JPH04184377A - Developer replenishing container - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the movement of a sealing member during transportation, etc., by changing the shape in the contact part of a seal receiving part and the sealing member of the developer replenishing container which opens and closes an aperture in a sliding type. CONSTITUTION:The sealing material receiving surface 21 of the seal receiving part 20 is inclined toward the inner side of the aperture 11a and the movement of the sealing member 14 is prevented by the guide member 12. The shape of the receiving surface 21 of the receiving part 20 is formed as a peak shape recessed in its central part to prevent the movement of the member 14. In addition, the slope 30 of the seal material is formed longer than the slope 31 to exert the force toward the member 12 side onto the member 14. Both end sides of the receiving surface 21 are inclined toward the shutter member 13 side and a projecting part 32 projecting slightly to the member 14 side is provided in the intermediate part of the receiving part 20. The intermediate part 12 of the receiving part 20 is formed into a triangular, trapezoidal or semicircular shape in section and is provided with plural pieces of band-shaped ribs 33 projecting toward the member 14 side.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a developer supply container for supplying toner, which is a powder developer, to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine.

(Prior Art) In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine that employs an electrophotographic method, a photosensitive drum is exposed to image light, and when an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum, toner is supplied by a developing device. Then, it is necessary to visualize this electrostatic latent image as a toner image. When the toner in the developing device is used up, it is necessary to replenish the toner into the developing device from outside, and a developer supply container is often used for this purpose.

The developer replenishment container has toner for replenishment inside.
This is attached to the toner replenishing section of the main body of the image forming wave M, and by opening the opening of this developer replenishing container, the toner inside is supplied to the developing device in the main body of the image forming apparatus by gravity or the like.

There are various mechanisms for opening and closing the opening of the developer supply container, and one example will be explained below with reference to FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 shows a state in which the developer supply container IO is attached to the toner supply section 1 of the main body of the image forming apparatus with its toner supply opening 11a facing downward.
b is the main body side wall of the container main body 11 holding the toner;
A seal member 14 is disposed in a seal receiving portion 20 at the lower end of the main body side wall 11b so as to surround the opening 11a. Also.

A guide member 1 is attached to the container body 11 around the seal member 14.
2 are attached, the guide member 12 and the seal member 14
A horizontally movable shutter member 13 is attached to the slit groove 15 formed by the.

The opening 11a of the developer supply container IO is slidably opened and closed by a shutter member 13.

The sealing member 14 is made of an elastic foam having a substantially rectangular cross section, and is sufficiently deformed by being pressurized by the shutter member 13 on the side of the seal receiving portion 20 of the container body 11, so that the sealing member 14 is fully deformed to form a contact with the container body 11. It serves as a seal between the shutter members 13 and has the function of sealing the opening 11a.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the sealing member 14 is made of an elastic foam, and whether or not its sealing effect is sufficient is not clear. When the member 13 is closed, if the developer supply container 1O is subjected to vibrations or small drops during transportation or the like, the seal member 14 may shift inward into the opening 11a and its sealing performance may deteriorate. In the worst case, the seal member 14 or the seal receiver 2
There was a problem with it going off from 0.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to seal the opening by a sealing member made of a sliding opening/closing member and an elastic foam. To provide a developer replenishing container that does not cause unnecessary movement and can sufficiently exhibit its sealing effect with the sealing member.

Means for Solving Cap 1) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a sealing member made of an elastic foam is attached on a seal receiver provided around the opening of a container body, and the sealing member and this An opening/closing member for slidingly opening and closing the Mclal I is installed in a groove formed by a guide member attached around the opening of the container body so as to surround the outside of the sealing member while pressing the sealing member. In the developer replenishment container that is in use, it is necessary to provide a concave-convex portion at the contact portion of the seal receiving portion with the sealing member, or to make the innermost portion of the contacting portion with the sealing member slope toward the opening/closing member. It is characterized by

(Function) The open pps of the container body containing toner is hermetically sealed in a state where the opening/closing member presses a seal member mounted on the seal receiving portion of the container body.

On the other hand, the sealing member is made of elastic foam.

Since it is easily deformed, the sealing effect is good, but it is susceptible to displacement or other movement due to external vibrations.

Therefore, the contact portion of the seal receiving portion with the sealing member is made into an uneven shape so that the seal receiving portion sufficiently bites into the sealing member to prevent movement of the sealing member. In addition, the innermost opening of the contact area with the seal member of the seal receiving part is tilted so that it approaches the opening/closing member side, so that the seal member is closer to the guide member side outside the container to prevent movement from the outside. Generate the force to move.

The guide member prevents the seal member from moving.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the accompanying drawings.

Figure W45 shows a state in which the developer supply container 10 is attached to the toner supply section l of the image forming apparatus. a guide member 12 attached around the opening 11a, a shutter member 13 for slidingly opening and closing the opening 11a, and the shutter member 13.
and a sealing member 14 (see FIG. 6) made of an elastic foam having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape, which seals between the container body 11 and the container body 11.

FIG. 6 shows that the shutter member 13 of the developer replenishing container lO attached to the toner replenishing part l is slid to the left,
The opening 11a provided at the bottom of the container body 11 is shown in an open state, and the sealing member 1 in Fig.
4 is attached to a seal receiver 20 provided at the lower end of the main body side wall 11b of the container body 11 with double-sided tape or the like, and is pressed against the seal receiver 20 side by the shutter member 13 and is sufficiently deformed. Then, the shutter member 13 and the container body 1
1 and has the function of sealing the opening 11a of the container body 11.

The shutter member 13 is as shown in FIG.

It is mounted in a slide groove 15 formed by the guide member 12 and the seal member 14 and slides from side to side in the figure to open and close the opening 11a of the container body 11. Note that 13a is a handle portion for operating the shutter member 13.

The guide member 12 is connected to the seal member 1 as shown in FIG.
4 and the seal receiving part 20, the mounting part 12a is arranged along the main body side wall 11b, and the support part 12b has a U-shaped cross section and is attached to the toner replenishing part l. A slide @15 for moving the shutter member 13 is formed between the support portion 12a and the support portion 12b.

Now, the sealing member 14 has the property of moving in a certain direction and being displaced from the seal receiving part 20 due to vibrations etc. applied during transportation of the developer supply container IO.
The operation will be explained using figures.

If vibration etc. occur in the developer supply container lO, the seal member 14
receives downward force F from the seal receiving portion 20 on the seal material receiving surface 21 of the seal receiving portion 20, but the seal member 14
The reaction force F' pushes back the seal receiver 20. In this case, the seal material receiving surface 21 of the seal receiving portion 20
or the shutter member 13 toward the inside of the opening 11a.
If it is tilted upward so as to move away from
1a acts to move it inward.

Therefore, if the seal material receiving surface 21 of the seal receiving portion 20 is even slightly inclined so as to move away from the shutter member 13 toward the inside of the M opening portion 11a, the seal member 13
It shifts inward to the inside of a, and the sealing effect cannot be fully exerted.

On the other hand, if the seal receiving surface 21 of the seal receiving part 20 is tilted downward toward the inside of the opening 11a, a force will be generated in the seal member 14 in the opposite direction toward the guide member 12. Become. However, since the guide member 12 is disposed close to the seal member 14, the seal member 14 abuts against the guide member 12 and cannot move any further, thereby preventing large movement of the seal member 14.

Therefore, considering the mechanism of movement of the seal member 14 and the configuration of the guide member work 2 as described above, FIG.
As shown in the figure, the shape of the seal receiving portion 20 for the seal member 14 was determined.

141, the seal material receiving surface 21 of the seal receiving portion 20 is inclined downwardly toward the inside of the opening 11a, and the movement of the seal member 14 is prevented by the guide member 12. This prevents the sealing effect of the seal member 14 from deteriorating.

In addition, in the one shown in FIG. 2, the shape of the seal material receiving surface 21 of the seal receiving part 20 is made into a chevron shape with a concave center part, so that the seal member 14 is slightly wrapped by the seal receiving part 20. In addition to preventing the movement as much as possible, the inner surface 30 of the opening 11a of the sealing material receiving surface 21 is made longer than the slope 31 on the guide member 12 side to apply force to the sealing member 14 toward the guide member 12 side, Even if the seal member 14 moves, it moves only towards the guide member 12 side.

Therefore, due to the effect of the inclination of the seal receiver 20 in a certain direction, the seal member 14 does not move toward the opening 11a of the container body 11, but tries to move toward the guide member 12, so that the guide The member 12 prevents the seal member 14 from moving, and the seal member 14 prevents the shutter member 1 from moving.
3 and the container body 11 will be sufficiently sealed.

Regarding the above, whether attention was paid to the inclination of the seal material receiving surface 21 of the seal receiving part 20 and the movement of the seal member 14 toward the opening 11a of the container body 11 was prevented, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown in the figure, the movement of the seal member 14 itself may be prevented.

That is, what is shown in FIG. 3 has both ends of the sealing material receiving surface 21 tilted downward toward the shutter member 13, and a protrusion that slightly projects toward the sealing member 14 in the middle portion of the seal receiving portion 20. 32, and in such a seal receiving part 20, the seal member 14 has a good bite into the seal member 14, so that the seal member 14 is
It doesn't really move from there.

Further, in the fourth r: iA, both sides of the sealing material receiving surface 21 are similarly inclined downward toward the shutter member 13 side, and the middle M portion 12 of the seal receiving portion 20 is also tilted downwardly. It is provided with a plurality of band-shaped ribs 33 that are shaped like a trapezoid, a trapezoid, or a semicircle on the lr surface and protrude toward the sealing member 14 side.

In this case as well, the seal member 14 hardly moves from the seal member receiving surface 21 because the seal member receiving surface 21 bites into the seal member 14 like the one in FIG. The same effect can be obtained by providing a plurality of spherical protrusions in the middle portion of the seal receiving portion 20 instead.

In addition, in the case of FIGS. 3 and 4, if the slope 34 on the opening 11a side of the container body 11 of the sealing material receiving surface 21 is made slightly longer than the slope 35 on the opposite side, the sealing material receiving surface 21
This is where you can also enjoy the effects of the slope.

Thus, the seal member 14 is sufficiently secured to the seal receiving portion 2 by the protrusion 32 and the plurality of ribs 33 provided on the seal receiving portion 20.
0, the sealing member 14 provides sufficient sealing between the shutter member 13 and the container body 11.

Below, a developer replenishment container IO according to a conventional example in which the sealing material receiving surface 21 of the seal receiving part 20 is slightly inclined downward toward the shutter member 12 side, and a developing device according to the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. The results are tabulated and show the vibration and drop test results with the agent supply container IO.

In the conventional example, large movement occurred in the seal member 14 in the vibration test, and toner leakage occurred in the drop test, causing problems with the sealing effect of the seal member 14, but in the case of the present invention, as described above. Few problems arose.

Incidentally, the wall thickness of the container body 11 of the developer supply container IO used in this test was all 3.0 mm.

[Vibration Drop Test Results Comparison Table] (Effects of the Invention) As is clear from the following explanation, according to the present invention, the seal member, which is made of elastic foam and is susceptible to movement such as shearing, is attached to the seal receiving part of the container body. Since the sealing member is fixed by the uneven portion, there is no problem with the movement of the sealing member. Further, since the seal member is subjected to a force toward the guide member and the guide member prevents the seal member from moving, no problematic movement of the seal member occurs.

Therefore, the developer supply container can be sufficiently sealed with this sealing member.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 to 4 are cross-sectional views of the seal receiving portion of the container body, Figure 5 [21] is a perspective view of the developer supply container attached to the toner supply unit, and Figure 6 is a perspective view of the developer supply container, etc. FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view of the shutter member and its surroundings, and is an explanatory view of the operation of the seal receiving portion of the container body. 10... Developer supply container, 11... Container body, 11
a... Opening portion, 12... Guide member, 13... Shutter member (opening/closing member), 14... Seal member, 1
5...Slit groove (groove), 20...Seal receiver, 2
1--Seal material receiving surface (contact part), 32...Protrusion (uneven-shaped part), 33...-Riff (uneven-shaped part). Patent applicant Canon Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A sealing member made of an elastic foam is attached to a seal receiver provided around the opening of the container body, and a guide is attached around the opening of the container body so as to surround the sealing member and the outside of this sealing member. In a developer replenishment container in which an opening/closing member that slides to open and close the opening is attached to a groove formed by a sealing member while pressing a sealing member, the A developer replenishment container characterized by being provided with an uneven portion or having the innermost side of the contact portion with the sealing member sloped toward the opening/closing member.