JPH036918Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a toner supply device for an electrophotographic copying machine or the like.

In this specification, the term "toner" is used to include not only electrostatic toner of a two-component developer but also a single-component developer.

As is well known, in an electrophotographic copying machine, it is necessary to replenish toner consumed as the machine is used, and conventional replenishment toner is stored in resin bottles or aluminum foil bags. Therefore, when replenishing toner to a developing device such as an electrophotographic copying machine,
Open the bottle or aluminum foil bag, turn the bottle to one side, and pour toner into the supply hopper. However, with this type of toner replenishment method, toner may scatter into the air during replenishment, fingertips may become dirty due to toner adhering to the bottle stopper, or the environment may be contaminated by toner spilling around during replenishment. There is.

Furthermore, as is well known, in conventional toner replenishment devices, toner for replenishment is stored in an inner and outer dual cylinder case each having a slot for toner outlet formed in a part of the peripheral wall, and the toner is stored in the replenishment hopper at the same time. There is a known toner replenishing device that removes toner by rotating an inner case relative to an outer case after the case is attached. however,
Even when replenishing toner using a toner case with such a structure, when the toner case is pulled out from the replenishment hopper after toner has been loaded, the toner adhering to the opening of the slot of the toner case may spill outside or get on your hands. There are cases where Furthermore, if the inner and outer cylinders of the toner case are carelessly rotated before being attached to the supply hopper, the stored toner may leak out and cause an unexpected accident.

The purpose of the present invention is to prevent toner contamination accidents in the toner replenishing device as described above.The purpose of the present invention is to prevent toner contamination accidents in the toner replenishing device. a toner replenishment case, a mounting flange surrounding the entrance of a replenishment hopper into which the toner replenishment case can be inserted; A toner replenishment device is proposed that includes a flexible barrier bag that covers the entire toner replenishment case and has elasticity in a closing direction that allows the bag to be pushed open against an opening attached to the circumferential surface of the mounting flange during toner replenishment. It is something.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a double cylindrical toner case used in the present invention in its storage state before toner is replenished. This toner case A includes an outer case 1 molded into a cylindrical shape from a synthetic resin material, and an inner case 2 housed inside the outer case 1.
A replenishing toner T is housed inside the inner cylinder case 2. That is, these outer cylinder cases 1
Slots 3 and 4 serving as toner outlets are formed in the peripheral wall of the inner cylindrical case 2, respectively. Further, these outer cylinder case 1 and inner cylinder case 2 are housed in a flexible cylindrical barrier bag 5. The bottom of the barrier bag 5 is fixed to the inner case 2 by a handle plate 6 which rotates the inner case 2 from the outside, and a rubber ring 7 is sewn into the opening 5a of the bag. Therefore, the opening 5a of the barrier bag 5
is in a closed state as shown in the figure due to the contractility of the ring rubber 7.

On the other hand, the replenishment hopper 8 shown in FIG. 2 has a passage 9 that matches the cross-sectional shape of the outer cylindrical case 1 that receives the toner case A from the horizontal direction. That is, this passage 9 has a groove 9a that matches the opening tongue piece 1a of the outer cylinder case 1, so that the toner case A
When inserted into the passage 9, the outer cylinder case 1 cannot be rotated. Furthermore, a mounting flange 11 having an annular groove 10 into which the ring rubber 7 can be inserted is provided at the entrance of the passage 9.

In the storage state of the toner case according to the present invention, the barrier bag 5 is closed as shown in the first figure. For this reason, since the diameter of toner is usually about 10 μm, it is unavoidable that some toner will spill out from the gap between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder during normal handling such as transportation. Even if the cylindrical case 2 is rotated inadvertently, the replenishment toner T will not flow out to the outside, and unexpected accidents can be prevented. In addition, in order to replenish toner, the opening 5a of the barrier bag 5 is connected to the mounting flange 1 of the replenishment hopper 8.
1 as shown in the second figure, and after positioning the inner case 2 together with the outer case 1 in the position shown in the figure 8, by rotating only the inner case 2 with the handle plate 6, the slot 3 and the slot 4 match, and the contained replenishment toner T can fall naturally into the replenishment hopper 8. When the toner case is removed from the supply hopper 8, the barrier bag 5 stretches as the outer case 1 is pulled out, and the outer case 1 and the inner case 2 naturally fit into the barrier bag 5. Toner attached to the opening tongue piece 1a of the outer cylinder case 1 does not leak to the outside.

In the embodiment described above, the toner replenishment case is of a double cylinder type, but the present invention is not limited to this, and in short, when the replenishment case is removed from the replenishment hopper after toner replenishment The primary purpose of covering the replenishment case with a barrier bag is to prevent toner from spilling, so for example, as shown in FIG. The barrier bag 51 may be lightly held at one end of the toner case B as shown in the figure before toner replenishment, and after the toner case is installed in the replenishment hopper, this barrier bag is locked to the mounting flange 11. As shown in FIG. 4b, the lower bottom plate part 21 is
The toner replenishment opening may be opened by moving the toner replenishment opening in the direction shown in FIG. The lower bottom plate portion 21 may be placed on the box-shaped portion 20 while toner is being replenished.

After all, in the toner replenishing device of the present invention, the entire toner replenishing case containing replenishing toner is covered with a barrier bag with a closed opening, so even if the slot is opened or closed inadvertently, the toner replenishment case cannot be refilled externally. When the toner supply case is pulled out from the supply hopper, the opening of the barrier bag collapses due to its elasticity, and the entire toner supply case is completely covered with the barrier bag. Since the toner remaining in the toner replenishment case does not scatter to the outside, the slot of the toner replenishment case that may be contaminated with toner can be opened and closed from the outside of the barrier bag. Your fingertips won't get dirty with toner.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the toner case used in the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the toner case when it is attached to the replenishment hopper, and Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2 when replenishing toner. Figures 4a and 4b are explanatory diagrams of other embodiments of the present invention. A, B...Toner case, 1...Outer cylinder case,
2... Inner cylinder case, 3, 4... Slot, 5, 5
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Barrier bag, 8... Supply hopper, 11... Mounting flange, 20... Box-shaped part, 21... Lower bottom plate part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A toner replenishment case that stores toner for replenishment inside and has a slot formed in a part of the peripheral wall to serve as a toner outlet; and a mounting flange that surrounds the entrance of a replenishment hopper into which the toner replenishment case can be inserted. , a part of which is fixed to the inner case or lower bottom plate that opens and closes the slot, covers the entire toner replenishment case, and can be pushed open against an opening attached to the circumferential surface of the mounting flange when replenishing toner. A toner replenishing device comprising a flexible barrier bag that has elasticity in a closing direction.