JP5934680B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus suitably used for a copying machine, a printer, or the like.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known an image forming apparatus including a waste toner container that collects toner remaining on a photoreceptor (hereinafter referred to as “waste toner”) after transferring a toner image onto a sheet.

  For example, Patent Document 1 does not relate to waste toner collection, but includes a toner conveying screw having a screw drive gear and a locking plate fixed at one end, and a protrusion that fits into a notch formed in the locking plate. There is disclosed a toner replenishing cartridge that includes a lock lever having a spring and a spring spring that urges the lock lever so that the protrusion fits into the notch. In this technique, before and after the toner replenishing cartridge is attached to the apparatus main body, the protrusion is fitted into the notch portion of the locking plate, and the rotation of the toner conveying screw is locked. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the toner from leaking from the toner replenishing cartridge or the toner from being clogged near the discharge port.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-249820

  However, although the technique described in Patent Document 1 described above can prevent toner leakage when the toner container (toner supply cartridge) is replaced, the toner when the toner is used, that is, when the image forming apparatus is in operation. No consideration was given to the prevention of leakage.

  Also, for example, when a shutter that opens and closes a waste disposal port that is in close contact with the toner container is provided, a spring that moves the shutter is provided to detach the toner container from the apparatus main body and close the waste disposal port by the shutter. Can be considered. In this case, when the frictional force between the shutter and the seal is strong, there is a problem that the shutter cannot be moved by the spring and the disposal port cannot be closed properly. This problem can be solved by increasing the spring force. However, if the spring force is increased too much, there is a risk that the toner container will unintentionally jump out, and it becomes difficult to mount the toner container against the spring force. There was a problem.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of preventing waste toner from leaking and smoothly attaching / detaching a waste toner container to / from the apparatus main body. Objective.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention is detachably attached to an apparatus main body, and stores a waste toner container that stores waste toner discharged from an image forming unit that forms an image with toner, and the waste toner container. When the waste toner container is attached to the main body of the apparatus, provided with a seal having a waste port that is in close contact with the recovery port formed in the toner container and capable of communicating with the recovery port, and slidable with respect to the seal The waste port is opened to allow the waste port and the recovery port to communicate with each other, and the waste port is closed when the waste toner container is detached from the apparatus main body, and the waste port is disposed via the shutter. An elastic member that urges the toner container in a direction away from the apparatus main body, and a shutter moving mechanism that moves the shutter in a direction orthogonal to the attaching / detaching direction of the waste toner container. The shutter includes an engaging portion that can be engaged with an engaged portion formed on the seal, and the shutter moving mechanism is configured to be engaged when the waste toner container is attached to the apparatus main body. The shutter is moved to a fixed position where the joining portion engages with the engaged portion, and when the waste toner container is released, the engagement between the engaged portion and the engaging portion is released. The shutter is moved to a release position.

  According to this configuration, in a state where the waste toner container is mounted, the shutter communicates with the waste outlet in a state where the recovery port of the waste toner container is in close contact with the seal. On the other hand, when the waste toner container is detached, the shutter closes the waste outlet. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent toner leakage during the collection of waste toner, that is, during operation of the image forming apparatus, and also prevent toner leakage when the waste toner container is detached (for example, when replacing the waste toner container). be able to. Further, in a state where the waste toner container is mounted, the shutter moving mechanism moves the shutter to a fixed position. And since the latching state of an engaging part and an engaged part is maintained by the urging | biasing force of an elastic member, a shutter is hold | maintained in a fixed position. Accordingly, the movement of the shutter and the waste toner container in the attaching / detaching direction can be restricted regardless of the magnitude of the urging force of the elastic member. Therefore, unintended jumping out of the waste toner container can be effectively prevented.

  In this case, the shutter moving mechanism includes a biasing mechanism that biases the shutter toward the fixed position in conjunction with an operation of mounting the waste toner container on the apparatus main body, and a biasing force of the biasing mechanism. It is preferable that a release mechanism that moves the shutter toward the release position in conjunction with an operation of removing the waste toner container from the apparatus main body is provided.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to restrict the movement of the waste toner container in the attaching / detaching direction by simply attaching the waste toner container to the apparatus main body and moving the shutter to the fixed position. Further, it is possible to allow the movement of the waste toner container in the attaching / detaching direction by simply moving the waste toner container from the apparatus main body to move the shutter to the release position. Thus, the user can easily attach and detach the waste toner container without being aware of the fixation and release of the shutter.

  In this case, the shutter has a container support portion that supports the waste toner container, and the urging mechanism urges the waste toner container upward via the container support portion, so that the collection port is opened. It is preferable to adhere to the seal.

  According to this configuration, the collection port of the waste toner container can be brought into close contact with the seal via the shutter at the fixed position. As a result, toner leakage during the operation of the image forming apparatus can be more effectively prevented.

  Further, in this case, the urging mechanism is rotatably provided on the apparatus main body, and a contact portion that can contact the lower surface of the shutter, and a spring that urges the contact portion to rotate upward. The release mechanism includes a lever that is operated when the waste toner container is detached from the apparatus main body, and that interferes with the contact portion in conjunction with the operation of the lever, and the biasing force of the spring It is preferable to have a cam portion that rotates the contact portion downward against this.

  According to this configuration, the shutter is moved to the fixed position by the biasing force of the spring, and the shutter is moved to the release position by causing the cam portion interlocked with the operation of the lever to interfere (contact) with the contact portion. By making the urging mechanism and the release mechanism simple structures such as a spring and a cam portion, it is possible to ensure positive and stable movement of the shutter.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent waste toner from leaking from the connection portion with the waste toner container. Further, the waste toner container can be smoothly attached to and detached from the apparatus main body.

1 is a perspective view showing a color printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an internal structure of a color printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the drum unit of the color printer which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing a drum unit and a waste toner conveying device in a color printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view showing a waste toner collecting structure in a state where a waste toner container is mounted in a color printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a waste toner collecting structure in a state where a waste toner container is taken out in the color printer according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a waste toner container cap, a shutter, and the like in the color printer according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a state where a waste toner container is mounted in a mounting space in the color printer according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an upper perspective view illustrating a waste toner container cap, a seal, and the like in the color printer according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. In the color printer which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, it is a downward perspective view which shows a cap etc. FIG. It is a lower perspective view showing the container attaching / detaching mechanism of the color printer according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state in which the shutter is urged forward by a coil spring. It is a lower perspective view which shows the container attachment / detachment mechanism of the color printer which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: The state which the shutter faces the fixed position is shown. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a shutter in a color printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing a state in which the waste toner container is mounted in the mounting space in the color printer according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the color printer which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, it is a perspective view which shows the urging | biasing mechanism. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a release mechanism in the color printer according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a part of a release mechanism in the color printer according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the color printer according to the embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a perspective view showing a state where the shutter is moved to a release position, and (b) is a perspective view showing a state where the shutter is moved to a fixed position.

  Hereinafter, a color printer as an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, for the sake of convenience, the arrow Fr shown in each figure is defined as the front side (front side) of the color printer, and each direction is defined as indicated by the arrow in each figure.

  First, the overall configuration of the color printer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. Here, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the color printer 1, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the color printer 1. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the drum unit 21, and FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing the drum unit 21 and the waste toner conveying device 40.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a color printer 1 includes an apparatus main body 2 that forms a main appearance, a paper feed cassette 3 that is provided at a lower portion of the apparatus main body 2 and stores paper (not shown), and an apparatus main body 2. A manual feed tray 4 provided on the front surface and a paper discharge tray 5 provided on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 2 are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the color printer 1 includes a paper feeding unit 11 that supplies a sheet set in a paper feeding cassette 3 to a conveyance path 10, and an image forming unit 13 that primarily transfers a toner image to an intermediate transfer belt 12. A secondary transfer nip portion 14 for secondary transfer of the primary transferred toner image to the paper, a fixing device 15 for fixing the secondary transferred toner image to the paper, and toner (waste toner) that has not been primary transferred A waste toner recovery structure 16 for recovery is provided in the apparatus main body 2.

  The intermediate transfer belt 12 is horizontally wound around the drive roller 12a and the tension roller 12b, and rotates in a predetermined direction (see an arrow in FIG. 2) by rotationally driving the drive roller 12a by a drive motor (not shown).

  The image forming unit 13 forms an image with four color (Y, M, C, K) supply toners stored in four toner containers 20 and includes a photosensitive drum 24 as an image carrier. It has four drum units 21 and an exposure unit 22 that irradiates the surface of each photosensitive drum 24 with laser light (see arrow P shown in FIG. 2).

  The four toner containers 20 are arranged below the paper discharge tray 5 and are detachably mounted in the apparatus main body 2. The four drum units 21 are juxtaposed in the front-rear direction below the intermediate transfer belt 12.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, each drum unit 21 includes a photosensitive drum 24 rotatably supported by a pair of drum frames 23 provided at both ends in the axial direction, and a surface of the photosensitive drum 24 with a predetermined potential. And a cleaning unit 26 for removing waste toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 24.

  Each photosensitive drum 24 has an amorphous silicon-based photosensitive layer on the outer peripheral surface of a drum base tube formed of a conductive material such as aluminum. Around each photosensitive drum 24, a charger 25, a developing device 27, a primary transfer roller 28, and a cleaning unit 26 are arranged in the order of the primary transfer process (see FIG. 2).

  Here, the image forming process by the color printer 1 will be described. When the color printer 1 is powered on, initial settings such as various parameters are executed. When image data is input from a computer or the like connected to the color printer 1 (printing start instruction), each exposure device 22 applies an image to the surface of each photosensitive drum 24 charged by each charger 25. Exposure according to data is performed. As a result, the electrostatic latent image formed on each photosensitive drum 24 is developed into a toner image of each color by each developing device 27. When a bias is applied to each primary transfer roller 28, each color toner image is sequentially primary-transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 12, and a full-color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 12.

  On the other hand, the sheet supplied from the sheet feeding cassette 3 (or the manual feed tray 4) by the sheet feeding unit 11 is conveyed to the secondary transfer nip unit 14 through the conveying path 10. When a bias is applied to the secondary transfer nip portion 9, the full-color toner image is secondarily transferred to a sheet and conveyed to the fixing device 15. The paper on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing device 15 is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 5. Note that the toner (waste toner) remaining on each photosensitive drum 24 is removed by the cleaning unit 26.

  Next, the cleaning unit 26 of each drum unit 21 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. Since the four cleaning units 26 have the same configuration, only one cleaning unit 26 will be described below.

  The cleaning unit 26 includes a casing 30, a cleaning roller 31 and a cleaning blade 32 that are in sliding contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 24, and a first screw 33 that transports waste toner in the casing 30. And are arranged.

  The casing 30 extends along the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 24 and is formed in a substantially box shape with the photosensitive drum 24 side open. A first conveyance path 34 extends in the axial direction at the lower portion of the casing 30. A first delivery port 35 is opened on the bottom surface of the right end portion of the first conveyance path 34, and a waste toner conveyance device 40 described later is connected to the first delivery port 35.

  Both ends of the cleaning roller 31 in the axial direction are rotatably supported by the upper portion of the casing 30. A part of the peripheral surface of the cleaning roller 31 is exposed from the open portion of the casing 30 and is in sliding contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 24. The cleaning roller 31 is rotationally driven in a direction opposite to the photosensitive drum 24 by a drive motor (not shown). As a result, the surface of the photosensitive drum 24 after the toner image is primarily transferred is polished, and waste toner and the like attached to the surface of the photosensitive drum 24 are removed.

  The cleaning blade 32 is made of urethane rubber, for example, and is fixed to the lower portion of the casing 30. The upper portion of the cleaning roller 31 is a free end and is pressed against the photosensitive drum 24 by its own elastic force. The cleaning blade 32 is in contact with the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 24 in the counter direction, and scrapes off waste toner and the like on the surface of the photosensitive drum 24. An urging unit that presses the cleaning blade 32 against the photosensitive drum 24 with a predetermined pressure may be provided.

  The first screw 33 is configured by fixing a helical screw blade 33a protruding in the radial direction on the peripheral surface of the rotating shaft portion. The first screw 33 is disposed in the first conveyance path 34 of the casing 30, and both axial end portions thereof are rotatably supported by the casing 30. The first screw 33 is rotationally driven by a drive motor (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the waste toner conveying device 40 is extended in the front-rear direction so as to extend over four cleaning units 26 arranged side by side. In the waste toner conveyance device 40, four unit connection portions 41 to which the first delivery ports 35 of the cleaning units 26 are connected are formed at equal intervals. A second transport path 42 that joins the four unit connection portions 41 extends in the front-rear direction at the lower portion of the waste toner transport device 40.

  In the 2nd conveyance path 42, the 2nd screw 43 which has the helical screw blade | wing 43a is arrange | positioned. Both ends of the second screw 43 in the axial direction are rotatably supported by the inner wall of the second conveyance path 42, and the second screw 43 is rotationally driven by a drive motor (not shown). A second delivery port 44 is opened at the bottom of the front end of the second transport path 42, and a waste toner container 45 of a waste toner collection structure 16 to be described later is connected to the second delivery port 44. Yes.

  Here, the conveyance of waste toner in one cleaning unit 26 will be described. The waste toner removed from the photosensitive drum 24 by the cleaning unit 26 falls to the first conveyance path 34 of the casing 30. Waste toner collected in the first conveyance path 34 is conveyed toward the first delivery port 35 by the rotation of the first screw 33, and passes through the unit connection portion 41 connected to the first delivery port 35 to be second conveyed. It flows into the road 42. The waste toner collected in the second conveyance path 42 is conveyed toward the second delivery port 44 by the rotation of the second screw 43 and is collected in the waste toner container 45 of the waste toner collection structure 16.

  Next, the waste toner collecting structure 16 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the waste toner collecting structure 16 in a state in which the waste toner container 45 is mounted, and FIG. 6 is a state in which the waste toner container 45 is taken out. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the cap 50 and the shutter 66 of the waste toner container 45. FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state where the waste toner container 45 is mounted in the mounting space 2b. 9 and 10 are an upper perspective view and a lower perspective view showing the cap 50, the seal 66, and the like.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the waste toner collecting structure 16 is detachably attached to the apparatus main body 2, and a waste toner container 45 that collects waste toner discharged from the image forming unit 13, and a waste toner container 45. And an optical sensor 46 for detecting whether the toner is full of waste toner (see FIG. 8) and a container attachment / detachment for attaching / detaching the waste toner container 45 to / from the apparatus main body 2 while preventing toner leakage from the connecting portion of the waste toner container 45. And a mechanism 47 (see FIG. 9).

  The waste toner collecting structure 16 is provided in the lower right front side of the apparatus main body 2 (on the right side of the manual feed tray 4). An opening 2a is formed in the front right lower portion of the apparatus main body 2, and a mounting space 2b in which the waste toner container 45 is detachably mounted from the opening 2a to the rear is formed. A cover 48 is rotatably supported on the right edge of the opening 2a. The cover 48 is formed to be curved in a substantially L shape in plan view so as to constitute the right corner of the paper feed cassette 3 and the manual feed tray 4.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the waste toner container 45 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape whose corners are rounded by a resin material or the like, and has a space for storing waste toner therein. More specifically, the waste toner container 45 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape that is vertically long when viewed from the front, and is substantially rectangular that is horizontally long when viewed from the side, and is formed so that the upper left part thereof is narrowed upward. ing. A cylindrical container opening 45 a is formed at the constricted upper end of the waste toner container 45.

  A cap 50 is fitted into the container opening 45a from above. At least the container opening 45a and the cap 50 are formed of a synthetic resin having translucency.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the cap 50 includes a substantially cylindrical cap main body 51 in which a recovery port 51 a communicating with the container opening 45 a is formed, and a lid portion 52 provided so that the recovery port 51 a of the cap main body 51 can be opened and closed. And a substantially plate-like lock piece 53 extending forward from the right front surface of the cap main body 51.

  The cap main body 51 includes a cap contact portion 54 and a cap fitting portion 55 provided continuously with the lower end of the cap contact portion 54. The cap contact portion 54 has a pair of circumferential portions 54a composed of front and rear cylindrical circumferential surfaces, and a pair of flat surface portions 54b formed flat at left and right opposing positions of the cylindrical circumferential surface.

  A flange portion 56 extending in the radial direction is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cap contact portion 54. The flange portion 56 is mainly formed on the pair of flat surface portions 54b at a position slightly lowered from the upper open surface of the recovery port 51a. The cap fitting portion 55 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a larger diameter than the cap contact portion 54 in plan view. At the lower end of the cap fitting portion 55, an annular groove portion 55a that is fitted to the upper edge of the container opening 45a is formed (see FIG. 10).

  The recovery port 51a is formed so as to penetrate in the vertical direction inside the cap contact portion 54 and the cap fitting portion 55. The collection port 51a is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. The collection port 51a is connected to the second delivery port 44 of the waste toner conveying device 40 through a seal 65 (described later) (see FIG. 8). Thereby, the waste toner conveyed by the cleaning unit 26 and the waste toner conveyance device 40 is accommodated in the waste toner container 45 through the recovery port 51a.

  The lid portion 52 is connected via two hinge portions 52 a extending forward from the front end portion of the cap body 51. The lid part 52 is rotated by 180 ° about each hinge part 52a. The lid 52 is provided with a rectangular annular positioning portion 52b that slightly enters the recovery port 51a when the recovery port 51a is closed.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, the lock piece 53 is connected to the right side surface of the cap fitting portion 55, and is formed so as to be able to bend in the left-right direction around this connection portion. At the front end portion of the lock piece 53, a triangular position restricting portion 53a is formed in plan view. The position restricting portion 53a is formed with a restricting-side inclined surface 53b that is inclined rightward from the front end toward the rear. A protrusion 53c protruding rightward is formed behind the position restricting portion 53a. The protrusion 53c has a triangular shape in plan view, and is formed such that the inclination of the rear surface is gentler than the inclination of the front surface.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the optical sensor 46 is a so-called transmissive optical sensor, and includes a light emitting unit 46a (right side) and a light receiving unit 46b (left side) that detects signal light emitted from the light emitting unit 46a. I have. The light emitting unit 46a and the light receiving unit 46b are disposed to face each other with the upper part (upper side of the stepped part 51c) of the cap main body 51 of the waste toner container 45 interposed therebetween.

  When the waste toner collected in the waste toner container 45 is not accumulated up to the top of the cap body 51, the signal light emitted from the light emitting unit 46a passes through the cap body 51 and enters the light receiving unit 46b. To do. Thereby, the control device (not shown) of the color printer 1 can detect that the waste toner container 45 is not full. On the other hand, when the waste toner is accumulated up to the upper portion of the cap body 51, the signal light emitted from the light emitting unit 46a is blocked by the accumulated waste toner, so that the light receiving unit 46b receives the signal light. I can't. Accordingly, the control device can detect that the waste toner container 45 is full.

  Next, the container attaching / detaching mechanism 47 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 11 is a lower perspective view showing the container attaching / detaching mechanism 47, showing a state in which the shutter 66 is pressed forward by the coil spring 67, and FIG. 12 shows a state in which the shutter 66 faces the fixed position P2. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the shutter 66. FIG. 14 is a plan view schematically showing a state where the waste toner container 45 is mounted in the mounting space 2b. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the urging mechanism 75. 16 and 17 are perspective views showing the release mechanism 76. FIG. 18A is a perspective view showing a state in which the shutter 66 has moved to the release position P1, and FIG. 18B is a perspective view showing a state in which the shutter 66 has moved to the fixed position P2.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the container attaching / detaching mechanism 47 is supported by a support frame 60 disposed on the upper side of the mounting space 2b. The support frame 60 is provided as a part of the apparatus main body 2. The support frame 60 includes a container introduction guide 61 that is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape with an open bottom surface, a container accommodation frame 62 that is connected to the rear of the container introduction guide 61, a container introduction guide 61, and a container accommodation frame 62. And a substantially plate-like standing frame 63 extending upward. In FIG. 9, a part of the container introduction guide 61 and the standing frame 63 are omitted.

  The container introduction guide 61 has a pair of guide rails 61a formed at the lower left and right ends, and is formed in a substantially C shape with the lower part opened in a front view. Each of the pair of guide rails 61a extends inward and extends downward from each inner end, and is formed in a substantially L shape in front view.

  The container housing frame 62 includes a pair of left and right frame side wall parts 62a extending rearward from the left and right side wall parts of the container introduction guide 61, and a frame rear wall part 62b connecting the rear end parts of the pair of frame side wall parts 62a. And have.

  The lower end surface of each frame side wall 62a is flush with the lower end surface of each guide rail 61a. A light emitting portion 46a is supported on the right frame side wall 62a, and a light receiving portion 46b is supported on the left frame side wall 62a (see FIG. 8). The frame rear wall portion 62b extends below the lower end surface of each frame side wall portion 62a. A frame-side boss 64 projects forward from the upper part of the inner surface (front surface) of the frame rear wall 62b.

  The standing frame 63 is formed with a hook portion 63a extending rearward. The hook portion 63 a is locked in a fixing hole (not shown) formed in the inner frame of the apparatus main body 2, whereby the support frame 60 is fixed so as to become a part of the apparatus main body 2.

  The container attaching / detaching mechanism 47 will be described in detail. The container attaching / detaching mechanism 47 is provided in close contact with the recovery port 51a of the waste toner container 45 and has a waste port 65a that can communicate with the recovery port 51a, and is slidable with respect to the seal 65. When the toner container 45 is installed, the disposal port 65a is opened to allow the disposal port 65a and the collection port 51a to communicate with each other. When the waste toner container 45 is detached from the apparatus main body 2, the shutter 66 closes the disposal port 65a. And a coil spring 67 as an elastic member that urges the waste toner container 45 toward the direction of detachment from the apparatus main body 2 via the shutter 66, and the shutter 66 is moved in a direction orthogonal to the attaching / detaching direction of the waste toner container 45. And a shutter moving mechanism 68.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the seal 65 is formed in a substantially flat plate shape by a resin material or the like. The seal 65 is held (fixed) on the upper part of the container housing frame 62. A hexagonal disposal port 65a is formed through the front side of the seal 65 in plan view (see also FIG. 12). On the upper surface of the seal 65, there is provided a projecting portion 65b that extends upward from the front end and is bent rearward to form a hook shape. The rear end of the projecting portion 65b extends to the vicinity of the front side of the disposal port 65a.

  In addition, a pair of front and rear engaged portions 70 are formed on the rear side of the seal 65 so as to be cut inwardly from both left and right end portions (see also FIG. 18). Each engaged portion 70 is recessed in a rectangular shape in plan view. Each front engaged portion 70 is formed shorter in the front-rear direction than each rear engaged portion 70. 9 and 18, only the engaged portion 70 on the front side is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the shutter 66 includes a sliding guide 71 that is slidably supported by the seal 65, a pressure receiving portion 72 provided on the lower surface of the sliding guide 71, and both left and right front end surfaces of the pressure receiving portion 72. A pair of left and right container support portions 73 extending toward the front. The shutter 66 is integrally formed of a resin material or the like.

  The sliding guide 71 is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape with the upper surface opened. Specifically, the sliding guide 71 includes a rectangular flat plate portion 71a, a pair of left and right guide side wall portions 71b erected on both left and right ends of the flat plate portion 71a, and an inner side from the upper end of each guide side wall portion 71b. A pair of left and right guide upper wall portions 71c extending toward the left and a pair of left and right guide convex portions 71d protruding slightly downward from the inner end of each guide upper wall portion 71c. It is formed in a substantially C shape with the opening opened. A tapered surface that is inclined inward is formed at the front end of the sliding guide 71.

  A rectangular container contact portion 71e that slightly protrudes forward is formed in the central region in the left-right direction at the front end portion of the flat plate portion 71a.

  In addition, a pair of front and rear engaging portions 74 protrude from the left and right corner portions formed by the flat plate portion 71a and the guide side wall portions 71b. Each engaging portion 74 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the front-rear direction. Each front engaging portion 74 extends rearward from the front end of the flat plate portion 71a, and each rear engaging portion 74 extends forward from the rear end of the flat plate portion 71a. Further, the front engaging portions 74 are formed shorter than the rear engaging portions 74 in the front-rear direction. Between the pair of front and rear engaging portions 74, the upper surface of the flat plate portion 71a is exposed.

  By the way, the interval between each guide convex portion 71 d and each engaging portion 74 is set to be larger than the thickness of the seal 65. That is, a gap through which the seal 65 can be inserted in the front-rear direction is formed between the guide convex portion 71d and each engaging portion 74 (see FIG. 18). Each engaging portion 74 is configured to be engageable (can be fitted) with each engaged portion 70 of the seal 65 inserted between the guide convex portion 71 d and each engaging portion 74. (See FIG. 9).

  The pressure receiving portion 72 has a substantially rectangular box-shaped pressure receiving main body 72a fixed to the center in the left-right direction on the lower surface of the sliding guide 71, and a pair of left and right pressure receiving arm portions 72b fixed to the left and right ends of the pressure receiving main body 72a. doing. The front surface of the pressure receiving body 72a is located behind the front end surface of the flat plate portion 71a (container contact portion 71e).

  Each container support portion 73 extends substantially horizontally from the front surface of each pressure receiving arm portion 72b toward the front. That is, each container support part 73 is formed in a cantilever shape. The upper surface of each container support portion 73 is positioned slightly below the flat plate portion 71a and is formed to be substantially horizontal. In addition, the distance from the upper surface of each container support part 73 to the upper surface of the flat plate part 71a (container contact part 71e) is set so that it may become substantially the same as the thickness of the flange part 56 (refer FIG. 7).

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 14, the coil spring 67 is stretched between the frame-side boss 64 of the frame rear wall portion 62b and the spring fitting portion 72c of the pressure receiving body 72a. The rear end portion of the coil spring 67 is fitted to the frame-side boss 64, and the front end portion of the coil spring 67 is fitted to a spring fitting portion 72c that is recessed in the rear portion of the pressure receiving body 72a. Thus, the coil spring 67 urges the shutter 66 forward with the frame rear wall 62b as a pedestal.

  As shown in FIGS. 14 to 17, the shutter moving mechanism 68 includes an urging mechanism 75 that urges the shutter 66 toward the fixed position P <b> 2 in conjunction with the operation of attaching the waste toner container 45 to the apparatus main body 2. And a release mechanism 76 that moves the shutter 66 toward the release position P1 in conjunction with the operation of detaching the waste toner container 45 from the apparatus main body 2 against the urging force of the urging mechanism 75. .

  As shown in FIGS. 10, 11, and 15, the urging mechanism 75 is provided on the apparatus main body 2 so as to be rotatable, and can contact the lower surface of the pressure receiving main body 72 a of the shutter 66. And a torsion coil spring 81 that urges 80 to rotate upward.

  The contact portion 80 includes a contact portion main body 83 and a release operation portion 84 that are fixed to the rotation shaft portion 82, and is integrally formed of a resin material or the like. Both left and right end portions of the rotating shaft portion 82 are pivotally supported by a pair of left and right bearing portions 85 formed on the lower side of the frame rear wall portion 62b. Thereby, the rotation shaft part 82 is supported so as to be rotatable about the axis.

  The contact portion main body 83 is formed in a substantially plate shape and extends from the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft portion 82 toward the front upper side. In addition, the front-end | tip part of the contact part main body 83 is bent at substantially right angle toward the downward direction. A spring hooking portion 86 extending toward the left is formed at the tip of the contact portion main body 83.

  The release operation part 84 is formed in an L shape by bending a rod-like member having a rectangular cross section. Specifically, the release operation portion 84 is directed from the peripheral surface of the rotating shaft portion 82 to the front lower side at the right side of the contact portion main body 83 and at a position shifted by approximately 90 ° downward (forward) with respect to the contact portion main body 83. Is extended. In addition, the release operation portion 84 has a tip portion bent at a right angle and extending toward the right. The right end portion of the release operation portion 84 extends outward from the right frame side wall portion 62a (see FIGS. 14 and 16).

  The torsion coil spring 81 is provided so as to be wound around the rotation shaft portion 82. One (upper) arm portion of the torsion coil spring 81 is engaged with a spring groove 86a (see FIG. 15) cut into the spring engaging portion 86, and the other (lower) arm portion is a lower portion of the frame rear wall portion 62b. It engages with the spring groove protrusion 87 (see FIGS. 10 and 11) formed on the surface. Thereby, the torsion coil spring 81 always applies an urging force that rotates upward to the contact portion main body 83.

  As shown in FIGS. 14, 16, and 17, the release mechanism 76 interferes with the contact portion 80 in conjunction with the lever 90 operated when the waste toner container 45 is detached from the apparatus main body 2 and the operation of the lever 90. And a cam portion 91 that rotates the contact portion 80 downward against the urging force of the torsion coil spring 81.

  The lever 90 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the front-rear direction. The lever 90 is supported on the right side wall of the apparatus main body 2 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. The lever 90 is always urged forward by a biasing means such as a spring (not shown). At the front end portion of the lever 90, a pressing operation portion 90a is provided so as to stand upward. The pressing operation portion 90a is a portion that is exposed to the outside from the opening 2a of the apparatus main body 2 and is directly pressed by the user (see FIG. 5 and the like).

  In addition, a hook-like rear pressing portion 92 is formed at the front end portion of the lever 90 so as to be folded back leftward so as to come into contact with the regulating-side inclined surface 53 b of the lock piece 53. The rear pressing portion 92 has a rear inclined surface 92a that is inclined leftward from the front end toward the rear. In addition, a lower pressing portion 93 that protrudes leftward is formed on the upper portion of the rear pressing portion 92. The upper surface of the lower pressing portion 93 is flush with the upper surface of the rear pressing portion 92. A lower inclined surface 93a is formed on the rear surface of the lower pressing portion 93 so as to incline forward from the upper end toward the lower end (see FIG. 17). A recess 94 into which the protrusion 53c of the lock piece 53 can be fitted is formed on the right inner wall of the apparatus main body 2 constituting the mounting space 2b (see FIG. 14).

  As shown in FIGS. 14 and 16, the cam portion 91 is provided on the left side surface of the rear end portion of the lever 90. The cam portion 91 is formed in a substantially U shape with the rear surface opened in plan view. The left rear end portion of the cam portion 91 interferes (contacts) with the right end portion of the release operation portion 84 described above.

  Next, mounting and detaching of the waste toner container 45 with respect to the apparatus main body 2 (mounting space 2b) will be described. That is, the operation of the container attaching / detaching mechanism 47 when the waste toner container 45 is attached / detached will be described. It is assumed that the seal 65 slidably supports the shutter 66 while being inserted between the guide convex portion 71d and each engaging portion 74. At this time, since each engaging portion 74 and each engaged portion 70 are not engaged, the shutter 66 is moved to the release position P1 that is a lower position relative to the seal 65. (See FIG. 18A).

  First, a case where the waste toner container 45 is mounted in the apparatus main body 2 (mounting space 2b) will be described. In this case, the user rotates the cover 48 toward the front side to open the opening 2a. Then, the waste toner container 45 is inserted into the mounting space 2b from the opening 2a in a predetermined direction (see FIG. 5). At this time, the lid portion 52 of the cap 50 is rotated 180 ° to open the recovery port 51a (see FIGS. 7 and 9).

  As the waste toner container 45 slides with respect to the mounting space 2b, the flange portion 56 of the cap 50 enters a gap formed between the seal 65 and each container support portion 73 of the shutter 66. That is, each container support portion 73 contacts the lower surface of the flange portion 56 of the waste toner container 45 (cap 50) and supports the waste toner container 45. Eventually, the rear end surface of the flange portion 56 comes into contact with the container contact portion 71e of the shutter 66 (see FIG. 7). When the waste toner container 45 is further slid, the shutter 66 moves backward with respect to the seal 65 against the urging force of the coil spring 67. That is, the shutter 66 slides from the state shown in FIG. 11 to the state shown in FIG. The shutter 66 and the waste toner container 45 slide until each engaging portion 74 of the shutter 66 and each engaged portion 70 of the seal 65 are aligned in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 18A). In this state, the recovery port 51a of the waste toner container 45 is moved to a position where it can communicate with the waste port 65a of the seal 65.

  When each engaging portion 74 and each engaged portion 70 are aligned in the front-rear direction, each engaging portion 74 can enter each engaged portion 70 from below. For this reason, the contact portion main body 83 that is in contact with the lower surface of the pressure receiving portion 72 is rotated upward about the axis of the rotation shaft portion 82 by the urging force of the torsion coil spring 81 (see the arrow in FIG. 15). The entire 66 moves upward relative to the seal 65. That is, the shutter 66 is moved from the release position P1 to the fixed position P2 where each engaging portion 74 is engaged with each engaged portion 70 (see FIG. 18B). Since the shutter 66 is urged forward by the coil spring 67, the rear end surface of each engaged portion 70 is pressed against the rear end surface of each engaging portion 74. Thereby, the state where each engaging part 74 was latched by each engaged part 70 is maintained.

  Further, the waste toner container 45 in which the flange portion 56 is supported by each container support portion 73 also moves upward. In this state, the recovery port 51a of the waste toner container 45 is in close contact with the seal 65, and the waste port 65a communicates with the waste toner storage space of the waste toner container 45 (see FIG. 8). As described above, the urging mechanism 75 urges the waste toner container 45 upward via the container support portion 73 to bring the collection port 51 a into close contact with the seal 65. Thereby, toner leakage during operation of the color printer 1 (during image formation) can be effectively prevented.

  On the other hand, when the waste toner container 45 is slid after the flange portion 56 and the container contact portion 71e are in contact with each other, the protrusion 53c of the lock piece 53 contacts the rear pressing portion 92 of the lever 90 in the left direction. Go flexing. Subsequently, the position restricting portion 53 a of the lock piece 53 starts to come into sliding contact with the rear inclined surface 92 a of the rear pressing portion 92. When each engaging portion 74 and each engaged portion 70 slide until they are aligned in the front-rear direction, the position restricting portion 53a gets over the rear pressing portion 92, and the lock piece 53 rotates to its original position by its own restoring force. Then, the restriction-side inclined surface 53b of the position restricting portion 53a abuts on the rear end surface of the rear pressing portion 92, and the protrusion 53c of the lock piece 53 is fitted in the recess 94 (see FIG. 14).

  Thus, the movement of the shutter 66 in the front-rear direction is restricted, and the state where the waste toner container 45 is mounted in the mounting space 2b is appropriately maintained.

  Next, a case where the waste toner container 45 is removed (detached) from the apparatus main body 2 (mounting space 2b) will be described. Specifically, a replacement operation of the waste toner container 45 that is full of waste toner will be described.

  When the collection of the waste toner proceeds to the waste toner container 45 and the waste toner container 45 is filled with the waste toner, the signal light emitted from the light emitting unit 46a of the optical sensor 46 is blocked, and the output signal from the light receiving unit 46b is changed. It changes a lot. When the change in the output signal is input to a control device (not shown), the control device notifies the user that the waste toner container 45 is full using a speaker, a display device, or the like.

  A user who recognizes that the waste toner container 45 is full turns the cover 48 toward the front side to open the opening 2a and the front surface of the waste toner container 45 (see FIG. 5). Subsequently, the user pushes the lever 90 backward via the pressing operation unit 90a. Then, the rear pressing portion 92 starts to slidably contact the restriction-side inclined surface 53b of the position restricting portion 53a, and the lock piece 53 is bent to the left. At the same time, the lower inclined surface 93 a of the lower pressing portion 93 starts to slidably contact the upper surface of the position restricting portion 53 a, and the waste toner container 45 is pressed downward via the lock piece 53. Furthermore, at the same time, the cam portion 91 provided on the lever 90 starts to slidably contact the release operation portion 84 (see FIGS. 14 and 16).

  When the lever 90 is further pushed, the protrusion 53c comes out of the recess 94, and the rear pressing portion 92 gets over the position restricting portion 53a. At the same time, the lower surface of the lower pressing portion 93 starts to slidably contact the upper surface of the position restricting portion 53a. That is, the downward pressing portion 93 starts to press the waste toner container 45 downward via the lock piece 53 (see the black arrow in FIG. 17). At the same time, as the lever 90 is pushed in, the release operating portion 84 moves rearward (see the white arrow in FIG. 16), and the axial center of the rotating shaft portion 82 resists the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 81. Rotate downward about the center. For this reason, the contact portion main body 83 that is in contact with the lower surface of the pressure receiving portion 72 also rotates downward about the axis of the rotation shaft portion 82. In this state, since the lower pressing portion 93 presses the waste toner container 45 downward, the entire shutter 66 moves downward with respect to the seal 65. That is, the shutter 66 moves from the fixed position P2 to the release position P1 (see FIG. 18A).

  As a result, the engagement between each engaging portion 74 and each engaged portion 70 is released, the shutter 66 is urged forward by the coil spring 67, and the waste toner container 45 is pushed forward. The user can easily take out the waste toner container 45 protruding forward from the opening 2a. Thus, the shutter 66 is moved to the fixed position P2 by the urging force of the torsion coil spring 81, and the shutter 91 is caused by causing the cam portion 91 interlocking with the operation of the lever 90 to interfere (contact) with the contact portion 80 (release operation portion 84). 66 moves to the release position P1. By making the urging mechanism 75 and the release mechanism 76 simple structures such as the torsion coil spring 81 and the cam portion 91, it is possible to ensure positive and stable movement of the shutter 66.

  As described above, the waste toner container 45 is detachably mounted in the apparatus main body 2 (mounting space 2b) from the opening 2a. When the waste toner container 45 is mounted in the mounting space 2b, the second delivery port 44 and the collection port 51a are in close contact with the front and back of the seal 65, respectively (see FIG. 8).

  According to the color printer 1 according to the present embodiment described above, the shutter moving mechanism 68 is configured such that each engaging portion 74 is engaged with each engaged portion 70 when the waste toner container 45 is attached to the apparatus main body 2. The shutter 66 is moved to the fixed position P2 to be moved, and when the waste toner container 45 is released, the shutter 66 is moved to the release position P1 for releasing the engagement between the engaged portions 70 and the engaging portions 74. . Therefore, in a state where the waste toner container 45 is mounted, the shutter 66 communicates with the waste port 65 a in a state where the collection port 51 a of the waste toner container 45 is in close contact with the seal 65. On the other hand, when the waste toner container 45 is detached, the shutter 66 closes the waste outlet 65a. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent toner leakage during the collection of waste toner, that is, when the color printer 1 is operating, and also the toner leakage when the waste toner container 45 is detached (for example, when the waste toner container 45 is replaced). Can be prevented. Further, in a state where the waste toner container 45 is mounted, the shutter moving mechanism 68 moves the shutter 66 to the fixed position P2. And since the latching state of each engaging part 74 and each to-be-engaged part 70 is maintained by the urging | biasing force of the coil spring 67, the shutter 66 is hold | maintained in the fixed position P2. Thereby, regardless of the magnitude of the biasing force of the coil spring 67, the movement of the shutter 66 and the waste toner container 45 in the attaching / detaching direction can be restricted. Therefore, unintentional pop-out of the waste toner container 45 can be effectively prevented.

  Further, according to the color printer 1 according to the present embodiment, the shutter 66 is moved to the fixed position P2 just by attaching the waste toner container 45 to the apparatus main body 2, and the waste toner container 45 is moved in the front-rear direction (detachment direction). Can be restricted. Further, the shutter 66 can be moved to the release position P1 simply by removing the waste toner container 45 from the apparatus main body 2, and the waste toner container 45 can be allowed to move in the front-rear direction. As a result, the user can easily attach and detach the waste toner container 45 without being aware of the fixation and release of the shutter 66.

  Note that the lower pressing portion 93 of the lever 90 may be omitted. In this case, when the release operation unit 84 is moved rearward and the contact unit main body 83 is rotated downward, the waste toner container 45 (shutter 66) has its own weight (including the weight of the stored waste toner). To move downward (fixed position P2 to release position P1).

  In addition, since description of embodiment of this invention mentioned above demonstrates suitable embodiment in the color printer 1 which concerns on this invention, although there may be a technically preferable various limitation, The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments unless specifically described to limit the present invention. Furthermore, the constituent elements in the embodiments of the present invention described above can be appropriately replaced with existing constituent elements, and various variations including combinations with other existing constituent elements are possible. The description of the embodiment of the present invention is not intended to limit the content of the invention described in the claims.

1 Color printer (image forming device)
2 apparatus main body 13 image forming unit 45 waste toner container 51a recovery port 65 seal 65a waste port 66 shutter 67 coil spring (elastic member)
68 Shutter moving mechanism 70 Engagement part 73 Container support part 74 Engagement part 75 Energizing mechanism 76 Release mechanism 80 Contact part 81 Torsion coil spring (spring)
90 Lever 91 Cam part P1 Release position P2 Fixed position

Claims (4)

A waste toner container that is detachably attached to the apparatus main body and contains waste toner discharged from an image forming unit that forms an image with toner;
A seal having a waste port that is in close contact with the recovery port formed in the waste toner container and communicated with the recovery port;
When the waste toner container is attached to the apparatus main body, the waste outlet is opened to allow the waste outlet and the recovery port to communicate with each other. A shutter for closing the waste outlet when the toner container is removed;
An elastic member that urges the waste toner container in a direction to leave the apparatus main body via the shutter;
A shutter moving mechanism that moves the shutter in a direction orthogonal to the direction of attaching and detaching the waste toner container,
The shutter has an engaging portion that can be engaged with an engaged portion formed on the seal,
The shutter moving mechanism moves the shutter to a fixed position where the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion when the waste toner container is attached to the apparatus main body, and the waste toner container is attached. An image forming apparatus that, when released, moves the shutter to a release position that releases the engagement between the engaged portion and the engaging portion. The shutter moving mechanism is
An urging mechanism for urging the shutter toward the fixed position in conjunction with an operation of mounting the waste toner container on the apparatus main body;
A release mechanism that moves the shutter toward the release position in conjunction with an operation of detaching the waste toner container from the apparatus main body against an urging force of the urging mechanism. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The shutter has a container support for supporting the waste toner container,
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the urging mechanism urges the waste toner container upward via the container support portion to closely contact the recovery port with the seal. The biasing mechanism is
A contact portion that is rotatably provided in the apparatus main body and is capable of contacting the lower surface of the shutter;
A spring that biases the contact portion to rotate upward,
The release mechanism is
A lever operated when the waste toner container is detached from the apparatus main body;
A cam portion that interferes with the contact portion in conjunction with the operation of the lever and rotates the contact portion downward against the biasing force of the spring. The image forming apparatus according to 2 or 3.

Images