JPH04134472A - Developer supply container - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow the efficient use of a developer up to the last by providing a recessed part on the inner peripheral surface on one end side of a developer housing body formed with spiral grooves for transporting the developer on the inner peripheral surface so as to project to the outer peripheral side and using this recessed part as a release port. CONSTITUTION:The cylindrical housing body 2 contg. the developer 4 is rotated to transport the developer 4 along the spiral grooves 3 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the housing body 1 to one side of the housing body 1 and this developer 4 is guided to the recessed part point 6 provided on the inner peripheral surface on one end side of the housing body 1 so as to project to the outer peripheral side. The developer is released from the release port 2 formed at this point. Even if the developer 4 is introduced to the position slightly apart from the release port 2, this developer 4 is introduced into the recessed part point 5 and is eventually released therefrom in this way. The amt. of the developer 4 released from the release port does not change even if the amt. of the developer 4 remaining in the housing body 1 decreases. The permanent remaining of the developer 4 in the housing body 1 is obviated as well.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a developer supply container used to supply developer to a developing device in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile machine. In particular, a spiral groove is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical container that accommodates the developer, and the spiral groove is formed to transport the developer toward one end of the container as the container rotates. The present invention relates to a developer supply container provided with a discharge port for discharging developer on the circumferential surface of one end.

[Prior art and its problems 2] Conventionally, in image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, printers, and facsimile machines, when supplying developer to the developing device, the developer is stored in various developer supply containers.
The developer supply container is detachably provided in the main body of the image forming apparatus, and after the developer is supplied from the developer supply container to the storage section, the developer is replenished from the storage section to the development device by means of a conveying means. What has been done is generally known.

However, when the developer is supplied to the developing device in this way, in addition to the space for installing the developer supply container inside the image forming device, the developer supplied from the developer supply container is There is a problem in that a space is required for the storage section in which the image forming apparatus is housed, resulting in an increase in the size of the image forming apparatus.

Therefore, conventionally, as shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 53-146639, developer is deposited on the inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical container containing developer as the container rotates. Using a developer supply container having a spiral groove for conveying the developer at one end side and a discharge port for discharging the developer on the circumferential surface of the one end side of the container, the container is rotated. The developer is guided along a spiral groove formed on the inner circumferential surface of the container to a discharge port provided at one end of the container, and the developer is directly supplied into the developing device from the discharge port,
A device has been proposed in which a storage portion for storing developer is eliminated.

Here, in the conventional developer supply container as described above, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, when the discharge port (2> is provided at one end side of the container (1), the discharge port ( 2
) was made to open directly on the circumferential surface of one end side of the container (1).

However, when the outlet (2) is opened directly on the circumferential surface of one end of the container (1), the above-mentioned force is applied to the container (1).
'L) is rotated to remove the spiral groove (
3), the developer (4) was successfully guided to the position of the discharge port (2).
The developer (4) is released from the discharge port (2) and supplied to the developing device, but the developer (4) that has been guided to a position slightly away from the discharge port (2) is discharged from the discharge port (2). A problem arose in that the particles remained in the container (1) indefinitely without being released.

Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the above-mentioned container (1) is shown on the horizontal axis.
The vertical axis shows the number of rotations of the developer (1) remaining in the container (1).
When the amount of 4) is plotted as a graph, in the conventional developer supply container as described above, the amount of developer (4) remaining in the container (1) is shown by the broken line in the figure. As the amount of developer (
The amount of developer (4) decreases less, that is, the amount of developer (4) discharged from the discharge port (2) decreases, making it impossible to supply a sufficient amount of developer (4) and causing the developer (4) to remain unused forever. ) remains in the container (1) without being released from the outlet (2),
There was a problem that the developer (4) was wasted.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The present invention has the above-mentioned problems in that the developer is applied to the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical container containing the developer to one end side of the container as the container rotates. When the amount of developer remaining in the container decreases in a developer supply container in which a spiral groove for conveyance is formed and a discharge port for releasing the developer is provided on the peripheral surface of one end of the container. Even if the developer is not discharged from the discharge port and remains in the container forever, the developer is not discharged from the discharge port and the developer is not discharged. The challenge is to ensure that nothing goes to waste.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the present invention, as the developer is rotated, the developer is distributed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical container containing the developer. In the developer supply container, a spiral groove is formed for conveying the developer to one end side of the container, and a discharge port for releasing the developer is provided on the circumferential surface of the one end side of the container. A concave portion is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the side so as to protrude toward the outer circumferential side, and the discharge port is formed in the concave portion.

[Operation] In the developer supply container according to the present invention, the cylindrical container containing the developer is rotated as described above, and the developer is fed into the spiral groove provided on the inner peripheral surface of the container. The developer thus transported is guided to a recess provided on the inner peripheral surface of the one end of the container so as to protrude toward the outer peripheral side, and the developer is transported to one end of the container. It is designed to be released from an outlet formed at a certain point.

Therefore, as the container rotates as described above, the developer that has been conveyed to one end of the container along the spiral groove formed on the inner circumferential surface of the container is guided to a position slightly deviated from the discharge port. Even if the developer is guided into the recessed portion and discharged from the discharge port, even if the amount of developer remaining in the container becomes small, the developer discharged from the discharge port The amount of developer is less likely to decrease, and the developer does not remain in the container indefinitely without being discharged from the outlet.

[Example 1] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings.

In the developer supply container according to this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the developer (4) is stored in a cylindrical container (1) with one end closed. A protrusion (5) protruding toward the inner circumferential side of the containing body (1) is spirally formed along the circumferential surface of the containing body (1). A spiral groove (3) is formed between the protrusions (5) and the protrusions (5).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, near the end of the spiral groove (3) formed on the inner circumferential surface of the container (1) as described above, the inner circumference of the container (1) is A recess (6) is provided on the surface so as to protrude toward the outer periphery, and a discharge port (2) for releasing the developer (4) from inside the container (1) is provided at the location of the recess (6).

Although not shown, the developer supply container is attached to a developing device (not shown).

The discharge port (2>) was sealed with a seal or the like, and after installation, the seal or the like was peeled off to supply the developer (4) to the developing device.

In addition, in the container (1), a recess (7) is provided in the center of the closed end surface and is concave in a tapered shape toward the inside of the container (1). A lid (8) was attached to the open end face to seal it.

Here, as the lid (8) attached to the open end surface of the container (1), in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. (1)
A conical bulge (81) is provided in the center of the outer surface of the lid (7), while a conical bulge (81) is provided that tapers inwards and has an apex on the central axis of the housing 1 (1). System matching recess (82
) was established and Naruchino was used.

When the developer supply container of this embodiment is used to supply the developer (4) contained in the container (1) to the developing device, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Then, peel off the seal sealing the discharge port (2) to open the discharge port (2), and with the discharge port (2) facing upward, open the discharge port (2) of the container (1). The side end is guided into the frame (12) which is formed in a hollow-0 shape and has a developer supply port (11) at the bottom, and a sealing member (13) such as a spon, etc. is pasted. The inner surface of the octopus frame (12) supports the end of the container (1) on the discharge port (2) side.

In addition, the end of the container (1) on the discharge port (2) side is supported on the inner surface of the frame (12), and the lid (8) of the container (1) is provided at the center of the outer surface. The drive @ (1;) rotated by the drive device (14) is engaged with the engagement recess (82), and the housing (1;
) by pressing the shaft (16) into the recess (7) provided in the center of the closed end face of the container (1), and then the housing (1) is held approximately horizontally by the drive shaft (15) and the shaft (16). When the drive shaft (15) rotates, the container (1)
now rotates.

Further, a transport pipe (I7) for guiding the developer (4) to the developing device is provided below the developer supply port (11) provided at the bottom of the frame (12), and this transport pipe (18)
A conveying member (17) that rotates and conveys the developer (4) to the developing device is provided inside.

In order to supply the developer (4) contained in the container (1) to the developing device, the drive device (14)
The drive shaft (15) is rotated by
), the housing (1) is rotated by the drive shaft (15).
It is arranged to rotate around an axis (16) opposite to this.

When the container (1) is rotated as shown in 2, the second container (
1) Developer contained in <4) or container (1)
The discharge port (2) is now conveyed along the spiral groove (3) formed on the inner circumferential surface of the container.

Then, the developer (4) is transported to the end side where the discharge port (2) is provided, and the developer (4) is released into the conical shape that protrudes from the inner surface of the lid (8) into the inside of the container (1). Bulge (81)
When the developer is transported to the space between the inner circumferential surface of the container (1) and the inner circumferential surface of the container (1), since this space is reduced toward the discharge port (2) side, the developer moves toward the discharge port (2) side. The amount of developer (4) is regulated so that a certain amount of developer (4) is guided to the discharge port (2) side.

Further, even if the developer (4) guided to the discharge port (2) in this way is guided to a position slightly shifted from the discharge port (2), the container (1) rotates and is released. a developer supply port (11) with an outlet (2) provided at the bottom of the frame (12);
By the time the developer (4) is guided to a position shifted from the discharge port (2), the developer (4) is guided into the recess (6) where the discharge port (2) is provided. .

The rotation of the container (1) causes the developer supply port (11) to have a discharge port (2) provided at the bottom of the frame (12).
When the developer (4) guided into the recess (6) is discharged from the container (1) through the discharge port (2), the developer thus discharged is (4) is
The developer is supplied into the transport pipe (17) through the developer supply port (11) provided at the bottom of the frame (12), and developed by the rotation of the transport member 17) provided in the transport pipe (18). Now supplied to the device.

Here, when the developer supply container of this example is used and the developer (4) is supplied as described above, the horizontal axis represents the number of rotations of the container (1), and the vertical axis represents the number of rotations of the container (1). 1) If you graph the amount of developer (4) remaining in
As shown by the solid line in FIG. 6, the amount of developer (4) remaining in the container (1) is reduced compared to the case of the conventional developer supply container shown by the broken line in the same figure. Therefore,
There is no problem that the amount of developer released from the discharge port (2) is significantly reduced, and it is now possible to stably supply a sufficient amount of developer.

Furthermore, when the developer supply container of this embodiment is used, the developer fluid 4) is not discharged from the discharge port (2) forever and remains inside the container (1), unlike the conventional developer supply container. The developer (4) could be used efficiently to the end.

E Effects of the Invention As detailed above, in the developer supply container according to Invention 4, the cylindrical container containing the developer is rotated, and the developer is applied to the inner circumferential surface of the container. The developer is transported to one end of the container along the spiral groove provided therein, and the developer thus transported is released from a discharge port provided at one end of the container to supply the developer to the developing device. In doing so, the discharge port was formed in a concave portion provided on the inner peripheral surface of one end of the container so as to protrude toward the outer peripheral side, so that the discharge port was conveyed to one end of the container along the spiral groove. The developer is
Even if the developer is guided to a position slightly deviated from the discharge port, the second developer is guided into the recessed portion and is discharged from the discharge port.

As a result, when the developer supply container according to the present invention is used to supply the developer to the developing device, even if the amount of developer remaining in the container is small, the
The amount of developer supplied from the discharge port is less likely to decrease, and a sufficient amount of developer can be stably supplied to the developing device. There is no longer any need for the developer to remain in the container without being released and to be wasted, making it possible to use the developer efficiently to the end.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a developer supply container according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the developer supply container of the same embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the developer supply container of the same embodiment, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are horizontal and vertical cross-sectional views showing the connection for supplying the developer from the developer supply container of the same embodiment. , FIG. 6 shows the relationship between the number of rotations of the container and the amount of developer remaining in the container when developer is supplied using the developer supply container of the same example and the conventional developer supply container. , FIG. 7, and FIG. 8 are a perspective view, a vertical cross-sectional view, and a cross-sectional view of a conventional developer supply container. (1)... Container (2)... Outlet (3)
...Spiral groove (4)...Developer (6)...
Residual type of developer in the recess (g)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A spiral groove is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical container containing the developer, which transports the developer toward one end of the container as the container rotates. In a developer supply container having a discharge port for discharging developer on a side circumferential surface, a recess is provided on the inner circumferential surface of one end of the container so as to protrude toward the outer circumferential side, and the recessed portion A developer supply container characterized in that the above-mentioned discharge port is formed in the developer supply container.