JP4758036B2 - Toner supply device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a toner replenishing device provided in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile using an electrophotographic system.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a device for supplying toner to a developing device of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile using an electrophotographic system, a toner bottle having a spiral protrusion on an inner wall surface is provided. There has been proposed a toner replenishing device that discharges toner to a toner container by rotation and then conveys the toner to a developing device from an opening of a toner discharge unit provided in the toner container.
[0003]
5 and 6 are perspective views showing a schematic configuration of a conventional toner replenishing device. The toner replenishing device includes a toner bottle 1, a bottle driving motor 9 that rotationally drives the toner bottle 1, and a toner container 3 that supplies toner in the toner bottle 1 to the developing device 10.
The toner bottle 1 is provided with a cap 2 for preventing toner from spilling during replacement, and is opened and closed by a set lever 7. When the toner bottle 1 is set, the cap 2 is opened by lowering the set lever 7 so that the chuck 13 pulls the cap 2 in between. Further, when the toner bottle 1 is removed, the cap 2 is attached to the toner bottle 1 by the reverse operation to that described above.
The toner bottle 1 is rotated by a bottle drive motor 9, and the toner inside is conveyed from the back side of FIG. 5 to the toner container 3 on the near side. The toner stored in the toner storage unit 3 is scraped out by a toner supply mylar 6 attached to the rotating member 5. On the other hand, the recovery coil 12 is a member that transports recycled toner recovered without being developed in the developing device 10. The toner in the toner storage unit is supplied to the developing device 10 together with the recycled toner conveyed by the recovery coil 12.
A shutter 8 is provided in the toner discharge unit 4 of the toner storage unit 3. The shutter 8 is a mechanism that is opened by a protrusion 11 attached to the main body when the toner supply device is set in the main body of the image forming apparatus.
[0004]
Next, the toner discharge unit 4 will be described.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional toner replenishing device. FIG. 7A shows a state in which the toner supply device is removed from the main body, that is, a state in which the shutter 8 in the toner discharge unit 4 is closed. The shutter 8 released from the protrusion 11 is pressed and lowered by the shutter spring 14, and the sheet member 8 a made of a material such as PET attached to the shutter 8 closes the opening 16 of the toner discharge portion, so that toner leakage occurs. It is configured not to occur.
FIG. 7B shows a state where the toner supply device is set in the main body, that is, a state where the shutter 8 is opened. As shown by the arrows in the figure, the toner discharged from the toner replenishment mylar 6 attached to the rotating member 5 is replenished to the developing device 10 through the opening 15 of the toner storage portion and the opening 16 of the toner discharge portion. Is done.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional toner replenishing device has a problem that toner leakage occurs particularly when an impact or vibration is applied during the detaching operation from the main body.
[0006]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing device that can prevent the occurrence of toner leakage with a simple and inexpensive configuration.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 is provided with a toner bottle having a spiral protrusion on the inner wall surface, and a toner container that stores toner discharged by rotation of the toner bottle. And the toner discharged into the toner storage portion is provided in the toner storage portion via the opening of the toner storage portion by a toner replenishment mylar provided in a rotating member included in the toner storage portion. In the toner replenishing device transported from the opening of the toner discharge portion to the developing device, a first shutter is provided at the opening of the toner discharge portion, a second shutter is provided at the opening of the toner storage portion, and the second shutter is The toner bottle is configured to open only when the toner bottle rotates . A first shutter is provided at the opening of the toner discharge portion, and a second shutter is provided at the opening of the toner storage portion, and is configured to open only when the toner bottle rotates. Since the opening of the toner storage portion is closed, toner leakage can be prevented.
The invention according to claim 2, in the toner supply device according to claim 1, said second shutter is a structure which is closed by performing the reverse rotation of the rotary member when it stops the toner bottle Features .
[0008]
The invention described in claim 3 is the toner supply device according to claim 1, wherein the second shutter is characterized by having a biasing member for closing the second shutter when it stops the toner bottle. In order to ensure the operation of the second shutter that closes the opening of the toner container, the rotating member included in the toner container is reversely rotated when the toner bottle is stopped to close the second shutter. Alternatively, an urging member is attached to the second shutter so that the second shutter is securely closed.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a toner container of a toner replenishing device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the toner storage unit.
Similar to the toner supply device shown in FIG. 5, the toner supply device of the present invention supplies the toner bottle 1, the bottle drive motor 9 that rotationally drives the toner bottle 1, and the toner in the toner bottle 1 to the developing device 10. For example, the toner storage unit 3 is provided. A first shutter 18 is provided in the opening 16 of the toner discharge portion 4 provided in the toner storage portion in the same manner as the toner supply device shown in FIG. The first shutter 18 is a mechanism that is opened by a protrusion provided on the main body (not shown) when the toner supply device is set on the main body of the image forming apparatus.
[0010]
In the toner supply device of the present invention, a second shutter 19 is further provided in the opening 15 of the toner storage unit 3.
2A shows a state where the second shutter 19 is closed, and FIG. 2B shows a state where the second shutter 19 is open. As shown in FIG. 2A, the rotating member 5 is provided with a friction member 17 made of a material such as foamed urethane rubber, and a second shutter 19 is provided outside thereof.
The operation of the second shutter 19 is as follows. When the toner bottle is rotated, the rotating member 5 is rotated, and the second shutter 19 is pulled in the rotating direction by the friction member 17 so that the second shutter 19 is opened as shown in FIG. As the second shutter 19 is operated, the toner in the toner storage unit 3 is replenished to the developing device 10 through the opening 15 of the toner storage unit and the opening 16 of the toner discharge unit as indicated by arrows in the drawing. The
When the rotation of the toner bottle is stopped, the rotating member 5 is also stopped, and the second shutter 19 is closed by its own weight as shown in FIG.
With the above configuration, the second shutter 19 can be opened only when the toner bottle rotates.
[0011]
Further, the closing operation of the second shutter 19 may be performed by the reverse rotation operation of the rotating member 5. When the rotation of the toner bottle is stopped, the rotation member 5 is reversely rotated, and the second shutter 19 is given a force opposite to the inertial force when the toner bottle is rotated, so that the opening 15 can be reliably closed.
[0012]
Furthermore, in order to make the operation of closing the second shutter 19 more reliable, the following configuration can be adopted.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of the toner storage unit. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the toner storage unit.
A biasing member 20 such as a spring is attached to the second shutter 19. The operation when the toner bottle rotates is the same as described above, and the rotating member 5 is rotated, and the second shutter 19 is pulled by the friction member 17 against the urging force of the urging member 20 in the rotation direction. As shown in b), the second shutter 19 opens.
On the other hand, when the rotation of the toner bottle is stopped, the rotating member 5 is also stopped, and the second shutter 19 is closed by the urging force of the urging member 20 as shown in FIG.
With the above configuration, the second shutter 19 can be opened and closed more reliably, and toner leakage can be prevented.
[0013]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the first shutter is provided at the opening of the toner discharge portion and the second shutter is provided at the opening of the toner storage portion, thereby providing a double configuration for preventing toner leakage. It is possible to provide a toner replenishing device that can reliably prevent the occurrence of toner leakage with a simple and inexpensive configuration.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a toner container of a toner supply device according to the present invention.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views illustrating a configuration of a toner storage unit, in which FIG. 2A illustrates a state in which a second shutter is opened, and FIG. 2B illustrates a state in which the second shutter is closed;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a toner storage unit.
4A and 4B are cross-sectional views illustrating a configuration of a toner storage unit, where FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating a state in which a second shutter is open, and FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating a state in which the second shutter is closed.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a conventional toner replenishing device.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a toner storage portion of a conventional toner supply device.
7A and 7B are cross-sectional views of a conventional toner replenishing device, in which FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating a state in which the shutter is open, and FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating a state in which the shutter is closed.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Toner bottle 3 Toner accommodating part 4 Toner discharging part 5 Rotating member 6 Toner replenishment mylar 9 Bottle drive motor 10 Developer 15 Toner accommodating part opening 16 Toner discharging part opening 17 Friction member 18 First shutter 19 Second shutter 20 Biasing member

Claims (3)

A toner bottle having a spiral protrusion on the inner wall surface, and a toner container for storing toner discharged by rotation of the toner bottle. The toner discharged into the toner container is stored in the toner container. In a toner replenishing device that transports to a developing device from an opening of a toner discharge portion provided in the toner accommodating portion via a toner replenishing mylar provided in a rotating member included in the portion.
A first shutter provided in the opening portion of the toner discharging portion, said second shutter is provided in the opening of the toner accommodating portion, the second shutter, wherein the a rotating only when open structure of the toner bottle Toner supply device. The toner replenishing device according to claim 1 .
The toner replenishing device, wherein the second shutter is configured to be closed by performing a reverse rotation operation of the rotating member when the toner bottle is stopped . The toner replenishing device according to claim 1 .
The toner replenishing device, wherein the second shutter has an urging member for closing the second shutter when the toner bottle is stopped.

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