JP5268736B2 - Developer supply container - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a developer supply container which is less likely to leak toner from a through-hole, even if a sealed surface is momentarily separated and air containing toner infiltrates a gap between the through-hole and a shaft member, from the inside of the container. <P>SOLUTION: A sealing member 4 is assembled by inserting the shaft member 42 into the through-hole 4g of a cap member 41, a biasing member 43 is inserted into the shaft member 42 projecting on the opposite side, and a stopper member 44 is attached to the leading end of the shaft member 42 in a compressed state. The shaft member 42 is disposed, in order to transmit a driving force to the inside of a toner supply container 1 from the outside. Parallel grooves perpendicular to the direction of the through-hole are formed in parallel surfaces, in a direction of the through-hole which are formed, at a portion extending through the through-hole 4 of the shaft member 42; and thereby, a trap portion 4j for collecting toner is configured. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a developer supply container that stores, transports, and transports a replenishment developer used in an image forming apparatus, and more specifically, a moving shaft that is disposed in a through hole of the developer supply container and is movable in the penetration direction. The present invention relates to a powder seal structure in a member.

  An image forming apparatus that takes out a developer little by little from a detachable and replaceable developer supply container and supplies it to a developing device has been put into practical use (Patent Document 1).

  In order to operate the mechanism inside the developer supply container, a shaft member may be disposed in a through hole formed in the sealed developer supply container to transmit a driving force from the outside. (Patent Documents 2 and 3).

  In Patent Document 2, a rotation shaft for rotating the stirring blade inside the developer storage container is disposed in a through hole formed in an end surface of the developer storage container. An oil seal surrounding the rotation shaft is disposed on the surface surrounding the through-hole so that the developer does not leak from the gap between the rotation shaft and the through-hole.

  In Patent Document 3, a rotation shaft for rotating the stirring member inside the developer storage container is disposed in a through hole formed in an end surface of the developer storage container. A seal structure using polyurethane foam is disposed on the surface surrounding the through hole so that the developer does not leak from the gap between the rotating shaft and the through hole.

JP 2002-31849 A JP-A-8-76579 JP-A-7-261525

  The developer supply container disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured by inserting a sealing member that seals the opening so as to be openable into the opening of a container member that stores the developer. The developer replenishing container is shipped to the factory in a highly sealed state so that fine toner particles are not scattered, distributed, stored, and manually replaced to replace the used developer replenishing container.

  In such a developer replenishing container, it has been planned to lock the sealing member so that it does not fall out by expanding the diameter inside the opening.

  As shown in FIG. 7 (a), the movable member (42) is disposed in the through hole formed on the central axis of the sealing member (4) so as to be movable in the penetrating direction, and is locked (4h, 4e). A configuration has been proposed in which the necessary driving force is transmitted from the outside into the container.

  Here, as a structure for preventing the toner from leaking from the through hole, a structure in which a rubber seal is disposed inside the through hole to seal the outer periphery of the shaft member is generally used. However, according to this configuration, since the moving member (42) moves in the penetrating direction by rubbing the rubber seal, the driving resistance increases, and the driving cannot be performed only by the urging force of the urging means (43).

  Therefore, the shaft member is loosely held in the through hole and a seal is disposed on the surface surrounding the through hole in the container, and the seal is applied to the flange surface of the moving member (42) by the urging force of the urging means (43). A configuration has been proposed in which the through hole is sealed by contact.

  However, in this case, when a large vibration or impact is applied to the developer supply container, the seal surface is instantaneously separated and air containing toner passes through the gap between the through hole and the shaft member from the container. did.

  According to the present invention, even if the sealing surface is instantaneously separated and toner containing air enters the gap between the through hole and the shaft member from the inside of the container, it is difficult to leak the toner from the through hole to the outside. The purpose is to provide a container.

The developer supply container of the present invention stores the developer. A container member that accommodates the developer so as to be discharged from the container opening disposed at one end; a sealing member that seals the container opening so as to be open; and the container member A locking portion that locks with a locked portion provided on the inner surface of the sealing member, and a surface that is provided on the sealing member and that accommodates the developer surrounding the opening of the through hole formed in the sealing member. A contact portion that contacts and seals the through-hole, and prevents contact between the locking portion and the locked portion by contacting the sealing member; A restriction position for restricting movement of the sealing member in a state of sealing the container opening in a direction to open the container opening; retreating from the restriction position; and contact with the sealing member The through hole is sealed by the retreat position, the movable member movable to the retreat position, and the contact portion. Urging means for urging the moving member in a direction in which the recess is formed, and a recess is formed in at least one of the portion of the moving member located in the through hole and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole It is.

  In the developer supply container of the present invention, when the air containing the toner passes through the gap between the through hole and the shaft member, the toner is trapped in the recess where the gap is partially enlarged. Less toner leaks to the outside.

  For this reason, even if the sealing surface is instantaneously separated and air containing toner enters the gap between the through hole and the shaft member from the inside of the container, the toner hardly leaks out from the through hole.

It is explanatory drawing of a structure of the image forming apparatus of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of replacement of a developer supply container. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the toner supply container in an assembled state. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a container main body and a conveying member of a toner supply container. It is sectional drawing of the sealing member of the assembled state. It is explanatory drawing of the component of a sealing member. It is explanatory drawing of operation | movement of the locking mechanism of a sealing member. It is explanatory drawing of the lock release process of a sealing member. It is explanatory drawing of the opening process of a sealing member. It is explanatory drawing of engagement cancellation | release of a sealing member. It is explanatory drawing of the seal structure of a through hole. It is explanatory drawing of the clearance gap between a through-hole and a shaft member. It is explanatory drawing of the shaft member of Example 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the shaft member of Example 2. FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the shaft member of Example 3. FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the shaft member of a comparative example. It is explanatory drawing of the structure of the sealing member of Example 4. FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a packing material for a toner supply container. It is explanatory drawing of the change of the flow of the air in a trap part.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention can be implemented in another embodiment in which part or all of the configuration of the embodiment is replaced with the alternative configuration as long as the toner is separated from the air in the gap between the through hole and the shaft member.

  Therefore, the developer is not limited to a one-component developer, and a two-component developer and a replenishing toner can be used. When using a two-component developer, the developer supply container may contain only non-magnetic toner, or a mixture of non-magnetic toner and a certain percentage of magnetic carrier may be contained.

  In addition, the developer supply container of the embodiment is not limited to an image forming apparatus that transfers a toner image to a recording material in a sheet-fed manner, but is also installed in an image forming apparatus that uses an intermediate transfer belt and an image forming apparatus that uses a recording material conveyance belt. it can. Not only a single drum type in which one photosensitive drum is arranged, but also a tandem type in which a plurality of photosensitive drums are arranged along a belt member can be mounted.

  In the present embodiment, only main parts related to toner image formation / transfer will be described. However, the present invention includes a printer, various printing machines, a copier, a fax machine, a composite machine, in addition to necessary equipment, equipment, and a housing structure. It can be implemented in various applications such as a machine.

  In addition, about the general matter of the image forming apparatus shown in patent documents 1-3, a developing device, and a developer supply container, illustration is abbreviate | omitted and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

<Image forming apparatus>
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 forms a toner image based on the image information read by the image scanner 103 on the photosensitive drum 104 and transfers it to the recording material P during the copy function. The image forming apparatus 100 receives print data generated by an external device such as a personal computer and transmitted via a communication line and forms an image based on the print data on the recording material P when the printer function is performed. .

  The recording material P taken out as necessary from the recording material cassettes 107 and 108 using the pickup rollers 107A and 108A is separated one by one and fed to the registration roller 110. The registration roller 110 waits for the recording material P, and sends the recording material P to the transfer portion T1 in synchronization with the toner image on the photosensitive drum 104. The recording material P onto which the toner image has been transferred by the transfer unit T1 is sent to the fixing device 114 by the transport belt 113, and the toner image is fixed on the surface by being heated and pressurized by the fixing device 114.

  In the case of single-sided copying, the recording material P passes through the discharge reversing unit 115 and is discharged to the discharge tray 117 by the discharge roller 116. In the case of double-sided copying, the recording material P is switched back by the discharge roller 116 under the control of the flapper 118, and re-conveyed to the registration roller 110 via the re-feed conveyance paths 119 and 120. Thereafter, the paper is discharged to the discharge tray 117 along the same path as in the case of single-sided copying.

  A charging device 203, an exposure device 204, a developing device 201, a transfer charger 111, a separation charger 112, and a cleaning device 202 are disposed around the photosensitive drum 104.

  The charging device 203 irradiates charged particles to charge the surface of the photosensitive drum 104 to a uniform negative potential. The exposure device 204 scans a laser beam that is ON-OFF modulated in accordance with an image signal obtained by developing the image data, and writes an electrostatic image of the image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 104.

  The transfer charger 111 transfers the toner image of the photosensitive drum 1 charged to the negative polarity to the recording material P by irradiating the recording material fed to the transfer portion T1 with charged particles and charging the positive polarity. The separation charger 112 radiates charged particles onto the recording material onto which the toner image has been transferred, neutralizes unnecessary electrification of the recording material P, and eliminates the charge, thereby separating the recording material P from the photosensitive drum 104 by curvature. . The cleaning device 202 slides a cleaning blade on the photosensitive drum 104 to remove residual toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 104 that has passed through the transfer portion T1.

<Developing device>
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of replacement of the developer supply container. A toner supply container 1 for supplying a one-component developer (magnetic toner) to the developing device 201 is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus 100. Since the toner is an extremely fine powder, when supplying the developer, the developer supply container 1 is placed inside the image forming apparatus 100 so that the toner is not scattered, and the toner is discharged little by little from the small opening at the tip. Yes.

  The developing device 201 has a toner hopper 201a. The toner hopper 201a has a stirring member 201c for stirring the toner supplied from the toner supply container 1. The toner stirred by the stirring member 201c is sent to the developer container 201b by the magnet roller 201d. The developer container 201b has a developing roller 201f and a feeding member 201e. The toner sent from the toner hopper 201a by the magnet roller 201d is sent to the developing roller 201f by the feeding member 201e, and is supplied to the photosensitive drum 104 by the developing roller 201f.

  The developing device 201 charges the toner to a negative polarity and holds the toner on the developing roller 201f in a thin layer state to rub the photosensitive drum 104. By applying an oscillating voltage obtained by superimposing an AC voltage on a DC voltage from a power source (not shown) to the developing roller 201f, the toner is transferred to the exposed portion of the photosensitive drum 104 having a relatively positive polarity, and an electrostatic image is obtained. Is reversely developed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, when the user opens the pre-replacement cover 15 that is a part of the exterior cover of the image forming apparatus 100, a bottle tray 300 for mounting the toner supply container 1 is provided inside. Then, by placing the toner supply container 1 on the bottle tray 300, the toner supply container 1 is mounted on the developing device (201: FIG. 1). When the user takes out the toner supply container 1 from the apparatus main body 100, the toner supply container 1 mounted on the bottle tray 300 is directly taken out.

  The replacement front cover 15 is a dedicated cover for attaching / detaching (replacing) the toner supply container 1 and is opened / closed only for attaching / detaching the toner supply container 1. Maintenance of the apparatus main body 100 is performed by opening and closing the front cover 100c.

  When the replacement front cover 15 is opened and an operation lever (not shown) is operated, the toner supply container 1 is pushed out in the axial direction and can be taken out from the bottle tray 300. The toner supply container 1 that has run out of toner is removed from the opening of the replacement front cover 15, and a new toner supply container 1 filled with toner is set on the bottle tray 300. Thereafter, when the operation lever (not shown) is returned to the original position, the toner supply container 1 is pulled in the axial direction and connected to the developing device (201: FIG. 1).

<Developer supply container>
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the assembled toner supply container. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the container main body and the conveying member of the toner supply container. 4A is a container body, FIG. 4B is a conveying member, and FIG. 4C is a reduced diameter structure of the conveying member.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the toner replenishing container 1 is disposed horizontally in the main body of the image forming apparatus (100: FIG. 1), and the conveying member 3 and the sealing member 4 are placed on the container main body 2 that stores toner. And assembled. The toner replenishing container 1 rotates on a horizontal rotating shaft to move the toner in the container main body 2 in the axial direction, and the developer is pumped up to the opening 2 c higher by the conveying member 3 that rotates integrally with the container main body 2.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, a container body 2 as an example of a container member includes a housing 2a provided with a cylindrical surface opening 2c for discharging toner, and a substantially cylindrical shape inside. A housing 2b provided with a spiral protrusion 2e is integrally connected.

The sealing member 4 provided with the shaft member (42: FIG. 5) as the moving member seals the opening 2c disposed at one end of the container body 2 so as to be openable. The housing 2a is connected by engaging a screw thread formed on the inner surface of the housing 2a with a screw thread formed on the outer surface of the housing 2b. However, a snap fit may be provided on either the housing 2a or the housing 2b, and both may be fixed by the snap fit, or both may be joined by ultrasonic welding or an adhesive.

  On the cylindrical surface of the housing 2b, a spiral protrusion 2e having an outer peripheral surface recessed in a spiral shape is formed. The spiral projection 2e transports the toner stored in the toner supply container 1 by sequentially feeding the toner toward the opening as the toner supply container 1 rotates. A handle 2d is provided at the end of the housing 2b. The handle portion 2d has a hollow shape provided at the end of the toner supply container 1, and has a hollow shape so that the user can easily grip it during the mounting operation.

  A conveying member fixing portion 2g is provided at the end of the housing 2b opposite to the handle portion 2d. The transport member fixing portion 2g is provided to fix the transport member 3 to the container body 2 so as not to move. The housing 2a is a resin molded member formed by injection molding a polystyrene resin. On the other hand, the housing 2b is a resin container formed by stretch blow molding PET (polyethylene terephthalate).

  As shown in FIG. 4B, the regulating member 3c provided on the conveying member 3 is locked and fixed to the conveying member fixing part 2g provided on the housing 2a, so that the conveying member 3 is It is fixed to the end of 2a so as not to move. The conveying member 3 is provided with a plate-like lifting portion 3a and a guide portion 3b that conveys the toner lifted by the lifting portion 3a in the direction of the opening 2c. The conveying member 3 is formed by injection molding a polypropylene resin.

  As shown in FIG. 4 (c), a cut 3d is formed in the conveying member 3 so that the guide member 3d serves as a leaf spring and has elasticity. With the cut 3d, the lifting portion 3a and the guide portion 3b can be elastically displaced inward in the radial direction (in the direction of diameter reduction) without deforming the restricting portion 3c. After the lifting portion 3a and the guide portion 3b are reduced in diameter and passed through the inlet of the container body 2, the diameter of the lifting portion 3a and the guide portion 3b is increased inside the casing 2a, thereby incorporating the conveying member 3 into the casing 2a.

<Sealing member>
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the sealing member in an assembled state. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of components of the sealing member. In FIG. 6, (a) is a cap member, (b) is a shaft member, and (c) is a stopper member.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 2a is provided with a lock engaging portion 2f adjacent to the opening 2c. The lock engaging portion 2f is engaged with a lock protrusion 4d provided on the sealing member 4 shown in FIG. 5 to lock the sealing member 4 within the opening 2c.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the sealing member 4 is movable in a direction along the central axis of the opening 2 c, and a rubber seal 4 c provided around the outer peripheral surface is provided with a cylindrical surface-shaped opening of the container body 2. The opening 2c is sealed so as to be open by contacting the inner peripheral surface of the portion 2c. The sealing member 4 is configured by assembling a cap member 41, a shaft member 42, an urging member 43, and a stopper member 44.

  That is, the sealing member 4 has the shaft member 42 inserted into the through-hole 4 g of the cap member 41, the biasing member 43 is inserted into the shaft member 42 that has come out on the opposite side, and the shaft in the compressed state of the biasing member 43. A stopper member 44 is attached to the tip of the member 42. The shaft member 42 is disposed in the through hole 4g so as to be movable in the penetrating direction, and can seal the through hole 4g with a surface surrounding the through hole 4g.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the cap member 41 is provided with a locking projection 4a, a release projection 4b, a rubber seal 4c, a lock projection 4d, a lock contact portion 4e, a face seal portion 4f, and a through hole 4g. Yes.

  The locking protrusion 4a is a portion that is locked by a drive transmission member provided on the image forming apparatus side. The release protrusion 4b releases the engagement between the engagement protrusion 4a and the drive transmission member when the toner supply container 1 is detached.

  The rubber seal 4 c is an elastic seal for sealing the opening 2 c of the container body 2. The diameter of the rubber seal 4c at the distal end in the radial direction is made larger than the inner diameter of the opening 2c to make a press-fit state, and the opening 2c is sealed. The face seal portion 4 f is a part that is brought into close contact with the face seal surface 4 i of the shaft member 42 by the urging force of the urging member 43. The surface seal portion 4f is in close contact with the surface seal surface 4i that is the contact surface of the shaft member 42, so that the toner filled in the toner supply container (1: FIG. 3) is sealed so as not to leak out. ing.

  The rubber seal 4c and the face seal portion 4f are integrally formed using an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, but materials such as various rubbers and urethane foam can be used.

  The lock protrusion 4d is engaged with the lock engaging portion (2f: FIG. 4A) of the container body 2 to restrict it so that it cannot be displaced in the opening direction of the sealing member 4. . The lock abutting portion 4e is a portion that abuts on the lock portion 4h of the shaft member 42 and restricts displacement in the reduced diameter direction.

  The cap member 41 is molded by a so-called two-color molding method in which a rigid body portion is molded by injection molding using ABS resin, and then a rubber seal 4c and a face seal portion 4f are injection molded by another mold using an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, the shaft member 42 is provided with a lock portion 4h, a face seal surface 4i, a trap portion 4j, and a stopper engaging portion 4k.

  The lock portion 4h abuts on the lock contact portion 4e of the cap member 41 and restricts the lock contact portion 4e so that it cannot be displaced in the diameter reducing direction. The surface sealing surface 4i is in close contact with the surface sealing portion 4f of the cap member 41 to seal the toner filled in the toner supply container (1: FIG. 3) from leaking outside.

  The trap portion 4j is a groove provided in the shaft member 42, and serves to trap the toner that has passed between the surface seal surface 4i and the surface seal portion 4f of the cap member 41. The stopper locking portion 4k is a claw that locks in the locked hole 4m provided in the stopper member 44, and the shaft member 42 and the stopper member 44 are locked by the stopper locking portion 4k and the locked hole 4m. Are assembled together. The shaft member 42 is formed by injection molding a polyacetal resin.

  As shown in FIG. 6C, the stopper member 44 is provided with an operation portion 41, a locked hole 4m, and an urging member receiving portion 4n.

  The operation unit 4 l is a part where the unlocking member on the image forming apparatus side contacts and pushes the shaft member 42 against the urging force of the urging member 43. The to-be-latched hole 4m is a hole that latches with the stopper latching portion 4k of the shaft member 42. The urging member receiving portion 4 n is a protrusion that receives the urging member 43. The stopper member 44 is formed by injection molding of polyacetal resin.

  The urging member 43 is a SUS spring that generates an urging force for bringing the surface seal surface 4 i of the shaft member 42 into close contact with the surface seal portion 4 f of the cap member 41. Since a spring that generates a 3N biasing force in a state where the face seal 4i and the face seal portion 4f are in contact with each other is selected, the face seal surface 4i and the face seal portion 4f have a total pressure of 3N. It is in close contact. By receiving both ends of the urging member 43 with the cap member 41 and the stopper member 44, the urging force of the urging member 43 causes the surface seal surface 4 i of the shaft member 42 and the surface seal portion 4 f of the cap member 41 to closely contact each other. ing.

<Lock mechanism>
FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of the operation of the locking mechanism of the sealing member. 7A shows a sealed state in which the opening 2c is sealed by the sealing member, and FIG. 7B shows a tensile state in which the sealing member is displaced in the opening direction while being locked.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the urging member 43 pulls the shaft member 42 in the direction of arrow F , and the shaft as a moving member is placed on the upper and lower lock contact portions 4e of the cap member 41 as a sealing member. The upper and lower lock portions 4h of the member 42 are brought into contact with each other to form a locked state.

As shown in FIG. 7B, if the sealing member 4 is forcibly displaced in the opening direction (arrow X direction) while being in a locked state, it can be displaced slightly, but then as a locking portion When the lock protrusion 4d and the lock locking portion 2f as the locked portion are locked, further displacement is restricted. Even in this state, since the rubber seal 4c of the sealing member 4 is in contact with one circumference of the inner peripheral surface of the opening 2c, the toner supply container 1 is completely sealed.

If the sealing member 4 is further displaced in the opening direction (arrow X direction) in this state (restricted position) , the lock protrusion 4d is pressed against the inclined surface of the lock engaging portion 2f and the central axis of the toner supply container 1 Try to move in the direction. However, since the lock contact portion 4e is in contact with the lock portion 4h of the shaft member 42 on the back side of the lock protrusion 4d, the lock protrusion 4d cannot be displaced in the diameter reducing direction. The pair of lock portions 4h of the shaft member 42 does not release the lock between the lock protrusion 4d and the lock lock portion 2f by stretching the upper and lower lock contact portions 4e. As a result, the sealing member 4 is regulated so that it can no longer be displaced in the opening direction (arrow X direction), and the sealing member 4 is locked to the opening 2 c in a sealed state of the toner supply container 1.

<Unlock mechanism>
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the unlocking process of the sealing member. FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of the opening process of the sealing member. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view for releasing the engagement of the sealing member.

  As shown in FIG. 2, when the toner supply container 1 is placed on the bottle tray 300, the drive transmission member 10 comes out from the back side and can be rotated by being locked to the locking protrusion 4 a of the sealing member 4. It becomes a state. Thereafter, the lock release pin 10b pushes the shaft member 42 to release the lock of the sealing member 4. After the lock is released, the drive transmission member 10 locked to the locking protrusion 4a of the sealing member 4 moves to the back side and pulls out the sealing member 4 from the opening 2c of the toner replenishing container 1, whereby the toner The supply container 1 is opened.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the drive transmission member 10 gradually moves to the toner supply container 1 side from the retracted state before being attached to the sealing member 4 and gradually approaches the sealing member 4.

As shown in FIG. 8B, the drive transmission member 10 finally moves to a position where the locking protrusion 4a of the sealing member 4 and the locking portion 10a of the drive transmission member 10 are locked. In a state where the locking projection 4 a is restrained by the locking portion 10 a of the drive transmission member 10, the lock release pin 10 b provided on the drive transmission member 10 biases the stopper member 44 and the shaft member 42 against the biasing member 43. Against this, it is displaced in the direction of arrow W (retracted position) . As a result of the displacement, the contact between the lock contact portion 4e and the lock portion 4h is released. As a result, the lock protrusion 4d can be displaced in the central axis direction of the toner supply container 1.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, when the drive transmission member 10 moves away from the toner supply container 1 while the lock protrusion 4d is displaceable, the lock protrusion 4a is locked to the lock portion 10a. The sealing member 4 moved together with the drive transmission member 10. With the displacement of the sealing member 4, the lock protrusion 4 d is guided by the slope of the lock engaging portion 2 f and smoothly displaced in the diameter reducing direction, exceeds the lock engaging portion 2 f, and moves toward the opening direction of the sealing member 4. Further movement is possible.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, from the state in which the sealing member 4 can be moved in the opening direction, the movement transmitting member 10 further moves in the opening direction to a position where the predetermined amount of separation from the toner supply container 1 is reached. This completes the opening of the sealing member 4.

  The process of resealing by the sealing member 4 is executed in reverse order from the opened state of FIG. 9B to the unlocked state of FIG. 8B through the state of FIG. 9A. .

  As shown in FIG. 10, after the opening 2 c is sealed by the sealing member 4, the release ring member 11 that displaces the release protrusion 4 b of the sealing member 4 is moved to the sealing member 4 side, and the release ring member 11, the release protrusion 4b is displaced. Then, as a result of the displacement of the release protrusion 4b, the engagement protrusion 4a is also displaced, so that the engagement between the engagement protrusion 4a and the engagement portion 10a is released.

  The release protrusion 4b is a part that is displaced by the release ring member 11 on the image forming apparatus side in the direction in which the engagement of the engagement protrusion 4a is released. The locking with the member 10 is released.

  The drive transmission member 10 moves in a direction away from the toner supply container 1 while the engagement between the engagement protrusion 4a and the engagement portion 10a is released. Then, the stopper member 43 and the shaft member 42 that have been moved by the lock release pin 10b are positions where the surface seal surface 4i and the surface seal portion 4f again come into contact with each other by the urging force of the urging member 43 as the lock release pin 10b is separated. Move up.

  As shown in FIG. 8 (a), at this time, the lock contact portion 4e and the lock portion 4h are in contact again, so that the sealing member 4 may be moved in the opening direction as described above. The locking between the lock protrusion 4d and the lock locking portion 2f cannot be released. For this reason, it will be in the locked state where the movement to the opening direction of the sealing member 4 is again controlled, and relocking is completed.

<Seal structure of through-hole>
FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of the seal structure of the through hole.

  As shown in FIG. 11A, in the case of the toner replenishing container 1, since the toner to be stored is an extremely fine powder, the toner may leak to the outside even if a slight gap occurs. Further, as a general performance of the toner bottle, it is required that the toner does not leak to the outside even after the distribution from the production base to the user's hand. For this reason, it is required that the stored toner does not leak to the outside even when the toner supply container 1 is impacted a plurality of times by being dropped a predetermined number of times from a predetermined height.

  Here, the sealing member 4 seals the opening 2c with the rubber seal 4c, but some shaft seal configuration is required also in the fitting portion between the cap member 41 and the shaft member 42. Therefore, the urging force of the urging member 43 is used to bring the face seal portion 4f and the face seal surface 4i (contact portion) into close contact with each other and collect toner in the narrow portion between the through hole 4g and the shaft member 42. A trap unit 4j is provided. Thereby, the fitting part of the cap member 41 and the shaft member 42 is sealed.

  In other words, in the case of the toner replenishing container 1, the surface seal portion 4f and the surface seal surface 4i (contact portion) are brought into close contact with each other by the urging force of the urging member 43 as shown in FIG. Is sealed to prevent leakage.

  However, when an impact is applied to the toner supply container 1, as shown in FIG. 11C, a minute gap is instantaneously formed between the surface seal portion 4f and the surface seal surface 4i (contact portion) due to the impact. And the toner leaks outside through the gap.

  Further, if the toner supply container 1 is slightly recessed inward due to the impact applied to the toner supply container 1, the internal pressure of the toner supply container 1 increases, and a minute amount of toner is released together with air at the moment when a minute gap is generated. Blow out. The toner that has passed through the momentary gap between the face seal portion 4f and the face seal surface 4i may pass through a narrow portion between the through hole 4g and the shaft member 42 and leak out of the toner supply container 1. There is.

  Therefore, in each of the following embodiments, a trap portion 4j is provided as a recess for collecting toner in a narrow portion between the through hole 4g and the shaft member 42, and the narrow portion between the through hole 4g and the shaft member 42 is provided. The toner passing through the toner is collected in the recess. As a result, the toner leakage to the outside was within an allowable range even when physical distribution evaluation described later was performed. A very small amount of toner passed through the surface seal portion due to the close contact between the surface seal portion 4f and the surface seal surface 4i, but hardly leaked out of the toner supply container 1.

<Examples and comparative examples>
FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a gap between the through hole and the shaft member. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the shaft member of the first embodiment. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a shaft member according to the second embodiment. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of the shaft member of the third embodiment. FIG. 16 is an explanatory view of a shaft member of a comparative example. FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the sealing member of Example 4. In FIGS. 13-15, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a top view. In FIG. 17, (a) is a perspective view and (b) is an explanatory view of a trap part.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the moving member (42) is arranged to transmit a driving force from the outside to the inside of the developer supply container (1). And the parallel surface of a penetration direction is formed in the part (moving member side) which penetrates the through-hole 4g of the shaft member 42, and several groove | channels orthogonal to a penetration direction are formed in parallel on the parallel surface. For this reason, in the groove portion, the gap between the through hole and the moving member (42) is partially enlarged.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, in the through hole 4g, the parallel surface in the penetrating direction of the moving member (42) is constrained from both sides so that the moving member (42) does not rotate in the through hole. Parallel planes in the penetration direction are formed.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the through hole 4g is a portion that fits with the trap portion 4j of the shaft member 42, and the gap is designed to be a predetermined gap. The difference between the dimension L1 of the through hole 4g and the dimension L2 of the shaft member 42 is 0.08 mm, and this dimension is the dimension of the gap between the through hole 4g and the shaft member 42. The axial length of the fitting between the through hole 4g and the shaft member 42 is 6 mm. Moreover, about the trap part 4j, the groove | channel of width 1.5mm and depth 0.5mm was provided in 2 mm space | interval.

  As shown in FIG. 13A, in Example 1, the trap portion 4j is configured by forming a continuous groove so as to cross the parallel surface of the shaft member 42 in the penetration direction at an intermediate position in the penetration direction.

  As shown in FIG. 14A, in Example 2, the trap portion 4j is configured by forming a continuous annular groove so as to surround the outer periphery of the shaft member 42 at an intermediate position in the penetrating direction.

  As shown in FIG. 15A, in Example 3, the grooves are formed at the four corners of the cross section perpendicular to the penetration direction of the moving member (42) at the intermediate position in the penetration direction.

  As shown to (a) of FIG. 16, in the comparative example, the trap part 4j is not provided in the part which penetrates the through-hole 4g of the shaft member 42. As shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 17A, in Example 4, instead of providing the trap portion on the shaft member 42, the trap portion 4j is configured by forming an annular groove in the through hole 4g.

  That is, in Examples 1-3, the trap part 4j was provided in the shaft member 42, but you may provide the trap part 4j in the internal peripheral surface of the through-hole 4g like Example 4. FIG. In any case, in the groove portion, the gap between the through hole and the shaft member 42 is partially enlarged.

  However, when the cap member 41 is formed by injection molding using a mold, it is difficult to form the trap portion 4j. Therefore, from the viewpoint of formability and productivity, it is preferable that the trap portion 4j is provided on the peripheral surface on the shaft member 42 side.

  Further, with respect to the shape of the trap portion 4j, since a sufficient effect has been confirmed even in the configuration of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 15, it does not have to be a continuous groove surrounding the periphery as in the second embodiment. Considering the bending strength and buckling strength of the shaft member 42, the configuration shown in FIG. 15 is the most preferable configuration. In addition, even one groove constituting the trap portion 4j is effective, and the depth of the groove changes the air flow containing the toner, so that 0.5 mm or more is preferable.

<Logistics evaluation test>
FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of the packing material of the toner supply container. In FIG. 18, (a) is a cross-section in the housed state, (b) is the appearance of the packing material, and (c) is one corner and three ridges.

  As shown in FIG. 18A, the toner supply container 1 is stored in the packing material 12 without backlash. The toner replenishing container 1 is connected with a protective cap 5 that protects the sealing member 4 at the time of distribution so that the sealing member 4 does not come off even when an impact is received during distribution. The packing material 12 is assembled by cutting out the cardboard into a developed shape with a punching blade, overlapping the joining portions 12a and joining them using an adhesive.

  As shown in FIG. 18B, physical distribution evaluation is performed in accordance with the evaluation method defined in JIS Z 0200 in a state where the toner supply container is accommodated in the packing material 12.

  As shown in FIG. 18 (c), the physical distribution evaluation method is performed by dropping from the height of 78 cm to the iron plate floor a total of 10 times with each of the one corner, three ridges and six surfaces not including the joint portion 12a. went. Then, the packing material 12 was developed with a cutter knife, and the presence or absence of toner adhered to the inner surface of the packing material 12 was examined.

  Example 1 shown in FIG. 13, Example 2 shown in FIG. 14, Example 3 shown in FIG. 15, Comparative example shown in FIG. 16, and Example 4 shown in FIG. Experimented.

  As shown in Table 1, toner leakage did not occur in any of Examples 1, 2, 3, and 4, but toner leakage was confirmed in the comparative example. As a result, it was confirmed that the trap part played a role of trapping the toner in any of Examples 1, 2, 3, and 4.

<Function of trap part>
FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram of changes in the air flow in the trap portion. In FIG. 19, the flow of the air flow is indicated by arrows Z, (a) is the flow in the direction along the groove, (b) is the flow in the depth direction of the groove, and (c) is the case of Example 3. It is a flow.

  As shown in FIG. 11 (a), when an impact is applied to the toner supply container 1, due to the impact, an instant is generated between the seal portion 4f and the face seal surface 4i as shown in FIG. 11 (c). A minute gap is generated. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 11A, the internal pressure in the toner replenishing container 1 increases due to the deformation of the container body 2 forming the toner storage portion. For this reason, the toner flows into the trap portion 4j through the air flow that has passed through the minute gap generated instantaneously. However, the provision of the trap portion 4j can disturb the flow of the air flow. .

  As shown in FIG. 19A, in Example 2, the generated air flow Z bends in the direction along the annular groove of the trap portion 4j due to the presence of the trap portion 4j. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 19B, the air flow Z changes so as to wind a vortex as indicated by an arrow Z in the depth direction of the groove.

  As shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B, if the direction of the air flow is disturbed by the trap portion 4j and the speed of the air flow is changed, the toner involved in the air flow has a large specific gravity. However, the trap cannot be followed by the trap portion 4j. On the other hand, the air resistance of the narrow portion can be increased by disturbing the direction of the air flow.

  Therefore, the toner entrained in the air flow can be collected in the trap portion 4j by disturbing the direction of the air flow, and the passage resistance of the narrow portion is also increased. As a result, the toner supply container 1 The toner is prevented from leaking outside.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 19C, even if there is a place where the air flow can partially pass in the penetration direction as in the shape of the trap portion 4j of the third embodiment, the air flow Z is indicated by the arrow Z. In this way, the trap portion 4j changes toward the groove. For this reason, even if there is a place where the air flow can partially pass in the penetration direction, the air flow is disturbed and the same effect as in the first and second embodiments can be obtained.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 16B, in the comparative example without the trap portion 4j, the air flow generated in the direction along the shaft member 42 leaks out of the toner supply container 1 as it is. Direction. For this reason, in the configuration of the comparative example, it is considered that the air flow passed through the narrow portion and the toner leaked.

<Gap between shaft member and through hole>
As a model experiment, in the case of Example 1 shown in FIG. 13 and the case of the comparative example shown in FIG. .

  As shown in FIG. 12, in the case of Example 1 having the trap portion 4j, there was no toner leakage when the gap (L1-L2) between the narrow portion of the shaft member 42 and the through hole 4g was 0 mm to 0.1 mm. At this time, when the shaft member 42 was taken out and confirmed, it was confirmed that toner was collected in the trap portion 4j.

  On the other hand, in the comparative example without the trap portion 4j, there was no toner leakage when the gap (L1-L2) between the shaft member 42 and the narrow portion of the through hole 4g was 0 mm to 0.05 mm. Toner leakage occurred in the range of 05 mm to 0.1 mm.

  As a result, the direction of the air flow is disturbed by the trap portion 4j, and the speed of the air flow also changes. On the other hand, the toner involved in the air flow has a large specific gravity and cannot follow the change, so the trap portion. It is thought that it was collected by 4j.

  On the other hand, the passage resistance of the narrow portion can be increased by disturbing the direction of the air flow. When the direction of the air flow is disturbed, the passage resistance of the narrow portion is also increased. As a result, the air flow flowing out of the toner supply container 1 is reduced, and as a result, an effect of preventing the toner from leaking is obtained. It is thought that.

  According to Examples 1 to 4, by providing the trap portion 4j, even if the gap (L1-L2) of the narrow portion is relatively large, the toner hardly leaks from the gap of the narrow portion. For this reason, the size control of the through-hole 4g and the shaft member 42 can be loosened, and a thickness that cannot be used due to toner leakage in the configuration of the comparative example can be used by providing the trap portion 4j. It can contribute to the productivity improvement of parts. Furthermore, by providing the trap portion 4j, the thickness of the molded product can be reduced so as to suppress sink marks, which contributes to stabilization of molding dimensions.

  Moreover, even if the urging force of the urging member 43 is reduced by providing the trap portion 4j, the same physical distribution conditions can be cleared. Since the urging force of the urging member 43 is a force that is added to the force required when the toner supply container 1 is mounted on the image forming apparatus (100), it is possible to increase the urging force of the urging member 43. This is a factor that deteriorates the operability of the toner supply container 1.

  Therefore, by providing the trap portion 4j, the urging force of the urging member 43 can be reduced, and as a result, the operability of the toner supply container 1 can be improved.

  Further, as a performance of the toner replenishing container 1, when it is used at a high altitude, a countermeasure against an increase in internal pressure due to a pressure difference with respect to the low altitude is required. Specifically, a leak mechanism is required that automatically leaks the raised internal pressure to the same internal pressure as the external pressure. This is because there is a possibility that the toner leaks due to a difference in pressure between the inside and outside at the moment when the sealing member 4 is opened.

  However, in Examples 1 to 4, since the surface seal portion 4f and the surface seal surface 4i are in close contact with each other with extremely light pressure, toner does not leak from the seal surface, but air passes through the seal surface relatively freely. To do. For this reason, even if the internal pressure of the toner replenishing container 1 is increased, air leaks from the close contact portion between the face seal portion 4f and the face seal surface 4i. As a result, it is not necessary to provide a vent hole or a separate filter, thereby reducing the number of parts. Can also contribute to cost reduction.

  Further, the leak speed at the close contact portion between the face seal portion 4f and the face seal surface 4i can be finely adjusted by adjusting the urging force of the urging member 43. Therefore, handling is easy.

  Further, the urging force of the urging member 43 is the generation of an adhesion force between the surface seal portion 4f and the surface seal surface 4i, and the generation of a driving force that relocks the locking mechanism of the sealing member 4 when taken out from the image forming apparatus. Doubles as For this reason, it is possible to prevent the sealing member 4 from being unsealed even after the toner supply container 1 is taken out during use or after use with a simple configuration without assigning a separate urging member thereto.

<Other examples>
A developer supply container for supplying developer to the image forming apparatus has a storage portion having an opening for storing the developer, a transport member for transporting the developer to the opening, and an opening at the time of distribution. A configuration having a sealing member for sealing is common. In addition, as an example of a conveying member that conveys the developer, a configuration in which a conveying member that is rotatably provided in the storage unit is rotated by driving from the image forming apparatus side to convey and discharge the developer is known. Yes. The present invention can also be used in a portion that transmits rotational drive from the outside to the inside of such a developer supply container.

  In the configuration in which the conveying member is rotated by driving from the image forming apparatus side, the drive receiving portion of the conveying member is exposed to the outside of the developer supply container, and the drive member on the image forming apparatus side and the drive receiver on the developer supply container side are exposed. It is necessary to connect the parts. Therefore, a hole penetrating the storage portion is provided, a conveying member is provided so as to be inserted through the hole, and a drive receiving portion of the conveying member is exposed to the outside of the developer supply container. The present invention can also be used in such a drive receiving portion of the conveying member.

  In the configuration in which the functional member provided inside the developer supply container is operated from the outside of the developer supply container, a hole penetrating the storage portion is provided, and an action member is provided so as to be inserted through the hole, and an external force is provided. In response, a configuration in which a functional member provided inside is operated is known. The present invention can be used even in such a portion where the working member is inserted.

  Since the present invention is not configured to seal the lip portion of the packing material as a seal member in contact with the peripheral surface of the moving member, the rotational resistance of the shaft and the sealing performance itself change due to variations in the radial dimension of the moving member. There is nothing. As a result, the rotational resistance and sealing performance of the moving member are stabilized, and it is not necessary to strictly control the dimension of the shaft of the moving member or separately apply grease or the like around the seal portion as a countermeasure.

  An image forming apparatus in which a developer supply container for supplying developer to a developing device is detachable.

1 Developer supply container (toner supply container)
2 Container body 2f Lock locking part 3 Conveying member 4 Sealing member 4a Locking protrusion 4b Release protrusion 4c Rubber seal 4d Locking protrusion 4e Lock contact part 4f Face seal part 4g Through hole 4h Lock part 4i Face seal surface 4j Trap part 4k Stopper locking portion 10 Drive transmission member 10a Locking portion 10b Lock release pin 11 Release ring member 15 Replacement front cover 16 Operation panel 41 Cap member 42 Shaft member 43 Biasing member 44 Stopper member 100 Image forming apparatus 201 Developing device

Claims (7)

In the developer supply container for storing the developer,
A container member that accommodates the developer so as to be discharged from a container opening disposed at one end;
A sealing member for releasably sealing the container opening;
A locking portion provided on the sealing member and locking with a locked portion provided on the inner surface of the container member;
A contact portion for contacting the surface of the developer containing the developer surrounding the opening of the through-hole formed in the sealing member and sealing the through-hole, and contacting the sealing member; The sealing member that is in a state of sealing the container opening by preventing the engagement between the locking part and the locked part from being released moves in a direction to open the container opening. A moving member provided in the sealing member that is movable to a restricting position that restricts this , and a retracted position that retracts from the restricting position and does not contact the sealing member ;
Urging means for urging the moving member in a direction in which the through hole is sealed by the contact portion,
A developer supply container, wherein a recess is formed in at least one of a portion of the moving member located in the through hole and an inner peripheral surface of the through hole.   The developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the recesses are formed in a moving direction of the moving member.   3. The developer supply container according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of grooves perpendicular to the penetrating direction are formed in parallel as the recesses on the moving member side. The moving member is arranged to transmit a driving force from the outside to the inside of the developer supply container,
In the through hole and the moving member, a parallel surface in the penetrating direction is formed so that the moving member does not rotate in the through hole,
4. The developer supply container according to claim 3, wherein the groove is formed at four corners of a cross section perpendicular to the penetrating direction of the moving member. The container member includes a cylindrical resin container provided with a spiral protrusion that conveys the developer to the opening side as the container member rotates, and the container opening whose inner periphery is located on the central axis of the resin container. It is configured by connecting a resin molded member provided with a part,
The sealing member is disposed on the outer peripheral surface with a rubber seal in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the container opening, and is inserted into the container opening so as to be movable in a direction along a central axis.
5. The developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein the moving member is urged by the urging unit to expand the diameter of the sealing member inside the container opening. 6.   The contact portion seals the through hole when the moving member is in the restricting position, and opens the through hole as the moving member moves from the restricting position to the retracted position. The developer supply container according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   The recess is disposed in the moving member, and when the moving member is in the retracted position, the recess disposed in the moving member is opposed to an inner peripheral surface of the through hole. The developer supply container according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

Images