JP7301625B2 - POWDER COLLECTION CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a powder collection container for containing powder discharged from a discharge port of a powder discharge section, and an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a multifunction machine, and a printer equipped with the same.

A powder recovery container is generally detachably attached to a device having a powder discharge section.

For example, in an image forming apparatus, the powder collection container is attached at a position corresponding to the powder discharge section of the image forming section, and collects the powder (waste toner and/or waste developer) discharged from the powder discharge section. It is collected in the powder collection container through the opening. When the powder collection container is filled with the collected powder, the operator (user or service person) removes the powder collection container from the main body of the image forming apparatus and replaces the empty powder collection container with the image forming apparatus. Attach to forming equipment. Further, depending on the mounting position and structure of the powder collection container to the image forming apparatus, it is necessary to remove and mount the powder collection container even when performing maintenance of the image forming unit.

In this way, if the opening remains open when the powder recovery container is removed from the device, the powder recovered in the powder recovery container may accidentally leak outside. Therefore, in order to prevent the powder from leaking from the opening, a shutter is sometimes provided at the opening.

In Patent Document 1, a nozzle guide for inserting and guiding a nozzle (powder discharge portion) is provided with a discharge port that can be opened and closed by a shutter, and waste toner ( A waste toner case is disclosed in which powder) is dropped, the waste toner dropped into a waste toner guide is transported to a drop port by a waste toner transport auger, and dropped from the drop port.

JP-A-9-160456

However, the powder recovery container described in Patent Document 1 only discloses a structure in which the shutter moves to the open position and the closed position above the discharge port provided in the cylindrical nozzle guide. , there is no description of the detailed sealing structure and sealing performance when the shutter closes the outlet. Also, the ability to prevent toner leakage from the discharge port when the nozzle is inserted into or removed from the nozzle guide is unknown.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a powder recovery container and an image forming apparatus which have a simple structure and which can prevent leakage of powder from the powder recovery container and which has good sealing properties. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a powder recovery container provided with a moving mechanism (shutter) that is easy to assemble, simple, and good in sealing.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a powder recovery container according to the present invention is a powder recovery container for containing powder discharged from a discharge port of a powder discharge part, wherein the powder discharge part is inserted. a powder recovery chamber communicating with the insertion chamber through the opening; and a closing chamber closing the opening in the insertion chamber. a moving member disposed at the position and moving to an open position for opening the opening and communicating with the discharge port in conjunction with the insertion operation of the powder discharging portion, wherein the moving member moves from the supporting portion to the opening position. a first guide portion and a second guide portion extending along the inner wall of the insertion chamber facing each other toward the inlet side, wherein the first guide portion extends from the bottom of the insertion chamber; and a planar closing portion that is arranged on the side of the opening and closes the opening, and a contact stopper that contacts the entrance-side end of the opening on the entrance side.

Further, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention is characterized by comprising the powder recovery container according to the present invention.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the powder from leaking from the powder recovery container with good assembly efficiency and a simple configuration. Specifically, it is possible to prevent leakage from the opening provided for collecting the powder, and improve the sealing performance of the powder collection container.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment viewed from the front; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1 as viewed obliquely from above on the front side; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a state in which an opening/closing door of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is opened and a powder recovery container is removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus, as viewed obliquely from above on the front side; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the state in which the powder recovery container shown in FIG. 3 is attached to the drive section of the image forming apparatus main body, viewed obliquely from above on the back side; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a state in which a powder recovery container recovers powder from the main body of the image forming apparatus, viewed obliquely from above on the front side; Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the insertion chamber portion of the powder recovery container as viewed obliquely from above on the back side; 6B is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which a moving member is attached in the insertion chamber shown in FIG. 6A; FIG. It is the perspective view which looked at the moving member from diagonally upward on the back side. It is the perspective view which looked at the moving member from diagonally upper front side. It is sectional drawing which looked the moving member from the side. It is a rear view of a moving member. FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of a first process in which the moving member and the biasing member are attached to the insertion chamber; FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing a second process in which the moving member and the biasing member are attached to the insertion chamber; FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of the first process immediately before the powder discharge section is inserted into the insertion chamber; It is sectional drawing which looked at the 2nd process in the middle of inserting a powder discharge part in an insertion chamber and stopping at a predetermined position from the side. It is sectional drawing which looked at the 3rd process in the middle of inserting a powder discharge part in an insertion chamber and stopping at a predetermined position from the side. FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of a fourth process showing a state in which the powder discharging section is inserted into the insertion chamber and stopped at a predetermined position; FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an insertion chamber portion of the powder recovery container according to the second embodiment, viewed from below on the front side; FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a state in which a moving member according to a third embodiment is in a released position, viewed obliquely from above on the back side; FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the powder recovery container has fallen down with its front side facing down; FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the insertion chamber portion of the powder recovery container according to the fourth embodiment, viewed obliquely from above on the back side; FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view of the insertion chamber portion of the powder recovery container shown in FIG. 13A as viewed from right above the moving member;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are given the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, a detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

[Image forming apparatus]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment as viewed from the front. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 as seen obliquely from above on the front side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 in which the opening/closing door 101 is opened and the powder recovery container 200 is removed from the image forming apparatus main body 110, as seen obliquely from the front side. . In FIG. 1, the illustration of the powder recovery container 200 is omitted. In the figure, the symbol X indicates the horizontal direction, the symbol Y the depth direction, and the symbol Z the vertical direction.

The image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is a color image forming apparatus that forms multicolor and monochromatic images on a sheet P such as paper. The image forming apparatus 100 performs image forming processing according to image data read by the document reading device 90 or image data transmitted from the outside. Note that the image forming apparatus 100 may be a color image forming apparatus of another type. Also, the image forming apparatus 100 may be a monochrome image forming apparatus.

The image forming apparatus 100 includes a document reading device 90 and an image forming apparatus main body 110 . An image forming unit 102 and a sheet conveying system 103 are provided in the image forming apparatus main body 110 .

The image forming section 102 includes an exposure unit 1, a plurality of developing units 2BK, 2C, 2M and 2Y, a plurality of photoreceptor drums 3 and 3 acting as electrostatic latent image carriers, a plurality of photoreceptor cleaning units 4BK and 4C, 4M, 4Y, a plurality of charging devices 5 to 5, an intermediate transfer belt device 6, a belt cleaning device 4T, a plurality of toner cartridges 21 to 21, and a fixing unit . The sheet conveying system 103 also includes a paper feed tray 81 , a discharge roller 31 and a discharge tray 14 . Here, BK, C, M, and Y mean black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, respectively. The intermediate transfer belt device 6 has intermediate transfer rollers 65 to 65 and an intermediate transfer belt 61 . The intermediate transfer rollers 65 to 65 are provided inside the intermediate transfer belt 61 . The intermediate transfer belt 61 rotates in a predetermined rotation direction M. As shown in FIG. The intermediate transfer rollers 65 to 65 transfer the toner images of respective colors formed on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 3 to 3 onto the intermediate transfer belt 61 while being driven to rotate as the intermediate transfer belt 61 rotates.

A document reading device 90 for reading an image of a document (not shown) is provided on the upper portion of the image forming apparatus main body 110 . The document reader 90 includes a document table 92 on which a document is placed. The document table 92 is made of transparent glass. A document reader 90 is provided above the document table 92 . The document image read by the document reading device 90 is sent to the image forming apparatus main body 110 as image data, and the image is recorded on the sheet P. FIG.

A sheet conveying path W<b>1 is provided in the image forming apparatus main body 110 . The paper feed tray 81 supplies the sheet P to the sheet conveying path W1. The sheet conveying path W1 guides the sheet P to the discharge tray 14 via the transfer roller 10 and the fixing unit 7. As shown in FIG. The fixing unit 7 fixes the toner image formed on the sheet P to the sheet P by heating. A pickup roller 11a, a plurality of transport rollers 12a to 12a, a registration roller 13, a transfer roller 10, a heat roller 71 and a pressure roller 72 in the fixing unit 7, and a discharge roller 31 are arranged near the sheet transport path W1. there is

In the image forming apparatus 100, the sheet P supplied from the paper feed tray 81 is conveyed to the registration roller 13 via the conveying rollers 12a to 12a. Next, the sheet P is conveyed to the transfer roller 10 at the timing when the sheet P and the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 61 are aligned by the registration roller 13 , and the toner image is transferred onto the sheet P by the transfer roller 10 . After that, the sheet P passes through the heat roller 71 and the pressure roller 72 in the fixing unit 7 and is discharged onto the discharge tray 14 via the transport rollers 12 a and 12 a and the discharge roller 31 . When an image is formed not only on the front surface of the sheet P but also on the back surface, the sheet P is conveyed in the reverse direction from the discharge roller 31 to the reverse sheet conveying path W2. The sheet P passes through the reversing conveying rollers 12b to 12b, the front and back of the sheet P is reversed, and the sheet P is led to the registration rollers 13 again. After a toner image is formed and fixed on the back surface of the sheet P in the same manner as the front surface, the sheet P is discharged toward the discharge tray 14 .

The developing units 2BK, 2C, 2M, and 2Y develop the electrostatic latent images on the photosensitive drums 3 to 3 with a two-component developer containing toner and carrier as main components.

The photoreceptor cleaning units 4BK, 4C, 4M, and 4Y collect residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 61 without being transferred onto the sheet P by the intermediate transfer rollers 65 to 65 as waste toner, and rotate and convey the toner. The powder is conveyed to the powder collection container 200 by the screw 42 (see FIG. 5, which will be described later). The belt cleaning device 4T collects the residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 61 without being transferred onto the sheet P by the secondary transfer device 11 as waste toner, and removes it from the powder collection container 200 by the conveying screw 42 that is driven to rotate. transport to The photoreceptor cleaning units 4BK, 4C, 4M, and 4Y may be incorporated in a photoreceptor unit that supports the photoreceptor drum 3 and the charging device 5, or the photoreceptor drum 3, the charging device 5, and the corresponding developing unit 2BK, 4Y may be incorporated. It may be attached to a cartridge containing 2C, 2M and 2Y.

The powder recovery container 200 is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 . In the image forming apparatus 100, the image forming unit 102 forms (prints) an image using toner supplied from the toner cartridges 21 to 21, while the powder F (waste toner and/or waste developer) discharged from the image forming unit 102 is discharged. The toner (waste toner in this example) is recovered in the powder recovery container 200 .

The powder recovery container 200 is provided on one side Y1 in the depth direction Y of the image forming apparatus main body 110 (in this example, the front side, the operation side). The powder recovery container 200 stores waste toner sent from the photoreceptor cleaning units 4BK, 4C, 4M and 4Y and the belt cleaning device 4T. The photoreceptor cleaning units 4BK, 4C, 4M and 4Y and the belt cleaning device 4T are provided with powder discharge sections 41BK, 41C, 41M, 41Y and 41T from which powder is discharged, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 3, the powder recovery container 200 is removed from the image forming apparatus main body 110 on one side Y1 in the depth direction Y (the front side in this example), and is removed from the other side Y2 in the depth direction Y (in this example). on the back side). The powder recovery container 200 accommodates powder discharged from the image forming apparatus main body 110 .

(Powder collection container)
Next, the powder recovery container 200 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 4 to 13B.

<First embodiment>
- Basic configuration -
4 is a perspective view of the powder recovery container 200 shown in FIG. 3 attached to the drive unit 170 of the image forming apparatus main body 110, viewed from the rear side. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the state in which the powder recovery container 200 recovers the powder F from the image forming apparatus main body 110, viewed obliquely from above on the front side. Note that FIG. 5 includes a partial cross-section and omits illustration of the moving member 210 and the like. Also, FIG. 5 shows a recovery configuration in which the powder recovery container 200 recovers the powder F discharged from the photoreceptor cleaning unit 4BK. Since the same is true for , it is shown as a representative diagram showing the recovery configuration. The powder discharging sections 41BK, 41C, 41M, 41Y, and 41T (see FIG. 3) are simply referred to as powder discharging sections 41 to 41 in the following description and drawings.

Next, the basic structure of the powder recovery container 200 and the recovery mechanism for the powder F discharged from the powder discharge units 41 to 41 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG.

The powder recovery container 200 is made of resin and has insertion chambers 201 to 201 into which the plurality of powder discharge sections 41 to 41 of the image forming apparatus main body 110 are inserted, respectively.

The insertion chambers 201 to 201 have openings 203 to 203 formed in their respective bottoms 201b, and the insertion chambers 201 to 201 communicate with the powder storage chamber 202 disposed below through the openings 203 to 203. ing. In other words, the powder storage chamber 202 is arranged below the insertion chambers 201-201 and communicates with the insertion chambers 201-201 through the openings 203-203.

The openings 203 to 203 are in a state in which the powder discharge portions 41 to 41 are inserted into the insertion chambers 201 to 201, that is, in a state in which the powder recovery container 200 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110. It is formed at the position of each bottom portion 201b of the insertion chambers 201-201 corresponding to the outlets 41a-41a of 41-41.

As shown in FIG. 5, the powder F discharged from the discharge ports 41a to 41a of the powder discharging portions 41 to 41 passes through the openings 203 to 203 and is collected in the powder containing chamber 202. As shown in FIG.

The powder discharge units 41 to 41 include cleaning units (not shown) provided in the photoreceptor cleaning units 4BK, 4C, 4M, and 4Y and the belt cleaning device 4T. Conveying screws 42-42 for conveying the body F to the openings 203-203 are provided.

In this embodiment, the openings 203 to 203 are hole-shaped through the bottoms 201b to 201b in the insertion chambers 201 to 201 and the top surface 202a in the powder storage chamber 202. good too.

A moving member 210 is arranged in the insertion chambers 201 to 201, which will be described later.

Processing of the powder F collected in the powder storage chamber 202 will now be briefly described.

Since the powder F falling into the powder storage chamber 202 from the openings 203 to 203 piles up in a mountain shape, the space of the powder storage chamber 202 cannot be effectively utilized unless the powder is evenly leveled. Therefore, a rotatably supported powder leveling member 220 (see FIG. 5) is arranged in the powder containing chamber 202 .

The powder leveling member 220 has a rotating shaft 221 and a leveling section 222 , and the end thereof is engaged with the gear 151 .

On the other hand, the image forming apparatus main body 110 is provided with a drive source 140 for driving the powder leveling member 220 and a drive transmission means 150 (see FIG. 4).

When the powder recovery container 200 is attached to the drive section 170 of the image forming apparatus main body 110 , the gear 151 is connected to the drive transmission means 150 for transmitting the rotational force of the drive source 140 . Since the rotating shaft 221 is rotatably supported in the powder containing chamber 202 about a rotating axis along the left-right direction X, it receives a rotating force from the drive transmission means 150 and rotates in a predetermined rotating direction R (see FIG. 5). ). As a result, the powder F piled up in a mountain shape in the powder storage chamber 202 is flattened and piled up uniformly. That is, the space of the powder storage chamber 202 can be effectively utilized.

- full detection -
Next, the function of the detected part 230 shown in FIG. 4 attached to the powder recovery container 200 and the mechanism for detecting the fullness of the powder recovery container 200 will be briefly described.

The detected portion 230 is for the image forming apparatus main body 110 to detect the amount of the powder F contained in the powder containing chamber 202 . The part to be detected 230 retreats to one side X1 in the left-right direction X when the amount of powder F in the powder containing chamber 202 is small, but the amount of powder F in the powder containing chamber 202 increases. When the amount of powder F in the powder storage chamber 202 reaches a predetermined value or more, the movement to the other side X2 in the left-right direction X stops and the other side in the left-right direction X stops. It will be in a state of protruding to the side X2. Although detailed explanation is omitted, the movement of the detected part 230 is arranged between the powder leveling member 220 and the gear 151, and when the powder leveling member 220 rotates, the powder in the powder storage chamber 202 is detected. This is performed in conjunction with the movement of the moving member 240 (see FIG. 5) that gradually moves to the other side X2 in the horizontal direction X when the force received from F increases.

The image forming apparatus 100 includes a detection section 160 (powder detection section) that detects this movement of the detected portion 230 . The detection section 160 is an optical sensor that detects an optical change by the detected section 230 . In this example, the detector 160 includes a light emitter 161 and a light receiver 162 . The detection unit 160 detects the presence or absence of the detected unit 230 between the light emitting unit 161 and the light receiving unit 162 .

The detection unit 160 transmits a first signal (ON signal) to the control unit 300 (see FIG. 1) to notify when the detection target unit 230 is not present between the light emission unit 161 and the light reception unit 162. . Further, the detection unit 160 transmits a second signal (OFF signal) to the control unit 300 to notify that the detection target unit 230 exists between the light emission unit 161 and the light reception unit 162 . Thereby, the control unit 300 can detect (recognize) when the powder F is full.

When the control unit 300 of the image forming apparatus main body 110 detects that the powder storage chamber 202 is full as described above, the control unit 300 displays an indication on the operation unit that the powder recovery container 200 is full. conduct. After confirming this, the user or the serviceman removes the powder recovery container 200 from the image forming apparatus main body 110, and instead attaches a new empty powder recovery container 200 to the image forming apparatus. In this manner, the replacement work of the powder recovery container 200 is performed.

－Movement member and mounting position－
Here, with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6B and FIGS. 7A to 7D, the moving member and its mounting position of this embodiment will be described. In addition, only one code notation will be displayed as a representative.

FIG. 6A is an exploded perspective view of the insertion chamber 201 portion of the powder recovery container 200 viewed obliquely from above on the rear side. The exploded perspective view shown in FIG. 6A includes a partial cross section for explanation, and shows a state in which the moving member 210 and the biasing member 280 are removed from the powder recovery container 200 . Also, FIG. 6B is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which the moving member 210 is attached in the insertion chamber 201 shown in FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the moving member 210 viewed obliquely from above on the back side. FIG. 7B is a perspective view of the moving member 210 viewed obliquely from above on the front side. FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional view of the moving member 210 viewed from the side. 7D is a rear view of the moving member 210. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the moving member 210 is attached to the insertion chamber 201 of the powder recovery container 200 together with the biasing member 280. As shown in FIGS. The moving member 210 is made of resin, and the biasing member 280 can be a coil spring or the like.

The bottom portion 201b of the insertion chamber 201 is planar, and an opening portion 203, which is a communication port with the powder storage chamber 202, is formed on the entrance portion 201a side.

The moving member 210 is formed with a planar closing portion 212a that closes the opening 203, and a contact stopper 212b that contacts the entrance side end portion 203a of the opening 203 on the entrance portion 201a side of the closing portion 212a.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the moving member 210 mounted inside the insertion chamber 201 is moved toward the inlet 201a by the biasing force of the biasing member 280, and the contact stopper 212b moves toward the inlet side end 203a of the opening 203. As shown in FIG. stop at the position where it contacts the At this time, the opening 203 is covered with the closing portion 212a and completely closed. In other words, the biasing member 280 causes the moving member 210 to be placed at the closing position for closing the opening 203 . Here, the contact stopper 212b is formed on the same plane as the end portion 210c of the first guide portion 212. As shown in FIG.

The opening 203 formed in the bottom portion 201b of the planar insertion chamber 201 is not formed over the entire width direction H of the bottom portion 201b (the direction orthogonal to the insertion/removal direction S), but is formed at both ends in the width direction H. A guide portion 201c for the moving member 210 is formed in the . The guide portion 201c is part of the bottom portion 201b and has the same plane as the bottom portion 201b. Therefore, the periphery of the opening 203 is formed flat. Since the flat surface can be formed with relatively high accuracy and the dimensions can be easily controlled, the peripheral edge of the opening 203 can be uniformly and accurately covered by the closing portion 212a formed in a flat shape. That is, since the periphery of the opening 203 can be sealed with high accuracy, the sealing performance of the opening 203 can be improved.

At this time, since the contact stopper 212b and the inlet side end portion 203a of the opening 203 are brought into close contact with each other by the biasing force of the biasing member 280, the sealing performance of the opening 203 can be further improved.

Since the moving member 210 is only placed at the closed position by the biasing force of the biasing member 280, if a force opposite to the biasing force of the biasing member 280 is applied to the moving member 210, the moving member 210 is closed. can be moved in a direction opposite to the biasing force. The movement of this moving member 210 will be described later.

The insertion chamber 201 also includes side wall facing walls 201m formed along the insertion/removal direction S at positions facing both end portions in the width direction H of the first guide portion 212 . As a result, the closing portion 212a can be reliably guided to the position of the opening portion 203. As shown in FIG.

-Shape of moving member-
Here, the shape of the moving member 210 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6B and 7A to 7D.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the moving member 210 includes a first guide portion 212 and a second guide portion 212 extending along the inner wall 201k of the insertion chamber 201 from the support portion 211 toward the entrance portion 201a while facing each other. It has a guide portion 213 . Among these, the first guide portion 212 extends along the planar bottom portion 201b, which is one of the inner walls 201k, and the second guide portion 213 extends along the arc-shaped top surface 201d.

This extending direction is the same as the inserting/removing direction S of the powder discharging portion 41 , the same as the moving direction T of the moving member 210 described later, and the same as the biasing direction of the biasing member 280 .

As can be seen in FIGS. 7A to 7D, the moving member 210 has an arcuate outer peripheral portion of the second guide portion 213 and a planar outer portion of the first guide portion 212 . The first guide portion 212 extends in a plate shape from the support portion 211 , and a closing portion 212 a and a contact stopper 212 b are formed on the opposite side of the support portion 211 . The contact stopper 212b protrudes from the closing portion 212a toward the opening portion 203, and has a first inclined portion 212c whose protrusion amount decreases toward the support portion 211 side.

Since the contact stopper 212b only needs to be in contact with the entrance-side end 203a of the opening 203, the entrance-side end 203a of the opening 203 may protrude toward the top surface 201d of the insertion chamber 201. FIG. In other words, the bottom portion 201f on the inlet side of the bottom portion 201b may be shaped so as to protrude toward the top surface 201d. With such a configuration, the contact stopper 212b can be positioned at the entrance-side end 203a of the opening 203 at the entrance-side end 210c of the first guide portion 212 without protruding toward the opening 203 side. Sealability can be secured. That is, the end portion 210c itself can be used as the contact stopper 212b.

In addition, the inlet portion 201a side of the support portion 211 has a surface orthogonal to the insertion/removal direction S of the powder discharging portion 41 . The first guide portion 212 is supported at an angle θ1 substantially orthogonal to this plane, but this angle may be slightly larger than the right angle. That is, the end portion 210c of the first guide portion 212 on the inlet portion 201a side may be formed to protrude toward the opening portion 203 side from the lower end portion 211a of the support portion 211 . By doing so, the end 210c of the first guide portion 212 is brought closer to the opening 203 side, so that the sealing performance of the entrance-side end 203a of the opening 203 can be further improved.

The length L1 of the first guide portion 212 in the insertion/removal direction S from the support portion 211 and the length L2 of the second guide portion 213 in the insertion/removal direction S are the same, or L2 is formed to be longer than L1. there is By doing so, the first guide portion 212 is less likely to tilt with respect to the bottom portion 201b, and the blocking portion 212a does not tilt with respect to the opening portion 203, so that the opening portion 203 can be stably sealed.

The support portion 211 has a biasing member contact portion 211c that contacts the biasing member 280 on the side opposite to the entrance portion 201a.

The shape of the moving member 210 viewed from the inlet 201a side, that is, the cross-sectional shape in the insertion/removal direction S has a shape in which a circle and a rectangle are vertically connected. (See FIG. 7D) This cross-sectional shape may be a D shape in which a portion of a circle is a straight line. The cross-sectional shape of the insertion chamber 201 in which the moving member 210 is arranged in the insertion/removal direction S is substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape of the moving member 210 and is slightly larger than the cross-sectional shape of the moving member 210 .

At the center position of the circle (arc), a through-hole-like insertion portion 214 is formed through which an extension portion 201h, which will be described later, is inserted.

-Installation of moving parts-
Here, the process (process) and operation of attaching the moving member 210 and the biasing member 280 to the powder recovery container 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B.

8A and 8B are side sectional views showing the first process and the second process in which the moving member 210 and the biasing member 280 are attached to the insertion chamber 201. FIG.

The moving member 210 and the biasing member 280 are attached to the insertion chamber 201 of the powder recovery container 200 in the order of the biasing member 280 and the moving member 210 .

8A is a diagram illustrating a state in which the biasing member 280 and the moving member 210 in the state of FIG. 6A are being inserted into the insertion chamber 201. FIG. FIG. 8A shows a state in which the first inclined portion 212c of the contact stopper 212b of the first guide portion 212 rides on the entrance-side bottom portion 201f of the insertion chamber 201 (first process).

When an operator tries to insert the moving member 210 into the insertion chamber 201 during the assembly work of the powder recovery container 200 , the first inclined portion 212 c of the first guide portion 212 abuts the entrance end portion 201 e of the insertion chamber 201 . Since the entrance end portion 201e has an inclined portion inclined toward the entrance-side bottom portion 201f of the insertion chamber 201, when the operator further moves the moving member 210 in the insertion direction S1, the first inclined portion 212c is inclined toward the inclined portion. move along. At this time, since the first guide portion 212 has a plate-like structure extending from the support portion 211, the first guide portion 212 is bent appropriately and the position of the first inclined portion 212c is displaced in the bending direction E1. . Therefore, the first inclined portion 212c can smoothly ride on the inlet-side bottom portion 201f.

When the operator further moves the moving member 210 in the insertion direction S1, the first inclined portion 212c is disengaged from the inlet-side bottom portion 201f. At this time, the deflection of the first guide portion 212 is released, so that the restoring force moves the first inclined portion 212c in the releasing direction E2. (FIG. 8B) At this time, when the operator removes the force applied to the moving member 210, the moving member 210 moves in the separating direction S2 due to the biasing force of the biasing member 280. stops in contact with the inlet side end 203a of the .

As described above, since the first guide portion 212 extends from the support portion 211 in a plate shape, especially a plate shape, and the contact stopper 212b has the first inclined portion 212c, the moving member 210 can be easily inserted. It can be inserted into chamber 201 . In other words, it is easy to assemble.

-Moving member and powder discharge part-
Here, a mechanism for moving the moving member 210 in conjunction with the attachment operation of the powder recovery container 200 to the image forming apparatus main body 110 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A to 9D.

When the powder recovery container 200 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 by an operator, the powder discharge portion 41 of the image forming apparatus main body 110 is inserted into the insertion chamber 201 of the powder recovery container 200 . 9A to 9D illustrate this insertion process in order. FIG. 9A shows the state immediately before the powder discharging section 41 is inserted into the insertion chamber 201. FIG. FIG. 9D shows an installation completion state in which the powder discharging part 41 is inserted into the insertion chamber 201 and stopped at a predetermined position, and FIGS. 9B to 9C show intermediate processes. In both cases, the cross section in the direction perpendicular to the insertion/removal direction S (horizontal direction X) is shown for easy understanding of the state. The moving member 210 shown in the drawing includes a cover portion 212e formed at the end portion of a first guide portion 212, which will be described later, and a protruding portion 213a formed at a second guide portion 213, which will also be described later. However, there is no difference in the mobility of the moving member 210, and the operability is the same as that of the moving member 210 described with reference to FIGS.

Before the powder recovery container 200 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110, the moving member 210 is in the closed position and closes the opening 203, as shown in FIG. 9A. On the other hand, the discharge port 41 a of the powder discharge portion 41 is also closed by the shutter member 43 a biased by the biasing force of the biasing member 44 . The powder discharging portion 41 and the shutter member 43a are cylindrical. The discharge port 41 a of the powder discharge portion 41 is formed so as to penetrate the cylindrical portion of the powder discharge portion 41 . The shutter member 43a arranged inside the powder discharge section 41 has one end of a cylinder closed, and the discharge port 41a and the internal space of the powder discharge section 41 are formed in the cylindrical portion below the closed end. A hole is formed for communicating with the The conveying screw 42 is arranged inside the shutter member 43a and the biasing member 44, and is rotatably supported by the photoreceptor cleaning unit 4 at an end portion (not shown). A powder collecting portion such as a cleaning blade of the photoreceptor cleaning unit 4 is arranged at an end portion (not shown) of the conveying screw 42 .

Further, an insertion hole 41b through which an extending portion 201h provided on the opposing wall portion 201g of the insertion chamber 201 is inserted is formed at the end portion of the powder discharge portion 41 on the powder recovery container 200 side. The shutter member 43a is arranged at a position where the closed end side abuts against the wall portion in which the insertion hole 41b is formed by the biasing member 44, that is, at the closed position where the discharge port 41a is closed. The urging member 44 is arranged between the shutter member 43 a and the locking portion 45 . As described above, in the state of FIG. 9A, both the opening 203 of the powder collection container 200 and the discharge port 41a of the powder discharge section 41 are closed.

FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating the state of the opening 203 of the powder recovery container 200 and the discharge port 41a of the powder discharge unit 41 in the initial state when the operator starts attaching the powder collection container 200 to the image forming apparatus main body 110. is. 9B shows a state in which the moving member 210 is pushed by the abutted portion 43b, which is the end portion of the powder discharging portion 41, and moves in the opening direction T2, and the opening portion 203 is half opened. That is, the abutted portion 43b of the powder discharge portion 41 contacts the support portion 211 and moves the support portion 211 in the opening direction T2. Away from portion 203a, opening 203 begins to open. At this time, the entrance side end of the extending portion 201h provided on the opposing wall portion 201g of the insertion chamber 201 passes through the insertion portion 214 of the support portion 211 of the moving member 210 and the insertion hole 41b of the powder discharging portion 41. , contact the shutter member 43a and move in the direction to open the discharge port 41a. However, in FIG. 9B, although the discharge port 41a of the powder discharge part 41 is completely inserted into the insertion chamber 201, the discharge port 41a is still blocked by the shutter member 43a. 9A to 9B, the discharge port 41a is not opened, so the powder F does not fall into the insertion chamber 201 from the discharge port 41a.

When the operator proceeds with the installation work of the powder recovery container 200 and moves the powder recovery container 200 to the installation position side of the image forming apparatus main body 110, the moving member 210 is pushed by the powder discharge portion 41 and further moved in the insertion direction. Move to the S1 side. FIG. 9C shows this state.

FIG. 9C shows a state in which the shutter member 43a blocking the discharge port 41a of the powder discharge portion 41 moves toward the entrance portion 201a by the extending portion 201h, and the shutter member 43a begins to open the discharge port 41a. showing. In this state, the opening 203 arranged below the discharge port 41a is already in the 3/4 open state, and the powder F that has started to be discharged from the discharge port 41a flows through the opened opening 203. It begins to fall into the containment room 202 . In other words, the opening of the discharge port 41a is started while the opening 203 is open.

FIG. 9D shows a state in which the mounting of the powder recovery container 200 to the image forming apparatus main body 110 is completed, and the open area of the discharge port 41a is further enlarged from that in FIG. 9C.

When the powder recovery container 200 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 110 in this way, the powder discharging part 41 moves the moving member 210 in the opening direction T2 from the closing position where the opening 203 of the powder recovery container 200 is closed. At the same time as the opening 203 is opened by the movement, the shutter member 43a closing the discharge port 41a moves in the opening direction T2 by abutting the extension 201h of the powder recovery container 200. FIG. That is, in conjunction with the mounting operation of the powder collection container 200, the discharge port 41a and the opening 203 are opened, and the inside of the powder discharge section 41 and the powder storage chamber 202 communicate with each other.

When the powder recovery container 200 is detached from the image forming apparatus main body 110, the opposite operation described above is performed. When the powder discharging section 41 moves in the separating direction S2 in which it separates from the insertion chamber 201, the moving member 210 and the shutter member 43a are moved to the closed positions by the urging members 280 and 44, respectively, and the opening 203 and the discharging port 41a are closed. , respectively. In particular, since the discharge port 41 a is completely closed before being taken out from the insertion chamber 201 , the powder F does not fall outside the powder recovery container 200 .

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the opening 203 and the discharge port 41a are automatically opened and closed in conjunction with the mounting work of the powder recovery container 200 . In other words, since the opening 203 and the discharge port 41a can be automatically closed without any special operation, the opening 203 and the discharge port 41a can be effectively sealed.

Furthermore, since the discharge port 41a is not inserted into the insertion chamber 201 while the outlet 41a is open, the powder F does not leak outside the insertion chamber 201, ie, the powder recovery container 200 during the mounting operation. Further, since the discharge port 41a is completely closed before it is taken out from the insertion chamber 201, it is possible to effectively prevent the powder F from falling into the insertion chamber 201 even during the removal work.

In the present embodiment, a seal member 270 made of an elastic member such as sponge and having a hole through which the powder discharging portion 41 is inserted is arranged at the entrance portion 201a of the insertion chamber 201 . The cross-sectional shape of the hole of the seal member 270 in the insertion/extraction direction S is smaller than the cross-sectional shape of the insertion/extraction direction S of the insertion chamber 201 .

With this configuration, even if the powder F should drop into the insertion chamber 201 during the attachment/detachment operation of the powder recovery container 200 described above, the powder F that has fallen into the insertion chamber 201 can be prevented by the seal member 270. can be dammed. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the powder F from leaking to the outside of the insertion chamber 201 .

<Second embodiment>
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the insertion chamber 201 portion of the powder recovery container 200 according to the second embodiment, viewed from below the front side. The perspective view shown in FIG. 10 includes a partial cross section.

In this embodiment, the first guide portion 212 of the moving member 210 has a cover portion 212e that covers the outer edge portion of the entrance-side end portion 203a of the opening portion 203 . Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, only the covering portion 212e will be described here.

The cover part 212e is formed by extending from the position of the contact stopper 212b at the end part 210c of the first guide part 212 toward the entrance part 201a by a predetermined length L3. The opening 203 side of the cover portion 212e has a planar shape and is formed on the same plane as the closing portion 212a along the bottom portion 201b of the insertion chamber 201 .

When the moving member 210 is in the closed position, the covering portion 212e covers the edge portion 201j of the opening 203 on the side of the entrance portion 201a. can be improved.

When the covering portion 212e is provided in this manner, the sealing performance on the inlet portion 201a side is improved, so the length of the contact stopper 212b in the width direction H may be shortened.

<Third Embodiment>
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the state in which the moving member 210 having the third embodiment is in the release position, viewed obliquely from above on the rear side. FIG. 11 partially includes a cross-sectional view for explanation.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the first guide portion 212 further has a pair of side wall portions 212d. The pair of side wall portions 212d are erected from both ends of the first guide portion 212 in the width direction H toward the second guide portion 213 side. By doing so, the rigidity of the first guide portion 212 is improved and the closing portion 212a is less likely to warp, so that the flatness of the closing portion 212a can be further improved. Therefore, the sealing performance in the opening 203 can be further improved.

Sidewall facing walls 201m formed along the movement direction T are formed at positions facing the side wall portions 212d of the insertion chamber 201, respectively. Thereby, the first guide portion 212 can be moved in the moving direction T smoothly.

Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the outer peripheral portion of the second guide portion 213 has a projecting portion 213a.

In this example, the protruding portion 213a is formed from a position corresponding to the support portion 211 to the end portion on the inlet portion 201a side, and the length of the protruding portion in the width direction H is equal to the width direction H of the second guide portion 213. shorter than the length of That is, the arc-shaped outer diameter portion of the second guide portion 213 exists outside the protrusion portion 213a in the width direction H. As shown in FIG.

By configuring as described above, the rigidity of the second guide portion 213 can be increased, and twisting and warping of the second guide portion 213 extending from the support portion 211 can be prevented. That is, the gap between the second guide portion 213 and the insertion chamber 201 can be managed accurately, and the gap between the moving member 210 and the insertion chamber 201 can be managed accurately, so that the moving member 210 can be moved smoothly. Furthermore, the sealing performance of the opening 203 with the closing portion 212a of the first guide portion 212 can also be improved.

Further, the insertion chamber 201 has a guide portion 201i formed along the moving direction T at a position corresponding to the projecting portion 213a. By doing so, the circular arc portion of the second guide portion 213 is positioned in the circumferential direction, so that the movement of the moving member 210 in the moving direction T can be stabilized, and the closing portion of the first guide portion 212 can be stabilized. The sealing performance of the opening 203 at 212a can also be improved.

Further, the protruding portion 213a is formed so as to protrude highest on the side of the entrance portion 201a. By doing so, the clearance between the moving member 210 and the insertion chamber 201 can be minimized on the entrance portion 201a side of the moving member 210, that is, on the side where the blocking portion 212a is located. In other words, the inlet side end 203a of the opening 203, which is most likely to leak, can be effectively closed. The clearance between the moving member 210 and the insertion chamber 201 is narrow only at the end of the moving member 210 on the inlet 201a side, so the mobility of the moving member 210 is not hindered.

By the way, when the powder recovery container 200 falls (for example, when it falls down with the front side down), the opening 203 or its surroundings may be contaminated with the powder F in the powder recovery container 200 .

FIG. 12 is a side cross-sectional view of the state in which the powder recovery container 200 has fallen down with its front side facing down.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the top surface 202a inside the powder storage chamber 202 is provided with a hanging wall portion 202c. The hanging wall portion 202c is erected downward on at least a portion of the peripheral edge portion 202b of the opening 203 (the edge portion on the front side in this example).

By doing so, even if the powder recovery container 200 falls down in the direction of J1 in the figure (even if it falls down with the front side down), the flow of the powder F moving toward the opening 203 side is prevented from dripping. The wall portion 202c can bounce the powder F in the direction of J2 in the figure, and prevent the powder F from directly flowing into the opening portion 203 portion. That is, since the powder F does not flow into the opening 203 vigorously, it is possible to suppress the leakage of the powder F from the opening 203 . Note that the hanging wall portion 202c may be provided over the entire periphery of the peripheral portion 202b of the opening 203 of the top surface 202a.

<Fourth Embodiment>
FIG. 13A is a perspective view of the insertion chamber 201 portion of the powder recovery container 200 according to the fourth embodiment as viewed obliquely from above on the back side, and includes a cross-sectional view in part for explanation. 13B is a cross-sectional view of the insertion chamber 201 portion of the powder recovery container 200 shown in FIG. 13A as viewed from right above the moving member 210. FIG.

In this embodiment, the end portion 210c of the first guide portion 212 has a pair of second inclined portions 210b. Since other configurations are the same as in the above-described embodiment, each second inclined portion 210b will be described here.

Each second inclined portion 210b is provided to protrude from both ends of the first guide portion 212 in the width direction H toward the entrance portion 201a. Each second inclined portion 210b has an inclined surface having a predetermined inclination angle θ2 (see FIG. 13B) with respect to the movement direction T of the moving member 210, and is arranged in a direction in which the inclination angles θ2 intersect each other. In other words, the pair of second inclined portions 210b are configured such that the distance between them increases from the end portion 210c toward the entrance portion 201a.

Here, the first distance d3 (see FIG. 13A), which is the length in the width direction H perpendicular to the moving direction T of the moving member 210, is the second distance d4 (see FIG. 13A), which is the length in the width direction H of the opening 203. 13A), and the third distance d5 (see FIG. 13B), which is the interval in the width direction H between the second inclined portions 210b, is shorter at the end 210c than the second distance d4, and is closer to the entrance portion 201a side. In some parts, it is longer than the second distance d4.

With this configuration, even if the powder F should fall into the insertion chamber 201 by some chance, when the moving member 210 is pushed by the biasing member 280 and moves in the closing direction T1, The powder F dropped by the second inclined portion 210 b can be guided to the opening 203 and collected in the powder storage chamber 202 .

(Other embodiments)
In the present embodiment, a pair of side walls may be provided between both ends in the width direction H of the first guide portion 212 and both ends in the width direction H of the second guide portion 213 . The pair of side walls have the same radius of curvature as the second guide portion 213, and can form an arc shape together with the second guide portion 213, for example. Also, the pair of side walls may each be provided with a slit extending from the end of the support portion 211 on the side of the entrance portion 201a in the closing direction T1.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but can be implemented in various other forms. Therefore, the embodiment concerned is merely an example in all respects, and should not be construed in a restrictive manner. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims and is not restricted by the text of the specification. Furthermore, all modifications and changes within the equivalent scope of claims are within the scope of the present invention.

100 Image forming apparatus 101 Opening/closing door 200 Powder recovery container 201 Insertion chamber 201a Entrance 201b Bottom 201c Guide 201d Top surface 201e Entrance end 201f Entrance bottom 201g Opposing wall 201h Extension 201i Guide 201j Edge 201k Inner wall 201m Side wall facing wall 202 Powder containing chamber 202a Top surface 202b Peripheral edge 202c Wall 203 Opening 203a Entrance side end 210 Moving member 210b Second inclined portion 210c End 211 Supporting portion 211a Lower end 211c Biasing member contact Portion 212 First guide portion 212a Closing portion 212b Contact stopper 212c First inclined portion 212d Side wall portion 212e Cover portion 213 Second guide portion 213a Protruding portion 214 Inserting portion 220 Powder leveling member 221 Rotary shaft 222 Leveling portion 230 To be detected Part 240 Moving member 270 Sealing member 280 Biasing member 41 Powder discharge part 41a Discharge port 41b Insertion hole 42 Conveying screw 43a Shutter member 43b Contacted part 44 Biasing member 4BK Photoreceptor cleaning unit 4C Photoreceptor cleaning unit 4M Photoreceptor Cleaning unit 4Y Photoreceptor cleaning unit 4T Belt cleaning device E1 Deflection direction E2 Release direction F Powder H Width direction R Rotational direction S Insertion/removal direction S1 Insertion direction S2 Withdrawal direction T Moving direction T1 Blocking direction T2 Opening direction X Left/right direction Y Depth direction Z vertical direction

Claims (15)

A powder recovery container for containing powder discharged from a discharge port of a powder discharge part,
an insertion chamber having an inlet portion into which the powder discharging portion is inserted and a flat bottom portion having an opening;
a powder recovery chamber communicating with the insertion chamber through the opening;
a moving member arranged at a closing position for closing the opening in the insertion chamber, and moving to an opening position for opening the opening and communicating with the discharge port in conjunction with the insertion operation of the powder discharging portion;
with
The moving member has a first guide portion and a second guide portion extending along the inner wall of the insertion chamber from the support portion toward the entrance portion side while being opposed to each other,
The first guide portion is arranged on the bottom side of the insertion chamber, and includes a planar closing portion that closes the opening, and a contact stopper that contacts an entrance-side end of the opening on the entrance side. A powder collection container characterized by having: further comprising a biasing member that biases the moving member toward the inlet,
2. The powder according to claim 1, wherein the moving member is arranged at the closing position where the contact stopper contacts the inlet side end of the opening by the biasing force of the biasing member. recovery device. 2. The contact stopper has a first inclined portion which is formed so as to protrude from the first guide portion toward the opening portion, and which has a first inclined portion whose amount of protrusion decreases toward the support portion side. Or the powder collection container according to claim 2. 4. The powder recovery container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first guide portion extends from the support portion in a flat plate shape. The first guide portion has a pair of side wall portions that are erected from both ends in a width direction orthogonal to both the moving direction and the vertical direction of the moving member toward the second guide portion. The powder recovery container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by: 6. The powder recovery container according to claim 5, wherein said insertion chamber has opposing side walls formed along the moving direction of said moving member at positions facing said respective side wall portions. The second guide portion has an arc-shaped outer peripheral portion, and has a protruding portion that protrudes from the outer peripheral portion in a direction opposite to the first guide portion,
7. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the insertion chamber has a protruding guide portion formed along the moving direction of the moving member at a position corresponding to the protruding portion. Powder collection container as described. 8. The first guide portion is supported by the support portion so that the end portion on the side of the entrance portion protrudes toward the opening portion from the side of the support portion. The powder collection container according to any one of . The movement of the moving member from the closed position to the open position is performed by contact between the powder discharging section and the support section when the powder discharging section is inserted into the insertion chamber. The powder recovery container according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by: The first guide portion has a cover portion extending from the position of the contact stopper toward the entrance portion ,
10. The cover according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the cover covers an outer edge of the opening on the entrance side when the moving member is in the closed position. powder collection container. The first guide portion has inclined portions that are inclined in a direction in which the distance between them widens from both end portions in the width direction perpendicular to both the moving direction and the vertical direction of the moving member toward the entrance portion. 11. The powder recovery container according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the end face of the first guide part facing the part has a guide part . The insertion chamber has a facing wall portion having an extension portion extending toward the entrance portion side on a side opposite to the entrance portion side,
12. The moving member according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the support portion of the moving member has an insertion portion at a position corresponding to the extension portion, through which the extension portion is inserted. powder collection container. The end portion of the extending portion on the side of the entrance portion does not penetrate the support portion when the moving member is in the closed position, and the end portion of the extending portion does not pass through the supporting portion, and the end portion of the extending portion does not penetrate the supporting portion when the moving member is moved in the opening direction by a predetermined distance. 13. The powder recovery container according to claim 12, which penetrates the support portion and protrudes toward the inlet portion to open the opening portion of the powder discharge portion. 14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein said powder recovery chamber has a hanging wall portion erected from a peripheral edge of said opening toward said powder recovery chamber. Powder collection container as described. An image forming apparatus comprising the powder recovery container according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

Images