JP4156472B2 - Developer supply apparatus and image forming apparatus having the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a developer supply device that is used for electrophotographic image formation and supplies a developer to a developing device, and an image forming apparatus including the developer supply device.

  To a developing device provided in an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic system such as a copying machine, a facsimile, or a printer, toner is supplied using a toner supply container that is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus. Conventionally, various toner supply containers have been proposed in order to suitably supply toner from the toner supply container to the developing device.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 16, a toner supply container 150 is provided in order to supply toner to a developing device from an opening 151 provided on one end surface of a cylindrical toner supply container 150. A spiral guide groove 152 is provided on the peripheral surface. The guide groove 152 is formed so as to draw a spiral toward the opening 151 on one end face of the toner supply container 150. Therefore, the toner is transported to the opening 151 along the guide groove 152 inside the toner supply container 150 by rotating about the cylindrical shaft of the toner supply container 150 described in Patent Document 1 as the rotation axis. Then, the toner is supplied to the developing device.

Further, in the cylindrical toner supply containers disclosed in Patent Documents 2 and 3, an opening for discharging the toner is provided in the center of the peripheral surface of the toner supply container, and the toner from the opening is discharged. Toner is supplied to the developing device using natural fall. In other words, the toner supply containers described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 are provided when the opening is positioned on the lower side with respect to the gravity direction of the toner supply container due to rotation about the cylindrical axis of the toner supply container. The toner is discharged, and the toner can be supplied to a developing device positioned below the direction of gravity of the toner supply container.
JP 7-20705 A (Publication date: January 24, 1995) JP-A-8-339115 (Publication date: December 24, 1996) JP-A-6-348127 (Publication date: December 22, 1994)

  However, in the toner supply container 150 described in Patent Document 1, the diameter of the toner supply container 150 is smaller than the diameter of the toner supply container main body 150 around the center of one end surface of the toner supply container 150, that is, the cylindrical axis of the toner supply container 150. The opening part 151 is provided so that it may become. Therefore, when the toner supply container 150 is filled with toner that is almost full, the upper surface of the toner in the toner supply container 150 is positioned above the opening 151, and the toner is discharged from the opening 151. Easily discharged in large quantities. On the other hand, when the remaining amount of toner in the toner supply container 150 decreases, the upper surface of the toner in the toner supply container 150 is positioned below the opening 151. Therefore, the amount of toner discharged from the opening 151 is relatively smaller than when the toner supply amount in the toner supply container 150 is large.

  Further, in the toner supply containers described in Patent Documents 2 and 3, since the toner falls spontaneously from the opening provided on the peripheral surface, the opening is changed according to the filling amount in the toner supply container. The amount of toner discharged from the toner changes.

  As described above, the conventional toner supply container has a problem that the discharge amount of the toner tends to change according to the filling amount of the toner in the toner supply container. Therefore, the toner supplied from the toner supply container to the developing device changes depending on the filling amount in the toner supply container, and the toner supply amount from the toner supply container to the developing device can be stabilized. It becomes difficult.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, and its object is not to depend on the amount of developer in the developer supply device, but from the developer supply device to the development device. To provide a developer supply device that can stabilize the supply amount of replenished developer and prevent stagnation of the developer at a developer supply port of the developer supply device, and an image forming apparatus including the developer supply device. .

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the developer supply device of the present invention rotates a cylindrical developer storage container that stores the developer around the axis of the developer storage container as a rotation axis. In the developer supply apparatus for supplying the developer to the outside, the developer storage container has a discharge port in a recess provided in an outer peripheral surface of the developer storage container, and includes a region in which the recess is formed. A developer that surrounds at least a recess forming region that goes around the outer peripheral surface along the rotation direction of the developer storage container, rotatably holds the developer storage container, and is discharged into the recess from the discharge port A support member having a developer supply port for supplying the developer to the outside, and is attached to the developer supply port so as to slide in the recess forming region when the developer container is rotated, and Formation of the recess A developer retention preventing member for feeding out the developer conveyed to the developer supply port as well as being provided with a scraping member that slides out the developer in the recess by sliding the recess in the area It is characterized by being provided.

  In the developer supply apparatus of the present invention, the developer retention preventing member is attached to the scraping member and interlocked with an operation of the scraping member sliding in the recess forming region. Thus, it is preferable to feed out the developer.

  Furthermore, in the developer supply device of the present invention, in the developer supply device, the developer retention preventing member is preferably formed of an elastic member.

  In the developer supply device of the present invention, in the developer supply device, the developer retention preventing member is preferably in a sheet form.

  Furthermore, the developer supply apparatus of the present invention is the developer supply apparatus described above, wherein the developer retention preventing member is a part of the developer retention prevention member when the developer is sent to the outside. More preferably, the supply port protrudes to the outside.

  In the developer supply device of the present invention, in the developer supply device, the support member has a shutter member for opening and closing the developer supply port, and the developer retention preventing member is the shutter member. Is stored in the developer supply port when the developer supply port is closed.

  Furthermore, in the developer supply apparatus of the present invention, in the developer supply apparatus, the developer may have a particle size of 7 μm or less.

  The image forming apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the developer supply device is detachably mounted in order to solve the above problems.

  Furthermore, the image forming apparatus of the present invention is mounted in the above image forming apparatus such that the developer supply port is disposed above the position of the axis of the developer container. It is preferable.

  As described above, the developer supply device of the present invention includes a developer storage container and a support member that rotatably supports the developer storage container, and the developer supply port provided in the support member has a developer supply port. When the developer storage container is rotated, the developer storage container is attached so as to slide in the recess forming region, and the developer in the recess is scraped out by sliding the recess in the recess forming region. A member is provided. Therefore, when the developer storage container rotates about the axis thereof as a rotation axis, the scraping member can slide in the recess forming region of the developer storage container and scrape the developer in the recess.

  As described above, in the developer supply device of the present invention, after the developer is once discharged from the developer storage container into the recess, the developer discharged into the recess is scraped and conveyed. Since the scraping member slides in the recess, almost all of the developer discharged into the recess can be scraped. Therefore, it is possible to stabilize the supply amount of the developer discharged to the outside from the developer supply device without depending on the filling amount of the developer in the developer storage container.

  Furthermore, the developer supply apparatus of the present invention includes a developer retention preventing member for sending out the developer conveyed to the developer supply port. Therefore, the developer that is scraped out by the scraping member and conveyed to the developer supply port can be sent out of the developer supply port without staying in the developer supply port. Thereby, there is an effect that the developer discharged from the developer storage container to the concave portion can be reliably sent out to the outside.

  In the developer supply device of the present invention, in the developer supply device, the developer retention preventing member sends out the developer in conjunction with an operation in which the scraping member slides in the recess forming region. Thus, it is attached to the scraping member. Therefore, the developer conveyed to the developer supply port by the scraping member can be sent out to the outside of the developer supply port in conjunction with the operation of the scraping member scraping the developer, so that the developer can be transported smoothly. In addition, there is an effect that it can be performed efficiently.

  Furthermore, the developer supply device of the present invention improves the flexibility of the shape of the developer retention preventing member because the developer retention preventing member is formed of an elastic member in the developer supply device. be able to. Therefore, the shape of the developer retention preventing member can be freely deformed according to the shape of the developer supply port, so various operations of the developer retention prevention member such as sending out the developer in the developer supply port. It is possible to execute smoothly.

  In the developer supply device of the present invention, in the developer supply device, since the developer retention preventing member is in a sheet form, the flexibility is improved and the developer retention preventing member is made cheaper. There is an effect that it can be provided.

  Furthermore, the developer supply apparatus of the present invention is the developer supply apparatus described above, wherein the developer retention preventing member is a part of the developer retention prevention member when the developer is sent to the outside. Since it protrudes from the supply port to the outside, the developer can be sent out from the developer supply port more reliably. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the developer from staying in the developer supply port.

  In the developer supply device of the present invention, in the developer supply device, the support member is provided with a shutter member, and the developer retention preventing member is in a state in which the shutter member closes the developer supply port. In this case, since the developer is accommodated in the developer supply port, even if the developer stays in the developer supply port, the developer stays in the developer supply port by the developer retention preventing member. Can be pushed back to. Therefore, when the shutter member closes the developer supply port, it is possible to more reliably prevent the developer from leaking out or spilling out from the developer supply port.

  In particular, when the developer retention preventing member is formed of an elastic member or in the form of a sheet, the developer retention preventing member can be freely deformed. Therefore, even when the developer retention preventing member and the shutter member are in contact with each other, the developer retention preventing member is easily accommodated in the developer supply port by being deformed. Therefore, when a developer retention preventing member having excellent shape flexibility is used, there is no hindrance to the opening / closing operation of the shutter member due to the interference between the developer retention preventing member and the shutter member.

  Further, the developer supply device of the present invention is the developer supply device described above, wherein the developer has a particle size of 7 μm or less, even if the toner has a small particle size and tends to agglomerate. It is possible to prevent the developer from staying on the surface and to reliably deliver the developer to the outside.

  In addition, as described above, the developer supply device described above is detachably mounted on the image forming apparatus of the present invention. Since the developer supply device includes a scraping member for discharging the developer discharged from the developer storage container into the recess, the supply amount of the developer discharged from the developer supply device to the outside can be stabilized. An image forming apparatus that can be provided can be provided.

  In addition, since the developer supply device includes a developer retention preventing member, the developer that has been scraped by the scraping member and conveyed to the developer supply port is retained in the developer supply port. There is an effect that it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of being sent out to the outside of the developer supply port. Further, as described above, since the developer is prevented from staying in the developer supply port, the developer is scattered in the image forming apparatus even when the developer supply apparatus is detached from the image forming apparatus. There is an effect that it can be prevented.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the developer supply device is mounted such that the developer supply port is disposed above the position of the axis of the developer storage container. ing. For this reason, the developer storage container can be suitably scraped by the scraping member and conveyed to the developer supply port while utilizing the natural fall of the developer in the recess of the developer storage container by the rotation of the developer storage container. Play.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 2 is a front view of a printer (image forming apparatus) 100 including the toner supply device (developer supply device) 30 according to the present embodiment. The toner supply device 30 is detachably attached to the electrophotographic printer 100 shown in FIG. 2 and supplies toner (developer) to the developing device 4 via the toner hopper 8. The toner may be a two-component system including a carrier, or may be a one-component system not including a carrier. Further, the toner used in the toner supply apparatus may be a toner having a small particle diameter and easily aggregated, for example, 7 μm or less.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in addition to the toner supply device 30, the toner hopper 8, and the developing device 4, the printer 100 further includes a photosensitive drum 1, a charging device 2, a laser exposure device 3, a transfer device 5, and a paper feed. A unit 6 and a fixing unit 7 are provided. When image formation is performed with the printer 100 having this configuration, first, the photosensitive drum 1 as an electrostatic latent image carrier is charged by the charging device 2 and then the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 by the laser exposure device 3. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface. Next, using the toner supplied from the toner supply device 30 through the toner hopper 8, the developing device 4 visualizes the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 1 to form a toner image. The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 is transferred onto the recording paper conveyed from the paper supply unit 6 by the transfer device 5. The toner image transferred to the recording paper is fixed by the fixing unit 7 and discharged to the outside of the printer 100.

  FIG. 3 shows a front view of the toner supply device 30 and the developing device 4 of the present embodiment that are mounted on the printer 100. As shown in FIG. 3, in the printer 100, a toner supply device 30, a toner hopper 8, and a developing device 4 are arranged in this order from the downstream side in the toner transport direction. Thus, the toner discharged from the toner supply container 30 is agitated by the toner hopper 8 and supplied to the developing device 4, and the developing device 4 supplies the toner to the photosensitive drum 1.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the toner supply device 30. As shown in FIG. 1, the toner supply device 30 includes a toner storage container (developer storage container) 31 and a support member that rotatably holds the toner storage container 31 with a cylindrical shaft (axis line) L as a rotation axis. 32.

  FIG. 4 shows a front view of the toner container 31 on the peripheral surface side. As shown in FIG. 4, the toner storage container 31 has a cylindrical shape. The toner storage container 31 stores toner therein, and rotates toner about a cylindrical shaft, while supplying toner from a toner discharge port 43 (FIG. 5) described later. 1 Discharge into the recess 41 (FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 4, the toner storage container 31 includes three cylindrical first container part 33, second container part 34, and third container part 35, each of which is made of, for example, polyethylene. A synthetic resin such as the above is blow-molded to be integrally molded. The third container part 35 is provided between the first container part 33 and the second container part 34, and the first container part 33 and the second container part 34 are respectively provided in the cylindrical toner storage container 31. The bottom part 33a * 34a used as a bottom face is provided.

  The first container portion 33 is the side of the cylindrical toner storage container 31 that is disposed on a main body side connecting portion 80 (see FIG. 11) provided in the printer 100 described later. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, two fitting convex portions 37 and 37 projecting from the bottom portion 33a are provided on the bottom portion 33a of the first container portion 33 as a connecting portion for connecting to the main body side connecting portion 80. It has been. The fitting convex portions 37 and 37 are disposed so as to be substantially symmetrical with respect to the center of the bottom portion 33a, that is, the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical toner storage container 31. As will be described in detail later, when the toner supply device 30 is mounted on the printer 100 via the fitting convex portions 37, 37, the toner storage container 31 receives the driving force from the driving source of the printer 100. Rotate around a cylindrical axis.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the bottom portion 33a is further provided with a toner replenishing port portion 45 that is opened through a part of the bottom portion 33a. A replenishment lid 46 is detachably attached. The replenishing port 45 is provided for replenishing toner to the toner storage container 31, and is formed in a circular shape around the cylindrical shaft at the center of the bottom 33a. The supply lid 46 covers the entire toner supply port 45 and seals the toner supply port 45. The replenishing lid 46 is mounted so as not to be detached from the toner replenishing port 45 by rotation about the cylindrical axis of the toner storage container 33a. Further, the replenishing lid 46 is configured to be detached from the toner replenishing port 45 when replenishing toner from the toner replenishing port 45 to the toner storage container 31.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the inner surface of the peripheral surface of the first container portion 33 (hereinafter referred to as the inner peripheral surface) has a plurality of transports in order to transport the toner in the toner storage container 41 in the cylindrical axis direction. A portion 36 is provided. The conveying portion 36 is formed so as to protrude in the cylindrical axis direction from the inner peripheral surface, and is formed at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction of the first container portion 33 and in the cylindrical axis direction. The conveying portions 36 are formed so as to be parallel to each other in the cylindrical axis direction.

  Further, the transport unit 36 transports toner from the bottom 33a toward the third container unit 35, so that the transport unit 36 is in a direction perpendicular to the cylindrical axis of the toner storage container 31 on the inner peripheral surface. It is formed so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle. That is, the third container portion 35 having a toner discharge port 43 (FIG. 5), which will be described later, on the downstream side of the conveying portion 36 with respect to the rotation direction of the toner storage container 31 around the cylindrical axis as compared with the upstream side. The conveying section 36 is formed so as to be located on the side.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the second container portion 34 is a side disposed in a main body side connecting portion 80 (see FIG. 11) provided in the printer 100 described later in the cylindrical toner storage container 31. It is provided at the opposite end and has a bottom 34 a of the toner storage container 31. The inner diameter of the second container part 34 is formed to be equal to the inner diameter of the first container part 33.

  A plurality of transport portions 39 are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the second container portion 34 in order to transport the toner in the toner storage container 31 in the cylindrical axis direction. The conveying portion 39 is formed so as to protrude from the inner peripheral surface in the cylindrical axis direction, and is formed at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction of the second container portion 34 and in the cylindrical axis direction. The conveying unit 39 is formed to be parallel to each other in the cylindrical axis direction.

  In addition, the transport unit 39 transports toner from the bottom 34a toward the third container unit 35, so that the transport unit 39 is in a direction perpendicular to the cylindrical axis of the toner storage container 31 on the inner peripheral surface. It is formed so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle. That is, the third container portion 35 having a toner discharge port 43 (FIG. 5) described later on the downstream side of the conveying portion 39 with respect to the rotation direction of the toner storage container 31 around the cylindrical axis as compared with the upstream side. The transport unit 39 is formed so as to be located on the side.

  As described above, in the toner storage container 31, the third container part 35 is provided between the first container part 33 and the second container part 34. It is formed so as to be in a direction opposite to the inclination of the conveyance unit 36 formed in the unit 33. Thereby, when the toner storage container 31 rotates around the cylindrical axis, the toner stored in the first container section 33 and the toner stored in the second storage section 34 are respectively stored in the toner storage. The container 31 is guided from the bottom 33a / 34a to the third container 35 along the conveying parts 36/39.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the third container portion 35 is formed such that the inner circumference diameter is larger than the inner circumference diameters of the first container portion 33 and the second container portion 34. Thereby, since the toner conveyed from the first container part 33 and the second container part 34 can be reliably conveyed and dropped into the third container part 35, the toner is always constant in the third container part 35. An amount of toner will be retained. Accordingly, even when the rotation of the toner storage container 31 is stopped, the third container portion 35 holds a predetermined amount of toner, so that the toner can be stably stabilized immediately after the toner storage container 31 is driven to rotate again. Can be supplied. Furthermore, even when the remaining amount of toner in the toner storage container 31 is reduced, a fixed amount of toner can be held in the third container portion 35, so that the toner can be stably supplied for a long time. be able to.

  In FIG. 5, the perspective view of the 3rd container part 35 is shown in detail. As shown in FIG. 5, the third container portion 35 is formed so that the outer peripheral surface of the toner storage container 31 goes around in the rotation direction of the toner storage container 31, and is arranged along the cylindrical axis direction of the toner storage container 31. It has the recessed part formation part (recessed part formation area) 35a and guide piece formation part 35b * 35c. The recess forming portion 35a is formed between the two guide piece forming portions 35b and 35c.

  The recessed portion forming portion 35a includes a first recessed portion (recessed portion) 41 and a second recessed portion 42 formed so as to be recessed in the cylindrical axial direction from the outer surface (hereinafter referred to as the outer peripheral surface) of the peripheral surface of the third container portion 35. Have. The first recess 41 and the second recess 42 are formed at positions that are symmetrical to each other with respect to the cylindrical axis in the recess forming portion 35a. The first recess 41 and the second recess 42 are formed at a predetermined interval with respect to the rotation direction R around the cylindrical axis of the toner storage container 31.

  The first recess 41 serves as a space for holding the toner discharged from the toner storage container 31 and is used as a space for sending the toner from the first recess 41 to a toner supply port 50 (FIG. 6) described later. It is done. Since the first concave portion 41 and the second concave portion 42 are provided in a concave shape on the outer peripheral surface of the third container portion 35, the third container portion 35 and the support member 32 (FIG. 1) when the toner storage container 31 is rotated. ) Can be reduced. Accordingly, when the toner storage container 31 is rotated, friction between the support member 32 and the toner storage container 31 can be reduced, and the toner storage container 31 can be smoothly rotated.

  The said 1st recessed part 41 has the end wall part 41a, the bottom wall part 41b, the 1st side wall part 41c, and the 2nd side wall part 41d, as shown in FIG. The end wall portion 41a is provided at the downstream end of the first recess 41 with respect to the rotation direction R of the toner container 31, and is formed to be perpendicular to the outer peripheral surface of the recess forming portion 35a. Has been. The end wall portion 41a has a toner discharge port (discharge port) 43 that is opened through the toner storage container 31 in order to discharge the toner stored in the toner storage container 31 into the first recess. is doing.

  The bottom wall portion 41b is provided so as to extend in the rotation direction R. With respect to the rotation direction R, the downstream end portion communicates with the end wall portion 41a, and the upstream end portion is the third end portion. The container portion 35 communicates smoothly with the outer peripheral surface. That is, the bottom wall portion 41b is formed closer to the cylindrical shaft than the outer peripheral surface of the recess forming portion 35a so as to be substantially parallel to the outer peripheral surface.

  The first side wall portion 41c and the second side wall portion 41d are provided in parallel to each other at the end of the first recess 41 in the cylindrical axis direction of the toner storage container 35a, and the outer periphery of the recess forming portion 35a. It is formed so as to be perpendicular to the surface and the bottom wall portion 41b. The first side wall portion 41 c and the second side wall portion 41 d communicate with the end wall portion 41 a on the downstream side with respect to the rotation direction R of the toner storage container 31, respectively, and on the upstream side of the third container portion 35. It communicates with the outer peripheral surface.

  On the other hand, the 2nd recessed part 42 has the bottom wall part 42b, the 1st side wall part 42c, and the 2nd side wall part 42d, as shown in FIG. The bottom wall portion 42 b is provided so as to extend in the rotation direction R of the toner storage container 31, and the upstream and downstream ends of the rotation direction R respectively correspond to the third container portion 35. Smooth communication with the outer peripheral surface. That is, the bottom wall portion 41b is formed closer to the cylindrical shaft than the outer peripheral surface so as to be substantially parallel to the outer peripheral surface.

  The first side wall part 42c and the second side wall part 42d are respectively provided at the end of the second recess 42 in the cylindrical axial direction of the toner storage container 31, and are perpendicular to the outer peripheral surface and the bottom wall part 42b. It is formed as follows. The first side wall portion 41 c and the second side wall portion 41 d communicate with the outer peripheral surface of the third container portion 35 on the upstream side and the downstream side with respect to the rotation direction R, respectively.

  The guide piece forming portions 35b and 35c include a plurality of discharge guide pieces 44b and 44c formed in a convex shape so as to protrude from the outer peripheral surface in the direction opposite to the cylindrical axis direction. The discharge guide pieces 44b and 44c, which will be described in detail later, leaked when the toner discharged from the toner discharge port 43 of the first recess 41 leaked to the guide piece forming portions 35b and 35c. It is provided to feed the toner to the first recess 41 or the second recess 42.

  The guide piece forming portion 35b is disposed at an end portion of the third container portion 35 on the first container portion 33 side. The discharge guide pieces 44a formed on the guide piece forming portion 35b are provided in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the guide piece forming portion 35b so as to be equidistant from each other and parallel to each other. . Further, the discharge guide piece 44b is provided with a toner container so that the toner on the guide piece forming portion 35b can be suitably sent to the concave portion forming portion 35a by rotation about the cylindrical axis of the toner storage container 31. The container 31 is not parallel to the cylindrical axis, but is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the cylindrical axis.

  On the other hand, the guide piece forming portion 35c is disposed at the end of the third container portion 35 on the second container portion 34 side. The discharge guide pieces 44c formed in the guide piece forming portion 35c are provided in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the guide piece forming portion 35c so as to be equidistant from each other and parallel to each other. . Further, the discharge guide piece 44c is provided with a toner storage so that the toner on the guide piece forming portion 35c can be suitably sent to the concave portion forming portion 35a side by rotating around the cylindrical axis of the toner storage container 31. The container 31 is not parallel to the cylindrical axis, but is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the cylindrical axis. The direction of the inclination is opposite to that of the discharge guide piece 44b.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the toner container 31 having the above configuration is supported by a support member 32 at the position of the third container portion 35 so as to be rotatable about a cylindrical axis L as a rotation axis. It is preferable that the support member 32 supports the toner storage container 31 so as to surround at least the entire recess forming part 35a of the third container part 35. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the third container portion 35 and the support member 32. As shown in FIG. 6, the support member 32 is a combination of a first support portion 55 and a second support portion 56. By combining the first support portion 55 and the second support portion 56, a toner storage container is provided. A cylindrical space that is coaxial with the 31 cylindrical axis is formed. By disposing the third container part 35 in this space, the first support part 55 and the second support part 56 sandwich the entire outer peripheral surface of the third container part 35 so as to enclose the toner. The storage container 31 is supported. The support member 32 surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the third container portion 35 so as to include at least the recess forming portion 35a, and supports the toner storage container 31.

  That is, the first support part 55 and the second support part 56 each have a curved surface having a curvature matched to the cylindrical shape of the third container part 35. In the present embodiment, the curved surfaces provided in each of the first support portion 55 and the second support portion 56 surround the half circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the third container portion 35 to support the toner storage container 31. A cylindrical space is formed.

  In order to form such a cylindrical space, as shown in FIG. 6, the first support portions 55 are provided at both ends in the circumferential direction of the curved surface and perpendicular to the curved surface, and in the outer circumferential direction. It has the extended connection part 55a * 55b. The second support portion 56 has connecting portions 56a and 56b that are provided perpendicular to the curved surface at both ends in the circumferential direction of the curved surface and extend in the outer circumferential direction. The connections 55a and 55b of the first support part 55 and the connection parts 56a and 56b of the second support part 56 are brought into contact with each other and fixed with a fixing member such as a screw. Thereby, the inner peripheral side of the curved surface of the first support portion and the inner peripheral side of the curved surface of the second support portion face each other, and a cylindrical space is formed.

  When the toner container 31 is supported by the support member 32, as shown in FIG. 7, for example, between the first support part 55 and the second support part 56 of the support member 32, for example, A V seal 59 formed of an elastic material such as silicon rubber and having a V-shaped cross section may be provided. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, since the support member 32 having a width larger than the width of the third container portion 35 in the cylindrical axis direction is used, the third container portion 35 and the first container portion The toner container 31 and the support member 32 are brought into close contact with each other by winding a V seal 59 around the boundary between the second container portion 34 and the second container portion 34 along the circumferential direction.

  As described above, by providing the V seal 59, the toner storage container 31 and the support member 32 are brought into close contact with each other, so that the airtightness between the toner storage container 31 and the support member 32 can be improved. Therefore, even when toner leaks between the toner storage container 31 and the support member 32 when the toner is transported from the toner storage container 31 to a toner supply port 50 (FIG. 6) of the support member 32 described later, the toner Since leakage to the first container portion 33 and the second container portion 34 side of the storage container 31 can be prevented, toner scattering in the printer 100 can be prevented.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the first support portion 55 and the second support portion 56 of the support member 32 are each mounted on the printer 100 with the toner supply device 30 on the outer periphery of the curved surface. Mounting guide portions 57b and 57c are provided. Further, the first support portion 55 serves as an attachment guide portion when the toner supply device 30 is attached to the printer 100, and when the toner supply device 30 is placed on a plane outside the printer 10, a toner storage container 31 is provided. Ribs 57a are provided as support bases for preventing rolling.

  The first support portion 55 is further provided with a toner supply port (developer supply port) 50 for sending toner to a toner carry-in port provided on the toner hopper 8 (FIG. 3) described later. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views near the toner supply port 50. FIG. As shown in FIG. 7A, the toner supply port 50 has an opening 51 that passes through the curved surface of the first support portion 55, a toner conveyance path 52, and a conduction port 53 that faces the toner hopper 8. The toner that has passed through the opening 51 from the toner supply container 31 is supplied to the outside of the toner supply device 30, that is, the toner hopper 8 through the toner conveyance path 52 and the conduction port 53. As shown in FIG. 3, the toner supply port 50 is formed to be positioned above the position of the cylindrical axis L of the toner supply container 31 when the toner supply device 30 is attached to the printer 100.

  Further, a scraper (scraping member) 20 for scraping the toner supplied from the toner supply container 31 is attached to the toner supply port 50. The scraper 20 is provided at the opening 51 so as to face the toner storage container 31, and slides on the outer peripheral surface of the recess forming portion 35 a (FIG. 5) of the third container portion 35 of the toner storage container 31. .

  9A shows a perspective view of the toner supply port 50 when viewed from the toner hopper 8 side, and FIG. 9B shows a perspective view of the toner supply port 50 when viewed from the toner storage container 31 side. Show. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the scraper 20 includes a base portion 21, a toner discharge sheet 22, and standing walls 23a and 23b.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, the base portion 21 is formed of a rigid body made of polyacetal resin or the like, and holds the end portion side of the toner discharge sheet 22 that slides on the recess forming portion 35a (FIG. 5). And a fulcrum portion 21b that becomes a fulcrum of the scraper 20 when the scraper 20 slides on the recess forming portion 35a. The sheet holding portion 21a prevents the toner discharge sheet 22 from being deformed by bending of the toner discharge sheet 22 when the tip of the toner discharge sheet 22 contacts the recess forming portion 35a when the scraper 20 is movable. Provided to support.

  The fulcrum portion 21b extends from the sheet holding portion 21a and is formed at a predetermined angle with the sheet holding portion 21a. The end portion of the fulcrum portion 21b opposite to the sheet holding portion 21a side is provided downstream of the toner supply port 50 with respect to the rotation direction of the toner storage container 31, as shown in FIG. 8A. One end is inserted into the concave scraper mounting portion 54, and movement of one end of the fulcrum portion 21 b is restricted in the scraper mounting portion 54.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9B, the base portion 21 has an elastic member 24 such as a spring locked by a locking member 25a on the side of the fulcrum portion 21b facing the toner storage container 31. The both ends of the elastic member 24 are locked to the first support portion 55 by locking members 25b and 25c. Thus, by providing the elastic member 24 at the fulcrum portion 21b, the fulcrum portion 21b side of the base portion 21 of the scraper 20 is attached so that the elastic member 24 inclines toward the third container portion 35 side of the toner storage container 31. It is energized. Therefore, when the leading end portion of the toner discharge sheet 22 is not in contact with the recess forming portion 35a (FIG. 5), as shown in FIG. 8A, the sheet holding portion 21a of the base portion 21 is the third container. It will be in the state which fell down to the part 35 side.

  From this state, when the toner container 31 rotates in the rotation direction R, as shown in FIG. 8B, the tip of the toner discharge sheet 22 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the recess forming portion 35a. As a result, the scraper 20 moves with the fulcrum portion 21b attached to the scraper attachment portion 54 as a fulcrum, and slides along the shape of the outer surface of the recess forming portion 35a at the tip of the toner discharge sheet 22. It comes to move.

  The toner discharge sheet 22 is formed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) having elasticity and high flexibility. As shown in FIG. 9B, the toner discharge sheet 22 is fixed to the sheet holding portion 21a of the base portion 21 using a double-sided tape or the like. On the other hand, one end of the base portion 21 extending in the direction of the fulcrum portion 21b prevents the toner from entering the scraper mounting portion 54 provided in the toner supply port 50 as shown in FIG. The scraper mounting portion 54 is covered and disposed on the toner conveyance path 52.

  Since the toner discharge sheet 22 has elasticity and flexibility as described above, the tip of the toner discharge sheet 22 can slide in close contact with the recess forming portion 35a. Furthermore, even when the sheet holding part 21a of the base part 21 is lifted by this sliding, as shown in FIG. 8B, the sheet holding part 21a is bent between the fulcrum part 21b, The toner can be slid on the toner conveyance path 52 while covering the scraper mounting portion 54.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, the standing walls 23a and 23b are provided on the toner discharge sheet 22 in order to suitably send the toner discharged from the opening 51 (FIG. 8A) to the toner transport path 52. The toner discharge sheet 22 is provided at both ends in the toner transport direction in a direction perpendicular to the toner discharge sheet 22. The toner discharge sheet 22 and the standing walls 23a and 23b are integrally formed, for example, and the toner discharge sheet 22 and the standing walls 23a and 23b may be formed by bending the ends of an elastic resin sheet.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, a blocking prevention member (developer retention prevention member) 26 is attached to the scraper 20 having the above-described configuration in order to prevent toner retention on the toner conveyance path 52. . As shown in FIG. 9A, the anti-blocking member 26 is disposed on the toner conveyance path 52 by fixing both ends to the standing walls 23 a and 23 b of the scraper 20 to form a substantially U shape.

  The blocking prevention member 26 may be formed into a sheet using, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), acrylonitrile / butadiene / styrene (ABS) resin, polyolefin, or the like. The anti-blocking member preferably has a thickness of 50 μm to 200 μm and has elasticity. As described above, if the anti-blocking member is molded into a thin sheet and formed of an elastic material, the anti-blocking member can be elastically deformed freely. Can be increased.

  As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the anti-blocking member 26 moves on the toner conveyance path 52 in a direction parallel to the toner conveyance direction in conjunction with the movement of the scraper 20. Thus, the toner on the toner conveyance path 52 can be pushed out from the conduction port 53 of the toner supply port 50 toward the toner hopper 8, and the toner can be prevented from staying on the toner conveyance path 52.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the toner supply port 50 is provided with a shutter member 58 for opening and closing the conduction port 53 on the toner hopper 8 side of the toner supply port 50. The shutter member 58 includes a shutter portion 58 a that covers the toner supply port 50, and a shutter guide portion 58 b that allows the shutter portion 58 a to slide in a direction parallel to the cylindrical axis of the toner storage container 31. When the toner supply device 30 is mounted on the printer 100 (FIG. 2), the shutter member 58 is in an open state in which the conduction port 53 of the toner supply port 50 is opened as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when the toner supply device 30 is detached from the printer 100, as shown in FIG. 10A, the shutter portion 58a slides along the shutter guide portion 58b as the toner supply device 30 is detached. To do. Then, the blocking preventing member 26 is accommodated in the toner supply port 50, and the shutter portion 58a is in a closed state covering the conduction port 53 of the toner supply port 50 as shown in FIG.

  The toner supply device 30 having the above configuration is used by being detachably attached to the printer 100. When the toner supply device 30 is attached to the printer 100, the toner supply device 30 is inserted into an area adjacent to the toner hopper 8 in the printer 100 as shown in FIG. At this time, the toner container 31 is inserted into the printer 100 from the first container portion 33 (FIG. 4) side and guided by the ribs 57a and the mounting guide portions 57b and 57c (FIG. 6) provided on the support member 32. Attached to the printer 100.

  Further, when the toner supply device 30 is not attached to the printer 100, as shown in FIG. 10B, the conduction port 53 of the toner supply port 50 is covered by the shutter member 58 and is in a closed state. Yes. Therefore, a shutter displacement member (not shown) is provided at the mounting position of the toner supply device 30 in the printer 100. Thus, when the toner supply device 30 is mounted on the printer 100, the shutter displacement member slides on the shutter portion 58a of the shutter member 58 provided on the support member 32 of the toner supply device 30, as shown in FIG. Thus, the toner supply port 50 can be opened. As described above, by attaching the toner supply device 30 to the printer 100, the shutter member 58 is slid, the toner supply port 50 is opened, and the conduction port 53 of the toner supply port 50 and the toner hopper 8 are not shown. The toner inlet is connected.

  As described above, the toner supply device 30 inserted into the printer 100 is connected to the printer 100 by the first container portion 33. FIG. 11 shows a state in which the toner supply device 30 and the main body side connecting portion 80 of the printer 100 are connected, and a top view of the toner hopper 8. The main body side connecting portion 80 has a disk-shaped joint receiving portion 81 that is rotated by a driving force from a driving source 85 such as a motor of the printer 100, and the joint receiving portion 81 and the toner supply container 31 of the toner supply device 30. Are connected. More specifically, the fitting convex portion 37 and the supply lid 46 provided on the bottom 33 a of the first container portion 33 of the toner supply container 31 are fitted into the concave receiving portion 82 provided on the joint receiving portion 81. Connected.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the joint receiving portion 81 is attached to the rotary shaft 84 so as to coincide with the rotation center of the rotary shaft 84 that passes through the housing 88 of the printer 100. A spring member 83 such as a compression coil spring is attached to the rotary shaft 84 between the rotary shaft 81 and the rotary shaft 84. The spring member 83 urges the joint receiving portion 81 in a direction away from the housing 88. Therefore, the movement of the toner supply device 30 along the mounting direction is restricted by a restriction member (not shown) so that the toner supply device 30 is pressed against the joint receiving portion 81.

  In the toner supply device 30 attached to the printer 100 as described above, the driving force from the driving source 85 of the printer 100 is transmitted to the joint receiving portion 81 via the speed reducer 86 such as a gear and the rotating shaft 84. As the joint receiving portion 81 rotates, the toner supply container 31 rotates around the cylindrical axis.

  Next, the operation of the toner supply device 30 having the above-described configuration in the printer 100 is based on the drawings used in the above description and FIGS. 12 (a), 12 (b), 13 (c), and 13 (d). This will be described in detail.

  In the toner supply device 30 described above, as shown in FIG. 6, the first recess portion of the recess forming portion 35a in the third container portion 35 in a state where the toner storage container 31 is supported by the support member 32. A space is formed between 41 and the second recess 42 and the support member 32. In this state, when the toner supply container 30 is rotated about the cylindrical axis by the driving force from the drive source 85 shown in FIG. The toner at the position of the container portion 34 (FIG. 4) is transported along the transport portions 36 and 39. At this time, the conveyed toner is collected in the third container portion 35.

  The toner collected in the third container portion 35 is discharged into the first recess 41 from the toner discharge port 43 provided in the first recess 41 shown in FIG. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12A, the first recess 41 and the scraper 20 face each other, and the tip portion of the toner discharge sheet 22 of the scraper 20 is placed on the bottom wall portion 31b of the first recess 41. In a state where they are not in contact, the sheet holding part 21a of the base part 21 is tilted toward the third container part 35 side. From the state shown in FIG. 12A, when the toner storage container 31 storing the toner 27 rotates about the cylindrical axis in the rotation direction R, as shown in FIG. 12B, the toner discharged from the scraper 20 is discharged. The leading end portion of the sheet 22 contacts the bottom wall portion 41 b of the first recess 41.

  As described above, the first recess 41 has the toner discharge port 43 that is provided on the downstream side with respect to the rotation direction R of the toner supply container 31 and penetrates the inside and outside of the toner storage container 31. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 12B, when the toner discharge port 43 comes into contact with the surface of the toner 27 in the toner storage container 31 by the rotation of the toner storage container 31, The toner flows from the toner discharge port 43 between the first recess 41 and the support member 32.

  When the entire first recess 41 passes through the position of the toner supply port 50 where the scraper 20 is provided by the rotation of the toner storage container 31, the first recess 41 and the second recess 41 as shown in FIG. The leading end portion of the toner discharge sheet 22 and the leading end portion of the sheet holding portion 21 a are in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the concave portion forming portion 35 between the concave portion 42 and the concave portion 42. At this time, the toner container 31 rotates with the toner 27 held between the first recess 41 and the support member 32.

  When the toner container 31 further rotates, as shown in FIG. 13A, the second recess 42 and the scraper 20 face each other, and the tip of the toner discharge sheet 22 of the scraper 20 is the bottom wall of the second recess 42. The part 42b is slid. Since the second recess 42 does not have an opening that penetrates the inside and outside of the toner storage container 31, the toner 27 in the toner supply container 31 flows into the space between the second recess 42 and the support member 32. There is nothing. Also in this case, the toner storage container 31 rotates with the toner 27 a held between the first recess 41 and the support member 32.

  Thereafter, the first concave portion 41 again faces the scraper 20 in a state where the toner 27 a is held and conveyed between the first concave portion 41 and the support member 32. When the leading end portion of the toner discharge sheet 22 of the scraper 20 comes into contact with the bottom wall portion 41b of the first recess 41, the toner 27a between the first recess 41 and the support member 32 is shown in FIG. Is scooped up at the tip of the toner discharge sheet 22. At this time, the bottom wall portion 41 b of the first recess 41 has a gentle slope that is substantially parallel to the outer peripheral surface of the toner storage container 31. Through the toner 27a, the toner 27a is smoothly delivered to the toner supply port 50.

  Since the scraper 20 is provided with the standing walls 23a and 23b (FIG. 9A), the sent toner can be smoothly sent out from the toner supply port 50 to the toner hopper 8. In other words, the provision of the standing walls 23a and 23b prevents the toner from flowing out in the direction perpendicular to the toner conveyance direction from the toner supply device 30 to the toner hopper 21, and thus the toner supply device 30 side. Thus, the toner can be smoothly conveyed along the toner conveyance direction which is the direction of the toner hopper 8 (FIG. 3).

  In addition, the anti-blocking member 26 attached to the standing walls 23a and 23b moves on the toner transport path 52 in a direction parallel to the toner transport direction in conjunction with the movement of the scraper 20 sliding on the recess forming portion 35a. Move (FIGS. 8A and 8B). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8B, the tip of the toner discharge sheet 22 provided in the scraper 20 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the recess forming portion 35 between the first recess 41 and the second recess 42. As shown in FIG. 14, the leading end portion of the blocking preventing member 26 (a part of the developer retention preventing member) protrudes outside the toner supply port 50 as shown in FIG. 14. That is, the leading end portion of the blocking preventing member 26 is pushed out from the conduction port 53 of the toner supply port 50 to the toner hopper 8 side. As a result, the toner on the toner conveyance path 52 of the toner supply port 50 can be reliably sent to the toner hopper 8 side, so that the toner is prevented from staying near the conduction port 53 and discharged from the toner supply container 31. The toner thus supplied can be reliably supplied to the toner hopper 8.

  In the present embodiment, the tip portion of the blocking preventing agent 26 is pushed out of the toner supply port 50 from the conduction port 53 and protrudes to the toner hopper 8 side. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Absent. That is, in order to prevent the toner from staying near the conduction port 53, it is only necessary that the tip of the anti-blocking agent 26 ′ moves to the conduction port 53 as shown in FIG. Also with this configuration, it is possible to prevent toner from staying in the conduction port 53 and to send the toner near the conduction port 53 to the toner hopper 8 side.

  In the above description, the toner is not held in the space between the second recess and the support member 32. However, the toner flows into the space between the first recess 41 and the support member 32. A part of the toner 27a may be held. That is, a part of the toner 27 a that has flowed into the space between the first recess 41 and the support member 32 due to the rotation of the toner container 31 is guided piece forming part 35 b provided in the third recess of the toner container 31.・ It may leak to the 35c (Fig. 5) side. In such a case, the toner on the guide piece forming portions 35b and 35c is conveyed to the first concave portion 41 and the second concave portion 42 by the discharge guide pieces 44a and 44b provided in the guide piece forming portions 35b and 35c. Collected. Accordingly, the space between the first recess 41 and the support member 32 (hereinafter referred to as the first space) and the space between the second recess 42 and the support member 32 (described as the second space). ), The leaked toner may be held on the guide piece forming portions 35b and 35c.

  As described above, the toner collected in the first space among the toner leaking onto the guide piece forming portions 35b and 35c is based on FIGS. 12 (a), 12 (b) and 13 (a), 13 (b). As described above, the toner discharged from the toner discharge port 43 of the first recess 41 is sent to the toner supply port 50. On the other hand, when the toner leaked onto the guide piece forming portions 35b and 35c is transported to the second space, the bottom wall portion of the second recess 42 as shown in FIG. As the scraper 20 slides on 42 b, the toner in the second space is scooped up at the tip of the toner discharge sheet 22. The scooped toner passes through the toner discharge sheet 22 from the second recess 42 side and is sent to the toner supply port 50, so that the toner leaked onto the guide piece forming portions 35b and 35c is not wasted. The toner can be supplied to the toner hopper 8 and used for development.

  As described above, by rotating the toner storage container 31, the toner can flow into the first recess 41 and can be conveyed to the toner supply port 50. For this reason, even when the remaining amount of toner in the toner storage container 31 is small, the toner that is located below in the direction of gravity in the toner storage container 31 can be allowed to flow into the first space. . Accordingly, the toner can be allowed to flow into the first space without greatly depending on the remaining amount of toner in the toner storage container 31, so that the toner conveyed by the first concave portion 41 is allowed to flow through the toner supply port 50. Through the toner hopper 8 side.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the toner supply port 50 is attached to the printer 100 so as to be positioned above the cylindrical axis L of the toner storage container 31. Therefore, the toner held in the first space can be smoothly dropped to the toner supply port 50 along the bottom wall portion 41 b of the first recess 41 provided in the cylindrical toner storage container 31. . Thereby, it is possible to suitably supply toner from the toner supply device 30 to the toner hopper 8.

  Further, the toner between the first concave portion 41 and the second concave portion 42 and the support member 32 has the tip portion of the toner discharge sheet 22 of the scraper 20 at the first concave portion 41 and the bottom wall portions 41b and 42b of the second concave portion. By sliding in a state of being pressed against the toner, the toner is scooped up from the first concave portion 41 and the second concave portion 42 and scraped to the toner supply port 50 side. Therefore, the toner collected in the first space and the second space can be surely scooped up and scraped off, so that the toner supply port is provided from the first recess 41 and the second recess 42 of the toner storage container 31. The toner can be transported onto the 50 toner transport paths 52.

  Furthermore, since the scraper 20 is provided with the anti-blocking member 26, the toner sent to the toner supply port 50 by the scraper 20 can be further sent to the toner hopper 8 side by the anti-blocking member 26. Accordingly, the toner can be prevented from staying in the conduction port 53 of the toner supply port 50, and the toner can be smoothly delivered from the toner supply device 30 to the toner hopper 8.

  The toner sent to the toner hopper 8 as described above is first stirred by the stirring member 11 in the toner hopper 8 as shown in FIG. The stirring member 11 is provided with a stirring blade 11b on the stirring shaft 11a. When the stirring shaft 11a rotates, the stirring blade 11b rotates around the stirring shaft 11a, and the toner in the toner hopper 8 is stirred. . Subsequently, the toner stirred by the stirring member 11 is sent to the supply roller 12 side by the stirring operation of the stirring member 11. The supply roller 13 supplies the toner sent out by the stirring member 11 to the developing device 4.

  With the above operation, when the toner is discharged from the toner supply device 30 and the remaining amount of toner in the toner storage container 31 is reduced, the toner supply device 30 is removed from the printer 100 and the toner supply port of the toner storage container 31 is removed. The toner may be supplied from 45 (FIG. 4).

  When the toner supply device 30 is detached from the printer 100, first, the restriction on the toner supply device 30 by the restriction member is released. Next, the toner supply device 30 is moved in the direction opposite to the direction in which the toner supply device 30 is inserted into the printer 100, and is guided by the ribs 57a and the mounting guide portions 57b and 57c (FIG. 6) provided on the support member 32. Then, the toner supply device 30 is detached from the printer 100.

  At this time, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the above-described shutter displacement member provided in the printer 100 moves the shutter portion 58a of the shutter member 58 provided in the support member 32 of the toner supply device 30. Slide. When the toner supply device 30 is attached to the printer 100, the shutter member 58 is in the open state. Therefore, when the toner supply device 30 is detached, the shutter member 58 is changed from the open state to the closed state. In addition, the shutter displacement member slides the shutter portion 58a. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 10B, the shutter portion 58 a slides so that the shutter portion 58 a covers the conduction port 53 of the toner supply port 50.

  When the shutter member 58 is slid so that the shutter member 58 closes the toner supply port 50, if the toner stays in the vicinity of the conduction port 53 of the toner supply port 50, the shutter member 58a slides. Toner may spill between the conduction port 53 and a toner inlet (not shown) of the toner hopper 8. However, since the anti-blocking member 26 is provided at the toner supply port 50, as described above, the toner is pushed out to the toner hopper 8 side by the anti-blocking member 26, so that the toner stays in the vicinity of the conduction port 53. There is nothing. Therefore, even when the shutter member 58 operates to close the toner supply port 50, the toner does not spill from the conduction port 53. Therefore, the toner spilled from the conduction port 53 in the printer 100 can be prevented from scattering in the printer.

  When the shutter member 58 is closed, the shutter portion 58a slides so that the blocking prevention member 26 attached to the scraper 20 of the toner supply port 50 is accommodated in the toner supply port 50. . Thus, for example, even if the toner stays between the blocking preventing member 26 and the scraper 20 in the toner supply port 50 without being pushed out by the blocking preventing member 26, the toner is removed from the toner discharge sheet 22 side ( It can be pushed back to FIG. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the toner from spilling from the outlet 53 of the toner supply port 50 due to the sliding of the shutter portion 58a.

  Furthermore, since the anti-blocking member 26 is formed of an elastic material, it has shape flexibility. Therefore, even if the shutter portion 58a and the anti-blocking member 26 come into contact with each other due to the sliding of the shutter portion 58a, the anti-blocking member 26 is easily deformed and pushed into the toner supply port 50. Therefore, when the shutter portion 58a slides, the blocking prevention member 26 can be smoothly stored in the toner supply port 50, and the shutter member 58 can be closed.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9A, both ends are fixed to the standing walls 23a and 23b, and an anti-blocking member 26 (FIG. 1) having a substantially U-shape is used. The shape of the anti-blocking member is not limited to this. That is, for example, even when an anti-blocking member having elasticity such as T-shape or L-shape is attached to each of the standing walls 23a and 23b, the toner staying on the toner conveyance path 52 of the toner supply port 50 Can be pushed out toward the conduction port 53.

  In this embodiment, the anti-blocking member is attached to the scraper 20, but may be attached to the toner supply port 50, for example. Also in this case, the anti-blocking member can push out the toner staying on the toner conveyance path 52 in accordance with the movement of the tip portion of the toner discharge sheet 22 arranged on the toner conveyance path 52 of the scraper 20. It is preferable to make it. That is, for example, a blocking preventing member may be provided in a door shape that can be opened and closed by pressing the tip of the toner discharge sheet 22 inside the toner supply port 50. As a result, the anti-blocking member opens in the direction of the conduction port 53 in conjunction with the movement of the scraper 20 when the scraper 20 slides on the recess forming portion 35 a of the toner storage container 31. The staying toner can be pushed out.

  The developer supply apparatus of the present invention is used by being mounted on an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, or a facsimile. Since the developer supply device of the present invention includes the developer retention preventing member, the developer supply device is prevented from staying in the developer supply port, and the developer supply device is detached from the image forming apparatus. Thus, toner spillage in the image forming apparatus can be prevented.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a toner supply device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention that includes the toner supply device. FIG. 3 is a front view of the toner supply device and the developing device. FIG. 3 is a front view of a peripheral surface side of the toner supply device. It is a perspective view which shows a 3rd container part. It is sectional drawing which shows a 3rd container part and a supporting member. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which provided the V seal between the 3rd container part and the supporting member. (A) and (b) are sectional drawings which show the toner supply port of the supporting member shown in FIG. (A) is a perspective view showing a toner supply port when viewed from the toner hopper side, and (b) is a perspective view showing the toner supply port when viewed from the toner storage container side. (A) and (b) are perspective views showing a main part of a toner supply device for explaining a state in which a shutter member provided in the toner supply port slides. FIG. 3 is a top view illustrating a toner supply device and a printer main body side connecting portion. (A) (b) is sectional drawing for demonstrating operation | movement when a toner is supplied from a toner supply apparatus. (A) (b) is sectional drawing for demonstrating operation | movement when a toner is supplied from a toner supply apparatus. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an anti-blocking member provided in the toner supply device. It is a perspective view which shows the other blocking prevention member with which the said toner supply apparatus was equipped. It is a perspective view which shows the conventional toner supply container.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Photosensitive drum 2 Charging apparatus 3 Laser exposure apparatus 4 Developing apparatus 5 Transfer apparatus 6 Paper feed part 7 Fixing part 8 Toner hopper 20 Scraper (scraping member)
21 Base part 21a Sheet holding part 21b Support point part 22 Toner discharge sheet 23a Standing wall 23b Standing wall 26 Blocking preventing member (developer staying preventing member)
26 'anti-blocking member (developer retention member)
27 Toner (Developer)
30 Toner supply device (developer supply device)
31 Toner container (developer container)
32 Support member 33 1st container part 34 2nd container part 35 3rd container part 35a Concave formation part (concave formation area)
35b Guide piece forming portion 35c Guide piece forming portion 41 First recess 41a End wall portion 41b Bottom wall portion 42 Second recess 43 Toner discharge port (discharge port)
50 Toner supply port (Developer supply port)
51 Opening portion 52 Toner transport path 53 Conducting port 54 Scraper mounting portion 55 First support portion 56 Second support portion 58 Shutter member 58a Shutter portion 58b Shutter guide portion 100 Printer (image forming apparatus)

Claims (8)

In a developer supply device that supplies a developer to the outside by rotating a cylindrical developer storage container that stores the developer about the axis of the developer storage container as a rotation axis.
It said developer accommodating container has a discharge port in a recess provided in a part of the definitive circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the developing agent container,
Surrounding at least a recess forming region that goes around the outer peripheral surface along the rotation direction of the developer storage container so as to include the region where the recess is formed, and holding the developer storage container rotatably, A support member having a developer supply port for supplying the developer discharged into the recess from the discharge port to the outside;
Above the developer feed inlet, a member scraped scrape the developer in the recess, and a developer accumulation preventing member for feeding the developer conveyed to the developing agent supply opening to the outside is provided,
The scraping member is
A developer discharge sheet provided so that a front end portion is in contact with the recess forming region; and an elastic member that urges the developer discharge sheet toward the developer storage container.
As the developer storage container rotates, the developer discharge sheet slides in contact with the recess formation region and the bottom surface of the recess in sequence, scoops up the developer in the recess, and the developer. A vertical wall having a surface perpendicular to the sheet surface of the developer discharge sheet at both ends in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the developer is fed,
The developer retention preventing member is a belt-shaped member, and one of the longitudinal end portions thereof is attached to one of the standing wall portions, and the other of the both end portions is attached to the other standing wall portion. The developer is disposed in the developer supply port and moves in conjunction with the movement of the developer discharge sheet according to the shape of the recess forming region when the developer container is rotated, thereby A developer supply device that extrudes the developer conveyed into the supply port to the outside . The developer supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the developer retention preventing member is formed of an elastic member. The developer accumulation preventing member, the developer supply device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a sheet-like. 2. The developer retention preventing member, wherein when the developer is sent to the outside, a part of the developer retention preventing member protrudes from the developer supply port to the outside. 4. The developer supply device according to any one of items 1 to 3 . The support member has a shutter member for opening and closing the developer supply port,
The developer accumulation preventing member, when the shutter member is the developer feed inlet closed, any one of claims 1, characterized in that it is accommodated in the developer supply port 4 1 The developer supply device according to Item. The particle size of the developer, the developer supply device according to claim 1, any one of 5, characterized in that it is 7μm or less. An image forming apparatus, wherein the developer supply device according to claim 1 is detachably mounted. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the developer supply device is mounted such that the developer supply port is disposed above a position of an axis of the developer storage container.

Images