JPH0350535Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an improvement of a developing device used in an image forming apparatus such as an electrostatic copying machine.

(Prior Art) The above-mentioned developing device has a developer container provided with a developing roller, and this developer container has an opening for development formed at a position facing the photoreceptor drum, etc. If the developer contained in the developer container is transported or the like, there is a risk that the developer may spill out from the opening due to vibrations or the like.
In order to prevent this developer from spilling out, conventionally, the developer container is transported in an empty state, and the container is filled with developer at the site where the image forming apparatus is installed. That is, the toner hopper provided at the top of the developer container is removed to open the top surface of the developer container, and the developer is filled into the container from this portion.

However, installing and removing the toner hopper requires complicated work using special tools, and in addition, when installing the toner hopper, power transmission is required to drive the developer replenishment roller installed at the lower end of the toner hopper. There was a problem in that the mechanism had to be finely adjusted and installed in an appropriate state, and installation was difficult for only an experienced person.

Furthermore, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-184372, a cartridge for supplying unused developer is provided in the upper part of the developer container in addition to a cartridge for replenishing toner, and the opening of this cartridge is sealed. The developer is transported in a closed state to prevent the developer from spilling.
In this device, after the developer is supplied from the cartridge for supplying unused developer into the developer container, the empty cartridge is left installed, which requires wasted space and makes the device large. There was a problem of becoming

(Purpose of the invention) The present invention was devised to solve the above-mentioned problems. It eliminates space constraints, prevents the developer from spilling out during transportation, and It is an object of the present invention to provide a developing device that can easily fill a developer container with developer without requiring any skill.

(Structure of the invention) The present invention includes a developer container provided with a developing roller and a toner hopper attached to the upper part of the developer container. A filling opening is provided for filling.

With this configuration, the developer can be filled into the developer container from the filling opening without removing the toner hopper from the developer container.

(Example) Figures 1 and 2 show a developing device 1 according to the present invention.
A schematic diagram is shown. The developing device 1 includes a developer container 2 containing a developer made of toner and carrier, and a toner hopper 3 attached above the developer container 2. A developing roller 4 and an agitating roller 5 are arranged in parallel to each other in the developer container 2, and both rollers 4 and 5 are each driven to rotate by a drive device (not shown). The developing roller 4 consists of a rotating sleeve 6 and a fixed magnet 7 disposed inside the rotating sleeve 6. The developer attracted by the magnet of the fixed magnet 7 is magnetically applied to the surface of the rotating sleeve 6. Form a brush. The magnetic brush is configured to come into contact with a photoreceptor drum (not shown) through a developing opening 8 to develop the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor drum.

A spike section 9 for adjusting the height of the magnetic brush is formed above the developing roller 4, and the developer scraped off by the spike section 9 is transferred onto the stirring roller 5 via a guide plate 10. Supplied. Furthermore, a toner sensor 11 is provided above the spike section 9 to detect the toner concentration of the developer.

A toner cartridge, which will be described later, is attached to the toner hopper 3, and the filled toner is transferred to the developer container 2 as needed.
A toner replenishing roller 12 is disposed to replenish the toner inside. Further, locking pieces 13, 13 for locking the cartridge are provided at the upper end of one side wall of the toner hopper 3, and on a wall surface 14 located above the guide plate 10, a developer extending in the length direction with a predetermined width is provided. A filling opening 15 is formed. The filling opening 15 is closed by a lid member 17 having locking claws 16, 16 on the lower surface.

Since the developing device 1 of the present invention is configured as described above, it is transported with the developer container 2 empty, and the developer can be easily filled into the developer container 2 at the facility site of the image forming apparatus. Can be filled. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the lid member 17 is removed to open the filling opening 15, and the tip of the developer filling bolt 18 is inserted into the developer container 2 through the opening 15. By supplying the developer in the bolt 18 onto the guide plate 10,
The developer is stirred by the stirring roller 5 through this guide plate 10.
Can be filled on top. If the developer is configured to be guided onto the stirring roller through the guide plate 10 as described above, the amount of developer directly supplied onto the developing roller 4 will be limited, and the developer will be filled up. This can effectively prevent the developer from sometimes spilling out from the developing opening 8.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, after the filling opening 15 is closed by the lid member 17, the toner cartridge 19 is installed in the toner hopper 3, thereby filling the toner hopper 3 with replenishment toner. Further, by locking the upper end of the toner cartridge 19 with the locking pawl 13, the state of the cartridge 19 attached to the toner hopper 3 is maintained.

In the above embodiment, the filling opening 15 is closed with the lid member 17 in order to more reliably prevent the toner from scattering after the developer is filled. The opening 15 is placed in close contact with the wall surface 14 of 3.
If it is constructed so as to be closed, the lid member 17 can be omitted. Further, the developing device according to the present invention is applicable not only to an image forming device that uses a two-component developer, but also to an image forming device that uses a one-component developer made of magnetic toner.

(Effects of the invention) As explained above, in the present invention, since the toner hopper has an opening for filling the developer in the wall surface, the developer can be transported with the inside of the developer container empty, and the image forming apparatus can be installed. At the site, developer can be easily filled into the developer container without performing complicated operations such as removing the toner hopper. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the developer from spilling outside from the developing opening during transportation and contaminating the inside of the image forming apparatus, and it is also possible to easily perform the filling operation without using special tools. In addition, since there is no need for any adjustment of the drive unit, there is an advantage that no skill is required and handling is easy. Also, like conventional equipment,
Since there is no need to provide a cartridge or the like for supplying unused developer, there are effects such as effective use of space and miniaturization of the apparatus.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the developing device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the developing device, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the state during developer filling, and FIG. 4 is a developing device. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the state after filling with the agent. 1... Developing device, 2... Developer container, 3... Toner hopper, 14... Wall surface, 15... Filling opening.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] The toner hopper has a developer container provided with a developing roller and a toner hopper attached to the upper part of the developer container, and a filling opening for filling the developer into the developer container is provided in the wall of the toner hopper. A developing device characterized by being provided with.