JPH04128280U - fluid supply container - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] In a fluid supply container for replenishing powder such as toner and various other fluids to other containers, when replenishing fluids such as toner, the replenishment operation is performed. Accordingly, the purpose is to make it possible to reliably loosen the lumps of fluid that have formed inside. [Structure] A housing 1 is provided for storing a replenishing fluid (toner T) therein, and a rotatable stirring member 4 for stirring the fluid is provided inside the housing. In addition, the opening 1a of the housing 1
It is provided with an interlocking mechanism (gears 5, 6, 7 and rack 9) that rotates the stirring member 4 in conjunction with the unsealing operation of the unsealable seal member 2 that seals the container. By pulling the handle 3 provided at one end of the sealing member 2 in a predetermined direction, the opening 1a is gradually opened, and at the same time, the fluid inside the casing 1 falls while being stirred by the stirring member 4 and is replenished. will be held.

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea]

0001

[Industrial application field]

The present invention applies to toner used as a developer in, for example, electrophotographic image forming apparatuses. Fluid supply container for replenishing powders such as - and other various fluids to other containers. Regarding.

0002

[Conventional technology]

As an example of a conventional fluid supply container, Figure 5 shows a printer using an electrophotographic method. To replenish toner as a developer into the developing device of image forming devices such as printers and copiers. 2 shows a cross-sectional configuration of a toner cartridge.

0003 In FIG. 5, a toner cartridge C includes a housing 1, and a powder supplement is contained inside the housing 1. The supply toner T is stored, and the opening 1a formed on the bottom of the housing 1 is opened to the sheet. The structure is sealed with a sealing member 2. The sealing member 2 has a length of the opening 1a. (The length in the left and right direction in the figure) It consists of a structure that is folded back near the center. Piece obtained by folding back seal member 2 By attaching the side region 2a to the periphery of the opening 1a with an adhesive or the like in a removable manner, The inside of the casing 1 is sealed, and the other one side area 2b overlaps with the one side area 2a. They are arranged side by side, and a plate-shaped handle part 3 is provided at one end thereof. Ru.

0004 Toner replenishment using toner cartridge C with the above configuration is performed in the following steps. be exposed. For example, a built-in image forming apparatus M such as a printer or a copying machine shown in FIG. A case will be described in which toner is replenished into the developing device D. In this case, first the image Open the top cover N of the forming device M, and then remove the top cover that is blocking the toner supply port of the developing device D. Open the lid E. This opens the toner replenishment port of developing device D, as shown in Figure 6. Place the toner cartridge on the developing device D so that the toner supply port and opening 1a face each other. Place cartridge C. In this state, while supporting the housing 1, hold the handle 3 and When pulled in the direction of mark A, the seal member 2 will move as shown by the dashed line in FIG. It is gradually peeled off from the opening 1a. As a result, the toner T inside the housing 1 is The toner drops through the unsealed opening 1a, and the toner is replenished into the developing device D. be exposed.

[0005]

[Problems with conventional technology]

Generally, the above-described toner cartridge C has toner T enclosed in the housing 1. After being packed (unused) for a long period of time until the toner is actually replenished. Most of them are. Therefore, the toner inside the housing 1 may harden during that time. However, if you try to replenish toner in this state, the solid part of toner may get stuck in the housing. If it remains attached to the inner wall of 1 and does not fall, or remains solid and This caused problems such as toner powder falling and scattering outside the developing device.

[0006] Therefore, conventionally, before replenishing toner, the person replenishing the toner cartridge C They were asked to perform the appropriate shaking operation. However, in this case, (1) You may forget to shake the toner cartridge C. (2) Toner cartridge The operation of shaking C is troublesome. (3) Simply shaking does not ensure that the toner clumps. It is difficult to loosen, and depending on the degree of shaking, most of the solid parts may remain. However, the above problem cannot be fully resolved. There wasn't.

[0007] Also, instead of shaking the toner cartridge C, A mechanism is provided to vibrate the casing 1 by the sliding movement of the seal member 2 when the seal member 2 is opened. There are some things. In this case, when the seal member 2 is unsealed, the casing 1 will always vibrate. However, it is possible to simply vibrate or hit the housing 1 like this. When shaking, use the same amount of shaking as above to loosen the toner clumps inside. I couldn't get the desired effect.

[0008] The above problems are not limited to toner cartridges, but can also be caused by solidification inside the toner cartridge. The same problem occurred in all containers for supplying powder and other fluids.

[0009]

[Purpose of invention]

In view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention is designed to prevent fluids such as toner from being refilled. It is possible to reliably loosen the lumps of fluid that have formed inside during the replenishment operation. The purpose of this invention is to provide a fluid replenishment container.

0010

[Key points of the idea]

In order to achieve the above purpose, the present invention has an opening on one side and a replenishment area inside. A housing containing a fluid and an unsealable sealing member that seals the opening. and by pulling the handle provided at one end of the seal member in a predetermined direction. A fluid replenishment container capable of replenishing the replenishment fluid into a predetermined container by unsealing the opening. has a rotating shaft extending from the inside of the casing to the outside; a rotatable stirring member for stirring a substance; the sealing member; and the extended rotating shaft. is engaged with the stirring member through the rotating shaft in conjunction with the unsealing operation of the sealing member. It is characterized by comprising an interlocking mechanism that rotates.

[0011]

【Example】

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the structure of a toner cartridge _C1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the toner cartridge C ₁ of this embodiment includes a casing 1 that stores powdered replenishment toner T inside, and a bottom surface that is one surface of the casing 1. and an unsealable sealing member 2 that seals the opened opening 1a. The sealing member 2 is made of a thick plate-like member without flexibility, and is slidable in the direction of arrow A along a groove 1b formed in the inner wall of the housing 1 along the longitudinal direction of the opening 1a. Usually, the inside of the casing 1 is sealed by completely fitting into the groove 1b and removably pasting a part with an adhesive or the like. Furthermore, a plate-shaped handle portion 3 that is integrally formed with the seal member 2 is provided at one end of the seal member 2 .

[0013] In addition, near the opening 1a inside the housing 1, there is provided an agitator for stirring the toner T inside the housing 1. A member 4 is provided. This stirring member 4 extends from the inside of the housing 1 to the outside. A toner agitator having a rotating shaft 4a and provided around the rotating shaft 4a in the housing 1. The screw fin 4b for use is configured to be rotatable together with the rotating shaft 4a. There is.

[0014] Furthermore, at one end of the rotating shaft 4a extending outside the housing 1, there is a A rotating gear 5 is provided, and a pair of gears that are coaxial and rotatable in conjunction with each other are provided. 6 and 7 are supported by bearings 8 outside the housing 1, and one gear 6 meshes with the gear 5. They match. Also, along the longitudinal side surface of the housing 1 (that is, the sealing member It has a rack 9 that is elongated (along the pull-out direction of 2), and one end of which is a handle. 3, and one of the pair of gears 6 and 7 is connected to this rack 9. The other gear 7 is engaged. The above gears 5, 6, 7 and rack 9 are It rotates in conjunction with the opening operation of the seal member 2 caused by pulling the hand portion 3 in the direction of arrow A. This constitutes an interlocking mechanism that rotates the stirring member 4 via the rotating shaft 4a.

Next, a procedure for replenishing toner using the toner cartridge C ₁ of this embodiment having the above-mentioned configuration and the operation thereof will be described below. Here, we will discuss, for example, the case where toner is replenished into the developing device D built into the image forming apparatus M shown in FIG. printer). In this case, first open the upper cover N of the image forming apparatus M in the same manner as shown in FIG. 6, and then open the upper cover E that covers the toner supply port F of the developing device D. As a result, the toner replenishment port F of the developing device D is opened, and the toner cartridge C ₁ is placed on the developing device D so that the toner replenishing port F and the opening 1a face each other, as in FIG. 6. When the housing 1 is supported in this state and is pulled by the handle 3 in the direction of the arrow A, the sealing member 2 is also pulled out in the direction of the arrow A while sliding along the groove 1b, and the opening 1b is gradually closed. As the area is gradually opened, toner can fall from that area.

[0016] On the other hand, at the same time as the seal member 2 is pulled out, the rack 9 also moves in the direction of arrow A. do. Then, the gear 7 that meshes with the rack 9 rotates, and the gear 6 that is coaxial with it rotates. Since both rotate in the same direction, the gear 5 meshing with this gear 6 rotates. child As a result, the rotating shaft 4a rotates, and the screw fins 4b inside the housing 1 rotate. As a result, the toner T inside the housing 1 is stirred.

[0017] Therefore, when the handle part 3 is pulled, the toner inside the housing 1 is removed by the rotation of the stirring member 4. While the toner T is being stirred, the stirred toner T is passed through the unsealed opening 1a. Then, the toner gradually falls, and the toner inside the developing device D is replenished. This allows the seal The toner T inside the housing 1 can be stirred without fail when the member 2 is opened, and in this case, the toner T can be stirred. In contrast to simply shaking or vibrating the housing 1, it is easier to directly agitate the toner T inside. Even if there is a stubborn lump of toner T inside, However, you can surely loosen this lump. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the toner - The solid part may remain attached to the inner wall of casing 1 and not fall, or Conventional problems such as toner powder falling all at once while remaining solid and scattering outside the developing device. will definitely be resolved.

Next, FIG. 3 shows the structure of a toner cartridge C ₂ according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, a thick plate-like member was used as the sealing member 2, but in this embodiment, a flexible film-like member similar to that shown in FIG. 5 is used. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the sealing member 2 includes a film-like flexible member having a length approximately twice as long as the opening 1a of the housing 1 (the length in the left-right direction in the figure). The interior of the casing 1 is sealed by folding back the sealing member 2 in the vicinity, and a one-sided region 2a obtained by folding back the sealing member 2 is removably attached to the periphery of the opening 1a with an adhesive or the like. Further, the other one-sided region 2b obtained by folding back the sealing member 2 is disposed so as to overlap the one-sided region 2a, and a plate-shaped handle portion 3 is attached to one end thereof.

[0019] Furthermore, as in the first embodiment, the housing 1 is provided with a stirring member 4, and A rack 9 extends from the handle 3 along the side surface of the housing 1, and the movement of the rack 9 is The rotational force is transmitted to the rotating shaft 4a of the stirring member 4 via the gears 7, 6, and 5. There is. In addition, in this embodiment, the sealing member 2 is a plate-shaped handle as in the first embodiment. Since the guide 10 that guides the rack 9 is not integrally formed with the housing 1 so that the rack 9 and the gear 7 can always maintain a sufficient engagement state. It has been done.

The procedure for toner replenishment using the toner cartridge C ₂ of this embodiment having the above-mentioned configuration and the operation thereof are almost the same as those of the first embodiment. However, when the film-like sealing member 2 is folded back and used as in this embodiment, a stroke approximately twice the length of the housing 1 is required to unseal the sealing member 2 to the end. When the part 3 is pulled, the engagement between the rack 9 and the gear 7 is completely released after the seal member 2 is opened by about half. Therefore, the stirring operation of the toner T by the stirring member 4 is performed only until about half of the sealing member 2 is opened. However, if the gear ratio etc. are considered, the stirring operation does not need to match the degree of opening of the seal member 2, and even just a few rotations of the stirring member 4 can sufficiently loosen the toner clumps inside the housing 1. It is possible. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rack 9 is shown as an example shorter than the length of the housing 1.

Next, FIG. 4 shows the structure of a toner cartridge C ₃ according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a film-like flexible member is used as the sealing member 2 as in the second embodiment, but the agitation member 4 is positioned higher than in the above embodiment. The diameter of the screw fin 4b is increased, and the interlocking mechanism for rotating the stirring member 4 is modified. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, one end of the folded one-sided region 2b of the sealing member 2 passes through the slit 1c formed at the bottom of the casing 1 upwardly, and the roll pair made of rubber or the like passes through the slit 1c formed at the bottom of the housing 1. It is configured to be sandwiched between 11a and 11b. It also has a gear 12 that rotates coaxially with one of the rolls 11a, and this gear 12 meshes with a gear 13 provided at one end of the rotating shaft 4a of the stirring member 4. These roll pairs 11a, 11b and gears 12, 13 constitute an interlocking mechanism that rotates the stirring member 4 in conjunction with the opening operation of the sealing member 2.

[0022] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the handle part 3 is pulled, the roll pair 1 1a and 11b rotate, and this rotational force rotates the stirring member 4 via the rotating shaft 4a. By doing so, toner replenishment can be performed while stirring the toner T inside the housing 1. Ru. According to this embodiment, the diameter of the screw fin 4b is large, and the sealing member Since the stirring member 4 can be rotated until the opening operation in step 2 is completed, the toner Regarding the stirring of T, it is possible to obtain more effects than those of the above embodiments. Furthermore, here The sealing member 2 is configured to be held between a pair of rolls 11a and 11b. , it is also possible to construct it in one roll so as to engage the sealing member 2 .

[0023] Note that in each of the above embodiments, a screw fin-shaped one is adopted as the stirring member 4. However, as long as it can sufficiently stir the toner, for example, a flexible blade member etc. , various shapes can be adopted.

[0024] In addition, this invention is applicable not only to toner cartridges but also to powders that tend to clump inside. Applicable to all containers for replenishing bodies and other fluids.

[0025]

[Effect of the idea]

According to the present invention, when replenishing fluids such as toner, the container is A means to directly stir the fluid inside the container is provided, so even if the fluid inside the container is stubborn, Even if a lump has formed, replenish while making sure to loosen this lump. Can be done. Therefore, the solid part of the fluid such as toner remains attached to the inner wall of the container. It may not fall because it becomes a lump, or it may fall all at once as a solid mass and some of the liquid may fall. This can successfully solve problems such as water scattering to the outside.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a toner cartridge according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a longitudinal sectional view.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus that employs a toner replenishment method using a toner cartridge.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a toner cartridge according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a longitudinal sectional view.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a toner cartridge according to a third embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a longitudinal sectional view.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a conventional toner cartridge.

FIG. 6 is an external perspective view of an image forming apparatus that employs a toner replenishment method using a toner cartridge.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Housing 1a Opening 1b Groove 1c Slit 2 Seal member 3 Handle 4 Stirring member 4a Rotating shaft 4b Screw fins 5, 6, 7 Gear 9 Rack 10 Guides 11a, 11b Rolls 12, 13 Gears C ₁ , C ₂ , C ₃ toner cartridges

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A casing having an opening on one side and storing a replenishing fluid therein, and an unsealable sealing member for sealing the opening, and one end of the sealing member. A rotating shaft extending from the inside of the housing to the outside of the fluid replenishment container, in which the replenishment fluid can be refilled into a predetermined container by unsealing the opening and replenishing the replenishment fluid by pulling a handle provided in a predetermined direction. a rotatable stirring member that stirs the fluid in the casing; and a rotatable stirring member that engages with the sealing member and the extended rotating shaft in conjunction with the unsealing operation of the sealing member. and an interlocking mechanism that rotates the agitation member through a fluid replenishment container.