JP7334618B2 - DEVELOPER CONTAINER, IMAGE FORMING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a developer container, an image forming unit, and an image forming apparatus.

Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction machine, for example, an electrophotographic printer, the main body of the printer, that is, the main body of the apparatus, includes an image forming unit, an LED head, a transfer unit, a fixing device, and the like. , and the image forming unit includes a photosensitive drum, a charging roller, a developing roller, a supply roller, a toner cartridge as a developer container, and the like.

Then, in the image forming unit, the surface of the photosensitive drum uniformly charged by the charging roller is exposed by the LED head to form an electrostatic latent image, and toner adheres to the electrostatic latent image by the developing roller. The toner image is transferred to a sheet by a transfer unit and fixed on the sheet by a fixing device to form an image and print.

In a printer in which the toner cartridge is detachably attached to the main body of the apparatus, a cartridge case is provided in the main body of the apparatus, and an operator inserts the toner cartridge into an attaching/detaching portion formed in the cartridge case. In conjunction with the operation, a shutter provided in the toner cartridge opens the toner supply port, the toner in the toner cartridge is supplied to the image forming unit through the toner supply port, and the operator removes the toner cartridge from the loading/unloading section. In conjunction with the removal operation, the shutter closes the toner supply port to stop the supply of toner inside the toner cartridge (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-100003).

JP 2014-102385 A

However, in the conventional printer, when the operator inserts the toner cartridge into the loading/unloading section, it is difficult to confirm whether the insertion of the toner cartridge has been completed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a developer container, an image forming unit, and an image forming apparatus, which solve the problems of the conventional printer and allow the developer container to be smoothly attached to the apparatus main body. aim.

For this reason, in the developer container of the present invention, it is formed in the apparatus body of the image forming apparatus and is detachably disposed in the attachment/detachment section provided with the latch section made of a flexible material. It is inserted into the attachment/detachment portion by moving backward with respect to the apparatus body, and is removed from the attachment/detachment portion by moving forward with respect to the device main body.

A developer containing chamber for containing the developer, a developer supply port for supplying the developer to the outside of the developer containing chamber, and a developer container extending in the mounting/dismounting direction of the developer containing body, A container body provided with an abutting member that abuts against a latch portion of the loading/unloading portion, and a developer containing member disposed facing the developer supply port and movably with respect to the container body. and an opening/closing member that opens and closes the developer supply port in association with attachment/detachment to/from the detachment portion.

The contact member has a projecting portion behind the developer supply port, an inclined contact portion forward of the developer supply port of the contact member, and an inclined contact portion forward of the inclined contact portion of the contact member. A convex abutting portion is arranged in the convex shape.

When the developer containing body is inserted into the loading/unloading portion, the latch portion contacts the projection portion and is bent, and in the bent state, the developer supply chamber is closed. When the opening/closing member is moved forward in conjunction with the operation of inserting the opening/closing member into the loading/unloading portion of the developer accommodating body, and the developer supply port is opened, the opening/closing member is moved forward. It contacts the inclined contact portion to reduce the deflection, then contacts the convex contact portion, overcomes the convex contact portion, increases the deflection, and then reduces the deflection, thereby increasing the developer container. Complete the insertion into the attachment/detachment section.
Further, when the developer container is taken out from the loading/unloading portion, the latch portion pushes a latch receiving portion formed at the front end of the opening/closing member to move the opening/closing member rearward to supply the developer. It closes the reservoir, is bent in contact with the inclined abutting portion, and is moved on the surface of the opening/closing member in the state of closing the developer supply reservoir in the bent state.

According to the present invention, the developer container is formed in the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus and is detachably disposed in the attachment/detachment section provided with the latch section made of a flexible material. It is inserted into the attachment/detachment portion by moving backward with respect to the apparatus body, and is removed from the attachment/detachment portion by moving forward with respect to the device main body.

A developer containing chamber for containing the developer, a developer supply port for supplying the developer to the outside of the developer containing chamber, and a developer container extending in the mounting/dismounting direction of the developer containing body, A container body provided with an abutting member that abuts against a latch portion of the loading/unloading portion, and a developer containing member disposed facing the developer supply port and movably with respect to the container body. and an opening/closing member that opens and closes the developer supply port in association with attachment/detachment to/from the detachment portion.

The contact member has a projecting portion behind the developer supply port, an inclined contact portion forward of the developer supply port of the contact member, and an inclined contact portion forward of the inclined contact portion of the contact member. A convex abutting portion is arranged in the convex shape.

When the developer containing body is inserted into the loading/unloading portion, the latch portion contacts the projection portion and is bent, and in the bent state, the developer supply chamber is closed. When the opening/closing member is moved forward in conjunction with the operation of inserting the opening/closing member into the loading/unloading portion of the developer accommodating body, and the developer supply port is opened, the opening/closing member is moved forward. It contacts the inclined contact portion to reduce the deflection, then contacts the convex contact portion, overcomes the convex contact portion, increases the deflection, and then reduces the deflection, thereby increasing the developer container. Complete the insertion into the attachment/detachment section.
Further, when the developer container is taken out from the loading/unloading portion, the latch portion pushes a latch receiving portion formed at the front end of the opening/closing member to move the opening/closing member rearward to supply the developer. It closes the reservoir, is bent in contact with the inclined abutting portion, and is moved on the surface of the opening/closing member in the state of closing the developer supply reservoir in the bent state.

In this case, when the insertion of the developer container into the loading/unloading portion is completed, the latch portion climbs over the projecting contact portion, so that the operator can feel a click, and the developer is released. Completion of the insertion of the container can be easily confirmed.

Therefore, the developer container can be smoothly attached to the apparatus main body.

1 is a perspective view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a printer according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an image forming unit according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a main part of a printer according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of the cartridge case according to the embodiment of the invention; It is a perspective view of a latch part in an embodiment of the invention. 4 is a bottom view of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the essential parts of the bottom surface of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a first diagram for explaining the operation of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention; FIG. 5 is a second diagram for explaining the operation of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention; FIG. 5 is a third diagram for explaining the operation of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention; FIG. 4 is a fourth diagram for explaining the operation of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention; FIG. 5 is a fifth diagram for explaining the operation of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention; FIG. 6 is a sixth diagram for explaining the operation of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention; FIG. 10 is a seventh diagram for explaining the operation of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention; FIG. 5 is an image diagram of an operating force required when an operator inserts the toner cartridge into the loading/unloading portion according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is an image diagram of an operating force required when an operator removes the toner cartridge from the loading/unloading portion according to the embodiment of the present invention;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this case, a toner cartridge as a developer container and a printer as an image forming apparatus will be described.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a printer according to an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of an image forming unit according to an embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a main part of the printer according to an embodiment of the invention. is.

In the figure, 10 is a printer, Cs is a housing of the printer 10, and Bd is the main body of the printer 10, that is, the device main body. The housing Cs includes a housing body Cs1 that surrounds the device body Bd, a top cover Pt that is arranged to be swingable with respect to the housing body Cs1 and covers the device body Bd from above, and a housing body Cs1. A front cover Pf is provided so as to be swingable with respect to the device main body Bd and covers the side of the device main body Bd.

A paper feed cassette 11 as a medium containing portion is arranged in the lower portion of the apparatus main body Bd, and the paper P as a medium is contained in the paper feed cassette 11 . A paper feeding mechanism 12 is disposed adjacent to the front end of the paper feeding cassette 11. The paper feeding mechanism 12 includes a feed roller 13 for feeding the paper P and a medium transport path for separating the paper P one by one. A paper feed roller 14 is provided to feed paper to the paper transport path Rt1.

In the paper transport path Rt1, a first transport roller pair m1, a paper thickness sensor s1 as a medium detection unit, and a second transport roller pair m2 are arranged from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction of the paper P, The paper P is transported by the first transport roller pair m1, the paper thickness is detected by the paper thickness sensor s1, transported by the second transport roller pair m2, and supplied to the image forming section Q1.

The image forming section Q1 includes a photosensitive drum 31 as an image carrier, image forming units 16Bk and 16Y for forming toner images as developer images of black, yellow, magenta, and cyan on the photosensitive drum 31, 16M, 16C, image forming units 16Bk, 16Y, 16M, and 16C, LED heads 22 as exposure devices arranged to face the photoreceptor drums 31, and below the image forming units 16Bk, 16Y, 16M, and 16C. A transfer unit u<b>1 is provided to transfer a toner image of each color onto a sheet of paper P.

Each of the image forming units 16Bk, 16Y, 16M, and 16C includes a main body of the image forming unit 16Bk, 16Y, 16M, and 16C, that is, a unit main body 25, and a developer accommodating body for accommodating toner of each color as developer. It has toner cartridges 26Bk, 26Y, 26M, and 26C, and is detachably installed in the apparatus main body Bd. Further, the toner cartridges 26Bk, 26Y, 26M, and 26C are detachably mounted on an attachment/detachment portion 28 formed in the cartridge case 27 in the upper portion of the apparatus main body Bd. The operator can insert or remove the toner cartridges 26Bk, 26Y, 26M, and 26C into/from the loading/unloading section 28 with the front cover Pf opened.

The transfer unit u1 is detachably attached to the apparatus main body Bd, and includes a driving roller r1 as a first roller, a driven roller r2 as a second roller, and a roller between the driving roller r1 and the driven roller r2. A transfer belt 17 as a belt member stretched so as to run freely, and a transfer roller 21 as a transfer member rotatably disposed facing the photosensitive drum 31 with the transfer belt 17 interposed therebetween.

The paper P supplied to the image forming section Q1 is conveyed as the transfer belt 17 is run, passes between the photosensitive drums 31 and the transfer rollers 21, and is transferred by the transfer rollers 21. , the toner images formed on the photosensitive drums 31 are successively superimposed and transferred to form a color toner image.

A fixing device 18 as a fixing device, a third transport roller pair m3, and a discharge roller pair m4 are arranged downstream of the image forming section Q1 in the paper transport path Rt1.

The fixing device 18 includes a heating roller 19 as a first fixing member and a pressure roller 20 as a second fixing member. A color image is formed on the paper P by being pressed and fixed on the paper P. FIG. Then, the sheet P discharged from the fixing device 18 is conveyed by the third conveying roller pair m3, then discharged outside the apparatus body Bd by the discharging roller pair m4, and stacked on the stacker St formed on the top cover Pt. be done.

Next, the image forming units 16Bk, 16Y, 16M and 16C will be described. Since the image forming units 16Bk, 16Y, 16M, and 16C all have the same structure, only the image forming unit 16Bk will be described in FIG. 3, and the description of the image forming units 16Y, 16M, and 16C will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming unit 16Bk includes a unit body 25 having the photosensitive drum 31, and a toner cartridge 26Bk disposed on the unit body 25. The toner in the toner cartridge 26Bk is is supplied to a toner reservoir 30 as a developer reservoir formed in the unit main body 25 .

For this purpose, the toner cartridge 26Bk is formed with a toner supply port h1 as a developer supply port, and a shutter St1 as an opening/closing member for opening and closing the toner supply port h1 is provided movably in the front-rear direction. be done.

The unit body 25 contains a photosensitive drum 31, a charging roller 32 as a charging device for uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 31, a developing roller 33 as a developer carrier for holding toner, A supply roller 34 as a developer supply member that supplies toner to the development roller 33, a development blade 35 as a developer layer regulation member that uniformly thins the toner supplied to the development roller 33, and a toner image transfer. A cleaning device 36 or the like for removing toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 31 later is provided.

The cleaning device 36 includes a cleaning blade 36a as a cleaning member for scraping toner, and a developer storage chamber for storing the scraped and dropped toner. It is provided with an accommodation chamber 36b and a spiral 36c disposed in the toner accommodation chamber 36b and serving as a first developer conveying member for conveying toner.

The photosensitive drum 31, the charging roller 32, the developing roller 33, and the supply roller 34 contact the charging roller 32 and the developing roller 33 with the photosensitive drum 31, and the supply roller 34 contacts the developing roller 33. It is rotatably supported in a state where The developing roller 33, supply roller 34 and developing blade 35 constitute a developing device.

In the image forming unit 16Bk, the photoreceptor drum 31 is rotated clockwise by an ID motor (not shown) as a drive unit for image formation, and the charging roller 32 is rotated counterclockwise. The surface of the body drum 31 is uniformly charged by the charging roller 32 and exposed by the LED head 22 to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 31 .

On the other hand, the developing roller 33 and the supply roller 34 are rotated counterclockwise by the rotation of the ID motor, and the toner in the toner reservoir 30 is supplied to the developing roller 33 by the supply roller 34 and developed. As the roller 33 rotates, the toner is sent to the contact portion between the developing roller 33 and the developing blade 35 and is thinned by the developing blade 35 . After that, the toner is sent to the contact portion between the developing roller 33 and the photosensitive drum 31 as the developing roller 33 rotates, and the toner on the developing roller 33 is electrostatically adhered to the electrostatic latent image. As a result, a toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 31 .

After the toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 31 in this manner, the toner image is transferred to the paper P by the transfer roller 21 .

The toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 31 after the transfer of the toner image is scraped off by the cleaning blade 36a as the photoreceptor drum 31 rotates, drops into the toner storage chamber 36b, and then falls as the spiral 36c rotates. , is conveyed as waste toner and collected in a waste toner collecting unit (not shown).

Next, the cartridge case 27 will be explained.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the main part of the cartridge case according to the embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the latch part according to the embodiment of the invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 27 denotes a cartridge case. The cartridge case 27 includes a bottom plate fb, edge plates fs1 and fs2 as first side plates formed by rising from both edges of the bottom plate fb, edge plates fs1, fs2, and edge plates fs1 and fs2. The edge plates fs1, fs2 and the partition plates fd1 to fd3 are provided as second side plates at a plurality of locations between the fs2, in this embodiment, three locations. Thus, mounting/dismounting positions Sni (i=1, 2, . be done.

That is, the attachment/detachment position Sn1 for attaching/detaching the toner cartridge 26Bk to/from the attachment/detachment portion 28 is provided between the edge plate fs1 and the partition plate fd1, and the attachment/detachment position Sn1 for the toner cartridge 26Y is provided between the partition plates fd1 and fd2. An attachment/detachment position Sn2 for attaching/detaching the toner cartridge 26M to/from the portion 28 is located between the partition plates fd2 and fd3. An attachment/detachment position Sn4 for attaching/detaching the toner cartridge 26C to/from the attachment/detachment portion 28 is formed between the edge plate fs2.

Guides 43a for slidably guiding the toner cartridges 26Bk, 26Y, 26M and 26C to be mounted to and removed from the mounting/dismounting portion 28 are provided on the inner surfaces of the edge plates fs1 and fs2 and on both surfaces of the partition plates fd1 to fd3. , 43b are formed extending in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge case 27. As shown in FIG.

In addition, the bottom plate fb has four bottom plate portions fb1 to fb4 partitioned by the partition plates fd1 to fd3. In the embodiment, a latch portion 44 as a flexible member constituting the attachment/detachment portion 28 extends longitudinally from the front end side to the rear end side of the cartridge case 27 at the edge portion on the edge plate fs2 side. Also, it is disposed so as to face each of the toner cartridges 26Bk, 26Y, 26M, and 26C.

The latch portion 44 is made of a flexible material, in this embodiment, a resin material, and is formed with a flat contact portion 44a extending from the front end to the rear end, and rising from the rear end of the contact portion 44a. A rising portion 44b, an inclined portion 44c formed obliquely upward from the upper end of the rising portion 44b, an upper end surface portion 44d formed by extending horizontally from the rear end of the inclined portion 44c, and hanging down from the upper end surface portion 44d. a latch arm 44f extending horizontally from the lower end of the first hanging portion 44e; and a rear end hanging from the rear end of the latch arm 44f. and a fixing portion 44h extending horizontally from the lower end of the second hanging portion 44g. A through hole h2 is formed in the fixing portion 44h. The latch portion 44 is attached to the bottom plate portions fb1 to fb4 by inserting a screw (not shown) as a fixing member into the through hole h2.

When the toner cartridges 26Bk, 26Y, 26M, and 26C are attached to and detached from the attachment/detachment portion 28, the latch portion 44 is brought into contact with each portion of the toner cartridges 26Bk, 26Y, 26M, and 26C. After the toner cartridges 26Bk, 26Y, 26M and 26C are deformed and inserted into the loading/unloading portion 28, the toner cartridges 26Bk, 26Y, 26M and 26C are prevented from coming off from the cartridge case 27.

Shutter retainers 45 are formed on both edges of the bottom plate portions fb1 to fb4 in the vicinity of the rear end of the cartridge case 27, that is, inside the guide 43b in this embodiment. The shutter restrainer 45 moves the shutter St1 forward and opens the toner supply port h1 in conjunction with the operation of inserting the toner cartridges 26Bk, 26Y, 26M, and 26C into the loading/unloading portion 28 .

Next, the toner cartridges 26Bk, 26Y, 26M and 26C will be described. Since the toner cartridges 26Bk, 26Y, 26M, and 26C all have the same structure, the toner cartridge 26Bk will be described in the figure, and the description of the toner cartridges 26Y, 26M, and 26C will be omitted.

1 is a perspective view of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention, FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention, FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the main part of the bottom surface of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

In the figure, 26Bk is a toner cartridge, and the toner cartridge 26Bk includes a container body of the toner cartridge 26Bk, that is, a cartridge body Ctr, and a shutter St1 movably arranged with respect to the cartridge body Ctr.

The cartridge body Ctr includes a housing Hs consisting of a front panel Wf, a rear panel Wr, a left side panel Ws1, a right side panel Ws2, a top panel Wt and a bottom panel Wb, and a black toner (not shown) which is formed in the housing Hs. The toner storage chamber Rm as a developer storage chamber, the toner supply port h1 for supplying the toner in the toner storage chamber Rm to the outside of the toner storage chamber Rm, and the toner storage chamber Rm are rotatably disposed in the toner storage chamber Rm. to the toner supply port h1.

The shutter St1 has a rectangular shape, and opens and closes the toner supply port h1 in conjunction with the operator's operation of attaching/detaching the toner cartridge 26Bk to/from the attachment/detachment portion 28 (FIG. 5). For this purpose, the shutter St1 includes a plate-shaped shielding portion Stb and engaging portions eg1 and eg2 formed at both edges of the shielding portion Stb and having a U-shaped cross section.

In addition, the shutter St1 is formed at the front edge of the shielding portion Stb by bending toward the bottom panel Wb, and includes a latch hitting portion eg3 as a bending guide portion having an obtuse angle bending shape. The latch welcoming portion eg3 has a predetermined dimension in the direction perpendicular to the mounting/dismounting direction of the toner cartridge 26Bk, that is, in the width direction of the shutter St1, and is engaged with the latch portion 44, causing the latch portion 44 to bend. to induce

A locking hole h3 for positioning the shutter St1 is formed at a predetermined position near the front edge of the shielding portion Stb.

A handle 47 for attaching/detaching the toner cartridge 26Bk to/from the attaching/detaching portion 28 is provided on the front panel Wf.

The rear panel Wr is provided with a rotation transmission member 41 that is engaged with the spiral 39 and that transmits rotation from the ID motor to the spiral 39 .

The lower edges of the left side panel Ws1 and the right side panel Ws2 are engaged with the guides 43a and 43b (FIG. 5) to restrict the vertical movement of the toner cartridge 26Bk and move the toner cartridge 26Bk along the guides 43a and 43b. A rail 49 for moving along 43b is formed so as to protrude sideways.

The bottom panel Wb has a pair of shutter rails 51 and 52, a protrusion 53 as a first engagement member, a stopper 55, the toner supply port h1, A contact member 61 as a second engagement member, a locking piece 62, and the like are provided.

The shutter rail 51 is brought close to the left side panel Ws1, and the shutter rail 52 extends toward the right side panel Ws2 from the shutter rail 51 in the mounting/dismounting direction of the toner cartridge 26Bk. The shutter St1 is held movably in the front-rear direction by being engaged with the engaging portions eg1 and eg2 of the shutter St1.

The projecting portion 53 is arranged to be freely engageable with the latch portion 44, has a triangular shape, and is formed in the vicinity of the rear end of the bottom panel Wb by projecting the vertex of the triangle toward the rear. The bottom portion has a slope Sa which has the same height as the shielding portion Stb of the shutter St1 and becomes lower as it approaches the rear panel Wr (closer to the bottom panel Wb).

The stopper 55 is formed so as to protrude downward at the retraction limit position of the shutter St1. The rearward movement of the shutter St1 is restricted and the shutter St1 is stopped at the retraction limit position.

The engaging portion 63 is engaged with the shutter retainer 45 (FIG. 5) when the toner cartridge 26Bk is inserted into the loading/unloading portion 28. Therefore, the shutter St1 can be operated by the operator when the toner cartridge 26Bk is loaded. It is moved forward in conjunction with the operation of inserting it into the removable portion 28 . After the shutter St1 is placed at the forward limit position, the toner cartridge 26Bk is regulated by the shutter restrainer 45 from further retreating.

The toner supply port h1 has a rectangular shape, is closed when the shutter St1 is placed at the backward limit position, and is opened when the shutter St1 is placed at the forward limit position. A seal member 57 is provided around the toner supply port h1 to seal the toner cartridge 26Bk with the shutter St1 closed.

The abutting member 61 extends in the mounting/dismounting direction of the toner cartridge 26Bk and protrudes downward at a position between the shutter rails 51 and 52 near the shutter rail 52 to contact the latch portion 44. The latch portion 44 is flexed to regulate the movement of the toner cartridge 26Bk when the toner cartridge 26Bk is attached/detached to/from the attachment/detachment portion 28 .

For this reason, the contact member 61 has a first flat contact portion 61a as a first contact portion having a flat surface extending parallel to the bottom panel Wb, and a front end of the first flat contact portion 61a. An inclined contact portion 61b as a second contact portion having a downwardly extending inclined surface, and a sub-flat third contact portion having a flat surface extending forward from the front end of the inclined contact portion 61b A second flat contact portion 61c as a contact portion, and a fourth flat contact portion 61c protruding from the front end of the second flat contact portion 61c in a convex shape, in this embodiment, in a mountain shape. A mountain-shaped contact portion 61d is provided as a contact portion and as a convex contact portion.

Each height of the flat surface of the first flat contact portion 61a, the flat surface of the second flat contact portion 61c, and the apex of the mountain-shaped contact portion 61d, which is represented by the amount of protrusion from the bottom panel Wb, is Ha, Hc and Hd, and the heights of the shielding portion Stb of the shutter St1 and the tip of the latch receiving portion eg3 represented by the distance from the bottom panel Wb are Hs and He, respectively. , Hd, Hs, and He are
Hs>Ha>He>Hd>Hc,
or Hs>Ha>He=Hd>Hc,
or Hs>Ha>Hd>He>Hc
be made.

The flat surface of the first flat contact portion 61a and the tip of the latch welcoming portion eg3 are overlapped in the height direction of the toner cartridge 26Bk, and as shown in FIG. Although positioned closer to the bottom panel Wb than the flat surface of the first flat contact portion 61a, the first flat contact portion 61a and the latch receiving portion eg3 are formed at different positions in the width direction of the shutter St1. Therefore, even if the shutter St1 is moved in the front-rear direction, the first flat contact portion 61a and the latch welcoming portion eg3 do not interfere with each other.

As described above, after the shutter St1 is placed at the forward limit position, the toner cartridge 26Bk is restricted from further retracting by the shutter restrainer 45, so that the heights Hd and Hs are
Hd>He
Even so, the mountain-shaped contact portion 61d and the latch receiving portion eg3 do not contact each other.

The locking piece 62 is formed so as to be lockable with the locking hole h3 of the shutter St1, and positions the shutter St1 at the retraction limit position of the shutter St1.

Next, the operation of the toner cartridge 26Bk when the toner cartridge 26Bk is attached to or detached from the attachment/detachment portion 28 will be described.

In the operation of the toner cartridge 26Bk, the front panel Wf side is the front side, and the rear panel Wr side is the rear side. Therefore, the toner cartridge 26Bk is retreated (moved backward) to be inserted into the mounting/dismounting section 28, and advanced (moved forward) to be removed from the mounting/dismounting section 28. FIG.

10 is a first diagram for explaining the operation of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention, FIG. 11 is a second diagram for explaining the operation of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention, and FIG. is the third diagram for explaining the operation of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 13 is the fourth diagram for explaining the operation of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 15 is a sixth diagram for explaining the operation of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention; FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention; FIG. 10 is a seventh diagram for explaining the operation of the toner cartridge in the embodiment;

First, the operation of the toner cartridge 26Bk when the toner cartridge 26Bk is inserted into the loading/unloading portion 28 will be described.

The operator grips the handle 47 (FIG. 1), places the rail 49 of the toner cartridge 26Bk on the guide 43a at the loading/unloading position Sn1, and starts inserting it into the loading/unloading portion 28, as shown in FIG. , the projecting portion 53 is brought into contact with the inclined portion 44c of the latch portion 44. As shown in FIG.

Subsequently, when the operator pushes the toner cartridge 26Bk, the inclined surface Sa of the protrusion 53 bends the latch portion 44 and pushes it downward, guiding the latch portion 44 to the shielding portion Stb of the shutter St1. When the projecting portion 53 rides on the upper end surface portion 44d, a predetermined stress is generated in the latch portion 44 (in particular, the latch arm portion 44f).

After that, when the shielding portion Stb of the shutter St1 moves on the upper end face portion 44d and the shutter restrainer 45 of the cartridge case 27 abuts against the engaging portion 63 of the shutter St1, the shutter St1 is operated by the operator to attach or detach the toner cartridge 26Bk. Interlocking with the operation of inserting into the portion 28, it is moved forward to open the toner supply port h1.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11, when the first flat contact portion 61a of the contact member 61 reaches the upper end face portion 44d of the latch portion 44, the first flat contact portion 61a deflects the latch portion 44. and push it down. At this time, the shutter St1 is placed at a position where the latch receiving portion eg3 and the first hanging portion 44e of the latch portion 44 are substantially aligned, so that the first flat contact portion 61a is moved on the upper end face portion 44d. .

When the operator further pushes the toner cartridge 26Bk, the inclined contact portion 61b of the contact member 61 reaches the upper end surface portion 44d and moves on the upper end surface portion 44d. becomes smaller.

Subsequently, when the second flat contact portion 61c reaches the upper end surface portion 44d, it then moves on the upper end surface portion 44d. Then, as shown in FIG. 12, the stress generated in the latch portion 44 is constant until the mountain-shaped contact portion 61d comes into contact with the inclined portion 44c. Therefore, the operator can smoothly retract the toner cartridge 26Bk.

During this time, the shutter St1 is moved forward by the amount that the toner cartridge 26Bk is retracted, and the latch welcoming portion eg3 is placed at a position substantially aligned with the first hanging portion 44e of the latch portion 44. As shown in FIG.

When the operator pushes the toner cartridge 26Bk after the mountain-shaped contact portion 61d contacts the inclined portion 44c, the mountain-shaped contact portion 61d bends the latch portion 44 as shown in FIG. It is pushed downward and rides on the upper end face portion 44d. This increases the stress generated in the latch portion 44 .

During this time, as the toner cartridge 26Bk retreats, the shutter St1 is advanced, and when the latch receiving portion eg3 comes into contact with the mountain-shaped contact portion 61d, the shutter St1 is stopped at the advance limit position.

When the mountain-shaped contact portion 61d climbs over the upper end surface portion 44d and reaches the first hanging portion 44e, the insertion of the toner cartridge 26Bk into the loading/unloading portion 28 is completed. At this time, since the mountain-shaped abutting portion 61d does not push down the latch portion 44, the stress generated in the latch portion 44 is reduced.

Next, the operation of the toner cartridge 26Bk when the toner cartridge 26Bk is removed from the loading/unloading portion 28 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 14, the operator grips the handle 47 to open the toner cartridge while the mountain-shaped contact portion 61d of the contact member 61 is in contact with the first hanging portion 44e. When 26Bk is pulled (moved forward), the mountain-shaped contact portion 61d rides on the upper end surface portion 44d, deforms the latch portion 44 and pushes it downward, and accordingly the stress generated in the latch portion 44 increases.

Subsequently, after the mountain-shaped abutting portion 61d climbs over the upper end surface portion 44d, the second flat abutting portion 61c reaches the upper end surface portion 44d and moves on the upper end surface portion 44d. The stress to be applied becomes a constant value. While the second flat contact portion 61c is moving on the upper end surface portion 44d, the first hanging portion 44e continues to press the latch receiving portion eg3, so the shutter St1 is retracted by the amount that the toner cartridge 26Bk is advanced. Let me.

After that, the inclined contact portion 61b reaches the upper end face portion 44d, and as it moves on the upper end face portion 44d, it bends the latch portion 44 and pushes it downward. growing. While the first flat contact portion 61a reaches the upper end surface portion 44d and moves on the upper end surface portion 44d, a constant amount of stress is generated in the latch portion 44. As shown in FIG.

When the engaging portion 63 of the shutter St1 contacts the stopper 55 while the first flat contact portion 61a is moving on the upper end face portion 44d, the shutter St1 is stopped at the retraction limit position, and the toner supply port is closed. h1 is closed.

In this manner, the shutter St1 is moved backward in conjunction with the operation of the operator taking out the toner cartridge 26Bk from the loading/unloading portion 28, closing the toner supply port h1.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 15, the toner cartridge 26Bk is stopped with the first hanging portion 44e in contact with the latch welcoming portion eg3.

After the toner cartridge 26Bk is stopped, when the operator pulls the toner cartridge 26Bk, the first hanging portion 44e is pushed by the latch welcoming portion eg3 and deformed, deforming the latch portion 44 in the direction of the arrow and downward. down to

As a result, as shown in FIG. 16, the upper end surface portion 44d becomes lower than the blocking portion Stb of the shutter St1, and the shutter St1 is moved above the upper end surface portion 44d. Then, when the shutter St1 passes through the upper end face portion 44d, removal of the toner cartridge 26Bk from the loading/unloading portion 28 is completed. At this time, the shutter St1 no longer pushes the latch portion 44 downward, so stress does not occur in the latch portion 44. As shown in FIG.

Next, the operating force required when the operator inserts the toner cartridge 26Bk into the loading/unloading portion 28 and the operating force required when the operator removes the toner cartridge 26Bk from the loading/unloading portion 28 will be described.

The operating force is closely related to the stress generated in the latch portion 44 when the operator operates the toner cartridge 26Bk. If the stress is small, the necessary operating force is small. It is affected by the sliding resistance and the like of the guides 43a and 43b that are slid and guided.

FIG. 17 is an image diagram of the operating force required when the operator inserts the toner cartridge into the loading/unloading portion according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. It is an image diagram of the operation force required when taking out from the part. In the drawing, the horizontal axis represents the amount of movement of the toner cartridge 26Bk (FIG. 1), and the vertical axis represents the operating force of the operator.

In the figure, L1 and L3 are lines representing the operating force in the present embodiment, and L2 and L4 are lines representing the operating force in the comparative example. Further, t0 to t7 are timings when the toner cartridge 26Bk is inserted into the loading/unloading portion 28, and t10 to t19 are timings when the toner cartridge 26Bk is removed from the loading/unloading portion .

As shown by line L1, in the present embodiment, the operator starts inserting toner cartridge 26Bk into loading/unloading portion 28, and protrusion 53 abuts inclined portion 44c of latch portion 44 at timing t0. At timing t1, the slope Sa of the protrusion 53 rides on the upper end surface 44d, the operation force becomes a constant value, and at timing t2, the inclined contact portion 61b of the contact member 61 is moved. When reaching the upper end surface portion 44d, the operating force gradually decreases.

When the second flat contact portion 61c reaches the upper end face portion 44d at timing t4 after timing t3, the operating force remains constant until the mountain-shaped contact portion 61d contacts the inclined portion 44c at timing t5. Become.

Then, when the mountain-shaped contact portion 61d rides over the upper end surface portion 44d at timing t6, the operating force increases, and when the mountain-shaped contact portion 61d rides over the upper end surface portion 44d at timing t7, the operation force decreases.

Further, as indicated by line L3, when the operator starts removing the toner cartridge 26Bk from the loading/unloading portion 28 and the mountain-shaped contact portion 61d rides on the upper end face portion 44d at timing t10, the operating force increases. , when the mountain-shaped contact portion 61d gets over the upper end face portion 44d at timing t11, the operating force becomes small.

Then, when the second flat contact portion 61c reaches the upper end surface portion 44d at timing t12, the operating force becomes a constant value, and at timing t13, the inclined contact portion 61b reaches the upper end surface portion 44d and reaches the upper end surface portion 44d. While moving , the operating force gradually increases.

When the first flat contact portion 61a reaches the upper end surface portion 44d at timing t15 after timing t14, the operating force becomes a constant value until the first hanging portion 44e contacts the latch welcoming portion eg3 at timing t16. .

Subsequently, when the operator pulls the toner cartridge 26Bk, the first hanging portion 44e is pushed by the latch welcoming portion eg3 and deformed, bending the latch portion 44 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. As a result, the operating force is increased.

When the upper end surface portion 44d becomes lower than the blocking portion Stb of the shutter St1 at timing t17, the shutter St1 moves on the upper end surface portion 44d thereafter, and the operating force becomes a constant value.

Subsequently, when the shutter St1 passes the upper end face portion 44d at timing t18, the shutter St1 stops pushing down the latch portion 44, so the operating force becomes 0 at timing t19.

As described above, in the present embodiment, after the toner cartridge 26Bk is completely attached to the apparatus main body Bd, the latch portion 44 of the attachment/detachment portion 28 climbs over the mountain-shaped contact portion 61d. , a click feeling can be obtained, and it is possible to easily confirm whether or not the insertion of the toner cartridge 26Bk is completed.

Therefore, the toner cartridge 26Bk can be smoothly attached to the apparatus body Bd.

Further, when the toner cartridge 26Bk is taken out from the loading/unloading portion 28, the obtuse-angled latch welcoming portion eg3 of the shutter St1 abuts against the latch portion 44 and guides the bending of the latch portion 44. A feeling of being caught can be reduced.

Therefore, the toner cartridge 26Bk can be smoothly removed from the apparatus body Bd.

Furthermore, before the mountain-shaped contact portion 61d bends the latch portion 44, the inclined contact portion 61b and the second flat contact portion 61c are moved on the upper end surface portion 44d. small. Therefore, since the operating force required when the mountain-shaped contact portion 61d bends the latch portion 44 changes from a small state to a large state, the operator can reliably confirm whether or not the toner cartridge 26Bk has been completely inserted. can do.

In addition, since the first flat contact portion 61a and the latch welcoming portion eg3 are formed at different positions in the width direction of the shutter St1, the tip of the latch welcoming portion eg3 is aligned with the first flat contact portion 61a. It can be positioned closer to the bottom panel Wb than the flat surface.

Therefore, the difference in level between the shielding portion Stb of the shutter St1 and the flat surface of the first flat contact portion 61a can be reduced, so that when the latch welcoming portion eg3 of the shutter St1 contacts the latch portion 44, Deflection of the latch portion 44 can be easily guided. As a result, the feeling of being caught by the toner cartridge 26Bk can be further reduced.

Although the printer 10 has been described in this embodiment, the present invention can be applied to image forming apparatuses such as copiers, facsimiles, and multi-function machines.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made based on the gist of the present invention, and they are not excluded from the scope of the present invention.

10 Printer 26Bk, 26Y, 26M, 26C Toner Cartridge 28 Detachable Portion 44 Latch Portion 61 Contact Member 61d Mountain Contact Portion Ctr Cartridge Body h1 Toner Supply Port Rm Toner Storage Chamber St1 Shutter

Claims (9)

It is formed in the main body of the image forming apparatus and is detachably attached to a loading/unloading section having a latch section made of a flexible material , and is moved rearward with respect to the loading/unloading section. in the developer container inserted into the device body and removed from the loading/unloading portion by moving forward with respect to the apparatus main body,
(a) a developer containing chamber for containing the developer, a developer supply port for supplying the developer to the outside of the developer containing chamber, and a developer container extending in the mounting/removing direction of the developer containing body, a container body including an abutting member that abuts against the latch portion of the attachment/detachment portion ;
(b) opening and closing the developer supply port facing the developer supply port so as to be movable with respect to the container body, and opening and closing the developer supply port in conjunction with attachment/detachment of the developer container to/from the attachment/detachment portion of the developer container; and a member ,
(c) a projecting portion of the abutting member behind the developer supply port; an inclined abutment portion of the abutting member forward of the developer supply port; A convex abutting portion that protrudes in a convex shape is disposed forward,
(d) When the developer containing body is inserted into the loading/unloading portion, the latch portion contacts the protrusion and is bent, and in the bent state, closes the developer supply reservoir. When the opening/closing member is moved forward in conjunction with the operation of inserting the opening/closing member into the loading/unloading portion of the developer container, and the developer supply port is opened, By contacting the inclined abutment portion, the deflection is reduced, and then contacting the convex contact portion, the deflection is increased by overcoming the convex contact portion, and then reduced, and the developer container is reduced. to complete the insertion into the detachable part,
(e) When the developer container is removed from the loading/unloading portion, the latch portion pushes a latch receiving portion formed at the front end of the opening/closing member to move the opening/closing member rearward, thereby removing the developer. The developer supply chamber is closed, the developer supply chamber is contacted with the inclined abutment portion, and is bent, and in the bent state, the opening and closing member is moved on the surface of the opening and closing member with the developer supply chamber closed. developer container; (a) the opening/closing member has an engaging portion;
(b) When the developer container is inserted into the loading/unloading portion, the restraining member provided in the loading/unloading portion engages the engagement portion to move the opening/closing member forward. 2. A developer container according to claim 1, wherein said developer supply chamber is opened and said latch receiving portion is moved to said latch portion side which has been moved to said convex contact portion side. A latch portion, which has a flat surface in front of the developer supply port in the contact member and is bent by the protrusion after the developer container starts to be inserted into the loading/unloading portion, is provided . 3. A developer container according to claim 1, wherein a flat abutting portion for moving is formed. 4. A developer container according to claim 3, wherein said inclined contact portion is formed in front of said flat contact portion of said contact member. 4. The developer according to claim 3, wherein the latch receiving portion has an obtuse-angled bent shape, contacts the latch portion when the developer container is removed from the loading/unloading portion, and guides the bending of the latch portion . containment body. 6. A developer container according to claim 5, wherein said latch welcoming portion and said flat contact portion are overlapped in the height direction of the developer container. 6. A developer container according to claim 5, wherein said abutment member and said latch welcoming portion are formed at different positions in a direction perpendicular to the mounting/dismounting direction of the developer container. An image forming unit comprising the developer container according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . 9. An image forming apparatus comprising the image forming unit according to claim 8 .

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