JP4197283B2 - Developer container and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a toner storage container for storing toner used for electrophotographic image formation, and an image forming apparatus to which the toner storage container is detachably mounted.

  To 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 image forming apparatus.

  For example, Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3 disclose toner bottles according to the prior art. The toner bottle contains toner, and is mechanically rotated to supply toner from the opening to the image forming apparatus through a groove provided in the toner bottle.

Further, Patent Document 4 discloses a toner bottle having intermittently formed grooves.
JP-A-7-20705 JP-A-8-339115 JP-A-6-348127 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-171227

  However, since the toner is charged and used at the time of developing the electrostatic latent image in the image forming apparatus, the toner is very easily aggregated. In particular, a toner having a small particle diameter easily aggregates, and there is a problem that when the toner is supplied to the image forming apparatus while being aggregated, the image quality formed by the image forming apparatus is deteriorated. In the above Patent Documents 1 to 4, the groove is merely a means for conveying toner, and is not formed in consideration of toner aggregation.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a developer storage container that can supply loosely unaggregated toner to the image forming apparatus, and the developer storage container. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can be detachably mounted.

  In order to solve the above problems, the developer storage container according to the present invention has a cylindrical shape, and stores the developer and is rotated and formed in a substantially spiral manner on the circumferential surface. In the developer storage container for discharging the developer conveyed by the developer conveying means from the discharge port, the developer conveying means has an end portion of 10 ° or more and 70 ° with respect to the radial direction of the end portion. It is characterized by having an inclined portion having the following angle.

  In the developer container according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the particle size of the developer may be 7 μm or less.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the developer container is detachably mounted.

  As described above, the developer container according to the present invention includes an inclined portion having an angle of 10 ° or more and 70 ° or less with respect to the radial direction of the end portion at the end of the developer transport unit. Therefore, when the developer stored by rotating the developer storage container is conveyed to the discharge port, the aggregated developer collides with the inclined portion and is loosened. Thereby, the movement of the developer in the developer storage container and the release of the developer from the developer storage container can be performed smoothly. Therefore, the image forming apparatus can form a high quality image.

  In the developer container according to the present invention, the developer may have a particle size of 7 μm or less. Even a developer having such a small particle diameter can be sufficiently loosened even when agglomerated by adopting the above-described configuration.

  Further, the image forming apparatus of the present invention can be detachably mounted with the developer supply container as described above.

  A toner bottle (developer storage container) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a toner bottle 1 according to the present embodiment includes a first container part 2 and a second container part 3 that store toner (developer), and further a first container part (container body) 2. And a second container part (container body) 3 are provided with a toner supply part (developer supply part) 4. The toner supply unit 4 includes a discharge port 5 for discharging (supplying) toner to the image forming apparatus. The first container part 2, the second container part 3 and the toner supply part 4 are each cylindrical with the axis L as the central axis, and communicate with each other.

  Further, in the first container portion 2 and the second container portion 3, a groove (developer conveying means) having a substantially constant depth that conveys (guides) the stored toner to the discharge port 5 of the toner supply portion 4. 6) and 7 are provided. These grooves 6 and 7 are recesses formed inward of the first container part 2 and the second container part 3. In other words, the concave portion is a convex portion on the inner surfaces of the first container portion 2 and the second container portion 3.

  The toner bottle 1 is rotated in the circumferential direction (along the axis L) of the first container part 2, the second container part 3 and the toner supply part 4 so that the first container part 2 and the second container part 2 are rotated. The toner stored in the unit 3 is conveyed to the discharge port 5 of the toner supply unit 4 by the grooves 6 and 7. In the present embodiment, the grooves 6 and 7 are formed so that the toner bottle 1 is rotated in the direction toward the discharge port 5 of the axis L on the peripheral surfaces of the cylindrical portions of the first container portion 2 and the second container portion 3. It is formed in a substantially spiral shape in the direction, intermittently interrupted.

  The said groove | channel is demonstrated in detail based on Fig.2 (a) (b).

  As shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), the groove 6 has a bottom portion 6a and a first container portion from the end of the bottom portion 6a in a cross section taken along the line AA 'in the groove 6. 2 and the inclined portions 6b and 6c reaching the peripheral surface. The bottom portion 6a has a substantially constant depth in the radial direction with respect to the peripheral surface of the first container portion 2. In addition, the inclined portions 6b and 6c are predetermined with respect to a line (hereinafter simply referred to as a radial direction for convenience) connecting the intersection of the first container portion 2 with the axis L and the end of the bottom portion 6a in the cross section. Angle α (hereinafter referred to as the angle α of the inclined portion).

  When the toner stored in the inclined portions 6b and 6c is conveyed to the discharge port 5 by rotating the toner bottle 1, the aggregated toner collides and the aggregated toner is loosened. Thereby, the movement of the toner in the toner bottle and the discharge of the toner from the toner bottle can be performed smoothly. Further, the toner bottle 1 can supply loose toner to the image forming apparatus. Therefore, the image forming apparatus can form a high quality image. In addition, since the predetermined angle α is provided, the toner conveyance is hardly hindered. In particular, when the angle α is larger than 90 °, there is a high possibility that the toner conveyance is hindered.

  Furthermore, only the inclined portion 6b at the end opposite to the direction toward the discharge port 5 of the low portion 6a may have a predetermined angle α. Since the inclined portion 6b faces the direction in which the toner is conveyed, the toner easily collides. For this reason, the aggregated toner is easily loosened by the inclined portion 6b.

  The groove 7 in the second container part 3 has the same configuration as the groove 6.

  Further, since the toner bottle 1 includes the first container part 2 and the second container part 3, the distance for transporting the toner to the discharge port 5 is shortened. However, in the toner bottle 1 described above, the toner is sufficiently loosened even if the distance to the discharge port 5 through which the toner is conveyed is short, so that the loose toner can be supplied to the image forming apparatus.

  The result of examining the relationship between the angle α of the inclined portion and the aggregation of the toner stored in the toner bottle 1 using the toner bottle 1 is shown below.

  In this study, an experiment was conducted using 1480 g of AR-S280 toner (particle size: 8.7 μm) manufactured by Sharp Corporation as the toner.

  First, toner is stored in a toner bottle, and the toner bottle is tapped 500 times from a height of 30 cm to 50 cm to aggregate the toner. Next, the toner bottle is rotated 15 times at 5 rpm, and the toner lump in the toner bottle is inspected. At this time, as a criterion for judgment, a case where the ratio of a mass of 5 mm or less is 90% or more is OK, and a case where the ratio is less than that is NG. In addition, the said test | inspection was performed visually.

  The angle α of the inclined portion in the toner bottle is changed from 0 to 90 °, and the results of the inspection at that angle are shown in Table 1 and FIG.

上記の結果から、傾斜部の角度αを１０°以上にすることが好ましく、３０°以上にすることがより好ましいことがわかった。また、傾斜部の角度αを７０°以下にすることが好ましく、５５°以下にすることがより好ましいことがわかった。

From the above results, it was found that the angle α of the inclined portion is preferably 10 ° or more, and more preferably 30 ° or more. Further, it was found that the angle α of the inclined portion is preferably 70 ° or less, and more preferably 55 ° or less.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the groove 6 is a wall along a line connecting the intersection of the first container portion 2 with the axis L and the end of the bottom portion 6 a between the bottom portion 6 a and the inclined portion 6 c. You may have the part 6d. Moreover, although not shown in figure, you may have a wall part similarly between the bottom part 6a and the inclination part 6b.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the groove 6 has a predetermined angle α with respect to a line connecting the intersection of the first container portion 2 with the axis L and the end portion of the bottom portion 6 a instead of the inclined portion 6 c. There may be provided a stepped inclined portion 6e having a plurality of inclined portions. Although not illustrated, similarly, instead of the inclined portion 6b, a stepped inclined portion having a plurality of inclined portions having a predetermined angle α may be provided.

  Also, the groove 7 can have the same configuration as the groove 6.

  Further, the toner stored in the toner bottle 1 may be a toner having a small particle diameter and easily aggregated, for example, 7 μm or less. Even the toner having such a small particle diameter can be sufficiently loosened by the above configuration, for example, when it is aggregated.

  Here, an image forming apparatus to which the toner bottle according to the present embodiment is mounted will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the image forming apparatus 70 according to this exemplary embodiment includes a toner hopper 72, a developing unit 200, a recording paper cassette 201, a fixing unit 205, and a tray 206. The developing unit 200 includes a photosensitive drum 202, a charging unit 203, and a laser exposure unit 204.

  In the developing unit 200, development is performed with toner supplied from the toner hopper 72. A toner bottle is attached to the toner hopper 72.

  In the developing unit 200, the photosensitive drum 202 is charged by the charging unit 203. The charged photosensitive drum 202 is exposed to laser light by the laser exposure unit 204 to form an electrostatic latent image. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 202 is developed to become a toner image.

  This toner image is transferred and fixed on the recording paper fed from the recording paper cassette 201 by the fixing unit 205. Then, the recording paper on which the toner image is fixed and the image is formed is discharged to the tray 206.

  The toner hopper 72 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

  The toner hopper 72 supplies toner to the developing unit 200. The toner hopper 72 is detachably mounted with the toner bottle 1, and a toner bottle storage unit 77 that supplies toner to the toner supply unit 78 and the toner supplied from the toner bottle storage unit 77 are agitated and also attached to the developing unit 200. And a toner supply unit 78 for supplying toner.

  The toner bottle storage unit 77 includes a toner bottle support unit 54 that supports the toner bottle 1 and a toner supply unit 81 that supplies toner discharged from the discharge port 5 of the toner bottle 1 to the toner supply unit 78. Although not shown, the toner bottle container 77 is provided with the connecting portion 31, and the connecting portion 31 is rotated by driving means such as a motor.

  The toner supply unit 78 includes a stirring member 75 that stirs the toner and a supply roller 76 that supplies the stirred toner to the developing unit 200.

  The developer supply container of the present invention is used by being mounted on an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, or a facsimile.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a toner bottle according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) is an enlarged view of the 1st container part of the said toner bottle, (b) is sectional drawing cut | disconnected along the AA 'line of a toner bottle. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the angle of the inclined portion of the groove in the toner bottle and the ratio of loose toner. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the said groove | channel. It is sectional drawing which shows the other modification of the said groove | channel. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a toner hopper of the image forming apparatus. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 Toner bottle (developer supply container)
2 First container (container body)
3 Second container (container body)
4 Toner supply unit (developer supply unit)
5 Discharge port 6 Groove 6a Bottom 6b, 6c Inclined part

Claims (6)

Cylindrical, containing developer, and having a developer conveying portion formed of a plurality of convex portions projecting inwardly on the inner peripheral surface and formed in a spiral shape intermittently , by being rotated, the developer conveyed by the developer transportable unit, the developer accommodating container which releases the discharge opening,
The plurality of convex portions forming the developer conveying portion are formed at the same position in the circumferential direction and are arranged at the same position in the circumferential direction with each group of first convex portions arranged in the axial direction. A group of second protrusions arranged in the direction, wherein the first protrusion group and the second protrusion group include the first protrusions and the second protrusions belonging to each of the first protrusions and the second protrusions in the axial direction. Alternatingly, the end portions in the longitudinal direction are arranged so as to be shifted in the circumferential direction so as to overlap each other in the axial direction, and the developer is provided between the first convex portions adjacent to each other in the axial direction and the second convex portions. It is designed to be transported between parts,
Further, an inclined portion for colliding and loosening the aggregated developer when the aggregated developer is conveyed to the longitudinal end portion of each of the first convex portions and the longitudinal end portion of each of the second convex portions. A developer container characterized by comprising:   The developer storage container according to claim 1, wherein the inclined surface of the inclined portion has an angle of 10 ° to 70 ° with respect to the radial direction of the end portion.   3. The developer container according to claim 1, wherein a particle diameter of the developer is 7 μm or less. The inclined portion includes an inclined surface provided with an inclination from the inner peripheral surface to a position on the way from the inner peripheral surface to the top of each of the first and second protrusions, and an inclination from the intermediate position to the top. The developer container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the developer container is configured with no wall portion.   The developer storage container according to claim 1, wherein the inclined portion has a plurality of inclined surfaces arranged stepwise.   An image forming apparatus, wherein the developer storage container according to claim 1 is detachably mounted.

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