JP6119319B2 - Toner storage container, toner supply system, and process cartridge used in the toner supply system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a toner storage container, a toner supply system, and a process cartridge used in the toner supply system.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a toner storage container used for manually filling toner in a refill target container such as an image forming toner container and an image forming process cartridge is known.

  For example, the user can fill the refill target container with toner by inserting a funnel into the toner supply port of the refill target container, and using the funnel to discharge the toner discharged from the refill toner container into the toner supply port. What is poured is known. In this filling operation, toner scattering cannot be avoided unless the filling operation is performed carefully and slowly.

  In addition, a toner scattering preventing member is provided at the toner replenishing port of the container to be refilled, a discharge cylinder is provided at the front end opening of the toner storage container, and the tip of the discharge cylinder is inserted into the toner replenishing port to perform toner filling operation A replenishment system is also known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  According to the one disclosed in Patent Document 1, in the filling operation after the tip of the discharge cylinder of the toner storage container is inserted into the toner supply port, the filling operation is performed quickly to prevent toner scattering. Can do.

  However, even in the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, in the work process from the removal of the cap (lid member) at the front end of the discharge cylinder of the toner storage container from the front end to insertion into the toner supply port, the toner can be refilled. There is a risk of spilling and toner scattering.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a toner storage container, a toner replenishment system, and a process cartridge used for the toner replenishment system capable of performing toner filling speedily while preventing toner scattering. The purpose is to provide.

The toner storage container according to the present invention is filled with a toner storage portion for storing toner, a connecting cylinder portion connected to the toner storage portion and integral with the toner storage portion, and the toner stored in the toner storage portion. An insertion tube portion to be inserted into the toner replenishing port, and the insertion tube portion and the connection tube portion are coupled to guide the toner in the toner storage portion from the connection tube portion toward the insertion tube portion. A foldable toner guide tube portion, the toner guide tube portion having a guide opening having a square cross section, and the toner guide tube portion relative to the insertion tube portion. The throttle valve is folded by twisting in one direction to form a throttle valve in the guide opening so that the guide opening is closed, and the throttle valve disappears by twisting in the direction opposite to the one direction. The guide opening is opened Urchin, wherein the folds are formed.

  According to the present invention, in the work process from immediately before entering the toner filling work to the end of the toner filling work, the toner filling work can be quickly performed while preventing the toner from being scattered.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the toner container according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is a plan view showing a state before the toner guide tube portion is folded. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the toner container according to the present invention, and is a plan view showing a state in which the toner guide tube portion is folded. 3 is a layer film configuration diagram showing an example of a composite film material constituting the toner storage portion shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a layer film configuration diagram of the transparent member shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing various examples of the shape of the toner storage portion shown in FIG. 1, and is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the toner storage portion having a flat bottom. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing various examples of the shape of the toner storage portion shown in FIG. 1, and is a side view showing an example of a toner storage portion whose bottom is hemispherical. FIG. 7 is a layer film configuration diagram showing an example of a composite material constituting the toner guide cylinder portion shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a layer film configuration diagram showing another example of a composite material constituting the toner guide cylinder portion shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a plan view of a toner discharge cylinder in which a throttle valve composed of a triangular body having a regular polygon as a vertex with the center of the regular polygon as a vertex is formed in a toner guide cylinder having a square guide opening. It is. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the toner discharge cylinder showing a state where the throttle valve of the toner guide cylinder shown in FIG. 9 is disappearing. FIG. 11 is an explanatory view for explaining an example of a method for producing the toner discharge cylinder shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and shows a development view in which the toner discharge cylinder having a square cross section is developed. FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing a toner discharge cylinder in the process of preparation. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in the middle of folding the toner guide cylinder part by twisting the toner guide cylinder part shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a state in which the toner guide tube portion shown in FIG. 2 is folded and pushed into the insertion tube portion. FIG. 15 is an explanatory view showing a state where the insertion tube portion of the toner storage container shown in FIG. 2 is inserted into the toner supply port of the refill target container. FIG. 16 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the toner guide cylinder shown in FIG. FIG. 17 is an explanatory view showing a modified example of the toner storage container, and is a perspective view of the toner storage container in which the hexagonal toner discharge cylinder and the hexagonal toner storage section have the same cross-sectional shape. FIG. 18 is a partial view showing a state in which the insertion tube portion of the toner storage container and the toner storage portion are connected and fixed by a tape as a blocking member. FIG. 19 shows an engagement protrusion as a blocking member formed in the toner storage portion of the toner storage container, and an engagement hole as a blocking member is formed in the insertion tube portion to connect the toner storage portion and the insertion tube portion. It is a fragmentary figure which shows the state fixed by doing. 20 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the insertion tube portion shown in FIG. 19 is pushed into and engaged with the front end opening of the toner storage portion shown in FIG. FIG. 21 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a state where the connection between the insertion tube portion and the toner storage portion illustrated in FIG. 19 is released. FIG. 22 is a partial view showing an example in which a cap member for closing the opening is provided in the toner storage portion. FIG. 23 is an explanatory view showing a state in which a refill toner storage container for storing toner of different colors is connected by forming a connecting portion on the flange portion formed on the cap member shown in FIG. FIG. 24 is an explanatory view showing another example of a configuration in which the toner guide cylinder portion is pushed into the tip opening portion of the toner storage portion. FIG. 25 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state before the insertion tube portion, the tip opening portion, and the toner guide tube portion shown in FIG. 24 are pushed in. 26 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state where the toner guide tube portion shown in FIG. 24 is pushed into the annular portion shown in FIG. 27 is an explanatory view showing a cross-sectional shape of the insertion tube portion and the tip opening portion shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 26, (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 26, (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. Sectional drawing which follows the EE line | wire is shown. FIG. 28 is an explanatory view for explaining the toner storage container according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and shows an external view of the refill toner storage container constituted by the connecting body of the toner discharge cylinder. FIG. 29 is an explanatory view of the toner replenishing system according to the present invention, in which an annular fitting portion for retaining is formed at the toner replenishing port of the refill target container, and the inserting tube portion is fitted into the annular fitting portion. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the state which formed the nail | claw and fitted this engagement nail | claw to the annular fitting part. FIG. 30 is a partial view showing a modification of the engaging claw portion shown in FIG. FIG. 31 is a partial view showing a toner replenishing port having a fitting groove for preventing rotation. FIG. 32 is a partial view showing a fitting protrusion that engages with the fitting groove shown in FIG. FIG. 33 is an explanatory view for explaining the positional relationship between a pair of fitting grooves formed in the toner replenishing port. FIG. 33 (a) shows the positional relationship between a pair of fitting grooves corresponding to the black toner replenishing port. (B) shows the arrangement relationship of a pair of fitting grooves corresponding to the toner supply ports filled with magenta toner, and (c) shows a pair of fittings corresponding to the toner supply ports filled with yellow toner. (D) shows the arrangement relationship of a pair of fitting grooves corresponding to the toner supply port filled with cyan toner.

Example 1
Embodiments of a toner container, a toner supply system, and a process cartridge used in the toner supply system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
1 and 2 are plan views of the toner container according to the present invention.

  In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a tube-like toner storage portion for storing toner, and reference numeral 2 denotes a toner discharge cylinder. In the toner storage portion 1, toner 4 for refilling is stored. The toner storage unit 1 is made of a flexible material having an appropriate stiffness. For example, a composite film material 1a shown in FIG.

The composite film material 1a includes, for example, a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film having a thickness of 12 μm, an aluminum (Al) film having a thickness of 7 μm, a nylon (Ny) film having a thickness of 15 μm, and a polypropylene (CPP) film having a thickness of 60 μm. It is configured.
Here, the Al film is provided as an intermediate layer, so that even when a small-capacity toner container for refilling is stored in a place exposed to direct sunlight, quality deterioration due to solidification and aggregation of toner can be prevented. Because.

In the first exemplary embodiment, at least a part of the toner storage unit 1 is configured by the transparent member 1a '. The transparent member 1a ′ is made of, for example, a plastic material made of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film having a thickness of 12 μm, a nylon (Ny) film having a thickness of 15 μm, and a polypropylene (CPP) film having a thickness of 60 μm as shown in FIG. .

Here, the transparent window 3 is formed in the toner storage portion 1 by this plastic material. The transparent window 3 is configured to extend long toward the toner discharge cylinder 2. The refill toner container can check the remaining amount of toner 4 in the toner container 1 through the transparent window 3 when refilling.

The toner discharge cylinder 2 includes a connection cylinder part 5, an insertion cylinder part 6, and a toner guide cylinder part 7. The connecting cylinder portion 5 is formed integrally with the tip opening 8 of the toner storage portion 1.
The tip opening 8 is made of a plastic material such as ABS resin, polystyrene (PS) resin, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or the like.

Various shapes can be considered for the shape of the toner storage portion 1 of the toner storage container. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the toner storage unit 1 has a cylindrical shape and the bottom 9 is a vertical type, and as shown in FIG. 6, the toner storage unit 1 has a square cross section (for example, a hexagonal shape). The bottom 9 may be a hemispherical horizontal type.
When the toner storage container is of a horizontal type, it is possible to prevent the toner 4 existing at the bottom portion 9 from aggregating and solidifying.

  The insertion tube portion 6 is inserted into a toner supply port of a refill target container (described later) having a toner supply port. The refill target container is filled with the toner 4 stored in the toner storage unit 1 via the toner discharge cylinder 2.

The toner guide tube portion 7 is foldable to connect the insertion tube portion 6 and the connection tube portion 5 to guide the toner 4 stored in the toner storage portion 1 from the connection tube portion 5 toward the insertion tube portion 6. It is made of a material having excellent flexibility. The toner guide cylinder portion 7 is made of, for example, a vinyl material, but may be made of a rubber material.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the toner guide tube portion 7 is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) having a thickness of 12 μm, nylon (Ny) having a thickness of 12 μm, unstretched polypropylene (CPP) having a thickness of 60 μm, and non-woven fabric. The composite material 1a ″ may be used. A porous material such as a sponge may be used instead of the nonwoven fabric.

  Further, as shown in Fig. 8, a composite material 1a "in which a plastic tape is attached as a reinforcing material to a copy sheet (Hammer Mill ForMP) to achieve both proper stiffness and resistance to tearing may be used. A configuration may be adopted in which a non-woven fabric is attached to the inner peripheral side of the cylindrical portion 7 to improve the sealing performance of the toner guiding cylindrical portion 7.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the toner guide cylinder portion 7 has a guide opening 10 having a square shape with a cross section of a square or more. Here, the guide opening 10 has a regular polygonal cross section. FIG. 9 shows a toner guide cylinder portion 7 having a square guide opening 10 as an example.

  The toner guide cylinder 7 is folded by twisting the connection cylinder 5 relative to the insertion cylinder 6 in one direction, and the guide opening 10 has an apex angle θ ′ as shown in FIG. A triangular body 11a having the same number as the number (the same number as the number of sides connecting the vertexes of the polygon), the center O of the regular polygon being the vertex, and the sides 7a constituting the regular polygon being the base. The throttle valve 11 is formed so that the guide opening 10 is closed, and the throttle valve 11 disappears by twisting in the direction opposite to the one direction, and the throttle exists at the center O of the throttle valve 11 shown in FIG. A fold line 12 (see FIG. 1) is formed so that the hole 10a is opened.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a square toner guide tube portion 7. However, it is not limited to a square. In the toner guide cylinder portion 7 having a guide opening 10 having an N-shaped cross section (N is a positive integer), the twist angle required for switching the opening and closing of the toner guide cylinder portion 7 is 180- (360 / N) degrees. Become.
Specifically, the opening and closing can be switched by twisting 90 degrees for a square, 120 degrees for a hexagon, and 135 degrees for an octagon.
The square has a smaller twisting angle required for switching between opening and closing, but the hexagonal and octagonal forms have less resistance to twisting compared to the square and can be folded smoothly. There is.
From the viewpoint of a small twist angle and the smoothness of folding, it is preferable to use a pentagon to an octagon.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a method of creating the toner discharge cylinder 2 and shows a development view in which the toner discharge cylinder 2 having a square cross section is developed for convenience of description.
Here, the connecting cylinder part 5 and the insertion cylinder part 6 are described as both having a square cross-sectional shape, but only the toner guide cylinder part 7 may have a square cross-sectional shape.

The toner guide cylinder portion 7 has the same number of rectangular surfaces 7c as the number of square (regular tetragonal) sides 7a connecting the apex angles with the apex angles in the unfolded state. The long side 7b constituting the rectangular surface 7c forms a mountain fold line 7b '(fold line 12) when the toner guide tube portion 7 is folded and twisted.

In addition, a valley fold line 7d ′ (fold 12) is formed when the toner guide cylinder portion 7 is folded and twisted by the diagonal line 7d of the rectangular surface 7c. Reference numeral 7e is a margin attached to the long side 7b and is drawn for convenience of explanation, but this margin 7e is not essential.
For example, the toner guide cylinder portion 7 can be formed in a polygonal shape with the cross-section closed by a molding method such as blow molding, and therefore the paste margin 7e is not necessarily required.

When the angle θ in the unfolded state between the mountain fold line 7b ′ (long side 7b) and the valley fold line 7d ′ (diagonal line 7d) is defined as the fold angle, the fold angle θ is slightly smaller than θ = 45 degrees. It is desirable to do.
For example, when forming the square toner guide cylinder 7, the folding angle θ is preferably slightly smaller than 45 degrees and larger than the folding angle θ = 36 degrees when forming the regular pentagonal toner guide cylinder 7. Further, when the regular pentagonal toner guide cylinder part 7 is configured, the folding angle θ is preferably smaller than 36 degrees and larger than the folding angle 30 degrees when the regular hexagonal toner guide cylinder part 7 is configured.
Thus, it is desirable that the folding angle θ is smaller than the folding angle of the regular polygon constituting the folding angle θ and larger than the folding angle of the regular polygon one larger than the regular polygon. The reason will be described later.

The paste margin 7e is pasted on the rectangular surface 7c to be pasted on the long side 7b integral with the paste margin 7e as shown by a broken line 7e '. Then, each rectangular surface 7c is bent every 90 degrees with the long side 7b as a boundary, whereby the toner discharge cylinder 2 having the guide opening 10 having a square cross section is formed as shown in FIG.

Further, the fold line 12 of the toner guide tube portion 7 is formed with respect to the connecting tube portion 5 and the plug-in tube portion 6 by being bent 90 degrees with the side 7 a as a boundary and with each rectangular surface 7 c as a boundary.
Next, the fold line 12 is formed by folding each rectangular surface 7c in a direction in which the triangular surface formed with the valley fold line 7d ′ as a boundary approaches.
As shown in FIG. 13, the connecting tube portion 5 and the plug-in tube portion 6 of the square toner discharge tube 2 in which the folds 12 are formed are rotated in opposite directions (relatively), thereby the toner guide tube portion 7. Add a twist.

Then, as shown in FIG. 14, the toner guide tube portion 7 is twisted to push one of the connecting tube portion 5 and the insertion tube portion 6 into the other state with the throttle valve 11 shown in FIG. 9 formed. The toner guide cylinder 7 is bent.

  The folding angle θ of the toner guide cylinder portion 7 having a square cross section is slightly smaller than 45 degrees. Accordingly, the bending amount when the triangular surface formed with the diagonal line 7d as a boundary is folded and twisted is made larger than the bending amount when the square toner guide cylinder portion 7 is formed with the folding angle θ = 45 degrees. be able to. Thereby, the sealing performance of the guide opening 10 by the throttle valve 11 can be improved.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the toner storage container has the insertion tube portion 6 of the toner discharge tube 2 in a state where the toner guide tube portion 7 is twisted and the guide opening 10 is closed by the throttle valve 11. It is inserted into the toner supply port 15a of the refill target container 15 constituting a part of the developing device. Next, as shown in FIG. 16, the connection tube portion 5 is rotated relative to the insertion tube portion 6 in a direction in which the twist of the toner guide tube portion 7 is released.

  As a result, the throttle valve 11 closing the guide opening 10 disappears, and the toner 4 stored in the toner storage unit 1 is filled into the refill target container 15 via the toner discharge cylinder 2. The refill target container 15 may be formed in a process cartridge integrally including a developing device and a photosensitive member.

  According to this toner storage container, it is possible to perform the filling operation of the toner 4 by opening the throttle valve 11 after inserting the insertion tube portion 6 into the toner supply port 15a. Accordingly, the toner filling operation can be performed while preventing the toner from being scattered in the work process from immediately before the toner filling operation to the end of the toner filling operation.

Further, since the twist of the toner guide cylinder portion 7 can be eliminated at an angle smaller than 180 degrees (the toner guide cylinder portion 7 is not more than half a rotation), the toner refilling operation can be performed quickly.
Further, since the toner guide cylinder portion 7 is twisted and bent, the toner sealing by the throttle valve 11 can be further improved.

(Modification 1)
In this example, as shown in FIG. 17, the cross-sectional shape of the toner storage section 1 having a hexagonal cross section and the cross-sectional shape of the toner discharge cylinder 2 having a hexagonal cross section are the same size.
With this configuration, the toner 4 stored in the toner storage unit 1 can be smoothly filled into the refill target container 15.

(Modification 2)
In this example, as shown in FIG. 18, a tape 16 is provided between the plug-in cylinder portion 6 and the toner storage portion 1 as a blocking member that prevents the twisting of the toner guide cylinder portion 7 from being released. In this example, the insertion tube portion 6 and the toner storage portion 1 are fixed by the tape 16, the insertion tube portion 6 is inserted into the toner supply port 15 a, the tape 16 is peeled off, and the toner guide tube portion 7 The twist is released.

With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the twisting due to vibration during transportation of the toner container. Further, it is possible to prevent the user from inadvertently releasing the twist of the toner guide cylinder portion 7.

(Modification 3)
In this example, as shown in FIGS. 19 to 21, the toner guide cylinder 7 is pushed between the tip opening 8 and the insertion cylinder 6 of the toner storage unit 1. An engagement protrusion 17 is formed in the toner storage portion 1. A section 18 extending toward the toner storage portion 1 is formed in the insertion tube portion 6.

The section 18 is formed with an engagement hole 19 that engages with the engagement protrusion 17. In this way, a blocking member that prevents the twist from being released by engaging the engagement protrusion 17 with the engagement hole 19 may be configured. In this example, the connecting tube portion 5 is configured integrally with the tip opening 8.

(Modification 4)
In this example, as shown in FIG. 22, a cap member 21 that closes the opening 10 of the insertion tube portion 6 that is inserted into the toner supply port 15 a is provided.
In this case, if the push-in protrusion 22 for pushing the toner guide cylinder 7 into the toner storage part 1 is formed in a state where the toner guide cylinder 7 is twisted on the cap member 21 and the throttle valve 11 is formed, strong vibration is applied. It is desirable that the toner does not leak.
As shown in FIG. 22, it is desirable for the pushing protrusion 22 to press the intermediate portion between the central portion and the outer peripheral portion rather than the center and the outer peripheral portion of the toner guide cylinder portion 7 in order to seal the guide opening 10.
If the central portion 11 is pushed in while the throttle valve 11 is formed in the toner guide cylinder portion 7, the toner may easily leak, and the throttle valve 11 is formed in the toner guide cylinder portion 7. When the outer periphery is pushed in, the pushing effect is small.
When folding, the gap is likely to be created because the triangular portion of the toner guide cylinder 7 is pushed into the middle part between the central part and the outer peripheral part so that strong vibrations are applied to the toner storage container during transportation. However, toner leakage can be prevented.

  Further, the cap member 21 may be provided with a polygonal pick flange portion 22 ′. Here, the knob flange portion 22 'has a hexagonal shape. The outer diameter of the knob flange member 22 ′ is formed larger than the outer diameter of the toner storage unit 1. This prevents the refill toner storage container from rolling.

As shown in FIG. 23, a connecting portion 22a to which a cap member 21 of a refilling toner storage container having a toner storage portion 1 for storing different colors of toner is connected is provided on the pick flange portion 22 'of the cap member 21. Each knob flange 22 may be formed.
Such a connecting part 22a is constituted by a key-shaped hole and a hook-shaped tooth. If comprised in this way, management of the refilling toner storage container of a mutually different color will become easy.

As shown in FIG. 22, the cap member 21 may be configured to be screwed by forming a screw portion 22 ″ at the connection end portion (tip opening portion 8) 5 of the toner storage portion 1.
As described above, when the cap member 21 is screwed to the storage end portion of the toner storage portion 1, unintentional twisting of the toner guide cylinder portion 7 can be prevented from being released during transportation.
Further, it is desirable that the screwing direction of the cap member 21 is the same as the twisting direction in which the guide opening 10 is closed by the toner guide cylinder portion 7.

(Modification 5)
In this example, as shown in FIGS. 24 and 27A, the outer peripheral surface of the insertion tube portion 6 is circular, and a hexagonal opening 6 a is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the insertion tube portion 6. . The insertion tube portion 6 has a hexagonal shape on the side connected to the hexagonal toner guide tube portion 7, and a hexagonal end portion 6b is formed on the insertion tube portion 6 as shown in FIG. Has been. One end of the toner guide cylinder 7 is connected to the hexagonal end 6b.

  The outer shape of the toner storage unit 1 is a hexagonal shape as shown in FIG. A hexagonal inner peripheral surface is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the tip opening 8 as shown in FIG. Thereby, the other end side of the connection cylinder part 5 and the front-end | tip opening part 8 of the toner storage part 1 are connected and integrated. In other words, in this example, the tip opening 8 serves as the connecting cylinder 5. A circular annular portion 23 into which the insertion tube portion 6 is fitted is formed in the tip opening portion 8 as shown in FIG.

With this configuration, when the toner guide cylinder 7 shown in FIGS. 24 and 25 is twisted to form the throttle valve 11 as shown in FIG. 26, the insertion cylinder 6 is pushed into the annular part 23 to form the toner guide. The cylindrical portion 7 can be folded and bent. Further, since the insertion tube portion 6 is pushed into the annular portion 23, it is possible to prevent the twist of the toner guide tube portion 7 from being released due to vibration during transportation.

The insertion tube 6 has a length that protrudes about 5 mm from the tip opening 8 in a state where the toner guide tube 7 is pushed into the tip opening 8 of the toner storage unit 1. The protruding length is preferably 3 mm to 7 mm.

  If the protrusion length is 3 mm or less, even if the insertion cylinder portion 6 is inserted into the toner supply port 15a and the twist is released to refill the toner 4, the twist release operation is performed quickly. There is an inconvenience that it is difficult. Further, there is a disadvantage that the insertion tube portion 6 is easily detached from the toner supply port 15a.

  On the other hand, if the protruding length is 7 mm or more, the user can easily pick the insertion tube portion 6, which may be twisted carelessly, which is preferable from the viewpoint of toner scattering. Absent. For these reasons, it is desirable that the protruding length be between 3 mm and 7 mm.

(Example 2)
FIG. 28 is a perspective view for explaining Example 2 of the toner container according to the present invention.
The toner storage container includes an insertion tube portion 6 to be inserted into the toner supply port 15a of the refill target container 15 filled with the toner 4, a toner storage portion 1 ′ for storing the toner 4, the insertion tube portion 6 and the toner. The storage unit 1 ′ is connected to the toner storage unit 1 ′, and the toner storage unit 1 ′ includes a foldable toner guide tube unit 7 ′ that guides the refilled toner 4 toward the insertion tube unit 6.
The toner storage portion 1 ′ is provided with an adjacent toner storage portion 1 ″ adjacent to the toner storage portion 1 ′. The adjacent toner storage portion 1 ″ and the toner storage portion 1 ′ are adjacent to the toner storage portion 1 ′. The toner 4 stored in 1 ″ is connected by a toner guide cylinder 7 ″ for guiding the toner 4 stored in the 1 ″ toward the insertion cylinder 6 through the toner storage 1 ′.

  Each of the toner guide cylinders 7 ′ and 7 ″ has a square or more rectangular guide opening 10. The toner guide cylinders 7 ′ and 7 ″ are twisted in one direction. As a result, the throttle valve 11 is formed in the guide opening 10 by the triangular opening 11a having the same number as the number of apex angles of the polygon (the same number as the number of sides connecting the apexes). The fold line 12 is formed so that the throttle valve 11 disappears and the guide opening 10 is opened by twisting in a direction opposite to one direction.

  For such a toner storage container, for example, a plurality of toner discharge cylinders 2 shown in FIG. 14 are prepared, and the insertion cylinder part 6 of each toner discharge cylinder 2 adjacent to the connection cylinder part 5 of each toner discharge cylinder 2 is inserted. By connecting the toner discharge cylinders 2 to each other, the toner storage portions 1 ′, 1 ″ can be formed.

(Example 3)
In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 29, an annular fitting portion 15 b for preventing removal is formed at the toner supply port 15 a of the refill target container 15.
The insertion tube portion 6 is formed with a pair of engaging claws 6f and 6f that engage with the annular fitting portion 15b when the insertion tube portion 6 is inserted into the toner supply port 15a.

According to this refilling toner replenishment system, the insertion tube portion 6 is prevented from coming off from the toner replenishment port 15a, and the insertion tube portion 6 is prevented from being accidentally dropped from the toner supply port 15a during the filling operation. it can.

(Modification 1)
In this example, as shown in FIG. 30, the insertion tube portion 6 is cut, and the pair of engaging claws 6f and 6f are bent in the engaging direction and the disengaging direction with respect to the annular fitting portion 15b. It is the structure which consists of a possible flexible member.

(Modification 2)
In this example, as shown in FIG. 31, a non-rotating fitting groove 15a ′ is formed in the toner supply port 15a of the refill target container 15. The outer shape of the plug-in cylinder portion 6 is circular. As shown in FIG. 32, the circular insertion tube portion 6 is formed with a fitting protrusion 6g that engages with the fitting groove 15a 'when the insertion tube portion 6 is inserted into the toner supply port 15a. Yes.

With this configuration, when the outer shape of the insertion tube portion 6 is circular, the insertion tube portion 6 is twisted when the insertion tube portion 6 is inserted into the toner supply port 15a and the toner guide tube portion 7 is twisted. Rotation in the direction is prevented. In addition, if the outer shape of the plug-in cylinder portion 6 is a hexagon (a pentagon or more polygon), rotation in the twisting direction is supplementarily prevented.

(Modification 3)
In this example, a pair of fitting grooves 15a ′ are formed in the toner replenishing port 15a of the refill target container 15 as shown in FIGS. 33 (a) to 33 (d). The positional relationship between the pair of fitting grooves 15a ′ is made different corresponding to each color of toner.

Further, in the refill toner storage container, a pair of engaging protrusions 6g are formed in the insertion tube portion 6 corresponding to the pair of fitting grooves 15a ′ for each color toner.
With this configuration, it is possible to prevent erroneous mounting of the refill toner storage container in which the color different from the color to be filled in the refill target container 15 is stored in the refill target container 15.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Toner storage part 4 ... Toner 5 ... Connection cylinder part 6 ... Insertion cylinder part 7 ... Toner guide cylinder part 10 ... Guide opening 11 ... Diaphragm valve 12 ... Crease

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-261529

Claims (17)

A toner storage portion for storing toner, a connecting tube portion connected to the toner storage portion and integral with the toner storage portion, an insertion tube portion inserted into a toner supply port filled with toner in the toner storage portion, A foldable toner guide cylinder part that connects the insertion cylinder part and the connection cylinder part to guide the toner in the toner storage part from the connection cylinder part toward the insertion cylinder part;
The toner guide tube portion has a guide opening having a square cross section, and the toner guide tube portion is folded by twisting the connecting tube portion relative to the insertion tube portion in one direction. A crease is formed so that a throttle valve is formed in the guide opening so that the guide opening is closed and twisted in a direction opposite to the one direction so that the throttle valve disappears and the guide opening is opened. A toner container which is formed. The toner guide tube portion has a regular polygonal shape that is equal to or more than a regular square, and the toner guide tube portion has a rectangular surface that is the same as the number of sides that connect the vertices of the regular polygon shape in a developed state. A long fold line is formed when the toner guide tube portion is folded and twisted by the long side constituting the rectangular surface, and a trough fold line is formed when the guide tube portion is folded and twisted by the diagonal line of the rectangular surface. is formed, said when defining the angle folding angle mountain fold line and in the expanded state of the valley fold lines,該折Ri folded angle, said regular polygon folding one than small positive polygonal than the angle The toner storage container according to claim 1, wherein the toner storage container is larger than a large regular polygonal folding angle.   The toner guide tube portion is bent by twisting the toner guide tube portion and pushing one of the connecting tube portion and the insertion tube portion into the other in a state where the throttle valve is formed. The toner container according to claim 2, wherein the toner container is a toner container.   4. The throttle valve formed in the guide opening is configured by superimposing triangles equal in number to the sides connecting the apexes of the polygon. The toner storage container according to claim 1.   5. The blocking member for preventing twist release of the toner guide tube portion is provided between the insertion tube portion and the toner storage portion. 6. The toner container described in 1.   The toner guide tube portion is pushed between the insertion tube portion and the toner storage portion, an engagement protrusion is formed in the toner storage portion, and the insertion tube portion faces the toner storage portion. A section extending is formed in the section, and an engagement hole is formed in the section. The engagement protrusion engages with the engagement hole to prevent the twist from being released. The toner storage container according to claim 5, wherein the toner storage container is a toner storage container.   The toner storage container according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the toner storage portion is formed of a transparent member.   8. The toner storage container according to claim 1, further comprising a cap member that closes an opening of the insertion tube portion to be inserted into the toner supply port. 9.   A cap member for closing the insertion tube portion to be inserted into the toner supply port, and the toner guide tube portion is stored in the cap member in a state in which the throttle guide is formed by twisting the toner guide tube portion; The toner storage container according to claim 1, further comprising a push-in protrusion that is pushed into the portion. The cap member has a polygonal pick flange portion, and the cap member is formed with a connecting portion to which a cap member of a toner storage container used for a toner storage portion storing different color toner is connected. DOO toner container according to claim 8, characterized in that. DOO toner container according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the cap member is screwed to the toner accommodating portion.   An outer peripheral surface of the insertion tube portion is circular, and an annular portion in which the insertion tube portion is fitted is formed in a connection tube portion of the toner storage portion, and the throttle valve is twisted by twisting the toner guide tube portion. 2. The toner storage container according to claim 1, wherein the toner guide tube portion is bent by the insertion tube portion being pushed into the annular portion when forming. 3.   The toner replenishing port according to claim 1 is formed with a fitting portion for retaining, and the insertion tube portion according to claim 1 is inserted into the toner replenishing port when the insertion tube portion is inserted into the toner replenishing port. A toner replenishing system, wherein a pair of engaging claws that engage with the fitting portion are formed to prevent the insertion tube portion from coming off from the toner replenishing port.   The toner replenishing system according to claim 13, wherein the pair of engaging claws are made of a flexible member that can bend in a direction in which the engaging claw is engaged with the fitting portion and a direction in which the engagement is released. A fitting groove for preventing rotation is formed in the toner replenishing port according to claim 1, and a fitting that engages with the fitting groove when the insertion tube portion according to claim 1 is inserted into the toner replenishing port. A mating projection is formed to prevent the insertion cylinder from rotating in the twisting direction when the insertion cylinder is inserted into the toner supply port and the toner guide cylinder according to claim 1 is twisted. Toner replenishment system characterized by the above. At least a pair of the fitting grooves are formed, each fitting projection is formed corresponding to the pair of fitting grooves, and the positional relationship of at least the pair of fitting grooves is different corresponding to the color of the toner, 16. The toner replenishing system according to claim 15, wherein the toner replenishing system is prevented from being erroneously attached to the toner replenishing port, in which a color different from a color to be filled in the toner replenishing port is stored. 17. A process cartridge used in the toner replenishing system according to claim 13 and comprising at least a toner replenishing port , a photoreceptor, and a developing device.