A, the toner adhering to the corners of the partition wall 3 and the container main body 1A is released from the inner wall of the container, and the toner supply container 1 just before the end of use. It is also effective in reducing the amount of remaining toner.
[0090]
Example 4
A fourth embodiment of the toner replenishing container of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0091]
In this embodiment, the inclination direction of the inclined protrusion 3a shown in the third embodiment is arranged on the surface of the partition wall 3 so as to be symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis aa of the toner supply container 1. The The hole 3f is configured to be disposed along the inclined protrusion 3a and at a position avoiding the inclined protrusion 3a.
[0092]
Other parts of the toner supply container of the present embodiment are the same as those of the third embodiment.
[0093]
In this embodiment, in addition to the effects obtained in the third embodiment, since the inclined protrusion 3a is arranged on the rotation axis object, the toner conveyance direction generated by the rotation is always one direction (toner discharge direction). As a result, the toner carrying capability is improved as compared with the third embodiment.
[0094]
Example 5
A fifth embodiment of the toner supply container of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0095]
FIG. 13 is a front sectional view showing a rotary developing device of an image forming apparatus in a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 14 is a partial sectional perspective view of a toner supply container.
[0096]
The rotary developing device 10 of this embodiment is used in a color-compatible image forming apparatus. The rotary developing device 10 includes a rotating body 12 that rotates around a rotating shaft 11, and the rotating body 12 includes four color developing devices 13 (13 M, 13 Y, and 13) of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black as developing device units. 13C, 13Bk) are mounted, and the rotary developing device 10 rotates by a predetermined angle for each color and stops at a predetermined position, and then the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 20 as an adjacent image carrier is displayed. Develop to make a toner image.
[0097]
The toner replenishing container 1 used for the rotary developing device 10 has an irregular shape in which the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the revolution axis direction of the container main body 1A is not cylindrical, and the container main body 1A is formed in a cylindrical shape. In comparison, by making maximum use of the space in the rotary developing device 10 and making the container cross-sectional area larger than a circular shape, the internal volume as the toner replenishing container 1 can be increased, and the amount of toner stored can be increased. The configuration is
[0098]
There is a partition wall 3 inside the container main body 1A, and the partition wall 3 is provided with an inclined protrusion 3a and a hole 3f.
[0099]
Further, the partition wall 3 and the container main body 1A are joined to the both ends of the partition wall 3 in the direction of the axis of revolution through two elastic bodies 1b as in the second embodiment.
[0100]
The cylindrical portion of the container main body 1A is provided with an opening 1a on the peripheral surface thereof, and the toner inside the container is conveyed by the revolution stopping motion of the rotary developing device and discharged from the opening 1a.
[0101]
When the rotary developing device 10 repeatedly stops and rotates at a predetermined position for each color during image formation on the photosensitive drum 20, the partition wall 3 receives the centrifugal force generated during the rotation of the toner due to its own weight. Thus, the elastic body 1b expands and contracts, so that the bridging toner and the packing toner can be effectively solved.
[0102]
As described above, the cross-sectional shape of the container main body 1A is not limited to a circular shape, and even when the toner main body 1A is in a revolving motion, blocking toner and packed toner may be used even when the toner main body 1A has an irregular shape as in this embodiment. Therefore, fluidity is imparted to the toner, and toner transportability can be improved.
[0103]
The material of the toner supply container used in this example is the same as that used in Example 2, but other materials can be used as described in Example 2.
[0104]
The “toner” in the present specification may be a toner that is a one-component developer or a toner that is a two-component developer, and if it is a two-component developer, a carrier is mixed. Also good.
[0105]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the present invention has a container body that has an opening for discharging toner and that contains toner, and rotates the container body to convey toner in the container body to the opening. The container body has a partition wall that extends in the direction of the rotation axis of the container body and partitions the container body, and the container body and the partition wall are connected by a deformable elastic body disposed in a part of the container body. Because it is configured as
(1) When the toner is bridged or packed in the toner replenishing container, the toner is moved by the relative movement of the container main body and the internal partition wall by the expansion and contraction of the elastic body without the risk of generating coarse particles. Can be broken.
(2) The toner adhering to the toner container can be removed to reduce the remaining amount of toner in the toner supply container.
Such effects can be achieved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an embodiment of an image forming apparatus.
2 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus in FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a toner supply container is attached to the image forming apparatus.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of a toner supply container according to the present invention.
5 is a front cross-sectional view of the toner supply container of FIG. 4. FIG.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the function and effect of the toner supply container of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of another embodiment of the toner supply container of the present invention.
8 is a front cross-sectional view of the toner supply container of FIG.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of another embodiment of the toner supply container of the present invention.
10 is a front sectional view of the toner supply container of FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of another embodiment of the toner supply container of the present invention.
12 is a front sectional view of the toner supply container of FIG. 11. FIG.
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of another embodiment of the toner supply container of the present invention provided in a developing device mounted on a rotary developing device.
14 is a perspective view of the toner supply container of FIG. 13;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Toner supply container 1A Container main body 1a Opening part 1b Elastic body 2 Sealing member 2a Shutter 2b Packing member 3 Partition wall 3a Inclination protrusion 3b Flange part (container main body end surface)
3c End face of container body 3d Shaft 3f hole

Claims (13)

In a toner replenishing container having an opening for discharging toner and having a container main body for storing toner, and conveying the toner in the container main body to the opening by rotating the container main body,
A deformable elastic body having a partition wall extending in a rotation axis direction of the container body and partitioning the inside of the container body, wherein the container body and the partition wall are disposed in a part of the container body. DOO toner supply container, characterized in that it is connected in.   The toner supply container according to claim 1, wherein the elastic body is disposed between an outer edge of the partition wall extending in the rotation axis direction and an outer peripheral portion of the container main body.   2. The toner supply container according to claim 1, wherein the elastic body is disposed between an end edge of the partition wall orthogonal to the rotation axis and an end surface of the container body orthogonal to the rotation axis.   The toner replenishing container receives rotational driving from the outside on the partition wall, the rotational driving is transmitted from the partition wall to the container main body, and the container main body and the partition wall rotate integrally. The toner supply container according to claim 1, 2 or 3.   The toner replenishing container according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall is provided with a through hole.   The toner supply container according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall bisects the inside of the container body.   7. The projection according to claim 1, wherein a protrusion having a surface inclined with respect to the rotation axis of the container main body is provided on the partition wall so as to protrude from the partition wall. 8. Toner supply container.   The toner supply container according to claim 1, wherein the container main body has a cylindrical cross section in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis.   The toner replenishing container according to claim 8, wherein the opening is provided on an end surface of the container main body on one end side in the rotation axis direction.   The toner replenishing container according to claim 8, wherein the opening is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the container main body.   The toner replenishing container is attached to a developing unit mounted on a rotating body of a rotary developing device, and the container main body has a non-cylindrical cross section in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating body. The toner supply container according to any one of claims 1 to 7.   The toner replenishing container according to claim 11, wherein the opening is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the container main body.   The elastic body is a nitrile butadiene rubber, a chloroprene rubber, an ethylene propylene copolymer, an ethylene propylene diene terpolymer, a silicone rubber, a urethane rubber, a foam of these synthetic rubbers, a polyethylene foam, or an elastomer. The toner supply container according to claim 1.

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