JP4078385B2 - Toner supply mechanism - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a toner replenishing mechanism used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a FAX.

  Conventionally, fine powder toner as a developer is used in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses such as electrophotographic copying machines and printers. When the toner of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body is consumed, the toner is supplied to the image forming apparatus main body using a toner storage container (toner supply container).

  Here, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium using an electrophotographic image forming system. Examples of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus include an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (for example, a laser beam printer, an LED printer, etc.), a facsimile machine, a word processor, and the like.

  Since toner is an extremely fine powder, a method is known in which a toner supply container is placed inside the image forming apparatus main body so that the toner is not scattered during toner supply operation, and the toner is discharged little by little from a small opening. ing.

  These toner replenishing containers are configured to discharge toner by receiving some driving from the image forming apparatus main body side and driving the conveying member and the container main body on the toner replenishing container side in any case. Yes. There are several methods for such drive transmission means. For example, as described in Patent Document 1, a gear portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of a toner bottle as a toner supply container, and the gear is connected to a drive source. There is a configuration in which the toner bottle is rotated by meshing a rotating drive gear.

  Further, as described in Patent Document 2, a rotation driving projection is provided on the end surface of the toner bottle, and this projection is engaged with a recess provided in the driving unit from the image forming apparatus main body to drive the toner bottle. There are configurations to transmit.

  As another example, there is a method as disclosed in Patent Document 3. This is provided with a plurality of engaging grooves on the inner diameter of the rotational force transmitting portion of the image forming apparatus main body, and on the toner container side, there are provided protrusions that engage with the engaging grooves. The rotation drive is transmitted.

As described above, various drive transmission methods have been proposed as methods for driving the toner supply container.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 05-75768 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-63084 JP-A-10-63076

  However, the above conventional example has some technical problems.

  In the case of the method described in Patent Document 1, when the toner bottle is inserted and set in the main body of the image forming apparatus, it is necessary to satisfactorily mesh the gear portion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the toner bottle with the drive gear portion in the main body of the image forming apparatus. In addition, this work needs to be inserted by the user with caution, which places a burden on the user in replenishment operability. Further, since the toner bottle is rotated by meshing the gears, the toner bottle receives a force that tends to shift in the direction perpendicular to the axis due to the rotational moment. There is a risk that it will not be possible. In order to prevent such a deviation, it is necessary to surround and support the entire periphery of the toner bottle, but in this case, the toner bottle cannot be easily attached / detached at the same time, and at the same time, the replenishment system itself The construction of the system becomes complicated, leading to an increase in cost.

  Further, in the case of the method described in Patent Document 2 or Patent Document 3, when the toner bottle is inserted so that the protrusion (or recess) on the end surface of the toner bottle engages with the recess (or protrusion) of the main body drive unit. In addition, it is necessary to align the rotation direction of the toner bottle, and if this is performed by the user, the replenishment operability may be deteriorated, and the drive may not be accurately transmitted due to a slight misalignment.

  In order to prevent such engagement failure, a guide rib is provided on the outer surface of the toner bottle so that the position in the rotation direction when the toner bottle is inserted is always determined. It is necessary to control the rotational operation so as to stop at a predetermined rotational position, and both increase the complexity and cost of the replenishment system.

  Also, in many coupling drive transmissions due to such uneven engagement, when the phase of the toner bottle and the main body drive part is inserted out of phase, the main body drive part is retracted by a spring, and when the phase matches, the engagement position is reached. There is a case where it is configured to return. In such a configuration, even if the phase of the bottle is deviated when the toner bottle is inserted, the main body drive unit retreats, so that when the bottle is rotated, the phase can be matched and engaged. Since the configuration of the main body driving unit is complicated and the main body driving unit is retracted to the back side, an extra space is required, which is not preferable from the viewpoint of making the apparatus main body compact.

  An object of the present invention is to improve the operability when setting a toner supply container and to provide a highly reliable toner supply mechanism.

  Further objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The above object is achieved by the toner supply mechanism according to the present invention. In summary, according to the present invention, a container main body that accommodates toner, an opening that discharges toner in the container main body, a transport unit that transports toner in the container main body toward the opening, and the transport A toner replenishing container having a coupling part that receives a rotational force for driving the part, and a hollow cylindrical driving member having a hole part and a rib part that can be connected to the coupling part on a peripheral surface, The coupling portion includes a fitting protrusion that can be fitted to the driving member, and a radial direction that is associated with the insertion of the driving member into the hollow portion and supports the fitting protrusion. First and second support portions that can be returned radially outward so that the fitting protrusions are fitted with the hole portions through inward displacement, and the first support portions are the ribs. radial direction without positional overlap in parts to the rotating direction Diameter wherein when in a state in which the second support portion is returned to the side is displaced radially inwardly to overlap the position in the direction of rotation and the rib portion second supporting portion with the rotation of said drive member A toner replenishing mechanism is provided that is configured to return outward in the direction.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the driving member is provided with a plurality of the rib portions, and the coupling portion has the first and second support portions different from the angle between the rib portions. Is provided. Further, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the first and second support portions are constituted by elastic bodies that can be returned to the outside in the radial direction. According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a spring for urging the first and second support portions radially outward. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the toner replenishing mechanism includes a sealing portion provided in the coupling portion for sealing the opening, and a toner replenishing mechanism provided in the fitting protrusion for opening the sealing portion. And a locking portion that locks with the locked portion of the driving member. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the toner replenishment mechanism includes a hollow cylindrical release member that can slide on the outside of the drive member, and the release member provided on the first and second support portions. And a release protrusion protruding outward in the radial direction at a position closer to the container body than the fitting protrusion so that the first and second support portions are displaced radially inward.

  According to the present invention, the operability when setting the toner supply container can be improved, and the reliability can be improved.

  Hereinafter, the toner supply mechanism according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

Example 1
First, the configuration of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus as an example of an image forming apparatus to which a toner supply container as a toner storage container according to the present invention is mounted will be described with reference to FIG.

[Electrophotographic image forming apparatus]
In an 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 image information of the original 101 is displayed on the optical unit 103. An image is formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive drum (hereinafter referred to as “photosensitive drum”) 104 as an image carrier by a plurality of mirrors M and lenses Ln. 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 in the cassettes 105-108. Here, the recording medium is not limited to paper, and may be selected as appropriate, such as an OHP sheet.

  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.

  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.

  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.

  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.

  The developing device 201 develops, using toner, an electrostatic latent image formed by exposing the photosensitive drum 104 uniformly charged based on the image information of the document 101 by the optical unit 103. . A toner supply container 1 for supplying toner as a developer to the developing device 201 is detachably mounted on the apparatus main body 100 by a user. The present invention can be applied even when only toner is supplied from the toner supply container to the image forming apparatus side or when toner and carrier are supplied. In this embodiment, the former example will be described.

  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.

  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.

  When the user opens the toner supply container replacement front cover 15 (hereinafter referred to as “pre-replacement cover”), which is a part of the exterior cover shown in FIG. 2, as shown in FIG. The container cradle 50 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.

  The toner replenishing container 1 may be directly attached to the apparatus main body 100 or removed from the apparatus main body 100 without using the container cradle 50.

[Toner supply operation]
First, the toner replenishing operation of the toner replenishing container (hereinafter referred to as “toner bottle”) in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C are diagrams showing the state of the process of inserting the toner bottle 1 in the apparatus main body 100 and replenishing toner in this embodiment at each stage.

  As shown in the figure, the apparatus main body 100 is provided with a toner replenishing device 400 as a toner replenishing mechanism. Further, the toner replenishing device 400 is connected to the toner bottle 1 as a driving member for driving the toner bottle 1 to rotate. The hollow cylindrical drive part (drive force transmission part) 20 is provided. The drive unit 20 is rotatably supported by a bearing 23 and is configured to be driven to rotate by a drive motor (not shown) provided in the apparatus main body 100.

  Further, the apparatus main body 100 is provided with a partition wall 25 that forms a toner supply path 24 that communicates with the hopper 201a. The partition wall 25 rotatably supports a part of the toner bottle 1 and also has a toner supply path 24. Inner and outer bearings 26a and 26b for sealing are fixed. Further, a screw member 27 for conveying the replenished toner to the hopper 201a is disposed in the toner replenishment path 24.

  FIG. 7A shows a state in which the toner bottle 1 is inserted into the apparatus main body 100. A toner replenishing opening (hereinafter simply referred to as “opening”) 1 a that is cylindrical in this embodiment is provided at one end of the front end of the toner bottle 1, and the opening 1 a is sealed at the front end. It is in a state of being sealed by the member 2.

  In FIG. 7B, the insertion of the toner bottle 1 further proceeds, and the engagement protrusion 3 as a fitting protrusion (hook) provided at the tip of the sealing member 2 is engaged with the drive section 20 on the apparatus main body side. A state of being locked (prevented from falling out) in a locking hole as a hole is shown. The locking between the driving unit 20 and the sealing member 2 is performed when the driving unit 20 comes into contact with the upper surface (locking force receiving unit) of the engaging protrusion 3 as the user inserts the toner bottle 1. Then, the engaging projection 3 is pushed down (displaced) by the driving unit 20. Thereafter, when the push-down by the drive unit 20 is released, the region supporting the latching protrusion is restored by its own elastic force, released from the pushed-down state, and the latching is completed. That is, in this embodiment, a so-called “snap fit” is adopted as a locking method.

  At this time, since the sealing member 2 is locked in the thrust direction (axial direction) in the locking hole 3b serving as the locked portion, the locking surface 3b serving as the locking portion provided in the engaging protrusion 3 Unless the locking member 2 is released, the sealing member 2 is in a state of being fixed to the drive unit 20 (there may be some backlash).

  In FIG. 7C, after the sealing member 2 and the drive unit 20 are engaged, the slide member 300 moves backward in the direction of the arrow b in conjunction with the closing operation of the replacement front cover 15, whereby the toner bottle 1 However, since the sealing member is fixed to the image forming apparatus main body by locking, the sealing member 2 is relatively separated from the toner bottle 1 and the opening 1a is opened, so that the toner can be supplied. The state is shown.

  At this time, the drive shaft 1b fixed to the main body (hereinafter referred to as “bottle main body”) 1A of the toner bottle 1 is not only in a state where the opening 1a is sealed by a sealing member but also in an opened state. Even if it exists, it does not remove | deviate completely from the sealing member 2, The engagement part (hole part) of a sealing member maintains the engagement relationship with the drive shaft 1b as an to-be-engaged part. It remains in a hole. The drive shaft 1b has a non-circular cross-sectional shape capable of transmitting rotational drive, such as a quadrangle and a triangle, and the shape of the hole as the engaging portion also corresponds to the shape of the drive shaft and can slide. It has a configuration that fits.

  When a motor (not shown) is driven in this state, the rotational driving force is transmitted from the main body driving unit 20 to the driving force receiving surface as the driving force receiving portion of the engaging protrusion of the sealing member 2, and further from the sealing member 2. When the toner bottle 1 is transmitted to the drive shaft 1b, the toner bottle 1 rotates to convey and discharge the toner. That is, the sealing member 2 has a function of sealing the opening 1a and receiving a rotational driving force from the image forming apparatus main body side, and a function of transmitting the rotational driving force to the toner bottle 1 side.

  Further, since the toner bottle 1 is rotatably supported by the bottle receiving roller 23 provided on the container receiving table 50, the toner bottle 1 can be rotated smoothly even with a slight driving torque. The bottle receiving rollers 23 are arranged at four locations in a position that becomes a ridge with respect to the bottle main body 1A. The bottle receiving roller 23 is rotatably provided in the toner supply device 400 of the apparatus main body 100. As the toner bottle 1 rotates in this way, the toner contained in the toner bottle 1 is sequentially discharged from the opening 1a, and the hopper 201a on the apparatus main body 100 side by the screw member 27 provided in the toner supply path 24. The toner is replenished.

[How to replace the toner supply container]
Next, a toner bottle replacement method in this example will be described.

  When substantially the entire amount of toner in the toner bottle 1 is consumed during the image forming process, the toner in the toner bottle 1 has run out due to the toner supply container empty detection means (not shown) provided in the apparatus main body 100. This is detected and the fact is notified to the user by the display means 100b such as liquid crystal (see FIG. 2).

  In this embodiment, the user himself replaces the toner bottle 1, and the procedure is as follows.

  First, the replacement front cover 15 in the closed state is rotated about the hinge 18 and opened to the position indicated by the broken line in FIG. The bottle body 1A in the state shown in FIG. 7C is shown in FIG. 7A in the direction opposite to the arrow b by a toner replenishing portion opening / closing means described later in conjunction with the opening operation of the replacement cover 15. The sealing member 2 that has moved in the direction of arrow a and has been separated from the bottle main body 1A and has been in a state of opening the toner supply opening 1a is press-fitted into the toner supply opening 1a, and the toner supply opening 1a. Is closed, and the state shown in FIG. At this time, the sealing member 2 is kept in a locked state with the image forming apparatus main body, and then the release protrusion described later applies a release force to the release protrusion, so that the release protrusion is pushed down together with the engagement protrusion. The stop state is released. Then, the unlocking operation of the sealing member 2 and the image forming apparatus main body 100 is completed by retracting the bottle main body 1A in the bottle longitudinal direction.

  Next, the user moves the empty toner bottle 1 unlocked from the apparatus main body 100 in the direction opposite to the arrow a direction shown in FIG. 7A, that is, in the arrow b direction shown in FIG. And is detached from the apparatus main body 100. Thereafter, the user inserts a new toner bottle 1 into the apparatus main body 100 in the direction of arrow a shown in FIG. 7A, and then closes the replacement front cover 15. Then, as described above, the sealing member 2 that is locked to the image forming apparatus main body by the toner replenishing portion opening / closing means is moved away from the container main body 1A in conjunction with the operation of closing the replacement front cover 15, and the toner is supplied. The supply opening 1a is opened (FIG. 7C). The above is the procedure for replacing the toner supply container.

[Toner bottle]
Next, the toner bottle of this embodiment will be further described with reference to FIGS.

  The toner bottle 1 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and an opening 1a having a diameter smaller than that of the bottle main body, that is, the cylindrical portion 1A, protrudes from the center of one end surface thereof. The opening 1a is provided with a sealing member 2 for closing the opening 1a. As can be understood from the description related to FIGS. It is configured to automatically open and close the opening 1a by sliding relative to the longitudinal direction (arrow ab direction).

  A cylindrical portion provided with an engagement protrusion 3 and a release force receiving portion 4 for releasing the engagement of the engagement protrusion 3 with the drive unit 20 on the apparatus main body side is formed at the distal end portion of the sealing member 2. The region of the cylindrical portion supporting the engaging projection 3 and the release force receiving portion 4 is configured to be elastically deformable (described later, in order to assist and promote this elastic deformation, the above region Are provided with slits extending to the tip of the cylindrical portion).

  The engaging protrusion 3 is engaged with the driving unit 20 and has a function of transmitting rotational driving to the toner bottle 1. The configuration of the engagement protrusion 3 and the release force receiving portion 4 will be described in detail later.

  First, the internal configuration of the toner bottle 1 will be described.

  As described above, the toner bottle 1 has a substantially cylindrical shape, is arranged substantially horizontally in the apparatus main body 100, and is configured to rotate by receiving rotational driving from the apparatus main body 100. The inner surface of the toner bottle 1 is provided with a spiral protrusion 1C as a conveying portion. When the toner bottle 1 rotates, the toner is transported in the axial direction along the spiral protrusion 1C, and the toner is discharged from an opening 1a provided on the end surface of the toner bottle 1.

  The configuration of the inside of the toner bottle 1 is not particularly limited as long as it is a bottle shape that discharges toner when the toner bottle 1 rotates. In addition to the above example, the toner bottle main body is a member such as a rotary screw as a transport unit for transporting the toner by the rotational driving force received by the sealing member from the image forming apparatus while being fixed to the image forming apparatus. It may be configured to transmit to.

  That is, in the toner bottle 1 that discharges toner by being driven, the drive transmission unit between the toner bottle 1 and the apparatus main body 100 is characterized, and the internal configuration of the toner bottle 1 is as in this embodiment. In addition, a generally well-known bottle having a spiral projection 1C formed therein or other configurations may be used.

  For example, a configuration inside the bottle as shown in FIG. 10 may be used as a modification. In the present modification, a plate-like baffle member 40 as a conveying unit is provided inside the bottle body, and a plurality of inclined protrusions 40a inclined with respect to the axial direction of the toner bottle 1 are provided on the surface of the baffle member 40. One end of the protrusion 40a reaches the opening 1a. The toner is finally discharged from the inclined protrusion 40a through the opening 1a. The principle that the toner is discharged is that the toner scraped by the baffle member 40 by the rotation of the toner bottle 1 slides down on the surface of the baffle member 40 and is conveyed forward of the toner bottle 1 by the inclined protrusion 40a. By repeating this operation, the toner in the toner bottle is agitated and conveyed sequentially and discharged from the opening 1a.

  Further, the drive type is not limited to the rotational drive as shown in this embodiment, and the toner bottle is replenished by receiving some driving force such as vibration or swinging of the toner bottle or other methods. If it does, the form of the drive in particular will not ask | require. That is, as long as it is a toner bottle that discharges toner by receiving some drive from the apparatus main body 100, the drive may be any of drive types such as rotation, swing, vibration.

  In the modified example, the plate-like baffle member 40 is constituted by a member different from the toner bottle 1, and the rotational driving force is transmitted to the baffle member 40 via the sealing member 2. The toner bottle 1 is indirectly rotated.

  As described above, any configuration in which the rotational driving force is directly or indirectly transmitted to the toner bottle 1 through the sealing member 2 may be used.

  8 and 9, as described above, the bottle main body 1A has an opening 1a on one end surface in the longitudinal direction, and the bottle main body 1A is integrated with the bottle main body 1A in the opening 1a as an engaged portion. The drive shaft 1b protrudes from the opening 1a. The drive shaft 1b is positioned substantially on the center axis line of the opening 1a, and is slidably engaged with an engagement hole 2a as an engagement portion provided in the sealing member 2. As shown in FIG. 9, the engagement hole 2a has a configuration in which the opposite side to the drive shaft 1b is closed to prevent the toner from leaking from the engagement hole 2a.

  Since the drive shaft 1b is for transmitting the rotational driving force from the apparatus main body 100 to the bottle main body 1A through the sealing member 2, the cross-sectional shape of the driving shaft 1b is a non-circular shape capable of transmitting the rotational driving force. The shape is a quadrangular shape, an H cut shape, a D cut shape, or the like. The drive shaft 1b is fixed to the bottle body 1A by appropriate means.

  The drive shaft 1b may be provided integrally with the sealing member 2 as shown in FIG. 11 without being fixed to the bottle body 1A. In that case, an engagement hole 2a for transmitting the driving force from the drive shaft 1b is provided on the toner bottle 1 side so that the opening is kept engaged even when the opening is opened, as in the above configuration. Composed. In this modification, the engagement hole 2a is supported by a member 1c provided inside the opening 1a and toner is allowed to be discharged.

  In this embodiment, a configuration in which the drive shaft 1b is fixed to the bottle body 1A is adopted.

[Sealing member]
Next, the sealing member 2 (drive receiving member) will be further described with reference to FIGS.

  12 and 13, the sealing member 2 includes a sealing part 2 b that seals the opening 1 a of the toner bottle 1 so as to be openable, and a cylindrical cup as a cylindrical part that engages with the driving part 20 of the apparatus main body. A ring engaging portion 2c is provided. The outer diameter of the large diameter portion of the sealing portion 2b is set to be an appropriate amount larger than the inner diameter of the opening portion 1a. Then, the toner replenishing port which is the opening 1a is sealed by the sealing member 2 by press-fitting the sealing part 2b into the opening 1a.

  As described above, the sealing member 2 has the engagement hole 2a for engaging the drive shaft 1b and transmitting the drive force received from the apparatus main body 100 to the drive shaft 1b. The engagement hole 2a is formed over the sealing portion 2b and the engagement portion 2c. The engagement hole 2a has a shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the drive shaft 1b and is slightly larger than the drive shaft 1b. As a result, the drive shaft 1b is loosely fitted into the engagement hole 2a. The engagement hole 2a has the same cross section as the drive shaft 1b and is polygonal. In this embodiment, a square is adopted.

  The drive shaft 1b is loosely fitted in the engagement hole 2a in this way, whereby the bottle body 1A and the sealing member 2 are locked to each other in the rotation direction of the bottle body 1A, while in the axial direction. Are configured to be slidable relative to each other. As a result, the sealing member 2 and the bottle body 1A can be separated from each other when the toner bottle 1 is attached (locked) to the toner replenishing device 400 as will be described later, and the toner supply port, that is, the opening 1a is opened (opened). ) Is possible.

  By the way, the engagement length between the engagement hole 2a and the drive shaft 1b has a length that does not come off when the sealing member 2 and the bottle body 1A are separated from each other. Thereby, even if the sealing member 2 is separated from the bottle main body 1, the drive shaft 1 b can receive a driving force via the sealing member 2.

  Next, the engagement protrusion 3 will be described in detail.

  Since the sealing member 2 receives a driving force from the apparatus main body 100, an engagement protrusion 3 is provided on the coupling engagement portion 2c. The engaging protrusion 3 protrudes radially outward from the cylindrical surface of the coupling engaging portion 2c. The engagement protrusion separates the drive receiving surface 3a as a driving force receiving portion that receives a rotational driving force from the apparatus main body, and the toner bottle 1 and the sealing member 2 (opening portion is changed from the closed state to the open state). At this time, it has a locking surface 3b that acts as a locking portion for snap-fitting the sealing member 2 into a locking hole as a locked portion of the apparatus main body. That is, the engagement protrusion 3 relatively connects the bottle body 1A and the sealing member 2 with a coupling function for receiving a rotational driving force from the apparatus main body, a function for transmitting the rotational driving to the toner bottle 1, and the bottle main body 1A. The three different functions of the latching function (prevention function) latched on the apparatus main body side to automatically open and close the opening by sliding to the drive receiving surface 3a, the engagement hole 2a, Play with face 3b.

  Further, when the locking surface 3b receives a driving force in a state of being locked with the main body driving unit 20, the separation distance between the sealing member 2 and the toner bottle 1 is kept constant, so that the toner bottle 1 and the sealing member are kept constant. 2 is ensured, the toner discharge amount is kept constant, and a toner bottle excellent in quantitative discharge performance can be provided. Furthermore, since the sealing member 2 is securely locked to the apparatus main body drive unit 20, the toner can be reliably discharged without the possibility of the sealing member 2 dropping off from the drive shaft during toner discharge.

  According to the configuration as described above, since the automatic opening / closing operation of the sealing member 2, the receiving operation of the driving force, and the transmission operation can be performed with one sealing member, a compact and inexpensive toner replenishing container can be provided.

  The engagement protrusion 3 is preferably provided integrally with the sealing member 2 from the viewpoint of reducing the number of parts. However, only the engagement protrusion 3 is incorporated in the sealing member 2 as a separate part. But it does n’t matter. This configuration will be described in detail in the fourth embodiment.

  Since the engaging protrusion 3 has a driving force receiving function as well as a locking function, it is desirable that the engaging protrusion 3 has a certain degree of rigidity. Therefore, a configuration is provided in which slit grooves 2e and the like are provided on both sides in the circumferential direction of the engagement protrusion 3 so that only the region of the coupling engagement portion 2c where the engagement protrusion 3 is provided can be freely elastically deformed inward. Yes. The reason is that the engagement protrusion 3 is displaced by the action from the apparatus main body 100 to perform an unlocking operation with the apparatus main body, which will be described later.

  In this embodiment, the engaging protrusion 3 is formed integrally with the sealing member 2.

  Further, the distal end portion of the engaging protrusion 3 has a tapered surface 3c as a locking force receiving portion so that the sealing member 2 can be smoothly inserted when the sealing member 2 is inserted into the driving portion 20 of the apparatus main body 100. Yes. As is better understood with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15 as well, the tapered surface 3c is closer to the locking hole 20h of the drive unit 20, that is, the coupling engagement unit 2c and the drive. A portion that receives a locking force from the inner surface of the drive unit 20 in order to displace the engagement protrusion 3 (locking portion) inward and lock it in the locking hole in accordance with the overlapping operation with the portion 20. Thereafter, when the locking surface 3b and the locking hole 20h come closer to each other and the contact of the tapered portion 3c with the inner surface of the drive unit 20 is released, that is, when the locking force is released, the engagement protrusion (engagement) The area supporting the stoppers returns from the displaced state, and the “locking” between the sealing member (locking part) and the image forming apparatus main body (locked part) is completed.

  Then, after the “locking” is completed, the opening 1a is changed from the closed state to the open state by automatically performing a sliding movement for relatively separating the sealing member 2 and the bottle main body 1A, and the toner is discharged. It becomes possible. In the present embodiment, in the state where the sealing member 2 is locked to the apparatus main body side and the movement in the sliding direction is restricted, the bottle main body side is retracted and advanced to automatically open and seal the opening. ing.

  Next, the configuration of the release force receiving portion will be described again with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13.

  The engagement projections 3 are provided at two positions in the circumferential direction facing each other, but an engagement release portion as a connection portion for connecting the engagement projections to each other, that is, a release force receiving portion 4 is provided. ing. When the release force receiving portion (hereinafter referred to as “release portion”) 4 receives a force in the direction of arrow b from the apparatus body, the engagement protrusion 3 is elastically deformed in the direction of arrow d as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. It is configured to return to its original shape again when the force is removed. Therefore, the release part 4 is relatively thin so as to be easily elastically deformed, and is preferably made of a suitable material.

  Such a sealing member 2 is preferably manufactured by injection molding a resin such as plastic, but other materials and manufacturing methods may be arbitrarily divided and joined. Further, the sealing member 2 is required to have an appropriate elasticity in order to press fit into the opening 1a and seal it. The material is most preferably low-density polyethylene, and polypropylene, linear polyamide such as nylon, high-density polyethylene, polyester, ABS, HIPS (impact polystyrene), etc. can be preferably used.

  As described above, by making the region supporting the engagement protrusion 3 and the release portion 4 an elastic member that can be elastically deformed, the engagement between the drive unit 20 and the engagement protrusion 3 is utilized using elastic deformation / return. Stopping / unlocking can be performed with a simple configuration. In addition, since the above material has appropriate elasticity, the drive unit 20 and the engagement protrusion 3 can be easily engaged and disengaged, and has sufficient durability.

  Further, since the release portion 4 has a bridge shape for connecting the engagement protrusions 3, it is possible to exert a displacement action evenly on the plurality of engagement protrusions 3 by pressing one release portion 4.

  Note that, as described above, the release portion 4 does not necessarily have to be coupled and integrated with each other, and as shown in FIGS. It may be provided.

[Driving force receiving part]
Next, the structure of the coupling engaging part 2c provided in the sealing member 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The sealing member 2 includes a coupling engagement portion 2c formed in a cylindrical shape in this example, and also serves as a drive receiving member as described above, and the driving force transmission portion of the toner replenishing device 400. The driving force from 20 is received.

  As described above, in the cylindrical coupling engaging portion 2c of the sealing member 2, the two regions where the two engaging protrusions 3 are provided are configured to be elastically deformable. The taper portion 3c is pressed by the drive unit 20 so that the region can be easily elastically deformed. Further, a release portion 4 is provided so as to connect the engagement projections 3 to each other, and the engagement projection 3 and the release portion 4 are integrated.

  On the other hand, the locking hole 20h of the drive unit 20 provided on the apparatus main body 100 side is configured to be locked with the engagement protrusion 3 (locking surface 3b) of the sealing member 2, and the sealing member 2 is driven. The tip inner diameter portion of the drive unit 20 is provided with a tapered surface 20b so that the inner diameter is gradually reduced so that it can be smoothly inserted when inserted into the portion 20. The sealing member 2 is smoothly inserted into the drive unit 20 by the tapered surface 20b.

  Further, the driving unit 20 is provided with an engaging rib 20a for rotating the toner bottle 1, and the engaging rib 20a is engaged after the engaging protrusion is locked in the locking hole 20h. This is for contacting the drive receiving surface 3a of the protrusion 3 to transmit the rotational driving force to the sealing member.

  Next, the state of engagement between the drive unit 20 and the sealing member 2 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 15A shows a state where the user inserts the toner bottle 1 in the direction of arrow a in order to set a new toner bottle 1 in the apparatus main body 100. The drive unit 20 in the apparatus main body This is the state before locking.

  When the insertion of the toner bottle 1 proceeds, the taper portion 3c of the engagement protrusion 3 provided on the sealing member 2 comes into contact with the taper surface 20b of the driving portion 20 as shown in FIG. Is elastically deformed while being gradually bent inward while being guided by the tapered surface 20b.

  As shown in FIG. 15C, the insertion of the toner bottle 1 further proceeds, and the engaging protrusion 3 that has passed through the straight portion 20g following the tapered surface 20b is a space portion 20h (locking hole) without the engaging rib 20a. The bending is released, and the engagement protrusion 3 is locked with the drive unit 20 here. In this state, the engagement protrusion 3 is firmly locked with the drive unit 20, and the position of the sealing member 2 in the thrust direction (axial direction) is substantially fixed to the apparatus main body side.

  Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7C, even if the toner bottle 1 is moved backward in the direction of the arrow b, the sealing member 2 is not pulled back together with the toner bottle 1 and moved firmly. Fixed to. On the other hand, since only the toner bottle 1 moves backward, the sealing member 2 and the toner bottle 1 are reliably separated from each other, and the opening 1a is opened. The backward movement of the toner bottle 1 may be configured to slide the toner bottle 1 in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the front cover 15 of the apparatus main body 100.

  As for the sliding operation, the sealing member 2 may be fixed and the toner bottle 1 may be slid as described above, or conversely, the toner bottle 1 may be fixed and the sealing member 2 may be slid. Alternatively, both the sealing member 2 and the toner bottle 1 may be slid in directions away from each other.

  Also, in order to replace the toner bottle 1 with a new toner bottle when the toner in the toner bottle 1 is empty, the process of taking out the currently installed empty toner bottle is the reverse of the bottle mounting (locking / opening) process described above. It may be performed in the order of.

  More specifically, when the operator opens the bottle replacement cover 15 described above, the following steps are performed in conjunction therewith.

  First, the toner bottle body side advances toward the sealing member 2 while maintaining the state where the sealing member 2 is locked to the apparatus main body, and the opening 1 a is automatically sealed by the sealing member 2. Then, the release protrusion 4 is pushed in by an extrusion member 21 to be described later, and the toner together with the sealing member 2 press-fitted into the opening 1a in a state where the engagement state between the engagement protrusion 3 and the engagement hole 20h is released. By retracting the bottle main body 1A, the locking between the sealing member 2 and the apparatus main body 100 is released, and the preparation for taking out the toner bottle 1 from the apparatus main body 100 is completed.

[Configuration that eliminates phase alignment]
Next, a configuration that does not require phase alignment when the main body driving unit 20 and the toner bottle 1 are locked will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the conventional drive transmission means, for example, in the case of coupling drive using a combination of concave and convex parts, it is necessary to engage the concave part and the convex part with matching phases. In this example, however, this phase adjustment by the operator is troublesome. No extra work is required. The reason will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 18 shows the positional relationship between the engagement protrusion 3 and the engagement rib 20a in the rotation direction when the sealing member 2 is inserted into the drive unit 20. In this example, the engagement rib 20a is provided at one location and the engagement protrusion 3 (support portion) is provided at two locations (3A, 3B).

  Normally, when the user inserts the toner bottle 1, the engagement rib 20 a and the engagement protrusion 3 do not overlap at the same position. When the insertion of the toner bottle 1 is completed up to a predetermined position, the sealing member When the toner bottle 1 is retracted, the sealing member 2 is separated from the toner bottle 1 so that the toner can be discharged.

  However, depending on the rotation direction of the toner bottle 1 at the time of insertion, as shown in FIG. 18A, the positions of the engagement protrusions 3A and the engagement ribs 20a overlap, and the insertion of the toner bottle 1 to the predetermined position is completed. Even in this case, the engagement protrusion 3A interferes with the engagement rib 20a and cannot be released / returned to the outside. When the toner bottle 1 is moved backward in this state, the sealing member 2 is not kept in engagement with the main body driving unit 20, so that the toner bottle 1 and the sealing member 2 are moved back together, and the opening 1a. May not open.

  Therefore, in order to prevent such a situation, in this example, at least one engagement protrusion 3 is provided more than the engagement rib 20a, and the at least one engagement protrusion does not overlap the engagement rib. It has been resolved.

  In the state of FIG. 18A, one engagement protrusion 3A (second support portion) certainly interferes with the engagement rib 20a and is not locked to the main body drive portion 20. The other engagement protrusion 3B (first support portion) does not interfere with the engagement rib 20a and is correctly locked with the drive portion 20. As described above, even if one engagement protrusion 3A is not locked, the toner bottle 1 is separated from the sealing member 2 without any trouble because the other engagement protrusion 3B is locked. 1a can be opened. Then, after the opening 1a is opened, as shown in FIG. 18B, when the main body driving unit 20 eventually rotates in the direction of the arrow c, the interfering engagement rib 20a is released and the engagement protrusion 3A is also correctly engaged. It will be in a stopped state. Therefore, a highly reliable toner supply container can be provided. When the rotation further proceeds, as shown in FIG. 18C, the engagement rib 20a is caught by the engagement protrusion 3B, where the rotation drive is transmitted and the toner bottle 1 rotates.

  As described above, by providing one or more engaging protrusions 3 than the engaging ribs 20a, even if the user inserts the toner bottle 1 in an arbitrary rotation direction, at least one engaging protrusion is not included in the engaging ribs. The toner bottle 1 can be reliably set in the state of being locked in the locking hole without interfering with the toner.

  In addition to providing two engaging protrusions 3 as in this example, it is of course possible to provide four engaging protrusions 3 as shown in FIG. At this time, the number of engaging ribs is three or less.

  In this case, even if the number of the engagement ribs and the number of the engagement protrusions is the same, by configuring the distance (phase) between the engagement ribs to be different from the distance (phase) between the engagement protrusions, That is, when viewed from the rotation center of the coupling engagement portion 2c, the angle between the engagement ribs is made different from the angle between the engagement protrusions, so that at least one engagement protrusion becomes an engagement rib when the bottle is inserted. It can be locked in the locking hole without overlapping.

  When a plurality of engagement ribs are provided at different positions in the circumferential direction, it is preferable to provide the engagement ribs at substantially equal intervals in consideration of drive transmission.

  As described above, in this example, the user can reliably set the toner bottle 1 in the apparatus main body 100 simply by inserting the toner bottle 1, and the rotation direction of the bottle 1 when the toner bottle 1 is inserted. The replacement work can be performed with a simple operation without the need for troublesome work such as positioning.

  Further, since the opening / closing operation of the opening 1a of the toner bottle 1 is automatically performed in the image forming apparatus main body, it is not necessary for the user himself to perform the opening operation, and the user simply supplies the toner without getting his hands dirty. be able to.

[How to disengage]
Next, disengagement between the engagement protrusion 3 and the main body drive unit 20 will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the toner supply is completed and the toner bottle 1 is empty, the old toner bottle 1 must be removed and replaced with a new toner bottle. At that time, it is necessary to release the locking between the sealing member 2 and the driving unit 20 that have been locked until then.

  As shown in FIG. 20, an extruding member 21 is provided in the apparatus main body, specifically in the drive unit 20. The pushing member 21 is configured to be movable in the same direction as the axial direction of the drive shaft 1 b of the toner bottle 1.

  FIG. 20A shows a state where the toner supply is finished and the opening 1a of the toner bottle 1 is opened.

  When unlocking the drive unit 20 and the sealing member 2, as shown in FIG. 20B, the pushing member 21 is caused to enter the release unit 4 provided at the tip of the sealing member 2 in the direction of arrow a. In addition, the release portion 4 bends in the direction of the arrow a, and at the same time, the engagement protrusion 3 integrated with the release portion 4 also falls inward. As a result, the engagement between the engagement protrusion 3 and the main body drive unit 20 is released.

  Thereafter, the pushing member 21 further advances in the direction of the arrow a, so that the pushing member 21 press-fits the sealing member 2 into the opening 1a as shown in FIG. Seal. Further, when the pushing member 21 advances in the direction of arrow a, the toner bottle 1 itself is retracted, and the toner bottle 1 is slid to a position where the user can easily take it out.

  With regard to the drive configuration of the pusher member 21, the pusher member 21 moves in the direction of arrow a when the front cover 15 is opened in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the front cover 15 of the apparatus main body 100, so that the drive unit 20 and the toner bottle 1 are driven. The sealing member 2 may be separated and moved in the direction of the arrow b when the front cover 15 is closed, or a separate drive operation is performed using a separate drive motor or the like. Also good. Alternatively, any method may be used such as a configuration in which a separate manual lever is provided and a separation operation is performed in conjunction with the manual lever instead of the operation in conjunction with the front cover 15 of the apparatus main body 100.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, the toner bottle 1 can be reliably snap-fitted to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus simply by inserting the toner bottle 1 and can be operated simply by pressing the release portion 4 when taking out. Since the snap-fit locked state can be easily released, the toner bottle 1 can be replenished with a very simple operation and configuration. Therefore, a toner bottle with high operability can be provided.

  Further, the toner bottle drive transmission can be canceled, and at the same time, the opening / closing operation of the opening can be realized.

  Furthermore, despite such a very simple operation and a simple, inexpensive and compact configuration, it is possible to realize a reliable and highly reliable drive transmission.

  Further, in a state where toner can be discharged, a mechanism for bearing the drive shaft 1b on the toner bottle main body side is unnecessary, and there is no problem such as toner leakage at the bearing portion, torque increase, and generation of coarse particles with a simple configuration. A toner bottle can be provided.

Example 2
Next, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member which has the same function as the member mentioned above.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 21, the release protrusion 4 as the release portion is provided not on the inner side of the cylindrical coupling engaging portion 2c of the sealing member 2 as in the first embodiment, but on the outer peripheral surface. It is characterized by that. Further, in this embodiment, the engagement protrusion 3 and the release portion 4 are provided at four positions so as to be paired at positions divided into four in the circumferential direction. The configuration of the drive unit 20 that engages with the engagement protrusion 3 of the sealing member 2 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  Further, according to the configuration of the release portion 4, the pushing member 21 is not a shaft-like member that slides back and forth from the axial center of the drive portion 20 on the apparatus main body side in the first embodiment, but is shown in FIG. Thus, it was configured to be slidable back and forth in a cylindrical shape covering the outer periphery of the drive unit 20 and to be engageable with the release unit 4. Further, the inner peripheral surface of the distal end portion of the pushing member 21 that is a cylindrical member as a release member is formed in a tapered shape so that the inner diameter increases toward the distal end, that is, the wall thickness decreases. The part 21 a engages with the top part of the release part 4. Further, slit grooves 2e are formed on both sides of the support portion 2f provided with the engagement protrusion 3 and the release portion 4, and the engagement protrusion 3 and the release portion 4 are elastically deformed / returned inward by the slit groove 2e. It is supposed to be configured.

  In the case of such a configuration of the present embodiment, the entire sealing member can be integrally molded, so that the productivity of the sealing member can be dramatically improved and the cost can be reduced. preferable.

  FIG. 23A shows a state where the toner supply is completed and the opening 1a of the toner bottle 1 is opened.

  When releasing the locking between the main body driving unit 20 and the sealing member 2, as shown in FIG. 23B, the pushing member 21 is placed in the direction of the arrow a on the releasing unit 4 provided at the tip of the sealing member 2. By entering, the release part 4 is pressed inward by the inner peripheral surface of the pushing member 21 and displaced in the direction of the arrow d (by the support part 2f being elastically deformed and bent). At the same time, together with the release part 4 The engagement protrusion 3 is also displaced inward. As a result, the engagement between the engagement protrusion 3 and the main body drive unit 20 is released. This releasing step is performed in conjunction with the opening operation of the replacement cover 15 by the operator.

  Thereafter, the pushing member 21 is further moved in the direction of the arrow a, whereby the sealing member 2 is returned to the sealing position of the toner bottle 1 as shown in FIG. Next, the pushing member 21 further retracts the toner bottle 1 itself, and slides the toner bottle 1 to a position where the user can easily take it out.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, by providing the release portion 4 on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 2c, it is possible to obtain the same effect as in the above embodiment. Further, such a configuration is more suitable for improving productivity because the mold can be easily removed when the sealing member 2 is manufactured by injection molding of resin.

  Further, the width of the engagement protrusion 3 is longer than the width of the release protrusion 4, and when the bottle body 1A is retracted to automatically open the sealing member 2, the engagement protrusion 3 (locking surface) and It is comprised so that it can fully endure so that the latching with the drive part 20 may not be removed. Since the release protrusion 4 does not have such a function, the width is shortened, and the resin material cost for manufacturing the release protrusion 4 is minimized.

  Further, a thin portion 2y may be provided as shown in FIG. 24 so that the base portion of the support portion 2f to which the engagement protrusion 3 and the release protrusion 4 are directed is more easily bent. With such a configuration, it is possible to more reliably release the locking portion while maintaining the rigidity of the sealing member 2 including the engaging protrusion 3 that receives the rotational driving force.

Example 3
Next, a third embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 22, the engagement protrusion 3 and the release portion (release protrusion) 4 of the sealing member 2 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the engagement portion 2b. As shown in FIG. 25, the engagement protrusion 3 and the release protrusion 4 are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the engagement portion 2b, and the engagement portion 2b is provided at four locations in the circumferential direction.

  Corresponding to the configuration of the sealing member 2 as described above, the main body drive unit 20 has a shape as shown in FIG. That is, the main body drive unit 20 has a substantially cylindrical shape having a plurality of portions having different outer diameters, a front end portion 20b, a small diameter portion 20c, a large diameter portion 20d, and a rear end portion 20e, and a through hole through which the extrusion member 21 passes. The inner diameter of 20f is made uniform. And the engagement rib 20a extended in the longitudinal direction of the drive part 20 is protrudingly provided in the position where the small diameter part 20c with the smallest outer diameter opposes.

  Next, how the drive unit 20 and the sealing member 2 are locked in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 27A shows a state in which the user inserts the toner bottle 1 in the direction of arrow b in order to set a new toner bottle 1 in the image forming apparatus main body. 20 shows a state before 20 is locked.

  As shown in FIG. 27B, when the toner bottle 1 advances, the engagement protrusion 3 provided on the sealing member 2 comes into contact with the main body drive unit 20 and is formed at the tip of the engagement protrusion 3. It is guided by the taper surface 3c and is elastically deformed while being gradually bent outward.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 27C, the engagement protrusion 3 that has advanced further and has passed through the straight portion 20g is released from bending in the space portion 20h without the engagement rib 20a. It will be in the state engaged with the drive part 20. FIG.

  In the state shown in FIG. 27C, the engagement protrusion 3 is firmly engaged with the main body drive unit 20, and the thrust member (axial direction) of the sealing member 2 is fixed. Therefore, even if the toner bottle 1 is subsequently retracted, the sealing member 2 is firmly fixed to the main body driving unit 20 without being pulled back together with the toner bottle 1. On the other hand, when only the toner bottle 1 is retracted, the sealing member 2 and the toner bottle 1 are reliably separated and the opening 1a is opened. The backward movement of the toner bottle 1 may be configured to slide the toner bottle 1 in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the front cover 15 (see FIG. 2).

  Next, with reference to FIG. 28, the latch release operation in the present embodiment will be described.

  When releasing the engagement between the main body drive unit 20 and the sealing member 2, it is easy to slide the pushing member 21 arranged at the center of the main body drive unit 20 in the direction of the arrow a, as in the first embodiment. Can be released.

  By pushing the pushing member 21 in the direction of the arrow a with respect to the releasing portion 4 provided inside the sealing member 2, the region supporting the releasing portion 4 is pushed outward as shown in FIG. By being bent so as to be opened, the release portion is displaced outward, and the engagement protrusion 3 is also displaced outward together with the release portion 4. As a result, the engagement between the engagement protrusion 3 and the main body drive unit 20 is released.

  Thereafter, the pushing member 21 further advances in the direction of arrow a, so that the pushing member 21 press-fits the sealing member 2 into the opening 1a, as shown in FIG. The opening 1a is sealed. Further, the toner bottle 1 itself is moved backward by advancing the pushing member 21 in the direction of arrow a, and finally the toner bottle 1 is slid to a position where the user can easily take it out.

  With regard to the configuration of the pushing member 21, the pushing member 21 moves in the direction of the arrow a when the front cover 15 is opened in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the front cover 15 of the apparatus main body 100, and the front cover 15 is separated. When the button is closed, it may be configured to move in the direction of the arrow b, or a separate drive operation may be performed using a separate drive motor or the like. Alternatively, any method may be used such as a configuration in which a separate manual lever is provided and a separation operation is performed in conjunction with the manual lever instead of the interlocking operation with the front cover 15.

  Thus, in this embodiment, since the release portion 4 is not exposed on the surface, even if the toner bottle is dropped, there is no possibility that the release portion 4 is damaged, and the toner bottle has excellent impact resistance during distribution. Can provide.

  Further, the drive transmission of the toner bottle 1 can be easily released by only a very simple operation in which the pushing member 21 slides back and forth, and at the same time, the opening / closing operation of the opening 1a of the toner bottle 1 is realized. Is possible.

  In this manner, a reliable and highly reliable drive transmission force can be realized in spite of a very simple operation and a simple, inexpensive and compact configuration.

Example 4
Next, a fourth embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 29, the sealing member 2, the engagement protrusion 3, and the engagement release portion 4 attached to the opening 1a of the toner bottle 1 are manufactured as separate parts, and the parts are assembled. It is equipped with the structure.

  As shown in the figure, two movable arms 3e are attached to the end surface of the sealing member 2 via a hinge portion 3h so as to face each other. As described above, engagement protrusions 3 (hooks) that engage with the main body drive unit 20 are provided.

  The two engaging projections 3 are connected by a link member 3g via a hinge portion 3i. The link member 3g is composed of two members connected by a release portion 4 that acts as a hinge.

  Further, a fixed projection 3f is provided so as to be opposed to the inside of the central portion of the movable arm 3e, and a spring 3j is locked to the fixed projection 3f. The movable arm 3e is urged outward by the urging force of the spring 3j, so that the engagement protrusion 3 can be engaged with the main body drive unit 20 as shown in FIG. Retained. An example of the main body drive unit 20 suitable for the present embodiment is shown in FIG.

  In the configuration as described above, when the toner bottle 1 is engaged with the main body drive unit 20 via the engagement protrusion 3, for example, as in the first embodiment, the toner bottle 1 is engaged simply by being inserted. be able to. That is, when the toner bottle 1 is inserted, the engaging protrusion 3 comes into contact with the main body driving unit 20, the movable arm 3e falls inward together with the engaging protrusion 3 against the urging force of the spring 3j, and the insertion further proceeds. Then, the engaging protrusion 3 is engaged with the main body drive unit 20 at a predetermined position by the urging force of the spring 3j, and at the same time, the movable arm 3e is returned to the predetermined position in FIG.

  On the other hand, when releasing this engagement, as shown in FIG. 29 (B), when the pushing member 21 is pushed into the releasing part 4 in the direction of arrow a, the engaging protrusion 3 easily falls inward, The engagement is released.

  Thus, also in the configuration of the present embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the other embodiments can be sufficiently exhibited.

  Moreover, since it is not necessary to release the engagement protrusion 3 by elastic deformation in such a form, it becomes possible to use a material that does not elastically deform, and the choice of material is greatly expanded. For example, various metal materials such as aluminum, iron, and magnesium, and various materials such as wood and hard resin can be used, so that higher engagement strength can be maintained and durability can be improved at the same time.

  Furthermore, since each component is moved by the link mechanism, the movable range becomes wider than the elastic deformation, and a larger engagement area can be secured. Therefore, the catch at the engaging portion becomes stronger and a more reliable engagement strength can be obtained.

  In the present embodiment, the link method is employed without using the elastic deformation of the sealing member as in the first to third embodiments. Therefore, the configuration is more preferable than the above embodiment in terms of durability. It may be complicated and costly.

Example 5
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various other embodiments are possible. The modification described later has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment (see FIG. 20) except for the changes.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 30, when the toner bottle 1 has an opening 1a in the cylindrical surface 1d provided on the end surface in the longitudinal direction of the bottle body 1A, the coupling engaging portion 2c is replaced with the sealing member 2 described above. Instead of being provided, the toner bottle main body 1A may be rotatably provided on the end surface. In this case, the opening 1a is separately sealed by the shutter member S so as to be opened and closed.

  That is, the coupling engaging portion 2c has a function of locking the toner bottle main body 1A and the image forming apparatus main body (the driving portion 20 in FIG. 20) with a locking portion (the locking surface of the engaging protrusion 3). A function of receiving a rotational driving force from the image forming apparatus main body side at the driving force receiving portion (drive receiving surface of the engaging protrusion 3), and a release portion for releasing the lock between the toner bottle main body 1A and the image forming apparatus main body (driving portion 20) 4 and a function of transmitting the driving force received by the driving force receiving portion to the coupling engaging portion 2c and the toner conveying member fixed inside the toner bottle. As a result, when the image forming apparatus main body side receives rotational driving, even if a force acts in the direction in which the toner bottle moves away from the driving unit 20 on the image forming apparatus main body side for some reason, both are locked. Since the engagement is maintained in this state, it is possible to prevent unintentional disconnection of the rotational driving force to the toner bottle.

  Note that there is no problem even if the configuration of locking and releasing between the image forming apparatus main body 100 and the toner bottle 1 or the photosensitive drum 104 in the fifth embodiment is configured as in the second, third, and fourth embodiments. , As well as applicable.

  Moreover, the following structures may be sufficient as the automatic sealing operation | movement of the opening in the said Examples 1-5.

  In conjunction with the opening operation of the replacement cover 15 by the operator, the toner bottle main body side is first advanced toward the sealing member side while the locking of the sealing member 2 and the drive unit 20 is maintained. The stop member 2 is press-fitted into the opening 1a and automatically sealed.

  Thereafter, in a state where the pushing member 21 slides and comes into contact with the releasing portion 4 and the engagement state between the engaging protrusion 3 and the driving portion 20 is released, the toner bottle together with the sealing member 2 is placed at a position where the operator can easily take it out. The automatic release operation is completed by retracting the main body 1A toward the replacement cover.

  In this way, the configuration can be simplified by applying the slide movement (retreat / advance) mechanism of the bottle body 1A used when opening the opening 1a to seal the opening 1a. Moreover, since the slide movement distance of the pushing member 21 can be shortened compared with the said example, it can suppress that the structure by the side of an apparatus main body becomes complicated.

  In the first to fifth embodiments, the engagement state is released by moving the engagement protrusion 3 in the radial direction substantially perpendicular to the bottle main body 1A only by moving the sealing member 2 in the relative movement direction. Since it can, the structure for cancellation is simple.

  In the first, fourth, and fifth embodiments, even when a plurality of the engagement protrusions 3 are provided, all the engagement protrusions 3 are released by applying a force substantially at one place. The configuration for this is simple.

  In the first and fourth embodiments, since the release force receiving portion 4 of the sealing member 2 is provided substantially at the tip portion of the sealing member 2, the release is received at an early stage after the container is started to be inserted into the apparatus main body. The force receiving portion 4 can be engaged with the main body.

It is sectional drawing which shows one Example of the image forming apparatus according to this invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a toner supply container is attached to the image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a front view of the image forming apparatus in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a side view of the image forming apparatus in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the image forming apparatus showing a state where a toner container replacement cover is opened. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a toner supply container mounting operation, that is, (A) when mounting is started, (B) during mounting, and (C) when mounting is completed. FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing an embodiment of a toner supply container. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a drive transmission unit when a drive shaft is provided on the toner supply container main body side. FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing another embodiment of the toner supply container. It is a partial expanded sectional view which shows the other Example of a drive transmission part at the time of providing a drive shaft in the sealing member side. They are the front view (A) which shows one Example of a sealing member, the side view (B) seen from the X direction of the (A) figure, and the side view (C) similarly seen from the Y direction. It is sectional drawing which followed the line ZZ of FIG. 12 (B) which shows a sealing member. It is a perspective view which shows one Example of a driving force transmission part and a driving force receiving part. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a state when the toner bottle is engaged with a drive transmission unit, that is, (A) before toner bottle insertion, (B) during insertion, and (C) when insertion is completed. It is a perspective view which shows the other Example of a driving force receiving part. It is sectional drawing of the sealing member of FIG. Regarding the phase alignment when the toner bottle is inserted, (A) a state where the phases of the engaging rib and the engaging protrusion are overlapped, (B) a state where the rotation is advanced and there is no phase overlap, (C) the rotation is further advanced and the engagement is performed. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state by which the engagement rib was caught by protrusion and the drive transmission was carried out. It is the left view (A), front view (B), and right view (C) which show the other Example of the sealing member according to this invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state of disengagement in the drive transmission unit of the toner bottle, that is, (A) before release, (B) during release, and (C) when release is completed. It is the side view (A), front view (B), and sectional drawing (C) which show the other Example of the sealing member according to this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which the sealing member of FIG. 21 engaged with the drive part. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state of disengagement in the drive transmission unit of the toner bottle, that is, (A) before release, (B) during release, and (C) when release is completed. It is a figure which shows the other example of the sealing member which concerns on Example 2 shown in FIG. It is the side view (A) which shows the other Example of the sealing member according to this invention, and sectional drawing (B) along line XX of the (A) figure. A front view (A), a side view (B), a sectional view (C) along the line CC in FIG. (A) It is sectional drawing (D) along line DD of a figure. FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state when the sealing member of FIG. 25 and the driving unit of FIG. 26 are engaged, that is, (A) when a toner bottle is inserted, (B) during insertion, and (C) when insertion is completed. It is sectional drawing which shows a mode that the engagement of FIG. 27 is cancelled | released, ie, (A) Before cancellation | release, (B) During cancellation | release, and (C) completion | finish of cancellation | release. It is sectional drawing which shows the other Example of the sealing member according to this invention before (A) disengagement and (B) during disengagement. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of a toner supply container.

Explanation of symbols

1 Toner bottle (toner supply container)
1A Bottle body (toner supply container body)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1a Opening part 2 Sealing member 2b Sealing part 2c Coupling engagement part 3 Engagement protrusion (locking part)
3a Drive receiving surface (driving force receiving part)
3b Locking surface 4 Release protrusion (Release force receiving part)
20 Drive unit 21 Extruding member 100 Image forming apparatus main body 400 Toner supply device

Claims (6)

A container main body for containing toner, an opening for discharging the toner in the container main body, a transport unit for transporting the toner in the container main body toward the opening, and a rotational force for driving the transport unit A toner replenishing mechanism comprising: a toner replenishing container having a coupling portion; and a hollow cylindrical drive member having a hole portion and a rib portion connectable to the coupling portion on a peripheral surface,
The coupling portion supports the fitting projection that can be fitted to the drive member, and the fitting projection, and the fitting portion undergoes a displacement inward in the radial direction as the drive member is inserted into the hollow portion. First and second support portions capable of returning radially outward so that the mating protrusions are fitted with the hole portions ,
The first support portion returns to the radially outer side without overlapping with the rib portion in the rotational direction, and the second support portion overlaps with the rib portion in the rotational direction to move radially inward. A toner replenishing mechanism, wherein the second supporting portion is configured to return radially outward as the driving member rotates when in a displaced state. The drive member is provided with a plurality of the rib portions, and the coupling portion is provided with the first and second support portions so as to be different from an angle between the rib portions. The toner replenishing mechanism according to claim 1. 3. The toner replenishing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first and second support portions are made of an elastic body capable of returning outward in the radial direction. 3. The toner replenishing mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a spring that urges the first and second support portions radially outward. A sealing portion that is provided in the coupling portion and seals the opening; and a locking portion that is provided in the fitting protrusion and that locks with a locked portion of the driving member to open the sealing portion; one of the toner replenishing mechanism according to claim 1 to 4, wherein a. A hollow cylindrical release member slidable on the outside of the drive member, and the first and second support portions provided on the first and second support portions are displaced radially inward by the release members. one of the toner replenishing mechanism according to claim 1 to 5, characterized in that it has a, a release projection which projects radially outward at the position of the container main body side than the fitting projections such.

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