JPH03214178A - Toner cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To definitely judge the consumption of toner without providing a device main body with any dedicated constitution by providing a toner cartridge with a projection and prescribing how much the toner cartridge slants when supported by the projection part. CONSTITUTION:The toner cartridge 1 includes a toner tank 4 which contains toner 2 and further has the projection 3. The toner cartridge 1 placed on a horizontal surface 5 slants as shown in an arrow in a figure (a) because of the projection 3 when the amount of the toner 2 is large, namely, when the toner cartridge 1 is not used so much, so that a part 6 abuts on the horizontal surface 5 and becomes stationary. Further, when the toner 2 is consumed to become small in amount in the toner tank 4, weight decreases corresponding the toner consumption and when the toner cartridge 1 is placed on the horizontal surface 5, the toner cartridge slants as shown by an arrow, so that a part 7 of the cartridge 1 abuts on the horizontal surface 5 and becomes stationary. Consequently, the toner consumption can definitely be judged without providing the device main body with any dedicated constitution.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a toner cartridge, and particularly to the shape of a toner cartridge used in an electrophotographic printing device.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in this type of electrophotographic apparatus, in order to detect when the amount of toner remaining in use is running low, it is necessary to install a dedicated toner sensor using a piezoelectric element or to adjust the voltage applied to a portion of the toner. Measures such as detecting leakage were used.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The conventional toner detection methods described above all use electrical signals, so they require a dedicated circuit, as well as the work required to attach the sensor to the toner cartridge and the connector for connecting the sensor to the main body of the device. It has the disadvantage that it cannot be realized at low cost, including the cost of the sensor itself.

[Means to solve the problem]

In the toner cartridge of the present invention, the toner supplied to and consumed in the printing process of an electrophotographic printer or an electrophotographic copier device is in the form of a cartridge that can be attached to and removed from the device, and further, the cartridge has a protrusion. The projection is formed at a location on the cartridge such that when the cartridge is supported in the weight direction by the protrusion, the stable position of the cartridge changes depending on the specified weight of the toner in the cartridge. protrusions are placed.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing one embodiment of the present invention. 1st
In the figure, a toner cartridge 1 includes a toner tank 4 containing toner 2, and further has a protrusion 3.

When the toner cartridge 1 is placed on the horizontal surface 5 with its protrusion 3, when there is a large amount of toner 2, that is, when the toner cartridge 1 is not used much, the toner cartridge 1 is placed on the horizontal surface 5 as shown in FIG. 1(a).
It tilts in the direction of the arrow as shown, and the part 6 comes into contact with the horizontal surface 5 and comes to rest.

Also, the toner 2 is consumed and the toner 2 in the toner tank 4 is
When the toner cartridge 1 is placed on the horizontal surface 5 with the protrusion 3 in the same way as described above, the toner cartridge 1 is tilted in the direction of the arrow in FIG. A portion 7 of the cartridge 1 comes into contact with the horizontal surface 5 and remains stationary.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention provides a protrusion on the toner cartridge, and it is possible to know the consumption condition of the toner in the toner cartridge, that is, the usage amount of the toner cartridge, by the degree of inclination of the toner cartridge when the toner cartridge is supported by the protrusion. can. That is, it is possible to provide a toner cartridge that can accurately determine the amount of toner used without using expensive parts such as sensors and without having any special configuration in the main body of the apparatus.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing one embodiment of the present invention. 1... Toner cartridge, 2... Toner 3... Protrusion, 4... Toner tank, 5... Horizontal surface.

Claims (1)

[Claims] The toner supplied to and consumed by the printing process of an electrophotographic printer or electrophotographic copier device is in the form of a removable cartridge for said device;
A protrusion is formed on the cartridge, and the protrusion allows
The protrusion is arranged at a location on the cartridge such that when the cartridge is supported in the weight direction, the stable position of the cartridge changes depending on the specified weight of the toner in the cartridge. toner cartridge.