JPH04242567A - Laminated body, developer-storing container, developing device and process cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To form an opening with an even width easily in the longitudinal direction on a sealing member which divides a developer-storing container (first container part) from a development container part (second container part), for a developing device and process cartridge. CONSTITUTION:A first container part 20 in which a developer and an agitating/ carrying member 23 are stored and a second container part 10 which contains a developing roller 11 are divided by a sealing film 1 which has an excellent tearability. By pulling off a tear tape 2 which is adhered on the sealing film 1, an opening which has an even width which is equivalent to a width W2 of said tear tape 2 is formed on the sealing film 1 in the longitudinal direction. The developer which is sent out by the agitating/carrying member 23 in the first container part 20 is fed to the second container part 10 through the previously mentioned opening which is formed on the sealing film 1.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a laminate with excellent tearability and a developer storage container using the same as a sealing member. The present invention also applies to image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, printers, and display devices that employ appropriate image forming methods such as electrophotography, electrostatic printing (electrostatic recording), and magnetic recording. The present invention relates to a developing device that uses a powder developer to develop a latent image such as an electrostatic latent image, a potential latent image, or a magnetic latent image formed on the surface of an image carrier such as an electric recording dielectric or a magnetic material. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a process cartridge that includes the developing device and is configured to be detachably attached to the main body of an image forming apparatus.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 26 shows a cross section of a conventional developing device 15, which is composed of a developer storage container section (first container section) 20 and a developing container section (second container section) 10. has been done. A developing roller or a developing sleeve 11 and a developer layer thickness regulating blade 12 are incorporated in the developer container section 10 as members for supporting and conveying the developer, and a developer layer thickness regulating blade 12 is incorporated in the developer storage container section 20. The illustrated replenishing developer (one-component or two-component developer toner) and a developer stirring/conveying member 23 that is rotationally driven around a shaft 23a are accommodated. The developer storage container section 20 is connected to the developer container section 10.
A hard plate 21 as a partition is interposed between both container parts 10 and 20. This hard plate 21 has a horizontally long slit opening 22 formed in the longitudinal direction (perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 26), and the developer storage container section 20 is connected to the developer container section 1 through this slit opening 22.
Connected to 0.

When the developing device 15 is in operation, the developing roller or the developing sleeve 11 of the developing container portion 10 is rotated counterclockwise as indicated by an arrow at a predetermined circumferential speed by a drive system (not shown), and the developer is The developer stirring/conveying member 23 in the storage container section 20 is continuously or intermittently rotated clockwise at a predetermined speed by a drive system (not shown).

Then, the developer (the toner of the one-component developer or the toner of the two-component developer) in the developer container section 10 is carried on the surface of the developing roller or the developing sleeve 11, and is carried by the blade 12. By being conveyed to the developing section facing the image carrier D such as a photosensitive drum under layer thickness regulations, the latent image is selectively transferred to the image carrier D surface in accordance with the latent image pattern on the image carrier D surface. This causes the latent image to become visible (developed). Further, the rotation of the developer agitation/conveying member 23 of the developer storage container section 20 agitates the replenishment developer in the developer storage container section 20 and breaks bridges and blocks of the developer. The developer is sequentially sent out and supplied into the developer container section 10 from the horizontally long slit opening 22 formed in the hard plate 21, and the decrease in developer consumption in the developer container section 10 is compensated for.

In such a developing device 15, in order to maintain the quality of the developed image (or output image) at a constant high level, the developing container portion 10 consumed by development is
The developer inside is transferred from the developer storage container section 20 side to the developer container section 1.
By sequentially supplying developer to the 0 side, it compensates for excess and deficiency.
The amount of developer in the developer container section 10 (in the case of a two-component developer, the mixture ratio of carrier component and toner (toner concentration)
) is always maintained at a predetermined, substantially constant level, and this is particularly important when the developer is a two-component developer.

Excessive supply of developer to the developer container section 10 is caused by
This causes an increase in the powder pressure of the developer and the toner concentration in the developer container section 10, resulting in phenomena such as an excessive increase in image density, fogging, scattering, and trailing, which deteriorates the image quality. On the other hand, insufficient supply of developer to the developer container section 10 causes excessive reduction in image density, which also reduces image quality. In other words, the developer storage container section 20
Excess/deficiency or fluctuations in the amount of developer supplied from the developer container section 10 side to the developer container section 10 side have an adverse effect on image quality.

[0007]The amount of developer supplied from the developer storage container section 20 side to the developer container section 10 side is determined by the opening width W22 of the horizontally long slit opening 22 formed in the hard plate 21 and the developer stirring and transport. It depends on the developer conveying and discharging force of the member 23.

[0008] If the opening width W22 of the slit opening 22 is large, excessive supply of developer, variation in the supply amount, and backflow of developer from the developer container section 10 side to the developer storage container section 20 side will occur. Therefore, it is better to set the opening width W22 small and to sequentially supply the developer from the developer storage container section 20 side to the developer container section 10 side through the narrow slit opening 22. It is easy to maintain the developer amount or toner concentration in the developer container section 10 at a predetermined substantially constant level by making up for it without any shortage.

By the way, the hard plate 21 that partitions both the container parts 10 and 20 is generally obtained by press punching or plastic injection molding, and the opening width W22 of the horizontally long slit opening 22 formed therein can be set as wide or narrow as desired. , if the width is set to be narrow from the above-mentioned point of view, the slit opening 2 for the developer pushed out by the developer stirring/conveying member 23.
2 becomes difficult for the developer to pass through the slit opening 22, and the developer is pressed against the surface of the hard plate 21 around the slit opening 22 by the developer stirring/conveying member 23. An overload is applied to the developer, and as a result, compressed agglomerates of the developer are deposited in the developer container section 10.
If the developer is supplied to the side, or the slit opening 22 is partially or entirely blocked by compressed developer aggregates, there is a strong tendency for developer supply failure to occur.

For this reason, conventionally, although phenomena such as excessive supply of developer, variation in the supply amount, and backflow of developer from the developer container section 10 side to the developer storage container section 20 side occur to some extent, At least in order to strictly avoid the supply of compressed developer agglomerates to the developer container section 10 side as described above and the failure of developer supply due to clogging of the developer pressurized aggregates in the slit opening 22, the slit opening 22 is The width W22 was actually set to be quite large.

By the way, toner usually has an average particle size of 20 μm.
It is a colored fine powder with a low specific gravity of
It also tends to scatter in the form of smoke due to wind pressure. Therefore, when opening a replenishment developer package and replenishing the powder developer inside the package by pouring it into the device from the developer replenishment port of the development device, be careful not to do so or the developer may scatter and damage the surrounding equipment. This resulted in contamination of the operator's hands, clothing, etc. with the developer.

[0012] Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems of developer scattering and contamination and to improve the ease of handling the developer, a developer container section and a developer storage container section in which the developer is pre-filled are provided. A method of attaching and detaching a developing device integrated with the image forming apparatus to the main body of the image forming apparatus has been proposed and put into practical use. That is, this developing device is configured by integrating a developer storage container portion that communicates with the developer container portion through a slit opening into the developer container portion that includes a developer carrier such as a developing roller and a developing sleeve. , the slit opening is sealed with a sealing member,
A predetermined amount of developer is stored in advance in a sealed developer storage container (for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-1326).
2, U.S. Patent No. 4,615,608)
.

[0013] When such a developing device is new and unused, the developer is maintained in a sealed state in the storage container, and there is no risk of leakage of the developer to the outside of the device during the transportation and storage process of the developing device. It also prevents scattering and moisture.

[0014] When the developing device is used, the sealing member sealing the slit opening that communicates the developing container portion and the developer storage container portion is pulled out of the device and peeled off from the slit opening. , unseal the slit opening. Then, when the slit opening is opened, the developer in the developer storage container flows out and is supplied into the developer container, making it ready for development. In this case, unsealing the slit opening and supplying the developer from the developer storage container side to the developer container side by unsealing the slit opening can be done only by pulling out and removing the sealing member outside the device, and this operation is not performed inside the device. Therefore, leakage or scattering of the developer outside the device does not substantially occur.

[0015] Such a developing device is basically a disposable type, and when the developer previously stored in the developer storage container is consumed and used up, the developer storage container is replenished with developer. The entire developing device, or the developing device and other image forming process equipment (for example, a photosensitive drum as an image bearing member, a cleaner, a charger, etc.) are combined to form a so-called process cartridge, which is known per se. If so, the process cartridge is removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus and replaced with a new developing device or process cartridge.

Here, FIGS. 27 and 28 show an example in which the method shown in US Pat. No. 4,615,608, in which the slit opening is opened by pulling out and removing the sealing member, is applied to the developing device shown in FIG. .

FIG. 27 shows the hard plate 2 of the developer storage container section 20.
1 is an exploded perspective view of a horizontally long slit opening 22 formed in FIG. 1 and a sealing member 30 for sealing the opening 22. FIG. The sealing member 30 has a horizontally long slit opening 2 formed in the hard plate 21.
2 is a band-shaped flexible material that covers and seals the hard plate 21 from the outside.
It is easily peeled and adhered to the four outer edges 25 of the outer surface by an adhesive means such as heat sealing (thermal welding), impulse sealing, high frequency welding, or the like. Then, one end side of the non-adhesive portion of this sealing member 30 is folded back in the opposite direction to form a folded part 3.
0A, and the free end 30 of the folded portion 30A
As shown in FIG. 28, B is a gripping portion extending outward from between butt flanges 13 and 24 for mutually connecting the developer container portion 10 and the developer storage container portion 20 at one end side of the developing device. .

When in use, the gripping portion 30B of the sealing member 30 is pinched and the folded portion 30A is pulled outward with force F against the adhesive force on the hard plate 21 surface, thereby removing the hardness of the sealing member 30. The adhesive in the area 25 to the surface of the plate 21 peels off from the back side in the longitudinal direction of the slit opening 22 to the front side, and the slit opening 22 is unsealed.Finally, the grip part 30B is fully pulled outward. Folded part 3
By pulling out and removing the entire 0A and seal member 30 from the apparatus, the entire slit opening 22 is opened, and the developer storage container section 20 is communicated with the developer container section 10 through the opened slit opening 22. In this state, developer can be replenished from the developer storage container section 20 to the developer container section 10.

[0019]

However, the above-mentioned easy-peel sealing method has the following disadvantages. (1) A large force is required to open the slit opening 22 in order to peel off the seal member 30 at the adhesive portion 25 (see FIG. 27). (2) It is difficult to control the adhesive strength of so-called easy-peel adhesives, and if you try to reduce the peeling force, the adhesive strength will be insufficient, and the sealing member 30 will easily peel off during transportation, especially when dropped at low temperatures, etc. Developer leakage may occur. (3) Due to scratches on the seal member 30 or damage during adhesive processing, the seal member 30 may be cut diagonally or torn when the seal member 30 is peeled off.
The quality of 0 is not necessarily stable. (4) For the adhesive allowance of the seal member 30, the seal member 3
0 width W30 (see FIG. 27) is the width W of the slit opening 22.
22, and the folded portion 30A of the sealing member 30 may get caught when it is adhered, or the sealing member 30 may come into contact with adhesive or molten resin and become stuck, making it impossible to pull it out. Trouble may occur. (5) The sealing member 30 is made of a material with directionality, such as uniaxially stretched polypropylene, or a material that has been half-cut to give directionality, and is configured so that the direction in which it is easy to tear is aligned with the direction in which the opening is formed. Even in this case, it is not possible to obtain an opening with sufficient dimensional accuracy. (6) In the configuration shown in FIG. 28, the flanges 13 and 24, which are the integrally bonded adhesive portion between the developer container portion 10 and the developer storage container portion 20, are larger than the adhesive portion between the seal member 30 and the hard plate 21. This flange 13 must be taken on the outside.
, 24 protrude outside the main body of the developing device 15, which poses a problem in that the device cannot be made more compact. (7) When the sealing member 30 is peeled off, the adhesive portion 25 undergoes cohesive failure, so there is a possibility that the adhesive becomes fine pieces and mixes into the developer. (8) Changing the design of the width W22 of the slit opening 22 once set involves modifying or changing the punching die or injection mold of the hard plate 21, which is not easy and increases costs. .

In order to eliminate the above-mentioned problems, the following proposal has been made (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 13262/1982). That is, according to this, in what is shown in FIGS. 26 and 27, the hard plate 21 is eliminated and the seal member 30 is replaced.
The entire opening of the developer storage container section 20 is sealed, and the sealing member 30 is sealed around the flange surface 24.
The width of the free end serving as the gripping portion is approximately equal to the required opening width. Then, the sealing member 30 is given a tearing direction, or a perforation or a notch is cut in the sealing member 30.

According to the above configuration, the seal member 3
When the free end of 0 is folded back and pulled, the sealing member 30
is torn apart by a width substantially equal to the width of the free end to form an opening for supplying the developer.

However, according to the above structure, the strip of the sealing member 30 that is being torn tends to become gradually thinner or thicker as the tearing progresses. Therefore, the width of the opening formed in the sealing member 30 becomes nonuniform in the longitudinal direction of the opening, and the amount of developer supplied to the developer container section 10 becomes uneven depending on the location. It has also been experienced that the band-like piece of the seal member 30 was torn during tearing, making it impossible to perform any further opening forming operation. The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a laminate with excellent tearability and to easily form an opening of a constant width in the longitudinal direction with high precision by using the laminate. It is an object of the present invention to provide a developer storage container that can be formed in different shapes and eliminate unevenness in the amount of developer supplied depending on the location.

[0023] Furthermore, the present invention provides a structure in which a partition wall between the developer storage container section (first container section) containing the developer and the developer container section (second container section) provided with the developer carrier is connected to the developer storage container section (first container section) containing the developer. In a developing device or a process cartridge in which the developer is sent out by a delivery member disposed in the first container part through the formed opening, the supply amount of the developer is suppressed to a small amount, or the amount of developer supplied from the second container part is Even if the width of the opening is set to be narrow in order to prevent backflow of the developer into the container section, it is possible to prevent the formation of compressed agglomerates of the developer and prevent the supply of the agglomerates to the second container section and the opening. An object of the present invention is to provide a developing device and a process cartridge with a simple configuration, which can prevent clogging due to agglomerates.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a simple developing device and a developing device having a simple structure that can easily form an opening having a uniform width in the longitudinal direction in a sealing member that partitions the first container portion and the second container portion. The purpose is to provide process cartridges.

[0025]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a laminate by providing an intermediate layer with a polyolefin flat yarn cloth that can be torn in one direction either vertically or horizontally. A seal member based on the body was heat welded to the four circumferential edges of the opening of the developer storage container, and the tip portion of the seal member, which had a narrower width than the heat welded portion, was folded back at an angle of 180° in the longitudinal direction. This is its characteristic.

[0026] The present invention also includes a first container part that stores a developer, and a developer carrier that carries and conveys the developer supplied from the first container part and supplies it to an image carrier. In the developing device, the first container part and the second container part are separated by a seal film, and a flexible tape is superposed on the seal film, and the flexible tape is The tape is composed of a first portion extending along one side of the sealing film, and a second portion located on the other side of the sealing film by folding back an end of the first portion, the second portion The sealing film is torn along the first portion by pulling, and an opening is formed in the sealing film for the developer to move from the first container portion to the second container portion. do.

Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that a process cartridge includes the above-mentioned developing device.

[0028]

[Operation] Since the laminate according to the present invention has excellent tearability in one direction, it is used as a base material to form a sealing member, and the sealing member seals the entire opening of the developer storage container. When the free end of the sealing member is folded back and pulled, the sealing member is accurately and easily torn by the same width as the width of the free end, and an opening for supplying developer is formed uniformly and with the same width in the longitudinal direction. The developer in the developer storage container is uniformly supplied in the longitudinal direction through the opening. As a result,
This eliminates unevenness in the amount of developer supplied depending on location.

Further, in the developing device and the process cartridge according to the present invention, when the user pulls out and removes the second portion of the flexible tape when using these, the first container portion and the second container portion can be partitioned. Since developer supply openings having substantially the same width as the second portion of the flexible tape are formed uniformly and easily in the longitudinal direction on the sealing film, the developer in the first container is transferred to the second container. The parts are uniformly fed in the longitudinal direction.

Furthermore, since the developer supply opening is formed in a flexible sealing film having elasticity, the tip of the developer stirring/conveying member housed in the first container part touches the opening periphery of the sealing film. Each time the seal film passes through the portion while elastically abutting it, the seal film undergoes a pressing swing in the direction of pushing the opening open and a return swing as the pressure is released. Therefore, some of the developer transported by the agitating/transporting member is pressed and oscillated in the pushing-opening direction of the opening, even though the opening formed in the seal film is set to be narrow. As a result, the passage resistance is kept low, and therefore, the liquid passes through the opening without forming agglomerates due to overload, and is supplied to the second container at a substantially constant supply amount.

[0031] Furthermore, even if developer adheres to the opening formed in the sealing film and tends to clog the opening, such adhering developer will not adhere to the flexible sealing film provided with the opening. It is easily detached by the above-mentioned pressing swing and return swing, and no blockage due to developer clogging of the opening occurs either partially or over the entire length.

Furthermore, since the return swing of the flexible sealing film provided with the narrow opening functions as a check valve, the developer is prevented from flowing back from the second container side to the first container side. be done.

[0033]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a developer storage container according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sealing member that seals the developer storage container, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a laminate constituting the sealing member. , FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the weave structure of the flat yarn cloth constituting the intermediate layer of the same laminate, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the developer storage container showing a state in which slit openings are formed.

The developer storage container 20 shown in FIG. 1 stores replenishing developer therein, and when the developer such as toner is consumed in the developing device in the image forming apparatus, the developing device This is for replenishing developer. In this developer storage container 20, a box-shaped container body 2
After storing the replenishment developer in 0A, the four peripheral edges 25 of the opening 22 are sealed with a sealing member 30 made of a laminate according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the sealing member 30 has a sealing portion 30A having a width b1, and a width b2 (<
b1) and a folded part (non-adhesive part) 20B, which is composed of a laminate having a multilayer structure shown in FIG. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the laminate has a polyolefin flat yarn cloth 30b that can be torn either vertically or horizontally in the middle layer, and the upper and lower surfaces of this flat yarn cloth 30b are uniaxially stretched. Polypropylene or polyethylene terephthalate film 30
a, 30c are dry laminated, and the film 30a
, 30c, a polyolefin hot-melt adhesive 30d is extruded and laminated on one surface of 30c.

The flat yarn cloth 30b constituting the intermediate layer of the laminate is made of stretched polyolefin flat yarns 30b-1 and 30b-2, as shown in FIG.
It is plain woven with 30b flat yarns in length and width.
By changing the widths of yarns -1 and 30b-2, it is possible to make it easier to tear only the thinner longitudinal flat yarn 30b-1. Therefore, in the flat yarn cloth 30b shown in FIG. Excellent in sex. By the way, the above flat yarn cloth 3
0b cannot be easily torn unless it is sealed with another resin, and when it is used as a base material for an adhesive tape, it is sealed with polyethylene or silicone resin. However, in this embodiment, the sealing member 30 is thermally welded to the four peripheral edges 25 of the opening 22 of the developer storage container main body 20A by an adhesive means such as heat sealing, so it is sealed with polyethylene or silicone resin with low heat resistance. A highly heat-resistant polypropylene or polyethylene terephthalate film 3 is placed on the top and bottom surfaces of the flat yarn cloth 30b.
0a and 30c were bonded together by dry lamination. At this time, the tearing direction of the flat yarn cloth 30b (direction perpendicular to the length direction of the thin flat yarn 30b-1) and the dry laminated film 30
It is important to match the stretching directions of a and 30c.

Furthermore, as described above, by extruding and laminating the polyolefin hot melt adhesive 30d on the surface of one of the films 30c, the sealing member 30 is given an easy peel function. The polyolefin hot melt adhesive 30d used here tears the developer storage container main body 20 with a force stronger than the tearing strength of the laminate.
It must be adhered to the four peripheral edges 25 of the opening 22 of A, and it must be laminated to a thickness that does not significantly affect the tear strength of the laminate. Normally, the thickness of the polyolefin hot melt adhesive 30d is set to about 20 to 100 μm, but the tear strength of the polyolefin flat yarn cloth 30b used in this example was 50 μm.
~200g, uniaxially stretched polypropylene or polyethylene terephthalate films 30a, 30c
Since the tear strength of the hot melt adhesive 30d is as small as 50 g or less, the thickness of the hot melt adhesive 30d can be set within a fairly wide range of values.

When the developer is consumed in the developing device in the image forming apparatus (not shown), the user can close the folded part 30 of the sealing member 30 of the developer storage container 20.
If you hold the free end of B and pull it in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1, the sealing portion 30A of the sealing member 30 will be torn sequentially from the back side to the front side over the width b2 of the folded portion 30B, as shown in FIG. A slit opening 5 having a width b2 is formed in the developer storage container 20 (sealing member 30) to extend in the longitudinal direction of the container body 20A, and the developer in the container body 20A is supplied to the developing device from the slit opening 5. Ru.

By the way, in the above case, the peel strength of parts A and C shown in FIG.
Determined by the adhesive strength with A and the width of the heat seal,
The tearing force at the part B shown in the figure is equal to the tearing strength of the laminate itself, which has excellent tearability in the direction of the arrow, and is small, so the slit opening 5 is opened to a constant width b2 with a constant small force.
The sealing member 30 is formed straight and with high precision, so that the sealing member 30 does not break during tearing, and the developer is stably supplied to the developing device, and the amount of developer supplied is uneven depending on the location. do not.

Furthermore, the opening strength is less affected by the heat-sealing pattern as in the past, and even if the heat-sealing conditions are relaxed so that smooth opening is possible, the outside of the developer inside the container body 20A leakage is reliably prevented.

Furthermore, unlike the combination of tear tape and seal film conventionally used as a seal member, the seal member 30 can be composed of a laminate alone, which eliminates the need for tear tape and seal film, which were conventionally required. The step of welding can be omitted, and the number of man-hours and costs in manufacturing the developer storage container 20 can be reduced. Further, since the flat yarn cloth 30b, which is the base material of the sealing member 30, is made of polyolefin, it also has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the developer storage container main body 20A having a large opening 22 is completely different from using a conventional easy peel film as a sealing member.
The opening 22 of the sealing member 30 is directly heat-sealed to the opening 22.
can be narrowed to a predetermined width b2, thereby eliminating the need for a bottom plate (hard plate 21 shown in FIG. 26) that was conventionally required. Next, two types of developer storage containers 20 (distinguished as Example 1 and Example 2) shown in FIG. 1 having the configuration of the present invention and those shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 having a configuration other than the present invention are shown. FIG. 7 shows the results of a peel test conducted on two types of developer storage containers 20 and 20' (differentiated as Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example 2). Note that portions A, B, and C in FIG. 7 indicate the measurement positions shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 6, respectively.

Here, each developer storage container 20, 20' (
The specific configuration and test conditions of Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2) are shown below. [Example 1] As the material of the sealing member 30, the vertical width is 1
．． A flat yarn cloth made by plain weaving polyolefin (PE) flat yarns of 8 mm, lateral width 1.2 mm, and thickness 110 μm was sealed with polyethylene, and then uniaxially stretched on both sides of the flat yarn cloth to a thickness of 20 μm.
Polypropylene (PP) films (TOYOBO Pylene EM-M (trade name)) are laminated together by dry lamination, and one side of the film is coated with a polyolefin hot melt adhesive (EVA sealant) (EVA content 2).
A laminate obtained by extruding and laminating 0%) to a thickness of 30 μm was used. The laminate is then cut as shown in FIG. 2 to obtain a sealing member 30, which is then injection molded with polyphenylene oxide (PPO) to form an opening 22 (width: 60 mm) of a developer storage container main body 20A. ) was heat-sealed to the four peripheral edges 25 of the developer storage container 20.

After the adhesive portion 25 of the seal member 30 has been sufficiently cooled, the folded portion 30B of the seal member 30 is rotated at a speed of 20
A peel test was performed by pulling at 0 mm/min. [Example 2] A uniaxially stretched polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film with a thickness of 12 μm was attached to both sides of the same flat yarn cloth as in Example 1 by dry lamination, and then a hot polyolefin film was attached to one side of the film. The melt adhesive was extruded and laminated to a thickness of 30 μm to obtain a laminate.

A peel test was conducted in the same manner as in Example 1. [Comparative Example 1] A uniaxially stretched polypropylene (PP) film with a thickness of 25 μm is extruded and laminated with a polyolefin hot melt adhesive (EVA content 20%) to a thickness of 30 μm to obtain a laminate. , A peel test similar to that of the second example was conducted. [Comparative Example 2] A 12 μm thick biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film and a 30 μm thick nylon (Ny) were bonded together, and a polyolefin hot melt adhesive (EVA content 20%) was applied to a 30 μm thick film. A laminate was obtained by extrusion lamination.

As shown in FIG. 6, the above-mentioned laminate is cut into the same width to obtain a sealing member 30', which is attached to a container body 20A' whose opening 22' has a width of 60 mm and whose front end and rear end are each wide. A developer storage container 20' was obtained by heat sealing using a seal head having a diameter of 20 mm.

A peel test was conducted on the developer storage container 20' in the same manner as in Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Example 1.

By the way, in the developer storage container 20 according to this embodiment, as described above, the peel strength of parts A and B shown in FIG.
It is determined by the adhesive strength and heat-sealing width between d and the container main body 20A, which is the adherend, and if the value is a little large and the heat-sealing conditions are somewhat harsh, the intermediate layer of the laminate constituting the sealing member 30 Vertical and horizontal flat yarns 30b-1, 30 of a certain flat yarn cloth 30b
b-2 may be welded and the tearability of the laminate may be impaired.

Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, if a notch 30C is formed at the tearing start point at the tip of the folded portion 30B of the sealing member 30, which is folded back by 180 degrees,
The opening is performed starting from this notch 30C, and the developer storage container 20 has a slit opening 5 as shown in FIG.
is formed, so even if the laminate is crushed, the influence of the heat-sealing conditions can be suppressed to a small extent, making it possible to open the package more smoothly and reliably.

Here, two types of developer storage containers 20 (distinguished as Embodiment 3 and Embodiment 4) shown in FIG. 8 according to the above-mentioned embodiment, and a developer storage container 20 having a configuration other than this embodiment, also shown in FIG.
FIG. 11 shows the results of a peel test conducted on the developer storage container 20 (comparative example 3) having the configuration shown in FIG. Note that a, b, and c in FIG. 11 indicate the measurement positions shown in FIG. 8, and d,
e and f indicate the width of the slit opening 5 at the position shown in FIG.

Each developer storage container 20 (Example 3,
4 and Comparative Example 3) and test conditions are shown below. [Example 3] The material of the sealing member 30 has a vertical width of 1
．． A flat yarn cloth made by plain weaving polyolefin flat yarns of 8 mm, lateral width 1.2 mm, and thickness 110 μm was sealed with polyethylene, and then a 20 μm thick polypropylene film (TOYOBO Pylene) was uniaxially stretched on both sides of the flat yarn cloth. EM-M (trade name)) was laminated by dry lamination, and one side of the film was coated with a polyolefin hot melt adhesive (
A laminate obtained by extruding and laminating EVA (EVA content: 20%) to a thickness of 30 μm was used.

The laminate is then cut as shown in FIG. 9 to obtain a sealing member 30, which is then injection molded with polyphenylene oxide (PPO) to form the opening 22 ( Width 60mm) four peripheral edges 25
A developer storage container 20 was obtained by heat sealing at a temperature of 140° C. and a pressure of 3 kg/cm 2 for 2 seconds.

After the adhesive part of the seal member 30 has been sufficiently cooled, the folded part 30B of the seal member 30 is rotated at a speed of 200 m.
A peel test was performed by pulling at m/min. [Example 4] A sealing member 30 similar to that of Example 3 was attached to the container body 20A at a temperature of 150°C and a pressure of 4 kg/cm2.
The developer storage container 20 is sealed by heat sealing for seconds.
A peel test similar to that in Example 3 was conducted on the developer storage container 20. [Comparative Example 3] Developer storage was achieved by heat-sealing a similar sealing member 30 without a notch (same as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) to the container body 20A at a temperature of 150°C and a pressure of 4 kg/cm2 for 3 seconds. A container 20 was obtained, and the same peel test as in Example 3 was conducted on the developer storage container 20.

Next, an embodiment of a developing device according to the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 12 to 20.

FIG. 12 is an exploded sectional view of the developing device according to the present invention, FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the developer storage container section of the developing device viewed from below, and FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the end of the developing device. Figure 1
5 is a perspective view of the developer storage container section viewed from below showing a state in which the tear tape is pulled out; FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the developer storage container section seen from below showing a state in which the tear tape has been removed; FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the layered structure of the seal film and tear tape, FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a developing device, and FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of a copying machine equipped with the developing device. In these figures, members having the same functions as those shown in FIGS. 26 to 28 are given the same reference numerals, and their explanations are omitted unless particularly necessary.The developing device 15 according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 12. As shown in the figure, remove the developer storage container (
It is constructed by integrating a first container section) 20 and a developing container section (second container section) 10, and a lower opening of the developer storage container section 20 is formed by a tearable flexible first film (hereinafter referred to as a seal film). The entire surface is covered and obstructed by 1). This seal film 1 is provided with a thin strip-shaped flexible second film (hereinafter referred to as tear tape) which is formed by tearing the seal film 1 to form a slit opening 5 (see FIG. 16) as an opening for supplying the developer. )2 is glued.

The first portion 2A of the tear tape 2 extends along the surface of the seal film 1 on the developer storage container portion 20 side, and one end of the first portion 20A is folded back as shown in FIG. and constitutes the second portion 2B. As shown in FIG. 14, the free end portion 2C of the second portion 2B extends outward from one end portion of the developer storage container portion 20 as a gripping portion.

The seal film 1 and tear tape 2 are then bonded to the flange 24 around the opening of the developer storage container 20 in the positional relationship shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 as shown in FIG. In addition, in FIG. 13, the shaded area 4
indicates the adhesive portion between the seal film 1 and the tear tape 2.

By the way, a predetermined amount of developer is stored in the developer storage container section 20. After filling this developer into the developer storage container section 20, the seal film 1 is attached to the developer storage container section. Alternatively, holes 26A may be formed in the side of the developer storage container 20 as shown in FIG. Remove the developer from the developer storage container part 2.
0, and finally the hole 26A may be closed with the lid 26B, and the flanges 24 and 13 of the developer storage container section 20 and the developer container section 10 are matched with each other, and the two are connected. The developing device 15 according to the present invention is constructed by joining them together using adhesive means such as ultrasonic welding. Note that in the configuration of the developing device 15, the flanges 13, 2
4 may be directly joined, or the sealing film 1 may be interposed between the flanges 13 and 24 to join them.

By the way, as mentioned above, tear tape 2
A free end portion 2C as a gripping portion of the second portion 2B extends outward from between the flanges 13 and 24 of the developer container portion 10 and the developer storage container portion 20 at one end side of the developing device 15. The free end portion 2C passes through a recess 7 (see FIG. 12) formed in the developer container portion 10 and extends outward. Incidentally, the recess 7 also functions to guide the tear tape 2 when the tear tape 2 is pulled out. Furthermore, the strip-like fragments torn from the seal film 1 are also pulled out from the recess 7 together with the tear tape 2.

When using the developing device 15, the user grasps the grip portion 2C of the tear tape 2 extending outside the developing device 15 with his or her fingers as described above and holds it as shown in FIG.
When the tear tape 2 is pulled outward in the direction of the arrow 4, the tear tape 2 sequentially tears the seal film 1 from the back side to the front side in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. 15. The torn band-like portion of the seal film 1 is removed together with the tear tape 2, and when the tear tape 2 is finally pulled out of the developing device 15 and removed. As shown in FIG. 16, a horizontally elongated slit 5 serving as a developer supply opening having approximately the same width as the width W2 of the tear tape 2 is formed on the surface of the sealing film 1. 15 and 16 are diagrams in which the developer container section 10 integrated with the developer storage container section 20 is omitted for convenience.

In this example, composite layer materials having the following layer configurations were used as the seal film 1 and tear tape 2, respectively (see FIG. 7). Seal film 1: Width 60 mm, length 228 mm Polyester layer 1a: Thickness 12 μm Aluminum layer 1b: Thickness 7 μm Adhesive layer (polyethylene) 1c: Thickness 30 μm Tear tape 2: Width 35 mm, length 500 mm Adhesive layer (polyethylene) 2a: 30 μm thick polyester layer 2b:
Thickness: 25 μm Adhesive layer (polyethylene) 2c: Thickness: 30 μm The seal film 1 and tear tape 2 are bonded to the developer storage container portion 20 using a seal bar having a shape corresponding to the shaded areas 3 and 4 in FIG. This is done by heating the tear tape 2 while applying pressure. Note that the tear tape 2 is adhered to the developer storage container part 20 by the adhesive layer 2c, but since this is an easy-peel adhesive, the tear tape 2 is adhered to the developer storage container part 20 by the adhesive layer 2c.
It can be easily peeled off from scratch.

By the way, regarding the developing device 15 according to this embodiment, the gripping required when pulling the gripping portion 2C of the tear tape 2 and tearing the seal film 1 with the tear tape 2 to form the horizontally long slit opening 5 as the developer supply opening. As a result of measuring the tensile force F of part 2C, the tensile force F was 0.2 to 0.5 for 100 sample developing devices.
It was kg. Further, the width W2 of the slit opening 5 formed in the sealing film 1 was equal to the width of the tear tape 2, and the value was stable at 35 to 37 mm. At this time, the tear tape 2 was not diagonally cut or torn at all.

As another example, a seal film 1 and a tear tape 2 having the layer structure shown in FIG. 18 and shown below were used. Seal film 1: Width 60mm, length 228mm uniaxially stretched foamed foam layer 1d: Thickness 120μ
m adhesive layer (polyethylene, EVA mixture) 1e: thickness 20 μm tear tape 2: width 4 mm, length 5
00mm adhesive layer (polyethylene, EVA mixture) 2
a: Thickness: 30 μm Polyester layer 2b: Thickness: 38 μm Adhesive layer (polyethylene, EVA mixture 2) C: Thickness: 30 μm Note that the uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene film used for the seal film 1 has two directions: the x direction and the y direction, which is perpendicular to this.
The tensile strength differs greatly depending on the direction. Then, the first portion 2A of the tear tape 2 is
extend. This is because tear lines in the seal film 1 are more likely to be formed in the x direction than in the y direction.

The tensile force F was also measured for 100 sample developing devices in which the developer storage container portion 20 was sealed with the seal film 1 and tear tape 2. As a result, the tensile force F was 0.3 to 0. It was 6 kg. Further, the width of the slit opening 5 formed in the sealing film 1 was in the range of 4.0 to 4.7 mm, and this value was more stable than that in the previous example.

In the above two examples, 10 sample developing devices were subjected to a vibration test, a pressure reduction test, a drop test,
A high temperature and high humidity storage test was conducted under each condition.

[0067] The vibration test was carried out using a vibration tester at an acceleration of 1 G and a frequency of 10 to 100 Hz, which was varied at a cycle of 2.5 minutes, for 1 hour each in the x, y, and z directions (JIS-Z0232). compliant).

[0068] The reduced pressure test was performed under a pressure of -30 cmHg for 3
Leaving for 0 minutes was repeated twice.

[0069] Drop test was performed at room temperature, -20°C, +45°C.
The sample developing device was packed in a predetermined manner and left in the above environment for 24 hours or more, and then subjected to a drop test. The falling height is 90cm,
The falling surface is concrete, and there are 10 total, 1 corner, 3 mausoleums, and 6 surfaces.
The sample was dropped twice (according to JIS-Z0202).

[0070] The high temperature and high humidity leaving test was conducted by leaving the sample developing device in an environment of 45° C./85 RH% for one week.

Various tests were conducted under the above conditions, and no abnormalities such as lifting or peeling of the seal film 1 and tear tape 2, leakage of developer, etc. were observed in any of the tests.

Next, a comparison example with a conventional device will be shown. [Comparative example] Conventional developing device 1 shown in FIGS. 26 to 28
No. 5 was used as a comparative example device.

In the conventional developing device 15, the sealing member 30 was made of a composite layer material having a width of 30 mm and a length of 500 mm and having the following layer structure.

Polyester layer: 16 μm thick Nylon layer: 25 μm thick Polyethylene easy peelant layer: 40 μm thick
Then, the seal member 30 is heat-sealed (thermal welded) to form a slit opening 2 with a width of 15 mm as a developer supply opening.
2 to close the slit opening 22, and further, the hard plate 21 and the flange 24 of the developer storage container section 20 were bonded together by ultrasonic welding. Then, the same amount and type of powder developer as in the above embodiment was filled into the developer storage container 20 to obtain a sample developing device.

[0075] Then, a peeling test of the seal member 30 was conducted on 100 sample developing devices in the same manner as in the above embodiment. The tensile force F required for the peeling operation varied widely, ranging from 3.2 to 5.8 kg, and therefore the operation was heavy, and there were several pieces that were close to the limit for pulling with one hand. Also, there are two diagonal cuts and one midway cut in the seal member 30.
This occurred.

Regarding environmental and physical distribution tests, 10 samples of each developing device were tested under the same conditions as in the previous example.

[0077] There were no abnormalities in the vibration test. In the vacuum test, lifting of the sealing member 30 occurred in 3 out of 10 units, but there was no leakage of developer. In the drop test, there were no abnormalities at room temperature and +45°C, but at -20°C, peeling of the sealing member 30 and slight leakage of developer occurred in 2 out of 10 bottles. In the high temperature and high humidity test, lifting of the seal member 30 occurred in 3 out of 10 samples, but no developer leakage occurred.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiments described above. For example, seal film 1
The structure of the tear tape 2 is not limited to that shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, and similar effects can be obtained by using various sheet-like or film-like materials. However, the tear tape 2 must have sufficient strength to tear the seal film 1, and preferably the tensile strength of the tear tape 2 is three times or more that of the seal film 1. Specific materials include polyester/aluminum composite film, uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene, stretched or unstretched polypropylene film, nylon film, synthetic resin film such as polyethylene film, paper, etc. as the base material of the sealing film 1; A combination of these can be used. In other words, any material can be used as long as it is flexible, can be elastically deformed by the pressure applied when the developer passes through it, and can be easily torn by pulling the tear tape. However, uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene films, uniaxially stretched foamed polyethylene films, etc., which have a directional tearability,
A uniaxially stretched synthetic resin film is preferred as the sealing film. This is because these uniaxially stretched synthetic resin films have different tensile strengths in the x direction and in the y direction perpendicular to this.
This is because tear lines are likely to be formed in the x direction, where the tensile strength is strongest. Therefore, the first portion 2 of the tear tape 2
It is only necessary to extend A in the x direction, and at this time, a long slit opening 5 in the x direction is formed.

By the way, among the ranges investigated as the base material for the seal film 1, the above-mentioned uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene film was the most preferable. The reason is,
Even if the uniaxially stretched polypropylene film is relatively thick, it tears much more easily in the x direction than in the y direction, and the tear line has good linearity, so the width of the slit opening 5 is very large in the x direction. This is because it becomes uniform. Particularly preferred is a uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene film whose tensile strength in the x direction is 5 times or more the tensile strength in the y direction.

[0080] Furthermore, if perforations are made in each of the sealing films 1 along both edges in the width direction of the tear tape 2, or if a cut line is made halfway through the thickness of the sealing film 1, This is advantageous because the sealing film 1 can be more easily torn in the longitudinal direction of the slit opening 5.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13, by making a V-notch cut 6 or the like on the tearing start side of the seal film 1 for the purpose of triggering tearing, the opening forming operation can be performed more smoothly.

On the other hand, as other materials for the tear tape 2, various synthetic resins similar to those for the seal film 1, paper, metal foil, or any other material having relatively high tensile strength can be used.

By the way, the means for adhering the seal film 1, tear tape 2, and flange 24 of the developer storage container portion 20 to each other is not limited to heat sealing (thermal welding) using a polyethylene sealant, but also vinyl acetate resin or ionomer sealant. Heat sealing with a resin may be used, and if the material is selected appropriately, impulse sealing or high frequency welding may be used, or double-sided tape or a suitable adhesive may be used.

Furthermore, in this example, the sealing film 1 and the tear tape 2 were bonded only at the shaded area 4 in FIG. If the entire surface is bonded, the slit opening 5 can be formed with higher precision.

Furthermore, the order of assembling the developing device 15 is not limited to that shown in this embodiment. When adhering the seal film 1, tear tape 2, and developer storage container section 20 to each other, it is of course possible to adhere the seal film 1 and tear tape 2 at the same time as in this embodiment, or to first attach the tear tape 2 to the developer storage container section 20. The sealing film 1 may be bonded and then the sealing film 1 may be bonded. Alternatively, a sealing band may be created by bonding the sealing film 1 and the tear tape 2 first, and this may be bonded to the developer storage container portion 20. .

FIG. 19 shows a horizontally elongated slit serving as a developer supply opening having substantially the same width as the tear tape 2 in the sealing film 1 that partitions the developer storage container section 20 and the developer container section 10 by pulling out and removing the tear tape 2. A cross section of the developing device 15 with an opening 5 formed therein is shown. In the figure, reference numeral 23 denotes a developer stirring/conveying member, which is continuously or intermittently rotated at a predetermined low speed in the clockwise direction of the arrow in the figure around a shaft 23A. Board (
or a crank-shaped stirring rod) 23B, and the stirring plate 2
The developer scooping member 23C includes an elastic developer scooping member 23C made of a plastic sheet, a rubber sheet, etc., which is integrally attached and supported at the tip of the developer scooping member 3B. In addition, the developer scooping member 23
C scrapes the inner wall surface of the developer storage container section 20 to scoop up the developer and sends it into the slit opening 5.

[0087] Thus, every rotation of the developer stirring plate 23B, the tip portion of the developer scooping member 23C is exposed to the sealing film 1.
A portion of the developer scooped and conveyed by the scooping member 23C is pushed toward the developer container portion 10 from each longitudinal portion of the horizontally long slit opening 5. It is supplied as a rub-in.

In the above, since the slit opening 5 is formed on the elastic and flexible surface of the sealing film 1, the tip portion of the developer scooping member 23C elastically attaches the peripheral edge portion of the slit opening 5 of the sealing film 1 to that portion. Each time the seal film 1 passes while in contact with the slit opening 5, the seal film 1 undergoes a pressing swing in the direction of pushing the slit opening 5 open and a return swing as the pressure is released.

Therefore, some of the developer scooped and conveyed by the developer scooping member 23C passes through the seal film 1 described above, even though the slit opening 5 is set to be narrow.
By pressing and swinging the slit opening 5 in the pushing-opening direction,
The passing resistance is kept low, and therefore the developer passes through the slit opening 5 in a pushing or rubbing manner without causing agglomerates due to excessive load, and thus the developer is transferred from the developer storage container section 20 side. The developer is supplied to the developer container section 10 at a substantially constant supply amount determined by the width of the slit opening 5, the developer conveying and discharging force of the developer stirring/conveying member 23, and the like.

Furthermore, even if developer adheres to the slit opening 5 and tends to clog the opening 5, such adhering developer may be removed from the flexible elastic sealing film 1 provided with the slit opening 5. The slit opening 5 is easily detached by the above-mentioned pressing swing and return swing, and the slit opening 5 is not blocked by developer clogging either partially or over its entire length. Furthermore,
The return swing of the flexible elastic sealing film 1 provided with the narrow slit opening 5 functions like a check valve to close the developer container portion 1.
It also functions to prevent the developer from flowing back from the 0 side to the developer storage container section 20 side.

[0091] The developing device 15, which is formed by integrating the developing container section 10 and the developer storage container section 20 described above, has the following features:
It is attached to and detached from the main body of an image forming apparatus (electrophotographic copying machine) 40 shown in FIG. That is, the electrophotographic copying machine 40 shown in FIG. 20 includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum D that rotates in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and a charger 4 that uniformly charges the photosensitive drum D.
1 and the image of the original placed on the original platen 42 is transferred to the photosensitive drum D.
an optical system 43 that exposes to light, a developing device 15 according to the present invention that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum D by the above-mentioned charging and exposure, and transfers the toner image formed by the development onto the transfer paper P. A transfer charger 44 that fixes the transferred toner image on the transfer paper P, a conveyance roller 46 that conveys the transfer paper P, and a cleaning device 47 that cleans the surface of the photosensitive drum D after transfer. It is arranged.

The copying machine 40 is provided with a guide plate 48, and the developing device 15 is guided by the guide plate 48.
The developing device 15 can be removed from the main body of the copying machine 40 by pulling it out toward you.

On the other hand, by inserting the developing device 15 toward the back under the guide plate 48, the developing device 15
can be installed in the main body of the copying machine 40.

[0094] Thus, the developing device 1 has finished consuming the developer.
By replacing 5 with a new one, copying work can be resumed.

FIG. 21 shows a cross section of the process cartridge 65. The process cartridge 65 has four components: an electrophotographic photosensitive drum D as an image bearing member, a charging roller 50 as a charging means, the developing device 15, and the cleaning device 60. The process equipment is integrally supported on a common support 55 to form a unit, which can be attached to and detached from the main body of the image forming apparatus.

In the developing device 15 incorporated in the process cartridge 65, the developer storage container section 20 is provided at approximately the same height as the developer container section 10, or at a position lower than the developer container section 10, There is no conveyance of the developer t by gravity, and the developer stirring/conveying member 23 is used exclusively.
The developer is conveyed and supplied to the developing container section 10 only by the following steps. As a result, the supply amount of the developer t can be controlled more precisely and reliably.

Furthermore, the bottom portion 20A of the developer storage container portion 20 is formed into a concave curved shape in accordance with the rotation locus of the scooping member 23C of the developer stirring/conveying member 23, so that almost no developer remains during development. It is supplied to the container section 10 side.

By the way, in this embodiment, both container parts 10,
20 is integrally molded from hard plastic, and these container parts 10, 20 are separated by a partition wall 20B made of hard plastic. And this partition wall 20
B has the developer storage container section 2 by the stirring/conveying member 23.
An opening 20C is formed through which the developer sent out from the opening 20C passes toward the developer container section 10.

The opening 20C is a slit-shaped opening extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper plane of FIG. 21, and the sealing film 1 described above is adhered to the surface of the partition wall 20B on the developer container section 10 side. By removing the tear tape 2, the slit opening 5 is formed in the seal film 1 in the same manner as described above. That is, a slit opening 5 is further formed on the developer outlet side of the opening 20C. Incidentally, since the width of the slit opening 5 is smaller than the width of the opening 20C as shown in the figure, the sealing film 1 is subjected to the pressure of the developer trying to pass through the openings 20C and 5.

[0100] Also, the back side of the seal film 1 in which the horizontally long slit opening 5 is formed (the side on the developer storage container section 20 side)
As the developer stirring/conveying member 23 rotates or swings, the tip of the developer scooping member 23C intermittently passes while elastically abutting against the developer, but in the process of passing, the seal film 1 When the tip of the scoop member 23C comes into contact with the scoop member 23C, excessive pressing force may be applied, resulting in excessive pressing deflection, or
For the purpose of preventing a tear from occurring, the sealing film 1 is bonded not to the inner surface of the partition wall 20B, that is, the surface on the developer storage container section 20 side, but to the outer surface, that is, the surface on the developer container section 10 side. . That is, the pressing force of the developer scooping member 23C against the seal film 1 is relaxed by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the partition wall 20B. Furthermore, for the same purpose as above,
As shown in FIG. 22, a hard pressure-receiving rib 20D is provided on the back side of the seal film 1 in a direction transverse to the width of the seal film 1.
The rib 20D may prevent the tip of the scooping member 23C from excessively pressing the back surface of the sealing film 1.

FIG. 23 shows a schematic cross section of a laser beam printer equipped with the process cartridge 65 shown in FIG. 21 described above.

The printer main body 70 has an opening/closing door 72 on its front side, and the opening/closing door 72 is rotatable around a shaft 73 arranged at the bottom, which is shown by a chain line in the figure. Open as shown or close as shown by the solid line. When the process cartridge 65 is attached to or removed from the printer main body 70, the opening/closing door 72 opens to allow the process cartridge 65 to be taken in or taken out. Note that when the opening/closing door 72 is opened as shown by the chain line in FIG. 23, the process cartridge 65 is installed at a predetermined position within the printer main body 70 and supported by the support plate 74.

By the way, a laser scanner 71 is disposed inside the printer main body 70, and the laser beam L emitted from the laser scanner 71 passes through an exposure window 66 formed in the process cartridge 65 and advances horizontally. , is irradiated onto the photosensitive drum D inside the process cartridge 65.

In addition, this laser beam printer has a paper feed tray 75 that accommodates a plurality of sheets of transfer paper P, and a paper feed roller 7.
6, transport rollers 77, 78, and 79, a paper discharge roller 80, and a paper discharge tray 81. Transfer paper P that is printed and discharged outside the machine is stacked on the paper discharge tray 81.

By the way, in the above embodiment, the scooping member 23C of the stirring/conveying member 23 rubbed the seal film 1, but instead of rubbing the sealing film 1 with the scooping member 23C, the scooping member 23C rubbed the sealing film 1. It may be made to pass near the film 1. To this end, for example, in the example shown in FIG. 19, the width of the scoop member 23C may be further reduced, and in the example shown in FIGS. 21 and 22,
The number of ribs 20D or the thickness of the partition wall 20B may be increased so that the tip of the scooping member 23C does not reach the sealing film 1. In any case, scoop member 23C
Even in the case where the developer does not rub against the seal film 1, the developer subjected to the feeding force by the developer stirring/conveying member 23 including the scoop member 23C can elastically bend the seal film 1. Therefore, the sealing film 1 relieves the pressure applied to the developer and prevents the developer from coagulating. Since the sealing film 1 can be slightly oscillated when the developer passes through, it is possible to prevent the developer from clogging the slit opening 5 (see FIG. 21) formed in the sealing film 1. can.

Further, in the above embodiment, the developer storage container section 2
This is an example in which the stirring/conveying member 23 is housed in the developer storage container section 10, and the stirring/conveying member 23 is rotated to feed the developer in the developer storage container section 20 into the developer container section 10. The method of forming the slit opening 5 as the developer passage opening by tearing the sealing film 1 with the tear tape 2 does not use the stirring/conveying member 23, and the developer in the developer storage container section 20 is moved by the action of gravity. The present invention can also be applied to a type of developing device that is dropped into the developing container section 10 or a process cartridge. In this case, since there is no stirring/conveying member 23 that forcibly sends out the developer, a slit is formed in the sealing film 1 so that the developer can easily pass from the developer storage container section 20 to the developer container section 10. It is desirable that the width of the opening 5, that is, the width of the tear tape 2, be wider than that of the previous example. For example, Figure 1
In the example shown in 7, if the width of the tear tape 2 is 40 mm, the width of the slit opening 5 formed in the seal film 1 is 40 to 43 mm, and the force required to pull the tear tape 2 is 0.2 to 0.5 kg. It is done. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 18, if the width of the tear tape 2 is 40 mm,
The width of the slit opening 5 formed in the sealing film 1 is 4.
The length was 0 to 41 mm, and the force required to pull the tear tape 2 was 0.3 to 0.6 kg.

FIGS. 24 and 25 show an embodiment of a developing device using a so-called two-component developer consisting of a mixture of toner and carrier. 24 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the developing device, and FIG. 25 is an exploded perspective view of the developer storage container portion of the developing device.

In the present developing device, the developer storage container section 20 is divided into two chambers: a large chamber section 20a for storing powder developer (toner) and a small chamber section 20b for storing carrier powder. The opening 20c of the chamber 20a and the opening 20d of the small chamber 20b are closed by adhesion of a common sealing film 1. In addition, in order to completely isolate the opening 20c of the large chamber 20a and the small chamber 20b, both chambers 20a, 20b are
Even in the area between the openings 20c and 20d, the sealing film 1
is adhered to the developer storage container section 20.

Thus, the toner is filled into the large chamber 20a through the hole 26A(a), and the hole 26A(a) is filled with the lid 26B(a).
It is blocked by Further, the carrier powder is filled into the small chamber 20b through the hole 26A(b), and the hole 26A(b) is filled with the lid 26B(b).
) is occluded.

[0110] Then, the large chamber 20a containing the powder developer (toner) is opened and the small chamber 20a containing the carrier powder is opened.
0b is opened by opening 20c of each chamber 20a, 20b,
Two tear tapes 2 each provided corresponding to 20d.
(a) and 2(b) are pulled out and removed in the same manner as the tear tape 2 of the above embodiment, and the openings 22c and 2 are removed.
This is done by tearing the sealing film 1 closing each tear tape 2d to a width corresponding to the width of each tear tape 2(a), 2(b).

[0111] Also in such a configuration, the seal film 1
The operability of opening and tearing the bag, as well as the environmental and physical distribution characteristics, were exactly the same as those of the previous example. In addition, in FIG. 24, 2A(a)
, 2A(a) is the first tear tape 2(a), 2(b)
Part, 2B(a), 2B(b) is tear tape 2(a)
, 2(b).

[0112] Instead of using only one sealing film 1, a sealing band formed by adhering the first sealing film 1 and tear tape 2(a) and the second sealing film 1 and tearing tape 2(b) may be used. It goes without saying that similar effects can be obtained even with a similar configuration.

By the way, in the above example, the seal film 1 that closes the openings 20c and 20d of the developer storage container section 20 remains adhesively fixed to the main body of the developing device, and even when replenishing the developer, the seal film 1 remains adhesively fixed to the developing device main body. There is no need to peel off the adhesive. Therefore, the sealing film 1 can be firmly adhered to the main body of the developing device (there is no need for so-called easy peeling), and therefore has strong resistance to shocks when the developing device is transported or dropped, as well as against harsh environments. It is possible to prevent leakage of the developer content.

When the developing device is used, when the handle of the free end of the tear tape 2 is pulled, the seal film 1 is smoothly torn by the tear tape 2 to substantially the same width as the tear tape 2, and the seal film is 1
The torn film portion is removed together with the tear tape 2, and a developer supply opening having approximately the same width as the tear tape 2 is formed on the surface of the seal film 1. At this time, tear tape 2
The force required to pull the handle is much smaller than the conventional force required to peel off the sealing member adhered to the developer supply section against the adhesive force, thereby greatly improving the operability of opening the seal. Furthermore, there is no problem of adhesive particles from cohesively failed adhesive parts being mixed into the developer. Furthermore, the width dimension of the developer supply opening to be formed is stable, and troubles such as diagonal cutting and tearing of the sealing band are eliminated. By setting the width of the tear tape 2, the width of the slit opening can be easily set to a desired narrow width. Furthermore, in order to finely adjust the developer supply amount, it is sufficient to simply change the width and position of the tear tape 2, and this can be done extremely easily. Further, the developer storage container section 20 is connected to the developer section 10.
In the step of integrating the sealing film 1 with the developer storage container portion 20, it is possible to bond the sealing film 1 to the developer storage container portion 20 using the adhesive margin, and the entire developing device can be made more compact by this amount.

On the other hand, the tear tape 2 described above is not necessary from the viewpoint of relieving the pressure applied to the developer around the opening when the developer is sent from the developer storage container section 20 to the developer container section 10 by the delivery member. . In this case, the sealing film 1 in which the opening 5 is formed in advance is attached to the developer container section 10.
Alternatively, the developer container part 10 or the developer storage container part 20 may be bonded to the developer container part 20, or the developer container part 10 or the developer container part 20 may be bonded to the developer container part 20 with the two seal films 1 facing each other with a gap in between, as shown in FIG. It may be attached to.

[0116]

As is clear from the above description, the present invention provides a laminate with excellent tearability and a developer storage container in which an opening of a constant width can be easily formed in the longitudinal direction with high precision. can be obtained.

Further, according to the present invention, the opening is made narrow in order to suppress the amount of developer supplied to a small amount or to prevent backflow of the developer from the second container section to the first container section. Even with this setting, it is possible to obtain a developing device and a process cartridge that can prevent the formation of pressed agglomerates of the developer, prevent the supply of the agglomerates to the second container portion, and prevent the opening from being clogged by the agglomerates. .

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the first container part and the second container part
It is possible to obtain a developing device and a process cartridge in which an opening having a uniform width in the longitudinal direction can be easily formed in a sealing member that partitions between container parts.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a developer storage container according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sealing member that seals the developer storage container.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a laminate that constitutes the sealing member.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the weave structure of the flat yarn cloth that constitutes the middle layer of the laminate.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the developer storage container showing a state in which a slit opening is formed.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a developer storage container according to a comparative example.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the results of a peel test conducted on various developer storage containers.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the developer storage container.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a sealing member that seals the developer storage container.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the developer storage container showing a state in which a slit opening is formed.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the results of a peel test conducted on the same developer storage container and a developer storage container according to a comparative example.

FIG. 12 is an exploded sectional view of the developing device according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the developer storage container of the developing device, viewed from below.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an end of the developing device.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the developer storage container viewed from below, showing a state in which the tear tape is pulled out.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the developer storage container seen from below, showing a state in which the tear tape has been completely removed.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the layer structure of a seal film and a tear tape.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the layer structure of a seal film and a tear tape.

FIG. 19 is a sectional view of the developing device.

FIG. 20 is a sectional view of a copying machine equipped with the same developing device.

FIG. 21 is a sectional view of a process cartridge according to the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the main parts of the process cartridge.

FIG. 23 is a sectional view of a laser beam printer equipped with the same process cartridge.

FIG. 24 is an exploded sectional view of a developing device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is an exploded perspective view of the developer storage container of the developing device, viewed from below.

FIG. 26 is a sectional view of a conventional developing device.

FIG. 27 is an exploded perspective view of the developer storage container of the conventional developing device, viewed from below.

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of an end of the conventional developing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Seal film 2 Tear tape (flexible tape) 2A
First portion of flexible tape 2B Second portion of flexible tape 5 Slit opening (developer supply opening) 10
Developing container section (second container section) 11 Developing roller or developing sleeve (developer carrier) 15 Developing device 20 Developer storage container section (first container section) 20D
Rib 21 Hard plate (hard partition) 22 Opening of developer storage container, opening formed in the hard partition 23 Developer stirring/conveying member (feeding member) 2
3B Stirring plate (rotating body) 23C Scooping member (rubbing member) 30 Seal member 30A Sealing part of sealing member (thermally welded part)
30B Folded portion of sealing member 30C Notches 30a, 30c Uniaxially stretched polypropylene or polyethylene terephthalate film (uniaxially stretched thermoplastic polymer film) 30b Polypropylene flat yarn cloth 30
d Polyolefin hot melt adhesive 65
process cartridge

Claims (46)

[Claims] 1. A laminate characterized in that the intermediate layer has a polyolefin flat yarn cloth that can be torn in one direction, either vertically or horizontally. 2. Claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer has a uniaxially stretched thermoplastic polymer film on both sides, and a layer made of a polyolefin hot melt adhesive on one side of the film. The laminate described. 3. A sealing member made of the laminate according to claim 1 or 2 is thermally welded to the four circumferential edges of the opening, and a distal end portion of the sealing member having a narrower width than the thermally welded portion is aligned in the longitudinal direction. A developer storage container characterized by being folded back at an angle of 180 degrees. 4. The developer storage container according to claim 3, wherein a notch is formed at a tearing start point of the folded end portion of the sealing member. 5. A first container part that stores a developer, and a second container that stores a developer carrier that carries and conveys the developer supplied from the first container part and supplies it to an image carrier. In the developing device, the first container part and the second container part are separated by a seal film, and a flexible tape is polymerized on the seal film, and the flexible tape is used as a seal. Consisting of a first portion extending along one side of the film, and a second portion located on the other side of the sealing film by folding back the end of the first portion, the second portion may be pulled. The developing device is characterized in that the sealing film is torn along the first portion to form an opening in the sealing film through which developer moves from the first container portion to the second container portion. 6. The sealing film is characterized in that the tensile strength in the extending direction of the first portion of the flexible tape is greater than the tensile strength in a direction perpendicular thereto. The developing device according to claim 5. 7. The developing device according to claim 6, wherein the seal film includes a uniaxially stretched synthetic resin film. 8. The developing device according to claim 7, wherein the first portion of the flexible tape is adhered to the seal film. 9. Attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body,
The developing device includes an image carrier and a developing device that develops a latent image formed on the image carrier, and the developing device includes a first container portion that stores a developer, and a developer that is supplied from the first container portion. In the process cartridge, the process cartridge is configured to include a second container section that houses a developer carrying member that carries and conveys a developer and supplies the developer to the image carrier. are separated by a sealing film, and a flexible tape is polymerized on the sealing film, and the flexible tape is
a first portion extending along one side of the sealing film;
The end of the first part is folded back and a second part is located on the other side of the sealing film, and by pulling the second part, the sealing film is torn along the first part, and the sealing film is torn along the first part. A process cartridge characterized in that the sealing film is configured to have an opening through which developer moves from the container section to the second container section. 10. The sealing film is characterized in that the tensile strength in the extending direction of the first portion of the flexible tape is greater than the tensile strength in a direction perpendicular thereto. The process cartridge according to claim 9. 11. The process cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the seal film includes a uniaxially stretched synthetic resin film. 12. The process cartridge according to claim 11, wherein the first portion of the flexible tape is adhered to the sealing film. 13. A first container part that stores a developer; and a second container that stores a developer carrier that carries and conveys the developer supplied from the first container part and supplies it to an image carrier. In the developing device, the first container part and the second container part are partitioned by a uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene film, and a flexible tape is polymerized on the film, and the flexible tape is , consisting of a first portion extending along one side of the film, and a second portion having an end portion of the first portion folded back and located on the other side of the film, and an extension of the first portion. The tensile strength in the direction is set larger than the tensile strength in the direction perpendicular to that direction,
The film is torn along the first portion by pulling the second portion, and an opening is formed in the film through which the developer moves from the first container portion to the second container portion. developing device. 14. The tensile strength of the first portion of the flexible tape of the uniaxially stretched polypropylene foam film in the extending direction is 5 times or more the tensile strength in the direction perpendicular thereto. The developing device according to claim 13. 15. The developing device according to claim 13, wherein the first portion of the flexible tape is adhered to the uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene film. 16. The image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a developing device that is detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus and that develops a latent image formed on the image bearing member, and the developing device stores a developer. A process cartridge configured to include a first container section that carries and transports developer supplied from the first container section and a second container section that houses a developer carrier that carries and conveys developer supplied from the first container section and supplies it to an image carrier. In the developing device, a first container portion and a second container portion of the developing device are connected to each other.
A container part is partitioned by a uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene film, and a flexible tape is polymerized on the film, and the flexible tape is divided into a first part extending along one side of the film, and a first part extending along one side of the film. a second part whose end is folded back and located on the other side of the film;
The tensile strength in the extending direction of the part is set higher than the tensile strength in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction, and by pulling the second part, the film is torn along the first part, and the film is separated from the first container part to the second container part. 1. A process cartridge characterized in that an opening is formed in the film through which developer moves to the film. 17. The first portion of the flexible tape of the uniaxially stretched expanded polypropylene film has a tensile strength in the extending direction that is at least 5 times the tensile strength in the direction perpendicular thereto. The process cartridge according to claim 16. 18. The process cartridge according to claim 16, wherein the first portion of the flexible tape is adhered to the uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene film. 19. A first container section that stores a developer and a delivery member for the developer; and a developer carrier that carries and conveys the developer supplied from the first container section and supplies it to the image carrier. The hard partition wall that partitions the first container section and the second container section includes an opening through which the developer sent out from the first container section by the delivery member passes. In the developing device, an opening formed in the hard partition wall is sealed with a seal film, and the seal film has a developing device whose width is smaller than the opening of the hard partition wall and which is fed out by the feeding member. A developing device comprising an opening through which a developer passes. 20. Claim 19, wherein the sealing film includes a synthetic resin film.
The developing device described. 21. The feeding member includes a rotating body that rotates within the first container portion, and a rubbing member that is fixed to the rotating body and rubs the inner wall surface of the first container portion. The developing device according to claim 19 or 20. 22. The developing device according to claim 21, wherein the seal film is disposed on the developer outlet side of the opening formed in the hard partition wall. 23. The developing device according to claim 22, wherein the opening of the hard partition wall is provided with at least one rib. 24. The image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a developing device which is detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus and which develops a latent image formed on the image bearing member, and the developing device includes a developer and a developer. A first container section that accommodates a developer delivery member; and a second container section that accommodates a developer carrier that carries and conveys the developer supplied from the first container section and supplies it to the image carrier. In the process cartridge, the hard partition wall that partitions the first container section and the second container section is formed with an opening through which the developer sent out from the first container section by the delivery member passes. The opening formed in the hard partition is sealed with a sealing film, and the sealing film has a narrower width than the opening in the hard partition,
A process cartridge characterized in that an opening is provided through which the developer sent out by the delivery member passes. 25. Claim 24, wherein the sealing film includes a synthetic resin film.
Process cartridge as described. 26. The feeding member includes a rotating body that rotates within the first container section, and a rubbing member that is fixed to the rotating body and rubs the inner wall surface of the first container section. The process cartridge according to claim 24 or 25. 27. The process cartridge according to claim 26, wherein the seal film is disposed on the developer outlet side of the opening formed in the hard partition. 28. The process cartridge according to claim 26, wherein the opening of the hard partition wall is provided with at least one rib. 29. A first container section that stores a developer and a delivery member for the developer, and a developer carrier that carries and conveys the developer supplied from the first container section and supplies it to the image carrier. The hard partition wall that partitions the first container section and the second container section has an opening through which the developer sent out from the first container section by the delivery member passes. In the developing device, the opening formed in the hard partition wall is sealed with a sealing film, a flexible tape is superposed on the sealing film, and the flexible tape is placed on one side of the sealing film. It consists of a first part that extends along the line, and a second part that is located on the other side of the sealing film by folding back the end of the first part, and by pulling the second part, the sealing film is The sealing film is torn along one portion to form an opening in the sealing film that is narrower than the rigid partition wall and allows the developer to move from the first container portion to the second container portion. A developing device. 30. The sealing film is characterized in that the tensile strength in the extending direction of the first portion of the flexible tape is greater than the tensile strength in a direction perpendicular thereto. The developing device according to claim 29. 31. The developing device according to claim 30, wherein the seal film includes a uniaxially stretched synthetic resin film. 32. The developing device according to claim 31, wherein the seal film includes uniaxially stretched polyurethane foam. 33. The developing device according to claim 29, 30, 31, or 32, wherein the first portion of the flexible tape is adhered to the seal film. 34. The feeding member is characterized in that it has a rotating body that rotates within the first container section, and a rubbing member that is fixed to the rotating body and that rubs the inner wall surface of the first container section. The developing device according to claim 33. 35. The developing device according to claim 34, wherein the seal film is disposed on the developer outlet side of the opening formed in the hard partition. 36. The developing device according to claim 35, wherein the opening of the hard partition wall is provided with at least one rib. 37. The image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a developing device that is detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus and develops a latent image formed on the image bearing member, and the developing device is configured to include a developer and a developer. A first container section that accommodates a developer delivery member; and a second container section that accommodates a developer carrier that carries and conveys the developer supplied from the first container section and supplies it to the image carrier. In the process cartridge, the hard partition wall that partitions the first container section and the second container section is formed with an opening through which the developer sent out from the first container section by the delivery member passes. The opening formed in the hard partition wall is sealed with a sealing film, and a flexible tape is superposed on the sealing film, and the flexible tape is formed into a first portion extending along one side of the sealing film. , the end of the first part is folded back and a second part is located on the other side of the sealing film, and by pulling the second part, the sealing film is torn along the first part,
A process cartridge characterized in that the seal film is configured to form an opening having a width smaller than the hard partition wall and through which developer moves from the first container part to the second container part. 38. The sealing film is characterized in that the tensile strength in the extending direction of the first portion of the flexible tape is greater than the tensile strength in a direction perpendicular thereto. The process cartridge according to claim 37. 39. The process cartridge according to claim 38, wherein the seal film includes a uniaxially stretched synthetic resin film. 40. The process cartridge according to claim 39, wherein the seal film includes uniaxially stretched polyurethane foam. 41. The process cartridge according to claim 37, 38, 39, or 40, wherein the first portion of the flexible tape is adhered to the sealing film. 42. The delivery member is characterized in that it has a rotating body that rotates within the first container section, and a rubbing member that is fixed to the rotating body and that rubs the inner wall surface of the first container section. The process cartridge according to claim 41. 43. The process cartridge according to claim 42, wherein the seal film is disposed on the developer outlet side of the opening formed in the hard partition. 44. The process cartridge according to claim 43, wherein the opening of the hard partition is provided with at least one rib. 45. A first container section that stores a developer and a delivery member for the developer, and a developer carrier that carries and conveys the developer supplied from the first container section and supplies it to the image carrier. In a developing device configured to include a second container section that accommodates a body, the feeding member is connected to a rotating body that rotates within the first container section, and a rotating body that is fixed to the rotating body and covers an inner wall surface of the first container section. It is configured to include a rubbing member that rubs, and
The first container part and the second container part are partitioned by a uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene film, a flexible tape is polymerized on the film, and the flexible tape is stretched along one side of the uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene film. a flexible tape of the uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene film, and a second portion that is located on the other side of the uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene film by folding back the end of the first part. The tensile strength in the extending direction of the first part is set higher than the tensile strength in the direction orthogonal thereto, and by pulling the second part of the flexible tape, the uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene film is stretched along the first part. A developing device characterized in that the film is torn to form an opening in the film through which developer moves from the first container part to the second container part. 46. The image forming apparatus is configured to include a developing device which is attached to and detached from the main body of the image forming apparatus and which develops an image bearing member and a latent image formed on the image bearing member, and the developing device includes a developer and a developer. A first container section that accommodates a developer delivery member; and a second container section that accommodates a developer carrier that carries and conveys the developer supplied from the first container section and supplies it to the image carrier. A process cartridge configured to include a rotating body that rotates the feeding member within the first container portion, and a rubbing member that is fixed to the rotating body and rubs an inner wall surface of the first container portion. At the same time, the first container part and the second container part are partitioned by a uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene film, a flexible tape is polymerized on the film, and the flexible tape is attached to one side of the uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene film. The first part extends along the uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene film, and the second part is located on the other side of the uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene film by folding back the end of the first part. The tensile strength in the extending direction of the first portion of the flexible tape is set to be greater than the tensile strength in the direction orthogonal thereto, and by pulling the second portion of the flexible tape, the uniaxially stretched foamed polypropylene film is A process cartridge characterized in that the film is torn along a section to form an opening in the film for the passage of developer from a first container part to a second container part.