JP6558320B2 - Developer container and image forming apparatus including the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a developer container and an image forming apparatus including the developer container.

  The image forming apparatus includes a developer container that stores toner to be supplied to the developing device.

  For example, the developer container described in Patent Document 1 includes a stirring member that stirs the developer stored in the casing. An inward bulging portion is formed on the side wall of the casing. The stirring member has a flat (rectangular) blade fixed to the rotating shaft. The blades rotate around the rotation shaft and scrape off the developer adhering to the inner wall surface of the casing. This blade has a plurality of slits and a plurality of windows for reducing the noise of rubbing sound and playing sound.

JP 2011-186198 A

  In the developer container described in Patent Document 1, the blades are separated into a plurality of pieces by a plurality of slits. Abnormal noise is reduced by shifting the timing of bringing the plurality of pieces into contact with the inner wall surface of the casing. However, the plurality of pieces may contact the inner wall surface of the casing substantially simultaneously. At this time, a loud playing sound is generated. In addition, when the blades separated by the slits are twisted, there is a possibility that the developer attached to the inner wall surface of the casing cannot be scraped off.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a developer container that suppresses the generation of abnormal noise while ensuring proper stirring of the developer, and an image forming apparatus including the developer container.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the developer container of the present invention includes a container main body that accommodates the developer, and a stirring member that stirs the developer inside the container main body, and the stirring member includes the container A rotating shaft rotatably supported by the main body, a stirring blade extending radially outward from the rotating shaft, extending radially outward from the rotating shaft, and the stirring blade extending from the rotating shaft to the rotating shaft; A support member supported from the upstream side in the rotation direction, and the stirring blade is formed longer than a distance from the rotation shaft to the inner surface of the container body, and the support member is formed from the rotation shaft to the container body. It is formed shorter than the distance to the inner surface, and the length of the support member in the radial direction is set so as to be non-uniform over the axial direction of the rotary shaft.

  In this case, the stirring blade and the support member are formed of a flexible film, and the support member is in contact with the upstream side in the rotation direction of the stirring blade or upstream from the stirring blade in the rotation direction. It is preferable that the rotary shaft is provided in a state slightly separated from the side.

  In this case, the support member is preferably formed by overlapping a plurality of the films.

  In this case, the stirring blade is formed of a flexible film, the support member is integrally formed in a thick plate shape on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft, and the support member is rotated in the rotation direction of the stirring blade. It is preferable that the rotary shaft is provided in a state where it is in contact with the upstream side, or in a state where it is slightly separated from the stirring blade toward the upstream side in the rotational direction.

  In this case, it is preferable that the support member has higher bending rigidity than the stirring blade.

  In this case, the stirring blade has a plurality of slits that are cut from the tip toward the rotating shaft at intervals in the axial direction, and the tip of the support member is recessed or recessed through a plurality of steps. It is formed in a convex shape, the step is formed in accordance with the position of the slit, and the support member is integrally formed by connecting a plurality of support surface portions in the axial direction via the step, and the plurality of support It is preferable that the front end portion of the surface portion is formed in parallel with the rotation axis.

  In this case, it is preferable that the front-end | tip part of the said supporting member is formed in the step shape which inclines from the radial direction outer side to an inner side toward the other from the said axial direction.

  In this case, it is preferable that the front-end | tip part of the said supporting member is formed in the step shape which inclines from the radial direction inner side to an outer side toward the both sides from the said axial direction center.

  In this case, it is preferable that the front end portion of the support member is formed in a comb-like shape by alternately continuing concave portions and convex portions.

  In this case, it is preferable that at least one slit is formed at a position corresponding to the step and between the adjacent steps.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus of the present invention includes any one of the developer containers described above.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress abnormal noise generated during scraping of the developer while ensuring proper stirring of the developer.

1 is a front view schematically showing an internal structure of a color printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a toner container and a mounting portion according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a toner container according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is IV-IV sectional drawing of FIG. It is VV sectional drawing of FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing a stirring member of the toner container according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state of a stirring member of the toner container according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a toner container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view which shows typically the stirring member of the toner container which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows typically the stirring member of the toner container which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows typically the stirring member of the toner container which concerns on 5th Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a toner container according to a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a toner container according to another modification of the first embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, explanation will be made with reference to the directions shown in the drawings.

  With reference to FIG. 1, the overall configuration of a color printer 1 as an example of an image forming apparatus will be described. FIG. 1 is a front view schematically showing the internal structure of the color printer 1.

  The color printer 1 includes an apparatus main body 2 formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. A paper feed cassette 3 is detachably provided at the lower portion of the apparatus main body 2. A paper discharge tray 4 is provided on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 2.

  The color printer 1 includes a paper feeding unit 5, an image forming unit 6, and a fixing device 7 inside the apparatus main body 2. The paper feed unit 5 sends out the sheet S in the paper feed cassette 3 toward a conveyance path 8 extending from the paper feed cassette 3 to the paper discharge tray 4. The image forming unit 6 is provided in an intermediate portion of the conveyance path 8. The fixing device 7 is provided on the downstream side of the conveyance path 8. The sheet S is not limited to paper and includes a resin film.

  The image forming unit 6 includes four toner containers 10K, 10C, 10M, and 10Y, an intermediate transfer belt 11, four drum units 12, and an optical scanning device 13. The intermediate transfer belt 11 is disposed below each toner container 10. The four drum units 12 are disposed below the intermediate transfer belt 11. The optical scanning device 13 is disposed below each drum unit 12.

  Four toner containers 10K, 10C, 10M, and 10Y as an example of a developer container are provided with toner (developer) of four colors (black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y)). Contained. The toner may be a one-component developer made of a magnetic toner or a two-component developer containing a toner and a carrier. In the following description, in the description common to the four toner containers 10K, 10C, 10M, and 10Y, only arithmetic numbers are given.

  Each drum unit 12 includes a photosensitive drum 14, a charging device 15, a developing device 16, a primary transfer roller 17, and a cleaning device 18. Since the four drum units 12 have the same configuration, only one drum unit 12 will be described below.

  The photosensitive drum 14 is in contact with the lower side of the intermediate transfer belt 11. The charging device 15 charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 14. The optical scanning device 13 emits scanning light toward the photosensitive drum 14 (formation of an electrostatic latent image). The developing device 16 develops the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 14 into a toner image. The primary transfer roller 17 primarily transfers the toner image to the intermediate transfer belt 11 that moves in the direction of the arrow in FIG.

  A secondary transfer roller 19 that forms a secondary transfer nip portion N is disposed on the right side of the intermediate transfer belt 11. A full color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 11 by superimposing four color toner images. This full-color toner image is secondarily transferred onto the sheet S passing through the secondary transfer nip portion N. The fixing device 13 fixes the toner image on the sheet S. The sheet S after the fixing process is discharged to the paper discharge tray 4.

  Next, the toner container 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the toner container 10 and the mounting portion 2a. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the toner container 10. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG. FIG. 6 is a side view schematically showing the stirring member 22 of the toner container 10.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a mounting portion 2 a is provided on the upper portion of the apparatus main body 2. Four toner containers 10 are mounted side by side in the left-right direction on the mounting portion 2a. A top cover (not shown) constituting the paper discharge tray 4 is rotatably supported on the upper portion of the apparatus main body 2. The operator rotates the top cover 33 upward to open the mounting portion 2a, and mounts the toner container 10 on the mounting portion 2a.

  The four toner containers 10 contain black, cyan, magenta, and yellow toners in order from the upstream side in the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt 11. The toner container 10K that stores black toner is formed with a larger capacity than the other toner containers 10C, 10M, and 10Y. The other toner containers 10C, 10M, and 10Y are all formed in the same capacity and shape. Since the basic configuration of the four toner containers 10 is substantially the same, the toner container 10 that accommodates yellow toner will be described below.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the toner container 10 includes a container body 20, a conveying screw 21, and a stirring member 22. The container body 20 is formed to store toner (developer). The conveying screw 21 is provided to convey the toner inside the container body 20. The stirring member 22 is provided to stir the toner inside the container body 20.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the container main body 20 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the front-rear direction. The container body 20 has an annular cross section that is long in the vertical direction when viewed from the front (see FIG. 5). A storage chamber for storing toner is formed inside the container body 20.

  The container main body 20 includes a housing part 23 and a lid part 24. The accommodating part 23 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape whose upper surface is opened and which is long in the front-rear direction. The lid portion 24 is provided so as to seal the upper surface opening of the housing portion 23.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the accommodating portion 23 includes a pair of side walls 26 </ b> L and 26 </ b> R and a pair of end walls 27 </ b> F and 27 </ b> B that are erected around the bottom wall 25. The pair of side walls 26 </ b> L and 26 </ b> R are disposed to face in the left-right direction with the bottom wall 25 interposed therebetween. The pair of end walls 27 </ b> F and 27 </ b> B are disposed to face each other in the front-rear direction across the bottom wall 25.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the bottom wall 25 includes a conveyance bending portion 25 a and a stirring bending portion 25 b that bulge downward as viewed from the front. The conveyance bending portion 25a is connected to the right side of the stirring bending portion 25b. The conveying curved portion 25a is formed narrower in the left-right direction (with a smaller radius of curvature) than the stirring curved portion 25b. A toner discharge port 28 is formed in the front portion of the conveyance bending portion 25a (see FIG. 4). Although not shown, a shutter for opening and closing the toner discharge port 28 is provided at the front portion of the conveyance bending portion 25a.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, an operation lever 20a is rotatably provided on the front end wall 27F. Also, a cover 20b that covers the pivot point of the operation lever 20a is attached to the front end wall 27F. When the operation lever 20a is rotated while the toner container 10 is mounted on the mounting portion 2a (mounted state), the shutter moves and the toner discharge port 28 is opened and closed. When the toner discharge port 28 is opened in the mounted state, the toner discharge port 28 is connected to a supply port (not shown) of the developing device 16 via a toner supply path (not shown).

  A main body side flange 23 a extending outward is formed on the upper portion of the accommodating portion 23. A lid-side flange 24 a that extends outward is formed at the bottom of the lid portion 24. The lid portion 24 is fixed to the housing portion 23 by joining the lid side flange 24a to the main body side flange 23a.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the conveying screw 21 is disposed on the upper side of the conveying bending portion 25a. The conveying screw 21 has a screw shaft 21a and a spiral blade 21b. The screw shaft 21a is rotatably supported by a pair of front and rear end walls 27F and 27B. The spiral blade 21b is provided on the peripheral surface of the screw shaft 21a. Although illustration is omitted, the screw shaft 21a is connected to a drive motor via a transmission mechanism. The conveying screw 21 receives a driving force input from a driving motor and rotates around the screw shaft 21a.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the stirring member 22 is disposed above the stirring curved portion 25b. The stirring member 22 includes a stirring rotating shaft 30, a stirring blade 31, and a support member 32. The stirring rotation shaft 30 is rotatably supported inside the container body 20. The stirring blade 31 and the support member 32 are fixed along the longitudinal direction of the stirring rotating shaft 30. In FIG. 4, the support member 32 is not shown.

  The stirring rotation shaft 30 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin and is formed in a rod shape that is long in the front-rear direction. The stirring rotation shaft 30 is constructed between a pair of front and rear end walls 27F and 27B (see FIG. 4). The stirring rotation shaft 30 is provided at a position separated from the inner surface of the stirring curved portion 25b and the inner surfaces of the side walls 26L and 26R by substantially the same distance (see FIG. 5).

  The stirring rotation shaft 30 includes a shaft main body 30a and a pair of support shaft portions 30b. The shaft body 30a is formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The pair of support shaft portions 30b are connected to both front and rear ends of the shaft main body 30a (see FIG. 4). The front support shaft portion 30b is supported by the front end wall 27F, and the rear support shaft portion 30b is supported by the rear end wall 27B. In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, the stirring rotating shaft 30 is connected to the drive motor via the transmission mechanism. The stirring member 22 receives an input of driving force from the driving motor and rotates around the stirring rotation shaft 30.

  The stirring blade 31 is formed of, for example, a flexible synthetic resin (polyethylene terephthalate or the like) film. The stirring blade 31 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the front-rear direction. The stirring blade 31 is formed to have substantially the same axial length as the shaft body 30a. One side of the stirring blade 31 in the longitudinal direction (axial direction) is fixed to the shaft main body 30a. That is, the stirring blade 31 extends from the stirring rotating shaft 30 toward the radially outer side. One side of the stirring blade 31 is parallel to the stirring rotation shaft 30 (see FIG. 4).

  As shown in FIG. 5, the stirring blade 31 is formed longer than the distance from the stirring rotation shaft 30 (the axis thereof) to the inner surface of the container body 20. Specifically, the radial length of the stirring blade 31 is set longer than the distance from the stirring rotation shaft 30 to the inner surface of the stirring curved portion 25b. That is, the stirring blade 31 is formed in a length that contacts the inner surface of the stirring curved portion 25b and the lower inner surfaces of the side walls 26L and 26R. In addition, the stirring blade 31 is formed in a length that does not contact the upper inner surfaces of the side walls 26L and 26R and the inner surface of the lid portion 24.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the stirring blade 31 has a plurality of slits 33 that are cut from the tip toward the stirring rotation shaft 30 at intervals in the axial direction of the stirring rotation shaft 30. The plurality of slits 33 are formed at substantially equal intervals in the axial direction. Each slit 33 is cut from the tip of the stirring blade 31 to the vicinity of the stirring rotating shaft 30. That is, the stirring blade 31 is divided into a plurality of stirring pieces 31 a through the slit 33. The plurality of stirring pieces 31a are formed to have the same radial length.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the support member 32 is formed of, for example, a flexible synthetic resin film. The support member 32 has higher bending rigidity than the stirring blade 31. For example, the support member 32 uses a resin material having a higher Young's modulus than the resin material used for the stirring blade 31.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the support member 32 is formed in a substantially triangular shape that is long in the front-rear direction. The support member 32 is formed to have substantially the same axial length as the stirring blade 31. The bottom side (one side in the axial direction) of the support member 32 is fixed to the shaft main body 30a. That is, the support member 32 extends radially outward from the stirring rotation shaft 30. The support member 32 is provided upstream of the stirring blade 31 in the rotation direction of the stirring rotating shaft 30 (see FIG. 5). Specifically, the support member 32 is fixed to the agitation rotating shaft 30 in contact with the upstream side in the rotation direction. The support member 32 is formed shorter than the distance from the stirring rotation shaft 30 (the axis thereof) to the inner surface of the container body 20 (see FIG. 5). Specifically, the radial length of the support member 32 is set to be shorter than the distance from the stirring rotation shaft 30 to the inner surface of the stirring curved portion 25b. That is, the support member 32 is formed in a length that does not contact the inner surface of the container body 20 or the conveying screw 21.

  The length of the support member 32 in the radial direction is set to be nonuniform over the axial direction. Therefore, the distal end portion of the support member 32 is formed in a concave shape or a convex shape via the step 35 at predetermined intervals in the axial direction. Specifically, the distal end portion of the support member 32 is formed in a staircase shape that is inclined inwardly from the outer side in the radial direction from the rear (one axial direction) to the front (the other axial direction). The support member 32 is formed in a single thin plate shape by connecting a plurality of support surface portions 32 a in the axial direction via a step 35. The plurality of support surface portions 32a are gradually shortened in the radial direction from the rear toward the front. The longest support surface portion 32a is formed shorter than the stirring piece 31a.

  Each step 35 is formed in accordance with the position of the slit 33. That is, the plurality of support surface portions 32a are provided at positions corresponding to the plurality of stirring pieces 31a. The front end portions (one side on the front end side) of the plurality of support surface portions 32 a are each formed in parallel with the stirring rotation shaft 30.

  Next, the operation of the toner container 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state of the stirring member 22 of the toner container 10. The toner container 10 is assumed to be attached to the attachment portion 2a.

  When the toner is consumed by the execution of the image forming process, the control device (not shown) of the color printer 1 executes the toner replenishment operation as follows. The drive motor is driven and controlled by the control device, and rotates the agitating member 22 and the conveying screw 21 counterclockwise in FIG.

  The plurality of stirring pieces 31 a of the stirring member 22 rotate around the stirring rotation shaft 30 to stir the toner on the stirring curved portion 25 b. In the following description, for convenience of explanation, the description will be given focusing on one stirring piece 31a.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the stirring piece 31 a is located on the lid portion 24 side, the stirring piece 31 a is in a first state where it does not contact the inner surface of the container body 20. As shown in FIG. 7, when the stirring member 22 rotates from the first state, the tip of each stirring piece 31a is in the second state in contact with the left side wall 26L. At this time, the stirring piece 31a contacts the left side wall 26L to generate a contact sound (collision sound). As the stirring member 22 continues to rotate, the stirring piece 31a slides from the left side wall 26L toward the stirring curved portion 25b in a state bent (bent) upstream in the rotation direction. Thereafter, the stirring piece 31a is in a third state in which the stirring piece 31a comes into contact with the conveying screw 21. At this time, the stirring piece 31a comes into contact with the conveying screw 21 to generate a contact sound. When the rotation of the agitating member 22 proceeds, the agitating piece 31a enters the fourth state where it passes through the conveying screw 21 and contacts the right side wall 26R. At this time, since the stirring piece 31a slightly releases the bending, a playing sound is generated. Further, the stirring piece 31a contacts the right side wall 26R to generate a contact sound. As the agitating member 22 further rotates, the agitating piece 31a moves away from the right side wall 26R and enters the fifth state in which the agitating member 22 rotates toward the lid 24. At this time, the stirring piece 31a generates a beating sound in order to release the bending by its own elastic force (restoring force).

  As described above, the plurality of stirring pieces 31a scrape off toner adhering to the inner surface of the stirring curved portion 25b and the lower inner surfaces of the side walls 26L and 26R. Further, the stirring member 22 pushes the toner on the stirring curved portion 25b to the conveying curved portion 25a. The spiral blade 21b of the transport screw 21 rotates around the screw shaft 21a to transport the toner on the transport curved portion 25a toward the toner discharge port 28 (see FIG. 4). As a result, the toner is supplied from the toner discharge port 28 to the developing device 16 through a toner supply path (not shown).

  By the way, when the remaining amount of toner stored in the toner container 10 decreases, the above-described abnormal noise such as contact sound (collision sound) and playing sound may increase. Further, the rubbing noise that the stirring blade 31 rubs against the inner surface of the container body 20 may be increased. Therefore, the toner container 10 according to the first embodiment solves the above-described problem by supporting the stirring member 22 by the support member 32 having a stepped front end.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the stirring blade 31 (each stirring piece 31a) bends (bends) in the rotation direction upstream side because it slides on the inner surface of the container body 20. The support member 32 is provided so as to support the bent stirring blade 31 from the upstream side in the rotation direction. As shown in FIG. 6, the plurality of stirring pieces 31 a constituting the stirring blade 31 are each formed to have the same radial length. On the other hand, the plurality of support surface portions 32a constituting the support member 32 are formed to have different radial lengths. Since each stirring piece 31a is longer in the radial direction than the longest support surface portion 32a, the stirring piece 31a has an extending range L that extends radially outward from the tip of each support surface portion 32a. The extending ranges L of the plurality of stirring pieces 31a are set to different lengths.

  For example, since the shortest (frontmost) support surface portion 32a supports the proximal end side of the stirring piece 31a, the extending range L of the stirring piece 31a becomes long. That is, the bending rigidity of the stirring piece 31a is reduced, and the stirring piece 31a is easily bent (easily bent). On the other hand, since the longest (last part) support surface part 32a supports the front end side of the stirring piece 31a, the extension range L of the stirring piece 31a becomes short. That is, the bending rigidity of the stirring piece 31a is increased, and the stirring piece 31a is difficult to bend (not easily bent).

  As described above, the plurality of stirring pieces 31a have different bending stiffnesses by being supported by the support surface portions 32a having different lengths. Accordingly, the plurality of stirring pieces 31a are in contact with or separated from the inner surface of the container body 20 (side walls 26L, 26R) at different timings. That is, the plurality of stirring pieces 31a are not simultaneously in the same state (first to fifth states). The plurality of stirring pieces 31a are in contact with the inner surface of the container body 20 at different pressures.

  For example, the stirring piece 31a having a high bending rigidity is less bent and thus contacts the inner surface of the container body 20 with a high pressure. At this time, a contact sound is generated. In addition, the stirring piece 31a having a high bending rigidity is quickly released from the inner surface of the container body 20 in order to rapidly release the bending. At this time, a playing sound is generated. Further, the stirring piece 31a having a high bending rigidity exhibits a high stirring ability (toner scraping ability). On the other hand, the stirring piece 31a having a low bending rigidity comes into contact with the inner surface of the container body 20 with a low pressure while being largely bent. Therefore, the generation of contact sound is suppressed. Further, the stirring piece 31a having a low bending rigidity is slowly separated from the inner surface of the container body 20 in order to release the bending slowly. Therefore, generation | occurrence | production of a playing sound is suppressed.

  According to the toner container 10 according to the first embodiment described above, the plurality of stirring pieces 31a are prevented from contacting the inner surface of the container body 20 at a high pressure at the same time. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of a loud contact sound can be prevented. Further, the plurality of stirring pieces 31a are prevented from being separated from the inner surface of the container body 20 at the same time. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of a loud playing sound can be prevented. Further, by providing the stirring piece 31a having high bending rigidity, the stirring ability of the toner can be maintained high.

  Further, according to the toner container 10 according to the first embodiment, the support member 32 is formed of a material that is more difficult to bend than the stirring blade 31. Thereby, the support member 32 can hold | maintain the stirring blade 31 appropriately.

  In addition, according to the toner container 10 according to the first embodiment, the plurality of stirring pieces 31a can be bent along the inner surface shape of the container body 20 because they are individually bent. Thereby, the toner adhering to the inner surface of the container body 20 can be scraped off without leakage. Further, the plurality of stirring pieces 31a are each supported by the support surface portion 32a. Thereby, since the twist of each stirring piece 31a is suppressed, the toner can be scraped off appropriately.

  Further, according to the toner container 10 according to the first embodiment, the stirrer 22 is supported by the stepped support member 32 so that the bending rigidity is gradually decreased from the rear toward the front. The stirring piece 31a increases the scraping ability of the toner when the bending rigidity is increased. Therefore, when the stirring member 22 is rotated, the toner is conveyed from the rear to the front. That is, the toner can be sent to the toner discharge port 28 side. In this way, a toner conveying function can be added to the stirring member 22.

  Next, a toner container 40 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the toner container 40. Hereinafter, the same components as those of the toner container 10 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The toner container 40 according to the second embodiment includes a support member 50 that is different from the support member 32 of the toner container 10 according to the first embodiment.

  The support member 50 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the stirring rotation shaft 30 (shaft body 30a). The support member 50 is formed integrally with the shaft main body 30a. The support member 50 is formed in a thick plate shape that does not have flexibility. The support member 50 is provided on the shaft main body 30a in a state of being in contact with the upstream side of the stirring blade 31 in the rotation direction. Although not shown in the drawings, the tip end portion of the support member 50 is formed in a step shape that is inclined from the outside in the radial direction toward the inside from the rear to the front.

  The plurality of support surface portions 50a constituting the support member 50 are formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape (block shape). The support member 50 is formed in a single thick plate shape by connecting a plurality of support surface portions 50 a in the axial direction via the step 35. The front end portion of each support surface portion 50 a is formed in parallel with the stirring rotation shaft 30. The shaft body 30 a is formed with a blade fixing portion 30 that sandwiches the proximal end portion of the stirring blade 31.

  According to the toner container 40 according to the second embodiment described above, the same operation and effect as the toner container 10 according to the first embodiment can be obtained. Moreover, the bending rigidity of the support member 50 can be improved by forming the support member 50 and the stirring rotating shaft 30 integrally. Thereby, the stirring blade 31 can be appropriately held.

  In the toner containers 10 and 40 according to the first and second embodiments, the front ends of the support members 32 and 50 are formed in a stepped shape that is inclined inwardly from the outside in the radial direction from the rear to the front. The present invention is not limited to this. The front ends of the support members 32 and 50 may be formed in a stepped shape that is inclined inward from the radially outer side toward the rear from the front.

  Next, a toner container 41 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a side view schematically showing the stirring member 22 of the toner container 41. Hereinafter, the same components as those of the toner container 10 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The toner container 41 according to the third embodiment includes a support member 51 that is different from the support member 32 of the toner container 10 according to the first embodiment.

  The support member 51 is formed of a film having higher bending rigidity than the stirring blade 31. The front end portion of the support member 51 is formed in a step shape that is inclined from the inner side to the outer side in the radial direction from the center in the axial direction toward both sides. That is, the distal end portion of the support member 51 is formed in a substantially V shape. The support member 51 is formed in a single thin plate shape by connecting a plurality of support surface portions 51 a in the axial direction via the step 35. The plurality of support surface portions 51a are gradually formed longer in the radial direction from the center in the axial direction toward the front and rear outside. Therefore, the stirring member 22 is supported by the support member 51, so that the bending rigidity is gradually increased from the center in the axial direction toward the front and rear outside. The front end portion of each support surface portion 51 a is formed in parallel with the stirring rotation shaft 30.

  The pressure acting on the inner surface of the container body 20 tends to increase near the center in the axial direction. According to the toner container 41 according to the third embodiment described above, the stirring piece 31a has a reduced bending rigidity at the center in the axial direction, so that the pressure acting near the center in the axial direction of the container body 20 can be reduced. it can. Thereby, a contact sound, a sliding sound, and a playing sound can be suppressed effectively.

Next, a toner container 42 according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 10 is a side view schematically showing the stirring member 22 of the toner container 42. Hereinafter, the same components as those of the toner container 10 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The toner container 42 according to the fourth embodiment includes a support member 52 that is different from the support member 32 of the toner container 10 according to the first embodiment.

  The support member 52 is formed of a film having higher bending rigidity than the stirring blade 31. The front end portion of the support member 52 is formed by alternately continuing the concave portions D and the convex portions C. The support member 52 is formed in a comb shape via a plurality of steps 35. The support member 52 is formed in a single thin plate shape by alternately connecting a long support surface portion 52a in the radial direction and a short support surface portion 52a in the radial direction in the axial direction. Therefore, the stirring member 22 is configured by alternately arranging the stirring pieces 31a having a high bending rigidity and the stirring pieces 31a having a low bending rigidity in the axial direction. The front end portion of each support surface portion 52 a is formed in parallel with the stirring rotation shaft 30.

  According to the toner container 42 according to the fourth embodiment described above, the plurality of stirring pieces 31a are respectively supported by the long support surface portion 52a or the short support surface portion 52a. Thereby, since the twist of each stirring piece 31a is suppressed, the developer adhering to the inner surface of the container body 20 can be scraped off appropriately.

Next, a toner container 43 according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 11 is a side view schematically showing the stirring member 22 of the toner container 43. Hereinafter, the same components as those of the toner container 42 according to the fourth embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  The toner container 43 according to the fifth embodiment includes a support member 53 that is slightly different from the support member 52 of the toner container 42 according to the fourth embodiment.

  The support member 53 is formed in a single thin plate shape by alternately connecting a long support surface portion 53a in the radial direction and a short support surface portion 53a in the radial direction in the axial direction. The front end portion of each support surface portion 53 a is formed in parallel with the stirring rotation shaft 30. One support surface portion 53a is formed to correspond to the two stirring pieces 31a. That is, the slit 33 of the stirring blade 31 is formed at a position corresponding to the step 35 and is also formed between the adjacent steps 35. Therefore, the two stirring pieces 31a are supported by the one support surface portion 53a.

  According to the toner container 43 according to the fourth embodiment described above, the twist of each stirring piece 31a can be effectively suppressed. One or more slits 33 may be formed between the adjacent steps 35. The support surface portions 32a and 50a to 53a of the toner containers 41 to 43 according to the first to fourth embodiments may support two or more stirring pieces 31a.

  The tip shape of the support members 51 to 53 of the toner containers 41 to 43 according to the third to fifth embodiments may be applied to the tip shape of the support member 50 of the toner container 40 according to the second embodiment.

  In the toner containers 10 and 40 to 43 according to the first to fifth embodiments, the support members 32 and 50 to 53 are in close contact with the stirring blade 31, but the present invention is not limited to this. As illustrated in FIG. 12, the support member 32 (50 to 53) according to the modification may be provided on the stirring rotation shaft 30 in a state of being slightly separated from the stirring blade 31 on the upstream side in the rotation direction. In this case, the interval between the support member 32 (50 to 53) and the stirring blade 31 is set to such an extent that the stirring blade 31 bent at the time of rotation can contact the tip of the support member 32 (50 to 53). Yes.

  In the toner containers 10 and 41 to 43 according to the first, third to fifth embodiments, the support members 32 and 51 to 53 are formed of a material different from that of the stirring blade 31, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It is not limited. The support members 32 and 51 to 53 may be formed of the same material as that of the stirring blade 31 and a film having a thickness larger than that of the stirring blade 31. In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the support member 32 (51 to 53) according to another modification may be formed by overlapping a plurality of films having the same material and the same thickness as the stirring blade 31. The bending rigidity of the support member 32 (51-53) can be improved by stacking a plurality of films.

  In the toner containers 10 and 40 to 43 according to the first to fifth embodiments, each slit 33 is cut from the tip of the stirring blade 31 to the vicinity of the stirring rotating shaft 30, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It is not limited. For example, the slit may be formed only in the extension range L of the stirring blade 31.

  In the toner containers 10 and 40 to 43 according to the first to fifth embodiments, the slit 33 is formed in the stirring blade 31, but the present invention is not limited to this. Although illustration is omitted, a stirring blade in which the slit 33 is omitted may be employed. That is, the stirring blade may be formed of a single film. In the toner containers 10 and 40 to 43 according to the first to fifth embodiments, the step 35 is formed on the support members 32 and 50 to 53, but the present invention is not limited to this. Although not shown in the drawings, the step 35 is not provided at the tip of the support member, and the tip of the support member may be linearly inclined so as to have an upward slope (or downward slope) from one axial direction to the other. Good.

  The description of the above embodiment shows one aspect of the developer container and the image forming apparatus including the developer container according to the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. . The components in the above embodiment can be appropriately replaced or combined with existing components and the like, and the description of the above embodiment does not limit the content of the invention described in the claims. .

1 Color printer (image forming device)
10, 40, 41, 42, 43 Toner container (developer container)
20 Container body 22 Stirring member 30 Stirring rotation shaft (rotating shaft)
31 Stirring blade 32, 50, 51, 52, 53 Support member 32a, 50a, 51a, 52a, 53a Support surface 33 Slit 35 Step

Claims (10)

A container body for containing a developer;
A stirring member for stirring the developer inside the container body,
The stirring member is
A rotating shaft rotatably supported by the container body;
A stirring blade extending radially outward from the rotating shaft;
A support member that extends radially outward from the rotating shaft and supports the stirring blade from the upstream side in the rotating direction of the rotating shaft, and
The stirring blade is formed longer than the distance from the rotating shaft to the inner surface of the container body,
The support member is formed shorter than the distance from the rotating shaft to the inner surface of the container body,
The radial length of the support member is set to be non-uniform over the axial direction of the rotating shaft ,
The stirring blade has a plurality of slits cut from the tip toward the rotating shaft at intervals in the axial direction;
The tip of the support member is formed in a concave or convex shape through a plurality of steps,
The step is formed according to the position of the slit,
The support member is integrally formed by connecting a plurality of support surface portions in the axial direction via the step,
The developer container according to claim 1 , wherein tip ends of the plurality of support surface portions are formed in parallel with the rotation axis . The stirring blade and the support member are formed of a flexible film,
The said support member is provided in the said rotating shaft in the state which contacted the rotation direction upstream of the said stirring blade, or the state slightly spaced apart from the said stirring blade to the rotation direction upstream. Item 4. The developer container according to Item 1.   The developer container according to claim 2, wherein the support member is formed by overlapping a plurality of the films. The stirring blade is formed of a flexible film,
The support member is integrally formed in a thick plate shape on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft,
The said support member is provided in the said rotating shaft in the state which contacted the rotation direction upstream of the said stirring blade, or the state slightly spaced apart from the said stirring blade to the rotation direction upstream. Item 4. The developer container according to Item 1.   The developer container according to claim 1, wherein the support member has higher bending rigidity than the stirring blade. Distal end of the support member toward the other from one said axial, development according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is formed stepwise inclined from the radial outside to the inside Agent container. Distal end of the support member toward the opposite sides from the axial center, development according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is formed stepwise inclined outwardly from the radially inner side Agent container. The developer container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a tip portion of the support member is formed in a comb-like shape by continuously forming concave portions and convex portions. The slit is formed in a position corresponding to the level difference, and no claim 1, characterized in that it is formed of one or more between the step adjacent to the developer container according to any one of 8. An image forming apparatus characterized in that it comprises a developer container according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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