JP6808331B2 - Developer replenishment container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a developer replenishment container that can be attached to and detached from a developer replenisher in an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a facsimile, a printer, and a multifunction device having a plurality of these functions.

Conventionally, a fine powder developer has been used in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine. Such an image forming apparatus has a configuration in which the developing agent consumed by image formation is replenished from the developing agent replenishing container.

In Patent Document 1, a discharge chamber that is a non-rotating portion, a storage chamber that rotates relative to the discharge chamber, and a seal provided in the discharge chamber that suppresses scattering of the developer by being pressed against the storage chamber are provided. The developer replenishment container to have is disclosed. The seal is fixed to the discharge chamber with an adhesive.

Such a developer replenishment container may shift the adhesive material holding the seal, that is, move relative to the discharge chamber when it is subjected to vibration or environmental influence in irregular distribution or the like. Then, since the seal is also displaced together with the adhesive material, the storage chamber cannot press the seal, a gap is formed between the discharge chamber and the relative rotating portion of the storage chamber, and the developing agent may be scattered. It is conceivable to suppress the above deviation by increasing the adhesive strength of the adhesive material, but it is difficult to release the mold in the assembly process of the automatic machine due to the increase in cost due to the increased adhesive strength and the increased adhesive strength. There are concerns such as becoming.

On the other hand, Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which a seal is provided in a storage chamber instead of a discharge chamber, and outer walls higher than the thickness of the seal are provided on the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side of the seal to suppress displacement of the seal. Has been done.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-186138 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-180348

However, as described in Patent Document 2, when the seal is provided on the accommodation chamber side, the developer tends to adhere to the seal when the developer is filled in the accommodation chamber. When the developer adheres to the seal, the discharge chamber presses the seal to which the developer adheres, so that there is a concern that the torque may increase due to the biting of the developer and the agglomerates of the developer may be generated due to sliding.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to suppress the displacement of the elastic member that seals between the discharge chamber and the storage chamber, and to increase the torque due to the adhesion of the developer to the elastic member when the storage chamber is filled with the developer. It is an object of the present invention to provide a developer supply container capable of suppressing the generation of agglomerates and agglomerates.

The above object is achieved by the developer supply container according to the present invention. In summary, the present invention is a developer replenishment container that is removable from the developer replenisher, includes a discharge chamber that discharges the developer and is non-rotating with respect to the developer replenisher, and the discharge. A storage chamber that is held so as to be rotatable relative to the chamber and can accommodate the developer supplied to the discharge chamber, and a storage chamber provided in the discharge chamber and pressed against the storage chamber to accommodate the discharge chamber and the storage chamber. It has a ring-shaped elastic member that seals between the chambers and a regulating portion that is provided in the discharge chamber and regulates the movement of the elastic member on the inner peripheral surface side of the elastic member. The developer replenishment container is characterized in that the elastic member is fixed to the discharge chamber by an adhesive material so as to form a space between the elastic member and the inner peripheral surface of the elastic member.

According to the present invention, the elastic member that seals between the discharge chamber and the accommodation chamber while suppressing the reaction force received by the accommodation chamber from the elastic member from becoming large and the reaction force leading to the resistance of rotation of the accommodation chamber. It is possible to suppress the deviation of the developer, and also to suppress the increase in torque and the generation of agglomerates due to the adhesion of the developer to the elastic member when the accommodating chamber is filled with the developer.

It is a schematic sectional view of an image forming apparatus. It is a schematic sectional view of the main part of a developer. (A) is a perspective view of a mounting portion of a developer replenishing device, and (b) is a sectional view of the mounting portion. It is a partial cross-sectional view of a developer supply container and a developer supply device. It is a flowchart explaining the flow of the developer supply control. It is a partial cross-sectional view which shows the modification of the developer replenishing apparatus. It is a perspective view of (a) a developer supply container, and (b) a side view which shows the periphery of the discharge port. (A) A partial cross-sectional perspective view of the developer replenishment container, and (b) an enlarged perspective view of the periphery of the regulation portion. (A) A partial side view of the developer replenishment container in the maximum extension state of the pump portion, and (b) a partial side view of the developer replenishment container in the maximum contraction state of the pump portion. It is a developed view which shows the shape of the cam groove of the developer supply container. (A) is a partial cross-sectional view of a containment chamber and a flange portion, and (b) is an enlarged sectional view of the periphery of a regulation portion. (A) is a partial cross-sectional view of the developer replenishment container of the comparative example, and (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of the regulation portion in the comparative example.

Hereinafter, the developer supply container according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

[Example 1]
1. 1. Image forming apparatus FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus 100 equipped with a developing agent replenishing device to which the developing agent replenishing container of this embodiment is detachably attached. The image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment is a copying machine using an electrophotographic method.

The image forming apparatus 100 has a drum-type photoconductor (electrophotograph photoconductor) 104. The photoconductor 104 is rotationally driven in the direction of arrow R1 (clockwise) in FIG. An image forming process device such as a charger 203 as a charging means, a developing device 201 as a developing means, and a cleaner portion 202 as a cleaning means is arranged around the photoconductor 104.

Further, the image forming apparatus 100 has a platen glass 102, and the document G is placed on the platen glass 102. Then, an optical image corresponding to the image information of the document G is formed on the photoconductor 104 that is uniformly charged by the charger 203 in advance by the plurality of mirrors M of the optical unit 103 and the lens Ln. , An electrostatic latent image (electrostatic image) is formed on the photoconductor 104. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor 104 is developed (visualized) by a dry developer (one-component developer) 201 using toner (one-component magnetic toner) as a developer (dry powder). A toner image (developer image) is formed on the photoconductor 104.

The image forming apparatus 100 is provided with cassettes 105 to 108 for accommodating a recording medium (hereinafter, also referred to as “sheet”) P. Among these cassettes 105 to 108, information input by an operator such as a user from an operation unit (not shown) provided in the image forming apparatus 100 or a cassette selected based on the size of the document G can be selected. Sheet P is delivered. As the recording medium, recording paper, OHP sheet, or the like is appropriately used. One sheet P conveyed by the feeding / separating devices 105A to 108A is conveyed to the resist roller 110 via the conveying unit 109. Then, the sheet P is conveyed to the transfer unit in synchronization with the rotation of the photoconductor 104 and the scanning timing of the optical unit 103.

In the transfer unit, the transfer charger 111 and the separation charger 112 are arranged so as to face the photoconductor 104. The toner image formed on the photoconductor 104 is electrostatically transferred to the sheet P by the transfer charger 111 at the transfer unit. The toner remaining on the photoconductor 104 after transfer (transfer residual toner) is removed from the photoconductor 104 by the cleaner portion 202 and recovered. Then, the sheet P to which the toner image is transferred is separated from the photoconductor 104 by the separation charger 112. The sheet P separated from the photoconductor 104 is conveyed to the fixing portion 114 by the conveying portion 113, and the toner image is fixed (melted and fixed) in the fixing portion 114 by heat and pressure.

After that, in the case of single-sided copying, the sheet P passes through the discharge inversion unit 115 and is discharged by the discharge roller 116 to the discharge tray 117 provided outside the device main body 101 of the image forming apparatus 100. Further, in the case of double-sided copying, a part of the sheet P passes through the discharge reversing section 115 and is once discharged to the outside of the apparatus main body 101 by the discharge roller 116. Then, at the timing when the end of the sheet P passes through the flapper 118 and is still sandwiched by the discharge roller 116, the flapper 118 is controlled and the discharge roller 116 is rotated in the reverse direction, so that the apparatus main body 101 is again used. It is transported to the inside of. After that, the sheet P is transported to the resist roller 110 via the refeeding and transporting units 119 and 120, and then discharged to the discharge tray 117 by following the same route as in the case of single-sided copying.

2. 2. Developer Next, the developer 201 in this embodiment will be further described. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of the developer 201 in this embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the developing device 201 includes a developing container 201a, a developing roller 201f, a stirring member 201c, and feeding members 201d and 201e. In this embodiment, the developer 201 is replenished with one-component magnetic toner as the developer T from the developer replenisher device 20 equipped with the developer replenishment container (toner cartridge) 1 described later.

The developer T supplied to the developing device 201 is agitated by the stirring member 201c, sent to the developing roller 201f by the feeding members 201d and 201e, and supplied to the photoconductor 104 by the developing roller 201f.

Further, in the developing device 201, a developing blade 201g that regulates the coating amount of the developer T on the developing roller 201f is arranged in contact with the developing roller 201f. Further, in the developing device 201, in order to prevent leakage of the developer T from between the developing roller 201f and the developing container 201a, a leakage prevention sheet 201h is arranged in contact with the developing roller 201f.

In this embodiment, the developer 201 is a one-component developer, and the developer T supplied from the developer supply container 1 to the developer 201 is a one-component magnetic toner, but the present invention is not limited thereto. .. Specifically, the developer 201 may be a one-component developer that develops using a one-component non-magnetic toner. In this case, the developer 201 is supplied with the one-component non-magnetic toner as the developer T. It will be. Further, the developer 201 may be a two-component developer that develops using a two-component developer in which a magnetic carrier and a non-magnetic toner are mixed. In this case, the developer 201 may have a non-magnetic toner as the developer T. Will be replenished. In this case, the developer T may be configured to supply a magnetic carrier together with a non-magnetic toner.

3. 3. Developer Replenishment Device Next, the developer replenishment device 20 will be described. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the mounting portion 20a of the developing agent replenishing device 20 to which the developing agent replenishing container 1 is mounted, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion 20a. Further, FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the developer replenishment device 20 equipped with the developer replenishment container 1, which is shown together with a schematic view of the drive system and the control system.

The developer replenishing device 20 includes a mounting portion (mounting space) 20a to which the developing agent replenishing container 1 is detachably (detachable) mounted, and a hopper that temporarily stores the developing agent discharged from the developing agent replenishing container 1. It has 20b and.

The developer supply container 1 is mounted on the mounting portion 20a in the direction of the arrow M in FIG. 3B. That is, the developer supply container 1 is mounted on the mounting portion 20a so that its longitudinal direction (rotational axis direction) substantially coincides with the arrow M direction. The arrow M direction is substantially parallel to the arrow X direction (developer transport direction) in FIG. 8 described later. Further, the direction of taking out the developer supply container 1 from the mounting portion 20a is opposite to the direction of the arrow M.

When the developer replenishment container 1 is mounted, the mounting portion 20a abuts on the flange portion 4 of the developer replenishment container 1 (see FIG. 7A) to restrict the movement of the flange portion 4 in the rotational direction. It has a rotation direction regulating unit (holding mechanism) 21 for the purpose. Further, when the developer replenishment container 1 is mounted, the mounting portion 20a communicates with the discharge port 4a (see FIG. 7B) which is a hole provided in the developer replenishment container 1 and communicates with the developer replenishment container. It has a developer receiving port 23 which is a hole for receiving the developer discharged from 1. The developer discharged from the discharge port 4a of the developer supply container 1 is supplied to the hopper 20b through the developer receiving port 23. In this embodiment, the diameter of the developer receiving port 23 is set to 3.0 mm in order to make the developing agent receiving port 23 a fine port (pinhole) in order to suppress stains caused by the developing agent in the mounting portion 20a. Has been done. The diameter of the developer receiving port 23 may be any diameter as long as the developer can be discharged from the discharge port 4a. As shown in FIG. 4, the hopper 20b has a transport screw 20b1 for transporting the developer to the developer 201, an opening 20b2 communicating with the developer 201, and an amount of the developer contained in the hopper 20b. It has a remaining amount sensor 20b3 to be detected.

Further, the mounting portion 20a has a drive gear 300 that functions as a drive mechanism (drive unit), as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. As shown in FIG. 4, the drive gear 300 transmits the rotational drive force from the drive motor 500 via the drive gear train, and applies the rotational drive force to the developer replenishment container 1 in the state of being set in the mounting portion 20a. To do. The operation of the drive motor 500 is controlled by the control device (CPU) 600 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 600 controls the operation of the drive motor 500 based on the developer remaining amount information input from the remaining amount sensor 20b3. In this embodiment, the drive gear 300 is set to rotate in only one direction in order to simplify the control of the drive motor 500. That is, the control device 600 controls only the on (actuated) / off (non-operated) of the drive motor 500. Therefore, as compared with the configuration in which the reversing driving force obtained by periodically reversing the drive motor 500 (drive gear 300) in the forward direction and the reverse direction is applied to the developer replenishment container 1, the developer replenishment device 20 The drive mechanism can be simplified.

In this embodiment, the developing agent replenishing device 20 is configured with the mounting portion 20a, the hopper 20b, the drive motor 500, the control device 600, and the like, and the developing agent replenishing container 1 is detachably mounted on the mounting portion 20a. ..

4. Method of mounting / removing the developer replenishment container Next, a method of mounting / removing the developer replenishment container 1 will be described.

First, the operator opens the replacement cover (not shown) provided on the apparatus main body 101, inserts the developer replenishment container 1 into the mounting portion 20a of the developer replenishing device 20, and mounts the developer. Along with this mounting operation, the flange portion 4 of the developer replenishment container 1 is held by the developer replenisher device 20 and fixed. After that, the operator closes the replacement cover to complete the mounting process. After that, the control device 600 controls the drive motor 500 to rotate the drive gear 300 at an appropriate timing.

On the other hand, when the developer in the developer supply container 1 is emptied, the operator opens the replacement cover and takes out the developer supply container 1 from the mounting portion 20a. Then, the new developer replenishment container 1 prepared in advance is inserted into the mounting portion 20a, mounted, and the replacement cover is closed to complete the replacement work from the removal of the developer replenishment container 1 to the remounting. ..

5. Developer replenishment control Next, the developer replenishment control by the developer replenishment device 20 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of developer replenishment control by the control system. This developer replenishment control is executed by controlling various devices by the control device (CPU) 600.

In this embodiment, the control device 600 controls the operation / non-operation of the drive motor 500 according to the output of the remaining amount sensor 20b3, so that a certain amount or more of the developer is not contained in the hopper 20b. There is.

Specifically, first, the remaining amount sensor 20b3 checks the amount of the developing agent (remaining amount of the developing agent, the amount of the developing agent contained) in the hopper 20b (S100). Then, when the control device 600 determines that the amount of the developer detected by the remaining amount sensor 20b3 is less than the predetermined amount, the control device 600 drives the drive motor 500 to execute the developer replenishment operation for a certain period of time (S101). When the developing agent is not detected by the remaining amount sensor 20b3, the control device 600 determines that the amount of the developing agent detected by the remaining amount sensor 20b3 is less than a predetermined amount. When the control device 600 determines that the amount of the developer detected by the developer sensor 20b3 has reached a predetermined amount as a result of this developer replenishment operation, the control device 600 turns off the drive of the drive motor 500 and stops the developer replenishment operation. (S102). When the developer is detected by the developer sensor 20b3, the control device 600 determines that the amount of the developer detected by the developer sensor 20b3 has reached a predetermined amount. By stopping this replenishment operation, a series of developer replenishment control is completed. Such developer replenishment control is repeatedly executed when the developer is consumed with the image formation and the amount of the developer in the hopper 20b becomes less than a predetermined amount.

In this embodiment, the developer replenishing device 20 temporarily stores the developer discharged from the developer replenishing container 1 in the hopper 20b, and then replenishes the developing agent 201. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the following configuration may be used. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the hopper 20b described above is omitted, and the developer T is directly supplied from the developer supply container 1 to the developer. The example shown in FIG. 6 is an example in which a two-component developer 800 is used as the developer. The developer 800 has a stirring chamber to which the developing agent T is replenished and a developing chamber for supplying the developing agent T to the developing sleeve 800a, and the stirring chamber and the developing chamber have a developer transporting direction, respectively. A stirring screw 800b is installed in which the two are opposite to each other. The stirring chamber and the developing chamber communicate with each other at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and the developer T is circulated and conveyed through these two chambers. Further, a magnetic sensor 800c for detecting the toner concentration in the developer T is installed in the stirring chamber, and the control device 600 controls the operation of the drive motor 500 based on the detection result of the magnetic sensor 800c. In the case of this configuration, the developer T replenished from the developer replenishment container 1 is a non-magnetic toner, or a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier.

In this embodiment, the developer in the developer replenishment container 1 is hardly discharged from the discharge port 4a only by the action of gravity, but is discharged from the discharge port 4a by the intake / exhaust operation by the pump unit 6 described later. It is possible to suppress the variation in the amount of emissions. Therefore, even when the hopper 20b is omitted as in the example of FIG. 6 described above, it is possible to stably supply the developer to the developer.

6. Configuration of Developer Replenishment Container Next, the configuration of the developer replenishment container 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7A is an overall perspective view of the developer replenishment container 1, and FIG. 7B is a partially enlarged view of the periphery of the discharge port 4a of the developer replenishment container 1. 8 (a) is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the developer supply container 1, and FIG. 8 (b) is an enlarged perspective view of a portion A in FIG. 8 (a).

The developer supply container 1 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and has a storage chamber (developer storage unit) 2 having an internal space (developer storage space) for storing the developer. That is, the accommodation chamber 2 is composed of a substantially cylindrical cylindrical portion 2b on which a transport projection 2a and a pressing portion 2c, which will be described later, are formed. Further, the developer supply container 1 has a flange portion 4 which is a non-rotating portion on one end side in the longitudinal direction (developer transfer direction) of the storage chamber 2. The accommodation chamber 2 is rotatable relative to the flange portion 4. Flange 4, the discharge port 4a described above, will be described later shutter 4b, the discharge chamber (developer discharging section) 4 c, the reciprocating member 5 is configured to have a like pump unit 6.

The cross-sectional shape of the storage chamber 2 may be a non-circular shape, for example, an elliptical shape or a polygonal shape within a range that does not affect the rotational operation in the developer replenishment step described later.

In this embodiment, in the developer replenishment container 1, the accommodating chamber 2 and the discharge chamber 4c are aligned in the developer transport direction (arrow X direction in FIG. 8) with the developer replenishment container 1 mounted on the developer replenisher device 20. It is configured. That is, the length of the accommodating chamber 2 in the developer transport direction is sufficiently longer than the length in the vertical direction, and the downstream side in the developer transport direction is connected to the discharge chamber 4c. Therefore, the developer existing above the discharge port 4a is compared with the configuration in which the storage chamber 2 is located vertically above the discharge chamber 4c with the developer supply container 1 mounted on the developer supply device 20. The amount of can be reduced. Therefore, the developer in the vicinity of the discharge port 4a is less likely to be consolidated, and the intake / exhaust operation described later can be smoothly performed.

7. Material of developer replenishment container In this embodiment, the developer replenishment container 1 is configured to discharge the developer from the discharge port 4a by changing the volume inside the developer replenishment container 1 by the pump unit 6. .. Therefore, it is preferable that the material of the developer replenishment container 1 has a rigidity that does not cause a large collapse or a large swelling with respect to a change in volume. Further, in this embodiment, the developer supply container 1 communicates with the outside substantially only through the discharge port 4a, and is sealed from the outside except for the discharge port 4a. That is, in this embodiment, the pump unit 6 reduces and increases the volume of the developer replenishment container 1 to discharge the developer from the discharge port 4a, so that the developer replenishment container 1 maintains stable discharge performance. A degree of airtightness is required. Therefore, in this embodiment, the material of the cylindrical portion 2b constituting the accommodation chamber 2 is PET resin, the material of the discharge chamber 4c is polystyrene resin, and the material of the pump portion 6 is polypropylene resin.

As the material of the cylindrical portion 2b and the discharge chamber 4c, other resins such as ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer), polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, etc. are used as long as they can withstand volume changes. It is also possible to do. Further, the cylindrical portion 2b and the discharge chamber 4c may be made of metal. Further, the material of the pump portion 6 may be any material that exhibits an expansion / contraction function and can change the volume of the developer supply container 1 by changing the volume. For example, ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer), polystyrene, polyester, polyethylene, or the like may be formed thinly. Further, as the material of the pump portion 6, rubber or other elastic material can be used.

Further, if the pump portion 6, the cylindrical portion 2b, and the discharge chamber 4c each satisfy the above-mentioned functions, the pump portion 6, the cylindrical portion 2b, and the discharge chamber 4c are made of the same material by adjusting the thickness of the resin material, for example, injection molding method or blow molding. It may be integrally molded by a method or the like.

8. Flange portion As shown in FIG. 8A, the flange portion 4 is provided with a hollow discharge chamber 4c for temporarily accommodating the developer conveyed from the accommodating chamber 2 (cylindrical portion 2b). There is. The bottom of the discharge chamber 4c is for allowing the developer to be discharged to the outside of the developer supply container 1, that is, for supplying the developer from the discharge chamber 4c to the hopper 20b of the developer supply device 20. , A small outlet 4a is formed. A developer storage unit 4d capable of storing a fixed amount of the developer before discharge is provided above the discharge port 4a.

Further, the flange portion 4 is provided with a shutter 4b having a discharge port 4a. The shutter 4b abuts against the abutting portion 31 (see FIG. 3A) provided in the mounting portion 20a as the developer replenishing container 1 is mounted on the mounting portion 20a. Therefore, the shutter 4b is relative to the developer replenishment container 1 in the direction opposite to the arrow X direction along the rotation axis direction of the storage chamber 2 as the developer replenishment container 1 is attached to the mounting portion 20a. Slide to. When this series of operations is completed, the discharge port 4a provided in the shutter 4b is moved to the lower part of the developer storage unit 4d. At this point, the discharge port 4a is in position with the developer receiving port 23 of the mounting portion 20a shown in FIG. 3B. Therefore, the discharge port 4a and the developer receiving port 23 are in communication with each other, and the developer can be replenished from the developer replenishment container 1 to the hopper 20b of the developer replenishment device 20. An opening seal 7a is provided between the shutter 4b and the developer storage unit 4d.

Further, the flange portion 4 is configured to be substantially immobile when the developer replenishment container 1 is mounted on the mounting portion 20a of the developer replenishing device 20. Specifically, the developer replenishing device 20 is provided with the rotation direction regulating unit 21 shown in FIG. 3A so that the flange portion 4 does not rotate in the rotation direction of the accommodation chamber 2 by itself. .. Therefore, when the developer replenishment container 1 is attached to the developer replenisher device 20, the discharge chamber 4c provided in the flange portion 4 is also substantially prevented from rotating in the rotation direction of the storage chamber 2. It will be in a state (movement of looseness is allowed). On the other hand, the storage chamber 2 is rotated in the developer replenishment step without being restricted in the rotation direction by the developer replenisher device 20.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8A, the developing agent conveyed from the accommodating chamber 2 by the spiral convex portion (conveying protrusion) 2a is conveyed to the flange portion 4 to the discharge chamber 4c as described later. A plate-shaped transport member 8 is provided for this purpose. The transport member 8 is provided so as to substantially divide a part of the area of the accommodation chamber 2 into two, and rotates integrally with the accommodation chamber 2. The transport member 8 is provided with a plurality of inclined ribs 8a inclined toward the discharge chamber 4c side with respect to the rotation axis direction of the accommodation chamber 2 on both sides thereof. With this configuration, the developer conveyed by the conveying projection 2a is scraped up from the lower side to the upper side in the vertical direction by the plate-shaped conveying member 8 in conjunction with the rotation of the accommodating chamber 2. After that, the developer slides down on the surface of the transport member 8 due to gravity as the rotation of the storage chamber 2 progresses, and is eventually delivered to the discharge chamber 4c side by the inclined rib 8a. In this embodiment, the inclined ribs 8a are provided on both sides of the transport member 8 so that the developer is sent to the discharge chamber 4c every half turn of the storage chamber 2.

Further, the flange portion 4 is provided with a regulation portion 9 (see FIGS. 8 (b) and 11) for restricting the movement of the flange seal 7b that seals between the discharge chamber 4c and the accommodation chamber 2. The details of the regulation unit 9 will be described later.

9. Containment chamber (cylindrical part)
As shown in FIGS. 7 (a) and 8 (a), in the storage chamber 2 (cylindrical portion 2b), the developer contained therein is directed toward the discharge chamber 4c (discharge port 4a) as it rotates. A transport protrusion 2a that protrudes in a spiral shape is provided for transporting. In this embodiment, the storage chamber 2 is formed by a blow molding method using the resin of the above-mentioned material.

When the volume of the developer replenishment container 1 is increased to increase the filling amount, a method of increasing the volume of the discharge chamber 4c as the developer storage space in the height direction can be considered. However, with such a configuration, the gravitational action on the developer in the vicinity of the discharge port 4a is further increased due to the weight of the developer. As a result, the developer in the vicinity of the discharge port 4a is likely to be compacted, which hinders intake / exhaust through the discharge port 4a. In this case, in order to release the developer compacted by the intake air from the discharge port 4a or to discharge the developer by the exhaust gas, the volume change amount of the pump unit 6 must be further increased. However, in that case, the driving force for driving the pump unit 6 also increases, and the load on the apparatus main body 101 may become excessive. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the storage chambers 2 are installed side by side with respect to the discharge chamber 4c in the horizontal direction, and the filling amount is adjusted according to the volume of the storage chamber 2, so that the discharge port in the developer supply container 1 is used. The thickness of the developer layer on 4a can be set thin. As a result, the developer is less likely to be consolidated by the action of gravity, so that the developer can be stably discharged without excessively loading the apparatus main body 101.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8B, a flange seal 7b, which is a ring-shaped elastic member, is provided on the elastic member installation surface 4e provided at the upstream end of the discharge chamber 4c in the arrow X direction for workability. It is fixed with an adhesive material (double-sided tape in this embodiment) 7c in order to raise it. The elastic member installation surface 4e is arranged so as to surround the opening of the discharge chamber 4c in a ring shape. The storage chamber 2 is held so as to be rotatable relative to the flange portion 4 in a state where the pressing portion 2c provided at the tip on the downstream side in the X direction of the arrow compresses the flange seal 7b. The pressing portion 2c is arranged so as to surround the opening of the accommodation chamber 2 in a ring shape. As a result, the accommodating chamber 2 (pressing portion 2c) rotates while sliding with the flange seal 7b, so that the developer does not leak from the relative rotating portion between the discharge chamber 4c and the accommodating chamber 2 during rotation, and the airtightness is improved. Is kept. That is, the inflow and outflow of air through the discharge port 4a can be appropriately performed, and the volume change of the developer replenishment container 1 during replenishment can be made into a desired state.

10. Pump unit In this embodiment, the pump unit 6 functions as an intake / exhaust mechanism that alternately performs an intake operation and an exhaust operation via the discharge port 4a. In other words, the pump unit 6 functions as an airflow generation mechanism that alternately and repeatedly generates an airflow toward the inside of the developer replenishment container 1 and an airflow from the developer replenishment container 1 to the outside through the discharge port 4a.

As shown in FIG. 8A, the pump unit 6 is provided on the downstream side of the discharge chamber 4c in the direction of arrow X. The pump unit 6 is non-rotating because it is fixed to the discharge chamber 4c. Further, the pump unit 6 has a developer storage space inside which the developer can be stored. The developer accommodating space in the pump unit 6 plays a major role in fluidizing the developer during the intake operation described later.

In this embodiment, the pump unit 6 is composed of a resin-made volume-variable pump unit (bellows-shaped pump) whose volume changes with reciprocating motion. Specifically, the pump portion 6 is a bellows-shaped pump, and a plurality of "mountain fold" portions and "valley fold" portions are periodically and alternately formed. Therefore, the pump unit 6 can alternately perform compression and decompression by the driving force received from the developer replenishing device 20 as described later. With this pump unit 6, the volume of the developer replenishment container 1 can be alternately and repeatedly changed at a predetermined cycle. As a result, the developer in the discharge chamber 4c can be efficiently discharged from the discharge port 4a having a small diameter (diameter of about 2.5 mm).

11. Drive receiving mechanism The developer replenishment container 1 has a drive receiving mechanism (drive input unit, driving force receiver) capable of engaging (driving and connecting) with a drive gear 300 that functions as a drive mechanism (drive unit) of the developer replenishment device 20. A gear portion 3a that functions as a portion) is provided. The gear portion 3a is provided on a drive receiving member 3 fixed to the accommodation chamber 2 so as to be rotatable integrally with the accommodation chamber 2. Therefore, the rotational driving force input from the drive gear 300 to the gear portion 3a causes the gear portion 3a and the accommodation chamber 2 to rotate integrally, so that the developer contained in the accommodation chamber 2 is transferred to the discharge chamber 4c. Can be transported.

In this embodiment, the gear portion 3a is provided on the downstream side of the substantially center of the accommodation chamber 2 in the direction of arrow X. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be provided at an end portion on the upstream side of the substantially center of the accommodation chamber 2 in the direction of arrow X, for example. In this case, the drive gear 300 will be installed at the corresponding position.

Further, in this embodiment, a gear mechanism is used as a drive connecting mechanism between the drive input unit of the developer replenishment container 1 and the drive unit of the developer replenishment device 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, any available coupling mechanism may be used. Specifically, a non-circular concave portion is provided as a drive input portion of the developer replenishment container 1, and a convex portion having a shape corresponding to the concave portion is provided as a drive portion of the developer replenisher device 20, and these are driven and connected to each other. It can be configured.

12. Drive conversion mechanism Next, the drive conversion mechanism (drive conversion unit) of the developer supply container 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9A is a partial side view of the pump unit 6 in a state of being maximally extended in use, and FIG. 9B is a partial side view of a state in which the pump unit 6 is in a state of being maximally contracted in use.

The developer supply container 1 has a cam, which will be described later, which functions as a drive conversion mechanism for converting the rotational driving force received by the gear unit 3a for rotating the storage chamber 2 into a force in the direction of reciprocating the pump unit 6. A cam mechanism composed of a groove 3a and a reciprocating member protrusion 5a is provided. That is, in this embodiment, the rotational driving force received by the gear portion 3a is converted into reciprocating power on the developer replenishment container 1 side, thereby rotating the accommodating chamber 2 and reciprocating the pump portion 6. The force is received by one drive input unit (gear unit 3a). This makes it possible to simplify the configuration of the drive input mechanism of the developer replenishment container 1 as compared with the case where two drive input units are separately provided in the developer replenishment container 1. Further, since the structure is such that the drive is received from one drive unit (drive gear 300) of the developer replenisher device 20, the configuration of the drive mechanism of the developer replenisher device 20 is different from that in the case where two drive units are provided separately. It can be simplified.

As shown in FIG. 9, in this embodiment, the developer replenishment container 1 has a reciprocating member 5 as a member for converting the rotational driving force into the reciprocating power of the pump unit 6. Specifically, the developer replenishment container 1 has a cam groove 3b provided on the entire circumference of the drive receiving member 3 that rotates integrally with the gear portion 3a. The cam groove 3b will be described later. Further, the developer replenishment container 1 has a reciprocating member 5 that is non-rotating and can be slidably moved along the direction of arrow X. The reciprocating member protrusion 5a formed so as to partially project from the arm portion 5b of the reciprocating member 5 is engaged with the cam groove 3b. Therefore, when the accommodation chamber 2 rotates, the reciprocating member protrusion 5a reciprocates along the cam groove 3b in the direction of arrow X or in the opposite direction. Since the engaging portion 6a of the pump portion 6 and the engaging portion 5c provided on the reciprocating member 5 are engaged with each other, this reciprocating movement becomes the reciprocating power of the pump portion 6. The reciprocating member 5 is regulated so that it does not rotate in the rotation direction of the accommodating chamber 2 (permissible backlash).

That is, when the cam groove 3b is rotated by the rotational driving force input from the drive gear 300, the reciprocating member protrusion 5a reciprocates along the cam groove 3b in the arrow X direction or the opposite direction. Therefore, the pump unit 6 is integrated with the reciprocating member 5 and alternately repeats the extended state (FIG. 9 (a)) and the contracted state (FIG. 9 (b)), and the developer supply container 1 The volume of the can be changed.

It is sufficient that at least one reciprocating member protrusion 5a is provided. However, a moment may be generated in the drive conversion mechanism or the like due to the drag force when the pump portion 6 expands and contracts, and smooth reciprocating movement may not be performed. Therefore, a plurality of pump portions so as not to break the relationship with the shape of the cam groove 3b described later. It is preferable to provide it. In this embodiment, the two reciprocating member protrusions 5a are arranged so as to face each other with a circumferential direction of the developer supply container 1 at a distance of about 180 °, and these reciprocating member protrusions 5a engage with the cam groove 3b. There is.

13. Arrangement position of drive conversion mechanism In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, a drive conversion mechanism (a cam mechanism composed of a reciprocating member protrusion 5a and a cam groove 3b) is provided outside the accommodation chamber 2. That is, the storage chamber 2, the discharge chamber 4c, and the discharge chamber 4c, so that the drive conversion mechanism does not come into contact with the developer stored inside the storage chamber 2, the discharge chamber 4c, and the pump unit 6 that function as the developer storage space. It is provided at a position separated from the internal space of the pump unit 6. As a result, it is possible to solve the problem that is expected when the drive conversion mechanism is provided in the developer storage space. In other words, when the developer invades the rubbing part of the drive conversion mechanism, heat and pressure are applied to the particles of the developer to soften them, and some particles stick to each other to form large lumps (coarse particles). It is possible to prevent the torque from being increased due to the developer being caught in the conversion mechanism.

14. Developer Replenishment Step Next, a developer replenishment step from the developer replenishment container 1 to the developer replenisher device 20 will be described.

14-1. Setting conditions for the cam groove First, the setting conditions for the cam groove 3b will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 shows a developed view of the cam groove 3b of the drive receiving member 3 shown in FIG.

In FIG. 10, arrow A indicates the rotation direction of the accommodation chamber 2 (movement direction of the cam groove 3b), arrow B indicates the extension direction of the pump portion 6, and arrow C indicates the compression direction of the pump portion 6. The cam groove 3b is used when the intake cam groove 3c used when extending the pump portion 6, the exhaust cam groove 3d used when compressing the pump portion 6, and the pump portion 6 are not reciprocated. The stop cam groove 3e and the stop cam groove 3e are continuously formed.

14-2. Outline of the developer replenishment process Next, the developer replenishment process by the pump unit 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. In this embodiment, an intake process (intake operation via the discharge port 4a) and an exhaust process (exhaust operation via the exhaust port 4a) by the operation of the pump unit 6 and an operation stop process (exhaust operation) in which the pump unit 6 does not operate (exhaust). Intake and exhaust through the outlet 4a) and. At this time, the drive conversion mechanism is configured to convert the rotational driving force into reciprocating power. Hereinafter, each developer replenishment step in a state in which the reciprocating member protrusion 5a is engaged with the above-mentioned intake cam groove 3c, exhaust cam groove 3d, and stop cam groove 3e will be sequentially described.

14-3. Intake process First, the intake process (intake operation via the discharge port 4a) will be described.

By the drive conversion mechanism (cam mechanism) described above, the pump unit 6 is changed from the most contracted state (FIG. 9 (b)) to the most expanded state (FIG. 9 (a)), so that the intake operation is performed. Will be done. Along with this intake operation, the volume inside the developer supply container 1 (accommodation chamber 2, discharge chamber 4c, pump unit 6) that functions as a developer storage space increases.

At that time, the inside of the developer replenishment container 1 is substantially sealed except for the discharge port 4a, and the discharge port 4a is substantially closed with the developer. Therefore, as the volume of the portion of the developer supply container 1 that can accommodate the developer increases, the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 decreases. At this time, the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure (external pressure). Therefore, the air outside the developer replenishment container 1 moves into the developer replenishment container 1 through the discharge port 4a due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the developer replenishment container 1. At that time, since air is taken in from the outside of the developer supply container 1 through the discharge port 4a, the developer located in the vicinity of the discharge port 4a can be dissolved (fluidized). Specifically, by impregnating the developer located near the discharge port 4a with air, the bulkiness can be reduced and the developer can be appropriately fluidized. Further, at this time, since air is taken into the developer replenishment container 1 through the discharge port 4a, the internal pressure of the developer replenishment container 1 is large even though the volume of the developer replenishment container 1 is increasing. It will change near the atmospheric pressure (outside atmospheric pressure).

By fluidizing the developer in this way, it is possible to smoothly discharge the developer from the discharge port 4a without clogging the developer at the discharge port 4a during the exhaust operation described later. .. Therefore, the amount of the developing agent discharged from the discharge port 4a (per unit time) can be kept substantially constant for a long period of time.

The intake operation is not limited to the state in which the pump unit 6 is changed from the most contracted state to the most extended state. For example, even if the pump unit 6 is stopped in the middle of changing from the most contracted state to the most expanded state, the intake operation is performed if the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 is changed. That is, the intake step is a state in which the reciprocating member protrusion 5a is engaged with the intake cam groove 3c shown in FIG.

14-4. Exhaust process Next, the exhaust process (exhaust operation via the exhaust port 4a) will be described.

By the drive conversion mechanism (cam mechanism) described above, the pump unit 6 is changed from the most extended state (FIG. 9 (a)) to the most contracted state (FIG. 9 (b)), so that the exhaust operation is performed. Will be done. Along with this exhaust operation, the volume inside the developer supply container 1 (accommodation chamber 2, discharge chamber 4c, pump unit 6) that functions as a developer storage space is reduced. At that time, the inside of the developer supply container 1 is substantially sealed except for the discharge port 4a, and the discharge port 4a is substantially blocked by the developer until the developer is discharged. ing. Therefore, as the internal volume of the developer supply container 1 decreases, the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 increases. At this time, since the internal pressure of the developer replenishment container 1 becomes higher than the atmospheric pressure (external pressure), the developer is pushed out from the discharge port 4a due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the developer replenishment container 1. That is, the developer is discharged from the developer supply container 1 to the developer supply device 20. Since the air in the developer replenishment container 1 is discharged together with the developer, the internal pressure of the developer replenishment container 1 decreases.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the developer can be efficiently discharged by using one reciprocating pump unit 6, the mechanism required for discharging the developer can be simplified.

The exhaust operation is not limited to being performed by changing the pump unit 6 from the most extended state to the most contracted state. For example, even if the pump unit 6 is stopped in the middle of changing from the most extended state to the most contracted state, the exhaust operation is performed if the internal pressure of the developer replenishment container 1 is changed. That is, the exhaust process is a state in which the reciprocating member protrusion 5a is engaged with the exhaust cam groove 3d shown in FIG.

14-5. Operation stop step Next, an operation stop step in which the pump unit 6 does not reciprocate will be described.

The developer replenishing device 20 needs to replenish the developer from the developer replenishment container 1 in an amount required by the developer. At this time, in order to stabilize the amount of the developer discharged from the developer supply container 1, it is desirable to set the volume change amount to a fixed amount each time. For example, when the above-mentioned configuration without the hopper 20b (FIG. 6) is adopted, the amount of the developer discharged from the developer replenishment container 1 directly affects the toner concentration in the developer in the developer. , This is especially important.

For example, if the cam groove 3b is composed of only the exhaust process and the intake process, the drive of the drive motor 500 is stopped during the exhaust process or the intake process. At that time, even after the rotation of the drive motor 500 is stopped, the accommodation chamber 2 is rotated by inertia, and the pump unit 6 continues to reciprocate in conjunction with the accommodation chamber 2 until the accommodation chamber 2 is stopped, and the exhaust process or the intake process is performed. Can be considered. The distance that the containment chamber 2 rotates due to inertia depends on the rotation speed of the containment chamber 2. Further, the rotation speed of the accommodation chamber 2 depends on the torque given to the drive motor 500. The torque applied to the motor changes depending on the amount of the developer in the developer supply container 1. Therefore, the speed of the accommodation chamber 2 may also change, and it becomes difficult to make the stop position of the pump unit 6 the same every time.

Therefore, in order to stop the pump unit 6 at a fixed position each time, it is preferable to provide a region in the cam groove 3b where the pump unit 6 does not reciprocate even when the accommodation chamber 2 is rotating. In this embodiment, the stop cam groove 3e shown in FIG. 10 is provided so that the pump unit 6 does not reciprocate. The stop cam groove 3e is formed along the rotation direction of the accommodation chamber 2, and has a straight shape in which the reciprocating member 5 does not move even if the accommodation chamber 2 rotates. That is, the operation stop step is a state in which the reciprocating member protrusion 5a is engaged with the stop cam groove 3e.

In this embodiment, a period during which the pump unit 6 does not reciprocate is provided, but during this period, the developer is not discharged from the discharge port 4a (the developer falls from the discharge port 4a due to vibration during rotation of the storage chamber 2 or the like). Is acceptable). Therefore, the stop cam groove 3e may be inclined in the rotation axis direction with respect to the rotation direction unless the exhaust step and the intake process are performed through the discharge port 4a. In this case, since the cam groove 3e is inclined, the reciprocating operation of the inclined portion of the pump portion 6 is acceptable.

15. Regulatory Unit Next, the regulatory unit 9 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 11. 11 (a) is a partial cross-sectional view of the storage chamber 2 and the flange portion 4 of the developer replenishment container 1, and FIG. 11 (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion B in FIG. 11 (a).

As shown in FIGS. 8 (b) and 11 (b), a regulating portion 9 is provided on the elastic member installation surface 4e of the discharge chamber 4c so as to project toward the accommodation chamber 2 in the direction of the rotation axis of the accommodation chamber 2. There is. In this embodiment, the regulating portion 9 includes an inner peripheral regulating portion 9a provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the flange seal 7b, which is a ring-shaped elastic member, and an outer peripheral regulating portion 9 provided on the outer peripheral surface side of the flange seal 7b. It is composed of 9b and.

In this embodiment, the inner peripheral regulating portion 9a and the outer peripheral regulating portion 9b are ring-shaped protrusions (wall portions) continuous in the circumferential direction of the flange seal 7b, respectively. As described above, the pressing portion 2c of the accommodation chamber 2 presses the flange seal 7b. Therefore, when the regulating portion 9 (inner circumference regulating portion 9a, outer circumference regulating portion 9b) and the pressing portion 2c are projected onto the surface of the accommodation chamber 2 in the direction of the rotation axis, the pressing portion 2c becomes the regulating portion 9 (inner circumference regulating portion 9a). , It is configured to be sandwiched between the outer peripheral regulating portions 9b). As will be described in detail later, roughly, the inner circumference regulating portion 9a can restrict the movement of the flange seal 7b from the outer peripheral side to the inner peripheral side, and the outer peripheral regulating portion 9b is from the inner peripheral side to the outer peripheral side of the flange seal 7b. Movement can be regulated. The inner circumference regulating portion 9a is a portion of the inner wall facing the flange seal 7b, and the outer circumference regulating portion 9b is a portion of the outer wall facing the flange seal 7b.

In this embodiment, the inner peripheral regulating portion 9a and the outer peripheral regulating portion 9b are configured so as not to come into contact with the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the flange seal 7b, respectively. In this embodiment, in a state where the flange seal 7b is not in contact with the pressing portion 2c, the inner circumference regulating portion 9a and the outer peripheral regulating portion 9b each have a distance of 0.5 mm (S1, S2). A flange seal 7b is attached. In this case, the distance (clearance) between the flange seal 7b and the regulation portion 9 is set to a distance at which the pressing portion 2c can press the flange seal 7b even if the flange seal 7b moves (shifts). However, at least one of the inner peripheral regulating portion 9a or the outer peripheral regulating portion 9b may come into contact with the corresponding one of the inner peripheral surface or the outer peripheral surface of the flange seal 7b.

Here, in the present embodiment, the regulating portion 9 surrounds all the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the ring-shaped flange seal 7b, but it is not necessary to surround all the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the flange seal 7b. Absent. That is, it is sufficient that the convex portion that can prevent the flange seal 7b and the adhesive material 7c from moving (shifting) protrudes from the discharge chamber 4c. Therefore, the regulating portion 9 is not limited to the one provided continuously in a ring shape in the circumferential direction of the flange seal 7b as in the present embodiment, and a part of the notch is provided in the circumferential direction of the flange seal 7b. The same effect can be obtained even if it is provided intermittently.

Next, the height of the regulation unit 9 will be described. In FIG. 11B, T1 is the height of the regulating portion 9, that is, the length in the rotation axis direction of the accommodating chamber 2 from the elastic member installation surface 4e to the top of the regulating portion 9. In this embodiment, the heights T1 of the inner circumference regulating portion 9a and the outer circumference regulating portion 9b are 1.5 mm, respectively. Further, T2 is the distance in the rotation axis direction of the accommodation chamber 2 from the elastic member installation surface 4e to the end surface of the pressing portion 2c of the accommodation chamber 2 (the position when the flange seal 7b is most compressed). In this embodiment, the distance T2 is 2.0 mm. This distance T2 corresponds to the height from the elastic member installation surface 4e to the top of the flange seal 7b most compressed by the pressing portion 2c. Further, T3 is the thickness of the adhesive material 7c and the flange seal 7b in the direction of the rotation axis of the accommodation chamber 2 in the natural length. In this embodiment, the thickness T3 is 3.0 mm.

When the height T1 of the regulating portion 9 is higher than the distance T2 from the elastic member installation surface 4e to the end surface of the pressing portion 2c of the accommodating chamber 2, the following concerns are concerned. As described above, since the accommodation chamber 2 rotates relative to the flange portion 4, there is usually a clearance between the flange portion 4 and the accommodation chamber 2 in terms of component tolerance. Therefore, the pressing portion 2c of the accommodation chamber 2 may move by a common difference in the direction indicated by the arrow Z in FIG. 11B (the direction from the outer peripheral side to the inner peripheral side of the accommodation chamber 2) and the opposite direction. .. Therefore, when the height T1 is higher than the distance T2, the clearance between the pressing portion 2c and the regulating portion 9 in the arrow Z direction and the opposite direction becomes narrow, and the pressing portion 2c and the regulating portion 9 rub against each other. The torque may increase. Alternatively, the developer may be sandwiched between the pressing portion 2c and the regulating portion 9 and this may become an agglomerate. Therefore, it is preferable to set the height T1 lower than the distance T2. That is, the height T1 of the regulating portion 9 is preferably lower than the height T2 when most compressed by the pressing portion 2c of the flange seal 7b.

Next, the difference in necessity between the inner circumference regulating portion 9a and the outer circumference regulating portion 9b will be described. In this embodiment, the regulation unit 9 has an inner circumference regulation unit 9a and an outer circumference regulation unit 9b, but the regulation unit 9 may have at least an inner circumference regulation unit 9a. In this embodiment, since the flange seal 7b is a ring-shaped elastic member, the flange seal 7b is restricted from being displaced in all directions by contacting the inner peripheral surface side of the flange seal 7b with the inner peripheral restricting portion 9a. can do.

If the regulation unit 9 does not have the inner circumference regulation unit 9a but only the outer circumference regulation unit 9b, the following matters are concerned. That is, when a part of the ring-shaped flange seal 7b receives a force to be deformed toward the inner peripheral surface side, unlike the case where the entire flange seal 7b is displaced toward the inner peripheral surface side, only a part of the flange seal 7b is used. There is a gap. In this case, in the configuration in which only the outer peripheral regulating portion 9b is provided, the displacement of the flange seal 7b toward the inner peripheral surface side cannot be regulated, so that the pressing portion 2c cannot press a part of the displaced flange seal 7b, and the developer. May be scattered. On the contrary, when a part of the flange seal 7b receives a force to be deformed to the outer peripheral surface side, the flange seal 7b of the part other than the force is to be deformed to the inner peripheral surface side. Therefore, if the regulating portion 9 has at least the inner peripheral regulating portion 9a, the flange seal 7b that deforms to the inner peripheral surface side comes into contact with the inner peripheral regulating portion 9a, so that a part of the flange seal 7b becomes the outer peripheral surface. It is possible to regulate the deformation to the side. That is, if at least the inner circumference regulating portion 9a is provided, not only the deviation of the flange seal 7b toward the inner peripheral surface side can be regulated, but also the deviation even when a part of the flange seal 7b is displaced toward the outer peripheral surface side. Can be regulated.

However, it is preferable that the regulating portion 9 has both the inner peripheral regulating portion 9a and the outer peripheral regulating portion 9b as in the present embodiment because the deviation of the flange seal 7b can be regulated more reliably.

As described above, in this embodiment, the developer replenishment container 1 that can be attached to and detached from the developer replenisher device 20 is provided with a discharge port 4a for discharging the developer, and is non-rotating with respect to the developer replenisher device 20. It has 4c. Further, the developer supply container 1 has a storage chamber 2 that is held so as to be rotatable relative to the discharge chamber 4c and can accommodate the developer supplied to the discharge chamber 4c. Further, the developer supply container 1 is provided in the discharge chamber 4c and has a flange seal 7b that seals between the discharge chamber 4c and the storage chamber 2 when pressed against the storage chamber 2. Further, the developer supply container 1 is provided in the discharge chamber 4c, and has an inner peripheral regulating portion 9a that regulates the movement of the flange seal 7b on the inner peripheral surface side of the flange seal 7b. In particular, in this embodiment, the flange seal 7b has a ring shape. The inner circumference regulating portion 9a is continuously provided in a ring shape in the circumferential direction of the flange seal 7b, or is provided intermittently with a partial notch in the circumferential direction of the flange seal 7b. .. Further, typically, the inner peripheral restricting portion 9a is provided so as to have a clearance with the flange seal 7b. In this case, the clearance is set so that the flange seal 7b is pressed against the accommodation chamber 2 in a state where the movement of the flange seal 7b is restricted by the inner circumference restricting portion 9a. However, the inner circumference regulating portion 9a may be provided in contact with the flange seal 7b. Further, in the present embodiment, the inner circumference regulating portion 9a is provided so as to project from the surface 4e of the discharge chamber 4c where the flange seal 7b is provided toward the accommodation chamber side in the direction of the rotation axis of the accommodation chamber 2. Then, in this embodiment, the height of the inner circumference restricting portion 9a is lower than the height when the flange seal 7b is most compressed by the accommodation chamber 2. Further, in this embodiment, the developer supply container 1 is provided in the discharge chamber 4c, and further has an outer peripheral regulating portion 9b that regulates the movement of the flange seal 7b on the outer peripheral surface side of the flange seal 7b. The outer circumference regulating portion 9b can also have the same configuration as the inner circumference regulating portion 9a.

As described above, in this embodiment, the regulating portion 9 is arranged so as to be in contact with the peripheral surface of the flange seal 7b. Therefore, even if the adhesive material (double-sided tape) 7c and the flange seal 7b move, the movement can be restricted only by the clearance between the flange seal 7b and the regulating portion 9. Therefore, since the flange seal 7b can always be pressed by the pressing portion 2c, the developer leaks to the outside of the developer replenishment container 1 even when the developer replenishment container 1 receives irregular distribution or a harsh environment. Can be suppressed.

16. Comparative Example Next, with reference to FIG. 12, the configuration of the developer supply container 1 according to the description of Patent Document 2 as a comparative example will be described. 12 (a) is a partial cross-sectional view of the storage chamber and the flange portion 4 of the developer supply container 1 of the comparative example, and FIG. 12 (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion C in FIG. 12 (a).

The developer supply container 1 of the comparative example has different configurations of the flange seal (elastic member) 7d, the adhesive material (double-sided tape) 7e, the pressing portion 4f, the elastic member installation surface 2d, and the regulating portion 9. Other configurations are the same as the configurations of this embodiment.

That is, in the developer supply container 1 of the comparative example, the elastic member installation surface 2d, the flange seal 7d, and the adhesive material 7e are provided in the accommodation chamber 2 that rotates relative to the flange portion 4. The pressing portion 4f that presses the flange seal 7d protrudes from the discharge chamber 4c of the flange portion 4.

In the comparative example, since the flange seal 7d is provided on the side of the accommodating chamber 2 in which the developer is filled, the developer tends to adhere to the flange seal 7d when the accommodating portion 2 is filled with the developer. Therefore, by pressing the flange seal 7d to which the developer is attached with the pressing portion 4f, there is a possibility that the torque is increased due to the biting of the developer and agglomerates are generated due to sliding.

It is conceivable to provide a filling port of the storage chamber 2 on the opposite side so that the developing agent does not adhere to the flange seal 7d during filling. In that case, since the accommodating chamber 2 is provided with the filling port and the opening for transporting the developing agent to the discharging chamber 4c, it is necessary to newly provide a member for closing the filling port, which leads to an increase in cost. It ends up.

Further, in the comparative example, the height T1 of the regulating portion 9 is higher than the distance T2 from the elastic member installation surface 2d to the end surface of the pressing portion 4f of the discharge chamber 4c. Therefore, when the flange portion 4 deviates from the clearance between the flange portion 4 and the accommodating chamber 2, the clearance between the pressing portion 4f and the regulating portion 9 becomes narrow. Therefore, there is a possibility that the pressing portion 4f rubs against the regulating portion 9 and the torque increases. Alternatively, the developing agent may be sandwiched between the pressing portion 4f and the regulating portion 9, which may form an agglomerate.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the adhesive material (double-sided tape) 7c and the flange seal 7b are provided on the discharge chamber 4c side, the flange seal when the accommodating chamber 2 is filled with the developer as in the comparative example. Adhesion of the developer to 7b can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to suppress an increase in torque and generation of agglomerates due to biting of the developer. Further, in the present embodiment, since the height of the regulating portion 9 is set as described above, the pressing portion 2c and the regulating portion 9 rub against each other to increase the torque, or the pressing portion 2c and the regulating portion 9 increase. It is possible to prevent the developer from forming agglomerates with and from.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, even when the developer supply container 1 is affected by vibration or environmental influence in irregular distribution or the like, the discharge chamber is not increased in the adhesive strength of the adhesive material 7c. It is possible to suppress the scattering of the developer in the relative rotating portion between the 4c and the storage chamber 2. Further, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of the developer to the flange seal 7b when the developer is filled in the storage chamber, and to suppress the increase in torque and the generation of agglomerates of the developer.

1 Developer supply container 2 Storage chamber 2c Pressing part 2d Elastic member installation surface 4c Discharge chamber 7b Flange seal (elastic member)
7c Adhesive material (double-sided tape)
9 Regulator 9a Inner circumference regulator 9b Outer circumference regulator 20 Developer replenisher 100 Image forming device 201 Developer

Claims (7)

In the developer replenishment container that can be attached to and detached from the developer replenisher
A discharge chamber provided with a discharge port for discharging the developer and non-rotating with respect to the developer replenishment device.
A storage chamber that is held so as to be rotatable relative to the discharge chamber and can accommodate the developer supplied to the discharge chamber.
A ring-shaped elastic member provided in the discharge chamber and pressed against the storage chamber to seal between the discharge chamber and the storage chamber.
A regulating unit provided in the discharge chamber and restricting the movement of the elastic member on the inner peripheral surface side of the elastic member.
Have,
A developer replenishment container characterized in that the elastic member is fixed to the discharge chamber by an adhesive material so as to form a gap between the regulating portion and the inner peripheral surface of the elastic member. Before SL regulating unit, characterized in that the or is provided continuously in the circumferential direction to the ring-shaped elastic member, or the are circumferentially intermittently provided with a-out portion cut-out in the elastic member The developer supply container according to claim 1. The restricting portion is provided so as to project from the surface of the discharge chamber where the elastic member is provided toward the accommodating chamber side in the direction of the rotation axis of the accommodating chamber, and the height of the restricting portion is the accommodation of the elastic member. The developer supply container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the height is lower than the height when most compressed by the chamber. The developer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising another regulating portion provided in the discharge chamber and restricting the movement of the elastic member on the outer peripheral surface side of the elastic member. Supply container. Before Symbol another regulating portion, the or is provided continuously in a ring shape in the circumferential direction of the elastic member, or that it has a-out portion cut-out intermittently provided in the circumferential direction of the elastic member The developer replenishment container according to claim 4. The other regulating portion is provided so as to project from the surface of the discharge chamber where the elastic member is provided toward the accommodating chamber in the direction of the rotation axis of the accommodating chamber, and the height of the restricting portion is the height of the elastic member. The developer supply container according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the height is lower than the height when most compressed by the storage chamber. Any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the elastic member is fixed to the discharge chamber by an adhesive material so as to form a gap between the other regulating portion and the outer peripheral surface of the elastic member. The developer replenishment container according to the section.