JP7131097B2 - developer stirring member, developer supply unit, image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a developer stirring member, a developer supply unit and an image forming apparatus.

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a print processing section including an image carrier, a charging device, a developing device, a transfer device, and the like. Further, the image forming apparatus includes a developer supply unit that supplies developer to the developing device.

The developer replenishing unit includes a container containing the developer, a developer stirring member provided in the container, a conveying screw, and the like. The developer stirring member stirs the developer by being rotationally driven within the container. The conveying screw feeds the developer from the container to the developing device.

The developer stirring member has a shaft member rotatably supported within the container, and a flexible member supported by the shaft member. The flexible member pivots in conjunction with the rotation of the shaft member. The flexible member is a film material that agitates the developer by turning.

The flexible member stirs the developer and bounces the developer from below toward the conveying screw by its elastic force. Also, it is known that two rotatable sheet bodies are provided in the container (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2013-246268 A

By the way, when the amount of the developer in the container is large, there is a possibility that the elastic force of the conventional film-like flexible member may be insufficient for the weight of the developer. In this case, stirring and splashing of the developer by the flexible member become insufficient.

If the film material having a large thickness is employed as the flexible member, the flexible member strongly contacts the inner surface of the container or the conveying screw when the amount of the developer in the container is small. .

The sound produced when the flexible member strongly contacts the inner surface of the container or the conveying screw is an annoying noise.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a developer stirring member, a developer replenishing unit, and an image forming apparatus that can prevent noise while stirring the developer in the container with an appropriate elastic force regardless of the amount of developer contained in the container. to provide.

A developer stirring member according to one aspect of the present invention includes a shaft member and a flexible member. The shaft member is formed to extend in the first direction and is rotatably supported within a container containing powdery developer. The flexible member is a film-like member that is supported by the shaft member and stirs the developer. The flexible member includes a base, a plurality of short pieces, a long portion, and an overlapping portion. The base extends in the first direction and is fixed to the shaft member. The plurality of short pieces are formed extending from the base along a second direction that intersects with the first direction, and are arranged at intervals in the first direction. The long portion is formed to extend along the second direction from a portion of the base portion between portions connected to the plurality of short piece portions, and is formed longer in the second direction than the plurality of short piece portions. there is The overlapping portion overlaps the surface of the base portion and the plurality of short pieces on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the shaft member. The base portion and a portion of the overlapping portion that overlaps the base portion are fixed to the shaft member. At least the base portion, the plurality of short pieces and the long portion are made of one sheet of film material.

A developer supply unit according to another aspect of the present invention includes a container, the developer stirring member, and a developer delivery member. The container accommodates powdery developer. The developer stirring member stirs the developer by being rotationally driven within the container. The developer delivery member delivers the developer from the container by being rotationally driven within the container. The plurality of short pieces are formed with a length that does not come into contact with the inner surface of the container.

An image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention includes the developing device and the developer supply unit that supplies the developer to the developing device. The developing device develops the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier with a developer.

According to the present invention, there are provided a developer stirring member, a developer replenishing unit, and an image forming apparatus that can prevent noise while stirring the developer in the container with an appropriate elastic force regardless of the amount of developer contained in the container. be able to provide.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus provided with a developer stirring member according to a first reference example. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of a developer replenishing unit having a developer stirring member according to the first reference example. FIG. 3 is a partially omitted front view of a flexible member included in the developer stirring member according to the first reference example. FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing the operating state of the developer stirring member according to the first reference example, and FIG. 4A is a diagram showing the operating state of the developer stirring member when the remaining amount of developer is small. FIG. 4B is a diagram showing the operating state of the developer stirring member when the remaining amount of developer is large. FIG. 5 is a partially omitted front view of a flexible member provided in a developer stirring member according to a second reference example. FIG. 6 is a partially omitted front view of a flexible member included in a developer stirring member according to a third reference example. FIG. 7 is a partially omitted front view of a flexible member provided in a developer stirring member according to a fourth reference example. FIG. 8 is a partially omitted front view of a flexible member provided in a developer stirring member according to a fifth reference example. FIG. 9 is a partially omitted front view of a flexible member included in the developer stirring member according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a partially omitted front view of a first sheet member and a second sheet member included in the flexible member of the developer stirring member according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a partially omitted front view of a flexible member included in the developer stirring member according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a developed view of a flexible member included in the developer stirring member according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a partially omitted front view of a flexible member included in a developer stirring member according to a sixth reference example. 14A and 14B are a partially omitted front view and a side view of a developer stirring member according to the sixth reference example, FIG. 14A being a partially omitted front view, and FIG. 14B being a side view. . FIG. 15 is a partially omitted front view of a flexible member included in a developer stirring member according to a seventh reference example. FIG. 16 is a partially omitted front view of a flexible member included in the developer stirring member according to the third embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiment is an example that embodies the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus 10]
The developer stirring member 400 according to the first reference example is incorporated in the developer supply unit 40 in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus 10 .

The image forming apparatus 10 includes a print processing unit 4 that executes print processing using an electrophotographic method. The print processing is processing for forming an image on the sheet 9 . The sheet 9 is a sheet-like image forming medium such as paper or resin film.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a sheet conveying mechanism 3, a print processing section 4, a control device 8, and the like arranged in a main body 100. As shown in FIG.

The control device 8 executes various data processing, and further controls electrical devices included in the image forming apparatus 10 . The electric device includes a motor that rotates the developer stirring member 400 .

The sheet conveying mechanism 3 feeds the sheet 9 accommodated in the sheet accommodating portion 101 to the sheet conveying path 300 and further conveys the sheet 9 along the sheet conveying path 300 .

The print processing section 4 includes a photosensitive member 41, a charging device 42, a developing device 43, a transfer device 44, a cleaning device 45, an optical scanning unit 46, a fixing device 47, and the like.

A drum-shaped photoreceptor 41 rotates, and the charging device 42 charges the surface of the photoreceptor 41 . The optical scanning unit 46 writes an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive member 41 by scanning the surface of the charged photosensitive member 41 with a light beam.

The developing device 43 develops the electrostatic latent image by supplying powdery developer 90 to the surface of the photoreceptor 41 . Developer 90 is toner.

The transfer device 44 transfers the image of the developer 90 carried by the photoreceptor 41 onto the sheet 9 that is moving on the sheet conveying path 300 . Note that the photoreceptor 41 is an example of an image carrier. The fixing device 47 fixes the image of the developer 90 on the sheet 9 to the sheet 9 .

Cleaning device 45 removes developer 90 remaining on the surface of photoreceptor 41 . The developer supply unit 40 supplies the developer 90 to the developing device 43 . The developer supply unit 40 can be attached to and removed from the main body 100 of the image forming apparatus 10 .

The developer supply unit 40 includes a container 401 containing the developer 90, a developer stirring member 400 provided in the container 401, a conveying screw 402, and the like.

The developer stirring member 400 stirs the developer 90 by being rotationally driven within the container 401 . The conveying screw 402 feeds the developer 90 from the container 401 to the developing device 43 by being rotationally driven. Note that the conveying screw 402 is an example of a developer feeding member.

The developer stirring member 400 has a shaft member 70 rotatably supported within the container 401 and a flexible member 7 supported by the shaft member 70 . The flexible member 7 turns in conjunction with the rotation of the shaft member 70 . The flexible member 7 is a film-like member that agitates the developer 90 by turning.

The flexible member 7 is a member formed by molding a synthetic resin such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) into a film. Therefore, the flexible member 7 has flexibility. It is also conceivable that the flexible member 7 is a member in which another synthetic resin such as vinyl chloride or polycarbonate is molded into a film.

The flexible member 7 agitates the developer 90 and bounces the developer 90 from below toward the conveying screw 402 by its elastic force.

By the way, when the amount of the developer 90 in the container 401 is large, there is a possibility that the elastic force of the conventional film-like flexible member may be insufficient for the weight of the developer 90 . In this case, stirring and splashing of the developer 90 by the flexible member become insufficient.

Further, when a thick film material is employed as the flexible member, the flexible member strongly contacts the inner surface of the container 401 or the conveying screw 402 when the amount of the developer 90 in the container 401 is small.

The sound generated when the flexible member strongly contacts the inner surface of the container 401 or the conveying screw 402 is harsh noise.

In the developer supply unit 40 of the image forming apparatus 10, the developer stirring member 400 prevents noise while stirring the developer 90 in the container 401 with appropriate elastic force regardless of the amount of the developer 90 contained in the container 401. can. Details of the developer stirring member 400 will be described below.

In the following description, the longitudinal direction of the shaft member 70 is called a first direction D1. The shaft member 70 is formed extending along the first direction D1.

A direction intersecting the first direction D1 is called a second direction D2. A second direction D2 shown in each drawing is a direction orthogonal to the first direction D1. However, it is also conceivable that the second direction D2 forms an acute angle with the first direction D1.

[First Reference Example: Developer Stirring Member 400]
The flexible member 7 of the developer stirring member 400 is made of one sheet of film material. The flexible member 7 has a base portion 71 , a plurality of short pieces 72 and a long portion 730 .

That is, the base portion 71, the plurality of short piece portions 72 and the long portion 730 are made of the single film material. In this reference example, the one sheet of film material is rectangular.

A plurality of short pieces 72 are divided by a plurality of cuts 74 . The long portion 730 is divided into a plurality of long pieces 73 by a plurality of cuts 74 . The base portion 71 is continuous with a plurality of short piece portions 72 and a plurality of long piece portions 73 .

The multiple cuts 74 include multiple first cuts 74a and multiple second cuts 74b. The first cuts 74 a separate the plurality of short piece portions 72 and the long portion 730 . The second cut 74 b divides the elongated portion 730 into a plurality of elongated pieces 73 . That is, the second cuts 74b separate the long pieces 73 from each other.

The base portion 71 is a portion that extends in the first direction D1 and is fixed to the shaft member 70 . In FIG. 3, the shaft member 70 is indicated by a phantom line (a two-dot chain line). The base portion 71 is formed with a plurality of holes 71c into which protrusions (not shown) of the shaft member 70 are inserted.

The plurality of short piece portions 72 are formed extending from the base portion 71 along the second direction D2. Also, the plurality of short piece portions 72 are formed side by side at intervals in the first direction D1.

FIG. 3 shows the first width W1 and the second width W2 of the short piece 72 . The first width W1 is the dimension in the first direction D1 of the base of each of the short pieces 72 connected to the base 71 . The second width W2 is the dimension in the first direction D1 of the end portion of each short piece portion 72 opposite to the base portion 71 side.

Further, FIG. 3 shows a third width W3 and a fourth width W4 of the long piece 73. As shown in FIG. The third width W3 is the dimension in the first direction D1 of the root portion of each of the long piece portions 73 connected to the base portion 71 . The fourth width W4 is the dimension in the first direction D1 of the end portion of each of the long pieces 73 opposite to the base portion 71 side.

The first width W1 is greater than the second width W2. In this reference example, all the short pieces 72 are trapezoidal. That is, each of the short pieces 72 is formed such that the dimension in the first direction D1 gradually decreases from the root portion on the side of the base portion 71 toward the end portion on the opposite side in the second direction D2.

It is also conceivable that some of the short pieces 72 are trapezoidal and the rest are rectangular.

It is also conceivable that other shapes may be employed as the shape of the short piece portion 72 in which the first width W1 is greater than the second width W2. For example, it is conceivable that the short piece 72 is semicircular or semielliptical.

The plurality of long piece portions 73 are formed extending along the second direction D2 from portions between portions of the base portion 71 that are connected to the plurality of short piece portions 72 . That is, the elongated portion 730 is formed to extend along the second direction D2 from the portion between the portions of the base portion 71 connected to the plurality of short piece portions 72 . The multiple long piece portions 73 are formed longer than the multiple short piece portions 72 in the second direction D2. That is, the long portion 730 is formed longer than the plurality of short piece portions 72 in the second direction D2.

The plurality of second cuts 74b are formed by cutting toward the base portion 71 from the end portion of the long portion 730 opposite to the base portion 71 side. Therefore, the end portions of the plurality of long piece portions 73 are formed continuously in the first direction D1 via the plurality of second cuts 74b.

The short piece portion 72 and the long piece portion 73 bend under pressure from the developer 90 . Since the long piece 73 is longer than the short piece 72 , it bends more easily than the short piece 72 .

Also, the third width W3 of each of the long pieces 73 is smaller than the first width W1 of each of the short pieces 72 . This makes the long piece 73 more flexible.

In this reference example, the base portions of the plurality of short piece portions 72 connected to the base portion 71 and the base portions of the plurality of long piece portions 73 connected to the base portion 71 are alternately formed in the first direction D1. Thereby, the plurality of short piece portions 72 and the plurality of long piece portions 73 are evenly arranged in the first direction D1.

The plurality of long piece portions 73 includes a plurality of intermediate long piece portions 73a and two end long piece portions 73b. The intermediate long piece portion 73a is positioned between two short piece portions 72 adjacent in the first direction D1. On the other hand, the two long end pieces 73b are positioned at both ends in the first direction D1.

The intermediate long piece portion 73a is formed so as to widen from the root portion connected to the base portion 71 toward the outer edges of the end portions of the two short piece portions 72 on both sides opposite to the base portion 71 side.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the short pieces 72 are formed with lengths that do not contact the inner surface of the container 401 and the conveying screw 402 . As a result, the stiff short piece 72 does not strongly contact the inner surface of the container 401 or the conveying screw 402 to generate noise.

On the other hand, the plurality of long pieces 73 are formed with a length that contacts the inner bottom surface 401 b of the container 401 . That is, the elongated portion 73 is formed with a length that contacts the inner bottom surface 401 b of the container 401 . Thereby, when the amount of the developer 90 in the container 401 is small, the long piece 73 can bounce the developer 90 toward the conveying screw 402 .

It is also conceivable that the plurality of long pieces 73 are formed with a length that creates a very small gap between them and the inner bottom surface 401 b of the container 401 .

Further, in this reference example, the plurality of long pieces 73 are formed to have a length that contacts the inner bottom surface 401 b of the container 401 and the conveying screw 402 . Thereby, when the amount of the developer 90 in the container 401 is small, the long piece 73 more reliably moves the developer 90 to the position of the conveying screw 402 .

The long piece portion 73 is weaker than the short piece portion 72 and easily bends. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the amount of developer 90 in container 401 is relatively large, long piece 73 is greatly bent by the pressure received from developer 90 . In this case, the short pieces 72 do not contribute much to stirring the developer 90 .

On the other hand, when the amount of the developer 90 in the container 401 is relatively large, the stiff short pieces 72 mainly contribute to agitation of the developer 90 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 4A, the smaller the amount of the developer 90 in the container 401, the smaller the contribution of the short piece 72 to stirring the developer 90. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, when the amount of developer 90 in container 401 is small, long piece 73 mainly contributes to agitation and splashing of developer 90 .

According to this reference example, noise can be prevented while the developer 90 is agitated in the container 401 with an appropriate elastic force regardless of the amount of the developer 90 contained in the container 401 . Furthermore, since the elastic force of the elongated portion 730 is not too strong, the pressure of the elongated portion 730 prevents the developer 90 from aggregating on the bottom surface 401 b of the container 401 .

[Second Reference Example]
Next, a developer stirring member according to a second reference example will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 5, components in this reference example corresponding to components shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are given the same reference numerals.

The developer stirring member according to this reference example includes a shaft member 70 and a flexible member 7A. The structure of the shaft member 70 is the same in the first reference example and the second reference example. The points of the flexible member 7A different from the flexible member 7 will be mainly described below.

The flexible member 7A differs from the flexible member 7 shown in FIG. 3 only in the arrangement and shape of the plurality of long pieces 73. As shown in FIG.

In the flexible member 7A as well, the base portion 71, the plurality of short piece portions 72 and the plurality of long piece portions 73 are made of the single film material. Moreover, the plurality of short piece portions 72 of the flexible member 7A have the same configuration as the plurality of short piece portions 72 of the flexible member 7A.

The first cuts 74 a divide the short pieces 72 and the long pieces 73 . The second cut 74b separates the long pieces 73 from each other. In this reference example, the first cut 74a and the second cut 74b are formed independently.

In the flexible member 7A, each long piece portion 73 is formed surrounding the outer edge of each short piece portion 72. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the long piece portion 73 is connected to the base portion 71 at two locations on both sides of the short piece portion 72 . Also, the second cut 74b is formed between two short pieces 72 adjacent in the first direction D1.

In the flexible member 7A and the flexible member 7, the relationship between the lengths of the plurality of short pieces 72 and the plurality of long pieces 73, the inner surface of the container 401, and the conveying screw 402 is the same.

Even when the developer stirring member according to this reference example is employed, the same effects as when the developer stirring member 400 according to the first reference example is employed can be obtained.

[Third reference example]
Next, a developer stirring member according to a third reference example will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 6, components in this reference example corresponding to components shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are given the same reference numerals.

The developer stirring member according to this reference example includes a shaft member 70 and a flexible member 7B. The structure of the shaft member 70 is the same in the first reference example and the third reference example. The points of the flexible member 7B that differ from the flexible member 7 will be mainly described below.

In the flexible member 7B as well, the base portion 71, the plurality of short piece portions 72 and the plurality of long piece portions 73 are made of the single film material. Moreover, the plurality of short piece portions 72 of the flexible member 7B have the same configuration as the plurality of short piece portions 72 of the flexible member 7 .

In the flexible member 7B, the contours of the plurality of short piece portions 72 and the contours of the plurality of long piece portions 73 form an opening 75 when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. For convenience, the region of opening 75 is hatched in FIG. The direction orthogonal to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 is the direction orthogonal to the plane of FIG.

Also in the flexible member 7B, the intermediate long piece portion 73a is formed so as to widen from the root portion connected to the base portion 71 toward the outer edge of the distal end portion of the two adjacent short piece portions 72 on the side opposite to the base portion 71 side. .

In the flexible member 7B and the flexible member 7, the relationship between the lengths of the plurality of short pieces 72 and the plurality of long pieces 73, the inner surface of the container 401, and the conveying screw 402 is the same.

Even when the developer stirring member according to this reference example is employed, the same effects as when the developer stirring member 400 according to the first reference example is employed can be obtained.

Further, when the flexible member 7B is employed, the easiness of bending of the long piece 73 can be adjusted by the size of the opening 75 . That is, the larger the opening 75, the narrower the width of the portion of the long piece 73 that is adjacent to the short piece 72 in the first direction D1, and the easier the long piece 73 is to bend.

[Fourth Reference Example]
Next, a developer stirring member according to a fourth reference example will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 7, components in this reference example corresponding to components shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are given the same reference numerals.

The developer stirring member according to this reference example includes a shaft member 70 and a flexible member 7C. The structure of the shaft member 70 is the same in the first reference example and the fourth reference example. The points of the flexible member 7C that differ from the flexible member 7 will be mainly described below.

Flexible member 7C is an application of flexible member 7A shown in FIG. 5 and flexible member 7B shown in FIG. That is, the flexible member 7C is an example in which the opening 75 of the flexible member 7B shown in FIG. 6 is applied to the flexible member 7A shown in FIG.

Also in the flexible member 7C, the base portion 71, the plurality of short piece portions 72 and the plurality of long piece portions 73 are made of the single film material. Moreover, the plurality of short piece portions 72 of the flexible member 7C have the same configuration as the plurality of short piece portions 72 of the flexible member 7 .

In the flexible member 7C and the flexible member 7, the relationship between the lengths of the plurality of short pieces 72 and the plurality of long pieces 73, the inner surface of the container 401, and the conveying screw 402 is the same.

In the flexible member 7C, the contours of the plurality of short piece portions 72 and the contours of the plurality of long piece portions 73 form an opening 75 when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. For convenience, the region of opening 75 is hatched in FIG.

In the flexible member 7C, each long piece portion 73 is formed surrounding the outer edge of each short piece portion 72 . Therefore, the long piece portion 73 is connected to the base portion 71 at two locations on both sides of the short piece portion 72 . Also, the second cut 74b is formed between two short pieces 72 adjacent in the first direction D1.

Even when the developer stirring member according to this reference example is employed, the same effects as when the developer stirring member according to the third reference example is employed can be obtained.

[Fifth Reference Example]
Next, a developer stirring member according to a fifth reference example will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 8, components in this reference example corresponding to components shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are given the same reference numerals.

The developer stirring member according to this reference example includes a shaft member 70 and a flexible member 7D. The structure of the shaft member 70 is the same in the first reference example and the fifth reference example. The points of the flexible member 7D that differ from the flexible member 7 will be mainly described below.

Also in the flexible member 7D, the base portion 71, the plurality of short piece portions 72 and the plurality of long piece portions 73 are made of the single film material. Moreover, the short pieces 72 of the flexible member 7</b>D have the same configuration as the short pieces 72 of the flexible member 7 .

In the flexible member 7D and the flexible member 7, the relationship between the lengths of the plurality of short pieces 72 and the plurality of long pieces 73, the inner surface of the container 401, and the conveying screw 402 is the same.

In the flexible member 7D, one or more holes 73h are formed in a portion of one or more of the plurality of long pieces 73 near the base portion 71. As shown in FIG. That is, one or more holes 73h are formed in a portion of the long portion 730 near the base portion 71 .

Also in the flexible member 7D, the intermediate long piece portion 73a is formed so as to widen from the root portion connected to the base portion 71 toward the outer edges of the end portions of the two adjacent short piece portions 72 on the side opposite to the base portion 71 side. .

Even when the developer stirring member according to this reference example is employed, the same effects as when the developer stirring member 400 according to the first reference example is employed can be obtained.

Moreover, when the flexible member 7B is employed, the flexibility of the long piece 73 can be adjusted by the number and size of the holes 73h.

It should be noted that an application example in which one or more holes 73h are formed in the flexible member 7A shown in FIG. 5, the flexible member 7B shown in FIG. 6, or the flexible member 7C shown in FIG. 7 is adopted. is also conceivable.

Also, it is conceivable that a portion of the long portion 730 near the base portion 71 has a constricted portion that narrows the width in the first direction D1 more than other portions. It is also conceivable that a portion of the long portion 730 near the base portion 71 has a cut along the first direction D1. The ease of bending of the long piece 73 can be adjusted by the depth of the constricted portion or the length of the cut along the first direction D1.

[First embodiment]
Next, the developer stirring member according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIGS. 9 and 10, components in this embodiment corresponding to components shown in FIGS. 1-4 are given the same reference numerals.

The developer stirring member according to this embodiment includes a shaft member 70 and a flexible member 7E. The structure of the shaft member 70 is the same in the first reference example and the first embodiment. The points of the flexible member 7E that are different from the flexible member 7 will be mainly described below.

As shown in FIG. 10, the flexible member 7E includes the flexible member 7 and the overlapping member 6. As shown in FIG. Each of the flexible member 7 and the overlapping member 6 is a piece of film material. The flexible member 7 is an example of the first film material, and the overlapping member 6 is an example of the second film material.

Similar to the flexible member 7, the overlapping member 6 is also a member made of a synthetic resin such as PET, vinyl chloride, or polycarbonate molded into a film.

It is conceivable that the flexible member 7 and the overlapping member 6 are made of the same material, or that the flexible member 7 and the overlapping member 6 are made of different materials.

Moreover, it is conceivable that the thickness of the flexible member 7 and the thickness of the overlapping member 6 are the same, or that the thickness of the flexible member 7 and the thickness of the overlapping member 6 are different.

As mentioned above, the flexible member 7 comprises a base 71 , a plurality of short strips 72 and a plurality of long strips 73 . The overlapping member 6 is a member that overlaps the surfaces of the base portion 71 and the plurality of short piece portions 72 of the flexible member 7 on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the shaft member 70 . The overlapping member 6 is an example of an overlapping portion.

For convenience, in FIG. 9, the overlapping member 6 overlapping the flexible member 7 is striped. The overlapping member 6 has an overlapping base portion 61 overlapping the base portion 71 of the flexible member 7 and a plurality of overlapping piece portions 62 overlapping the plurality of short piece portions 72 of the flexible member 7 .

The overlapping base portion 61 of the overlapping member 6 is formed with a plurality of holes 61c overlapping the plurality of holes 71c of the base portion 71 of the flexible member 7 .

In the example shown in FIG. 9, each of the overlapping piece portions 62 is shorter than each of the short piece portions 72 in the second direction D2. However, it is also conceivable that some or all of the multiple overlapping piece portions 62 have the same dimensions in the second direction D2 as the corresponding short piece portions 72 .

Also, the dimension in the first direction D1 of each of the overlapping piece portions 62 is smaller than or the same as the dimension in the first direction D1 of the corresponding short piece portion 72 .

In the developer stirring member according to this embodiment, the base portion 71 of the flexible member 7 and the overlapping base portion 61 of the overlapping member 6 are fixed to the shaft member 70 . In FIG. 9, the shaft member 70 is indicated by phantom lines.

Even when the developer stirring member according to the present embodiment is employed, the same effects as when the developer stirring member 400 according to the first reference example is employed can be obtained.

Moreover, when the flexible member 7E is employed, the multiple short pieces 72 are reinforced by the overlapping member 6 . Thereby, the stirring performance of the plurality of short pieces 72 can be improved when the amount of the developer 90 in the container 401 is relatively large.

Furthermore, when the flexible member 7E is employed, the flexibility of the short piece portion 72 can be adjusted by the dimension of the overlapping piece portion 62 in the first direction D1 and the dimension in the second direction D2. Similarly, the flexibility of the short piece portion 72 can also be adjusted by the thickness of the overlapping member 6 .

5, the flexible member 7B shown in FIG. 6, the flexible member 7C shown in FIG. 7, or the flexible member 7D shown in FIG. It is also conceivable that an application example having

[Second embodiment]
Next, a developer stirring member according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIGS. 10 and 11, components in this embodiment corresponding to components shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, 9 and 10 are given the same reference numerals.

The developer stirring member according to this embodiment includes a shaft member 70 and a flexible member 7F. The structure of the shaft member 70 is the same in the first reference example and the second embodiment. The flexible member 7F is an application example of the flexible member 7E.

The points of the flexible member 7F that differ from the flexible member 7 and the flexible member 7E will be mainly described below.

As shown in FIG. 12, the flexible member 7F has a configuration in which an overlapping portion 6F is added to the flexible member 7A shown in FIG. In the flexible member 7F, the base portion 71, the plurality of short piece portions 72, the plurality of long piece portions 73, and the overlapping portion 6F are made of one sheet of film material.

The overlapping portion 6</b>F is a portion that overlaps the base portion 71 and the plurality of short pieces 72 while being folded back along the boundary L<b>0 with the base portion 71 . As with the overlapping member 6 , the overlapping portion 6</b>F overlaps the surface of the base portion 71 and the plurality of short pieces 72 on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the shaft member 70 .

For the sake of convenience, in FIG. 11, the overlapped portion 6F overlapping the base portion 71 and the plurality of short piece portions 72 is provided with vertical stripes. The overlapping portion 6</b>F has an overlapping base portion 61 overlapping the base portion 71 of the flexible member 7 and a plurality of overlapping piece portions 62 overlapping the plurality of short piece portions 72 of the flexible member 7 .

A plurality of holes 61 c overlapping the plurality of holes 71 c of the base portion 71 are formed in the overlapping base portion 61 . That is, the flexible member 7F in this embodiment corresponds to the flexible member 7 and the overlapping member 6 in the first embodiment, which are made of one sheet material. The overlapping portion 6F of the flexible member 7F corresponds to the overlapping member 6 of the first embodiment.

In the example shown in FIG. 11, each of the overlapping piece portions 62 is shorter than each of the short piece portions 72 in the second direction D2. However, it is also conceivable that some or all of the multiple overlapping piece portions 62 have the same dimensions in the second direction D2 as the corresponding short piece portions 72 .

Also, the dimension in the first direction D1 of each of the overlapping piece portions 62 is smaller than or the same as the dimension in the first direction D1 of the corresponding short piece portion 72 .

In the example shown in FIG. 11, the overlapping piece portion 62 is formed such that the dimension in the first direction D1 gradually decreases from the side of the overlapping base portion 61 toward the side opposite to the overlapping base portion 61 in the second direction D2. Thereby, the distribution of flexibility of the short piece portion 72 in the second direction D2 is adjusted.

In the developer stirring member according to the present embodiment, the base portion 71 and the overlapping base portion 61 overlapping the base portion 71 are fixed to the shaft member 70 . In FIG. 11, the shaft member 70 is indicated by phantom lines.

Even when the developer stirring member according to the present embodiment is employed, the same effect as when the developer stirring member according to the first embodiment is employed can be obtained.

Moreover, when the flexible member 7F is employed, the plurality of short pieces 72 can be reinforced without increasing the number of parts.

3, flexible member 7B shown in FIG. 6, flexible member 7C shown in FIG. 7, or flexible member 7D shown in FIG. It is also conceivable that applications with structures may be employed.

[Sixth reference example]
Next, a developer stirring member 400G according to a sixth reference example will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIGS. 13 and 14, components in this reference example corresponding to components shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and 6 are given the same reference numerals.

The developer stirring member according to this reference example includes a shaft member 70G and a flexible member 7G. The points of the flexible member 7G different from those of the flexible member 7 and the flexible member 7B will be mainly described below.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the flexible member 7G has a structure in which a portion of each of the short pieces 72 of the flexible member 7 shown in FIG. 3 is cut and raised.

In the flexible member 7G, at least one of the short pieces 72 has a main surface portion 72a and one or more upright portions 72b. In the example shown in FIG. 13, all the short pieces 72 have a main surface portion 72a and two standing portions 72b, but this is not restrictive.

The main surface portion 72a is a portion forming a surface along the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. The upright portion 72b is a portion that is formed upright from the main surface portion 72a through a bent portion 72c forming a ridge along the second direction D2.

The standing portion 72b stands up from the main surface portion 72a on the surface of the flexible member 7G on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the shaft member 70 (see FIG. 14B).

Also in the flexible member 7G, the base portion 71, the plurality of short piece portions 72, and the plurality of long piece portions 73 are made of one sheet of film material. The standing portion 72b is a portion cut and raised from the film-like base material.

Therefore, in the flexible member 7G, the contours of the plurality of short piece portions 72 and the contours of the plurality of long piece portions 73 form an opening 75 when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. there is For convenience, the area of the opening 75 is shaded in FIGS. 13 and 14(A).

Even when the developer stirring member 400G is employed, the same effects as when the developer stirring member 400 is employed can be obtained.

Moreover, when the flexible member 7G is employed, the plurality of short pieces 72 can be reinforced without increasing the number of parts.

In this reference example, the standing portion 72b is formed in a range from the root portion of the short piece portion 72 near the base portion 71 to the end on the side opposite to the base portion 71 halfway. As a result, relatively high flexibility is ensured for the distal end portion of the short piece portion 72 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 14B, in the upright portion 72b, the portion closer to the base portion 71 is taller than the portion on the opposite side of the base portion 71. As shown in FIG. Thereby, the distribution of flexibility of the short piece portion 72 in the second direction D2 is adjusted.

As shown in FIG. 14, a holding portion 701 and an engaging portion 702 are provided on the shaft member 70G. The holding portion 701 is a portion that holds the base portion 71 of the flexible member 7G. Note that the shaft member 70 in other embodiments and reference examples also has a holding portion 701 .

The engaging portion 702 engages with a portion of the standing portion 72b to hold the standing portion 72b in an upright state from the main surface portion 72a.

In the example shown in FIG. 14A, the engaging portion 702 is formed in a concave shape into which a portion of the standing portion 72b is inserted. Further, the engaging portion 702 has a tapered guide surface 702a whose width gradually narrows from the inlet side of the standing portion 72b to the inner side. This makes it possible to easily insert the upright portion 72b into the concave engagement portion 702 .

Even when the developer stirring member 400 according to this reference example is employed, the same effect as when the developer stirring member according to the second embodiment is employed can be obtained. Moreover, the standing portion 72b has a high reinforcing performance for the short piece portion 72 .

5, flexible member 7B shown in FIG. 6, flexible member 7C shown in FIG. 7, flexible member 7D shown in FIG. It is also envisioned that applications having structures applied to flexible member 7E shown, flexible member 7G shown in FIG. 11, may be employed.

[Seventh reference example]
Next, the developer stirring member according to the seventh reference example will be described with reference to FIG. The developer stirring member according to this reference example is an application example of the developer stirring member 400G. In FIG. 15, components in this reference example corresponding to components shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, 13 and 14 are given the same reference numerals.

The developer stirring member according to this reference example includes a shaft member 70G and a flexible member 7H. The points of the flexible member 7H that differ from the flexible member 7G will be mainly described below.

As shown in FIG. 15, in the flexible member 7H, the plurality of short pieces 72 are composed of one or more short pieces 72 having two standing portions 72b and one or more short pieces having only one standing portion 72b. 72.

Furthermore, the plurality of short piece portions 72 in the flexible member 7H also include one or more short piece portions 72 that do not have the standing portion 72b.

In the flexible member 7G, at least one of the short pieces 72 has a main surface portion 72a and one or more upright portions 72b. In the example shown in FIG. 13, all the short pieces 72 have a main surface portion 72a and two standing portions 72b, but this is not restrictive.

The main surface portion 72a is a portion forming a surface along the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. The upright portion 72b is a portion that is formed upright from the main surface portion 72a through a bent portion 72c forming a ridge along the second direction D2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the container 401 is formed with an outlet 401a for the developer 90. As shown in FIG. The discharge port 401a is formed at a position near the first end of the container 401 in the first direction D1. One end of the conveying screw 402 is located above the discharge port 401a.

The conveying screw 402 conveys the developer 90 from the second end side of the container 401 in the first direction D1 to the first end side. As a result, the developer 90 transported by the transport screw 402 falls below the container 401 through the discharge port 401a.

In the following description, the direction in which the developer 90 is transported by the transport screw 402 is referred to as the developer transport direction D3 (see FIG. 15). The developer transport direction D3 is a direction along the first direction D1.

In the flexible member 7G, among the plurality of short piece portions 72, some of the short piece portions 72 having two standing portions 72b are arranged in the developer conveying direction more than other short piece portions 72 having one standing portion 72b. It is located downstream of D3.

Some of the short pieces 72 that do not have the standing portions 72b are positioned upstream in the developer conveying direction D3 from other partial short pieces 72 that have the standing portion 72b.

Even when the developer stirring member according to this reference example is employed, the same effects as when the developer stirring member according to the sixth reference example is employed can be obtained.

Further, when the flexible member 7G in which the standing portion 72b is arranged as described above rotates, the plurality of short pieces 72 agitate the developer 90 and convey it to the upstream side in the developer conveying direction D3. Thereby, the developer 90 in the container 401 is stirred more efficiently.

[Third embodiment]
The developer stirring member according to the third embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. The developer stirring member according to this embodiment is an application example of the flexible member 7E shown in FIG. 9 or the flexible member 7F shown in FIG.

In FIG. 16, components in this embodiment corresponding to components shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and 9 to 12 are given the same reference numerals.

The developer stirring member according to this embodiment includes a shaft member 70 and a flexible member 7I. The points of the flexible member 7I that differ from the flexible member 7E or the flexible member 7F will be mainly described below.

The flexible member 7I has a plurality of overlapping pieces 62 with different areas. In the example shown in FIG. 16, the overlapping piece portion 62 includes non-overlapping short piece portions 72 .

In the present embodiment, among the plurality of overlapping piece portions 62, the overlapping piece portion 62 with a large area is positioned downstream in the developer conveying direction D3 from the overlapping piece portion 62 with a small area.

As with the flexible member 7G shown in FIG. 15, the flexible member 7I also agitates the developer 90 and conveys it to the upstream side in the developer conveying direction D3. Even when this embodiment is adopted, the same effects as when the seventh reference example is adopted can be obtained.

[Application example]
The flexible member members 7, 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D, 7E, 7F, 7G, 7H, and 7I have a configuration in which the second cut 74b is not formed, that is, the long portion 730 is divided into a plurality of long piece portions 73. It is also conceivable to have a non-partitioned configuration.

The developer stirring member or the developer replenishing unit according to the present invention can be obtained by freely combining or implementing the above-described embodiments, reference examples, and application examples within the scope of the invention described in each claim. It is also possible to configure by appropriately modifying the forms and application examples or omitting a part of them.

3: Sheet conveying mechanism 4: Print processing unit 6: Overlapping member 6F: Overlapping units 7, 7A to 7I: Flexible member 8: Control device 9: Sheet 10: Image forming device 40: Developer supply unit 41: Photoreceptor ( image carrier)
42 : Charging device 43 : Developing device 44 : Transfer device 45 : Cleaning device 46 : Optical scanning unit 47 : Fixing device 61 : Overlapping base 61c : Hole 62 : Overlapping piece 70 : Shaft member 70G : Shaft member 71 : Base 71c : Hole 72 : Short piece 72a : Main surface 72b : Standing portion 72c : Bent portion 73 : Long piece 73a : Intermediate long piece 73b : End long piece 73h : Hole 74 : Cut 74a : First cut 74b : Second cut 75: opening 90: developer 100: main body 101: sheet containing portion 300: sheet conveying paths 400, 400G: developer stirring member 401: container 401a: discharge port 401b: bottom surface 402: conveying screw 701: holding portion 702: engagement Portion 702a: Guide surface 730: Elongated portion D1: First direction D2: Second direction D3: Developer conveying direction

Claims (4)

a container containing a powdery developer;
a developer stirring member that stirs the developer by being rotationally driven within the container;
a developer delivery member for delivering the developer from the container by being rotationally driven in the container;
The developer stirring member is
a shaft member extending in a first direction and rotatably supported within the container;
a film-like flexible member supported by the shaft member and agitating the developer;
The flexible member is
a base extending in the first direction;
a plurality of short pieces extending from the base along a second direction intersecting the first direction and arranged at intervals in the first direction;
a long portion formed to extend along the second direction from a portion of the base portion between portions connected to the plurality of short piece portions and formed to be longer in the second direction than the plurality of short piece portions;
a superimposed portion that overlaps the surface of the base portion and the plurality of short pieces on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the shaft member;
The base portion and a portion of the overlapping portion that overlaps the base portion are fixed to the shaft member,
At least the base, the plurality of short pieces and the long portion are made of one sheet of film material,
The plurality of short pieces are formed with a length that does not contact the inner surface of the container ,
The overlapping portion has a plurality of overlapping pieces overlapping the plurality of short pieces and having different areas,
Among the plurality of overlapping piece portions, the overlapping piece portion having a large area is located downstream of the overlapping piece portion having a small area in the direction in which the developer is conveyed by the developer delivery member. drug supply unit. 2. The developer replenishing unit according to claim 1 , wherein said elongated portion is formed to have a length that contacts the inner bottom surface of said container. 3. The developer replenishing unit according to claim 2 , wherein said elongated portion is formed to have a length contacting the inner bottom surface of said container and said developer delivery member. a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier with a developer;
4. An image forming apparatus comprising: a developer replenishing unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , which replenishes the developer to the developing device.

Images