JPH0210538Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention applies toner to the developing section of an electrostatic recording device such as an electrophotographic copying machine, which performs a toner phenomenon on an electrostatic charge image to form a visible image. This invention relates to an improvement of a toner container unit for replenishing toner.

[Prior art]

In an electrostatic recording device using a dry two-component developer or a single-component developer, toner is consumed as copies are made, and it is necessary to replenish toner after a large number of copies have been made. Toner is generally replenished by replenishing a developer receiving device (hopper) of an electrostatic recording device from a toner container unit containing toner. Toner is a fine powder with a diameter of more than 10 microns, and it is very easy to scatter, so if the container is tilted, it becomes a mist and floats in the container. Therefore, it is necessary that the toner container has a structure that prevents floating toner from easily scattering from the opening, and that the opening can be easily opened and closed.

As is well known, in electrophotographic copying machines, it is necessary to replenish the toner consumed during use, but conventionally, replenishment toner is stored in a toner container unit such as a resin bottle or aluminum foil bag. There is.
Therefore, when replenishing toner to a developing device such as an electrophotographic copying machine, the bottle or aluminum foil bag is opened and the toner is poured into the replenishment hopper while turning the bottle or the like to one side. However, with this toner replenishment method, toner may scatter into the air during replenishment, or
Toner adhering to the cap of the bottle, etc., stains the fingertips, and while the bottle is being loaded, the toner spills all over the place, contaminating the environment.

[Purpose of invention]

The present invention provides a toner container unit that does not contaminate the vicinity of the copying machine or the hands and clothes of an operator during toner replenishment operations in an electrophotographic copying machine, and allows the operation and toner replenishment to be performed accurately and easily. The purpose is to

[Structure of the invention] The present invention aims to achieve the above-mentioned object, and consists of a column-shaped container with an opening at the bottom and a through hole in the center of the top for storing toner, and a cone-shaped container. This is achieved by a toner container unit that includes a piston-shaped closing member that includes a lid that closes the opening with its peripheral edge, and a shaft that projects to the outside of the container through the through hole provided at the top of the lid. be done.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a toner container according to the present invention and its internal components. FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the toner container according to the present invention. FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of a toner container according to the present invention attached to a hopper.

The toner container according to the present invention is composed of two parts, an outer container shown in FIG. 1A and an inner part shown in FIG. 1B, and is used with the inner part inserted into the outer container. The external container shown in FIG. 1a is a cylindrical container 1 having holes on the entire bottom surface and a through hole 2 in the center of the top surface. The internal part shown in FIG. 1b is attached to one end of a shaft portion 5 of the same diameter that fits into the upper surface through hole 2 of the container 1, and has a maximum diameter of the same size that fits with the lower surface opening diameter of the container 1. A conical lid part 6 having a minimum diameter similar to that of the shaft part 5 is integrated or fixed, and the material of the lid part 6 is made of resin or rubber, etc., which has more elastic sealing properties. There is. Also, the shaft part 5
A disk-shaped flange member 4 having an outer diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the container 1 is integrated or fixed in the middle of the container 1 .

FIG. 2 shows a state in which toner 8 is stored in the toner container unit constituted by the above two types of parts, and a conical lid 6 is fitted into the opening at the bottom of the container 1 to completely seal it. This prevents the toner 8 inside from flowing out or scattering. A shaft end portion 3 protrudes from the through hole 2 of the container 1 on the upper surface of the container 1 . The toner container is transported or placed in this state, but if the lid 6 comes off the container 1 for some reason, there is a risk that the toner 8 stored inside will leak out and cause contamination. By cutting a groove in a part of the shaft end 3 and inserting a stopper 7 made of a U-shaped thin plate into this groove, the lid 6 will not be accidentally shifted from the opening of the container. Toner 8 is prevented from flowing out.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the toner container according to the present invention is installed in a hopper 9 fixedly installed in the main body of the copying machine, and the toner 8 in the toner container is being replenished into the hopper 9. The toner container is placed in a predetermined position in the hopper 9, and the stopper 7 is pulled out from the groove in the shaft end 3. Next, when the shaft end 3 is gently pressed, the lid 6 is pushed downward, creating a gap between it and the opening of the container 1. The toner 8 stored in the container 1 flows out into the hopper 9 through this gap. The flanged member 4 fixed to the shaft portion 5 has a diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the container 1, so it serves as a guide when pushing down the shaft end portion 3, and at the same time, removes toner that has adhered to the inside of the container by rubbing the inner surface of the container. Its role is to scrape off the 8. Since the lid part 6 has a conical shape, the toner flows out along the slope.
It does not accumulate or remain in the toner container. Further, since the hopper 9 and the container 1 are fitted together at the attachment portion, the toner 8 will not be scattered from the attachment portion.

Since the lid 6 of the toner container has a conical shape,
The toner that flows out and falls does not accumulate in the center of the opening of the container, but is widely dispersed within the hopper and falls, so there is no need to use another means to disperse the toner within the hopper so that it is evenly deposited. .

In this embodiment, the toner container has a cylindrical shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the same effect can be obtained even when the toner container has a prismatic shape, for example.

[Effect of idea]

The toner container unit according to the present invention has the following effects.

(1) The toner container has a simple structure and is therefore inexpensive.

(2) All toner can be replenished without any toner remaining in the container.

(3) Toner can be distributed and replenished over a wide area within the hopper.

(4) Workers' hands and clothes will not be contaminated.

That is, in the toner replenishment operation according to the present invention,
without contaminating the area around the copier or the worker's body.
A convenient toner container unit that allows accurate and easy toner replenishment has been provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the toner container components according to the present invention, with FIG. 1a showing the outer container and FIG. 1b showing the inner parts. FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the toner container according to the present invention. FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the toner container being attached to the hopper and toner being replenished. 1... Container, 2... Through hole, 3... Shaft end, 4
...Flame-shaped member, 5...Shaft part, 6...Lid part, 7...
Stoppa, 8... Toner, 9... Hoppa.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) A container for storing toner having a columnar shape with an opening at the bottom and a through hole at the center of the top, and a cone-shaped container with the opening at the periphery. A toner container unit comprising a piston-shaped closing member including a lid portion for closing the toner container, and a shaft portion protruding to the outside of the container through the through hole provided at the top of the toner container unit. (2) The toner container unit according to claim 1, wherein the shaft portion is provided with a flange-like member that comes into contact with the inner surface of the container.