JP4359483B2 - Electrophotographic image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus .

  2. Description of the Related Art An electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a developing device that visualizes an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier with powdered toner has been conventionally known. Such an image forming apparatus is configured as an electronic copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine having at least two functions thereof. However, in any type of image forming apparatus, a toner container is provided in a developing portion of the image forming apparatus. And the toner is used for visualizing the electrostatic latent image in the developing unit.

  Normally, the toner storage container is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus main body or the developing unit, and is replaced with a new toner storage container when the remaining amount of toner in the toner storage container decreases. Such a toner container is sold as an independent product separate from the main body of the image forming apparatus in a state filled with toner, and is provided to the user.

JP-A-7-281519

  A toner storage container that is normally used is a container having a spiral groove formed between an inner wall and a toner discharge port as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-20705, and the toner container stored therein is rotated. A type of plastic or the like that discharges toner through a spiral groove and supplies it to the developing unit, and an agitator for toner discharge provided in a toner storage container, as shown in Patent Document 1, for example. It can be roughly divided into plastic or cardboard type that stirs and discharges the toner by rotation and supplies it to the developing unit. In any case, the entire container provided with a toner discharging mechanism is hard (referred to as a hard type). is there.

  The toner discharged from these containers by the toner discharging mechanism is dropped directly into the hopper of the developing unit and transferred to the developing mechanism to form a toner image. Accordingly, in the image forming apparatus, the toner storage container must be disposed adjacent to or in close proximity to the developing unit, and the toner is stored in the developing unit unless a special mechanism is taken in consideration of dropping the toner. It is also necessary to place it on the upper side of. For this reason, when considering the layout of various means and parts to be arranged in the image forming apparatus, the toner storage container and the developing unit are usually regarded as an integrated object, and there is a restriction that a space must be secured. Yes.

  Further, it is necessary that the toner supply from the toner container to the developing unit is continuously and stably performed. However, the conventional method of supplying the toner to the developing unit using these containers does not sufficiently satisfy this requirement. There is also a problem in the quality of the image formed, and there is a state in which the entire amount of toner stored in the container is not used for image formation and remains partially.

  According to the investigation by the present inventors, there is no known fact that such a problem has been proposed, and there is no known method for solving it.

An object of the present invention is to form an electrophotographic image by a novel toner supply system that can stably discharge toner from start to finish and supply it to the developing unit, and can greatly reduce the amount of toner remaining at the end. It is to propose a device .

  As a result of intensive investigations to achieve the above object, the present inventors have provided a toner flow passage between the toner storage portion and the developing portion, and the toner can be supplied to the developing portion by an air flow therein. In that case, the toner storage container and the developing unit are found to be supplied even if they are arranged apart from each other, and further, a new toner storage unit that can be applied to the new toner supply method is also studied. The present invention has been reached.

The present invention relates to a toner flow path formed between a toner storage section and a development section in an image forming apparatus, a suction pump disposed in the middle of the toner flow path , and air supply to the toner storage section. An air pump communicating with each other via a pipe, and the toner feed passage and the air supply pipe are each made of a flexible tube made of a rubber material of polyurethane, nitrile, EPDM, or silicon. The toner storage portion has a cylindrical shape in which the upper side wall is a cylindrical body and the lower side wall has a reduced diameter structure, and the lower side wall surface having the reduced diameter structure and a cross section of the cylindrical body And a discharge port connected to the tube connected to the suction pump is provided at the lowermost part of the reduced diameter structure, and toner is supplied from the toner storage portion by the suction pump. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus is characterized in that the air pump is operated simultaneously with the suction of the toner and is supplied to the developing unit through the toner flow path.

As described above, according to the novel electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention, the toner discharged from the toner storage container can be stably developed from the beginning without the toner storage container and the developing unit being installed adjacent to or close to each other. It became possible to supply to the department.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a developing unit 1 mounted in an image forming apparatus main body, a toner storage container 2 containing toner to be replenished to the developing unit 1, and a toner feeding means 3 for connecting the two. It is.

  The developing unit 1 shown as an example in FIG. 1 includes a developing container 4 containing a powdery two-component developer D obtained by mixing a toner and a carrier, and a first container for stirring and mixing the developer D. It has the 2nd stirring screw 5 and 6 and the developing roller 7, and the said developing roller 7 is arrange | positioned facing the photoreceptor 8 of a latent image carrier. The photoconductor 8 is rotationally driven in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface thereof.

  As the first and second agitating screws 5 and 6 rotate, the developer D in the developing container 4 is agitated, and the toner is frictionally charged with the carrier having opposite polarities. The developer D is supplied to the peripheral surface of the developing roller 7 that is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow, and the supplied developer is carried on the peripheral surface of the developing roller 7, and the developer roller 7 rotates to rotate the developing roller 7. It is conveyed in the direction of rotation. Next, the amount of the conveyed developer is regulated by the doctor blade 9, and the regulated developer is conveyed to the development area between the photoconductor 8 and the developing roller 7, where the toner in the developer is removed. The electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor is electrostatically transferred, and the electrostatic latent image is visualized as a toner image.

  When it is detected by a toner concentration sensor (not shown) that the toner concentration of the developer D in the developing container 4 has decreased, the toner in the toner storage container 2 detachably set in the image forming apparatus main body is transferred to the developing container. The toner concentration of the developer D in the developing container 4 can be maintained within a certain range.

The novel toner supply system of the present invention will be described.
In the toner supply system, as described above, a toner flow path is provided between the toner container and the developing unit, and the toner is supplied to the developing unit by an air flow.

According to this method, the toner can be supplied to the developing unit even if the toner container and the developing unit are arranged apart from each other.
Further, when this method is adopted, it is important that the toner flow path is in a sealed state as high as possible at least while the toner is supplied to the developing unit.

The highest possible sealed state, that is, a substantially sealed state means a state in which toner does not substantially leak from the toner flow path.
The toner flow path is formed by connecting a toner storage container and a developing portion with a long toner flow means, and the substantially sealed state is in a state where one end of the toner flow means and the toner storage are connected. It is formed between the connecting portion with the discharge port of the container and the connecting portion between the other end of the toner feeding means and the developing portion.

  In order to ensure a high sealing state, it is necessary to pay attention to the connection state between the components. In particular, the connection between the one end of the toner feeding means and the discharge port of the toner container is large. It has been found that it is important that the contact is as close as possible, and in the present invention, as will be described later, a measure for improving the airtightness of the connecting portion has been studied.

  The toner flow means comprises at least a means for forming an air flow (referred to as an air flow formation means) and a toner flow pipe. Since the toner flow pipe is elongated, the entire toner flow means is elongated. Although expressed, the length is arbitrary.

  Therefore, the toner flow means is an air flow forming means or a toner flow which is involved in discharging the toner from the toner storage container and supplying it to the developing section and is present between the container and the developing section. This is a general term for parts obtained by connecting parts such as pipes to each other, and a path formed by connecting the parts and passing the toner is called a toner flow path.

  The air flow forming means includes means for blowing air into a container such as an air pump (referred to as air blowing means) and means for sucking air within the container such as a suction pump (referred to as air suction means). The When this air flow forming means is operated, a one-way air flow toward the developing portion is formed in the toner flow passage, and the toner passes through the flow passage by the air flow and does not stay on the way. And it is not necessary to make it stay, and is supplied to a developing part. By adjusting the operation of the air flow forming means, the strength of the air flow can be adjusted and the amount of toner to be supplied can be controlled.

  The novel toner supply system of the present invention will be described on the basis of the following three specific examples. However, this example does not limit the toner flow means, the components constituting the toner flow means, and the toner flow path.

1) A method that pushes out toner by blowing air into the toner container (blowing method)
2) Method to suck out toner in the container together with air (suction method)
3) Combination method of 1) and 2)

First, the blowing method will be described.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the blowing method.
The toner flow means 3 in this example includes a nozzle 11, a toner flow pipe 12 and an air supply pipe 14 in addition to a blowing air pump 10 as an air blowing means, and these toner flow pipe 12 and air supply pipe. Reference numeral 14 denotes a toner container, a blowing air pump, a nozzle, and a developing unit.

  The size and material of the toner flow pipe and the air supply pipe are arbitrary and are not limited. However, the toner storage container, the air pump for blowing, and the developing unit can be freely arranged, and can be piped in arbitrary directions up, down, left, and right. Since it can do, a flexible thing is preferable.

  The flexible tube has a diameter of 4 to 10 mm, for example, and it is extremely effective to use a tube made of a rubber material having excellent toner resistance such as polyurethane, nitrile, EPDM, silicon, etc. is there.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the nozzle 11, FIG. 3 a is a surface view, and FIG. 3 b is a cross-sectional view.
This nozzle is a columnar body made of a material such as plastic or metal, and a toner discharge pipe portion 16 and a blow-in air flow path pipe portion 18 built in the longitudinal direction of the columnar body are provided at both end faces of the columnar body. Alternatively, it is formed so as to protrude from the side surface.

  In the nozzle of this example, an opening 15 for discharging toner is provided on one end side of the toner discharge pipe section 16, and the blow-in air flow path pipe section 18 is formed so as to surround the toner discharge pipe section 16 in an annular shape, These are integrally formed.

  The outer wall portion 17 of the nozzle is a fitting that constitutes a toner discharge port of the toner storage container so that the toner discharge opening 15 provided at one end of the toner discharge pipe portion is located in the toner storage portion of the toner storage container. Connected with the joint. This fitting portion will be described later.

  The protruding end portion of the toner discharge pipe 16 without the opening 15 is connected to the toner feed pipe 12, and the other end side of the toner feed pipe 12 is connected to the toner receiving pipe of the developing section 1 as shown in FIG. It is connected to a connecting member 24 fixed to the inlet 23. The connection member 24 is provided with a filter 25 that passes air and does not transmit toner.

  On the other hand, the projecting other end portion of the blowing air flow path pipe section 18 is connected to the air supply pipe 14, and the other end section of the air supply pipe 14 is connected to the air pump 10 as an air blowing means mounted on the image forming apparatus main body. Connected to the air outlet.

  As described above, the nozzle 11 is fitted to the toner discharge port 13 of the toner storage container 2, and the toner discharge pipe 16 and the connecting member 24 of the developing unit 1 are connected via the toner flow pipe 12, thereby supplying the toner. A flow passage is formed.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a state in which a toner container is connected to the nozzle 11. The toner container shown here is an example that can be used in the present invention, and the container will be described in detail later.

  The discharge port 13 of the toner storage container 2 faces downward, and one end side, that is, the front end portion of the nozzle 11 is inserted and fitted into a mechanism 26 that improves the adhesion formed at the discharge port.

  In the toner storage container 2 of this example, a plate-shaped elastic member having a size that fills the space on the inner surface of the cylindrical body that is the discharge port 13 and has slits 12 formed in advance as shown in FIG. 10a. A member 20 is fixed to form a mechanism 20 that improves adhesion.

  The elastic member fixed in this way provides a sealing effect that does not leak toner from the container even if a slit is formed, and when the tip of the nozzle 11 protrudes into the container 2, The elastic member is deformed, there is no gap between the nozzle 11 and the elastic member, and the airtightness is maintained as a whole, and the toner flow by the air flow is ensured.

  When air is supplied into the container 2 in this way, the powdery toner inside the container 2 is fluidized and the pressure in the container 2 is increased. For this reason, the fluidized toner powder is discharged to the outside of the toner storage container 2 through the toner discharge port 15 of the toner discharge pipe 16 as the pressure increases. The discharged toner T is transported together with air through the toner feed pipe 16 and the toner feed pipe 12 and sent to the connecting member 24 of the developing unit 1 shown in FIG. Supplied in.

  At this time, only the air in the mixture of toner and air flows out through the filter 25. After the air pump 10 is activated for a certain time, the operation is stopped. Such an operation is performed every time a decrease in the toner concentration of the developer D accommodated in the developing device 1 is detected, whereby the toner concentration of the developer D is maintained within a certain range as described above. .

  5a and 5b are modified examples of the nozzle shown in FIG. 3, and the numbers in the figures mean the same as those in FIG. The nozzle shown in this figure is different from that shown in FIG. 3, and the toner discharge pipe section 16 and the air flow path pipe section 18 are provided independently and substantially in parallel and integrated as a nozzle.

The nozzles that support the toner discharge pipe part 16 and the air flow path pipe part 18 can be used with a space inside or a columnar shape with a clogged inside.
As another example of the blowing method, although not shown, the toner container itself is provided with two ports, a toner discharge port and an air blowing port, and the cylindrical structure of the toner discharge port and the toner flow tube 12 are directly fitted. The blowing port is connected to an air pump via an air supply pipe, and air can be blown from the blowing port by an air pump to feed the toner from the toner discharge port to the developing unit through the toner feeding pipe.

  With respect to the blowing method, the concept of setting a toner container in toner feeding means comprising a blowing pump, a nozzle, a toner feeding pipe, and an air supply pipe is shown in FIG. The numbers in the figure mean the same as in FIG.

  The blowing method described above is effective in loosening and fluidizing the toner even when the toner is stored in the container for a long time and is in an agglomerated state. It is an excellent method in that it can be done.

Next, an example of the suction method will be described.
FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram when a suction pump is used as the air suction means.
The feature of the suction system in this example is that a suction pump 30 as a suction means is disposed between the toner storage container 2 and the developing unit 1 and connected to each other by a toner feed pipe, and the toner is stored in the container by the suction pump. The method is substantially the same as the blowing method except that the air is not blown and the toner is supplied to the developing unit together with the air flow.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a configuration showing an example of a suction pump used in the suction method of the present invention.
The suction pump 30 is a suction type uniaxial eccentric screw pump called a so-called MONO pump. The pump body 30 includes a casing 31 having a shallow spiral groove on the inner wall and a rotary shaft 32 made of a torsion rod. It is provided on the discharge side, and has an air introduction pipe 33 and a delivery section 35 having a feed pipe 34. On the suction side of the pump body 30, a toner suction pipe 36 having a toner suction port is connected to the discharge port 13 of the toner storage container 2 via the toner feed pipe 12-1 (toner feed pipe A). A feed pipe 34 having an air discharge port is connected to the developing unit 1 via a toner feed pipe 12-2 (toner feed pipe B).

The connection between the suction pump and the developing unit may be made directly without using the toner flow tube B.
In particular, in the case of a system using a suction pump, even if it is installed at a position far from the toner container, the function can be sufficiently exerted.

  Therefore, in the suction system of this example, the toner flow pipes 12-1, 12-2 and the suction pump constitute a toner flow means, and the toner flow pipe 12-1, the suction pipe in the suction pump. A toner flow path is formed by 36, the feed pipe 34, and the toner feed pipe 12-2.

  The toner flow path formed by connecting the discharge port 13 of the toner container 2, the suction pump 30, and the developing unit 1 is connected with no gap as much as possible, that is, in a sealed state. Is particularly desirable. In particular, it is important that the connection portion between the discharge port 13 of the toner container 2 and the toner flow tube 12-1 is in such a state.

  In such a connected state, the rotary shaft 32 of the pump body 30 is rotated while supplying air of a predetermined pressure from the air introduction pipe 33 to the delivery part 35 of the suction pump 30. The rotation of the rotating shaft 32 causes the space between the casing 31 and the toner stored in the toner storage container 2 to be sucked through the toner suction port and sent to the sending unit 35 without compressing the toner. The toner sent to the sending section 35 is diffused and fluidized by the air flow sent from the air introduction pipe 33, and is supplied from the air discharge port of the feeding pipe 34 to the developing section 2 through the toner flow pipe 12-2. The

The suction method is an excellent method because the toner discharge amount can be controlled by adjusting the number of rotations and the rotation time of the pump, and in particular, the toner supply accuracy can be increased.
As described later, one of the toner storage containers of the present invention includes a bag portion formed of a flexible material and a toner discharge port, and is deformed by the pressure of air to change its capacity.

  When such a container is applied to the suction system, there is a concern that when the container is sucked, the flexible materials constituting the bag are brought into close contact with each other and the toner is not discharged.

  However, the present inventors have confirmed that when the air suction means is operated, the toner is first sucked from the central portion of the container and the toner in that portion is discharged, and at the same time, the toner accumulates on the wall surface to form a space in the central portion. When the suction is continued, the wall surface of the container gradually becomes uneven and the angle changes, and the toner accumulated on the wall surface falls into the central space and is discharged outside the container. It was found that the toner was discharged without leaving the toner in the container, and there was no problem.

Next, the third combined expression will be described using an example.
This method uses both the blowing method and the suction method. In the blowing method described above, for example, a suction pump 30 as shown in FIG. 8 is provided between the toner flow tube 12 and the developing unit 1. FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram thereof.

Accordingly, the toner feeding means in this example is the same except that a suction pump is added in the blowing method described above.
When the suction pump 30 is operated by being arranged and connected in this manner, the toner is sucked from the toner discharge opening 15 of the toner discharge pipe portion 16 constituting the nozzle 11. At this time, the air pump 10 is simultaneously operated to send air into the toner storage container 2 from the air outlet 19.

  Even when toner accumulates in the vicinity of the toner discharge opening 15 and is agglomerated, the toner is loosened by the air that is sent in to prevent clogging by the agglomeration, and even if agglomerated, it is crushed. Thus, the toner particles are separated into individual toner particles.

The toner is then sucked by the suction pump 30 and supplied to the developing unit 1 through the toner flow pipe 12.
In the combined type of this example, the toner feeding means includes a blowing air pump 10, a suction pump 30, a nozzle 11, a toner feeding pipe 12 and an air supply pipe 14, and the nozzle wall portion 17 is the toner in the toner storage container 2. The toner feed pipe 16 of the nozzle part 17, the suction pump 30, and the connecting member 24 of the developing part 1 are connected to each other through the toner supply tube 12 by being fitted with the discharge port 13, thereby forming a toner feed path. ing.

Also in this method, it is necessary to pay sufficient attention to the sealing property of the toner flow path as in the above two methods.
The combined system is an excellent system in that the toner fluidized by the air pump is always sucked, so that the discharge and supply of the toner are stable and the accuracy can be maintained high.

Next, the toner storage container of the present invention will be described.
The toner container described here has been conceived as being applicable to the above-described novel toner supply method, but is not limited to being usable only in this toner supply method.

  Various technical ideas created for the toner container itself and the toner container filled with toner described below are effective at a higher level for the purpose of the present invention in implementing a new toner supply system. Each technical device is effective even if it is not combined.

  Furthermore, the case of using the toner storage container of the present invention with the discharge port portion facing downward will be mainly described. However, the toner storage container of the present invention is limited to the state where the discharge port portion is directed downward in the image forming apparatus. It can be installed in any state.

  The toner storage container of the present invention includes at least a toner storage portion and a toner discharge port, and the toner discharge port has a cylindrical portion that can be fitted to a long object and can hold the fitted state.

  The “fitting portion that can be fitted to a long object and can hold the fitting state” expresses a characteristic function of a toner discharge port portion connected to one end portion of the toner feeding means. In other words, if a long object can be fitted to the part and tried, and the state can be maintained, it is regarded as a fitting part referred to here. Therefore, the long object is used to confirm the presence or absence of this characteristic, and may be a relatively long columnar or tubular object, and is not limited to the toner feeding means constituting the toner supply system of the present invention. .

  The toner storage container of the present invention having such a fitting portion includes a hard type that is hard as a whole, and a soft one that is a bag-like shape (hereinafter referred to as a bag portion) in which the toner storage portion is formed of a flexible material. There are types.

  The hard type container is entirely made of a hard material. As the material, resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate or thick paper is used.

  The feature of the toner container of the present invention is that the conventional container itself does not have a toner discharging mechanism in order to discharge and supply toner by air flow, and it is novel whether it is a hard type or a soft type. In order to apply to a toner supply system, the connection with a nozzle or a toner flow pipe (hereinafter referred to as a nozzle or the like) constituting one end of the above-described toner flow means is performed by fitting. That is, at least a portion to be fitted with a nozzle or the like (referred to as a fitting portion) has the above characteristic function.

  Since the toner supply method using air flow does not require a toner discharge mechanism in the container, and therefore, it is not necessary to use a hard material to provide a conventional toner discharge mechanism. A type of container has been realized and can be used.

  As the fitting portion, at least a portion to be fitted with the nozzle or the like of the discharge port portion is formed of a relatively rigid cylindrical body. And a case where it is constituted by a cylindrical body further processed to enhance the function of continuously holding the.

Further, the processing may be performed on the cylindrical body itself or may be performed using other materials for the cylindrical body.
When using the cylindrical body itself without processing, select the shape that can make a surface contact between them, or the material and size for that, and fit the cylindrical part and the nozzle etc. However, the state is continuously maintained without wobbling, and further, as close as possible is secured.

The cylindrical body is preferably a cylinder for fitting operation.
In the case where the cylindrical body is a resin hard type, the cylindrical body is usually manufactured by integral molding with the toner storage portion. However, the hard type toner storage container of the present invention includes a structure in which the toner storage portion and the toner discharge port are separately manufactured and / or the toner storage portion is separately manufactured in at least two and can be connected and separated. Is done. In this case, it is preferable to form a structure that can ensure a sealed state when connected, for example, a screw structure or a fitting structure.

The case of the soft type will be described later.
The fitting between the cylindrical body portion of the discharge port and the nozzle or the like is performed using the A method in which the nozzle or the like is fitted inside the cylindrical body, and the B method in which the cylindrical body is fitted into the toner flow tube or the nozzle having the cylindrical structure. There is.

  In the toner supply system of the present invention, it is important that the toner flow path be sealed as much as possible. In particular, when air leaks from between the nozzle and the fitting portion, the toner is not stably discharged. Since the remaining amount of toner increases and the inside of the apparatus is contaminated with toner, the fitting portion and the nozzle or the like need to be fitted with as close contact as possible.

  In the present invention, compared to the case where the cylindrical body itself is used without being processed as described above, a mechanism for maintaining the fitting state between the cylindrical body portion and the nozzle or the like and further improving the close contact state between the two ( Hereinafter, a fitting portion provided with an adhesion improving mechanism) is proposed. The case where the adhesion improving mechanism is provided on the cylindrical body corresponds to the above-described processed cylindrical body.

This adhesion improving mechanism can also be applied to increase the adhesion between the other components constituting the above-described toner feeding member.
In the A method, the place where the adhesion improving mechanism is provided is the inside of the cylindrical body or the outer surface of the nozzle or the like. In the B method, the outer surface of the cylindrical body and the nozzle or the like are toner flow tubes. It is also possible to provide an adhesion improving mechanism inside the nozzle with a cylindrical structure.

Hereinafter, the adhesion improving mechanism will be described in detail by taking up the case where it is provided inside the cylindrical body.
As described above, the elastic member is provided inside the cylindrical body as an adhesion improving mechanism with reference to FIG. 4. However, as this elastic member, a toner having elasticity and stretchability and air permeability is used. May be leaked, and those having no air permeability are preferable. For example, a material such as a sponge such as polyurethane foam, rubber, felt or the like can be used. In the case of a sponge, in order to increase the contact area with a nozzle or the like as much as possible, a non-breathable material having a high density is preferable.

  In the case of FIG. 4, the elastic member which formed the slit in the plate shape of the magnitude | size which covers the opening | mouth of a cylindrical body is engage | inserted and used for the inner side of a cylindrical body. At this time, it is preferable to adhere the elastic member 26 on the inner surface of the cylindrical body because it can be firmly fixed.

  When using a highly flexible sponge, it may be difficult to insert the nozzle, etc., so a thin film with a thickness of about 0.1 mm or less should be applied on the plate-shaped surface to increase rigidity. it can.

  The adhesion improving mechanism shown in FIG. 4 has a sealing function that prevents the toner from leaking out of the container before the toner container is fitted into the nozzle and installed in the apparatus. Further, even when the nozzle or the like is inserted into the slit, no gap is generated between the nozzle and the slit due to the elasticity of the elastic member 26, and a high contact state can be maintained.

FIGS. 10 a and 10 b show a state in which an adhesive improvement mechanism is formed by covering the mouth of the cylindrical body with an elastic member provided with two slits 12.
If the angle (θ) between the two slits is provided to be 90 degrees, it is pressed by the elastic member 26 with a more even force over the entire circumference of the nozzle 11, so that the sealing performance can be reliably ensured. preferable. The number of slits is not limited, but it is important to make the angles between the slits as uniform as possible.

  FIG. 10 c is another example using an elastic member, and a cover member 30 having appropriate rigidity is attached to the peripheral surface of the elastic member 26. The cover member 41 is formed in a circular tube shape into which the elastic member 26 can be inserted, and the inner diameter of the cover member 41 is set slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the elastic member 40. If it carries out like this, since the elastic member 26 inserted and attached to the cover member 41 will be compressed to the center direction, the self-plugging effect will increase and the sealing performance can be maintained more reliably.

  Although not shown, as another example of using an elastic member, two elastic members, both non-breathable and breathable, provided with slits, the former on the container side of the container and the slit It is a method of attaching so that it may not match, attaching to a cylindrical body, and forming an adhesion improvement mechanism.

  In this way, if the container is a soft type and the toner is consumed and emptied, the container may be reduced in volume and the remaining toner may be blown out from the slit and scattered. Residual toner is captured and toner scattering during volume reduction can be greatly reduced.

FIG. 11a shows another example using an elastic member.
The cylindrical body shown here has a projection C inside as shown in FIG. 16a described later, and 13-1 in FIG. 11a is formed by this projection and is inside the cylindrical body. Toner delivery port. A hollow elastic member 31 is provided between the elastic member 26 and the toner delivery port 13-1, and the hollow elastic member 31 is provided with a hole 31-1 as a hollow portion penetrating in the insertion / removal direction of the nozzle 11. 31-1 is set so that its diameter D1 is slightly smaller than the diameter D2 of the nozzle 11.

  In the toner container 2 configured as described above, when the nozzle 11 is inserted, the diameter D1 of the hole 31-1 is smaller than the diameter D2 of the nozzle portion 11, so that the nozzle is in close contact with the hollow elastic member 31 and is an elastic member. 26, and the nozzle 11 passes through the hollow elastic member 31 so that the toner attached to the nozzle is cleaned by the hollow elastic member 31.

Further, since the nozzle 11 is also cleaned by the elastic member 26, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of secondary contamination due to the toner adhering to the nozzle 11.
FIG. 11B is an explanatory view showing still another embodiment of the present invention. In the toner container 2 of this example, the diameter D3 of the toner delivery port 13-1 is set to the length of the slit 26-a of the elastic member 26. It is smaller than L. In this case, the elastic member 26 is provided with four slits.

  When the elastic member 26 has three or more slits 26-a, the slit 26-a is turned up when the nozzle 11 is inserted, and there is a possibility that the toner discharge port of the nozzle is covered. At this time, by turning the diameter D3 of the toner delivery port 13-1 smaller than the length L of the slit 26-a of the elastic member 26 as described above, it is possible to prevent turning up.

  As a method for preventing such turning-up, as shown in FIG. 11c, a film 32 in which a hole having a diameter D4 smaller than the length L of the slit 26-a is formed may be provided.

The film 32 can be easily attached by aligning the center of the hole 32-1 with the center of the toner delivery port 13-1 and using a double-sided tape as the attachment method.
The film 32 having the holes 32-1 may be attached to the entire surface of the elastic member 26. That is, the slit 26-a of the upper elastic member 26 and the slit 26-a of the lower elastic member 26 have the same center point, but are set so that they do not match at all in other portions.

  12 and 13 are not a method of fitting the elastic member as described above into the inside of the cylindrical body, but an elastic member 26 such as a plate or sheet or packing material having an arbitrary width, and the inner surface of the cylindrical body. (FIG. 12) Or the method of fixing to each circumference | surroundings of the outer surface (FIG. 13) of a cylindrical body, and making it an adhesive improvement mechanism is shown. In this case, the width a of the elastic member is arbitrary, and a plurality of elastic members may be provided.

Still another specific example of the adhesion improving mechanism will be described with reference to FIG.
In the container before mounting the nozzle, the toner discharge port is usually sealed by some means so that the stored toner does not leak out.

  In this example, a sheet-like material 33 is pasted on the cross-section of the cylindrical body as this sealing member (FIG. 14a), the nozzle is pressed from above (FIG. 14b), and the sheet-like material is broken and fitted. (FIG. 14b). At this time, the torn sheet-like material is in a state of being sandwiched between the cylindrical body 13 and the nozzle, which brings about an effect of improving the sealing performance.

  As the sheet-like material of the sealing member, for example, a rubber sheet, an aluminum sheet, a urethane foam sheet, or the like can be used, and a depression or the like is formed in advance in the center portion in order to make it easy to shake when fitting the nozzle. It is also effective to make arrangements such as keeping them.

  In this method, it is important to firmly stick the sheet-like material on the cross-section of the cylindrical body, and when the protruding structure 13-1 is provided on the cylindrical body so that the fitting tip on the nozzle side is caught, It is effective for further improving the sealing performance.

As an adhesion improving mechanism, there is a method in which a concavo-convex structure is provided around the outer surface of the cylindrical body itself and fitted into the toner flow tube.
Furthermore, it is possible to provide a mechanism for improving adhesion by providing a screw mechanism on the inner surface or outer surface of the cylindrical body and the nozzle and connecting them. This screw also serves as a screw groove for fixing a cap used to seal the opening of the cylindrical body for preventing toner leakage. Needless to say, a screw mechanism is also provided in the cap.

  As described above, the toner storage container of the present invention includes at least a toner storage portion and a toner discharge port portion. More specifically, referring to FIG. 15, at least the toner discharge port portion 50, the bottom portion 51, and the side wall connecting them. Although not particularly limited, the maximum diameter of the cross-section 50-1 is smaller than the maximum diameter of the bottom surface 51, and accordingly, the side wall 52 has a reduced diameter structure 52 at least partway from the bottom 51 toward the toner discharge port 50. What is set to -1 is common.

The bottom shape and the three-dimensional shape of the container are not particularly limited as long as the conditions of the container are satisfied.
The toner storage container of the present invention can be installed in any orientation in the image forming apparatus, either vertically or horizontally, according to a new toner supply method using an air flow, but is used with the discharge port facing downward. Is natural and most effective from the viewpoint of gravity.

  In order to stably discharge toner by an air flow with the discharge port portion of the container facing downward, and to reduce the amount of residual toner as much as possible, the surface of the reduced diameter structure portion 52-1 on the side wall is used. It is effective to provide an inclination with respect to the cross-section 50-1 of the cylindrical body. In particular, in the case of a soft type container, it is preferable to provide such an inclination because it is easy to sag.

  Accordingly, the angle θ formed by the surface of the reduced diameter structure portion 52-1 and the cross section 50-1 of the cylindrical body is preferably about 45 ° to 90 °, and more preferably about 60 °, although not limited thereto. ° to 90 ° is preferred.

FIG. 15a shows a case where θ is substantially the same on the left and right, and FIG. 15b shows a case where θ1 is set to about 90 ° and θ2 is set lower than 90 °. The reduced diameter structure portion need not be the entire side surface.
Next, a soft type container will be described.

  As described above, the soft type container includes at least a bag-shaped toner storage portion (hereinafter referred to as a bag portion) formed of a flexible material and a toner discharge port formed of a rigid material. Note that the case where the entire bag portion is not formed of a flexible material and part of the bag portion is formed of a rigid material is also included in the soft type toner storage container of the present invention. It is desirable to use a relatively rigid material for the toner discharge port in order to provide a fitting portion having a characteristic function as previously described.

  Regarding the soft type container of the present invention, “deformable by the pressure of air in the container” means that the internal volume decreases as the air is sucked and degassed, and conversely, the internal volume decreases when air is introduced. In the case of a soft type, the above-mentioned “three-dimensional shape of a container” means a shape when air is filled.

Describe the advantages of soft type containers over hard type containers.
In the process of filling the toner into the container, the bag portion of the container can be reduced in volume and the air can be almost exhausted before the toner is filled, so that no air enters between the toner powders that have fallen from the hopper. As a result, the toner settles quickly, the entire filling operation time can be shortened, and toner contamination hardly occurs.

  Since the container is flexible before the toner is filled into the container and delivered to the end user, the container is not damaged by vibration or impact, and it is transported without using any cushioning material like a hard container. Therefore, the overhead can be greatly reduced.

  Furthermore, after using the toner in the container and removing the container, the bag part can be folded or sometimes folded and rolled up to make the capacity of the container very compact. It is easy, for example it can be mailed for recycling use of the container.

  In addition, since the weight per container is light and bulky for the carrier, it is easy to handle because it is flexible, and the empty container is difficult to be damaged or damaged. The transportation cost can be greatly reduced. Further, since the container can be reused for the toner manufacturer, the cost can be reduced.

The present inventors have confirmed that it is easier to remove contaminants such as residual toner than the hard type because of its flexibility, and is suitable for recycling.
As described above, in the case of the soft type, it is advantageous in manufacturing to make the bag portion and the discharge port separately and then fix them to each other.

  The flexible material constituting the bag part is a sheet made of plastic, such as polyester, polyethylene, polyurethane, polypropylene, nylon resin, or paper, processed in a single layer or different types into multiple layers, or even on paper A thing such as a milk pack coated with resin can also be used.

  In the case where both layers are made of resin, those which are not easily torn by an external pressure or the like are preferable, and those having a soft inner side such as polyethylene and a hard outer side such as nylon resin are preferable.

Furthermore, it is possible to take measures against static electricity by depositing aluminum on the flexible material or containing an antistatic agent.
The thickness of the flexible material is not particularly limited, but if it is too thick, it is difficult to obtain the above-mentioned advantages due to its flexibility, and if it is too thin, the portion filled with the toner will sag and the toner will be discharged sufficiently. About 20 μm to 200 μm, and more preferably about 80 μm to 150 μm.

  In addition, the soft type toner storage container of the present invention includes those in which the bag portion and the discharge port can be connected and separated independently. In this case, it is preferable to provide a structure that can ensure a sealed state when connected, for example, a screw structure or a fitting structure. For this purpose, at least the opening of the bag is preferably made of a relatively thick and flexible material. .

  The bag portion is provided with an opening portion that is fixed to the discharge port portion. In addition, when the flexible material is a plastic resin, there is a seam formed by adhering a plurality of flexible material pieces prepared in advance by a heat seal method or the like so as to form a predetermined container as the bag portion A seamless product formed into a predetermined shape by integral molding by a tube extrusion method is used. As described above, the case where the bag portion is not formed entirely of a flexible material but partially formed of a rigid material is also included.

  The cylindrical body constituting the discharge port is made of, for example, plastic or metal such as polyethylene or polypropylene, and is relatively rigid. However, the material may be at least the same or similar to the material constituting the bag portion. It is preferable for fixing both.

  The cylindrical body is roughly divided into a fitting portion with a nozzle or the like and a portion to be fixed to the opening of the bag portion (referred to as a fixing portion), and the inner diameter and structure can be changed according to the purpose of each portion. .

  For example, FIG. 16A is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a mouth portion, where A is a fitting portion and B is a fixing portion. In this case, the inner diameter of the cylindrical body is smaller in the A portion x than in the B portion y, and a structure that allows a nozzle or the like to be fitted by mounting a sealing performance improving mechanism up to the protrusion C is provided. That is, the inner diameter of the fitting portion of the cylindrical body is made larger than the inner diameter of the fixing portion.

Such a cylindrical structure can be applied to a hard container.
Furthermore, it can also be set as the structure which can isolate | separate the fitting part and adhering part of a cylindrical body. With such a structure, the work can be facilitated particularly when a sealing property improving mechanism such as an elastic member is provided inside the cylindrical body forming the fitting portion, and a damaged portion can be replaced during reuse. There are advantages such as.

The separation structure is not particularly limited, but a fitting structure or a screw structure can be applied. Needless to say, airtightness is necessary when connecting the two.
The fixing is suitably performed by welding, for example, by heating or ultrasonic waves in order to ensure a sealed state and prevent air from leaking.

  One method for more reliably performing this fixing is to devise the shape of the B portion. For example, FIG. 16b is a cross-sectional view of a portion B, and as shown in this figure, by forming the cross-section of the cylindrical body constituting the fixing portion into a hull shape, it is not possible to obtain a cylindrical shape, and the fixing is highly sealed. The state can be obtained.

  Further, a device for making it easier to discharge toner by an air flow will be described. For example, the display symbols in FIG. 16c are the same as those in FIG. 16a, and the opening of the bag portion is fixed to the mouth at the B portion. In this case, if the surface of the D portion of the bag portion fixed at the B portion is formed so as to be substantially parallel to the surface of the B portion of the mouth portion, the toner easily collects in this portion, so that the toner can be discharged and supplied more easily. It can be performed stably. The length of the D portion is not particularly limited, but is about the length of the B portion.

Such a structure is also applicable to a hard type container.
Further, as shown in FIG. 17, a collar E is provided between the fitting portion and the fixing portion of the cylindrical body at a substantially right angle to the cylindrical direction, and a paper or plastic box or the like is provided at this portion. Holding the container by hooking it to a predetermined portion is effective for storing and transporting the container filled with toner, or for installation in the image forming apparatus.

Providing such a collar is convenient for supporting the container when the container is filled with toner with the discharge port facing upward.
About providing a collar part, it is applicable also to a hard type container.

  Further, when a pressure adjusting means 31 such as an air window that allows air to pass but does not allow toner to pass as shown in FIG. 18 is provided in the bag portion, particularly when the toner supply system is a blowing system or a combined system, an excessive amount is required. Since air goes out from the pressure adjusting means, air can be blown in as much as possible. In this way, the toner can be discharged and supplied more stably. In addition, if the container containing the toner is stored for a long time, the container may expand and toner aggregation may occur. However, if this pressure adjusting means is provided, the air will escape and this phenomenon will not occur. Can be prevented.

  Furthermore, when the container is filled with the toner, the pressure adjusting means can appropriately release the air in the container to the outside, efficiently fill the toner, and can prevent the container from being damaged in a low-pressure environment.

  As a material constituting the pressure adjusting means, fine particles such as toner are not allowed to pass, but those that allow air to pass through can be applied. For example, a synthetic resin film such as a porous fluororesin film, paper, or a metal thin film A combination of these can be used.

  The location of the container in which the pressure adjusting means is provided is arbitrary, and can be selected depending on the shape of the container, the toner supply method to be applied, the installation direction of the container whether or not the discharge port is directed downward, and the like.

The pressure adjusting means may be provided in a hard type container.
Next, modifications of the toner storage container of the present invention will be listed.
As shown in FIG. 19a, a container provided with a throttle part 53 in the vicinity of the connection part with the mouth part 13 of the bag part 2 or provided with a plurality of throttle parts 53 on the side surface of the bag part 2 as shown in FIG. The toner supply tube 12 receives the dead weight of the toner above the aperture 53 and does not transmit it to the mouth 13 to prevent the toner from clumping and tightening near the mouth 13 and to pass a large toner lump. In addition, the toner feeding port can be prevented from being blocked.

When the baffle plate 54 is provided as shown in FIG. 20, it is effective to loosen the toner mass and prevent the passage of a large size mass and prevent clogging of the toner.
Also, an envelope-type container formed by preparing two flexible materials having substantially the same shape, heat-sealing an end other than the opening, and further fixing the mouth to the opening as described above. Can be used.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 21a and 21b, a hanging portion 56 having a hanging hole 55 is provided at the bottom of the envelope-type container bag portion, or as shown in FIG. 21c, a handle 57 is provided on the side surface of the bag portion 6. If the toner storage container is held by the suspending portion 56 or the handle 57 when the toner storage container is mounted in the image forming apparatus, the envelope-type container 6 is flexible. It is possible to prevent the toner storage container from collapsing when the stored toner is low. Further, by providing the hanging portion 56 and the handle 57, it is possible to easily carry the toner replenishing container storing the toner.

It is effective to form the bag portion of the toner storage container with a material that allows the inside to be seen, because it is possible to easily determine the remaining amount of toner and the replacement time of the toner storage container.
Furthermore, a modified example of the toner storage container of the present invention will be described.

The toner container shown in FIG. 22 has a bag portion in which a plastic film is formed into a bag shape by heat sealing.
The toner container shown in FIG. 23 has a bag portion made of paper having a certain degree of strength and hardness, such as a milk pack.

  The toner container shown in FIG. 24 has a characteristic that the bag is rounded by a spring or the like. When the toner is discharged, the toner is rounded by its own elasticity as shown in the figure, and the container can be easily collected.

  The three-dimensional shape of the toner container shown in FIG. 25 is similar to that shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 15b. Such a bag portion having a rectangular bottom and one or two of the four side walls having an angle of less than 90 ° with respect to the cross section of the cylindrical body is excellent in volumetric efficiency.

  When a soft type container is installed and operated in an image forming apparatus and image formation is repeated, the three-dimensional shape is deformed and bent as the amount of stored toner decreases, and the toner cannot be discharged sufficiently. There is.

According to the present invention, this problem can be solved by using means (hereinafter referred to as attitude holding means) that can maintain the initial attitude of the toner container as much as possible.
FIG. 25a shows an example of this. A soft-type container 49 with the container outlet facing downward is shown in FIG. 25a, and 48 is posture holding means provided on the outer side so as to surround the periphery of the container.

The material of the posture holding means is not particularly limited, although relatively hard plastic, paper, or a composite thereof is used to achieve the function.
Moreover, as long as it has the function as an attitude | position holding means, a shape and a structure are arbitrary.

  In the case of FIG. 25a, it is box-shaped and generally encloses so as to contact the periphery of the container, but such a structure is not necessarily required. FIG. 25b is a modification of the hexahedron posture holding means shown in FIG. 25a, and the inner container is not shown. In this case, the surfaces other than the a-side on which the toner discharge port of the container is supported are all cut out except for the end portion, and this is also included in the box shape of the present invention.

  As the posture holding means, for example, an air bag filled with air is used, or a hook provided on the cylindrical body constituting the discharge port shown in FIG. 17, and a posture holding means for supporting the hanging portion 56 and the handle 57 of FIG. It can also be provided in the apparatus.

Furthermore, it is also possible to fix the sticking member at an arbitrary position of the bag portion to serve as a posture holding means and to stick the sticking member to a predetermined place in the apparatus to exert the intended purpose.
Depending on the structure of the posture holding means, the soft type container supported by the posture holding means is also effective for transporting or storing it as it is.

  If a toner container can store as much toner as possible, it can be stored and transported efficiently, and a large number of copies can be made for the user and the number of container replacements can be reduced. Therefore, such a highly filled toner container is desired.

However, if the amount of toner filled in the toner storage container is too large, it is difficult to exhibit the advantages of the toner supply method of the present invention.
The inventors of the present invention have examined preferable conditions for an effective toner filling amount when a novel toner supply method and a novel toner container are combined.

As a result, a value obtained by dividing the weight (g) of the toner filled in the toner storage container by the volume (cm ³ ) in the toner storage container, that is, [toner weight in unused toner storage container (g )] / [Volume in the toner storage container (cm ³ )] as described above, when the toner filling density is set to 0.7 g / cm ³ or less, the container is a hard type. It has been found that the toner can be always replenished stably regardless of whether it is a wax or a soft type, and the amount of toner remaining in the toner container can be extremely reduced.

It is a clear fact that the difference in the effect at the boundary of 0.7 g / cm ³ is large, but even if this condition is not met, a new toner supply method can be implemented, and this condition is most preferable. Should be understood.

  When toner is stored in a container at a high temperature for a long period of time, it may harden in a lump, and the present inventors have conducted the following two experiments in order to elucidate the cause of such a state. Was done.

(Experiment 1)
The container used was made of a glass bottle having a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 63.5 mm and a height of 135 mm and having a mouth portion serving as a toner filling port with a volume of 250 cc, and a flexible sheet made of a composite material of polyethylene and nylon having a thickness of 100 μm. Soft type.

  The soft type container is made by heat welding a bag portion formed by heat welding a section of the sheet prepared in advance and a rigid member that becomes a toner filling port made of polyethylene having a diameter of φ14 mm. Three solid three-dimensional shapes having a square bottom with a side of 100 mm and a height of 200 mm were prepared.

The toner contained in the container was a low-temperature fixable color toner manufactured by Ricoh Co., Ltd., which has a relatively low melting point with an outflow start temperature of about 89 ° C., and filling was performed in a room temperature environment.
A total of four containers were filled with 100 g of toner in a room temperature environment and sealed with a lid.

  For soft type containers, degassing with a suction pressure of 150 mmHG with a nozzle made of a filter made of 3000 mesh porous stainless steel 60 mm in length and 5 mm in diameter to adjust to the desired packing density, The lid was then closed.

  Here, the filling density of the container is determined by the toner filling amount (g) / the volume of the container after deaeration and capping. The volume of the container after deaeration and capping was determined by immersing the container in water and measuring the changing water surface height.

  By such a filling method, one of the glass bottles (sample name a) having a packing density of 0.4 as a sample and the packing densities of 0.4 (sample name b), 0.54 (sample name c), and 0.67, respectively. Three of the soft type containers of (sample name d) were prepared, and changes in the degree of aggregation with respect to the storage period at a storage temperature of 50 ° C. were confirmed for these samples.

  In addition, the degree of aggregation is determined by applying 2 g of toner on a 149 μm mesh over a metal mesh with openings of 149 μm, 74 μm, and 45 μm, sieving for 30 seconds, measuring the weight of the remaining agglomerated toner, and applying a constant. The sum of the items is expressed as a ratio (percent) to the total amount.

  FIG. 26 shows the result. In the case where the toner container is a soft type, the cohesion degree is almost the same even if the packing density is changed in the changing range of the packing density for any sample. On the other hand, in the case of a glass bottle, it shows that aggregation occurs in a short time and measurement is impossible.

In addition, the state of the container during storage was such that the container slightly swelled in the soft type.
(Experiment 2)
The same type of container used in Experiment 1 was filled with 100 g of the same toner by the same method, and after filling, the container was capped to keep hermeticity. A total of 6 samples were prepared, 3 for each of the containers.

  With respect to these two types of samples, the aggregation state of the toner with respect to the storage time when the storage temperature was changed to 50 ° C., 45 ° C., and 40 ° C. was observed, and the toner aggregation state was measured by the penetration. The penetration is a method of dropping the needle into a fixed amount of toner after storage and checking how far the toner penetrates. This method is defined by JIS-K2207. The unit is a unit defined by the standard, and the smaller the numerical value is, the more the needle does not enter, which is solidified.

  The graph of FIG. 27 shows the result when the storage temperature is 50 ° C., and in the case of a glass bottle, aggregation proceeds after 40 hours from the start, and in 120 hours, compared with the case of a soft type container, the aggregation state is much worse. It turns out that it is.

This tendency was the same for the storage temperatures of 40 ° C. and 45 ° C.
From these experimental results, it is clear that when a glass bottle filled and sealed with toner is stored at a high temperature, toner aggregation occurs over time. In the case of glass bottles, even if the internal air expands as the temperature rises, the inner wall cannot be absorbed by a hard material that is not flexible. It is considered that toner aggregation occurs.

  This is true even in the case of soft type containers, when the internal temperature rises to the maximum volume so that it does not swell any further and the wall is not flexible enough to absorb it. It is conceivable that toner rises and toner aggregation occurs.

  As a countermeasure against this, the pressure adjusting means as described above may be provided in the toner storage portion of the container. However, the present inventor does not use the pressure adjusting means and the toner aggregates even if the internal temperature rises. The preferred conditions for soft type containers that are difficult to perform were investigated.

As a result, it was found that such a condition does not occur under the following conditions.
“When a soft type container is used, Cmax is the maximum volume of the container, Ctoner is the volume occupied by the toner after the container is filled and sealed, and the air in the container occupied after the container is filled with the toner and sealed When the volume is Cair,
[Formula 1]
(Cmax) − {(Ctoner) + (Cair)} ≧ 0.1 × (Cair) Equation 1
To fill the toner so as to satisfy. ]

Here, the “maximum volume of the container” is a volume when the soft type container is fully expanded.
The volume can be easily measured by submerging the container in water and changing the amount of water.

The “volume occupied by air in the container” is the sum of the volume of air present between the toner powders filled in the container and the volume of the void where no toner is present.
The volume of air in the container can be calculated by subtracting the volume occupied by the toner from the volume of the container after filling and sealing the toner, and the volume occupied by the toner can be calculated by dividing the weight of the toner by the true specific gravity of the toner. It can be done.

In the equation, “0.1” can be said to be a margin of a gap with respect to a change in atmospheric pressure accompanying a temperature rise in the toner container. Next, “0.1” will be considered.
The amount of change in pressure and volume due to temperature change in the toner container can be derived from PV / T = constant law (P is atmospheric pressure, V is volume, and T is absolute temperature).

In the case of the glass bottle in the above-described experiment, it is considered that the volume V is a constant system.
Since the inside of the glass bottle is kept airtight, assuming that the volume is constant, for example, assuming that the toner filling time is (20 ° C., P1) and the maximum storage time is (50 ° C., P2), P2 / P1 = 1. .102 relationship.

  Similarly, if the maximum is (40 ° C., P3), the relationship is P3 / P1 = 1.068. That is, as the temperature rises, the toner powder in the container is compressed by air and increases by 10% at 50 ° C. It is considered that the toner powder is aggregated and fixed by both the temperature rise and the pressure increase due to the temperature rise.

On the other hand, in the case of a soft type container, it is considered that the pressure is constant.
Since it is known from the above experiment that the toner in the toner container is most affected by the internal pressure of the container at 50 ° C., if the filling temperature is set to 20 ° C. and the maximum storage temperature is set to 50 ° C., the temperature difference If the internal pressure of the container is kept constant at 30 ° C., the toner powder can be prevented from agglomerating and sticking.

  When calculated in the same manner as above, assuming that the pressure P in the container is constant, the relationship of V2 / V1 = 1.102 is obtained when the toner filling time is (20 ° C., V1) and the maximum during storage is (50 ° C., V2). Become. If the volume without air in the toner storage container is 1/10 times the volume of air in the container, it will not be affected by the increase in the internal pressure of the container due to the temperature rise, thus preventing toner aggregation and sticking. be able to.

Therefore, the above “0.1” means 1/10 of this.
Further, although not shown in the drawings, the experiment has revealed that the present invention is largely related to low temperature fixing property (characteristic capable of fixing at low temperature), which is an internal thermal characteristic of the toner. That is, in a so-called low-temperature fixability toner having a toner start-off temperature (characteristics related to low-temperature fixability; characteristics that melt or soften at low temperature), for example, around 85 ° C., the degree of aggregation due to the difference in containers. It was found that the difference was more remarkable and aggregation was likely to occur.

On the other hand, it was found that when the outflow start temperature is 105 ° C. or more, the difference in aggregation due to the difference in case is small.
The reason why the effect becomes remarkable with the above low-temperature fixing toner is presumed to be related to the fact that the low-temperature fixing toner is more easily aggregated and fixed.

  The toner stored in the toner storage container of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is used in an image forming process using electrophotography. For example, normal one-component toner or two-component toner may be used, and magnetic toner may be used. Magnetic toner can also be used.

  The toner includes a binder resin such as a styrene resin and a polyester resin, a colorant, and, if necessary, a charge control agent and other additives, but is not particularly limited thereto. In the case of a one-component magnetic toner, a ferrite-based or magnetite-based magnetic material is further added.

  As for the toner, not only black but also chromatic toner can be used. For full-color image formation, a total of four types of toners of black, cyan, magenta and yellow are stored in separate containers. The size of the container and the amount of toner to be stored are appropriately selected depending on the type of image process.

  One-component toner does not develop well if the strength attracted to the developing roller constituting the developing unit is too large or too small, and the true specific gravity is 1.55-1. Those that are 75 are preferred.

On the other hand, in the case of a two-component toner, it is preferable to use a toner having a true specific gravity of 1.1 to 1.3.
In the toner storage container of the present invention, when toner having such a true specific gravity is used, the toner sinks quickly when filling the container, and the amount of air in the toner is small. It can be reduced, leading to a smaller container.

  In the toner storage container of the present invention, the toner particles have a volume average particle diameter of 4.0 to 12.0 μm, preferably 5.0 to 9.0 μm. When the volume average particle diameter of the toner particles is smaller than 4.0 μm, problems occur in the transfer process and the cleaning process after the development process in the image forming apparatus, and when the toner particles exceed 12.0 μm, the image resolution is maintained high. Becomes difficult. In order to increase the definition of the image, it is desirable that the volume average particle diameter of the toner particles is 9.0 μm or less.

An example of the particle size distribution of the actual toner used in the present invention will be shown. The number of toner powders and the weight average particle diameter were measured using a particle size distribution measuring device (Coulter TA-2) manufactured by Coulter.
(1) Toner with a volume average particle diameter of 7.5 μm The number of derivatives of 4.0 μm or less is 18% of the total.

The weight of coarse powder of 7.0 μm or more is 1.5% of the whole
(2) Toner having a volume average particle size of 9.0 μm The number of differentials of 4.0 μm or less is 15% of the total.
The weight of coarse powder of 7.0 μm or more is 2.0% of the whole

  Next, a method for filling toner in the toner container according to the present invention will be described. Basically, for example, a conventionally known filling method as disclosed in JP-A-8-334968 can be used. Will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the toner filling tube 61 and the air suction tube are inserted into a member 60 having a toner filling tube insertion port and an air suction tube insertion port, and having a size that can be fitted into a fitting portion provided in the discharge port of the toner storage container. After the tube 62 is inserted and fixed, this member is fitted into the fitting portion and attached. Although not shown, the vicinity of the tip of the air suction tube 62 is covered with a filter so that toner does not enter the suction tube.

  The hopper 63 of the toner filling machine is connected to the toner filling pipe 61 and the air suction pump 64 is connected to the air suction pipe 62, respectively, and the air suction pump 64 is operated to fill the toner storage container with toner by a conventional method. .

When filling is performed while venting the air in the container using an air suction pump, filling can be performed stably without forming a void until the end, and high-density filling is possible.
When using a conventional hard type container, the toner is dropped from the hopper while air is contained in the container, so that the air enters between the toner powder and the toner settles. This makes it difficult to take a long time for filling, and further causes toner contamination.

  However, when a soft type container is used, the volume of the bag portion of the container can be reduced in advance and the air can be almost evacuated before filling the toner. There is an advantage that such a problem does not occur.

  Furthermore, in the case of a soft type container, even if the toner is clogged in the vicinity of entering the container from the hopper during the filling operation, pressure can be applied to the clogged part through the flexible material constituting the bag part. The toner lump can be easily loosened.

  For this reason, it is necessary to evacuate the air using the air suction pump in the case of a hard type container, in particular in the case of a soft type container. A considerable amount of toner can be filled without using a suction pump.

After filling is completed, it is sealed by some method. The specific method is as described above.
Examples of the present invention are shown below, but the present invention is not limited thereby.

This embodiment combines a blowing method, which is an example of the toner supply method of the present invention, and a hard type toner storage container in which the fitting portion of the cylindrical body constituting the toner discharge portion is provided with an adhesion improving mechanism, When the air pump as the air blowing means is operated, the toner is actually sent to the predetermined part by the air flow, and when the toner filling density in the container is 0.7 g / cm ³ or less, the toner remaining in the container It is intended to show the fact that the amount is particularly low.

  FIG. 29 is a conceptual diagram of an experimental apparatus. Here, the nozzle 11 of the type shown in FIG. 3 is used, the toner discharge pipe section 16 has an inner diameter of 6 mm and a thickness of 0.5 mm, and the outer blowing air flow path pipe section 18 is connected to the toner discharge pipe section 16. The gap between the outer wall and the outer wall is 1 mm, the thickness is 0.5 mm, the outer diameter is 9 mm, and the connection between the two is kept airtight.

  A toner flow pipe 12 made of EPDM rubber having an inner diameter φ of 7 mm that can be flexibly deformed is connected to the end of the toner discharge pipe section 16 while maintaining airtightness. The length of the toner flow tube is 1000 mm and has a height difference of 300 mm in the middle. The other end is positioned on a beaker 66 set on an electronic balance 65 (FA-2000 manufactured by A & D). To be fixed.

  An air pump 10 is connected to one end of the blow-in air flow path pipe portion 18 while maintaining airtightness through a flexible tube (inner diameter φ5 mm, EPDM rubber). The air pump is a diaphragm pump with a flow rate of 1.5 L / min. (Shinmei Denki Co., Ltd. SR-01) was used. A timer is connected to the air pump 10, and the air supply time and interval can be set.

  The container 2 filled with toner is positioned with the toner discharge port facing downward, and is connected to the nozzle 11. The toner discharge port is a cylindrical body having a diameter of φ14 mm, an inner diameter of φ22 mm, and a depth of 10 mm, and a slitted urethane sponge having a thickness of 10 mm and a diameter of φ22 mm is fitted into the inside thereof and adhered, thereby improving adhesion. The fitting part provided with is formed. There are two slits, intersecting at about 90 ° in the center, and the length is 12 mm.

The nozzle 11 is inserted through the sponge slit so that the opening 15 of the blown air flow path pipe section 18 is positioned inside the container.
The container is a hard type made of high-density polyethylene, has a cylindrical shape with a thickness of 1 mm and an outer diameter of 65 mm, has a toner discharge port in the center, and has a volume of 210 cc.

  As described above, the toner container 2 filled with toner was connected to the nozzle, and the other end of the toner flow tube 12 was disposed above the beaker 66 placed on the electronic balance 65.

  In this state, the air pump 10 is operated to discharge the toner from the toner container 2, and the discharged toner is transferred to the beaker 66. This operation is continued until the toner is not discharged from the toner container 2, and at this time, the beaker The weight of the toner transferred to 66 was measured with the electronic balance 60, and the weight of the toner remaining in the toner storage container was measured. The air pump 10 was driven for 1 second and rested for 5 seconds. By repeating this operation, the toner was discharged to the beaker.

The toner container 2 was filled with toner, and five toners having a filling density (g / cm ³ ) of 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9 were prepared. . For filling, a funnel was inserted into the discharge port of the container, and toner was put from the funnel with a spoon. The filling amount was adjusted by manually applying vibration to the bottom of the container with a metal rod.

  The powdery toner used is a toner obtained by externally adding an additive to toner particles in which a magnetic substance made of iron oxide and a polarity control agent are internally added to a resin. Such a toner is widely used as a toner for a laser printer PC-LASER SP-10 manufactured by Ricoh Co., Ltd.

  The above-described experiment was performed for each toner storage container. At that time, each toner container 2 before being connected to the nozzle 11 was shaken ten times in the horizontal and vertical directions, and then each toner container 2 was set on the nozzle 11.

  From the above experiments, even if the toner storage container and the electronic balance are remotely arranged with a height difference of 300 mm in the middle, the toner is removed from the container through the flexible toner flow tube having a length of 1000 mm. This demonstrates that the toner supply method of the present invention is effective.

Further, as can be seen from the graph of FIG. 30, when the toner filling density becomes larger than 0.7 g / cm ³ , the amount of toner left without being discharged from the toner container 2 to the end, that is, the remaining amount of toner suddenly increases. It is increasing.

From this fact, when the toner filling density of the toner container 2 in the unused state is set to 0.7 g / cm ³ or less, the toner can be stably supplied to the developing unit 1, and the toner container can be filled in the toner container. It can be understood that the amount of toner remaining at the end can be made extremely small, or can be made substantially zero, and problems that place unnecessary financial burden on the user can be prevented.

  Since this experiment is a relative comparison of the remaining amount of toner in the container, the remaining amount in the container is large, but actually the container shape is tapered, that is, as described above, the side surface of the container. It has been confirmed that the overall remaining amount can be further reduced by reducing the diameter.

  The purpose of this example is the same as that of Example 1, and a combined type was adopted as a toner supply system, and a suction pump was further used for Example 1. An experiment similar to Example 1 was conducted. FIG. 31 is a conceptual diagram of the experimental apparatus.

  In the experiment method, the suction port of the uniaxial eccentric screw pump having the structure shown in FIG. 8 is connected to the tip of the toner flow tube of the apparatus of Example 1 above, and the air discharge port of the pump is connected to another toner feed port. A beaker was installed under the end of the toner flow tube connected to the flow tube, and the amount of toner discharged was measured with an electronic balance.

A filter having a diameter of 12 mm and an opening of 3 μm was attached as a pressure adjusting means to the bottom of the toner container.
The same toner and toner filling method and toner filling density as those used in Example 1 were used. The connection between the nozzle and the container and the conditions for shaking the container before measurement are all the same.

  In the experiment, the uniaxial eccentric screw pump was rotated for 1 second and then rested for 5 seconds. During that time, the amount of toner discharged was measured with an electronic balance until the toner was not discharged, and the remaining amount of toner in the container at that time was calculated. did.

From this experiment, it has been proved that the combined method of the blowing method and the suction method as an example of the toner supply method of the present invention is effective.
Further, as can be seen from the graph of FIG. 32, it can be seen that when the toner filling density is 0.7 g / cm 3 or less, the amount of toner remaining in the toner storage container 2, that is, the remaining amount of toner rapidly decreases.

This example has almost the same purpose and experimental contents as Example 1, except that a soft type container is used.
The soft type container is a polyethylene cylinder in which the bag portion is formed of a 0.1 mm thick sheet material of a composite material of polyethylene and nylon, and the opening provided in the bag portion is used as a toner discharge port portion. It is made by heat-welding to the outer surface of the fixed part.

  The three-dimensional shape of the container is as shown in FIG. 33, and is folded so that when degassed, a crease is formed in the vertical direction of the bottom and the center of the two side surfaces. The container is a quadrangle whose bottom is 110 mm in length and 80 mm in width, and has a reduced diameter structure portion whose angle between the side surface and the cross section of the fixing portion is about 60 °, and has a height of 130 mm and a capacity of about 700 CC. .

The bag portion of this container is formed by preparing sections of four sheet materials in advance so as to have a desired three-dimensional shape and thermally welding the end portions thereof.
A toner passage having a diameter of 14 mm is provided in the fixing portion constituting the polyethylene cylindrical body formed as the toner discharge port portion.

  The other fitting portion constituting the cylindrical body has a hollow inside with an inner diameter of φ22 mm and a length of 10 mm, and a thickness of 25 μm in the cross section of urethane sponge (Bridgestone Everlight ST). The one to which the PET film is attached is mounted and fixed with a double-sided tape (5000 N from Nitto Denko).

  The urethane sponge has a circular shape having a thickness of 10 mm and a diameter of 22 mm, and is provided so that two slits having a length of 12 mm intersect at an angle of approximately 90 ° at the center.

  The toner used is for Ricoh Co., Ltd. laser printer PC-LASER SP-10, and the packing density is 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9. Six samples were prepared as follows. The filling density is calculated by a formula of toner filling amount g / soft case maximum volume CC.

  Since the container is soft and vibration is not easily transmitted, it is difficult to fill the container with high pressure. And degassed.

The experimental apparatus and the experimental method were the same as those in Experiment 1.
From this experiment, even when the soft type container of the present invention is used, the toner can be sent to a predetermined position remotely, and it is proved that the present invention is effective.

  Further, as is clear from the graph shown in FIG. 34, it was confirmed that the remaining amount of toner rapidly increases when the toner filling density exceeds 0.7. Note that the remaining amount of toner in the container was markedly reduced because the container had a reduced diameter structure toward the toner outlet.

This embodiment is intended to show the storage state of toner stored in a container.
The container and toner used are the same as those used in Example 3.

  After leaving the toner in an environment of 20 ° C. for 100 hours, the container is filled with 300 g of toner in an environment of 20 ° C., and the same polyethylene and nylon composite material as the material constituting the container bag is used as the sealing material. The container was heat-sealed to the toner outlet of the container and sealed.

It was verified whether or not this sealed container was in agreement with the above-mentioned formula 1.
(Cmax) − {(Ctoner) + (Cair)} ≧ 0.1 × (Cair) Equation 1
Cmax = 700cc
Since the true specific gravity of the toner is 1.2, Ctoner = (300 ÷ 1.2) = 250 cc,
As described above, Cair was calculated from the changing water surface height by submerging a sealed container after filling with toner in water. Cair = 409cc
When these values are applied to Equation 1,
700− (250 + 409) = 41 ≧ 0.1 × 409 = 40.9
Thus, it was confirmed that this sealed container satisfied the formula 1.

  Next, the container which was sealed after being filled with the toner was stored for 10 days in an environment of 50 ° C., and then the toner was taken out and the state thereof was observed. As a result, no aggregation was observed.

This embodiment aims to demonstrate the effect of the adhesion improving mechanism provided at the toner discharge port of the toner storage container of the present invention.
First, two samples forming an adhesion improving mechanism were prepared.

Sample 1: A sample with a poor adhesion state, in which an open-cell ester urethane sponge (Bridgestone Everlite ST) having a very high air permeability is mounted as a member for forming an adhesion improvement mechanism at the discharge port.
Sample 2: Second, as a sample having good adhesion, a PET film sheet of 25 μm was pasted on the urethane sponge surface of Sample 1. In this configuration, air is blocked by the film and cannot pass.

The sponges used for both samples are those having a diameter of 22 mm, a thickness of 10 mm, and a slit having a width of 12 mm in the cross section, opened at right angles at the center of the two.
The toner container used in the experiment is the same as that used in Example 3 and is shown in FIG. 32, but a filter (mesh opening 3 μm, diameter φ12 mm) as an air pressure adjusting means is attached to the bottom. Are different. The sponge was fixed with a double-sided tape (Nitto Denko 5000N).

The toner used was imgio Color toner type S yellow manufactured by Ricoh, and 300 g was filled.
In the experiment, air was blown into the toner container and sucked, that is, a combination method, and the toner dischargeability and the remaining amount of toner were compared.

The experimental apparatus used is the same as that used in Example 2.
As described in the first embodiment, the nozzle 11 of this apparatus is inserted into the container so that the opening 15 of the air flow path pipe section 18 that is blown through the slit of the sponge is located in the container. To do.

With this set, air was supplied for 1 second and the amount of toner discharged when the pump was driven for 1 second was measured with an electronic balance.
The results are plotted in the graphs of FIG. 35 (Sample 1) and FIG. 36 (Sample 2). The horizontal axis indicates the remaining amount of toner in the toner container, and the vertical axis indicates the amount of toner discharged per unit time of the pump drive. Show.

  When the sample 1 container is used, from the graph of FIG. 35, the amount of toner discharged every second is sometimes not zero and is not stable, and the remaining toner amount is about 35 g. I know that there is. On the other hand, when the sample 2 container is used, the amount of toner discharged every second from the graph of FIG. 36 is stable at about 0.6 g and the remaining toner amount is also about 0 g. I understand that.

  When Sample 1 is used, the sponge has an open-cell structure, so that the adhesion with the nozzle cannot be improved. Therefore, when the toner container is actually removed from the nozzle, the area around the sponge is the toner. It was contaminated with.

  In contrast, sample 2 has a PET film and air does not leak into the sponge, so the adhesion to the nozzle is improved, and as a result, toner discharge is stable and the amount of toner remaining can be reduced. Can be judged.

  In the case of Sample 2, when the toner container was removed, no toner contamination around the sponge was observed.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional explanatory view showing a developing device and a toner storage container storing toner supplied to the developing device. It is the schematic which shows an example of the blowing system. An example of a nozzle is shown, a is a surface view and b is a sectional view. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a state in which a toner storage container is connected to a nozzle. The modification of a nozzle is shown, a is a surface figure and b is a sectional view. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a toner storage container is set on the toner flow unit. It is a conceptual diagram at the time of using a suction pump as an air suction means. It is sectional drawing of the structure which shows an example of the suction pump used for the suction system of this invention. It is the conceptual diagram which has arrange | positioned the suction pump of the suction system. An example of an adhesion improvement mechanism is shown, a is a perspective view, b is a plan view, and c is a perspective view showing another example in which an elastic body is used for the adhesion improvement mechanism. a, b, and c are perspective views showing different examples in which an elastic body is used in the adhesion improving mechanism. Other embodiment of the adhesive improvement mechanism is shown, a is a perspective view and b is a sectional view. The other embodiment of the adhesive improvement mechanism is shown, a is a perspective view and b is a sectional view. a, b, and c are explanatory views for explaining a procedure in a specific example of another adhesion improving mechanism. a and b are explanatory views showing different examples of the toner container according to the present invention. a is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the mouth portion of the cylindrical body, b is a cross-sectional view of the B portion thereof, and c is a cross-sectional explanatory view of the mouth portion of the cylindrical body. It is sectional drawing which shows the other example of the opening part of a cylindrical body. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating another embodiment of a toner storage container. FIGS. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views illustrating different examples of toner storage containers. FIGS. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating still another example of a toner storage container. a, b, and c are surface views showing examples of different toner storage containers. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing still another example of a toner storage container. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing still another example of a toner storage container. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing still another example of a toner storage container. FIGS. 7A and 7B are perspective views showing different examples of means for holding the posture of the toner container. FIGS. It is a graph which shows the experimental result of the toner aggregation degree using a hard type and a soft type toner storage container. It is a graph which shows the experimental result of the penetration using the hard type and the soft type toner storage container. It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline of a conventionally well-known filling method. It is a conceptual diagram of the experimental apparatus for toner feeding which does not use a suction pump. 30 is a graph showing the relationship between the toner filling density and the remaining amount of toner in the experimental apparatus of FIG. It is a conceptual diagram of the experimental apparatus for toner sending using a suction pump. FIG. 32 is a graph showing the relationship between the toner filling density and the remaining amount of toner in the experimental apparatus of FIG. 31. FIG. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of an experimental apparatus for feeding toner from a soft type toner storage container without using a suction pump. FIG. 34 is a graph showing the relationship between the toner filling density and the remaining amount of toner in the experimental apparatus of FIG. 33. FIG. 5 is a graph in which the horizontal axis of sample 1 with poor adhesion is the remaining amount of toner in the toner storage container, and the vertical axis is the amount of toner discharged per unit time of pump drive. 5 is a graph in which the horizontal axis of the sample 2 with good adhesion has the remaining amount of toner in the toner storage container, and the vertical axis represents the amount of toner discharged per unit time of pump drive.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Developing device 2 Toner storage container 3 Toner flow means 10 Air pump 30 Suction pump

Claims (1)

A toner flow path formed between a toner storage portion and a developing portion in the image forming apparatus;
A suction pump disposed in the middle of the toner flow path;
An air pump communicating with the toner storage portion via an air supply pipe ;
The toner flow path and the air supply pipe are:
Each consists of a flexible tube made of a rubber material such as polyurethane, nitrile, EPDM, or silicon.
The toner storage portion
The upper side wall is a cylindrical body, and the lower side wall has a container shape having a reduced diameter structure,
And the angle which the lower side wall surface used as this diameter reduction structure and the cross section of a cylindrical body make is 45 degrees-90 degrees,
Furthermore, it has a discharge port connected to the tube connected from the suction pump at the bottom of the reduced diameter structure,
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein the air pump is operated simultaneously with the suction of toner from the toner storage portion by the suction pump, and is supplied to the developing portion through the toner flow path.

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