JPH02244174A - Toner cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the housing of a toner into a replenishing toner housing part and to prevent the toner from splashing at the time of a cartridge exchange by connecting the replenishing toner housing part and a recovered toner housing part and rotatably providing the replenishing toner housing part in the state of fixing the recovering aperture of the recovered toner housing part 32 so as to face upward. CONSTITUTION:The replenishing toner housing part 31 and the recovered toner housing part 32 are connected via a connecting means 33 and the replenishing toner housing part 31 is rotatably provided in the state of fixing the recovering aperture 32d of the recovered toner housing part 32 so as to face upward and is so constituted that the recovering aperture 32d is held to face upward at all times even if a replenishing aperture 31b is directed downward at the time of toner replenishment. Since the replenishing toner housing part 31 is parted from the recovered toner housing part 32 from the beginning in such a manner, the housing of the toner into the replenishing toner housing part 31 is facilitated and since the recovering aperture 32d is held to face upward at all times, the splashing of the toner at the time of the cartridge exchange is prevented.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] This invention converts an electrostatic image formed on an image forming body such as a photoreceptor drum into a visible image using toner using an electrophotographic recording method or an electrostatic recording method. The present invention relates to a toner cartridge that collects and stores toner scraped off from an image forming body by a cleaning device after the toner is transferred onto recording paper.

[Conventional technology]

Generally, image recording devices that use electrostatic images, such as electrophotographic copying machines and electrostatic recording devices, form an electrostatic image on an image forming body such as a photoreceptor drum, and use a developing device to transfer this electrostatic image to toner. The toner image is transferred and fixed onto the recording paper to obtain the desired recorded material.After the image transfer is completed, the residual charge on the photosensitive drum is erased by the static elimination electrode, and then the remaining charge is removed by the cleaning device. The toner is removed and prepared for the next electrostatic image formation.

In the above-mentioned image recording apparatus, the developing device and the cleaning device are opposed to each other with the photoreceptor drum in between, so the container for replenishing toner to the developing device and the container for collecting toner scraped off by the cleaning device are separate. It is natural for it to be installed. Further, about 70% of the toner supplied to the developing device from the toner supply container is consumed to obtain a recorded matter, and about 30% is collected as waste toner.

Therefore, if the replenishment toner container and the collected toner container are installed separately, only the toner is replenished to the developing device, and the replacement of the collected toner container is forgotten, leading to the risk of overflowing the toner.

Therefore, recently, a proposal has been made to ensure that when replacing the replenishment toner container, the user does not forget to replace the collected toner container at the same time.

One of the representative examples is as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-184373, where a stretchable membrane is stretched diagonally inside a container to divide it into two chambers, and initially the stretchable membrane is stretched to the maximum to supply the entire area inside the container. Toner is put in, and as the amount of toner decreases with each copy, the stretchable membrane contracts and the space created can be used as a collected toner chamber. In this case, the collection container is always replaced when all of the toner to be supplied is used up. The second method, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 61-37008, is to rotate the replenishment toner container on the toner supply side by 180 degrees so that it stands upright and fits into the cleaning device so that it can be used as a collected toner container. In this case as well, since it is instructed to insert the empty replenishment container into the cleaning device part when replenishing toner, it is thought that it will be less likely that the user will forget to replace the collection container.

[Problems that the invention attempts to solve]

However, in the first case, it is difficult to install the elastic membrane inside the container, and it is troublesome to initially store the replenishment toner with the elastic membrane stretched. In the case of 180', some toner still adheres to the empty container after replenishing toner to the developing device.
When rotated, there was a risk that residual toner would fly off and stain the surrounding area. This invention is intended to solve the above problem, and makes it easier to store toner in the replenishment toner storage section. With,
To provide a toner cartridge which prevents toner from flying away when replacing the cartridge when replenishing toner.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a toner cartridge in which a replenishment toner storage section and a collected toner storage section are integrally configured, in which the replenishment toner storage section and the collected toner storage section are connected via a connecting means, and The toner storage section is rotatably provided with the collection opening of the collected toner storage section fixed upward, and configured so that even if the replenishment opening is turned downward during toner replenishment, the collection opening always remains facing upward. .

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be described based on an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the figure, 10 is a process cartridge of a copying machine.
Inside the process cartridge 10, a charging device 12, a developing device 13, and a cleaning device 14 are arranged around an image forming body (hereinafter referred to as a photosensitive drum) 11.

Note that the transfer device is not shown here because it is provided on the copying machine main body side corresponding to the lower surface of the photosensitive drum 11.

The developing device 13 includes a developing sleeve 15 and a main stirring member 1.
A portion of the developer scraped up by the main stirring member 16 passes through the gap with the doctor blade 18 and adheres to the surface of the developing sleeve 15, and is then deposited on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. It is used to develop the electrostatic image on the surface, and some of the developer is sent to the rear through the gap with the regulating piece 19, and is passed through the inclined plate 22 through the opening 21 provided in the partition plate 20 as shown by the arrow. Then, it circulates to the lower surface side of the auxiliary stirring member 17. A toner concentration sensor 23 is provided on the flow path surface of the developer flowing as shown by arrow A through the opening 21, and detects the magnetic permeability of the developer. A drive signal or a stop signal can be output to a drive source (not shown). When the replenishment roller 25 rotates, the toner in the toner replenishment chamber 24 falls through a gap with the opening end member 26 of the opening groove.

27 is the toner storage chamber, 28 is the window 2 from the toner storage chamber 27
This is a ladder chain that feeds toner into the toner supply chamber 24 through 9.

Reference numeral 30 denotes a toner cartridge of the present invention, and the toner cartridge 30 is installed in the replenishment toner storage section 3 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
1 and a collected toner storage section 32 are integrally connected via a connecting means 33.

As shown in the fourth figure, the connecting means 33 includes a cylindrical body part 33a whose one end face is closed, and a shaft part 33c which protrudes from the center of the inner surface of the closed face 33b and extends outward from the open face of the cylindrical body part 33a. , and a knob member 33e that is integrally fixed to the tip of the shaft portion 33c with a tightening screw 33d. The knob member 3
3e is provided with a shutter 33f that opens and closes the collection opening 32d of the collected toner storage section 32.

The replenishment toner storage section 31 is formed into a cylindrical shape made of a suitable material such as paper, and one end (the right end in the figure) is provided on the outer periphery of the closed end of the cylindrical body 33a of the connection means 33. It has an inner diameter that allows it to fit snugly into the small diameter portion 33a', and the other end (the left end in the figure) is sealed with a cap member 31a. Further, the replenishment opening 31b provided in the side wall is sealed with a flexible seal member 31c until it is peeled off when replenishing the stored toner to the toner storage portion 27.

The collected toner storage section 32 has a large diameter section 32a having a non-circular outer periphery, and an inner cylinder section 3 that is opposed to each other with the large diameter section 32a interposed therebetween.
2b and an outer cylinder part 32c. The shaft portion 3 of the connecting means 33 is located at the center of the outer wall of the inner cylindrical portion 32b and the outer cylindrical portion 32c.
Through-holes 32b' and 32c' that can be fitted into the hole 3c are provided.

Therefore, the through hole 32b' of the inner cylinder part 32b and the outer cylinder part 32
The shaft portion 33c of the connecting means 33 is inserted in a skewered manner into the through hole 32c' of c, the inner cylinder portion 32b is loosely fitted into the cylindrical body portion 33a, and the shaft protrudes from the through hole 32c' of the outer cylinder portion 32c. Part 3
A knob member 33e is screwed onto the tip of the handle 3c as shown in the third figure. As a result, the collected toner storage section 32 is connected to the connecting means 33.
It is integrated with the replenishment toner storage section 31 via. Therefore,
When the collection toner storage section 32 is fixed with its collection opening 32d facing upward and the knob 33e is turned to the right or left, the replenishment toner storage section 31 will rotate in the circumferential direction.

In this case, if the shutter 33f integrated with the knob 33e and the replenishment opening 31e of the replenishment toner storage section 31 are oriented in the same direction, when toner replenishment is performed with the replenishment opening 31e facing downward, the shutter 33f will open at the collection opening 32d. When the replenishment opening 31e is opened and, conversely, the replenishment opening 31e faces upward, the collection opening 32d is closed by the shutter 33f.

The collected toner storage section 32 is fixed by bringing the non-circular outer periphery of the large diameter section 32a into contact with a protrusion 10' provided on the front cover of the process cartridge 10 as shown in FIG. 3 when the present cartridge 30 is set. This is done by

The outer periphery of the large diameter portion 32a of the collected toner storage portion 32 is
In the figure and Fig. 4, it is made into a hexagon, but that part is
As shown in the figure, it may be formed into a five-box shape so that it can be fixed in accordance with the concave shape of the front cover of the process cartridge 10.

In the above embodiment, the recovered toner storage section 32 is loosely fitted in a skewered manner to the shaft portion 33c of the connecting means 33 to which the replenishment toner storage section 31 is fixed. 33 is configured to cover the outer periphery of the collected toner storage section 32, and the replenishment toner storage section 31 is installed while the collected toner storage section 32 is grounded and fixed to the front cover of the process cartridge IO with its collection opening 32d facing upward.
It is also possible to configure it so that it can rotate in the circumferential direction.

A cleaning blade 34 is pressed against the photosensitive drum 11 and scrapes off toner remaining on the drum surface after transfer.The cleaning blade 34 is rotated counterclockwise around a shaft 35 by a compression spring 36. It is attached to the front edge side of the supported support frame 37.

Reference numeral 38 designates a receiving portion for the collected toner scraped off by the cleaning blade 34, reference numeral 39 designates a toner guide plate, and reference numeral 40 designates a toner conveyance screw disposed within the toner receiving portion 38. As shown in FIG. 10, the toner delivery screw 40 is a hollow body 4 whose base end 41a is rotatably connected to the toner receiving portion 38 from the outside of the process cartridge 10.
It runs vertically up to the tip end 41b of 1. The hollow body 41 has a discharge port 41c on the lower surface of its tip 41b, and is engaged with the collection opening 32d of the collected toner storage section 32 of the toner cartridge 30 of the present invention. That is, the recovered toner scraped off from the photosensitive drum 11 is gradually conveyed from the toner receiver 38 through the hollow body 41 to the recovered toner storage section 32 by the carry-out screw 40.

In FIGS. 9 and 10, reference numeral 42 denotes a lever for rotating the hollow body 41 to a position out of the way when the toner cartridge 30 of the present invention is installed and removed.
It is designed so that it can be erected clockwise around 1.

When the lever 42 is erected as shown in the first O, the pin 422 attached to the lever rides on the lower surface of the frame member 423 fixed to the outer periphery of the hollow body 41, and the hollow body 41 is moved around the base end 41a. Rotate it upward. This lever 42
The upright state is maintained by the action of a coil spring 424 stretched between the frame member 423 and the frame member 423.

Reference numeral 43 denotes a shutter for opening and closing the discharge port 41c provided on the lower surface of the tip 41b of the hollow body 41, and the shutter 43 is connected to the lever 42 via a link member 44.

゛Therefore, when the lever 42 is erected and the hollow body 41 is rotated upward, the discharge port 41c is closed in conjunction with this operation, while when the lever 42 is pushed down as shown in Figure 9, the discharge port 41c is opened. It looks like this.

In the above embodiment, in order to set the toner cartridge 30 of the present invention in the upper part of the toner storage chamber 27 of the developing section 13,
First, the replenishment opening 31b of the replenishment toner storage section 31 is fully opened in an upward position, and the toner is loaded into a predetermined location. In this case, the collection opening 32d of the collected toner storage section 32 similarly faces upward, and is closed by a shutter 33f integrated with the knob 33e.

When set in this manner, the non-circular large diameter portion 32a of the collected toner storage portion 32 is aligned with the procel cartridge 1.
Since it is grounded and fixed to the protrusion 0, when the knob 33e is turned to the right or left, the replenishment toner storage section 31, which is tightly fitted to the cylindrical body 33a integrated with the knob 33e, also rotates in the circumferential direction. do. When the replenishment opening 31b is directed directly downward in this manner, the toner in the replenishment toner storage section 31 falls into the storage chamber 27 due to gravity and is replenished. The toner is transported from the storage chamber 27 to the toner supply chamber 24 by a ladder chain 28, and used in appropriate amounts for development.

On the other hand, after the image transfer, the toner remaining on the photoreceptor drum 11 is scraped off by the cleaning blade 34, the toner is transmitted along the toner guide plate 39, and collected in the toner receiving part 38. The toner toner is collected into the collected toner storage section 32 through a collection opening 32d which is opened upward from a discharge port 41c provided on the lower surface of the distal end thereof.

Next, when replacing the cartridge 30 of the present application, the lever 4
2 to stand up as shown in Figure 10. As a result, the hollow body 4 connected to the collection opening 32d of the collected toner storage section 32
1 rotates upward and separates, and at the same time the discharge port 41c provided on the lower surface of the tip 41b of the hollow body 41 opens the shutter 4.
Closed by 3.

After that, turn the knob 33e to remove the toner from the replenishment toner storage section 3.
Even if the replenishment opening '31e of No. 1 is turned upward, the collection opening 32d of the collected toner storage section 32 remains facing upward. Moreover, since the collection opening 32d is completely closed by the shutter 33f integrated with the knob member 33e,
If the toner is pulled out in this state, toner will not be scattered from either the replenishment opening or the collection opening.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention provides a toner cartridge in which a replenishment toner storage section and a collected toner storage section are integrally configured, in which the replenishment toner storage section and the collected toner storage section are connected via a connecting means, and the replenishment toner storage section is The feature is that the collection opening of the collected toner storage section is fixed upward and can be rotated, so if the collection opening of the collected toner storage section is set upward from the beginning, the replenishment opening can be turned downward when replenishing toner. Also, the collection opening is always kept facing upward, so toner will not be scattered when replacing the cartridge.

In addition, the replenishment toner storage section is connected to the collected toner storage section via a connecting means and is isolated from the beginning, unlike conventional devices in which a stretchable membrane is stretched diagonally inside the container to divide it into two chambers. , it is easy to store toner in the replenishment toner storage section.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 10 show embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a Procel cartridge incorporating the toner cartridge of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the toner cartridge of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the toner cartridge of the present invention. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the toner cartridge, FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a modified example of the collected toner storage section, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are according to the present application. A cross-sectional front view and a cross-sectional side view showing a second embodiment of the toner cartridge, FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the toner discharge pipe is folded down, and FIG. 1θ is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the toner discharge pipe is raised. . 0...-Procell cartridge 1--Photosensitive drum 3--Developing device 4--Cleaning device 7--Storage section O--Toner cartridge 1--Replenishment toner storage section 1b-- Replenishment opening 2 - Collection toner storage section 2d... Collection opening 3 - Connection means patent Applicant: Coca Co., Ltd. Figure 2d

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a toner cartridge in which a replenishment toner storage section and a collected toner storage section are integrally configured, the replenishment toner storage section and the collected toner storage section are connected via a connecting means, and the replenishment toner storage section is configured to store the collected toner storage section. A toner cartridge characterized by being rotatably provided with a collection opening fixed upward. (2) The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means is configured to open and close the collection opening of the collected toner storage section in conjunction with the rotation of the replenishment toner storage section.