JP5212758B1 - Developer container, developing device, process unit, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

There is provided a developer container capable of suppressing a load on a developer even when a user or the like carelessly drives a conveying member or a stirring member.
The developer container includes a conveying member for conveying a developer, an agitating member for agitating the developer, and drive transmission means (62, 63, 64) for interlockingly connecting them. The connection between the conveying member 53 and the stirring member 54 by the drive transmission means 62, 63, 64 can be released when the image forming apparatus is not attached to the main body. A return port 67 is provided for returning the developer that has not been discharged from the discharge port 52 from the developer transport space into the developer container.
[Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a developer container that contains a developer, a developing device having the developer container, a process unit, and an image forming apparatus.

  In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, or a complex machine of these, a developing device, a charging device, a photosensitive member, etc. are integrated into an image forming unit, which is connected to the main body of the image forming device. A system configured to be detachable is known. This system has been adopted in many products because of the advantage that the user can easily maintain the apparatus by exchanging the unit. Also, in this type of image forming unit, there are a developer container that contains a developer such as toner that is integrated with the unit, and a developer container that is separate from the unit.

  In the former case, when the stored developer runs out, the image forming unit is replaced with a new unit. In this case, since the developing device, the photosensitive member, and the like can be replaced together with the used developer container, there is an advantage that the replacement operation is easy.

  On the other hand, in the latter case, when the stored developer runs out, only the developer container is replaced with a new one. In this case, if the developing device, the photoconductor, etc. have not reached the useful life, they can be used continuously without being replaced. For this reason, a configuration in which the developer container can be replaced independently is becoming mainstream due to the recent increase in consideration of environmental load.

  Some developer containers are provided with a conveying screw for conveying the developer in the container and an agitator for stirring the developer. In such a developer container, the driving force to the conveying screw and the agitator is generally obtained from a driving source provided in the image forming apparatus main body. Therefore, a gear for transmitting the driving force from the driving source on the main body side to the conveying screw and the agitator is provided outside the developer container of this type (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  However, as described above, in the configuration in which the drive transmission gear is provided outside the developer container, a user or the like may accidentally or carelessly touch the gear when the container is attached or detached. If the conveying screw or agitator is rotated, an unnecessary load is generated on the developer. Since the load on the developer deteriorates the developer, it is not preferable from the viewpoint of maintaining the image quality.

  In addition, when the container is attached or detached, the discharge port is normally closed by a shutter. Therefore, when the conveying screw or agitator rotates in this state, the developer is stagnated particularly in the vicinity of the discharge port, causing a load on the developer. growing. When the developer aggregates due to such a load on the developer, the transportability of the developer in the container is deteriorated or clogging occurs. In the worst case, there is a possibility that the conveying screw, the container main body, etc. may be damaged by the load of the developer to be conveyed.

  In view of such circumstances, the present invention provides a developer container that can suppress the load on the developer even when the user or the like inadvertently drives the conveying member or the stirring member, and the developer container. The developing device, the process unit, and the image forming apparatus are provided.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 is a developer container configured to be detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus, a developer container that stores the developer, and the developer A container body having a discharge port for discharging the developer in the storage unit, a developer transfer space for guiding the developer in the developer storage unit to the discharge port, and disposed in the developer transfer space, A conveying member that conveys the developer to the discharge port; an agitating member that is disposed in the developer accommodating portion and that agitates the developer; and a drive transmission unit that interlocks and connects the conveying member and the agitating member. In the developer container, the developer that has not been discharged from the discharge port is configured to be able to release the connection between the conveying member and the stirring member by the drive transmission unit in a non-attached state to the image forming apparatus main body. The development from the developer transport space The return port for returning the receptacle, a said developer upstream from the side surface of one end of the container body said drive transmission means in the developer conveyance direction is provided in the transfer space, than the outlet It is provided on the downstream side .

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the connection between the conveying member and the agitating member is released when the image forming apparatus is not attached to the image forming apparatus main body, the user or the like accidentally or carelessly removes the conveying member and the agitating member. Even if one side is touched and driven, the driving force is not transmitted to the other side. As a result, it is possible to reduce the load on the developer due to the driving of the conveying member or the agitating member, so that it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the developer and to prevent the conveying member or the container body from being damaged. It becomes possible to do.

  Even if the user or the like drives the conveying member, the developer can be returned from the return port to the developer accommodating portion because the return port is provided. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the load on the developer in the developer transport space.

  As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress problems such as developer deterioration and breakage of components due to rotation of the conveying member and the stirring member when the developer container is not attached. Can improve quality and reliability.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a developing device and a toner cartridge. 2 is an external view of a toner cartridge. FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a state where an upper case and a gear cover are removed from the toner cartridge. FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating a state where a gear cover of the toner cartridge is removed. FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating a state where a gear cover of the toner cartridge is removed. It is a perspective view of a gear holder. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge cut in the axial direction at the position of a conveying screw. (A) is sectional drawing near the discharge port which shows an open state, (b) is sectional drawing near the discharge port which shows a closed state. (A) is the figure which the inner side shutter was opened by the drive means, (b) is the figure which became the closed state. It is the perspective view which looked at the inner shutter and its drive means from the outside. It is the perspective view which looked at the gear cover from the front side. It is the perspective view which looked at the gear cover from the back side. FIG. 4 is a diagram of the toner cartridge as viewed from the gear cover side. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of one side wall side of an apparatus main body. It is an enlarged view of a supply port. It is a figure which shows the state with which the discharge port and the supply port were connected. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of the other side wall side of an apparatus main body. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an attaching / detaching operation of the toner cartridge to / from the apparatus main body. It is a perspective view which shows the state by which the torque transmission gear was arrange | positioned in the operation position. It is a perspective view which shows the state by which the discharge port was open | released. It is a perspective view which shows the state by which the torque transmission gear was arrange | positioned in the retracted position. It is a perspective view which shows the state by which the discharge port was closed. It is a figure for demonstrating the arrangement | positioning position of a return port. It is a figure which shows other embodiment of a conveyance screw. It is a figure which shows the relationship of each opening width of a developer exit, a discharge port, and a supply port. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a force generated in a toner cartridge. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the apparatus main body as viewed from below. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting state of a toner cartridge of a comparative example viewed from below. It is a schematic block diagram of the image forming apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state which opened the upper cover. It is a figure which shows the state which opened the upper cover and the inner cover. It is a figure which shows the structure which provided the contact part in the process unit.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each of the drawings for explaining the embodiments of the present invention, constituent elements such as members and components having the same function or shape are described once by giving the same reference numerals as much as possible. Then, the explanation is omitted.

  First, an overall configuration and operation of a color laser printer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The configuration of the present invention can also be applied to an image forming apparatus such as a monochrome printer, other printers, a copier, a facsimile, or a complex machine thereof.

  As shown in FIG. 1, four process units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk as image forming units are detachably mounted on an apparatus main body (image forming apparatus main body) 100 of the color laser printer. Each process unit 1Y, 1M, 1C, 1Bk contains developers of different colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (Bk) corresponding to the color separation components of the color image. The configuration is the same except that.

  Specifically, each of the process units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk includes a drum-shaped photosensitive member 2 as a latent image carrier, a charging roller 3 that charges the surface of the photosensitive member 2, and the like, The image forming apparatus includes a developing device 4 that supplies a developer to the latent image on the photoconductor 2 and a cleaning device that includes a cleaning blade 5 for cleaning the surface of the photoconductor 2. In FIG. 1, only the photoconductor 2, the charging roller 3, the developing device 4, and the cleaning blade 5 included in the yellow process unit 1 </ b> Y are denoted by reference numerals, and the other process units 1 </ b> M, 1 </ b> C, and 1 </ b> Bk are denoted by reference numerals. Omitted. In this embodiment, a one-component developer made of toner is used as the developer. However, the developer is not limited to this, and may be a two-component developer including a toner and a carrier.

  Above the four developing devices 4 of the process units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk, toner cartridges 50 as developer containers that store toner to be supplied to the developing devices 4 are disposed. ing. In the present embodiment, a partition plate 108 provided in the apparatus main body 100 is disposed between each developing device 4 and each toner cartridge 50, and the four mounting portions 106 formed on the partition plate 108 are arranged on the four mounting portions 106. Each toner cartridge 50 is detachably mounted.

  Further, an exposure device 6 for exposing the surface of the photoreceptor 2 of each process unit 1Y, 1M, 1C, 1Bk is disposed near the upper portion of each toner cartridge 50. The exposure device 6 includes a light source, a polygon mirror, an f-θ lens, a reflection mirror, and the like, and irradiates the surface of each photoreceptor 2 with laser light based on image data.

  Further, an upper cover 109 that can be opened and closed in the vertical direction by rotating around the fulcrum 110 is provided at the upper part of the apparatus main body 100. Further, the exposure apparatus 6 is attached to the upper cover 109. For this reason, when the upper cover 109 is opened, the exposure device 6 can be retracted from the vicinity of the upper side of the toner cartridge 50, and the toner cartridge 50 can be detached from the upper opening of the apparatus main body 100 in this state.

  A transfer device 7 is disposed below the process units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk. The transfer device 7 has an intermediate transfer belt 8 constituted by an endless belt as a transfer body. The intermediate transfer belt 8 is stretched around a driving roller 9 and a driven roller 10 as support members. When the driving roller 9 rotates counterclockwise in the figure, the intermediate transfer belt 8 is in the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure. It is comprised so that it may run around (rotate).

  Four primary transfer rollers 11 as primary transfer means are disposed at positions facing the four photoconductors 2. Each primary transfer roller 11 presses the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 8 at each position, and a primary transfer nip is formed at a location where the pressed portion of the intermediate transfer belt 8 and each photoconductor 2 are in contact with each other. ing. Each primary transfer roller 11 is connected to a power source (not shown), and a predetermined direct current voltage (DC) and / or alternating current voltage (AC) is applied to the primary transfer roller 11.

  A secondary transfer roller 12 as a secondary transfer unit is disposed at a position facing the drive roller 9. The secondary transfer roller 12 presses the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 8, and a secondary transfer nip is formed at a location where the secondary transfer roller 12 and the intermediate transfer belt 8 are in contact with each other. Similar to the primary transfer roller 11, the secondary transfer roller 12 is connected to a power source (not shown) so that a predetermined direct current voltage (DC) and / or alternating current voltage (AC) is applied to the secondary transfer roller 12. It has become.

  A belt cleaning device 13 for cleaning the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 8 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface on the right end side of the intermediate transfer belt 8 in the drawing. A waste toner transfer hose (not shown) extending from the belt cleaning device 13 is connected to an entrance of a waste toner container 14 disposed below the transfer device 7.

  A paper feed cassette 15 that accommodates a recording medium S such as paper or an OHP sheet is disposed below the apparatus main body 100. The paper feed cassette 15 is provided with a paper feed roller 16 for feeding out the stored recording medium S. On the other hand, a pair of paper discharge rollers 17 for discharging the recording medium to the outside is disposed on the upper part of the apparatus main body 100. Further, a discharge tray 18 for stocking the recording medium discharged by the discharge roller 17 is provided on the upper cover 109.

  In the apparatus main body 100, a transport path R for transporting the recording medium S from the paper feed cassette 15 through the secondary transfer nip to the paper discharge tray 18 is disposed. In the transport path R, a pair of registration rollers 19 as transport means for transporting the recording medium to the secondary transfer nip at the transport timing is arranged upstream of the position of the secondary transfer roller 12 in the recording medium transport direction. Has been. A fixing device 20 is disposed downstream of the position of the secondary transfer roller 12 in the recording medium conveyance direction.

The image forming apparatus operates as follows.
When the image forming operation is started, the photosensitive members 2 of the process units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk are rotated in the clockwise direction in FIG. 1, and the surface of each photosensitive member 2 is made to have a predetermined polarity by the charging roller 3. It is charged like this. Based on image information of a document read by an image reading device (not shown), the exposure device 6 irradiates the charged surface of each photoconductor 2 with laser light, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of each photoconductor 2. The At this time, the image information to be exposed on each photoconductor 2 is single-color image information obtained by separating a desired full-color image into color information of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. As the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member 2 is supplied with toner by each developing device 4, the electrostatic latent image is visualized (visualized) as a toner image.

  Subsequently, the driving roller 9 that stretches the intermediate transfer belt 8 is rotationally driven, and the intermediate transfer belt 8 is caused to run in the direction of the arrow in the drawing. Also, a primary transfer nip between each primary transfer roller 11 and each photoreceptor 2 is applied to each primary transfer roller 11 by applying a constant voltage or a voltage controlled by a constant current opposite to the charging polarity of the toner. A transfer electric field is formed. Then, the toner images of the respective colors on the respective photoconductors 2 are sequentially superimposed and transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 8 by the transfer electric field formed in the primary transfer nip. Thus, the intermediate transfer belt 8 carries a full-color toner image on its surface. Further, the toner on each photoreceptor 2 that could not be transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 8 is removed by the cleaning blade 5.

  On the other hand, in the paper feed cassette 15, the stored recording medium S is sent out to the transport path R as the paper feed roller 16 rotates. The recording medium S sent to the conveyance path R is timed by the registration roller 19 and sent to the secondary transfer nip between the secondary transfer roller 12 and the intermediate transfer belt 8. At this time, a transfer voltage having a polarity opposite to the toner charging polarity of the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 8 is applied to the secondary transfer roller 12, thereby forming a transfer electric field in the secondary transfer nip. Then, the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 8 is collectively transferred onto the recording medium S by the transfer electric field formed in the secondary transfer nip. Further, the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 8 after the transfer is removed by the belt cleaning device 13, and the removed toner is conveyed to the waste toner container 14 and collected.

  Thereafter, the recording medium S to which the toner image is transferred is conveyed to the fixing device 20, and the toner image on the recording medium S is fixed to the recording medium S in the fixing device 20. Then, the recording medium S is discharged out of the apparatus by a pair of paper discharge rollers 17 and stocked on the paper discharge tray 18.

  The above description is an image forming operation when a full-color image is formed on a recording medium. A single color image is formed using any one of the four process units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk, and 2 Two or three process units can be used to form a two or three color image.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the developing device and the toner cartridge.
As shown in FIG. 2, the developing device 4 includes a developing housing 40 that contains toner, a developing roller 41 that serves as a developer carrier that carries toner, and a developer supply member that supplies toner to the developing roller 41. A supply roller 42, a developing blade 43 as a regulating member for regulating the amount of toner carried on the developing roller 41, two conveying screws 44 and 45 as conveying members for conveying toner, and two light guide members 46 , 47 etc.

  The interior of the developing housing 40 is divided into a first region E1 on the upper side of the drawing and a second region E2 on the lower side of the drawing by a partition member 48 having a communication port 48a. The communication ports 48a are provided at both ends of the partition member 48 (the front side and the back side in the direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. 2). That is, the first region E1 and the second region E2 communicate with each other at the place where the two communication ports 48a are formed.

  One conveying screw 44 and two light guide members 46 and 47 are provided in the first region E1. On the other hand, the other conveying screw 45 and the supply roller 42 are provided in the second region E2. Further, a developing roller 41 and a developing blade 43 are provided in an opening portion facing the photosensitive member 2 in the second region E2.

  The two conveying screws 44 and 45 are formed by providing spiral blades 441 and 451 on the outer circumferences of the rotating shafts 440 and 450, respectively. When the conveying screws 44 and 45 rotate, the toner is conveyed in the respective axial directions. Here, the toner conveying directions by the conveying screws 44 and 45 are opposite to each other.

The developing roller 41 is composed of a metal cored bar and a conductive rubber disposed on the outer periphery of the cored bar. In the present embodiment, the outer diameter of the core metal is set to φ6, the outer periphery of the conductive rubber is set to φ12, and the rubber hardness Hs75. The conductive rubber has a volume resistance adjusted to about 10 ⁵ to 10 ⁷ Ω. For example, conductive urethane rubber or silicone rubber can be used as the conductive rubber. The developing roller 41 rotates in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2 and conveys the developer held on the surface to a position facing the developing blade 43 and the photoreceptor 2.

  As the supply roller 42, a sponge roller or the like is generally used. As the sponge roller, it is appropriate that the foamed polyurethane mixed with carbon and made semiconductive is attached to the outer periphery of a metal core. In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the metal core is set to φ6, and the outer diameter of the sponge portion is set to φ12. The supply roller 42 is in contact with the developing roller 41. The nip formed by the contact between the supply roller 42 and the developing roller 41 is usually set to about 1 mm to 3 mm. In this embodiment, the nip is 2 mm. Further, the supply roller 42 rotates counterclockwise with respect to the developing roller 41 (counterclockwise in FIG. 2) so that the toner in the developing housing 40 can be efficiently supplied to the surface layer of the developing roller 41. . Furthermore, in this embodiment, a favorable toner supply function is ensured by setting the rotation speed ratio between the developing roller 41 and the supply roller 42 to 1.

  The developing blade 43 is made of, for example, a metal plate such as SUS having a thickness of about 0.1 mm. The developing blade 43 is in contact with the surface of the developing roller 41 on the tip side. Control of the amount of toner on the developing roller 41 by the developing blade 43 is a very important parameter in order to stabilize the developing characteristics and obtain good image quality. Therefore, in a normal product, the contact pressure of the developing blade 43 with respect to the developing roller 41 is strictly controlled to about 20 to 60 N / m, and the position of the nip portion is strictly controlled to about 0.5 ± 0.5 mm from the tip of the developing blade 43. Yes. These parameters are appropriately determined according to the characteristics of the toner to be used, the developing roller, the supply roller, and the like. In this embodiment, the developing blade 43 is made of a SUS material having a thickness of 0.1 mm, the contact pressure is 45 N / m, the position of the nip portion is 0.2 mm from the tip of the developing blade 43, and the supporting end of the developing blade 43 By setting the length (free length) from to the free end (tip) to 14 mm, a stable toner thin layer can be formed on the developing roller 41.

  The two light guide members 46 and 47 are formed using a material having good light transmittance. For example, when a resin is used as the material, an acrylic material or a PC material having high transparency is preferable. In addition, as a material for each of the light guide members 46 and 47, it is also possible to use optical glass or the like that can obtain better optical characteristics. Alternatively, an optical fiber may be used for each of the light guide members 46 and 47. In this case, the degree of freedom in designing the optical path formed by the light guide members 46 and 47 is improved.

  One end portions of the light guide members 46 and 47 are exposed to the outside of the developing housing 40. In a state where the process unit is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body, a light emitting element (not shown) as a toner amount detecting means provided on the main body side and a light receiving element face each of the exposed end portions. Yes. In a state where the light emitting element and the light receiving element face the exposed end portions of the light guide members 46 and 47, an optical path for guiding light from the light emitting element to the light receiving element is formed via the light guide members 46 and 47. That is, light emitted from the light emitting element is guided into the developing housing 40 by one light guide member 46, and further, the light is guided to the light receiving element by the other light guide member 47. In the developing housing 40, a predetermined gap is provided between the ends of the light guide members 46 and 47 facing each other.

  The toner cartridge 50 includes a container main body 70 having a developer accommodating portion 51 for accommodating toner therein, a discharge port 52 for discharging the toner in the developer accommodating portion 51 to the outside, and the toner in the developer accommodating portion 51. A conveying screw 53 as a conveying member for conveying to the discharge port 52 and an agitator 54 as an agitating member for agitating the developer in the developer accommodating portion 51 are provided. The discharge port 52 is provided in the lower part of the developer container 51. On the other hand, a replenishment port 49 connected to the discharge port 52 of the toner cartridge 50 is formed in each mounting portion 106 of the partition plate 108 to which the toner cartridge 50 is mounted.

  The conveying screw 53 is formed by providing a spiral blade 531 on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 530. The agitator 54 is formed by providing a planar deformable blade 541 on a rotation shaft 540 disposed in parallel with the rotation shaft 530 of the conveying screw 53. The blades 541 of the agitator 54 are made of a flexible material made of, for example, a PET film. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the bottom surface 501 of the developer container 51 is formed in an arc shape along the rotation path of the blade 541, so that it remains in the developer container 51 without being moved by the blade 541. This can reduce the amount of toner.

  In this embodiment, the toner cartridge 50 is detachably attached to the apparatus main body 100. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the toner cartridge 50 may be configured integrally with the developing device 4 and the photosensitive member 2 so as to be replaceable as a process unit. Alternatively, the toner cartridge 50 can be integrated with the developing device 4 and replaced as a developing unit. In that case, the toner cartridge 50 can be directly mounted on the upper portion of the developing device 4 by eliminating the partition plate 108 and providing the mounting portion 106 provided on the partition plate 108 on the upper portion of the developing device 4. It is.

The developing operation of the developing device will be described with reference to FIG.
When there is an instruction to start an image forming operation and the developing roller 41 and the supply roller 42 start to rotate, toner is supplied and carried on the surface of the developing roller 41 by the supply roller 42. The toner carried on the developing roller 41 passes through the nip portion between the developing roller 41 and the developing blade 43, whereby the thickness of the toner layer is regulated and frictionally charged. Then, when the toner on the developing roller 41 is conveyed to a position (development area) facing the photoconductor 2, the toner is electrostatically transferred to the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 2 to form a toner image. The

Next, a toner replenishing operation to the developing device will be described.
The replenishment of toner to the developing device is performed when the amount of toner in the developing housing 40 becomes a predetermined reference value or less. Specifically, when the amount of toner in the developing housing 40 is larger than a predetermined reference value, the toner exists between the end portions of the two light guide members 46 and 47 facing each other, and the end portion is caused by the toner. Since the optical path between them is blocked, the light does not reach the light receiving element. Thereafter, when the toner in the developing housing 40 is consumed and the toner amount becomes a predetermined reference value or less, the toner does not exist between the opposite ends of the light guide members 46 and 47, and light is transmitted between the ends. It becomes transparent. By detecting the transmission of light at this time, an instruction to replenish toner is issued.

  When a toner replenishment instruction is issued, the conveying screw 53 in the toner cartridge 50 rotates. Accordingly, the toner is conveyed toward the discharge port 52, and the toner is supplied from the discharge port 52 into the first region E1 of the developing housing 40. In this embodiment, the agitator 54 also starts to rotate at the same time as the conveying screw 53 in the toner cartridge 50 starts to rotate. By the rotation of the agitator 54, the toner in the toner cartridge 50 is agitated and moved toward the conveying screw 53. Thereafter, when the amount of toner in the developing housing 40 exceeds a predetermined reference value due to toner replenishment (when the optical path between the two light guide members 46 and 47 is blocked by the toner), the conveying screw 53 and the agitator 54 Is stopped, and the toner supply is finished.

  On the other hand, in the developing housing 40, when the toner is replenished, the conveying screw 44 provided in the first area E1 and the conveying screw 45 provided in the second area E2 rotate, and each area E1, E2 is rotated. The toners are conveyed in opposite directions. The toner transported to the downstream ends in the transport direction of the regions E1 and E2 by the transport screws 44 and 45 passes through the communication ports 48a formed at both ends of the partition member 48, and in the other region (from the region E1). It is sent to the area E2 or the area E1 to the area E1). Then, the toner fed into the other area is conveyed by the conveying screws 44 and 45 in each area, and returned to the original area through the communication port 48a on the opposite side. By repeating this operation, the toner circulates between the first area E1 and the second area E2, and the replenished new toner and the toner in the developing housing 40 are mixed.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the toner is circulated in the developing housing 40 to make the toner state (the ratio of the new toner in the toner) uniform, and to prevent the occurrence of problems such as color unevenness and background contamination. ing.

FIG. 3 is an external view of the toner cartridge.
As shown in FIG. 3, the container body 70 of the toner cartridge 50 has an upper case 55 and a lower case 56. The toner, the conveying screw 53 and the agitator 54 are accommodated in an internal space formed by joining the cases 55 and 56. As a method for joining the cases 55 and 56, welding such as vibration welding or ultrasonic welding, or adhesion using a double-sided adhesive tape or an adhesive is used.

  A gear cover 57 is provided on the side surface of the upper case 55 and the lower case 56 on one end side in the longitudinal direction. In the gear cover 57, a plurality of gears serving as drive transmission means for transmitting a driving force to the conveying screw 53 and the agitator 54 are accommodated. Covering these gears with the gear cover 57 prevents the user or the like from accidentally touching the gears during the replacement operation of the toner cartridge 50.

  The gear cover 57 is provided with an information storage medium 58. The information storage medium 58 stores information relating to the toner cartridge 50 such as the color and amount of toner contained therein. The information storage medium 58 has a plurality of connection terminals, and each connection terminal is electrically connected to an information reading device (not shown) provided on the image forming apparatus main body 100 side, so that information about the toner cartridge 50 can be obtained. The information stored in the information storage medium 58 can be read or updated.

  A cap member 59 that seals a filling port for filling toner and a shutter 60 that opens and closes the discharge port 52 are provided on one end side of the container body 70 where the gear cover 57 is provided. The cap member 59 is attached to prevent toner leakage from the filling port after the toner cartridge 50 is filled with toner from the filling port. The shutter 60 is rotatably provided in the container body 70, and can be switched between a state in which the discharge port 52 is opened and a state in which the discharge port 52 is closed by the rotation of the shutter 60.

  A handle 61 is provided on the upper surface of the central portion of the container body 70 in the longitudinal direction. The handle 61 is formed of a flexible member made of a material such as polypropylene or polyethylene. When the toner cartridge 50 is replaced, the user or the like can easily attach and detach the toner cartridge 50 by holding the handle 61.

FIG. 4 shows a state where the upper case and the gear cover are removed from the toner cartridge.
In FIG. 4, reference numerals 62, 63 and 64 denote a plurality of gears housed in the gear cover 57. Among these gears, the gears denoted by reference numerals 62 and 63 are the conveyance drive gears and the agitation drive gears provided on the rotation shafts of the conveyance screw 53 and the agitator 54 that protrude outward from the side surface on one end side of the lower case 56. It is. A gear 64 is a torque transmission gear that meshes with the conveyance drive gear 62 and the agitation drive gear 63 to transmit rotational torque.

  Further, bearing members 80 and 81 having a sealing function for receiving the respective rotating shafts and preventing toner leakage from the penetrating portions at the portions through which the rotating shafts of the conveying screw 53 and the agitator 54 of the lower case 56 pass. 28). For the sealing function of the bearing members 80 and 81, for example, a G seal or the like can be used. The G seal is a rubber seal ring having a substantially G-shaped cross section in which a shaft is tightened in a radial direction and sealed by an elastic sealing lip formed integrally with an inner peripheral portion of the ring body. Further, a combination of a sponge having a high hardness and a resin bearing such as POM may be used as a bearing member having a lower cost than that using a G seal.

  In the present embodiment, when the toner cartridge 50 is attached to the apparatus main body 100, the conveyance drive gear 62 is brought into a state of being engaged with the main body side drive gear 105 (see FIG. 15) provided in the apparatus main body 100. In this state, when the main body side drive gear 105 is rotationally driven, the transport drive gear 62, the torque transmission gear 64, and the stirring drive gear 63 rotate in the directions indicated by the arrows in FIG. Is designed to rotate.

  The transport drive gear 62 in this embodiment is a two-stage gear having a large diameter gear portion and a small diameter gear portion, and the torque transmission gear 64 is connected to the large diameter gear portion. The main body side drive gear 105 is connected to a small-diameter gear portion.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the toner cartridge 50 will be described in more detail.
5 and 6 are side views showing a state where the gear cover of the toner cartridge is removed.
In this embodiment, the torque transmission gear 64 is engaged with the other gears 62 and 63 to transmit torque as shown in FIG. 5, and as shown in FIG. It is configured to be movable between positions. Specifically, the torque transmission gear 64 is held by a gear holder 71 provided so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 530 of the conveying screw 53 (or the conveying driving gear 62), and the gear holder 71 is rotated. Thus, the torque transmission gear 64 is switched between the operating position shown in FIG. 5 and the retracted position shown in FIG.

  In this embodiment, the gear train is composed of three gears 62, 63, 64, but the gear train may be composed of two gears or four or more gears. Further, the gear moved between the operating position and the retracted position may be a plurality of gears among the gears constituting the gear train.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the gear holder 71 is integrally provided with the shutter 60. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6, when the gear holder 71 is rotated, the shutter 60 is also rotated around the rotation shaft 530 of the conveying screw 53. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, in the state where the torque transmission gear 64 is disposed at the operating position, the discharge port 52 is opened by the shutter 60, while the torque transmission gear 64 is retracted as shown in FIG. In the state of being disposed at the position, the discharge port 52 is closed by the shutter 60.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6, one end of a tension spring 72 as an urging means is attached by being hooked to a mounting portion 71a provided in the gear holder 71, and the other end of the tension spring 72 is The upper case 55 is attached by being hooked to an attachment portion 70a provided on the side surface. The gear holder 71 is urged so as to separate the torque transmission gear 64 from the stirring drive gear 63 by the tensile force (biasing force) by the tension spring 72. Therefore, when no external force is applied to the gear holder 71, the gear holder 71 is pulled upward by the tension spring 72 as shown in FIG. 6, and the torque transmission gear 64 is arranged at the retracted position.

  Further, the gear holder 71 is provided with a contacted portion 71b to which a contact portion 102 (see FIG. 15) provided on the apparatus main body 100 contacts when the toner cartridge 50 is mounted on the apparatus main body 100.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge cut in the axial direction at the position of the conveying screw.
As shown in FIG. 8, a shutter 22 for opening and closing the discharge port 52 from the inside is disposed in the container body 70. Thus, in the present embodiment, the shutter 22 that opens and closes the discharge port 52 from the inside (hereinafter referred to as “inner shutter”) and the shutter 60 that opens and closes the discharge port 52 from the outside (hereinafter referred to as “outer shutter”). It has a double shutter structure.

  The inner shutter 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a developer outlet 23 is provided on the peripheral wall thereof. When the inner shutter 22 rotates about its axis, the developer outlet 23 overlaps the discharge port 52, and the peripheral wall of the inner shutter 22 overlaps the discharge port 52 (the developer outlet 23 is the discharge port 52). Can be switched to a closed state.

  A portion of the inner screw 22 on the downstream side in the toner conveying direction is inserted into the inner shutter 22, and an inner space of the inner shutter 22 is a developer conveying space 66 in which toner is conveyed by the conveying screw 53. .

  Further, the inner shutter 22 has a return port 24 for returning the toner that has not been discharged from the discharge port 52 through the developer outlet 23 from the inner shutter 22 (developer transport space 66) into the developer accommodating portion 51. Is provided. The return port 24 is disposed downstream of the developer outlet 23 in the toner transport direction.

  A semi-cylindrical eaves portion 65 is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the inner shutter 22. The inner shutter 22 is rotatably held between the eaves portion 65 and the inner wall surface of the container body 70. Even if the eaves 65 are not provided, one end of the inner shutter 22 can be cantilevered by the toner cartridge 50 and can be rotatably held. However, by providing the eaves 65, the inner cylindrical surface of the inner shutter 22 is provided. This serves as a bearing, and the rotational posture of the inner shutter 22 can be stabilized. Further, the eaves portion 65 is provided with a separate return port 67 at a position corresponding to the return port 24 of the inner shutter 22.

  Further, toner is exposed to the outside between the outer peripheral surface of the inner shutter 22 and the inner peripheral surface of the eaves portion 65 and between the inner peripheral surface of the inner shutter 22 and the inner wall surface of the container body 70. A cylindrical seal member 25 for preventing leakage is disposed.

FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II in FIG. 8 and shows an open state in which the developer outlet 23 of the inner shutter 22 overlaps the discharge port 52. On the other hand, FIG. 9B shows a closed state in which the developer outlet 23 does not overlap the outlet 52.
As shown in FIG. 9A, the return port 24 provided in the inner shutter 22 is formed so as to extend in the circumferential direction of the inner shutter 22, and the return port 24 is more than the developer outlet 23. Is also greatly open in the circumferential direction. By forming the return port 24 of the inner shutter 22 in this way, a part of the return port 24 of the inner shutter 22 is elongated in both the opened state shown in FIG. 9A and the closed state shown in FIG. 9B. It overlaps with the return port 67 of the part 65.

  FIG. 10A is a diagram in which the inner shutter is opened by the driving means, and FIG. 10B is a diagram in which the inner shutter is closed. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the inner shutter and its driving means as viewed from the outside. 10 and 11, the gears 57 such as the gear cover 57 and the conveyance drive gear 62 are removed from the toner cartridge 50. Hereinafter, the driving means for the inner shutter will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 10 or FIG. 11, the inner shutter 22 is driven by a tension spring 26 as an urging means for urging the inner shutter 22 provided in the toner cartridge 50 and a protrusion 27 provided on the inner shutter 22. And a moving member 113 provided on the apparatus main body 100 side and movable in the horizontal direction.

  The protrusion 27 is provided at the end of the inner shutter 22 exposed from the lower case 56 and protrudes in the axial direction of the inner shutter 22. A tension spring 26 is hooked and attached between the projection 27 and a mounting portion 70 b provided on the side surface of the lower case 56.

  The moving member 113 is a longitudinal member extending in the horizontal direction, and is provided in the apparatus main body 100 so as to be movable. The moving member 113 is configured to reciprocate in the horizontal direction by a drive mechanism (not shown) provided in the apparatus main body 100. As a driving mechanism for the moving member 113, it is desirable to use means such as a solenoid or a cam mechanism that has a small amount of movement variation. In addition, the moving member 113 has a protruding shape 114 that can contact the protrusion 27.

Next, the opening / closing operation of the inner shutter 22 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b).
First, as shown in FIG. 10A, when the moving member 113 is moved in the left direction in the drawing, the protruding shape 114 of the moving member 113 resists the urging force of the tension spring 26 and the protrusion of the inner shutter 22. 27 is pushed, and the inner shutter 22 rotates clockwise in the figure. As a result, the developer outlet 23 is disposed so as to face downward in the figure, and an open state as shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10B, when the moving member 113 is moved to the right side of the figure, the force to push the protrusion 27 is lost, and therefore the inner shutter 22 is counterclockwise by the urging force of the tension spring 26. Rotate around. As a result, the developer outlet 23 is disposed so as to face the right side of the figure, and is in a closed state as shown in FIG.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the gear cover as viewed from the front side.
As shown in FIG. 12, a groove 73 arranged in the vertical direction is formed on the outer surface (front surface) of the gear cover 57. The groove 73 attaches the container main body 70 to the apparatus main body 100 in cooperation with the protrusion 101 (see FIG. 15) provided on the apparatus main body 100 when the toner cartridge 50 is attached to the apparatus main body 100. It has a function of guiding in the direction and a function of positioning the container body 70 with respect to the apparatus body 100. Specifically, in the groove 73, the container side guide portion 73a having a guide function extends from the lower end portion to a portion before the width of the upper portion is narrow, and the portion having the narrow width is a positioning function. It is the container side positioning part 73b which has. The lower end part of the container side guide part 73a is opened facing down. The open portion of the container side guide portion 73a is formed to have a wide width, and the width is formed so as to gradually narrow toward the container side positioning portion 73b in the upper portion of the container side guide portion 73a.

  Further, a convex portion 79 is provided on the front side of the gear cover 57 as another container side guide portion and a container side positioning portion for the apparatus main body 100. This convex portion 79 guides the container body 70 in the mounting direction with respect to the apparatus main body 100 in cooperation with the main body side groove 103 (see FIG. 15) provided in the apparatus main body 100, and also with respect to the apparatus main body 100. The container body 70 is positioned. Thus, in this embodiment, positioning of the container main body 70 with respect to the mounting main body 100 is performed at two locations of the container-side positioning portion 73b and the convex portion 79 of the groove 73 shown in FIG.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the gear cover as seen from the back side.
As shown in FIG. 13, a positioning boss 76 projects from the back surface of the gear cover 57. The boss 76 is inserted into a long hole 77 (see FIG. 5, rectangular hole) provided on the side surface of the upper case 55 when the gear cover 57 is attached to the cases 55 and 56. Thereby, the gear cover 57 is positioned with respect to the upper case 55. Note that the gear cover 57 is attached to each case 55, 56 by hooking the elastically deformable latching piece (the latching piece 57a of FIG. 13 in this embodiment) provided on both or one side to the other nail. It is done by things.

  Further, a hole 78 is formed on the back surface of the gear cover 57. One end of the rotating shaft 530 protruding from the lower case 56 of the conveying screw 53 is inserted into the hole 78. That is, the gear cover 57 is positioned with respect to the lower case 56 by holding the rotating shaft 530 of the conveying screw 53 through the hole 78. As described above, in this embodiment, the gear cover 57 is positioned with respect to the cases 55 and 56 at the two locations of the boss 76 and the hole 78 shown in FIG.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, two positioning portions for the apparatus main body 100 and two positioning portions for the cases 55 and 56 are provided on the front side and the back side of the gear cover 57, respectively. The front side and the back side of the gear cover 57 are disposed at the same position or substantially the same position. Specifically, a boss 76 shown in FIG. 13 is disposed in the vicinity of the back side of the container side positioning portion 73b of the groove 73 shown in FIG. 12, and the hole shown in FIG. 13 is provided on the back side of the convex portion 79 shown in FIG. 78 is disposed.

FIG. 14 is a view of the toner cartridge as viewed from the gear cover side.
In FIG. 14, the projection areas of the gears 62, 63, 64 on the outer surface of the gear cover 57 provided with the grooves 73 are indicated by dotted lines. Moreover, the area | region shown with the code | symbol J is a projection area | region of the torque transmission gear 64 in an operating position, and the area | region shown with a code | symbol U is a projection area | region of the torque transmission gear 64 in a retracted position. Thus, in this embodiment, a part of the container side guide portion 73a of the groove 73 is disposed in the projection region J of the torque transmission gear 64 in the operating position. It is also possible to arrange the entire container side guide portion 73a within the projection region J of the torque transmission gear 64 in the operating position. On the other hand, the narrow container side positioning portion 73b needs to be disposed outside the projection region J of the torque transmission gear 64 in the operating position.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the apparatus main body 100 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 15, a plurality of mounting portions 106 for mounting the toner cartridges 50 for each color are provided inside the apparatus main body 100. A total of four mounting portions 106 are provided for each toner cartridge 50. FIG. 15 shows a state in which the toner cartridges 50 are mounted on two of them. The mounting unit 106 to which the toner cartridge 50 is mounted is determined in advance for each toner color in the toner cartridge 50.

  Each mounting portion 106 is provided with a contact portion 102 that protrudes upward. The abutting portion 102 abuts against the abutted portion 71 b (see FIG. 7) of the gear holder 71 when the toner cartridge 50 is attached to the apparatus main body 100.

  On the inner surface of one side wall 111 shown in FIG. 15, connection terminals 104 of the information reading device are provided at four locations. These connection terminals 104 are connected to connection terminals of an information storage medium 58 provided on a gear cover 57 of the toner cartridge 50 in a state where the toner cartridge 50 is mounted on the apparatus main body 100.

  Further, on the inner surface of the side wall 111 of the apparatus main body 100, a protruding portion 101 that protrudes in the horizontal direction is provided for each mounting portion 106. The protrusion 101 cooperates with a groove 73 (see FIG. 12) provided in the gear cover 57 to function as a main body side guide portion that guides the container main body 70 in the attaching / detaching direction, and the container main body 70 to the apparatus main body. It has a function as a main body side positioning portion for positioning to 100.

  Further, on the inner surface of the side surface 111 of the apparatus main body 100, a main body side guide portion different from the protrusion 101 and a main body side groove 103 as a main body side positioning portion are provided in the vertical direction for each mounting portion 106. The upper end portion 103a of each main body side groove 103 opens upward, and a convex portion 79 (see FIG. 12) provided in the toner cartridge 50 can be inserted from the upper end portion 103a that opens. On the other hand, a receiving portion that receives the convex portion 79 is formed at the lower end portion 103 b of the main body side groove 103. That is, the lower end portion 103b of the main body side groove 103 functions as a main body side positioning portion for positioning the convex portion 79, and the upper end portion 103a of the main body side groove 103 to the front of the lower end portion 103b serves as a main body side guide portion that guides the convex portion 79. It is supposed to function.

  Further, a main body side drive gear 105 is provided in the vicinity of the lower end portion 103 b of each main body side groove 103. The main body side drive gear 105 is rotationally driven by a drive source (not shown) provided in the apparatus main body 100. The main body side drive gear 105 is adapted to mesh with the transport drive gear 62 (see FIG. 5) in a state where the toner cartridge 50 is mounted on the apparatus main body 100.

  In addition, the above-described moving member 113 for rotating the inner shutter 22 is provided in the apparatus main body 100. As shown in FIG. 15, the moving member 113 is provided with a plurality of protruding shapes 114 for contacting the protrusions 27 for each toner cartridge 50.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 16, a seal member 115 is provided at the opening edge of the supply port 49 provided in the apparatus main body 100. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 17, in a state where the discharge port 52 and the supply port 49 are connected, the seal member 115 is interposed between the discharge port 52 and the supply port 49. As a result, the space between the discharge port 52 and the replenishing port 49 is sealed, and scattering of toner in the apparatus is prevented.

18 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the apparatus main body on the side surface opposite to that shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 18, an urging member 107 that urges the toner cartridge 50 toward one (opposite) side wall 111 is provided for each mounting portion 106 on the other side wall 112 side. In this embodiment, the urging member 107 is constituted by a leaf spring.

Hereinafter, the operation of attaching and detaching the toner cartridge 50 according to the present embodiment to and from the apparatus main body 100 will be described with reference to FIG.
First, when the toner cartridge 50 is attached to the apparatus main body 100, the upper cover 109 (see FIG. 1) of the apparatus main body 100 is opened so that the toner cartridge 50 can be attached to the attachment portion 106. Then, the toner cartridge 50 is gripped, and the toner cartridge 50 is inserted from the upper opening of the apparatus main body 100 toward the lower mounting portion 106 as shown in FIG.

  When the toner cartridge 50 is inserted into the apparatus main body 100, as shown in FIG. 19B, the convex portion 79 provided on the toner cartridge 50 is inserted into the main body side groove 103 provided on the apparatus main body 100. Thus, by inserting the convex portion 79 into the main body side groove 103, the toner cartridge 50 is inserted while being guided by the cooperation of the convex portion 79 and the main body side groove 103. Further, when the toner cartridge 50 is inserted downward, the protrusion 101 provided in the apparatus main body 100 is inserted into the groove 73 provided in the toner cartridge 50, and the toner is also activated by the cooperation of the protrusion 101 and the groove 73. The cartridge 50 is guided.

  As shown in FIG. 19C, when the toner cartridge 50 is attached to the attachment portion 106, the convex portion 79 on the toner cartridge 50 side contacts the lower end portion (receiving portion) of the groove on the main body side groove 103. The toner cartridge 50 is positioned by the contact. Specifically, the downward movement of the toner cartridge 50 and the lateral direction along the side wall 111 of the apparatus main body 100 (horizontal direction in FIG. 19C) are obtained by cooperation of the convex portion 79 and the lower end portion of the main body side groove 103. Movement to is regulated.

  In the state where the toner cartridge 50 is mounted on the mounting portion 106, the protrusion 101 on the main body side is disposed on the container-side positioning portion 73b in which the width of the groove 73 is narrow. 50 is positioned. Specifically, the movement of the toner cartridge 50 in the rotation direction around the convex portion 79 is restricted by the cooperation of the protrusion 101 and the container-side positioning portion 73b of the groove 73.

  On the end side opposite to the side where the toner cartridge 50 is positioned by the protrusion 101 and the groove 73, the toner cartridge 50 is moved by the biasing member 107 (see FIG. 18) provided in the apparatus main body 100. The main body 100 is biased toward the side wall 111 provided with the protrusion 101 and the like. This urging force restricts the movement of the toner cartridge 50 in the direction orthogonal to the side wall 111 of the apparatus main body 100 (the direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. 19C). The protrusion 101 is prevented from falling off from the container side positioning portion 73b. In particular, in this embodiment, the urging member 107 has a function of reliably pressing the plurality of connection terminals of the information storage medium 58 against the connection terminals on the main body side via the container main body 70 and the gear cover 57 to ensure conduction. Yes.

Further, as shown in FIG. 19C, when the toner cartridge 50 is mounted on the mounting portion 106, the contact portion 102 provided on the apparatus main body 100 contacts the contacted portion 71 b of the gear holder 71. . As a result, the gear holder 71 is rotated in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 19C against the tensile force (biasing force) of the tension spring 72, so that the torque transmission gear 64 is engaged with the stirring drive gear 63. Arranged. Further, when the gear holder 71 is rotated, the outer shutter 60 provided integrally with the gear holder 71 is also rotated, and the outer peripheral side of the discharge port 52 is opened. However, even in this case (when the toner cartridge 50 is placed on the main body), the inner shutter 22 remains closed. The effect that this closure is maintained is described. Although the outer shutter 60 opens in a series of operations, there is a moment when the discharge port 52 of the toner cartridge 50 is not connected to the supply port 49 on the main body side. In that case, if the shutter is not double, the toner leaks downward, but the toner does not leak because the inner shutter 22 remains closed.
When the torque transmission gear 64 moves to the operating position, when the torque transmission gear 64 approaches the groove 73, the projection 101 has already passed through the region overlapping the operating position on the groove 73, so that the torque transmission is performed. The gear 64 and the protrusion 101 do not interfere with each other.

  As described above, when the torque transmission gear 64 moves to the operating position and meshes with the agitation drive gear 63, the conveying screw 53 and the agitator 54 in the toner cartridge 50 are interlocked and can be driven. At the same time, the outer shutter 60 provided integrally with the gear holder 71 also rotates from the position shown in FIG. 19B to the position shown in FIG. 19C, and the discharge port 52 is opened. The opened discharge port 52 is connected to the supply port 49 on the apparatus main body 100 side.

  Thereafter, the inner shutter 22 is opened. Specifically, using the closing of the upper cover 109 as a trigger, the moving member driving means such as the above-described solenoid or cam operates the moving member 113. That is, when the printer power is turned on, the moving member 113 moves to the left side of the drawing to open the inner shutter 22 as shown in FIG. As a result, both the inner and outer shutters 22 and 60 are opened, and the toner can be discharged from the discharge port 52.

  FIG. 20 shows a state where the torque transmission gear 64 is disposed at the operating position, and FIG. 21 shows a state where the discharge port 52 is opened. In FIG. 20, the gear cover 57 is not shown.

  Further, as illustrated in FIG. 19C, the conveyance drive gear 62 is coupled to the main body side drive gear 105 in a state where the toner cartridge 50 is mounted on the mounting portion 106. In this state, when the main body side drive gear 105 is rotationally driven by a drive source (not shown), the driving force is transferred to the transport screw 53 and the agitator 54 via the transport drive gear 62, the torque transmission gear 64, and the stirring drive gear 63. And are driven to rotate. As a result, toner is supplied from the opened discharge port 52 to the developing device through the supply port 49.

  When the toner cartridge 50 is attached, the connection terminal of the information storage medium 58 on the toner cartridge 50 side is connected to the connection terminal 104 of the information reading device on the apparatus main body 100 side. As a result, information relating to the toner cartridge 50 can be read, or information stored in the information storage medium 58 can be updated.

  Next, when removing the toner cartridge 50 from the apparatus main body, first, the inner shutter 22 is closed. Specifically, the moving member driving means described above operates in conjunction with opening the upper cover 109 (see FIG. 1), and the moving member 113 moves to the right side of the drawing as shown in FIG. As a result, the inner shutter 22 is closed.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 19B, when the toner cartridge 50 is lifted, the contact by the contact portion 102 on the apparatus main body 100 side with respect to the contacted portion 71b of the gear holder 71 is released. It is turned back to its original position by the tensile force (biasing force). As the gear holder 71 rotates, the torque transmission gear 64 is disposed at a retracted position away from the stirring drive gear 63. At this time, the projection 101 passes through the region overlapping the operating position on the groove 73. However, when the projection 101 reaches the region, the torque transmission gear 64 has already evacuated from the groove 73. Therefore, the protrusion 101 and the torque transmission gear 64 do not interfere with each other.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 19B, when the gear holder 71 is rotated to the original position, the outer shutter 60 is also rotated and the discharge port 52 is closed accordingly. As a result, the outer shutter 60 further hides the inner shutter 22 whose surface tends to become dirty due to the connection with the supply port 49. As a result, the possibility of getting dirty even if the user's hand touches the shutter portion is reduced. Since both the inner and outer shutters 22 and 60 are in a closed state, the prevention of toner scattering from the discharge port 52 is also greatly improved.

  FIG. 22 shows a state in which the torque transmission gear 64 is disposed at the retracted position, and FIG. 23 shows a state in which the discharge port 52 is closed. In FIG. 22, the gear cover 57 is not shown.

  Here, as described above, in this embodiment, the gear is covered with the gear cover 57 so that the user or the like does not touch the gear. However, since the conveyance drive gear 62 needs to mesh with the main body side drive gear 105 and a part of the conveyance drive gear 62 is exposed from the lower part of the gear cover 57, the user or the like touches the conveyance drive gear 62 during the toner cartridge 50 replacement operation. It is also possible. If the user or the like rotates the transport drive gear 62 with the toner cartridge 50 removed, the transport screw 53 rotates to transport the toner. As a result, if the toner stays in the inner shutter 22 and a load is generated, the toner may be deteriorated and the conveying screw 53, the container main body 70, and the like may be damaged.

  However, in this embodiment, since the return ports 24 and 67 are provided in the inner shutter 22 and the eaves portion 65, even if the toner is transported by the transport screw 53, the developer accommodating portion 51 from the return ports 24 and 67. Toner can be returned. That is, when the toner cartridge 50 is removed, the discharge port 52 is closed as shown in FIG. 9B, but a part of the return port 24 of the inner shutter 22 is connected to the return port 67 of the eaves portion 65. Since they overlap, the toner in the inner shutter 22 can be returned through the return ports 24 and 67. As a result, it is possible to reduce the load on the toner in the inner shutter 22, so that it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the toner and to prevent the conveyance screw 53 and the container body 70 from being damaged. It becomes possible.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the toner cartridge 50 is removed from the apparatus main body 100, the torque transmission gear 64 moves to the retracted position as shown in FIG. Is disconnected. Therefore, even if the user or the like rotates the transport drive gear 62 in this state, the transport screw 53 and the agitator 54 do not rotate in conjunction with each other. In a state where the toner cartridge 50 is removed, that is, in a state where the discharge port 52 is closed, if the toner cartridge 50 moves in conjunction with the toner cartridge 50, the cohesive load on the toner is reduced only by the action of the return port 24. There is a possibility that the toner may be sent toward the return port 24. However, in this embodiment, even when the toner cartridge 50 is removed, the plurality of toner conveying / stirring members in the toner cartridge are prevented from rotating at the same time. Therefore, the aggregation load on the toner can be prevented.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress problems such as toner deterioration and breakage of components due to rotation of the conveying screw 53 with the toner cartridge 50 removed. Therefore, it is possible to provide a highly reliable image forming apparatus.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the user or the like rotates the conveyance drive gear 62 has been described as an example. However, when the agitation drive gear 63 is exposed from the gear cover 57 due to layout reasons or the like, there is a possibility of rotating it. There is also. In that case, the agitator 54 rotates, but the rotation of the conveying screw 53 can be avoided, so that it is possible to prevent the toner from being fed into the vicinity of the discharge port 52 and the return port 24 which are narrow cylindrical spaces. It is possible to prevent a load on the toner due to the 53 being driven other than normal.

The image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment also has the following functions and effects.
The return ports 24 and 67 function not only when the toner cartridge 50 is removed but also when the toner cartridge 50 is attached. That is, as shown in FIG. 9A, even when the toner cartridge 50 is mounted and the discharge port 52 is opened, a part of the return port 24 of the inner shutter 22 overlaps with the return port 67 of the eaves portion 65. The toner in the inner shutter 22 can be returned through the return ports 24 and 67. In particular, when the discharge port 52 is clogged, the toner may stagnate and load may be applied. Even in such a case, the toner can be returned from the return ports 24 and 67 to the developer accommodating portion 51. The load on the toner can be reduced. Thereby, even in the mounted state, it is possible to suppress problems such as toner deterioration and component damage.

  Further, the position where the return port 67 is provided in the eaves portion 65 is preferably outside the stirring region 200 of the agitator 54 as shown in FIG. When the return port 67 is in the stirring region 200, for example, when the return port 67 is provided on the peripheral wall on the right side of the eaves portion 65 in the drawing, the toner discharged from the return port 67 may be pushed back by the agitator 54. There is. Therefore, by disposing the return port 67 outside the stirring region 200, it is possible to more smoothly discharge the toner from the return port 67 to the developer accommodating portion 51.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 25, at the end of the conveying screw 53 on the downstream side in the toner conveying direction, the direction of the blade 153b is opposite to the blade 153a provided at the other portion, and the conveying screw 53 The toner may be returned from the downstream end to the return port 24. As a result, on the end side of the conveying screw 53 with respect to the return port 24, there is a flow in which the toner that has passed through the return port 24 is actively returned to the return port 24 side. As a result, toner retention on the end side can be suppressed, and damage to the conveying screw 53, the container main body 70, and the like due to the load caused by the remaining toner can be avoided.

  Further, in the example shown in FIG. 25, the pitch of the blades 153a at the X1 between the return port 24 and the developer outlet 23 is shorter than the pitch of the blades 153a at the upstream side X2 in the toner transport direction from the developer outlet 23. doing. With this configuration, the toner transport speed on the downstream side of the upstream side of the discharge port 52 becomes slower, so that the toner supply from the discharge port 52 can be promoted.

  Further, as described above, in the present embodiment, the torque transmission gear 64 is configured to be movable between the operating position shown in FIG. 19B and the retracted position shown in FIG. It is possible to avoid the protrusion 101 on the apparatus main body 100 side from interfering with the torque transmission gear 64 during the attaching / detaching operation. As a result, part or all of the container-side guide portion 73a can be disposed at the operating position of the torque transmission gear 64 (in the projection area J shown in FIG. 14), and the guide mechanism of the toner cartridge 50 compared to the conventional case. The degree of freedom in layout design is improved.

  For example, in the toner cartridge 50 having a gear train in which a plurality of gears 62, 63, 64 are coupled as shown in FIG. 14, in the conventional configuration, the groove 73 must be disposed to avoid the gear train. It is necessary to dispose the groove 73 on the left side of the drawing with respect to the projection area of the conveyance drive gear 62 or on the right side of the drawing with respect to the projection area of the stirring drive gear 63. However, when the groove 73 is provided in this way, the size of the toner cartridge 50 increases on the left side or the right side (short direction) in the drawing. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the longitudinal direction Q of the toner cartridge 50 is increased and the gear train is disposed so as not to overlap the groove 73. Either arrangement is an increase in size that has nothing to do with the toner storage capacity of the toner cartridge, which reduces the attractiveness of the product.

  On the other hand, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, the groove 73 and the conveyance drive gear 62 and the agitation drive gear are arranged so that the groove 73 and the gear train overlap each other when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the toner cartridge. 63, the degree of freedom in designing the layout of the guide mechanism is improved, and the size can be reduced as compared with the conventional configuration.

In particular, in the configuration of the embodiment as shown in FIG. 14, it is necessary to dispose the groove 73 so as to pass through the gear train due to the following circumstances.
First, in the case of the configuration shown in FIG. 14, in order to make the information storage medium 58 difficult to be stained with toner, the information storage medium 58 is disposed at the upper part of the toner cartridge 50 far from the discharge port 52 (the gear cover 57 is generally disposed). It is desirable that the position be separated in a substantially diagonal direction when regarded as a rectangle. Next, in order to improve the positioning accuracy of the information storage medium 58, the arrangement position of the container-side positioning portion 73 b of the groove 73 is preferably close to the information storage medium 58. As a result, the arrangement position of the container-side positioning portion 73b of the groove 73 is above the gear train. Then, as in this embodiment, in the method in which the toner cartridge 50 is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 100 in the vertical direction, the groove 73 must be extended from the upper side to the lower side of the gear train. 73 is arranged to pass through the gear train.

  Therefore, in particular, in the configuration as shown in FIG. 14, by applying the configuration of the present invention, the groove 73 can be disposed between the projection areas of the conveyance drive gear 62 and the stirring drive gear 63. Therefore, downsizing of the apparatus can be expected.

  Further, as described above, in the configuration of the present embodiment, the container-side positioning portion 73b is disposed in the vicinity of the information storage medium 58, so that information on the connection terminal of the information reading device provided in the apparatus main body 100 is obtained. The positioning accuracy of the storage medium 58 is improved. As a result, it is possible to reliably ensure electrical continuity between the information storage medium 58 and the information reading device. Further, since the positioning accuracy of the information storage medium 58 is improved, it is possible to reduce the size of each connection terminal on the information storage medium 58 side and the information reading apparatus side. Usually, such connection terminals are plated with gold in order to prevent corrosion. However, by reducing the size of the connection terminals, the amount of gold plating used for these is reduced, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Become.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the positioning portion (the container-side positioning portion 73b and the convex portion 79 of the groove 73 shown in FIG. 12) with respect to the apparatus main body 100 provided on the front side of the gear cover 57 and the back side of the gear cover 57 Positioning portions (the boss 76 and the hole 78 shown in FIG. 13) for the provided cases 55 and 56 are arranged at the same position or substantially the same position on the front side and the back side of the gear cover 57. In addition, the front-side convex portion 79 and the back-side hole 78 serve as the main reference for positioning, and the front-side container-side positioning portion 73b and the boss 76 in the vicinity of the back-side each follow the positioning reference. It has become. Thus, in the present embodiment, the positions of the main reference and the secondary reference for positioning on the front side and the back side of the gear cover 57 are set to the same position or substantially the same position on the front side and the back side. The distance between the two main references and the distance between the two sub references when the paper surface of (c) is used as the reference plane are each set to a minimum (approximately 0 mm). In this case, the gear cover 57 is used for the purpose of protecting the gear. However, the influence, that is, the dimensional variation when determining the position of the container main body 70 on the apparatus main body 100 via the gear cover 57 can be suppressed. Even when mass-produced, positioning to the apparatus main body 100 can be performed with high accuracy for all products.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the width is formed wide at the lower end portion of the groove 73 on the toner cartridge 50 side, the protrusion 101 can be easily inserted from the lower end portion. Further, since the width of the groove 73 is formed so as to be gradually narrowed toward the container side positioning portion 73b, the protrusion 101 can be smoothly guided to the container side positioning portion 73b, and the container side positioning portion having a narrow width is provided. In 73b, it is possible to position accurately by cooperation with the protrusion 101.

  Further, in this embodiment, the timing at which the inner shutter 22 is opened is after completion of the mounting of the toner cartridge 50, so that the scattering of toner from the toner cartridge 50 can be highly prevented. That is, when the toner cartridge 50 is mounted, the outer shutter 60 opens first in conjunction with the mounting operation, but the inner shutter 22 is still closed, so that the inner shutter 22 is closed before the discharge port 52 is connected to the supply port 49. The toner can be prevented from scattering. The reason for opening the outer shutter 60 is before completion of the mounting of the toner cartridge 50 in order to avoid interference with the replenishing port 49 at the time of mounting.

  When removing the toner cartridge 50, first, the inner shutter 22 is closed in the mounted state, and in this case also, scattering of the internal toner at the time of removal can be prevented. Further, since the outer shutter 60 is closed in conjunction with the removal operation, the toner is not scattered even if the toner adheres to the inside of the discharge port 52. As described above, in this embodiment, the double shutter structure including the inner shutter 22 and the outer shutter 60 can reliably prevent the toner from being scattered from the discharge port 52 when the toner cartridge 50 is attached or detached. Yes.

  In this embodiment, when the toner cartridge 50 is removed, the outer shutter 60 automatically closes the discharge port 52 in conjunction with the removal operation. Therefore, the toner from the discharge port 52 due to forgetting to close the outer shutter 60 is removed. Leakage and scattering can be prevented.

  By the way, conventionally, a drive unit that rotates a cylindrical rotary shutter in conjunction with the attaching / detaching operation of the toner cartridge employs a rack and pinion mechanism (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-42567). However, in this case, there is a problem that the guide means of the toner cartridge must be formed with high accuracy so that the rack and the pinion can smoothly mesh when the toner cartridge is mounted.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the contact part 102 only needs to contact the contacted part 71b provided integrally with the outer shutter 60, the position of the contact part 102 is set roughly. Can do. Also, a means for guiding the toner cartridge at the time of mounting may be simply provided. As described above, the configuration of the present embodiment is simpler than the configuration using the conventional rack and pinion mechanism, and further has excellent operability.

  Further, the inner shutter 22 uses the tension spring 26 and the moving member 113 shown in FIG. 11 as driving means, while the outer shutter 60 uses the tension spring 72 and the contact member 102 shown in FIG. 19 as driving means. In other words, in this embodiment, the driving means for the inner shutter 22 and the outer shutter 60 are configured as separate driving means, so that one of the shutters is activated by any chance due to an erroneous operation at the time of toner cartridge replacement or a trouble of the apparatus main body. Even if not, the discharge port 52 can be closed by operating the other shutter. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the risk of toner scattering from the discharge port 52 due to the fact that both the shutters 22 and 60 are not operated.

  In FIG. 26, if the opening width of the developer outlet 23 provided in the inner shutter 22 is K1, the opening width of the discharge port 52 is K2, and the opening width of the replenishing port 49 is K3, K1 <K2 <K3. It is preferable to do so. Thus, by setting the relationship between the opening widths K1, K2, and K3, it is possible to reliably supply toner to the supply port 49.

FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating the force generated in the toner cartridge when the rotational torque is transmitted.
As shown in FIG. 27, when the main body side drive gear 105 rotates counterclockwise in the drawing, a force is generated in the direction indicated by the arrow F in the torque transmission portion G where the main body side drive gear 105 and the transport drive gear 62 mesh. . As a result, the rotational load of the gear 62 generated when the toner inside is agitated and conveyed resists the force F, and the entire toner cartridge 50 has a rotational force in the direction of arrow W centered on the convex portion 79 positioned. (Moment) occurs. However, as described above, the rotation of the toner cartridge 50 around the convex portion 79 is restricted by the cooperation of the protrusion 101 and the container-side positioning portion 73b of the groove 73. As a result, the toner cartridge 50 does not rotate. In particular, in the present embodiment, the length L1 of the arm from the center of the convex portion 79 to the portion that receives the acting force of the protruding portion 101 (the side closer to the convex portion 79 of the pair of container side positioning portions 73b) is the convex portion. It can be said that the rotation preventing property (positional stability) of the toner cartridge is good as a result, which is sufficiently long, about 6.4 times the arm length L2 from the center of 79 to the torque transmission part G. Further, in the gear cover 57, the container side guide portion 73a extends vertically downward from the upper container side positioning portion 73b so as to cross the passage region when the torque transmission gear is moved inside. The entrance portion into which the main body side protrusion 101 enters is disposed near the bottom of the toner cartridge 50 (between the conveyance drive gear 62 and the agitation drive gear 63). Accordingly, when the user mounts the toner cartridge on the apparatus main body, the entrance of the guide portion 73a can be easily engaged with the protrusion 101, and the subsequent setting operation can be performed smoothly. Such rotation blocking property and ease of mounting depend on the arrangement relationship between the convex portion 79 (that is, the center of the conveyance drive gear 62 related to the shutter 60), the container side positioning portion 73b, and the container side guide portion 73a. Therefore, it can be said that the present invention was devised in connection with a moving mechanism that established the arrangement of the torque transmission gear without interfering with them.

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge as viewed from below with the toner cartridge mounted on the apparatus main body.
As shown in FIG. 28, the torque transmission part G of the conveyance drive gear 62 is positioned by the main body side groove 103 and the convex part 79 in the longitudinal direction Q of the toner cartridge 50 (or the rotation axis direction of the conveyance screw 53). It is disposed between α and a positioning portion β formed by the groove 73 on the toner cartridge 50 side and the protrusion 101 on the main body side. That is, the convex portion 79 and the groove 73 as two positioning portions on the toner cartridge 50 side are provided on one side and the other side in the longitudinal direction Q with respect to the torque transmission portion G.

FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge as viewed from below with the toner cartridge of the comparative example mounted in the apparatus main body.
In this comparative example, unlike the above embodiment, in the longitudinal direction Q of the toner cartridge 50, the positioning location α by the main body side groove 103 and the convex portion 79, the groove 73 on the toner cartridge 50 side, and the protrusion 101 on the main body side Is provided on the same side (upper side in the figure) with respect to the torque transmission part G of the transport drive gear 62. Other than that, it is the same structure as the said embodiment. That is, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 29, the torque transmission part G is positioned on one side in the longitudinal direction Q.

  In this case, when the force in the direction of arrow F is generated in the torque transmission part G by the rotation of the main body side drive gear 105, the toner cartridge is positioned on one side in the longitudinal direction Q with respect to the torque transmission part G. It is also conceivable that twisting occurs at one end side and the other end side in the longitudinal direction Q of 50. In particular, as in the toner cartridge 50 according to the present embodiment, at the end opposite to the end provided with the gear train, the biasing member 107 urges the end in the longitudinal direction Q without positioning. In the case of only the configuration, misalignment in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction Q tends to occur on the end side.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 28, the container side positioning portions (positioning locations α and β) of the toner cartridge 50 are provided on both sides in the longitudinal direction Q with respect to the torque transmitting portion G, thereby transmitting torque. Even if the toner cartridge 50 receives the force F in the portion G, it is possible to effectively prevent the twisting at one end side and the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the toner cartridge 50. Thereby, the positioning of the toner cartridge 50 with respect to the apparatus main body 100 can be performed with higher accuracy.

30 to 33 show the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Hereinafter, parts different from the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 30, the image forming apparatus includes an upper cover 109 as a first cover provided on the upper portion of the apparatus main body 100, and a container mounting unit 120 to which the toner cartridge 50 can be attached and detached by opening the upper cover 109. And an internal cover 116 as a second cover that can be opened and closed inside the image forming apparatus main body with respect to the container mounting portion 120, and the process units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk are opened by opening the internal cover 116. And a detachable unit mounting portion 130. FIG. 31 shows a state in which the upper cover 109 is opened, and FIG. 32 shows a state in which the inner cover 116 is opened.

  Specifically, the inner cover 116 is attached to the apparatus main body 100 so as to be opened and closed in the vertical direction by rotating around the fulcrum 117. On the inner cover 116, a toner cartridge 50 containing toner of each color can be mounted. Although not shown, a plurality of mounting portions 106 (see FIG. 15) for mounting the respective toner cartridges 50 are formed on the upper surface of the inner cover 116 as in the above embodiment. As shown in FIG. 31, the toner cartridge 50 can be attached and detached with the upper cover 109 opened.

  The process units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk for each color are accommodated inside (downward) the inner cover 116. Therefore, to attach and detach the process units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk, as shown in FIG. 32, both the upper cover 109 and the inner cover 116 are opened. A plurality of exposure devices 6 (LED units) for exposing each photoconductor 2 are swingably attached to the lower surface of the inner cover 116. As a result, each exposure device 6 is interlocked with the opening / closing operation of the inner cover 116 and is positioned close to the photoreceptor 2 while avoiding interference with the process units 1Y, 1M, 1C, 1Bk by guide means (not shown). From there, it moves to the position where it was saved upwards.

  With the configuration as described above, the inner cover 116 can be opened so that the toner cartridge can be retracted from above the process unit, so that the process unit can be attached and detached without removing the toner cartridge. it can. As a result, the operability during the process unit replacement operation is improved, and the risk of toner scattering from the toner cartridge into the apparatus at that time can be suppressed.

  On the other hand, since the process units cannot be visually recognized when the inner cover 116 is closed, when replacing multiple color process units at the same time, the upper cover 109 and the upper cover 109 The inner cover 116 may be closed. In the unlikely event that the process unit is forgotten to be attached, if the toner cartridge outlet 52 corresponding to the place where the process unit is forgotten is opened, the toner will scatter in the apparatus.

  Therefore, in order to prevent such scattering of toner, here, as shown in FIG. 33, contact portions 102 for opening the outer shutter 60 are provided in the process units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk. Accordingly, an insertion hole 118 for inserting the contact portion 102 is formed in the inner cover 116. As a result, when the process units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk are mounted and the inner cover 116 is closed, the contact portion 102 is inserted into the insertion hole 118 of the inner cover 116 and contacts the container mounting portion 120. The part 102 protrudes.

  With the configuration described above, the outer shutter 60 does not open because the contact portion 102 for opening the outer shutter 60 does not exist in a place where the process unit is not mounted. Therefore, even when the inner cover 116 is closed without attaching the process unit, the outer shutter 60 does not open in a place where the process unit is not attached, and toner scattering can be prevented.

  Further, the insertion hole 118 provided in the inner cover 116 may be a size that allows the contact portion 102 to be inserted. That is, in this case, the insertion hole 118 can be made smaller than in the case where the conventional configuration employing the above-described rack and pinion mechanism is applied, so that the strength of the inner cover 116 can be ensured. .

  As mentioned above, although other embodiment of this invention was described based on FIGS. 30-33, the effect | action similar to the above is acquired about the component similar to the said embodiment.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to each above-mentioned embodiment. Of course, various changes can be made to the number, shape, arrangement, and the like of each component without departing from the scope of the present invention.

1Y, 1M, 1C, 1Bk Process unit 2 Photoconductor (latent image carrier)
4 Developing device 22 Inner shutter 23 Developer outlet 24 Return port 26 Tension spring (biasing means)
27 Protrusion 40 Development housing 41 Development roller (developer carrier)
49 Supply port 50 Toner cartridge (developer container)
52 Discharge port 53 Conveying screw (conveying member)
54 Agitator (stirring member)
60 Outer shutter 62 Transport drive gear (drive transmission means)
63 Stirring drive gear (drive transmission means)
64 Torque transmission gear (drive transmission means)
65 eaves part 66 developer transport space 67 return port 70 container main body 71b contacted part 100 image forming apparatus main body 102 contact part 109 upper cover (first cover)
113 Moving member 116 Inner cover (second cover)
120 Container mounting portion 130 Unit mounting portion 200 Stirring area K1 Opening width of developer outlet K2 Opening width of discharge port K3 Opening width of replenishing port

Japanese Patent No. 4283070

Claims (20)

A developer container configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus main body,
A container main body having a developer containing portion for containing a developer, a discharge port for discharging the developer in the developer containing portion, and a developer transport space for guiding the developer in the developer containing portion to the discharge port. When,
A transport member disposed in the developer transport space and transporting the developer to the discharge port;
An agitating member disposed in the developer accommodating portion for agitating the developer;
In a developer container comprising drive transmission means for interlockingly connecting the conveying member and the stirring member,
In a non-attached state to the image forming apparatus main body, the drive transmission unit is configured to be able to release the connection between the transport member and the stirring member,
The drive transmission means in the developer transport direction of the developer transport space is provided with a return port for returning the developer not discharged from the discharge port from the developer transport space into the developer accommodating portion . A developer container, wherein the developer container is provided on the upstream side of the side surface on one end side of the container body and on the downstream side of the discharge port . The drive transmission means includes a conveyance drive gear provided on the conveyance member, an agitation drive gear provided on the agitation member, and a torque transmission gear that meshes with the conveyance drive gear and the agitation drive gear to transmit rotational torque. And
2. The developer container according to claim 1, wherein the torque transmission gear is configured to be movable between an operating position that meshes with the agitation drive gear and transmits torque and a retracted position that is retracted from the operating position.   A cylindrical inner shutter having a developer outlet capable of discharging the developer on the peripheral wall is provided in the container body, and the inner shutter rotates around its axis so that the developer outlet of the inner shutter becomes the outlet. 3. The developer container according to claim 1, wherein the developer container is switchable between an open state where the inner shutter overlaps and a closed state where the peripheral wall of the inner shutter overlaps the discharge port.   The developer container according to claim 3, wherein the return port is provided in a peripheral wall of the inner shutter.   The developer container according to claim 4, wherein in the inner shutter, the developer outlet is provided upstream of the return port in the developer transport direction.   The eaves part which is arrange | positioned on the outer peripheral side of the said inner shutter and hold | maintains an inner shutter rotatably is provided in the said container main body, The said return port was provided in both the said eaves part and the said inner shutter, or 5. The developer container according to 5. A return port provided in the inner shutter is formed so as to extend in the circumferential direction of the inner shutter,
A configuration in which a part of a return port provided in the inner shutter overlaps with a return port provided in the eaves part in both cases where the discharge port is opened and closed by the inner shutter. The developer container according to 6.   The developer container according to claim 6 or 7, wherein a return port provided in the eaves portion is disposed outside the stirring region of the stirring member. The inner shutter is provided with an urging means for urging the inner shutter in a direction to close the discharge port, and a protrusion with which a movable member movably provided on the image forming apparatus main body can contact,
The developer container according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the inner shutter is opened by rotating the inner shutter while the moving member abuts on the protrusion.   The developer container according to claim 1, wherein an outer shutter that opens and closes the discharge port is provided outside the container main body. An urging means for urging the outer shutter in the direction of closing the discharge port, and a contacted portion with which a contact portion on the image forming apparatus main body comes into contact with the outer shutter; Provided,
The developer container according to claim 10, wherein the discharge port is opened when the contact portion contacts the contacted portion to drive an outer shutter. An inner shutter provided inside the container body to open and close the outlet;
An outer shutter provided outside the container body to open and close the outlet,
The developer container according to claim 1, wherein driving means for the inner shutter and the outer shutter are configured by separate driving means. When mounting on the image forming apparatus main body, first, the outer shutter is opened in conjunction with the mounting operation, and then the inner shutter is opened with the mounting completed.
13. When removing from the image forming apparatus main body, the inner shutter is first closed in a mounted state, and then the outer shutter is closed in conjunction with the removing operation. Developer container. An outer shutter that opens and closes the discharge port is provided outside the container body,
The torque transmission gear is moved to the operating position in conjunction with the operation of the outer shutter opening the discharge port, and the torque transmission gear is operated in conjunction with the operation of the outer shutter closing the discharge port. The developer container according to claim 2, wherein the developer container is configured to move to the retracted position.   When the opening width of the developer outlet provided in the inner shutter is K1, the opening width of the discharge port is K2, and the opening width of the replenishment port connectable with the discharge port is K3, K1 <K2 <K3. The developer container according to any one of claims 3 to 9, which is configured. A development housing for containing the developer;
A developer carrier that carries the developer in the development housing and supplies the developer to the latent image on the latent image carrier;
In a developing device that contains a developer and at least a developer container that supplies the developer into the developing housing,
A developing device comprising the developer container according to claim 1 as the developer container. A latent image carrier that carries a latent image on the surface;
A developing device for supplying a developer to the latent image on the latent image carrier,
In the process unit configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus main body,
A process unit comprising the developing device according to claim 16 as the developing device.   An image forming apparatus comprising the developer container according to any one of claims 1 to 15, the developing device according to claim 16, or the process unit according to claim 17. A process comprising at least a latent image carrier that carries a latent image on the surface and a developing device that supplies developer to the latent image on the latent image carrier, and is configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus main body. An image forming apparatus comprising a unit and the developer container according to claim 11,
An image forming apparatus, wherein the contact portion is provided in the process unit. A first cover that can be opened and closed on the image forming apparatus main body, a container mounting portion in which the developer container can be attached and detached by opening the first cover, and an inner side of the image forming apparatus main body than the container mounting portion. An image forming apparatus comprising: a second cover that can be opened and closed; and a unit mounting portion that can be attached to and detached from the process unit by opening the second cover.
A configuration in which a process unit is mounted on the unit mounting portion, and a contact portion provided on the process unit is projected from the second cover into the container mounting portion in a state where the second cover is closed. Item 20. The image forming apparatus according to Item 19.

Images