JP7078898B2 - Developer replenishment container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a developer supply container.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-213910 (hereinafter referred to as “Patent Document 1”) discloses a toner bottle (developerable agent replenishment container) that can be attached to and detached from the container receiving portion of the developer supply device. The developer supply container has a cover portion having a discharge port for discharging toner (developer), and a storage portion that stores the toner and is held by the cover portion so as to be rotatable relative to the cover portion. And have. The accommodating portion is formed in a cylindrical shape. The accommodating portion is formed with an inwardly projecting portion and a spirally formed projecting portion in the axial direction of the accommodating portion. The accommodating portion is rotationally driven by the toner bottle driving portion of the developer supply device. As a result, the protrusion conveys the toner toward the discharge port.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-213910

When the developer supply container as described in Patent Document 1 is attached to and detached from the developer supply device, the developer flowing out through the discharge port may adhere to the developer supply device. Therefore, it is conceivable to reduce the size of the discharge port. However, if this is done, there is a concern that the developer may be clogged at the discharge port and the developer may be poorly replenished due to the clogging.

An object of the present invention is to provide a developer supply container capable of suppressing the occurrence of clogging of the developer at the discharge port.

The developer supply container according to one aspect of the present invention is a developer supply container that can be attached to and detached from the container receiving portion of the developer supply device. This developer supply container is held in the accommodating cover portion having a discharge port for discharging the developer, and the accommodating cover portion so as to accommodate the developer and to be rotatable relative to the accommodating cover portion. It is provided with a storage unit and a discharge mechanism that sends the developer in the storage unit to the discharge port while unraveling it. The accommodating portion has a peripheral wall formed in a cylindrical shape and a rotational force input portion that receives a rotational force for rotating the peripheral wall around the axis from the drive unit of the developer supply device. A spiral protrusion having a shape that is convex inward and extends in a spiral shape is formed on the peripheral wall. The discharge mechanism engages with the spiral projection when the accommodating portion rotates, and urges the cam member that can be displaced along the axial direction of the peripheral wall inside the accommodating cover portion and the cam member toward the spiral projection. It has an urging member. The cam member has a shape that opens toward the accommodation cover portion, and has a cam member main body that supports one end of the urging member and a cam portion that is connected to the cam member main body and engages with a spiral protrusion. Have. The accommodating cover portion has an facing wall provided at a position facing the opening of the cam member main body. While the cam portion is engaged with the spiral protrusion during the rotation of the accommodating portion, the cam portion body is moved in the axial direction of the peripheral wall until the cam member body contacts or approaches the facing wall while resisting the urging force of the urging member. It has a shape of being displaced toward the facing wall along the above, and the cam member main body is displaced along the axial direction of the peripheral wall to a position separated from the facing wall by the urging force of the urging member. In the space inside the accommodating portion and the accommodating cover portion, the developer is applied from the inside of the accommodating portion to the outside of the cam member main body, between the cam member main body and the facing wall, and the inside of the cam member main body via the opening of the cam member main body. An uptake route is formed. The urging member has an unraveling portion inside the cam member main body that dissolves the developer in accordance with the reciprocating motion of the cam member along the axial direction of the peripheral wall.

In the present developer supply container, the cam member engages with the spiral protrusion while the accommodating portion is rotated by the rotational force of the drive unit of the developer supply device, so that the cam member main body is displaced by the urging member. While resisting the force, it is displaced toward the facing wall until it comes into contact with or is close to the facing wall, and then it is displaced to a position away from the facing wall by the urging force of the urging member. At this time, since an airflow is generated from the inside of the accommodating portion toward the inside of the cam member main body along the intake path, the developer conveyed to the outside of the accommodating portion by the spiral protrusion as the accommodating portion rotates is the airflow. It flows into the inside of the cam member main body by being accompanied by. The developer that has flowed into the inside of the cam member body is sent to the discharge port while being processed by the unraveling portion of the urging member. Therefore, the occurrence of clogging of the developer at the discharge port is suppressed.

Also preferably, the urging member comprises a coil spring. Each coil part of the coil spring constitutes an unraveling part.

By doing so, it is possible to achieve both the function of urging the cam member and the function of releasing the developer with a simple configuration.

Further, preferably, the urging member is made of a metal or a resin material having elasticity.

Further, preferably, the accommodation cover portion further has a guide portion having a shape extending along the axial direction of the peripheral wall. The cam member has a guided portion that engages with the guide portion.

By doing so, the relative rotation of the cam member with respect to the accommodating cover portion is suppressed, so that the rotational force input from the drive unit of the developer supply device to the accommodating portion is effectively applied to the cam member via the spiral protrusion. Be transmitted.

Further, preferably, the cam member has a reciprocating portion for stirring the developer existing above the discharge port while reciprocating above the discharge port as the urging member expands and contracts.

By doing so, it is possible to prevent the developer from accumulating above the discharge port.

Further, preferably, the accommodation cover portion further has a guide portion having a shape protruding from the facing wall toward the cam member main body. The guide portion has a shape in which the length of the guide portion in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the peripheral wall gradually decreases as the distance from the facing wall is increased along the axial direction of the peripheral wall.

In this aspect, the airflow passing between the cam member main body and the facing wall in the intake path and the developer accompanying the airflow are more reliably guided to the inside of the cam member main body by the guiding portion.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a developer supply container capable of suppressing the occurrence of clogging of the developer at the discharge port.

It is a figure which shows generally the whole structure of the image forming apparatus which comprises the developer supply container of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is an enlarged perspective view of a part of a developer supply device. It is a side view of a developer supply container and a rotational force transmission part. It is an enlarged perspective view which shows the relationship between a developer supply container and a rotational force transmission part. It is a perspective view of the developer supply container. It is an enlarged side view of a part of a developer supply container. It is a front view of the developer supply container. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII shown in FIG. 7, showing a state in which the urging member is extended. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the urging member is contracted. It is a perspective view of a cam member. It is a perspective view of the cam member at an angle different from FIG. It is a figure which shows the cam part seen from the direction shown by the arrow XII in FIG. It is an exploded perspective view of the accommodation cover part and the discharge mechanism. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the discharge mechanism is incorporated in the accommodation cover portion. It is a perspective view which shows the relationship between the accommodation cover part and a cam member. It is a figure which shows the state which the urging member is omitted from FIG. It is sectional drawing of the developer supply container of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings referred to below, the same or corresponding members are assigned the same number.

(First Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus including a developer supply container according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The image forming apparatus 1 is an MFP (Multifunctional Peripherals) having a plurality of functions such as a copy function, a facsimile function, a printer function, and a scanner function.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an image forming unit 10 (10Y, 10M, 10C, 10K), an intermediate transfer belt 20, a secondary transfer roller 21, a fixing device 22, and a paper ejection tray. It has 23, a paper feed tray 24 (24P, 24Q), and a developer supply device 50.

The image forming unit 10 includes a photoconductor 11 (image carrier), a charging device 12, an exposure device 13, a developing device 14, a primary transfer roller 15, and a cleaning blade 17. The image forming unit 10Y, the image forming unit 10M, the image forming unit 10C, and the image forming unit 10K have toner images having colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) in the middle, respectively. It is formed on the surface of the transfer belt 20.

The toner images of each color are superimposed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 20. After that, the intermediate transfer belt 20 conveys the color toner image to the secondary transfer portion between the intermediate transfer belt 20 and the secondary transfer roller 21.

The paper feed tray 24 is provided as a storage unit for storing the paper 25 as a recording medium. A plurality of sheets of paper 25 are stored in the paper feed tray 24. Typically, the paper feed tray 24P and the paper feed tray 24Q store paper 25 having different sizes. The paper feed tray 24P and the paper feed tray 24Q are provided side by side.

In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the paper feed tray 24 is provided in two upper and lower stages has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a single paper feed tray 24 may be provided in three or more stages. Paper tray 24 may be provided.

The paper 25 housed in the paper feed tray 24 is conveyed to the secondary transfer section between the intermediate transfer belt 20 and the secondary transfer roller 21 by various rotating rollers. The color toner image supported on the intermediate transfer belt 20 is transferred to the surface of the paper 25 in the secondary transfer section. The color toner image is fixed on the surface of the paper 25 by the fixing device 22. The paper 25 on which the image is formed by the above steps is discharged to the paper ejection tray 23.

The developer supply device 50 is a device that supplies a developer (toner) to the developer 14 of the image forming unit 10. The developer supply device 50 is provided between the intermediate transfer belt 20 and the paper ejection tray 23 in the vertical direction. However, the arrangement of the developer supply device 50 in the image forming device 1 is not particularly limited.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the developer supply device. FIG. 3 is a side view of the developer supply container and the rotational force transmission unit. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the relationship between the developer supply container and the rotational force transmission unit. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the developer supply device 50 includes a container receiving unit 52 (52Y, 52M, 52C, 52K), a rotational force transmitting unit 54, a driving unit (not shown), and a developing agent. It has a replenishment container 60 (60Y, 60M, 60C, 60K).

The container receiving portion 52 is arranged above the intermediate transfer belt 20 in the image forming apparatus 1. The container receiving portion 52 is configured to be able to receive the developer supply container 60. The container receiving portion 52Y, the container receiving portion 52M, the container receiving portion 52C, and the container receiving portion 52K correspond to the developer supply container 60Y, the developer supply container 60M, the developer supply container 60C, and the developer supply container 60K, respectively. It is provided.

The rotational force transmission unit 54 has a shape that fits into the developer supply container 60. The rotational force transmission unit 54 transmits the rotational force for rotating the developer supply container 60 to the developer supply container 60 in a state of being fitted to the developer supply container 60. As shown in FIG. 4, the rotational force transmission unit 54 has a fitting protrusion 55. The rotational force transmission unit 54 is rotationally driven by a drive unit (not shown).

The developer supply container 60 contains a developer (toner) for replenishing the developing device 14. The developer supply container 60Y, the developer supply container 60M, the developer supply container 60C, and the developer supply container 60K are the developing devices 14 of the image forming unit 10Y, the image forming unit 10M, the image forming unit 10C, and the image forming unit 10K, respectively. It is provided corresponding to. That is, the developer supply container 60Y, the developer supply container 60M, the developer supply container 60C, and the developer supply container 60K are toners of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) colors. Is housed.

The developer supply container 60 is rotationally driven by the drive unit via the rotational force transmission unit 54 to supply the developer to the developing device 14. The developer supply container 60 is configured to be removable from the container receiving portion 52. When the remaining amount of the developer in the developer supply container 60 is low, the developer supply container 60 is removed from the container receiving portion 52, and a new developer supply container 60 in which the developer is sufficiently contained is used as the container receiving portion. It is attached to 52.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the developer supply container. FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of a part of the developer supply container. FIG. 7 is a front view of the developer supply container. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII shown in FIG. 7, showing a state in which the urging member is extended. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the urging member is contracted in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 9, the developer supply container 60 includes a cover member 100, an accommodating portion 200, and a discharge mechanism 300.

The cover member 100 has an operation cover portion 110, an accommodation cover portion 120, and a sealing material 130.

The operation cover unit 110 is a portion operated by the operator when the developer supply container 60 is attached or detached. The operation cover portion 110 is arranged at the front portion of the cover member 100. The operation cover unit 110 has a shutter 112.

The accommodation cover portion 120 is arranged behind the operation cover portion 110. The accommodating cover portion 120 accommodates a part of the accommodating portion 200. The accommodating cover portion 120 holds the accommodating portion 200 so that the accommodating portion 200 can rotate relative to the accommodating cover portion 120. The accommodating cover portion 120 is integrally formed with the operation cover portion 110. However, the accommodation cover unit 120 may be configured as a separate member from the operation cover unit 110. The accommodating cover portion 120 has a front wall 121, a cylindrical wall 122, an accommodating portion holding portion 126, and a guide portion 128.

The front wall 121 is arranged on the front side (operation cover portion 110 side). The front wall 121 is formed in a disk shape. The front wall 121 is parallel to the vertical direction when the developer supply container 60 is attached to the container receiving portion 52.

The cylindrical wall 122 has a shape that rises backward from the outer edge portion of the front wall 121. The cylindrical wall 122 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The cylindrical wall 122 is connected to the operation cover portion 110. The inside of the cylindrical wall 122 and the inside of the operation cover portion 110 are separated by a front wall 121. The cylindrical wall 122 is provided with a discharge port 123 for discharging the developer. The discharge port 123 penetrates the cylindrical wall 122 in the radial direction thereof. The cover member 100 is attached to the container receiving portion 52 so that the discharge port 123 faces in the vertical direction.

The accommodating portion holding portion 126 is a portion that holds the accommodating portion 200. As shown in FIG. 9, the accommodating portion holding portion 126 has a shape extending from the cylindrical wall 122 toward the side opposite to the side where the front wall 121 is located (rear side) along the axial direction of the cylindrical wall 122. Have.

The guide portion 128 guides the cam member 302 described later. The guide portion 128 has a shape extending inward in the radial direction of the cylindrical wall 122 from the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 122 and extending along the axial direction of the cylindrical wall 122. A pair of guide portions 128 are connected to two portions of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 122 that face each other in the radial direction of the cylindrical wall 122.

The sealing material 130 is fixed to the lower part of the operation cover portion 110 and the cylindrical wall 122. The sealing material 130 is formed with a hole that overlaps with the discharge port 123 in the radial direction of the cylindrical wall 122 and is larger than the discharge port 123. The shutter 112 is movable between a position where the hole is opened (position in FIG. 8) and a position where the hole is closed.

The accommodating section 200 accommodates the developer. The accommodating portion 200 is held by the accommodating cover portion 120 so as to be rotatable relative to the accommodating cover portion 120. The accommodating portion 200 is removable from the cover member 100. Specifically, the accommodating portion 200 has a peripheral wall 202, a held portion 205, and a bottom wall 206.

The peripheral wall 202 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The peripheral wall 202 is formed with a spiral protrusion 204 having a shape that is convex inward and extends in a spiral shape.

The held portion 205 is a portion held by the accommodating portion holding portion 126 of the accommodating cover portion 120. The held portion 205 is connected to one end of the peripheral wall 202 (the side held by the accommodating cover portion 120). The held portion 205 is held by the accommodating portion holding portion 126 so as to be rotatable relative to the accommodating portion holding portion 126. The held portion 205 has a shape that opens the inside of the peripheral wall 202 to the outside. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the held portion 205 faces the front wall 121 in a state of being held by the accommodating portion holding portion 126.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the bottom wall 206 is connected to the other end of the peripheral wall 202. The bottom wall 206 has a shape that closes the opening on the other side of the peripheral wall 202. As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom wall 206 has a rotational force input unit 207. The rotational force input unit 207 has a shape that is recessed toward the held portion 205 side and is fitted with the fitting protrusion 55 of the rotational force transmission unit 54. The rotational force input unit 207 receives a rotational force from the rotational force transmission unit 54 that rotates the peripheral wall 202 around its axis. That is, the drive unit rotates with the fitting protrusion 55 fitted to the rotational force input unit 207, so that the accommodating unit 200 rotates relative to the accommodating cover unit 120 around the central axis of the peripheral wall 202. As a result, the developer in the accommodating portion 200 is sent toward the held portion 205 and the discharge port 123 by the spiral protrusion 204.

The discharge mechanism 300 is a mechanism for sending the developer in the accommodating portion 200 to the discharge port 123 while unraveling the developer. The discharge mechanism 300 is provided inside the accommodating cover portion 120. Specifically, the discharge mechanism 300 includes a cam member 302 and an urging member 304.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the cam member. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the cam member at an angle different from that of FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a cam portion seen from the direction indicated by the arrow XII in FIG. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the accommodation cover portion and the discharge mechanism. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a state in which the discharge mechanism is incorporated in the accommodation cover portion in FIG. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the accommodation cover portion and the cam member. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a state in which the urging member is omitted from FIG.

When the accommodating portion 200 is rotated, the cam member 302 is displaced relative to the accommodating cover portion 120 along the axial direction of the peripheral wall 202 inside the accommodating cover portion 120 while engaging with the spiral protrusion 204. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the cam member 302 engages with the spiral protrusion 204 when the accommodating portion 200 rotates, and receives the urging force of the urging member 304 in the axial direction of the peripheral wall 202. It reciprocates in the accommodating cover portion 120 along the above. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the cam member 302 has a cam member main body 310 and a cam portion 320.

The cam member main body 310 is arranged around the urging member 304. The cam member main body 310 supports one end of the urging member 304. The cam member main body 310 has a shape that opens toward the front wall 121 side of the accommodation cover portion 120. That is, the front wall 121 corresponds to the "opposing wall" provided at a position facing the opening of the cam member main body 310. The cam member main body 310 includes a cylindrical portion 311, a closed portion 312, a plurality of leg portions 314 (four in this embodiment), an annular portion 316, a reciprocating portion 317, and a plurality of protrusions 318. Have.

The cylindrical portion 311 is formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the urging member 304.

The closure portion 312 is connected to one end of the cylindrical portion 311. The closed portion 312 has a shape that closes the opening on one side of the cylindrical portion 311. The closed portion 312 is formed in a disk shape. The outer diameter of the closed portion 312 is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 311.

The closing portion 312 has a supporting portion 315 that supports one end of the urging member 304. The support portion 315 has a shape protruding from the closed portion 312 toward the other end of the cylindrical portion 311 along the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 311.

Each leg portion 314 has a shape that protrudes outward in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion 311 from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 311 and extends along the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 311. One end of each leg 314 is connected to the back surface of the obstruction 312. The plurality of leg portions 314 are arranged at intervals of 90 degrees along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 311.

As shown in FIGS. 10, 11, 13, and 15, each leg 314 has a guided portion 313 that engages with the guide portion 128. The guided portion 313 has a shape that is recessed inward in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion 311 from the outer surface of the leg portion 314. The guided portion 313 has a shape extending from one end to the other end of the leg portion 314.

The annulus portion 316 is formed in an annular shape. The annular portion 316 connects the other ends of each leg portion 314 (the end portion on the side opposite to the end portion on the side connected to the closed portion 312). The annular portion 316 is provided at a position separated from the cylindrical portion 311 in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 311. That is, a gap is formed between the cylindrical portion 311 and the annular portion 316.

The reciprocating portion 317 reciprocates above the discharge port 123 to release the developer existing above the discharge port 123. The reciprocating portion 317 is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the annular portion 316. The reciprocating portion 317 has a shape protruding from a part of the outer peripheral surface of the annular portion 316 along the radial direction of the annular portion 316. However, the protruding direction of the reciprocating portion 317 from the annular portion 316 may be a direction in which the reciprocating portion 317 is inclined forward or backward with respect to the radial direction of the annular portion 316. The reciprocating portion 317 is formed in a plate shape.

The plurality of protrusions 318 are provided at positions separated from each other along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 311 (circumferential direction of the peripheral wall 202). Each protrusion 318 has a shape that protrudes outward in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion 311 from the outer surface of the closed portion 312.

Each protrusion 318 abuts on the accommodating cover portion 120 in the radial direction of the peripheral wall 202. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9, 13 and 14, each protrusion 318 abuts on the inner peripheral surface of the accommodating portion holding portion 126 in the radial direction of the peripheral wall 202. Each protrusion 318 slides along the axial direction of the peripheral wall 202 while abutting on the inner peripheral surface of the accommodating portion holding portion 126 when the accommodating portion 200 rotates. As shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 13, each protrusion 318 has at least one protrusion 318 arranged in one of two regions divided by 180 degrees with respect to the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 311. At least two protrusions 318 are arranged in the other region of the two regions.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the cam member main body 310 has a posture in which the annular portion 316 faces the front wall 121 and the central axis of the cylindrical portion 311 is located on an extension of the central axis of the peripheral wall 202. It is arranged inside the accommodating cover portion 120.

As shown by arrows in FIG. 8, in the space inside the accommodating portion 200 and the accommodating cover portion 120, from the inside of the accommodating portion 200, the outside of the cam member main body 310, between the cam member main body 310 and the front wall 121, and An uptake path (path through which the developer flows) S is formed to take in the developer inside the cam member main body 310 via the opening of the cam member main body 310.

The urging member 304 urges the cam member 302 toward the spiral protrusion 204 (in a direction away from the front wall (opposing wall) 121 of the accommodating cover portion 120). As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the urging member 304 is arranged inside the cam member main body 310. The urging member 304 connects the front wall 121 of the accommodation cover portion 120 and the cam member 302. Specifically, one end of the urging member 304 is supported by the support portion 315. The other end of the urging member 304 is fixed to the front wall 121. The urging member 304 is made of a metal or a resin material having elasticity.

The urging member 304 has an unraveling portion 305 inside the cam member main body 310 that releases the developer in accordance with the reciprocating motion of the cam member 302 along the axial direction of the peripheral wall 202. The unraveling unit 305 unravels the developer in the process of expanding and contracting the urging member 304. In this embodiment, the urging member 304 is composed of a coil spring. That is, in the present embodiment, each coil portion of the coil spring constitutes the unraveling portion 305.

The cam portion 320 is connected to the cam member main body 310. The cam portion 320 engages with the spiral protrusion 204. While the cam portion 320 is engaged with the spiral protrusion 204 during the rotation of the accommodating portion 200, the cam portion 320 resists the urging force of the urging member 304 until the cam member main body 310 contacts or approaches the front wall 121. The member main body 310 has a shape of being displaced (pushed) toward the front wall 121 along the axial direction of the peripheral wall 202. When the cam portion 320 pushes the cam member main body 310, the urging member 304 contracts. The cam portion 320 is in a position where the cam member main body 310 is separated from the front wall 121 along the axial direction of the peripheral wall 202 by the urging force of the urging member 304 while engaging with the spiral protrusion 204 when the accommodating portion 200 rotates. It has a shape that can be displaced to (the position shown in FIG. 8). The state in which the cam member main body 310 is close to the front wall 121 means that a gap is formed between the cam member main body 310 and the front wall 121 to allow the passage of the developer (FIG. 9). It means the state shown).

As shown in FIGS. 10, 13, 14, 14 and the like, a pair of cam portions 320 are connected to the cam member main body 310. Each cam portion 320 is provided in a portion of the closing portion 312 located between the leg portions 314 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 311. Each cam portion 320 has a shape curved so as to be convex outward in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion 311. The pair of cam portions 320 are provided at positions facing each other in the radial direction of the cylindrical portions 311. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, the cam portion 320 has a first inclined portion 321 and a second inclined portion 322.

The first inclined portion 321 is arranged on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the spiral protrusion 204. The first inclined portion 321 is inclined with respect to an orthogonal plane (the surface of the closed portion 312) orthogonal to the central axis of the peripheral wall 202. The first inclined portion 321 engages with the spiral protrusion 204 during the rotation of the accommodating portion 200 to displace the cam member main body 310 toward the front wall 121 of the accommodating cover portion 120 along the axial direction of the peripheral wall 202. It has a shape that is inclined so as to.

The second inclined portion 322 is arranged on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the spiral protrusion 204. The second inclined portion 322 is inclined with respect to the orthogonal plane. The direction of inclination of the second inclined portion 322 with respect to the orthogonal plane is opposite to that of the first inclined portion 321. The second inclined portion 322 engages with the spiral protrusion 204 when the accommodating portion 200 rotates, and the cam member main body 310 is accommodated in the accommodating cover portion 120 along the axial direction of the peripheral wall 202 by the urging force of the urging member 304. It has a shape that is inclined so as to be displaced in a direction away from the front wall 121. As shown in FIG. 12, the inclination angle θ2 of the second inclined portion 322 with respect to the orthogonal plane is larger than the inclination angle θ1 of the first inclined portion 321 with respect to the orthogonal plane.

It should be noted that during the rotation of the accommodating portion 200, the spiral protrusion 204 is separated from the second inclined portion 322 until it is engaged with the first inclined portion 321 again (the spiral protrusion 204 is separated from the cam portion 320). While), the cam member 302 is maintained at a position separated from the front wall 121 by the urging force of the urging member 304.

Next, the operation when the drive unit of the developer supply device 50 is driven in a state where the developer supply container 60 is mounted on the container receiving unit 52 will be described.

When the drive unit is driven in a state where the fitting protrusion 55 of the rotational force transmission unit 54 is fitted to the rotational force input unit 207 (the state shown in FIG. 3), the spiral protrusion 204 formed on the peripheral wall 202 causes the drive unit to be driven. The developer in the accommodating portion 200 is conveyed toward the discharge port 123.

At this time, the portion on the downstream side (held portion 205 side) of the spiral protrusion 204 first engages with the first inclined portion 321 of the cam portion 320. While the downstream portion of the spiral protrusion 204 is engaged with the first inclined portion 321 (while the downstream portion of the spiral protrusion 204 is sliding on the first inclined portion 321), the cam member. The 302 is displaced toward the front wall 121 while resisting the urging force of the urging member 304.

While the cam member 302 is displaced toward the front wall 121, the guided portion 313 is guided by the guide portion 128. Therefore, the relative rotation of the cam member 302 with respect to the accommodating cover portion 120 is suppressed. Therefore, the rotational force input from the drive unit of the developer supply device 50 to the accommodating unit 200 is effectively transmitted to the cam member 302 via the spiral protrusion 204.

Further, while the cam member 302 is displaced toward the front wall 121, each protrusion 318 continues to abut on the inner peripheral surface of the accommodating portion holding portion 126. Therefore, the displacement of the cam member 302 in the radial direction of the peripheral wall 202 is effectively restricted. Therefore, when the cam member 302 is displaced along the axial direction of the peripheral wall 202, the cam member 302 is prevented from tilting with respect to the axial direction of the peripheral wall 202 (occurrence of twisting).

When the accommodating portion 200 further rotates from the state in which the urging member 304 is contracted (the state shown in FIG. 9), the portion on the downstream side of the spiral protrusion 204 is separated from the first inclined portion 321 and the second inclined portion 321 is inclined. Engage with portion 322. More specifically, the cam member 302 is separated from the front wall 121 by the urging force of the urging member 304 while the portion on the downstream side of the spiral projection 204 engages with the second inclined portion 322 (FIG. 8). Displace to the indicated position).

Here, since the inclination angle θ2 is larger than the inclination angle θ1, the cam member 302 has a speed at which the cam member main body 310 is displaced toward the front wall 121 due to the engagement between the spiral protrusion 204 and the first inclined portion 321. It displaces in a direction away from the front wall 121 at a higher speed. At this time, an air flow is generated from the inside of the accommodating portion 200 toward the inside of the cam member main body 310 along the intake path S. Therefore, the developer conveyed toward the outside of the accommodating portion 200 by the spiral projection 204 accompanying the rotation of the accommodating portion 200 is camped by being accompanied by the air flow as shown by an arrow in FIG. It flows into the inside of the member main body 310. The developer that has flowed into the inside of the cam member main body 310 is sent to the discharge port while being unraveled by the unraveling portion 305 of the urging member 304. Therefore, the occurrence of clogging of the developer at the discharge port is suppressed.

After that, when the accommodating portion 200 further rotates, the spiral projection 204 engages with the first inclined portion 321 again, so that the cam member 302 is displaced toward the front wall 121 again. At this time, the developer unraveled by the unraveling portion 305 in the cam member main body 310 is sent to the discharge port 123 as shown by an arrow in FIG.

As described above, in the developer supply container 60 of the present embodiment, the developer in the accommodating portion 200 is moved along the intake path S due to the reciprocating motion of the cam member 302 caused by the rotation of the accommodating portion 200. It flows into the cam member main body 310, where it is unraveled by the unraveling unit 305 and sent to the discharge port 123. Therefore, the occurrence of clogging of the developer at the discharge port 123 is suppressed.

Therefore, for example, the discharge port 123 can be made smaller. By making the discharge port 123 smaller, when the developer supply container 60 is removed from the container receiving portion 52, the possibility that the developer flowing out through the discharge port 123 adheres to the container receiving portion 52 is suppressed.

Further, in the process in which the cam member 302 reciprocates along the axial direction of the peripheral wall 202 with the rotation of the accommodating portion 200, the reciprocating portion 317 exists above the discharge port 123 while reciprocating above the discharge port 123. Dissolve the developer. Therefore, the deposition of the developer above the discharge port 123 is suppressed.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the developer supply container 60 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the developer supply container according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, only the parts different from the first embodiment will be described, and the description of the same structure, action and effect as in the first embodiment will not be repeated.

In the developer supply container 60 of the present embodiment, the accommodating cover portion 120 further has an induction portion 129. The guide portion 129 has a shape protruding from the front wall 121 toward the cam member main body 310. The guide portion 129 has a shape in which the length of the guide portion 129 in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the peripheral wall 202 gradually decreases as the distance from the front wall 121 along the axial direction of the peripheral wall 202 increases. Specifically, the guide portion 129 is formed in a conical shape or a polygonal pyramid shape. The end portion of the guide portion 129 on the front wall 121 side has a shape that fits inside the urging member 304. The central axis of the guide portion 129 is preferably located on an extension of the central axis of the peripheral wall 202.

In the present embodiment, when the urging member 304 is extended (when the cam member 302 is displaced in the direction away from the front wall 121), it passes between the cam member main body 310 and the front wall 121 in the intake path S. The air flow and the developer accompanying the air flow are more reliably guided to the inside of the cam member main body 310 by the guide unit 129.

It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed this time are exemplary in all respects and are not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown by the scope of claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

1 image forming device, 10 image forming unit, 50 developer supply device, 52 container receiving part, 54 rotational force transmission part, 60 developer supply container, 100 cover member, 110 operation cover part, 112 shutter, 120 accommodating cover part, 121 Front wall (opposing wall), 122 Cylindrical wall, 123 Discharge port, 126 Accommodating part holding part, 128 Guide part, 129 Guidance part, 200 Accommodating part, 202 Circumferential wall, 204 Spiral protrusion, 205 Held part, 206 Bottom wall , 207 Rotating force input part, 300 discharge mechanism, 302 cam member, 304 urging member, 305 unraveling part, 310 cam member body, 311 cylindrical wall, 312 closed wall, 313 guided part, 314 leg part, 315 support part 316 annular part, 317 reciprocating part, 318 protrusion, 320 cam part, 321 first inclined part, 322 second inclined part, S uptake path.

Claims (6)

A developer supply container that can be attached to and detached from the container receiving part of the developer supply device.
A storage cover with a discharge port for discharging the developer,
An accommodating portion that accommodates the developer and is held in the accommodating cover portion so as to be rotatable relative to the accommodating cover portion.
It is provided with a discharge mechanism that sends the developer to the discharge port while unraveling the developer in the storage portion.
The accommodating portion has a peripheral wall formed in a cylindrical shape and a rotational force input portion that receives a rotational force for rotating the peripheral wall around its axis from a drive unit of the developer supply device.
A spiral protrusion having a shape that is convex inward and extends in a spiral shape is formed on the peripheral wall.
The discharge mechanism has a cam member that can be displaced along the axial direction of the peripheral wall inside the housing cover portion while engaging with the spiral protrusion when the housing portion rotates, and the cam member having the spiral shape. It has an urging member that urges it toward the protrusion,
The cam member has a shape that opens toward the accommodation cover portion side, is connected to the cam member main body that supports one end of the urging member, and is engaged with the spiral protrusion. It has a matching cam part and
The accommodation cover portion has an facing wall provided at a position facing the opening of the cam member main body.
While the cam portion engages with the spiral protrusion during rotation of the accommodating portion, the cam portion resists the urging force of the urging member until the cam member main body comes into contact with or approaches the facing wall. A position where the member main body is displaced toward the facing wall along the axial direction of the peripheral wall, and the cam member main body is separated from the facing wall along the axial direction of the peripheral wall by the urging force of the urging member. Has a shape that can be displaced to
In the space inside the accommodating portion and the accommodating cover portion, the development is performed from the inside of the accommodating portion via the outside of the cam member main body, between the cam member main body and the facing wall, and the opening of the cam member main body. An uptake path is formed to take in the agent inside the main body of the cam member.
The urging member is a developer supply container having a processing portion inside the cam member main body that dissolves the developer in accordance with the reciprocating motion of the cam member along the axial direction of the peripheral wall. The urging member is composed of a coil spring and is composed of a coil spring.
The developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein each coil portion of the coil spring constitutes the unraveling portion. The developer supply container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the urging member is made of a metal or a resin material having elasticity. The accommodation cover portion further has a guide portion having a shape extending along the axial direction of the peripheral wall.
The developer supply container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cam member has a guided portion that engages with the guide portion. One of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cam member has a reciprocating portion for stirring the developer existing above the discharge port while reciprocating above the discharge port as the urging member expands and contracts. The developer supply container according to item 1. The accommodation cover portion further has a guide portion having a shape protruding from the facing wall toward the cam member main body.
According to claim 1, the guiding portion has a shape in which the length of the guiding portion in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the peripheral wall gradually decreases as the guide portion is separated from the facing wall along the axial direction of the peripheral wall. 5. The developer supply container according to any one of 5.

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