JP7358197B2 - developer supply container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a developer supply container suitable for use in an image forming apparatus using electrophotographic technology, such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a multifunctional device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, electrophotographic image forming apparatuses such as copying machines have used developers such as fine powder toner. In such an image forming apparatus, developer consumed during image formation can be replenished from a developer replenishment container attached to a developer receiving device provided on the apparatus main body side. As a developer replenishment container, one has been proposed in which replenishment developer stored in the container body is discharged outside the container body according to suction and exhaust operations using a pump with variable volume (Patent Document 1) ). In the developer replenishment container described in Patent Document 1, the rotation of the container main body is controlled by reciprocating the converting member along a cam groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the container main body which is rotationally driven by a developer receiving device. The structure is such that the operation is converted into the suction and exhaust operation of the pump. In this configuration, the converting member is engaged with the cam groove so that when a new developer supply container is installed in the developer receiving device, the pump starts from the suction operation.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-93735

An object of the present invention is to provide a configuration that is further improved from the configuration described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above.

The developer replenishment container according to the present invention is a developer replenishment container that can be attached to a developer receiving device, and has an engagement groove formed on the outer circumferential surface, and the developer is rotated in a predetermined rotational direction in the attached state. The storage section performs an intake operation of expanding in a first direction and sucking air into the developer storage section, and an exhaust operation of compressing the air in a second direction opposite to the first direction and exhausting the air from inside the developer storage section. The pump part has a pump part that reciprocates as shown in FIG. a conversion member that converts the conversion member into a reciprocating motion, and the engagement groove includes an intake groove that moves the conversion member in the first direction and an exhaust groove that moves the conversion member in the second direction. first grooves formed alternately in the rotational direction and connecting grooves connecting the downstream end in the second direction of the exhaust groove and the upstream end in the first direction of the intake groove; a second groove branched from the first groove toward the downstream side in the rotational direction so as to be able to guide the engaging portion to the intake groove, and having a width wider than the first groove; The two grooves suppress movement of the engaging portion to the first groove when the converting member and the developer accommodating portion rotate relative to each other in the uninstalled state, so that the converting member does not operate. When the developer accommodating portion is rotationally driven in the state and the converting member and the developer accommodating portion rotate relative to each other, the engaging portion is allowed to move to the first groove and the converting member is inhibited from operating. It is characterized by that a part is formed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a configuration that is further improved from the configuration described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an image forming apparatus to which the developer supply container of the present embodiment can be applied. (a) A partial sectional view of the developer replenishing device, (b) a perspective view of the mounting section, and (c) a sectional view of the mounting section. FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing a developer supply container and a developer supply device. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a developer replenishment process. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the developer replenishing device. (a) An external perspective view showing the developer supply container, (b) a partially enlarged view showing the area around the discharge port, and (c) a front view showing the state in which the developer supply container is attached to the developer supply device. (a) A partial sectional perspective view of the developer supply container, (b) A partial side sectional view of the developer supply container, and (c) a partial enlarged view of the vicinity of the developer storage section. (a) A partial view of the pump section in a state where the pump section is expanded to the maximum extent, (b) A partial view of the pump section in a state where the pump section is contracted to the maximum extent, and (c) A view of the developer replenishment container as seen from the pump section side. FIG. 3 is a developed view showing a cam groove of a developer supply container. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a cam groove of the developer supply container. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the lock part. FIG. 7 is a developed view showing a cam groove of another embodiment. The figure which shows the modification of a cam groove.

This embodiment will be described below. First, an outline of the image forming apparatus will be explained, and then a developer replenishing device and a developer replenishing container installed in this image forming apparatus will be explained.

[Image forming device]
An image forming apparatus employing an electrophotographic method will be described with reference to FIG. 1 as an image forming apparatus equipped with a developer replenishing device into which a developer replenishing container (so-called toner cartridge) of the present embodiment can be inserted and removed.

The image forming apparatus 100 first reads a document 101 placed on a document table glass 102 to obtain image information, or acquires image information transmitted from a host device such as a personal computer communicatively connected to the main body of the apparatus. get. Then, an optical image corresponding to the acquired image information is formed on an electrophotographic photoreceptor (hereinafter referred to as photoreceptor 104) by a plurality of mirrors M and lenses Ln of the optical section 103, so that the photoreceptor 104 is electrostatically charged. A latent image is formed. This electrostatic latent image is visualized by a dry type developer (one-component developer) 201a using toner (one-component magnetic toner) as a developer.

In this embodiment, an example will be described in which a one-component magnetic toner is used as the developer to be replenished from the developer replenishment container 1, but not only this example but also a configuration as described later may be used.

Specifically, when using a one-component developing device that performs development using one-component non-magnetic toner, one-component non-magnetic toner is replenished as a developer. Further, a two-component developer that performs development using a two-component developer in which a magnetic carrier and a non-magnetic toner are mixed may be used, and in that case, the non-magnetic toner is replenished as the developer. In this case, a configuration may be adopted in which magnetic carrier is also replenished together with non-magnetic toner as developer.

Recording materials (hereinafter referred to as sheets) are stored in cassettes 105 to 108 in a stacked state. Among these cassettes 105 to 108, a cassette containing a sheet P of the optimum size is selected based on the information input by the operator from the operation unit (not shown) provided in the main body of the apparatus or the sheet size of the document 101. selected. Then, the sheets P are conveyed one by one from any of the selected cassettes 105 to 108 by the feeding and separating devices 105A to 108A. Note that the sheet P includes sheet materials such as paper, plastic film, and cloth.

One sheet P transported by the feeding and separating devices 105A to 108A is transported to the registration roller 110 via the transport section 109. The registration roller 110 synchronizes the rotation of the photoreceptor 104 and the scanning timing of the optical section 103 and conveys the sheet P to the transfer charger 111. The transfer charger 111 transfers the toner image formed on the photoreceptor 104 using the developer onto the sheet P. Then, the separation charger 112 separates the sheet P on which the toner image has been transferred from the photoreceptor 104. Thereafter, the sheet P transported by the transport section 113 is heated and pressurized in the fixing section 114. As a result, the toner image on the sheet P is fixed.

In the case of single-sided printing in which an image is formed only on one side of the sheet P, the sheet P on which the toner image is fixed passes through the ejection reversing section 115 and is ejected to the ejection tray 117 by the ejection roller 116. On the other hand, in the case of double-sided printing in which images are formed on both sides of the sheet P, the sheet P with the toner image fixed on one side passes through the discharge reversing section 115, and a portion of the sheet P is once discharged out of the apparatus by the discharge roller 116. After that, when the end of the sheet P passes the flapper 118, the flapper 118 is controlled and the discharge roller 116 is reversely rotated while the sheet P is still being held between the discharge rollers 116 and the sheet P enters the apparatus main body. be returned. The toner image is then conveyed to the registration roller 110 via the refeeding conveyance sections 119 and 120, and the toner image is fixed thereon in the same manner as in the case of single-sided printing, and the toner image is discharged onto the discharge tray 117.

In the image forming apparatus 100 having the above configuration, image forming process equipment such as a developing device 201a as a developing means, a cleaner section 202 as a cleaning means, and a primary charger 203 as a charging means are installed around the photoreceptor 104. There is. The developing device 201a develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor 104 by the optical section 103 based on the image information of the original 101 by attaching a developer to the electrostatic latent image. Further, the primary charger 203 is used to uniformly charge the surface of the photoreceptor 104 in order to form a desired electrostatic image on the photoreceptor 104 . Further, the cleaner section 202 is for removing developer remaining on the photoreceptor 104.

[Developer supply device]
Next, the developer replenishing device 201 to which the developer replenishing container 1 can be attached and detached will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. Here, FIG. 2(a) is a partial sectional view of the developer replenishing device 201, FIG. 2(b) is an external perspective view of the mounting portion 10 into which the developer replenishing container 1 can be inserted and removed, and FIG. 2(c) is a partial sectional view of the mounting portion. Fig. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of 10. Further, FIG. 3 shows a partially enlarged sectional view of the control system, the developer supply container 1, and the developer supply device 201. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of developer replenishment by the control system.

As shown in FIG. 1, the developer replenishing device 201 as a developer receiving device includes a mounting portion 10 into which the developer replenishing container 1 can be attached, and a device for temporarily storing the developer discharged from the developer replenishing container 1. It has a hopper 10a and a developing device 201a. As shown in FIG. 2C, the developer supply container 1 is configured to be inserted into the mounting portion 10 in the direction of arrow M in the figure. The rotation axis direction (longitudinal direction) of the developer supply container 1 substantially coincides with this insertion direction. Note that the direction in which the developer supply container 1 is removed from the mounting portion 10 (the direction in which it is pulled out) is opposite to the direction of arrow M in the figure.

The developing device 201a includes a developing roller 201f, a stirring member 201c, and feeding members 201d and 201e, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2(a). The developer supplied from the developer supply container 1 is stirred by the stirring member 201c, sent to the developing roller 201f by the feeding members 201d and 201e, and supplied to the photoreceptor 104 by the developing roller 201f.

The developing roller 201f includes a developing blade 201g that regulates the amount of developer coated on the roller, and a leak prevention sheet 201h that is placed in contact with the developing roller 201f to prevent developer from leaking between the developing roller 201f and the developing device 201a. is provided.

As shown in FIG. 2(b), the mounting portion 10 has a flange portion 4 (see FIG. 6(a) described below) of the developer supply container 1 when the developer supply container 1 is mounted. A rotational direction regulating section (holding mechanism) 11 is provided that regulates movement of the flange section 4 in the rotational direction.

When the developer supply container 1 is mounted, the mounting portion 10 communicates with the discharge port 4a of the developer supply container 1, as shown in FIG. 3, to drain the developer discharged from the developer supply container 1. It has a developer receiving port 13 for receiving the developer. Then, the developer is supplied from the discharge port 4a of the developer supply container 1 to the hopper 10a through the developer receiving port 13. The hopper 10a includes a transport screw 10b for transporting developer to the developing device 201a, an opening 10c communicating with the developing device 201a, and a developer sensor 10d for detecting the amount of developer contained in the hopper 10a. have. The developer discharged from the developer supply container 1 is supplied to the developing device 201a by the hopper 10a.

In the present embodiment, the diameter of the developer receiving port 13 is set to be approximately 2 mm as a fine opening (pinhole) in order to prevent the developer from contaminating the mounting portion 10 as much as possible. . Note that the diameter of the developer receiving port 13 may be any diameter that allows the developer to be discharged from the discharge port 4a.

Furthermore, the mounting section 10 has a drive gear 300 that functions as a drive mechanism (drive section), as shown in FIGS. 2(b) and 2(c). The drive gear 300 receives rotational driving force from a drive motor 500 (see FIG. 3) via a drive gear train, and is connected to the developer replenishing container 1 (described in detail later), which is set in the mounting section 10. It has a function of applying rotational driving force to the housing part 2).

As shown in FIG. 3, the operation of drive motor 500 is controlled by control device 600. The control device 600 controls the operation of the drive motor 500 based on developer remaining amount information input from the developer sensor 10d. The control device 600 controls the drive motor 500 as well as the entire image forming apparatus 100. Such a control device 600 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The CPU controls each part while reading a program corresponding to a control procedure stored in the ROM. Further, the RAM stores work data and input data, and the CPU performs control by referring to the data stored in the RAM based on the aforementioned program and the like.

Note that in this embodiment, the drive gear 300 is set to rotate only in one direction in order to simplify control of the drive motor 500. In other words, the control device 600 is configured to control only the on (operation)/off (non-operation) of the drive motor 500. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which reversal driving force obtained by periodically reversing the drive motor 500 (drive gear 300) between the forward and reverse directions is applied to the developer replenishment container 1, the developer replenishment device 201 It is possible to simplify the drive mechanism.

[How to attach and detach the developer supply container]
Next, a method for attaching and detaching the developer supply container 1 will be explained. First, an operator opens a replacement cover (not shown) provided on the mounting section 10 and inserts the developer supply container 1 into the mounting section 10. When the operator inserts the developer replenishment container 1 all the way into the mounting section 10, the installation of the developer replenishment container 1 into the developer replenishment device 201 is completed. Thereafter, the operator closes the replacement cover. Here, when the developer supply container 1 is mounted, the flange portion 4 of the developer supply container 1 is held and fixed to the mounting portion 10.

When the developer in the developer supply container 1 becomes empty, the operator opens the replacement cover and detaches (takes out) the developer supply container 1 from the mounting section 10 . Then, after inserting and mounting another developer supply container 1 filled with developer into the mounting section 10, the exchange cover is closed. In this way, the operator replaces the developer supply container 1.

[Developer supply control using developer supply device]
Next, developer replenishment control by the developer replenisher 201 will be explained based on the flowchart of FIG. 4. This developer replenishment control is executed by controlling various devices by a control device (CPU) 600. In this embodiment, the control device 600 controls activation/deactivation of the drive motor 500 in accordance with the output of the developer sensor 10d, so that the developer is not stored in the hopper 10a in excess of a certain amount. ing.

Specifically, first, the developer sensor 10d checks the amount of developer contained in the hopper 10a (S100). If the developer storage amount detected by the developer sensor 10d is less than a predetermined amount, that is, if the developer is not detected by the developer sensor 10d (No in S100), the drive motor 500 is driven, A developer replenishment operation is performed for a certain period of time (S101).

As a result of the developer replenishment operation, if the amount of developer accommodated detected by the developer sensor 10d reaches a predetermined amount, that is, if the developer is detected by the developer sensor 10d (Yes in S100), the drive motor 500 The drive is turned off and the developer replenishment operation is stopped (S102). By stopping this replenishment operation, the series of developer replenishment steps is completed.

Such a developer replenishment step is repeatedly executed when the developer is consumed during image formation and the amount of developer accommodated in the hopper 10a becomes less than a predetermined value.

Note that the developer replenishing device 201 is not limited to the one described above that temporarily stores the developer discharged from the developer replenishing container 1 in the hopper 10a and then replenishes it to the developing device 201a. For example, a developer replenishing device as shown in FIG. 5 may be used. FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing another embodiment of the developer replenishing device.

The developer replenishing device shown in FIG. 5 omits the hopper 10a from the developer replenishing device shown in FIG. 3, and replenishes the developer directly from the developer replenishing container 1 to the developing device 800. The developing device 800 in this case is of a type that forms an image using a two-component developer containing a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier. The developing device 800 has a stirring chamber that is supplied with developer and a developing chamber that supplies the developer to the developing sleeve 800a, and the stirring chamber and the developing chamber are provided with stirring screws whose developer conveying directions are opposite to each other. 800b is installed. Since the stirring chamber and the developing chamber communicate with each other at both ends in the developer transport direction, the developer is circulated and transported between these two chambers. A magnetic sensor 800c that detects the toner concentration in the developer is installed in the stirring chamber, and the control device 600 can control the operation of the drive motor 500 based on the detection result of the magnetic sensor 800c.

[Developer supply container]
Next, the developer supply container 1 will be explained using FIGS. 6(a) to 7(c). Here, FIG. 6(a) is an external perspective view of the developer supply container 1, FIG. 6(b) is a partially enlarged view of the vicinity of the discharge port 4a of the developer supply container 1, and FIG. 6(c) is a perspective view of the developer supply container 1. 1 is a front view showing a state in which the device 1 is attached to the attachment section 10. FIG. 7(a) is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the developer supply container 1, FIG. 7(b) is a partial cross-sectional side view of the developer supply container 1, and FIG. 7(c) is a partial enlarged view of the vicinity of the developer storage section. It is a diagram.

The developer supply container 1 has a cover 4e, as shown in FIG. 6(a). The cover 4e covers the entirety of the flange portion 4, the pump portion 3a, and the reciprocating member 3b, which will be described later, in order to improve the appearance and protect the pump portion 3a and the reciprocating member 3b, which will be described later. It is assembled. The developer supply container 1 has a developer storage section 2 formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and having an internal space for storing the developer therein. The developer storage section 2 is open at one end in the longitudinal direction (rotation axis direction), and as described later, as it rotates, the developer stored therein is transported toward the open end. It is now possible to do so. Further, the developer replenishment container 1 has a flange portion 4 into which one end side of the developer storage portion 2 is inserted and is non-rotatably attached to the developer replenishment device 201 (see FIG. 1). One end of the developer storage section 2 (specifically, the cylindrical section 2k) is inserted into the flange section 4 so as to be relatively rotatable. Note that the cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical portion 2k may be non-circular as long as it does not affect the rotational operation of the developer accommodating portion 2 during the developer replenishment process. For example, it may be elliptical or polygonal.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the total length L1 of the cylindrical portion 2k is set to about 460 mm, and the outer diameter R1 is set to about 60 mm. Further, the length L2 of a region where a developer discharge chamber 4c, which will be described later, is installed is about 21 mm. The total length L3 of the pump part 3a (when it is in the most extended state within the range of expansion and contraction during use) is approximately 29 mm, and as shown in FIG. (when it is in the most contracted state within the possible range) is approximately 24 mm.

[Material of developer supply container]
In this embodiment, as will be described later, the developer is discharged from the discharge port 4a by changing the volume of the developer supply container 1 using the pump section 3a. Therefore, it is preferable to use a material for the developer replenishment container 1 that has enough rigidity to prevent it from collapsing or expanding greatly due to changes in volume.

Furthermore, when discharging the developer, the developer supply container 1 communicates with the developer supply device 201 (see FIG. 1) only through the discharge port 4a, and is sealed from the outside except for the discharge port 4a. The structure is as follows. In other words, since the pump part 3a is configured to reduce or increase the volume of the developer supply container 1 and discharge the developer from the discharge port 4a, the airtightness is maintained to the extent that stable discharge performance is maintained. Desired.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the material of the developer storage section 2 and the flange section 4 is polystyrene resin, and the material of the pump section 3a is polypropylene resin. Regarding the materials used, the developer storage section 2 and the flange section 4 may be made of other materials such as ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer), polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, etc., as long as they can withstand volume changes. It is possible to use resin. Further, it may be made of metal.

Further, the material of the pump portion 3a may be any material as long as it exhibits an elastic function and can change the volume of the developer supply container 1 by changing the volume. For example, a thin material made of ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer), polystyrene, polyester, polyethylene, etc. may be used. It is also possible to use rubber or other stretchable materials.

Note that if the pump part 3a, developer storage part 2, and developer discharge chamber 4c each satisfy the above-mentioned functions by adjusting the thickness of the resin material, they can be made of the same material, for example, by injection molding. It is also possible to use one that is integrally molded using a molding method, a blow molding method, or the like.

Hereinafter, the configurations of the flange portion 4, cylindrical portion 2k, pump portion 3a, drive receiving mechanism, and drive conversion mechanism in the developer supply container 1 will be described in order.

[Flange]
As shown in FIGS. 7(a) to 7(c), the flange portion 4 is provided with a hollow developer discharge chamber 4c for temporarily accommodating the developer conveyed from the cylindrical portion 2k. ing. A discharge port 4a that allows the developer to be discharged from the developer discharge chamber 4c is formed at the bottom of the developer discharge chamber 4c. A developer storage section 4d that can store a certain amount of developer before being discharged is provided above the discharge port 4a.

Note that a perforated opening seal 5a is provided around the discharge port 4a. The opening seal 5a as a sealing member is attached to the developer discharge chamber 4c with double-sided tape, and is held in contact with the shutter 8 and the developer discharge chamber 4c to seal the gap between them, thereby preventing discharge. To prevent developer from leaking around the outlet 4a.

Further, the flange portion 4 is provided with a shutter 8 for opening and closing the discharge port 4a. The shutter 8 closes the discharge port 4a when the developer supply container 1 is not attached to the developer supply device 201, and opens the discharge port 4a when the developer supply container 1 is attached to the developer supply device 201. There is. That is, the shutter 8 can open and close the discharge port 4a as the developer supply container 1 is inserted into and removed from the developer supply device 201. This makes it possible to prevent developer from leaking from the developer supply container 1 when it is not installed, and to supply developer from the developer supply container 1 when it is installed. Note that, when the developer supply container 1 is attached to the developer supply device 201, the developer supply container 1 is inserted into the attachment section 10 with the flange section 4 side at the beginning.

The flange portion 4 is configured to become substantially immobile when the developer supply container 1 is attached to the attachment portion 10. Specifically, a rotational direction regulating portion 11 shown in FIG. 2(b) is provided so that the flange portion 4 does not rotate by itself in the rotational direction of the cylindrical portion 2k. Therefore, when the developer supply container 1 is attached to the attachment section 10, the developer discharge chamber 4c provided in the flange section 4 is also substantially prevented from rotating in the rotational direction of the cylindrical section 2k. (movement with a slight amount of play is allowed). Incidentally, when the developer supply container 1 is installed, it is inserted into the installation section 10 with the flange section 4 side at the beginning. On the other hand, the cylindrical portion 2k is configured to rotate during the developer replenishment process without being restricted in its rotational direction by the developer replenishment device 201.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 7(a) to 7(c), the developer conveyed from the cylindrical portion 2k by the spiral convex portion (conveyance protrusion) 2c is conveyed to the developer discharge chamber 4c. A plate-shaped conveyance member 6 is provided for this purpose. This conveyance member 6 is provided so as to substantially divide a part of the developer storage section 2 into two, and is configured to rotate integrally with the cylindrical section 2k. The conveyance member 6 is provided with a plurality of inclined ribs 6a on both surfaces thereof, which are inclined toward the developer discharge chamber 4c with respect to the rotational axis direction of the cylindrical portion 2k. The inclined rib 6a is a portion that conveys the developer while rotating integrally with the cylindrical portion 2k inside the cylindrical portion 2k. Further, in this embodiment, a regulating portion 7 is provided at the end of the conveying member 6. The regulating section 7 will be described later.

With the above configuration, the developer transported by the transport protrusion 2c is scraped up vertically from below to above by the plate-shaped transport member 6 in conjunction with the rotation of the cylindrical portion 2k. Thereafter, as the rotation of the cylindrical portion 2k progresses, it slides down on the surface of the conveying member 6 due to gravity, and is eventually transferred to the developer discharge chamber 4c by the inclined rib 6a. In this configuration, the inclined ribs 6a are provided on both sides of the conveyance member 6 so that the developer is sent into the developer discharge chamber 4c every time the cylindrical portion 2k makes a half turn.

[Cylindrical part]
Next, the cylindrical portion 2k functioning as a developer storage chamber will be described with reference to FIGS. 6(a) to 7(c). As shown in FIGS. 6(a) to 7(c), the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 2k has a developer discharging chamber 4c (discharge chamber) which functions as a developer discharging chamber for discharging the stored developer as it rotates. A helically projecting conveying projection 2c is provided which serves as means for conveying towards the outlet 4a). The cylindrical portion 2k is formed by blow molding using the above-mentioned resin material.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 7(b) to 7(c), the cylindrical portion 2k is inserted into the flange portion 4 in a state in which the flange seal 5b, which is a ring-shaped seal member provided on the inner surface of the flange portion 4, is compressed. It is fixed so that it can rotate relative to the Thereby, since the cylindrical portion 2k rotates while sliding on the flange seal 5b, the developer does not leak during rotation, and airtightness is maintained. In other words, air can enter and exit appropriately through the discharge port 4a, and the volume of the developer replenishing container 1 can be changed to a desired state during developer replenishment. In the case of the present embodiment, the cylindrical portion 2k is rotationally driven in one predetermined direction by the drive motor 500 with the developer supply container 1 attached to the developer supply device 201.

[Pump part]
The pump section 3a shown in FIGS. 7(a) to 7(c) alternately changes the internal pressure of the developer storage section 2 into a state lower and a state higher than atmospheric pressure by the driving force received by the gear part 2d. It works by switching repeatedly.

In this embodiment, the above-mentioned pump section 3a is provided in a part of the developer supply container 1 in order to stably discharge the developer from the small discharge port 4a as described above. The pump part 3a is a variable volume pump made of resin and whose volume can be varied. Specifically, the pump portion 3a is constructed of a bellows-like expandable member that can be expanded and contracted. Specifically, a bellows-shaped pump is used, and a plurality of "mountain fold" parts and "valley fold" parts are periodically and alternately formed.

The pressure within the developer supply container 1 is changed by the expansion and contraction of the pump portion 3a, and the developer is discharged using this pressure. Specifically, when the pump portion 3a is retracted, the inside of the developer supply container 1 is pressurized, and the developer is pushed out by the pressure and is discharged from the discharge port 4a. Further, when the pump portion 3a is extended, the inside of the developer supply container 1 is brought into a reduced pressure state, and air is taken in from the outside via the discharge port 4a. This air taken in loosens the developer near the discharge port 4a, so that the next discharge can be carried out smoothly. The developer is discharged by the pump section 3a repeatedly performing the above-described expansion and contraction operations. When the bellows-shaped pump portion 3a is employed as in the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce variations in the amount of change in volume with respect to the amount of expansion and contraction, making it possible to perform stable volume variable operation.

[Drive receiving mechanism]
Next, a description will be given of the drive receiving mechanism (drive input section, drive force receiving section) of the developer replenishment container 1, which receives the rotational driving force from the developer replenishment device 201 for rotating the cylindrical portion 2k provided with the transport protrusion 2c. do.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the developer replenishment container 1 includes a drive receiving mechanism (drive input section) that can be engaged (drive connected) with the drive gear 300 (functioning as a drive mechanism) of the developer replenishment device 201. , a driving force receiving portion) is provided. This gear portion 2d is configured to be rotatable integrally with the cylindrical portion 2k. Therefore, the rotational driving force input from the drive gear 300 to the gear section 2d is transmitted to the pump section 3a via the reciprocating member 3b as shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b). ing. Specifically, the drive conversion mechanism will be described later. The bellows-shaped pump portion 3a of this embodiment is manufactured using a resin material that is resistant to twisting in the rotational direction within a range that does not inhibit its expansion and contraction operations.

In the present embodiment, the gear portion 2d is provided on the longitudinal direction (developer transport direction) side of the cylindrical portion 2k, but the gear portion 2d is not limited to such an example. It may be provided on the other end side in the direction, that is, on the rearmost side. In this case, the drive gear 300 will be installed at the corresponding position.

Further, in this embodiment, a gear mechanism is used as a drive connection mechanism between the drive input section of the developer replenishment container 1 and the drive section of the developer replenishment device 201, but the invention is not limited to such an example. For example, a known coupling mechanism may be used. Specifically, a non-circular recessed portion may be provided as the drive input portion, and a convex portion having a shape corresponding to the aforementioned recessed portion may be provided as the drive portion of the developer replenishing device 201, and these may be configured to drive and connect with each other. I do not care.

[Drive conversion mechanism]
Next, the drive conversion mechanism (drive conversion section) of the developer supply container 1 will be explained. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which a cam mechanism is used as an example of the drive conversion mechanism.

The developer supply container 1 functions as a drive conversion mechanism (drive conversion section) that converts the rotational driving force received by the gear section 2d to rotate the cylindrical section 2k into a force in the direction of reciprocating the pump section 3a. A cam mechanism is provided. That is, in the present embodiment, the rotational driving force received by the gear part 2d is converted into reciprocating power on the developer supply container 1 side, thereby generating a driving force for rotating the cylindrical part 2k and a driving force for reciprocating the pump part 3a. The structure is such that the force is received by one drive input section (gear section 2d). This makes it possible to simplify the configuration of the drive input mechanism of the developer supply container 1 compared to the case where the developer supply container 1 is provided with two drive input sections separately. Furthermore, since the configuration is such that the drive is received from one drive gear of the developer replenishing device 201, it is possible to contribute to the simplification of the drive mechanism of the developer replenishing device 201.

Here, FIG. 8(a) is a partial view of the pump part 3a in a state in which it is fully extended for use, FIG. 8(b) is a partial view in a state in which the pump part 3a is contracted to the maximum extent in use, and FIG. c) is a partial view of the pump section. As shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), a reciprocating member 3b is used as an intermediate member for converting rotational driving force into reciprocating power of the pump portion 3a. Specifically, the cylindrical portion 2k, which is integrated with the drive input portion (gear portion 2d) that receives rotational drive from the drive gear 300 and is provided with a cam groove 2e on its entire circumference, rotates. When the developer replenishment container 1 is attached to the developer replenishment device 201, a reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c, which serves as an engaging portion that partially protrudes from the reciprocating member 3b, is engaged with the cam groove 2e. are doing. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8(c), the cover 4e is elastically deformable so that the reciprocating member 3b does not rotate by itself in the rotational direction of the cylindrical portion 2k (some play is allowed). Movement in the rotational direction is restricted by the provided rotation restriction portion 3f. By restricting the rotational direction in this manner, the reciprocating motion is restricted along the groove of the cam groove 2e (in the direction of the arrow X in FIG. 7(b) or in the opposite direction). Further, a plurality of reciprocating member engaging protrusions 3c are provided so as to engage with the cam grooves 2e. Specifically, two reciprocating member engaging protrusions 3c are provided so as to face each other by about 180° with the cylindrical portion 2k in between.

It is sufficient that at least one reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c is provided. However, since there is a risk that a moment will be generated in the drive conversion mechanism etc. due to the drag force when the pump part 3a expands and contracts, and smooth reciprocation cannot be performed, multiple cam grooves are provided so as not to disrupt the relationship with the shape of the cam groove 2e, which will be described later. is preferable.

As described above, when the cylindrical portion 2k is rotated by the rotational driving force input from the drive gear 300, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c reciprocates in the direction of the arrow X or in the opposite direction along the cam groove 2e. Accordingly, the volume of the developer supply container 1 is varied by alternately repeating the state in which the pump part 3a is extended (FIG. 8(a)) and the state in which the pump part 3a is contracted (FIG. 8(b)). can be achieved.

[Drive conversion mechanism setting conditions]
The drive conversion mechanism is configured such that the amount of developer transported to the developer discharge chamber 4c per unit time as the cylindrical portion 2k rotates is changed from the developer discharge chamber 4c to the developer replenishing device 201 per unit time by the action of the pump section. The drive is converted so that the amount is greater than the amount discharged to. This is because if the developer discharging capacity of the pump section 3a is greater than the developer conveyance capacity of the developer discharging protrusion 2c to the developer discharging chamber 4c, the amount of developer present in the developer discharging chamber 4c will be reduced. This is because it will gradually decrease. In other words, this is to prevent the time required for replenishing the developer from the developer replenishing container 1 to the developer replenishing device 201 from becoming longer. Further, in this embodiment, the drive conversion mechanism converts the drive so that the pump part 3a reciprocates a plurality of times during one rotation of the cylindrical part 2k. This is due to the following reasons.

In the case of a configuration in which the cylindrical portion 2k is rotated within the developer replenishing device 201, the drive motor 500 is preferably set to an output necessary to constantly rotate the cylindrical portion 2k stably. However, in order to reduce energy consumption in the image forming apparatus 100 as much as possible, it is preferable to reduce the output of the drive motor 500 as much as possible. Here, since the output required for the drive motor 500 is calculated from the rotational torque and rotation speed of the cylindrical portion 2k, in order to reduce the output of the drive motor 500, the rotation speed of the cylindrical portion 2k is set as low as possible. It is preferable to set

However, if the rotational speed of the cylindrical portion 2k is reduced, the number of operations of the pump portion 3a per unit time will be reduced, so the amount of developer discharged from the developer supply container 1 per unit time will be reduced. It will decrease. In other words, the amount of developer discharged from the developer replenishment container 1 may be insufficient to satisfy the amount of developer replenishment requested by the image forming apparatus 100 in a short time.

Therefore, if the amount of change in volume of the pump section 3a is increased, the amount of developer discharged per cycle of the pump section 3a can be increased, which makes it possible to meet the demands from the main body of the image forming apparatus. This approach has the following problems. In other words, when the amount of change in the volume of the pump section 3a is increased, the peak value of the internal pressure (positive pressure) of the developer replenishment container 1 during the evacuation process increases, so the load required to reciprocate the pump section 3a increases. I end up.

For this reason, in this embodiment, the pump section 3a is operated for a plurality of cycles (for example, two cycles) during one rotation of the cylindrical section 2k. As a result, the amount of developer discharged per unit time can be reduced without increasing the amount of change in volume of the pump section 3a, compared to the case where the pump section 3a is operated only one cycle during one rotation of the cylindrical section 2k. It is possible to increase it. Furthermore, since the amount of developer discharged can be increased, the number of rotations of the cylindrical portion 2k can be reduced. Therefore, with such a configuration, the drive motor 500 can be set to a smaller output, which can contribute to reducing energy consumption in the image forming apparatus 100.

[Location of drive conversion mechanism]
In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), a drive conversion mechanism (a cam mechanism constituted by a reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c and a cam groove 2e) is connected to a developer accommodating portion 2. It is located outside of the building. In other words, the drive conversion mechanism is separated from the inner space of the cylindrical portion 2k and the developer discharge chamber 4c so as not to come into contact with the developer stored in the cylindrical portion 2k and the developer discharge chamber 4c. It is located at the location. This makes it possible to solve problems that may occur when the drive conversion mechanism is provided in the internal space of the developer storage section 2. That is, when the developer enters the rubbing area of the drive conversion mechanism, heat and pressure are applied to the developer particles, softening them and causing some of the particles to stick together and form large lumps (coarse particles). It is possible to suppress an increase in the torque for operating the drive conversion mechanism.

FIG. 9 shows an example of the cam groove 2e that functions as the drive conversion mechanism described above. In this embodiment, a cam groove 2e is shown in which the pump portion 3a moves back and forth twice per revolution of the developer storage portion 2. In FIG. 9, arrow A indicates the rotation direction of the developer storage section 2, arrow B indicates the extension direction (first direction) of the pump section 3a, and arrow C indicates the compression direction (second direction) of the pump section 3a.

As shown in FIG. 9, the cam groove 2e as the first groove has a cam groove 2g as an exhaust groove for causing the pump portion 3a to perform a compression operation (exhaust operation) to exhaust the developer from inside the developer storage section. Further, the cam groove 2e has a cam groove 2h that serves as an intake groove for causing the pump portion 3a to perform an extension operation (intake operation) and suck air into the developer storage portion. Here, two cam grooves 2g and two cam grooves 2h are formed in order to cause the pump portion 3a to reciprocate twice. Furthermore, the cam groove 2e has a cam groove 2i for maintaining the pump portion 3a in a non-operational state in which neither a compression operation (exhaust operation) nor an expansion operation (intake operation) is performed. In the case of the present embodiment, the developer storage portion 2 (more specifically, the cylindrical portion 2k) has a series of cam grooves 2e as engagement grooves including the cam grooves 2g, 2h, and 2i. , a movement regulating cam groove 2n as a second groove connected to the cam groove 2e is formed. The movement regulating cam groove 2n will be described later. In the case of this embodiment, the cam groove 2i is a non-operating groove which will be described later, and the downstream end in the compression direction (downstream end in the second direction) of the cam groove 2g and the upstream end in the extension direction (upstream end in the first direction) of the cam groove 2h. ) is also a connecting groove that connects the

Here, the cam groove 2i as a non-operating groove will be described. In the case of this embodiment, when the drive motor 500 (see FIG. 3) is controlled, the developer storage section 2 rotates, which causes the pump section 3a to reciprocate and supply a substantially constant amount of developer from the developer supply container 1. is discharged. However, it is difficult to make the volume variable amount of the pump section 3a the same every time using only control by the drive motor 500, so the amount of developer discharged from the developer supply container 1 is not stable. For example, instead of providing the cam groove 2i in the cam groove 2e described above, the cam groove 2e is configured with a cam groove 2g for compressing the pump section 3a and a cam groove 2h for extending the pump section 3a. Consider the case. In this case, in order to switch between the compression operation and the expansion operation of the pump section 3a, it is necessary to stop the drive motor 500 in the middle of the expansion operation or the compression operation. However, even if the drive motor 500 is stopped, the developer storage section 2 continues to rotate due to inertia, and the pump section 3a continues to reciprocate in conjunction with the developer storage section 2 until the developer storage section 2 stops. The distance that the developer storage section 2 rotates due to inertia depends on the rotation speed of the developer storage section 2, and the rotation speed of the developer storage section 2 depends on the torque applied to the drive motor 500. Therefore, if the torque applied to the drive motor 500 changes depending on the amount of developer in the developer supply container 1, the rotational speed of the developer storage section 2 will also change, making it difficult to stop the pump section 3a at the same position. Become.

In view of the above, in order to stop the pump section 3a at the same position, it is sufficient to provide a region in the cam groove 2e in which the pump section 3a does not reciprocate even when the developer storage section 2 is rotating. Therefore, the cam groove 2e is formed in a straight line extending in the direction of rotation of the developer storage section 2 (direction of arrow A in FIG. 9) in order to prevent the pump section 3a from compressing or expanding even when the developer storage section 2 rotates. It has a shaped cam groove 2i. Therefore, as long as the pump portion 3a can be stopped at the same position, the cam groove 2e does not need to have the cam groove 2i. In the case of this embodiment, the cam groove 2i connects the cam groove 2g and the cam groove 2h so as to guide the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c from the cam groove 2g to the cam groove 2h.

[Transportation member]
As described above, the conveyance member 6 that conveys the developer from the developer storage section 2 to the developer discharge chamber 4c is provided within the developer storage section 2 so as to rotate integrally with the developer storage section 2. ing. However, in the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7(a) to 7(c), the conveying member 6 has a regulating portion 7. The regulating portion 7 is integrally provided at the end of the conveying member 6 on the pump portion 3a side. Therefore, as the conveying member 6 rotates integrally with the cylindrical portion 2k, the regulating portion 7 also rotates in conjunction with the rotation.

The regulating portion 7 has a shape that allows it to cover the top of the developer storage portion 4d provided in the flange portion 4 depending on the rotational phase, and covers or uncovers the upper portion of the developer storage portion 4d in conjunction with the rotation. It operates in such a way that it periodically repeats what is missing. Specifically, the developer conveyed from the cylindrical portion 2k is stored in the developer storage portion 4d and near the upper portion thereof, and then, due to the rotation of the regulating portion 7, the developer in the upper portion of the developer storage portion 4d is It is pushed away by the regulating section 7. In this state, when an evacuation operation is performed to compress the pump section 3a, only the developer in the developer storage section 4d is discharged. At this time, while the regulating part 7 covers the upper part of the developer storage part 4d, the flow of developer from the surroundings into the inside of the developer storage part 4d is suppressed, and the development outside of the inside of the developer storage part 4d is prevented. agent is not discharged.

In this way, the upper part of the developer storage part 4d is covered by the regulating part 7, thereby preventing the developer from flowing into the developer storage part 4d, and keeping the developer powder surface in the developer storage part 4d at a constant height. It is possible to keep it. When the pump section 3a is exhausted, the developer in the developer storage section 4d is discharged as described above, so the spaces inside and outside the developer supply container 1 are communicated with each other, and only air is then discharged. Ru. Then, a pressure difference is generated between the inside and outside of the developer supply container 1, and the continuous discharge of the developer is suppressed.

From the above, the present embodiment in which the regulating section 7 is provided can always discharge a certain amount of developer stored in the developer storage section 4d to the developer replenishing device 201 during the exhaust operation, and stable replenishment can be achieved. It can be said that the configuration allows the developer to be discharged with precision.

After the developer is discharged, almost no developer is stored in the developer storage section 4d except for the amount of developer that adheres to the wall surface. By further rotating the conveying member 6 from here, the developer is conveyed to the developer storage section 4d again, and the same process is repeated. Therefore, it is possible to discharge the developer with stable replenishment accuracy from the early stage to the late stage of discharge.

Next, the developer replenishment process using the pump section 3a described above will be explained. As described above, the developer replenishment process includes an intake process (intake operation via the discharge port 4a) in which the pump section 3a performs an expansion operation, and an exhaust process (exhaust operation through the discharge port 4a) in which the pump section 3a performs a compression operation. ), and an operation stop step in which the pump section 3a neither extends nor compresses. Hereinafter, the intake process, exhaust process, and operation stop process will be explained in order.

[Intake process]
First, the intake process will be explained. The drive conversion mechanism (cam mechanism) described above changes the pump section 3a from the most contracted state (see FIG. 8(b)) to the most extended state (see FIG. 8(a)), thereby increasing the intake air. An action is taken. Along with this suction operation, the volume of the developer supply container 1 that can accommodate the developer increases. At this time, the inside of the developer supply container 1 is substantially sealed except for the discharge port 4a, and furthermore, the discharge port 4a is substantially blocked with the developer. Therefore, as the volume of the developer supply container 1 increases, the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 decreases. At this time, the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure (outside pressure), and due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the developer supply container 1, air flows from the outside of the developer supply container 1 to the inside through the discharge port 4a. It passes through and is inhaled.

In this way, since air is taken in from outside the developer supply container 1 through the outlet 4a, the developer near the outlet 4a can be dissolved (fluidized). Specifically, by incorporating air into the developer stored in the developer storage section 4d, the bulk density can be reduced and the developer can be appropriately fluidized. Note that since air is taken into the developer supply container 1 through the discharge port 4a, the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 remains close to atmospheric pressure (outside pressure) even though its volume is increasing. . In this way, the amount of developer discharged per unit time remains approximately constant over a long period of time. By fluidizing the developer in this way, a certain amount of the developer can be smoothly discharged from the discharge port 4a without the developer clogging the discharge port 4a during the exhaust operation described later. becomes possible.

Note that in order to perform the intake operation, the pump part 3a does not necessarily have to change from the most contracted state to the most extended state, but even if the pump part 3a stops midway between the most contracted state and the most extended state. If the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 is changed, the suction operation is performed. In other words, the intake process is a state in which the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c is engaged with the cam groove 2h shown in FIG.

[Exhaust process]
Next, the exhaust process will be explained. The pumping operation is performed by changing the pump portion 3a from the most extended state (see FIG. 8(a)) to the most contracted state (see FIG. 8(b)). Along with this evacuation operation, the volume of the developer supply container 1 that can accommodate the developer decreases. At this time, the inside of the developer supply container 1 is substantially sealed except for the discharge port 4a, and the discharge port 4a is substantially blocked by the developer until the developer is discharged. . Therefore, as the volume of the developer supply container 1 decreases, the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 increases. At this time, the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 becomes higher than atmospheric pressure (external pressure), so the developer is pushed out from the discharge port 4a due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the developer supply container 1. That is, the developer is discharged from the developer supply container 1 to the developer supply device 201 . Since the air inside the developer supply container 1 is also discharged together with the developer, the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 decreases. As described above, in this embodiment, the developer can be efficiently discharged using one reciprocating pump section 3a, so that the mechanism required for developer discharge can be simplified.

Note that in order to perform the exhaust operation, the pump section 3a does not necessarily have to change from the most extended state to the most contracted state, but even if the pump section 3a stops midway between the most extended state and the most contracted state. If the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 is changed, the exhaust operation is performed. In other words, the exhaust process is a state in which the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c is engaged with the cam groove 2g shown in FIG.

[Operation stop process]
In this embodiment, as described above, the control device 600 controls the operation of the drive motor 500 based on the detection results of the developer sensor 10d and the magnetic sensor 800c (see FIGS. 3 and 5). In this configuration, the amount of developer discharged from the developer replenishment container 1 directly affects the toner concentration, so it is necessary to replenish the amount of developer required by the image forming apparatus 100 from the developer replenishment container 1. At this time, in order to stabilize the amount of developer discharged from the developer supply container 1, it is desirable to vary the volume of the developer supply container 1 by a fixed amount each time using the pump section 3a. Therefore, in this embodiment, as described above, the cam groove 2i is provided in the cam groove 2e to maintain the pump part 3a in a stopped state in which the pump part 3a does not reciprocate even when the cylindrical part 2k is rotating (see FIG. 9). . Therefore, the operation stop process is a state in which the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c is engaged with the cam groove 2i.

In addition, even if the pump part 3a is in the operation stop process, the regulating part 7 rotates with the rotation of the conveying member 6. However, when the pump section 3a is in the operation stop process, the regulating section 7 is in a range where it does not reach above the developer storage section 4d. In this case, since the pump section 3a is in the process of stopping its operation, no change in internal pressure occurs near the developer storage section 4d. Therefore, the pump section 3a does not take in or exhaust air, and the regulating section 7 does not prevent the developer from being transported, so the developer transported by the transport member 6 can be stored in the developer storage section 4d.

By the way, in the conventional developer supply container 1, as described above, the cam groove 2e, which is a series of paths for reciprocating the reciprocating member 3b, is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 2k. When the developer replenishing container 1 is not installed, the pump section 3a is initially set to the most contracted state so that the pump section 3a performs the suction operation at the first operation after being installed. Further, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c was engaged with the cam groove 2i or the cam groove 2h so as to be able to engage with the cam groove 2h from the most upstream direction of movement in the cam groove 2h (direction of arrow B in FIG. 9). .

This is due to the following reasons. That is, when the developer supply container 1 is being transported, the developer may be moved within the developer supply container 1 and enter the developer storage section 4d. The developer that has entered the developer storage section 4d hardens during transportation or storage and becomes difficult to dissolve. Therefore, in order to take in air from the outside to dissolve the developer before discharging the developer, the pump part 3a is in the most contracted state, and the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c is in the cam groove 2i or the cam groove. The developer replenishment container 1 is manufactured and shipped in a state where it is engaged with 2h.

However, in the conventional developer supply container 1, when a user attaches a new developer supply container 1 to the developer supply device 201 and operates it for the first time, a certain amount of developer is not discharged from the developer supply container 1. Something happened. This is because the cylindrical part 2k is rotated while the developer replenishment container 1 is being transported until it reaches the user's hand, and in that case, the reciprocating member 3b moves along the cam groove 2e, causing the pump part to rotate. This is because 3a is expanded from its most contracted state. That is, when the cylindrical part 2k is rotated by some factor (for example, vibration) during transportation, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c is moved to the cam groove 2g, and the pump part 3a is extended. When the developer supply container 1 with the pump part 3a in an extended state is mounted, even if the cylindrical part 2k is rotated, the developer in the developer storage part 4d acts as resistance and the pump part 3a cannot perform the suction operation. , an attempt is made to discharge the developer without it being dissolved. In the first place, when the pump section 3a is in an extended state, the developer in the developer storage section 4d acts as resistance, so it is difficult to retract the pump section 3a. Thus, in the conventional developer replenishing container 1, the developer may be difficult to be discharged due to rotation of the cylindrical portion 2k during transportation. During transportation, the cylindrical portion 2k can be rotated not only in the direction of rotation at the time of installation (direction of arrow A in FIG. 9) but also in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation at the time of installation. Note that in the following description, simply the rotation direction refers to the rotation direction at the time of attachment (direction of arrow A in FIG. 9).

In this embodiment, in view of the above points, the cylindrical portion 2k is rotated while the developer supply container 1 is being transported so that the first operation of the developer supply container 1 starts with an intake operation to release the developer in the developer storage section 4d. The compressed state of the pump part 3a can be maintained even when the pump part 3a is compressed. The developer supply container 1 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11.

The developer replenishment container 1 of this embodiment has a series of cam grooves 2e having a cam groove 2g for compressing the pump section 3a, a cam groove 2h for extending the pump section 3a, and a cam groove 2i. In addition, a movement regulating cam groove 2n branched from the cam groove 2e is formed. The movement regulating cam groove 2n branches toward the downstream side in the rotational direction from the cam groove 2e so as to be able to guide the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c to the intake cam groove 2h. That is, in the case of the present embodiment, in a new developer replenishing container 1 that is not installed (before installation), the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c of the reciprocating member 3b restricts movement when the pump portion 3a is in the most contracted state. It is engaged with the cam groove 2n. When the cylindrical portion 2k is rotationally driven in the attached state, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c that has been engaged with the movement regulating cam groove 2n moves in the direction of movement in the cam groove 2h (in the direction of arrow B) relative to the cam groove 2h. ) A movement regulating cam groove 2n is branched from the cam groove 2e so as to be engageable from the most upstream side. Here, the upstream side in the rotational direction of the movement regulating cam groove 2n is connected to the cam groove 2i at the most upstream side in the movement direction of the cam groove 2h, or in other words, connected to the cam groove 2g at the most downstream side in the movement direction in the cam groove 2g. The cam groove 2i is branched from the cam groove 2i (see branch point 2X).

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the movement regulating cam groove 2n is located at the same position as the cam groove 2i in the rotational axis direction of the cylindrical portion 2k toward the downstream side in the rotational direction of the cylindrical portion 2k from the branch point 2X with the cam groove 2i. It is formed on the extension line D of the cam groove 2i. In addition, in this embodiment, since the two reciprocating member engaging protrusions 3c are provided so as to face each other by about 180° with the cylindrical portion 2k in between (see FIG. 8(a)), the two movement regulating cams The grooves 2n are formed at positions shifted by approximately 180° in the rotational direction of the cylindrical portion 2k.

As shown in FIG. 9, during the first operation after installation, the cylindrical portion 2k is rotated in the rotational direction, so that the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c moves in the opposite direction to the rotational direction along the movement regulating cam groove 2n. Moving. Then, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c moves to the cam groove 2h through the movement regulating cam groove 2n and the cam groove 2i. When the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c moves in the movement regulating cam groove 2n, the pump portion 3a is not operated in the above-mentioned operation stop process, and in the operation stop process, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c moves in the cam groove. It is maintained until reaching 2h.

When the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c reaches the cam groove 2h, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c moves along the cam groove 2h, resulting in an intake process in which the pump portion 3a extends. Thereafter, when the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c reaches the cam groove 2g, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c moves along the cam groove 2g, so that the pump section 3a performs an exhaust process in which it performs a compression operation. Further, when the cylindrical portion 2k is rotated, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c reaches the branch point 2X between the movement regulating cam groove 2n and the cam groove 2i, but the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c reaches the movement regulating cam groove 2X. It enters the cam groove 2i without entering the cam groove 2n. In this way, after the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c passes through the movement regulating cam groove 2n, it moves only along the cam groove 2e without returning to the movement regulating cam groove 2n.

In the case of this embodiment, the opposite side of the movement regulating cam groove 2n from the branching point 2X is closed so that the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c does not enter the cam groove 2e from the downstream side in the rotational direction. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a locking portion 2m serving as a suppressing portion is provided on the branching point 2X side of the movement regulating cam groove 2n so as to close the path of the movement regulating cam groove 2n. The pump part 3a is initially set to the most contracted state so as to perform an intake operation during the first operation after installation, and the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c is located downstream of the lock part 2m in the rotational direction and is set in the movement regulating cam groove 2n. is engaged with.

As shown in FIG. 11, the lock portion 2m is formed to protrude from the bottom surface of the movement regulating cam groove 2n. The locking part 2m has a locking surface 2m1 (slanted surface) which is inclined so that the upstream side is higher on the downstream side, and the locking surface 2m1 is inclined so that the downstream side is higher on the upstream side with respect to the rotation direction (arrow A direction) of the cylindrical part 2k. It has a restraining surface of 2m2. In FIG. 11, the inclination angle of the locking surface 2m1 (the angle with respect to the straight line U connecting the rotation center O of the cylindrical portion 2k to the intersection of the locking surface 2m1 and the movement regulating cam groove 2n) is indicated by an inclination angle α1. Further, the inclination angle of the restraining surface 2m2 (the angle with respect to the straight line J connecting the rotation center O of the cylindrical portion 2k to the intersection of the restraining surface 2m2 and the movement regulating cam groove 2n) is indicated by the inclination angle α2. Further, the height from the bottom surface of the movement regulating cam groove 2n to the upper end surface of the lock portion 2m is indicated by the step amount K. Note that the locking portion 2m may be formed as a step in which the depth of the movement regulating cam groove 2n is shallower on the upstream side than on the downstream side in the rotational direction of the cylindrical portion 2k.

The lock portion 2m will be explained. As described above, in the initial state when the developer supply container 1 is not installed, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c is engaged with the movement regulating cam groove 2n on the downstream side of the locking portion 2m in the rotational direction. There is. When the developer supply container 1 is not installed, the rotation of the cylindrical portion 2k causes the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c to come into contact with the locking portion 2m, thereby preventing the cylindrical portion 2k from rotating further. Rotation of the portion 2k is suppressed. That is, the overcoming torque required for the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c in contact with the locking surface 2m1 to override the locking portion 2m is made larger than the maximum torque that may be generated in the cylindrical portion 2k during transportation. A locking surface 2m1 is formed. Note that the overcoming torque is smaller than the torque of the drive motor 500. Therefore, when the cylindrical portion 2k is rotated by the drive motor 500, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c overcomes the locking portion 2m and moves to the cam groove 2h through the cam groove 2i as described above. obtain.

The above-mentioned overcoming torque can be adjusted to a desired magnitude by the inclination angle α1 of the locking surface 2m1 and the step amount K. When the inclination angle α1 is reduced, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c comes into contact with the locking surface 2m1 at a steeper inclination with respect to the rotational direction, so that the overcoming torque increases. However, the closer the inclination angle α1 is to "0°", when the cylindrical part 2k is rotated by the drive motor 500, the more the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c is locked by the locking surface 2m1 and cannot get over the locking part 2m. . However, the closer the inclination angle α1 is to 90°, the more likely the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c will be able to overcome the locking portion 2m when the maximum torque that may be generated on the cylindrical portion 2k during transportation is applied. It can be put away. Therefore, the inclination angle α1 of the locking surface 2m1 is set in a range greater than 0° and smaller than 90° based on the balance between the maximum torque that may be generated in the cylindrical portion 2k during transportation and the torque of the drive motor 500. . For example, the inclination angle α1 is preferably set to 30° or more and 50° or less.

Moreover, the above-mentioned overcoming torque can be increased by increasing the step amount K. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the reciprocating member 3b is restrained from the outside toward the inside by a rotation restricting portion 3f provided on the cover 4e. Therefore, when the reciprocating member engaging projection 3c climbs over the locking portion 2m, a portion of the rotation regulating portion 3f is elastically deformed by the reciprocating member engaging projection 3c. At this time, the amount of deformation of the rotation restriction portion 3f increases in accordance with the movement of the lock portion 2m, and the larger the amount of deformation of the rotation restriction portion 3f, the more the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c deforms the lock portion 2m. The overcoming torque when overcoming becomes large. The amount of deformation of the rotation regulating portion 3f increases as the step amount K increases. Therefore, this step amount K is also set based on the balance between the maximum torque that may be generated in the cylindrical portion 2k during transportation and the torque of the drive motor 500, in combination with the inclination angle α1.

Further, the lock portion 2m is provided with a restraining surface 2m2. The restraining surface 2m2 is configured to move from the cam groove 2e to the movement restricting cam groove 2n after the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c that has climbed over the locking portion 2m due to the rotation of the cylindrical portion 2k by the drive motor 500 passes through the movement restricting cam groove 2n. The movement of the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c is suppressed so as not to return to . This prevents the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c from being moved from the cam groove 2e to the movement regulating cam groove 2n when the cylindrical portion 2k is reversely rotated by the drive motor 500 for some purpose in the installed state. It's for a reason. Therefore, it is preferable that the inclination angle α2 of the restraining surface 2m2 is set smaller than the inclination angle α1 of the locking surface 2m1. For example, it is preferable that the inclination angle α2 is set to 10° or more and 30° or less.

As described above, in this embodiment, the reciprocating member 3b is moved back and forth so that the pump part 3a does not extend or contract even if the cylindrical part 2k is rotated during transportation from the cam groove 2e that makes the pump part 3a extend and contract. The movement regulating cam groove 2n that engages the moving member engaging protrusion 3c is branched. In the movement regulating cam groove 2n, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c does not move to the cam groove 2e due to the rotation of the cylindrical part 2k during transportation, and the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c does not move to the cam groove 2e due to the rotation of the cylindrical part 2k by the drive motor 500. A locking portion 2m is provided so that the cam can move into the cam groove 2e. That is, by engaging the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c with the movement regulating cam groove 2n, the pump part 3a does not expand or contract during transportation, and the pump part 3a is maintained in the most contracted state. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the developer from becoming difficult to be discharged due to rotation of the cylindrical portion 2k during transportation.

Furthermore, the movement regulating cam groove 2n is located on the upstream side of the cam groove 2h in the movement direction in which the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c moves with respect to the cam groove 2h that causes the pump part 3a to perform an extension operation (intake operation) in the cam groove 2e. It is connected to the cam groove 2e. Therefore, due to the rotation of the cylindrical portion 2k after mounting, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c passes through the movement regulating cam groove 2n and moves to the cam groove 2h via the cam groove 2i. Thereafter, since the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c moves in the cam groove 2h, the pump portion 3a can be caused to perform an intake operation prior to an exhaust operation. In this way, by reliably operating the pump part 3a from the intake air, even if the developer stored in the developer storage part 4d becomes solidified during transportation, it can be thawed by air, and a certain amount of the developer can be immediately released after installation. Developer can be replenished. In this way, stable discharge of developer can be achieved with an easy configuration.

<Other embodiments>
In addition, in the embodiment mentioned above (see FIG. 9), an example was shown in which the side opposite to the branching point 2X of the movement regulating cam groove 2n is not connected to the cam groove 2e, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the side opposite to the branching point 2X is connected to the cam groove 2e. It may be connected to the cam groove 2e. For example, in FIG. 9, the movement regulating cam groove 2n may be connected to the cam groove 2h on the downstream side in the rotational direction. However, in this case, a shielding portion is provided to shield between the cam groove 2h and the movement regulating cam groove 2n so that the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c cannot go back and forth between the cam groove 2h and the movement regulating cam groove 2n. It is necessary to provide

In the embodiment described above (see FIG. 9), the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c can engage with the cam groove 2h from the most upstream side in the moving direction (direction of arrow B) in the cam groove 2h, and the movement regulating cam groove 2n is connected to the cam groove 2e, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the movement regulating cam groove 2n is formed so that the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c can engage with the cam groove 2h from halfway along its path, and the movement regulating cam groove 2n is connected to the cam groove 2h midway through its path, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. may have been done. In this case, the movement regulating cam groove 2n is formed to extend toward the downstream side in the rotational direction of the cylindrical portion 2k from the branching point 2XA with the cam groove 2h.

In this case, the branch point 2XA is within the range H (100%) in which the reciprocating member 3b moves when the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c moves from the most upstream to the most downstream in the extension direction along the cam groove 2g. , is preferably provided in a range of 10% or more and 50% or less. This is because the closer the branch point 2XA between the movement restriction cam groove 2nA and the cam groove 2h is to the most downstream of the cam groove 2h, the more the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c moves from the movement restriction cam groove 2nA to the cam groove 2h. This is because the suction operation of the pump section 3a cannot be sufficiently ensured after this. If the suction operation of the pump section 3a is not sufficiently ensured, it will be difficult to sufficiently release the developer stored in the developer storage section 4d during transportation.

In the embodiment described above (see FIG. 9), the movement regulating cam groove 2n is located at the same position as the cam groove 2i in the rotational axis direction of the cylindrical portion 2k from the branch point 2X toward the downstream side in the rotational direction of the cylindrical portion 2k. Although the formed one is shown as an example, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the movement restricting cam groove 2nB is formed at a position that does not overlap with the cam groove 2e in the rotational axis direction of the cylindrical portion 2k, and connects the movement restricting cam groove 2nB and the above-mentioned branch point 2X. Thus, the communication groove 2r is formed. The communication groove 2r extends from the branch point 2X toward the upstream side in the moving direction and the downstream side in the rotational direction in the cam groove 2h, and connects the upstream end in the rotational direction of the movement regulating cam groove 2nB and the downstream end in the rotational direction of the cam groove 2i. The ends are in contact.

In the case of such a configuration, the amount of expansion of the pump portion 3a during the initial operation after installation can be ensured to be larger by the amount provided with the communication groove 2r. That is, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c that is engaged with the movement regulating cam groove 2nB in the uninstalled state moves to the cam groove 2i after passing through the communication groove 2r as the cylindrical portion 2k rotates after being installed. It further moves toward the cam groove 2h. When the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c moves in the communication groove 2r, the reciprocating member 3b (see FIG. 8(a)) moves in the direction of arrow B in the figure. In other words, since the pump portion 3a is extended, air is taken in. In this way, during the initial operation after installation, the pressure inside the developer replenishing container 1 can be further reduced by the length of the communication groove 2r, so that the amount of air taken in from the outside via the discharge port 4a can be increased. As a result, even if the developer hardens in the developer storage portion 4d during transportation and becomes difficult to dissolve, the developer can be reliably dissolved and discharged stably.

Next, a modification of the movement regulating cam groove 2n shown in FIG. 9 is shown in FIG. As in the cam groove configuration shown in FIG. 13, it is more preferable that the groove width L of the movement regulating cam groove 2n is wider than the groove width M of the cam groove 2p. The details will be explained below.

In this embodiment, when the image forming apparatus is required to be stably supplied with a certain amount of developer from the supply container 1, the groove width M of the cam groove 2p is determined by the pump portion 3b, which affects the amount of developer supplied. In order to suppress fluctuations in the amount of expansion/contraction strokes, the width may be designed to be the minimum necessary. However, the movement regulating cam groove 2n is provided to prevent the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c from moving into the cam groove 2p due to vibrations caused by physical distribution as described above, and prevents the expansion and contraction of the pump section 3a, which affects the amount of developer supplied. Since the area does not contribute, it does not have to be narrow like the cam groove 2p. Furthermore, if the groove width L of the movement regulating cam groove 2n is as narrow as the groove width M of the cam groove 2p, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c of the reciprocating member 3b is engaged with the movement regulating cam groove 2n. It is also assumed that high assembly precision may be required during assembly.

Therefore, by configuring the cam groove as shown in FIG. 13, the groove width M of the cam groove 2p can be set to the minimum necessary groove width suitable for discharging the developer. The groove width L of the movement regulating cam groove 2n, which is wider than the above, can be set to a groove width suitable for ease of assembly. As a result, it becomes possible to maintain a stable replenishment amount when discharging the developer and to improve assembly efficiency during production at a factory.

In addition, from the viewpoint of assemblability, the area where the groove width L of the movement restriction cam groove 2n is made wider than the groove width M of the cam groove 2p does not have to be the entire area of the movement restriction cam groove 2n as shown in FIG. . Even if the region in which the groove width L of the movement regulating cam groove 2n is widened is limited to the region where the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c of the reciprocating member 3b passes through the movement regulating cam groove 2n during assembly during production, the above-mentioned It is possible to obtain the effect of improving the ease of assembly.

Further, when the groove width L of the movement regulating cam groove 2n is made wider than the groove width M of the cam groove 2p, it is preferable to set it as follows.

In the present configuration shown in FIG. 13, the side surface 2n1 on the upstream side in the C direction (pump part 3b side) of the movement regulating cam groove 2n is connected to the cam groove 2i at the most downstream side in the C direction of the cam groove 2p, and in the rotation axis direction of the supply container 1. are located at the same location. Note that this side surface 2n1 is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 13, and may be provided at least downstream of the cam groove 2i in the C direction without having a convex surface on the upstream side in the C direction. This will be explained below.

Since the side surface 2n1 does not have a convex surface, when the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c moves within the movement regulating cam groove 2n as the above-mentioned supply container 1 rotates, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c moves along the convex surface. 3c does not move downstream after moving upstream in the C direction. Therefore, the pump portion 3b that interlocks with the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c does not move in the contraction direction because the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c does not move downstream in the C direction.

Furthermore, since the side surface 2n1 is provided on the downstream side of the cam groove 2i in the C direction, when the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c moves from the movement regulating cam groove 2n to the first cam groove 2p, the reciprocating member engages with the cam groove 2i. Since the mating projection 3c does not move downstream in the C direction, the pump portion 3b that interlocks with the reciprocating member engaging projection 3c does not move in the direction of contraction.

As shown in FIG. 13, the downstream side surface 2n2 of the movement regulating cam groove 2n in the C direction is provided such that the groove width L of the second cam groove 2n is wider than the groove width M of the cam groove 2p. ing.

The purpose of this is that after the supply container 1 is installed in the image forming apparatus as described above, the reciprocating member engaging protrusion 3c moves within the movement regulating cam groove 2n, and moves from the movement regulating cam groove 2n to the cam groove 2p. This is to ensure that the pump portion 3a is moved in the direction of expansion from the contracted state when moving to the cam groove 2p and then moving within the cam groove 2p. As a result, even when the groove width L of the movement regulating cam groove 2n is widened, air can be first drawn into the discharge portion 4c from the outside when the supply container 1 is installed in the image forming apparatus. As a result, it becomes possible to stably discharge the developer to the image forming apparatus by releasing the developer that has become tight due to physical distribution.

1 Developer supply container 2 Developer storage section 2e Engagement groove (first groove, cam groove)
2g Engagement groove (exhaust groove, cam groove)
2h Engagement groove (intake groove, cam groove)
2i Connection groove (non-operating groove, cam groove)
2m Suppression part (lock part)
2m1 Slanted surface (lock surface)
2n (2nA, 2nB) Engagement groove (second groove, movement restriction cam groove)
2r Communication groove 2X Branch point 3a Pump part 3b Conversion member (reciprocating member)
3c Engagement part (reciprocating member engagement protrusion)
201 Developer receiving device (developer replenishing device)

Claims (8)

A developer supply container that can be attached to a developer receiving device,
a developer accommodating portion having an engagement groove formed on its outer circumferential surface and rotatably driven in a predetermined rotational direction in a mounted state;
A reciprocating operation to perform an intake operation in which the air is expanded in a first direction and sucked into the developer accommodating section, and an exhaust operation in which the air is compressed in a second direction opposite to the first direction and exhausted from the developer accommodating section. a pump section,
a conversion member having an engagement portion that engages with the engagement groove, and which is spanned between the pump portion and the engagement groove to convert rotational movement of the developer accommodating portion into reciprocating movement of the pump portion; Equipped with
In the engagement groove, an intake groove for moving the conversion member in the first direction and an exhaust groove for moving the conversion member in the second direction are alternately formed in the rotation direction, and the exhaust groove is formed alternately in the rotation direction. a first groove formed with a connecting groove connecting the downstream end in the second direction of the air intake groove and the upstream end in the first direction of the air intake groove; and a first groove capable of guiding the engaging portion to the air intake groove. a second groove branched from the first groove toward the downstream side in the rotational direction and having a wider groove width than the first groove;
The second groove suppresses movement of the engaging portion to the first groove and prevents the converting member from operating when the converting member and the developer accommodating portion rotate relative to each other in an unattached state. , when the developer accommodating portion is rotationally driven in the installed state and the converting member and the developer accommodating portion rotate relative to each other, the converting member is operated by allowing the engaging portion to move into the first groove. A suppressing part is formed to cause
A developer supply container characterized by: The connection groove is a non-operating groove that guides the engagement portion from the exhaust groove to the intake groove without causing the pump portion to reciprocate as the developer storage portion is rotated after being installed. , the second groove is branched from the non-operating groove;
The developer supply container according to claim 1, characterized in that: the second groove is branched from the intake groove;
The developer supply container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second groove covers 10% or more and 50% or less of the range in which the conversion member moves when the engaging portion moves from the most upstream to the most downstream in the first direction along the intake groove. Branched at the branch point that is the range,
The developer supply container according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second groove is formed upstream of the non-operating groove in the first direction,
The engagement groove has a communication groove that communicates the second groove and the non-operating groove.
The developer supply container according to claim 2, characterized in that: The suppressing portion is a step in which the depth of the second groove is shallower on the upstream side than on the downstream side in the rotation direction.
The developer supply container according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The suppressing portion is formed to protrude from the bottom surface of the second groove.
The developer supply container according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The suppressing portion has a downstream surface in the rotation direction that is an inclined surface.
The developer supply container according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that:

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