JP7297589B2 - image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material.

Generally, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus forms an image by transferring a toner image formed on the surface of a photosensitive drum onto a transfer material as a transfer medium. As a developer replenishing method, for example, a process cartridge method and a toner replenishing method are known. The process cartridge system is a system in which a photosensitive drum and a developing container are integrated as a process cartridge, and the process cartridge is replaced with a new one when the developer runs out.

On the other hand, the toner replenishing method is a method of replenishing the developing container with new toner when the toner runs out. Conventionally, there has been proposed a toner replenishment type one-component developing device in which a toner supply box capable of replenishing toner is connected to a toner transport path along which toner is transported (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-100001). The toner stored in the toner supply box is conveyed to the toner conveying path by the conveying screw.

JP-A-08-30084

In recent years, users have demanded that image forming apparatuses be used in a variety of ways, such as the above-described process cartridge system and toner replenishment system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide one form of an image forming apparatus.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus in which a toner container for containing toner and having a supply port for supplying toner is attachable and detachable. a shutter configured to be rotatable about and a toner storage unit configured to be mountable with the toner container, the toner storage unit configured to receive toner from the toner container when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis. a receiving port provided at a position overlapping with the supply port, and a discharge port provided at a position not overlapping with the supply port, and toner dropped from the receiving port and the discharge port is received and a toner containing portion, wherein the through hole and the receiving port are arranged so that the toner in the toner container is supplied to the toner containing portion when the shutter is viewed in the direction of the rotation axis. a first overlapping position and a second position where the shielding portion overlaps the receiving port so that the toner in the toner container is not supplied to the toner containing portion; The shutter is characterized in that, while rotating from the first position to the second position, it passes through a third position where the through hole overlaps the discharge port when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis. .

According to the present invention, one form of an image forming apparatus can be provided.

1A is a sectional view showing an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus; FIG. 1A is a sectional view showing the image forming apparatus, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus with a top cover opened; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the image forming apparatus from which the process cartridge is removed; (a) is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus with the pressure plate of the reading device closed, (b) is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus with the pressure plate open, and (c) is a perspective view showing the image forming device with the reading device opened. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus in a closed state; (a) is a perspective view showing a developer container and a toner pouch, and (b) is a front view showing the developer container and a toner pouch. (a) is a sectional view taken along line 6A-6A in FIG. 5(b), and (b) is a sectional view taken along line 6B-6B in FIG. 5(b). 4 is a perspective view showing a toner pouch; FIG. (a) is a front view showing a toner pouch, (b) is a front view showing a first modification of the toner pouch, and (c) is a front view showing a second modification of the toner pouch. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing first and second toner remaining amount sensors; 4 is a circuit diagram showing first and second toner remaining amount sensors; FIG. (a) is a cross-sectional view showing a developing container with a small remaining amount of toner; (b) is a cross-sectional view showing a developing container with a large amount of remaining toner; 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the image forming apparatus; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing toner replenishment processing; 4 is a flowchart showing toner remaining amount detection processing; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an operation section; (a) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the toner pouch is attached to the supply port, (b) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which toner has started to leak from the toner pouch, and (c) is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which all the toner in the toner pouch has been developed. Sectional drawing which shows the state replenished to the container. (a) is a perspective view showing the toner remaining amount panel when the toner remaining amount is at the Low level, (b) is a perspective view showing the toner remaining amount panel when the toner remaining amount is at the Mid level, and (c) is a toner remaining amount panel. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the remaining toner amount panel when the amount is at the Full level; (a) is a graph showing the relationship between the volume of the developing container and the remaining toner level, (b) is a graph showing the remaining toner when toner is replenished from a small-capacity toner pouch, and (c) is a large-capacity toner pouch. 4 is a graph showing the amount of toner remaining when toner is replenished from the toner pouch of FIG. (a) is a perspective view showing a first modification of the image forming apparatus, (b) is a perspective view showing a second modification of the image forming apparatus, and (c) is a perspective view showing a third modification of the image forming apparatus. . (a) is a perspective view showing a fourth modification of the image forming apparatus, and (b) is a perspective view showing a fifth modification of the image forming apparatus. (a) is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment, and (b) is a sectional view showing the image forming apparatus. (a) is a perspective view showing a modification of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment, and (b) is a sectional view showing a modification of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment. (a) is a cross-sectional view showing an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the image forming apparatus with a process cartridge pulled out. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a toner pouch is attached to the pulled out process cartridge; 1A is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus with the process cartridge pulled out, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing how a toner pouch is attached to the process cartridge with the pulled out state. A perspective view showing the entire toner pouch FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing parts constituting the toner pouch; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing parts constituting the toner pouch; A perspective view showing a state in which the second sheet is fixed to the second shutter. Perspective view and sectional view of replenishment base Cross section of toner pouch A perspective view showing a combined state of the replenishment base and the pouch. (a) is a perspective view showing a state in which the toner supply opening of the toner pouch is closed, and (b) is a perspective view showing a state in which the toner supply opening of the toner pouch is opened. Perspective view of the supply port of the developer container FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the replenishment port of the developer container and peripheral parts; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the replenishment port of the developer container and peripheral parts; Cross-sectional view of the replenishment port of the developer container and peripheral parts The perspective view which showed the positional relationship of a shutter cover and a 1st seal|sticker. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the replenishment port is closed and the toner pouch is fitted; Schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the toner pouch is attached to the developing container. Perspective view showing the two-sided shaft portion of the developer container and the peripheral shape. The perspective view which showed the other Example of downstream side opening. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a toner pouch and a developer container are combined; Schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the toner pouch is attached to the developing container. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the coupling portion between the pouch of the toner pouch and the replenishment base 501;

Exemplary embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<First embodiment>
FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. The image forming apparatus 1 is a monochrome printer that forms an image on a recording material based on image information input from an external device. Recording materials include paper such as plain paper and thick paper, plastic films such as sheets for overhead projectors, special-shaped sheets such as envelopes and index paper, and various sheet materials of different materials such as cloth.

[overall structure]
As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a printer main body 100 as an apparatus main body, a reading device 200 supported by the printer main body 100 so as to be openable and closable, and an exterior surface of the printer main body 100. and an attached operation unit 300 . The printer body 100 includes an image forming unit 10 for forming a toner image on a recording material, a feeding unit 60 for feeding the recording material to the image forming unit 10, and a toner image formed by the image forming unit 10 on the recording material. It has a fixing section 70 for fixing and a discharge roller pair 80 .

The image forming section 10 has a scanner unit 11, an electrophotographic process cartridge 20, and a transfer roller 12 for transferring the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 21 of the process cartridge 20 onto a recording material. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the process cartridge 20 includes a photosensitive drum 21, a developing device 30 including a charging roller 22 disposed around the photosensitive drum 21, a pre-exposure device 23, and a developing roller 31. have.

The photosensitive drum 21 is a cylindrical photosensitive member. The photosensitive drum 21 of the present embodiment has a drum-shaped base made of aluminum and a photosensitive layer formed of a negatively charged organic photosensitive member on the base. A photosensitive drum 21 as an image bearing member is rotationally driven by a motor in a predetermined direction (clockwise direction in the drawing) at a predetermined process speed.

The charging roller 22 contacts the photosensitive drum 21 with a predetermined pressing force to form a charging portion. Further, the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 is uniformly charged to a predetermined potential by applying a desired charging voltage from the charging high-voltage power supply. In this embodiment, the photosensitive drum 21 is negatively charged by the charging roller 22 . The pre-exposure device 23 removes the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 21 before entering the charging section in order to generate stable discharge in the charging section.

The scanner unit 11 serving as an exposure unit scans and exposes the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 by irradiating the photosensitive drum 21 with laser light corresponding to image information input from an external device or reading device 200 using a polygon mirror. do. By this exposure, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to image information is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 . Note that the scanner unit 11 is not limited to a laser scanner device, and for example, an LED exposure device having an LED array in which a plurality of LEDs are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum 21 may be employed.

The developing device 30 includes a developing roller 31 as a developer carrying member that carries developer, a developing container 32 as a frame of the developing device 30 , and a supply roller 33 capable of supplying developer to the developing roller 31 . I have. The developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33 are rotatably supported by the developer container 32 . Further, the developing roller 31 is arranged at the opening of the developing container 32 so as to face the photosensitive drum 21 . The supply roller 33 is rotatably in contact with the development roller 31 , and the toner as the developer contained in the development container 32 is applied to the surface of the development roller 31 by the supply roller 33 . Note that the supply roller 33 is not necessarily required as long as the configuration can sufficiently supply toner to the developing roller 31 .

The developing device 30 of the present embodiment uses a contact developing method as a developing method. That is, the toner layer carried on the developing roller 31 contacts the photosensitive drum 21 in a developing portion (developing area) where the photosensitive drum 21 and the developing roller 31 face each other. A developing voltage is applied to the developing roller 31 by a developing high voltage power supply. Under the developing voltage, the toner carried by the developing roller 31 is transferred from the developing roller 31 to the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 according to the potential distribution on the surface of the photosensitive drum 21, thereby developing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image. Note that the present embodiment employs a reversal development method. That is, a toner image is formed by the toner adhering to the surface region of the photosensitive drum 21, which has been charged in the charging process and then exposed in the exposure process to reduce the charge amount.

Further, in the present embodiment, toner having a particle size of 6 μm and having a normal charging polarity of negative polarity is used. As an example of the toner of this embodiment, a polymerized toner produced by a polymerization method is used. Further, the toner of the present embodiment does not contain a magnetic component, and is a so-called non-magnetic one-component developer in which the toner is carried on the developing roller 31 mainly by intermolecular force or electrostatic force (mirror image force). However, a one-component developer containing a magnetic component may also be used. In addition to the toner particles, the one-component developer may contain additives (for example, wax or fine silica particles) for adjusting the fluidity and charging performance of the toner. Alternatively, a two-component developer composed of a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier may be used as the developer. When a developer having magnetism is used, for example, a cylindrical developing sleeve having a magnet arranged inside is used as the developer carrier.

A stirring member 34 as a stirring means is provided inside the developer container 32 . The stirring member 34 is rotated by being driven by a motor M<b>1 (see FIG. 12 ) to stir the toner in the developing container 32 and feed the toner toward the developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33 . Further, the stirring member 34 has a role of circulating the toner stripped from the developing roller 31 that is not used for development in the developing container and uniformizing the toner in the developing container. In addition, the stirring member 34 is not limited to a rotating form. For example, a stirring member that swings may be employed.

A developing blade 35 for regulating the amount of toner carried on the developing roller 31 is arranged at the opening of the developing container 32 where the developing roller 31 is arranged. The toner supplied to the surface of the developing roller 31 passes through the portion facing the developing blade 35 as the developing roller 31 rotates, thereby forming a uniform thin layer and being negatively charged by triboelectrification. .

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the feeding section 60 includes a front door 61 supported by the printer main body 100 so as to be opened and closed, a tray section 62, an intermediate plate 63, a tray spring 64, and a pickup roller. 65 and . The tray portion 62 constitutes the bottom surface of the recording material storage space that appears when the front door 61 is opened, and the intermediate plate 63 is supported by the tray portion 62 so as to be able to move up and down. The tray spring 64 urges the intermediate plate 63 upward to press the recording material P stacked on the intermediate plate 63 against the pickup roller 65 . When the front door 61 is closed with respect to the printer main body 100, the front door 61 closes the recording material storage space. do.

The fixing unit 70 is of a thermal fixing type that heats and melts the toner on the recording material to fix the image. The fixing unit 70 includes a fixing film 71 , a fixing heater such as a ceramic heater that heats the fixing film 71 , a thermistor that measures the temperature of the fixing heater, and a pressure roller 72 that presses the fixing film 71 .

Next, the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. When an image forming command is input to the image forming apparatus 1, the image forming process by the image forming section 10 is started based on image information input from an external computer or reading device 200 connected to the image forming apparatus 1. be done. The scanner unit 11 irradiates the photosensitive drum 21 with laser light based on the input image information. At this time, the photosensitive drum 21 is charged in advance by the charging roller 22, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 21 by being irradiated with laser light. After that, the electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing roller 31 to form a toner image on the photosensitive drum 21 .

In parallel with the image forming process described above, the pickup roller 65 of the feeding section 60 feeds out the recording material P supported by the front door 61 , the tray section 62 and the intermediate plate 63 . The recording material P is fed to the registration roller pair 15 by the pickup roller 65 and hits the nip of the registration roller pair 15 to correct the skew. The registration roller pair 15 is driven in synchronization with the transfer timing of the toner image, and conveys the recording material P toward the transfer nip formed by the transfer roller 12 and the photosensitive drum 21 .

A transfer voltage is applied from a transfer high-voltage power supply to the transfer roller 12 as transfer means, and the toner image carried on the photosensitive drum 21 is transferred onto the recording material P conveyed by the registration roller pair 15 . The recording material P to which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing section 70, and the toner image is heated and pressed when passing through the nip portion between the fixing film 71 and the pressure roller 72 of the fixing section 70. . As a result, the toner particles are melted and then fixed, whereby the toner image is fixed on the recording material P. As shown in FIG. The recording material P that has passed through the fixing unit 70 is discharged to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1 (outside the machine) by a discharge roller pair 80 as discharge means, and is discharged to a discharge tray 81 as a stacking unit formed in the upper part of the printer body 100 . loaded on.

The ejection tray 81 is inclined upward toward the downstream side in the ejection direction of the recording material, and the trailing edge of the recording material ejected to the ejection tray 81 is aligned by the regulation surface 84 by sliding down the ejection tray 81 . be.

As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the reading device 200 includes a reading unit 201 containing a reading unit (not shown) and a pressure plate 202 supported by the reading unit 201 so as to be openable and closable. ing. On the upper surface of the reading unit 201, there is provided a platen glass 203 for transmitting light emitted from the reading section and on which a document is placed.

When the image of the document is to be read by the reading device 200, the user places the document on the platen glass 203 with the pressure plate 202 open. By closing the pressure plate 202 , the position of the document on the platen glass 203 is prevented. When the reading operation is started, the reading section in the reading unit 201 reciprocates in the sub-scanning direction, that is, in the horizontal direction while facing the operation section 300 of the image forming apparatus 1 . The reading unit emits light from a light emitting unit to a document, receives light reflected by the document with a light receiving unit, and performs photoelectric conversion to read an image of the document. In the following description, the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction are defined with reference to a state in which the operation unit 300 is facing the front.

As shown in FIGS. 2B and 3, the upper part of the printer body 100 is formed with a first opening 101 that opens upward, and the first opening 101 is covered with a top cover 82. there is A top cover 82 as a stacking tray is supported so as to be openable and closable with respect to the printer main body 100 about a pivot shaft 82c extending in the left-right direction. The top cover 82 is opened from the front side toward the back side while the reading device 200 is opened with respect to the printer main body 100 . Note that the reading device 200 and the top cover 82 may be configured to be held in the open state and the closed state by a holding mechanism such as a hinge mechanism.

For example, in the transport path CP through which the recording material fed by the pickup roller 65 passes, if the recording material is jammed due to a paper jam or the like, the user opens the top cover 82 together with the reading device 200 . Then, the user accesses the process cartridge 20 through the first opening 101 exposed by opening the top cover 82 and pulls out the process cartridge 20 along the cartridge guide 102 . The cartridge guide 102 slides and guides a projecting portion 21a (see FIG. 5A) provided at the end portion of the photosensitive drum 21 of the process cartridge 20 in the axial direction.

By pulling out the process cartridge 20 to the outside from the first opening 101, a space is created in which a hand can be put in the transport path CP. The user can handle the jammed recording material by inserting his or her hand into the interior of the printer main body 100 through the first opening 101 and accessing the jammed recording material in the conveying path CP.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 4C, an opening/closing member 83 is provided on the top cover 82 so as to be able to open and close. The discharge tray 81 of the top cover 82 is formed with a second opening 82a as an opening that opens upward. The opening/closing member 83 is located between a closed position covering the supply port 32a so that the toner pouch 40 cannot be attached to the developer container 32 and an open position exposing the supply port 32a so that the toner pouch 40 can be attached to the developer container 32. are configured to be movable. The opening/closing member 83 functions as part of the output tray 81 in the closed position. The opening/closing member 83 and the second opening 82 a are formed on the left side of the discharge tray 81 . The opening/closing member 83 is supported by the top cover 82 so as to be able to be opened and closed about a rotating shaft 83a extending in the front-rear direction. . The opening/closing member 83 is formed in a substantially L shape along the shape of the top cover 82 .

The second opening 82a of the discharge tray 81 is opened so as to expose the replenishment port 32a for replenishing toner formed in the upper portion of the developer container 32. By opening the opening/closing member 83, the user can open the top cover. The supply port 32a can be accessed without opening 82. In this embodiment, the toner is supplied to the developing device 30 from a toner pouch 40 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) as a toner container while the developing device 30 is attached to the image forming apparatus 1. (direct replenishment method) is adopted. Therefore, when the remaining amount of toner in the process cartridge 20 is low, it is not necessary to remove the process cartridge 20 from the printer main body 100 and replace it with a new process cartridge, thereby improving usability. Further, toner can be supplied to the developing container 32 at a lower cost than replacing the entire process cartridge 20 . Note that the direct replenishment method eliminates the need to replace various rollers, gears, etc., compared to the case where only the developing device 30 of the process cartridge 20 is replaced, so that costs can be reduced. Note that the image forming apparatus 1 and the toner pouch 40 constitute an image forming system.

[Recovery of transfer residual toner]
The present embodiment employs a cleanerless configuration in which transfer residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 21 without being transferred onto the recording material P is collected in the developing device 30 and reused. The transfer residual toner is removed in the following steps. The transfer residual toner includes toner that is positively charged and toner that is negatively charged but not sufficiently charged. The post-transfer photosensitive drum 21 is neutralized by the pre-exposure device 23 and uniform discharge is generated by the charging roller 22, so that the residual toner is negatively charged again. The transfer residual toner negatively charged again in the charging section reaches the developing section as the photosensitive drum 21 rotates. Then, the surface area of the photosensitive drum 21 that has passed through the charging section is exposed by the scanner unit 11 and an electrostatic latent image is written thereon with the transfer residual toner adhering to the surface.

Here, the behavior of the transfer residual toner reaching the developing portion will be described separately for the exposed portion and the non-exposed portion of the photosensitive drum 21 . The transfer residual toner adhering to the non-exposed portion of the photosensitive drum 21 is transferred to the developing roller 31 by the potential difference between the potential (dark portion potential) of the non-exposed portion of the photosensitive drum 21 and the developing voltage in the developing portion, and is transferred to the developing container 32 . to be recovered. This is because the developing voltage applied to the developing roller 31 is relatively positive with respect to the potential of the non-exposed portion, assuming that the normal charging polarity of the toner is negative. The toner collected in the developing container 32 is dispersed by being stirred with the toner in the developing container by the stirring member 34, and is carried by the developing roller 31 to be used again in the developing process.

On the other hand, the transfer residual toner adhering to the exposure portion of the photosensitive drum 21 remains on the drum surface without being transferred from the photosensitive drum 21 to the developing roller 31 in the developing portion. This is because the developing voltage applied to the developing roller 31 is a negative potential than the potential of the exposed portion (bright portion potential), assuming that the normal charge polarity of the toner is negative. . Transfer residual toner remaining on the drum surface is carried on the photosensitive drum 21 together with other toner transferred from the developing roller 31 to the exposure portion, moves to the transfer portion, and is transferred to the recording material S at the transfer portion.

As described above, the present embodiment adopts a cleaner-less configuration in which the residual toner after transfer is collected in the developing device 30 and reused. It is good also as a structure which carries out. In that case, the transfer residual toner collected by the cleaning blade is collected in a collection container installed separately from the developing device 30 . However, the cleanerless configuration eliminates the need for a space for installing a collection container for collecting residual toner, etc., making it possible to further reduce the size of the image forming apparatus 1. Further, the residual toner can be reused. By doing so, the printing cost can be reduced.

[Structure of developer container and toner pouch]
Next, the structures of the developer container 32 and the toner pouch 40 will be described. 5A is a perspective view showing the developer container 32 and the toner pouch 40, and FIG. 5B is a front view showing the developer container 32 and the toner pouch 40. FIG. 6A is a sectional view taken along line 6A-6A in FIG. 5B, and FIG. 6B is a sectional view taken along line 6B-6B in FIG. 5B.

As shown in FIGS. 5(a) to 6(b), the developer container 32 has a transport chamber 36 that accommodates the stirring member 34, and the transport chamber 36 as a toner container accommodates the developer. It extends over the entire length of the container 32 in the longitudinal direction (horizontal direction). Further, the transport chamber 36 rotatably supports the developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33 and contains developer to be carried by the developing roller 31 . Further, the developing container 32 protrudes upward from one longitudinal end of the transport chamber 36 and communicates with the transport chamber 36 . and a second projecting portion 38 projecting to the . That is, the first projecting portion 37 is provided at one end of the developer container 32 in the direction of the rotational axis of the developing roller 31, and extends from the central portion of the developer container 32 toward the discharge tray 81 in the cross direction intersecting the direction of the rotational axis. protruding. The second projecting portion 38 is provided at the other end portion of the developer container 32 in the rotation axis direction of the developing roller 31 and projects from the central portion of the developer container 32 toward the discharge tray 81 in the cross direction. In this embodiment, the first protrusion 37 is formed on the left side of the developer container 32 and the second protrusion 38 is formed on the right side of the developer container 32 . A mounting portion 57 to which the toner pouch 40 can be mounted is provided at the upper end (tip) of the first projecting portion 37 . A supply port 32a is formed for the purpose. The toner pouch 40 can be attached to the attachment portion 57 in a state of being exposed to the outside of the apparatus.

The first projecting portion 37 and the second projecting portion 38 obliquely extend from the transfer chamber 36 toward the front of the apparatus and upward. That is, the first protrusion 37 and the second protrusion 38 protrude downstream and upward in the ejection direction of the ejection roller pair 80 . Therefore, the replenishment port 32a formed in the first protruding portion 37 is arranged on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, and the toner replenishment operation to the developer container 32 can be easily performed.

In particular, in the present embodiment, since the reading device 200 that can be opened and closed centering on the back side of the apparatus is arranged above the opening/closing member 83, it is better to arrange the supply port 32a in front of the apparatus. The space between the reader 200 can be effectively used. Therefore, it is possible to improve workability when replenishing toner from the replenishing port 32a.

The upper portion of the first projecting portion 37 and the upper portion of the second projecting portion 38 are connected by a handle portion 39 as a connecting portion. Between the handle portion 39 and the transfer chamber 36, there is a gap through which the laser L (see FIG. 1A) emitted from the scanner unit 11 (see FIG. 1A) toward the photosensitive drum 21 can pass. of laser passing space SP is formed.

The grip portion 39 has a grip portion 39a that can be gripped by the user's fingers. The first protruding portion 37 has a hollow interior, and a replenishment port 32a is formed on the upper surface. The supply port 32 a is configured to be connectable to the toner pouch 40 .

A laser passage space SP through which the laser L emitted from the scanner unit 11 can pass is secured by providing the first projecting portion 37 having the replenishment port 32a formed at the tip thereof on one side in the longitudinal direction of the developer container 32. and the image forming apparatus 1 can be miniaturized. Further, since the second projecting portion 38 is provided on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the developing container 32 and the handle portion 39 connecting the first projecting portion 37 and the second projecting portion 38 is formed, the process cartridge 20 can be easily moved from the printer main body 100. Usability at the time of taking out can be improved. The second projecting portion 38 may be formed in a hollow shape like the first projecting portion 37, or may be formed in a solid shape.

The toner pouch 40 is detachably attached to the mounting portion 57 of the first projecting portion 37 . In addition, the toner pouch 40 includes a second shutter 41 that is provided in the opening and can be opened and closed, and a plurality of (three in this embodiment) grooves 32 b formed in the mounting portion 57 . In this embodiment, it has three protrusions 42 . When replenishing the developer container 32 with toner, the user positions the toner pouch 40 so that the projection 42 of the toner pouch 40 passes through the groove 32 b of the mounting portion 57 and connects the toner pouch 40 to the mounting portion 57 . When the toner pouch 40 is rotated 180 degrees in this state, the second shutter 41 of the toner pouch 40 abuts against the abutting portion (not shown) of the mounting portion 57, thereby rotating with respect to the main body of the toner pouch 40. 2 shutter 41 is opened. As a result, the toner stored in the toner pouch 40 leaks from the toner pouch 40, and the leaked toner enters the hollow first projecting portion 37 through the supply port 32a. The second shutter 41 may be provided on the side of the supply port 32a.

The first protruding portion 37 has a slope 37a at a position facing the opening of the supply port 32a, and the slope 37a slopes downward toward the transfer chamber . Therefore, the toner replenished from the replenishment port 32a is guided to the conveying chamber 36 by the slope 37a. The stirring member 34 also has a longitudinally extending stirring shaft 34a and blade portions 34b extending radially outward from the stirring shaft 34a.

The toner replenished from the replenishment port 32a arranged upstream in the conveying direction of the stirring member 34 is sent toward the developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33 as the stirring member 34 rotates. The conveying direction of the stirring member 34 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the developer container 32 . The replenishment port 32a and the first projecting portion 37 are arranged at one end of the developing container 32 in the longitudinal direction. In the present embodiment, the stirring member 34 is composed of the stirring shaft 34a and the blade portion 34b. may be used.

In the present embodiment, the toner pouch 40 is composed of an easily deformable plastic bag, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8A, but is not limited to this. For example, the toner pouch may be composed of a substantially conical bottle container 40B as shown in FIG. 8(b), or may be composed of a paper container 40C as shown in FIG. 8(c). . In any case, the toner pouch may be of any material and shape. As for the method of ejecting the toner from the toner pouch, it is preferable for the user to squeeze the toner with a finger for the toner pouch 40 or the paper container 40C, and for the bottle container 40B, the user taps the container. It is preferable to let it leak while vibrating. Further, a discharge mechanism may be provided in the bottle container 40B in order to discharge the toner from the bottle container 40B. Furthermore, the ejection mechanism may be configured to engage with the printer main body 100 and receive driving force from the printer main body 100 .

Further, the second shutter 41 may be omitted in any toner pouch, and a sliding shutter may be applied in place of the rotating second shutter 41 . Further, the second shutter 41 may be destroyed by attaching the toner pouch to the replenishing port 32a or rotating the toner pouch in the attached state. good.

[How to detect the remaining amount of toner]
Next, a method for detecting the remaining amount of toner in the developing container 32 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. FIG. A first toner remaining sensor 51 and a second toner remaining sensor 52 for detecting a state corresponding to the toner remaining amount in the developing container 32 are installed in the developing device 30 of the present embodiment.

The first toner remaining amount sensor 51 has a light emitting portion 51a and a light receiving portion 51b, and the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 has a light emitting portion 52a and a light receiving portion 52b. FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of the remaining toner sensors 51 and 52. As shown in FIG. In the following description, the circuit configuration of the first remaining toner sensor 51 will be described, and the description of the circuit configuration of the second remaining toner sensor 52 will be omitted.

In FIG. 10, an LED is used for the light-emitting portion 51a, and a phototransistor that is turned on by light from the LED is used for the light-receiving portion 51b, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a halogen lamp or a fluorescent lamp may be applied to the light emitting portion 51a, and a photodiode or an avalanche photodiode may be applied to the light receiving portion 51b. A switch (not shown) is provided between the light emitting unit 51a and the power supply voltage Vcc. By turning on the switch, the voltage from the power supply voltage Vcc is applied to the light emitting unit 51a, and the light emitting unit 51a It becomes conductive. On the other hand, a switch (not shown) is provided between the light receiving portion 51b and the power supply voltage Vcc, and by turning on the switch, the light receiving portion 51b is brought into a conductive state by a current corresponding to the amount of light detected.

A power supply voltage Vcc and a current limiting resistor R1 are connected to the light emitting section 51a, and the light emitting section 51a emits light by a current determined by the current limiting resistor R1. Light emitted from the light emitting portion 51a passes through an optical path Q1 as shown in FIG. 9 and is received by the light receiving portion 51b. The power supply voltage Vcc is connected to the collector terminal of the light receiving section 51b, and the detection resistor R2 is connected to the emitter terminal. The light receiving portion 51b, which is a phototransistor, receives light emitted from the light emitting portion 51a and outputs a signal (current) corresponding to the amount of received light. This signal is converted to a voltage V1 by the detection resistor R2 and input to the A/D conversion section 95 of the control section 90 (see FIG. 12). The light receiving portion 52b of the second remaining toner amount sensor 52 receives the light emitted from the light emitting portion 52a and passes through the optical path Q2, and outputs a voltage V2 according to the amount of light received. It is input to the conversion unit 95 .

The control unit 90 (CPU 91) determines whether or not the light receiving units 51b and 52b have received light from the light emitting units 51a and 51b based on the input voltage level. The control unit 90 (CPU 91) controls development based on the length of time during which the light receiving units 51b and 52b detect each light and the intensity of the received light when the toner in the developing container 32 is stirred by the stirring member 34 for a certain period of time. A toner amount in the container 32 is calculated. That is, the ROM 93 pre-stores a table that can output the remaining amount of toner from the light receiving time and light intensity when the toner is conveyed by the stirring member 34 , and the control unit 90 inputs the data to the A/D conversion unit 95 . and a table to predict/calculate the remaining amount of toner.

More specifically, the optical path Q1 of the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 is set so as to intersect the rotational locus T of the stirring member 34. As shown in FIG. The time during which the light path Q1 is blocked by the toner thrown up by the stirring member 34 when the stirring member 34 rotates once, that is, the time during which the light receiving portion 51b does not detect the light from the light emitting portion 51a depends on the remaining amount of toner. and change. Further, the intensity of light received by the light receiving portion 51b also changes depending on the amount of remaining toner.

That is, when the remaining amount of toner is large, the light path Q1 is likely to be blocked by the toner, so the time during which the light receiving portion 51b receives light becomes short, and the intensity of light received by the light receiving portion 51b becomes small. On the other hand, when the remaining amount of toner is small, the time during which the light receiving portion 51b receives light becomes longer, and the intensity of light received by the light receiving portion 51b becomes stronger. Therefore, based on the light receiving time and light receiving intensity of the light receiving section 51b, the control section 90 can determine whether the remaining amount of toner is at the Low level or the Mid level, as will be described later. For example, as shown in FIG. 11A, when the amount of toner in the transfer chamber 36 of the developer container 32 is very small, it is determined that the remaining amount of toner is at the Low level. In the above description, the second remaining toner sensor 52 is arranged so as not to intersect the rotational locus T of the stirring member 34. It may be arranged so as to intersect the trajectory T.

Further, the optical path Q2 of the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 is set above the rotation locus T so as not to intersect the rotation locus T of the stirring member 34 . The light receiving portion 52b of the second remaining toner amount sensor 52 does not detect light from the light emitting portion 52a when the optical path Q2 is blocked by toner, and detects light from the light emitting portion 52a when the optical path Q2 is not blocked by toner. Detect light. Accordingly, regardless of the rotational movement of the stirring member 34, the control section 90 determines whether or not the remaining amount of toner is at the Full level, as will be described later, based on whether or not the light receiving section 52b has received light. For example, as shown in FIG. 11B, when the amount of toner in the transfer chamber 36 of the developer container 32 is large, it is determined that the remaining amount of toner is at the Full level. In the above description, the second remaining toner sensor 52 is arranged so as not to intersect the rotational locus T of the stirring member 34. It may be set so as to intersect the trajectory T.

Note that the method of detecting/estimating the remaining amount of toner is not limited to the method of optically detecting the remaining amount of toner described with reference to FIG. . For example, two or more metal plates or conductive resin sheets extending in the longitudinal direction of the developing roller are arranged on the inner wall of the developing container 32 as a frame, and the capacitance between the two metal plates or conductive resin sheets is measured. Alternatively, the toner remaining amount may be detected/estimated. Alternatively, a load cell is provided to support the developing device 30 from below, and the CPU 51 subtracts the weight of the developing device 30 when the toner is empty from the weight measured by the load cell, thereby calculating the remaining amount of toner. You can do it. Alternatively, the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 may be omitted, and the control unit 90 (CPU 91) may calculate the remaining toner amount based on the detection result of the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 and the state of laser light emission. .

[Control System of Image Forming Apparatus]
FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the control system of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. A control unit 90 as control means of the image forming apparatus 1 has a CPU 91 as an arithmetic device, a RAM 92 used as a work area for the CPU 91, and a ROM 93 storing various programs. The control unit 90 also has an I/O interface 94 as an input/output port connected to an external device, and an A/D conversion unit 95 that converts analog signals into digital signals.

A first toner remaining sensor 51, a second toner remaining sensor 52, a mounting sensor 53, and an opening/closing sensor 54 are connected to the input side of the control unit 90. The mounting sensor 53 detects whether the toner pouch 40 It detects that it is attached to the replenishment port 32a. For example, the mounting sensor 53 is provided in the supply port 32 a and is configured by a pressure-sensitive switch that outputs a detection signal when pressed by the projection 42 of the toner pouch 40 . Further, the opening/closing sensor 54 detects whether or not the opening/closing member 83 is opened with respect to the top cover 82 . The open/close sensor 54 is composed of, for example, a pressure-sensitive switch or a magnetic sensor.

Further, the control unit 90 is connected to an operation unit 300, the image forming unit 10, and a remaining toner amount panel 400 as a notification unit capable of informing information about the remaining amount of toner. It has a display unit 301 capable of displaying various setting screens, physical keys, and the like. The display unit 301 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel. The image forming section 10 has a motor M1 as a driving source for driving the photosensitive drum 21, the developing roller 31, the supply roller 33, the stirring member 34, and the like. The photosensitive drum 21, the developing roller 31, the supply roller 33, and the stirring member 34 may be driven by separate motors.

As shown in FIGS. 1B and 17, the remaining toner panel 400 is provided on the right side of the front surface of the housing of the printer main body 100, that is, on the opposite side of the operation unit 300 arranged on the left side. Information about the remaining amount of toner in the developer container 32 is displayed. In this embodiment, the remaining toner amount panel 400 is a panel member composed of a plurality of scales (three in this embodiment) arranged vertically, and each scale corresponds to the Low level, Mid level, and Full level. corresponds to

That is, as shown in FIG. 17A, when only the lower scale is lit, the remaining amount of toner in the developing container 32 indicates the Low level as the third state. As shown in FIG. 17B, when the lower and middle scales are lit and the upper scale is unlit, the remaining amount of toner in the developing container 32 indicates the Mid level as the second state. . As shown in FIG. 17C, when all three scales are illuminated, the remaining amount of toner in the developing container 32 indicates the full level as the first state. Note that the toner remaining amount panel 400 is not limited to a liquid crystal panel, and may be composed of a light source such as an LED or an incandescent lamp and a diffusion lens. In addition, although the example shown in FIG. 17 has been described as an informing unit indicating the remaining amount of toner, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the display in FIG. 17(a) indicates that toner replenishment is required, the display in FIG. 17(b) indicates that toner replenishment is unnecessary, and the display in FIG. 17(c) indicates that toner replenishment is required. It may also be a display indicating that the

[Toner supply process]
Next, the toner replenishing process for replenishing the toner in the toner pouch 40 to the developing container 32 will be described. As shown in FIG. 13, when the toner supply process starts, the controller 90 determines whether or not there is an instruction to start the supply operation (step S1). In the present embodiment, the replenishment operation start instruction is a user's operation through the operation unit 300, as shown in FIG. Specifically, when the user operates the operation unit 300 and displays a message prompting the operation of the button 1 on the display unit 301, the user presses the button 1, thereby outputting the replenishment operation start instruction.

At this time, since the toner pouch 40 is attached to the supply port 32a of the developer container 32, the opening/closing member 83 is opened. Since both the operation part 300 and the replenishment port 32a are arranged on the right side of the apparatus, the toner replenishment work using the toner pouch 40 can be easily performed while the operation part 300 is being operated. Further, when the opening/closing sensor 54 detects that the opening/closing member 83 is opened, the control section 90 prohibits or stops the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 1 . Therefore, when the opening/closing member 83 is opened, the conveying rollers, the photosensitive drum 21, the scanner unit 11, and the like of the image forming apparatus 1 are stopped.

The instruction to start the replenishment operation is not limited to the pressing operation of the button 1, but is performed in response to a touch operation on the display unit 301 or detection of attachment of the toner pouch 40 to the replenishment port 32a by the attachment sensor 53. A start instruction may be output. Further, a sensor may be provided to detect that the second shutter 41 of the toner pouch 40 has been opened, and a replenishment operation start instruction may be output based on the detection result of this sensor. Further, the replenishment operation start instruction may be output based on detection of opening operation of the opening/closing member 83 by the opening/closing sensor 54 . Further, when the opening/closing member 83 is opened, the high voltage power supply applied to the process cartridge 20 may be turned off, and only the motor M1 for driving the stirring member 34 may be driven.

If it is determined that there has been a replenishment operation start instruction (step S1: Yes), the control unit 90 initializes the parameters of timers T1 and T2, which will be described later, to initial values (for example, zero), and starts the timers T1 and T2 ( step S2). Then, the control unit 90 drives the motor M1 (step S3), and the stirring member 34 rotates.

Next, the control unit 90 executes toner remaining amount detection processing (step S4). When the remaining toner amount detection process is executed, as shown in FIG. 14, the control section 90 causes the light emitting sections 51a and 52a of the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 and the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 to emit light (step S41). ). Then, the control unit 90 converts the voltages V1 and V2 output by the light receiving units 51b and 52b of the first toner amount sensor 51 and the second toner amount sensor 52, respectively, into digital signals (hereinafter referred to as A /D conversion value) (step S42).

Next, the control unit 90 determines whether or not the A/D conversion value of the voltage V2 indicates that the light path Q2 is blocked (step S43). If it indicates that the light path Q2 is blocked (step S43: Yes), the controller 90 causes the toner remaining amount panel 400 to display that the toner remaining amount is at the Full level (step S44). That is, as shown in FIG. 17(c), all three scales on the remaining toner amount panel 400 are illuminated.

If the A/D conversion value of the voltage V2 does not indicate that the light path Q2 is blocked (step S43: No), the controller 90 controls the voltage inside the developer container 32 based on the A/D conversion value of the voltage V1. remaining toner amount information is calculated (step S45). Then, the controller 90 causes the toner remaining amount panel 400 to display that the toner remaining amount is Low level or Mid level based on the calculated remaining toner amount information (step S46). When step S44 or step S46 is completed, the remaining toner amount detection process is terminated. That is, the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 and the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 as detection means provide remaining amount information corresponding to the amount of developer accommodated in the developer container 32 while the stirring member 34 is operating. to output

Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 90 determines whether the timer T2 is equal to or greater than the threshold value β (step S5). The threshold value β is a preset value and corresponds to an interval at which the remaining toner amount detection process is repeatedly executed. Note that α>β. If the timer T2 is greater than or equal to the threshold value β (step S5: Yes), the controller 90 initializes and restarts the timer T2 (step S6), and returns to step S4. That is, each time the timer T2 reaches the threshold value β, the toner remaining amount detection process (step S4) is repeatedly performed. For example, when the threshold value β is set to 1 second, the toner remaining amount detection process is repeatedly performed every 1 second in steps S4, S5, and S6.

When the timer T2 is less than the threshold value β (step S5: No), the controller 90 determines whether the timer T1 is greater than or equal to the threshold value α (step S7). The threshold α is a preset value and corresponds to the drive time of the motor M1 and the stirring member 34 in the toner replenishment process. If the timer T1 is less than the threshold α (step S7: No), the process returns to step S5. If the timer T1 is greater than or equal to the threshold value α (step S7: Yes), the controller 90 stops driving the motor M1 (step S8), and terminates the toner replenishment process. For example, when the threshold α is set to 10 seconds, the time from the start of driving the motor M1 in step S3 to the stop of the motor M1 in step S8 is 10 seconds.

In the toner replenishment process described above, when the toner falls from the toner pouch 40 into the developer container 32 as shown in FIG. Since the replenishment port 32a and the first projecting portion 37 are arranged at one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the developer container 32, the toner is supplied to the transport chamber 36 collectively at the one end portion side.

Now, consider a case where the stirring member 34 is not rotating when the toner is supplied to the transfer chamber 36 . When the toner is dropped from the toner pouch 40 into the developing container 32, it takes time for the dropped toner to spread over the entire length of the photosensitive drum 21 unless the stirring member 34 is rotated in the transfer chamber 36 that stores the toner. requires. If this time is long, it takes a long time for the user who is performing the toner replenishment work to confirm that the toner has been replenished in the transfer chamber 36, which reduces usability.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the stirring member 34 is driven for a predetermined time (threshold value α) from the start of replenishment in the toner replenishment process. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 16B and 16C, the toner supplied from the toner pouch 40 to one end of the developing container 32 is spread over the entire length of the conveying chamber 36 of the developing container 32 by the stirring member 34. is smoothed out early across the Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time until the user confirms that the toner has been replenished, and improve usability. Further, since the toner contained in the developing container 32 is leveled, the accuracy of detection of toner remaining amount information by the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 and the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 can be improved.

During the toner replenishment process, information on the remaining amount of toner in the developing container 32 is detected by the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 and the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 at predetermined time intervals (threshold value β). For example, as shown in FIG. 17A, the user supplies toner from the toner pouch 40 to the developer container 32 while the remaining toner panel 400 displays that the remaining toner is at the Low level.

Then, the toner remaining amount panel 400 displays that the remaining toner amount is at the Mid level as shown in FIG. 17(b), and then displays that the remaining toner amount is at the Full level as shown in FIG. display. As a result, the user can reliably recognize that toner has been replenished from the toner pouch 40 to the developing container 32, and usability can be improved.

Here, the sectional views of FIGS. 16A to 16C show the 16A-16A section of FIG. FIGS. 16A and 16B show that the light emitting portion 52a is arranged at the right end of the photosensitive drum 21 in the longitudinal direction. The light-receiving portion 51b, the light-emitting portion 52a, and the light-receiving portion 52b are also arranged at the same/substantially the same longitudinal position of the photosensitive drum 21. FIG. Due to restrictions on sensor placement within the device body, the sensor placement may be as shown in FIGS. Even in such a case, usability can be improved as described above by rotating the stirring member 34 during toner replenishment.

In some cases, the sensor may be arranged in the vicinity directly below the supply port 32a. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 16(b), the replenished toner is biased to the left, and it may take time for the toner surface to be leveled over the entire length of the photosensitive drum 21. . In order to accurately detect the toner replenishment state, the toner surface of the photosensitive drum 21 must be smoothed over the entire length. However, even in such a case, in this embodiment, the rotation of the stirring member 34 during toner replenishment smoothes the toner surface over the entire length of the photosensitive drum 21 in a short period of time, thereby improving usability.

[Relationship Between Toner Amount Filled in Toner Pouch 40 and Capacity of Developing Container 32]
Next, the relationship between the amount of toner filled in the toner pouch 40 and the volume of the developer container 32 will be described. As shown in FIG. 18A, the developer container 32 can accommodate Z [g] of toner. In addition, in FIGS. 18A to 18C, the values are expressed in terms of grams (g), but may be converted into units indicating volume such as milliliters (ml).

When the amount of toner contained in the developing container 32 is 0 [g] to X [g], the toner remaining amount panel 400 is displayed based on the detection results of the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 and the second toner remaining amount sensor 52. is a Low level display. X [g] corresponds to the second amount, and toner amounts between 0 [g] and X [g] correspond to toner amounts less than the second amount.

When the amount of toner contained in the developing container 32 is X [g] to Y [g], the toner remaining amount panel 400 is displayed based on the detection results of the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 and the second toner remaining amount sensor 52. indicates the Mid level. Y[g] corresponds to the first amount, and the toner amount between X[g] and Y[g] corresponds to the toner amount less than the first amount.

When the amount of toner contained in the developing container 32 is Y [g] or more, based on the detection results of the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 and the second toner remaining amount sensor 52, the remaining toner amount panel 400 is at the Full level. displayed. A toner amount equal to or greater than Y [g] corresponds to a toner amount equal to or greater than the first amount.

FIG. 18B is a graph showing the amount of toner when toner is replenished to the developing container 32 by the toner pouch 40 filled with A [g] of toner. FIG. 18C is a graph showing the amount of toner when toner is supplied to the developing container 32 from the toner pouch 40 filled with B [g] (>A) of toner. The product lineup of the toner pouch 40 includes either or both of a small-capacity toner pouch filled with toner of A [g] and a large-capacity toner pouch filled with toner of B [g]. It's okay. Moreover, the product lineup of the toner pouch 40 is not limited to two types, and three or more types may be prepared.

In the present embodiment, the amount of toner (A, B) filled in toner pouch 40 as a supply container satisfies the following equations (1) and (2).
Y≤A<Z-Y (1)
Y≦B<Z−Y (2)
As shown in FIG. 18B, when the amount of toner remaining in the developing container 32 is R [g] between 0 [g] and X [g], the toner pouch 40 develops toner by A [g]. When the container 32 is replenished, the developer container 32 contains (R+A) [g] of toner. Since Y<(R+A) from the above formula (1), the remaining toner amount panel 400 after toner replenishment displays a full level. That is, Y [g], which is the threshold for the Full level, is smaller than the replenishment amount A [g] replenished from the toner pouch 40 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 18C, when the amount of toner remaining in the developing container 32 is R [g], if the toner pouch 40 supplies B [g] of toner to the developing container 32, (R+B) [g] of toner is accommodated. Since Y<(R+B) from the above equation (2), the remaining toner amount panel 400 after toner replenishment displays a full level.

In this manner, the volume of the developing container 32 is set so that the toner remaining amount panel 400 always becomes the Full level by replenishing the toner when the remaining toner amount panel 400 displays the Mid level or the Low level. set. It should be noted that the volume of the developing container 32 need not necessarily be set so that a single toner pouch 40 can reach the full level. You may make it

Further, according to the above formulas (1) and (2), the volume of the developing container 32 is the total amount of toner filled in the toner pouch 40 when the toner remaining amount panel 400 is displaying the Mid level or the Low level. It is set so that it can be moved to the developer container 32 . That is, the maximum amount of developer that can be accommodated in the developer container 32 is the amount of developer that the toner pouch 40 accommodates (A [g] or B [g ]) is added. In other words, the amount of toner filled in the toner pouch 40 is the maximum amount of toner that can be accommodated in the developing container 32 (Z [g]) and the remaining amount of toner on the boundary between the Mid level and the Full level (Y [ g]) and less than the difference between

As a result, the developing container 32 is not filled with toner while the toner is being replenished to the developing container 32 using the toner pouch 40, and leakage of toner from the replenishing port 32a during toner replenishment can be reduced. .

As described above, in the present embodiment, the second opening 82a is formed in the discharge tray 81 of the top cover 82, and the opening/closing member 83 supported by the top cover 82 so as to be opened and closed is provided. The opening/closing member 83 covers the second opening 82a in the closed state, and exposes the supply port 32a of the developer container 32 in the open state. Therefore, the user can access the replenishment port 32a simply by opening the opening/closing member 83 .

Since the present embodiment employs a method (direct replenishment method) in which toner is replenished directly from the replenishment port 32a to the developing container 32 by the toner pouch 40, the toner is replenished to the developing container 32 by the process cartridge 20. no need to take out. Further, the replenishment port 32a of the developer container 32 is formed on the top surface of the first projecting portion 37 projecting upward from one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the transport chamber 36, so that it is arranged close to the second opening portion 82a. ing. Therefore, the user can easily replenish the toner to the developing container 32 through the replenishment port 32a. In addition, since parts such as the developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33 are not replaced when toner is supplied to the developing container 32, costs can be reduced.

Further, since the laser passage space SP is formed so as to be surrounded by the first projecting portion 37, the second projecting portion 38, the grip portion 39, and the transfer chamber 36, the developing container 32 and the scanner unit 11 can be arranged close to each other. , and the size of the image forming apparatus 1 can be reduced.

Furthermore, when the toner pouch 40 is attached to the replenishing port 32a and the toner is replenished, the stirring member 34 is driven. , can reduce the packing phenomenon. As a result, it is possible to reduce image defects and improve the detection accuracy of remaining toner information.

The maximum amount of developer that can be accommodated in the developer container 32 is the amount of developer that the toner pouch 40 accommodates (A [g] or B [g ]) is added. Therefore, the developing container 32 is not filled with toner while the toner is being replenished to the developing container 32 using the toner pouch 40, and leakage of toner from the replenishing port 32a during toner replenishment can be reduced. . By configuring the image forming apparatus 1 in this manner, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that satisfies the needs of the user.

In the present embodiment, in the toner supply process, the stirring member 34 is driven for a predetermined time (threshold value α) based on the user's operation of the button 1 of the operation unit 300, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the driving of the stirring member 34 may be started by pressing the button 1 once, and the driving of the stirring member 34 may be stopped by pressing the button 1 again. Alternatively, the stirring member 34 may be driven only while the button 1 is kept pressed.

Further, when the remaining amount of toner in the developing container 32 reaches the Low level, a replenishment notification may be displayed on the display section 301 to prompt the user to replenish the toner. Further, when the toner runs out, a replenishment notification may be displayed on the display unit 301 to prompt the user to replenish the toner.

Further, the remaining amount of toner in the developing container 32 is notified to the user by the toner remaining amount panel 400, but it does not have to be composed of three scales as in the present embodiment. For example, toner level panel 400 may consist of one, two, four or more scales. Alternatively, the remaining amount of toner may be displayed continuously by percentage display or gauge display. Further, the user may be notified of the remaining amount of toner by voice using a speaker.

[Toner pouch]
Here, the configuration of the toner pouch 40 as a toner container that is detachable from the image forming apparatus and configured to be attachable to the replenishment port 32a provided in the developer container 32 and stores toner will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. explain.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view showing the entire toner pouch 40. FIG. The toner pouch 40 includes a pouch 503 as a container for storing toner therein, a replenishment base 501 as a cap attached to the pouch, a rotatable second shutter 41 , and rotating together with the second shutter 41 . It includes a shutter holder 502 for

27 and 28 are exploded perspective views of the parts forming the toner pouch 40. FIG. The toner pouch 40 is composed of a second shutter 41, a second sheet 505, a second seal 504, a replenishment base 501, a shutter holder 502, and a pouch 503 in this order from one end. The second shutter 41 is configured to be rotatable around a rotational axis z shown in FIGS. The pouch 503 has a pouch opening 503a as a first opening. The second shutter 41 has a shielding portion 41f, a second shutter opening 41i, and a central hole 41j.

The toner pouch 40 also has a second sheet 505 . The second sheet 505 is a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) resin film having a thickness of 100 μm, and is attached to the shielding portion 41f of the second shutter 41 with double-sided tape. The film used for the second sheet 505 is preferably made of PET resin or PP (polypropylene) resin and has a thickness of 50 to 300 μm.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the second shutter 41 to which the second sheet 505 is fixed. 29(a) is a view of the second shutter 41 viewed from the inside (the side with the pouch 503), and FIG. 29(b) is a view of the second shutter 41 viewed from the outside (the side opposite to the side with the pouch 503). It is a diagram. The second sheet 505 is fixed to the shielding portion 41f such that the end portion 505a in the rotation direction of the second shutter 41 protrudes from the end face 41h of the second shutter 41 in the rotation direction of the shielding portion 41f.

FIG. 30 shows the supply base 501 with the second seal 504 attached. 30(a) and 30(b) are perspective views of the replenishment base 501, and FIG. 30(c) is a sectional view of the replenishment base 501. FIG. The second seal 504 is made of a deformable material such as urethane foam or non-woven fabric, and is fixed to the replenishment base 501 with double-sided tape or the like. The supply base 501 has an upstream opening 501a, a downstream opening 501b, and a tube portion 501c connecting the upstream opening 501a and the downstream opening 501b. The upstream opening 501a is a receiving opening for receiving toner from the pouch 503 through the pouch opening 503a, and is a communicating hole that communicates with the inside of the pouch 503. As shown in FIG. The downstream opening 501b is a supply port for supplying the developer container 32 with the toner received at the upstream opening 501a. The pipe portion 501c is a hollow pipe configured so that the toner received at the upstream opening 501a can move to the downstream opening 501b. A pipe portion 501c of the supply base 501 shown in FIG. 30 is configured to branch from one upstream opening 501a into two downstream openings 501b. The two pipe portions 501c are provided symmetrically with respect to the rotation axis z. The opening 503a of the pouch 503 and the upstream opening 501a of the supply base 501 are provided at positions that intersect the rotation axis z when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis z. On the other hand, the downstream opening 501b of the supply base 501 is provided at a position that does not intersect the rotation axis z. That is, the tube portion 501c extends in a direction inclined with respect to the rotation axis z. By passing the toner in the pouch 503 through the slanted tube portion 501c, it is possible to intermittently supply toner to the developing device 32 more than when passing through the tube portion extending in the direction of the rotation axis z. quantity stabilizes.

A second seal 504 fixed to the supply base 501 is provided with an opening 504 a corresponding to the position of the downstream opening 501 b of the supply base 501 . The toner supplied from the pouch 503 through the upstream opening 501a of the replenishment base 501 passes through the tube portion 501c, the downstream opening 501b, and the opening 504a of the second seal 504, and moves to the developer container 32. become.

Since the second seal 504 is fixed to the replenishment base 501, it is configured such that toner leakage is unlikely to occur at its interface. On the other hand, the sliding surface 504b of the second seal 504 fixed to the supply base 501 slides on the sliding surface 505b (FIG. 29) of the second seat 505 fixed to the second shutter 41. there is The second seal 504 is pressed in the direction of the rotation axis z by the second seat 505 and deformed to generate surface pressure between the sliding surface 504b of the second seal 504 and the sliding surface 505b of the second seat 505. It is configured to let This suppresses toner leakage at the interface between the second seal 504 and the second sheet 505 .

The second shutter 41 to which the second sheet 505 is fixed is rotatable about the rotational axis z with respect to the supply base 501 to which the second seal 504 is fixed. Details will be described below. FIG. 31 shows a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis z of the toner pouch 40. As shown in FIG. The inner diameter portion 41b of the second shutter 41 and the outer diameter portion 501d of the replenishment base 501 are cylindrical portions concentric with the rotation axis z, and are configured to be slidable relative to each other. The cylindrical portion 41c of the second shutter 41 and the inner diameter portion 501e of the replenishment base 501 are cylindrical portions concentric with the rotation axis z, and are slidable relative to each other. Here, the shutter holder 502 is arranged on the side opposite to the second shutter 41 with respect to the supply base 501 in the direction of the rotation axis z, and is fixed to the second shutter 41 . Specifically, the surface 502 b of the shutter holder 502 is adhered to the surface 41 d of the second shutter 41 . Further, the shutter holder 502 is rotationally fixed to the second shutter 41 by engaging the concave portion 502c (FIG. 27) of the shutter holder 502 with the convex portion 41e (see FIG. 26) of the second shutter 41. ing. The shutter holder 502 is configured to rotate about the rotational axis z with respect to the replenishment base 501 together with the second shutter 41 . The rib 502a (FIG. 31) of the shutter holder 502 contacts the surface 501f of the replenishment base 501, thereby restricting the replenishment base 501 from moving in the direction of the rotation axis z.

That is, the second seal 504 is pressed by the second sheet 505 and deformed, and the replenishment base 501 is supported between the second shutter 41 and the shutter holder 502 so as to maintain the amount of deformation. Therefore, surface pressure is generated between the sliding surface 504b of the second seal 504 and the sliding surface 505b of the second seat. With the above configuration, the toner contained in the pouch 503 of the toner pouch 40 is prevented from leaking out of the toner pouch 40 alone.

FIG. 32 shows how the supply base 501 and the pouch 503 are connected. The opening 503a of the pouch 503 is connected to the outer ring 501g of the upstream opening 501a of the replenishment base 501 . The upstream opening 501a of the replenishment base 501 and the opening 503a of the pouch 503 are joined by heat welding or a method using an adhesive. The toner in the pouch 503 moves toward the supply base 501 through the opening 503 a of the pouch 503 and the upstream opening 501 a of the supply base 501 . This toner passes through the tubular portion 501c of the supply base 501, the downstream opening 501b, and the like, and moves to the developing container 32. As shown in FIG.

The material of the pouch 503 is preferably a sheet of PE (polyethylene) resin, PP resin, or PET resin, a composite material thereof, non-woven fabric, paper, or a composite material of these resins. When the pouch 503 is made of a member that can be deformed by the user, the toner in the pouch 503 can be easily supplied to the outside of the toner pouch 40 by pressing or squeezing the pouch 503 with a user's finger. . As described above, if the toner pouch 40 is the bottle container 40B, it is preferable that the user strikes the container to cause it to leak while vibrating it.

As described above, the second shutter 41 and shutter holder 502 are fixed to each other, and the supply base 501 and pouch 503 are fixed to each other. On the other hand, the second shutter 41 is configured to be rotatable about the rotation axis z with respect to the replenishment base 501 . Below, the closed state and open state of the downstream opening 501b (opening 504a of the second seal 504) of the replenishment base 501 by the second shutter 41 (second sheet 505) will be described.

33A is a perspective view of the toner pouch 40 when the second shutter 41 is in the closed position blocking the downstream opening 501b as the supply port of the toner pouch 40. FIG. FIG. 33(b) is a perspective view of the toner pouch 40 when the second shutter 41 is in the closed position retracted from the closed position to open the downstream opening 501b. FIG. 33(b) shows a state in which the second shutter 41 has rotated about 60 degrees in the direction of arrow z1 together with the shutter holder 502 about the rotation axis z from the open position. The downstream opening 501b of the replenishment base 501 is exposed to the outside of the toner pouch 40, and the toner contained in the pouch 503 can be supplied to the outside. 33(b), the second shutter 41 and the shutter holder 502 are rotated in the direction of the arrow z2 about the rotation axis z, so that the downstream opening 501b of the toner pouch 40 is blocked by the shutter 41 again. It can be returned to the original state (FIG. 33(a)). After the toner pouch 40 is attached to the developer container 32, the second shutter 41 is rotated by rotating the body portion 502d of the shutter holder 502 in the direction of the arrow z1 about the rotation axis z by the user. As a result, the downstream opening 501 b of the replenishment base 501 is exposed, and the toner in the pouch 503 can be supplied to the developer container 32 .

[Development container]
The configuration of the developing container 32 as a main housing portion (toner housing portion) to which toner is supplied from the toner pouch 40 will be described with reference to the drawings. 34 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the replenishment port 32a of the developing container 32. FIG. The replenishment port 32 a is a receiving port for receiving the supply of toner from the toner pouch 40 . FIG. 35 is an exploded perspective view of the replenishment port 32a of the developer container 32 and its surroundings. A first seal 506, a first shutter 507, a shutter cover 508, and a first seal 509 are arranged in this order above the supply port 32a of the developer container 32. As shown in FIG. 34(a) shows a state in which the supply port 32a is blocked by the first shutter 507, and FIG. 34(b) shows a state in which the supply port 32a is opened.

As shown in FIGS. 34 and 35, the developer container 32 is provided with a shaft portion 322 coaxial with the rotation axis z and extending in the direction of the rotation axis z. The shaft portion 322 has a cylindrical portion 32d and a two-sided chamfered portion 32e provided on the distal end side of the cylindrical portion 32d. The first shutter 507 has a substantially fan-shaped surface 507e as a shielding portion, a first through hole 507a, and a central hole 507e. By fitting the central hole 507e into the cylindrical portion 32d of the shaft portion 322, the first shutter 507 is rotatable about the axis of the shaft portion 322 (rotational axis z).

The double-sided portion 32e of the shaft portion 322 extends to the toner pouch 40 side through the central hole 506b of the first seal 506, the central hole 507b of the first shutter 507, and the central hole 508e of the shutter cover 508. ing. The function of the two-sided chamfered portion 32e of the shaft portion 322 will be described later.

The first seal 506 is made of a deformable material such as urethane foam or non-woven fabric, and is fixed to the developer container 32 with double-sided tape or adhesive. The first seal 506 is provided with a through hole 506a at a position corresponding to the supply port 32a of the developing container 32. As shown in FIG. The developer container 32 is provided with a discharge port 32c in addition to the supply port 32a.

A first shutter 507 is arranged above the first seal 506 . Furthermore, a shutter cover 508 is arranged on the first shutter 507 . FIG. 37 shows a cross-sectional view of the periphery of the supply port 32a of the developer container 32 perpendicular to the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis z.

The shutter cover 508 is fixed with respect to the developer container 32 . The surface 508a of the shutter cover 508 is adhered to the surface 32f of the developer container 32 while the concave portion 508b of the shutter cover 508 is engaged with the convex portion 32g of the developer container 32 (FIG. 35). That is, the shutter cover 508 is positioned with respect to the developer container 32 at a predetermined rotational phase. The first shutter 507 is arranged between a first seal 506 provided on the developer container 32 and a shutter cover 508, and supported by the developer container 32 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis z.

As shown in FIG. 37, the outer ring 507c of the first shutter 507 and the inner diameter portion 508c of the shutter cover 508 are cylindrical portions coaxial with the axis of the shaft portion 322 (rotational axis z). The first shutter 507 is configured to rotate relative to the shutter cover 508 while an outer ring 507 c of the first shutter 507 slides on an inner diameter portion 508 c of the shutter cover 508 . On the other hand, the surface 507d of the first shutter 507 contacts the surface 508d of the shutter cover 508, and the movement of the first shutter 507 in the direction of the rotational axis z is restricted. The first shutter 507 is supported between the shutter cover 508 and the developing container 32 so that the first seal 506 is pressed by the first shutter 507 in the direction of the rotation axis z so that the compressed state is maintained. there is As a result, leakage of toner from the developer container 32 is suppressed in the state of the developer container 32 alone.

38A and 38B are perspective views of the shutter cover 508. FIG. 38(c) and (d) show the shutter cover 508 with the first seal 509 attached. The first seal 509 is made of a deformable material such as urethane foam or non-woven fabric. As shown in FIG. 38(b), the first seal 509 is affixed with double-sided tape or the like across the surfaces 508f and 508g of the shutter cover 508. As shown in FIG. A surface 508f of the shutter cover 508 is a surface 508f that faces the first shutter 507 and is perpendicular to the rotation axis z. The surface 508g of the shutter cover 508 is the surface opposite to the surface 508f in the rotation axis z direction.

The first shutter 507 is rotatably supported about the rotation axis z. The first shutter 507 rotates between a blocking position (first position) shown in FIG. 34(a) and an open position (second position) shown in FIG. 34(b). The blocking position is a position where the surface 507e overlaps the supply port 32a when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis z, and is a position where the developer container 32 cannot receive toner from the toner pouch 40. FIG. The open position (second position) is a position where the first through hole 507a overlaps the replenishment port 32a and the developer container 32 can be supplied with toner from the toner pouch 40. FIG.

[Engagement of Toner Pouch and Developing Container and Opening/Closing Operation of Shutter]
FIG. 39A shows a state in which the toner pouch 40 is attached to the developer container 32 shown in FIG.

When the toner pouch 40 is attached to the developer container 32, the two-sided shaft portion 32e of the developer container 32 is inserted into the two-sided hole 501h of the supply base 501, and the two-sided shaft portion 32e is engaged with the two-sided hole 501h. do. In other words, the two-sided hole 501h of the toner pouch 40 is configured to be engageable with the two-sided shaft portion 32e of the developer container 32. As shown in FIG. Further, the substantially fan-shaped surface 41f (FIG. 33A) of the second shutter 41 is in contact with the substantially fan-shaped surface 507e of the first shutter 507 (FIG. 34A).

In the state shown in FIG. 39A, a case where the user grips the body portion 502d of the shutter holder 502 and rotates the shutter holder 502 in the direction of arrow z1 will be described. Since the shutter holder 502 and the second shutter 41 are fixed as described above, the second shutter 41 also rotates in the direction of the arrow z1 as the shutter holder 501 rotates. At this time, the surface 41g (FIG. 33) of the second shutter 41 abuts against the rib 507f (FIG. 34) of the first shutter 507 and presses the first shutter 507 in the direction of arrow z1. rotate in the direction The surface 41g of the second shutter 41 and the surface of the rib 507f of the first shutter 507 extend in the direction of the rotational axis z.
The surface 41g of the second shutter 41 as the engaging portion is engaged with the rib 507f of the first shutter 507 as the engaged portion, so that the first shutter 507 rotates together with the second shutter 41. ing.

FIGS. 33(a) and 34(a) show that the second shutter 41 and the first shutter 507 move 60 degrees in the direction of arrow z1 about the rotation axis z from the states shown in FIGS. 33(b) and 34(b), respectively. ° shows the state of the toner pouch 40 and developer container 32 rotated. The toner pouch 40 in FIG. 33B is in a state where the second shutter opening 41i of the second shutter 41 overlaps the downstream opening 501b of the replenishment base 501 and the downstream opening 501b is exposed. In this state, the toner contained in toner pouch 40 can be supplied to developing device 32 . The developer container 32 in FIG. 34A is in a state where the replenishment port 32a is exposed, and is ready to receive toner from the toner pouch 40. As shown in FIG.
A shaft portion 322 of the developer container 32 is fixed so as not to rotate around the rotation axis z. Therefore, the replenishment base 501 and the pouch 503, which are engaged with the two-sided shaft portion 32e of the shaft portion 322 through the two-sided hole 501h, do not rotate. That is, when the user rotates the body portion 502d of the shutter holder 502, only the second shutter 41 and the first shutter 507 rotate, and the supply base 504 and the pouch 503 do not rotate. As shown in FIG. 7, the user deforms the pouch 503 to supply the toner in the pouch 503 to the developing device 32, so the pouch 503 is easily deformable. Therefore, the configuration in which the pouch 503 is fixed to the developing device 32 and the body portion 502d of the shutter holder 502 is rotated is more operable than the configuration in which the pouch 503 is held and rotated. In addition, there are cases where it is better for the pouch 503 to always face a predetermined direction without rotating. For example, the pouch 503 may display instructions for replenishing toner or may have an instruction label attached. In such a case, it is meaningful to increase the user's visibility of the pouch 503 by configuring the pouch 503 so that it does not rotate.

Next, the operation of removing the toner pouch 40 attached to the developing container 32 from the developing device 32 will be described. Consider the operation of rotating the body portion 502d of the shutter holder 502 about the rotation axis z in the direction of the arrow z2 from the state shown in FIG. 39(b). Since the shutter holder 502 and the second shutter 41 are fixed, the second shutter 41 also rotates in the direction of arrow z2 in conjunction with the shutter holder 501 . At this time, the surface 41h (FIG. 33) of the second shutter 41 presses the surface 507g (FIG. 34) provided on the first shutter 507, and the first shutter 507 rotates. In addition, since the first shutter 507 is rotatably supported about the rotation axis z, the first shutter 507 also rotates in the direction of the arrow z2 about the rotation axis z in conjunction with the rotation of the shutter holder 501. will rotate. By rotating the shutter holder 502 by 60 degrees in the direction of the arrow z2, it is possible to restore the state in which the supply port 32a is blocked as shown in FIGS. It is possible. Even when the first shutter 507 and the second shutter 41 are closed, the toner pouch 40 does not rotate.

Next, a method for suppressing toner leakage when opening and closing the first shutter 507 and the second shutter 41 will be described. FIG. 40 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an interface portion between the toner pouch 40 and the developing container 32 when the toner pouch 40 is attached to the developing container 32. FIG. Pouch 503 is omitted in FIG. FIG. 40(a) shows the state before the toner pouch 40 is attached. 40(b) shows a state before the toner pouch 40 is attached to the developer container 32 and the first shutter 507 and the second shutter 41 are rotated from the state shown in FIG. 40(a). In this state, the replenishment port 32a of the developing device 32 and the downstream opening 501b of the replenishment base 501 are blocked, and the toner contained in the pouch 503 is not discharged out of the toner pouch 40. . FIG. 40(c) shows a state in which the second shutter 41 has rotated about the rotational axis z in the direction of arrow z1 by an angle θ1 (0<θ1) from the state shown in FIG. 40(b). In FIG. 40, the rotation of the second shutter 41 about the rotation axis z in the direction of arrow z1 is shown as the left direction (direction of arrow z1). FIG. 40(d) shows a state in which the second shutter 41 has rotated about the rotation axis z in the direction of the arrow z1 by an angle θ2 (θ1<θ2) from the state shown in FIG. 40(b). 40(e) shows a state in which the second shutter 41 has rotated 60° in the direction of arrow z1 about the rotation axis z from the state shown in FIG. A state in which the side opening 501b is exposed is shown. 40(b) shows a state in which the toner pouch 40 is attached to the developer container 32, and the edge 505a of the second shutter 41 of the first sheet 505 in the rotational direction is brought into contact with the surface 507h of the first shutter 507. FIG. are placed in Also, the rib 507f of the first shutter 507 and the surface 41g of the second shutter 41 are arranged with a gap δ1 in the rotation direction of the second shutter 41 . Also, the surface 507g of the first shutter 507 and the surface 41h of the second shutter 41 are arranged with a gap δ2 in the rotation direction of the second shutter 41 . A gap δ 1 and a gap δ 2 between the first shutter 507 and the second shutter 41 are allowances when the user attaches the toner pouch 40 to the developer container 32 . By providing the gap δ1 and the gap δ2, the mountability of the toner pouch 40 to the developer container 32 can be improved. As the gap δ1 narrows, the gap δ2 widens, and as the gap δ1 widens, the gap δ2 narrows.

After the toner pouch 40 is attached to the developer container 32, the second shutter 41 is rotated in the direction of the arrow z1 around the rotational axis z. FIG. 40(c) shows a state in which the gap δ1 that existed in FIG. The rib 507f of the first shutter 507 is pushed by the surface 41g of the second shutter 41, and the first shutter 507 rotates together with the second shutter 41 about the rotation axis z in the direction of the arrow z1. Note that the gap δ2 in the state of FIG. 40(c) is wider than the gap δ2 in the state of FIG. 40(b). Further, the end portion 505a of the second sheet 505 is configured to abut on the surface 507h of the first shutter 507 without falling off the surface 507h. When the second shutter 41 is further rotated in the direction of the arrow z1 around the rotation axis z from the state of FIG. 40(c), the following occurs. As shown in FIG. 40(d), a gap δ2 formed by the surface 507g of the first shutter 507 and the surface 41h of the second shutter 41 is positioned below the downstream opening 501b of the supply base 501. As shown in FIG. At this time, since the end portion 505a of the second sheet 505 is in contact with the surface 507h of the first shutter 507, the toner is prevented from entering the gap δ2.

When the second shutter 41 is further rotated in the direction of the arrow z1 about the rotational axis z from the state shown in FIG. 40(d), the state shown in FIG. 40(e) is obtained. 40(e) is a state in which the supply port 32a and the downstream opening 501b are exposed from the first shutter 507 and the second shutter 41, respectively. The toner contained in the pouch 503 (not shown) passes through the opening 503a of the pouch 503, the upstream opening 501a of the replenishment base 501, the tube portion 501c, the downstream opening 501b, and the opening 504a of the second seal 504. is supplied to the developing container 32 from. The discharged toner is received in the developer container 32 via the first through hole 507 a of the first shutter 507 , the hole 506 a of the first seal 506 and the supply port 32 a of the developer container 32 . In the state of FIG. 40E, the second seal 504 is configured to prevent toner from entering the interface with the first shutter 507 . The first seal 506 is also configured to prevent toner from entering the interface with the first shutter 507 .

Next, a method of removing the toner pouch 40 from the developer container 32 after the toner replenishment (supply) from the toner pouch 40 to the developer container 32 is completed will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 40(f) shows a state in which the second shutter 41 has rotated about the rotation axis z in the arrow z2 direction from the state shown in FIG. 40(e) by an angle θ3 (0<θ3). 40(e), the gap .delta.2 that existed in the state of FIG. The gap δ1 in FIG. 40(f) is wider than the gap δ1 in FIG. 40(e).

The surface 507g of the first shutter 507 receives a pressing force from the surface 41h of the second shutter 41, and the first shutter 507 rotates together with the second shutter 41 about the rotational axis z in the arrow z2 direction. The surface 507g of the first shutter 507 functions as an engaged portion, and the surface 41h of the second shutter 41 functions as an engaging portion that engages with the surface 507g. When the first shutter 507 and the second shutter 41 are respectively rotated in the direction of arrow z2 from the state of FIG. 40(f), the replenishment port 32a of the developer container 32 and the replenishment base 501 are opened as shown in FIG. 40(g). block the downstream opening 501b. The first through hole 507a of the first shutter 507 forms part of the toner path for supplying toner from the toner pouch 40 to the developing container 32 in the state shown in FIG. Toner may adhere and remain on the inner wall of the 1-through hole 507a. Therefore, the first seal 509 is configured to prevent the toner from entering the first through hole 507 a and the interface between the first seal 509 and the first shutter 507 .

In this state, the toner pouch 40 can be removed from the developer container 32, and the state shown in FIG. 40(a) is restored.

[Coupling Portion Between Toner Pouch 40 and Developing Container 32]
As described above, the toner pouch 40 and the developing container 32 are engaged by the two-sided hole 501h of the supply base 501 of the toner pouch 40 and the two-sided shaft portion 32e of the shaft portion 322 provided on the developing container 32. It is a configuration in which they are connected to each other by fitting together. Details will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 41 is a perspective view showing the two-sided shaft portion 32e of the developer container 32 and its peripheral portion. The two-way shaft portion 32e has flat surfaces 32e1 and 32e2 and outer peripheral surfaces 32e3 and 32e4. The planes 32e1 and 32e2 are planes extending in the direction of the rotation axis z and parallel to and facing each other. The outer peripheral surfaces 32e3 and 32e4 are portions of cylindrical surfaces having the same outer diameter and provided coaxially with the rotation axis z, and are surfaces facing each other. FIG. 41(a) is a perspective view showing the plane 32e1 of the two-way chamfered shaft portion 32e facing forward. FIG. 41(b) is a perspective view of the cylindrical surface 32e3 of the chamfered shaft portion 32e facing forward.

A two-sided hole 501h of the supply base 501 shown in FIG. 30 has flat surfaces 501h1 and 501h2, and inner peripheral surfaces 501h3 and 501h4. The plane 501h1 and the plane 501h2 are planes extending in the direction of the rotation axis z and parallel to and facing each other. The inner peripheral surfaces 501h3 and 501h4 are portions of cylindrical surfaces that have the same inner diameter and are provided coaxially with the rotation axis z and are surfaces that face each other.

When the toner pouch 40 is attached to the developer container 32, the flat surfaces 32e1 and 32e2 of the two-sided shaft portion 32e face the flat surfaces 501h1 and 501h2 of the two-sided hole 501h of the supply base 501, respectively. On the other hand, the outer peripheral surfaces 32e3 and 32e4 of the two-sided shaft portion 32e face the inner peripheral surface 501h3 and the flat surface 501h4 of the two-sided hole 501h of the supply base 501 shown in FIG. 30, respectively.

The difference between the distance between the plane 501h1 and the plane 502h2 and the distance between the plane 32e1 and the plane 32e2 is the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 501h3 (501h4), the outer diameter of the outer peripheral surface 32e3 (32e4), is smaller than the difference of Therefore, when the toner pouch 40 is attached to the developing container 32, the toner pouch 40 is less inclined in the direction of arrow β shown in FIG. 41B than in the direction of arrow α shown in FIG. 41A. there is

Incidentally, the connecting portion between the toner pouch 40 and the developing container 32 is not limited to the structure of the present embodiment, and may have the following structure. One of the engaged portion of the toner pouch 40 and the engaging portion of the developing container 32 is a shaft portion, and the other is a hole portion. When the shaft and the hole are viewed in the direction of the rotation axis z, the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis z is the first direction, the direction perpendicular to the first direction is the second direction, and the shaft in the first direction. It is sufficient that the gap between the hole parts is larger than the gap between the shaft part and the hole part in the second direction.

As shown in FIG. 33(b), two downstream openings 501b (openings 504a of the second seal 504) of the replenishment base 501 of the toner pouch 40 are the flat surface 501h1 and the flat surface of the two-sided hole 501h of the replenishment base 501, respectively. It is provided at a position facing 501h2. Further, as shown in FIG. 34(b), the two supply ports 32a of the developer container 32 are provided at positions facing the flat surfaces 32e1 and 32e2 of the two-sided shaft portion 32e of the developer container 32, respectively. The reason why the two downstream openings 501b of the replenishment base 501 of the toner pouch 40 and the two replenishment ports 32a of the developer container 32 are arranged as described above will be described.

In order to suppress toner contamination at the connecting portion between the toner pouch 40 and the developing container 32, it is preferable to do the following. When the first shutter 507 and the second shutter 41 are at positions opening the supply port 32a and the downstream opening 501b, respectively, the thickness direction (direction of the rotation axis z) of the second seal 504 provided with the opening 504a Maintain the deformation amount within a predetermined range. This preferably stabilizes the contact pressure between the sliding surface 504b of the second seal 504 of the supply base 501 and the first shutter 507 . If the two openings 504a of the second seal 504 are arranged in the direction in which the inclination of the toner pouch 40 becomes large when the toner pouch 40 is attached to the developer container 32, the following problem arises. When the toner pouch 40 is tilted, the amount of deformation of the second seal 504 near one opening 504a increases, but the amount of deformation of the second seal 504 near the other opening 504a decreases. As a result, toner contamination tends to occur in the vicinity of the other opening 504a.

Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 41(b), the two openings 504a of the second seal 504 (the downstream side opening 501b of the replenishment base 501) are arranged in the direction of the arrow β where the inclination of the toner pouch 40 is suppressed. is provided. As a result, toner contamination between the toner pouch 40 and the developer container 32 can be suppressed.

Although two downstream openings 501b are provided in the replenishment base 501 in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 42, the number of downstream openings 501b may be one, or three or more. In this case, the number of replenishment ports 32a of the developer container 32 is also made to correspond to the shape of the toner pouch.

[Modification]
FIG. 43 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis z, showing the state in which the toner pouch 40 and the developer container 32 are connected. 43(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views of Example 1 and a modified example, respectively. The modified example differs from the first embodiment in the position of the engaging region g where the two-sided shaft portion 32e of the developer container 32 and the two-sided hole 501h of the toner pouch 40 are engaged in the direction of the rotation axis z. In a modification, as shown in FIG. 43(b), the second seal 504 and the first shutter 507 are in contact with each other in the engagement region g in the direction of the rotational axis z.

After the toner pouch 40 is attached to the developer container 32, even if the toner pouch 40 is tilted in the direction of the arrow α or the direction of the arrow β shown in FIG. The effect on quantity can be made smaller than in Example 1.

(Exhaust port of developer container 32)
FIG. 44 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the toner pouch 40 is attached to the developer container 32. As shown in FIG. FIG. 44(a) shows the state before the developing container 32 and the toner pouch 40 are combined. FIG. 44B shows a state before the toner pouch 40 is attached to the developer container 32 and the second shutter 41 and the first shutter 507 of the toner pouch 40 are rotated. The position of the first shutter 507 at this time is referred to as the second position. In this state, the supply port 32 a and the downstream opening 501 b of the supply base 501 are blocked by the first shutter 507 and the second shutter 41 , respectively, and the toner stored in the pouch 503 is not supplied to the developer container 32 .

FIG. 44(c) shows a state in which the second shutter 41 is rotated 60 degrees in the direction of arrow z1 about the rotation axis z from the state shown in FIG. This indicates that the The position of the first shutter 507 at this time is referred to as the first position. The toner stored in the pouch 503 (not shown) passes through the opening 503a of the pouch 503, the upstream opening 501a of the replenishment base 501, the tube portion 501c, the downstream opening 501b, and the opening 504a of the second seal 504 to the toner pouch. 40 to the developer container 32 . The toner supplied from the toner pouch 40 is supplied into the developer container 32 through the first through hole 507a of the first shutter 507, the supply port 506a of the first seal 506, and the supply port 32a.

The developer container 32 has a supply port 32a and a discharge port 32c. When the toner pouch 40 is attached to the developer container 32 and viewed in the direction of the rotation axis z, the replenishment port 32a is positioned to overlap the downstream opening 501b of the toner pouch 40, but the discharge port 32c is located downstream. It is provided at a position that does not overlap with the opening 501b.

Here, let us consider a case where toner is supplied from the toner pouch 40 to the developing container 32 and the toner in the developing container 32 becomes full. 44(c), toner is supplied from the toner pouch 40 to the developing container 32, and the toner in the developing container 32 and the toner supplied from the toner pouch 40 are connected. A supply port 32 a of the developer container 32 is formed by a cylindrical rib 32 h extending toward the inside of the developer container 32 . It should be noted that the rib 32h may be a wall forming the replenishment port 33a, and does not necessarily have to be cylindrical. The toner supplied from the toner pouch 40 moves into the developer container 32 from the replenishment port 32a, and accumulates downward from the ribs 32h of the developer container 32 in a state of spreading downward as shown in FIG. 44(c). In this state, even if the pouch 503 of the toner pouch 40 is deformed, since the toner is continuously piled up, powder pressure of the toner is generated. The toner cannot be supplied and toner remains in the pouch 503 .

FIG. 44(d) shows a state in which the second shutter 41 is rotated by an angle θ4 (0<θ4<60°) in the direction of arrow z2 about the rotation axis z from the state shown in FIG. 44(c). When the first shutter 507 is rotated while the toner in the pouch 503 is stacked so as to be connected to the toner in the developing container 32, the following occurs. As shown in FIG. 44(c), the toner existing inside the first through hole 507a of the first shutter 507 (the toner existing in the area TA in the figure) is worn off and moves together with the first shutter 507. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 44D, the discharge port 506c of the first seal 506 and the discharge port 32c of the developer container 32 are provided vertically below the first through hole 507a of the developer-side shutter 507. In FIG. The position of the first shutter 507 at this time is referred to as the third position. As the first shutter 507 moves, the toner existing in the first through-hole 507a and worn off passes through the discharge port 506c of the first seal 506 and the discharge port 32c of the developer container 32. It is designed to fall inside. In addition, the lower end of the wall forming the discharge port 32c of the developer container 32 is positioned above the lower end of the rib 32h in the vertical direction. The reason for this is to avoid the toner deposited in a state of spreading downward under the rib 32 h and to drop the toner into the space inside the developing container 32 .

FIG. 44(e) shows a state in which the second shutter 41 is rotated 60 degrees in the direction of arrow z2 about the rotational axis z from the state shown in FIG. 44(d). The position of the first shutter 507 at this time is the same second position as in FIG. 44(b). The replenishment port 32a of the developing container 32 and the downstream opening 501b of the replenishment base 501 are blocked. That is, the third position of the first shutter 507 is between the first position and the second position.

As described above, even if the opening and closing operation of the first shutter 507 is repeated while the supply port for supplying toner from the toner pouch 40 to the developing container 32 is filled with toner, toner contamination and toner Leakage can be suppressed.

(Reinforcement of pouch)
FIG. 45 shows another embodiment of the connecting portion between the pouch 503 of the toner pouch 40 and the replenishment base 501 .

Replenishment base 501 is provided with reinforcing ribs 501k that sandwich and reinforce pouch 503 . The supply base 501 is attached to the longitudinal end of the pouch 503 on the side where the pouch opening 503a is provided so that the upstream opening 501a and the pouch opening 503a communicate with each other. The replenishment base 501 is provided with two reinforcing ribs 501k as supporting portions that sandwich and support one end of the pouch 503 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof. In the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the pouch 503, the two reinforcing ribs 501k as the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion are provided on opposite sides of the upstream opening 501a. Reinforcement rib 501k preferably extends to the longitudinal center of pouch 503 in the longitudinal direction of pouch 503 . The pouch 503 is composed of a resin sheet such as PE, a composite material thereof, or the like, and has a form that can be easily deformed by the user. On the other hand, the pouch 503 is reinforced (supported) by the reinforcing ribs 501k in order to securely connect the pouch 503 and the replenishment base 501 and to allow the pouch to stand on its own.
The reinforcing ribs 501k may be configured to support the pouch 503 by being adhered to the pouch 503 without sandwiching the pouch 503 therebetween.

<First modification>
FIG. 19(a) shows a first modification of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 19A, in the image forming apparatus 1B, the supply port 132a of the developer container is arranged on the right side of the apparatus, and the opening/closing member 83B is also arranged on the right side of the apparatus. The opening/closing member 83B exposes the supply port 132a in the open state, and covers the supply port 132a in the closed state. By arranging the replenishment port 132 a on the right side of the apparatus in this manner, the replenishment port 132 a is brought close to the remaining toner amount panel 400 . Therefore, when toner is supplied to the developing container using the toner pouch 40, the remaining toner amount panel 400 can be easily checked.

<Second modification>
The present invention is not limited to the form shown in FIG. 19(a), and the present invention may be applied to an image forming apparatus 1C configured to open the opening/closing member 83C to the front side as shown in FIG. 19(b). .

<Third modification>
Further, as shown in FIG. 19(c), the present invention may be applied to an image forming apparatus 1D configured to open the opening/closing member 83D to the back side.

<Fourth modification>
Further, as shown in FIG. 20A, the operation unit 300E may be arranged in the reading device 200 instead of the printer main body 100, or may be arranged together with the remaining toner panel 400 on the right side of the device. It goes without saying that both the operation unit 300E and the remaining toner amount panel 400 may be arranged on the right side of the apparatus.

<Fifth Modification>
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 20B, the remaining toner panel 400F may be arranged on the left side of the apparatus, and the operation section 300F may be arranged on the right side of the apparatus.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the configuration of the supply port 32a of the first embodiment is changed. Therefore, the configuration similar to that of the first embodiment will be omitted from illustration or given the same reference numerals in the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 21A, the image forming apparatus 1G has an opening/closing member 83G supported by a top cover 82 so as to be opened and closed, and the opening/closing member 83G is configured to open toward the back side of the apparatus. By opening the opening/closing member 83G, the supply port 232a of the developer container 32G is exposed. The replenishment port 232a is opened downstream and upward in the discharge direction of the discharge roller pair 80 so as to be inclined with respect to the vertical direction. It is open.

By configuring the replenishment port 232a in this manner, the toner pouch 40 is inclined forward when attached to the replenishment port 232a. Therefore, the space between the supply port 232a and the reading device 200 can be effectively used, and a large-capacity toner pouch can be attached to the supply port 232a.

As shown in FIGS. 22(a) and 22(b), the opening/closing member 83H and the reading device 200 may be held at a shallower angle than in FIGS. 21(a) and (b). With this configuration, the installation space for the image forming apparatus 1 can be saved.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the third embodiment, the configuration of the cartridge guide 102 of the first embodiment is changed. Therefore, the configuration similar to that of the first embodiment will be omitted from illustration or given the same reference numerals in the drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 23A and 23B, the image forming apparatus 1J has a printer main body 100J and a reading device 200, and the printer main body 100J has a cartridge guide 102J. The cartridge guide 102J slides on a projecting portion 21a (see FIG. 5A) provided at the axial end of the photosensitive drum 21 to guide the process cartridge 20 when the process cartridge 20 is pulled out.

A retainer 102Ja is formed at the downstream end of the cartridge guide 102J in the pull-out direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 23(b), when the user pulls out the process cartridge 20, the projecting portion 21a of the process cartridge 20 abuts against the stopper 102Ja, preventing the process cartridge 20 from being removed from the printer body 100J. A rotation stopper (not shown) is provided in the vicinity of the stopper 102Ja, and the process cartridge 20 is held by the rotation stopper without rotating in a state of abutting against the stopper 102Ja.

When the process cartridge 20 is pulled out along the cartridge guide 102J, the replenishment port 32a is positioned in front of the image forming apparatus 1J as shown in FIGS. 24 and 25(a) and (b). ing. Therefore, the toner replenishing operation of replenishing toner to the developing container 32 from the replenishing port 32a using the toner pouch 40 can be easily performed. Further, since there is a large space immediately above the replenishment port 32a, a large-capacity toner pouch can be attached to the replenishment port 32a. Any of the above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate.

It should be noted that although the reading device 200 is provided above the printer main body in any of the above-described forms, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the image forming apparatus may be a printer that does not have a reading device. Further, the reading device may be a reading device having an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) that feeds a document.

1 image forming apparatus 12 transfer means (transfer roller)
21 image carrier (photosensitive drum)
31 developer carrier 32 developer container 32a replenishment port 34 agitating member 36 container (conveyance chamber)
40 supply container (toner pouch)
83 opening/closing member 90 control means (control unit)
100 Printer body 300 Operation unit M1 Drive source (motor)

Claims (3)

In an image forming apparatus in which a toner container containing toner and having a supply port for supplying toner is attachable and detachable,
a shutter having a through hole and a shielding portion and configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis;
A toner containing portion configured to be mountable with the toner container is provided at a position overlapping with the supply port so as to receive the toner from the toner container when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis. a toner containing portion having a receiving port and a discharge port provided at a position not overlapping with the supply port, and containing toner dropped from the receiving port and the discharge port;
has
The shutter includes a first position where the through hole overlaps the receiving port so that the toner in the toner container is supplied to the toner container when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis, and the toner container. a second position where the shielding portion overlaps the receiving port so that the toner is not supplied to the toner containing portion; and
The shutter, while rotating from the first position to the second position, passes through a third position where the through hole overlaps the discharge port when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis. image forming device. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the wall forming the discharge port is vertically higher than a lower end of the wall forming the through hole. Assuming that the shutter is a first shutter, the toner container has a second shutter having an engaged portion,
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first shutter has an engaging portion configured to engage with the engaged portion of the second shutter so as to rotate together with the second shutter. The described image forming apparatus.

Images