JP4572112B2 - Toner container, toner supply device, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile machine that develops a latent image formed on an image carrier with toner, a toner replenishing device attached thereto, and a toner container attached to the toner replenishing device. It is about.

JP 2001-324863 A

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a configuration in which a toner container called a toner bottle or a toner cartridge is set in an image forming apparatus main body, and toner is supplied from the toner container to a developing unit is well known and used. Since this type of toner container is made of a shape-stable hard bottle, there has been a significant problem in recycling the used container accompanying replacement of the container. In other words, the used toner container is collected from the user by the manufacturer and is recycled, reused, or incinerated. However, because the toner container is a hard bottle, the capacity of the toner container increases, and the user collects and transports it to the manufacturer. Logistics costs were high.

  Furthermore, when the collected toner container is refilled with toner and the container is to be reused, the cleaning operation of the collection container is not easy and the toner filling efficiency is difficult, and the toner container can be reused. The cost required was also high.

  On the other hand, there has been proposed a conventional toner container whose volume can be reduced. However, the toner discharge from the container capable of volume reduction is very unstable, and there are many restrictions on the transfer of the discharged toner, and there is a problem in the stability and maintenance of the toner replenishment performance. Contamination has occurred and there are restrictions on the installation position of the toner replenishing device, which hinders practical use.

  Therefore, the present applicant has proposed to use a suction type single-shaft eccentric screw pump, which is commonly called “Mono pump”, as the toner transfer means. This pump is a male screw type rotor formed in the shape of an eccentric swell screw with a material such as metal, and a female screw type that is formed in a screw shape with two insides and is fixedly installed with an elastic material such as rubber. The stator is composed of a holder made of a resin material or the like that wraps them and forms a powder transfer path. The male screw type rotor inserted into the female screw type stator is rotated around the eccentric center via a connecting rod connected to the drive device, and the inside of the oblong hole (rotation eccentric space) of the stator in the longitudinal axial direction By moving and rotating, a pumping action is generated (strong self-suction force / suction pressure), the toner as a transfer object is sucked into the stator, discharged through the stator, and the compressed air is supplied by the air supply device before and after the toner. The toner is conveyed in a diffused state to realize toner conveyance.

  The toner storage container disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a sealed container body bag that can be deformed by the suction pressure of the Mono pump, on the assumption that the toner storage container is used in an image forming apparatus using the Mono pump. A base member provided with a toner discharge portion is attached to the tip of the container main body bag.

  An object of the present invention is to improve a toner container having a toner bag and a cap member so that toner leakage can be reduced.

According to the present invention, there is provided a toner container having a toner supply port, a toner receiving port that is detachably attached to the toner supply port of the toner container and receives toner supplied from the toner supply port; A cap member having a toner discharge port for discharging the toner received from the toner receiving port, and moving the cap member in a direction different from a direction in which the toner supply port of the toner container faces, The toner container has a connection member provided with the toner supply port and connected to the cap member, and the cap member is connected to the toner supply port of the connection member from an elastic member. parallel with fitted via an O-ring, a surface in contact with the O-ring of the connecting member, with respect to the direction in which the cap member is inserted comprising And the surface, by providing in the said parallel faces said O-ring is tilted toward the surface than are solved.

  It is advantageous if the cap member can be attached to and detached from the toner container by moving in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the toner supply port faces, in particular by twisting.

Toner outlet before crisis cap member, said toner supply opening and different directions, that in particular faces in the vertical direction, preferably. It is also preferable that the cap member has an open / close valve that opens and closes a toner supply path from the toner receiving port to the toner discharge port.

  One of the connection member and the cap member has a groove portion, the other has a convex portion that engages with the groove portion, and the convex portion is elastically deformed to engage with the groove portion. Is preferred. The said convex part engages with the said groove part along the longitudinal direction of the said groove part, and the terminal part in the longitudinal direction of the said groove part is formed wider compared with the back | inner side in the said longitudinal direction. In particular, it is advantageous that the inner surface of the groove portion is formed in a tapered shape so that the width becomes narrower from the end portion toward the back side. Similarly, the distal end portion in the longitudinal direction of the convex portion is formed to be narrower than the base side, and in particular, the outer contour of the convex portion is widened from the distal end portion toward the base side. It is convenient to be formed in a tapered shape. The convex portion may be formed to engage with the groove portion by rotating the cap member with respect to the connection member.

  When the convex part is pushed into the groove part by a predetermined distance along the longitudinal direction of the groove part, the engaging part that holds the convex part in the groove part at the position is provided with the connecting member and the cap member. If it has further, it is more suitable. If the locking portion is formed so as to be released by using a jig, the reliability of the engaged state can be greatly increased.

  According to the present invention, since the cap member moves in a direction different from the direction in which the toner supply port of the toner container faces, it can be attached to and detached from the toner container, so that toner leakage can be reduced.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a color copying machine of a tandem type indirect transfer system to which a toner container according to the present invention is attached. Naturally, the present invention can be applied to a direct transfer type tandem color image forming apparatus and a revolver type electrophotographic apparatus, and also to a monochrome type image forming apparatus. In the figure, reference numeral 100 denotes a copying machine main body (also referred to as an image forming apparatus main body), 200 denotes a paper feed table on which the copying machine main body 100 is placed, 300 denotes a scanner mounted on the copying machine main body 100, and 400 denotes further thereon. An attached automatic document feeder (ADF).

  The copying machine main body 100 is provided with an endless belt-shaped intermediate transfer member 10 at the center. The intermediate transfer member 10 is provided with an elastic layer made of, for example, fluorine rubber or acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer rubber on a base layer made of a material that hardly stretches, such as fluorine resin or canvas, and the surface of the elastic layer is made of, for example, fluorine. The coating layer is provided with a smooth coating layer obtained by coating a base resin. The intermediate transfer member 10 is wound around three support rollers 14, 15, and 16 in the illustrated example, and can be rotated and conveyed clockwise as indicated by arrows.

  In the illustrated example, an intermediate transfer body cleaning device 17 for removing residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer body 10 after image transfer is provided on the left side of the second support roller 15 among the three rollers. . On the intermediate transfer member 10 stretched between the first support roller 14 and the second support roller 15, four image forming units 18 of black, magenta, cyan, and yellow are arranged along the transport direction. The tandem image forming apparatus 20 is arranged side by side. An exposure device 21 is further provided on the tandem image forming apparatus 20. On the other hand, a secondary transfer device 22 is provided on the side opposite to the tandem image forming apparatus 20 with the intermediate transfer body 10 interposed therebetween. In the illustrated example, the secondary transfer device 22 is configured by spanning a secondary transfer belt 24, which is an endless belt, between two rollers 23, and is pressed against the third support roller 16 via the intermediate transfer body 10. The image on the intermediate transfer body 10 is transferred to a sheet.

  A fixing device 25 for fixing the transferred image on the sheet is provided on the left side of the secondary transfer device 22 in the drawing. The fixing device 25 is configured by pressing a pressure roller 27 against a fixing belt 26 that is an endless belt. The secondary transfer device 22 described above also has a sheet transport function for transporting the image-transferred sheet to the fixing device 25. Of course, a non-contact charger may be disposed as the secondary transfer device 22, and in such a case, the sheet conveying function is performed by a separate member.

  In the illustrated example, a sheet reversing device 28 for reversing the sheet so as to record images on both sides of the sheet is provided below the secondary transfer device 22 and the fixing device 25 in parallel with the tandem image forming device 20 described above. Is provided.

  Now, when making a copy using this color copying machine, a document is set on the document table 30 of the automatic document feeder 400. Alternatively, the automatic document feeder 400 is opened, a document is set on the contact glass 32 of the scanner 300, and the document is pressed by closing the automatic document feeder 400. When a start switch (not shown) is pressed, when a document is set on the automatic document feeder 400, the document is transported and moved onto the contact glass 32, and then the document is set on the other contact glass 32. Immediately drives the scanner 300 and travels through the first traveling body 33 and the second traveling body 34. Then, the first traveling body 33 emits light from the light source and further reflects the reflected light from the document surface toward the second traveling body 34 and is reflected by the mirror of the second traveling body 34 and passes through the imaging lens 35. The document is placed in the reading sensor 36 and the original content is read.

  When a start switch (not shown) is pressed, one of the support rollers 14, 15 and 16 is rotationally driven by a drive motor (not shown), the other two support rollers are driven to rotate, and the intermediate transfer body 10 is rotated and conveyed. To do. At the same time, the photoconductors 40 are rotated by the individual image forming means 18 to form monochrome images of black, magenta, cyan, and yellow on the photoconductors 40, respectively. Then, along with the conveyance of the intermediate transfer member 10, the single color images are sequentially transferred to form a composite color image on the intermediate transfer member 10.

  On the other hand, when a start switch (not shown) is pressed, one of the paper feed rollers 42 of the paper feed table 200 is selectively rotated, and the sheet is fed out from one of the paper feed cassettes 44 provided in multiple stages in the paper bank 43 for separation. The paper is separated one by one by the roller 45 and put into the paper feed path 46, conveyed by the transport roller 47, led to the paper feed path 48 in the copying machine main body 100, abutted against the registration roller 49 and stopped. In the case of manual sheet feeding, the sheet feeding roller 50 is rotated to feed out the sheets on the manual tray 51, separated one by one by the separation roller 52, put into the manual sheet feeding path 53, and similarly stopped against the registration roller 49. .

  Then, the registration roller 49 is rotated in synchronization with the composite color image on the intermediate transfer member 10, the sheet is fed between the intermediate transfer member 10 and the secondary transfer device 22, and transferred by the secondary transfer device 22. A color image is recorded on the sheet. The sheet after the image transfer is conveyed by the secondary transfer device 22 and sent to the fixing device 25. After fixing the transferred image by applying heat and pressure by the fixing device 25, the sheet is switched by the switching claw 55 and discharged. The paper is discharged by the roller 56 and stacked on the paper discharge tray 57 or put in the sheet reversing device 28, where it is reversed and guided again to the transfer position. 57 is discharged.

  On the other hand, the intermediate transfer body 10 after image transfer is prepared by the intermediate transfer body cleaning device 17 to remove residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer body 10 after the image transfer, and to be used again for image formation by the tandem image forming apparatus 20. .

  In the tandem image forming apparatus 20 described above, each image forming unit 18 includes a charging roller (apparatus), a developing device, a primary transfer device 62, a photoconductor cleaning device, a static eliminator, and the like around a drum-shaped photoconductor 40. It has. In the illustrated example, the photoreceptor 40 is a drum body in which a photosensitive organic layer is applied to a base tube such as aluminum to form a photosensitive layer. However, the photoreceptor 40 may be an endless belt. Since the mechanism and operation of the image forming means 18 are basically the same as those in the prior art, a detailed description is omitted.

  Next, a toner replenishing device provided in the tandem image forming apparatus 20 or the color copying machine will be described. In FIG. 2 showing a toner replenishing mechanism for replenishing toner to the developing device of the image forming means, each developing device 60 is provided with a container 80 containing black, magenta, cyan and yellow toners, respectively. The container 80 is set and arranged in a setting unit (not shown) provided on the front surface of the copying machine main body 100. Since the mechanism for supplying toner from each color toner container 80 to each developing device 60 is the same, the black device located in the foreground in FIG.

  A nozzle 90 to be inserted into the container 80 is provided in a machine frame (not shown) in the setting unit for setting the toner container 80, and the powder pump 70 and the nozzle 90 as toner suction means are connected to the toner transfer tube 91. Connected with. By setting the toner container 80 in the setting portion, the nozzle tip is inserted into the valve chamber of the cap member 81 attached to the lower part of the toner container 80, and the powder container 70 communicates with the toner container 80. The powder pump 70 is driven via a connection gear 74 from a drive shaft gear 73 mounted on a drive shaft 72 that is rotationally driven by a drive motor 71. As the powder pump 70, it is assumed that a well-structured MONO pump is employed. The toner transferred by the powder pump 70 is temporarily stored in a sub hopper 75 as a replenishment unit, and is supplied to the developing device 60 from a toner replenishment port 76 provided at the lower portion of the sub hopper 75. In FIG. 2, the flow of toner from the toner container 80 to the developing device 60 is indicated by arrows.

  3 shows a configuration of the toner container 80, FIG. 4 shows an enlarged cross section of the cap member 81 of the toner container 80, and FIG. 5 shows an enlarged cross section of the toner container 80 mounted on the set portion.

  The toner container 80 includes a toner container 82 that stores toner therein and a cap member 81. As can be recognized from FIG. 4, the cap member 81 has a valve chamber 84 formed of a horizontal columnar space, and toner discharge ports 85 are formed at both ends in the central axis direction. Further, a communication port 88 communicating with the toner container 82 is connected to the toner receiving port 86 formed on the upper peripheral surface of the valve chamber 84, and the toner stored in the toner container passes through the communication port 88 and is connected to the toner. It can be discharged out of the container. An O-ring 92 made of an elastic material such as rubber is disposed on the upper peripheral surface of the cap member 81 fitted to the toner container 82, and the toner container 82 (connecting member 96) and the cap member 81 are arranged. The toner is sealed by crushing between them. By tilting a part of the surface of the toner container 82 that fits with the O-ring 92 by 45 degrees, the O-ring 92 can be crushed from two directions, the left and right directions and the up and down directions, and toner can be sealed more reliably. It is possible to prevent toner leakage.

  The valve body 83 that can be inserted into and removed from the valve chamber is formed in a cylindrical shape, and is usually installed in the valve chamber. By moving the valve body 83 in the axial direction (left-right direction in FIG. 4), the toner supply path continuing from the communication port 88, the receiving port 86, the valve chamber 84, and the toner discharge port 85 is opened and closed. An information recording member 87 is disposed on the side surface of the cap member 81 (FIG. 3). The information recording member 87 records information such as the type of image forming apparatus suitable for the toner stored in the container, the color of the toner, the date of manufacture, and the remaining amount of toner.

  On the other hand, the toner container 82 is formed in a bag shape, but may be formed of a molded resin as another form (not shown). FIG. 6 shows a configuration example of the toner container 82. The toner container 82 includes a bag member 95 formed in a bag shape by welding a film-like resin and a rigid connection member 96. The opening 97 of the bag member 95 is attached to the connection member 96 by welding or the like. When the toner container 82 is formed of the flexible bag member 95, the toner container 82 can be rounded down after the stored toner is used, and the collection efficiency of the used toner container can be improved.

  As can be understood by comparing FIGS. 4 and 5, the toner supply path from the toner communication port 88 connected to the toner supply port 89 (FIG. 6) to the toner discharge port 85 is bent in an L shape. If the temperature rises during transportation or the external pressure decreases and the internal pressure of the toner container 80 increases, the internal pressure of the container 80 increases and the toner in the container may leak from the toner discharge port. In addition, the same phenomenon may occur even when the toner container 82 formed in a bag shape is pushed during transportation or toner replacement. Since the toner supply path from the toner supply port 89 to the toner discharge port 85 is bent in an L shape, it becomes difficult for the toner to flow to the toner discharge port 85 and toner leakage can be prevented.

  When the toner container 80 is set in the copying machine main body 100, as shown in FIG. 5, the tip of the nozzle 90 is inserted into the valve chamber 84, and the powder container 70 communicates with the toner container. When the powder pump is driven in this state, the toner in the toner container is supplied into the developing device through the communication port 88 and the valve chamber 84. When the toner container 80 is not set in the copying machine main body, the toner supply path is blocked by the valve body 83, so the toner is blocked before the valve body 83 and does not reach the toner discharge port 85. Toner leakage during transportation can be prevented. Further, by configuring the valve body 83 to move in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the toner supply port 89 of the toner container 82 faces, there is little possibility that the valve body 83 will open due to the weight of the toner facing the toner supply port. Even if the internal pressure of the toner container 80 rises, the valve body 83 receives a force that is pressed against the inner wall of the valve chamber 84, so that the frictional force with the valve chamber wall increases and the valve body 83 becomes difficult to move in the valve chamber. In addition, there is little possibility that the valve body 83 will come off due to the internal pressure of the toner container.

  FIG. 7 schematically shows how the cap member 81 is attached to and detached from the toner container 82. In fitting the cap member 81, the toner container 82 is first filled with toner, and then the cap member 81 is brought close to the toner supply port 89 of the toner container 82 as shown in FIG. The toner supply port 89 of the toner container 82 and the toner receiving port 86 of the cap member 81 are fitted. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the cap member 81 is twisted (in the direction of arrow B) to complete the setting (FIG. 7c). When the cap member 81 is removed, an operation opposite to the above operation for fitting may be performed. Since the toner supply port 89 is already completely closed with the toner container 82 and the cap member 81 fitted, the toner does not leak even in this state.

  The direction in which the cap member 81 faces the toner supply port 89 (arrow A) is different from the direction in which the cap member 81 is attached to and detached from the toner container 82 (arrow B) (in this example, the direction of insertion). Since the attaching / detaching direction is vertical, the cap member 81 is less likely to come off due to the toner container or the weight of the toner. Further, even if a vibration during transportation or an impact caused by accidental dropping is applied in the direction of removing the cap member 81, the cap member 81 is not a toner unless a force is simultaneously applied in the direction of releasing the cap member 81. Since it does not fall off from the container 82, there is little possibility that the cap member 81 will come off due to an external force. In particular, in this example, since the attaching / detaching direction is the cap member rotating direction, it is extremely rare that vibration during transportation or impact during dropping becomes a rotating force in the direction of removing the cap member 81. Further, when the temperature rises or the external pressure decreases and the internal pressure of the toner container 80 rises, a force in the direction of releasing the fitting (the direction opposite to the arrow A) acts on the cap member 81. Since the attaching / detaching direction (arrow B direction) is perpendicular to the force, the cap member 81 is less likely to come off. In addition, when the user holds the toner container, the user's erroneous operation is often a “push” (or “pull”) operation such as “pressing near the shutter to open the shutter part” of the cap member. This is unlikely to occur except in a specific case where the protrusion is protruding, and in the cap member as in this example, there is little possibility of the cap member being detached due to an erroneous operation by the user.

  In FIG. 8 and subsequent figures, a description will be given of a component that securely attaches the cap member to the toner container. FIG. 8 shows the details of how the cap member is attached to the toner supply port of the toner container over time. A convex portion 96 ′ directed to the side of the connection member 96 attached to the bag member is formed as a cantilevered two-step projection. On the other hand, a side groove portion (uneven portion) 81 ′ facing inward is formed in a corresponding portion of the cap member 81. The convex portion 96 ′ is not limited to the shape shown in the drawing as long as it is a shape that is easily elastically deformed when a load is applied, but it needs to have a shape that engages when the cap member is attached. FIG. 9 shows the detailed shapes of the convex portion 96 ′ of the connecting member 96 and the groove portion 81 ′ of the cap member 81. Since the convex portion width L2 of the groove 81 ′ is in a relationship of L1 ≦ L2 with the intermediate space width L1 of the convex portion 96 ′ of the connecting member, the convex portion 96 ′ of the connecting member is elastic (so that the intermediate space is widened). Deforms and engages (engages) with the groove 81 ′. In the state where the connection member 96 and the cap member 81 are engaged, the force in the direction in which the connection member 96 and the cap member 81 are pressed against each other is always applied by the elastic force of the convex portion 96 ′. 96 is difficult to come off and toner leakage can be prevented. The connecting member 96 is preferably made of a material that is easily elastically deformed. In this example, polyethylene is used.

  In addition, if the end of the convex part of the connecting member is narrowed or the end of the groove part of the cap member is widened, the convex part and the groove part are engaged when the convex part starts to fit into the groove part when the cap member is set. It becomes easy to do. If the end of the convex portion is narrowed and the end of the groove portion is widened, the convex portion and the groove portion are more easily engaged. Also, as shown in FIG. 10, when the taper is tapered toward the end of the convex portion 96 ′ or the width is increased in a tapered shape toward the end of the groove 81 ′, the convex at the engagement start portion. The part becomes hard to catch. When both the convex portion and each end portion of the groove portion are tapered, the convex portion is easily engaged with the groove portion more smoothly.

  As described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the cap member 81 is fitted into the toner supply port 89 of the toner container 82 and the toner receiving port 86 of the cap member 81, and the cap member 81 is moved to the arrow B in FIG. The groove 81 ′ of the cap member 81 and the convex portion 96 ′ of the connecting member 96 of the toner container are engaged with each other as shown in FIG. In addition, a locking claw 93 may be provided on the convex portion of the connection member 96, and a corresponding locking groove 94 may be provided on the groove portion 81 ′ of the cap member 81. The locking claw 93 has a triangular outline, and the locking groove 94 is formed in a notch shape. The cap member 81 is twisted to move the convex portion 96 ′ along the groove of the groove portion 81 ′ to complete the setting. Sometimes, the locking claw 93 and the locking groove 94 mesh with each other to make it easy to recognize the completion of setting. Since the cap member becomes difficult to move in the removing direction by providing the locking portions such as the locking claw and the locking groove, the possibility that the cap member is detached is very small. Even when the pressure inside the container becomes higher than the external pressure due to the weight of the toner container or the toner, the locking portion does not come off. In addition, since the locking portion does not come off unless a force much larger than a normal user operation force is applied, there is almost no possibility that the toner will be scattered by accidentally opening the cap.

  In some cases, it may be necessary to remove the cap member, for example, when a defect is discovered after the cap member is attached once. In this case, in the structure to which the above-mentioned locking part is added, if you try to remove it by the reverse operation at the time of attachment, the locking claw will be deformed due to excessive load, and the locking claw will not be It is assumed that it will disappear. In such a case, using the jig 99, the convex portion 96 ′ is elastically deformed so as to release the locking claw 93 from the locking groove 94 (arrow C), and then the direction in which the cap member is removed (arrow D: When moved in the direction opposite to arrow B), the cap member can be removed without deforming the locking claw 93. Since the locking claw is not deformed, the cap member can be attached and used again. When collecting and reusing used containers, remove the cap member in the same manner as above, clean the toner adhering to the inside of the toner container, refill the toner, and attach the cap member again. That's fine.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an entire image forming apparatus. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a toner supply mechanism that supplies toner to a developing device. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a toner container. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a cap member of a toner container. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a state where a toner container is mounted on a set unit. FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating a configuration example of the toner container, in which FIG. 6A shows a state before the connection member is welded to the bag member, and FIG. 6B shows a state after these are welded. FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating a state in which a cap member is attached to the toner container. FIG. 7A illustrates a state in which the cap member is brought close to the toner supply port of the toner container in which toner is filled in the toner container 82, and FIG. FIG. 7 c shows a state in which the cap member is twisted after fitting into the mouth, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating details of a cap member over a connecting member of a toner container over time. It is the fragmentary figure which expands and shows the convex part of a connection member, and the groove part of a cap member. It is a fragmentary figure which shows a mode that the convex part and the groove part were each taper. It is a figure which shows having provided the latching | locking part in the connection member and the cap member, respectively. It is a figure explaining canceling | releasing the engagement state of a latching | locking part using a jig.

Explanation of symbols

81 Cap member 82 Toner container 85 Toner discharge port 86 Toner receiving port 89 Toner supply port

Claims (16)

A toner container to be attached to the toner supply device,
A toner container having a toner supply port;
A toner receiving port for receiving toner supplied from the toner supply port, and a cap member having a toner discharge port for discharging the toner received from the toner receiving port; Prepared,
The cap member is attached to and detached from the toner container by moving in a direction different from a direction in which the toner supply port of the toner container faces.
The toner container has a connecting member provided with the toner supply port and connected to the cap member;
The cap member is fitted to the toner supply port of the connection member via an O-ring made of an elastic member,
The surface of the connecting member that comes into contact with the O-ring is provided by a surface parallel to the direction in which the cap member is inserted and a surface inclined to the O-ring side from the parallel surface. A toner container.   The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the cap member is attached to and detached from the toner container by moving in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the toner supply port faces.   The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the cap member is attached to and detached from the toner container by twisting.   The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the toner discharge port faces in a direction different from the toner supply port.   The toner container according to claim 4, wherein the toner discharge port faces in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the toner supply port faces.   The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the cap member includes an opening / closing valve that opens and closes a toner supply path from the toner receiving port to the toner discharge port.   One of the connection member and the cap member has a groove portion, and the other has a convex portion that engages with the groove portion, and the convex portion elastically deforms and engages with the groove portion. The toner container according to any one of 1 to 6.   The said convex part engages with the said groove part along the longitudinal direction of the said groove part, and the terminal part in the longitudinal direction of the said groove part is formed wider compared with the back | inner side in the said longitudinal direction. The toner container according to claim 7.   The toner container according to claim 8, wherein an inner surface of the groove portion is formed in a tapered shape so that a width is narrowed from the end portion toward the back side.   10. The toner container according to claim 7, wherein a tip end portion of the convex portion in a longitudinal direction is formed narrower than a base side.   11. The toner container according to claim 10, wherein an outer contour of the convex portion is formed in a tapered shape so that a width is widened from the distal end portion toward the base portion side.   The said convex part is formed so that it may engage with the said groove part by rotating the said cap member with respect to the said connection member, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. Toner container.   When the convex part is pushed into the groove part by a predetermined distance along the longitudinal direction of the groove part, the engaging part that holds the convex part in the groove part at the position is provided with the connecting member and the cap member. The toner container according to any one of claims 7 to 12, further comprising:   The toner container according to claim 13, wherein the locking portion is formed so as to be released by using a jig.   A toner replenishing device comprising the toner container according to claim 1.   An image forming apparatus comprising the toner container according to claim 1.

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