JP7360637B2 - Powder storage containers, toner containers, and image forming devices - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a powder storage container, a toner container, and an image forming apparatus.

Conventionally, there has been a powder storage section in which an opening is formed and a powder object is stored therein, a conveying means for transporting the powder object inside the powder storage section toward the opening, and a powder storage section that covers the opening. A powder storage container is known which includes an opening covering part attached to a powder storage part, and the opening covering part has a discharge port for discharging powder material discharged from the opening into the inside of the opening covering part to the outside. ing.
For example, in Patent Document 1, a powder object (toner) discharged through an opening of a powder storage section (cylindrical container) and inside an opening covering section (cap section) is transferred to a discharge port of the opening covering section. A configuration is described in which the water is discharged from the tank to the outside. In this powder storage container, the powder that is discharged from the opening of the powder storage section to the inside of the opening covering section and headed for the discharge port is pushed by the powder that has passed through the opening later, and the powder is pushed to the discharge port. It moves towards the target and is ejected from the outlet.

In the configuration of Patent Document 1, if the fluidity of the powder object decreases inside the opening covering part, the powder object with the decreased fluidity will not move if it is simply pushed by the powder object that has passed through the opening later. In some cases, the powder remained inside the opening covering portion, making it difficult to discharge the powder.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a powder storage section that has an opening at one end in the longitudinal direction and stores powder therein, and a powder storage section that is provided at the one end side of the powder storage section; The cap includes a cap part rotatably installed relative to the powder storage part, a powder outlet formed in the cap part, and a shutter member capable of sealing the powder outlet. , the powder storage part has a convex shape on the inner circumferential surface that can transport the powder toward the one end side by rotating the powder storage part in a predetermined direction, and the cap part has a convex shape that can transport the powder toward the one end side, and A deformable member that can rub against the convex shape is attached by rotating the body storage section relative to the cap section , and the convex shape is provided in a spiral shape in the powder storage section. It is characterized by the following.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, there is an excellent effect that it is possible to suppress the accumulation of powder objects inside the opening covering portion, and it is possible to suppress defective discharge of the powder objects.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the vicinity of the cap of the toner container. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printer. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the schematic configuration of one of the four image forming units. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a toner container is installed in a toner replenishing device. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a toner container is installed in a toner container accommodating section. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which one toner container is installed in a toner container accommodating section. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the toner container from diagonally above. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective explanatory view of a container body and a cap of a toner container, FIG. 3A is a perspective explanatory view of the cap, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view of the toner container. A side view of the container body. Rear view of the cap. An explanatory diagram of the cap viewed diagonally from behind. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the cap in the same section as FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rotating stirring member having a rotating stirring bar. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the toner container shown in FIG. 1 viewed from the left side. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration in which a non-rotating stirring member can be attached to and detached from a cap.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that in each figure, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping explanations thereof will be simplified or omitted as appropriate.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printer 100, which is an image forming apparatus according to this embodiment.
Toner containers 32 (Y, M, C, K) serving as four powder storage containers corresponding to each color (yellow, magenta, cyan, black) are detachably attached (replaceable) to the toner container storage section 70 of the printer 100. ). An intermediate transfer unit 15 is arranged below the toner container storage section 70 . Image forming sections 6 (Y, M, C, K) corresponding to each color are arranged in parallel to face the intermediate transfer belt 8 of the intermediate transfer unit 15. Furthermore, toner replenishing devices 60 (Y, M, C, K) are provided below the toner containers 32 (Y, M, C, K), respectively. The toner contained in the toner containers 32 (Y, M, C, K) is supplied to the image forming unit 6 (Y, M, C, K) by the toner replenishing device 60 (Y, M, C, K), respectively. ) is supplied (replenished) into the developing device (powder using section).

Four toner containers 32 (Y, M, C, K) corresponding to each color, an image forming section (Y, M, C, K), and a toner replenishing device 60 (Y, M, C, K) store the toner to be used. They have the same configuration except for the difference in color. Therefore, in the following description and drawings, the subscripts "Y", "M", "C", and "K" indicating the colors of the toners used will be omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of one of the four image forming sections 6. As shown in FIG.
The image forming section 6 includes a photoconductor 1, a charging section 4 disposed around the photoconductor 1, a developing device 5 (developing section), a cleaning section 2, a static eliminating section, and the like. Then, an image forming process (charging process, exposure process, developing process, transfer process, cleaning process) is performed on the photoconductor 1, and images of each color are formed on the photoconductor 1.

The photoreceptor 1 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 3 by a drive motor. Then, the surface of the photoreceptor 1 is uniformly charged at the position of the charging section 4 (charging step). Thereafter, the surface of the photoreceptor 1 reaches the irradiation position of the laser beam L emitted from the exposure device 7, and electrostatic latent images corresponding to each color are formed by exposure scanning at this position (exposure step). Thereafter, the surface of the photoreceptor 1 reaches a position facing the developing device 5, and the electrostatic latent image is developed at this position, forming toner images of each color (developing step). Thereafter, the surface of the photoreceptor 1 is a primary transfer portion that faces the primary transfer roller 9 with the intermediate transfer belt 8 in between, and the toner image on the photoreceptor 1 is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 8 (primary transfer step). . A color image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 8 by overlappingly transferring the toner images of each color formed on the photoreceptor 1 of each color onto the intermediate transfer belt 8 .

A small amount of untransferred toner remains on the surface of the photoreceptor 1 that has passed through the primary transfer section. Thereafter, the surface of the photoreceptor 1 reaches a position facing the cleaning section 2, and the untransferred toner remaining on the photoreceptor 1 is mechanically collected by the cleaning blade 2a (cleaning step). Finally, the surface of the photoreceptor 1 reaches a position facing the static eliminating section, and the residual potential on the photoreceptor 1 is removed.

The intermediate transfer unit 15 includes an intermediate transfer belt 8, four primary transfer rollers 9 (Y, M, C, K), a secondary transfer backup roller 12, a plurality of tension rollers, an intermediate transfer cleaning section, and the like. The intermediate transfer belt 8 is stretched and supported by a plurality of tension rollers, and is moved endlessly in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2 by the rotation of the secondary transfer backup roller 12 among the roller members. The four primary transfer rollers 9 (Y, M, C, K) each sandwich the intermediate transfer belt 8 with the photoreceptor 1 (Y, M, C, K) to form a primary transfer nip. .

Then, a transfer bias opposite to the polarity of the toner is applied to the primary transfer roller 9 (Y, M, C, K). The intermediate transfer belt 8 travels in the direction of the arrow and sequentially passes through the primary transfer nip of each primary transfer roller 9 (Y, M, C, K). In this way, the toner images of each color on the photoreceptor 1 (Y, M, C, K) are primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 8 in an overlapping manner.

The intermediate transfer belt 8, onto which the toner images of each color have been transferred in a superimposed manner, reaches a secondary transfer portion facing a secondary transfer roller 19. In the secondary transfer section, the intermediate transfer belt 8 is sandwiched between the secondary transfer backup roller 12 and the secondary transfer roller 19 to form a secondary transfer nip. The four-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 8 is transferred onto a recording medium P such as a transfer paper that is conveyed to the position of this secondary transfer nip. At this time, untransferred toner that has not been transferred to the recording medium P remains on the intermediate transfer belt 8. After that, the intermediate transfer belt 8 reaches the position of the intermediate transfer cleaning section, and the untransferred toner on the intermediate transfer belt 8 is collected. In this way, a series of transfer processes performed on the intermediate transfer belt 8 are completed.

The recording medium P conveyed to the position of the secondary transfer nip is conveyed from a paper feed section 26 disposed below the main body of the apparatus via a paper feed roller 27, a pair of registration rollers 28, etc. . Specifically, a plurality of recording media P are stored in the paper feed section 26 in a stacked manner. Then, when the paper feed roller 27 is rotationally driven in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2, the uppermost recording medium P is fed toward between the rollers of the registration roller pair 28. The recording medium P conveyed to the pair of registration rollers 28 temporarily stops at the roller nip of the pair of registration rollers 28 whose rotational drive has been stopped. Then, the registration roller pair 28 is rotationally driven in synchronization with the color image on the intermediate transfer belt 8, and the recording medium P is conveyed toward the secondary transfer nip. In this way, a desired color image is transferred onto the recording medium P.

The recording medium P onto which the color image has been transferred in the secondary transfer nip is conveyed to the fixing section 20. Then, at this position, the color image transferred to the surface is fixed onto the recording medium P by heat and pressure from the fixing belt and the pressure roller. Thereafter, the recording medium P passes between the rollers of the paper ejection roller pair 29 and is ejected out of the apparatus. The recording medium P discharged out of the apparatus by the paper discharge roller pair 29 is sequentially stacked on the stack unit 30 as an output image. In this way, a series of image forming processes in printer 100 are completed.

Next, the configuration and operation of the developing device in the image forming section will be described in more detail.
As shown in FIG. 3, the developing device 5 includes a developing roller 51 facing the drum-shaped photoreceptor 1, a doctor blade 52 facing the developing roller 51, a first developer storage section 53, and a second developer storage section 54. It has two conveying screws 55 disposed inside. Furthermore, a concentration detection sensor 56 that detects the toner concentration in the developer in the first developer storage section 53 is provided. The developing roller 51 is composed of a magnet fixed inside, a sleeve rotating around the magnet, and the like. A two-component developer G consisting of carrier and toner is accommodated in the developer storage section (53, 54). The second developer storage section 54 communicates with the toner fall conveyance path 64 through an opening formed above.

The sleeve of the developing roller 51 is driven to rotate in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 (counterclockwise). The developer G carried on the developing roller 51 by the magnetic field formed by the magnet moves on the developing roller 51 as the sleeve rotates. The developer G in the developing device 5 is adjusted so that the ratio of toner (toner concentration) in the developer is within a predetermined range. According to the consumption of toner in the developing device 5, the toner contained in the toner container 32 is replenished into the second developer storage section 54 via the toner replenishing device 60. The configuration and operation of the toner replenishing device will be explained in detail later.

The toner replenished into the second developer storage section 54 circulates through the two developer storage sections (53, 54) while being mixed and stirred with the developer G by the two conveyance screws 55. The toner in the developer G is attracted to the carrier by frictional charging with the carrier, and is supported on the developing roller 51 together with the carrier by the magnetic force formed on the developing roller 51. The developer G supported on the developing roller 51 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 and reaches the position of the doctor blade 52.

After the amount of developer G on the developing roller 51 is adjusted to an appropriate amount at this position, it is transported to a position (developing area) facing the photoreceptor 1, and the electric field formed in the developing area causes the photoreceptor to Toner is attracted to the latent image formed on 1. Thereafter, as the sleeve rotates, the developer G remaining on the developing roller 51 reaches above the first developer accommodating portion 53 and is separated from the developing roller 51 at this position.

Next, the toner replenishing device 60 and the toner container 32 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the toner replenishing device 60, which is one of the four toner replenishing devices 60, with the toner container 32 installed. Further, FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the toner containers 32 (Y, M, C, K) are installed in the toner container storage section 70. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which one toner container 32 is installed in the toner container storage section 70. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the toner container 32 from diagonally above.

The toner in the toner container 32 installed in the toner container accommodating section 70 of the printer 100 is appropriately developed for each color by the toner replenishing device 60 provided for each toner color according to the toner consumption in the developing device 5 for each color. It is replenished into the device 5.

The toner container 32 is attached to the toner container accommodating section 70 of the main body of the printer 100 by moving the toner container 32 in the direction of arrow "Q" in FIGS. 5 and 7. In conjunction with this mounting operation, the shutter 38 of the toner container 32 moves in the direction opposite to the arrow "Q" direction with respect to the toner container 32, the toner discharge hole W is opened, and the toner in the toner replenishing device 60 is removed. The supply port 73w and the toner discharge hole W of the toner container 32 communicate with each other. As a result, when the toner contained in the toner container 32 is discharged from the toner discharge hole W, it is stored in the toner tank portion 61 through the toner supply port 73w of the toner supply device 60.

The toner container 32 is a substantially cylindrical toner bottle, and is mainly composed of a cap 34 that is non-rotatably held in the toner container accommodating portion 70, and a container body 33 in which a gear 33c is integrally formed. Ru. The container body 33 is rotatably held relative to the cap 34, and a gear 33c is configured to mesh with a drive output gear 81 of the toner replenishing device 60. By rotating the drive output gear 81, the drive section 91 (having a drive motor, a drive transmission gear, etc.) transmits the drive to the gear 33c of the container body 33, and the container body 33 moves in the direction of arrow "R" in the figure. Drive rotation.

When the container main body 33 rotates, the toner stored inside the container main body 33 is moved along the longitudinal direction of the container main body 33 by a spiral protrusion 331 formed in a spiral shape on the inner peripheral surface of the container main body 33. It is transported from the left side to the right side in 4. The transported toner is discharged into the cap 34 from the tip opening 11 (see FIGS. 1 and 8) formed at the tip of the container body 33 on the cap 34 side. The toner discharged into the cap 34 is pushed by the toner discharged later through the tip opening 11 and moves to the right in FIG. 4. Then, the toner is discharged from the toner discharge hole W of the cap 34, and the toner is supplied into the toner tank portion 61 from the toner supply port 73w of the toner supply device 60. That is, by appropriately rotating and driving the container body 33 of the toner container 32 by the driving section 91, toner is appropriately supplied to the toner tank section 61. Each color toner container 32 (Y, M, C, K) is replaced with a new one when the toner container 32 (Y, M, C, K) reaches the end of its life (when almost all of the toner contained therein is consumed and becomes empty).

As shown in FIG. 4, the toner replenishing device 60 includes a toner container accommodating section 70, a toner tank section 61, a toner conveying screw 62, an in-tank stirring member 65, a toner end sensor 66, a driving section 91, and the like. Toner supplied from the toner container 32 is stored in the toner tank section 61 , and is transported by the rotation of the toner transport screw 62 and supplied to the second developer storage section 54 of the developing device 5 from the toner fall transport path 64 . be done.

A toner end sensor 66 is installed on the wall of the toner tank section 61 to detect when the amount of toner stored in the toner tank section 61 has fallen below a predetermined amount. As the toner end sensor 66, a piezoelectric sensor or the like can be used. When the control unit 90 detects by the toner end sensor 66 that the amount of toner stored in the toner tank unit 61 is below a predetermined amount (toner end detection), the drive unit 91 is driven under the control of the control unit 90. . Then, the container body 33 of the toner container 32 is rotated for a predetermined period of time to replenish the toner tank portion 61 with toner. If the toner end detection by the toner end sensor 66 is not canceled even after repeating the control to rotationally drive the container body 33 for a predetermined period of time, it is assumed that there is no toner in the toner container 32, and the toner container 32 is displayed on the display of the printer 100. A display will be displayed to encourage the exchange of .

An in-tank stirring member 65 is installed near the toner end sensor 66 in the toner tank section 61 to prevent the toner stored in the toner tank section 61 from agglomerating. The in-tank stirring member 65 has a flexible member installed on its shaft, and stirs the toner in the toner tank portion 61 by rotating in the clockwise direction in FIG. 4 . Furthermore, since the tip of the flexible member of the in-tank stirring member 65 slides into contact with the detection surface of the toner end sensor 66 during its rotation period, toner adheres to the detection surface of the toner end sensor 66, reducing detection accuracy. This prevents problems that may occur.

The toner container storage section 70 includes a cap receiving section 73, a bottle receiving section 72 (container main body receiving section), and an insertion opening section 71. The cap receiving portion 73 is for holding the cap 34 of the toner container 32. The bottle receiving portion 72 is for holding the container body 33 of the toner container 32. The toner container 32 includes an insertion opening portion 71 that serves as an insertion opening when the toner container 32 is installed.
When the main body cover installed on the front side of the printer 100 (the front side in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 2) is opened, the insertion opening portion 71 of the toner container storage portion 70 is exposed. Then, with the longitudinal direction of the toner container 32 set in the horizontal direction, the attachment/detachment operation of the toner container 32 is performed from the front side of the printer 100 (the attachment/detachment operation in which the longitudinal direction of the toner container 32 is the attachment/detachment direction).

The bottle receiving portion 72 is formed so that its length in the longitudinal direction is approximately equal to the length of the container body 33 in the longitudinal direction. The cap receiver 73 is provided at one end of the bottle receiver 72 in the longitudinal direction (installation direction), and the insertion opening 71 is provided at the other end of the bottle receiver 72 in the longitudinal direction (installation direction). With this configuration, as the toner container 32 is attached, the cap 34 slides on the bottle receiver 72 for a while after passing through the insertion opening 71 and is then set in the cap receiver 73. Become.
At the end of the container body 33 opposite to the cap 34 (the rear end in the mounting direction), a grip portion 33d is provided for the user to grip when attaching and detaching the toner container 32.

Next, the container body 33 and cap 34 that constitute the toner container 32 will be described in detail.
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective explanatory view of the container body 33 and cap 34 of the toner container 32, FIG. 8(a) is a perspective explanatory diagram of the cap 34, and FIG. FIG. 9 is a side view of the toner container 32, and FIG. 10 is a side view of the container body 33 with the cap 34 removed from the toner container 32 shown in FIG. 11 is a rear view of the cap 34 seen from the side where the tip of the toner container 32 is inserted (rear end side), and FIG. 12 is a rear view of the cap 34 seen from the slightly right side of the cap 34 shown in FIG. 34 is an explanatory diagram.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of the toner container 32 near the cap 34 in a state where the container body 33 and the cap 34 are assembled. FIG. 13 is a side sectional view of only the cap 34 in the same cross section as FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the toner container 32 of this embodiment includes a container body 33 and a cap 34 that holds the tip opening 11 of the container body 33. When the toner container 32 is attached to the toner container accommodating portion 70 of the printer 100 main body, the cap 34 is fixed so as not to rotate with respect to the printer 100 main body.

As shown in FIG. 13, the cap 34 seals the toner discharge hole W that allows the toner to fall into the toner tank section 61 below and the toner discharge hole W when the toner container 32 is removed from the toner container storage section 70. A shutter 38 is provided.
As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the cap tip inner wall surface 34f, which is the inner wall surface on the tip side of the cap 34, has a direction from the tip side to the rear end side (normal direction of the cap tip inner wall surface 34f). A non-rotating stirring and holding member 41 is provided in the form of a cantilevered square bar extending from one side to the other. One of the two planes formed by the extending side and the vertical side of the non-rotating stirring and holding member 41 has a notch that extends in the vertical direction from the non-rotating stirring and holding member 41. A comb-shaped non-rotating stirring member 42 inserted therein is fixed.

The non-rotating stirring and holding member 41 is made of a resin material and has high rigidity and is difficult to deform. The non-rotating stirring member 42 is made of resin and is a flexible and deformable member, and each of the strip-shaped portions made of elongated rectangles separated by cuts is elastically deformable. The non-rotating stirring member 42 is divided in the direction of the rotation axis to form a plurality of strips, thereby finely scraping the inner wall surface of the container body 33 and reducing the amount of toner remaining inside the container body 33. I can do it.

The container body 33 is a cylindrical member made of resin. As shown in FIGS. 1, 8, and 10, the container main body 33 has a rotating stirring rod 45 arranged so as to protrude from the inside of the cylinder near the tip opening 11 toward the tip side beyond the tip opening 11. Have two.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a rotating stirring member 46 having a rotating stirring rod 45. As shown in FIG. The rotary stirring member 46 has two rotary stirring rods 45 provided on one side of a partially cut-out ring portion 47, and two locking arms 48 provided on the other side. By locking this locking arm 48 to the inner wall of the container body 33, the rotating stirring member 46 can be easily attached to the container body 33.

The two rotating stirring rods 45 are arranged so as to be located on opposite sides of the rotation axis of the container body 33. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, when the container body 33 and the cap 34 are assembled, the rotating stirring rod 45 overlaps the cap 34 (in the longitudinal direction of the toner container 32 (left-right direction in FIG. 1)). They are arranged so that their positions overlap. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, when the container body 33 and the cap 34 are assembled, the tip of the rotary stirring rod 45 is positioned above the toner discharge hole W.
A rotating stirring rod 45 fixed to the container body 33 and rotating together with the container body 33 is a rod-shaped member extending into a cavity on the distal side of the distal end opening 11 in the cap 34 . It has the function of stirring the toner.

The outer diameter of the container body 33 is such that the outer diameter of the distal end portion that fits into the cap 34 (hereinafter referred to as the “container body head”) and the outer diameter of the portion that does not enter the cap 34 (hereinafter referred to as the “container body body portion”) ) is smaller than the outer diameter of the Here, among the spiral projections 331, those provided on the body of the container body are referred to as trunk spiral projections 331a, and those provided on the head of the container body are referred to as head spiral projections 331b.
When the container body 33 is rotationally driven, the body spiral protrusion 331a conveys the toner contained in the body of the container to the head of the container body. In this way, the body spiral projection 331a functions as a toner conveying means in the body of the container body.

The toner delivered to the head of the container main body is conveyed to the tip side (right side in FIG. 1) by the head spiral projection 331b as the container main body 33 is rotationally driven. The head spiral protrusion 331b is disposed on the rear end side of the gear 33c, and serves as a toner conveying means that applies a conveying force toward the front end to the toner that has reached a position closer to the front end than the position of the gear 33c. Not equipped with The toner that has reached the tip side beyond the position of the gear 33c is pushed by the toner conveyed from behind by the head spiral projection 331b, so that the toner is directed onto the inner circumferential surface of the container body 33 toward the tip opening 11. transported.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the container main body 33 and the cap 34 are assembled, the non-rotating agitation holding member 41 overlaps the container main body head of the container main body 33 (in the longitudinal direction of the toner container 32 (Fig. The positions in the left and right directions in 1 overlap). The non-rotating stirring and holding member 41 is arranged on the rotation axis of the container body 33. A strip of the non-rotating agitating member 42 extends from the non-rotating agitating member 41 toward the lower part where the toner discharge hole W is located and the upper part on the opposite side of the toner discharging hole W, and is cantilevered on the non-rotating agitating member 41. A non-rotating stirring member 42 is joined to the non-rotating stirring holding member 41 for support.

As shown in FIG. 1, the non-rotating stirring member 42 has a portion (hereinafter referred to as "non-rotating stirring member rear part 42a") located on the rear end side (left side in FIG. 1) of the gear 33c. The strip has a longer shape than the part (hereinafter referred to as "non-rotating stirring member front part 42b"). As shown in FIG. 1, the length from the tip of the upper strip of non-rotating stirring member rear part 42a to the tip of the lower strip is larger than the opening diameter of tip opening 11. As shown in FIG. Therefore, when the non-rotating stirring member rear part 42a is passed through the tip opening 11 in order to assemble the container body 33 and the cap 34, the strip of the non-rotating stirring member rear part 42a is largely elastically deformed. The strip of the rear part 42a of the non-rotating stirring member that has passed through the tip opening 11 and reached the rear end side of the gear 33c in the container body 33 is brought into a state close to its natural length due to the restoring force, and the strip reaches the inner circumferential surface of the container body 33. comes into contact with.

The non-rotating stirring member rear part 42a of the non-rotating stirring member 42 is arranged so as to face and come into contact with the head spiral projection 331b of the head of the main body of the container. As a result, when the container main body 33 rotates, the non-rotating stirring member 42 is elastically deformed by contacting and being pushed by the head spiral projection 331b. Then, when the head spiral protrusion 331b moves beyond the range where it can continue to contact the non-rotating stirring member 42, the non-rotating stirring member 42 is released from the elastic deformation and returns to its original state from the elastically deformed state. Movement causes vibrations.

Head spiral protrusions 331b are provided at one pitch or more, or in a plurality of rows, in the range of the inner wall surface of the container body 33 that is in contact with the non-rotating stirring member rear part 42a. Thereby, no matter what position the container body 33 is in the rotational direction, the non-rotating stirring member rear part 42a and the head spiral protrusion 331b are in contact with each other at one or more places. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the non-rotating stirring member rear part 42a from becoming completely floating with respect to the inner circumferential surface of the container body 33.

The head spiral protrusion 331b collides with the non-rotating stirring member rear part 42a, and the head spiral protrusion 331b pushes the non-rotating stirring member rear part 42a, so that the non-rotating stirring member rear part 42a expands in the circumferential direction and the head spiral When the shaped protrusions 331b are separated, they are opened. In a configuration that does not completely float, the operation of releasing the non-rotating stirring member rear part 42a can be repeated continuously at different timings depending on the position in the longitudinal direction, so that the toner in the container body 33 is constantly It is possible to continue applying vibration. In this way, by providing intermittent contact points between the non-rotating stirring member rear part 42a and the head spiral protrusion 331b, it is possible to prevent the fluidity of the toner from decreasing at a timing when no vibration occurs, and to loosen the toner. The effect can be improved.

As described above, the non-rotating stirring member 42 is a comb-like member with cuts, and the portions separated by the cuts are elongated rectangular strips. Since the head spiral projection 331b has a spiral shape, the position in the circumferential direction differs depending on the position in the axial direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1). Therefore, each strip that contacts the head spiral projection 331b repeats elastic deformation by contacting and being pushed by the head spiral projection 331b at different positions in the circumferential direction, and release from the elastic deformation. With this configuration, even if the container body 33 rotates a small amount, less than one rotation, the vibration caused by the elastic deformation returning to its original state in a part of the strip of the non-rotating stirring member 42 can be prevented. occurs, vibration can be applied to the toner, and the toner can be made fluid.

Since no conveyance force is applied to the toner between the position of the gear 33c inside the container body 33 and the tip opening 11, the toner with reduced fluidity adheres to the inner peripheral surface of the container body 33 and aggregates. There is a risk. On the other hand, in the toner container 32 of the present embodiment, the non-rotating stirring member front portion 42b contacts the inner peripheral surface of the container body 33 in a range where no conveying force is applied to the toner, and when the container body 33 rotates, the inner peripheral surface The non-rotating stirring member front portion 42b is configured to rub the surface. As a result, the non-rotating stirring member front portion 42b scrapes off the toner adhering to the inner circumferential surface of the container body 33 and loosens the toner, thereby suppressing agglomeration of the toner.

The toner that has reached the tip opening 11 is discharged from the tip opening 11 and delivered to the internal space of the cap 34. The internal space of the cap 34 also does not include a toner conveying means for applying a conveying force toward the leading end to the toner. Therefore, the toner that has reached the internal space of the cap 34 is pushed by the toner that has passed through the tip opening 11 later, and is conveyed through the internal space of the cap 34 toward the toner discharge hole W.

Since no conveyance force is applied to the toner between the position of the tip opening 11 and the toner discharge hole W in the internal space of the cap 34, toner with reduced fluidity adheres to the bottom surface of the internal space of the cap 34. There is a risk of agglomeration. When toner aggregates are formed on the bottom surface of the internal space of the cap 34, they may obstruct the movement of toner toward the toner discharge hole W, or the aggregates pushed by the toner conveyed later may enter the toner discharge hole W. There is a risk that the toner may fall and become clogged inside the toner discharge hole W.
Further, if the fluidity of the toner in the internal space of the cap 34 decreases due to the effects of vibration and heat during transportation of the toner container 32 and forms aggregates such as crosslinking, there is a problem that the toner cannot be discharged from the toner container 32. arise.

On the other hand, the toner container 32 of the present embodiment includes a rotating stirring rod 45 that is fixed to the container body 33 and protrudes toward the tip side from the tip opening 11 . The rotating stirring rod 45 contacts and stirs the toner with reduced fluidity, thereby suppressing the toner from agglomerating in the internal space of the cap 34. However, in order to prevent the rotating stirring rod 45 from interfering with the cap 34, the rotating stirring rod 45 does not come into contact with the bottom surface of the cap 34, and the toner near the bottom surface of the cap 34 is removed by the rotating stirring rod 45. It cannot be stirred. Furthermore, the toner that has aggregated and crosslinked near the upper opening of the toner discharge hole W cannot be stirred by the rotating stirring rod 45, and the aggregation cannot be broken.

In contrast, in the toner container 32 of the present embodiment, the non-rotating stirring member front portion 42b of the non-rotating stirring member 42 contacts or approaches the bottom surface of the cap 34 from the tip opening 11 to the toner discharge hole W. It is configured to do this. With this configuration, the non-rotating stirring member 42 comes into contact with the toner located between the tip opening 11 and the toner discharge hole W. The rotating stirring rod 45 makes contact with and separates from a non-rotating stirring member 42 fixed to the cap 34 via a non-rotating stirring holding member 41.

The contact with the rotating stirring rod 45 causes elastic deformation of the non-rotating stirring member 42 such that the tip of the non-rotating stirring member 42 moves downstream in the rotational direction. When the rotating stirring rod 45 moves beyond the range where it can continue to be in contact with the non-rotating stirring member 42, the elastically deformed non-rotating stirring member 42 vibrates due to the restoring force. This vibration can improve the fluidity of the toner that comes into contact with the non-rotating stirring member 42, preventing the toner with reduced fluidity from adhering to the bottom surface of the internal space of the cap 34, and preventing the toner from agglomerating. can be prevented.
Further, even if the toner is crosslinked due to vibration or heat during transportation of the toner container 32, the vibration of the non-rotating stirring member 42 stirs and fluidizes the toner, and the toner can be stably discharged. , it becomes possible to replenish the developing device 5 stably.

FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the toner container 32 shown in FIG. 1 viewed from the left side. The cross section of FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the position where the toner discharge hole W and the rotating stirring rod 45 overlap in the longitudinal direction of the toner container 32 (the left-right direction in FIG. 1), but the position of the rotating stirring rod 45 in the rotation direction is This is different from FIG. In FIG. 1, the two rotating stirring rods 45 are located directly above the toner discharge hole W, but in FIG. positioned.
A rotating stirring rod 45 that is rotationally driven together with the container body 33 rotates while elastically deforming a non-rotating stirring member 42 held by a non-rotating stirring holding member 41. When the non-rotating stirring member 42 located above the toner discharge hole W is released from the elastic deformation by the rotating stirring rod 45, it vibrates just above the toner discharge hole W due to its restoring force.

The non-rotating stirring member 42 is elastically deformed directly above the toner discharge hole W as shown by a broken line. The non-rotating stirring member 42, which has been elastically deformed to the position shown by the broken line, vibrates when returning to its original state due to restoring force and applies force to the toner in the direction of arrow "F" in FIG. As a result, even if the toner aggregates and crosslinks above the toner discharge hole W, the non-rotating agitation member 42 displaces the toner as shown by the broken line and breaks up the toner, and the vibration caused by the reaction causes the toner to be ' imparts force to the toner in the direction. Thereby, the toner clogged in the toner discharge hole W can also be replenished into the toner tank section 61 below.

The container main body 33 has a shape in which the inner diameter of the container main body head is smaller than the inner diameter of the container main body body, and the inner diameter becomes narrower toward the downstream side (the right side in FIG. 1) in the toner conveying direction. The non-rotating stirring member 42 is arranged so that its position in the axial direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) overlaps with the head of the container body 33, which is a portion where the inner diameter is narrowed. The container main body 33 has a small inner diameter on the outlet side due to molding reasons, and toner tends to clog in the portion where the inner diameter is small, but by arranging a non-rotating stirring member 42, the toner can be stirred and toner clogging can be prevented. It is prevented.

The toner container 32 of this embodiment is a toner container that is removably attached to the printer 100, which is an image forming apparatus. The toner container 32 includes a container body 33 which is a toner container portion having an opening (tip opening 11) for accommodating toner and discharging the toner, and a cover portion attached to cover the opening of the container body 33. A certain cap 34 is provided. The container body 33 is rotatably provided with respect to the cap 34 , and the cap 34 has a toner discharge hole W for discharging toner to the outside of the toner container 32 .

The toner container 32 includes a non-rotating stirring and holding member 41 that is a stirring member holding member that extends from above the toner discharge hole W through the tip opening 11 to the inside of the container body 33 . The non-rotating stirring and holding member 41 is provided with a non-rotating stirring member 42 which is a flexible stirring member and extends radially from the center of rotation of the container body 33. Furthermore, in the toner container 32, a rotating stirring rod 45, which is a rotating stirring member that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the container body 33, extends from the tip opening 11 to the toner discharge hole W. The rotating stirring rod 45 contacts the non-rotating stirring member 42 above the toner discharge hole W, so that the non-rotating stirring member 42 vibrates.

As described above, by having the rotary stirring rod 45 that can rotate within the cap 34 (toner storage portion) and the non-rotating stirring member 42 that is vibrated by the rotating stirring rod 45, toner etc. crosslinked within the cap 34 can be removed. It becomes possible to break up toner lumps with reduced fluidity. This facilitates toner discharge from the toner discharge hole W.

The non-rotating stirring member 42 may be configured to be detachable from the cap 34.
FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration in which the non-rotating stirring member 42 can be attached to and detached from the cap 34. 16(a) is a sectional view of the cap 34 with the non-rotating stirring member 42 and the non-rotating stirring holding member 41 removed, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of the member 42 and the non-rotating stirring and holding member 41. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 16(a), the cap 34 has a support portion 57 that supports the non-rotating stirring and holding member 41. As shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 16(b), the non-rotating stirring and holding member 41 has a fitting portion 58 that fits into the support portion 57. By fitting the fitting part 58 to the support part 57, the non-rotating stirring member 42 held by the non-rotating stirring holding member 41 can be attached to the cap 34. Moreover, by releasing the fitting between the fitting part 58 and the support part 57, the non-rotating stirring member 42 can be removed from the cap 34. In this way, in the configuration shown in FIG. 16, the non-rotating stirring member 42 can be detachably arranged with respect to the cap 34. By making it removable as a separate component, the degree of freedom in assembly can be improved.

In the embodiment described above, the non-rotating stirring and holding member 41 that holds the non-rotating stirring member 42 is arranged on the axis of the rotation shaft of the container body 33, but the present invention is not limited to this. The non-rotating agitation holding member 41 is arranged so as not to interfere with rotating members such as the container body 33, and the flexible non-rotating agitation member 42 held by the non-rotating agitation holding member 41 is placed on the inner peripheral surface of the container body 33. As long as the non-rotating stirring and holding member 41 can be rubbed, the non-rotating stirring and holding member 41 does not need to be arranged on the axis.

In the embodiment described above, the spiral protrusion 331 provided on the container body 33 functions as a conveying means, and the toner stored inside is conveyed toward the tip opening 11 by rotating the container body 33. did. The conveying means for conveying the toner inside the container body 33 toward the tip opening 11 is not limited to a structure in which the toner is conveyed by rotation of the container body 33. For example, the following configuration may be used.

That is, an agitator which is rotated by a gear and extends over almost the entire length of the container body 33 is arranged inside the container body 33, and when the container body 33 and the cap 34 are assembled, they do not rotate relative to each other, and the container body 33 is attached to the cap. This configuration is such that it is fixed at 34. In this configuration, when a gear rotatably supported with respect to the cap 34 or the container body 33 rotates, an agitator (conveying means) disposed inside the container body 33 rotates, and the inside of the container body 33 is rotated. The toner is conveyed toward the tip opening 11 and the cap 34.
In this configuration, the rotating stirring rod 45 may be configured to rotate together with the agitator or may be configured to rotate independently.
A screw or a paddle can be used as a conveyance means in which the container body 33 does not rotate.

Furthermore, the contact/separation member that performs the action of elastically deforming the deformable member such as the non-rotating stirring member 42 and the action of separating the deformable member is not limited to a rotating member such as the rotary stirring rod 45. It may be configured to perform an operation of contacting the deformable member to elastically deform it by a pendulum-like swinging operation or a reciprocating operation, and an operation of separating the deformable member. If the rotating member is used as in this embodiment, it is possible to realize a configuration in which drive is transmitted to the contact/separation member using a simple drive transmission mechanism such as a gear. Further, if the member is a rotating member, it can be fixed to a rotating member such as the container body 33 and rotated, and it is possible to simplify the configuration for transmitting drive to the contacting and separating member.

In the above-described embodiment, the approaching and separating member is configured to perform an operation of approaching and separating from the deformable member, such as a rotational movement, by the rotation of the container body 33, but the driving force for the approaching and separating operation is independently applied. The configuration may be input using . However, by configuring the approach and separation operation to be performed by the driving force that drives the conveying means as in the above-described embodiment, it is possible to simplify the structure for transmitting the drive to the approach and separation members.

The above-described embodiment is a powder storage unit in which the container body 33, which is a powder storage section, and the cap 34, which is an opening covering section, are integrally attachable and detachable from a toner replenishment device 60, which is a powder replenishment device. Although the configuration of the toner container 32 has been described, it is not limited thereto. As a combination of the powder storage section and the opening covering section, the powder storage section and the opening covering section may be configured as separate bodies. Specifically, the opening covering section may be fixed to the powder replenishing device, and the powder storage section may be detachably attached to the opening covering section fixed to the powder replenishing device.

In the embodiments described above, the toner container 32 that stores toner as a powder object and the toner replenishing device that replenishes toner to a replenishing target have been described. The powder objects handled by the powder storage container and powder replenishment device according to the present invention are not limited to toner.
Furthermore, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the embodiments described above. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be made to the embodiments described above. Embodiments with such changes or improvements may also be included within the technical scope of the present invention.

What has been described above is just an example, and each of the following aspects has its own unique effects.

(Aspect 1)
A powder storage section such as a container body 33 in which an opening such as the tip opening 11 is formed and a powder object such as toner is stored therein, and a powder object inside the powder storage section is directed toward the opening. It includes a conveying means such as a spiral protrusion 331 for conveying, and an opening covering section such as a cap 34 attached to the powder storage section so as to cover the opening, and the powder discharged from the opening to the inside of the opening covering section. In a powder storage container such as the toner container 32 having an outlet such as a toner outlet W for discharging objects to the outside, the powder object is fixed to the opening cover and comes into contact with the powder object located between the opening and the outlet. The apparatus is characterized by having a deformable member such as a non-rotating stirring member 42, and a contacting and separating member such as a rotating stirring rod 45, which performs an action of contacting and elastically deforming the deformable member, and an action of separating the deformable member. It is.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, when the approaching and separating member separates from the elastically deformed deformable member, the deformable member vibrates due to the restoring force. This vibration loosens the powder material that comes into contact with the deformable member, suppresses the powder material with reduced fluidity from staying inside the opening covering part, and prevents defective discharge of the powder material.

(Aspect 2)
Aspect 1 is characterized in that the approaching/separating member performs an action of contacting and elastically deforming the deformable member and an action of separating from the deformable member in accordance with the rotational action with respect to the opening covering portion.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, it is possible to realize a configuration in which drive is transmitted to the contact/separation member using a simple drive transmission mechanism. In addition, it becomes possible to fix it to a rotating member such as the container body 33 or an agitator and rotate it, and it becomes possible to simplify the configuration for transmitting the drive to the contacting and separating member.

(Aspect 3)
In aspect 1 or 2, the opening covering part is rotatably attached to the powder storage part, and the conveying means moves the powder object inside the powder storage part to the opening by rotating the powder storage part. It is characterized by being transported towards the department.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, by rotating the powder storage section, it is possible to discharge the powder inside the powder storage section to the inside of the opening covering section.

(Aspect 4)
Aspect 3 is characterized in that the approaching and separating member performs an action of contacting and elastically deforming the deformable member and an action of separating from the deformable member as the powder storage section rotates with respect to the opening covering section. be.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, the approaching/separating member can be driven by the driving force that rotates the powder storage section, and the configuration for transmitting the drive to the approaching/separating member can be simplified. can.

(Aspect 5)
Aspect 4 is characterized in that the contact/separation member is configured to protrude from the opening and rotate together with the powder storage section, thereby passing through a position facing the discharge port.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, the powder material in the area facing the discharge port inside the opening covering part can be stirred. In particular, if the deformable member is placed in a position facing the discharge port, the deformable member can vibrate the powder near the discharge port or inside the discharge port, thereby improving fluidity. This makes it possible to prevent powder from accumulating near or inside the discharge port.

(Aspect 6)
In any one of aspects 1 to 5, a holding member such as a non-rotating stirring holding member 41 extending from the surface facing the opening of the opening covering part to the inside of the powder storage part and holding the deformable member is provided. The deformable member is arranged so that the portion held by the holding member is a fixed end, and the deformable member has a free end in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the conveyance means, such as the rotation axis direction of the container body 33. This is a characteristic feature.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the deformable member is fixed to the opening covering part and comes into contact with the powder object located between the opening and the discharge port.

(Aspect 7)
Aspect 6 is characterized in that at least a portion of the free end of the deformable member is disposed to face the discharge port.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, the powder material whose fluidity has decreased in the vicinity of the discharge port or within the discharge port can be loosened by the vibration of the deformable member.

(Aspect 8)
Aspect 6 or 7 is characterized in that the deformable member is arranged so as to be located also inside the powder storage section and comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the powder storage section.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, powder objects adhering to the inner wall surface of the powder storage section can be scraped off with the deformable member.

(Aspect 9)
In aspect 8, the opening covering part is rotatably attached to the powder storage part, and the spiral convex part protrudes inward in a range where the deformable member contacts the inner wall surface of the powder storage part. The deformable member is provided with a spiral convex portion, and is configured such that the deformable member and the spiral convex portion are in contact with each other regardless of the position of the powder storage section in the rotational direction with respect to the opening covering section. It is something.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, the contact points between the deformable member and the spiral convex portion are provided intermittently, and the effect of loosening the powder object can be improved.

(Aspect 10)
In any one of aspects 6 to 9, the deformable member is divided in the conveying direction of the conveying means to form a plurality of strips.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, the inner wall surface of the powder storage section can be scraped finely, and the amount of powder remaining inside the powder storage section can be reduced.

(Aspect 11)
In any one of aspects 6 to 10, the opening covering part is rotatably attached to the powder storage part, and has a convex shape such as a head spiral projection 331b on the inner wall surface of the powder storage part, The deformable member is characterized by repeatedly coming into contact with and separating from the convex shape discontinuously due to the rotational movement of the powder storage section.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, the deformable member does not continue to rub against the inner wall surface of the powder storage section, but is repelled by the inner wall surface, thereby improving the effect of loosening the powder object. can.

(Aspect 12)
In any one of aspects 6 to 11, the holding member is removably attached to the opening covering portion.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, the degree of freedom of assembly can be improved.

(Aspect 13)
In any one of aspects 6 to 12, the powder storage section has a shape in which the inner diameter becomes narrower toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the powder object, and the deformable member is arranged in the portion where the inner diameter of the powder storage section becomes narrower. On the other hand, it is characterized in that the positions of the conveying means in the conveying direction are arranged to overlap.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, it is possible to prevent the powder object from clogging in the portion of the powder storage section where the inner diameter is small.

(Aspect 14)
A powder storage means such as a toner container 32 for storing powder objects such as toner, and a toner transport screw 62 and the like that transport the powder objects discharged from the powder storage means toward a replenishment target such as the developing device 5. A powder replenishing device such as a toner replenishing device 60 having a replenishing conveyance means is characterized in that the powder storage container according to any one of aspects 1 to 13 is provided as a powder storage means. .
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, it is possible to suppress the defective discharge of the powder material from the powder storage container, and therefore it is possible to stably replenish the powder material to the replenishment target.

(Aspect 15)
A powder storage section such as a container body 33 in which an opening such as the tip opening 11 is formed and a powder object such as toner is stored therein, and a powder object inside the powder storage section is directed toward the opening. It is equipped with a conveying means such as a spiral protrusion 331 for conveying, and an opening covering section such as a cap 34 attached to the powder storage section so as to cover the opening, and the opening covering section is configured to move from the opening to the inside of the opening covering section. A toner conveying screw 62, etc., which has a discharge port such as a toner discharge hole W for discharging discharged powder matter to the outside, and conveys the powder matter discharged from the discharge port toward a replenishment target such as the developing device 5. In a powder replenishing device such as a toner replenishing device 60 having a replenishing conveyance means, the non-rotating agitation member 42, etc., which is fixed to the opening cover and comes into contact with the powder object located between the opening and the discharge port, is deformed. The apparatus is characterized in that it has a movable member such as a rotary stirring rod 45 that makes contact with the deformable member to cause it to elastically deform and moves away from the deformable member.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, when the approaching and separating member separates from the elastically deformable deformable member, the elastically deformable deformable member vibrates due to the restoring force. This vibration loosens the powder material that comes into contact with the deformable member, suppresses the powder material with reduced fluidity from staying inside the opening covering part, and prevents defective discharge of the powder material. Since defective discharge of powder objects from the powder storage container can be suppressed, powder objects can be stably replenished to the replenishment target.

(Aspect 16)
In an image forming apparatus such as a printer 100, which includes a developing means such as a developing device 5, and a developer replenishing means for replenishing the developing means with a developer such as toner in a developer storage container such as a toner container 32, the developer The present invention is characterized in that a powder replenishing device such as the toner replenishing device 60 of aspect 14 or 15 is provided as the replenishing means.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, it is possible to suppress failures in discharging the developer from the developer storage container, and it is possible to stably replenish the developer toward the developing means, so that stable images can be obtained. It becomes possible to perform the formation.

1 Photoconductor 2 Cleaning section 2a Cleaning blade 4 Charging section 5 Developing device 6 Image forming section 7 Exposure device 8 Intermediate transfer belt 9 Primary transfer roller 11 Tip opening 12 Secondary transfer backup roller 15 Intermediate transfer unit 19 Secondary transfer roller 20 Fixing section 26 Paper feeding section 27 Paper feeding roller 28 Registration roller pair 29 Paper ejection roller pair 30 Stack section 32 Toner container 33 Container main body 33c Gear 33d Grip section 34 Cap 34f Cap tip inner wall surface 38 Shutter 41 Non-rotating stirring holding member 42 Non-rotating Rotating stirring member 42a Non-rotating stirring member rear part 42b Non-rotating stirring member front part 45 Rotating stirring rod 46 Rotating stirring member 47 Ring portion 48 Locking arm 51 Developing roller 52 Doctor blade 53 First developer storage section 54 Second developer storage Part 55 Transport screw 56 Concentration detection sensor 57 Support part 58 Fitting part 60 Toner supply device 61 Toner tank part 62 Toner transport screw 64 Toner falling transport path 65 In-tank stirring member 66 Toner end sensor 70 Toner container storage part 71 Insertion opening part 72 Bottle receiving part 73 Cap receiving part 73w Toner supply port 81 Drive output gear 90 Control part 91 Drive part 100 Printer 331 Spiral projection 331a Body spiral projection 331b Head spiral projection G Developer L Laser light P Recording medium W Toner discharge hole

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-232009

Claims (13)

a powder storage part having an opening at one end in the longitudinal direction and storing powder therein;
a cap section provided on the one end side of the powder storage section and rotatably installed relative to the powder storage section;
a powder discharge port formed in the cap portion;
a shutter member capable of sealing the powder discharge port;
The powder storage section has a convex shape on an inner circumferential surface that can transport the powder toward the one end side by rotating the powder storage section in a predetermined direction,
A deformable member is attached to the cap portion and is capable of sliding against the convex shape when the powder storage portion rotates relative to the cap portion ,
A powder storage container characterized in that the convex shape is provided in a spiral shape in the powder storage section . The powder storage container according to claim 1,
The powder storage container is characterized in that the convex shape contacts and elastically deforms the deformable member when the powder storage portion rotates relative to the cap portion. The powder storage container according to claim 1 or 2,
The convex shape is characterized in that when the powder storage section rotates relative to the cap section, the powder storage section contacts and elastically deforms the deformable member and moves away from the deformable member. Powder storage container. The powder storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The cap part has a holding member extending from the one end side of the cap part toward the inside of the powder storage part,
A powder storage container characterized in that the deformable member is attached to the holding member. The powder storage container according to claim 4, wherein the holding member is supported in a cantilever manner by the cap portion. The powder storage container according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the holding member extends in the longitudinal direction to a position of the powder storage portion having the convex shape. The powder storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A powder storage container characterized in that the deformable member is made of flexible resin. The powder storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The powder storage container is characterized in that the deformable member is divided into a plurality of strips in the longitudinal direction. The powder storage container according to claim 4,
The holding member is arranged on the rotation axis of the powder storage section,
The deformable member includes a first deformable portion extending in one direction from the holding member toward the inner periphery of the powder storage portion, and a second deformable portion extending in a direction opposite to the first direction. has
A powder storage container characterized in that a distance from a tip of the first deformable portion to a tip of the second deformable portion is longer than a diameter of the opening . The powder storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
The powder storage part has a grip part on the other end side opposite to the one end side, and a small diameter part smaller in diameter than the body part excluding the grip part on the one end side, and the powder storage part is deformable. A powder storage container characterized in that the member is provided at a position corresponding to the small diameter portion in the longitudinal direction. The powder storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 10 ,
The powder storage portion has a first spiral shape provided on the one end side, and a second spiral shape provided on the other end side than the one end side,
A powder storage container characterized in that the convex shape is the first spiral shape. 12. A toner container according to claim 1, wherein the powder storage container stores toner in the form of powder. An image forming apparatus comprising the toner container according to claim 12 .

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