JPH04143781A - Toner replenishing device for copying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To chance the flowability of toners and to allow the replenishment of the toners without allowing the toners to remain in a toner bottle by providing a nozzle which blows out air into the inlet of the bottle and a pump means for feeding air. CONSTITUTION:The nozzle 5e for blowing the air into the inlet of the toner bottle 1 and the pump means 5 for feeding the air to the nozzle 5e are provided. The toners 1e hardly drop and remain in the bottle 1 if the toners 1e are flocculated. The air is, thereupon, blown out of blowing out holes 5f, 5b through a blast cylinder 5e by the pump 5 when the bottom plate 5c of the pump 5 is pressed by a rod 7 or a bar-shaped material, such as ball-point pen. This air loosens the flocculated toners and mixes the loosened toners and the blown out toners, thereby enhancing the flowability of the toners. The toners 1e, therefore, move into a hopper 2 without remaining. The flowability of the toners is enhanced in this way and the remaining of the toners in the bottle is prevented. The replenishment of the toners is thus rapidly executed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a toner supply device for a copying machine.

[Prior Art] Traditionally, toner bottles used to replenish toner in copying machines have been
Because the toner aggregates inside it, it was necessary to shake it before replenishing it.

[Invention or Problem to be Solved] However, in the conventional method of shaking the toner bottle to dislodge the toner, if the user shakes the toner incorrectly, the toner may be refilled smoothly, but There was a problem that it remained.

The present invention attempts to solve these problems. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing device for a copying machine that improves the fluidity of toner and allows toner to be quickly replenished without leaving toner in a toner bottle. be.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the toner replenishing device for a copying machine of the present invention includes a nozzle for blowing air to the inlet of a toner bottle for replenishing toner to the copying machine, and a nozzle for blowing air into the nozzle. A pump means for sending the water is provided.

[Function] According to the present invention, since a nozzle for blowing air into the toner bottle and a pump means for feeding air into the nozzle are provided, when replenishing toner, air is blown into the inlet of the toner bottle, Air is blown onto the aggregated toner in the bottle to remove the toner, and at the same time, the toner and air are mixed to increase the fluidity of the toner, making it possible to quickly replenish the toner.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention, and is a sectional view of a toner bottle and a portion of a hopper of a copying machine.

In Fig. 1, numeral 1 is a toner bottle, which is installed upside down in the toner supply port 3 of the hopper 2 of the copying machine and filled with toner.
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Next, the opening/closing mechanism of the toner supply port 3 of the hopper 2 and the toner bottle 1 will be explained.

The population of the toner bottle 1 is the cap 4 and the cap 4.
and a lid 6 that is fitted into and rotates. The cap 442 is screwed together with the toner bottle 1 by the threaded portion 4a, and is rotatably fitted to the toner supply port 3 of the hopper 2 on the outside of the guide portion 4b. A lid 6 is rotatably fitted and held inside the kite portion 4b.

In addition, a discharge hole 4c is provided, and a knob 4c is also provided.
d is provided. Two claws 6a and 6b are provided on the lid 6 at positions facing each other at 180 degrees with respect to the center of rotation. Also, the discharge hole 6C for the discharge hole 4c of the cap 4
It is the opening.

Furthermore, to explain the toner replenishment port 3 of the hopper 2, the replenishment port 3 is provided with protrusions 3a and 3b that engage with the claws 6a and 6b of the M6, and the M6 is rotated by the operation described later. It works to hold it down to prevent it from happening.

Reference numeral 3C denotes a mesh attached to the inside of the replenishment port 3 to prevent dust, etc. in the replenished toner from entering the hopper 2.

Finally, the mechanism for blowing air into the toner bottle 1, which is the main part of the present invention, will be explained.

Tonaho! - A pump 5 for blowing air is provided at the bottom of the door 1 (upper part in FIG. 1). This pump 5 consists of a bellows 5a made of a flexible material such as polypropylene, and a hard upper plate 5b and lower plate 5C. Further, there is a compression coil spring 5d between the upper plate 5a and the lower plate 5c, which acts in a direction to separate the upper plate 5b and the lower plate 5C.

Further, from the upper plate 5b, a blower tube 5e extends through the inside of the toner bottle 1 described above and extends to the vicinity of the cap 4 of the bottle 1. A plurality of blow holes 5f are provided around the tip of the blow tube 5e.

5g, etc. are placed toward the inside of the bottle 1.

Further, a ventilation hole 5h is formed in the lower plate 5C, and a valve 51 is provided inside the ventilation hole 5h.

Reference numeral 8 denotes the cover of the pump 5, and a part of the cover has a pipe-shaped snake 1]i8a extending inward, and the tip of the bellows 8a is in contact with the lower plate 5C of the pump 5. toner bottle 1
There are holes 1a and lb at the bottom of the bottle 1 to circulate air from the bottle 1 to the pump 5, and the chain holes 1a and Ib have filters 1c and 1d to prevent toner from blowing out.A 7 drives the pump 5. Although it is a stick that can be used with other tools, it also works well with ballpoint pens, pencils, etc.

In the above configuration, when the cap 4 of the toner bottle 1 is fitted into the toner supply port 3 of the hopper 2 and the knob 4d is turned to rotate the bottle 1, the M6 claw portion 6a,
6b hits the protrusions 3a, 3b of the supply port 3, and only M6 stops rotating, so the cap 4 rotates relative to M6, and the discharge hole 6c of the lid 6 and the discharge hole 4c of the cap 4 are rotated. At the engaged position, the knob portion 4d hits the stopper 3d and stops. In this state, the toner 1e in the toner bottle 1 falls into the hopper 2.

Here, if the toner 1e is agglomerated, the toner 1e hardly falls and remains in the bottle 1. Therefore, when the lower plate 5C of the pump 5 is pushed with a stick 7 or a rod-like object such as a hole vent, air is blown out from the blow-off holes 5f, 5g, etc. by the pump 5 through the blower tube 5e, and the aggregated toner is removed. It loosens the toner and mixes the loosened toner with the blown toner to improve the fluidity of the toner.

Therefore, all of the toner 1e moves into the hopper 2.

Note that the blown air passes through the filters lc and ld and returns to the pump 5 again.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

The difference between this second embodiment and the first embodiment shown in FIG. is the same as in FIG. 1, so illustration and explanation thereof will be omitted.

At the bottom of the toner bottle 1 (top in FIG. 2), there is a pump 5 and an air reservoir 5j such as a rubber balloon, which has a hole 1a, a pipe 5k, valves 5m and 5n, a blower tube 5e, and a blowout hole 5f. .

It consists of 5g,... Also, the pump 5 has a bellows 5a
and a lower plate 5C (upper part in FIG. 2). A cover 8 of the pump 5 is fitted into the toner bottle 1 like a cap.

When replenishing the toner 1e, remove the cover 8 of the pump 5 and press the lower plate 5c of the pump 5.

Then, the air passes through the blower tube 5e and exits the blowholes 5f and 5g.
, ... to loosen toner agglomeration, mix toner and air, and improve fluidity. The air blown into the toner bottle 1 is collected in the air reservoir 5j, and when the lower plate 5c of the pump 5 returns, the air in the air reservoir 5j flows into the pump 5 again.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

The difference between this third embodiment and the first embodiment shown in FIG. This is to connect the pump suction pipe. The cap 4 and M6 of the toner bottle 1 and the toner supply port 3 of the hopper 2 are the same as those shown in FIG.

In FIG. 3, a filter 10 is provided at the bottom (upper part in FIG. 3) of the toner bottle 1, which does not allow the toner 1e to pass through, but allows only air to pass through. A hole 1f is provided, and normally, a not shown plug is provided in this hole 1f. However, as explained in FIG.
The tip 11a of the can be connected. The air outlet 9 is connected to a pump 12.

In the configuration shown in FIG.
After setting the toner supply port 3 in the toner bottle 1, connect the hose 11 to the bottom of the bottle 1, and turn on a switch (not shown) inside the copying machine. It blows out toward the population of the toner bottle 1, loosens the aggregated toner in the bottle 1, mixes the toner with air, and increases the fluidity of the toner 1e.

As described in each of the above embodiments, the fluidity of the toner 1e is increased, so even if the fine mesh 3C is provided in the hopper 2, the toner 1e smoothly flows through the mesh 3C.
Since the toner can pass through the mesh 1e, even if there is a small foreign object in the toner 1e, it can be removed by the mesh 1e. Furthermore, if air is blown into the toner bottle 1, there is a risk that the air mixed with toner will blow out from somewhere in the hopper 2 of the copying machine or the toner bottle 1, causing the toner to scatter outside the machine. In the above-mentioned embodiment, since the air inside the bottle 1 is sucked again, there is no toner scattering due to air blowing out, and it is extremely effective in practice.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention is provided with a nozzle that blows air into the toner bottle and a pump means that sends air into the nozzle. There is no need to do the troublesome work of not shaking the bottle, which means that when replenishing toner,
Air is blown into the toner pothole, and the air is blown onto the aggregated toner in the toner to loosen the toner, and at the same time, the toner and air are mixed to increase the fluidity of the toner, so that some toner remains in the toner in a short period of time. Instead, it may be effective to replenish the toner hopper of the copying machine.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
This figure is a front sectional view showing the second embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a front sectional view showing the third embodiment. 1... Toner bottle 1e... Toner 2... Hopper 3... Toner supply port 3c... Mesh
4...Cap 5...Pump 5a...
Bellows 5b...upper plate 5c...lower plate 5d...
Compression coil spring, 5e...blow tube 5f, 5g...ventilation hole 6...
・M 7...rod 8...cover 9...air outlet 12...
Pump and 4 other people Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A toner replenishing device for a copying machine, comprising: a nozzle that blows air out to the inlet of a toner bottle that supplies toner to the copying machine; and a pump means that pumps air into the nozzle. . 2. The toner replenishing device for a copying machine according to claim 1, wherein the air intake port is provided at the bottom of the toner bottle.